The case of the month is an actual patient of The Turek Clinic. It’s unbelievable how your genes, those tiny little chunks of DNA that make you who you are, can be sources of both delight and despair in life. Azoospermic Angst My lovely patient was trying to conceive for several years. Upon evaluation, he was found to be...Continue reading
Category: Mental Health
Drug Warnings Can Be a Double-Edged Sword
Back in 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required that a particular class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) carry a “black box” warning that for children and teens, side effects may include an increased risk of suicidal thoughts. Sounds perfectly reasonable, doesn’t it? But then, along comes the Law of...Continue reading
Tomorrow’s Hope
May 24, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend was a memorable day–the day that my friend, and health policy wonk, Adam Dougherty’s life changed forever. Arguably one of the most important days of his life, my good friend was crossing a major threshold, another chapter of adulthood; Saturday, May 24 was his wedding day. A...Continue reading
Kicking a Substance Abuse Habit
While the types of people who use drugs are varied from all walks of life, the core desire is the same—looking to escape something and feel better. This is understandable—dealing with our feelings can be difficult. Even people who claim their drug use is purely recreational—that desire is there, even if it just escaping ‘normal’...Continue reading
My Father’s Stay at God’s Hotel: A Slow-Medicine Approach to Healing Mental Illness
It’s been a long journey to come to peace with my father’s life and how it has impacted my own. I was born on December 21, 1943 in New York City. My parents had tried to conceive for many years, but had been unsuccessful. They finally were successful when my father was 37 and my...Continue reading
Effects of Stress on Your Health
You’ve heard the adage before: “manage your stress or your stress will manage you.” As it turns out, this is no wives tale; there is more truth behind this saying than you might realize. Perhaps the most shocking fact about stress is that it affects your body systemically, not just in one area. This stress...Continue reading
Caring for Those Who Cared for Us
Men are no strangers to the responsibility of taking care of loved ones. Though we often attribute this as a maternal instinct, men provide for take care of their families every day. They work full-time jobs, often juggling several at once, to make sure the ones they love have everything they need. And at some...Continue reading
Rhythm of Closeness—Part III
“If he had loved her he wouldn’t have minded the distance.” —Confucius Wendell has been in recovery for quite some time now, but his mother and father haven’t. Even though Wendell is forty-six years old, his mother’s influence sticks to him like a spider’s web. He realizes that his mother has been guilt-tripping him into...Continue reading
Simple Steps to Living a Healthy Lifestyle
Healthy living doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, it requires months of consistency and conviction. A healthy lifestyle, though challenging when first starting out, has innumerable benefits and truly enriches your mind, body and soul. It isn’t enough to take on a short-term diet or sign up for this month’s workout fad. Instead, wellness should be...Continue reading
Curcumin — A Novel Treatment for Depression?
By Dr. Ajay Goel About 1 in 10 Americans report symptoms of depression, and the causes can be as varied as the individuals reporting them.1 Unfortunately, many of the current therapeutic drugs for depression are truly only effective and safe in the short term. When taken long term, these medications may cause sedation, weight gain...