by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

Our bodies need a variety of proteins, calories, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, trace elements, enzymes, and antioxidants to help in metabolism and more importantly to enhance the immune system against diseases, make us feel energized and strong. To get the optimum health benefits, experts recommend we eat a variety of fresh (organic if possible) fruits on a daily basis in order to furnish our bodies with the essential nutrients required for the most advantageous functioning.

To read about the top 10 highly nutrient rich fruits, click here: http://su.pr/2gn5b5

by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

My Dear DOCintheBiz Readers,

I have added another column to my writing and I now write three (3) columns for the Examiner, one (1) column for Huliq and I have been blessed to have been hired to write freelance (for now… working towards full time) for a major hardcopy national magazine! Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

“Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward.” ~Terri Guillemets

According to a study shared on MSNBC, the consumption of pesticides by children have been linked to possible Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms. The National Academy of Sciences shared that many common foods and snacks that children eat on a daily basis, including frozen blueberries, fresh strawberries and celery are coated with chemicals and this has been found to be a major source of pesticide exposure in children which leads to ADHD.

Maryse F. Bouchard, a researcher at the University of Montreal in Quebeca published her latest research on this topic in the journal Pediatrics. Bouchard’s study has been said to be the largest one to date which looked at the effects of pesticides on child development and behavior, including ADHD. She and her colleagues measured levels of six pesticide metabolites in the urine of 1,139 children ages 8 to 15 and concluded that kids with a 10-fold increase in the kind of metabolites left in the body after malathion (the most common chemical found) exposure, were 55 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than children who were not exposed to the chemicals.

Bouchard suggested to parents, “I would say buy organic as much as possible. I would also recommend washing fruits and vegetables as much as possible.” The Food and Drug Administration suggests that when washing fruits and vegetables, one should run them under cold running tap water and scrub firm-skinned produce with a brush. Be sure to rinse frozen fruits and vegetables, too and do not use soap when washing, as this could leave behind residues of detergent and add more chemicals to the food.

ADHD affects an estimated 4.5 million U.S. children. About 2.5 million of these children are prescribed medication for the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their behaviors are often what get them in trouble in school due to the inability to concentrate, pay attention or listen to directives. When children cannot concentrate and stay on task, they tend to get reprimanded and their grades suffer.

There are some easy ways to avoid exposing your children to pesticides. Besides washing foods, The Environmental Working Group, a consumer advocacy organization, advises to buy organic versions of a dozen fruits and vegetables that grow in the ground or are commonly eaten with the skin because these organic versions will most likely not be contaminated.

KC Kelly, Ph.D.

The former Local Mental Health Examiner, Dr. KC Kelly is now credited as a Nationally Syndicated Mind and Body Columnist for the Examiner beginning April 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

KC Kelly, Ph.D.

Grief is the normal process of reacting to either physical (i.e. death) or social (i.e. job, divorce) loss. All people cope differently with the emotional pain of losing anything they have treasured, and losing a loved one to death is no exception, but probably the most powerful of all losses. Read the rest of this entry »

KC Kelly, Ph.D.

To my loyal and new readers here at DOCintheBiz:

Mid December, 2009 marked the beginning of a new venture for me. Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

Personality has been described as a person’s emotions, moods, temperament, actions and responses to certain events or circumstances that happen in his or her daily life. I have heard other experts talking about the idea of nature versus nurture in the development of one’s personality from birth and I have agreed with their consensus. Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

During the holiday season, whether surrounded by friends and loved ones or finding yourself alone… Whether bringing new life into the world or mourning the passing of loved ones… Whether in a happy relationship or without a significant other… This time of year can be very difficult for many. Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

www.DOCintheBiz.com

I can understand when people understand the terms “self esteem” or “self worth” (words which I use interchangeably) to be rather vanilla, simple and over-generalized. “Self-esteem” belongs at a level of the subconscious that is intangible and difficult to explain. This is why people often view the idea of “self esteem” to be “less than useful”. I will; however, stand strongly to my conviction, that how one feels about him/herself is the key to the way they think, feel and act. Please allow me to shed some more light on what I mean when I talk of self-esteem and self-worth. Read the rest of this entry »

KC Kelly, Ph.D.

www.DOCintheBiz.com

My Dear Readers,

I have the need to once again thank you for your kind emails of “Where are you?” and “Why have you not been delivering the articles that help us, inspire us and motivate us? Where are the articles that do not judge us, but normalize us and allow us to ask questions and get solid and meaningful answers?”

I promise that I have not deserted you and wish to explain that I am in the process of writing a book. The book is sparked from the grand idea of finding purpose, meaning in life and unleashing the great creative juices from our inner beings in times of blockage.

If you are a writer, (not to exclude any kind of artist or creator) you will know that writing comes from the heart, soul and subconscious. It often does not give the writer the opportunity to decide when it is going to free itself and spill across the keyboard. And so, I have not forgotten about those of you who are waiting for my next article, but I am here to promise something grand and powerful to be available to you soon. Due to reasons that are out of my power and control (the creative process and the publication process), I cannot predict when this creation will reach completion; however, please be assured that I am working on it very diligently so that I can share it with the world sooner than later.

I will be back soon and write here when I can. I still invite anyone with personal issues in need of psychotherapy services (online) to feel free to write in and talk with me privately. Just visit the home page of my website, DOCintheBiz, and write to me. I will never abandon any of my present clients here and always invite new ones.

All my best,

Dr. KC

KC Kelly, Ph.D.

www.DOCintheBiz.com

I told my friend today that I went to the beach for a bit of introspection that I so desperately needed to try to clear my head. Yes, even doctors should have their own versions of “therapy” for cathartic cleansing. Despite all the life that was going on around me, I thought that perhaps it would be therapeutic to sit in front of the ocean. The sea; something so massive, so colossal, so immense and so beyond anything a human could ever construct, that it makes our woes seem so meaningless in the grand scheme of the almighty’s creation. It was amazing, actually, to feel so insignificant sitting there next to this immense piece of nature. It’s OK to feel unimportant by environmental forces working, but NOT by another’s human energy. Read the rest of this entry »

KC Kelly, Ph.D.
www.DOCintheBiz.com

Don’t allow fears to get in the way of what you were meant to do/be. I know that may sound easier said than done, but if you truly want to accomplish something, we have to believe that most of the battle is in having the proper attitude, saying the correct things to ourselves, helping ourselves to conquer our fears, surrounding ourselves with positive influences, and getting counseling for what physically/mentally ails us.

Please don’t just pass off these words, but sit back and think about them for a while. You are worth every bit of energy and work that it will take to make yourself happy and to make your life one of high quality. It’s all up to you and the decisions you make for yourself. My last article, “Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying” shares some of these thoughts.

No, don’t say, “But”, “I can’t”, “It’s impossible”, “It’s not realistic”. Because EVERYTHING is possible! Turn your “stinking thinking” around and begin to work with positive affirmation instead. “I can”, “I will”, “I’m worth every ounce of strength it takes to make my dreams and goals come true”.

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying. I suggest the former. Please, just try. No more excuses. Turn dreams into goals, enjoy the journey, and never give up. Everything and everyone we come across in life is brought to us for a reason. Always believe…

 by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying?

“That which does not kill us, makes us stronger” – Friedrich Nietzche

“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” – Kenji Miyazawa

“We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.” – Sir Winston Churchill

“Everything can be taken from a man but the last of the human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” - Dr. Viktor E. Frankl

If you have ever entered into any realm of a philosophical discussion on any level or have ever entered into a philosophy section of a bookstore, you have heard these (or very similar) inspirational and motivational quotes. There’s not much of a way around that. In the world of psychology and philosophy, they are almost as universal as some of the slang terms lay people use everyday. The question is, how many people actually believe and live by these quotes? Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

Afraid of Love? It’s OK… There’s a lot to it

Are you afraid to love? There are many healthy forms of love…This just happens to be one of my favorites: Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

Autism: A Case Example of Hope

Alex’s (name has been changed to protect anonymity) mother sat across from me and cried into her hands. “I just don’t know what to do anymore,” she began. “From the moment he gets home from school, he races through the door and right to the couch in the living room where he throws all the pillows onto the floor and begins to run back and forth jumping all over both of the couches. I’ve tried everything to stop him, but he doesn’t even seem to realize that I’m there. He’s in his own world. He climbs on the wall unit, breaking things and one day it almost fell over on him! He will also throw tantrums by screaming and crying at the top of his lungs for hours and I don’t know what he wants!” She stopped talking and continued to cry.

Alex has autism. He is five (5) years old and falls into the lower end of what we call the Autism Spectrum. He does not talk, does not communicate, and exhibits aggressive behaviors such as hitting, biting, pulling hair and scratching when he does not get what he wants.

What is Autism? Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

Lucky or unlucky in love? Into which category do you fit? Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D., LMHC

Questions and Answers by DOCintheBiz.

Question: I received an email from a woman who seems to be in an abusive relationship. She is very torn as she says she is in love with him, however, he can tend to be very harsh, angry, controlling and makes her cry way too often by putting her down or having anger outbursts directed at her. At times, she fears him. I have decided not to share the letter for confidentiality reasons; however, I have shared my response to her. Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D.

How many of you have children? How many of you work with children? I thought this was a very interesting view on the difference of behavior labeling for adults and children. Some may be a little severe and not always hold true in all cases, of course, but which ones do you agree with and why? Please share your experiences. I would love to have your input. Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D., LMHC

www.DOCintheBiz.com

Many a day, I have spent hours sitting on the floor in the philosophy section of used book stores, reading some of the most magnificent works of art written. The smell of old books is joyful. The idea that the books I love so dearly are approximately an average of two dollars each is unbelievable being that the material inside those books is priceless. Anything that can change a life for the better is indeed, priceless. I have three copies on my book shelf of one of the most significant and popular books about Existentialism ever written: “Man’s Search for Meaning” by the amazing Father of Existentialism, Dr. Viktor E. Frankl. Read the rest of this entry »

by KC Kelly, Ph.D., LMHC

Questions and Answers from DOCintheBiz

Question: Can you please give me a definition in plain terms of what Borderline Personality Disorder is? I get so many clinical definitions and to be honest, I am not happy about the answers because not every symptom relates to me and I don’t like being categorized into a “mold” if you will. I just want to know how others you have worked with who have BPD feel and act. I don’t know. Just searching for some answers and some understanding. Read the rest of this entry »