925-212-1018 Patty@PattyShirley.com

Blog

Patty's Perspectives

My blogs are focused on various aspects of mental health.  Blogs can be a fun way to learn a little more about specific topics.  Is there a specific topic you would like to know more about?  Let me know.  Thanks for reading!

Palliative Care

The structure of the U.S. population has been changing over the past few decades.  But in 2011, as the very first of the Baby Boomers turned 65, the U.S. society had been changed forever (Ortman, et al., 2014).  It is projected that the “older population,” considered...

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Loss of Intimacy and Connection

I remember the day that my mother-in-law instructed me how to best connect to my sister-in-laws, who are substantially younger than me.  My mother-in-law stated that it is best to meet them on their own turf, reaching out to them via text, rather than any other...

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Lapse vs. Relapse

A lapse or relapse is a dysregulation of neurochemicals, a return to old behaviors.  We hear the terms lapse and relapse used often in reference to people who use substances.  But we can also apply it to other behaviors, such as acting out in rage or...

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Holiday Recipe for Success

Planning a fabulous and fun holiday season is much like planning a wonderful meal.  We must plan our menu, know our recipes, collect our ingredients and then prepare, in order to be able to enjoy.  Much the same can go into planning for our mental health...

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Abuse

Domestic Violence. Intimate Partner Violence.  Bullying.  Stalking.  All are acts of violence and abuse.  It doesn’t matter what it’s called.  It is damaging, causing pain and injury with the impact being far-reaching.  DV or IPV knows no socioeconomic...

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