The Dynamic Dr. Dixon

Brian Dixon, M.D.

As a therapist, I often find that clients are hesitant or skeptical about taking medications for mental health purposes.  Some individuals explain that medication in the past has not worked effectively while others share their distrust in psychiatrists or “pill pushers.”  So, I sat with Brian Dixon, M.D. recently to see if he could shed some light on his approach and process to psychiatry. 

What led you to practice psychiatry?  And how did you know it was right for you? 

I knew psychiatry was the ideal specialty after I completed a family medicine rotation in medical school and realized how mental health was a key component in treatment compliance. And when I learned that psychiatrists have more time to truly dig deeply, I knew it was the field for me.

What is your style or approach to working with your patients?

I fully believe in meeting patients where they are and helping them towards their best self; this only occurs when patients are ready for change so I establish people’s motivation for change early in the process.

What have you found to be the most difficult to treat?

My “waterloo” in psychiatry is likely eating disorders. I employ lots of behavioral techniques and though most eating disorders have a large behavioral component, the psychodynamics stretch me pretty thin and puts me at risk for compassion fatigue.

What is the biggest misconception about psychiatry that you have come across? 

That it’s fast and easy. Like a surgeon doing a Whipple procedure [a 10-hour delicate pancreas surgery] psychiatrists open up a person’s psyche and help them build insight into themselves. It’s a process that’s scary and complex and can’t be done in a session or two. Reminding the public that as physicians, psychiatrists are trained in all aspects of mental healthcare and building a comprehensive treatment plan takes training and patience and helping someone feel better is a process.

When you notice a patient is worried or anxious about the idea of taking medication, how do you move forward?

First and foremost, the first option is always no medication. As one of my training psychiatrists taught me – no one is born with a Ritalin deficiency – meaning that we use medications currently to bridge people to a time when they are feeling better. If people are interested in medications, I then walk them through all options explaining common risks, benefits, and side effects so that they get to choose the option that works best for them and their situation.

I understand you also see adolescents and children.  How young is too young? 

There’s a field of infant psychiatry so I’d say no one’s too young! My youngest is 3 and since there are very few medications approved for that age, I blend mainly behavior modification into my treatment plans.

And how do you adjust from working with an adult to working with a minor?

Training. The best part of being a psychiatrist is that you go through an intense residency program for 4-5 years.  During that time, you learn to juggle complex treatment choices that come at you from all angles. Thus, it’s not tough to adjust when it’s literally built into our training.

What do you recommend to those who are searching for a psychiatrist?  What questions should people ask?  What should they be looking for?  Or steering away from?

The most important and first question is “Are you ready for change?” It’s okay if someone isn’t ready for change but [instead] reaching towards possible medication (which many psychiatrists tend to use as part of a treatment plan.) If you’re ready to ask, the next question is specialty and focus. I remind patients that orthopedic surgeons are surgeons and could remove your gallbladder but you’d likely want a general surgeon to do it. The same goes for psychiatry. There are generalists and subspecialists, and both genres have focuses so be sure to ask if they’re a good fit. Online reviews are notoriously inaccurate so I encourage everyone to steer clear of what reviews they read in regards to the quality of mental health services in Fort Worth; I know many of the providers and they’re quite good.

In your line of work, it can be very demanding and challenging.  So, how do you find balance between tending to patients and taking care of your own self-care needs?

The hardest balance, strangely, isn’t practicing psychiatry (this is where my amazing training kicks in.) Honestly, running a small business is the tougher of the two endeavors, and self-care tends to take a back seat when there’s work to be done until the wee hours. I’m blessed to sing in a great chorus in Dallas and have fantastic friends in Fort Worth to keep me sane.

Lastly, I want to say congratulations on your recent recognitions for 40 under 40 by the Fort Worth Business Press AND Top Doc in Psychiatry by Fort Worth Magazine.  How awesome!  So, what’s next for you?  Can you tell us what you plan to accomplish next?

Thanks!  It’s quite an honor to be acknowledged for building a successful private practice both business wise and clinically.  My goal for 2017 is to tackle healthcare reform.  Our current system is broken as it’s based on commercial insurance.  I have a novel solution that returns healthcare to the local level and power to the citizens and I’m sharing it far and wide through all public and social media outlets.  My goal is to get my idea into the common discourse so that we can change healthcare starting today.

Something that comes across loud and clear when hanging out with Dr. Dixon is his friendly, down-to-earth disposition.  After the interview, Dr. Dixon shared with me his desire to make improvements in how mental health is not only treated but also perceived.  He is a man interested in helping others, however he understands and respects his limits.  He often integrates the expertise of other professionals to enhance his mental health plan for his patients. 

Your mental health is essential in your day-to-day living and making the decision to seek a psychiatrist is not always easy.  Some people have preconceived notions about meds and doctors that make it difficult to embrace a consultation with a psychiatrist.  I hope today's Q&A helps you gain a better understanding of what to expect when seeking help from a psychiatrist.  Thank you, Dr. Dixon, for sharing with us what you do and how you do it!  

Brian J. Dixon, M.D. is a Board-Certified Adult, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist with an active private practice in Fort Worth, TX.  He believes in treating the whole patient using a unique blend of behavior modification and therapy while minimizing medications.  His practice’s goal is to reintegrate mental health into our modern lifestyles.  www.progressivepsychiatry.org

Let's End Child Abuse Together!

At the beginning of the month, we shared the importance of spreading awareness and becoming educated in ways to prevent and stop child abuse and neglect. You may have even seen blue pinwheels around town reminding us of our responsibility to prevent child abuse. Although the month of April is coming to a close, we will not end our efforts in preventing child abuse and neglect in our communities.

If you are in the DFW, I want to remind you of the alarming statistics of how this issue is one you should become involved in. The Texas Department of Family and Protective services found that Tarrant county has higher rates of confirmed child abuse than both Dallas county and the national average. It was also found that the Dallas-Fort Worth area made up about 26% of confirmed child abuse and neglect cases in comparison to other major cities in our state.

As marriage and family therapists we are trained to recognize the signs of child maltreatment and the various ways on how to report them. Yet, the fact is that we can’t do it alone! There will be families that you come into contact, which we will not get to work with. Communities that you are a part of that we may not know about. 

To report abuse you may do so by phone or online. You also have the right for your identity to stay confidential when reporting. 

Report by Phone:

1-800-4-A-Child (National Child Abuse Hotline)

1-800-252-5400 (Texas Abuse Hotline)

Report Online:   https://www.txabusehotline.org/ (Texas)

Information on recognizing signs of Child abuse

https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Protection/Child_Safety/recognize_abuse.asp

http://www.stopitnow.org/ohc-content/tip-sheet-7

For more resources and information on this topic be sure to check out this post as well: CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE DISCLOSURE Let’s work together to end child abuse! 

Telling The Children by Jerry Cosby

Once the level of suffering and pain has become intolerable, when dreams have been shattered and hope for the future has been lost, one or both of the parents may decide to divorce. Telling the children is an undertaking of great importance; lives will be changed.  After wrestling with this gut-wrenching decision to divorce, most parents desperately dread the idea of making the announcement. Some parents make the mistake of allowing the children to find out when one morning the children awake to a catastrophe - Dad and his belongings have disappeared into thin air. In any case, the children will remember this day for a lifetime and reassess the understanding of it at every stage of their development. Conversation, done fully and well, will ease the pain and comfort them.  Conversations done poorly will profoundly add to their confusion, anxiety, and pain. And this devastating conversation takes place at a time when the parents are angry, hurt, and in torment themselves. Here are several suggestions.

1.     Both parents and all the children of appropriate age should be present when communicating the decision to divorce. Do not meet with them one parent at a time as they need to see the two of you together and observe your body language and hear the inflection of your voice as each of you contributes to the discussion. Meeting with them alone invites favoritism and promotes confusion and suspicion.

2.     Speak slowly and simply.  Remember they will hear what you say, how you say it, and what you don’t say.

 3.     Choose a quiet time when you and they can have a lengthy conference without interruption. Turn off the TV, telephones, and computers. Watch out for the distractions and pressures of pending homework, business telephone calls, arriving guests, and other disturbances.

4.     Make sure that you frame the conversation as a final announcement, not a pending decision.  They will hope and fantasize that you will change your mind and will continue to do so for some years.

5.     Ask them what they understand about divorce and their friends’ experiences with it. As painful as it may be, encourage them to speak up about their fears, anger, and concerns; they may have some misconceptions that you can correct. Some children will be frozen into silence. Even so, their minds will be running at full speed. Expect that they may lie about how they feel to comfort you, especially if you have been crying during the discussion.  They may also be concerned about having little or no input into the decision-making process. Not paying enough attention to their wishes often leads to a combination of anger and powerlessness which can undermine their initiative later in life and can result in resentment that carries through deep into adulthood.

6.     Assure them that they did not cause the divorce nor can they fix it. Also, that they are still loved by both parents, that they are the best parts of the marriage, and that you will continue to take care of them until they are grown, just as you always would. 

7.     Schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss future plans after everyone has had a chance to think things over. At that meeting, promise to keep them informed with details of what’s happening currently and events that are coming.

8.     Arrange for a time to take them to the new surroundings. Remember to repeat some of the information as young minds can’t assimilate information on one or two hearings.

Knowing that this will be one of the worst days of their lives, will this plan of intelligently going through a family meeting counteract the effect of this massive disappointment for the children? No, it will not.  But, it will go far in reducing the fear, suffering, and loneliness of the crisis.

Jerry Cosby is an experienced mediator specializing in divorce who gives emphasis to the healing of the spouses and children. To find out more about his services, please visit www.texasmediationgroup.com.

Why Healthy Habits Fail (And How Yours Can Succeed) by Paige Johnson

By now, many people have either forgotten about their New Year’s resolutions or just given up on them. Pledging to be more healthy this year is a great idea, especially if it’s what you really want. Then why is it so hard to get on a healthy kick? More importantly, what can you do to get healthy habits that can last a lifetime?

Image Source:  Pixabay

Why Habits Fail

The problem is that many people expect to make a huge change in their lives without much effort. If you’ve ever heard someone say, “Yeah, I’ll just hit the gym a few times a week this year,” then you know what that sounds like. Here are a few reasons why such a change is hard to do.

Too much focus on a goal: Sometimes, being healthy is so enticing that you forget to plan how to get there. If you’re thinking about losing 25 pounds to look awesome in that wedding dress, that’s a great motivator — but it’s not a plan. It’s a goal. You still need to change your unhealthy habits or you’ll never get there.

Going too far at the start: Often, people go too far and try to change everything at once. You might think that you need to make an extreme change, and that could be true. But any plan that includes dropping all snacks and desserts when you’ve been enjoying both every day for years is doomed to fail. Your mind isn’t ready for such a drastic change.

Tricks To Getting Healthy Habits

Don’t worry, just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible. You just need to focus on three tricks to help get those healthy habits to stick around.

Start with small, concrete changes to your daily routine: Don’t worry about the goal yet. That will happen if you follow the right steps to get there. Instead, create a list of concrete, actionable tasks. Don’t bother with vague plans like, “I’ll eat fewer calories,” because what does that mean in your day-to-day life? What changes are you able to make that leads to fewer calories?

If you can mentally mark off a checkbox with it, then it’s more likely to become a habit over time. “I will stop ordering that 600-calorie frappuccino and get a plain, unsweetened cup of coffee instead” is something you can clearly see and do. (Or not do, as the case might be.)

Focus on your most unhealthy habit: Have you ever tried carrying in every bag from a huge grocery store trip? Even if you manage to not drop stuff, it's probably not good for your back or hands. That’s why you need to stop trying to change all your unhealthy habits — it’s just too much to do at once. Instead, pick your worst habit and change it.

If your goal is to be happier, don’t try cutting out everything that makes you sad. Find the one thing that really gets in the way of happiness and change that. Wait until the change sticks, then move on to something else.

Spend more time with people who already have healthy habits: Doing something occasionally is not a habit. You need to do it repeatedly over time or it’s not a habit. But that gets hard to do when the people around you are doing the exact opposite.

If drinking too much beer is the unhealthy habit you want to change, hitting the bar with your drinking buddies is a bad idea. You don’t need to stop being friends with people, but at least until the habit is established, spend more time with those who already have those healthy habits. Let peer pressure actually work for you.

Remember that you already have unhealthy habits. You’re not starting with a blank slate. That’s why getting healthy habits is tough. By staying focused on actionable changes, targeting your worst habit first, and surrounding yourself with supportive people, you can make those New Year resolutions turn into lifelong, healthy habits.

Paige Johnson calls herself a fitness nerd. She prides in doing strength training, cycling, and yoga. She is a personal trainer and regular contributor to LearnFit.org.

Jenifer Costigan guest speaker on "Love, Sex and Religion"

We are proud to announce one of our therapists, Jenifer Costigan was invited as a guest speaker and appeared on the "Love, Sex, and Religion" podcast.

To listen click on the link below: 

 https://soundcloud.com/lo…/sex-therapy-feat-jenifer-costigan

Forming New Habits

With the new year merely hours away, many people are considering making healthy changes for 2016.  Some choose to take up a cooking class or go skydiving, but on average most of us focus on making a health conscious effort to work out, stay away from processed foods, or quit smoking.  The latter is most difficult for us to conquer since these types of behaviors have become part of our lives for too long.  When attempting to make changes there are two things to consider in helping you reach your goals:  establishing a support system & changing your environment.

First of all, what is a habit?  It can be defined as something that we do often enough that eventually becomes automatic.  We make an association between the behavior and the goal.  “When I do this, I get that.” A pattern begins to emerge and in turn becomes a habit.  So, we eat a bag of cheesy popcorn after a long day at work.  It provides us with a sense of relief.  The next time we suffer another grueling day, we are more likely to turn to that bag of gold to cheer us up.  After a while, we learn that eating cheese spray popcorn makes us feel better.

Now you want to break the bad habit.  

1. Support System -  Get a buddy system set up.  A research study reported that couples who supported each other and committed to making the same changes together were more successful than those who did not.  Holding each other accountable can be helpful in staying on track.  Also, it can be nice to know that you can relate to each other and have a good understanding of the level of difficulty you may each be experiencing.  Having someone join you while working at a new behavior can also make it more fun than going at it alone.  Set small, realistic goals, and celebrate as you accomplish each one.  Ask your partner or find a friend who is looking to make similar changes to increase your success rate!

2. Change in Environment – When dealing with an old habit, chances are you are stuck in a routine or pattern.  In order to tackle this problem, it may be necessary to change your surroundings.  Cues exist in a pattern to elicit the old habit.  These cues serve as reminders to perform the habit.  You can trick and alter the cue by changing your environment.  Research has demonstrated that moving to another city or going on vacation are great ways to form new habits since the same environmental cues no longer exist, so pay attention to when and how the habit occurs.  For instance, if you find that you need comforting after a hard day at work, put that cheesy popcorn on the highest pantry shelf!  Place more desirable products at front and center.  Basically, make it easier to do the things you want to do and harder to do the things you no longer wish to continue.

Changing a bad habit into a good habit will take time and patience.  Studies have shown that new habits can take anywhere from 15 to 254 days to be fully established.  The key is to repeat new behaviors until they become as stable as the ones prior to them.  At the same time, allow for slip ups.  Habits are not easy to break and you may find yourself guilt-ridden over the cheese spray coma you are experiencing.  It is okay.  Give yourself a break.  You will start again the next day.  

Good luck!  I wish you the best! And have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

How to Turn Up the Heat!!!

Are you and your partner stuck in a sexual rut?  Are you getting bored with your mundane sex life?  Have you been together so long that you feel like you’ve run out of new and exciting things to try?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, let me take just a few minutes of your time to tell you about some of the many ways you can heat up your bedroom during these cold winter nights!  

• Start with Foreplay:  This means instead of just getting straight to business, build up the excitement and anticipation.  This can be done in ways such as kissing, exploring each other’s bodies using your hands and mouth, and stimulating each other’s genitals manually and orally.  For those of you who may need a little help in the “how to do foreplay” department, you can start your foreplay by using a pair of sex dice.  With this type of game you each take turns rolling a pair of die and it instructs you what to do (suck, lick, kiss, blow, etc.) and what body part to do it on.  

• Initiating Sex:  It can get pretty boring, and possibly even frustrating, if one partner is the one who is always responsible for asking for sex.  Switch it up!  Both partners should be responsible for keeping your sex life alive.  

• Be Spontaneous:  When was the last time you and your partner were out in public when you got the urge for a quickie in the bathroom stall?  Or even right in the middle of the kitchen?  I’m not talking about all the time—or else it wouldn’t be spontaneous, right?!  However, every once in a while, amongst your busy schedules, being spontaneous sexually can heighten your, and your partner’s, interest in sex.  It can also increase the intensity of orgasm.  

• Introduce Toys:  There are so many sex toys out there now that your possibilities are seemingly endless!  Shop together and pick out the toys you think will be best for the both of you.  There are solo toys specifically for men and women that can be used during masturbation, while being watched by your partner, or even handed over to your partner to use on you.  These types of toys include male masturbators (aka strokers) or vibrators and dildos.  There are also a lot of toys the couple can use together, such as vibrating penis rings, “U” shaped vibrators, and penis sleeves.  

• Explore Each Other’s Fantasies:  There’s not much out there that can connect you and your partner more than knowing each other’s deepest and darkest sexual secrets.  By talking and acting out each other’s fantasies you will learn more about your partner than you ever thought possible.  This will allow you to please your partner based on their desires and directions, and it will help you find new ways to turn your partner on the next time you want to initiate intimacy.  

• Maintain Eye Contact:  By this I don’t mean have a staring contest!  I just mean lock eyes from time to time, especially during orgasm.  This may be awkward for some because most people are used to closing their eyes during the big release.  However, if you look into each other’s eyes during these moments, you are allowing your partner to connect with you and see just how much pleasure they can make you feel (and who doesn’t want that boost to their ego!).  Don’t worry either, no matter how silly you may think your “O” face is, that’s probably the furthest thing from their minds!

Remember, these are just a few ways you can crank up the heat in your sex life; there are a lot more out there.  Some of these suggestions may not be for everyone, but as long as you go into any sexual experience with an open mind and trust in your partner, you’ll never know what you may discover together!   

What is the ratio in your relationship?

Can you remember the last time your partner made a positive comment about you? Or do you feel regularly criticized by your partner instead?  When negative interactions outweigh the positive ones in your relationship it may be hard to even recall the positive qualities in your partner. Although there are no quick fixes to ensure you will live a fairy tale relationship with only positive interactions with your partner, there is a strategy I will discuss in this post that can lead to a happier, more stable and connected relationship. 

Dr. John Gottman, researcher and clinical psychologist, has studied couples for many years to find out what makes marriages successful or end in divorce. He found that expressing fondness, encouragement, and admiration toward one another could go a long way in maintaining a strong marital relationship. This may seem obvious, but in addition he found that happy and stable couples share more positive feelings and actions than negatives ones even when facing conflict. Happy and stable couples may continue to experience some negative interactions, yet the key is in the balance. According to Gottman, the magic ratio is 5 to 1. This means that for every 1 negative feeling or interaction between partners, there must be 5 positive feelings or interactions. 

So if you feel that your relationship is not practicing the magic ratio, here are some things to help you start increasing positive feelings or interactions. 

Show Affection

• Hold hands, hug, kiss

• Offer a back rub or foot rub

• Sit together while watching TV

• Say “I love you” 

Show care and concern

• Buy your partner his or her favorite dessert while out on an errand

• Write a short email, send a card, or a thoughtful text message to your partner

• Write a note of encouragement 

• Let your partner know it matters to you when they are concerned

  • Example: “it sounds like you had a really rough day at work today.” 

Show thankfulness

• Recall and share with your partner ways that they have been helpful or caring

• Thank him or her for what he or she does for you

• Compliment your partner

• Point out positive qualities you genuinely appreciate and admire

Listen to understand

• Be aware of your verbal and non verbal expressions when listening to your partner

  • Example: nodding your head and maintaining eye contact

• Tell your partner how you understand his or her perspective

• Listen carefully and completely to your partner before commenting

• Avoid providing advice too quickly, listen completely first

Be respectful

• Acknowledge your partner’s opinion and let them know you think it is important

• Avoid name calling or being sarcastic towards your partner’s comments

• Be open minded with your partner even when you do not agree

Lighten up!

• Be playful 

• Engage in activities in where you both can laugh 

• Joke around with each other, but avoid jokes that are sarcastic or hostile towards your partner

• Share memories with your partner about when you first met

• Share your feelings with your partner when you feel good or happy, especially when they have been brought up by your partner

Aim for the magic ratio and watch your relationship blossom!  

It’s Storytime!

One of my favorite pastimes is reading.  When I was a young girl, I would check out the maximum allowed books at a time and then return for more before the given due date.  Then as a new mom, I discovered my passion for reading to my kids.  This type of reading is very different from reading alone.  It’s more interactive and can be very entertaining.  I found that reading was a great way to connect and bond with my children, and at the same time, it provided my girls with the foundation for learning and building creativity.

There are many benefits to reading, for both kids and adults.  Reading can help us overcome stress, protect us from memory decline, increase empathy, and improve comprehension and language skills. Some studies have shown that keeping our minds active by engaging in a stimulating activity, such as reading, can prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease.  Therefore, it’s important to instill a love for reading at an early age so that we can reap the benefits for years to come.   And it’s fun!     

Here are some tips to make reading enjoyable for you and your kids.

• Start reading to your kids at an early age.  Young children won’t have a long attention span, but short picture books will suffice.  As they get older, reading time can increase.    

• Provide a positive home reading environment.  Express a good attitude towards reading.  Let them know how much you find it to be rewarding.  Expand their horizon and vocabulary by supplying your child with various types of books.        

• Make it a routine.  Bedtime is a favorite!  It’s a great way to decompress after a long day and spend quality time together.  These are memories you and your child will treasure for a lifetime.  

• Be curious.  Get kids thinking by asking what they suppose will happen in the next page or two.  Will the mouse get the cookie?  What do you think he’ll want next?  The more interested you seem, the more intrigued they become.

• Use funny voices.  Use a variety of voices for different characters.  I personally loved Charlie and Lola by English writer, Lauren Child, since it gave me a chance to perfect my British accent!  And in a kid’s voice at that!  

• Point and sound out words.  Recent research shows preference for sounding out words like C-A-T, rather than memorizing the whole word.  Pointing helps children learn the process of reading from left to right and top to bottom.  Reading aloud and pointing is a great tool in guiding kids to make the connection between letters, words, and meaning.

As the weather cools, snuggle up and read a good book with your kids.  Or if you feel the need to get out and interact with others, story time at a local bookstore is a great way to meet other parents and children of similar age. Kids grow up way too fast, and they’ll be reading on their own before you know it.  So take the opportunity while you can!  You’re building memories with your kids and making a difference in their overall well-being and health.          

What's Really Up with Herbal Viagra!

I’m sure you’ve all read about, or at least have heard about, the big sex scandal that is surrounding Lamar Odom.  Before we begin, let’s do a little recap.  Mr. Odom had a four-day stay at a legal brothel in Nevada where it was reported that he had been mixing alcohol, cocaine, and herbal Viagra pills.  On the fourth day there, Mr. Odom was found unconscious in his bed.  In a few of the articles I have read, the brothel owner stated that Mr. Odom had taken about 10 of the herbal Viagra pills within his four-day stay there.  This trending story has inspired me to write this blog for you guys on the benefits, as well as the health concerns that come with taking any herbal Viagra supplement. 

There are numerous pills out there that are labeled as male sexual enhancement pills, all which are not FDA approved.  The main reason why the FDA does not approve these is because they contain an ingredient, which is not listed on the package, called sildenafil, or more commonly known as Viagra.  Sildenafil is never listed on the packages because one has to have a prescription from a doctor in order to obtain Viagra; whereas anyone can simply buy an herbal Viagra pill from a gas station or their nearest sex shop. 

Lets start with the good news, the advantages to taking an over the counter Viagra.  Due to the main ingredient being sildenafil, it will work just like Viagra does.  These pills will help increase blood flow to the penis, resulting in a stronger, firmer erection.  These pills will also increase the girth size of the penis, again, because the blood vessels running along the shaft are dilating, allowing more blood to flow through.  These pills are also known to help increase a man’s stamina; therefore he will be able to last longer than he normally does.  Also, after the man ejaculates, these pills will help him regain another erection in less time than it usually takes.  

Now on to the bad news…these pills do come with some health and safety concerns.  All of these pills are vasodilators, meaning they help the blood vessels expand, which in turn lowers a man’s blood pressure.  Most of these pills come with a warning on the back stating that the user should talk to their doctor about taking the pill prior to using them; especially men who are already dealing with high blood pressure, have heart problems, and/or have diabetes.  Mixing any other medication, especially pertaining to these health concerns, can be very dangerous, if not fatal.  Most of the pill packages even advise not to take more than one pill within a 72hour period—which Mr. Odom exceeded.  

All in all, I hope the Lamar Odom scandal didn’t scare anyone away from trying any of the over the counter herbal Viagra pills.  I do, however, hope that it has shed some light onto the risks and consequences that can result from not paying attention to the warning labels and not talking to your doctor first.  These pills can, after all, help boost a man’s confidence and liven up your sex life!