Cherry Creek Psychology, Dr. Maximillian Wachtel

A study In the January 2008 edition of the General Archives of Psychiatry found a link between coronary artery disease and depression/anxiety. Essentially, researchers discovered that patients with heart disease who were not depressed or anxious had a 13% chance of having a repeated cardiac event within two years. But, patients with heart disease who were either depressed or anxious had a 26% chance of a cardiac event in that same two-year time period.

It cannot be concluded from this article that depression and anxiety cause heart attacks. But, it is certainly concerning that mental conditions are linked in some way to continued heart problems.

If you have coronary artery disease and you suspect you might be depressed or anxious, I recommend you speak with your doctor about it. It is not known if lowering your depression/anxiety will lower your chances of another heart attack, but it certainly can’t hurt to ask. And, if you are less depressed or anxious, you are more likely to get real enjoyment out of life, something your mental condition may be limiting right now.

Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.cherrycreekpsychology.com; maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com)

On June 1, 2008, the city of Steamboat Springs, Colorado hosted the Steamboat Springs Marathon, Half-Marathon and 10K. My family drove there for the weekend, and I was planning on running the 10K (6.2 miles). I have run two marathons and a bunch of half-marathons in the past, but I figured the 10K would be a good distance for me this year. Since Simon was born, I haven’t had a lot of time to train for a longer distance.

For those of you who have not been to Steamboat, it is a great place to visit. The run organizers limit the marathon to 500 participants and the half-marathon to 1000 participants. The half-marathon filled up this year by March, even though the run did not take place until June.

But, when I showed up to register for the 10K the day before the race, I noticed  they still had a few spots open in the half-marathon (some people canceled at the last minute). Without thinking, I instinctively grabbed one of the remaining spots. I’m not exactly sure why, but I thought it would be fun (I’ve run that particular race at least 4 times before, so I know the course well).

Immediately after signing up, I realized I might have made a huge mistake. I spent a good deal of time stressing out on Saturday, and I woke up at 4:30 A.M. on Sunday morning to get ready for the 7:30 start time. I decided I was going to run it slowly, since I had not trained for it, but by the time the race started, my adrenaline was pumping and I could not slow down. I ended up running the first three miles at a pace that was 45 seconds per mile faster than I was planning. At that point, I thought to myself, “Why not keep running at this pace? Maybe I’ll crash, and maybe I won’t.” So, I kept up the fast pace.

I don’t know why, but I never crashed. I kept up my brisk pace for the entire 13.1 miles, and I ended up finishing 27th overall and 5th in my age group (this might sound like bragging, but trust me, there was A LOT of time between finisher #1 and finisher #27). I felt great throughout the entire run, and my legs were barely sore the next day.

I am not exactly sure what the point of this post is, except that it is good to be reminded that doing something foolish and spontaneous every now and then can be fun, and it doesn’t have to end in disaster.

Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.cherrycreekpsychology.com; maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com)

You may have noticed that I am not the most consistent blogger. I will take a few months off, feel guilty about it, apologize and then post every day for about a week. Then, the cycle repeats itself.

To my credit, I have been busier than usual. On May 5, my son, Simon Wachtel, was born! He is happy and healthy, and his big sister, Nico, is thrilled. Her excitement should wear off around the time he starts getting into her stuff. The whole family is also adjusting to having a new member in the house, and we are all operating on some serious sleep deprivation.

In other news, I have gotten more new referrals this May than I have in previous years. Typically, the beginning of summer is a slow time for therapists. People get busy and are often going on vacation. And, most people tend to be happier in the summer than they are in the winter. But, this year appears to be different. Any thoughts as to why that is?

Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com; www.cherrycreekpsychology.com)

I thought it was worth mentioning that I am quoted as an expert in the field of psychology in the April Issue of Self Magazine (on news stands now). It is the issue with Christina Applegate on the cover. In the article, I deliver my insight on what a particular ringtone says about a person’s personality. I welcome ringtone comments on this blog. My phone is on vibrate right now, and I won’t speculate as to what that means about my personality.

Also in the April issue of Self Magazine is an article called “Homing From Work.” It is about falling into (and out of) the trap of doing all the stuff you are supposed to do on your free time while you are at work (such as picking up dry cleaning, planning vacations, ordering items on the internet, etc.). It is a good article, and it was written by a friend of mine named Cathy Alter. She is a great writer (check out www.cathyalter.com).

Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.CherryCreekPsychology.com; maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com)

A provocative title, I know.

A recent study published in the journal Health Psychology found that, in households where both spouses work and have school-aged children, women in happy marriages rebounded more quickly from daily stress than women in unhappy marriages.

Although the study doesn’t make this claim, it would seem that, if you are a woman in an unhappy marriage, working on improving you married life could potentially help you recover from stress more quickly. This could have a significantly positive impact on your physical and emotional well-being.

Another interesting article, this one in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, found that women who engage in religious activity are less prone to feel depressed than women who do not engage in religious activity. Interestingly, men are less likely to be depressed if they are not religious. I’m not sure why this is. Any thoughts?

Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.CherryCreekPsychology; maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com)

I was at Starbucks on Monday night, enjoying a short decaf cappuccino (that’s right, they have “short” drinks…”tall” is not their smallest option. It is only the smallest option they list on their menu–you should try ordering a short sometime. All the employees will know what you are talking about, but the customers will freak out), when a man came in and ordered a ten-shot, caramel, upside down, iced, something, blah blah blah… I stopped listening after the first few words. Ten shots. Let me repeat: ten shots.

When I was in graduate school at the University of Denver, I worked at a deli that also served espresso drinks. They had one called “The Madman,” which was nothing more than five shots of espresso. No one ever ordered it. Why would anyone want to do that to him/herself?

It is important for me to say, as a public service announcement, that ten shots of espresso at one time is not good for your health. And, it is really, really bad for your mental health. That much caffeine can cause a tremendous amount of anxiety (even after the immediate effects of the caffeine have worn off). Don’t even get me started on how it can disrupt your sleep.

I was curious as to what would happen to the man who ordered “The Double Madman” on Monday night. Would his heart explode? Would he run out of Starbucks, screaming, chased by hallucinations of demons? Would he give a spectacular one-man performance of the Pirates of Penzance? I was dying to see what would happen to him, but alas, I was too tired. I just went home and quickly fell asleep.

Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com; www.cherrycreekpsychology.com  

First of all, it appears that my blog’s hit counter is working again, which is reassuring. It is nice to know that at least a few people are checking out my posts.

Second, I wanted to mention a big, exciting change at Cherry Creek Psychology: I have hired an administrative assistant. Her name is Risa, and she is going to be working 12 hours per week. Her first day will be Monday, February 25, and I think she is going to do a great job. I am very excited to have her helping me greet clients and organize the office.

Third, that’s really all I wanted to mention. Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com; www.cherrycreekpsychology.com)

Late last week, a reader posted a comment stating that, not only have antidepressants not helped her, but that she was drinking and potentially thinking about suicide. I appreciate her comment, and I’m glad she shared her thoughts. At the same time, I was deeply saddened to think that there might be someone out there who is reaching out for help, and I don’t have any power to actually help her. I responded to her comment, and I included a national suicide hotline she could call if need be (1-800-SUICIDE). Without her e-mail address or any other contact information, that was all I could do.

It raised the issue in my mind of what my responsibility is for people who read and post comments on my blog. If that reader had been a client of mine who I am seeing in therapy, I would be required (both ethically and legally) to make sure she remained safe. But, what is my ethical obligation to people who are not clients of mine who reveal that they might be in danger of harming themselves?

I’m not sure I have a good answer for this question, yet, except to say that I am limited in how I can respond, given the medium. Your thoughts, as always, are appreciated. And, I hope that woman who posted last week has remained safe.

Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com; www.cherrycreekpsychology.com)

Thanks to a few people who have posted comments in the last week, I have determined that people are still checking in and reading, despite the fact that my hit counter is still locked in the zero position. Thanks for letting me know!

–Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com; www.cherrycreekpsychology.com)

According to the page hit counter at blog.com, my readership has dropped to zero for the past two days. Either my posts are incredibly boring and everyone has given up on me, or the page counter is wrong. I am going to assume that I am fascinating and the computer is wrong…

In the meantime, if anyone is actually reading this, I am still interested in your thoughts on antidepressants. One reader has posted some insightful comments (you can check them out by looking at my last post).

Thanks for reading (if anyone, in fact, is reading) –Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.cherrycreekpsychology.com; maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com)