mental health

An Integrative Approach to Mental Health Conditions

2007-02-27T23:06:00.001-08:00

Today, mental health conditions are commonly diagnosed. Depression is widespread, and commonly treated with antidepressants. Attention Deficit Disorder is very commonly diagnosed, with stimulants prescribed quite often. Bipolar Disorder is becoming a common mental health diagnosis with medications prescribed frequently.

I have been a Board Certified practicing Psychiatrist for the past twenty years. My current observations are based on years of experience from talking to people diagnosed with these conditions.

I remember many years ago wondering why I was being asked to prescribe medication to children eating fast food and lots of sweets. How was I to tell if these children really had ADD, or were their systems "stressed" from lack of nutrients?

I also wondered about the role of our sedentary lifestyle in the increasing numbers of people diagnosed with mental health conditions. Chlldren seem to watch hours of TV and spend even more time in front of computers and video games. Yet, when we take them from this environment to a mainstream classroom we consider them distractible. But their brains have been programmed to absorb stimuli from TV and computers since they were very young. So are they really distractible, or have their learning circuits not yet been wired to learn traditionally?

And as for adults with sedentary lifestyles, it seems to reason that depression or mood disorder is a consequence.

Of course, many people with healthy lifestyles still suffer from depression, ADD and the like. But are we adequately evaluating the role of lifestyle when we make our diagnosis and prescribe medication?

Talking to literally hundreds of familes is a very humbling process. The more you get to know people the less you really understand. As a clinician, my dilemma was always, does this child or adult need medication? And have all other variables contributing to distractibility or other mental health issue been addressed first?

Another area that is not typically evaluated in a routine doctor's visit is that of exposure to environmental toxins. As a conventional practitioner, I used to believe only small numbers of people were particularly sensitive to the environment.

Pollution is everywhere. How can we think that pollution will not affect our health and well-being, physical or mental?

We usually think of pollution as coming from fumes in the air from cars or factories. It's true, but pollution is far more widespead than that. The plastic liners that we use to feed our infants formula contain toxins. The carpets our babies are crawling on are full of toxins.

How can we think that consistent exposure to toxins, even microtoxins, and lack of nutrition will not have an effect on our children's physical and emotional states? And how about ours?

Last year, several colleagues and I published a study on the effects of nutritional supplements in children with Bipolar Disorder. Out of 15 children, 14 demonstrated considerable improvements with addition of high quality nutritional supplements. All the children were prescribed psychotropic medication. After 6 months of nutritional supplements, their side effect scores dropped from 45.9 to 3.6!

Clearly more scientific research is needed in these areas. But if you are on psychotropic medication, or have a child on psychotropic medication, it would seem prudent to do everything possible to minimize stress in your bodies. That includes eating as healthy as possible. Healthy cells make for healthy bodies.

It also means vigilance around the issue of environmental toxins. In reality, we are all exposed to toxins, more than ever before. Also, cleansing the body with fresh water and quality supplements becomes essential for health maintenance.

Why is Premarital Counseling Important?

2007-02-27T23:05:00.003-08:00

Research shows that couples who engage in marriage preparation find the experience highly valuable. Many couples report that they get more than they expect. Couples stated that focusing on communication, commitment, conflict resolution and children was most helpful (Center for Marriage and Family, Creighton University, 1995).

Couples who engage in premarital preparation “feel a higher sense of partnership and report a higher level of adjustment to married life than couples that did not receive marriage education” (Family Relations, April 2003).

People who are happily married get sick less often and live an average four years longer than people who are divorced or unhappily married (Verbrugge & House, University of Michigan).

Marriage education can help set expectations for what is normal in relationships. It allows couples the opportunity to discuss important issues related to their future marriage and teaches them skills that actually aid in divorce prevention and serve to help create healthy, satisfying marriages. Time for Marriage is a one day marriage preparation workshop that offers a supportive environment and framework to address the normal issues and challenges that all couples face in course of their marriage.

Couples who take the class will enter their marriage armed with skills and the confidence that the marriage will not just succeed, but flourish.

Belief in a God is Necessary for Proper Mental Health?

2007-02-27T23:05:00.001-08:00

Some say belief in a God is necessary for proper mental health although they have no proof of this. In fact those who are the most fundamentalist about God are the most dangerous humans in the World.

Let's take the international terrorists for instance they are very devout and believe in a God, but extremely dangerous and kill innocent people in the name of their God. You see, good people do good things and bad people do bad things and religion unfortunately allows good people to do bad things and use their God to justify.

Therefore all religions are problematic and the cause of most of humans problems. Is proper mental health killing a fellow human being for your God? I think not. In fact for those that believe that it is necessary for proper health to believe in God, I would say that is the biggest bunch of baloney I have ever heard.

Some say the religion gives you a sense of belonging and that is necessary for proper mental health. One individual and met recently said that psychologists and psychiatrists believe this. Unfortunately it is irrelevant what psychologists and psychiatrists believe because half of them are the most screwed up mentally people you have ever met.

In fact in my business I would be careful never to do business with them because they were quite bizarre at times and problematic more often than not. Religion does not guarantee a sense of belonging and nor does the belief in a God. Let's take that BTK murderer who was believed in God and was even part of his Lutheran Church. There are many people who believe in God and commit crimes. What about the lady in Texas, which killed her five kids by drowning them in the bathtub? She believed in God? Well, what happened?

It appears to me that most religions end up screwing people up and causing mental conflict with reality. A belief in a God and a religious background is problematic and it is unhealthy for the mental condition of a human being. It sends a mixed messages and mixed signals.

It makes people week and allows them to rely on a non-existent crutch to get through life. Perhaps all world religions should be banned from first world countries to protect the citizens from purported misrepresentations of nonexistent entities.

Marriage Counseling

2007-02-27T23:04:00.000-08:00

Marriage counseling is a process in which two individuals who are married to each other will attempt to solve their problems. Marriage counseling is a new process that did not exist before the end of the 20th century. In the past, most problems within a marriage were handled by family members or leaders. In most developing countries, problems within marriages will be handled by the local elders. However, many of these societies have been exposed to Western culture, and the populations have become composed of nuclear families.

Currently, many marriage counselors are becoming trained to help people with their relationship. One reason that is believed to be a cause for marriage counseling is the rising number of divorces that take place in Western nations. For example, the US currently has one of the highest divorce rates in the world. Many governments and organizations are now becoming involved in this field. The first thing that should be understood about marriage counseling is that everyone has a different personality. Both members of a marriage will often have a value system which may differ from the other.

Because the two members of a marriage may have different value systems, they are prone to getting into conflicts. While the goal of both parties should be to reduce conflicts, this is only one of the many factors that are involved with marriage counseling services. Common problems that are reviewed by marriage counselors include anger, greed, jealousy or ego. In most cases, both members of a marriage may exhibit these traits. Once both members change their perceptions, the problems within the marriage can greatly be reduced.

A good marriage counselor is someone who will listen carefully to both sides of the issues that are being raised, and will create a better understanding between the two members. A lack of communication is a commonly cited problem, and is one of the reasons why many marriages fail. Once the marriage counselor has reviewed the situation between both sides, they can begin offering some practical suggestions that can help solve the problems. Marriage counselors will typically be trained as psychologists. Studies on marriage counseling have shown that it helps most couples who use it. However, a number of couples also decide to terminate their relationship.

Many people hate using marriage counseling services because they will convey a message that their marriage has fallen apart. However, using a marriage counseling service can improve the relationship of those who try it, and it is important to make sure minor problems are resolved before they become serious issues. A number of very successful marriage counselors will often talk to both parties in private. The rising popularity of the internet has allowed some marriage counselors to work with couples from websites. The internet can be useful because it can reduce many of the problems that occur when a marriage counselor is physically present with the couple.

While marriage counseling has successfully worked for the short term, long term studies have indicated that it is not as effective. Many marriage counseling services do not provide information about the success of their services over a number of years, and this is behavior which supports these studies.

Can Marriage Counseling Really Help?

2007-02-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

When communication between a husband and a wife breaks down, marriage counseling is sometimes sought as a last resort effort to save the marriage. Often, married people think they are seeing the counselor for a particular problem and by the time everything is said and done, they find that what they thought was the problem really wasn’t the problem at all.

Lack of communication is one of the reasons many marriages break up. People in general, not just men and women, don't really understand what the other person is saying to them. Another common problem married couples face, also based on a lack of communication is that they both have different expectations from the marriage and when those expectations don’t line up with each other, conflict arises.

While marriage counseling isn't an instant fix by any means, if the counselor can help both spouses understand where the other is coming from, that can be a big step in the right direction. For example, a common technique that marriage counselors use is mirroring.

Mirroring takes place when, after one spouse has told the other spouse how she feels about something, the spouse who was doing the listening, mirrors, or voices back to the spouse who was doing the talking what he thinks she said.

At this point, the marriage counselor would point out or allow the wife to point out what was actually said, which was not what the husband heard.

Sometimes we hear what the other person never even said and we react on that instead of what they really said. It is in this way that the marriage counselor can facilitate better communication between a husband and a wife.

The Hormone Connection to Women's Mental health

2007-02-23T04:51:00.004-08:00

Do hormones really affect women' mood?

In the past fifteen years the field of endocrinology has produced vast amounts of evidence showing that the loss of estrogen that occurs normally during menstrual cycle changes puts women at greater risk for mood, anxiety, and craving disorders. Considering the prevalence of these illnesses among women, we’re fortunate to be gaining a better understanding of them.

Women are more than twice as likely to become depressed. Research shows that they’re also more likely to suffer from anxiety. More develop phobias. It’s the same ratio for agoraphobia: nearly 8% of women become agoraphobic, compared to only 3% of men. More succumb to post traumatic stress syndrome. Seventy percent of those with social phobia are women. What could be happening here?

The cyclic nature of estrogen secretion may account for women’s special vulnerability to mood and anxiety disorders, Dr. Mary Seeman reported, in the Journal of the American Psychiatric Association, in an analysis of dozens of studies on how female hormones affect psychopathology in both men and women.

The theory of “recurrent estrogen withdrawal” proposes that a low estrogen state drives the onset, or worsening, of mood symptoms in women who are predisposed--by virtue of already low serotonin levels--to mood and anxiety disorders. In 1996, researchers at the University of Edinburgh published a report discussing the molecular level at which these changes occur. Struck by estrogen’s “profound effects on mood, mental state and memory” they described the hormone as “nature’s psychoprotectant.” Sufficient levels of estrogen must be present in the brain, that is, if psychic stability is to be maintained. Estrogen’s importance to cognitive processing and memory is not a slight matter. It’s been discovered that actually buffers the brain’s neurons against degeneration.

By the end of the nineties mounting evidence had begun to show a unique and persistent hormone connection to almost all mental illness in women. For example, binging and purging behaviors in bulimics worsened during the premenstruum, when estrogen levels go down. So did panic attacks in women with panic disorder. Impulse disorders, too, seemed to get worse during that week or ten days before the period begins--kleptomaniacs went on more stealing escapades, trichotillomaniacs pulled more hair, skin cutters cut more skin.. All of these illnesses are related to serotonin dysfunction, and, as we’ve seen, serotonin and estrogen are inextricably linked.

In the nineties a Canadian psychologist, Barbara Sherwin, was conducting very interesting studies on how estrogen loss affects cognition and memory. I went to Toronto to spend a day with Dr. Sherwin in her office at McGill University. I needed a mini-course in estrogen and she was willing to give it to me.

From early fetal life, hormone receptors are present in the hypothalamus of the brain. It is here that they begin organizing brain circuitry, setting the stage for puberty, regulating subsequent adult sexual behavior, and controlling the frequency and intensity of emotional disorders. Research in neuroendocrinology has much to tell us about the pre-menopausal malaise that used to be thought the result of women’s sadness over the loss of reproductive function. Now it’s known that the mood and cognitive changes experienced are physical in origin.

Low estrogen affects mood. What I hadn’t known, until speaking with Dr. Sherwin, is that in order to produce serotonin the brain needs estrogen. I didn’t even known that estrogen existed in the brain. “There are estrogen receptors in various organs throughout the body, the brain included,” she explained. “That’s why estrogen loss produces so many different bodily symptoms--loss of skin elasticity, bone shrinkage, mood and cognitive decline”.

When estrogen levels rise, on the other hand, as they do in the first week of menses, their overall effect is to increase the amount of serotonin available in the spaces between the brain’s nerve cells. That improves mood. Within the brain, estrogen may in fact act as a natural antidepressant and mood stabilizer.

Dr. Sherwin introduced me to the work of researchers who were doing important basic science, including Bruce McEwen at Rockefeller Institute, in New York, and Joseph LeDoux, at New York University, who were discovering the molecular changes supporting the view that estrogen had profound effects on the mind and its capacities.

It wasn’t long after my visit with Dr. Sherwin that I learned of an important review of ten years’ worth of studies entitled, Estrogen, Serotonin, and Mood Disturbance: Where is the Therapeutic Bridge? Two researchers in the Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry Program at Harvard Medical School had essentially been motivated by the same question that I had: What is the hormone connection to women’s mental health? Joffe and Cohen looked at a hundred-and-twenty five studies on the relationship between women’s reproductive cycle hormone changes and their mental status. In study after study they found that women with histories of depression are apparently more vulnerable to recurrent episodes during periods of “significant reproductive endocrine change”.

Correlation does not prove causality. The fact that someone becomes morbidly depressed exactly on the day ovulation begins and remains that way until the day she starts bleeding doesn’t prove that premenstrual drops in estrogen cause mood changes, but it damn well raised suspicions. Once information from new brain imaging techniques was added to the mix, the case for a hormone connection to women’s mental vulnerabilities became as close to an open and shut case as are you’re likely to get. Neuro-imaging has improved our understanding considerably, indicating lightening flashes of activity in different parts of the brain during what used to be called, dimly, “that time of the month.”

It is the dance between two kinds of hormones, ovarian hormones and brain hormones, that ultimately determines how symptomatic any given woman will become during her menstrual cycle, and at other reproductive risk points as well. If, for example, a woman is genetically coded to have low, or borderline levels of brain serotonin, the estrogen drop that occurs premenstrually may be all it takes to send her serotonin spiraling below the level of optimum functioning, putting her in a mental state that, for all its upsetting symptoms, mysteriously vanishes as soon as her period starts and her estrogen levels go back up.

Why does this happen? Because serotonin needs estrogen for its metabolization in the brain. The two hormones are a dynamic duo, functioning arm in arm. As estrogen levels drop, so does serotonin. When estrogen rises (as it does, for example, once menstruation begins) serotonin levels come right back up with it, and calm is restored. The ebb and flow of womens’ menstrual moods is orchestrated not by the moon but by secretions in her brain and ovaries. What we now know is that the sometimes negative outcome of these secretion changes is not inevitable. Just as science has learned to modify insulin changes and thyroid changes, it can now modify ovarian changes. If you don’t want to blame your mood on your ovaries, blame it on the brain. Blame it on whatever pleases you, just don’t resign yourself to the view that women were born to suffer.

To me it’s fascinating that the individual pieces of this important puzzle were not available to us twenty years ago. And the dynamite effect of putting those pieces together has occurred only in the last decade. Building on previous knowledge and assembling the picture step by step, endocrinologists at places like the Neuropsychiatric Institute in California, and the Reproductive Mood Disorder Program at the University of Texas Medical Center have come to understand that women are not only vulnerable during the premenstruum, they are vulnerable at all the reproductive risk points. Moreover, a woman who suffers at one of these risk points is vulnerable to becoming symptomatic at others. If she has genetically low serotonin in her brain, estrogen drops are going to affect her, simple as that.

Things have taken a more enlightened turn since then, thank God, but we are only now coming to understand what actually happens to women’s mental well-being at times of hormonal stress. Women scientists in particular, including psychiatrists and reproductive endocrinologists like Barbara Sherwin, are making a unique and important contribution to the massive surge of research that is currently shaping a whole new paradigm for understanding the role of hormonally created change in female well-being and mental status.

Diagnosing Mental Health

2007-02-23T04:51:00.003-08:00

Commonly referred to as an individual’s emotional or psychological well-being, mental health is a term that has no one official definition according to the World Health Organization. Most experts believe that mental health is measured by an individual’s ability to remain capable and competent, handling normal levels of stress, maintaining happy and healthy relationships and his/her ability to lead an independent life. Another sign of mental health is being able to quickly recover from difficult situations, which may include both physical and emotional.

While individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental illness often require a greater need for mental health promotion, even those who have not been diagnosed still need a certain amount of the same. The truth is that everyone has mental health needs, including those who have no illness. Mental health promotion may be given in the way of encouragement, love, support, understanding, etc.

If an individual believes that he/she is suffering from a mental health illness, a psychiatrist should be consulted for a professional evaluation. In some cases, a regular discussion with a professional may be enough for individuals to overcome their issues and return to a positive mental health status. For others, medication may be required or even hospitalization in extreme cases. With the proper treatment, many individuals who suffer from some type of mental health illness can often live a happy and healthy lifestyle. The first part of overcoming any type of illness is to recognize the problem early, whether that recognition comes directly from the sufferer or from those closest to him/her.

It is important to realize the difference between a positive mental health status and one that may be indicative of an illness. Every life has stressful situations, tears that must be shed and boundaries that must be overcome. However, the best way to measure mental health is by assessing an individual’s ability to handle these situations appropriately. There is no one universal symptom or sign of a mental health illness, but is best described as an individual’s inability to operate or deal with everyday situations in a healthy and productive manner.

The information in this article is to be used for informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice. Anyone with questions regarding mental health must consult their physician for further information, a diagnosis and/or treatment regimen if one is deemed necessary.

School Based Mental Health Services Reduce School Violence

2007-02-23T04:51:00.001-08:00

In a time when resources are scarce and problems are many, professionals are choosing evidence-based practices to improve outcomes related to services. Evidence is emerging that school-based mental health services are an effective and cost efficient way to improve school performance and mental health and reduce behavioral problems. To assess the effectiveness of school based mental health (SBMH) services to provide these outcomes in students from Pre-K - 12th grades, Robert Schmidt, M.Ed. and Kathryn Seifert, Ph.D. collaborated on the evaluation of outcomes for a SBMH program for a mid-Atlantic rural school district.

The project began in 1999 after a Federal grant was awarded to the school district. The children’s scores on the Devereaux, BASC, CARE and several school measures such as absenteeism, disciplinary referrals, and suspensions were measured from the beginning of services and at the beginning and end of each school year. Youth were referred to the project from teachers, guidance counselors, parents, student self-referrals and other agencies such as the Departments of Social Services and Juvenile Services of which resulted in 1,247 SBMH referrals during a five-year period.

From 1999 to 2004, 36% of these students were referred because of symptoms of depression, 26% because of family problems, and 24% because of behavior problems. There were 84 referrals to the program in 1999, compared to 437 students in 2002 and 239 students in 2003. Peak referral times were consistently observed during the months of October and February. Youth in the transition years of sixth and ninth grades were referred to the program most often. More Caucasian females participated in the project than any other ethnic/gender group. In 2000, 2,132 mental health sessions were provided, in contrast to an amazing 15,763 sessions during the 2003/04 school year.

A group of one hundred thirty-two students who participated in the program showed significantly improved attitudes toward teachers and school, decreased mental health symptoms, and increased self-esteem after one year of services. From the 2001 to the 2002 school year, students participating in SBMH had significantly improved school attendance (from approximately 4600 to 4200 days absent). One hundred seventy-eight students had a significant (49%) decrease in disciplinary referrals and violence related disciplinary referrals from the 2001 to the 2002 school year. One hundred thirty-four participants had a significant decrease (54%) in suspensions from school. Parents of 103 students reported that their children were having significantly fewer problems after receiving services. Ninety-nine youth self-reported significantly improved commitment to school, interpersonal relationships and self-esteem, as well as fewer stress related problems. Two hundred fifty students reported significantly reduced school maladjustment and clinical maladjustment and improved attitudes toward parents and emotional well-being.

This project demonstrated that school based mental health services improved student well-being, behavior and school success, while showing a significant decrease in the initial presenting mental health symptoms, violence and other behavior problems at home and at school. Although these services and study enter into it’s sixth year and is on-going, other school-based mental health services must be provided, expanded, and studied. This project provides a framework for improved student health/success and decreased school violence while positively enhancing the community of which we live, work and play.

Marriage Counseling, Before You Get Married?

2007-02-23T04:50:00.000-08:00

You feel like you've known each other all your lives even though you've only known each other a few months or years, maybe even just a couple of weeks. You look into each others eyes and see kismet or fate. All starry eyed and dreamy you start planning for happily ever after.

Ok maybe you aren't just being starry eyed. Maybe you have been living together for a while and truly believe it is time to make the union a legal and formal bond. That is absolutely wonderful! No matter what anyone says, there is something special about being married to each other and not just living together.

Now, in some countries the government will not require the couple to undergo any marriage seminars. In most religions and in countries that do not have divorce however marriage counseling is actually mandatory before couples can get married. After all in these countries or faiths, marriage truly is meant to be for life. That being the case, everyone wants to make sure that the pair goes in with their eyes wide open and not covered by rose colored glasses.

Marriage is no joke. It can be fun, exciting, sweet, passionate and absolutely wonderful. It can also be a lot of work. Keep in mind that you are adjusting your life to another person's; someone who you love but is still different from you in a number of ways. Marriage can be a rude awakening for some. It isn't only about the gown and the ceremony and saying, "I do".

Face it folks, we don't always, in fact more often than not, we don't listen to our parents. They may or may not be good examples of how marriages work. They may or may not be together so you may not have a real picture of what is involved, just the glamorized ideal that movies and books show to the general public.

There are organizations like Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WME) that try to give couples a real look at being married. They have special courses such as the evenings for the engaged where a couple meets regularly with an affianced pair in the WME or "encountered" couples home. The WME couple will discuss various things that the affianced pair may or may not have thought about yet. For example, what is the significance of money in the relationship? Is money supposed to be pooled and shared or should it be only the male's income that is spent since he is the breadwinner or head of the family?

How about work? Should the wife continue to work if the husband is earning well enough to support them both? Would they prefer that she stay home and become mother and wife full time? Why?

These questions may seem trivial to some but in the long run, these can be major issues that can lead to separation or divorce. It is best to discuss these matters before any vows are made not after. It can save you a lot of heartache. Why not find out what are the available marriage counseling groups in your area? What have you got to lose? They may even help to make your good relationship great.

How To Take Care Of Your Mental Health?

2007-02-23T04:48:00.000-08:00

Mental health is simply the state of successful performance of all our mental functions. This is difficult to describe but when one is mentally healthy one is able to perform there day to day activities successfully and is able to manage healthy inter personal relationship, be able to cope with change and handle diversity. While in our normal day to day life we do not observe what mental health is all about it, we only get curious about it once we notice something is wrong or the absence of good mental health and even then most of the times we choose to ignore it.

Good mental health is something that has been ignored by most of us, while we do notice a slight headache we ignore to recognize sudden mood swings, low tolerance levels, being gloomy and blue all the time as a sign that something may be wrong with our mental health. More people worldwide suffer from mental illness than is ever understood, in the United States alone every year around 6% of the population goes through some form or the other of depression and depression is just one of the many mental disorders that exist. Most of the times our failure to recognize this stems from being unaware or being ashamed of admitting that “something is wrong with my mind”.

Is Mental Health separable from physical health?

While popularly it is thought that mental and physical health are separate in most cases one’s mental illness is caused by some physiological changes in the body and indeed many cases of depression in women are caused in and around the time of menopause or in men when they are going through nights when they don’t get enough sleeps because of work pressures. The body goes through stress and is fatigued by it and because of that the mind also reacts to it and develops some sort of disorder. The other way round is more obvious and when the mental health of people deteriorates the body takes its toll and that is more visible. What this essentially means is taking care of ourselves physically is also an important aspect of maintaining our mental health.

Public Attitude about Mental Health and Illness

Even in developed societies like the United States where there are a large number of information sources and any one can just go to the internet and take self diagnostic tests to see whether they are suffering from any form of mental disorder a large number of cases go unreported. This is because of the public opinion that mental health is a given and there is some degree of stigma associated with the fact that a person’s mental health is suffering from one reason or the other.

People suffering from one type of disorder therefore will go through a long phase of denial where in they will refuse to acknowledge that something seems to be out of ordinary. This will translate into the patients developing multiple disorders which will become more difficult to cure or even diagnose. It will also result in the disorder getting deeper entrenched and will make it that much more difficult to cure it as well.

Use the Internet

Awareness is the key to fight mental illness, awareness about the fact that more people than you can imagine suffer from it in some point or the other in their lives and awareness about the fact that once diagnosed it can be easily treated through a combination of talk therapy and medication. Internet is a good source of information and you should learn to leverage it to your best use. The first step is to understand what changes in behavior are you experiencing which is possible to do for most people in the early stages. The next step after making a list of symptoms is to take a few self diagnostic tests which you can do anonymously and see where it takes you. There are a host of mental disorders and chances are that after taking a few of these tests you would be led to specifically one or the other. Then you can do more in depth study about it and even if you think it not necessary visit a doctor at least once to double check whether you are suffering from that particular disorder, something else or it was just a false alarm.

Marriage Counseling - Is Talking To A Marriage Counselor Worth The Cost?

2007-02-14T23:02:00.004-08:00

Marriage counseling is something people are quick to recommend when you have marital problems. Of course, they do this with good intentions.

Friends and family who make those recommendations are convinced that speaking with a marriage counselor will somehow help you resolve your marital problems.

But marriage counseling can be expensive.

Some marriage counselors charge as much as $150 per hour for consultation. That can be pretty expensive if you live in an economically challenged country.

Besides, is it really worth the cost? Isn't marriage counseling overrated?

It depends on the way you look at it.

First, you must remember that a relationship expert is not perfect. Since he's not perfect, his advice will not also be perfect. This means that you run the risk of talking to an 'expert' with a poor sense of judgment.

What do you expect if the expert's sense of judgment is poor?

Bad advice. Bad strategy. Failure.

Here's the complete picture.

The relationship expert you choose to speak with may be smart, intelligent, and experienced. In this case, you're likely to get the best advice possible

Or . . .

The marriage counselor may be half-baked, dull, and unintelligent. In this case, expect to get the wrong advice or advice that is totally worthless.

Second, a relationship expert you consult with for marriage counseling may be dubious. A dubious marriage counselor can turn into a blackmailer.

When you go for marriage counseling, it is customary to provide as much information as possible. Don't expect sound advice if the person providing the advice has little knowledge of what your challenges are.

This means that you must of necessity talk openly with the relationship expert you have chosen to speak with.

There's nothing wrong with this.

However, things can turn sour if the relationship expert with whom you have discussed your marital problems turns out to be a riffraff. He can easily begin to blackmail you with the information you supplied him.

Third, discussing your relationship problems with a relationship expert will not make your problems disappear. For many, marital problems persist long after the couple have gone for marriage counseling.

This brings us back to the question.

Is marriage counseling worth the cost?

The answer is . . . yes.

Of course, marriage counseling has its flaws. But talking to a marriage counselor helps.

However, you must speak to a relationship expert with a clear objective in mind.

You must understand that the marriage counselor will assist you to solve your marital problems. The marriage counselor will not solve your marital problems for you.

What does that mean?

This means that the relationship expert provides you with options and helps you see things in a new light. He expands your horizon and comes with a fresh perspective.

Who solves the problems?

You.

You must deal with your problems yourself. Your problem is your responsibility and you cannot run away from it.

For example, should you marry Philip or Kelvin? Who should decide that? You.

Another example.

Should you get a divorce or stay and work things out with your partner?

Who should decide that? You.

How does marriage counseling help you then?

You lay out the problems. You lay out the circumstances. You list your limitations. You list your strengths.

The marriage counselor will analyze the problems or issues on the basis of what is known to work in real life. He may provide you with additional resources or supply supporting data. He will lay out the choices for you.

The Benefits of Marriage and Family Counseling

2007-02-14T23:02:00.003-08:00

Family problems can cause untold suffering and symptoms. They can also be very complex so the sooner treatment is started, the better; and while these conflicts often do cause people to seek psychological or marriage counseling, they usually procrastinate, making improvement more difficult. A couple can experience problems because of a medical or psychological problem in either person, or in one of their children. Parent-child problems can also create turmoil. Communication and discipline problems are very common and battles between siblings and the parents seem to make the problems even worse. Divorce and the creation of stepfamilies can create difficulties, sometimes, for all members of the family. Sometimes the couple itself is the problem because of poor communication, continuous conflict, alienation, sexual problems, or in-law problems.

Problems like these often lead to adjustment issues in family members. Since the family relationships are a part of the problem, it may be necessary to change their very structure. A family therapist may provide marriage counseling or family therapy to address these issues or help parents improve their parenting skills.

Sometimes multiple problems exist such as, depression in one family member, plus conflict in the marriage itself. Several treatment approaches may be necessary in these circumstances. Only infrequently, will a psychologist provide individual psychotherapy to one member of the family, and simultaneously treat the whole family or the couple. However, one exception is that often family treatment for child behavior problems will include individual sessions with the parents. However, these sessions are designed to help with parenting skills only. While it is possible to provide individual psychotherapy to two family members, psychologists have to evaluate its possible effectiveness on a per case basis.

Psychologists doing family therapy or marriage counseling often have received specialized training in family systems theory and in family and marriage therapy skills. When you contact a psychologist for family or marriage counseling, do not hesitate to ask about his/her family therapy training.

Counseling Schools

2007-02-14T23:02:00.001-08:00

Counseling Schools prepare professionals to help future patients cope with personal stress due to mental disorders, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and other causes. Counseling students are taught to apply psychology and other mental health principles to help their patients achieve mental and emotional stability.

Counseling Schools teach students to work with individuals, families, married couples, groups, and organizations. Professional counselors must be prepared to face many disturbing topics, such as sexual abuse, eating disorders, aging issues, suicidal tendencies, domestic violence, grief issues, and others.

Most states require counselors to have a graduate degree in their specialized field. Many undergraduate degrees provide a good educational base for the counseling student, such as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Counseling, Psychology, Education, Sociology, or Social Work. Graduate students may further their education to achieve a Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), or Master of Education (M.Ed.) in their chosen discipline.

The doctorate (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) is the most prestigious counseling degree, and requires 2-4 additional years of specialized study. A doctoral degree in counseling permits the professional to be called "Dr."

Mental Health

2007-02-14T23:01:00.001-08:00

It would appear that at some point after World War I, real mental health became something of a luxury. The absence of any real mental disease like schizophrenia or dementia certainly is not an indicator of complete mental health any longer. The boom in knowledge of human psychology that began in the 1960s has made that eminently clear.

Truthfully speaking, even basic functionality can no longer be automatically assumed for a human being living in the present age. There are an unprecedented number of Americans and Europeans undertaking psychotherapy today – what started off as a fad now seems to have become a necessity of daily living. The pressures of the rat race are overwhelming. The number of situations and triggers for mental disorders has multiplied significantly. The stress levels are extremely high.

We are, therefore, reduced to defining acceptable mental health in very broad terms. A certain degree of aberration is to be expected in almost every post-modern human being. Reasonable mental health will, therefore, have to be defined by the lack of gross disorders. A good standard for judging this would be the one apparently employed by health insurance companies, who are reluctant to pay for mental disorders that do not result in complete breakdown of normal life for the individual.

The diseases that indicate a major disruption in mental health would today include Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, or a major depressive disorder. Further mental disorders that may or may not be considered as mere a lack of fine tuning by authorities may include obsessive-compulsive disorders, alcohol or drug addiction, or stress-induced nervous breakdown.

Mental health in the twenty-first century means a reasonable quality of life and functionality in individuals, despite the overwhelming odds against them.

Mental Health Services

2007-02-14T22:57:00.000-08:00

It is an established fact that almost two-thirds of all people afflicted with some kind of mental dysfunction do not seek treatment. This is confirmed by the WHO’s Global Burden of Disease study.

The reasons for that people do not seek treatment vary, but some of the most common ones are a fear of the social stigma attached to mental disease; a fear of compromised security (loss of job, spouse, benefits entitlement, etc.); an inability to pay for treatment; or lack of awareness of the problem.

Thankfully, many forms of mental disease are no longer looked down upon; nor are those who suffer from them necessarily ostracized in society or at the workplace. Many progressive companies now offer more time to their employees for recovery from mental illness, and there is a decided increase in general social awareness prevalent today.

Considering its increased prevalence today, it is understandable that mental health has become a lucrative money-spinner. Psychiatrists and psychologists are amongst the highest-paid professionals in the modern world. This being so, there is a lot to be said for self-help groups like Schizophrenics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Narcotics Anonymous. These offer an amazingly effective therapeutic support systems for sufferers, free of cost.

There are various organizations that monitor and streamline mental health efforts on a national scale today. Among them are the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Federal Action Agenda for Mental Health. These organizations exist to ensure fair and helpful practices among mental health professionals and to upgrade the standards of mental health services as and when necessary.

Basically, professional mental health services offer treatment for either the whole gamut of mental disorders, or they specialize in them individually. The onus of treatment in present times is on the most prevalent: anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive and post-traumatic-stress disorders; bipolar and manic-depressive disorders; schizophrenia; behavioral disorders, such a eating disorders; and ADHD/ADD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders).

Mental Health Software

2007-02-08T21:57:00.004-08:00

In the age of the Internet, identifying and monitoring mental health problems has, to a certain extent, become something one can do at home. This does not mean that complete mental health treatment is available via cyberspace. However, the lacuna of general awareness that existed until only ten years ago has been filled by readily available information on the Internet.

Mental health software is a great self-help tool, but its scope in that field is necessarily limited. Accurate diagnoses and therapeutic measures will remain the exclusive domain of mental health professionals.

In that respect and to such practitioners, mental health software is a genuine boon. It is useful in assisting clinicians in maintaining updated case histories and records. This is very important because of the high rate of litigation associated with mental health cases in America today. Psychiatrists are often called upon to testify on the state of a defendant’s mental health status. In such cases, easy retrieval of records is of the essence.

Medical records in mental health can also be formatted and streamlined to the required Federal standards by using specialized software. Mental health software also helps mental health professionals in scanning and matching mental disorders to appropriate medications and maintaining billing flow charts.

Owing to the exceptional confidentiality parameters surrounding professional mental healthcare, software packages for practitioners now also include features to hide PHI (Protected Health Information) from anything but authorized eyes. This is especially useful for individual practitioners who do not have the benefits of a full-fledged clinic’s security measures at their disposal.

Mental health software also helps clinicians in maintaining comprehensive appointment schedules. Since a psychiatrist or psychologist might have as many as twelve fifty-minute appointments in a single day, this is a major advantage to them.

Mental Health Clinics

2007-02-08T21:57:00.003-08:00

Clients to mental health clinics are usually not admitted arbitrarily. The process usually consists of an initial interview with a community worker or a mental health professional. If a client is considered in need of residential or out-patient treatment at a mental health clinic, an extensive history of the mental illness will then be recorded. Such assessments will also include interviews with other doctors and family physicians who have noted the onset and progress of the ailment.

The staff at mental health clinics usually consists of psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses, and support personnel who are specially trained. The scope and activities of mental health clinics in America generally falls under the purview of the CMHC (Community Mental Health Centers). This body issues licenses to clinics and centers for the practice of mental health-related treatment.

Considering that mental health crises do not always announce themselves in advance, a mental health clinic or center usually offers twenty-four-hour emergency services. These include inpatient hospital referral, since many cases are diagnosed in hospitals while the client is under treatment for other health problems.

Mental health problems affect people from all age groups, and American mental health clinics also offer services specifically for the aged as well as children and adolescents. The reasons that commonly lead to a referral for elderly persons range from senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease to problems related to chronic alcohol abuse. Mental health problems typical to the aged fall under the category of geropsychiatric medicine.

Teenagers and young adults often find themselves in need of mental health services because of substance abuse, inherited mental problems, and Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD).

The services available at mental health clinics necessarily include group therapy, individual and family counseling, and a social awareness cell. The latter would be staffed by personnel who could explain the various issued surrounding metal health in layman’s terms to clients and their families. They are also an integral part of the evaluation process.

Being Paranoid is Nothing to Worry About, I Assure You

2007-02-08T21:57:00.001-08:00

Paranoia is something I've always worried about contracting. I'm afraid I might have picked it up somewhere in the past few years. I won't even eat chicken nuggets anymore because I'm too worried about getting infected with the Avian Flu.

How can you tell if you're paranoid? There are several ways. Do you think that people lie to you a lot? Do you question government policy? When companies advertise new products do you question if they're being honest with you? Do you wonder how much they are actually profitting from each sale?

If you answered "Yes" to any of those questions, then you are not paranoid. Documented proof has been established to support all of your fears, concerns, worries, pessimism, cynicism, and lack of faith in many facets of life. If you don't believe me, then you're only being paranoid. Search the Internet and you'll find many facts supporting my claims, including proof that the moon doesn't exist.

If you are scared of an alligator or snake attacking you while you're relaxing on your toilet, you may or may not be paranoid. I confess that I'm unable to state with absolute certainty that there is a 0% chance of a reptile biting your butt while you're taking care of business.

If you're concerned about nuclear war and the devastation and eradication of life on Earth, you're probably not being paranoid. Nuclear weapons exist, and probably will continue to exist until the leaders in some country decide to oust the rulers of those other nations who dare possess such weapons of mass destruction.

Have you ever been fearful that you've started too many sentences with the phrase, "If you are?" You should consider that your fear is based on reality and consider going back to school for writing. If you're concerned that you've forgotten periods or commas in your writing, don't let needless worry consume you: proofread and perform an edit. The solution is just that simple.

If you think you're paranoid because you fear people talking about you behind your back, you needn't give it much thought. People are most likely talking about you behind your back. How can you tell? Have you ever talked about someone when he or she wasn't present? Has anyone ever spoke to you about someone when he or she wasn't present? If you've answered "Yes" to either of these then that means you're talking to yourself. If you find that you talk to yourself more than you talk to other people, you might want to consider socializing more often. As for people talking about you behind your back, it's very likely. Now that you know the truth, you can stop worrying about it. They're only talking about you behind your back for your own good.

If you're afraid of the dark, chances are that at some point in your life, something bad has happened to you while it was dark. If you're worried that there are monsters inside your closet, chances are that you have been violently attacked by monsters coming from your closet at least once in your past. If you're afraid of people close to you dying, chances are that you have heard of death and understand its implications.

While you're absorbing all of my confusing facts, remember that worry is not reality. Reality is what exists in your present. Yes, people will die, you'll get screwed over in business deals and as a consumer, and you'll get the Avian Flu from chicken nuggets. The point is, worrying about such inevitable situations is a waste of time. In relative terms, you only have a short time before you or someone close to you dies, or before you get attacked again by monsters hiding in your closet. Use the time wisely. Avoid contact with people, avoid eating chicken nuggets, avoid residing in a potential target for Ground Zero, and make sure your lights are always on and all your closets locked. Once that's done, your spirit will be free to enjoy life once again, fear and worry only a forgotten nightmare that caused you to wake up screaming a long time ago.

Acceptance of Social Anxiety

2007-02-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

If you suffer from social anxiety, then you are among the millions who have been told by your doctor that you're abnormal and need medication. If you prefer alternative treatment, then this article is worth reading. If you prefer alternative treatment because you already do enough drugs, then it's merely recommended reading. If you get bored and fall asleep by the second paragraph, then it will just be light reading.

Avoidance of social situations can be a positive reaction to feelings of insecurity. It indicates some level of intelligence. You've probably learned from past experiences that you'll be scorned or shunned from society for being different. Idiots, however, will keep talking to people, never learning that they are not wanted.

Moving frequently during my childhood, I learned how to not make friends for very long, and how not to form healthy relationships. Having a lack of healthy relationships as a child means that as an adult, I'm much better at playing video games. An arcade is a great place to form bonds and make new friends. After you've accomplished socializing in the arcade, go home and look back fondly on all the good times and social experiences you had while at the arcade earlier that night. Realize that the next time you go to the arcade it will be rich with experiences and new people who share similar interests. You'll never see those people again, but always cherish those memories and look forward to meeting new people the next time you have a roll of quarters bulging in your pants.

Historically speaking, many great accomplishments have been achieved by people who had a mentall illness and/or suffered from social anxiety. If you are a mentally ill person with a high IQ, it's important that you help in the advance of civilization. Here are some advancement ideas: poetry, art, culture, technology. If you're mentally ill with an IQ that's above average, it's important that you change the world with some of the latter-mentioned accomplishments. Unfortunately, a possibility exists that you'll be prevented from a great destiny by your anxiety, concentration, and fatigue. If that's the case, you'll merely be a weirdo with a pocket full of prescriptions while in your social circles.

If you find yourself in a social situation, don't panic. Just be yourself. Don't be afraid to fidget your extremities (don't fidget so much that other people get scared). Stutter a bit while you're speaking. Walk away in the middle of a sentence and come back a few seconds later. People are generally good-natured; they will either appreciate your honesty or feel sorry for you and offer you a cookie, or the telephone number of a crisis clinic.

Social contact with one's family is sometimes complex and causes anxiety. If you haven't talked to your parents in a while, give them a call -- it's good practice for the times during which you socialize with people who don't love you. Sometimes it won't be a good experience, but put your failures behind you (where everybody else is talking about you, behind your back). Personally, I recently had a negative experience while practicing talking with my mother. She was expressing positive sentiment about my birthday, but suddenly she demanded I pay her nine months back rent for residing in her womb, and she also requested extra monetary compensation for the food I ingested during my stay. I was taken aback by her verbal invoice, and thought I had done something wrong again while attempting human social contact. A few seconds of thought later, I aggressively reminded her that I never signed a lease, and I'll never pay for food through a straw unless it's a root beer float.

Treating Mental Health and Forensic Populations

2007-02-08T21:55:00.000-08:00

No longer is it possible to assess and/or treat a mental health population without also interfacing with forensic issues such as legal infractions, Courts, violence, sexual behavior problems, delinquency, crime, Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, substance abuse, and others. The training and approaches to the mental health population is different than that for a forensic population. So what is to be done, if a person has both issues? We must be cross trained for dually affected clients.

How Are the Populations Different

A Mental Health population is comprised primarily Axis I disorders, such as Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Major Depression, PTSD, and Anxiety Disorders. Daily functioning is on a continuum. Recovery is quick for some and slow for others and is also on a continuum. Well controlled intermittent, mild to moderate episodes of a mood or anxiety disorder will not necessarily interfere with daily functioning. Someone with severe, chronic Schizophrenia or Mood Disorder requiring periodic hospitalizations and extensive community support, will have impairment in daily functioning. Goals for these folks are often pro-social and involve being an active member of society. A therapist can be fairly sure that the mental health client without forensic issues will be relatively honest in his or her interactions and the therapist can take most of what he/she says at face value. An emphasis on a strengths model works well when no personality disorder is involved.

A forensic population can be defined as having personality disorders, interpersonal difficulties, behavioral problems, multiple problems and life long courses of various levels of dysfunction or difficulty. Again, this population fills the full spectrum of effective daily functioning. However, social functioning is often the most severe impairment. There are issues of trust, appropriate relationships, ego centrism, moral development, honesty, manipulation, and danger to self and others. They often have a negative view of themselves and others, especially authority figures. Moral development is often delayed leaving them at the egocentric stage of development. This means that what serves the self is what matters and empathy for others and the ability to have an honest relationship with another person may not yet have developed. Their goals are often self-serving.

The capacity to understand the importance of the best interest of the group through laws and rules that we voluntarily follow, may not be well understood. Many, if not most, have histories of childhood abuse, neglect, or exposure to domestic violence. The assessment and interventions with this population is necessarily different that those for a people with no Axis II disorder or trait. The people with forensic issues do not always tell the truth because of their lack of trust in relationships. The therapist cannot take what he/she says at face value. The therapist must separate the sincere from the manipulative moves for self-gain. The internal boundaries are such that they need the therapist to put external boundaries into place for them. Information must be checked with other sources of information.

How Assessment Tools Differ

In a mental health population, assessment can quite effectively be done through instruments such as the MMPI-A, BASC, and MACI. These self-report tools are quite sufficient for this population and will elucidate psychological dynamics and mental illness, if present. Self-report is not as much of an issue as it is in the forensic population, where third party verification is more important. However when a youth has multiple problems, both mental health and forensic, a combination of tools is preferred.

Forensic evaluation tools rely less on self-report because of the trust issues and because it is not always in the client's best interest to be completely truthful. Self-report assessment instruments can be used, but third party and official reports should also be used in the evaluation phase of a forensic assessment. Courts are concerned with public safety, therefore, the need for tools that assess future risk of dangerousness to others. Risk of future aggression and sexual behavior problems that have been derived from statistical models (actuarial tools) should be part of the evaluation since clinical assessment of risk of future dangerousness is only a little better than chance. While risk assessments are not perfect, they are better than clinical judgment in this area.

How are Interventions Different?

Major Mental Illnesses, while often chronic, can often be very effectively treated with medication and therapy. At the higher functioning end of the continuum, therapy can be supportive, psychotherapeutic, family, or cognitive behavioral. Therapists are trained to accept what the client presents and start where the client is functioning and how the client sees the world. The clients are usually self-motivated and seek therapy voluntarily. They accept responsibility for their behaviors and for making changes in their lives. Use of a strengths model is often very effective. Many people recover fully and lead quite "normal," non-disrupted lives. When someone is on the lower end of the continuum, with major disruption in every day functioning (work and family),despite medication and therapy, major supports for housing, jobs, and activities of daily living and medication are needed for a very long time, perhaps a life time. However, their life goals are often still pro-social. Serlf-directed care works well with the mental health population without Axis II diagnoses.

In the area of intervention, different approaches are needed for the forensic population. Some level of social and family dysfunction is generally intergenerational and lifelong. These clients are often Court ordered to an assessment or therapy or they are having significant problems at work or within the family causing others to seek assessment or therapy for them. They do not always accept responsibility for their actions or for changing. There are skill deficits that need to be addressed, such as social skills, anger management, and problem solving. You cannot take what these clients say at face value. Third party information is always needed. This is because you need to trust someone in order to be honest with them and most of these folks have been abused, neglected, or exposed to domestic violence and a suspicious arm's length treatment of others is a coping strategy that is difficult to give up.

This population often has multiple problems so that Multi-systemic Therapy that approaches many areas that need to be addressed is often effective (treating the whole person). Group work and trauma therapies are also good tools. Self-directed therapy may not be effective because of the need to protect oneself from what may appear to be an unsafe world. Nurturing, setting good boundaries, and structure are essential in this work. Motivational interviewing and stages of change can be very helpful. When clients have issues in the mental health and forensic arenas, both approaches must be used to the extent possible.

Home Care for People with Mental Health Issues

2007-01-30T22:19:00.001-08:00

The Need For Different Home Care Services For People With Mental Health Issues

People of all ages and backgrounds experience mental health issues such as schizophrenia, anxiety and manic depressive disorders. Indeed, mental health problems are widespread in the UK with 25% of people having some kind of issue. Given the broad range of mental health problems, a variety of home care services is needed to look after people with mental health issues.

The Different Home Care Services For People With Mental Health Issues

There are many different types of home care services for people with mental health issues. These services include respite for care givers and on-going in home care for people with mental health problems.

Home care enables people with mental health issues to live in their own homes. Furthermore, respite care provides invaluable help for families and individuals who are responsible for looking after people with mental health issues. This is because respite care enables primary caregivers to take a break from looking after their mentally ill charge by organising for a care worker to take over from them for a period of time.

People With Mental Health Issues

People with mental health issues have varying needs. Some people with mental health issues are able to live fairly independently whilst others might require constant care. As a result, if you are looking for respite care or for supported living for a mentally ill friend or relative, it is essential to choose which services you want carefully. This way you will be able to ensure that your friend or relative’s specific requirements are met.

The Home Care Services for People With Mental Health Issues

There are a number of home care services for people with mental health issues in the UK.

Respite Care: This is when outside carers will come into the home of the person with mental health issues. They care for him or her so that the main caregivers can take a break from their everyday care duties.

Supported Living: This is when a carer comes into the home of the person with mental health issues and helps them to look after themselves.

Full time home care: This is when a person with mental health issues requires full time care. Sometimes this care is carried out by a friend or relative and other times it is carried out by professional care workers.

Walking Is Good For Mental Health

2007-01-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

One of the most natural things that an individual does every day is to walk. For years, this single act has been linked to improving cardiovascular health. The reason is because, generally, walking is a safe movement that isn’t likely to cause injury. New studies have shown that walking is also a terrific way to improve your mood. The next time you are feeling a little blue, there may be a way to walk it off - literally.

A recent study paired individuals into groups, one of which spent 30 minutes on a treadmill and the other that participated in 30 minutes of rest. Each group’s progress was monitored throughout the treatment with a conclusion that both groups reported having less negative feelings at the end of the study, along with less stress and tension. The difference, however, was found when the group that spent 30 minutes walking also noted an overall improvement in well-being.

While the study further proves the theory that walking is good for mental health, as well as physical, it also lends credence to the theory that people who walk feel better overall. It also proves that an individual does not have to be outside in order to enjoy the benefits of walking. This simple exercise can be achieved with a treadmill or by simply walking in place while tuning into a favorite movie or television show.

Anyone who has been diagnosed as having clinical depression or other illnesses should not ignore, or disregard, his/her medical treatment program. Walking is simply a way to sometimes add further improvement to certain conditions. A simple 30 minute walk can benefit an individual’s mood, improve cardiovascular health and combat obesity all at the same time. In order to be effective, many people find that a daily walking schedule will help to keep them motivated and improve their spirits. In addition, a regular schedule will ensure that there is a time set aside for a walk. It’s very easy to think, “I’ll get around to it later,” but something more often than not will distract individuals away from exercise unless they have a certain schedule that is followed every day.

The information in this article is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be considered as, or used in place of, medical advice or professional recommendations for an exercise regimen. Every individual should consult his/her physician prior to beginning any program consisting of diet and/or exercise.

Teachers: Do You Know the Basics of Children's Mental Health?

2007-01-25T04:29:00.000-08:00

one basic mental health category called conduct disorders (C.D.s), the child at highest risk of extreme violence, and emphasized how you must work differently with C.D.s compared to any other kids. Hopefully, I successfully conveyed how critical it is to thoroughly understand what makes this kid "tick," and to work with them differently than everyone else, or you may find yourself or others in dangerous situations. In that piece, I devoted extensive time to teaching you "all" the in's and out's of working with this complex, potentially dangerous youth.

I want to move past the youngster at highest risk of violence so I can now address the next two groups of high risk students in this article.(Our web site has some additional information on conduct disorders if you need more info on that group now. But, remember that these pointers will be no substitute for thoroughly updating your skills on such a challenging kid.

Now that you know a bit about C.D.s, the youth at top risk of violence, let me tell you about the
students who follow next in risk. That is the focus of this article.

** Youth at 2nd and 3rd Risk of Extreme Violence:

These youth are not nearly at as great a risk as the conduct disorder.We will cover each of these 2 types of youth separately, but must stress that the risk for both of these 2 groups drops off dramatically from that posed by conduct disorders. Remember that when any child appears to be potentially violent, you take that concern seriously,regardless of whether the child was on our list. This list is meant only to guide you when you lack any specific events or circumstances that show you how to apportion your time, supervision and other resources.

** Thought Disorders: The risk posed by thought disordered

children is probably far less than that of the conduct disordered youth. Although #2 on this list, it is a rather distant second choice.

Part of the explanation is that there are probably a lot more

conduct disordered kids than thought disordered ones. The other reason that explains the omewhat distant #2 status is that the thought disordered child may be well-intentioned, kind, and loving at times. The conduct disorder child really never is able to care about anyone else. Another reason to explain the distant #2 status is that often the thought disordered child will act in rather than act out.
They often will pose a harm to self rather than others.

Unless you work in a treatment setting, just a very small fraction of the children you work with, may have what mental health professionals call a thought disorder. While the thinking of the conduct disorder is clear and lucid, that assumption is not always true for the thought-disordered child. The child who has been diagnosed with this type of problem by a mental health worker, has very serious problems with their thinking. The child may hear voices or see visions that no one else can, for example. The child may believe demons or devils are governing them. If the voices, for instance, tell the child to hurt someone, then the child may feel compelled to do it. This is where potential danger could lie.

The thrust of working with a diagnosed thought disorder is often on proper medication, although focusing on skill building and structure are also very important. Perhaps the single most important concern will be that the child takes any prescribed medication regularly and properly, because when properly medicated, this child may function almost normally in many ways. When not correctly medicated,this child is at the mercy of any demons, visions, voices or upsetting thoughts that pop into their head.

** Severely Agitated, Depressed Kids: The occurrence of extreme

violence by severely depressed, agitated children probably also greatly lags behind the risk posed by conduct disorders. This term refers to a child who has experienced extremely severe problems with depression, and also struggles mightily at least once with agitation. Many kids, especially teens, struggle with depression,but this group endures some of the most prolonged, profound,deep depression; this should not be confused with typical adolescent ups and downs. When the severely depressed and agitated child also abuses substances, the problem can be
magnified greatly depending on the interplay of the substance and the existing emotional concerns. Crisis, sudden changes and the usual adolescent successes and failures can quickly
de-stabilize this child who is already seriously struggling;these events can have the effect of the straw that broke the camel's back.

Any emotion that a c hild has trouble managing may get acted out or acted in. Depression is generally acted in. Many view it as anger turned inward: the child withdraws, reduces their activities,may eat less, etc. But, depression can also be acted out. Feeling cornered, unable to endure any more pain, some children will act out, sometimes lashing out in very severe ways. All things in nature strive to come to a conclusion. Storms eventually dissipate, the rain ultimately gives way to sun, and even the snow will eventually end. Humans, as part of nature, also tend to move towards resolution.

For some children, extreme violence can be the flash point that offers that resolution. When there appears to be no hope, perhaps the child believes that there is nothing left to lose. Depression can be tough on adults, but couple the depression with a child's lack of time concept, lack of perspective, their impulsiveness, immaturity, and resistance to understanding the link of actions to final outcomes,extreme violence can be grabbed as perhaps a solution. If this ulnerable child becomes involved with a conduct disordered peer, you can see how under certain circumstances, that could become a deadly combination as the depressed, agitated child may join in the acting-out.To help this child, alleviating some of the torment will be critical.
Help to manage anger in socially acceptable ways, tempering the depression, and alleviating some of the agitation can keep this child from remaining at the level of extreme discomfort they
currently experience. If this child receives useful aid to vent the agitation and give some light to the depression, any risk of extreme violence can be significantly impacted. Of the three risk categories, this group's concerns are potentially the most amenable to intervention by you, and is of the three, the most hopeful diagnosis. You can have much lasting impact on this child.

**Appraising the Risk: Now you can look at your class or group

and not just wonder where the where the potential, serious danger would come from. Now that you have more refined guesses about which youth potentially pose potential danger,here is a way to better rank that risk in your mind. A juvenile court judge in Springfield, Oregon, said after the shooting there, that so many kids are like "little match sticks waiting to be lit." To adapt that image a bit, here is how you can apply that thinking to the three at-risk groups listed here.

You can imagine that the conduct disorder is already lit;

a flame is burning. Whether that flame becomes smaller, flares larger, or creates an inferno, is anyone's guess, but the flame is burning always, the potential for disaster is always there.

The thought-disordered child may be like a pilot light,a tiny flame that is always lit, but is fairly unlikely to inexplicably get massively bigger or out of control. Properly shepherded and assisted, this light may stay forever just a benign flicker. Unshepherded or inadequately assisted,
however, this flame can get bigger, even flare out of control.

The extremely agitated depressed child may be the unlit match stick that the judge visualized. Outside factors will likely come into play to incite any flare-up.Outside forces could include peer pressure, crises, substance abuse, family woes, or just mounting problems that fuel the
agitation and create a profound, all-encompassing sense of desperation that leads the child to "spontaneously" combust.

Like the thought-disordered child, the severely agitated depressed youth can often be so readily aided if the community can identify them, then consistently care and effectively intervene.

** In Summary: If you work with kids, but you are not

a mental health professional, maybe it's time to at least

learn some of the basics about children's mental health. And, no matter what your role with children, please consider it your obligation to train your kids to be peaceful. That may be the most important contribution you could make in a world that so thoroughly ensures that every child knows so much about extreme violence, and so little about anything peaceful.

Hopefully, you now have more mental health basics for working with juveniles who pose extreme classroom management problems. Remember, if you wish to get more thorough information, click over to our site for free magazines, strategies, articles and much more-- all designed to assist educators to better manage and instruct problem and difficult students.

Preseli Venture Helps Companies Take Positive Action on Mental Health

2007-01-25T04:28:00.000-08:00

Mental health is a huge issue for companies and it has a direct impact on the bottom line, so Preseli Venture is keen to encourage clients to give their team a ‘mental health boost’ and give them time, away from the office, to think about coping with this important topic.

Nearly three in 10 employees will have a mental health problem in any year, and more than £4bn is lost annually to stress-related absences from work, according to the Mental Health Foundation.

Improving physical health may sound surprising but the Mental Health Foundation is running a year-long campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of exercise in treating mild to moderate depression. Also, exercising for half an hour at least twice a week during midlife significantly reduces a person’s risk of dementia in later life.*

Furthermore, researchers from the University of Hull have suggested that drawing ideas from sports psychology, where participants in outdoor activities showed improved mental toughness and also less stress when exposed to demanding tasks, can help people cope with the ever-demanding pressures of working life.

Preseli Venture aims to give companies an unbeatable cocktail for great mental health – and even better business performance. Combining the recognised benefits of exercise and fresh air with the theory that being in and connecting to nature can itself provide mental health benefits is a sure winner. People find there are real mental health benefits after spending a few days in the spectacular Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, enjoying the glow of achievement and sense of well-being that can only come from sharing fun, refreshing adventure activities.

Safe Touch - A Key to Good Mental Health and Relationships

2007-01-21T22:25:00.001-08:00

I believe any educated and sensitive massage therapist will tell you that they tend to meet people who are more authentic in expressing themselves than perhaps one would just meet in an office setting. Even the same person is more authentic and gentle in a safe touch massage setting. Minimal clothing, lulling fountain sounds, the scent of lavendar, orange, sandalwood or other essential oils and music that doesn't destroy your soul just seems to do that. Everyone needs safe touch to be comforted and to feel free to be themselves without judgement.

From my own experience, we live in a touch deprived culture. Touch someone in the workplace, even as an encouraging "good for you" pat on the back, and you might find yourself judged some kind of office pervert. Rub a back in gesture of comforting or hold a hand to say "I care about how you're feeling," and well, off to prison you go!! Touch in our culture is suspect and often threatening. I'm not encouraging anyone to just accept the touch of anyone they meet as well intentioned or harmless. But for the most part, out went the baby with the bathwater as usual.

I used to lay hands on people as a pastor in compliance with and hope that James 5:14-16 would bring about the desired and promised results. "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

I did this thousands of times and respectfully observe that it is not the cure for anything significant, from my perspective. I am sure however, that at times and because of the reaction of some, the touch itself was deeply appreciated and meaningful. A church or pastor that relies ONLY on this because "it's in the Bible, God said it, I believe it, that does it for me," is a fool and delaying help a genuinely sick person might need to receive from professionals. I've seen that in my past career and it's difficult to speak of, though I was not of the anoint only perspective.

Kind, intentioned and educated touch seems to release a person from the masks we all wear. Everyone wears masks. It's how we survive dealing with topics that we can not speak of or will receive no understanding for even thinking about. In massage, people become more openly genuine and some want to talk, at times, about what they really are thinking. Some few might wish to vent about the office envirnoment, the company or the boss, but when sharing, most simply talk about touch and why humans are so fearful of their own thoughts and needs.

"Needs", now there is a word for you. Our Christian culture has all but beat the idea that what one needs having any validity out of the needy. Sermon after sermon over decades has made that equal with being selfish and carnal or unconverted and "of the world." Just say "I need" to a pastor and often his own repressions will bubble up and you will receive a lecture on how the Bible tells us this or that mainly along the lines of "doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself;" Phil. 2:3 (ASV) I always wondered if we are to count all others better than ourselves and all that implies about our own selfworth, what are others supposed to do?

Everyone needs to be safely touched. One client, long ago, was very quiet as I worked on them and then suddenly said, "don't you think it's funny my dad never hugged me?" We chatted a bit about that but I knew that me, a stranger, touching him set off that thought in contrast to his dad, who knew him well, never hugging him. After a few minutes he said, "I don't think I am gay." That was also a no brainer. Here is how it worked in his mind. "I like this touch." "Dad never hugged me." "Yikes, I like this and this is a guy!" "I better tell him I don't think I'm gay so he doesn't think I am." Interesting huh? To him, touch was needed yet had conotations that weren't really there, but needed to be referenced. I'm not gay by the way either.

One of the things people need to practice more is the phrase "I need." It is not selfish or crass. It is human and is the stuff that makes relationships function at a more real and authentic level. How many relationships would be better or even saved if we learned to say, "I need you not to speak to me that way." "I need you to be around more often." "I need you to touch me in a way that feels caring of ME." "I need you to listen to what I think for a change." "I need you to give me some space." "I need variety in my life." "I need you to take better care of yourself." "I need you to leave the people you don't like, the crazy relatives, the stupid boss and the damn church out of our conversations." "I need..." Try it sometime and you might see that others also need the same. They just didn't know you knew anything about needs.

Others talk about what they don't need in the way of touch in their lives. They don't need to be grabbed, or pushed. They don't need to be slapped or pinched crudely. They don't need to feel used and not loved. I guess this is another whole topic.

The mask that covers topics of sexuality is a biggie for ALL people. All massage is sensual even when therapeutic as touch just is that by nature. In a safe and compassionate envirnoment, many think about the place that sex has or does not have in their lives. Human sexuality and the need to express it and experience it never goes away. I always got a chuckle about how the Bible tells us that when Moses died at 110 (maybe yes, maybe no), and that " that Moses was one hundred and ten years of age when he died—that his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated; ..." This is a coded way of saying he noticed everything and could still get excited. How they knew this, I am not sure. I guess he bragged about it. But it is an old way to affirm that the man was not dead and that he was really really alive right up until he was dead. Many people I meet feel dead because they have no touch or sexual expression in their lives.

While many fundamentally religious types will deny this aspect of human need as being merely selfish and carnal, it is very normal and very necessary for a healthy life. The most extreme sexual religious ignorance I have heard to date is of one who always prayed to God they would not experience, shall we say, the unabated force, and have to have sex with a partner just for the sake of sex. Argh... no further comment. I'd say the partner is looking elsewhere in some way.

On the other hand, those that, while very religious and faithful to their church politely listen to those in authority represent "God's view" on these topics to them every week, are very able to say that they don't care what the minister says and their sexuality is really none of the church's business, which it isn't. I find so many devote believers who sturggle against what they are taught or in many cases not taught by a church. Much of that which has to do with human sexuality in the Bible is wrong and harmful to humans. It's archaic, middle Eastern in perspective and It does control them nicely though which is perhaps it's intent. It also promotes much anxiety and depression which are functions of an shame, guilt, fear and anger unexpressed. I have yet to meet an anxious or depressed client that is not fearful or angry about something they feel they have no right to or is too risky to express. Think about it.

I love my gay clients. There are probably no more honest, open and compassionate types of human being. They have a nature that lends itself to that and often the experience to reinforce the benefit of that way of being and thinking. They have also dealt with a lot of rejection and had to face issues of authenticity that, again, most never face, openly. Not one I know is gay by choice but rather by nature. Not one is trying to be ungay, nor should they. Everyone is a genuine human being who knows more about themselves than most will ever dare explore. I think of the one who was "outed" by a friend at Church and was given a video tape to watch on how to not be gay. If they could not change and the video did not convince them, then they were not welcome at church. Needless to say the video just didn't work. I asked a lesbian client once why she came to me as I was, well...a man! I knew the history of abuse and was just wondering. She said the nicest thing I have ever had said to me. "Because I love what you do, I feel safe, and you are the only man that is ever going to touch me again." Wow..but she wouldn't let me use that in my advertising.

Everyone needs safe touch. Touch tends to send it's message subtley but loud and clear. A client knows if I am not present in the massage by the way touch feels. One client said he'd tell me later in the session if he wanted to go for 90 minutes instead of just an hour. From my perspective, I'd like to know now as it determines what and how I do the massage, but I just said ok. I put my hands on him and made half a pass down the back when he said, "let's do 90." He said when I touched him, he knew he wanted to go longer. Nice compliment. It was the touch.

On occasions there might be a person who is so stressed and so angry, that they just feel that way without saying so. It is more sensing than feeling. I can feel a bad intention and it makes for a very long hour. Sometimes you just can't put your "finger" on it but you know that all is not well. That's how touch works too. Just the energy people give out can inform you long before they ever get near enough to touch you. It's why we can feel great or bad when some people walk in the room. Even without touching us, they are getting to us.

So think about how you touch and why. The mantra for many is sadly "don't touch me," and that also needs to be respected. I believe much obesity is a subconscious message to "stay away form me." Research tells us that 80% of all obese females have experienced sexual abuse. Sounds high to me, but might be close. Even untouch or ungentled, as the term is used, RATS, die sooner and don't survive surgeries as well as those who are oft gentled or touched. How much more so our partners, family members, children and even ourselves. Watch even how others soothe and touch themselves to see that even unconsciously our brain tells our hands to comfort us in time of need.

Long Term Space Exploration; Physical and Mental Health Limitations

2007-01-21T22:23:00.000-08:00

Long-term space flight will take its toll on astronauts including entropy, bone loss, radiation and a feeling of loneliness. For us to send people into long-term space flights, which could take years if not decades we will need to consider modification concepts to our space craft.

There are a number of things we can do. I propose that the water we will need for these space missions be stored along the outer shells of the astronauts quarters thus protect them from radiation. I also propose that the astronaut’s quarters spin at a rate to provide centripetal force simulating gravity. I also propose that the resonance of all equipment leave a near Earth frequency of 7.89 Hz to help keep the immune system synchronized with what the human body is use to.

One thing we can do it allow astronauts to receive emails, although they will be hours or days in delay, they can read them and reply to Earthlings and students with questions. Also we will need artificial intelligent robotic companions, with down loadable information for studying, entertainment and someone to shoot the breeze with. The companion robot will need to be much better than the current artificial intelligent robots available. Consider these few modifications and I am ready to go.

Conquering the Stigma of a Mental Health Disorder

2007-01-13T22:25:00.001-08:00

Having a family member that is suffering a mental health disorder can be taxing at times. Depending on the severity of the disorder, many families have been broken up because of this. Some of them can be blamed on the lack of love or patience a family member can bestow. Some just cannot handle the pressure and others just cannot take the shame.

But if the people around a person with a mental health disorder feels awkward, then what about what the actual person with the disorder feels? Many or most of these people are too afraid or ashamed to share their disorder with other people because they fear being ridiculed or judged.

Even as seeing a psychiatrist or taking mental health disorder medicines are commonplace nowadays, many people still distrust a person with a mental health problem; they feel that they are too unstable and unpredictable. Fearing what they do not know, this ignorance causes more depression and damage to a person with a mental health disorder.

Getting Over the Fear

What mental health disorder patients want is for them to be considered as normal people. Only that they need more compassion, understanding and kindness. Treat a mental health disorder afflicted person the same way as you would anyone, this would make him or her feel more normal.

As they feel more accepted and happy, they increase the chance of becoming normal. Also, be prepared; learn about the disorder that has afflicted your family or friend. Know the symptoms so you can be prepared as well.

For the patient, learn and try to accept your condition, do not be afraid of what people will say, open up your condition to them. If they can’t take it then they’re not worth it. Remember that there are many people with mental health disorder; some are not just as obvious. Hold your head up high and live with dignity.

How To Beat Unfair Mental Health Funding

2007-01-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

I happened to be talking to my local politician before Christmas because a fine website on depression, www.DepressioNet.com.au was about to lose funding for its crucial 24 hour support forums as a result of failure by the Australian government to fund its programs.

So I pinged the pollies and Bill, my local politician, wanted to chat. The one illuminating aspect of our 45 minute conversation was that it was very hard (for politicians) to decide what other health programs should be cut in order to increase funding for mental health because of myriad vested interests.

Watching news reports around the world and back home I see similar difficulties arising. It is somewhat reminiscent of the ‘Yes Minister’ dilemmas that Sir Humphrey Appleby would put to his boss, thereby stymieing him every time.

Just last week in South Australia an identical furore erupted. There, the government was brave (or hassled) enough to announce increased mental health funding. The opposition was equally mean enough to demand to know what (more highly valued) general health programs were to be sacrificed for the increase. Read the report here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200601/s1545360.htm

Now to get back to Yes Minister, Jim Hacker in his early days would have said ‘But we should just fund health needs according to the cost to the community, the individual and the carer. And that should be the minimum amount needed to restore the ill person’s health so as to function in relationships, at work and in the community.’ You wish!

The unfairness is obvious when authoritative reports state: ‘Stigma is systemic in decision-making at the highest political levels. Ultimate responsibility for mental health services lies with government leaders at Federal and State levels.

‘It is they who have ensured these services have had such a low priority in policy-making and funding…

‘The proportion of Australia’s health budget spent on mental health services is under 8%. In comparable OECD countries, the proportion is 12% or more.’ Dare to Care, SANE Mental Health Report 2004 at http://www.sane.org/images/assets/Research_reports_and_images/MHR2004text.pdf

A report by Access Economics for SANE Australia in 2003 calculated the costs of bipolar in Australia as being ‘$16,000 on average’ per year for each sufferer. Yet spending is ‘only $3,007 per person.’

It gets worse. The report states that this paltry $3,007 is even less than spending on the average Australian’s health care, even though ‘the burden of disease – the pain, suffering, disability and death – is greater for bipolar disorder than for ovarian cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or HIV/AIDs, and similar to schizophrenia and melanoma.’

And who makes up the shortfall? According to the report, ‘around half (i.e. $8,000) of this cost is borne by people with the illness and their carers.’

‘Mentally healthy’ public outnumber the mentally ill by a factor of 4 to 1. They want their subsidized spas and perfect teeth at the expense of us getting into hospital when we need it! But because they still view the behaviors of mental illness as not symptoms but as plain bad behavior, our health needs are viewed as less deserving than theirs, and funded accordingly.

Because of the ‘Yes Minister’ factor, I think we face an uphill battle persuading the politicians. They won’t shift until public opinion does, to say nothing of favors and kickbacks.

The 4 people in 5 who don’t have a mental illness have something much worse—prejudice. They are the ones who need persuading that mental health deserves equitable funding.

The Effects Of Addiction On Your Mental Health

2007-01-12T22:24:00.002-08:00

Alcohol abuse is overstated, while drug abuse is underrated. The DSM manual suggests that in substance abuse there are differences in the definition of drug and alcohol use. To confuse matters worse the law has its own version of who is an alcoholic or drug addict.

Some of the symptoms that help professionals determine if alcohol and drugs are a problem include, excessive drinking/drugs, withdrawal symptoms, shaking of the hands, etc. If a person drinks everyday of the week and relies on alcohol, then you are probably dealing with an alcoholic.

The fact is, most of the people nagging or evaluating alcohol and drugs have a problem themselves or have gotten help someone in their lifetime to treat their own problems. Therefore, as you can see addictions, dependant alcoholics, and other types of alcoholics and drug addicts may alter.

Any chemical that causes harm is a potential danger to you.If you start out drinking when you are young and continue through your lifetime without alcohol causing you trouble, or else landing you a spot in jail, then you are probably not an alcoholic according to some.

The fact is the ones that are drinking and driving and getting caught are alcoholics according to the system. Alcoholism and drug addictions are complex, in the sense there are too many misconstrued inputs and often the label is placed on individuals according to culture and history.

The problem becomes a problem when the person has difficulty putting down the bottle and/or increases their intake as well as combining drugs with the alcohol to get an affect they was had. If someone will steal or lie to get alcohol or drugs then you know they have a real problem.

However, most alcoholics and drug addicts have bigger problems than addictions and this is often ignored. For example, people with mental illnesses often resort to alcohol and/or drugs to find relief of their symptoms. Now if a professional is treating this person for his or her diagnosis and progress is moving along the person often feels healthy and the alcohol and drugs are out the door.

In my studies and opinions, I disagree with alcoholism and drug addictions if the person is able to stop once the mental illness is treated. This means that the person was suffering and the substances was a mechanism to help them cope. On the other hand, if the person is treated for mental illnesses and his or her drug and alcohol habits continue, then I think you had better get out the chair and start talking ‘one day at a time.’

There are many therapeutic strategies in mental health, and each depends on the patient and the diagnoses. The focus of this therapeutic strategy is to get the patient to stay focused, voice their values and beliefs freely without feeling threatened, learn to pay attention, teaching the patient to accept responsibility and so forth. In most events, the groups consist of Interpersonal, Psycho educational, support, and psychotherapy groups.

Many of the patients that attend each of the groups have difficulty socializing, staying focused, trusting others, and are often emotional immature or underdeveloped. Most of the patients were subjects of harsh society and impractical parent/educational up bring. The point then is to bring the patient to a point of survival that does not include fear.Left untreated it can become a chronic illness that becomes resistant to treatment.

Mental Health and Nutrients

2007-01-12T22:24:00.001-08:00

Every one of us humans innate biomedical factors that influence health functions, since every person has a different combination of characteristics from either one of there parents or ancestors they adapt to different types of psychological behaviors and nutrient needs. Therefore some of us are genetically suited for vegetarian-based diets and others are not. Some get satisfied with nutritional needs by diet alone and others require nutrition supplements to overcome genetic aberration.

When genetics differ from body to body in the process of food then we can ponder that some of us have an overload of nutrients than the others. Some of us have very low levels of such nutrients causing at most times the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) to achieve not on a physical but also a mental health unbalance. Its also very important to understand that excessive amount of such nutrients can also result to serious health problems- namely such nutrients include copper, iron, folic acid,, calcium and many forms of fatty acids, this naturally differs from person to person but the presence of multiple vitamins and minerals can be harmful for some and act normal for some.

The medical communities agree on tremendous influence of neurotransmitters on behavior of disorder. People can have a predisposition for there problems due to genetically aberrant level of neurotransmitters. Our mental health is dependant upon having the proper amounts nutrient intake or presence to be comprehensive of no critical brain malfunction.

The brain works like a factory producing serotonin, dopamine and various such chemicals everyday, the only relief for our brain is the proper intake of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Improper amounts of nutrients can cause serious problems with our neurotransmitters. People with depression require basic amounts of vitamin B-6. This vitamin is the deplete nutrient we persist or have to synthesis our actual mental health trauma. There are other serotonin enhancing medications and other altering drugs but the true cause of mental difficulties so often remains uncorrected, therefore if a patient needs the support in basic mental conditions medical administrators improvise on vitamin B-6 with supporting nutrients to achieve simple health benefits of the body and mind. Hence nutrient therapy can be very potent chemistry that doesn’t involve side effects, since no molecules foreign are needed for body support. This therapy may eventually eliminate the need for most psychiatric medication and observation.

Nutrients play a critical role in mental health, they are the building blocks of the nervous system, correct testing and understand of deficiencies, and overloads can pinpoint the causes of many sever mental symptoms, thus opening the door to hope and recovery.

Questions to Ask Mental Health Professionals About Depressive Illness

2007-01-11T22:24:00.000-08:00

If you or someone you love visits a therapist, there are questions you need to ask to avoid problems. Some therapists are more advanced than others are. I can tell you that some are not qualified to diagnose anything that is more complex. If you suspect you have a disorder, the best thing you can do is get accuracy on those symptoms, research your behaviors, and write them down.

If you go to the therapist you will be ahead of the game, and by learning more about your own behaviors, symptoms, and so on can save you from a diagnose you may or may not have. Therapists as a rule base their treatment on the thought patterns, which includes hearing and talking. If the patient shows a disturbance in their thinking patterns, the therapist will consider psychosis, since this is a symptom related to the diagnosis.

They will search for signs that the patient may demonstrate, including vague thoughts, fleeting ideas, peripheral thought patterns, blocking thoughts, disassociation and so forth. Counselors often search for evidence of schizophrenia or psychosis when there is a break in reality, paranoia etc.

Paranoid and Paranoia are separate from the other, and must not be misconstrued. Professionals could make a mistake in diagnosis if they are not aware of the difference of paranoia and paranoid. Schizophrenias are often paranoid, while patients that suffer posttraumatic stress in the early stages may illustrate paranoia.

When a patient answers out of content, or else the ideas delivered are unrelated to the conversation then there is a potential mental illness. For example, we are discussing society, and the patient says, “I never go there. After I get back from Australia next week we can do that.”

An area of concern is when the patient is talking fragments. The patient will start with one idea and jump to several other ideas. This pattern is known as fleeting thought processing. When the patient is illustrating thoughts that are sidetracked, the therapist may show a degree of concern.

Language is important when evaluating a patient, since some patients may not have sufficient skills in communication it could very well mean a lack of education rather than a diagnosis. If you have been talking individually to a therapist, and this is the only symptom, make sure that the patient is not on medications he or she may not need.

It is important to pay attention to symptoms and signs that link mental health problems and other issues. Ask the therapist questions any time there is a diagnosis, what the symptoms include, and what medicines can do to treat the disorder. When a person is suddenly, loosing a train of thought during a session this may be a possible diagnosis.

If a person is telling you about a dream related to his or her parent, and all of a sudden claims they cannot remember what they were talking about, this is an evident sign of some disorder. Most likely, this patient has suffered trauma. The symptoms are in front of you and it is important to continue treatment to find which diagnosis the patient may have.

Unfortunately, most therapists are not trained to treat patients with Multiple Personality Disorders, and often these people pay a steep price. The sign or symptom is known as disassociation or blocking memories and this is a definite sign or Multiple Personality Disorder. Multiple Personality Disorder is often exclusive in blocking memories to avoid pain.

GIRL POWER! Is Good Mental Health

2007-01-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

GIRL POWER! is paving the way for girls to build confidence, competence, and pride in themselves, in other words, enhancing girls' mental wellness. Girl Power! is also providing messages and materials to girls about the risks and consequences associated with substance abuse and with potential mental health concerns. For instance, did you know:

Girls are seven times more likely than boys to be depressed and twice as likely to attempt suicide.*

Girls are three times more likely than boys to have a negative body image (often reflected in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia).*

One in five girls in the U.S. between the ages of 12 and 17 drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes.*

Girls who develop positive interpersonal and social skills decrease their risk of substance abuse.*

Girls who have an interest and ability in areas such as academics, the arts, sports, and community activities are more likely to develop confidence and may be less likely to use drugs.*

On the other hand, this also is a time when girls may make decisions to try risky behaviors, including drinking, smoking, and using drugs.*

The Girl Power! Campaign, under the leadership of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is collaborating with the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) to provide this valuable mental health information.

* Girl Power! Hometown Media Kit, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, 1997.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Results from a study of nearly 6,000 people aged 15 to 24 show that among young people with a history of both a mental disorder and an addictive disorder, the mental disorder is usually reported to have occurred first. The onset of mental health problems may occur about 5 to 10 years before the substance abuse disorders.**

This provides a "window of opportunity" for targeted substance abuse prevention interventions and needed mental health services.

** "National Comorbidity Survey," Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D., et al., American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, June 1996.

What Is Mental Health?

Mental health is how we think, feel, and act in order to face life's situations. It is how we look at ourselves, our lives, and the people we know and care about. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, evaluate our options, and make choices. Everyone has mental health.

A young girl's mental health affects her daily life and future. Schoolwork, relationships, and physical health can be affected by mental health. Like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life. Caring for and protecting a child's mental health is a major part of helping that child grow to become the best she can be.

Girls' independence is usually encouraged in childhood, and their strengths nurtured. Most girls become emotionally, mentally, and physically healthy young adults. But sometimes, during the transition from childhood to adolescence, extra care is necessary, so that a girl's self-esteem and coping skills are not diminished. For more information on teen mental health, call 1-800-789-2647 and ask for the brochure: "You and Mental Health: What's the Deal?" (Order # CA-0002)

Nurturing Your Child's Mental Health

Parents and other caregivers are responsible for children’s physical safety and emotional well-being. Parenting styles vary; there is no one right way to raise a child. Clear and consistent expectations for each child, by all caregivers, are important. Many good books are available in libraries or at bookstores on child development, constructive problem-solving, discipline styles, and other parenting skills. The following suggestions are not meant to be complete.

Do your best to provide a safe home and community for your child, as well as nutritious meals, regular health check-ups, immunizations, and exercise.

Be aware of stages in child development so you don’t expect too much or too little from your child.

Encourage your child to express her feelings; respect those feelings. Let your child know that everyone experiences pain, fear, anger, and anxiety.

Try to learn the source of these feelings. Help your child express anger positively, without resorting to violence.

Promote mutual respect and trust. Keep your voice level down—even when you don’t agree. Keep communication channels open.

Listen to your child. Use words and examples your child can understand. Encourage questions.

Provide comfort and assurance. Be honest. Focus on the positives. Express your willingness to talk about any subject.

Look at your own problem-solving and coping skills. Do you turn to alcohol or drugs? Are you setting a good example? Seek help if you are overwhelmed by your child’s feelings or behaviors or if you are unable to control your own frustration or anger.

Encourage your child’s talents and accept limitations.

Set goals based on the child’s abilities and interests—not someone else’s expectations. Celebrate accomplishments. Don’t compare your child’s abilities to those of other children; appreciate the uniqueness of your child. Spend time regularly with your child.

Foster your child’s independence and self-worth.

Help your child deal with life’s ups and downs. Show confidence in your child’s ability to handle problems and tackle new experiences.

Discipline constructively, fairly, and consistently. (Discipline is a form of teaching, not physical punishment.) All children and families are different; learn what is effective for your child. Show approval for positive behaviors. Help your child learn from her mistakes.

Love unconditionally. Teach the value of apologies, cooperation, patience, forgiveness, and consideration for others. Do not expect to be perfect; parenting is a difficult job. Many good books are available in libraries or at bookstores on child development, constructive problem-solving, discipline styles, and other parenting skills. Mental Health Problems Many children experience mental health problems that are real and painful and can be severe.

Mental health problems affect at least one in every five young people, at any given time. At least 1 in 10 children may have a serious emotional disturbance that severely disrupts his or her ability to function.

Tragically an estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health problems are not getting the help they need. Mental health problems can lead to school failure, alcohol or other drug abuse, family discord, violence, or even suicide.

Alternatives In Mental Health

2007-01-10T23:13:00.000-08:00

"Health" and "illness" are contrasting terms. They can be used in physical or in mental context. We know that physical exercise done on a regular basis keeps us healthy. Mental exercise also keeps us mentally healthy. Just like after doing physical exercise we need rest, after mental exercise the mind also needs rest. But we hear the term "physical rest" frequently. The term "mental rest" is rarely used. No doubt then that as mental activities have increased with industrialisation, stress has increased. This stress results from our inability to allow our mind to become inactive or relaxed for even a short time.

Some people believe that our brain becomes inactive when we sleep. If that were so then we should not have any dreams. Dreams are evidence that our mind remains active, even when we are asleep. This simply means that our mind is active 24 hours a day without any rest at all. Just imagine how our bodies would behave if we were to go through 24 hours of physical activity.

Although research may show that 30% of mental illness may occur without a trigger of stress, it also shows that a majority - 70% - of mental illnesses occur with stress. The research may have failed to look at the other 30%, mentally ill who may not be 'acknowledging' stress at a given moment. This gives us a pessimistic view of mental illnesses. We are made to believe that we can do nothing about them. We are also told that mental illnesses occur because of our genes, our upbringing, our personality, our temperament, our lifestyle and we can do nothing about them. Stress or no stress, we are told, if we have all these factors loaded in our personal history, we are prone to have a mental illness. Some psychiatrists adhere to this belief strongly. This belief is then put across authoritatively as the "gospel truth" of science. Naturally, this brings up a sense of low self-esteem and helplessness in the person who is suffering with the illness. We are then made to believe that medications are man-made answers to mental illness, which is a curse of nature.

Prayer, which was until recently considered unscientific, has now been shown to have beneficial effects on patients.1 Similarly, the current belief in psychiatry is that mental illnesses can be treated by medical professionals only and the person who is mentally ill has no control over their lives. The medical system works in a way in which the doctors themselves have limited choices other than prescribing drugs. The patient has no choices worth mentioning. From the legal perspective, a person who is mentally ill is considered not capable of taking any responsibility for their actions. This is one of the most unfortunate aspects of mental illnesses. People who are mentally ill also have a sense of responsibility in many areas of their lives.

The role of emotions in mental illnesses has been totally ignored by scientists. Yet researches do show that separation from mother,2 losses3 - including deaths,4 traumatic events, especially when they occur over the previous three months5 can trigger mental illnesses. What has been looked at is the history of such events in a person's life. What is ignored is the emotional upheaval it causes in a person's body and mind. Emotional expression ameliorates the effects of trauma.6 Repetitive upheavals in the body are simply not forgotten. Release of emotions by emotional expression explains the role of counselling and confession. We tend to believe, erroneously, that everything will settle with time. Things do settle with time - but not everything. It is these issues and their emotional effects, that cause mental illnesses and psychosomatic illnesses. It is obvious that whenever we undergo any emotional experience, our nervous and hormonal systems are shaken-up. The nervous system and the hormones together control the activities of various parts of the body. If the neurohormonal expression is allowed to go through completion, a physiological calmness occurs in the body. This has a scientific basis.7

For people who attend church regularly, a common experience is the sense of calmness on entering a church. Coupled with music, incense and sermons spoken in a low, soft tone, a sense of calmness dwells on the person. There is scientific evidence to suggest that going to church helps a person remain healthy.8 More interesting is the fact that there is little research to state that music or aromatherapy help to bring about mental health. Yet experience shows that they have a calming effect. Only recently have papers started to be published in scientific journals bridging the gap between spirituality and science.9 It has now been researched that people who are religious in orientation have a lower rate of strokes than those who are not religious.10

The whole area of mental illness is about losing a sense of freedom. When we find ourselves bound to emotional issues of our life, that we cannot rid ourselves of, we lose our freedom of thinking. This creates stress in our mind and our body bears the brunt of it. This loss of freedom brings up a sense of fear or a sense of helplessness. Both such feelings bring up a sense of insecurity. A person loses confidence in their own worth. Self-esteem becomes low. With lack of confidence and low self-esteem, comes poor decision-making. A person suffers with all these conditions when suffering with a mental illness. This changes the behaviour of the person. The behaviour is affected by the way the person feels and thinks. If the person feels fear for a long time, the chances of becoming phobic and paranoid increase. Withdrawal from social situations occurs. The family members observe the person to be unwell. Such a person is then asked to see a doctor. With the person's self-esteem low, vulnerability increases. This does not mean however, that the person becomes totally irresponsible towards their own well-being. Many times the person wants to do 'something' to get better, but the health system has limited resources to offer much in terms of growth of the person, except medication. When a mentally ill person goes to seek help - confidence, self-esteem and sense of freedom are already lost. Instead of helping the person become independent, there is a tendency to make the person dependent on medication.

Medication plays its role in controlling the condition or state of illness. It does nothing to improve the quality of life permanently. To improve their quality of life, the person needs to take responsibility for their own well-being. This is encouraged in some of the organisations, which are being run by the sufferers themselves. GROW is an example of such an organisation. Are there any alternatives to medication in mental conditions? A doctor can only prescribe drugs to "control" the mental condition. The current trend in some other parts of the world is to encourage people suffering with mental illnesses to take responsibility for their own well-being, along with medication. Psychotherapy11 and self-help is encouraged. The usage of medication in such situations is minimised or eliminated.

In psychiatry, we know that the suicide rate among physicians is higher than in the general population and psychiatrists are at a greater risk among physicians, than other specialists.12 Research shows that psychotherapy is more economical than medication alone in treating mental illness.13 Conditions like schizophrenia are also being treated without medication in some parts of the world.14 It is also a known fact that the more positive the attitude we have, the more balanced are the chemicals in our body.15 This would be more acceptable for those who see the positive role of religion on mental health. Some authors have suggested that the medicine of the future is going to be "prayer and Prozac."16 Mental health is a preventative activity. Do we need to suffer first before we take steps to deal with it? If we could only assume responsibility for our own mental health, we may not have to suffer. The best medicine in this case is certainly prevention.

Real Men, Real Depression! (Mental Health Matters)

2007-01-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

Depression is a serious but treatable medical condition - a brain disease - that can strike anyone, including men. In America alone, over 6 million men have depression each year.

Whether you're a company executive, a construction worker, a writer, a police officer, or a student, whether you are rich or poor, surrounded by loved ones or alone, you are not immune to depression. Some factors, however, such as family history, undue stress, the loss of a loved one or other serious illnesses can make you more vulnerable.

If left untreated, depression can lead to personal, family and financial difficulties, and, in some cases, end in suicide. With appropriate diagnosis and treatment, however, most people recover. The darkness disappears, hope for the future returns, energy and desire come back, and interest in life becomes stronger than ever

Depression can strike anyone regardless of age, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, or gender; however, large scale research studies have found that depression is about twice as common in women as in men. In the United States, researchers estimate that in any given one year period, depressive illnesses affect 12 percent of women (more than 12 million women) and nearly 7 percent of men (more than six million men).3 But important questions remain to be answered about the causes underlying this gender difference. We still do not know if depression is truly less common among men, or if men are just less likely than women to recognize, acknowledge, and seek help for depression.

Types of Depression

Just like other illnesses, such as heart disease, depression comes in different forms. This booklet briefly describes three of the most common types of depressive disorders. However, within these types, there are variations in the number of symptoms, their severity, and persistence.

Major depression (or major depressive disorder) is manifested by a combination of symptoms (see symptoms list below) that interferes with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. A major depressive episode may occur only once; but more commonly, several episodes may occur in a lifetime. Chronic major depression may require a person to continue treatment indefinitely.

A less severe type of depression, dysthymia (or dysthymic disorder), involves long lasting, chronic symptoms that do not seriously disable, but keep one from functioning well or feeling good. Many people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes at some time in their lives.

Depression

Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood.

Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism.

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness.

Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyable, including sex.

Decreased energy, fatigue; feeling “slowed down.”

Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.

Trouble sleeping, early morning awakening, or oversleeping.

Changes in appetite and/or weight.

Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts. Restlessness or irritability.

Persistent physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain that do not respond to routine treatment.

Men and Depression

Researchers estimate that at least six million men in the United States suffer from a depressive disorder every year. Research and clinical evidence reveal that while both women and men can develop the standard symptoms of depression, they often experience depression differently and may have different ways of coping with the symptoms. Men may be more willing to acknowledge fatigue, irritability, loss of interest in work or hobbies, and sleep disturbances rather than feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and excessive guilt. Some researchers question whether the standard definition of depression and the diagnostic tests based upon it adequately capture the condition as it occurs in men.

Men are more likely than women to report alcohol and drug abuse or dependence in their lifetime;14 however, there is debate among researchers as to whether substance use is a “symptom” of underlying depression in men or a co occurring condition that more commonly develops in men. Nevertheless, substance use can mask depression, making it harder to recognize depression as a separate illness that needs treatment.

Instead of acknowledging their feelings, asking for help, or seeking appropriate treatment, men may turn to alcohol or drugs when they are depressed, or become frustrated, discouraged, angry, irritable, and, sometimes, violently abusive. Some men deal with depression by throwing themselves compulsively into their work, attempting to hide their depression from themselves, family, and friends. Other men may respond to depression by engaging in reckless behavior, taking risks, and putting themselves in harm’s way.

More than four times as many men as women die by suicide in the United States, even though women make more suicide attempts during their lives. In addition to the fact that men attempt suicide using methods that are generally more lethal than those used by women, there may be other factors that protect women against suicide death. In light of research indicating that suicide is often associated with depression, the alarming suicide rate among men may reflect the fact that men are less likely to seek treatment for depression. Many men with depression do not obtain adequate diagnosis and treatment that may be life saving.

Depression in Older Men

Men must cope with several kinds of stress as they age. If they have been the primary wage earners for their families and have identified heavily with their jobs, they may feel stress upon retirementloss of an important role, loss of self esteemthat can lead to depression. Similarly, the loss of friends and family and the onset of other health problems can trigger depression.

Depression is not a normal part of aging. Depression is an illness that can be effectively treated, thereby decreasing unnecessary suffering, improving the chances for recovery from other illnesses, and prolonging productive life. However, health care professionals may miss depressive symptoms in older patients. Older adults may be reluctant to discuss feelings of sadness or grief, or loss of interest in pleasurable activities.

They may complain primarily of physical symptoms. It may be difficult to discern a co occurring depressive disorder in patients who present with other illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, or cancer, which may cause depressive symptoms or may be treated with medications that have side effects that cause depression. If a depressive illness is diagnosed, treatment with appropriate medication and/or brief psychotherapy can help older adults manage both diseases, thus enhancing survival and quality of life.

Identifying and treating depression in older adults is critical. There is a common misperception that suicide rates are highest among the young, but it is older white males who suffer the highest rate. Over 70 percent of older suicide victims visit their primary care physician within the month of their death; many have a depressive illness that goes undetected during these visits. This fact has led to research efforts to determine how to best improve physicians’ abilities to detect and treat depression in older adults.

Approximately 80 percent of older adults with depression improve when they receive treatment with antidepressant medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. In addition, research has shown that a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication is highly effective for reducing recurrences of depression among older adults. Psychotherapy alone has been shown to prolong periods of good health free from depression, and is particularly useful for older patients who cannot or will not take medication.18 Improved recognition and treatment of depression in later life will make those years more enjoyable and fulfilling for the depressed elderly person, and his family and caregivers.

A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood.

Depression can strike anyone regardless of age, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, or gender; however, large scale research studies have found that depression is about twice as common in women as in men.In the United States, researchers estimate that in any given one year period, depressive illnesses affect 12 percent of women (more than 12 million women) and nearly 7 percent of men (more than six million men) But important questions remain to be answered about the causes underlying this gender difference. We still do not know if depression is truly less common among men, or if men are just less likely than women to recognize, acknowledge, and seek help for depression.

Symptoms of Depression

Not everyone who is depressed or manic experiences every symptom. Some people experience only a few; some people suffer many. The severity of symptoms varies among individuals and also over time.

Depression

Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood.

Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism.

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness.

Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyable, including sex.

Decreased energy, fatigue; feeling “slowed down.”

Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.

Trouble sleeping, early morning awakening, or oversleeping.

Changes in appetite and/or weight.

Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts.

Restlessness or irritability.

Persistent physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain that do not respond to routine treatment.

Depression can coexist with other illnesses. In such cases, it is important that the depression and each co occurring illness be appropriately diagnosed and treated.

Research has shown that anxiety disorderswhich include post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disordercommonly accompany depression. Depression is especially prevalent among people with PTSD, a debilitating condition that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened.

Traumatic events that can trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults such as rape or mugging, natural disasters, accidents, terrorism, and military combat. PTSD symptoms include: re experiencing the traumatic event in the form of flashback episodes, memories, or nightmares; emotional numbness; sleep disturbances; irritability; outbursts of anger; intense guilt; and avoidance of any reminders or thoughts of the ordeal. In one NIMH supported study, more than 40 percent of people with PTSD also had depression when evaluated at one month and four months following the traumatic event.

Substance use disorders (abuse or dependence) also frequently co occur with depressive disorders. Research has revealed that people with alcoholism are almost twice as likely as those without alcoholism to also suffer from major depression. In addition, more than half of people with bipolar disorder type I (with severe mania) have a co occurring substance use disorder.

Men and Depression

Men are more likely than women to report alcohol and drug abuse or dependence in their lifetime; however, there is debate among researchers as to whether substance use is a “symptom” of underlying depression in men or a co occurring condition that more commonly develops in men. Nevertheless, substance use can mask depression, making it harder to recognize depression as a separate illness that needs treatment.

More than four times as many men as women die by suicide in the United States, even though women make more suicide attempts during their lives. In addition to the fact that men attempt suicide using methods that are generally more lethal than those used by women, there may be other factors that protect women against suicide death. In light of research indicating that suicide is often associated with depression,17 the alarming suicide rate among men may reflect the fact that men are less likely to seek treatment for depression. Many men with depression do not obtain adequate diagnosis and treatment that may be life saving.

More research is needed to understand all aspects of depression in men, including how men respond to stress and feelings associated with depression, how to make men more comfortable acknowledging these feelings and getting the help they need, and how to train physicians to better recognize and treat depression in men. Family members, friends, and employee assistance professionals in the workplace also can play important roles in recognizing depressive symptoms in men and helping them get treatment.

The first step to getting appropriate treatment for depression is a physical examination by a physician. Certain medications as well as some medical conditions such as a viral infection, thyroid disorder, or low testosterone level can cause the same symptoms as depression, and the physician should rule out these possibilities through examination, interview, and lab tests. If no such cause of the depressive symptoms is found, the physician should do a psychological evaluation or refer the patient to a mental health professional.

A good diagnostic evaluation will include a complete history of symptoms: i.e., when they started, how long they have lasted, their severity, and whether the patient had them before and, if so, if the symptoms were treated and what treatment was given. The doctor should ask about alcohol and drug use, and if the patient has thoughts about death or suicide. Further, a history should include questions about whether other family members have had a depressive illness and, if treated, what treatments they may have received and if they were effective. Last, a diagnostic evaluation should include a mental status examination to determine if speech, thought patterns, or memory has been affected, as sometimes happens with depressive disorders.

Treatment choice will depend on the patient’s diagnosis, severity of symptoms, and preference. There are a variety of treatments, including medications and short term psychotherapies (i.e., “talk” therapies), that have proven effective for depressive disorders. In general, severe depressive illnesses, particularly those that are recurrent, will require a combination of treatments for the best outcome.

Alcohol including wine, beer, and hard liquoror street drugs may reduce the effectiveness of antidepressants and should be avoided. However, doctors may permit people who have not had a problem with alcohol abuse or dependence to use a modest amount of alcohol while taking one of the newer antidepressants.

Questions about any medication prescribed, or problems that may be related to it, should be discussed with your doctor.

How to Help Yourself if You Are Depressed

Depressive disorders can make one feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless. It is important to realize that these negative views are part of the depression and do not accurately reflect the actual circumstances. Negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect. In the meantime: Engage in mild exercise. Go to a movie, a ballgame, or participate in religious, social, or other activities. Set realistic goals and assume a reasonable amount of responsibility.

Break large tasks into small ones, set some priorities, and do what you can as you can.

Try to be with other people and to confide in someone; it is usually better than being alone and secretive. Participate in activities that may make you feel better. Expect your mood to improve gradually, not immediately. Feeling better takes time. Often during treatment of depression, sleep and appetite will begin to improve before depressed mood lifts.

Postpone important decisions. Before deciding to make a significant transition–change jobs, get married or divorced–discuss it with others who know you well and have a more objective view of your situation.

Do not expect to ‘snap out of’ a depression. But do expect to feel a little better day by day.

Remember, positive thinking will replace the negative thinking as your depression responds to treatment. Let your family and friends help you.

How Family and Friends Can Help

The most important thing anyone can do for a man who may have depression is to help him get to a doctor for a diagnostic evaluation and treatment. First, try to talk to him about depressionhelp him understand that depression is a common illness among men and is nothing to be ashamed about. Perhaps share this booklet with him. Then encourage him to see a doctor to determine the cause of his symptoms and obtain appropriate treatment.

Occasionally, you may need to make an appointment for the depressed person and accompany him to the doctor. Once he is in treatment, you may continue to help by encouraging him to stay with treatment until symptoms begin to lift (several weeks) or to seek different treatment if no improvement occurs. This may also mean monitoring whether he is taking prescribed medication and/or attending therapy sessions. Encourage him to be honest with the doctor about his use of alcohol and prescription or recreational drugs, and to follow the doctor’s orders about the use of these substances while on antidepressant medication.

The second most important thing is to offer emotional support to the depressed person. This involves understanding, patience, affection, and encouragement. Engage him in conversation and listen carefully. Do not disparage the feelings he may express, but point out realities and offer hope. Do not ignore remarks about suicide. Report them to the depressed person’s doctor. In an emergency, call 911. Invite him for walks, outings, to the movies, and other activities. Be gently insistent if your invitation is refused. Encourage participation in some activities that once gave pleasure, such as hobbies, sports, religious or cultural activities, but do not push him to undertake too much too soon. The depressed person needs diversion and company, but too many demands can increase feelings of failure.

Listed below are the types of people and places that will make a referral to, or provide, diagnostic and treatment services.

Family doctors

Mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, or mental health counselors Religious leaders/counselors

Health maintenance organizations

Community mental health centers

Hospital psychiatry departments and outpatient clinics

University or medical school affiliated programs

State hospital outpatient clinics

Social service agencies

Private clinics and facilities

Employee assistance programs

Local medical and/or psychiatric societies

Choosing a Mental Health Counsellor

2007-01-09T23:11:00.001-08:00

Everyone faces situations in life that are difficult and overwhelming. One way to cope is to consult with a professional counsellor. Counsellors can help you make a career change, deal with the death of a loved one, overcome panic attacks, manage stress, get over anger, cope with divorce, chronic pain, bullying, school anxiety - in short, counsellors are trained to help you face a wide range of difficulties.

Counsellors work with people across the life span – from childhood, through adolescence, and adulthood. Counsellors offer their services in a variety of modes: individual counselling, couple, family, and groups.
, Finding the right counsellor is often a confusing process. You can use the following guidelines to identify a qualified, helpful counsellor.

1. A good counsellor is a qualified profession with a university education (often a master’s degree or higher) from a recognized university. You can ask to see their university degree, where they did their internship and how long they’ve been in practice.

2. A good counsellor is part of an association to which they are accountable, has a code of ethics, and which grants certification based on high standards of training and education. The Canadian Counselling Association (CCA) certifies qualified counselors. To find a Canadian Certified Counsellor in Canada, contact The Canadian Counselling Association at 1-877-765-5565 or by visiting their website at www.ccacc.ca A good counsellor has expertise and the necessary training or area of specialization to help with you specific problems.

3. A good counsellor listens more than they speak and keeps the focus on you. A good counsellor is respectful and willing to challenge you when necessary. A good counsellor is someone you are comfortable with, who is nonjudgmental, someone you can trust with the personal details of your life. A good counsellor encourages and answers your questions.

3. A good counsellor discusses the issue of confidentiality with you, explains when confidentiality might be broken and with whom and under what circumstances the counsellor can discuss your case.A good counsellor helps you set clearly defined goals and a plan of action. A good counsellor gives you an estimate of how long counselling might last and how counselling will end.

4. A good counsellor describes appontment policy with you including the session fees, method of payment, the policy regarding missed appointments, the length of each session and how to reach them in case of an emergency.

5. A good counsellor welcomes your feedback and asks how you feel the counselling process is going and if you have any concerns or questions.

Image is Everything! (MHM-Mental Health Matters)

2007-01-09T23:10:00.000-08:00

The image you have of yourself is everything. If your image is that of a worthless bum, then you are going to more likely be an ineffective person in life and you need to turn the picture round and get a picture of success and well being, as you can be what you want and if you see yourself as a negative person it will be very hard to get anything done.

What you need to do is have a positive image of yourself, then we can move forward with the building of the perfect you. So the image you have of yourself needs to be a positive one and you need to be able to see things that are yet to be. To see the future and to mold and shape it in any form that you so need to get to where it is that you want to go. See yourself buying the new house, see yourself getting the new job and continues to build you up in a very positive way.

Slowly the picture will start to change and since you saw that new job and new car and the pack of cigarettes thrown out the window, you now have that much more of a chance to get these things as you have planted the seeds that you need to bring the thought to the next level and that is reality, continue to think about what car you want and what kind of house you want and what color you want in each room, because when you see these things over and over and over again the closer you are to seeing them happen and happen they will, with a little help from your imagination the minds most powerful tool.

It can bring a dream into a reality and that is what I mean buy positive image and seeing things that are yet to be, and holding on to them until you are changed and your future seems to start to become different and the results start to come in as it was the first thought of your imagination that made it all so clear. Holding on to whom and what you want to be is important also.

Be the husband that you want, see yourself helping your wife out around the house, sees yourself playing with your kids as the great dad that you want to be. See the image of yourself getting more and more positive as the days roll on. You really can shape up your image with thought it is so true. Think of the stuff you want and see yourself doing whatever it is that you need to get there and continue on until you start to see results and that will in turn have a greater effect on your image it will be like a giant snowball rolling down a big hill, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger as it goes farther and father down until it is so big that you can’t believe how huge it’s gotten.

That can be just like your image as you slowly continue to build it up and up as the things start to change and before you know it you have a huge snowball or in this case your image is grand as there is now nothing that you can’t do! This won’t happen overnight but if you keep the right image of yourself you shall soon see the difference and all shall become clear as your future UN folds unto another successful year.

Take it day by day and if something does not work out continue to see the picture until you start to see results you want and results are all that you need to start the snow ball rolling down that giant hills we call life and once you see it begin to hold on to the positive picture of yourself and keep all your dreams near as they all shall start to come into focus, things will start to become clear as the snowball gets bigger year after year.

When you have a giant snowball and your dreams are now free to develop unto all that maybe, the problem with your image is now just a dream, a dream of the past far away it may be as your image is rock solid not just dreams. Dreams have become reality as now you can see that all along all you needed was your image to be set free.

'Tis the Season to Binge and Stress; This Year Avoid the Holiday Worry and Pounds

2007-01-08T23:08:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is a time full of joy, cheer, parties, and family gatherings. However, for many people, it is also a time filled with anxiety, stress, and weight gain. Unfortunately, many people often use the busy holiday season as an excuse to reduce exercise or put off starting a new program. Often these people have the intention of coming back with a vengeance after the New Year. “The New Year is just around the corner and I’m going to lose weight and get in shape”; this trusty New Year’s resolution declaration is also conveniently used to justify holiday overindulgence. Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) have shown that for most people weight gained during the holidays is not lost and accumulates on a yearly basis. Says NICHD Director Duane Alexander, M.D; "These findings suggest that developing ways to avoid holiday weight gain may be extremely important for preventing obesity and the diseases associated with it.” Maintaining a regular exercise program throughout the holiday season provides benefits on many different levels.

The demands of shopping, parties, family reunions, and house guests can contribute to feelings of tension. According to The National Mental Health Association, (NMHA) this tension can illicit stress responses such as: headaches, excessive drinking, difficulty sleeping, and the ever-popular over-eating. Exercise has been shown to be a tremendous tool to manage stress. Exercise will give you energy and the mental strength to deal with the mad rush of holiday shopping, holiday travel and holiday visitors. Managing stress with exercise can also help control cravings for those comfort foods that adorn the holiday tables. Regular exercise also increases metabolism, thus reducing the detrimental effect of an occasional extra cookie or glass of eggnog. Experts at NMHA claim, even more people experience post-holiday let down after the New Year than suffer holiday anxiety. With this comes lack of motivation and comfort eating. Its no wonder those New Year’s resolutions are rarely successful.

Parties, large meals and extra calories are almost unavoidable during the holiday season. Weight maintenance rather than weight loss through the holidays is a much healthier goal. Exercising regularly and enjoying the few extra calories will break the vicious cycle of guilt, feelings of failure, and more eating. Getting a head start on exercise prior to January 1st will give you a healthier and happier holiday season as well as make those New Year’s resolution goals far more attainable.

Healthy Holiday Tips:

1. Focus on weight maintenance not weight loss - Parties, large meals and extra calories are almost unavoidable during the holiday season. If you are currently overweight and want to lose weight, this is not the time to do it; setting difficult or unrealistic goals can lead to a vicious cycle of guilt, feelings of failure, and more eating.

2. Get moving – Regular exercise will increase metabolism and allow you to enjoy a few extra calories without putting on the pounds. Exercise will give you energy and the mental strength to deal with the mad rush of holiday shopping, the holiday travel or holiday visitors and the party hopping.

3. Get Plenty of Sleep – Lack of sleep impairs our ability to handle stress (which there is usually no shortage of during the holidays). Chronic sleep loss can also affect various components of metabolism that influence hunger and weight gain.

4. Substitute healthy recipes - Use applesauce in place of oil; use egg whites in place of whole eggs; try plain nonfat yogurt in place of sour cream. Magazines and healthy cooking cook books are full of reduced calorie and reduced fat holiday recipes that taste great.

5. Don’t go to parties hungry – Going to a party on an empty stomach is a recipe for disaster. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast and eating sensibly throughout the day should help you control your appetite and avoid over-indulging on the typically high fat and high calorie holiday fare.

6. Eat slowly- Make one plate of the foods you really want. It takes about twenty minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full. Take your time to enjoy the taste of every bite, and you will realize you don’t need to go back for seconds.

7. Limit alcoholic beverages - Liquors,wines and mixed drinks can contain 150-450 calories per glass whereas, water and diet sodas are calorie-free. If you choose to drink, try light wines and light beers, and use non-alcoholic mixers such as water and diet soda. Limit yourself to one to two drinks.

8. Get rid of leftovers – Some foods are more fattening than others, however, no food will make you gain weight unless you eat too much of it. Often we eat beyond our body’s physical hunger simply because food is there.

9. Keep it in perspective – It takes days of overeating to gain weight; one day won't make or break your eating plan. Nothing is more destructive to a healthy eating plan than the negative feelings of failure and guilt. If you over-indulge at a holiday meal or party, don’t beat yourself up; simply return to your sensible healthy diet the next day.

Addiction Treatment and Mental Health: Dual Diagnosis Opens Path to Recovery

2007-01-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

The disease of addiction is often misunderstood. Society has a tendency to view substance abusers and alcoholics as a deviant population who are lazy, unmotivated, selfish, and indifferent. Yet, so often when one looks beyond the façade of an addict, it is frequently found that the addict is struggling with more than just drug abuse and alcoholism.

Many medical models and studies provide evidence that addiction is hereditary, yet many statistics also indicate that substance abuse and alcoholism can be a form of self-medication for an individual who is suffering with a psychiatric illness or an emotional trauma. The term dual diagnosis is applied to individuals who are affected by both chemical dependency and psychiatric/emotional disorders. In many instances, the symptoms of chemical dependency and mental illness disguise one another and as a result can make dual diagnosis a complex disease to identify. Some comparable symptoms of drug abuse and mental illness include depression, anxiety, paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations.

For one who is dually diagnosed to fully recover, both disorders need to be treated. An individual who is dually diagnosed may attempt to recover from one illness without addressing the other resulting in the contribution of relapse of the other disorder. Both illnesses have the ability to affect an individual physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. An individual who neglects a mental illness may feel the need or desire to self medicate with drugs or alcohol in an attempt to mitigate the symptoms of mental illness. This scenario can often lead to hospitalization.

Denial is usually an inherent problem for one who suffers with dual diagnosis. The individual involved often does not have the proper insight of the severity of their problem. Their way of living has become normal to them. One who has been dually diagnosed should be made aware of the difficulty in recovering from an addiction problem and could greatly benefit from receiving praise for overcoming addiction.

It is essential to recognize the seriousness of being dually diagnosed. While chemical dependency and mental illness interfere with a person’s ability to function effectively, it is essential to treat these diseases simultaneously. The more one becomes educated on dual diagnosis, the more one will become enlightened to the fact that substance abuse has a tendency to go hand in hand with another psychiatric condition. Just as with most other illnesses, an individual affected with dual diagnosis can progress and improve on one’s condition once appropriate care is received.

Terror Barrier! (MHM-Mental Health Matters)

2007-01-07T23:06:00.001-08:00

The Blasted terror barrier, what exactly is it? Have you ever seen a dear stuck in his spot in your head lights? Just frozen they are unable to move? He is struck with terror and can not move from his spot even if it means he gets squished and dies. This is what sort of happens to us, we get caught in the bright lights of life, which is our past and how we’ve always acted! We can now break through the terror barrier and move from out of those lights and then we won’t get squished by the past and we then move on past the terror barrier, unto a new reality which is free from terror!

You may be asking your self how do I break all these bad habits and be frozen in the past or the way we have been taught to act in certain situations. First we have to find a way that works for us, to get past the terror barrier. It was put to me in these certain terms, now don’t laugh, it sounds so simple that I even said what the hell, this can’t be it! IF YOU DO THE THING, YOU WILL HAVE THE POWER, IF YOU DON’T DO THE THING, YOU WON’T HAVE THE POWER!

Can you it really be that simple? Yes and no is my answer. For thirty six years of my life I fought the terror barrier and have just recently found out how to break this nasty little wall of terror. The good thing for you is, you will now have a blue print to overcome this terror barrier, which I struggled with for my whole life!

What is our first step in overcoming the terror barrier? Self relation that a terror barrier does truly exist and that you are affected by it every day it literally takes control over you. Now what do you think chances of beating are? If you can’t do this step you sure as hell aren’t going to go to the next step, so if you disagree that there is no terror barrier, then please stop reading this book right now, and send it back for a full refund.

Now what is our next step in overcoming the terror barrier? Recognition that you are helpless over the terror barrier right now, but there is hope and recognize that hope is always there and will always be there and you can tap into the universal power that is one with God. Now once you get a handle on this step you will find out that you can use this and apply it to any situation in your life.

Relentlessness’ pursuit of your goal or dreams, if you get knocked down, get back up and try it again the only way you are considered a failure is if you stop trying. If you but will continue to try then each failure or not getting the right results you want, moves you one step closer to your dreams.

Just because you don’t make on your first try don’t sweat it, you can make it on the second or third time and this is a given. Robert Kiosks says you will fail nine times out of ten, but it’s the tenth one that makes you a millionaire. So being rent less in your pursuit of any dream or goal, will get you that much closer, each time you fail or you do not get the desired Results you are that much closer to your desired results. So being a failure is not so bad because the more you fail the closer you are getting to what you want. So be rent less in your pursuit of your dreams and goals and know that next failure gets you one step closer to your desired results.

Now we have covered the three a r’s, Recognition, Realization, Relentlessness. What is next? Well it sort of goes like this. Zig Ziglar says that failure is an event not a person.

So who cares if you fail that is not you, which is just some event that got you one step closer to your desired results. So please know when you are failing that is not who you are, it is just something that happened to you, it is an event. Your time will come and before you know it you will overcome that terror barrier!

Now do you see that with these three action steps you get closer and closer to overcoming your terror barrier? Well you should because every step gets you closer to your goals. Now you will sometimes erect wall that keep you in the place where you are at. I bet you are saying no way why would I do that? Let me explain.

Every time you think you are getting to where it is you want to go. POW everything falls apart and you have to stay where you are at. Why is this so, the brain knows that it is much easier to stay where you are then to do all the work required to get to the next level.

We erect barriers that weren’t normally going to be there. We self sabotage your plans and we don’t even know this. Now once we understand that this is what we are doing, we can find a way to stop it. How? By the three R’s so follow the steps we have just outlined and you will be well on your way to beat the thing we call the nasty terror barrier and this will stretch your reality and then you will see a whole new world open up to you!

Dirty White Boy! (MHM-Mental Health Matters!)

2007-01-07T23:06:00.000-08:00

What exactly do I mean by the name of this chapter? What I mean is this, when you don’t have any money because you are on social security you are frowned upon and looked down upon, hey let’s face it when you are this low, you never take a shower so you look terrible and smell just as bad.

I wonder why that is the first thing to go is personal hygiene, why this is I am not sure but it is a proven fact, henceforth the name dirty white boy. Because if you look bad, smell bad and live in the not so great part of town and to top it all off you have to drive clunkers, that literally look like shit on wheels, now do you see how some people not knowing you have an illness, could mistake you for a low life, trailer trash, or even a DIRTY WHITE BOY!

Now don’t get me wrong these biologically unhappy people can’t help themselves. Let me try to explain an illness or illnesses to you all, as I have BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder), GAD (General Anxiety Disorder), and I am (Bi Polar) now how’s that for an illness?

Let me explain some of the symptoms of all these illnesses and then I believe you will have a better chance at understanding what a fellow human being my be going through, be it a loved one, friend, patient.

BPD – Some of the symptoms for this illness are very severe. The reason they call it borderline is because the patient is said to live at the border of reality and make believe. I must admit this is the toughest illness that I have ever went up against and just when I think I have it whooped, it let’s out a furious attack and I get knocked down a few pegs. So what are some of the symptoms of this dreaded disease?

You are very compulsive in all or any of the following – Sexual behavior when you are in a down mood you something tells your mind that having sex with anyone you can find will make you feel better, guess what it does for five min then all hell brakes lose. You feel dirty you shower ten times yet you still feel dirty and cheap.

The thing that is strange about this is it’s likely to happen again, even though this behavior is destructive, when a person hits a thing that is called Diaspora they will do absolutely anything to get out of it and I mean they will literally do anything to get themselves out of this feeling. They call this the caged animal part of the disorder.

Some have a compulsivity to spend money and do they ever, they buy everything in sight and they won’t stop until the dysphoria goes away, yet now they are $6,000 in dept, not to mention all the bounced checks that they wrote.

You want to know the funny thing they would rather go to jail for writing bad checks than stay in dysphoria which literally is the worst feeling in the world it’s every bad emotion their ever was put together and all wrapped up in one and you feel them as though they are happening at once, you feel them all at once, this is dysphoria and please know that if you haven’t experienced it you are lucky because it can literally ruin your life and is the absolute worse feeling that any individual can possibly feel and you live in constant worry that it will come back again,!

Yes it comes back time after time and leaves you defenseless for you to make the right decisions. Please know there is also medicine for dsyphoria, so there is now hope were a few years ago it was just tuff it out, so please know they are coming up with more and more miracle drugs to combat these negative symptoms, so your chances of recovery are getting better by the day!

Black and White Thinking – I know this sounds weird, but once you see the reasoning behind black and white thinking it will all become clear. Say that someone you love dearly does something to piss you off. A normal reaction would be to go to that person and ask them why they did such a thing and try to work the problems out in a civil matter.

Not you though you see them as evil and you can only see them in the black (THE BAD), which is another symptom of BPD. You will even go as far as hating this loved one and doing some pretty dumb things to get even, now let’s talk about the white (THE GOOD)

A friend or loved one buys you a gift, you are really touched and now you feel this person can do no wrong they are now great to you and you’ll do anything for them, anyway you can. Now the thing that may seem weird to you, there is no gray it’s either LOVE (WHITE) or HATE (BLACK), can you see how this type of behavior could run off some mates AND RUIN A RELATIONSHIP?

Back and fourth, love ya then, hate ya, Love ya, and hate ya. Tag you are it. Please know with the right medication this can greatly be controlled, which is a great break through and is helping many couples stay together every day, so don’t let the black and white thinking ruin your life!

Love can break all boundaries, overcome any obstacles, so stop and think what it was like before your loved one had a biological unhappiness and then never let go off that picture until the dream becomes a reality. Visualize you and your mate doing the things that you want, you each being the person that the other loves and please remember that a winner never quits and a quitter never wins.

Self-Mutilating Behavior - This may sound a bit gross and at times it can be very gross indeed. Now let try and explain why a person would act in such a manner and inflict pain on themselves. Ok the reason why they would take a razor and slit their wrist or their leg is because they are in that nasty little word disphoria and when the razor breaks the skin and the bloods start to flow everywhere, it gives such relief!

Now I feel normal again! When I was going through my toughest times with my BPD, I would drive nails through my hands and my feet, sometime I would actually have three to four nails in one hand and the same in one of my feet and I can honestly say I felt normal again. I am so thankful that they have medicine to control this behavior and I haven’t self-mutilated for five years now

Trapped Animal Effect – Let’s say you are in Africa and you are out on the plains and as you are walking around you see a cave so you think you will set up camp there for the night. Low and behold there is a mother lioness and her cubs in the cave with you and your crew are in front of the exit. Now can you see how the mother lioness would go absolutely nuts and stop at nothing to get her cubs to safety? Well this is how a person with BPD feels at certain times in their life, and I must admit that you will make some bone head decision when you are spa zing out and feeling like that trapped animal, please know that this is greatly reduced with medications.

What are some of the most common behaviors of ADD and ADHD? One thing for sure, is the fact that we have an abundance of energy and we just keep going and going, sometimes it’s even hard to get a breath in! Running here, running there and starting this and starting that and never really finishing anything.

Unfinished piles of work everywhere and this absolutely drives you crazy. You interrupted your dad when are talking to him and this pisses him off and in turn makes you mad at him, as a matter of fact you are always interrupting everyone! When will this madness end? I need to slow down and take a break, I can’t sleep

WAIT A MINTUE! There is hope and I can est. to the fact that adderall has changed my life. WAIT A MINTUE! There is hope and I can est. to the fact that adderall has changed my life. Yes I can concentrate again. I can actually read something and understand it, I can read holy shit, I can’t believe it I only had to read it once and I remember how it goes and all that and I didn’t even analyze it a hundred times.

So yes even with ADD and ADHD there is now hope in a pill called an stimulate, which for someone with the above mentioned illness actually act to slow you down a bit and helps you to concentrate. Now the down side is this, people without ADHD use this drug like cocaine and they get a high a great feeling, that they want the feeling to last for ever and they become addicted to the stimulant.

It is usually abused by the younger generation and college kids to stay up all night to help them study for exams and of coarse party all the time, so this is where the negative press comes from. Some dumb kids ruining the entire positive that is happening, for many children and adults. So let’s stop the negative stigma and get the good press and the entire positive that these medicines are doing for millions.

Now let’s move on to OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. Now this can be very debilitating and can ruin ones life. Some of the symptoms are excessively checking to make sure that the door knob is locked, even though they checked it all ready one hundred times, dam when will the madness end?

Their are some that pull their hair out and in doing so there are even bald spots all over there head, and not only can’t they stop, they look terrible in the process. Basically this illness is an anxiety disorder one that can’t be controlled very easy.

It is almost always excessiveness in anything you can think of and then some. Now I know some people who are millionaires that have this disorder, that with medication are very happy and seem to have the illness under control and function very well and then there are those that don’t responded to the treatments as well.

As each day passes and more and more medicine comes out, we have hope that, we may have never had before, so hold on and keep the faith and with some hard work on your and your Drs. Part, it is my belief that we can greatly control this animal!

Let’s move on to the next illness that affects our biological clock in our little head of ours. Have you ever heard of OCPD- Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder? What exactly is this animal? Let me try to explain this disorder, as I have it and it is in a pain in the neck, it can literally ruin your life.

Let’s see you see your self as perfect, or the need to be perfect, yet in your mind you can’t seem to get it right, just that one idea that is lurking in the dark and you know this is the “Perfect” answer to your problem. What about this idea or that idea?

Everyone says you did a great job and they are all signing your praises, yet you know that it is far from your best and you tear it up and start over and if someone offers you help you, you go nuts. There is no way that they could even come close to the perfection that you must have, so you politely tell them that the way they are helping is really off coarse and is deviating from your plan and could they please stop so you can get back on track to perfection.

I must admit I to this day have quite a bit of trouble with this disorder. I can never seem to please my self or anything I do and it causes me a great deal of pain, the medicine seems to help a bit, but I must admit that I feel the need to be perfect in everything that I do, but I can never satisfy myself, my hardest critique.

For this at least for myself I try to use consoling and I’ve made small steps in the write direction, with allot of blood, sweat, and tears, I have been able to give myself small praises and believe me if I can start to praising myself, some then there is light at the end of the tunnel for all of us who have this disorder, so keep your head high and know that if you shoot for the moon, if you miss at least you made it to the stars and this could very well be the step that just lets you settle for second best, which may indeed be perfection to everyone else!

Anxiety, or GAD- General Anxiety Disorder, is absolutely terrible and you honestly feel as though you are having a heart attack, or even worse you are losing your mind and your heart flutters and is beating stronger and stronger, as you are sweating profusely and you feel as though you are losing all the sanity that you have left!

When it is finally over you are so beat all you want to do is sleep and sleep as long as you can, I mean if you are sleeping you can’t have another panic attack. The worst of it is now you live in fear of it happing again and again. For some it is going out in public, the world starts to shrink and you can feel it closing in on you and you can’t breath and the hearts starts to beat a little faster and faster until it’s a full blown attack.

Some are terrified with public speaking and it all starts over and over again and again. This is a viscous cycle that just keeps getting worse. Here’s the thing the drugs to combat this are very addictive and are hard to get a Dr. give them to you, but if worse comes to worse they will and this will help you tremendously. Along with the medication you need to practice some relaxation as much as you possible can and try to stay calm in all situations. You may also need therapy as they will help you see what is triggering it all. I believe that with all three that you will find a great deal of satisfaction with the outcome!

Living Together Without Marriage Improves Men's Mental Health

2007-01-06T22:26:00.000-08:00

A study in England of thousands of women and men found that people who went through the good and bad times with the original mate and stayed together were much happier mentally.

It was also found that men who played the field got over the relationships when they ended much quicker then women did.

Women who stay single who once had a great love that did not work out tended to be mentally stable.

The fact that women who live with a man without benefit of marriage are not as happy as the men is because there is no financial protection for them when the relationship ends. Security is everything to women and marriage represents stability and although the relationship can end they will have some rights. This explains why women who are married are more mentally stable then if they simply lived together.

Women have children and need a stable lifestyle and a strong desire to protect themselves and their kids. So marriage is very important financially and also there is the question of respect that everyone needs. If a women has her own career and here own money these thing may be less important.

From a man’s point of view and if he’s over 25 security is not very important. But most men don’t want to be squeezed into a relationship by the women he loves. He want’s it to be his idea. The trick for a woman is to make him believe it is His Idea.

Being married has always been associated with greater mental and physical health. Bachelors don’t live, as long, at least that’s what the myth indicates. In the past studies have shown married men live a longer life with greater psychological happiness.

There was an English study for 10 years ending in the millennium of 10,000 adults. Both men and women were interviewed and asked a series of questions about being depressed or anxious.

Long-lasting relationships that have weathered the storm provided excellent mental health.

People that had failed relationships and were now alone had combinations of grief and anger and were often depressed. Both men and women had poor mental health after this experience. But for those who could move on to new relationships, much of the damage was somewhat reversed. Although women seemed to have a harder time of letting go than men did.

Women's mental health progressively deteriorated with the more break-ups they experienced.

For men that had several different experiences it seemed the opposite was true. Men who had more then one relationship and moved on seemed to be in excellent mental health. Those men that had only one relationship and not moved on were not as mentally stable.

Mindfulness And Mental Health

2007-01-06T22:25:00.000-08:00

What's going on in your head? Until you know, there can be all sorts of problems. Uncorrectable problems. You can't fix a problem that you don't see, right? That is where mindfulness comes in. Mindfulness and mental health are intimately connected.

Your mind is busy in there right now, talking about all sorts of things. It may be telling you that you are tired of your job, or that you are a victim of circumstance. It may be running through a list of all the things you need to be doing. It may be saying all the wrong things, and yet you may hear none of it. You may just feel a slight anxiety building as your day goes on.

When I first learned how to do basic mindfulness exercises, I was amazed. I found that whole conversations were going on just below consciousness. Not only was it interesting to see, but the most amazing part was that I could now often end feelings of worry or anxiety. All I had to do was stop and watch my mind until I found the cause.

Yes, it actually is often that simple. If you forgot to write down an appointment, for example, it may be bothering you for hours. As soon as you see that, you write it down and you feel relaxed again. If an argument is playing and replaying subconsciously in your mind and stressing you out, often just bringing it to consciousness will make you laugh and dismiss it.

Mindfulness And Long Term Mental Health

Don't underestimate the power of short term happiness and good thoughts to influence the course of your mental health over the longer term. Resolve anxieties and stresses now, and regularly, and you'll be healthier, and you'll be developing good habits. Good feelings now lead to good feelings in the future, and habits are what we need for any long term results.

As for the big problems, mindfulness is a way to see them more clearly for what they are. As you get better at tuning into your own subconscious mind, you will start to see patterns. I found, for example, that my mind was mulling over and worrying about all the possible choices in decisions that weren't made. It caused me endless stress.

Seeing this clearly, finally recognizing how destructive this habit of indecisiveness was, lead me to change. I started making decisions more quickly, just to try a new way. I immediately experienced how stress diminishes once a decision is made. My habits began to change, and I was getting more done with less anxiety.

The most basic mindfulness exercise is to just sit quietly and start paying attention to everything going on in your body and mind. Of course this can be difficult if you've never done it, and this article isn't a how-to. This is just to make the case that it's worth learning. There is definitely a connection between mindfulness and mental health.

Improving Your Memory and Mental Health

2007-01-05T22:25:00.003-08:00

Memory is a large component of good mental health. Without it, we’d forget phone numbers, people’s names, or freeze up on a test. Of course, many of us do this anyway – I know I do quite frequently. So how can someone improve their mental health through memory? Here are some great ideas and exercises to get you started:

Mental Health: Repetition
The easiest and probably most well known way of memorizing someone’s name is to repeat it several times during a conversation. For instance, when meeting or leaving someone, use their name casually. By saying someone’s name out loud several times, while having that person right in front of you, your brain will connect the name with the person, and cement the information.

Mental Health: Visualization
Creating images in your head that use the item that you are trying to remember is another mental health technique. Take someone’s name that you don’t want to forget, and imagine it being written in neon lights across that person’s forehead. The more outrageous the idea, the better!

Mental Health: Associations
Make a mental association to remember someone’s name. For instance, if your friend Lou has long hair, you could say her name over and over again in your head as “Lou with the long hair”. I find that picturing people doing something that they’ve discussed they enjoy helps, too. So, Bob the violinist, Sarah the gardener, or chef Alex are all good ways to try and remember someone.

Mental Health: Pictures
When attending large functions with a great number of people, take pictures, and make a note of everyone’s name. Then, once the pictures are developed, you can refer back to the evidence as required for your own personal mental health.

Mental Health: Mnemonic Devices
Mnemonic devices are a mental health game that allows the user to remember names, speeches, test information, or other items that need to be remembered. The most common of the mnemonic devices are acronyms. Acronyms are words that are created by using the first letter of a series of words. For instance, MADD equals Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and USA equals the United States of America. Both are acronyms. Make up your own to use to help with mental health memory.

Mental Health: Acrostics
Acrostics are quite similar to acronyms in the mental health memory game, but instead they use the first letters in a sentence, such as “Every good boy does fine”, which is used to remember the letters in the treble clef in music. People with a bad memory can create their own acrostics to remember items they would normally forget.

All of these methods can be used regardless of the situation – at work, home, business or school. The mental health skill of being able to recall places, things, people or events is a strong precursor to personal strength and intelligence.

Water Sports for Physical and Mental Health

2007-01-05T22:25:00.001-08:00

Sailing or boating may seem a little overwhelming, what with the high level of technical elements involved in the sport. For example, there are things like "charts", "mainsails" and "tillers" to learn about. Whether you choose a small boat or a catamaran, whether you choose lake or ocean sailing, there are a number of things you need to master before you can start enjoying the pure pleasure of being on the water.

Getting the sailing skills you need to start sailing your own boat is easy if you just sign up with a sailing school. You can learn to sail at any age. There are no restrictions. The best schools and instructors will teach you all you need to know about sailing in a friendly and non-threatening manner.

As with all sports, sailing will get you into contact with new friends. There's a closeness that develops out at sea, however, that not many other sports have. You really get the feel of being one against the awesome power of the natural world and being with friends and family out there on the water serves to strengthen bonds.

Being on the water in any capacity demands a healthy outlook and way of life. Sailing and boating are two sports that demand all our senses to be at their peak. Sailing calls upon physical strength, intelligence and intuition. It is one sport that allows you to leave all your daily concerns and habits back on the land and to be off with only your bare self.

Seven Steps to Good Mental Health

2007-01-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

Psychological well-being is something that we all have a right to. However, for a variety of reasons to do with upbringing, life experiences, physiology, environment and so on… we often find ourselves with a mind-state other than what we desire. Depression, anxiety, and stress seem to be the major obstacles to just feeling good – judging by the number of visits to doctors for help with these problems.

It doesn't really matter what the label is for your particular problem, if you follow the seven steps diligently, there will be an improvement in your general feeling of well being.

The Seven Steps are:

1. Acceptance
2. Releasing guilt
3. Expressing Appreciation
4. Physical exercise
5. Creative activity
6. Right livelihood
7. Meditation

They need to be taken in sequence. Total mastery is not required, but the time to move on is when you feel, or get a sense, that some movement has taken place within your mind. Psychological shifts are felt with a lightness, better sleep, smiling, singing, noticing beauty around you, wanting to do something different, spring cleaning…

Acceptance:

Acceptance is the single most important step to take. Acceptance is giving up being a victim. Acceptance is giving up giving up. Acceptance is a declaration of intent to move forward with life rather than continue to stagnate and blame circumstances or individuals for how things are.

Acceptance is the shift towards accepting that whatever is going on in your life is your responsibility. It is recognising that you are where you are because of the choices you have made in life. And if this means that you have to accept the crazy idea that you made a choice to suffer from a physical illness, then you do just that – accept it. Acceptance is no longer fighting. Once you no longer fight, you no longer resist. Once you no longer resist you can move with the flow.

Every single thing, big or small, good or bad, you simply say to yourself "I accept that this is going on for me right now". You don't have to like it. You don't have to keep it forever. You just have to accept it in the present moment if it's there.

The truth is that it's there whether or not you accept it. So by accepting you are not making things worse, because you've already got it. You are just changing your position in relation to it.

Accept also that the thinking that got you where you are is unlikely to get you out - otherwise it would have already done so. You need to think differently. Acceptance is thinking differently. Acceptance is approaching the problem with wisdom. If you are so frightened you can't go outside without a companion, and even then you are terrified, then just accept that that's the way you are right now. You don't have to understand why you are like that, you just need to acknowledge it. "I am too frightened to go out right now, so I'll stay in"; "I'm really worried about my new boss right now, but that's okay, worry is a natural event in the face of difficult circumstances"; "I feel really depressed, but that's okay, it's just my mind's way of preparing me for change". You can always find something to say to yourself that is accepting.

Releasing Guilt:

Guilt is something we are taught to experience. It is unnatural. Guilt can be experienced in the form: I did something I shouldn't have done and now I feel bad; or I didn't do something I should have done and now I feel bad; either way this is a self-created guilt. Or it can be induced "you should feel bad because…" when you behaved in a way that someone disapproved of; or in the form "well I was planning on going out tonight and I almost never go out with my mates and you go out all the time, but if you really want to go out, then I'll stay in… don't think there's much on telly…".

Whatever you did or didn't do is done or not done. Feeling bad about it can't undo it. This style of guilt is a belief in a Time Machine. It is engaging in fantasy. What is in the past is in the past. Either own up and take the consequences, or don't. Choose which it is to be and then consign the experience to the past where it belongs and shift your attention to the present moment.

Emotional blackmail is the other way guilt is commonly experienced. Just stop playing that game. If you accept responsibility for your own feelings, then you must allow others to do the same. Do what you want to do and as long as you are not physically or psychologically harming others then that's ok. Someone sulking because you are having more fun than them won't do them any harm. When you give in to emotional blackmail you are effectively walking round with a big sign on your back saying – Abuse me, I don't mind.

Expressing Appreciation:

This is one of the most difficult steps to master, so remember mastery is not the goal. The real problem with expressing appreciation is that many people feel uncomfortable when appreciation is expressed for something they have done "it was nothing", "don't mention it", "anyone would have done it".

Let's say you decide to buy a gift for someone you love (not a sexual partner, a friend) just so they know how important they are in your life. You spend a lot of time choosing the gift. You wrap it beautifully and present it to them. They take one look and hand it back. How would you feel? Most people would feel at least a little hurt.

Appreciation is a gift.

Appreciation is a gift of love.

When someone does something for you that you like – let them know. Write an e-mail, send a letter, give a bigger tip, say something more than the ritual "thank you" - "thank you that was nice", "I really enjoyed…", "you are very thoughtful"…

Money is a wonderful way to express appreciation. Buy from those whom you appreciate. Send donations. Offer payment where none is expected.

And as you start to express appreciation more and more in your life you will find one day that when someone offers that gift of appreciation to you, you will not reject it you will accept it with "thanks, that's really nice of you to say".

Physical Exercise:

However much exercise you get you can always increase it. There is much truth in the old adage - A healthy mind in a healthy body.

Exercise is the expression of appreciation for your beautiful body. Your body is such a miraculous creation – so complex, so incredibly amazing – that it would be a rejection at the deepest level for you to ignore its physical well-being. It doesn't matter how unfit you are. You can always exercise more than you are doing. Exercise releases endorphins. You feel better after exercise. The benefits are cumulative. It provides more oxygen to the brain, creates more alertness, awakens the immune system and so makes it easier to fight pathogens. But most of all it establishes a discipline and routine that is frequently lacking when mental health is poor. This change alone will improve the situation. Should you have any physical health problems then seek your doctor's advice about exercise.

Creative Activity:

Everyone is a creative being. Stifling our creative outlet leads to poor mental health Our creativity is frequently stifled long before we realise what is happening, and then it seems too late because we believe what we have been told about ourselves. Creativity is about expressing yourself in the world. If you create a simple, badly written story with atrocious spelling and poor grammar, then you have expressed yourself creatively. Your creative works don't have to be seen by others. Others tend to judge, and if you decide to create in an area where others have much greater expertise then your creation will not initially withstand comparison. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn't do it.

Photography and gardening have been loves of mine since I was 14. I decided to combine the two interests and my photographs developed a distinctly horticultural slant. At one point I wanted to share them with the world and offered them for sale. It was a while before I made my first sale, and another while before one of my pictures adorned the cover of a magazine. One day I looked back at those first photographs I offered. I felt embarrassed at the poor quality – compared to my later work. But it was only by taking more and more pictures, looking at what was being published, and constantly improving that I achieved my dream of a picture on a magazine cover. But the important thing was that I enjoyed what I was doing. I didn't have to show them to the world. I didn't have to place them in the market for comparison with others who had much greater skill and experience than I. But I did need to take the pictures. It was part of who I was and how I needed to express myself. My pleasure came from the picture taking, looking at the pictures, and constantly seeking ways to become more skilled at my craft.

Express yourself in something that you love to do. Show it only if you want to, but don't stop doing it while you love what you do.

Right Livelihood:

In a way this follows on from the previous step. It is the logical consequence of expressing yourself through what you love to do.

Now lest you are becoming concerned that I might ask you to do something you can't do – like find another job – I never ask anyone to do what they can't do. I might, however, ask you to ask yourself what exactly is it that is stopping you from doing it. At least that way you can move towards an acceptance of the barrier to happiness.

From time to time I ask the people I encounter "If you could be doing anything you wanted to do, would you choose your current livelihood?". I've yet to meet someone who answered 'yes' to that question. Those people are out there. They just don't need to come to see me.

People tend to either hate what they do, but it's all they can get in the way of work; or their work is okay, but they are earning too much money to give it up and do something fun for a living.

Look to how you feel when you get up in the morning on a workday. Is there any excitement or sense of anticipation or looking forward to the challenges of the day ahead? This is a good sign. If there is dread, a wishing for the day to be over, tiredness, or a general lack of enthusiasm – then something needs to change, either the work or the attitude towards it.

Go back to step one and accept whatever it is you are engaged in right now. Accept that you would like to be doing something more fun but that you don't know how to bring about the change, or you are fearful of taking the necessary steps. That's all. As best you can find small pleasures in what you do – even if it's just the appreciation for how the income makes life better than life would be without that income; or appreciation for the good feeling that comes from making a contribution that benefits someone, somewhere.

And then make a list of all the things you love to do. And then write a fantasy job description for an income-generating job doing each of the things on your list.

Then find a way to do one of the things you love to do for free.

Meditation:

Meditation is a mind/body regenerating exercise. Aim initially for 10 minutes once a day at a regular time and place. If you have such a busy schedule that you haven't got 10 minutes to spare then I'll tell you how you can create 10 minutes out of nothing. But I know you won't do it, because "I haven't got time for 10 minutes meditation every day" is just an excuse to avoid coming face to face with yourself.

There are plenty of books and articles on meditation so I won't go into the technique here. But I would also like you to consider that in part I am suggesting quiet space for you to relax and let go of the busy-ness in your mind for a few minutes on a daily basis. This is a regenerating activity.

Vitamin B1 and Its Importance to Mental Health

2007-01-04T22:23:00.000-08:00

Vitamin B1 also called as thiamine is one of the eight vitamins that make up the powerful group called as the Vitamin B complex. Like all of the B vitamins this nutrient plays a great role in the good health of the body as well as a sound mental health. Proper care and caution should always be considered when it comes to taking in these nutrients especially when it comes to dosages as some may tend to overdose which is never really a good thing and is actually quite as bad as not having any at all.

Vitamin B1 serves many purposes in the body. It is an essential part of converting carbohydrates to energy and necessary to the proper functioning of the nervous system, the heart and the musculature system of the body. Thiamine is very important to the brain particularly in terms of emotional health and well being as well as being useful for focus and concentration.

There are a variety of physical conditions and diseases associated with deficiencies in Vitamin B1. Symptoms include pain, numbness and tingling in the extremities, muscle weakness and a lack of physical coordination particularly in the larger muscle masses that make up the leg muscles. A deficiency in thiamine can cause enlargement of the heart which can itself lead to congestive heart failure and lung congestion. A severe deficiency in Vitamin B1 can lead to nerve damage, brain damage and even death. Mental symptoms associated with a serious lack of Vitamin B include fatigue, psychosis and confusion.

These are a few serious diseases specifically associated with a deficiency of Vitamin B1 including the notorious beriberi disease. There are also two specific types of brain damage associated with severely low levels of Vitamin B1. One is the Korsakoff syndrome which results in confusion and short term memory loss. Another is the Wernicke’s Disease which has symptoms that include vision disturbances and irregularities, an unsteady walk and mental confusion.

Despite the obvious importance of Vitamin B1 to many of the body’s important functions a great deal of people regularly fail to meet the recommended daily intake levels of this vitamin. Alcoholics are particularly vulnerable to being deficient in Vitamin B1 because alcohol ruins the B vitamins. Illnesses that force bodily fluids out from the body such as chronic diarrhea can deplete the body’s levels of thiamine because it is a water-soluble vitamin and the body needs to have its steady supply renewed every day. There are also rare conditions that interfere with the body’s ability to use Vitamin B1 properly.

Dietary supplements are an affordable, safe and effective way to consistently meet the recommended daily intake levels of Vitamin B1. It is especially important however, when taking supplements to use them with care and attention because taking too much Vitamin B1 can cause adverse side effects and even serious health problems. As with all substances there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Moderation is always key. While there are certain health situations that do call for higher than average doses of this powerful B vitamin high dosages should only be taken while under the direct supervision of a qualified health care professional. Like any other medication or dietary supplement Vitamin B1 supplements should always be kept well out of the reach of children.

Mental Health Stigma - What Can We Do About It?

2007-01-03T22:23:00.000-08:00

What is Stigma?

Stigma is the use of stereotypes and labels when describing someone, and it is often attached to people who suffer from mental health issues. We don’t fully understand how the brain works yet, but one thing we DO know is that it is an organ. Yet our society doesn’t readily accept brain disorders the way we accept other organ disorders. Why is this so?

Stigma is a harsh reality for people who have mental health problems, because it prevents them from enjoying a normal and productive life. So many people today feel uncomfortable about mental health issues, despite the fact that there is growing evidence that more and more people are developing these problems. In fact, many people are so uncomfortable with the stigma that they would rather suffer in silence than get help they need.

Here are a few of the most common misconceptions about mental health problems:

# Mentally ill people have a weak character
# Mentally ill people are potentially dangerous.
# People with mental illness should just “snap out of it”
# Mentally ill people are violent

The media has only further fuelled our distorted beliefs about mental health issues. Frequently, characters on television and in the movies that have a mental illness are depicted as dangerous, unpredictable and violent.

What Are the Effects of Stigma?

If you became ill you would go to a doctor. Once you got better, you would expect to get on with life as usual. But it’s not that easy for people who suffer from mental illness. Often, they can suffer from persistent rejections and exclusions by ill-informed members of the community. Some people have been denied loans, health insurance and jobs because of their history of mental health issues. Consequently, these people lose their self confidence and may develop further anxiety or depression, on top of the issues they are already facing.

I witnessed this first hand many years ago, when my brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The majority of his friends deserted him; they weren’t able to comprehend or cope with his altered personality and erratic behaviour. Within months he went from being a popular, vivacious and outgoing young man to a shattered, isolated loner. Over the following months, I watched my brother sink deeper into debilitating depression, which ultimately became so unbearable that he took his own life.

What Can We Do?

All of us have times when we feel depressed, anxious or angry. We might even have a series of bad days, where we think that nothing will ever go right for us and the world is against us. For a mentally ill person, these feelings do not go away.

So the answer lies in education and understanding. If you know someone who seems very emotional, down or upset, then lead by example; show compassion and understanding, and encourage them to seek help. And if you’re suffering silently yourself, take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone and that there is hope.

Aspartame and Your Mental Health

2007-01-03T22:21:00.000-08:00

In 1965, a chemist working to develop an ulcer drug accidentally discovered a substance 200 times sweeter than sugar. The FDA initially shunned this substance because it caused seizures and brain tumors in lab animals.

In 1981, the FDA allowed this brain tumor and seizure-causing substance to begin both sweetening and poisoning our food supply, pharmaceuticals, and children’s’ vitamins. Banned in children’s products in Europe, the chemical, aspartame, is now a big part of America’s diet craze. This is despite the fact that it accounts for more than 75% of the complaints reported in the FDA's Adverse Reaction Monitoring system.

Aspartame, once in the body, breaks down into various chemicals. One is the same toxin you get from a fire ant bite. Another is the smelly formaldehyde in which your science teacher stored animals to dissect. Yet another is methanol, the same main ingredient as in Prohibition Era moonshine - the same moonshine that was notorious for causing blindness. How many mothers, who would never think of giving their children moonshine, have stocked their cabinets with any of the now 5,000 products that contain aspartame? (http://www.dorway.com/betty/environ.txt)

For those of us who struggle with anxiety or depression because of low serotonin levels, aspartame is especially bad news. This chemical additive wreaks further havoc by depleting tryptophan levels. Tryptophan is necessary in the production of serotonin. Without it, you will suffer more frequent attacks and more severe depression!

How Essential Fatty Acids Improve Your Brain Power and Mental Health

2007-01-02T04:10:00.002-08:00

What is your brain made of

Over 50% of your brain is made of good fat. Twenty percent of this good fat comes from EPA and DHA. Remember EPA and DHA comes from,

* omega-3 fatty acids

* eating fish

* borage oil

* primrose oil

* parilla oil

* NOK oil

I have covered all these oils in other articles except NKO Krill Oil. This oil is the new kid on the block. It comes from Antarctic krill, a crustacean found in the Antarctic waters. It provides EPA and DHA like borage oil does, but its chemical structure is phospholipids. Phospholipids are easier for your cells to absorb than borage oil’s EPA and DHA, which is in the form of tryglycerides.

The essential fatty acids provide the chemical molecules to make Phospholipids. These phospholipids gather together to form a protective barrier around each cell in your body.

If the fatty acids are in phospholipids form, your body is able to use them quicker and more efficiently.

This is what makes NOK oil a more bio-available advanced oil than borage or primrose oil.

If you are deficient in the essential fatty acids, you will be more susceptible to these conditions:

* Alzheimer’s disease

* Anxiety and body stress

* Heart disease

* Attention deficit disorder

* Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

* Bipolar disorder

* Chronic fatigue syndrome

* Depression

* Learning disorders

* Memory impairment

* Parkinson’s disease

* Schizophrenia

Making Your Brain Work Like It Should

Your brain needs a good daily supply of the essential fatty acid omega-3. It also uses omega-6 and AA (Arachidonic acid). So this means taking a good dose of NKO oil is a necessary daily routine for keeping your brain from shrinking.

Alzheimer’s disease

Doctors believe that if every one lived to be over 120 years, they would come down with Alzheimer’s disease. It is a disease that once your have it, all you can do, at this time, is to slow its progression using certain drugs and nutrients.

Before your brain starts to deteriorated to where it contains nodules of toxins, excess oxidation due to free radicals, and weaken and narrowing blood vessels, it might be a good idea to start feeding it the food it needs.

DHA is in order for Alzheimer’s disease. When DHA is deficient in your diet, you can expect to have memory loss and become depressed as you age.

Lecithin is also in order since it helps to provide choline, a precursor to the memory neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It also provide the chemicals to produce RNA.

Heart disease is closely related to Alzheimer’s because the heart must be strong enough to pump plenty of blood into the brain and the arteries must open enough to circulate enough blood through the brain and throughout your body.

Even if you don’t come down with Alzheimer’s or your family history doesn’t support it, most of us are in line for dementia. Dementia is also attributed to deterioration of brain cells and support tissue. One of the causes of dementia is a diet that has been deficient in the essential fatty acids.

Rosen Divorce Collaborates with Mental Health Professionals

2007-01-02T04:10:00.001-08:00

Raleigh, NC-Rosen Divorce, the state’s largest divorce firm and rising multidisciplinary practice, recently began collaborating with mental health professionals who assist clients in divorce related situations.

Earlier this week in both Raleigh and Charlotte locations, Rosen Divorce held Clinicians in Court, a half-day seminar where more than 50 statewide mental health professionals attended. Among the guest speakers was Jonathan Gould, a practicing forensic and clinical psychologist who has done extensive writing in the area of child custody evaluations.

“We also now have a section of our website especially dedicated to mental health professionals,” said Lee Rosen, attorney and president of Rosen Divorce. “We felt that teaming up with these professionals will better strengthen the role both attorneys and therapist play in family law.” Along with their external collaboration, Rosen Divorce recently hired a mental health professional to work alongside staff attorneys in assisting clients through the divorce process.

Rosen Divorce’s on-line section for mental health professionals features FAQ’s about matters such as receiving a subpoena and testifying in a trial; sample cases relating to mental health professionals; and relevant statutes that concern mental health professionals in the court system. “This is just the beginning of our comprehensive on-line section for mention health professionals,” said Lisa Angel, Rosen Divorce attorney. “Mental health professionals need a resource to go to when faced with situations involving the courts and we want to provide them with the guidance and information they need.”

With offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, Rosen Divorce is the largest divorce firm in North Carolina. Founded in 1990, the firm is dedicated to providing individual growth and support to couples seeking divorce by helping them move forward with their lives. Our staff of attorneys, accountants, and specially trained divorce coaches expertly address the complex issues of ending a marriage. Our innovative approach acknowledges that divorce is so much more than just a legal matter. Specialties include child custody, alimony, property distribution, separation agreements, and domestic violence relief.

Fairies and Mental Health

2007-01-01T04:08:00.000-08:00

Schizophrenics hallucinate alternate realities. People who claim to have been abducted by aliens are accused of having Fantasy Prone Personalities. So what about those of us who claim to be conversing with angels, fairies, and spirit guides? Are we nuts? Absolutely yes! If we weren't crazy before we started chatting with the divine, we soon will be. Just the constant questioning of one's sanity can drive a person insane. How do you know if you're really talking to spirits or if you're losing your mind?

Let me start by saying that until the little creatures begin showing themselves as real and 3D touchable as any other critter on earth and do it on a massive worldwide scale so that they're able to be counted and kept track of like anyone else on the endangered species list, then you won't ever really know for sure will you? So why don't they? Well that's one of those million dollar questions. As far as I can tell it's a combination of them not actually existing in a physical sense beyond the spiritual realm and that they get a certain amount of pleasure in teasing and playfully messing with our minds.

I don't know what the official stance is according to the Grand PooBah of Psychiatry, but I know that most people who are certifiably insane don't know that they are. The saying goes that if you are capable of questioning your own sanity, then you must not be too far gone yet. Not very reassuring, I know. Are they real or not? That's the question you're asking. I could give you one of those psychobabble answers like, "They are as real as you believe them to be." Again, that doesn't really help much.

Here's the first question to ask yourself. Do they control you? The reason I ask is because throughout history there have been stories in all religions and cultures of some type of spirits that come to lovingly guide us along our way. So are the spirits controlling you and your life or are they guiding and nudging you? If they're pushy and controlling you then there's a higher probability that it's a psychological game you're playing with yourself. "The devil made me do it." That usually means that you don't want to face your secret motivations and so you have created an entity to force you to do things.

If they don't control you and are simply loving guides trying to help out, then do you control them? If you are able to tell them what to do and they are working around the clock at your beck and call, then chances are you're making them up. Free will is at the core of love. Nobody is forced to do anything. If you're able to control when they come and go and what they do or do not do to help you, then you aren't working with separate entities. Angels, fairies, and spirit guides are not our cosmic slaves to be controlled and dictated to. If you can do that, then they aren't real.

Are you dependant on them? What I mean by this is that if they are an emotional security blanket then you've probably made them up in your mind. Real guardian angels and such are here to help you to believe in yourself, not to make you completely dependant on them for your every thing. If you can't make a personal decision without your guides and they allow that kind of neediness, then they aren't real. If you require they're presence in order to create your art, play your music, or to write your great masterpiece, then chances are you don't have enough self-esteem and you created a third party in your mind to give the credit to. That's not the same as occasionally co-creating with them but being able to also work independently. If you are unable to do your spiritual works or offer your gifts to the world without their assistance, then they are probably not real.

Finally, upon meeting with the spirits and building a strong mentally healthy relationship with them where neither is a control freak bossing the other around and both are free to come and go as they please. Then the last thing to consider is the impact that the relationship has on you. Are you called to do some sort of spiritual work? Are you shown how to give some kind of a gift of love to the world whether it's music, writing, speaking, art, cleaning up the planet or whatever else? Most people who come into contact with the divine find themselves with some sort of an undying need to spread love and joy around the planet. Real angels, fairies, and spirit guides teach us how to give our greatest gifts to the world. They empower us with the self belief that we have always had whatever is needed to make a difference in the world. If the relationship isn't spiritual and inspirational, then it's doubtful that it's really spirit guides or angels that you're talking to.

It is universally understood that the angels, fairies, spirit guides, or whatever other name your culture gives to those messengers of love and light, it is understood that they come from God. Again, it doesn't matter if you call it God, Mother Nature, the Light, the Force or whatever name you like. These little spirits are divine helpers from the heavens come to cheer you on and to help you find a spiritually divine path. They are not owned by us and cannot be bossed around. They have no control over us and cannot boss us around without our consent. They can work amazing magic when co-creating with us, but they are here to show you your own magic and the divinity within you. Once that's done, they tend to slip back into the shadows to allow you to shine your own light on your little corner of the world.

What's In Your Dog Food?

2007-01-01T03:59:00.000-08:00

According to holistic veternarian Dr. Jane Bicks, the maximum life span of dogs is estimated to be around 25 to 30 years, yet the average dog generally lives no longer than about 13 to 14 years.

She says that this deficit is due largely to poor nutrition.

For example, canned food is about 75 to 78 percent moisture, which leaves very little room for nutrition.

In addition to containing what is generally considered the bottom of the barrel ingredients in terms of nutritional density, most conventional dog food products contain especially large amounts of sodium to make them palatable, as well as

dairy, by-products, chemical preservatives, artificial colors and other potentially harmful ingredients. The carbohydrate ratio is too high in some dog food brands as well, eventually leading to obesity, which is increasingly becoming a serious problem with dogs.

In fact, obesity is one of the greatest health concerns facing our dogs; it can cause unnecessary suffering and a shortened lifespan

Renowned research scientist Dr. Barry Sears believes that dog food should have about the same 30-30-40 ratio as the human Zone diet. This means a relatively small amount of carbohydrates. Not only do many dog food brands have a particulary large amount of carbohydrates, they are mostly grain based, which are exactly the ones the Zone diet tries to minimize.

Another problem, according to the USDA Agricultural service, is that mites often get into dog food pellets, which can cause a number of problems such as disease. They recommend keeping dog food cool and dry, and vacuuming in the places where the food is stored the food is stored a least once a week. In adWhat's In Your Dog Food?dition keep the are around the dish where the dog food is served clean.

Also, do not leave any dog food in your pet's bowl on warm, humid days.

It should be noted that harder working dogs require more protein and fat in their diet to maintain stamina and good body form. A dog food that is complete and balanced and includes at least 26 percent protein and 1650 kilocalories of metabolizable energy per pound is ideal. During the seasons when dogs are not working, their energy requirements decrease. Feed less of the high calorie

Mental Health Maintenance Is Made Simple

2006-12-31T03:56:00.000-08:00

Your mental health is often drastically improved when you use the techniques Dr. Kuhn teaches in this article. When you are able to experience this improvement, your relationships blossom, career paths open, and people find you attractive and accessible. You deserve to have fun and joy in your life - and Cliff Kuhn, M.D. will help you do that.

In the classic Frank Capra film, It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey's mental health is overwhelmed by the difficulties of his life and he wishes he'd never been born. George's guardian angel grants his wish and takes him to a grim reality as it would've been without him. George feels nothing when he reaches into his coat pocket to retrieve the flower his daughter, Zuzu, placed there - and that's when George knows that his wish has come true...he's never been born.

Wishing she had never been born, Roberta became my patient, seeking desperately to improve her mental health. Like the fictional George Bailey character, Roberta's depression and anxiety had grown so strong as to threaten her ability to lead any semblance of a normal life. Fortunately for Roberta, she soon discovered exactly why the natural medicine of humor is one of the most powerful adjunctive treatments for improving mental health, because humor literally pours water on the fire of depression and anxiety.

Roberta is not alone. As many as 35% of all Americans suffer from depression and anxiety, the twins that make mental health elusive for millions. Your depression and anxiety is exacerbated by your seriousness - taking yourself too seriously. As we move into adulthood, we unfortunately buy into the notion that responsible and productive people must be "serious." As we make the biggest mistake of our lives and relegate our humor nature and fun to recreational activities (if we experience fun at all), we doom ourselves to all the symptoms of the corresponding seriousness that fills the void - declining health, rising stress, increased pain, lessened energy, impaired creativity, and more.

The good news for your mental health, however, is that we know how to shrink your deadly seriousness to practically nothing and reduce almost completely the sway it holds over your health, vitality, wellness, and zest. The natural medicine of humor is an incredibly powerful resource that you already possess; you've only forgotten how to use it to maximum effectiveness. You will soon discover that, while not a panacea, the natural medicine of humor is a tremendous tonic for depression or anxiety and will also supercharge other treatments because it is an amazing adjunctive medicine too!

I have distilled the natural medicine of humor, through my years of medical practice, into an amazing prescription I call The Fun Factor. Based on what I learned over twenty years ago from a terminally ill fifteen-year-old patient, I created a unique set of principles I call the Fun Commandments, then forged these Commandments into my Fun Factor prescription and have been prescribing The Fun Factor with great success for years. This report will show you how to use just three of my Fun Commandments to turn your mental health around, and gain new joy, pleasure, and appreciation from your life!

Improve Your Mental Health Using My Fun Factor Prescription

Step One: Always Go the Extra Smile

The first Fun Commandment I recommend for improved mental health is: Always Go the Extra Smile. This Commandment is doubly helpfully for depression and anxiety because not only does it provide measurable emotional and physical relief, but it also is completely under your control - regardless of your circumstances. Because smiling remains totally under your control, it can be your greatest resource for using humor's natural medicine to accelerate your mental health.

Smiling produces measurable physical benefits you can experience immediately: your stress decreases, your immunity improves, your pain and frustration tolerances increase, and your creativity soars. And guess what? You experience all these benefits even if your smile is "fake." That's right...forcing a smile onto your face perks up your immune system and lightens your mood just as readily as a genuine smile. Fake a smile and you'll soon feel well enough to wear a real one!

This is great news for your proactive stance on sustainable mental health. You have an amazing amount of pre-emptive control over your mood - you can, literally, choose more energy and happiness. The key for your use of this Fun Commandment in enhancing your mental health is to start practicing right now, so that smiling becomes an entrenched, habitual method of accessing the natural medicine of humor. If you wait to smile until your mental health has taken a turn for the worse, and depression or anxiety has taken hold of you, it will not be as effective.

Step Two: Act and Interact

Smiling leads us right into the second Fun Commandment you'll find instrumental in maintaining your mental health: Act and Interact. Humor's natural medicine works best when we are sharing ourselves and this Commandment will teach you how to capitalize on the control you've taken over your physiology and mood by smiling. Acting and interacting is now easier for you to do because you're smiling more. Not only is your mood improved, but your smile is also a pleasant invitation to other people.

My suggestion is that you solidify the power of this Commandment by setting a reasonable goal regarding the number of people you will interact with each day. These social interactions are great for your mental health, forcing you to exchange information and ideas with another person. Combined with your commitment to smiling, your interactions should be pleasant, because your heightened energy, lessened pain, and lowered stress levels are very attractive to others.

Beyond keeping you out of isolation, there is another reason why acting and interacting with the people you encounter fosters improved mental health. It allows you to avoid spiritual "flat tires." Spiritual flat tires occur when you sidestep, or avoid, an interaction that is about to happen naturally - you duck into an office to avoid encountering someone in a hallway or you don't answer the phone because you don't want to talk to the person calling. This type of avoidance drains and deletes your reservoir of powerful natural energy and siphons your mental health reserves.

Have you ever noticed that it usually takes you twice as much mental and physical energy to avoid doing a job than you would have expended just doing it? It also takes twice the energy to avoid acting and interacting with the people who cross your path because you are, in effect, saying, "I'm going to correct the mistake that nature made by putting this person in my path and I'm going to correct it by being mentally and spiritually negligent." Mental and spiritual negligence have the same effect as physical negligence (isn't it strange how you get tired if you don't exercise?). If your mental health can afford to allow this much energy to be drained, then you have a much bigger reservoir than I!

But spiritual flat tires do more than drain our energy, they are detrimental in at least two additional ways:

We miss out on an interaction with a teacher. If nature didn't have a lesson for you, that person you just avoided would not have been placed in your path. You say that the person you just avoided was a negative influence or would've wasted your time? I know we have legitimate schedules to keep, but if I am avoiding people based on my prejudgment of them, I'm cutting myself off from my greatest teachers - those very same people. We all learn tolerance from the intolerant, patience from the impatient, temperance from the intemperate, gentleness from the ruffian, etc. I am supremely grateful for those teachers and the lessons they give me.

We create a small, nagging spiritual void of dishonesty, the kind of dishonesty that keeps us from laying our heads down with complete peace of mind each night. Our spiritual flat tire is caused by the pothole our avoidance created; it is a natural consequence, or symptom, of our spiritual dishonesty. These consequences clutter our lives with mental and emotional baggage that further drains us of our energy and vitality.

Step Three: Celebrate Everything

The third Fun Commandment which will help you use the natural medicine of humor to charge up your mental health is: Celebrate Everything. Celebrating everything may sound like a monumental task to someone who's mental health isn't up to par, but you will find this part of my doctor's orders much easier to fulfill once you start practicing my first two Commandments. In fact, celebrating everything is more than a maintenance step providing sustainable mental health. It will also become your lifestyle, the more you practice it, because you will enjoy the results so much.

How do you celebrate everything and how will this keep your mental health on the upswing? The epitome of this Commandment is found in the old joke about the boy who wanted a pony for his birthday. Instead, he found a room full of manure waiting for him. But he dove right into the dung, gleefully exclaiming, "With all this manure, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"

Laugh as we might, we're quick to remember that, as adults, we would never allow ourselves such "naive" enthusiasm. Why not? Do you realize what is behind such a "grown up," "mature" decision? Your deadly seriousness (taking yourself too seriously) encourages the attitude that a mature adult should not let herself be so optimistic and thus mental health is jeopardized.

We could do more than chuckle at this birthday boy's unabashed optimism - we should emulate it! When was the last time you encountered an unexpected pile of manure in your life? You had absolutely no control over the mess, right? But you had absolute control over your reaction to it and this is the key to using celebration to keep your mental health improved!

When you celebrate everything, the natural medicine of humor creates spiritual, emotional, and mental health like nothing you've felt before. You will find that your fears become much less controlling when you are celebrating everything because it no longer matters so much how things turn out. In fact, you are literally ready for anything because you are prepared to find the blessing in whatever happens.

My daughter-in-law, for example, broke her back last year. My son, who is often my model for the embodiment of my Fun Commandments, can tick off a laundry list of blessings his family has received as a direct result of his wife's "tragedy." Not that his mental health hasn't been challenged, but faced with the choice of depression and anxiety over an event he couldn't control versus finding the blessings waiting for him, he has chosen the latter.

The choice to celebrate everything is not a panacea; my son's choice did not change the reality of his wife's injury. What did change, however, was his ability to respond to the injury and, thus, keep his mental health on an even keel. Celebrating everything changes our lives because it allows us to positively control the only things we have control over - our actions, ideas, and attitudes.

There you have it. Start by going the extra smile, use your newfound smiling energy and vitality to act and interact with people, and celebrate everything to maintain your positive momentum. Say good-bye to imprisonment from depression and anxiety and welcome to your new world of improved mental health! Start Using The Fun Factor to Improve Your Mental Health...Right Now

Here are some simple, easy steps you can take right now to turbo-charge your mental health.

Subscribe to my Fun Times newsletter. The Fun Times is all about using your natural power of humor to increase the quality of your life - including your mental health. The Fun Times is 100% free, and is delivered instantly, every week, to your email inbox. If you sign up now, I'll also throw in a copy of my "Stop Your Seriousness" Ecourse and my book, Ten Ways You Can Be Happier...Right Now! which will show you how you can use my Fun Factor prescription in your life to increase your mental health!

Check out The Fun Factor. This prescription has changed so many lives for the better - it would be a shame if you passed it up. Check it out here if you're sick of wishing for mental health and want to finally achieve your greatest mental health! My patient Roberta, by the way, learned to use these three Fun Commandments - and the rest of my Fun Factor prescription. She has enjoyed the same job for three years now and was recently engaged to be married. Roberta occasionally has setbacks, as most people suffering from depression or anxiety do. But, her mental health has never been stronger as she continues to apply The Fun Factor to her life.

In It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is so shocked by the grim vision of a world without him that he decides he wants to live again and begs to return. He knows he is back when he finds Zuzu's flower petals in his coat pocket again.

Child's Play: Treating The Insanity of the Mental Health System

2006-12-31T03:53:00.000-08:00

In today's mental health system there is a pattern of fraud and coercion that takes way the freedoms and dignity of children and their families. Children are receiving stigmatizing labels and being prescribed psychotropic drugs with many untoward effects. Psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, MD made the comment that if an individual hit us with a blackjack and robbed us of our dignity we would call them thugs, yet psychiatrists label and drug children and rob them of their dingity and nothing is said. All in the name of profit. Rarely, if never are the families given informed consent. Szasz has also stated, "From a sociological point of view, psychiatry is a secular institution to regulate domestic relations. From my point of view, it is child abuse." Families are provided with literature that appears so matter of fact but is funded by the pharmaceutical companies and tainted with their bias. According to the Pughkeepsie Journal, the 'support' or should it be said front group for Children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder received substantial funds from the pharmaceutical companies: "CHADD received $315,000 from drug companies in the year ending June 2000, about 12 percent of its budget."

Children are being beaten, improperly restrained, physically and sexually abused, and emotionally scarred in residential treatment programs. Juvenile probation officials are failing to understand the emotional distress of our children, they are submitting to this "psychiatric Gestapo". Educators rather than finding new methods of shaping our children's learning are falling into the trap of psychiatric 'solutions' as well. Never could it be that a school has simply failed to help a child learn, rather it is always the child denigrated and labeled as 'disordered'. There are loving and concerned parents, and there are others who lack love and compassion towards their children. There are loving and concerned parents who become duped by the 'professionals'. Below are some actual stories of experiences in my work as a therapist with children as well as one story submitted to me by a concerned and struggling parent. I share them to give some perspective as to what is occurring.

I share this scenario because sadly it is becoming a frightening reality: A child is considered overly active and has behavioral issues at school. The school staff may recommend psychiatric intervention and even go as far as to say that medication is necessary, even designating which one. The child sees the psychiatrist for a brief session- t is never examined if the child has any physical conditions, allergies, etc. Immediately the child is labeled and given a dose of psychostimulant. The child develops side effects such as weight loss, insomnia, and possible tics. In order to counteract the insomnia, a new drug such as Klonidine is added. The child develops emotional lability and has crying episodes and manic behaviors. The psychiatrist is seen again for a brief time, and on this visit its determined that 'bipolar is emerging'. The child is then given Depakote or some other mood stablizer. The child now must receive regular blood tests to insure that liver toxicity does not arise. The child is not overly active, he is quite docile, so it is reported that improvement has occurred. However, with the combination of drugs, he develops some psychotic like symptoms where he feels something is crawling on him and has some hallucinations. The psychiatrist is consulted again, and its determined that bipolar with psychotic features exists or maybe even the possibility of childhood schizophrenia. The child is then given Risperdal or another neuroleptic. Strangely, the child begins developing unusual jaw movements and muscle rigidity. The parents are concerned and ask the psychiatrist if this is medication related and if the child is overmedicated. The psychiatrist brushes off the question and prescribes Cogentin (used for Parkinson's) to alleviate the neurological problems but fails to remove the offending agent. The child's behavior becomes more unusual and bizarre leading to hospitalization where medications are raised and adjusted and new ones added. Then the recommendation comes from the psychiatrist that it would be better for the child to be moved to a residential treatment facility. While in the residential facility, the child is frequently restrained and is injured, he is placed with other children with serious emotional and behaviorla distress. he is discharged home having absorbed alot of new negative behaviors from peers, lacking knowledge of the outside world, and with few skills. So, once the child nears adulthood, it is recommended that he live in a group home where he can be cared for and the psychiatric regiment can be maintained. The child has been 'treated.'

This is all based on true incidents with names changed to preserve confidentiality.

I worked with a teen who had experienced sexual trauma by a relative. The relative was arrested and sentenced. The teen was asked to attend the setencing hearing and prior began acting out at school. She had an incident where she left the classroom to de-escalate after an argument with a teacher. She was restrained by a rather obese school staff. The teen explained to me that sher was frustrated with the school because a number of boys were exposing themselves to her and knew about her sexual trauma and that school staff did not respond. She was charged with disorderly conduct and had to appear before a juvenile judge. The judge was made aware of her sexual trauma and her need to be at the sentencing hearing. He locked her in juvenile detention for 10 days and said, 'we will transport her from detention to the hearing." The teen ahd no previous juvenile arrests. In this situation, Attorney Jana Markus was also became involved and after consulting with the District Attorney's office was able to secure her release and to encourage that she be recommended for homebound education. The school district has agreed not without some contention, particularly trying to continue to charge the teen with truancy for the time between her leaving the school and obtaining the recommendation of homebound education.

I received a call from a mother who had a very young child who was displaying some aggressive behaviors which caused the day care to have the child removed until therapeutic services could be provided. The mother took the child to one agency and was told, "you better medicate this child before he tries to kill someone." The mother was appalled. I later spoke to this mother by phone and explained my therapeutic approach. She told me her situation and the response she had received. As I spoke with her at length, she said, "You really care about children." I appreciated this comment but at the same time was saddened as I thought, shouldn't this be said about every person in the mental health profession? What has gone wrong?

A client who is a physician and his wife related that they sought assistance with their child diagnosed with autism and wanted assistance in aiding him with communication skills. They saw a psychiatrist who visited with them fr less than 10 minutes and began writing a script for antipsychotic medication. When the parents noted that they were not there for medications, the psychiatrist became belligerent and asked, 'then what do you want and why are you here?"

A staff of a agency working with mentally challenged adults related to me that the supervisors insisted that a client in the residential program was non-verbal and unable to communicate. This client was left frequently to sit and watch television for hours and privided with no real attention or work on skills development. The staff stated that she sought to engage the client in dialogue and found that he was far from non-verbal and after some work was able to write his name and other words.

In visiting an agency working with mentally challenged youth, I discovered that many of these youth's needs were completely ignored. I recall two incidents of seeing a young girl seated in a chair, the staff gave her paper and markers, and she would sit in the same chair for hours. Every visit she would be seated in the same spout with no one providing attention. Staff would walk past her and she would try to reach for them or hug them. I always made sure to stop and hug her and comment on her drawings. In addition, a young boy would pace incessantly around the building, once again being provided no attention, and no real work being done to aid this child in skill development.

"FAT AND IGNORANT" I was presented with a child who was having some serious behavioral issues at school. I began to examine the situation and my assessment was that this child was in conflict with his teacher and this was the only cause for the behavioral issues. This child had been previously placed on Ritalin which was actually cpurt ordered. The child had a very adverse reaction and fortunatelt was removed. As I have mentioned about the fraud of ADHD, this child I was convinced had no brain disorder as the biological psychiatrists would like us to think. This child was actually quite bright and was on the borderline for qualifying for MENSA. I began to look at the dynamics at school, as it was only here that he posed a problem. I learned as well that this child was witness to abuse and was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. So, as I thought further I saw that the teacher was only aggravating this by his actions. The teacher showed hostility to this child and made him a target, even writing in a journal that the child was 'fat and ignorant." Was it any wonder that the child exhibited behavioral issues in a classroom where he was treated with no dignity? As I suspected, this child was moved to a different school environment where he excelled. The "ADHD" symptoms all disappeared, so much for theories about a brain disorder.

I received a call from a mother who explained to me that her child was in a residential facility and only recently was determined to have a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder after years of being labeled with 20 assorted diagnoses. She was given Risperdal as well as Ritalin. The mother reported that the child has tardive dyskinesia and was experiencing tremors. The response was to eliminate Risperdal and replace it with a different neuroleptic. This child is now permanently disfigured, and will probably never fully recover from the damage done in the name of 'help'.

I was doing an observation of one of my clients in a school setting when I took note of another child who began a conversation with me and in the process was showing facial grimaces and constant repetitive blinking. I pulled the teacher aside and asked her to examine the child for a minute and tell me if she witnessed anything out of the ordinary. "Well, he keeps making faces and twitching." I asked her, "Why may that be?" "Well, um, I do not know!". I asked her to see what medication the child was taking and if it might be a 'blue pill'. She asked the child and indeed he was taking Adderall, the cause of all his grimaces and contortion. What a price to pay to get a child to 'function' in class!

I was presented with a child who the teacher insisted was ADHD. The school guidance counselor was called in and told the mother, "without a doubt, he is ADHD and could benefit from Ritalin. It helps with academic improvement." I asked the school guidance counselor if he had actually met the child or was going on reports. "No, I have yet to meet him." I then asked him if he could name a study that proved that academic performance could be enhanced and how he was so sure of the ADHD diagnosis." He responded that he knew of no such study and that such diagnosis was based on teacher reports. Where is the science in that? I explained further that studies have actuallt shown that short term improvement in rote learning does occur, but that no long term improvement has ever been shown. The family sought a second opinion from a different psychologist who stated he saw nothing and sent the boy on his way. In this situation, I saw that the child was bright and that he learned in a way that the teacher just plainly was not providing. This idea was reinforced when the following year with a different teacher his academic performance dramatically increased with no intervention.

I worked with a delightful 5 year old child. Prior to him being referred to me, he had been on Risperdal. He had convulsions in the classroom and was taken to the emergency room. I happened to read the hospital report and it was deemed that these convulsions were a direct effect of the Risperdal. The mother was unfortunately an unconcerned parent, and there were frequent calls made to Child protective Services regarding abuse by herself and her paramour. I found it immensely difficult to work in the home with this mother, and after seeing the child with brusing, I too called the Child Protective Services but each time they found the cases unfounded. I would take the child into the community for my sessions. The mother had described him as a 'little brat', a 'monster', and a kid 'who didnt deserve sh-t'. She described all these negative behaviors in the home and yet I never saw one of them in his time with me. Occassionally he would have some difficulty in the classroom, but with some guidance and redirection, problems were always averted. It broke my heart to see that within 5 minutes of me dropping him off at home he would be in tears. The mother requested me to leave this case, and I reluctantly agreed and transferred it to a colleague and friend. My colleague informed me that the paramour was caught sexually abusing the child, and the child was taken to foster care. I feel that foster care should certainly be a last option, but here it was a blessing. I recommended that at least one member of the therapeutic staff he was familiar with continue to work with him in the new setting and I offered to go and visit him to help with his adjustment. Though it will take some time for him to adjust, I think it will be a fresh new start, as he is in a place where maybe for once he will receive love and compassion.

Christmas For One Mental Health Over the Holidays

2006-12-30T03:52:00.000-08:00

My dear friend, poet Dessa Byrd Reed, often spends holidays alone as a widow. However, she doesn’t see this, as many people often do, as a depressing circumstance. In a November 2000 POETIC VOICES interview, she said, “Because I am single and live alone, I eat out a lot. I love to talk to strangers. That's one of my favorite things. I go out for breakfast and talk to people.”

Another talented writer, Leslie Lafayette, dealt with being a childless woman by choice in WHY DON’T YOU HAVE KIDS?: Living a Full Life Without Parenthood. You can bet that because of her choice many people would pity her. She writes the “Alone Again, Naturally” column for the outstanding magazine THE DESERT WOMAN. Observers might conclude she’s miserable on the holidays.

Both Leslie and Dessa have full lives and radiate Christmas cheer, not just in December but all year round. While we all need human contact, it’s a mistake to conclude that people without the traditional family dinner are all on suicide watch. Anyone who has negotiated where to have Christmas and which family members can come when, not to mention refereed in-law and spouse disputes, knows that the allure of having a table for one at Christmas is powerful.

However, when people aren’t alone by choice, Christmas can be lonely. In Michigan, I interviewed a woman, the founder of a divorced and widowed support group, who chose to have Christmas dinner every year for lonely widows, widowers and divorced people, usually from her support group. Her children understood that she needed to start this new tradition in her new life.

Similarly, having children around, even with the relentless gimmes and commercialism, lends a special magic to Christmas, which is why playing Santa appeals to so many.

The holidays can be joyous if you’re alone, or they can be difficult. As with so much, your feelings depend on your personality, your circumstances, your childhood, and in many cases on medical or psychological conditions.

Some tips to remember if you’re alone or without your support system:

*Take advantage of counseling services in your community, including from your local church, synagogue, temple or other place of worship.

*Take time out for spirituality. You might attend services just to experience human contact and community. People are generally nicer at Christmas.

*Do all the things you wanted to do but couldn’t in your former life. Travel. Even in this post-9/11 world, you can visit faraway places. There are many tour groups for singles.

*Attend art walks, holiday concerts, lectures, and movie screenings alone. Or invite a friend you haven’t talked to in a while.

*Volunteer—it’s a wonderful way to make friends, stay active, and feel fulfilled.

*Go out to dinner alone! While women in particular feel uncomfortable, project an air of confidence. You are a strong, vital woman. This doesn’t mean that you should go bar-hopping or take risks alone at night. But you have the right to ask for a table for one without feeling as though people are judging you. (Most people are too preoccupied with their own lives to notice.)

*Gather a circle of friends or people in the same situation—just make sure the evening doesn’t turn into a pity party.

*Don’t overdrink, overeat or do drugs. It’s just not a good tradition.

*Bake cookies if you’re so inclined. Cookies make wonderful Christmas presents and ways to reconnect with your friends.

Women's Mental Health

2006-12-30T03:50:00.000-08:00

Does so-called "positive thinking" have any real effect on a woman’s mental health and physical health? Can a change in your thinking actually change your health? The answer is yes, according to a scientific study at the University of Pennsylvania.

The study found that those who responded optimistically to adversity lived longer those who responded pessimistically to adversity.

Adversity and stress visit us all on a regular basis. A quick test of your own current state of optimism is the reaction you have when reading the above paragraphs. Some people gain hope and confidence from the news. Others feel helpless and shake their heads while muttering something negative. We all see both reactions in life and unfortunately the negative thinking seems to be more common.

Parade magazine reports that in a recent survey, 250,000 women said the number one problem they face every day is stress. One way to face stressful challenges and overcome them is to think optimistic thoughts about how you plan to rise above the situation and solve the problem. Imagine yourself victorious.

Some women say “But I don’t have any imagination.” Sure you do. Every time you worry about something that doesn’t happen you have imagined the worst. You are using your imagination to visualize your worries. Use this same process but imagine the best and visualize things going right instead of things going wrong.

As You Think, So Shall You Become

Author James Allen wrote the following poetic advice over 100 years ago:

“Strong, pure and happy thoughts build up the body in vigor and grace. The body is a delicate and pliable instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it.

Thought is the fount of action, life and manifestations; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.

If you would perfect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind.

As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome home unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene face can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and good will and serenity.

There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with good will for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all --such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.”

What makes a healthy personality? According to Emerson, “An individual has a healthy personality to the exact degree to which they have the propensity to look for the good in every situation.”

Try that for one day. Look for the good in every situation. Find the silver lining in every cloud. See if you don’t have a better day than usual.

When you meet up with someone who is thinking negative, remember this little joke and smile: When a grouch was given this advice he said, “I was going to try positive thinking once... but then I figured what the heck is the use in trying.”

Balancing Your Wellness Circle

2006-12-29T04:51:00.002-08:00

Four years ago, my burnout at work had reached the point of crisis. I knew what it was like to be enthusiastic and warm and positive, but I found it impossible to summon up those feelings that had come so easily in the past. The nurses and other doctors noticed that I was no longer the same Dr. Shelton they thought they knew.

One morning, the psychologist in charge of our mental health branch called me up and asked if I would be willing to visit Doby, the traditional healer. I reluctantly agreed, because I knew the psychologist cared about me.

I felt awkward, though, and I didn't really expect the healer to be able to help me. How would he understand when I couldn't even explain what was going on with me? My hesitancy was complicated by the fact that I was the medical director at a clinical center created for the purpose of helping and treating the Native People. I wasn't supposed to become one of their patients!

At the mental health building I was greeted by Doby, a short, thick, elderly native man with a white crew cut, dressed in a Pendleton vest and blue jeans. In the corner sat a middle-aged man with a drum who, I learned later, was the his son.

We sat down at a small table in the center of the room.

"So, what's going on?" he said. I started with, "Well, it's getting harder and harder for me to come to work." He put up his hand abruptly, signaling for me to stop. He told me a story about the time of his father's death. The healer didn't want or need to hear any more about my problem. I was a little troubled by this. I didn't see how this rambling story about his father was going to help.

Finally the healer completed his story and said, "Okay, I'll see what I can do." He came over to me. Placing his hands over my head, he began to sing a native song. I felt respectful, present, and open, but to be honest, I didn't expect anything beneficial to come of this. Doby sang for another five minutes or so, and then he was done.

He announced, "Your spirit had left you, and I put it back." I was astounded. What sort of thing was that to say? I felt no different. I almost laughed, but I didn't want to offend this kind man. After all, he was only trying to help me.

I thanked him and left. What an interesting experience, I thought. As I began seeing patients, my skepticism and amusement quickly turned to marvel. I was back! I was able to address each patient and problem with the natural sense of compassion and creativity I had known before. At the end of the day, I was still energized. I felt wonderful!

Unfortunately, over the next few weeks I began to feel less energetic and increasingly irritable. I knew I couldn't keep seeing the traditional healer over and over. I needed to find some way to nourish and develop my spirituality. After much pondering, I became convinced that if I could discover how to stay spiritually connected and in balance with the whole of life my burnout would dissolve.

The Native American concept of wellness led me to a solution to my struggle with burnout. In the Native American understanding, you are well when all aspects of your life are in balance and in harmony. There is a sense of inner peace and wholeness. It is more than the absence of disease, or enjoying good health. You thus might be well while living with a chronic illness. This kind of wellness is reflected in behaviors and attitudes; how you respond to situations, problems, or people. Wellness means having a sense of poise and serenity that allows you to respond creatively and responsibly in a crisis.

How do we improve on our state of wellness? In the Native community where I work every day, I hear constant references to "the wellness circle." The circle is an important sacred symbol for Native Americans. It represents the cycles of life, the four seasons, the four directions, the heavens, Mother Earth, and the universe. It represents a holistic symbol of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health in its broadest sense, revealing the parts of human nature that must be nourished to bring a person to wholeness.

The Native American wellness circle describes four aspects or dimensions of life: physical (what one does), mental (what one thinks), emotional (what one feels), and spiritual (what one believes). When all four dimensions of life are in balance and functioning at an optimum level, a person is considered to be physically fit, mentally stimulated, emotionally adjusted, and spiritually connected. To be well, then, means to have vitality in each part of life, and to have all of these parts in relative balance.

Tips On Understanding Friends Or Loved Ones With Bipolar Disorder

2006-12-29T04:51:00.001-08:00

1. Educate yourself about your friend or family members illness, the symptoms and treatments. Read all you can about it, from reliable sources.
2.Give said family members or friends, your unconditional love and support. Offer reassurance for the future, but mostly hope.
3.Do not try to fix your friend or family members problems on your own, you will frustrate yourself. Instead encourage him or her to get professional help.
4.Always keep in mind, that a mood disorder affects a person's attitudes and beliefs. If the person in question says things like, "nothing good will ever happen to me", "no one loves or cares about me", "I have learned all there is to know of all the secrets in this world", it's easy to jump to the conclusion that it is their illness speaking for them. With treatment your friend or family member will realize that what they had been thinking is not a reflection of reality.
5.You should have realistic expectations of and for your loved ones. He or she can recover fully,though it will not happen over night. Be patient and have a hopeful attitude.
6.Keep in mind this is a real illness, also that this is a treatable condition. This is a real physical illness that affects the brain. It is as real as is Diabetes or asthma. This is not a character flaw or personal weakness. It is not caused by anything you or anyone else did. It is a genetic disorder.Though it may not show up till many years later.
7.Do Not demand that your friend or family member "snap out of it". They cannot snap out of it anymore than, say a person with cancer, liver disease,or high blood pressure without treatment.
8.Most importantly take good care of yourself. Keep in mind that there are many support groups out there.Understanding family and or friends can and usually will help you through this.

You may ask yourself, How can i help my loved one who has bipolar disorder, or symptoms of severe depression?

1.Take threats of suicide or any mention of it seriously. Do not assume this person is just trying to get attention.
2.Encourage he or she to get immediate help. Then you yourself should contact a professional right away.
3.Do not promise your friend or family member you will keep this secret. You may need to tell a Doctor or a family member the plan's of suicide or the thought's that are being harbored, in order to save their very life.
4.Find out if your friend or family member has a plan in place. Talking about it does not have to mean you are helping them to plant the seed of suicide. Most often He or She may need to talk about it and welcome discussing it.
5. Listen to them, listening is very important.Offer your help.
6.Suggest that your friend or family member contact a suicide hot line such as (800)442-HOPE if he or she is alone and in need of immediate help.
7.Let your loved one know that he or she is very important to you, and others. Remind this person that these thoughts of suicide are another symptom of the illness they suffer from,and is treatable.
8.Make sure that your friend or family member do not have access to weapons and or large quantities of medications, or anything else that could be dangerous.

Lifestyle Changes Are Proven To Ease Anxiety and Panic

2006-12-28T01:40:00.001-08:00

If you drink alcohol, smoke, don’t eat well and don’t exercise, you might be blocking your recovery from anxiety and panic.

By reducing alcohol and caffeine from the diet and adding more exercise, however, you can help reduce your attacks and your reliance on medications and therapy.

One likely reason for this is that our bodies automatically respond to what goes into them, whether it’s stressful and negative thinking or foods that can harm us. When we drink alcohol and caffeine or eat too much sugary and starchy foods, our bodies instantly become defensive as they fight off the “invasion”.

The body and mind is one. What affects one affects the other. When we are happy and fulfilled, we are healthier. When we are sad and wanting, our bodies begin to break down and illness creeps in. The body reacts to invasive products like alcohol and smoke by feeling threatened.

When we eat healthy foods, our brain recognizes this and responds by giving us a sense of wellbeing. It’s that feeling we get after we have Sunday dinner with all the trimmings. Our body feels refreshed and content.

When we feed it unhealthy foods, our minds seek ways to correct the problem that it senses. This can trigger anxiety, much like the anxiety that can affect us when we are hungry or lack food for an extended time. Our minds know something is wrong and it panics.

This new British study seems to back up this theory.

Conducted by Dr. Rod Lambert of the School of Allied Health Professions, the study tested two groups of people. One group underwent traditional doctor-directed treatments such as medications and therapy. The other group also made specific lifestyle changes in their diet and habits.

The changes included removing or reducing alcohol and caffeine from the diet, cutting back on smoking, eating healthy nutritious foods and getting more exercise.

The results showed that those who made these lifestyle changes experienced less panic and anxiety in one month and required less doctor treatments than did those who did not make lifestyle changes.

Panic and anxiety can have a dramatic influence on our lives. They cause some people to fear stepping out of their homes. Others experience terrifying panic attacks while driving down the highway or while in public.

For some, their lives come to an immediate halt because they are so overwhelmed with the paralyzing dread that something horrific is going to happen to them. They live for years like this, struggling to build up the courage to seek therapy and attend regular sessions. Over time, the panic is so ingrained that they feel they will never be cured and believe they face a future filled with fear and dread.

This study shows that this doesn’t have to continue, and that there are other things a person can do besides relying on medications to get relief. By making healthy lifestyle choices – not smoking, not drinking alcohol, easing up on the caffeine and getting more exercise – they can see an improvement that marks the turning point in their lives.

Identifying And Overcoming Phobias

2006-12-28T01:39:00.000-08:00

Many phobias have their roots in childhood. It could be something you were scared of as a child, both real or imagined. Fear of the dark, fear of spider, fear of the unknown - these are all common childhood fears and they all have adult phobias associated with them. These types of fears are normal for children, but they can cause problems when they remain with us into adulthood.

A phobia is defined as an irrational dread, terror or fear that occurs during a relatively benign situation. Many people realize their fears are unfounded and irrational for the situation, but they are not able to overcome them.

Some of the common symptoms of phobias include:

Racing heartrate
Shortness of breath
Sweaty hands
The urge to flee

If left unchecked, a phobia can gradually get worse, resulting in more serious problems like anxiety disorders, panic attacks and extreme stress.

Severe phobias can have a negative affect on your day-to-day life. They can develop into social disorders, where a person avoid social contact for fear of their phobia being set off. They can also cause you to miss out on many great experiences.

For example, a person who has a fear of heights may never get to see the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon. They may never travel far from home because they are unwilling to get on an airplane.

Phobias can be overcome with methods of dealing with the underlying fears. The way you've responded to something in the past doesn't have to be the way you do so now or in the future.

If you're dealing with an irrational fear and just are not able to overcome it, it would be wise to discuss it with your doctor or another qualified medical professional. They can offer some insight into the causes and offer the most effective treatment, given your particular situation.

Lithium Bipolar Treatment Restoring Mood And Cognitive Functioning

2006-12-27T01:39:00.000-08:00

When we hear the word lithium bipolar disorder inevitably comes to mind. It is well known that this substance has been effective in treating symptoms of manic-depressive illness.

The use of lithium for bipolar illness was rediscovered by an Australian psychiatrist who noticed the effect lithium (urate and salts) had on animals. The animals became tranquil and the doctor saw the potential for humans. He went on to administer it to patients who were suffering from mania. Since that time, it has been used as a treatment for manic-depressive disorder.

This substance is a naturally occurring mineral. It is found in certain rocks and in the sea and minute amounts show up in plant and animal tissues. Springs containing this mineral have been used for the soothing effects rendered. It comes as no surprise that lithium bipolar treatment has yielded positive results.

Today, lithium for bipolar illness is known as lithium carbonate or citrate and is administered under trade names such as Lithobid, Eskalith, Duralith, or Lithane. It was approved by the United States FDA in 1970 and is used as a mood-stabilizer.

Distributed in the central nervous system, it interacts with a number of receptors and neurotransmitters in the brain, decreasing noradrenaline release and increasing serotonin synthesis. Lithium bipolar treatments, therefore, have proven to be effective.

Because of possible toxic effects, using lithium for bipolar illness usually involves monitoring blood levels. Kidney and thyroid function will need evaluation as well. Regulation of sodium and water levels in the body can be affected, leading to dehydration. Long-term use is therefore contraindicated.

Psychotherapeutic medications act by controlling symptoms but, like most drugs, they only compensate for some malfunction in the body. They are not a cure for mental illness. Lithium bipolar treatments are part of a larger treatment approach that involves use of prescription medications and psychotherapy.

More information is becoming available about the correlation between nutritional deficiencies and body and brain imbalances. An exciting discovery has revealed that omega 3 fatty acids from fish oils render beneficial effects on brain functioning. Inositol has been shown to influence the action of several brain neurotransmitters. Phosphatidyl choline, a specialty supplement, plays an essential part in forming acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. Calcium and magnesium regulate nerve impulses and contribute to neurotransmitter production. Similar to use of conventional medicines and lithium for bipolar, natural supplements act on brain chemistry and can bring about a reduction in symptoms.

A herbal remedy can be a valuable adjunct to lithium bipolar treatment, helping to minimize mood dysfunction and supplying the brain with critical nutrients needed for functioning.

Manic-depression is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed. It distorts moods and thoughts and interferes with rationality, and ultimately can erode the desire to live. Therefore, medical help is necessary when dealing with this condition.

Dealing with Stress Related High Blood Pressure

2006-12-27T01:38:00.000-08:00

“Everyone needs some stress. It is what makes us get up in the morning and do the things we do. It makes us achieve things and get from A to B and in doing so our Blood Pressure has to rise – it is part of the normal way of things”.

I paraphrase slightly but the gist of the above comment came from a conversation with a Doctor recently whilst reviewing my Blood Pressure medication.

I’m quite chuffed really in that I have managed to get my blood pressure down to manageable proportions and am in the process of changing the medication.

I have been moved from amlodipine which is a Calcium Channel Blocker to Lisinopril which is described as an “Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor” – an ACE Inhibitor but this is an aside, the real purpose of this article is to discuss stress and it’s influence on High Blood Pressure.

As was mentioned earlier, if you let stress either get to you or stay (for whatever reason) at perpetually high levels the risk of acquiring stress induced High Blood Pressure obviously increases.

Also not to beat around the bush for a minute, the risk of Stress related “Late Onset” Type 2 Diabetes also increases massively.

Alongside the risk of Type Diabetes there are a whole number of associated conditions that could arise and basically none of them do you any good.

Age is not really a factor here, it used to be but with current stress levels in Society, any sustained levels of stress are not good for you.

Learn to manage your stress and deal with it. Coming to terms and understanding where you are at present is a start and trying to find ways of coping with the stress is important.

Part of the problem with sustained stress and today’s Society is that we lack either the wherewithal or the motivation to be able to deal with our stress in sensible ways.

If you follow the stereotypical picture of today’s stressed out executive, the usual response to dealing with Stress is either through Alcohol (which induces associated problems of its own) or through severe exercise via a Gym.

Now firstly let me say, that there is nothing wrong with a small drink from time to time. I have been known to participate with the odd drink myself from time to time (in my younger days of course ) but taken to excess this can also add to your High Blood Pressure instead of reducing it.

Also the same can be said for working out in the gym. If all you need to do is to work out some of your frustration from the day then OK but if you happen to be harbouring an increased and unexplained Blood Pressure level then just blundering in and assuming extreme exercise is going to solve it is slightly dangerous.

Coping With Loneliness

2006-12-27T01:09:00.000-08:00

Loneliness is a feeling of emptiness and sadness inside of you. You may feel isolated and separated from the world. Feeling like your family doesn't understand and doesn't want anything to do with you, to finding it difficult to make any new friends, or keep in touch with older friends. There are different kinds of loneliness and different degrees of loneliness. You might experience loneliness as a vague feeling that something is not right, a kind of minor emptiness. Or you might feel loneliness as a very intense hollowness and deep pain. You may feel lonely because you are missing a specific individual who has died or moved too far away. Another type might involve feeling alone and out of contact with people because you have isolated yourself physically from them. You also might feel emotionally isolated when you are surrounded by people, but have difficulty reaching out to them.

Loneliness is different than just being alone. It needs to be emphasized here that loneliness is not the same as being alone. A person will always have time when they chose to be alone. Rather, loneliness is the feeling of being alone and feeling sad about it. And, of course, all of us feel lonely some of the time. It is only when we seem trapped in our loneliness that it becomes a real problem.

How do we contribute to our own sense of loneliness?

Loneliness is a passive state. That is, it is maintained by our passively letting it continue and doing nothing to change it. We hope it will go away, eventually, while all the while we do nothing, and let it envelop us. At times we may find ourselves actually embracing loneliness and sinking down into the feelings associated with it. This is harmful to us, as it usually leads to a deeper sense of depression and helplessness.

To stop feeling lonely, we first must accept that we are feeling lonely. Sometimes admitting that to ourselves is difficult. We might find ourselves writing in a diary, writing an imaginary letter to a friend or relative, drawing or painting a picture, making up a song, or doing anything else that lets us begin to express the feelings we have inside us—including talking with other people! Expressing our feelings might lead us to discover that we feel a number of things which might be connected to our feelings of loneliness, including sadness, anger, and frustration. We might be able to begin to see where these feelings are coming from—what they are connected to in our lives. As we begin to see the connections we will be more able to begin to make changes.

Become more active.

The big change, of course, is to stop being passive and become more active. If we’re missing someone, such as parents, family, or friends, we can telephone, write, e-mail or visit them. Talking to an understanding friend can often help change our moods as well. If we don’t have an understanding friend, talking with a pastor, teacher or counselor might be a place to start. If we are lonely because we are missing someone who has died, being able to express our grief at their loss and beginning to remember our happier moments with them and knowing that those memories can always be with us, can move us away from the lonely feelings. This can also apply to losses of significant friendships or lovers.

Get involved in activities or clubs.

Getting involved in some sort of activity or club can accomplish several things. It can take our minds off of feeling lonely as we get involved in the enjoyable activity. It can actually change our mood directly in this way. It can give us opportunities to meet people with similar interests and practice our people-meeting skills. It can provide some structure in our lives so that we have things to look forward to. It can remind us of how good we might have felt in the past doing similar things. Sometimes these effects can come very quickly and sometimes they may come more slowly. We might really need to push ourselves to go to meetings or talk to people or attend several activities before we begin to feel comfortable with what we are doing and begin to see progress. Perhaps something to avoid is to attempt to join a club or organization or to develop a new interest just because we think it will make us a better or more interesting person. A better strategy might be to get involved in something because we know we’ve enjoyed it in the past or because we think it might be fun. That way we’re more likely to find ourselves enjoying what we’re doing and being with people who genuinely enjoy the same things. We may also find out that some people like us for the way we already are. An added bonus is that we might also begin to realize that we could choose to engage in some of those activities or interests entirely on our own without feeling lonely.

Everyone feels lonely from time to time. Using some of the suggestions above will most likely help cope better with those feelings. If you find that you are having difficulty dealing with feelings of loneliness on your own, you may want to seek out the help of a mental health professional in your community.

Helping Someone with Suicidal Tendencies

2006-12-26T01:08:00.002-08:00

A lot of people who are suicidal will give warning Signs of Suicide. Make sure you can recognize these signs where you can act on them. But never feel responsible for any harm one may do to themselves. Many who do harm themselves are very clever in hiding or pretending around others.

Suicidal people may talk or joke about suicide and make statements about being reunited with a deceased loved one. They may blurt out statements about hopelessness, helplessness, or worthlessness. Example: "Life is useless." "Everyone would be better off without me." "It doesn't matter. I won't be around much longer anyway." "I wish I could just disappear."

Many have a preoccupation with death. Example: recurrent death themes in music, literature, or drawings. Writing letters or leaving notes referring to death or "the end".

They may appear suddenly happier or calmer, or have a loss of interest in things they once cared about. They might start visiting or calling people who they care about, or whom they haven't talked to in a long time. They may start giving possessions away, making personal arrangements, and setting one's affairs in order.

They can start exhibiting self-destructive behavior (alcohol/drug abuse, self-injury or mutilation, promiscuity), or being a lot more reckless, taking on all sorts of risk-taking behaviors. You may notice they seem to be having more accidents that are resulting in injuries, or maybe even close calls with death. If you see possible warning signs of suicide, it's alright to ask the person, "Are you planning to hurt yourself?" Don't worry about planting the idea in someone's head. Suicidal thoughts are common with depressive illnesses, although not all people have them. If a person has been thinking of suicide, he will be relieved and grateful that you were willing to be so open and nonjudgmental. It shows a person you truly care and take him seriously.

If you get a yes to your question, ask the individual more. Ask, "Do you have a plan?" If yes, ask, "Do you know when you would do it?" "Do you know how?" (today, next week?) "Do you have access to what you would use?" Asking these questions will give you an idea if the person is in immediate danger. If you feel they are, do not leave them alone! A suicidal person must see a doctor or psychiatrist immediately. You may have to take them to the nearest hospital emergency room or call 911. Always take thoughts of or plans for suicide seriously. Asking these questions will also show the person you really care, that you are not judging them.

Never keep a plan for suicide a secret. Don't worry about breaking a bond of friendship at this point. Friendships can be fixed, but lives can't be brought back. And never call a person's bluff, or try to minimize their problems by telling them they have everything to live for or how hurt his family would be. This will only increase their guilt and feelings of hopelessness. They need to be reassured that there is help, that what they are feeling is treatable, and that their suicidal feelings are temporary.

If you feel the person isn't in immediate danger, you can say things like, "I can tell you're really hurting", and "I care about you and will do my best to help you." Then follow through - help them find a doctor or a mental health professional. Be by their side when they make that first phone call, or go along with them to their first appointment. It's not a good idea to leave it up to a person to get help on their own. A supportive person can mean so much to someone who's in pain.

Attention Deficit Disorder Signs and Symptoms

2006-12-26T01:08:00.001-08:00

Attention deficit disorder, also known as ADD, is a syndrome caused by a structural defect in the brain. Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are symptoms children display when they have ADD.

Inattention

As most parents know, children don't have very long attention spans - that's normal. But a child with ADD will display a shorter attention span than kids of the same age. Most you children will grow restless and inattentive if a story being read goes longer than half an hour. A child with ADD will become inattentive after only 5-10 minutes.

Other signs of inattention would include being easily distracted, moving rapidly from one activity to another without completing any of them, failing to listen to or follow directions in class and at home, making more careless mistakes than one would expect from a child of that age, and consistently forgetting necessary items or supplies.

Hyperactivity For children that are extremely active and grow restless immediately, they have what is called hyperactivity. Signs of hyperactivity may include being restless or fidgety, constantly moving hands and feet even when sitting down, having trouble staying in an assigned seat, getting up and moving around inappropriately, being constantly on the go, etc.

Impulsivity

Impulsivity may manifest itself in many ways. The afflicted child may have trouble waiting his or her turn in games, or may shout out the answers in class before called upon. The child may also have trouble reading social cues and may try to force him or herself into the middle of conversations or games where he or she is not wanted.

Although these are the symptoms for ADD, it is important to remember that the child that is showing these signs should be worse than other children his or her age. Currently, there is no permanent cure for attention deficit disorder; but several treatments have been proven effective. If you suspect your child suffers from ADD, ask the school for a referral to a professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist that specializes in diagnosing and treating childhood disorders.

Know the Signs of Self-Mutilation

2006-12-25T01:07:00.001-08:00

Why Doesn't Anyone Notice? That's what many people, especially teenagers are asking all across the globe. Self-Mutilation is becoming the way young people handle their frustrations and hurts. The physical pain of usually cutting, (or another form of self-harm), covers the pain in their heart. It's one of the biggest cries for help any one could give. Self-Mutilation needs to be taken very seriously, and the person should get help right away.

People who self-harm usually keep it very secretive, because they are embarrassed by doing it, but find it almost impossible to stop. It's a disorder where people perform their own kind of therapy, by cutting, burning, and hurting themselves. To those close to the self-injurer, the behavior is crazy, and improbable. Many believe that this is a performance, a way of begging for attention. In certain instances, that is the truth. However, most self-mutilation is deeper rooted. Still, getting people to go public with the disorder is rare. Self-mutilators believe they are alone in their cutting and that no one will ever understand. Today, one in 250 girls are self-mutilators.

Favazza broke this definition down into three categories: major self-mutilation, stereotypical self-mutilation, and superficial/moderate self-mutilation. Major self-mutilation includes atrocities such as eye enucleation, castration, and limb amputation. Stereotypical self-mutilation relates to repetitious head banging, hitting, and self-biting. Superficial/moderate self-mutilation is the most common and includes cutting, burning, bone breaking, and similar behavior. Self- mutilators injure their skin repeatedly whenever they feel overwhelming, uncontrollable emotion. Afterward, they feel calm and are able to function normally.

The average self-mutilator is a white female, usually in her late twenties whose cutting began around age 14 (Strong 26). The extremes include elderly women with hideous scars covering their arms, legs, and breasts. Men have been known to have cut off their entire testicles. Male self-mutilators usually cut themselves more severely than female. Cutters, the term self-mutilators use for themselves, are usually intelligent, creative, and even popular. Perhaps the most famous cutter was the late Princess Diana. In a television interview she explained, "You have so much pain inside yourself that you try and hurt yourself on the outside because you want help." According to Andrew Morton author of Diana: Her True Story, the Princess even threw herself down the stairs. Prince Charles blamed it on her melodramatic attention seeking and scorned her as she bled (Strong 19). The whole process was a vicious cycle, even Diana believed her behavior to be begging for attention. In her anger at herself, she harmed herself even more.

The wounds cutters inflict upon themselves give them a sense of control and most of all it releases the pain inside. Before the cuts or burns are administered, the mind of the cutter is in disarray, completely and overwhelmingly panicked. This panic is always accompanied by a sense of "if something isn't done right away, I'll explode inside." After the cut is made, the self-mutilator feels relief. As the bleeding begins, the internal hysteria is ending. Or so the bleeder believes. The truth is the frenzy within is only postponed until the next episode. The next episode will be more demanding than the last, requiring more damage to ease the self-injurer's mind. As with every kind of abuse, cause by the person themselves, or by another person, each occurrence is worse than the last.

Neglect, abuse, and unhealthy environments are all contributing factors towards self-mutilation. Psychologists often prescribe Prozac to their self-abusing patients. Prozac and other drugs that raise serotonin levels have been proven to reduce cutting in some patients (Strong 108). Unfortunately this approach doesn't work with everyone. Therapy is the most effective way of ceasing self-mutilation. This type of therapy, however, may take many years. The progress is slow and very distressing for the patient, the patient's relatives, and the therapist. Compassion and understanding are imperative when handling a cutter. Labeling their actions as "crazy" or "stupid" could result in another cause for the continuation of the abuse. The patients suffer enough from uneducated diagnoses from the outside world. Those closest to them should become the support and comfort that the mutilator finds in the knife, or match. People need to be informed about this disorder and the symptoms. Cutters should know they are not alone and the people they love should be able to get them help, instead of adding to the problem. Most importantly, we all need to pay attention to each other and listen. It is unbelievable that the cuts of most self-mutilators can keep incrementing and no one notices.

Anxiety, Guilt And Finding The Help And Support You Need

2006-12-25T01:07:00.000-08:00

A lot of people who suffer from anxiety experience feelings of guilt and somehow think that this means they are weak. This guilt is brought about by the realization that someone who at one time could do things so easily, now struggles to get through the day. They may be in a relationship, or have children, and feel guilty that they can no longer do the things they once could with their partner or children.

They may even fight their way through the day, putting on an act to prove to themselves that this thing will not get the better of them, only to go to bed at night more tired and anxious than ever. Anxiety can affect people from every profession, even doctors, the very people we first go to for help, so let me stress that you have nothing to feel guilty about.

Some partners may be very understanding about how you feel, but some may not. They may put pressure on you to ‘pull yourself together’ and the constant strain of trying to cope can tire you further, your partner’s lack of understanding hindering recovery. Thankfully, I did have an understanding partner and I explained to her that the person she could see was not the real me. I asked her to bear with me and told her that I wanted to be the person I once was and that, in time, I would be. I lost a few friends, as I was never available to go out. Certain people at work would snub me as I hardly spoke, but I did not wallow in self-pity! I knew I had to let all this negative stuff go and because of what I had been taught, I was not going to add any more worry to the mix. I also knew that I could sort all those problems out later when I was better.

At times, I felt like I was playing a role in a film, acting to try to appear normal, while other days attempting to hide how I felt. The pressure I felt trying to maintain this act, day after day, was immense and eventually I stopped trying to be the person I thought I should be.

So if you see yourself in this way, learn to put yourself first. You cannot keep trying to be the person you once were. You need to stop putting on an act, admit that you are no longer the person you used to be and you tell yourself that you don’t have to keep up this pretence any longer.

If you have an understanding partner, then great, you have the support you need. If not, I would suggest that you start talking to each other and ask your partner to listen. You can even suggest that they read this and explain to them just how much you need their support while you recover. If they truly care, then they will understand and give you this support. A lot of their anger is caused by frustration, frustration that the person they see is not the person they fell in love with and they want you back as much as you do. A little more understanding from them may give you the freedom to start recovery

Self-pity is another emotion that can drag you further into your illness. Again this stems from a reluctance to accept the way you are as you ask yourself the question ‘Why me?’ Constantly feeling sorry for yourself can only eat away at your spirit and cause you to feel more and more depressed about the way you feel. It is very easy to fall into this trap and I cannot stress enough just how important it is to accept how you feel and harbour as little self-pity as possible. Self-pity is a destructive emotion that will only prolong your negative feelings. You don’t need negative thinking during your time of recovery, so let all the negative thoughts go and build on the positives.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

2006-12-24T01:04:00.001-08:00

Most of us have heard the term Manic Depression in our lives. Now, it's called Bipolar Disorder. But what is it really, and what is it like to live with it?

Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness. It's a chemical disorder in the brain which causes severe mood swings in varying degrees from severe depression to wild mania. Currently, it is thought to affect approximately 2 million people in the United States, but that figure probably is way off as people continue to go undiagnosed for a variety of reasons.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder:

Depression

Feeling sad, anxious, or having an "empty" mood
Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down", feeling exhausted or drained
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Insomnia, waking up earlier than normal, or oversleeping
Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts
Restlessness, irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain

Mania

Abnormal or excessive elation, feeling as if one is on top of the world: invincible
Unusual irritability
Decreased need for sleep
Grandiose notions
Increased talking
Racing thoughts
Increased sexual desire
Markedly increased energy
Poor judgement
Inappropriate social behavior

Living with Bipolar Disorder can be very difficult. Please note that I do not speak for every single person living with BP when I describe what some lives are like. Some people manage to live very normal, productive lives.

In a depression phase, it's nearly impossible to get out of bed, or even wake up at all. If we do make it out of bed, we usually find ourselves on the couch, not able to do anything productive until we begin to cycle up into a manic phase. Our houses become messy, we are not able to focus on anything, we feel like we don't care about anything, we often won't shower for days or weeks, we don't go anywhere. We lose our jobs, our homes, our friends, and sometimes our families. We are chronically suicidal and we do threaten and attempt suicide on a regular basis. It's almost like having a chronic flu; the depression keeps us that down.

When we're manic, that can bring an entirely different set of problems. While in a manic phase we can be extremely productive, we also are impulsive, reckless, irresponsible and dangerous. We drink too much, drive too fast and too recklessly, do drugs, gamble excessively and to the point where we lose everything. We are impulsive and sometimes cannot make the correct decisions. For some of us, anger comes with both phases and we are extremely dangerous.

It's impossible for people to tell us to 'snap out of it' or 'get over it' or some such similar 'advice' because that simply does not work. Bipolar Disorder is an illness, just like cancer, just like any other illness, and it must be treated and accepted as any other illness. Mental illness is not anyone's fault, it simply is and it's difficult enough simply living with any mental illness without the added judgement and stigma society adds on.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

2006-12-24T01:04:00.000-08:00

Most of us have heard the term Manic Depression in our lives. Now, it's called Bipolar Disorder. But what is it really, and what is it like to live with it?

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder:

Depression

Feeling sad, anxious, or having an "empty" mood
Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down", feeling exhausted or drained
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Insomnia, waking up earlier than normal, or oversleeping
Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts
Restlessness, irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain

Mania

Abnormal or excessive elation, feeling as if one is on top of the world: invincible
Unusual irritability
Decreased need for sleep
Grandiose notions
Increased talking
Racing thoughts
Increased sexual desire
Markedly increased energy
Poor judgement
Inappropriate social behavior

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Counseling

2006-12-23T02:56:00.002-08:00

This kind of professional assistance is meant to cover some gaps that the traditional counseling might have. First of all, as any online service, it can go with you anywhere you go. Many times, people postpone their asking for help due to lack of time. Either because they have to drive far to see their therapist or that they work too hard so when getting back home, they just want to relax on the couch, counseling is generally postponed. Now, those excuses might not longer work given that you can ask for counseling from your house without driving anywhere but comfortably placed on your sofa or from your desk in your office. Counseling can be a peaceful moment you give to yourself.

Also, some people might feel discouraged to start with therapy because they have to travel as part of their job. That is another case when online counseling appears as the best option. In fact, when traveling, people might feel specially awkward or lonely in the new environment; and being able to count on a close professional who is ready to listen and pay complete attention to you in those “far from home moments” can be a bless.

We know many cases of very shy people who might feel quite uncomfortable if they had to talk face to face with a professional about their concerns. That is exactly what the online counseling wants to prevent. You control you space, intimacy and dialogue.

On top of all these strong points, what we think is essential in the results we get when working online is the strength of the writing process. When one has the time to think about what is going on inside him/her, it gives a different perspective of us. Talking is a fast action and we might lose a lot of important things we thought about and talked in a face to face session. But when things remained written, it provides you with a constant record you can retrieve any time you want. You can check what you said and what you received as a response in a past session and then compare it you’re your present to evaluate your progresses.

Writing to a person who is willing to help you is therapeutic by itself. It can give you a new insight of your concern that you might have never reached if just talking about it. Of course, there are things that the face to face counseling covers that the e-therapy lacks. We are talking of the non-verbal communication that is missing when the screen separates people. Also, it may happen that a person needs to be physically comforted when being in a counseling session and we cannot do that online. Being aware of those disadvantages, we, as professionals, face our role with all our heart and seriousness so as to make the best out of all the strengths of the online counseling.

Why Women Put Up with Abuse

2006-12-23T02:56:00.001-08:00

Why do women, especially in America, put up with the outrage of physical, sexual, and verbal abuse? One main reason is absolute obedience to the messages of childhood, when they were first maltreated. They blame themselves for the abuse and therefore truly believe they deserve no better, a new author asserts.

According to Dr. Heyward Ewart, the greater the abuse, the greater is the loyalty to the punisher. His new book, now in the publishing process, details how child abuse leads to a life of victimization.

The “Stockholm Syndrome,“ observed at the end of World War II, is mysterious but very real. When the allied troops came to free the prisoners of war, when the fences were down and the captors in custody, some prisoners refused to leave the camp.

They would huddle and resist being moved. It was found that the captors who had been most cruel, most sadistic, and most forceful had won the greatest loyalty of their captives.

Thus, there is this dependable equation: the greater the abuse, the greater the obedience.

It is Ewart’s premise that the normal way for both children and adults to react to abuse is to obey the message it conveys. Herein lies the reason that victims are so resistant to change, even when competent therapy is provided. To disobey the message of the tormentor is akin to being a traitor.

Another factor is that terrifying abusers live as phantoms in the minds of their victims. Many an adult woman, or man, feels that the original abuser, and often the present abuser, is “living in their head.” This almost magical presence in the mind of a victim is sometimes so acutely felt that it has a voice of its own that can be confused as a hallucination.

The communication is always negative and condemning and is continuously repeating the original message that “you are no good; you are not a real person; you dare not try to do better.”

The difference between this kind of “voice” and hallucinations is that the former is more in line with a constant flashback, or memory, so vivid that the abuser can almost be heard; however, the victim knows that the voice is a reliving experience. Hallucinations, as they occur in schizophrenia, are believed by the patient to be as real as any other truth, Ewart explains.

The child, or “true self,” as he names it, can be thought of as having a semi-permeable layer of protection around it. Such might also be thought of as a boundary, or a wall, enclosing the self. The abuser, by attacking the personhood of his victim, continuously assaults this barrier until at last he breaks all the way through, “sets up residence” inside, and feeds a “false self,” he says.

Prisoners of war experience the same sensation through brainwashing. The barrier of the self is weakened by the infliction of excruciating pain that continues beyond endurance. Combined with sleep and food deprivation, the pain is applied with dehumanizing insults, in some way implanting the same message, no matter what words are used: “You are nobody.”

The brainwashing is complete when the tormentor has broken through and has begun to live inside the mind of the victim. This is the nature and the power of child abuse. It is brainwashing of the first magnitude, accomplished with greater ease because the subject is a child, without power. When done effectively, brainwashing conditions the victim to accept the role of captive permanently.

Hence, in domestic violence, we do not have a new occurrence of a destructive relationship resulting from a poor choice or a mistake that anyone could make. We have a continuation of the same earlier brainwashing with one abuser continuing where the other left off.

Other reasons that battered, insulted, overly controlled, or humiliated women do not leave include the following, according to Ewart: >Hope that the partner will change. >Partially believing that trying harder will make a difference. >Fear of what the partner may do in retaliation (a well-

grounded fear, for which the victim needs protection). >Not knowing what to do about the children. >Lack of money. >Having no place to go. >Not knowing whom to call. >Thinking nothing can be done. >Fear of living alone, without support. >Thinking the problem isn’t that bad, after all. >Feeling the police and the courts won’t help enough or fast

enough (true in many cities). >Religious and moral convictions. >Fear of the unknown.

A critical item to be added to the above list is that many women are not conscious of the fact that they are in an abusive relationship. Their life experience, with the internalized messages that define their self image, prevents them from recognizing how preposterous their situation is.

The Different Aspects of Sleep Apnea

2006-12-22T02:55:00.001-08:00

There are now lots of researchers who are looking into the sleep disorder commonly know as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be described as the pausing of ones breathing at night while you are asleep.

This is now a problem that quite a lot of people are faced with and also need help to treat it. There are up and coming new discoveries that could help to find new ways to get treatment for these sleep breathing disorders such as sleep apnea.

In the main there are two different types of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea which is caused by the obstructions of the airway passages. This obstruction could be anything from the enlargement of ones tonsils, to fat that is found in and around the neck area. Just about anything can be the cause for this type of sleep apnea. There can be lots of different reasons for this problem and for this purpose one should check with their doctor.

A few of the sleep apnea basics that one could learn, can help a person have a better understanding of the problem, as well as help them find a way to treat it. One particular sign of sleep apnea is loud snoring. This is an good indication of breathing problems or blocked air passages. The cessation of breathing or even some mild choking spells in the middle of the night is also a warning sign of sleep apnea.

Lots of people who suffer, have no idea that they even have this type of problem. They may not realize what they are doing while sleeping. The choking and gasping may possibly not affect everyone, and if does, the person may not remember it when they wake up.

The second type of sleep apnea disorder is called central sleep apnea. This can cause the person to stop breathing while they are asleep. With central sleep apnea, the body will simply forget to breathe. It is a neurological dysfunction that is caused by failure of the brain to issue an actual command to keep on breathing while sleeping. This is a fairly new discovery that has determined the area of where this problem has originated.

There have been lots of studying to research this problem. Scientists have now found that there are a tiny group of neurons control this function. These neurons may hold clues for causes laying underneath for other breathing disorders and offer an excellent target for medications.

With Sleep apnea the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream can drop way below the normal rate. When this happens, the amount of carbon dioxide will also rise. This condition can cause a shock to the system and it is believed to be the main reason for the on bringing of a heart attack or stroke in people that are suffering from this condition.

If you suspect that you are suffering from sleep apnea, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible. They can perform tests to determine which type of sleep apnea is affecting you. With the results from these tests, your doctor will be able to determine how best to treat it so that you can get the sleep that you so readily deserve and need, so that you may function properly throughout your day.

Educating Yourself With Attention Deficit Disorder Research

2006-12-22T02:55:00.000-08:00

A diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) carries with it a whole new set of challenges. Suddenly, behavior that was hard to explain now fits within a standard definition of a widespread disorder. More and more children and adults are being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, and consequently, Attention Deficit Disorder research has become the focus of an entire generation.

For those looking to educate themselves on the signs, symptoms, and treatments for Attention Deficit Disorder, they now – more than ever – have access to readily available Attention Deficit Disorder research. Attention Deficit Disorder research provides an inside look into the signs and symptoms that medical professionals consider when making a diagnosis.

Additionally, with the help of Attention Deficit Disorder research, health care professionals who treat the condition have learned of new and better ways to manage the symptoms for their patients of all ages. Continued Attention Deficit Disorder research has shed an ever-increasing light on the disorder, and consequently has generated new funding and amplified enthusiasm for finding new treatments.

Luckily, the growth of the Internet has allowed Attention Deficit Disorder patients – as well as the parents of children who suffer from it – to easily find all they need to know with one click of the mouse. In addition to ample Attention Deficit Disorder research, those online can find a comprehensive list of those professionals who test for and treat Attention Deficit Disorder in their immediate area.

Additionally, your primary health care provider can provide you with access to the most up-to-date Attention Deficit Disorder research available. If you are interested in learning what current statistics that research has yielded, visit a medical professional well-versed in treating Attention Deficit Disorder.

Because of the widespread focus on Attention Deficit Disorder, you’re likely to find an enormous amount of literature and periodical pieces available on the subject of Attention Deficit Disorder research as well. Gather as much information as you can find to help you on your journey.

And, as is often the case, the most well-informed will often be the patients themselves. Seek out other Attention Deficit Disorder patients or parents who are helping their children. You’re likely to learn an enormous amount about current Attention Deficit Disorder research.

For the millions who suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder, strides made by Attention Deficit Disorder research means much more than medications and more accurate testing; for them, Attention Deficit Disorder research means renewed hope for the future.

Hypnosis Starter Guide Part 1

2006-12-21T02:54:00.001-08:00

What Is Hypnosis

Hypnosis is an altered state, where the body and conscious mind are relaxed to allow direct communication with the subconscious mind. The reason for this is that the subconscious is an incredibly powerful tool that can have dramatic effects on us without our knowing. For example, phobias start in the subconscious; they then influence our behaviour in our daily lives. By talking directly to the subconscious we can bypass the conscious mind that will analyze and filter what is said to it, the subconscious will take what we say at a more literal sense. I must stress hypnosis is not a child’s plaything it is incredibly powerful tool that should be treated with respect

What Hypnosis Is Not

It is not mind control! The classic stereotypical depiction was of a gentlemen in a cape with a goatee beard (that looks somewhat like the devil in human form) with piercing eyes that could turn you into a zombie like slave with a single glare. This is of course total fiction when under hypnosis you will not do anything that you would not normally do . There is an example of this; in the early 1900’s a group of medical student’s were being taught about hypnosis by a professor. He had placed a female subject in a trance and was demonstrating how he could get her to lift her arm and keep it rigid among other things . The professor was hurriedly called away and left one of his students to look after the woman. Medical students being what they are they decided to see what they could get her to do. Lifting one arm, lifting one leg, then the student that had been left in charge decided to tell the female subject to remove her top; at this the subject immediately snapped out of the deep trance she was under and promptly slapped the student’s face and left the auditorium. Therefore, under hypnosis you will not make a fool of your self, strip off and do star jumps or any other of the silly stuff you see on TV, unless of course you would do that sort of thing in your normal waking state.

What Should You Expect from Counseling?

2006-12-21T02:54:00.000-08:00

Many individuals and couples who attend weekly counseling sessions wonder what they should expect for the time, money, and energy they are expending. It’s certainly a reasonable question, considering the effort and expense involved in participating in counseling.

Repeatedly through my years as a counselor, I’ve had people tell me that they are seeing a counselor who only repeats back to them what they have just said and doesn’t offer recommendations or give feedback. The person relaying this to me is usually understandably frustrated and confused and wonders “Shouldn’t I be getting more help from the counselor?”

My answer to this question is, “Yes, you should be getting more help than that.” It is important for therapists to summarize and reflect back feelings to be sure they are understanding correctly and so that the client feels heard—and this process can be therapeutic in and of itself. But in my opinion, a therapist who doesn’t offer more than this in response to the pressing questions clients present is shortchanging the clients.

Experienced counselors have a wealth of information and knowledge collected through the years from their educational background, on-going reading and workshops attended, research findings, observation, and personal experience.

They know what has worked for other clients and what hasn’t worked. They know what strategies some of their professional colleagues have used successfully with clients. They know what are considered to be the “best practices” in their field. This is the type of information that I believe therapists have a responsibility to provide to their clients.

It’s not the role of the therapist to tell you what to do, but it is the role of the therapist to provide pertinent information for you to consider, to help you look at all sides of an issue, and to help you explore your various options. The final decision about what to do is always yours.

When looking at the question of what you should expect from counseling, whether it’s individual counseling or marriage counseling, here are some points to consider:

1. You should feel “heard.” You should feel that the therapist is really, deeply listening to you and hears you on an emotional level. You need to feel that the therapist is accurately assessing what you’re feeling—anger, confusion, frustration, abandonment, or grief, etc. It’s important that the therapist gives you full attention and creates a safe environment for you to express yourself and to be fully heard.

2. You should obtain more clarity, self-awareness, and self-understanding during the course of therapy. Over time, you should grow in understanding about how you have contributed to whatever has happened and how to have a different outcome next time. You should also have more clarity and awareness of your real feelings, strengths, and patterns of behavior you want to change.

3. You should feel supported and receive encouragement from the therapist. It’s important for the therapist to acknowledge your efforts and the fact that you’re still trying, even if the results aren’t what you want yet. You should feel that your therapist is “in your corner” and wants you to succeed. The warmth and genuineness of the therapist are important factors, along with the feeling of rapport that is present.

4. You should receive help in setting definite goals and developing a plan of action. The therapist should help you clarify your goals and decide how you’re going to reach those goals. During therapy, as you explore options for possible solutions to your questions and issues, you can then develop a primary plan of action, with back-up plans as needed.

5. If you get “stuck” and lose momentum, the therapist should be able to offer suggestions on how to get the energy moving forward again. Obviously, you have to do the work and no one else can do this for you, but a skilled therapist can help you to get unstuck faster if you’re truly ready to tackle the issues facing you.

6. As counseling progresses, you should be able to see a broader perspective and overview of your situation. The therapist should be able to help you see the bigger picture and to understand what’s at stake in terms of your personal development, relationship skills, and quality of life. For example, if you’re exiting a marriage without addressing key issues, you need to know that you’re likely to encounter the same or similar problems in your next relationship. That’s the bigger picture.

7. You should receive help in identifying what you need to take responsibility for and what issues/problems belong to someone else, such as a spouse, parent, or child. Situations can be extremely messy and involved. The therapist should be able to help you sort out what you need to “own” and work on and what “belongs” to someone else that you can’t control. The therapist should also encourage you to minimize blaming others and instead to stay focused on what you have the power to change.

8. You should receive the benefit of the therapist’s professional experience and knowledge. The therapist should be willing to share with you what methods and strategies have worked for other individuals or couples, what research studies indicate, and what approaches aren’t usually as effective. If appropriate, the therapist may tell you about other helpful resources, such as books, videos, or support groups that you could explore.

9. You should receive help in generating creative options and possibilities for how to handle your questions, problems, and concerns. Your therapist should model how to brainstorm together for creative solutions and encourage creative expression of ideas. There’s never just one prescribed path to follow—there are usually many more options to consider than you’ve probably ever thought of on your own.

10. You should receive assistance in learning how to regroup when something you’ve tried falls through so that you don’t become overly discouraged or stuck. Learning new ways of behaving and thinking is a process, and that process includes regressing, failing, picking yourself up again, and learning from your mistakes. What you’re really learning is an approach to coping with life in general—an approach that builds the groundwork for success.

Do You Have Fear and Anxiety?

2006-12-21T01:15:00.001-08:00

If you want to change the level of your health, here's what you have to understand.

Most illness comes from emotional or stressful conditions that we activate from within ourselves. This includes, of course, fear and anxiety. The job we have and the people we know or live with only serve to trigger specific feeling that you are sensitive to and this activates your fear, anxiety or stress. Anxiety and stress are a force that works on your body, organs or cells causing malfunction and deterioration. Stress creates acid that resides in your cells and in your lymph liquid that surrounds your cells.

An acid body breeds sickness such as cancer. Cancer thrives in an acid body Pathogens live and multiply in an acid body. Acid breaks down cell structures and tissue.

The food you eat can contribute to an acid body or an alkaline body. Processed food creates acid in your body. Raw food reduces acid in your body and brings the state of your body to an alkaline condition.

So here is a start for you if you are interested in changing the level of your health.

learn how to relieve stress and relax more frequently. You can do this by exercising, by working with a psychotherapist, and by using various brain relaxation tape. You can do it by bring in more love into your life.

Learn what type of food you need to eat that will not create a lot of acid in your body. It is ok to eat acid foods but they have to be balance with alkaline foods.

Use natural remedies to relieve various conditions that you have so that you can get back to into balance. Then work on relaxation and eating naturally.

If you are on drugs start investigating how you can back off from these drugs and what alternative remedy there is that can partly take the place of your drug. Drugs create an acid body and destroy tissue.

Fear and anxiety come from suppressed traumatic memories or cellular memories, which are the cause of most diseases. What are suppressed traumatic memories and what do they do.

Well let first let me explain a little about how the body works. Under natural conditions, a cell moves in nutrients and releases toxic waste. In the cell it burns these nutrients to provide with you with energy, for repairing itself, splitting and creating new cells and performing all other functions that keep it and you healthy.

How a cell function is determined by the autonomic system. In this system, we have the para-sympathetic system and the sympathetic system. When your body is under the para-sympathetic mode, your cells and body are functioning normal and has a strong immune system to heal itself.

Under the sympathetic mode, your body is acting as if it is under attack and blood is pull from your organs and other areas that don't need much blood and is moved to the muscles so that you can deal with the attack. This attack is typical a dangerous or life threatening situation.

Body cells under the sympathetic mode are not functioning normal. Less blood is flowing in this area means less nutrients going into the cell and less toxic matter coming out of the cell. This is the condition that produces disease.

Now here is important information that brings all this together. Many people feel that they are under a condition of constant attack - feeling fear and anxiety - even though they really are not. In this feeling of attack they express it as fear, stress, anxiety, anger, jealousy, and all types of negative behaviors.

People are typically under the sympathetic mode in which they are in automatic fight or flight mode. They are not even conscious of this because this is normal for them. Well, this is the condition where disease is created. When disease sets in, the cells cannot heal this disease since its immune system is weak and its cellular strengthen is gone from lack of nutrients and a build up of toxic wastes in the cells.

Stress and anxiety creates disease and all though history, people have been told to have some sort of stress management program such as exercise, yoga, psychotherapy, drugs, laughing, or any movement program.

Most people don't bother having a so called stress management program because they have no way of monitoring it to see if their stress is decreasing and doing these programs takes time.

Depression, a Different Perspective

2006-12-21T01:13:00.000-08:00

The most typical way it's used to diagnose clinical depression is based on the symptoms. Unlike physical ailments, mental disorders are much more difficult to accurately diagnose as many of the symptoms are based on perceptions.

At issue is what determines the baseline measurement? Take for example to very common symptoms.
1. Feelings of overwhelming sadness or fear.
2. Fatigue or a loss of mental or physical energy.

If you consider society at large as the baseline measurement for the degree of sadness and fear, we have a problem. It's no secret that least in today's society there is very little true satisfaction in employment in many cases family life. This is very evident by the fact that we have such high rates of divorce, job hopping and an unwillingness to make or follow through on commitments. Using society at large can be dangerous. Remember that at one time most of society thought the world was flat.

Is it possible that those of us diagnosed with depression may simply have a different or even deeper understanding of the world and life in it? While many psychologists work to understand the symptoms and provide an accurate diagnosis of depression, getting to the root cause is much more difficult.

Is it possible that people with depression may have hypersensitivity to the world around them? Do they recognize the world is in serious shape and they are unable to adjust their internal integrity and need for justice. In a world where abuse of your fellow man can bring not only riches but recognition by society as "successful" it's no surprise that sensitive and thinking people may exhibit the symptoms of depression.

Is it possible that some of us are depressed because we see the definition of success in society is more stuff that ends up having little or no value? Do depressed people recognize the inherent inequity of the larger rules in play and have no answer or solution? Mental health professionals may recognize these types of outlooks and their answer is often times to encourage a depressed person to recognize that they can't fix everything.

Although there are treatments, they assume the person diagnosed with depression is the one that is actually ill. If the root causes of depression are a recognition of our need for fairness, equity and justice, treatments may only change our mental perception at our own expense. This might explain why depression is a chronic condition that many fight their whole lives to control.

If at least somewhat accurate, people with depression are in mental combat with their own possibly deeper understanding of life and what they see throughout society. Wouldn't it be interesting if between the depressed and nondepressed groups, we've unwisely identified the wrong ones as having a disorder.

This article offers a different perspective on identification of depression as a disorder or illness. Many of us apparently can manage the severity of the depressive symptoms because the great majority of us don't seek help. If you're suffering from depression and the symptoms are starting to be overwhelming, please get some help as quickly as possible. If you're having thoughts of suicide or have simply given up, you need to get some help.

How to Control Panic Attacks

2006-12-20T01:13:00.000-08:00

Panic attacks can certainly be frightening; however, it is important to learn how to control panic attacks in order to regain control of your life.

One of the first tips that can be used to control panic attacks is to be aware that while the panic attack itself is frightening it won’t hurt you and although you may feel like it at the time you are not going to die. It is also important to understand that you are not going crazy. The symptoms you experience during a panic attack are simply a biological response to a threat that is being perceived as an emergency. Your body is reacting as though it is in danger and releasing energy to prepare you to either flee or stay and fight the perceived danger. Even though all of these reactions are not needed, your body does not know that and you may feel as though you are going to faint, have a heart attack, lose control, etc. Try to focus on the fact that none of this is going to occur.

In learning how to control panic attacks, tell yourself to slow down. This means making an effort to slow down your rate of breathing by practicing breathing exercises, slowing down your racing thoughts by thinking claming thoughts and making an effort to physically slow down your body. Take slow, deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly, counting as you go. As you practice these exercises, focus on slowly relaxing your muscles. Not only will this help to control your breathing but also other symptoms associated with the attack as well such as confusion, dizziness, tingling, trembling and possible muscle aches.

It can also be helpful to contact someone you trust from a support system when you are experiencing a panic attack in order to take control of the situation. Even if the person is not available to see in person, try calling them to talk about what you are experiencing. This person can help to support you while the panic is controlled.

You may also find it helpful to go for a walk in order to burn off the excess adrenaline your body has released when you began to feel anxious.

Another method you can use in learning how to control panic attacks includes considering occupying your mind with something else in order to control the attack. Excellent ideas include listening to music and making an effort to notice details of what is going on around you, particularly concrete objects. This can help to take your mind off the thoughts you might experience during a panic attack and focus those thoughts on something more positive and constructive.

There is No Need to Panic Learning to Treat Anxiety

2006-12-20T01:12:00.000-08:00

Your breath begins to move faster and faster. Your palms are getting sweaty. You try to get your heart rate to slow down, even just a little bit, but your nervousness is taking over you. This is another big moment, one that you have been stressed about for weeks. This, like many other events, is causing you to be anxious and is not allowing you to enjoy the moment of your triumph. How does one stop anxiety from occurring? It is a common event, linked to stressful occurrences, traumatic circumstances or other types of activities that are imagined as danger or linked to fear. Despite what you think, there are ways to treat anxiety so that it doesn’t get in the way of what you have to do.

Self – Help

The first method for treatment is self help. With this, you can use simple techniques in order to begin relieving your problems with situations that cause anxiety. If you don’t want to take any dramatic measures with treating your anxiety, then it begins with you recognizing the problem, and beginning to find solutions for it.

Self-help doesn’t mean sitting down and reading the most popular books about getting rid of anxiety once and for all. It is much simpler than this. Once you recognize that you are stressed, nervous, anxious or have heightened fear: stop. Beginning to breathe at a normal pace and deeply will begin to slow down the bodily reaction to the anxiety. From here, you can begin to think about the situation differently. Thinking in positive affirmations is an easy way to stop the anxiety.

Alternative Medicine

If breathing alone doesn’t work, than you can always turn to things used holistically by others. There are a variety of natural supplements that are used with treating anxiety, as well as helping one to learn to relax in any type of situation. No matter what the circumstance, you can try to apply any of these in order to help.

One of the well known alternative treatments for anxiety is aromatherapy. Lavender, for instance, can be used in order to calm you down. You can find this available in anything from bubble bath to candles to oil. No matter what your preference, it is effective in helping your system to wake up to a relaxed state. Patchouli oil is also known to be as effective as lavender in helping to calm you down, specifically with anxiety. These are the two that are known to be most effective; however, several others can be found to help.

If you don’t want to use these in aromatherapy, then you can consider herbs as a supplement. Putting these in tea or in your food can help to calm your anxiety. Chamomile is one that is common for helping to sooth anxiety. Another is Kava Kava, which is a native Hawaiian plant that is commonly used in rituals for soothing the mind. Lavender, Motherwort, Passion Flower, St. Johns Wort, and Valerian are other herbs, all which have been used since ancient practices in order to help sooth the mind.

If you don’t want to use your senses, you can always consider other forms of alternative medicine for your anxiety. Everything from acupuncture to hypnosis has been used in order to help treat the problem of anxiety, especially if it is more severe. There are also new techniques that are being used, such as meditation techniques that have been developed specifically for anxiety.

What the Doctor Ordered

Self help and alternative medicines are often not what one desires for treating anxiety. If you have more severe anxiety and have moved into an anxiety disorder, you may want to consider getting professional help for the problem. Scientists and researchers have examined the possibilities that are available in order to treat anxiety effectively.

One possibility for treating anxiety is through therapy. Sometimes, the anxiety arises as a fear or suppressed problem that has been part of your life for years. Trying to solve this problem by focusing on healing your mind first can help you to stop your anxiety, or learn how to treat it so that it doesn’t get in the way of your every day life.

If your anxiety is more severe, and you want to stop the process of anxiety, you can also look at medications to help treat the problem. There are now anti-anxiety drugs that are available in order to stop anxiety. This occurs because of a neurotransmitter that is in the drugs that links to the place where the anxiety is occurring, causing the reaction to shut off.

Stress On The First Day

2006-12-19T01:12:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of first day stressors but the one I can still remember was way back in grade school.

I was in grade 4 at a little school that only had 4 grades in it. I guess you could say I was a senior. It later was turned into a small apartment building.

We had just finished summer vacation and it was September 2nd.

My mother was convinced that this was the first day of school and got me ready to go in the morning.

I was in doubt that this was the day but I believed my mother when she said it was time to go back to school.

After all, you would think an adult would be able to send you to school on the right day.

I remember thinking that it was very quiet and not a lot of other kids were out on the sidewalks coming to school that day.

Then I thought maybe I was late and the clock at home somehow was not telling the correct time. So I ran as fast as I could just in case I could still make it before the bell rang.

I did not realize at the time but even after all these years I still feel those feelings of anxiety.

Anxiety is such a powerful feeling that it can stay with you for years and be triggered by innocent events in your future.

Every time I go on that street I think of what happened that day and how lonely and embarrassed I felt .

I was embarrassed for my mom too.

How could I go home and tell her she made a mistake?

It was either do that or wander around until it was time to go home for the day.

There were teachers at the school who wanted to know what I was doing there.

This was another anxious moment. Do I tell them my mother sent me or I was just coming by the school for a look?

Everyone thinks children do not have anxious moments but I can assure you this is not the case.

I am 52 now and as I said, I am still able to recall the details.

Yes it was the wrong day to go to school but along with being anxious I learned that even grownups make mistakes.

It was not the end of the world but to a child this sort of thing could be confusing for sure.

I came to feel less embarrassed about this later in life and now tell the story as it helps to put it all into perspective for me.

I hope to help others when I tell stories such as this one.

I know people who are actually scarred by these supposed simple mistakes.

It helps to know that everyone has had an embarrassing story or event in their lives.

I have not met one person who says they got through childhood without one to put in the memory vault.

If we can forgive the event and move on with our life it makes us more able to deal with any possible future embarrassments.

It is all part of our life story and I know my mother did not send me to school on the wrong day on purpose or to embarrass me.

It was an honest mistake and from then on I always made sure I got the date and wrote it down for the coming September.

I think of this time in my life as the beginning of my journaling habit.

Peace of Mind A Boomer's Wish

2006-12-19T01:11:00.000-08:00

We all share one common goal in life and that is to be happy and to experience inner peace and joy. However, you can’t look outside yourself to find that happiness. Money, appearances, and social recognition do not truly make you happy, since the pursuit of money and fame can cause a great deal of anxiety and heartache. So you really need to look inside for the key to that inner peace. To do this, ask yourself the following five questions?

• What are my lifetime accomplishments? Your answer may be: I graduated college and started my own successful business. I married, raised 2 wonderful children, and provided for my family and spouse. I live in a beautiful home that I decorated myself with things that give me pleasure. I have many friends and family, who care about me and enjoy my company. Review all that you have done, no matter how small, so you can feel good. You can then say with certainty, “I did accomplish many wonderful things in my life.”

• What are my many talents? Your answer may be: I play piano, flute, and guitar and have written my own music. I enjoy ballroom dancing and do it well. I crochet sweaters for all my grandkids. I love to tell stories and enjoy writing vignettes about my life. In whatever way you express your creative talents, identify what they are so you can say, “I truly am a talented person.”

• How have I helped others? Your answer may be: I volunteer at a local senior center and teach reading in a literacy program. I take my aging mother shopping 3x week and I’m the support and encouragement for my overly dramatic teenage children. You have unselfishly given and offered services to others and that should make you feel good. Therefore, you can say, “I have helped many people.”

• Have I made a significant difference in anybody’s life? Your answer may be: I received a note from an old client, thanking me for valuable training. I made someone feel special by giving a surprise party. I’ve been a trusted confident and good companion to my newly divorced friend. You have been there when needed and left a lasting impression, which is priceless. Therefore, you can say with confidence, “I did make a difference in someone’s life.”

• How many people have I forgiven? Your answer may be: The long time grudge between me and my sibling is over because I took the first step to make amends. I dropped the resentment and painful old feelings with my ex because I’m ready to move on. I forgive myself for past mistakes, knowing that I did my best with the resources I had. Because you’re now free to live your life with gratitude, it feels appropriate for you to say, “I have forgiven many people, including myself.”

Red in the Face? Is It Social Anxiety?

2006-12-18T03:32:00.000-08:00

Does your face go as red as a cherry when attention is on you, or maybe even for no reason at all...
Is it a skin problem or is it a social anxiety psychological problem? If it is what can you do about it?
Red face problems can be "simply" skin/medical related. In which case it’s likely to be red all the time and you should see a qualified doctor or skin specialist.
But if the red face demon gets triggered by social situations then it may well be a “social anxiety” problem where the natural blushing reaction gets fired by a trigger(s) of some sort.
For example, a comment here from an online forum I came across “
…can't stand being stared at, being talked about even if its nice, being introduced to people because my heard beats faster and faster and my face begins to turn beat red”
As you can imagine such social red face problems can have serious knock on effects in our social lives and work - and therefore to money and career prospects.
The red face sufferer will look to avoid trigger situations. This can mean they:
May find it hard to make friends and start relationships.
Have problems at work interacting and selling themselves and their ideas (career lethal).
Skip lessons or skip school totally.
Red Face Social Anxiety – How does it start?
There are no end of reasons, some examples include:
A very embarrassing event in front of many people who you associate with a lot. They don’t let you forget it…so it spirals…
A result of a change in environment – Going from the socially familiar to unfamiliar
Naturally pale and easily flushed anyway. This gets spotted. The person gets teased. The spiral starts.
It can be especially bad for kids and teenagers. Kids being unintentionally cruel as they often are tend to tease the person about it and so it gets worse.
Such a social anxiety problem can start in many ways and may seem to have no root but it almost certainly does.
If unchecked it can lead to depression and other anxiety and panic attack and disorder problems.
My own Red Face example
As a 14-16 teenager I had it pretty bad. I can now see that it was a social anxiety problem. At the time it was just “I get embarrassed really easily”
It started after changing schools when I was 14. Going from an environment where I was an “alpha kid” to one where I was on the bottom of the ocean floor socially.
One guy noticed that when attention was on me I’d get go very red in the face and started to tease me about it. This put me into a downward self confidence spiral where I dreaded the situations where it happened and started to invent new ones!
This extended into more areas of my life, so speaking in front of groups became a dreaded activity and I had no confidence with girls and so wondered if I’d ever get a girlfriend.
I did "self help" myself out of it in the end though the experience has certainly had knock on effects that will last all my life. My self help article goes into how to get out.
“Red face – Social Anxiety” You are not alone
Excessive blushing and “going red in the face” as if very embarrassed even when you’re not is not an unusual problem at all and million of people of all ages suffer from it.
The good new is that you can do something about it! It is NOT a problem for life and it is almost entirely psychological.
What to do next?
Firstly determine if this red face problem is a social anxiety one or medical.
Frank self analysis can help. If not maybe see your doctor or a therapist.
Once you have a diagnosis then the right treatment options can be considered which could be in the form of:
An anxiety drug of some sort
Psychological therapy
A self help program

Facts Behind the Myth of Good IQ Scores

2006-12-18T03:31:00.000-08:00

You might have heard that somebody has obtained very good IQ score. Some may even show you their certificates to prove that they have got more than 120 IQ score. Higher the score, higher the intelligence level is presumed. However, such claims and assumptions are baseless, false and misleading. The highest IQ test score in one IQ test may not be equivalent to an average score of another test.
A good IQ score is a relative term. The initial score obtained by answering the items correctly is called a raw score. It is useless unless interpreted in meaningful terms by following the established norms. Even when two scores are processed through the psychometric principles, you can’t ignore the following important issues before determining a good IQ score:
Name of the IQ Test
-------------------
Unfortunately, the psychologists have not succeeded yet to develop a perfect system of comparing two IQ scores got from different IQ test. Naïve comparison of two digits, however higher they may be, can’t help you to determine a good IQ score. First of all you need to know on what IQ test on which the highest score was obtained.
Difficulty Level of the Items
---------------------------------
The second problem to determine a good IQ scoring is the difficulty level of the test on which the claimed good IQ score was obtained. Your score will decline with the increasing difficulty level of the items being offered. It is possible that you get two different IQ score with two tests having same label. One reason for this variance would be the difficulty level of the items. The test developers vary the difficulty level of the test with the change of age, education and some other important factors.
Content Variance
-------------------
You can find a number of tests with the same name but with different content. Even when you obtain 120 IQ score on an IQ test of verbal capabilities, you mayn’t claim the same level on another test of the same label containing mathematical items. General IQ tests try to develop items from all categories of intelligence but modern day testing industry is getting more specialized with every passing day. You need to consider content variation while determining any score a good IQ score.
Time and Age Differences
-----------------------
You may have got 120 IQ score in your fifth grade, 115 in sixth and 110 in seventh grade. Apparently, your intelligence level is decreasing with each passing year. However, the actual position may be entirely different for a number of reasons including the label of the test, the difficulty level or even difference in the content. You can’t be sure that your highest IQ score is your good IQ score.
Difference of Standard Deviation Units
-------------------------------------------
Originally, the mental age (MA) was considered sufficient to measure your intelligence. It soon proved useless and the term of intelligence quotient (IQ) was introduced. It was nothing more than a simple ratio of the mental age to the chronological age, multiplied by 100 to eliminate decimals. A score of 100 was considered an average IQ score and any deviation could place you in the range of above or the below average population. The system worked well unless it was proved that standard deviation doesn’t remain constant throughout your life.
Now different IQ tests use different levels of standard deviation. It is possible that one test use a standard deviation of 15 and another of 20. In such situation two apparent equal IQ score can’t be interpreted into equal level of the intelligence. Thus determining a good IQ score becomes further difficult.

A Secret Do Not Think I Am Crazy

2006-12-17T04:34:00.000-08:00

It is getting close to Christmas and I just wanted to let everyone know that I plan on an anxiety free Holiday Season.

Yes everyone, that is right .

How I am I going to do it?

Let me tell you a secret.

I have already seen the great season I will have.

Alright, I am not crazy and I do not see the future as you may think .

I am using my visualization techniques.

What is that you say?

Here it is in simple terms.

I sit in my favorite chair and turn the lights down low .

I picture in my mind how everything looks and feels .

Then I put myself in the situation as if I was on a screen. I can see all the details and I am so good at it after 2 months of practice every day that I can smell the cookies and pumpkin pie.

I have to tell you I started using the visualization technique after a heart attack and I was looking for something to help with the stress and panic I was going through.

A family friend got me on a program to bring a new thought process into my life.

Hey, I can use this way of dealing with anxiety any where and anytime and now that I have purchased the program it is all free from here on out.

The secret is that it is all done in the mind. No one even knows I am using it ,if I do not tell them.

5 Steps To Controlling Your Anxiety And Panic Attacks

2006-12-17T04:33:00.000-08:00

Anxiety and panic attacks are far more common than you might think. They may range from mild nervousness at the thought of going to work or facing an issue in your life to full blown panic attacks which are debilitating and prevent you from doing anything.

The good news is that anxiety and panic attacks are something that you can get overcome and get over with the right mindset and tools. If you have the will to do it then it can be much easier than you may have first thought.

The following five tips will help you to overcome and manage your anxiety and panic attacks.

Step 1 : Recognise There Is A Problem

Firstly, before you can take any steps to overcoming your anxiety and panic attacks you need to recognise that they are a problem. Many people get so used to having anxiety and panic in their lives that they stop recognising that it is not the best way to be.

Until you are able to see that anxiety and panic are not something you want in your life any more then you will struggle to get rid of them.

So firstly, is your anxiety and panic something you want to keep or is it time for you to now get rid of it?

Tip 2 : Understand That You Can Solve It

We would all love a fairy godmother to come and wave a wand to make our problems go away, but it’s not going to happen. Now you have recognised that your anxiety and panic attacks are something you want to change you need to realise that there is only one person who can get rid of these panic attacks, and that is you.

Step 3 : Decide Your Desired Outcome

Now you know you want to get rid of your anxiety and panic attacks and know that you can make these changes, it’s time to decide what these changes will be.

How do you want your life to be when you have made these changes? What will be different in your life? Don’t try to plan how you will get to this desired outcome, that’s the next step, just decide how you want to be when you are free of your anxiety and panic attacks.

Step 4 : Make A Plan

Next it is time to make a plan. How are you going to get from where you are now to where you want to be? How long is it going to take? Make sure you are realistic about both the plan and the timescales, erring on the side of caution if you are in any doubt.

Avoid attempting to do too much in too short a time, which is a temptation many of us face. It’s all too easy to try and do everything at once and then not succeed. The next step is one of the biggest keys to succeeding not only with anxiety and panic attacks, but with anything you want to do.

Step 5 : One Step A Day

With your plan now made, it’s time to take action. Even if you just do one thing every day to help you move towards your desired outcome, then you will get there. If you can do this, then you are virtually guaranteed success. Remember, avoid trying to do everything in a single day and take one step at a time.

Ambiguity plus Ambiguity Equals to Inkblot Tests

2006-12-17T03:31:00.000-08:00

The inkblot tests and other projective instruments are the most defective psychological instruments. The stimuli, the philosophy, the instructions and even scoring systems are ambiguous. However, they still claim to build a crystal clear profile of your personality.
On the other hand they are getting popular by every passing day even when there is solid evidence that findings of the inkblot tests are often wrong. Most of the psychologists don’t trust them as tests but still use them for one reason or the other. The most prominent reason is the use of projective techniques to support diagnosing different mental retardations.
The rise of popularity graph has also raised the criticism of the inkblot tests. Some important defects in these instruments are listed here:
Philosophical Error
---------------------
It is a fundamentally assumed that when you are offered ambiguous stimuli such as inkblots, you ‘project’ what lies in your unconscious mind. This way you disclose hidden streams of your personality.
This assumption has been criticized by many prominent psychologists. They have even offered alternative but much better justifications for your responses to the inkblot tests. Interestingly, solid variations have been observed in the response of subjected with the change of testing situations, simple instructions, hunger, sleeplessness, drugs, anxiety, frustration etc. The most important factor is personality, knowledge and theoretical bent of the examiner who has to interpret your responses.
No Standardized Meanings
----------------------------
The inkblot tests don’t specify specific meanings for the inkblots. In fact they are not only ambiguous for the subjects but also for the examinees. The fans of the inkblot tests claim it a quality of the projective techniques but in fact they not only ‘project’ the subjects but also the examiners to respond whatever they like for the given set of the inkblots. Furthermore, it makes difficult for the third parties to validate results of the inkblot tests.
Impact of Colors in Inkblot Tests
----------------------------------
Traditionally, colors are considered very important for the inkblot tests. However, many research findings, especially of Baughman (1958), have proved this view wrong. Now it is widely accepted postulate that color itself has no effect on most of the response characteristics.
Verbal Aptitude and Inkblot Tests
---------------------------------
Some researchers including Sachman and Lotsof have proved that verbal aptitudes and skills influence the scores of Rorschach inkblot tests considerably. It has been repeatedly observed that complexity of responses correlate with scores of the subjects on verbal aptitude tests, age and educational levels. In such a study, the verbal complexity of responses given by 100 persons revealed that ‘movement responses’ are longer and linguistically more complex than ‘form responses’.
Response Productivity and Inkblot Tests
---------------------------------------
The response productivity (R) means your total number of responses to the inkblots offered. The huge individual differences in R in various categories often lead to miscalculation and misleading results.
Suppose you differ with David in the response productivity factor, you both are likely to differ in the same direction in the number of responses falling in the specific categories. Thus the differences found in certain categories may be only an artifact resulting from the variation in the total number of responses.
It has also been observed that R varies with the intellectual level, education and age. Even more disturbing is the findings that R varies from one subject to another for reasons unknown.
Since R plays a major role in interpretation of the most of the inkblot tests so differences not only create doubts but also demolish the whole structure of inkblot tests.
Personality of the Examiner and Inkblot Tests
------------------------------------------------
Unlike most of the pyschological assessment tools, the personality of the examiner is very important for the inkblot tests. There are claims for objective scoring systems but the final steps are still to be defined by the examiner, his personality, theoretical orientations etc. Unfortunately, there are not too many qualified scorers that’s why interpretations of the same responses may vary from one psychologist to another.
From these considerations, it is understandable why status of the inkblot tests has not improved after many decades. Ambiguous set of stimuli, ambiguous structure, ambiguous instruction, ambiguous mode of interpretation...
...too many ambiguities can’t result an acceptable personality profile. Perhaps human romanticism needs much more logic to accept the reality.

Why Exercise Lifts Mild Depression so Reliably ….

2006-12-17T03:30:00.000-08:00

Why exercise lifts mild depression so reliably ….
It has both physical & psychological effects:
The physical effects:
1. Exercise boosts blood flow & oxygen to your brain.
In some ways your brain is just like a car engine that burns fossil fuels. It takes in oxygen & fuel and outputs energy & carbon dioxide.
So, if your brain’s intake of oxygen & fuel & its ability to get rid of carbon dioxide & other waste products is below optimum, you have less energy; don’t feel as good; & don’t think as well.
By getting enough of the right kinds of regular exercise, your blood carries more oxygen to your brain & you get enough more & better blood flow that your brain works better.
If you don’t exercise, it’s a bit like having a car that has a weak fuel pump. If you find you’d like to feel better, adding regular exercise that you keep doing is much like replacing your weak fuel pump with one of the best new ones available.
Then your brain will work better. And, it’s no surprise that you’ll feel better also.
And, there’s more.:
2. Exercise optimizes your neurotransmitters which directly improves your mood.
How you feel physically is tied directly to the neurotransmitters in your brain & the related chemicals in your blood.
Dopamine fires up or empowers your pleasure centers so it’s easier to enjoy things & take pleasure in them. If it’s low it’s very difficult even if things are actually going well.
Norepinepherin causes adrenalin to be released. If it or your level of testosterone is too low, you will have & feel less energy.
And, not having enough energy makes it difficult to feel good.
Exercise increases norepinepherin if it’s low. And vigorous or strength training exercises tend to increase testosterone levels in both men & women. (Women have less; but they do have testosterone also.)
Other similar chemicals help to over-ride minor pains so you don’t notice them at all or very much. Exercise increases these chemicals & has this effect. So people who exercise regularly quite literally feel less pain than those who do not.
Serotonin helps you to feel calm. Oxytocin helps you to feel affectionate & to feel pleasure. I’ve seen no reports of research yet as yet that show that exercise optimizes them. But I suspect very strongly that it does.
Cortisol appears when you are under stress. Again, I’ve not seen reports of research showing that high levels of it in your blood make you feel worse. But I suspect very strongly that it does. And, cortisol at excessively high levels does make your belly fat & damages your brain.
Since exercise does lower your perceived stress level & physically relieves or turns off stress reactions, it very likely reduces cortisol. So you feel better.
3. Exercise tends to slow your resting heart rate & breathing & reduce your blood pressure if it’s higher than it should be.
This is one of the ways exercise protects your heart. But it’s also one of the ways that exercise reduces your perceived stress level.
The psychological effects:
1. Exercise boosts your ability to be proactive.
Getting regular exercise is very much a real world problem solving activity & trainer. This is even more true of getting the best results from exercise.
The bad news is that you have to schedule it regularly. And, you have to be resilient & resourceful to keep doing it & get enough of it when sickness or injury or family or personal emergencies show up.
And, to get the best results, you have to track what you do; continuously learn from people who have gotten good results; increase or slightly reduce the exercises you do; & try new things to see how they work for you.
The good news is that if you persist & continue to make an effort each week & keep exercising, you gradually get better at these skills.
And, the wonderful news is that these real world effectiveness abilities make you more likely to take action to achieve worthwhile things & solve the problems that beset you -- & for your actions to be successful.
It should hardly be surprising that makes people feel better.
2. Exercise tends to improve your self image.
Exercise, particularly if you do it regularly & well, tends to make you stronger, have more stamina, be sexier, & to look better due to having more muscle & less fat.
There’s also a reverse psychology to it. If you succeed in getting yourself to do it, at some level your brain says if you are doing it for yourself, you must think you are worthwhile – to explain to itself why you are doing it.
(This is a proven effect psychologists have studied.)
Here again it should be no surprise this makes you feel better when you exercise regularly.
3. By making you more proactive & improving your self image, exercise increases your feeling of control.
Since your actual effectiveness tends to go up & you see yourself as more attractive & more able, your feeling that you control some of your life increases & the amount of your life you feel you have some control over increases.
Again, you feel better than you would have if you didn’t exercise.
Exercise reduces stress for all these reasons.:
If it takes a lot to make you feel stressed; you handle it well when you do feel stressed & tend to recover from it quickly; & if you can physically turn off any excessive stress reactions you get anyway, you’ll certainly feel a lot less stressed.
When you feel less stress, you have more energy & feel better.
Each of these effects of regular exercise contributes to this.
And, even if you are under very high stress levels, exercise has some ability to physically relieve your stuck-on-high stress reactions.
When you are exercising, your attention is moved from thinking about what’s stressing you to doing the exercises you are doing.
And, even better, when you finish exercising & rest, the physical recovery process from your exercise tends to bring down your physical stress reactions with it.
And, even if these two things are temporary in severe stress situations, you still get more a break & rest from the stress than people in comparable situations who don’t exercise.

Study Finds Hysteria Is A Real

2006-12-16T04:33:00.003-08:00

Hysteria, where sufferers complain of a specific ailment with no discernible cause, is not an imaginary disorder, according to a group of Canadian researchers.

The team used brain imaging scans to detect evidence of cerebral dysfunction in three women suffering from the condition, more formally known as “sensory conversion disorder.”

The findings, published in the December 12 issue of the journal Neurology, will help to improve understanding of conversion disorder, a neurological disorder in which a person displays symptoms, but doctors are unable to determine a specific medical cause for the discomfort.

The three women involved in the study complained of numbness in their left hand or foot. The researchers used MRI machines to observe how the women’s brains responded to stimulation of the numb body parts.

In all three, stimulation of the numb body part failed to activate the part of the brain that responds to touch. However, the monitored brain area did respond when the researchers simultaneously stimulated both the numb appendage and the opposite one not affected by the disorder.

“The principal finding is that stimulation of the numb body part did not activate the somatosensory region of the brain, while stimulating both limbs did,” wrote study author Dr. Omar Ghaffar, of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto, in a prepared statement.

The researchers concluded that stimulating both the numb and normal-sensing limbs may act as distraction, shifting the patient’s focus, and thereby overcoming the inhibition.

“Future studies plan to build on these findings by scanning more subjects and health controls,” Ghaffar said. “In addition, a study examining the role of distraction in conversion disorder is underway.”

Anxiety Recognition and Treatment

2006-12-16T04:33:00.001-08:00

Anxiety manifests itself in a number of ways depending upon the severity of the disorder. It can begin by worrying about something happening to us or something that we will expect to happen to ourselves but ultimately the cause of the worry either passes or we learn how to deal with it. Unfortunately, not everyone has the capacity to cope well with what happens in their lives. In fact, there are people who spend almost their entire lives worrying and their worries are part of anxiety symptoms in a never ending cycle that can produce an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety symptoms can manifest themselves both physically and psychologically. Anxiety disorders happen when our brain warns us about a perceived danger that is about to occur. In this situation your body will ready itself for a fight or flight reaction. Your heart, lungs and other parts of your body will work faster and produce stress hormones and adrenaline to cope with that time period.

Depending on the perception of the danger, physical symptoms include abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, palpitations, tightness and pain in the chest region, shortness of breath, dizziness, frequent urination and even difficulty swallowing. Such physical affects that anxiety disorders produce can become frightening and enhance the symptoms.

The psychological anxiety symptoms on the other hand include insomnia, irritability, anger, the inability to concentrate on various day to day tasks, a fear of madness, a fear of losing your mind and mental faculties, as well as the sense of being detached from reality and not having the ability to control your actions.

Besides the anxiety symptoms, people may experience emotional symptoms too, such as a constant feeling of unease that has nothing to do with your present situation. Others might experience anxiety due to being involved in a stressful situation like pressure at work or a relationship. Then anxiety symptoms may rear their heads due to being anxious about an illness, real or imagined. Then there is always your body’s reaction to perceived dangerous threats. All of these emotional stresses can and will increase the intensity of your anxiety symptoms dramatically.

These symptoms may be considered as anxiety symptoms if they are of a prolonged or severe state, or if the feelings of anxiety come into existence when there is nothing dangerous or stressful to bring them about. Then, if these anxiety symptoms start to interfere with your everyday life and activities like work or social events, you know for certain that you are suffering from anxiety disorder.

As the world knows anxiety is a normal response to danger. Everyone has felt anxious for something at some point in their lives. There is however times when anxiety turns into something else, this being a mental condition known as anxiety disorders. People who have anxiety disorders are sometimes afraid to get treatment for their anxiety as they seem to feel ashamed of having a mental condition. However anxiety treatments are valid medical remedies for a complaint that can affect your life. There is therefore nothing to be ashamed of having anxiety disorders or being treated for them.

Although you might suspect yourself to be suffering from anxiety symptoms it’s always a good idea to get your self-diagnosis confirmed by a qualified medical practitioner who can then start you on the proper course to cure you.

When you first experience anxiety your doctor must be able to diagnose your complaint. There are many types of anxiety treatments that you can try. Before you embark on such a step it’s a good idea to talk with a doctor or a psychiatrist who specializes in anxiety and panic disorders. As the treatments can be varied you will need to let your doctor know that you suspect that you are suffering from anxiety disorders so that your specific complaint can be identified. Once your anxiety is diagnosed then treatment may begin.

You might want to ask your doctor what the normal anxiety treatments are and their side effects and you should also find out what their effect will be on your lifestyle as well. Don't rule out alternative remedies - they may not be completely proven by medical science as anxiety treatments, but a number of people state that these alternative treatments can work at providing relief from anxiety symptoms.

The traditional anxiety treatments are prescription drugs like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, Buspirones, antidepressant medications and others. These drugs work to lower the chemicals that cause anxiety to surface. While many people have found relief from their anxiety symptoms, these tablets alone may not completely cure your anxiety disorders. It is like taking an aspirin to relieve a headache, that's all the aspirin does, it does not cure the headache but just reduces the symptoms so that they are bearable.

Alternate anxiety treatments include the age old methods of Acupuncture and Ayurveda. Both of these eastern anxiety treatments bring the symptoms of anxiety back into control by rebalancing your body’s internal energies. These treatments use a number of essential oils, poultices, herbal remedies and sterilized acupuncture needles to achieve that effect. These alternative anxiety treatments not only control the effects of anxiety in your body they also have the ability to completely cure your anxiety disorder symptoms.

Another alternative anxiety treatment is Gemstone therapy. Here it’s believed that gemstones have properties that can correct imbalances within your body. Each gemstone that is used in this treatment has healing properties and colors. The right balance can be achieved by placing a gemstone at a specific point on your body. Other anxiety treatments include Tai Chi, yoga, dance therapy, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy and many others.

Whatever treatment is decided upon based on advice from your medical practitioner and adviser, by following a course of treatment that works best on your anxiety you stand a good chance of being in control of your life once more and truly in the end that’s all that matters.

Bipolar Spending And The Highs And The Lows Of Depression It Brings

2006-12-15T04:32:00.000-08:00

I have a cycle that goes over a two week period. This week I paid $435 in bills and rent out of $500 in income allocated for me for the next two weeks. It is now three days later and I have $25.00 left and I look like I will need a miracle to get me through. But I know next week I will get and extra $30 and I am so used to living with no money I have a peace about me.

Many people with Bipolar go on a big spending spree every time they get paid. We just can’t help it. I spent forty five dollars on a movie and take away food and on coffees today. This would be better invested in other things like groceries, but I am Bipolar and stupid like that and I so enjoyed myself.

Sure I am on medication and taking it at the right time, but this spending habit is something that seems beyond my control. I enjoy four or five days and then I am lost and broke for the rest of the two weeks.

Then half way through the second week I start to get depressed. I promise myself I will save some money next fortnight and be silly and the next fortnight I spend it all in the first three days and am broke.

Seeing this is in the mental illness section you might not have read my other articles, but in some of my other articles I present as someone who is quite smart and intelligent but this bipolar spending is something that is out of control and makes me feel like a dummy.

Granted two of my bills were gas and electricity and only due once every few months, but I had a monthly phone bill of $160 and that is just way too much. That is just evidence of my elevated state in the last month as I have spent so much time on the phone ringing my interstate family.

I love my family but with a good Bible and a good relationship with God I should be able to get by with my faith, but no I spend hours on the phone ringing home and racking up a mammoth bill.

Journaling For Stress Relief...The Simple Way

2006-12-15T04:31:00.000-08:00

Journaling is a great way of putting stress in perspective. Putting your worries onto paper may help you see that you don't really have that much to worry about, or it may help you to be organized and manage your stress, rather than letting it manage you.

Why does journaling release stress?

Most stress you are aware of (and a lot of you unaware of) is emotional. Not the major upheavals in life, but the ordinary day to day stress.

Most of you may be saying, ‘but I don’t have stress’ and most of you would be wrong.

Stress is anything you expend energy on. Why? Because stress reduces your energy levels, internally and externally. Your internal energy is your ability to heal and recover as well as resist illness of all forms. Your external energy is your ability to run around all day long.

As most of you drive yourself to keep going, your external energy seems okay. What you are doing is driving your internal energy lower. This is why you see the following …

Dave has worked all his life, not a sick day off in 25 years, he retires and suddenly has a heart attack and dies. The most common words you will hear from his friends and family are …

‘But Dave was such a healthy person’.

You are not healthy if you die of a heart attack. That’s right, healthy people do not die of heart attacks. Dave may have thought he was healthy, but his internal energy was just getting lower and lower. With time this caused the worse type of health problem … an early death.

Most of you don’t know if you are healthy or not. You can have a full medical today which says you are 100% healthy and still die tomorrow. Health checks are checking for outward signs of disease, not inward signs.

So what can or should you do?

Reduce stress, eat well, exercise and do health promoting activities.

One of the easier and better stress relief techniques is journaling. You should use many others if you want to really reduce all your stress … physical, emotional, immune, and environmental and others.

Journaling does do one task very well.

It gets stress out of your head and onto paper. This is a simple mind trick you are playing, as the stress on paper is easier to look at and deal with. Stress also doesn’t seem that bad.

Just write down each day what is bugging you or any stress that has happened, events that are coming up they may cause stress, or just write whatever comes into your head.

You may have a whole page of swear words, after a day of stress. Journaling is good to do on a daily basis. You don’t need to spend hours each day journaling. Just jot down a few events at the end of the day, or as they happen.

Journaling the stress and at the end of the day write down a response. How you feel or felt, solutions to a problem or a bunch of swear words if it is just plain frustrating.

Journaling a response allows the attached stress to the event to be released and put on paper. You will be surprised with what you write at times. Small events can stress you out more than larger events at times.

It also is quite interesting to look back at in the future. You will be amazed, once you apply the solutions to problems how little the problem was. The stress you had last week doesn’t seem that large and you find you are able to use stress coping techniques better and faster.

You suddenly have ammunition for new stress as you have already planned how you can approach any new event. This gets better and easier each time you do it.

Stress once on paper never seems that bad. Start journaling, keep it with you and write in it often. Journaling is a simple and easy way to reduce stress when it happens and also giving you the ability to respond rather than react to stress.

Adult ADD You Control the Horizontal You Control the Vertical

2006-12-14T04:31:00.000-08:00

So, you have ADD, right? Do you ever find yourself fidgeting? Like... foot tapping, your whole body might be moving, your fingers tapping--that kind of fidgeting? For ADD people, this probably indicates stress of some kind or sheer boredom.

In fact, if you have ADD, you're probably constantly moving around. Most of the time you may not even notice it. You can be shaking your leg a million miles an hour, not notice, and get mad at someone else for the same kind of repetitive motion.

The major point here is that you're externally communicating to the people in the room with you. Your ADD-related actions are driving everybody else in the room nuts because you're fidgeting around so much. You don’t always notice it. You may be communicating internally, but there’s an external aspect to that, too.

There’s no absolute line between internal and external communication, ADD or not. Both are very clearly related. At the end of the day, internal things are going on inside your body and external things are going on outside of your body, including when you're speaking to someone else.

The thing is we have all these micro-movements in our face and body that we’re not even aware of that other people, especially people who have studied this kind of stuff, will notice instantaneously. All of us, ADD or not, we’re always externally communicating. It’s just a question of if there’s someone else around that either knows what to look for or is, in fact, observing some of those things.

That’s an important point to make because you have to remember. You have control, not your ADD. You have choice over how you’re expressing certain things, certainly not your ADD. Sometimes, even if you’re all alone, you do both internal and external communication, you can cause yourself to become upset. You can cause yourself to have a miscommunication within yourself, and have a reaction. Very easily.

For instance, you may have gotten a call from your boss. He tells you that you did something wrong--minor, but wrong. Some people might go off on this tangent: "I'm going to be fired." You're actually miscommunicating inside yourself. The boss has no intention of firing you and probably forgets about the situation by the next day. It's all in the amount of control you exert over yourself, and that includes controlling your ADD.

Right now, sit down, slump over, start breathing shallowly, think about someone close to you that might have passed away in your life. Instantly you are not going to feel that good.

Now, stand up, take a deep breath, think about the best day of your life. Think about when you accomplished the most amazing thing, the weather was absolutely perfect – maybe it was really sunny out, or whatever you find to be the best weather in the world. You were in peak condition. Your mind and body were feeling absolutely as good as they possibly could have. Emotionally, you were feeling better than ever.

Now, how do you feel? If you think about those things, put your body into that same position, you start breathing as if you were really there. You immediately start feeling better. Right? That's one way to control your ADD.

It’s an example of self-communication or internal communication. You can change your body posture. You can change what’s running through your mind. You can change the words you’re saying to yourself. You can control your ADD.

Does "Stage Hypnosis" Give Clinical Hypnosis a Bad Name?

2006-12-14T04:30:00.000-08:00

For many people, their only contact with hypnosis is the stage performance, where the use of hypnotism is used to entertain and delight an audience. Stage performance can either be on tour, traveling throughout the country, or be on television shows, or both. This is obviously different from clinical hypnosis, where a hypnotherapist works one-on-one with a patient in an effort to solve a problem or seek a solution to an addiction

But the techniques are basically the same. Both attempt to induce an hypnotic trance, and bypass the conscious mind to reach the unconscious, and then plant a suggestion into the unconscious mind.

But that’s where the similarities end. The stage performer’s priority is to entertain, so his suggestions to his participants would have that as a goal, so he would suggest things such as quacking like a duck, talking with aliens, dancing like a ballerina, etc.. This would be unlike a clinical hypnotherapist whose chief aim would be more serious, for example, to root out an addiction or solve some ongoing problem for the patient.

Another difference would be the speed and depth of a trance performed by the stage hypnotist. He has a waiting audience to appease, so he can’t take too long to get his volunteers hypnotized. The stage performer would carefully look for signs with his volunteers to determine how open to suggestions they are, and who responds best to his suggestions. The need to find easily hypnotizable subjects is why the performer chooses more volunteers than he needs and that allows him to reject those he considers are not easily able to be hypnotized.

The clinical hypnotist,on the other hand, would take his time and ask his patient lots of questions, so he could determine the best and most effective way to induce an hypnotic trance.

A stage hypnotist has to be a good performer and have good stage presence. After all, he is putting on a show.

The clinical hypnotist works with his patients in trying to arrive at the best and most effective way to induce an hypnotic trance and reach a solution to the problem at hand.

A good stage hypnotist is no less skilled in trance induction and suggestion than a therapeutic hypnotist. In fact, a number of stage hypnotists have previously been clinical hypnotists; others may go on to became clinical hypnotists, and some do both at the same time.

A question that is frequently asked is about the use of free will. The generally accepted view among experts ad practitioners is that no person can be hypnotized to act against their will. They feel that there is always a part of the mind that is aware of what is happening, and the person would come out of the hypnotic trance if they would be given hypnotic suggestions to perform an action contrary to their belief.

In the late eighteenth century, stage performers would take part in elaborate stage shows in order to attract fee-paying clients. Hypnotism became a popular parlor game as the craze swept Europe and America. In the united States hypnotism stage performance really took off in the 1890’s and became a popular form of entertainment.

The dominant figure in the early part of the twentieth century was a man by the name of Ormond McGill, a great showman during his day, who first became interested in magic shows before he eventually changed to stage hypnosis. He was the author of several popular books on hypnotism and had a long and successful career both as a stage performer and in clinical hypnotism. In fact, he was an early pioneer in the use of television for his performances, and has served as an inspiration to many of today’s performers.

There are now thousands of stage performers throughout the world, performing before live audiences or on television. There are probably as many stage routines as there are performers. The basic pattern of each show may be similar; a group of volunteers are selected from the audience to come up on stage, put under an hypnotic trance, given suggestions and post-hypnotic suggestions, and then act out according to the suggestions, with the suggestions given only limited by the imagination of the performer.

Which brings me back to the original question: Does “Stage Hypnosis” give Clinical Hypnosis a bad name?

Critics say that the stage performances give clinical hypnosis a bad name because they trivialize the effectiveness of hypnosis in solving personal problems, and give the general public a warped idea of what hypnosis really is and how it can help in many aspects of life.

The counter argument is that the opposite occurs. By seeing hypnosis at work first hand, the public is more likely to believe in the therapeutic effects of it, and may even contact a clinical hypnotist for help with their particular problem.

Ten Tips for a Happier Healthier Mind

2006-12-13T03:30:00.001-08:00

Number ONE: Accept Yourself
Learn to love yourself. Sever dislike of yourself can lead to guilt, shame and depression. Believe in your own abilities and value your own uniqueness. Do this by:

* writing a list of your strengths
* working towards your aspirations
* writing poetry or songs dedicated to yourself
* pampering yourself
* having treats from time to time
* setting weekly or monthly achievable goals

Number TWO: Learn to Overcome and to Let Go
Everyone faces challenges and adversity. Being able to effectively cope with these challenges is crucial and each of us have our own techniques on how we do this. The best general advice for coping: Cope actively with situations that you have some degree of control over, and cope passively with situations that you dont have control over. Active coping means taking actions to improve the situation. Passive coping means to accept the situation and move on, making the best with what you’ve got.

Number THREE: Stay Connected and Nurture Relationships
Make time for social contacts. Feeling emotionally connected and supported is hugely important. We need relationships that we can count oh when the hard times come. We need people to trust and value us just as we trust and value them. Some hints to maintain good relationships include: Be forgiving, be tolerant, communicate honestly, express yourself, balance independence with dependence, act responsibly and nurture their values, desires and feelings and they are more likely to reciprocate. Talking to these people will help you to vent out and understand yourself and your difficulties better and this is crucial.

Number FOUR: Take Control
When we feel like the captain of our own ship, we’re more interested in life and more confident. Make steps to become more independent and organised in your own life, from balancing your current account, to keeping records on calendars, to not relying on others to do your own washing.

Number FIVE: Find your Purpose and Work Towards It
Feeling like life is meaningless is a hallmark of depression. Its crucial to have goals both short term ones and long term ones. Make daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and 10 yearly goals that aren’t too lofty. You’d be surprised how much effect this can have on your life!

Number SIX: Find Hope and Maintain Faith
You don’t have to be religious for this. When things seem dark, it really helps to have a sense of hope and optimism about the future and a belief that your goals will eventually be achieved. Being more positive thinking helps to override fear and keep us motivated.

Number SEVEN: Help Others
When we reach out to others in need we often can feel self satisfied and proud of ourselves. Helping others can also be useful experience in helping yourself if you ever came into the same predicament as the person you were helping.

Number EIGHT: Find Flow
Professional athletes are very big into this. Flow is the experience of feeling totally involved, engrossed and focused in an activity or experience. I once heard a piece of Buddhist wisdom: "If you are thinking about resting while sweeping the floor, you are not truly experiencing life as it exists. When you sweep, sweep. When you rest, rest".

Number NINE: Enjoy the Beautiful Things in Life
The ability to appreciate beauty is aesthetics. There is a lot of negativity and ugliness in the world with wars, disease etc. Being able to appreciate beauty when you see it is a saving grace and is very uplifting. Im lucky I live in the middle of the country side and I also find it uplifting. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it can be in reading poetry, a plastic bag caught in a breeze (like in American Beauty), photography, heroes, music, in the solitude and quietness of darkness, the moon or sun, walking in woodlands, children or even a well-executed football game.

Number TEN: Embrace Change and be Flexible
Sun Tzu (a famous Judo Master and strategist) once said that when we are rigid and inflexible we are more likely to experience resistance and strain ourselves in trying to maintain our posture; but when we are flexible and willing to change something that is not working for us we are more adaptable and better adjusted. Change takes courage but its vital for your well-being.

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Anxiety Attacks and Depression Can You Be Cured

2006-12-13T03:29:00.000-08:00

Anxiety attacks and depression don't seem to be the same illness, yet many people who have one of these problems actually have both. Approximately one third of all depression sufferers experience anxiety problems to some degree.

Anxiety attacks and depression are both very common. Anxiety Disorders are one of the most common diseases in the world. Thousand of suffering people don't actually know that they're dealing with this disease, yet it controls most of their life.

People who don't have this problem sometime have a hard time sympathizing with you, because they don't understand what the problem is. Since it's never happened to them, many think and say things like "Oh, it's all in her head." What they don't realize is that when anxiety attacks keep happening, it's classified as a disease.

Anxiety attacks and depression are mostly the results of your mind and body reacting to a frustrating situation. In the mind of the sufferer, each attack seems to go on for an eternity, but in reality anxiety attacks don't last that long. It's difficult to understand why your mind and body react this way and I know from experience that it can be fixed.

In my opinion, fixing the symptoms of anxiety attacks and depression with pills can be comforting for awhile, but a better goal would be to cure your problem, so that it never happens again. Try to keep a journal and record significant events that you think might influence an attack. You might notice that eating junk food worsens symptoms or that even the slightest hint of stress will set you off.

Observe your findings and avoid the obvious triggers. This is an effective way to avoid attacks. When you do find yourself having an attack, you should focus all your attention and energy on taking deep breaths from your diaphragm. I find this lessens the duration and severity of anxiety attacks and depression problems.

Even though correcting your breathing patterns are great for helping with anxiety attacks and depression, there are methods that can cure your condition permanently. Real help can be found here.

Remember that you're not alone. Anxiety attacks and depression do not control your life. Avoid possible triggers and work on improving your total health. With a little work, you can be cured of these diseases and get your life back.