Health Expert Merely Me shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/157571/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/157571/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/157571/index http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/157571/150471/politics Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:07:00 -0500 Merely Me Okay so we know that abortion is a divisive topic among politicians and voters. There is no surprise about that. But birth control? Really? Is it just me or is the recent political hullabaloo over health care and contraception a bit of a shock? Just when I think people are going to come to their senses and focus on job growth someone throws a monkey wrench into the mix to cause a political debate about birth control. At the center of the debate... http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/157571/150471/politics http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/150470/paranoia-anxiety Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:29:00 -0500 Merely Me And (I always feel like) (Somebody's watching me) And I have no privacy Whooooa-oh-oh (I always feel like) (Somebody's watching me)   Tell me, is it just a dream When I come home at night I bolt the door real tight People call me on the phone I'm trying to avoid But can the people on TV see me Or am I just paranoid?   Lyrics to Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me”   Many of you have probably... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/150470/paranoia-anxiety http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/147286/situations Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:25:58 -0500 Merely Me Several weeks ago I found myself in a situation I had never experienced before. Paramedics had to come to our home because our youngest son Max, who has autism, appeared to be unconscious and not breathing. My husband was helping my eldest son with his algebra. I was upstairs putting away laundry. Then I hear my husband yell to my older son to call for me and to also call 9-1-1. When I raced downstairs I arrived in the middle of an... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/147286/situations http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/146974/film-portrayal Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:41:00 -0500 Merely Me  I've been having these dreams, and they always start with some sort of storm. --Curtis Laforche in Take Shelter   If you see one movie before the end of the year, you have to see Take Shelter, an independent film written and directed by Jeff Nichols. It has been described as the best drama of the year so far and was also proclaimed the winner of the Critics Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. I saw this film at an... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/146974/film-portrayal http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/144411/tame-perfection Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:38:00 -0400 Merely Me As I write this post I am imagining some of my fellow perfectionists out there searching for the alternative article on “10 Stress-Free Ways to Be Perfect without Even Trying.” Sorry, no such article exists and if it did it would be a lie. I hate to break this to you but nobody is perfect. And in fact, the unrealistic quest for perfection can cause much anxiety and distress. In my previous post I talked about possible reasons why... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/144411/tame-perfection http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/157571/144404/test-post Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:18:38 -0400 Merely Me Hi everyone.   Don't mind me.  Just trying something to see if we can get our comment function back.  http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/157571/144404/test-post http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/143773/chronic-worries Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:03:00 -0400 Merely Me As I have mentioned in previous posts I regard myself as a chronic worrier.  I have a theory that many of us worrywarts are also people who also possess the trait of creativity. Creativity  is wonderful when we use it to generate new ideas or solutions to problems. Creativity is not put to good use when we use it to conjure up elaborate scenarios to worry about. When you think about it, worry is usually focused upon the “what... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/143773/chronic-worries http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/143398/worrier-work Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:33:09 -0400 Merely Me One description which describes me well is that of a worrywart. I was a worrier as a child. I am a worrier as an adult. I even worry about worrying. Am I worrying too much? Am I not worried enough? What helps me the most when I suffer from an excessive bout of worrying is a good sounding board. I have found that there are some friends, loved ones, and family members who can provide this comfort and strength when you are in over your head with... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/143398/worrier-work http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/157571/143267/hurricane Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:55:17 -0400 Merely Me Hi everyone   As I am listening to the weather reports on Hurricane Irene, I must admit that it does seem very serious.  This is a storm which may affect millions on the east coast.  We are gearing up here with emergency preparations for the weekend.   I just wrote a post on our Anxiety site about Hurricane Irene complete with links to resources and information.  If you feel that you may be affected by this storm you... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/157571/143267/hurricane http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/143266/hurricane-lessen Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:46:47 -0400 Merely Me As I write this post it is Thursday evening, August 25th 2011. If you have been listening to the news at all you will know that Hurricane Irene is making its way towards the East Coast and is predicted to hit the Carolinas up through the New England region beginning Saturday. According to the The Weather Channel Hurricane Irene has been upgraded to extreme. They predict possible flooding storm surges, wind damage, and torrential rain possibly... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/143266/hurricane-lessen