Understanding the Link Between Creativity and Depression | with Dr. Edison de Mello
Learn more about the link between mental health issues and creativity, and more importantly, what can be done about it.
On the Frontlines with COVID-19, How to Boost Your Immunity, & Testing Safely | with Dr. Edison de Mello
About Episode
Since the coronavirus global pandemic began there have been countless news stories that range anywhere from “It’s just the flu” to “They’re creating mass grave burial sites!!!!!”
As we sit quarantined inside our homes watching the world unravel from our screens…
What the hell are we supposed to believe?
What can we do to feel in control in a world spinning so rapidly out of control?
In this interview I have a very candid and honest conversation about what the coronavirus pandemic looks like on the frontlines from the perspective of one physician – Dr. Edison de Mello, the founder of The Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine (and yes, he is a “REAL Doctor”).
This story is not THE perspective on current events, this is HIS perspective. And it’s an extremely educated and unbiased perspective of how to better understand what’s happening in different parts of the world, how we can prepare ourselves and strengthen our immune systems naturally, what the timeline really looks like before we go back to “normal,” and how testing factors into the equation as well.
I can honestly say that after conducting this interview I feel more optimistic and less anxious about this whole situation since it all began. And I hope this interview has the same effect on you as well.
Episode Highlights
- What makes this SARS-COV2 coronavirus different and why we should take it seriously.
- Why it is affecting different regions of the world in different ways.
- Medical science reveals how this virus “aggressively” goes after your lungs.
- How to make sense of the seemingly high case fatality rate according to the COVID-19 Global Dashboard.
- What COVID-19 patient care looks like through the lens of a medical doctor.
- Why the notion that “young people don’t get it” is flawed.
- Gender differences: Why do men tend to be more susceptible & have more severe symptoms?
- Underprepared or Overreacting? Making sense of confusing news reports on hospital preparedness.
- The debate over Chloroquine, the risk of side-effects, and why it shouldn’t be used for prevention.
- How to strengthen your immune system to reduce the severity of symptoms should you come in contact with the virus:
- Calm your immune system & reduce stress: Practice gratitude, meditate, and laugh.
- Boost your immune system with Vitamin C and other recommended supplements (see below).
- Gargle 2 to 3 times a day. (The virus aggregates in your throat.)
- Use breath-work to open up your lungs and oxygenate the body. Add the “cupping exercise” for bonus points.
- Try a healthy diet and lower sugar intake (the virus loves sugar).
- Decrease dairy to reduce mucous in your lungs.
- Limit alcohol consumption.
- Stay hydrated. Adding a little bit of juice can help cell absorption.
- Warm your body: Get some sun exposure, use a thermal blanket or steam shower if available.
- Calm your immune system & reduce stress: Practice gratitude, meditate, and laugh.
- Boost your immune system with Vitamin C and other recommended supplements (see below).
- Gargle 2 to 3 times a day. (The virus aggregates in your throat.)
- Use breath-work to open up your lungs and oxygenate the body. Add the “cupping exercise” for bonus points.
- Try a healthy diet and lower sugar intake (the virus loves sugar).
- Decrease dairy to reduce mucous in your lungs.
- Limit alcohol consumption.
- Stay hydrated. Adding a little bit of juice can help cell absorption.
- Warm your body: Get some sun exposure, use a thermal blanket or steam shower if available.
- How to deal with emotional coping mechanisms (alcohol, emotional eating, & Netflix) which go against the advice above.
- We discuss how physical distancing is motivating social connection and healing divisiveness.
- What kind of a timetable Dr. D thinks we’re looking at before we go back to “normal”.
- Why we need to make testing cheap, fast, & easy to do from home.
- A counter-intuitive ‘silver lining’ found in the estimated ‘astronomical’ number of cases that aren’t reported.
- Trying to get COVID-19 news? Avoid misinformation and use science-based resources (links below):
Useful Links
- Coronavirus Daily Dashboard
- COVID-19: Can Asymptomatic Carriers Spread the Virus? What’s the Truth by Dr. de Mello
- Johns Hopkins Global Health Now COVID-19 newsletter
- ECDC: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- Our World In Data
- Sifting Through the Coronavirus Pandemic – Infodemic.blog
- WHO: World Health Organization
- CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- SNOPES.COM: the internet’s go-to source for discerning TRUTH vs nonsense
About Guest
Edison de Mello, MD, PhD, is a board certified Integrative Physician by the American Board of Integrative Medicine and a licensed psychotherapist by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. He practiced psychotherapy for 13 years before entering medical training and now practices and teaches evidenced- based integrative medicine.
Dr. de Mello’s PhD dissertation, entitled “Gut Feelings – A Psychosocial Approach to Gastrointestinal Illness,” inspired his conception of a center where psychology would be combined and fully integrated with Western and Eastern medicines. The de Mello Institute was formed in 1996 with the goal of employing safe and complementary approaches to healthcare while also addressing a person’s emotional and spiritual health. Fully committed to these goals, Dr. de Mello entered residency in 1999 at the prestigious Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center Urban Family Residency program in New York City, including training at the Manhattan-based Center for Health and Healing. His training utilized a biopsychosocial model and offered innovative experiences in the integration of complementary medicine into the practice of Family Medicine. Upon completing his medical training, Dr. de Mello expanded the de Mello Institute and founded the Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine.
Episode Credits
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Glen McNiel.
The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
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