The Dark Side of Patient Advocacy on Social Media
PodcastDX
The dark side of advocacy is that the same social media platforms that help health advocates reach millions can also expose them to relentless trolls, coordinated pile‑ons, and even threats to their safety and careers. Studies of physicians and public‑health advocates show that a large share—sometimes more than half—have been personally attacked online for speaking about vaccines, gun violence, or other health issues, facing abuse that targets not just their ideas but also their gender, race, disability, or identity. What starts as “just comments” can quickly escalate into doxxing,...
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Cancer Care in Transition
PodcastDX
In this week’s episode, “Cancer Care in Transition: Precision Medicine, Immunotherapy, and Patient Choice,” we look at how cancer treatment is changing at the exact moment when patients are trying to move from crisis mode into something like a new normal. Precision medicine now uses a person’s genes, tumor markers, and even lifestyle to match them with targeted drugs or immunotherapies instead of one‑size‑fits‑all chemo, while immuno‑oncology has created a growing group of survivors living with long‑term effects and unique follow‑up needs. At the same time,...
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Various Types of Dementia
PodcastDX
Various Types of Dementia This week on PodcastDX, we’re stepping into the complex world of dementia—not as a single diagnosis, but as a family of conditions that affect memory, thinking, behavior, and independence in different ways. We’ll introduce the most common types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and mixed dementia, where more than one process—often Alzheimer’s plus vascular changes—are happening in the brain at the same time. We’ll also touch on less common causes, such as dementia related to...
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Rethinking DX: A Digital DSM and the Roots of Mental Health
PodcastDX
“Rethinking DX: A Digital DSM” looks at how the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) quietly shapes almost every part of mental health care—from who gets a diagnosis and insurance coverage to how people understand their own symptoms and identities. In this conversation, Lita and Jean Marie unpack what the DSM actually is, why the current DSM‑5‑TR matters, and how a future, fully digital “DSM‑6” could function as a living document that updates more quickly, links to decision‑support tools, and better integrates real‑world data from electronic health...
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The Next Decade in Medicine
PodcastDX
Over the next decade, medicine won’t just add new gadgets—it will change what it feels like to be a patient. In this episode of PodcastDX, we explore how AI as a clinical co‑pilot, stem cells and regenerative medicine, genomics and precision care, wearables, and hospital‑at‑home models could reshape everyday care. We talk about the promise of earlier detection and more personalized treatment, the risks around bias, privacy, and hype, and why equity and shared decision‑making must stay at the center as technology races ahead. Most of all, we ask how patients and caregivers can be...
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Patients as Partners: Shared Decision Making in Medicine
PodcastDX
This week we are discussing the rise of a new type of health care where the patients play a vital role in their medical care. Patients as partners in care are at the heart of shared decision making (SDM), a model where clinicians and patients deliberately work together to choose tests and treatments that fit both best evidence and the patient’s values and life context. What shared decision making means SDM is a collaborative process in which clinicians contribute clinical expertise while patients contribute their goals, preferences, and lived experience. Core...
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End of Life in Transition: Earlier Palliative Care, Better Conversations
PodcastDX
At a time when modern medicine is allowing people to enjoy longer, fuller lives, mortality is not always a chief concern. But when a serious illness occurs, the topic becomes unavoidable. This became especially clear during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when hospitals were overrun with patients, many with grim prognoses. “The pandemic gave all of us a sense that life can be short and there’s the very real possibility of dying,” says , director of the Palliative Care Program at Yale New Haven Hospital. “It opened the door for us to talk more about death and have a...
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Is Mental Health Care Changing Fast Enough
PodcastDX
This week we discuss the current status of Mental Health Care. Mental health care is changing, but most experts argue it is not changing fast enough relative to the need, especially on access, equity, and workforce. Where change is too slow Unmet need is huge. In the U.S., millions with a diagnosable condition still receive no treatment each year; a recent national report notes that many adults with mental illness remain uninsured or unable to access care. Global workforce shortages. Nearly 50% of the world’s population lives in countries with fewer...
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Rehabilitation Reimagined: Technology, Therapy and Independence
PodcastDX
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into post-injury rehabilitation is transforming recovery paradigms by enabling personalized, adaptive, and efficient rehabilitation pathways tailored to individual patient needs. This podcast reviews the current advances in AI applications that facilitate assessment, monitoring, and optimization of rehabilitation programs following injuries. Through machine learning algorithms, wearable sensors, and predictive analytics, AI enhances the precision of therapy plans, tracks patient progress in real-time, and predicts recovery trajectories. The...
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The Gut Brain Revolution
PodcastDX
The gut–brain revolution is about treating the digestive system and the nervous system as one integrated network instead of two separate organs that happen to share a body. The gut–brain axis is a bidirectional communication system: the brain influences digestion, motility, and gut sensation, while the gut and its microbiota send chemical, neural, and immune signals back to the brain that can shape mood, cognition, and even neurodegeneration. Central to this loop is the vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve, which carries most of the traffic from gut to brain and...
info_outlineBy the end of the first week of the new year, nearly 77% of New Year’s resolutions have already failed (Norcross, 1988). That’s discouraging—but it doesn’t mean you should stop trying.
It means most of us are setting resolutions in ways that don’t work.
You aren’t weak or lazy. More often, the problem is a misaligned system—one that relies too heavily on willpower and short-lived motivation. Motivation naturally fades over time, even when our intentions are good.
Think about how often you enthusiastically agree to plans weeks in advance, only to feel tired or unmotivated when the day arrives. Or how many times you’ve started a project—cleaning a room, taking a course, planning a trip—only to watch your early excitement slowly disappear. We’re excellent at strong intentions; follow-through is harder.
The good news? Not all resolutions fail. That same research found that 19% of resolutions are still maintained two years later (Norcross, 1988). We just don’t spend enough time learning from what does work.
Three DON’Ts
1. Don’t make life-changing, all-or-nothing resolutions
Resolutions that try to overhaul everything at once are overwhelming and fragile.
Examples:
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“New year, new me—I’ll reinvent my career, relationships, and lifestyle.”
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“I’ll work out every single day this year.”
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“I’ll triple my income or eliminate all my debt.”
Why this fails:
One setback can feel like total failure, making it easy to quit entirely.
2. Don’t set shame-driven goals
Goals rooted in self-criticism, embarrassment, or self-loathing undermine motivation.
Examples:
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“I need to get my life together.”
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“I have to lose weight so I don’t look bad.”
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“This year I’ll stop being lazy.”
Why this fails:
Shame erodes self-belief and increases anxiety, making lasting change harder—not easier.
3. Don’t set vague resolutions
Unclear goals are difficult to act on.
Examples:
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“I want to be healthier.”
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“I’ll work on myself.”
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“I need better boundaries.”
Why this fails:
Without clear actions or markers of success, procrastination takes over and goals fade.
Three DOs
Meaning
Choose one small, consistent practice that reflects what truly matters to you.
Examples:
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“Every Sunday evening, I’ll spend an hour writing, painting, or making music.”
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“Once a week, I’ll take a phone-free walk to reflect.”
Purpose
Connect your resolution to generativity—contributing beyond yourself (Erikson, 1950).
Examples:
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“I’ll volunteer or mentor through an organization like SCORE or Rotary.”
Connection
Create simple, recurring rituals with others.
Example:
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“I’ll schedule a weekly call, walk, or shared meal and treat it as a real commitment.”
Traditional New Year’s resolutions don’t fail because people lack discipline. They fail because they’re poorly designed—too big, too vague, or rooted in shame.
When resolutions focus on “fixing what’s wrong,” they often lead to self-criticism once early motivation fades. In contrast, resolutions grounded in meaning, purpose, and connection are more sustainable.
If you’re among the 77% whose resolution didn’t stick, don’t fall into the shame trap. A broken resolution isn’t failure—it’s feedback. Reset your expectations, adjust your strategy, and start again with something manageable.
Move away from punishment and toward practices that bring joy, meaning, and connection. That shift alone can make the difference between another abandoned resolution and one that truly lasts.
May your year be filled with meaning, purpose, and connections that sustain you.