NY Times Special Health Section

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Your Health: Now More Important than Ever

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ne of the many things the events of September 11th taught us is to appreciate

the ability to wake up every day, happy and healthy.

This message is particularly clear to the citizens of New Jersey and the entire tri-state area.

Fortunately, many outstanding health resources and professionals throughout the state of New Jersey provide a wide variety of physical and mental health diagnostic tests and treatments (many of them cutting edge) to insure the health of its citizens. Now more than ever, there are ways to detect health problems at earlier, more treatable stages, to rebuild a patient’s physical or mental health after damage has occurred, and to prolong quality of life. Read on and we’re sure you’ll find something to enhance your life, or that of a loved one.

TIMES

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Your Health: Now More Important than Ever

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C o n t e n t s

1. Coping with Despair this Holiday Season 2. Extending Seniors’ Independence 3. 21st Century Surgery 4. The “Senior Social Club” Exemplifies Good Adult Day Care 5. Digital Mammography Offers Increased Accuracy in Breast Cancer Diagnoses 6. Winning the War Against Pain 7. Consider Long-term Care Coverage Sooner, Not Later 8. Understanding Children’s Eating Disorders 9. That Varicose Vein is NOT Just a Minor Annoyance 10. Rerouting the Injured Brain 11. Helping Kids with Diabetes Feel More “Normal” 12. Advances on the Pediatric Front 13. High-tech Help for Hearing Loss 14. Advances in Palliative Care 15. Hand-held Computer Pilot Programs for Physicians 16. When the World SHOULDN’T Spin This advertising supplement is sponsored by participating advertisers.The promotional material was prepared by Wendy Meyeroff and Barbara Merchant of North-South Medical Communications.

Additional material was supplied by Dewitt Publishing. This advertising section did not involve the reporting or editing staff of The New York Times. © 2001 The New York Times

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Your Health: Now More Important than Ever

Top: A patient (right) at Somerset Medical Center explains her artwork as another patient (left) and certified art therapist Kim Leatherdale (center) listen.

Below: Chris Kotsen, PsyD, a psychologist at Somerset Medical Center, listens while a patient explains her apprehension regarding the upcoming holidays.

Coping with Despair this Holiday Season

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olidays are always a difficult time for those who are lonely. For those coping with the recent loss of a loved one, holidays can make that loss feel even more profound. If that loss comes without any warning, the resulting grief can be overpowering.

Because of the events of September 11th, hundreds of New Jersey families are going to find that “it’s going to be an especially tough holiday season,” according to Chris Kotsen, PsyD, chief, section of psychology at Somerset Medical Center in Somerfield. “There are going to be a lot of people facing grief issues due to of st kli the World Trade Center attack. Such ec ch is th ide ov t pr The experts at Somerse pression: issues tend to be particularly prode warning symptoms for nounced during the holiday season.”

Both Dr. Kotsen and his colleague, bbies and activities ✓ Loss of interest in ho Kim Leatherdale, MA, ATR, an art le that once were pleasurab therapist at Somerset’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Services, offer e increased fatigu ✓ Decreased energy and solutions to grieving families.

g, remembering, or ✓ Difficulty concentratin making decisions ns, including insomnia, ✓ Changes in sleep patter orning awakening oversleeping, and early-m ✓ Restlessness ✓ Irritability

ing. Ms. overlooked is not eat Eating One sign that’s often t’s rse me So in s often in her work es for tim Leatherdale sees thi ful ess str st mo are one of the ays olid “H it.

Un er ord Dis of simply being order.” There’s the stress those with an eating dis induced by the then the added stress at the dinner table, and an eating dissomething impossible for pressure to eat heartily— order patient. ptom of d issue is really just a sym Besides, she says, the foo h the wit be to nt Maybe they don’t wa once , the underlying problem. are y the e her t eated problems.Ye p-s dee of e aus bec ily fam ing something lly don’t want to be, do again, someplace they rea they don’t want to do.

“SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT” It’s easy to empathize with the despair over a young mother who died in the attack and will not share the joy of Baby’s first holiday.

It’s harder, though, for some folks to understand some of the “simpler” triggers of grief. Everyone knows you never liked Aunt Martha’s “special” vegetable casserole, so why should you break into tears when it’s not on the table this Thanksgiving?

“We have a lot more rituals at the holidays,” says Dr. Kotsen, “and more intense memories. So the first holiday without a loved one is very hard.” The holidays are full of special meals and ceremonies—both religious and secular—and everyone has a special role to fill.When someone isn’t there to perform

“their” role—whether it’s lighting the menorah, singing a special song, or presenting that vegetable casserole with a flourish —there’s the sense that “something’s not right.”

The freshness of this tragedy makes coping harder, as does the fact that by the time the holidays arrive, the majority of memorials and services will be over.That means that the bereaved will already have spent several weeks without the support system of the family, friends, and co-workers who’d initially rallied around.This allows the pain to truly hit, making the holidays extremely difficult.

RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS Some signs of depression and grief are easy to spot, like crying and anger. Men are more likely to get angry, says Dr. Kotsen, probably because it’s considered more “socially acceptable” for them than crying.

FINDING SOLUTIONS It might be assumed that counseling and medication are the mainstays of therapy at Somerset.While both modes of treatment are important, Dr. Kotsen and Ms.Leatherdale stress that Somerset offers more for those coping with grief.

Ms. Leatherdale’s presence is proof of that. Not every facility recognizes the value of art therapy.“What made art therapy interesting to Somerset is that it’s one more way to help people express themselves. Some people can’t verbalize, or they’re too defensive to verbalize.Their art work is very telling.” She emphasizes that art therapy doesn’t require artistic skill. “The patient doesn’t even have to draw or paint.They can create collages, or I might simply ask them to find images that touch them.”

Similarly, Dr. Kotsen uses every treatment option at his disposal. He points out that some children, while not actually grieving themselves, will find their sense of security shattered by what’s happened this fall. Says Dr. Kotsen, it’s the job of Somerset’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Services to reach out and educate the community. “We’ll be trying to educate teachers and others on how to help these children cope.”

Ultimately, these experts believe all families this holiday season should aim for one important goal: Keep stress to a minimum. Ms. Leatherdale warns about overspending as a way to compensate for loss.“My extended family has grown so much that it’s really expensive to buy major gifts for everyone. So this year, we’re talking about everyone drawing names from a hat and buying for one person or family, or setting limits on how much we spend.” Dr. Kotsen has a final suggestion: Establish new rituals to take the place of those that are too painful to handle.