Should you call an ambulance or drive a gunshot victim to the hospital?

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. ~ Author of Life's Laws For New Adults: Mastering Your Social I.Q.

Let’s start off with a theoretical problem: 

You come out of a restaurant just as a man you do not know gets shot right in front of you. The gunman runs off and the gunshot victim and you lock eyes.

The victim is bleeding from the center of his body, you find yourself taking your shirt off, putting it to the man’s abdomen, and applying pressure. You can’t believe what is happening, as you yell, “Call a doctor! Call a doctor!”

Your thoughts are racing. “What if he bleeds out before the ambulance arrives?”

You think to yourself, “My car is right there, should I drive him to the hospital? It’s not far, but I’m not an ambulance driver. I have no idea what to do! I have no emergency medical training.” 

Should you transport a gunshot victim, or should you wait on emergency medical services?

Before you read on, take a minute to play the thought game. You desperately want to save this person’s life, what should you do? Wait for help, or get your patient to the ER?

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A study in JAMA Surgery found…

Do whatever gets the patient to the Emergency Room the fastest. For most injuries, the prehospital support of an ambulance was often best. But when it came to gunshot or knife wounds, the evidence showed that time was the most important factor. The faster the victim got to the hospital the better. 

The senior researcher, Elliott Haut, at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine says:

Typically, protocols for prehospital interventions are established at a regional or statewide level, which allows first responders to determine what, if any, medical procedures should be performed prior to and during transport to the hospital, Haut says. But research studies have rarely, if ever, evaluated or compared all of the effects of system-driven pre-hospitalization policies, leaving ideal prehospital care strategies undefined, he adds.

Read the report 

I’m too bored to do this for another second!

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. ~ Author of Change: How to bring real change to your life: The psychology and secrets of highly effective people

I am often asked by patients, “How can I get myself to do stuff I don’t want to do?”

To this, I give the simple answer, “Switch up the stuff you’re doing, so that you aren’t totally bored.”

I am not a big believer in willpower. At best, people can only bully their way through a task for so long. Willpower may work for short bursts, mainly when you are newly motivated, but it doesn’t work in the long run.

In the real world, we often have to do stuff that needs to be done, but we get no direct reward for doing it. We like the idea of getting the boring project done, but we really don’t want to do it.

The project could be laundry, exercise, or a big report—we want it done, but we really don’t want to do it.

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Break it up into small chunks

The old question is: How do you eat an elephant? The answer: One bite at a time.

For example, if I am working on a large writing project I take regular breaks, usually every hour and fifteen minutes. Then, for the next 15 minutes, I do something else that needs to be done, such as move laundry from the washer or clean the bathroom. Yep, it’s true. I don’t want to do the laundry or clean the bathroom, but I do want it done.

After 15 minutes, I go back to my writing project. (I have a load in the dryer as we speak.)

By changing activities, I have found that I can get more done and stay motivated to complete tasks.

Research from the University of Toronto backs up my actions

University of Toronto (U of T) News reports, “…according to new University of Toronto research, there may be no noticeable dip in our motivation and ability to do something as long as we switch up tasks throughout the day.”

Dan Randles, is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Michael Inzlicht, a professor of psychology at U of T Scarborough. He says, “While people get tired doing one specific task over a period of time, we found no evidence that they had less motivation or ability to complete tasks throughout the day.”

Wiggle Balls recalled by Toys "R" Us: choking hazard to infants

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported today, October 5, 2017, a recall involving Bruin Infant Wiggle Ball toys also called a giggle ball. They were sold exclusively at Babies “R” Us or Toys “R” Us.

"The firm has received six reports of rubber knobs breaking off, including four reports of pieces of the product found in children's mouths." the report said.

From the news release:

Description:
This recall involves Bruin Infant Wiggle Ball toys also called a giggle ball. The blue ball has textured bumps for gripping and has orange, green and yellow rubber knobs around the ball. The ball wiggles, vibrates and plays three different musical tunes. It has an on/off switch and requires 3 AA batteries to operate. The recalled wiggle balls have model number 5F6342E and Toys “R” Us printed on the product.

Remedy: 

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled balls, take them away from babies and return them to Babies “R” Us or Toys “R” Us for a full refund.

Incidents/Injuries: 

The firm has received six reports of rubber knobs breaking off, including four reports of pieces of the product found in children's mouths.

Sold Exclusively At:

Babies “R” Us and Toys “R” Us stores nationwide from June 2016 through January 2017 for about $13.

Importer(s): 

Toys “R” Us Inc., of Wayne, N.J.

Distributor(s): 

Toys “R” Us Inc., of Wayne, N.J.

Toys “R” Us at 800-869-7787 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or online at www.toysrus.com and click on Product Recalls for more information.

Manufactured In: 

China 

Units: 

About 29,700 (about 3,000 were sold in Canada)

Read the recall. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2018/Toys-R-Us-Recalls-Infant-Wiggle-Balls

Does your dog vote “lets go” or “stay” by sneezing?

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. ~ Author of Change: How to bring real change to your life: The psychology and secrets of highly effective people

When it comes to domesticated dogs, there is no evidence that sneezing is used to communicate, but in the African Wild Dog population of Botswana, sneezing seems to be used to vote: “Let’s go on a hunt” or “lets not”. 

Read the article in the Proceedings of the Royal Society - Biological Sciences

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Research: Specialized talk therapy and antidepressants help children and teens

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. ~ Author of Change: How to bring real change to your life: The psychology and secrets of highly effective people

A specialized mental health treatment called, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been clinically shown, many times over the last few years, to help patients deal with common diagnoses such as depression, anxiety disorders, and panic disorders.

CBT is a form of talk therapy that teaches patients how to challenge negative patterns of thought, about themselves and their world; thoughts that often lead them to self-destructive decisions and behaviors.

This research looked at how CBT worked by itself, and with mental health medication, for childhood anxiety disorders.

The medications were:

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), are a class of antidepressants that work by increasing levels of serotonin (a neurotransmitter) in the brain. SSRIs slow how quickly the brain picks up serotonin from between the nerve synapsis, thus leaving more available for the nerves to use.

Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), is a class of antidepressants that work by increasing levels of serotonin and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters) in the brain. SNRIs slow how quickly the brain picks up serotonin and norepinephrine from between the nerve synapsis, thus leaving more available for the nerves to use. SNRIs affect a wider range of neurotransmitters and are often used with multiple types of mood disorders.

Size of the study and its findings

•This meta-analysis looked at data from 7,719 patients in 115 studies. 4290 (55.6%) were female, and the mean (range) age was 9.2 (5.4-16.1) years. A meta-analysis statistically analyzes data from multiple studies.

•When SSRIs were compared to placebo pills, this study found that SSRIs significantly reduced anxiety in patients.

•Patients in this study taking Benzodiazepines and tricyclics (Older forms of anti-anxiety medication, tranquilizers.)

•Concerning CBT the researchers wrote:

When CBT was compared with wait-listing/no treatment, CBT significantly improved primary anxiety symptoms, remission, and response. Cognitive behavioral therapy reduced primary anxiety symptoms more than fluoxetine and improved remission more than sertraline. The combination of sertraline and CBT significantly reduced clinician-reported primary anxiety symptoms and response more than either treatment alone.

•It was noted that medication had some negative side effects while CBT did not:

Adverse events were common with medications, but not with CBT, and were not severe. Studies were too small or too short to assess suicidality with SSRIs or SNRIs. One trial showed a statistically nonsignificant increase in suicidal ideation with venlafaxine [antidepressant brand name Effexor XR].

• Cognitive behavioral therapy had fewer patient dropouts than placebo pills or medications.

Read the research paper

Citation: Wang Z, Whiteside SPH, Sim L, Farah W, Morrow AS, Alsawas M, Barrionuevo P, Tello M, Asi N, Beuschel B, Daraz L, Almasri J, Zaiem F, Larrea-Mantilla L, Ponce OJ, LeBlanc A, Prokop LJ, Murad MH. Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Pharmacotherapy for Childhood Anxiety DisordersA Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. Published online August 31, 2017. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.3036

Please let me know what you think by clicking the “comments” below.

Humans, monkeys, and rats laugh, but why?

I am asked this question often, "Why do we laugh?" My common answer is, "As social animals it helps us deal with the stress of being social animals."

In this 17 minute TED Talk, Dr. Sophie Scott, talks about her own and other's research into the subject.

Most of this TED talk is information based and quite interesting, but by the end I was gasping for air in full laughter. Then she explained why. Educational and fun... not a bad way to learn.




Sophie Scott, Ph.D is the deputy director of the University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. 

Did you hear about the lady that said she was haunted in L.A. California?

In this TED talk we meet Carrie Poppy. She feared she was haunted. Her story is fascinating.

Even after a home cleansing ritual she heard voices, she felt uncomfortable, she was scared and confused... She needed to know the truth.

(13 minutes long, worth every second.)

What makes a happy and healthy life... Long term study says:

Robert Waldinger is the Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, a 77 year longitudinal study looking at what makes us happy and healthy throughout out lives.

Some of the original subjects were Harverd College men, others were the poor of the poor from inner city Boston. 

In this 13 minute TED talk you get an update on this study and what it means for you personally. What makes people happy and healthy over a lifetime isn't, money or wealth its is... 

A funny look at human perception and behavior through the eyes of an ad man.

Enjoy this TEDGlobal 2009 ·  16:39 · Filmed Jul 2009

A fun look at how we humans can be "encouraged" to act in a particular way. 

Does exercise help memory of people over 50?

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. ~ Author of Change: How to bring real change to your life: The psychology and secrets of highly effective people

According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the answer is, yes. 

The researchers conducted a systematic review with multilevel meta-analysis. This is fancy speak for looking at many studies and redoing the math to see if the combined data confirmed what the individual studies showed.

The research group was just under 13,000 adults, 50-years of age and older. A total of 39 studies were evaluated. 

• 18 studies looked at aerobic exercise (walking, running, or swimming).
• 13 studies looked at resistance training in the form of weightlifting.
• 10 studies focused on a combination of exercise programs.
• The rest of the studies analyzed tai chi and yoga.

All exercises helped, but the type mattered

The analysis showed that aerobic exercise and tai chi helped overall brain function, while resistance training increased the participants’ memory.

In conclusion:

This is another study which shows that as we age it is important to keep moving. As I have said many times before, the best exercise for you is the one that you will keep doing, day after day. 

I think I will go for a walk now …

Read the full article:

Northey JM, Cherbuin N, Pumpa KL, et al Exercise interventions for cognitive function in adults older than 50: a systematic review with meta-analysis Br J Sports Med Published Online First: 24 April 2017. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096587

Suicide often harms surviving spouse mentally and physically

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. – Author of Change: How to bring real change to your life: The psychology and secrets of highly effective people

A report was published online in JAMA Psychiatry. It looked at the effects of suicide on the surviving spouse.

The researches combed a national register that included almost 7 million people in Denmark from 1980 to 2014. The registry looked at nearly 5,000 men and 11,000 women whose spouses committed suicide.

The study found male spouses of partners who died by suicide had a 70 percent higher risk of developing mental health problems than partners of those who succumbed to other causes of death, such as illness or accident. For women, the risk of developing a mental health disorder was 50 percent higher.

The researchers noted that surviving spouses are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. Surviving spouses were themselves at an increased risk of suicide.

Additionally, physical ailments, including cirrhosis of the liver, sleeping disorders, cancer, and back pain developed at a higher rate in surviving spouses than the population at large.

Read the study: JAMA Psychiatry. Published online March 22, 2017. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0218  Available as a PDF.

Smokers have harder time staying of drugs after rehab

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. – Author of Change: How to bring real change to your life: The psychology and secrets of highly effective people

Researchers at the department of epidemiology at Columbia University's School of Public Health looked at just under 35,000 adults enrolled in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.

The data showed the following relapse rates:

• 11% Smokers at the start of treatment, and continued to smoke during treatment.
• 8% Individual that quit smoking during treatment
• 6.5% Non smokers

The study authors point to the importance of adding tobacco treatment along side illicit drug treatment. 

"Quitting smoking will improve anyone's health," says lead author Andrea Weinberger, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "But our study shows that giving up cigarettes may be even more important for adults in recovery from illicit substance use disorders since it may help them stay sober.”

Learn more

What is Acupuncture, by Harriet Hall, MD

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. – 

Author of Basic Parenting 101: The Manual Your Child Should Have Been Born With

According to Dr. Hall, none of the following are true about acupuncture:

• It’s an ancient Chinese treatment method.
• Involves sticking needles in acupoints
• It’s widely used in China.
• Works to relieve pain and nausea.
• Works for other conditions like infertility.
• Can be used for surgical anesthesia.
• Is harmless – no side effects.
• Has been validated by scientific research

What you think you know about acupuncture is most likely incorrect.

The James Randi Educational Foundation, and Dr. Harriet Hall, have developed 10 free video courses looking at critical thinking and medical claims called Science-Based Medicine. The lectures are:

1. Science-Based Medicine vs. Evidence-Based Medicine

2. What Is CAM?

3. Chiropractic

4. Acupuncture

5. Homeopathy

6. Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine

7. Energy Medicine

8. Miscellaneous “Alternatives”

9. Pitfalls in Research

10.Science-Based Medicine in the Media and Politics

There is also a free course guide.

Lecture 4: Acupuncture, by Harriet Hall, MD (32 minute)

What is Chiropractic: Free courses by Dr. Hall

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. – 

Author of Basic Parenting 101: The Manual Your Child Should Have Been Born With

In this lecture, Dr. Hall looks at the history and science behind chiropractic care. 

Dr. Hall starts her lecture with some interesting facts:

• Chiropractic is NOT a science.
• Chiropractic is NOT based on neurology, anatomy and physiology.
• Chiropractors are NOT doctors of the nervous system.
• Chiropractic DOES NOT improve health and quality of life.

The James Randi Educational Foundation, and Dr. Harriet Hall, have developed 10 free video courses looking at critical thinking and medical claims called Science-Based Medicine. The lectures are:

1. Science-Based Medicine vs. Evidence-Based Medicine

2. What Is CAM?

3. Chiropractic

4. Acupuncture

5. Homeopathy

6. Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine

7. Energy Medicine

8. Miscellaneous “Alternatives”

9. Pitfalls in Research

10.Science-Based Medicine in the Media and Politics

There is also a free course guide.

Lecture 3: Chiropractic, by Harriet Hall, MD (36 MINUTES)

What is Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)? Free courses by Dr. Harriet Hall

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. – 

Author of Basic Parenting 101: The Manual Your Child Should Have Been Born With

Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) used to be called "stuff that was not taught in Medical School". But now it covers any procedure that anyone would like to tell you is a fix for a particulate or all medical ailments. It can be wild quackery for curing cancer or seemingly a reasonable but unproven way to to remove warts. It may be very dangerous or relatively safe. The problem is, without scientific scrutiny, how is the public to know if the "treatment" is safe or helpful.  

CAM is really a marketing term. In this lecture Dr. Hall does a nice job of giving you historical information concerning CAM. She also explains what to watch out for when it comes to CAM treatments.

The James Randi Educational Foundation, and Dr. Harriet Hall, have developed 10 free video courses looking at critical thinking and medical claims called Science-Based Medicine. The lectures are:

1. Science-Based Medicine vs. Evidence-Based Medicine

2. What Is CAM?

3. Chiropractic

4. Acupuncture

5. Homeopathy

6. Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine

7. Energy Medicine

8. Miscellaneous “Alternatives”

9. Pitfalls in Research

10.Science-Based Medicine in the Media and Politics

There is also a free course guide.

Lecture 2: What is CAM, by Harriet Hall, MD (36 minutes)

A look at how we learn to think critically: Free courses by Dr. Hall

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. – 

Author of Basic Parenting 101: The Manual Your Child Should Have Been Born With

Critical thinking is the act of learning how to think, with the knowledge that it is very easy to trick or confuse ourselves. It is being aware we are each vulnerable to mistaken thoughts that we feel secure in. 

For example, in the little video below we see a helicopter crash onto a city street. It fell out of the sky and was captured by amateur video:

Helicopter crash

But, as you can see, our eyes can deceive us. Our mind developed over time in a less complicated environment. Thus, our minds are vulnerable to being "tricked".

The James Randi Educational Foundation, and Dr. Harriet Hall, have developed 10 free video courses looking at critical thinking and medical claims called Science-Based Medicine. The lectures are:

1. Science-Based Medicine vs. Evidence-Based Medicine

2. What Is CAM?

3. Chiropractic

4. Acupuncture

5. Homeopathy

6. Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine

7. Energy Medicine

8. Miscellaneous “Alternatives”

9. Pitfalls in Research

10.Science-Based Medicine in the Media and Politics

There is also a free course guide.

Lecture 1: Science-Based Medicine vs. Evidence-Based Medicine, by Harriet Hall, MD (37 minutes)

Patients with panic disorder report more antidepressant side effects

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. ~ Author of Change: How to bring real change to your life: The psychology and secrets of highly effective people

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) looked at 808 patients with diagnosed chronic depression who were taking antidepressant medication.  Within this group, there was a subgroup of 85 people who also had a diagnosis of panic disorder. It is common for patients to have more than one clinical diagnosis. It goes by the ominous term, comorbidity.

In this study, the researchers found that if a patient had both depression and panic disorder, they reported more medication side effects, such as:

• gastrointestinal (47 percent vs. 32 percent)

• cardiovascular (26 percent vs. 14 percent)

• neurological (59 percent vs. 33 percent)

• genital/urinary (24 percent vs. 8 percent) 

In the press release lead author, Stewart Shankman, professor of psychology and psychiatry at UIC stated:

People with panic disorder are especially sensitive to changes in their bodies. It’s called ‘interoceptive awareness.’

Because these patients experience panic attacks — which are sudden, out-of-nowhere symptoms that include heart racing, shortness of breath, and feeling like you’re going to die — they are acutely attuned to changes in their bodies that may signal another panic attack coming on. So it does make sense that these tuned-in patients report more physiological side effects with antidepressant treatment.

Hyperawareness

Often patients with hyperawareness of their bodies tend to report many more symptoms and worries than the non-hyperaware patient. Dr. Shankman points out:

Physicians and therapists should be aware that their patients with panic disorder may report more side effects, and they should do a thorough assessment of these side effects to try to tease out what might be the result of hypersensitivity, or what might be a side effect worth switching doses or medications for.

Read the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry online article

Please let me know what you think by clicking the “comments” below.