How Do I Know if My Therapy Is Working

Psychotherapy is a proven treatment for depression. According to the American Psychological Association, reviews of hundreds of research studies have shown that about 75 percent of people who engage in some form psychotherapy benefit from it. In addition, the average person who receives psychotherapy treatment is better off by the end of treatment than 80 percent of those who don’t receive any such treatment.

But, as with any medical treatment, psychotherapy doesn’t work for everyone. And, for unclear reasons, one form of therapy may work for one person but not another. With several psychotherapy methods to choose from, patients and their physicians often have to explore more than one type of therapy until they find the results they are looking for. So how do patients and doctors know when therapy is working and when it isn’t?

How Big a Risk Factor Is Alcohol for Breast Cancer

For years, a seemingly endless march of studies has pronounced that moderate consumption of alcohol could be beneficial for heart health. If you like a glass of wine with dinner, you’ve probably welcomed this news. But if you have other risk factors for breast cancer, you might want to scale back on your alcohol consumption.

Alcohol and the Heart

According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the studies suggesting that alcohol has heart-protective properties have focused on the potential health benefits of compounds in red wine called flavonoids, which are antioxidants that have been linked with reduced inflammation in the body and other health benefits that can reduce your chances of developing heart disease. Other studies have noted that a substance called resveratrol could be at work, and that moderate intake of alcohol can lead to a small increase in HDL cholesterol – that’s the good kind – and anti-clotting properties that can also be beneficial to heart health.

Can Acupuncture Help With COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is an incurable condition that develops over time because of damage to the lungs. For many patients, this damage is the result of many years of cigarette smoking or exposure to other airborne irritants. Western medicine currently offers no cure, but the condition can generally be well managed with medications, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy and surgery.

In addition to the standard treatments for COPD, you may be considering pursuing acupuncture or another holistic treatment to help manage your COPD and its symptoms, or perhaps your doctor has recommended that you try a complementary treatment. Dr. Umur Hatipoglu, director of the COPD Center at the Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic, says he occasionally refers some of his patients for acupuncture treatments. "These are not but a handful, so I can’t tell you great results," he says, but notes that at least one patient did experience some relief of breathlessness after visiting with an acupuncturist. He says there is some clinical data showing "salutary effects," but he cautions that "we’re not talking about marked improvement to COPD by applying acupuncture. We’re talking some relief of shortness of breath." Still, acupuncture and other TCM therapies have been practiced in the East for more than 2,500 years, and in recent years, some of these practices have gained wider mainstream acceptance in Western medical circles for helping alleviate symptoms of certain illnesses.

Can Meditation Improve the Quality of Life for MS Patients

For centuries, seekers have looked to mindfulness meditation (defined simply as non-judgmental awareness in the present moment) as a path to spiritual growth and ultimate enlightenment. Now scientists are finding meditation not only quiets the mind, but hundreds of studies are pointing to physical benefits, several of which can be of particular help to multiple sclerosis patients.

An autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis damages the myelin sheath (covering) around the neurons in the brain and spinal cord responsible for sending signals to other parts of the body. That can lead to symptoms such as brain fog, depression, muscle spasticity and fatigue, as well as pain and sleep disturbances. Meditation is showing promise as a way to not only cope with many of these conditions, but also to help reduce relapse rates. How can that be?

What's the Link Between Alcohol and Colon Cancer

Are you a heavy drinker? If so, you may be raising your risk of developing several different types of cancer, including cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, breast, liver, colon and rectum.

Dr. Mark Pochapin, professor and director of the division of gastroenterology at NYU Langone Medical Center, says we have good data from a meta-analysis that shows the more you drink, the higher your risk for colorectal cancer. "Alcohol is literally a drug," Pochapin says.

The meta-analysis found that people who have three and a half drinks per day (about 50 grams of alcohol) have a 50 percent increased risk of developing CRC compared to light drinkers or non-drinkers. Those who drink moderately – defined as one to four drinks per day – have a 20 percent increased risk. "For every 10 grams of alcohol [you consume] per day, there is a 7 percent increased risk of CRC," says Dr. Alok Khorana, director of the Gastrointestinal Malignancies Program at Cleveland Clinic.

Can You Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

You may have heard or seen ads that say you can reverse Type 2 diabetes. Is there any truth to them?

The bottom line: With the right lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, eating healthier and exercising regularly, you can get diabetes under control or you can prevent prediabetes from turning into full-blown Type 2 diabetes. Some people with Type 2 diabetes may not even need to take diabetes medications anymore.

However, the result regarding diabetes control varies for everyone – and you have to maintain the weight loss and life changes over the long term for the results to stick around.


“If you get prediabetes or you’re on the cusp of a diabetes diagnosis, there are ways to eliminate diabetes. But there’s no easy cure or magic pill,” says certified diabetes educator Anna Simos, a diabetes education and prevention program manager at Stanford Health Care in Stanford, California.

How Do I Read My Breast Cancer Biopsy Report

If your doctor suspects you have breast cancer, you’ll likely have a biopsy to determine your exact diagnosis. During that biopsy, cells, tissue or sometimes the entire lump will be removed from the breast and sent to a laboratory for testing. This testing is conducted by a pathologist and typically involves examining cells under a microscope to determine their specific characteristics.

Once the testing is complete, the pathologist will generate a report that includes his or her findings and the diagnosis. This report is called a pathology, or biopsy, report. The report may also include results from any other screenings or tests you’ve had such as mammograms, MRIs or ultrasounds. The information in this report forms the basis of your diagnosis, and it will help guide the many treatment decisions you and your doctor need to make next.