“Promoting Positive Solutions,” From Post-Polio Health (Volume 30, Number 4, pages 8, 9, 10). Part 2. Dr. Machell addresses female to male and same sex partner abuse: Intimate partner violence (IPV) isn’t just about male perpetrators and female victims. Men can be abused by a female partner. And in same-sex relationships men are abused by men and women are abused by women. Abuse …
Shared peer advice from polio survivors about what works for them.
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News about people who have made significant contributions to the disability community.
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Benefits of Antidepressants for Pain
Post-Polio Health, Volume 26, Number 2, Spring 2010 Ask Dr. Maynard Frederick M. Maynard, MD Question: Has there ever been a study of whether antidepressants help relieve muscular pain and fatigue? Is it a plausible treatment for people who have had polio? Answer: There have been studies showing reduction of fatigue and pain (not specifically muscular pain) among depressed patients treated with antidepressant …
Don’t Tell Anyone About Your Polio
“Promoting Positive Solutions,” Post-Polio Health, Volume 28, Number 3, Dr. Stephanie T. Machell Question: I found out I had polio when I was 55 years old. My mother’s explanation was that “the doctor told me not to tell anyone.” Can you help me understand why this was told to parents? Answer: Your experience is not an unusual one. I’ve had many clients who …
Stress Reduction Ideas
“Promoting Positive Solutions,” Post-Polio Health, Volume 29, Number 3, Spring 2013 Question: I am a 79-year-old male who had mild polio. At every annual medical visit, my doctor urges me to manage my stress and feels strongly about meditation. I have tried it and don’t like it. Sitting in a room, closing my eyes focusing on my breathing feels boring, and I …
“They just want me to be like I was.”
Post-Polio Health, Volume 25, Number 4, Fall 2009. Dr. Stephanie T. Machell is a psychologist in independent practice in the Greater Boston area and consultant to the International Rehabilitation Center for Polio, Spaulding-Framingham Outpatient Center, Framingham, Massachusetts. Her father is a polio survivor. Question: I am getting weaker and my friends and family encourage me the find “the answer” and get …
Tired Husband: Guilt and Talking about It
Post-Polio Health, Volume 25, Number 4, Fall 2009. Dr. Rhoda Olkin is a Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Francisco, as well as Executive Director of the Institute on Disability and Health Psychology. She is a polio survivor and single mother of two grown children. Question: “I recently attended PHI’s 10th Conference in …
Complimented or Insulted?
Post-Polio Health, Volume 26, Number 3, Summer 2010. Dr. Rhoda Olkin is a Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Francisco, as well as Executive Director of the Institute on Disability and Health Psychology. She is a polio survivor and single mother of two grown children. Dr. Stephanie T. Machell is a psychologist in …
Lonely and I Eat
Post-Polio Health, Volume 26, Number 4, Fall 2010. Dr. Stephanie T. Machell is a psychologist in independent practice in the Greater Boston area and consultant to the International Rehabilitation Center for Polio, Spaulding-Framingham Outpatient Center, Framingham, Massachusetts. Her father is a polio survivor. Question: My husband died a year ago and I am lonely. When I am lonely, I eat too much. …
“Do I have to talk about the past?”
Post-Polio Health, Volume 27, Number 2, Spring 2011. Dr. Rhoda Olkin is a Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Francisco, as well as Executive Director of the Institute on Disability and Health Psychology. She is a polio survivor and single mother of two grown children. Dr. Stephanie T. Machell is a psychologist in …
Taken for Granted
Post-Polio Health, Volume 27, Number 3, Fall 2011. Dr. Stephanie T. Machell is a psychologist in independent practice in the Greater Boston area and consultant to the International Rehabilitation Center for Polio, Spaulding-Framingham Outpatient Center, Framingham, Massachusetts. Her father is a polio survivor. QUESTION: I am a caregiver of a polio survivor. At times I feel taken for granted. How can I …