The holidays are a wonderful time for families to come together to celebrate and connect with one another, but they can also be a time of stress for many especially those struggling with issues around food.

Nicole Goolsby, LMFT, CEDS, has worked as an eating disorder therapist for the past five years, helping teenagers and adults who suffer from a variety of mental health issues related to food. The clinical therapist works with a team that includes a psychiatrist and a registered dietitian all working together to help clients identify signs that they may be struggling and provide treatment.

Goolsby says signs of an eating disorder can include feeling stressed around food, being fearful of weight gain, feeling guilty after eating, or skipping out on events that are food-focused.

These behaviors and feelings can increase around the holidays, she says. Learning strategies to manage your relationship with food is a great step to feel confident throughout the season.

Goolsby sat down together with registered dietitian Tholia Davila to highlight 10 strategies and reminders to get through the holidays.

Goolsby and Davila say this list is meant to provide as a reminder of the stressors that occur during the holidays and tips and tools for support. However, it cannot take the place of the benefits of working with a therapist, registered dietitian and physician in your recovery journey.

By learning to understand and respond to signs of an eating disorder, you can help the people in your life who may be struggling with one. If you or someone you care about is suffering from an eating disorder, visit our eating disorder programs page and learn more about howLoma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Centercan help.

Request informationon any behavioral health concerns, and one of our intake coordinators will contactyou. If you or someone you know is in crisis now, seek help immediately.

Read more here:
Tips and tools for handling eating disorders around the holidays - Loma Linda University Health

If the recent viral Peloton ad was any indication, buying the right health-related gifts can be a challenge. A wellness gift should be something that's equal parts thoughtful and useful, and that inspires your loved ones. CNBC Make It found nine wellness picks to help your giftees be happier and less stressed.

Even five minutes of aerobic exercise can be enough to reduce stress, and busy people who want to squeeze in a workout at lunch will appreciate these post-workout wipes they kill germs while cleansing and moisturizing the skin. The wipes have also been vetted by a group of more than 1,000 US Special Ops Forces who swear by them for quick, "tactical" showers, aka the wipe-down you do when there's no time for a proper shower. They're slightly scented and individually wrapped.

This vibrating massage ball can be stashed in an office desk and used to ease tension from sitting all day. It's about the size of a softball, and its shape lets you target hard-to-reach knots deeper than a foam roller.

Billionaire Bill Gates and wellness guru Deepak Chopra preach the benefits of a good night's sleep, and this eye mask pillow can help improve anyone's power nap game. It's designed to help tune out the world so you can fall asleep in uncomfortable places, like sitting in a plane seat.

The CBD craze can be overwhelming, but Equilibria's full-spectrum hemp flower oil CBD mixture meant to "promote focus and decrease tension," according its website comes with a consultation from a dosage expert to help find the right way to incorporate it into your wellness routine. (It's also best to check with a doctor before taking CBD.)

Biking to work or on the weekends is a great way to stay active and to reduce your carbon footprint. To make that easier and safer, there's this collapsible bike helmet. It's very lightweight for its features and comes in four colors (including an eye-catching neon). When the helmet is collapsed, it's only about three inches thick, so it slides easily into a tote bag or backpack.

Eat like some of the healthiest people in the world. The recipes in this cookbook come straight from global "blue zones," the places where people live the longest and are the happiest: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California.

Headspace membership; $12.99 a month or $69.99 a year

JLab Audio Air Executive True Wireless Earbuds; $69

Whether they like to play music during a run (which can improve endurance) or listen to a podcasts on their daily commute, these wireless earbuds last for six hours on a single charge and they're waterproof.

Joshua Tree Kombucha Starter Brewing Kit; $45.99 for kit

Source: Joshua Tree Kombucha

This DIY kit can keep fans of kombucha swimming in the trendy fermented tea (which provides similar benefits to probiotic supplements) all year long. It includes everything you'd need to easily brew at home, including a SCOBY, the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast that's responsible for fermentation, which is reusable. The easy-to-follow brewing process, which takes five to 14 days. Given than a single bottle of kombucha costs $4 to $5, you'll save them tons of money.

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9 self-care gifts for your stressed out family and friends - CNBC

This article was originally published here

Efficacy of a web-based self-help tool to reduce problem gambling in Switzerland: study protocol of a two-armed randomised controlled trial.

BMJ Open. 2019 Dec 08;9(12):e032110

Authors: Baumgartner C, Bilevicius E, Khazaal Y, Achab S, Schaaf S, Wenger A, Haug S, Keough M, Hodgins D, Schaub MP

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The past-year prevalence of problem gambling worldwide averages 2.3%. Switzerland exhibits a slightly lower past-year prevalence rate, of 1.1%, among adults. Only a minority of these adults attend outpatient treatment. Surveyed problem gamblers have explained that they wanted to handle the problem on their own. The option of a web-based self-help programme could potentially reach those users who hesitate to approach treatment centres and help them to reduce or stop their problem gambling. The effectiveness of such web-based interventions has been shown in other countries. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This two-armed randomised controlled trial (RCT) will examine the efficacy of a web-based self-help intervention, relative to an active control condition with a self-help manual, at reducing problem gambling. The active intervention programme, spanning 8weeks, consists of nine modules developed to reduce gambling and attenuate psychopathological comorbidity, including depression, anxiety and stress-related disorder symptoms, relying on motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy. With a target sample size of 352, questionnaire data will be collected at baseline, and at 8 and 24 weeks after baseline. Primary outcomes will be the number of days one has gambled in the last 30 days. Secondary outcomes will include money and time spent on gambling activities, changes in gambling-related problems (Problem Gambling Severity Index, Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale), use of alcohol and cigarettes, and psychopathological comorbidity. All data analysis will comply with the intention-to-treat principle. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The RCT will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki; the consort eHealth Guidelines for studies on medical devices; the European Directive on medical devices 93/42/EEC, Swiss Law and Swiss Regulatory Authority requirements. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Canton of Zurich. Results will be published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal. Participants will be informed via e-mail about study results via a lay-person-friendly summary of trial findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Current Controlled Trials registry (ISRCTN16339434).

PMID: 31818841 [PubMed in process]

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Efficacy of a web-based self-help tool to reduce problem gambling in Switzerland: study protocol of a two-armed randomised controlled trial. - DocWire...

58 minutes ago

Blood drives

American Red Cross will host these blood drives:

11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesday , Indiana VFW Post 1989, 824 Indian Springs Road

1:30-7 p.m. Thursday , Holy Trinity Church, 327 W. Vincent St., Ligonier

Appointments: 800-733-2767 or redcrossblood.org; walk-ins welcome

Vitalant (formerly Central Blood Bank) will host a blood drive noon-5 p.m., Monday , Courtyard by Marriott, 700 Power Lane, Hempfield. Registration: 877-25-VITAL

Classes/programs

Breastfeeding Success, a weekender version is planned 9-11:30 a.m. Saturday at Excela Westmoreland Hospital, 532 W. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. Details: 877-771-1234

Excela Health and Boy Scouts of America, Westmoreland Fayette Council will continue the Explorer program at Excela hospitals 6-7:30 p.m. every third Wednesday of each month at Latrobe campus, Excela Latrobe Hospital, One Mellon Way. Register at wfbsa.org/exploring.

Tours of the Family Additions Maternity Center is planned 2 p.m. Sunday in Excela Westmoreland Hospital, 532 W. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. Details: 877-771-1234

Support groups

Substance abuse victims and their families can join the Substance Addiction Ministry at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Agnes Convent, 11400 St. Agnes Lane, North Huntingdon. The ministry, which is offered the third Wednesday of each month, provides participants with prayer, presentation, support and resources. Details: 412-337-7455 or [emailprotected]

Blackburn Center Against Domestic & Sexual Violence has a support group for victims of intimate partner violence that meets on a weekly basis. If you are a victim of domestic violence and would like to learn more about this support group or about in-person counseling and advocacy services, call the 24-hour hotline: 724-836-1122 or 1-888-832-2272 for more information. All services are free.

A support group for self-help, sharing and caring by and for people with mental health concerns meets 7-9 p.m. every third Thursday in Mental Health America of Southwestern Pa., 409 Coulter Ave., Suite 4, Greensburg. Details: 724-834-6351, ext. 118

Cornerstone Ministries is presenting a new Substance/Behavioral Addiction recovery program at 2200 Cornerstone Lane, Murrysville. Meetings are held 7-8:15 p.m. every Thursday. If you or a loved one are suffering from an addiction, contact us at 724-733-0070 or [emailprotected]

Shirley Taft is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley at 724-836-4970 or [emailprotected].

TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.

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Health Happenings: Week of Dec. 17 - Tribune-Review

Years of failure at social interaction can lead to strong feelings of isolation and a lack of self-esteem. The majority of students with learning differences tend to develop some anxiety and other difficulties.

Anxiety is two times more prevalent in women than in men. Prolonged states of anxiety can lead to a state of depression. Family problems and complications are often a source of stress for all involved and especially for a student with a learning difference.

In my own case I have spent a lifetime attempting to overcome some of the emotional trauma I experienced in my family of origin. I had a bother with Aspergers syndrome, a sister with ADD, and another sister with High Functioning Autism, all of whom committed suicide.

Being diagnosed at age 54 has assisted me in understanding and coping with these past events. I have experienced many of the symptoms of anxiety and depression and have had to use most of the prevention strategies that will be outlined later in this paper.

There are many factors that can increase anxiety and depression and an understanding of them helps us to be able to implement strategies for prevention. I have experienced empathic attunementan extreme sensitivity to the suffering of others. When I view any documentaries regarding the Holocaust or cruelty to animals I am very upset and overwhelmed.

Many students become intellectually overloaded from observing and absorbing lifes absurdities and tragedies they perceive but others fail to see. There seems to be no separation from what is occurring in the news and many students seem to be taking on the pain of the world without any filter or defense mechanism. My brother was a social loner, but very convicted about politics and was so upset about the election of George Bush senior that he committed suicide the day after the election.

Perfectionism in all its forms is a root cause of anxiety and depression. This leads to procrastination and an inability to finish projects that are started. Often students have unrealistic thought patterns about the way life is supposed to be and how others live in the world. They can feel everyone knows how to be with each other while they are like an android floating in space, unconnected to the planet. An overwhelming sense of separation and disconnection can develop.

Often a students inability to self-regulate emotions and behavior can lead to a sense of failure in relationships and employment. I have a sign over my desk that says always make new mistakes. This helps me accept when I am imperfect. Another saying I have is all relationships are imperfect to remind myself there will always be disagreements even between spouses and family members. The world is full of problems, but it is also full of overcoming problems.

Loneliness, or that terrible sense of isolation, can push a student inside him or herself. Feelings that he/she doesnt belong can well up inside a student. With a sense of intellectual superiority, the student may believe he/she can think his/her way out of any situation on his/her own. This coupled with the belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness can be crippling.

The external evidence of their social incompetence accumulates. Without any outlets or perspective, students become caught in analysis paralysis. This coupled with mental exhaustion can contribute to sensory overload. They can become hyper-focused on the negative. Students shut down and escape into their computer or fantasy. Other contributing factors to these sensory implosions can include a lack of a proper nutrition; sleep deprivation; lack of a sensory diet; or a lack of a self-care regimen.

Environmental factors also can contribute to melt-downs. A limitation of sunlight can contribute to a lack of vitamin D, just as being in enclosed spaces for long periods of time can contribute to a sense of alienation. Build up of clutter and unfinished tasks from lack of executive function skills can overwhelm students. They feel a profound separation from nature and an inability to see the beauty in the small things around them.

Students can be tormented by their seeming failure to adhere to over-scrupulous, rigid, and unattainable religious doctrines and practices. My sister, with high functioning autism, at age 73, could never accept forgiveness for sinning when she was a nun in her 20s.

All of these contributing factors can lead a student to a lack of self-acceptance and feelings that he/she cannot be himself/herself.

Social Strategies:

Building a support network for ourselves.

Initiating Strategies:

Solitary self-appraisal does not work as we continue to self-justify our actions or lack of action. The default mode of students on the spectrum is isolation. Students must have the courage and willingness to initiatenew strategies.

Flexibility Strategies:

Being committed to listening to feedback and having the willingness to implement others feedback.

Wellness Strategies:

Our emotional well-being is our responsibility. Learning to care for ourselves and our bodies is essential for our mental outlook.

Gratitude Strategies:

When life crises occur in multiples, anyone can be thrown into a state of anxiety and/or depression. Getting perspective about ALL that is in ones life is an antidote. Dont sweat the small-stuff; its all small-stuff. Being in the present and appreciating all the gifts we have is necessary.

Physical Strategies:

Create the kind of atmosphere or energy you want to calm yourself.

Spiritual Strategies:

Uncovering our own spiritual values and finding ways to express them.

Having a toolkit for handling anxiety and depression does not replace the need for therapy. Students may need to process unhealthy relationships or patterns of interacting. When the time comes that they are available for insight therapy, they should utilize a skilled therapist to work on new interaction strategies.

This article was featured inIssue 93 ASD Advice for Today and Tomorrow

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Self-management and Ways to Handle Stress - Autism Parenting Magazine

Showtimes Work in Progress opens on a dark note, with its heroine threatening to kill herself in a hundred and eighty days if happiness doesnt come her way. I mean, Im forty-five, Abby gripes to her therapist. Im fat. Im this queer dyke who has done shit in her lifeand that is my identity? In a funny, curmudgeonly monologue, Abby describes herself as an unfinished building ruining a good neighborhoodan eyesore. When she glances up, her shrink, still grinning supportively, has dropped dead.

Its a Borscht Belt gag, but, then, Abbys whole life feels like a punch line. Still, buried in that Eeyore-ish lament, theres something else: Abbys girlish fantasy of herself as a fucking damsel longing for rescueby a prince or a princess, the details dont matter. Magically, thats just what she gets when she meets Chris, a twenty-two-year-old waiter who Abby (Abby McEnany) initially assumes is hitting on her straight sister. Played by the supremely chill Theo Germaine, Chris looks like Abbys prince in shining tank tops, capable of fixing the unfixable.

This budding romance isnt precisely a Nora Ephron meet-cute, but its a charmer in a new way. Abby is unfazed by the news that Chris is trans, and, despite the generational gulf, theres symmetry to their gender issues: to strangers, Chris, who cant afford top surgery, reads as a cute lesbian tomboy, while Abby, with her shlumpy butch charisma, short-cropped gray hair, and button-down shirts, has spent her life being mistaken for male, even in lesbian bars. In college, she was taunted as Pat, after the Saturday Night Live character, and when, on their first date, she and Chris run into the comedian who played Pat, Julia Sweeney (an executive producer for the show, gamely playing herself), Chris urges Abby to tell her off. I really love conflict, he explains, smiling sweetly. Because hes twenty-two, Chris is stunned to hear of the existence of Patwhats so funny about a person whose gender cant be guessed?

Work in Progress, like its heroine, is sweetly imperfect: not every bit lands, and Chris can feel, at moments, too good to be true. But the series explores, with warmth and originality, the messy gulf between the era when Abby came outas an overall-wearing romantic in a frat-boy world, drinking in lesbian bars full of folksingersand Chriss community of cheerful poly hipsters in Spock ears, corsets, and throuples. When Chris takes Abby to a night club, which features bare-assed burlesque and signs for fisting demonstrations, she groans, I look like Mitt Romney, Jr. Junior? Chris shoots back. In another episode, in a cab, the couple text their sexual preferences back and forth, turning informed consent into flirtation. PENETRATION, Chris texts. I dont think I can fit my Thoughts into one text, Abby texts back, throwing off panicked GIFs of Mr. Furley, from Threes Company.

In many ways, Work in Progress is a familiar entry in an established genre: its an indie comedy by and about a clever, dyspeptic misfit looking for love. Like Pamela Adlons Better Things and Tig Notaros One Mississippi, its about a single misanthrope cautiously dipping her toe into the dating pool. Like Josh Thomass Please Like Me and Maria Bamfords Lady Dynamite, its interested in mental illness and self-help. But Work in Progresswhich is co-written and produced by Lilly Wachowskiis smartly edited, full of odd little montages and visual juxtapositions. It has its own distinctive, salty vibe, driven by McEnanys simultaneously self-loathing and self-aggrandizing swagger. Shes an irritant with charm, along with genuine baggage. (Among other things, she has O.C.D.; as annoyed people bang on the bathroom door, she washes her hands raw.) She also has a secret closet full of notebooks in which shes recorded her whole life. Nobody knows it, but Abby is telling their story. In certain ways, Work in Progress is a mirror image of Hannah Gadsbys Nanette, which argues that self-deprecation, especially for people like her and Abby, amounts to self-harm. Work in Progress takes the position that it might be something better: a tool that, in the right hands, could renovate an unwelcoming culture in Abbys imagecrankiness, grief, and all.

In Dare Me, on USA, a cheerleading team in a depressed Rust Belt town hires a new coach, a blond hot shot who the rich boosters hope will whip their squad into trophy-winning shape. What do I see? Spray tans. Gummy-bear thighs, the coach, Colette French, observes, strutting across the school gym, pinching a girls soft belly as she passes by. (Fix this, Colette says.) I do not see my top girl. One of the cheerleaders, Addy, the striving daughter of a single mom who is also a cop, falls in Colettes thrall, becoming her favorite, her babysitter, and her confidante. Addys best friend, the troublemaker Beth, sees Colette as the enemy.

We know from the start that something bad is coming: those unexplained flash-forwards to a black pool of blood are kind of a giveaway. But while the series, an adaptation of a novel by Megan Abbott, is full of shady twistsblackmail, cyber chicanery, adultery straight out of Double Indemnitythe criminal mystery is not really its central appeal. Its a sharp character portrait and a dreamy mood piece, one style inflecting the other. Beneath the shows poetic, occasionally repetitious narration (there are only so many times we can hear Addy brood, in voice-over, about the fact that people have shadows and wear masks), theres a clear-eyed examination of a small town full of dangerously bored kids, partying in the woods, soft targets for coaches and military recruiters who offer them a ticket out of the busted local economy.

Still, the power of the show flows just as much through its imagerya decadent, unashamedly voyeuristic vision of athletic beauty, with a hallucinogenic verve that keeps it from becoming cheesy. Closeups turn a bruise or a glittering lip into a fetish object. It often feels as if the girls are being shot in slo-mo, even when theyre not. The camera lurks by the lockers, watching the team shower, vomit, and spar; it hovers under the bleachers, ogling muscular thighs. It takes a Gods-eye view of the squads wild lifts, nudges in as they grind at parties, stares out of the mirror when they apply false lashes. To call these shots objectifying would miss the point: they replicate the way the girls see themselves, as both prey and predator. Dare Me is certainly not the only show on TV with bitchy, gorgeous cheerleadersits a clich of many teen series, in multiple genresbut it treats their experiences with a freaky, sensual gravity, not as an arch joke.

The show is especially interested in female ambitionand the ways users can warp a girl-power fantasy to suit their own needs. Who runs the world? Girls!, Beths sleazy dad announces. Youve seen the T-shirt. For him, the team is a lure for investment in a lucrative stadium deal; in private, he bribes his daughters with fancy purses. Some of the best scenes are between Beth and her dissolute mother, a pill-head divorce at the crossroads between Eugene ONeill and The Real Housewives, who is a different kind of coach. You have to play the part: smile and smile, she tells Beth, pressing her to manipulate her dad. Maybe it is my fault. I made you think you can be anything, do anything. Beth answers like a Peter Pan desperate not to go Wendy: I hope I never grow up at all.

Amid a strong cast, Willa Fitzgerald is the standout as the enigmatic Colette, who alternates between spurring her cheerleaders to victory and inviting them over for drunken dance parties. Hanging out with high-school kids seems to work as a contact high for her, normalizing her hidden recklessness. You are the one who wanted the house! she hisses at her husband, as they fight. You love a pretty front. When Colette cheats on him, the show has the respect not to film the sex scenes clinically or from a distance: in the honorable tradition of noir, it looks like the kind of sex youd risk your life for.

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Uncertain Attraction in Work in Progress and Dare Me - The New Yorker

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -On June 17, 2015, in South Carolina, Dylann Roof walked into a black church, opened fire, killing nine innocent people during worship. He was convicted of 33 hate crimes.

[WATCH:Hope Dealer: Former skinhead making impact inArizona]

A rise of white nationalism is being felt just about everywhere, including Arizona.

[APP USERS:See infographic of rise in hate crimes in Arizona]

A menorah was turned into a swastika in Scottsdale. Offensive graffiti can be found all over the Valley, like on a wall in Mesa.

[READ MORE:Offensive, racist graffiti in Mesa community has residents outraged]

There's only one way to understand why white supremacy is making a comeback. So, we sat down and talked with the now-former second-highest-ranking skinhead in America, Garrett Deetz.

[RELATED:Bomb threats at Jewish centers across country, creates heightened awareness in AZ (Feb. 21, 2017)]

I hated everybody," Deetz said, reflecting back at his life.

Deetz broke free from the skinheads a few years ago. But for decades, he took pleasure in hurting people, terrorizing anyone who didn't look like him.

Would you describe yourself as a racist? journalist Brandon Lee asked.

"Absolutely. My family wasn't, but I was," Deetz said.

Deetz grew up in a military family, moving from base to base. His parents were strict and grew concerned when he started to act out. Strict family. Extension cords. You'd get whooped. You know that's just how it was back in those days. I got whooped a lot," said Deetz.

[RELATED:Man with Aryan Brotherhood ties arrested for swastika graffiti tags in Scottsdale]

The whoopings didn't work. At just 10 years old, Deetz was already abusing cocaine. "I was up on the roof of the house on the very tip of the roof of the house, holding a teddy bear screaming for my parents because I was just gone," said Deetz.

At 14, Deetzs troubles escalated. He began hanging out with gangs.

"What led you to even dabble with gangs at the age of 14?" Lee asked.

"I think I wasn't getting the attention from home that I wanted. It's not that they didn't give me attention; they just didn't give me the attention that I wanted," said Deetz.

By 17, Deetz was fully entrenched into the skinheads. "The drugs and alcohol, it wasn't that. I needed something more. I needed that element of excitement. That element of fear," says Deetz.

Deetz terrorized the Valley, especially in the late 90s, when he escaped from an Arizona jail. A manhunt ensued. Days later, Deetz was back behind bars.

"Where did you make that wrong turn? Would you describe your parents as racist?" asked Lee.

"No," said Deetz.

Would you describe your parents as having hate in their heart?" asked Lee.

Absolutely not," said Deetz.

So, where did you find that hate in your heart?" asked Lee.

Through them, the gangs. I hated everybody. Definitely, if you were gay, I'm coming after you," said Deetz.

Deetz has spent half his life in lockup, roughly two decades in prison for violent crimes. He spent time in "the hole" for trying to kill another inmate. At one of the darkest moments of his life, Deetz found the light. His life suddenly and unexpectedly changed from the unlikeliest of people: his cellmate.

"When we locked down that night and I'm laying (sic) in my bed and this dude he asks me again, 'Hey brother, would you like to pray with me?' I remember jumping off the bed, getting in his face, pulling my hand back, ready to hit him, and I was like, 'Yeah.' And I can tell you to this day, that I can never explain how that happened, and I started praying with this guy," said Deetz.

Deetz got sober behind bars. He made a promise to himself that he would break free from the skinheads when he was released. Instead of dealing drugs, he's now dealing hope to rooms packed with recovering addicts at 12-step meetings.

His message of faith strikes at the heart of the people in the audience. When you start getting that sobriety in your life, and you start getting those people in your life and are pushing you to get better man, like the gates of heaven, just go, 'Ahhhhh!' said Deetz.

How have you made amends to all of the people you've hurt? asked Lee.

I can't. In sobriety, we also have something called living amends. It's for people we can't make amends to. I got a lot of living amends, you know what I mean?" said Deetz.

Part of Deetzs living amends is sharing a message of hope to gang bangers and addicts behind bars. At least once a month, Deetz goes to Arizona jails and prisons to speak to other skinheads about breaking free to create a new life.

"My life is filled with light, not darkness, light. I see everyone beautiful. I see the world as beautiful. I want to help everyone I can," said Deetz.

You're clearly reformed. You're out of the gangs. You are covered in skinhead ink," said Lee.

Yea. I surely am," said Deetz.

You have swastikas all over your body. Why haven't you gotten those tatts removed?" asked Lee.

Because that's part of my testimony. That's my way of letting people see that change is possible," said Deetz.

Deetz has teamed up with an Arizona nonprofit Gold Canyon Heart and Home. Their mission is to help guys break away from gangs and break free from the cycle of drug abuse.

Joe Chiappetta, Jr. is one of the directors of the nonprofit. Just the effect it has on the guys to see us coming back to see Garrett coming back. It's amazing. It gives them that hope. It gives them a belief that there's something better," Chiappetta said.

Deetz credits the nonprofit for showing him a path forward to recovery. I lived my life taking from people and hurting people. And now I get to see this beautiful life of what can come from helping people. It's amazing," said Deetz.

Deetz is brutally honest about his past. He owns up to all the hurt and pain he's caused. He was such a high-profile gangster, former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio even spoke at his sentencing as Deetz was facing 20 years to life.

When Deetz speaks, his message is having an impact. A person at the 12-step meeting we attended with Deetz wanted to share with us how proud she is of the man Deetz has become. She asked to remain anonymous. Its totally different from the person I first met to today. He's welcoming today. He's got a smile on his face today. No matter what he was before, that's not who he is today. People can change and Garrett has in so many ways," said Deetz.

As we were wrapping up our interview, Deetz told us why hes coming out so publicly about his past. "I'm going to continue living my life every day trying to help out any and every individual I can: white, black, brown, whatever color you are. Gay, lesbian, or whatever you are, it doesn't matter to me anymore. What matters to me now is making this world a better freaking place," said Deetz.

Chiappetta has set up a GoFundMe page help pay for a self help book. If you would like to help out, click here.

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Reformed skinhead who served time in Arizona helps others break free from hate - AZFamily

United Airlines will add seven more routes to those flown by its Bombardier CRJ550, part of the continued roll out of the carriers first 50-seat jet with a first-class cabin.

The Star Alliance airline is adding routes on the jet from its hubs at Chicago OHare (ORD), Newark Liberty (EWR), and Washington Dulles (IAD) beginning in April, according to Cirium schedules:

Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more airline news!

United spokesman Luke Punzenberger confirmed the routes to TPG. He said the airline looks forward to bringing the CRJ550 experience to more of our customers in the months ahead.

The carrier began flying the CRJ550 in October. The jet is a retrofitted CRJ700 airframe with 50 seats, including 10 in first class, 20 in Economy Plus, and 20 in Economy. The aircraft features closets that United claims eliminates the need for passengers to gate-check bags and a self-service snack bar for first class passengers.

United is using its CRJ550s to help replace its economy-only 50-seat regional jets. The dual-class layout allows the airline to better compete with rivals who it says have a competitive advantage with more 76-seat regional jets, while remaining compliant with its pilots contract that caps it at 255 of the larger models.

Related: What its like flying Uniteds new CRJ550

The airline is also taking advantage of the new type to add more Embraer 175s to its feeder fleet. As CRJ700s are removed for conversion to CRJ550, United is able to add more E-Jets that passengers largely view as more comfortable. Next year, it will add 20 E175s in a 70-seat configuration under a recently announced deal with Mesa Airlines.

With 54 CRJ550s due by the end of 2020, United will add more routes through the spring and summer. The aircraft is due to enter service between Newark and Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) on a new shuttle-like service this spring, airline executives have said.

United begins flying the CRJ550 from Newark in February and Washington in March.

Featured image by Zach Griff/TPG.

See the article here:
United Airlines to fly 7 more routes with upgraded Bombardier CRJ550 - The Points Guy

Kerstin Mattukat,1 Peter Boehm,2 Katja Raberger,1 Christoph Schaefer,3 Gernot Keyszer,3 Wilfried Mau1

1Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany; 2Federal Association of the German League Against Rheumatism, Bonn, Germany; 3Clinic for Internal Medicine II, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany

Correspondence: Kerstin Mattukat Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Street 8, Halle (Saale) 06112, Germany Tel +49 345 557-7646 Fax +49 345 557-4206 Email kerstin.mattukat@medizin.uni-halle.de

Objective: Patient preferences for information and participation in medical decision-making are important prerequisites to realize a shared decision between patients and physicians. This paper aims at exploring these preferences in German patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases and at identifying relevant determinants of these preferences. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis (SA) or different connective tissue diseases (CTS) filled out a questionnaire. Data were collected via a written questionnaire (1) sent to members of a regional self-help group or (2) handed out to patients at their rheumatologists appointment, and (3) via an online questionnaire available nationwide. Measurements included information and participation preferences (Autonomy Preference Index; API: 0100), as well as health-related and sociodemographic variables. Analyses included ANOVAs (group differences) and multiple regression analyses (determinants of preferences). To ensure the analysis was patient-centered we involved a trained representative of the German League Against Rheumatism as a research partner. Results: 1616 patients returned questionnaires [44% response, 79% female, mean age 54 years, diagnoses 63% RA, 28% SA, 19% CTS]. Participants reported a concurring major preference for information but vastly different preferences for participation. A greater preference for participation was associated with female sex, younger age, higher household income, and self-help group membership. Conversely, a lower preference for participation was linked to blue-collar workers, retirement, higher confidence in the rheumatologist, and poorer health literacy. Conclusion: Whereas patients consistently welcome comprehensive information about their disease and its different treatment options, not all patients wish to be involved in therapeutic decisions. Especially older patients with lower education status and lower health literacy, but higher confidence in their rheumatologist tend to leave the decisions rather to the physician. Different preferences should be considered in the doctorpatient communication.

Keywords: doctorpatient communication, decision making, health care, outpatient, patient-reported outcomes

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How Much Information and Participation Do Patients with Inflammatory R | PPA - Dove Medical Press

By Grant H. Brenner

"Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." Albert Einstein

Rates of anxiety and depression are on the rise, the future of the planet (or at least our species) is uncertain, and Millennialsand Gen Zers increasingly get a bad rap in the workplace. The classic formula of blaming the victim doesnt help us understand what is happening with our young people and how they can best cope with the current world circumstances.

A group of seasoned clinician-researchers in Norway, including Per-Einar Binder and esteemed colleagues, has been studying how age-old wisdom, delivered in modern, digestible bites, can help college students adapt more effectively to the fluid, frightening, and uncertain environment which characterizes the world of 2020.

Their team developed a series of three 90-minuteworkshops based on Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), with manageable personal practices to transform ones relationship with oneself and result in measurable improvements in both self-image and functional outcomes.

Self-compassion and loving-kindness practices, related approaches from Hindu, Buddhist and other traditions have been shown to have great benefitsand even re-wire the brain and reset the bodys autonomic nervous system to a state of greater balance and poise.

Dr. Binder describes an overview of the three sessionsthey developed via email interview:

"The first session introduced participants to mindfulness and self-compassion using 15-minute lectures, short mindfulness and self-compassion exercises (affectionate breathing, loving-kindness for ourselves, and self-compassion break), group discussions, and experiential practicese.g. participants were asked to reflect on and then write downwhat they would say to themselves to improve something they disliked about themselves. Then they were asked to reflect upon and write down what they would say to a friend under similar circumstances. Participants were then encouraged to discuss the differences between how they tended to treat themselves versusothersand the influence this had on themselves.

The second session dealt with mindfulness (with a classical mindfulness meditation and a compassion-based meditation), common physical stress reactions, shame reactions, dealing with destructive self-criticism, how self-compassionate behavior might influence the body and mind, and activating and soothing affect systems within an evolutionary and attachment framework (Gilbert & Procter).

The third and final session comprised of an experiential practice and discussions and on positive feelings, reflections on how one wants to live,further discussions about compassion for oneself and others, and the meditations that we introduced in the second session.

Participants were provided with audio guides to mindfulness and self-compassion exercises for daily use between sessions, as well as copies of the PowerPoint presentations given in each session.

Between the first and second sessions, participants were encouraged to use the 15-minute audio guides to practice affectionate breathing and loving-kindness for ourselves on a daily basis, adapted from the MSC program.

Between the second and third sessions, participants were expected to use the audio guides to practice two new 15-minute exercises: mindfulness of breathing, body, and emotions, adapted from the MBSR [Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction]program, and giving and receiving compassion, adapted from the MSC program."

Their work has spanned many years. In an earlier study(Dundas et al, 2017), students completed the workshops above and researchers measured the objective impact. They found measurable and significant changes in self-efficacy, personal growth, improved impulse control, reduced self-critical thinking, and less negative self-directed thoughts. Theyfound increased self-compassion and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, changes that were sustained at 6-month follow-up.

How did the research findings compare with students subjective reports? To look at this question, the research team recruited a final group of almost 100 students who completed the three-part mindful self-compassion intervention. All of the participants completed a questionnaire designed to rate how useful the workshops were for them personally. They were also asked what was the most important thing they got out of the course.

Twelveof the study participants were contacted at random for a detailed, live interview. They were asked a general question about what was most important, followed by more targeted questions to explore specific aspects, such as changes in how participants treated themselveswith specific examples, whether they approached academics differently as a result of the course,and about how self-compassion work may have affected relationships. The narrative responses were carefully refined using qualitative research techniques to distill out the strongest themes, which clustered into 5 categories:

Students reported gradually doing better as they persisted. Small stepsbuildup to big differences if we let them. Students accepted temporary set-backs and were thereby able to move past failure with self-compassion and support from others. Puttingtheir problems in perspective made it easier to move forward, even for big problems.

Self-compassion allows people thatreject help to recognize the need for help, overcome barriers to asking for help, develop help-seeking skills, and use them. Students reported, however, that it was easier said than done. On one hand, the concepts from mindful self-compassion were straightforward to grasp, but putting them into practice was at first effortful.

Students were stunned when they realized how rough they were being with themselves, leading for many to immediate changes. Many noted that imagining how they would treat a friend, versus how they dealt with themselves, made a big difference for buffering harshness.

At first, awareness is hard to handle, which can lead to swings that ultimately leveledout intogreater self-mastery and optimism. Identifying the inner critic and setting it up as an external concept made it easier to re-calibrate self-relationshipto becomegentler and more self-accepting.

Suffering is a natural part of the human condition, mindful self-compassion teaches. While difficultand undesirable, suffering is normal and shared. Students reported great relief, freedom from the sense of isolation, alone-ness, and the idea of being uniquely burdenedeven while recognizing that people suffer differently, and for many different reasons.

Recognizing the commonality of suffering allowed participants to self-sooth more effectively, feeling safer and less ashamed. A sense of group belonging increased and students felt calmer.

The self-compassion pause was described as particularly useful. Students were taught to say to themselves: What do I need when I feel pain like this? This question becomes second-nature.

Some students were on the fence about talking openly about suffering around other people, as it made them anxious and distressed. People with strong fears of compassion often have personal traumaand may need individualized care.

Rather than spiral downward, participants learned to accept how they were feeling even when feelings were strongly negative ordisorienting.

They noted an increased capacity forself-help. Each time they were able to choose a better path increased their sense of self-efficacy, faith in their ability to provision themselves, and a greater sense of safety and security.

They reported becoming more competent to deal with difficult feelings. Being friendly and gentle toward oneself allowed students to decouple from maladaptive thought habits and sub them with more effective, self-compassionate approaches. This, in turn, increased their sense of autonomy and agency, leading to greater empowerment.

Students reported that stress management organically improved with practice of loving-kindness and self-compassion. They emphasized the crucial role of being friendlytoward oneself as an overarching construct, one to come back to gently and consistently.

In addition to emotional benefits, students reported more positive body attitudesandself-care in areas likeeating, sleep, and exercise. They said the recommendedmeditation practice kept them grounded. Emotional stabilization resultedin greater inner peace. Listening to the body bypaying attention to heart and breathwas also a game-changer.

This research is remarkable because it gives a glimpse into the hearts and minds of contemporary college students. Showing that complex ideas and practices can be broken down into a user-friendly package that works in this groupis an important proof of concept. Interventions similar to this one can be adapted for other groupsand translated into digital tools to complement in-person and personal work.

It seems obvious that a broader adoption of compassionfor oneself and othershas the power to transform not just individual lives but the whole of the human condition. Making these practices accessible to more groups by translating them into relatable and practical formats has the potential to contribute to the greater good. The process is slow, slower on a collective level than for individuals, but has a great positive impact in the longer-term.

Dr. Binder generously shared his observations fromworking closely with self-compassion for many years:

"I think that the most important thing that I have learned from my work with self-compassion is how powerful it is to become aware of how one is treating oneself... And then to become curious about oneself, and start to experiment with different ways of treating oneself. The group format is ideal for this. It is a type of exploration thatis very useful to do together with others that are also facing some ofthe same challenges.

For me, originally trained within long-term psychotherapy, it is surprising to see the deep impact that also a short-term intervention can have. It seems to have a health promoting function in itself for many participants. It may also be an intervention that can augment the effect of psychotherapy.

Another counterintuitive thing: One thing that I did not expect, was that the participants would find our brief lectures so useful. We had some brief (5-10 minutes) lectures about compassion/self-compassion, shame, the inner critic, etc.

I think some of the greatest challenges for people seeking to cultivate self-compassion is un-learning non-productive ways of treating oneself. The habits of threatening or shaming oneself is hard to change. The destructive inner critic often goes under our radars. When we become aware, it also is often painful when we realize how much harm we have caused ourselves through destructive self-criticism.

Another great challenge for many, is what Christopher Germer and Kristin Neff describe as backdraft. When we start treating ourselves in a more accepting and compassionate way, fresh air come often come into rooms and spaces of sorrow, frustration or other painful emotions that we have kept locked for many years."

Emotional flames can often roar.

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5 Researched Ways Self-Compassion Training Is Transformative - Psychology Today