Accepting the changes that come with aging This week, our Ask a Therapist columnist is Christopher W.T. Miller, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst practicing at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Why can’t anything ever just stay still? A patient posed this question during a therapy session, reflecting on how, as we age, many things can get thrown into disarray — home life, social relations, job security and health. It can be difficult to know how to deal with the changes that emerge with getting older. With age, we increasingly deal with injuries to the sense of sameness and predictability we worked so hard to shape over the years. We wonder, as my patient did when she asked that question, if we really have control over anything. Here are some ways Dr. Miller says we can navigate the passage of time and the effects of aging. Guest Column Christopher W.T. Miller, MD | | | Skip the probiotics. Try this instead. Our Ask a Doctor columnist is Trisha S. Pasricha, a physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. I’ve heard about the benefits of probiotics for years. Should I start taking them? Probiotics are a multibillion-dollar for-profit industry. But most people who take them are wasting their money. I’ve seen wide-reaching promises about probiotics touted everywhere — in supermarkets, pharmacies, online and on television by “gut health experts,” including fellow physicians. Proponents claim probiotics can boost your microbiome — the organisms that live inside your gut — and help with digestive issues, immune function and even mental health. But the marketing claims about over-the-counter probiotics largely do not match the evidence. As a gastroenterologist, I rarely advise my patients to start a probiotic — much to their surprise. They’re even more surprised when I tell them that’s part of the evidence-based guidelines. Read Dr. Pasricha’s full response below to find out her tip for what to do instead of probiotics. And use our Ask a Doctor form to submit a question, and we may answer it in a future column. Column Trisha Pasricha, MD | | | Find your joy snack! Here are a few things that brought us joy this week. Let’s keep the conversation going. We want to hear from you! Email us at wellbeing@washpost.com. Want to know more about “joy” snacks? Our Brain Matters columnist Richard Sima explains. You can also read this story as a comic. | 
