Tim Berry
We have all done it. We get up from a chair in the living room to retrieve something in the kitchen, study, or bedroom (equal opportunity rooms). But after the first few steps walking through the doorway into the other room we, well…we have forgotten what we came into the room to get. It is hard to score if that proc......... more »
I recently had a brief conversation with three separate men while on vacation in Hawaii. All were in their late 60’s. Jim worked at a snorkel shop. He had been an elementary teacher before moving from the Mainland to the Big Island. His “well-designed” retirement included a heavy portion of beach life. While hi......... more »
Did you know that decades of sound evidence from human studies have shown that the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is likely the result of infection? Oddly, the majority of the medical community has dismissed these studies. The evidence was discussed in the March 8, 2016 Journal of Alzheimer's Disease editorial. "Despi......... more »
To receive this kind of news is that nightmare of any parent. Their mentally ill adult son was arrested for burglary, once again. This time, however, it was different. Plagued with a long history of addiction, depression, and hopelessness their son hanged himself in his jail cell. Bitter grief as well as many other emo......... more »
"Our results suggest that for older people, getting regular quite intensive exercise may help them keep their cognitive abilities longer," senior author, Clinton B. Wright, MD, University of Miami, commented to Medscape Medical News. The study that Dr. Wright was referring to was published online in Neurology on Mar......... more »
Are you WEARY OF WHINING? If you are like most people age 50 and above, you are beginning to see things in the mirror that you didn’t notice ten or fifteen years before. It may have started with a few strands of grey hair around your temples or even that small wad of hair sitting on top of your shower drain. You may......... more »
Three women – three experiences Standing about 45 feet in the air, she looked down from the small circular wooden platform encircling the ironwood tree. The platform had no handrail and it was easy to view the small serpentine stream quietly swooshing down the jungle-laden hillside. When she first peered over the ......... more »
I am not sure why I walked out of that spring day’s beautiful mid-morning sunshine. It would have been so much easier to just keep walking down the 9:45 a.m. tree lined sidewalk. In fact the dirty beige concrete going beyond the doorway was becoming increasingly seductive. Not yielding to the seduction, I in fact ......... more »
At this moment when I sat down at my computer, our one year-old golden retriever, Poppy instantly began running around the perimeter of our living room. She had a chew- toy in her mouth and was playfully doing laps; just for the fun of it. I have to admit, this level of energy is something I may have experienced yea......... more »
The long black-haired bear rug on my grandparents’ bedroom floor was one of the first childhood giveaways of my grandfather’s prowess. However, my tedious and seemingly impossible job at that present moment was to take an afternoon nap…the last thing my energized body wanted to do. I wanted freedom and independen......... more »
John... Walking through the parking lot towards the hall, I could not help but be impressed with the vast number of very shiny, and mostly brightly painted, all-American muscle cars. A blazing red ’57 Chevy, a black as coal ’55 Ford, a jade green ’30 Ford Roadster, etc., etc., etc. The hall was filled with many ......... more »
The Re-entry After returning from a two-week vacation in Hawaii a friend of mine asked me how my “re-entry” was going. It seemed like a legitimate question and in fact was quite on target. The fact is that the past week had been a bit of a struggle getting back into my typical 10-11 hour workday. This was especial......... more »
Came across a great article on Huffington Post's Facebook feed. You can read it here.......... more »
I am standing in cold knee-deep water. While I am easily able to maintain my balance, the flow of the river is ever pressing to topple me over and sweep me down stream. My fly rod is positioned securely under my right armpit. I am holding the tippet of the 9 foot tapered leader in my mouth, while I tie on a new fly usi......... more »
Hating Dementia For those of us mere mortals who missed it, Glenn Smith, Ph.D. from the University of Florida, wrote the lead article in May-June 2016 issue of American Psychologist. His provocative and hopeful article is entitled, Healthy Cognitive Aging and Dementia Prevention. I would like to share some of his find......... more »
In Part 1 of Healthy Brain Aging, I shared material from Glenn Smith, Ph.D. of the University of Florida, who wrote the lead article in the May-June 2016 issue of American Psychologist. His article entitled, Healthy Cognitive Aging and Dementia Prevention will continue to be the basis of the Part 2 in this series. I......... more »
In Part 1 of Healthy Brain Aging, I shared material from Glenn Smith, Ph.D. of the University of Florida, who wrote the lead article in the May-June 2016 issue of American Psychologist. His article entitled, Healthy Cognitive Aging and Dementia Prevention will continue to be the basis of the Part 3 in this series. I......... more »
Dear Grandpa Jack: My finger-tips still whence with the blazing memory of watching you snuff out the used-up Marlboro butt with your bare finger tips. I still hear myself scream silently in horror at the nonchalant act of my real Marlboro Man hero. I know I didn’t have that many years to actually be with you, b......... more »
The 1st Word On “that” beautiful mid-July afternoon, I was finishing my salad at lunchtime, looking over emails, and waiting to see my next patient when the phone rang. In my typically rather positive phone voice I answer, “Good afternoon, Dr. Berry speaking”. My urologist, Alan Kowitz, was on the other end of......... more »
Q: I realize that I am pretty perfectionistic…as was my mother, and her mother. Is this genetic? Cathy A: Since I am not a geneticist I am unaware of an exact “perfectionism gene”…but it actually would not surprise me. It would certainly be appropriate to consider perfectionism as a “trait”. While trait......... more »
Q: As a mom I always seem to have time for others (family/friends), but not for myself. How do I create time for myself and not live like a martyr? Beth A: Perhaps the first thing to look at is where this comes from. Did you learn this independently or from your family system? Pretty good chance you were taught thi......... more »
Q: We are having some pretty conflicted times at work. I have tended to blame certain individuals for bringing drama into the workplace. While some employees certainly are drama kings and queens, I am beginning to wonder if this is really an issue of leadership? As a manager, whenever I try to talk to my boss, I just g......... more »
Q: My husband and I have been having quite a few arguments lately. How can I defend our children from the negativity? Megan A: Megan: Well…IT DEPENDS. Certainly if there are aggressive and scary fights, you have a lot to be concerned about. If the two of you cannot control yourselves, you may want to find a pr......... more »
As reported in the December 2014 journal Psychology and Aging, over 500 non-demented seniors participated in the so-called Berlin Aging Study. The subjects were 70-100 years old and were measured for memory performance 4 times over the course of 6 years. The researchers were measuring the complaints of the seniors abou......... more »
Phil and James have been frat brothers for the past two years. This particular warm Sunday afternoon was providing relative boredom for both of them. Being hot and muggy both guys were stripped down to only in their gym shorts all day. About 3:00PM they decided to go down to the basement to play darts and have a few......... more »
Q: I have had chronic neck pain for the past two years. I have been cleared medically but I have the pain every day. Even the heavy-duty opiate pain meds aren’t helping much anymore. Help. Pain in the Neck A: Dear Pain in the Neck: Assuming you feel confortable with the thoroughness of your medical worku......... more »
Q: I am currently going through a divorce that has gotten nasty. I am convinced my husband is simply trying to destroy my social and financial life. I am beginning to hate the man I once loved. I am conflicted about my feelings. Boy do I ever want to strike back hard! Strike Back A: Dear Strike Ba......... more »
In this video we will see how staying sharp can affect our performance.
Without a doubt Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. It has been since childhood. First, I love the Hallmark card family aspect. Next, I love the rugged gift of hard work that the cooks put into culinary their efforts. Finally, I do love the array of wonderful food. However, I have never, that is never.......... more »
Q I am a grandmother of two older elementary school age children. One of them seems to be coming out of control. My daughter and family only live a few blocks away and hence there is easy access between our two families. The oldest granddaughter has now entered puberty. The once charming little girl who could not ge......... more »
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a phenomenon that many people, especially in the Northland are all too familiar with. While I, as a clinical psychologist, see many “seniors” who experience SAD the fact is that the characteristic onset is 18-30 years. Women typically experience SAD more than men. Latitude ap......... more »
Like good wine and cheese, one's mental health improves with age, new research suggests. The following information was reported in Medscape Medical News. What the researchers found may surprise you. In a study of more than 1000 adults, people in their senior years were found to be happier and more content with their......... more »
Q My 50-year-old son is a mess. He has been into drugs, alcohol, prison, and rehab three times. A few months ago he left his wife and went to the streets again. He keeps calling us for money…of course for drugs. When we decline, in order to press his point he constantly yells and swears at us and threatens to eith......... more »
Q I recently attended a memorial service for my mother. This is the same person who spent my early years convincing me that I was the reason for all her physical ills. The real trick was when she also convinced me that I too was ill…when I was not. I don’t know if she had the power of hypnotism or not, but her m......... more »
Q I am convinced my wife is messing with my mind. For example, if I ask her to do something and she agrees, she will often not follow through. When I question her, she says I never asked her. That is just one of many such examples of her behavior. Sometimes I feel like I am loosing it. I know we have had an understa......... more »
An important four-year longitudinal study done by a group of scientists from England, and reported in the esteemed BMJ, found that subjective (perceived) wellbeing and enjoyment has the positive effect of extending our life on an average of 7.3 years. Mortality was inversely associated with the number of occasions on w......... more »
Q Three years ago my wife of fifteen years died in an auto accident. I have been having a most difficult time getting on with my life. Though others have tried to convince me otherwise, I feel guilty for her death. You see, she decided to take a trip to visit her parents who live out of state. She asked if I wanted to......... more »
I recently went to our local food co-op in search of some apples. Not only did I find myself confronted with about ten large baskets of different varieties, but also within each basket were various shades and sizes of that same variety. With so many choices what is a guy to do? Without much conscious choice I found ......... more »
Q As a 60-year-old woman I moved in with my now 88-year-old mother several years ago. Aging, she needed help. Since I was newly out of a divorce and a job, I decided to give it a try. My own children live in another State so I would be focused on mom. Of course there were concerns on my part. My teen years were frau......... more »
Q I have come to realize that I am an unsuccessful perfectionist. I am guessing it started when I was a young girl. My room was always clean and organized, especially in comparison to my younger sister’s room. I have tried to maintain a perfect house with well-accomplished children. Now in my mid-50’s I am begi......... more »
Q Last week was a hard week at work. I manage a team of pretty tough construction workers. I have found that the best way to manage them is to invite them into my life, talk about their home life, and work as a team. Of course, I want them to like me. The problem is that I think I have lost control of the team. Likeni......... more »
February 8, 2017 It is 9:38 pm. Moments before sitting in my chair I was laying on the floor nose to nose with our 2-year-old golden retriever, Poppy. I have just completed 40 pushups and planked to the count of 80. I feel weaker than I did before my kidney surgery last October, but at the same time feel that I am slo......... more »
Q My daughter thinks I drink too much. She also thinks I work too hard. And, she thinks I spend too much money on her. She was a worrywart even as a young child, always having to take care of the family. If we were out walking on the beach she would have us move further away from the water to be sure we weren’t swep......... more »
I returned a few weeks ago from a fun-filled week hiking on the coast with some buddies. While I have a history of back pain, carrying the heavy pack all week didn’t bother me at all. We did some rock climbing and carried a lot of firewood. Oddly, when I was driving about one hour from home my back started “killing......... more »
Q I am a 46-year-old woman who is afraid to go to a job interview. I have been out of work for several months now. I actually am pretty skilled and have a decent resume. The problem is that as soon as I get into my car to go to an interview, I start to experience anxiety. The closer I get to the job site, the worse th......... more »
Q As a young girl my wife was exposed to sexual abuse. Apparently it occurred on a couple occasions. There are times now that she just shuts down to any physical touch. She will come home from work and just want to hibernate, not even wanting to be hugged. She says touch at that point can even bring physical pain to h......... more »
Q I am a 40-year-old single mom and I have an energetic 4-year-old daughter. My daughter’s father lives in another state and is pretty much a deadbeat. He is of little help both financially and emotionally. There are so many times that I get exhausted with my combined work and parenting. I hate it when I yell at my ......... more »
Q My wife of 35 years controls my life. She controls our money. She controls what our house looks like. She controls what I eat. She controls how I dress. She controls where we travel. She controls how I interact with our children. She controls our sex life. She controls what kind of car we have. She controls what col......... more »
