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Emergency departments are backed up, oftentimes for days, in order to help people dealing with mental illness. Is that fair to you?There are major problems with the treatment of mental health patients in this country. Emergency departments are backed up, oftentimes for days, in order to help people dealing with mental illness. But is that fair to you? Is the emergency room the best place for these patients? What can be done to correct this nationwide crisis? There seems to be a misguided perception of mental disease, and there needs to be better education and understanding, as it is truly a disease just like any other... and many times just as deadly. Dr. Nathan Schlicher joins Dr. Leigh to discuss mental healthcare in the U.S., and the impact it has on emergency services. In part two of this interview, they will both share some of the challenges emergency department staff deal with on a daily basis. Listen to Part 1 of this interview.

Mental health care is a major problem in America. Why is the problem so bad? And why aren’t patients most in need getting the care they deserve?More and more we are seeing tragic events popping up all over the U.S. that are due to mentally ill individuals not receiving the care they need. Over the last few decades there has been a de-institutionalization of mental health. Perhaps the controversy and bad press surrounding the mental health facilities in earlier decades have led to this issue. Or, perhaps it is a flawed healthcare system. Regardless of the cause, much of the resulting burden has filtered into the nation's Emergency Departments, where wait times for psychiatric beds are sometimes weeks before a patient can be tended to. Dr. Nathan Schlicher joins Dr. Leigh to discuss this major problem, including just why it is so bad and what can be done.

Maintaining balanced neurotransmitter levels along with healthy blood flow to the brain can be an effective strategy to lessen the impact of a migraine headache.Research has shown that two ingredients, magnesium and gastrodin, an exotic orchid extract, work in unique ways to lessen the distress of migraine pain. Magnesium has been shown to be a major factor in relaxing the smooth muscles within the blood vessels. This, in turn, supports normal blood flow and helps promote head comfort. Gastrodin enhances the presence of the calming neurotransmitter, GABA. Studies show that the combination of magnesium and gastrodin is a powerful, effective, all-natural migraine treatment.

When B12 is low, all sorts of symptoms and problems develop, from anxiety and depression to muscles spasms and memory loss.Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy cell growth and repair. When it's low, all sorts of symptoms and problems develop, from anxiety and depression to muscles spasms and memory loss. Sally Pacholok, an emergency room nurse with over 25 years' experience, joins Dr. Mike to discuss her own journey of misdiagnoses and failed therapies. She is passionate about the need to educate the public about the dangerous consequences of this hidden and all-too-common disease.

Learn how cancer patients can blend alternative therapies with traditional cancer treatments.Information is the best weapon in the fight for your life. Dr. Kevin Ryan empowers patients with knowledge in his book, When Tumor is the Rumor and Cancer is the Answer. Dr. Ryan joins Dr. Mike to discuss how cancer patients can blend alternative therapies with traditional cancer treatments. His book is a guide for patients from diagnosis through treatment and even death. The goal, he says, is to make patients active participants in their treatment... at home and in the examination room.

A forward thinking foot and ankle surgeon uses stem cells to treat common runner's injuries.Foot and ankle surgeon, Dr. Richard Braver, has begun utilizing both platelet rich plasma injections and stem cell treatments for common injuries. The goal of these procedures is to allow patients to heal from injuries using the body's own healing mechanisms, as opposed to traditional surgeries. These FDA-approved, non-surgical therapies have proven ideal for athletes, including Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez, Hines Ward and Brandon Roy; as well as those who wish to avoid surgical procedures.

Improving mental performance through brain cell regeneration is possible with gastrodin, an extract of the exotic orchid Gastrodia elata.Your brain is under assault from environmental toxins, oxidative stress, inflammation, and excess sugar. Collectively, these factors contribute to an excited state of neurotoxicity that accelerates brain aging and brain degeneration. Gastrodin, an exotic orchid extract, helps to protect your brain by stimulating dormant brain cell regenerative properties – improving mental performance and energy. Join Dr. Mike to learn more about this option for improving mental performance.

The holidays are approaching and you are faced with the prospect of weight gain and gluttony. Can you change the seemingly inevitable?Decisions, decisions, decisions... the holidays are approaching and you are faced with what to buy, what to eat, what to serve your guests... and the list goes on. Jay Cardiello, fitness and nutritional expert, joins To Your Good Health Radio to help you make the right decisions this holiday season in order to stay healthy and fit at a time when it seems impossible. Jay takes the guess work out of what to choose at the holiday dinner table, how to stay fit with quick exercise tips and how to stay on track instead of waiting for the New Year to lose those holiday pounds.

If you or someone you know suffers from ADHD, you cannot afford to miss this interview.With those suffering from ADHD on the rise, Tammy Strickling, Executive Director at Suncoast Rehab, joins To Your Good Health Radio to share the risks of prescription drugs, the right questions to ask your doctor and how to get back to basics (such as you or your child's diet) before turning to prescription drugs. She also shares the risks of addiction to Adderall, the signs that someone is addicted and the intense rehabilitation process once an addiction becomes apparent. While new laws help monitor dispensing prescription medications, the first steps begin at home. If you or someone you know suffers from ADHD, you cannot afford to miss this informative interview.

Dr. Carl Helvie shares how he was able to tap into both his mind and spirit to overcome cancer.Dr. Carl Helvie shares how he was able to tap into both his mind and spirit to overcome even the most difficult of diseases... Cancer. A graduate of John Hopkins (the most conservative of medical schools), Dr. Helvie set his conservative teachings aside and tapped into unconventional ways to beat the disease. Now, at 80 years of age, he is the oldest living cancer survivor. In this amazing interview, Dr. Helvie shares firsthand how he beat the odds and what you can do when faced with medical treatment decisions, including seeking alternatives to drugs and medical treatment.

Thirty-eight years ago, Dr. Carl Helvie was told he had terminal lung cancer. He decided to take things into his own hands.Thirty-eight years ago Dr. Carl O. Helvie was told he had terminal lung cancer. He decided to take responsibility of his health into his own hands, turning to alternative medicine rather than go the conventional route. Now, at 81 years young, he is the longest living lung cancer survivor AND takes no medication whatsoever. Dr. Helvie shares how he did it in his latest book, You Can Beat Lung Cancer. He also discusses how he used holistic natural interventions of supplements, herbs, enzymes, diet, prayer and meditation to not only beat this dreaded disease – but to prevent a recurrence. This energetic man, who still hosts his own radio health show, is living proof that it can be done. In this segment, Helvie not only offers alternatives to those facing this diagnosis, but brings renewed hope for a future free from the chronic illnesses that affect Americans today.

Our two powerhouse nutritionists cover the latest health and wellness headlines in order to help YOU live better.In this segment of Chew On This, our two powerhouse nutritionists cover the latest health and wellness headlines, and either edify them or expose them as media propaganda. And who better to join Dr. Friedman to hash it out than Kim Barnouin, author of the New York Times bestselling Skinny Bitch series of books. Join them both in this revealing and eye-opening interview.

The drive to be thin can start very young. Don't let your child become a disordered eating statistic.Concerns about being overweight begin as early as preschool age, and the drive for thinness intensifies with age. The results can have both physical and psychological repercussions, including potentially serious disordered eating. Because adolescents with eating disorders rarely seek help on their own, it is important that parents act on their suspicions quickly and not retreat behind a wall of denial. If you raise the issue with your teenager, you should expect a heated denial of any problem. But it's essential that you not back down. Melanie Cole, MS and Dr. Linda Reid-Chassiakos, MD, discuss how you can recognize signs that your child might have disordered eating issues and how you can help... and potentially save his or her life.

Depression, anxiety and even suicide are dangers that can threaten children and teens. Might your child be at risk?As many as one in 13 adolescents experience symptoms of depression at some time; however, these symptoms may be hard for parents to recognize. Teen depression can have many causes, and symptoms of serious depression may include loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite or acting out recklessly. Teens are also particularly prone to anxiety, which can be triggered by stress in relationships, peer pressure, or body image. When your child is struggling with depression or anxiety, there are things you can do to help. Specific tactics include encouraging healthy habits, considering the environment to which your child is exposed on a daily basis, educating the family, helping your child develop cognitive, coping and problem solving skills, rehearsing good behavior and social skills, and creating a safety and emergency plan. And, talk to your child about the problems that may be causing his or her anxiety. Suicide is another dangerous threat to teens. In fact, suicide is one of the three leading causes of death for 13- to 19-year-olds in the United States. Suicide attempts are often triggered by some small, everyday event, such as receiving a bad grade or getting in an argument. No child is immune to a risk of suicide, but statistics tell us that some adolescents are more vulnerable than others and may require closer parental attention. Special guest, Dr. Linda Reid-Chassiakos, MD, discusses ways you can help children and teens overcome their depression, reduce their anxiety and possibly prevent a horrific suicide.

As many as 10 million antibiotic prescriptions are written each year for infections they are unlikely to help.A clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offers updated guidance on treating respiratory tract infections in children, with the goal of reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. The clinical report, "Principles of Judicious Antibiotic Prescribing for Bacterial Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Pediatrics," published in the December 2013 Pediatrics and released online Nov. 18, advises physicians to use stringent diagnostic criteria to distinguish between viral and bacterial infections. The report focuses on three of the most common pediatric upper respiratory infections: ear infections, sinus infections and strep throat. "This report is particularly timely as we enter the winter season, when many respiratory viruses commonly circulate," said Mary Anne Jackson, MD, FAAP, a member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases and a lead author of the report. "By using these principles, physicians will be able to more appropriately diagnose and treat otitis media [middle ear infection], sinusitis and strep pharyngitis." Studies have shown that as many as 10 million antibiotic prescriptions are written each year for infections they are unlikely to help. Recent evidence shows that prescriptions for broad-spectrum antibiotics have increased, even when no antibiotics are needed or when a narrow-spectrum antibiotic would work. Overuse of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance, making infections more difficult to treat. Join Dr. Jackson as she shares more information on the new guidelines, as well as the danger of over-prescribing antibiotics.