Tag: PTSD

Collage of pictures representing choosing and decision making, karma and result, and a building imploding, and woman of wisdom.

The Art of Decision-making for Successful Outcomes

Written by Ron Parks, MD on July 2, 2023. Posted in Anxiety & Panic, Commentary on Health and Well-being, Depression, Getting Things Done, Holistic Approaches to Prevention and Recovery, Mood, Personal Growth, PTSD, Trauma.

My mother’s wise advice, the tragic vacation to see the Titanic wreckage, decision-making, and my close calls

A mother’s advice on travel and finding answers, meaning, and perspective

Once in my youth, not too long after beginning the stress and challenging times of medical training, I told my wife one evening in our small cozy apartment, “I need to take some vacation time off to wrap my head around all these current demands and changes. I need a break to gain perspective on the meaning and purpose of my newly chosen medical career path.” My wife and I agreed, so we planned and then set off on a long drive to a yoga retreat center in the mountains to meet, learn, and do practices with a popular and well-known yoga teacher.¹

Collage of pictures of recreational and assault guns and people with mental illness and anger

Mass Shootings—Too Many Guns or Mental Health Problems

Written by Ron Parks, MD on May 26, 2023. Posted in Depression, gun violence, Hate Crimes, holistic mental healthcare, PTSD, Public Health Issue, Social Media, Uncategorized.

Resolving the political divide on the causes and solutions of active or mass shooter incidences may be in the link between mental health, depression, lethal weapons, and media influence.

There has been a lack of progress in passing new legislation and regulations to help curb the increase in mass shootings of innocent people. Tragic loss of life from mass shootings or active shooter incidences is now an almost daily occurrence and increasing. People feel helpless and angered that our elected officials, for-profit businesses, and organizations can’t have fruitful discussions or surmount their partisan stuck talking points and biases.¹

Colleague of pictures around the theme of loss, forgiveness, broken heart, insight, perspective, & enlightenment

What I learned from my father’s death or should have

Written by Ron Parks, MD on May 8, 2023. Posted in Commentary on Health and Well-being, Death and Dying, Depression, Grief and Loss, Holistic Approaches to Prevention and Recovery, holistic mental healthcare, Meditation/Mindfulness, Mood, Neurodiversity, PTSD, Public Health Issue, Relationships, Spirituality & Health, Trauma.

The hidden truth about Forgiveness

by Ron Parks, MD

It was early morning when I got a call from the chief of medicine and cardiologist at the community hospital where I was on staff. In a more worried voice, than was usual for him, he said, “Ron, could you stop by my office on your way to make rounds? It’s about your father. With everything I have tried, I can’t stabilize him. We need to make some decisions!” With that, I grabbed my coat and headed out the door. Our chief of medicine was the top cardiologist in the immediate area. When my father, during a visit to our home, had another one of his heart attacks, I had him admitted to our local hospital under the care of an experienced cardiologist.

A group of pictures depicting help from relationships, getting insight, feedback, and perspective.

Relationships for Growth and Perspective

Written by Ron Parks, MD on April 24, 2023. Posted in ADD/ADHD, Asperger Traits, Aspie, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Creativity, Depression, Dyslexia, Getting Things Done, Holistic Approaches to Prevention and Recovery, holistic mental healthcare, Meditation/Mindfulness, Mood, Neurodiversity, Recovery, Relationships, Spirituality & Health, Unique Talent Attributes.

Awareness and receptiveness are essential for wise decisions, perspective, and adaptability.

My valued mentor and the confusing advice

A favorite mentor and advisor, at the end of our final meeting, on my way out from his cozy living room office, with the big glass window looking out on the yard, shaking hands with a big smile, told me, ” Here is my last clinical pearl; never give anyone advice.”

Four colorful pictures representing neurodiversity, creators, and innovative thinkers.

The Brainchild, Unique Talents, and Artificial Intelligence

Written by Ron Parks, MD on March 29, 2023. Posted in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Aspie, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Creativity, Disability, Getting Things Done, Holistic Views on Mental Health Issues, Neurodiversity, neuroscience, Personal Growth, Unique Talent Attributes.

Taking longer to do things is not a crime, laziness, procrastination, or incompetence, but the basis of a brilliant mind and problem solver.

Four pictures of individuals or groups grappling with identity and perspective, one of an individual threatened by mob violence.

Identity and Perspective: for Success or Misfortune

Written by Ron Parks, MD on February 12, 2023. Posted in Commentary on Health and Well-being, gun violence, Hate Crimes, Holistic Views on Mental Health Issues, Meditation/Mindfulness, neuroscience, Personal Growth, PTSD, Public Health Issue, Relationships, Spirituality & Health, Trauma.

The tragedies of our time, and perhaps of all times, hinge on extremes of personal or group identification and loss of perspective.

In the day’s events, we see tragic outcomes, minor disputes, hatred and discrimination, mass murders, and the carnage of war. Mass shootings often occur because of racial hatred that links to individuals or groups with extreme views or ideologies. Adopting and embracing a limited set of ideas and beliefs eliminates and eradicates perspective and context.

Consequences of my tightly held identity and perspective

Four pictures in a frame of two people caught in a storm and flood crisis are balanced by two images representing balance and composure after surviving the crisis. Pictures and composition done in Canva.

Wise actions when feeling overwhelmed or pushed to the limit

Written by Ron Parks, MD on January 18, 2023. Posted in Commentary on Health and Well-being, Depression, Holistic Approaches to Prevention and Recovery, holistic mental healthcare, Integrative Therapies, Meditation/Mindfulness, PTSD, Recovery, Spirituality & Health, Trauma.

Our life and future happen from the decisive choices and actions we take.

Two terrifying Incidences

To listen to Speechify recording version, click here

In my early life and career, there were two incidences when I thought I would not survive and my future aspirations would be no more. These episodes seemed to happen in the so-called fate of the moment, with the saving grace of surviving a tragic outcome.

One incident reverberated in my mind when I hit the brakes with an almost intuitive decision that reversed what I thought would be a deadly consequence for my wife and me. The near-fatal incident was when I drove south for a vacation with my wife several years after our marriage. We were on a two-lane road with the glow of the future in front of us.

Four pictures in a frame of soldiers in a fogy battle scene, a gun with a rose, a game of scrabble with word gun debate on top of a flag, and a boy with a large toy water gun

The U.S. Gun Romance and Harsh Reality of Gun Deaths

Written by Ron Parks, MD on December 3, 2022. Posted in Depression, gun violence, Holistic Views on Mental Health Issues, Mood, PTSD, Public Health Issue, Trauma.

A close look at the history, key contributing factors, mental health-related issues, and needed changes

Gun violence has been a major issue in the U.S. for too long. I felt it worthwhile to examine the historical context, key contributing factors, and critical mental health-related issues. My goal? To increase awareness and perspective and develop a reasonable discussion about reducing gun deaths. Join me in exploring a subject of critical concern for the safety and well-being of our community.

a frame with four colorful pictures suggesting a person having a nightmare with two shots of extremely alarmed people, one hanging from a mountainside, and of a pressure gauge in the red zone

Dreamwork for Insight, Creativity, and Growth

Written by Ron Parks, MD on November 22, 2022. Posted in Anxiety & Panic, Commentary on Health and Well-being, Creativity, Dreamwork, Getting Things Done, holistic mental healthcare, PTSD, Recovery.

The dream is an untapped resource for insight, problem-solving, and self-improvement.

Dreams an Untapped Resource

Dreamwork is a valuable resource and aid in self-help and therapy work. It is a practical and always available tool that supports personal growth, productivity, and mental and emotional health.

Young Barefoot Woman with Headscarf on Beach looking and grieving her losses and hoping for a secure future

Extreme Passion, the Value and Danger—Holocaust Recalled

Written by Ron Parks, MD on November 4, 2022. Posted in Commentary on Health and Well-being, Creativity, Death and Dying, Grief and Loss, Hate Crimes, PTSD, Social Media, Trauma.

Harnessing extremes into creativity, loving concern for others, and actions to avoid societal upheaval, hatred, and destruction.

I recount an early life story that brought me to the realities and risks of the extreme passions and ideas we can get caught up in as individuals or whole societies with positive or devastating outcomes.

My mother’s lost cousin—Iren

When I was a child in the early-to-mid 1940s, my mother took me to a local shoe repair shop on