Erika Russina, MA, LPC, NCC

06/27/2025

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03/10/2025

🚨 Perimenopause & Chronic Disease: The Overlooked Crisis 🚨
A new longitudinal study confirms what I’ve seen every day in my practice—chronic health conditions don’t appear one at a time in perimenopause. Instead, they cluster together, creating a perfect storm for long-term health risks that often go undiagnosed and untreated until it’s too late.

📊 Key Findings from 3,990 Women (Ages 40-65):
✅ Multimorbidity (2+ chronic diseases) is the norm, not the exception.

77.7% had at least two chronic conditions at their first medical exam.
That number jumped to 87% over time.
✅ The most common condition pairing?
Obesity & dyslipidemia (high cholesterol & triglycerides).
✅ Central obesity (belly fat) plays a major role in worsening metabolic health.
💡 Why This Matters—And What I See in My Patients
Perimenopause isn’t just about hot flashes—it’s a critical window for disease prevention. In my practice, I see women dismissed with “it’s just aging” when, in reality, their hormonal shifts are accelerating metabolic dysfunction.

As estrogen declines, women are at increased risk for:
🔹 Cardiovascular disease
🔹 Type 2 diabetes
🔹 Hypertension (high blood pressure)
🔹 Metabolic syndrome
🔹 Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Yet, many women never receive proper screening or intervention—until these conditions become full-blown diseases.

💊 The Solution?
This study reinforces the urgent need for proactive, personalized health strategies, including:
✔️ Hormone therapy for metabolic protection
✔️ Early cardiovascular & metabolic screenings
✔️ Lifestyle interventions tailored to perimenopause

I see this every day—perimenopause is a health crossroads, and how we manage it now determines long-term health outcomes.

📖 Reference: Luo et al., Analysis of Multimorbidity Patterns in Perimenopausal Women, Climacteric, 2025. DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2025.2470449

03/10/2025

02/06/2025

Rashid Hughes invites us to become more familiar with our inner spaciousness—where the pleasure of resting in awareness is sacred and healing.

02/06/2025

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This month, Mayo Clinic will illuminate its buildings red, yellow and green to honor Black History Month. We recognize the groundbreaking medical advancements, cultural contributions, and lasting impact of African American leaders, innovators and trailblazers throughout history.

02/02/2025

CBT

Your inner critic can be LOUD, but you don’t have to listen to it. Try asking yourself these questions instead!

🌈Self-Care: Self-compassion isn’t always easy, but it’s worth practicing - try it out today.

02/02/2025

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01/11/2025

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12/17/2024

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When I ran a psychology clinic I spend hours drawing flow charts like this with teens. It would help them respond to banter at school, bullying or tension in the family. Options are always good!

Before we started drawing, I wanted them to know that all "criticism" is subjective. What might feel like a prickly comment to us might be not be ill intended. It might simply be someone offering their annoying opinion, or unhelpfully trying to help.

The good news is that there are so many ways to respond, and the MAIN thing is that we keep our integrity and character in tact.

I love this flow chart. Please teach your kids these moves! They absolutely need them, especially during the Christmas season where family gatherings tend to attract some awkward moments.

I'd like to add one extra option to this flow chart...

Humour can go a long way in quickly deflecting an uncomfortable situation too, so get some quick one lines ready. Nothing goes down better than a bit of light hearted banter.

01/16/2024

Teens long for more independence and yet they have to listen to adults tell them what to do all day and in their evenings, too.

07/10/2023

Welcome to Dude's Playground, a haven where disabled veterans discover solace, friendship, and a flicker of hope amidst nature's embrace.

04/12/2023

Hindsight is 20/20 and it’s easy to look back and think about what, if given the chance, we parents would have done differently.