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The Waiting Game: How to Endure the Transplant Wait List

2024-03-28T21:01:08-04:00September 1st, 2017|Categories: Fact Sheet, Kidney Transplant, Mental Health, Stress Management, Support, The Kidney Citizen|

By Kirsten Weir If you are on the organ transplant waiting list (or hoping to be listed soon), you have probably experienced all kinds of emotions: Excitement, nervousness, anxiety, fear, joy, guilt. Maybe all in one day! The average time spent on the waiting list for a kidney varies from region to region. But for most patients, that wait is measured in years, not months. As the years go by, some people go about their daily lives and forget they are waiting for a life-changing call. Others feel mounting anxiety and hopelessness. All of those feelings are completely normal, says Heather [...]

Next Education Seminar: Depression and Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:01:19-04:00May 3rd, 2017|Categories: eNews, Mental Health, Stress Management, Webinar|

Life with a chronic illness can be a bumpy road with many hurdles to navigate along the way. Emotional ups and downs due to stress are common among people undergoing dialysis treatments. If you find yourself experiencing issues of depression, anxiety, fear and anger, you are having a normal reaction to stressful circumstances. And you are not alone in this. Yet, despite being surrounded by other people, a sense of isolation may arise. There are ways to address these normal feelings. This webinar will present some guidelines for coping with the array of emotions common to life with dialysis and chronic [...]

Living Well on Dialysis

2024-03-28T21:02:04-04:00May 6th, 2016|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Stress Management|

If you receive dialysis treatments for kidney disease, you probably spend a lot of time focused on your physical health. That’s important -- but so, too, is your mental and emotional well-being. Dialysis is life-saving, but it’s also life-changing. Still, by taking charge of your emotional health -- and accepting help when you need it -- you can live a rewarding life on dialysis. Rollercoaster Emotions Dialysis requires significant time and effort. In addition to the considerable time spent traveling to and from appointments and receiving treatment itself, people receiving dialysis must carefully monitor their diet and fluid intake. It’s [...]

Helping Your Patients Live Well on Dialysis

2024-03-28T21:04:44-04:00March 25th, 2016|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, Mental Health|

Dialysis is often a stressful and emotional experience. But renal healthcare professionals can help patients improve their quality of life. As a renal healthcare professional, you are understandably focused on your patients’ physical health outcomes. Given that physical and mental health are closely intertwined, you are in a prime position to positively impact a patient’s overall health. Although this information is not new to you, it can still be difficult addressing mental health issues with your patients. Knowing that untreated mental health issues can lead to misunderstandings and missed opportunities for better health, many providers find ways to address these [...]

Next Education Call: Tuesday March 29

2024-03-28T21:04:45-04:00March 25th, 2016|Categories: eNews, Mental Health, News & Events, Physical Health, Quality of Life, Webinar|

Learning you need to go on dialysis can be overwhelming. A diagnosis of ESRD means significant life changes including dietary restrictions, fluid restrictions in addition to receiving treatment three times a week. With all these drastic changes, it’s important to not only take care of your physical health but your mental health as well. Join us on Tuesday, March 29 at 3 pm Eastern to hear from Dr. Teri Boudreau on ways you can continue to Live Well on Dialysis. The call can be viewed online by visiting www.dpcedcenter.org/education-call or by phone at 1-877-399-5186, conference code: 433-459-5474.

Are You Getting Enough High-Quality Sleep?

2024-03-28T21:06:14-04:00May 28th, 2015|Categories: Early Intervention, eNews, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Nutrition, Peritoneal Dialysis, Physical Health, What Causes Kidney Disease|

We all know that sleep is important, yet many of us never seem to get enough of it. The journal Sleep Review recently found that 67% of end-stage renal disease patients said they were impacted by sleep disorders that prevented them from getting enough sleep. These sleep disorders include periodic leg movement syndrome (PLMS), restless legs syndrome (RLS), insomnia and sleep apnea. Researchers from Monash University reported in the journal Renal Failure that lack of sleep, especially when coupled with chronic kidney disease, leads to hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, lower quality of life and shorter life expectancy. This leaves many kidney patients [...]

Join Us for Our Kidney Health Seminar in New York!

2024-03-28T21:06:19-04:00March 19th, 2015|Categories: eNews, Mental Health, News & Events, Treatment|Tags: |

On Saturday, March 21 from 2-5pm, the DPC Education Center will partner with the Rogosin Institute for an event that is free and open to the general public. It will cover education and training on topics such as mental health, advocacy and treatment options for kidney disease. It will take place at the Campbell Dome at Queens College – CUNY, located at 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367. If you would like to attend this event, you are required to RSVP by March 17 so we can plan for the event according to the number of expected attendees. To RSVP, call [...]

Don’t take Your Mental Health for Granted

2024-03-28T21:06:27-04:00September 18th, 2014|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Quality of Life|

End stage renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure is the end of your kidney function, not your life.  As a result, the DPC Education Center entered into an exciting new collaboration with the American Psychological Association (APA).  We recently held our first joint webinar and Regional Meeting in Detroit. Click here to view the recorded webinar. The diagnosis of stage 5 kidney disease or ESRD can be devastating.  Grieving the loss of your kidney function is normal as long as it does not interfere with living your life to the fullest. Typically, the doctors focus on the physical aspects of your [...]

Mental Health Awareness Month

2024-03-28T21:06:30-04:00May 5th, 2014|Categories: eNews, Mental Health|

Mental health is defined by the World Health Organization as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. Mental health disorders are common in the United States, and each year approximately one quarter of the population suffers from one or more disorders.  Mental health is a taboo subject in American culture.  Many individuals are afraid to ask for help when they feel low or overwhelmed due to the stigma associated [...]

Maintaining Mental Health After a Kidney Transplant

2024-03-28T21:06:41-04:00April 30th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Kidney Transplant, Mental Health|

Mental health is just as important as physical health and the two go hand in hand. This shift of considering individual health as a whole mind body experience is refreshing, but the idea still needs to spread and build from a definition into a cultural mindset. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) know that the numbers on the machine or lab printout don’t tell the entire story. Research has shown that the death rate from chronic disease such as heart disease and diabetes is two to three times greater for people living with mental illnesses.[1] As [...]

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