emotional study

2011-04-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Living With Your Emotions

Author: Chantel Splatt

A lot of people would say that it is in the human's nature to be emotional. There are instances that we actually exaggerate with our emotions to the point that it takes control of us. So how should we really deal with them?

Emotions are often associated with our feelings such as love, joy, anger, fear and sadness among others. Some would even correlate these with maturity and stability thus the saying ‘think with our head and not with our heart' was devised to remind us that we should not let our emotions to overpower us. But does this mean that we should suppress them?

This is one of the biggest topics that can be discussed and endless debates can be made about it. Many would agree that several techniques were also formulated and developed to teach people on how to deal with them. Different studies were conducted all over the world to prove how emotions affect the physical and mental sides of a person and what

However, no matter how much we try to assess these emotions, a lot of people seem to always reach a dead end in their search. Most of the time, we are just like running around in circles that when we think that we are progressing with them only to find out that we are again back in square one. What we all seem to lack in this aspect is the emotional intelligence.

If we do a search on the internet on what emotions are, we would probably find that it basically means "energy in motion." But even if we have this meaning, do we really know what it means? There are several emotions that we can actually enumerate but these were classified according to the six basic emotions. These six are joy, peace, love, anger, sadness and fear but the real question is how do we associate these six with the meaning of emotion?

The book "Monkey See Monkey Don't" discusses how we basically handle our emotions and attain balance. Several techniques are taught in the book which would help us deal with different kinds of emotions.

This book was written with a purpose to help everyone attain emotional stability and heal each one of us. Our aim with this book is to help you achieve your personal vision. We are confident that this book will effectively help you have a balanced life that would result to real happiness and success.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/coaching-articles/living-with-your-emotions-4516574.html

About the Author

Chantel has devoted much of her life to helping people to achieve their dreams.

Chantel began her career in administration, winning the South West Trainee of the Year award, and is the regional winner of the WorkSkills competition. She has also been a finalist twice in the WA State Training Excellence Awards (Trainee of the Year).

With experience in business systems, human resources and change management, she has progressed to becoming a business advisor in a corporate environment. She combines this with her role as a personal wellness coach.

Chantel is particularly passionate about working with people with health challenges, and runs a non-for profit Community Weight Loss Challenge.

Chantel draws on her wealth of experience, as well as her unshakeable belief that anything is possible.

Chantel is WA's #1 Qualified Success Coach and is a qualified NLP Master Practitioner.

Chantel lives in Mandurah, Western Australia with her husband, Craig.

Chantel's gift for making people feel at ease helps clients discover what they need to in a safe, non-judgemental, open environment.

2011-03-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Naturally prevent anxiety and panic attacks - 5 steps for better self-confidence!

Author: NikaDelly

Naturally prevent anxiety and panic attacks with raising self-confidence are extremely important. Self-confidence is an essential aspect in our personal sense of harmony, security and control over our lives. People who have a low self-esteem feel insecure, anxious, weak and vulnerable to the surrounding stress and people they meet.

It is important that people suffering from anxiety and panic attacks do not perceive how their weak self-confidence has a negative impact on the occurrence of anxiety and panic attacks. Low self-esteem creates a negative image about yourself, and the person sees and does not recognize the ways to successfully and naturally prevent anxiety and panic attacks.

For a better self-confidence are important these steps:

1. Look forward to and not back - Stop blaming yourself and get rid of the past. You cannot change the past, but you should bear in mind that you then do the best that you could know. Turn to the front to the positive present and future, because there you can change things as you wish.

2. Get rid of the guilt - Guilt destroys confidence, such as strong acids that attack. So your self-confidence will deteriorate if you let yourself be tortured guilt because it is the only thing, that feeling, and it brings.

3. Point to your strengths - individual self-confidence levels never depend on what other persons think about us. Confidence depends on what we think about ourselves. So if we disparage ourselves then we will be irrelevant. It is our duty to us to encourage and to realize our positive strengths of personality.

4. Organize your time - In today's busy lifestyles often are overloaded with different types of obligations, which lead us to a variety of stressful situations. It is necessary to appreciate your valuable time. When you effectively organize your time, you have control over what happens to you.

5. Write a plan of action - when we commit to papering, we understand ourselves much more seriously. No matter what your goals are, you can approach if you write a plan of action. Planning actions will show you that you truly create our own reality, and that is certainly a feeling that will provide you with great force.

Of course there are numerous steps to raise your self-confidence. It is necessary to go and do these first 5 and after that you have enough self-confidence to form your own next steps.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/naturally-prevent-anxiety-and-panic-attacks-5-steps-for-better-self-confidence-4399698.html

About the Author

Nika Delly is a psychologist and writer. If you want to learn more click on this Natural treatments for anxiety and panic attacks! Whenever you require additional selective information on how to naturally prevent anxiety and panic attacks visit this site http://www.squidoo.com/naturaltreatmentforpanicattacks

2009-06-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

Overcoming Procrastination - It's All in Your Mind

Author: Susan Roberts

Thinking back a year ago, I probably would have put off writing this, just because of how bad the habit gets. Once you start putting things off, it becomes infinitely easier to keep doing it, and then nothing gets done. If you're tired of procrastinating, there are a few things you need to learn to finally stop it for good.

Plain and simple, it's all in your mind. It might be because you're afraid that it won't get done right, or that you're afraid that it will be hard to do. It might also be because you're too busy thinking about how much better things will be after you get it done to actually go and do it.

The biggest fear is, of course, that it will be hard to do. Thing is, the more you think about it that way, the harder it will seem, because you've built up for it. The less weight that you put on what you need to do, the easier it will seem.

As such, the more that you procrastinate and put something off, the more weight it has, to the point that you want to do absolutely anything other than what you need to do. All of this time has been spent building up to it and the last thing you would want to do is mess up.

That's precisely the wrong way to go about things, but also the way that so many people seem to do it. It's not much of a surprise that it's such a problem, is it?

About the Author:

Ready to destroy your fears and unleash the productive self that you know you are? Pick up a copy of defeating procrastination and you will see how easy it is to get your life on track.

overcoming procrastination - it's all in your mind

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Overcoming Procrastination - It's All in Your Mind

2009-06-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ways to Improve Self Esteem With Hypnosis

Author: Regie Lions

If you look carefully past the current problems you are experiencing, deeper into the reasons for your present day difficulties; you will most likely find that the root cause has something to do with the way you feel about yourself - your self esteem. This base human problem is something that most of us feel at some point or another in our lives, but when nothing is done to correct negative self esteem, that is when other problems begin to emerge. A great way to help overcome these problems is to improve self esteem with hypnosis.

If you are 40 pounds overweight and just can't seem to lose the weight no matter what you do, the real problem may not be your eating, but how you feel about yourself. Anxiety in many forms such as test anxiety, public speaking, and performance, usually stem from how a person feels about themselves and their belief in their own abilities. Smoking, depression, drugs and alcohol abuse problems can usually be traced back to self esteem issues, often extensions of childhood experiences.

All the negative experiences in your life begin to add up in a cumulative manner until your subconscious mind is filled with a negative view on literally everything in life. Now you are really having problems and nothing you do seems to work. Why? This is because you are fulfilling the negative programming that is in your subconscious mind to fail. Your mind has firmly planted the idea that you are not worthy to succeed, and so you don't. It was Henry Ford who said "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." And that, my friend, is the basis for finding ways to improve self esteem with hypnosis.

Why Use Hypnosis?

It has been said that it takes at least 10 positive things to overcome 1 negative. The way to improve self esteem with hypnosis, and the reason it works so well, is that hypnosis allows easier and more direct access to the subconscious where all your negative programming or thoughts are stored. In order to improve self esteem with hypnosis, you need to replace the negative view that has been stuck in there for years with a positive, confident, and productive view of yourself. Hypnosis is the transport system for the positive affirmations, and gives a direct access to the root of the problem. In other words, you could change your self image without hypnosis, but it would take a much longer time to do it.

There are several ways to improve self esteem with hypnosis, and seeking out a professional hypnotherapist is certainly a good way to start. A good hypnotherapist can help you identify the root causes for your negative self esteem and design a program that can target your specific issues.

Another very effective way to improve self esteem with hypnosis is through the use of self hypnosis. Often, a hypnotherapist will teach you how to use self hypnosis to continue and reinforce your therapy at home, but there are sources available to be able to do it yourself. Finding the best way to improve self esteem with hypnosis can be the best way to permanently change your life.

About the Author:
Claim your FREE Video revealing secrets of conversational hypnosis to persuade more people right now by going to http://www.HypnotizeToPersuade.com/> http://www.HypnotizeToPersuade.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Ways to Improve Self Esteem With Hypnosis

2009-05-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Menopause and Mood Swings

Author: Julie

If you thought your PMS was bad it’s nothing compared to the mood swings you’ll face during menopause. The good news is you’re not alone. Any woman who’s already navigated through this new chapter in life knows that changes in mood and irritability are all a part of the deal. That doesn’t make it anymore reassuring. You don’t feel like yourself. People are getting on your nerves more than ever. The slightest action is causing tears. You’re probably beginning to feel helpless and unsure of yourself. There are a few simple things that can be done to help you feel in control.

There’s still a lot of research to be done about what causes mood swings during menopause. We are sure that fluctuating hormones are to blame. It’s hard to feel happy one minute and sad the next. When you feel unexplained emotion it’s best to recognize that you’re having a mood swing. Avoiding stress can help you maximize the control you have.

Exercise and diet can also help eliminate mood swings. Ample exercise can help increase energy levels. Increased energy levels will help you get better sleep. Uninterrupted sleep will reduce anxiety, anger and irritability. Some women find natural remedies helpful in fighting off mood swings. Yoga, meditation, massage and acupuncture can provide quiet time and stress relief. Black Cohosh has also been proven to help balance moods. If you’re feeling particularly helpless it’s important to talk to your doctor. If you are on a treatment plan your doctor needs to know that it is not improving your mood swings.

If you're suffering from mood swings, you probably feel like your life is spiraling out of control. You must consult your doctor and try regulating the activities in your every day life in order to gain control. Mood swings do not have to be an accepted side effect of menopause.

You remember who you used to be. Imagine no longer being annoyed by your children or feeling sad at the drop of a hat. You can feel in control! Start on the road to a mood swing free life today.

About the Author:

Are you going through menopause and want to stay active, healthy, and feeling like yourself? Don't wait another minute to relieve menopause symptoms and start a diet plan that works for your life!

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Menopause and Mood Swings

2009-05-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

How to Stop a Panic Attack in 5 Minutes

Author: Jason Ellis

Most often a Panic Attack will hit you at the most inconvenient moment possible. It's just the nature of the beast. Maybe the Panic Attack will creep up on you slowly through a stressful day or maybe it will come out of nowhere and hit you like a ton of bricks.

No matter what the scenario, it's rarely going to happen when you're in a calm and soothing environment.

This article is going to show you an effective 3 Step Strategy for ending the Panic Attack within 5 minutes naturally. The tactic you’re about to learn will work every time without fail, once you know exactly what to do.

I’m not just preaching these tips. I’ve had quite bit of history with panic and anxiety in the past.

In my experience with Panic Attacks, I'd usually be in the middle of some arbitrary, moderately stressful activity. Phone calls at work became huge anxiety triggers for me.

There were times when I would have the attacks in the middle of work while I was on hold with a vendor or a client and I would just immediately have to hang up.

Sometimes I would be sound asleep and wake in the night with a pounding chest and numbness of the extremities. That's called a Nocturnal Panic Attack.

On other occasions I would venture out of my apartment and in those few hours an attack would strike in the middle of a grocery store or while I was crossing the street.

Also, as you probably already know, the embarrassment from having the Panic Attack in front of others can heighten the symptoms of the attack.

Panic Attacks, especially for those who are new to them, are EXTREMELY frightening. To put it simply, it can feel like you're going to die. Of course that's not what's really happening to your body, but many first time Panic Attack sufferers will describe the event saying:

"It felt like I was dying..."

You literally feel that you don't have control over your body. Your extremities go numb, your adrenaline is racing, your head spins -- Really there's a whole host of symptoms that you begin to experience.

Let's just quickly go over some of them below. What I'm about to teach you will make a whole lot more sense when you see the symptoms laid out.

The symptoms of a panic attack include…

Hyperventilation
Dizziness
An uncontrollable, rising sense of panic (terror, fear, anxiety)
Light Headiness
Heart Palpitations
Chest Pains
Dry Mouth
Clammy Hands
Numbness of the extremities
Difficulty Swallowing
Tremors
Sweating
Weakness
Fatigue
Urgent need to go to the bathroom

Now what I want to address right away is how closely many of these symptoms correspond to the symptoms of a heart attack. When you’re having a panic attack, your chest is POUNDING. It feels like it’s just going to pop out of your sternum.

So immediately, for most panic attack sufferers, they assume they’re having some kind of heart attack and that leads to the ultimate terror that they’re dying.

This downward spiral of fear is what feeds the attack and leads the symptoms to escalate further.

So up until now I've just told you about the chaos of an attack. It'll happen when you don't expect it at an inconvenient moment. You won't understand immediately what's happening to your body. It's extremely frightening and there's a whole bunch of other uncomfortable stuff you'll be experiencing after the panic sets it. Sound like fun so far?

Yeah, I'm not too satisfied with that scenario either...So let's fight back with techniques that WORK!

For all the reasons listed above, you'll need to know the Panic Attack self defense techniques I'm about to show you. They're easy to apply during an attack and they work like a charm in ANY Panic Attack situation.

Step 1 : Recognizing the Attack

The first trick is the hardest for some. You must recognize the attack. Sounds easy enough, but when your anxiety was as bad as mine was, I was telling myself:

"Oh no, not this one. This one is for real. My heart is finally going to pop from all these attacks. My body can't take anymore. I feel myself dying" and so on.

It was devastating. And it's that negative thought process and depressive attitude that feeds and escalates the attack.

So step 1 is recognize the attack. Know that it IS a panic attack and people don't die from panic attacks. It's that simple. Believe it. The utmost belief of this fact is where the power lies.

It may take you a minute or two to convince yourself. However, if it's not your first Panic Attack, then you should be confident in identifying what's happening to your body and mind.

Step 2 : Breath and Count

Next your going to start counting. Ignore everything around you. Nothing else matters. Get through this. That's ALL that matters.

After you've recognized the attack, begin to count in your head. Count 1,2,3,4 -- 1,2,3,4 -- 1,2,3,4 pausing on the dashes and so on. Now you might be thinking:

"Hey, that's easier said than done. When I'm having an attack I can't even think."

That's why you're not going to say or even think the numbers. You're going to breath the numbers.

Take a deep breath in through your nose for the 1 and 2. Then take a deep breath out through your mouth for the 3 and 4. Practice this routine for a few minutes a day until it becomes an automated exercise for you.

Practicing really helps a lot. If you practice in a controlled environment, when a Panic Attack hits, this self-defense mechanism will seem routine.

Important:
If you are truly hyperventilating out of control when the Panic Attack hits, breathing into a paper bag will help you get to the point where you can begin this exercise. Once you have regained some control of your breathing, remove the paper bag and begin the Counting Technique.

When you go into these breathing exercises you immediately shift your brain's focus from fear to action. You take control of your body and all the symptoms with this one important step.

Here's why this Step is so important...

Remember before when I said it was important to list out the Panic Attack symptoms?

Well by now I'm sure you're familiar with many of the symptoms. That's not why I laid them out above.

I listed the symptoms above to illustrate a very important point. Panic Attack symptoms occur as a chain reaction to the offset of breathing that happens in the body.

When a Panic Attack hits, shortness of breath or hyperventilation kicks in. The change in oxygen intake is what causes the dizziness and light headiness.

When those symptoms kick in, your fear escalates. Your body goes into "emergency mode" and begins conserving blood flow and the circulation of oxygen. This leads to the numbness in your extremities.

All this time, further panic has been setting in and your heart beats have become stronger as your brain reaches a higher sense of urgency.

The symptoms go on and on but my main point here is that it all starts with controlled breathing.

Do NOT overlook your breathing in the fight against Panic Attacks. It is an absolutely essential tool.

Step 3 : Finding the Root Cause

The calming down step is perhaps just as important as Step 2. Panic Attacks are traumatic. Soon after an attack, your mind catches up to what has just happened and a real emotional rollercoaster sets in.

You begin to question your stability and how capable you are of handling the world around you.

If you've had an attack, it's important to contact a therapist or doctor shortly after.

Don't get me wrong here. I'm not telling you to commit yourself to years of therapy for one panic attack.

However, let's be honest with eachother.

Panic Attacks don't happen without reason. Something triggered the attack. It could be stress at work. It could be stress in a relationship. It could be a General Anxiety Disorder. Whatever the cause is...don't ignore it.

Find a therapist or doctor you are comfortable with and begin exploring why your attack occurred. Don't be afraid of the answers you might find.

Life is far too precious to spend worrying and panicking. Take the time and make the effort to resolve your Panic Attacks. Don't put it off. Do it today.

You can start right now at http://www.Stop-Anxiety-Panic-Attack.com

The site has an amazing FREE video called Anxiety Free Tactics which shows you a multitude of anxiety and panic treatments including how to stop nighttime anxiety, overcoming social phobias, dealing with depression, acupressure points for stress and also a cool technique for thinking in a positive light no matter what.

Check it out right now here.

About the Author:

Jason Ellis has been helping people overcome their anxiety and panic for years. His expertise deals with controlling the symptoms of stress and anxiety by applying proven, natural treatments for panic that bring results in minutes. You can find all of Jason's natural treatments for anxiety exclusively at http://www.Stop-Anxiety-Panic-Attack.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How to Stop a Panic Attack in 5 Minutes

2009-05-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

"Be all you can be." Many people live up to this quote. They strive to do their best in everything they do. They give 100% at everything. However, some people want to be more than they can. They will change themselves (through self improvement) so they can become better than they are.

If you want to improve yourself you must first understand yourself. If you don't understand who you are how will you improve yourself? Well you can't, you must know who you are, what you want and what you don't want. In this article I will reveal 10 questions that will help you understand yourself and with this information it will be easy to improve yourself.

1. What do I really want? Well what do you really want? This can be for both the present and future. Do you want to start a family, exercise more or buy that car you've always wanted. Many of us have busy days which mean it is hard for us to think or do what we really want to. If this is you, take a bit of time for yourself to think about this. It helps you think of what you really want to do which is a small step towards improvement. 2. Should I really change? This is the most vital question to self improvement. Do you really NEED to change? If so what are you looking to change, maybe it's the fact that you are too shy or maybe you want to change your appearance and maybe even your personality. If you know what you want to change you can start improving it straight away.

3. What's the bright light in my life? At times life can seem like a dark tunnel and you feel like you will never see the light again. Don't think like that! You need to think positive. Of course life will have its downside but you have to think positive. Think of the fun things you have done with people, the places you have been and the new people you have met. These things are the light at the end of your tunnel.

4. Am I comfortable with what I'm doing? You are unique. There is no one like you and you have your fingerprints to prove that too (no one has the same fingerprints). Are you comfortable to changing into something you aren't, are you comfortable to change into someone who is less unique? Are you willing to be the same as others who too are trying to improve themselves.

5. Have I done enough for myself? Do you feel like you have done enough? Have you accomplished something special in your life? If not then go for it! Everyone has done something for themselves no matter how big or small. Make sure you do too.

Not everyone is perfect but there is no need to be either. Everyone is unique in their special way and to try and become perfect you are becoming less unique as a lot of people too are trying to become perfect. Ask yourself these 5 questions to get a better insight to yourself and that will help you know what you need to improve yourself.

About the Author
Need more self-improvement info? Then check out http://s3lfimprovement.blogspot.com for more articles to help improve yourself

2009-05-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

Is Perseverance innate or learned?

Author: Roseanna Leaton

What makes some people keep going when most others have become dejected, exhausted and disillusioned about their chances of ultimate success? What is going on in the inner workings of one's mind which makes them know that they should keep going when the far easier and the apparently more sensible option is to step back and retire gracefully with a crooked smile pasted upon your face?

Some would say you learn to be tough and dogged about things through example and experience; others believe that perseverance is a characteristic which we are all born with, although negative experience has the ability to beat it out of us. Looking at both of these views from the perspective of having a glass that is half full, as opposed to half empty, one can surmise that either way, perseverance CAN be learned; Because, even if an innate perseverance has been depleted for whatever reason, it is still somewhere deep inside, hidden and yet awaiting it's recovery and glorious re-emergence.

What makes a child keep on trying to stand up and walk? After all, each and every one of us must have fallen on to our bottoms a thousand times during this learning curve! Doesn't this tell us that we do have a natural talent to persevere? And what makes a child learn a language which has so many complexities and keep going until they have it mastered? You and I did have the grit to persevere when we were 1 and 2 and 3 years of age...it was there, be it innate or learned...and so we all have the potential to persevere at any age, throughout any circumstances, and achieve the success which we so desire.

And desire goes hand in hand with perseverance. As Abraham Lincoln said "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing". Your own desire or willingness to pursue your goal is a key factor here. A burning desire charges you with enthusiasm, and enables you to see opportunities which others may miss; it turns you into an optimist as opposed to a pessimist.

There are many well known visionaries who have succeeded despite major disadvantages. Beethoven was deaf; Thomas Edison had a learning problem, as did Albert Einstein, whilst Vincent Van Gogh was mentally ill. These people had vision, they could see, hear, touch and feel the success they sought, before they found the right path. They could imagine the end result in which they were in pursuit, and this was the fuel which stoked the fire of their enthusiasm and desire, which in turn fed their perseverance.

When one is running out of steam, or feels low on juice, they have in fact simply lost their vision. The key to perseverance is in hanging on to your vision, thereby training your brain for success. Everyone can learn to do this, and hypnosis is an invaluable asset, because it allows access to the inner workings of your mind. Hypnosis is a vehicle which transports you back to that stage of life when it was easier to learn new things, when your subconscious mind is open to suggestion. You can regain that perseverance you had when you were learning to walk, and to talk. You can learn to turn your vision into reality with the help of hypnosis downloads.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis downloads for motivation and success.

http://www.RoseannaLeaton.com

About the Author:

With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy, NLP and sports psychology, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading practitioners of self-improvement. You can get a free hypnosis download from http://www.RoseannaLeaton.com and peruse her extensive library of hypnosis downloads for motivation and success.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Is Perseverance innate or learned?

2009-05-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Conversational Hypnosis Techniques That Anyone Can Learn

Author: Con

Hypnosis is one of those things that people have been studying for over two hundred years and still don't really understand why it works. All we know is that it does. During the two hundred years that hypnosis has been under scrutiny several different hypnotic techniques have been developed but none are as impressive as conversational hypnosis.

Dr. Milton Erickson

The person who gets the most credit honing, if not creating all of the conversational hypnosis techniques that are currently being used today is Dr. Milton Erickson. What is even more remarkable about Dr. Erickson is that he was able to hone his conversational hypnosis techniques on his psychiatric patients during an era when it was illegal to combine hypnosis and medicine.

To learn more about Dr. Milton Erickson and conversational hypnosis techniques you should make time to visit this website LearnConversationalHypnosis.net

The website is designed to not only inform about conversational hypnosis techniques but to also teach you how to use conversational hypnosis in your own life.

When you will find that you have the truly amazing opportunity to purchase a conversational hypnosis course that is actually being taught by an internationally acclaimed master hypnosis, Igor Lebochowski.

Audio CD's

The first thing you will get when you purchase the course is twelve audiotapes. Each of these audio CD's equals one conversational hypnosis technique. For example the first CD will teach you conversational hypnosis techniques you will learn includes the three keys to conversational hypnosis, signs that the person you are trying to hypnotize has slipped into a trance, and a four stage hypnotic formula. With each CD you will learn additional conversational hypnosis techniques.

The Blueprints

In addition to the audio CD's you will also receive four small booklets that are designed to act like blue prints to simplify Mr. Lebochowski's conversational hypnosis techniques for the moments when you don't have time to listen to the CD's. These blueprints are small and can easily be slipped into a purse, book bag, or briefcase.

A Copy of the Transcripts

The other item that you will get when you order the conversational hypnotic course is a 629 page manuscript that is full of the transcripts from every single session. This means you can further strengthen your understanding of the conversational hypnosis techniques by reading the transcript while you are listening to the audio CD. The manuscript is also convenient when you want to quickly double checks some bit of information.

Live Support

The conversational hypnosis course is suppose to be easy to understand and is designed so that every person who purchase it will be able to successfully use conversational hypnosis to better their lives, but just in case you happen to get stuck with one of the conversational hypnosis techniques, you will be able to get live support offline when you purchase the hypnosis course. If for whatever reason you are not completely amazed with the conversational hypnosis course it comes with a sixty day, money back guarantee. For more details visit LearnConversationalHypnosis.net

About the Author:
For the best Conversational Hypnosis Techniques available online visit LearnConversationalHypnosis.net">http://learnconversationalhypnosis.net">LearnConversationalHypnosis.net

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Conversational Hypnosis Techniques That Anyone Can Learn

2009-04-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Control Panic Disorder and Anxiety Attacks

Author: Gerry Restrivera

Are you experiencing situations that you cannot control your emotions, you have irrational thoughts, extreme fear over something which sometimes didn’t exist at all and it seems you are disconnected with the world around you? You have sweating, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, dizziness, choking sensation and shaking. If you have all or some of these symptoms, you might be suffering from panic disorder and anxiety attacks.

This is a not an illness but it is more of a behavioral and psychological condition. Recurring episodes of panic disorder and anxiety attacks can be very devastating and without the proper treatment it will become chronic. It will seriously affect your job, your relationship with people and even simple daily activities like driving. If panic disorder and anxiety attacks become too much for you to handle and it interferes with your daily life, you need to seek professional help to control your disorder.

Here are some ways to conquer panic disorder and anxiety attacks.

Medication. Doctors can recommend or prescribe anti-anxiety or anti-depressants medicines to help you control panic attacks. While drugs can give you immediate relief, it is best not to be too dependent on drugs because you may suffer from different side effects with prolong use of drugs.

Meditation. This is a relaxation technique for the mind to keep you calm and focus your thoughts on positive things. Meditation practice will give you a feeling of physical, mental and spiritual rejuvenation which is helpful if you want to control panic disorder and anxiety attacks. Sit comfortably in a quiet room and close your eyes. Relax your muscles and breathe. Concentrate on your breathing and feel the beating of your heart. Let your mind wander on positive thoughts and come back to feel your breathing again. A constant meditation practice will help you manage your panic and anxiety disorder.

Exercise and diet. People who are healthy with stress-free lifestyle have positive outlook in life. Perspiration through exercises eliminates toxins from your body and proper breathing technique is helpful for your oxygen supply and blood circulation to keep you healthy and energetic. Proper diet is also important to get the nutrients and vitamins you need. There are diets with calming effects and known to control panic disorder and anxiety attacks like alkaline diet. It is a diet more on fruits and vegetables. Acid forming foods like dairy products and processed foods triggers high level of anxiety.

As mentioned above, if you cannot handle panic disorder and anxiety attacks on your own, seek professional help. Did you know that acute anxiety and panic attacks can be cured in easy to follow steps without any medication using a revolutionary new technique? To find out more visit Panic Away.

To know more health remedies visit Great Discovery-Health and Beauty.

About the Author:

Gerry Restrivera writes informative articles on various subjects including Control Panic Disorder and Anxiety Attacks. You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and included with every reproduction.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Control Panic Disorder and Anxiety Attacks

2009-03-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hematophobia - Overcome Your Blood Phobia with Hypnotherapy

Author: Peter James Field

An intense fear of blood is a phobia that we treat fairly regularly here in our UK hypno-psychotherapy practice.

Like all other phobias, blood phobia is essentially an anxiety disorder.

The person suffering from a phobia of blood may very well sense that it is illogical, but this does nothing to help him or her to deal with it.

The thought or the sight of blood automatically triggers an irrational fear that seems to overpower the individual, psychologically and even physically.

It can elicit a range of troubling symptoms such as sudden drop in blood pressure, feelings of fainting and dizziness, increased hearbeat, dry mouth and nausea.

Medically speaking, blood phobia has several different names and is spelled in a variety of different ways: hemophobia, haemophobia, hemaphobia and hematophobia being the most common.

The actual causes of this phobia usually lie in the individual's past.

At some period in the past, the subconscious has linked or paired the thought or the sight of blood with feelings of extreme anxiety.

Most often this has occurred in childhood or in the adolescent years, although less frequently it may have taken place later on in life.

This may have happened directly - as a result of a past experience in which blood was involved - a medical procedure, injection, blood transfusion, accident or the like.

It also may have happened in an indirect manner - through someone else's negative experience that was witnessed by the individual him or herself. Or it may have been modelled on someone else's fear and anxiety and so learned vicariously.

There is also the possibility that in some individuals there is a genetic component or predisposition to this phobia, since it can be prevalent in other members of the family.

In my own clinical experience and opinion, however, this can also be explained by the child's ability to model this fear on the reactions of parents and relevant others.

Whatever the cause, the fact is that this phobia can greatly affect and even jeopardise the person's health.

Often the blood phobic individual will go to great lengths to avoid any situation or procedure that may cause blood to flow.

Doctors, nurses, hospitals, injections and other essential medical procedures may all be avoided, even when there is a real need for them.

In certain instances, hemophobia is also linked with a phobia of needles (trypnophobia) and/or a fear of death (thanatophobia).

Any treatment for the fear of blood also needs to take this into account. This is why when treating this fear, you need to work with a practitioner who has experience with this particular phobia.

The good news is that help is available.

Working with a suitably qualified and experienced advanced transformational hypnotherapist, it is possible to look back and to uncover the origins and causes of his phobia.

Once this is accomplished, the false belief that has been 'programmed' into the subconscious mind that blood equals anxiety can be neutralized.

In its place we can help the individual to experience feelings of calm and relaxation when thinking about or experiencing any circumstance that involves blood.

If you or someone you care about suffers from the fear of blood, blood phobia, also know as hemaphobia, hematophobia, hemophobia and haemophobia, then there really is something you can do about it.

Consult with a fully trained professional advanced transformational hypnotherapist who has experience in dealing with this phobia and begin the process of freeing yourself now.

Through the modern techniques of advanced hypnosis and hypnotherapy you can live your life as you were born to live it - free from the upset and anxiety when it comes to blood.

About the Author:

Peter Field is a leading British hypno-psychotherapist with busy practices in London and Birmingham, England. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Health and Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. More of his absorbing articles, help with fears & phobias and other useful information may be found on his website: Peter Field Hypnotherapy Hypnotherapists UK

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/hematophobia-overcome-your-blood-phobia-with-hypnotherapy-823111.html

2009-03-05T11:30:00.001-08:00

Are You Too Irritable?

Author: Jennifer Baxt
Being moderately irritable every once in a while is one thing, but feeling irritable for extended periods of time is another. To be irritable means that someone may be feeling overly sensitive to some kind of stimulation through one or more of their senses, such as sight or sound. For example, someone who is highly irritable might find the tapping of a keyboard more irritating than usual. It could be a sign that the individual exhibiting or feeling the sensitivity and irritability could be overworked, exhausted, stressed or suffering from withdrawal when trying to stop an addiction. As mentioned before, many who suffer from some irritability may have a reasonable explanation for it and their feeling is only temporary; however, for those who don’t seem to have an explanation for their irritable mood that seems to continue for an extended period of time, help might not be a bad idea. When talking about a more serious case of irritation that never seems to come to an end, it could be caused by something else other than fatigue, too much work or lack of a vacation. It could be that the person is being affected by a stress they can’t get away from, such as something more psychological. This is not to say there is anything wrong with the individual, just that irritation may be a symptom of a more serious situation. For instance, someone who is suffering from a type of depression may start to exhibit signs of increased irritation. In fact, increased irritability is a common symptom of many forms of depression. In this case, the depression needs to be addressed. Someone who is feeling more irritable should stop for a moment and just ask themselves why they may be feeling this way. If it is a friend, then sitting them down for a moment over a coffee and bringing their change in mood to their attention can be helpful for them; in either case, it can be a change that the irritated person may not fully realize. The first step to helping one’s self or their friend is to get the person to admit there might be something wrong. The second step is to find the right kind of help. Ignoring or self-medicating the problem is not going to help. At most, it will only act as a temporary band-aid for a short while before becoming a part of the problem in the future. While many will admit there might be something, like depression, causing their irritable moods, the idea of going to a counselor or therapist in person is completely out of the question. Whatever the reason, whether it is discomfort or embarrassment, there is another alternative that many are more open to. Online counseling is becoming more popular every day. Not only is an online counselor easy to get a hold of, but a person can go through online therapy from the comfort of their own home. More are going online every day because it is easy, confidential and convenient. If you or anyone that you know would care for more information regarding this post, feel free to visit http://www.completecounselingsolutions.comAbout the Author:

Jennifer Baxt is the owner of CompleteCounselingSolutions.com which offers a variety of online counseling services. If you would like to know more about Jennifer or any of our online therapists, visit our website.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/are-you-too-irritable-803361.html

2009-03-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Author: Evan Langsted

A traumatic brain injury is caused by the brain moving within the skull and colliding with the wall of the skull. These injuries can be extremely severe and are often life-changing. If you have suffered from a traumatic brain injury, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, future medical bills, lost wages, future lost wages, or even pain and suffering. Symptoms of TBI Traumatic brain injuries are often very difficult to diagnose because their symptoms resemble those of many other, less serious, conditions. The severity of the effects of a traumatic brain injury depend on the location of the injury, the age of the person injured, and the general health of the individual injured. The symptoms of a traumatic brain injury may vary from moderate to severe, but can include: • Speech problems • Vision problems • Memory loss • Dizziness • Confusion • Mood swings • Lightheadedness • Seizures • Nerve damage • Headaches • Loss of consciousness • Loss of feeling or movement of extremities • Loss of cognitive ability • Change in personality The brain is the commander of our body. Every movement we make starts with a signal from our brain, and the brain also controls who we are, how we react to certain situations, our sensations, and our emotions. This is why traumatic brain injuries can have such a devastating effect both physically and mentally. Causes of TBI Some common causes of traumatic brain injuries include: • Penetration of the skull from a foreign object, such as a bullet • Automobile accidents • Slip & fall accidents • Motorcycle accidents • Tumors • Stroke • Lack of oxygen Traumatic brain injuries cannot be cured; however, the progression of the injury can be stopped. The symptoms of traumatic brain injuries can often go unnoticed for hours, or even days. This is why if you have been involved in any type of accident, and even if you do not feel like you have been injured, you should seek medical attention immediately.

About the Author:

If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, please visit the website of the experienced traumatic brain injury attorneys at Carr & Carr, Attorneys at Law, serving the Oklahoma City area, today.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-injury-articles/traumatic-brain-injuries-799625.html

2009-03-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

From Disappointment To Depression?

Author: Jennifer Baxt
It is not uncommon to hear people talk about some disappointments in their life. Most will have some disappointments, or regrets, in general, but there are others who feel the disappointment more in themselves than in their life. They feel they have not tried hard enough, did not get the job they should have or even the family or living situation they feel that they should have. All of these kinds of things can leave a person feeling disappointed in their lives. They may also begin to feel disappointment in themselves, especially in individuals who tend to be quite critical of themselves. It would seem that those who are more critical about themselves and tend to find more disappointment can also eventually become quite depressed. Any incentive to go on and live life normally is gone, and they begin to feel there is little point in doing anything at all. Life can seem a little dim at times, especially for those who feel they don’t have much in it worth working or living for. This can lead to deeper depression, which can then lead to further problems in life. A person who continues to fall further into this depression may feel less interested in activities they once found exciting, in spending time with friends or family they would normally spend a lot of time with, can find themselves becoming more fatigued and even lose the want to arrive at work every day. Depression can also bring on a change of mood or behavior that is out of the ordinary. Some will try to live with the depression, thinking they are not really that depressed, while others will attempt to self-medicate by alcohol and/or drugs. Regardless of how bad the depression seems or how in control a person may feel they have their depression, it is never good to go too long without proper help. Without admission that one might be depressed, or without going for help even with admission, the depression may only become worse. It is usual for most to feel uncomfortable about going to see a therapist or counselor in person. Fortunately, there are alternatives in order to help people to get the help they need without forcing themselves into an uncomfortable situation. Today, one of the most popular alternatives is the internet. There are many online counseling sites where a person can contact an online counselor to work on their depression. These sites are confidential and can easily be accessed from the computer at home. Online therapy can be a good start for anyone trying to change their attitude about life.
An online therapist will work to help someone see what they have been able to accomplish in life, and help to show the patient that their lives are worth putting some effort in to. There is little worse than waking up every morning and dreading the moment when one must get out of bed. Speaking with an online counselor can start one on the path to a more positive outlook on life. If you or anyone that you know would care for more information regarding this post, feel free to visit http://www.completecounselingsolutions.comAbout the Author:

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/from-disappointment-to-depression-799126.html

2009-02-19T14:40:00.000-08:00

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every timehe lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back ofthe fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over
the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.
He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive
those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy
didn't lose his temper at all.
He told his father about it and the father suggested that the
boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to
hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.
He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes
in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say
things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can
put a knife in a man and draw it out. But it won't matter how
many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A
verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Remember that friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They
make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an
ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open
their hearts to us.'

2009-02-18T06:43:00.000-08:00

Autistic Agression

Author: jANINE

Unfortunately one of the most common problems reported in autistic teenagers is aggression.

The aggression whether it is physical or verbal can be directed at anything or anyone, and quite often out of the blue.

It is very distressing as a parent or autistic educator to find coping strategies and support sometimes, autistic aggression although very common in autistic teenagers is still never the less difficult to understand sometimes and can leave you feeling almost helpless.

Autistic educators need to be aware of the affect on the adolescents also in the class and parents of cause need to be weary of how the aggression is affecting the entire family.

If the autistic aggression is severe the G.P. will prescribe medication such as Risperidone.

Report summary:

Maisie a 16 year old autistic

2009-02-09T12:44:00.001-08:00

'the Power of Positive Imaging'

Author: Natalie Pyles

Hope, Faith, and Truth are the keys to healing. When you have them you can image your own recovery and speed the healing process. When you don't have them you can't. Dr. Sanford Cohen, Chief of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, has made some studies that seem to indicate that hopelessness- that is, an image of no recovery- actually kills. For instance if the doctor diagnoses a fatal disease and tells the patient, and if the patient loses hope and gives up, death comes quickly.

There once was a women whose elderly father was hit by a taxi while crossing the street in Manhattan and died at the age of eighty-eight years old. When an autopsy was performed, the doctor was amazed at his discovery. "Your father had all sorts of lessions and ailments that should have caused his death twenty years ago,"he said to the women. "Then you say he was lively and energetic right up to the end. How do you account for that?" "I don't know" the women said," unless it was his habit of saying to me every single morning, "Today is going to be a terrific day." This daily imaging habit, it seems, paid off. How can we apply imagery to our health and fitness using this very purposeful tool? We have to work hard at changing our attitudes, habits, and thinking towards health and fitness. This is why cookie cutter approaches don't last in the long term. You must understand my friend change requires better habits and behaviors. I hope you can use this tip and apply it to your life. Have a healthy day!

Your Friend In Health & Fitness,

Natalie Pyles

About the Author:

Who I Am

Hello, my name is Natalie Pyles. I am a Local Fitness & Nutritional Expert. I have over 16 years of experience in both the Health and Fitness Industry. I'd like to share my Personal story of overcoming my battles with weight loss that began as an early adolescent. I struggled from the ages of 13-18, I realized that I had a severe problem and decided then and there to take action.

I Conquered Weight Loss

I hired a Personal Trainer and Licensed Nutritionist, like myself, and the rest is history. Basically, I learned at an early age, there is no quick fix... only hard work, perseverance, and committment to a healthier lifestyle will guarantee results. I quit looking for the magic solution and got educated.

How Can I Help You

I am now the owner of Fitness Elements & Associates. I want to help You realize your true Fitness Potential and levels of Optimal Health. I have committed my life to to helping others achieve the success that I have found through Fitness and Nutrition. If you have the desire and the will... together we can make your dreams a reality. You deserve to know the truth; what you are capable of and really can achieve.

I look forward to hearing your story, so in the years to come you can pay it forward. Call me today for your Free Fitness and Nutritional Consultation!

Sincerely Your Friend in Fitness,

Natalie Pyles

Owner, Fitness Elements & Associates LLC.

Phone: 1-800-681-9894 or Fax 623-399-4199

www.Myfitnesselements.com

FitnessElementsAssociates@yahoo.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/the-power-of-positive-imaging-762903.html

Are You an Optimist or a Pessimist?

2009-02-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

"I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else." - Winston Churchill

When you notice your thoughts, which kind of thoughts predominate? Do you find yourself often thinking pessimistic thoughts such as:

* I'll never get where I want to go. I'm a loser.
* I'm not smart enough to achieve what I want to achieve.
* God is there for others but not for me.
* I'm going to end up losing what I have.
* The world is very unsafe so I have to always be vigilant.
* Why reach out to others? No one really likes me.
* Why put forth effort? There is no point since I don't have the talent or ability to success.
* Some people just have good luck, but I don't.
* Things are going too well. I just know that something bad is going to happen.
* Life is too much for me to handle.
* I'm going to end up alone.
* Life for me will always be a disaster.
* There is no point in eating well or exercising - my genetics are against me.
* I'm not emotionally or physically healthy, and this is just the way it is. There is nothing I can do about it.
* I don't deserve to be happy.
* I don't deserve to be loved.

And so on...

Or, do you find yourself often thinking optimistic thoughts such as:

* If I work hard enough and stay focused, I will get where I want to go.
* My intelligence and abilities increase with learning.
* No one ever succeeds without a lot of effort, and I can put in as much effort as anyone who has ever succeeded.
* If I stay tuned into and trust my own inner knowing, I can feel safe.
* I am a good and kind person so of course people like me.
* It is not luck that causes people to succeed, but belief in themselves.
* When bad things happen, these are opportunities for learning and growth.
* Life's challenges present me with incredible learning opportunities.
* When I am ready for partnership, someone will show up.
* Regardless of how physically or emotionally unhealthy my parents were, I can make choices that result in physical and emotional health.
* Everyone deserves to be happy, including me.
* Everyone deserves to be loved, and everyone is loved by God.

YOU GET TO CHOOSE!

Do you realize that you have free will, which means that you get to choose how you want to think? You get to choose whether you want to be an optimist or a pessimist, and which one you choose determines your feelings and actions.

When you look at the pessimist list, can you see that thinking these kinds of thoughts create depression, procrastination, and continued failure? Can you see when you look at the optimist list how thinking these thoughts create motivation, loving action, and ultimate success in work and life?

YOU ARE NOT A VICTIM!

Instead of seeing yourself as a victim of circumstances, of your past, of your parents, of events or of luck, why not start to monitor your thoughts and consciously change them from negative to positive? You will likely discover that changing your thoughts changes your feelings and actions, as well as outcomes.

You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by experimenting with changing your thoughts!

How To Hypnotize Someone With One Five Minute Lesson

2009-01-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

Would you like to discover how to hypnotize people? Is hypnosis just make believe? Do you believe there is no way you could be hypnotized? Do you think it takes years of study and practice?

Here are some simple facts.

Hypnosis is nothing more than directly contacting the subconscious mind.

There is nothing unnatural about hypnosis, in fact you have been doing it all your life without knowing it.

There is nothing mystical or religious about hypnosis (however religions do utilize it).

Hypnosis is easy, safe and practical.

Following this easy exercise you will know how to hypnotize people, and debunk all the myths you may have thought about hypnosis. If you can set aside your misconceptions for a few minutes, I will show you what 95% of hypnosis is really about.

First find a guinea pig and have them be comfortably seated with both feet on the ground.

Start with a three very slow deep breaths. Have them close their eyes and relax.

Tell them they will not be hypnotized, this is just a relaxation exercise you learned. They will remain completely awake and aware through the entire exercise.

Next breathe in through the nose filling the lungs completely with air. Hold the breath for a few seconds and then slowly exhale through their mouths, relaxing their face head and neck as they exhale.

Breath in again deeply and slowly, this time while they exhale, have them relax their arms, chest and abdomen.

Have them relax from the waist down as they exhale slowly. Start with the hips moving down the legs to the bottoms of their feet.

Have your volunteer extend both arms in front of them.

Tell them on their right arm is a bag of groceries hanging. It's not very heavy, just enough to notice the weight of the bag.

On the other arm, have them imagine a bunch of helium balloons tied to their arm.

Now paint them a vivid picture of the bag of groceries. Describe the bag to them, what kind of cans are in the bag. What size they are, what color the bag is, etc.

Now paint the picture of the balloons. How many of them are there. What color they all are. What do some of them say on them, etc.

Next turn your attention back to the bag. Start adding cans to the bag. Have them notice the weight of the bag getting heavier and heavier as you add the peas, corn, then the green beans, constantly getting heavier and harder to hold up.

Now return to the balloons. Start adding balloons. The whole time making their arm lighter and lighter. They begin to struggle to keep their arm down as the balloons keep trying to lifting their arm.

Return from one arm to the other back and forth, making one arm lighter and the other arm heavier.

Within a short time of describing what is on each arm, you will notice their arms start moving. One will go up, and one will go down. They may move quite noticeable or only slightly.

Make your descriptions very vivid, describe everything in complete detail. Once one or both arms have moved, have your volunteer open their eyes and notice the location of their arms.

They will be astounded, and so should you. You just learned how to hypnotize people.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the Author: Learn how to hypnotize people today for free!

Visit my site, dedicated to furthering hypnosis for the average person. You really can learn how to hypnotize people.

http://www.learnhowtohypnotizepeople.com

Treating Anxiety Attacks – 5 Steps to Deal With Anxiety and Panic Attacks

2009-01-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

Treating Anxiety Attacks – 5 Steps to Deal With Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Author: Ricky Lim

Often associated with nervousness and fear, anxiety can become an illness where you can experience irrational feelings. Some of the symptoms of anxiety disorders include sweating, nausea, hot flushes and chest pains. But, these are quite common symptoms and are sometimes diagnosed wrongly or they are just overlooked.

There are a lot of types of anxiety, including post trauma anxiety, social anxiety disorder, panic anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety. If you think that you have anxiety disorder, you should look for the advice of a doctor.

Here are a few guidelines on how you can deal with anxiety in 5 steps. You should talk with a doctor and only use these tips as an add on.

Step 1: Relaxation Techniques

If you can learn how to relax you can fight the anxiety attack symptoms, like sweating, racing heartbeat, muscle tension and tremors. Learn techniques like muscle relaxation and meditation and use them to relax when an anxiety attack is coming.

Step 2: Exercise

You should always exercise if you want to remain healthy. If you’re healthy you can keep yourself at a good psychological level. Also, make sure you rest well and you keep the environment relaxed around you.

Step 3: Balanced Diet

A diet that is balanced can provide you with the nutrients that you need to be at your best. Don’t drink coffee and don’t use anything from the alcohol, cigarettes or drugs categories. That’s because they speed up your heartbeat and can provoke the anxiety disorder symptoms.

Step 4: Seek Emotional Support

You should learn to spot when you have problems and ask for the help from your friends and family when you need it. Tell them what happened and let them help you to recover from anxiety disorder. If you can, look for advice on how you can eliminate anxiety. Support groups can also be a good idea and can help you.

Step 5: Self Monitoring

After you find out what the causes are for your attacks, you should look for the triggers. Once you know this you can look for ways on how you can avoid them.

About the Author:

Joe Barry, a former panic attack sufferer has developed a natural panic and anxiety attack cure called Panic away. Read my Panic away review and learn about whether does Joe Barry Panic Away work.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/treating-anxiety-attacks-5-steps-to-deal-with-anxiety-and-panic-attacks-728113.html

How to Develop Neuronal Networks to Cure Eating Disorders

2009-01-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

A neuronal network is a group of connected neurons (brain cells) which are related to certain behaviours or certain functions in the body. The human brain has thousands of neuronal networks for different human behaviours or functions. An eating disorder takes an enormous amount of brain space because the disorder creates many neuronal networks, each related to certain eating disorder behaviour. For instance, people have certain neuronal networks for their binging-purging behaviour (bulimia), another one for starving (anorexia), others for taking laxatives or over exercising etc.

This is why when someone starts a particular destructive behaviour; it is extremely difficult to stop doing it because multiple new neuronal networks get built. These newly activated neuronal networks soon turn into a chain reaction within the brain. One neuron connects onto many others and they all start to shoot electric impulses which are spread to the connecting neurons and the reaction goes on, forming strong bonds that straighten with use: e.g. false emotions and feelings, like I am too fat.

These eating disorder's networks get activated when people put into action faulty behaviours and start abnormal action like binging, purging, starving etc. These actions are in relation to stressful bothersome thoughts about food and self image and can be brought on by being called fat by a friend or even jokingly by a family member.

There is only one way to cure an eating disorder and that is to stop activating these abnormal behavioural neuronal networks. Only by creating new networks and replacing the old ones with more flexible and healthier ones, can the destructive eating disorder behaviour be stopped.

How can this be done?
Well, it is all about changing people's response to the thoughts they have. When people have these bothersome destructive thoughts about starving or binging-purging and their thoughts tell them "Go binge-purge or starve". If they actually dismiss these thoughts by changing focus and doing something constructive: like going to a movie, doing a hobby, anything to take their thoughts away from the eating disorder impulse. They can start to build new neuronal pathways that are not subject to the faulty destructive eating disorder thinking.

Most eating disorder sufferers say that they are aware of the thoughts they have but just can't resist them because it is not easy to do, so they go for what their thoughts tell them to do as the easy way out.

But what will happen if they try to resist their bothersome thoughts? What will happen if they try to resist these thoughts for a while, at least for 2-3 weeks?

If a person decides not to accept her/his stressful thoughts or the false messages sent by the brain and start focusing on doing other constructive behaviours for at least 2-3 weeks, than the neuronal networks start to re-wire themselves forming new networks. The old ones responsible for the unwanted behaviour like starving, binging-purging, etc will begin to fade because they are not used any more. Eventually these old ones will be replaced with new healthy, flexible neuronal pathways.

It is what you do, not what you feel that is the key. Many people think that their thoughts and feelings are their reality, but they are not. It is how you respond to your thoughts and what you do that matters the most.

To conclude, if a person starts doing something else (some other behaviour) instead of responding to their faulty eating disorder thoughts and feelings, their brain will form new healthier more flexible pathways or neuronal networks.

Of course this is not easy to do as the destructive eating disorder thoughts are very strong and the willpower to overcome them by yourself is enormous and outside many people's ability to do by them self. But there ways you can it if you learn the methods.

About the Author:
Dr Irina Webster MD is the Director of Women Health Issues Program which covers different areas of Women Health. She is a recognised authority in the eating disorders area. She is an author of many books and a public speaker. To learn more about neuronal networks and eating disorders go to http://www.eatingdisorder-cure.com

Article Source:
http://www.freearticles.co.za/health/diseases-and-conditions/how-develop-neuronal-networks-cure-eating-disorders.html

Thought Power - Your Thoughts Create Your Reality - Html

2009-01-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

Thought Power - Your Thoughts Create Your Reality

Thought power is the key to creating your reality. Everything you perceive in the physical world has its origin in the invisible, inner world of your thoughts and beliefs. To become the master of your destiny, you must learn to control the nature of your dominant, habitual thoughts. By doing so you will be able to attract into your life anything you desire with exact precision as you come to know the Truth that your thoughts create your reality.

For Every Outside Effect There is an Inner Cause: Every effect you see in your outside or physical world has a very specific cause which has its origin in your inner or mental world. This is the essence of thought power. Put another way, the conditions and circumstances of your life are as a result of your thoughts and beliefs. James Allen said it best when he said "circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him". Every aspect of your life, from the state of your finances to the state of your health and your relationships, is accurately revealing your thoughts and your beliefs.

It's an Inside Job: Most people have it back to front, believing that they feel or think a certain way because of their circumstances, not knowing the truth that it is their thought power that is creating those very circumstances, whether wanted or unwanted. By internalizing and applying this Truth, that your thoughts create your reality, you will grant yourself the power to create the changes you desire to see manifest in your life. Reality creation is an inside job.

Your Thought Power is Limitless: There is a single, intelligent Consciousness that pervades the entire Universe - all powerful, all knowing, all creative and present everywhere at the same time - the Universal Mind. Your mind is part of this One Universal Mind and since your thoughts are a product of your mind, it follows that your thought power too is limitless. Once you truly understand that your mind is one with the Single Source of All Power and that this power is within you, you will have found the only true source of infinite power for which nothing is impossible and impossible is nothing. Know that thought power comes from within. All power comes from within.

Your Thoughts are Alive: The greatest mystics and teachers that have walked the Earth have told us that everything is energy. This fundamental Truth has now been undeniably confirmed by modern science. Your thoughts too are energy. William Walker Atkinson told us that "where mind is static energy, thought is dynamic energy - two phases of the same thing" and Charles Haanel went on to say that "thought power is the vibratory force formed by converting static mind into dynamic mind". Your thoughts are alive. Each time you entertain a specific thought, you emit a very specific, corresponding frequency or energy vibration.

What Frequency Are You On: The basic premise of the Law of Attraction is that like energy attracts like energy. You attract to yourself those things and circumstances that are in vibrational harmony with your dominant frequency, which is itself determined by your dominant mental attitude, habitual thoughts and beliefs. Mike Dooley, one of the presenters of the movie The Secret, fittingly suggests if you want to know what a thought looks like, just look around you. Keep in mind his three words "thoughts are things".

Not All Thoughts Are Created Equal: The attractive power of any particular thought is determined by how often you have that thought and by the strength of the feelings or emotions associated with it. The more energy you give to a particular thought, the greater its power to attract its corresponding circumstance into your physical world through the Law of Attraction. Your one-off, passing thoughts do not have the same creative power as your habitual thoughts and beliefs. Remember, that it is of little use to entertain positive thoughts for just a short burst of time each day if you then proceed to think negative or unwanted thoughts for the rest of the day. Your reality is the sum total of all your thoughts.

Use Thought Power to Change Your Life: It is your subconscious mind that is the store house of your deep-seated beliefs and programmes. To change your circumstances and attract to yourself that which you desire, you must learn to programme and re-programme your subconscious mind. Since your mind is one with the all-powerful Universal Mind, the potential power of your subconscious mind is also limitless. The most effective and practical way to programme your subconscious mind for success in all areas of your life is to learn the simple process of creative visualization. It is the technique underlying reality creation, making use of thought power to consciously imagine, create and attract that which you desire. Your imagination is the engine of your thoughts. It converts your thought power into mental images.

Become Aware of Your Thoughts But Not Obsessed: It is important that you learn to be aware of your habitual thoughts and to appropriately adjust them so as to maintain an overall positive mental attitude. However, be careful not to become obsessed with every thought that enters your mind as this would be equally counter-productive, if not more so, than not being aware of them at all. Remember that to obsess over your negative, unwanted thoughts, is to give them power and as the saying goes, what you resist persists. So instead of resisting any of your negative thoughts, simply learn to effortlessly cancel them by replacing them as they arise.

Instantly Replace Unwanted Thoughts: To instantly neutralize the power of a negative thought, calmly and deliberately replace it with its opposite, positive equivalent. For instance if you think to yourself "I'm not good enough, I will never succeed", mentally replace the thought with "I am good enough and success comes to me easily". You can also use the "cancel cancel" technique made famous by the Silva Method. Each time you catch yourself thinking an unwanted thought, mentally tell yourself and the Universe "cancel cancel" and immediately follow it up with a positive statement.

Tame Your Dominant Thoughts and the Random Will Follow: It is estimated that the average person has between 12,000 and 70,000 thoughts a day. This is evidence enough to suggest that your goal should not be to control every thought. It is your dominant thoughts and beliefs that you must learn to bring under your conscious control as they are what largely determine your mental attitude. As you do, you will find your random thoughts themselves becoming more positive and more deliberate.

The following words of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha perfectly capture the essence of thought power: "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."

In a nutshell, your life is the perfect mirror of your thoughts, beliefs and dominant mental attitude. Whether you realise it or not you are already creating your reality through your thought power. Every effect you see in your outside world has its original cause within you - no exceptions. To gain access to the greatest creative power at your disposal, you must learn to control the nature of your habitual thoughts and to align yourself with the One Source of All Power of which you are a part. Your thoughts create your reality - know, internalize and apply this Truth and you will see your life transform in miraculous ways.

--
Tania Kotsos is the founder and author of Mind Your Reality - Your Ultimate Guide to Using Mind Power to Create Your Reality. She has been studying mind power and the nature of reality for the last 15 years.

Go to www.mind-your-reality.com to visit Mind Your Reality and learn all about mind power, reality creation, the universal laws, success secrets, relationship advice and much more - all for FREE.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

14 Key Self Improvement Skills

2008-12-29T11:30:00.000-08:00

It can be helpful to take a high level perspective on self improvement, looking broadly at all the important skills. This can help identify areas you may be weak in, and serve as a mental checklist to help you focus. While this is not an exhaustive list of elements important to personal development, these are some of the most important.

1. Continuous Learning: Take responsibility for your own lifelong personal development, knowing that it's the secret to success in all areas of life, and your most valuable asset. Your knowledge and experience is personal wealth you can never lose.

2. Positivity: Find the positive aspect in everything, accepting what cannot be changed, and acting on what can, towards a positive result. Don't let circumstances drive your state of being, let your state of being drive your results. Smile and use humor to help drive a positive attitude and share it with others.

3. Personal Excellence: Strive to do your best in everything you do. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well. Not only to achieve superior results, but so that if you fail you can remain positive rather than wishing you had tried harder. Look to be creative in your personal excellence rather than follow the safest, lowest risk path.

4. Honesty: Maintain honesty and integrity in all that you do. Trust and respect by others is hard earned, yet can be permanently lost over the smallest lie. Decide that honesty is one of your core values, and stick to it at all costs.

5. Know Yourself: You are a unique individual with your own strengths and weaknesses, all others have these also. The difference with a successful person is they have learned to leverage their strengths, and to identify their weaknesses so they can improve those areas through learning and practice. Accept yourself as you are without comparison to others, if you look you will find much about yourself to be proud of and thankful for.

6. Appreciate the Moment: Seek happiness in the present moment, even in the simple things around you such as nature, a good conversation, or a good meal. Excessive contemplation on the past or future steals this appreciation from you. Some techniques to support this is getting out in nature, and meditation.

7. Communicate Well: Learning to communicate well with others is an essential skill, which includes speaking, writing, listening well, and body language. Nearly everyone can still find areas to grow with these skills, and should receive constant attention. Becoming a good listener is one of the top areas of improvement you should seek, become truly interested in other people and it will work wonders.

8. Embrace Mistakes: Mistakes are a prerequisite to personal development; you must choose either courage and success, or safety and being average. Mistakes are a learning opportunity so long as you are not repeating your mistakes, if you have learned from a failure then pat yourself on the back. Carry this to other's mistakes also, forgive them with this understanding in mind.

9. Embrace Change: Change is a constant part of life, and integral to personal development and success. Become excited about change, and look to it with a positive attitude. Be a leader by being the initiator of positive change. If you fear change, then you fear personal development, as self improvement is about changing yourself.

10. Increase Your Value: Know that personal development is not a selfish activity; rather it increases your value to others, ranging from relationships, business, and career. Too many people focus on changing others, which rarely works as well as changing yourself. Make a difference externally by changing yourself internally.

11. Be Giving: Seek to be giving, compassionate, loving, yet humble, knowing you receive what you give out. This is a secret to finding happiness in life.

12. Balance: Seek balance in all areas of life, considering family, relationships, career, business, health, leisure, and spirituality.

13. Gratitude: Be thankful for the gift and opportunity of life. If you have a spiritual belief, pursue the core tenets of the teachings and make them part of who you are.

14. Find Your Excitement: Find things in life that excite you, and act on them. Embracing things which excite and motivate you will move you more quickly into success and happiness, and attract the things you need to get there. This attitude will support and integrate with all the above tenets.

Anger Management Techniques

2008-12-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

Anger is one of the most common and destructive emotions and it afflicts our mind almost every day. We need to empower ourselves with anger management techniques so as to solve our problem of anger. Anger management techniques are easy to apply especially when anger gets over us and our physical wellbeing. It is important to know anger management techniques to help us cope with situations everyday.

What is anger? Anger is a natural human emotion and it is an adaptive nature which empowers us to "ward off" any attacks or threats to our well being.

However, it sometimes can cause us to focus on the bad qualities of an animate or inanimate object, make it unattractive and increase our desires to perform negative actions on it. But the truth is, anger is not a problem but the mismanagement of anger. Mismanaged anger and rage cause us to face conflicts and difficulties in our personal and professional relationships. Thus, we must know anger management techniques in order to cope better with it.

Anger management techniques are simple to apply but we must first recognize the anger within our mind and acknowledge that it is harmful to both our selves and others. The idea of being tolerant and patient is central in anger management techniques because it is when we lose our tolerance and patience that we begin to feel angry.

In addition, anger management techniques are really just practical methods that can be applied in our daily lives to help us reduce our anger and finally to prevent it from arising at all. They can help us because excessive anger can cause health problems, family issues, drug or alcohol abuse, financial despair, extreme fear or stress, and spiritual void. Domestic abuse, road rage, workplace violence, divorce, and addiction are just a few examples of what happens when anger is mismanaged.

To get started with applying anger management techniques, you need to admit that your anger is out-of-control is essential to tackling the problem of anger. This requires honesty, courage, and tremendous inner strength. And also requires help from others.

When in a situation that needs you to apply anger management techniques, be consciously determined to be calm and communicate and express slowly what you are feeling. Look at the positive side and try to look at the situation from another point of view. Try to relax at the same time and just think about something good to distract yourself from the overwhelming feeling of anger. In addition, you can regulate your breathing to become slow and relaxed to allow you to think and react better in the situation.

Remember that anger management techniques help you to control your anger to the best of your physical well being, social functioning and relationships! Uncontrolled anger only results in added troubles to your life and controlling your anger is a choice you can make! It is no disgrace to admit we have a problem and seek outside help.

How to Overcome Anxiety

2008-12-19T07:12:00.000-08:00

Anxiety is simply a feeling of worry; nervousness or an intense apprehension of real or imagined danger. Or it could be a strong wish to do something, especially if the wish is unhealthy strong, like being anxious to do the right thing, in other words, there is lack of confidence in self.
Why do you have this feeling of anxiety? Anxiety is a symptom of the presence of doubt, and when there is doubt, fear grips in. When fear grips in, anxiety comes in. All these; doubt, fear, and anxiety are manifestations of a negative mental attitude, attracting more negative things to happen. The more intense the anxiety, the more the thing that you feared of, will likely to happen. Why? Because of the Law of Attraction; the more you think and feel about it, the more you will get it.

So the best thing to overcome anxiety is to overcome your negative mental attitude. Have you noticed that when there is something that you do not like to happen, will more likely to happen? An example of this is when you were in school, when the teacher calls randomly for somebody to present in front of the class; you do not want to present because you are not prepared, or you are not confident to present; what do you feel? You feel anxious, anxious that you might be called. And the more anxious you become, the more likely that you will be called. And if you were very anxious, then definitely, you were called. In the Law of Attraction, the process starts with having a thought of what you want, then this thought transform into desire to have what you want. Desire is an emotion, powerful enough to lead you to action until you get what you what. Anxiety is already an emotion, a powerful feeling that will lead you to your dominant negative thought-that something you feared of.

How then do you overcome your negative mental attitude? To overcome a negative mental attitude is to have a positive mental attitude. You can not overcome a negative mental attitude with a negative mental attitude. Let me give you an example: As I browsed the Google keyword, I noticed that a lot of people searched the Google about anxiety, about 4 million searches in one month, compared to happiness at about a million in a month. Both of these group of people who searched for anxiety and happiness, are more likely to be suffering from anxiety or depression. If you are happy, why would you search for happiness on the internet, anyway? The difference between these groups of people is their approach, or how they managed their anxiety. 4 million tried to manage their anxiety by learning more about anxiety. What do get, they end up feeding their thoughts more about anxiety, stories of people with anxiety, and so on. They end up attracting more negative forces to them and become more anxious. On the other hand, those people who tried to battle their anxiety by cultivating their thoughts with happy thoughts; happy moments; stories about happiness; and surrounding themselves with happy people; are more likely to succeed in overcoming their anxiety.

Anxiety is a mental state of mind where negative thoughts are dominant, creating doubts and fears. To overcome anxiety is to gain mastery over your thoughts; to change your mental attitude to a positive mentality. And one of the best ways to have a positive mental attitude is to nourish your mind with happy thoughts, happy moments, and associate yourself with happy people.

Can Money Buy You Happiness?

2008-12-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

Who needs money in his everyday life? We encounter the need for money almost everywhere, from shopping to eating at stalls and even to the basic needs. We feel contented if these needs are satisfiably met, however, if not, this can cause worry which leads to unhappy lifestyle. It is somehow true what our parents used to teach us that money can't buy happiness because it cannot be literally bought. Of course it cannot. Nevertheless, everyday we are being bought with money from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep. If you don't have such resources, how then can you survive and will you be happy with it?

Morally speaking, money can't buy happiness because of the implications towards us that our happiness should not depend on material things. But reality check, it is true that money can buy happiness and psychological studies has proven the theory.

A poll survey conducted by Adweek tackled affirmations from different age brackets in the society that tells us that money is equated to happiness. The older one gets the greater is his linkage of happiness with money due to the burden of mortgages, college funds and midlife responsibilities.

Although it depends on your own the definition of money and happiness. Imagine that you wake up to go to school and ask your Mom to give you allowance, then she says "No!". Does it make you happy to hear that from her? On a larger scale, why do people go to lottery stalls to take their chances of winning? The hope to alleviate their lives, if they are happy with their present situation then why should they go to the lottery to take their chances? All of us are working to provide for our needs and it is frustrating to think that you wake up in the morning with no food in the table.

There is no need for a study to know that wealthy people can afford more merry-makings because their money allows them to afford such activities.

Rich people are happier according to study than that of low income family. It is the satisfaction on life that makes the difference. If you were to compare their outlook in life. Rich people tend to be ambitious, optimistic and goal oriented while poor people are struggling to inconsistent depression and self pity. This are indications which happiness requires positive behaviour and rich people seem to posses some of it, according toUniversity of Michigan's health and retirement study.

A study conducted by David G. Blanchflow and Andrew Oswald analyzde the impact of social flow and economic status of American today showing a decline from 34% to 30% of unhappy individuals who took the survey. The study is to prove the thoery if in anyhow the happines weighed in with money. Significantly understood thatmoeny is not about the cash but the assets and liabilities one has. Who cannot be happier if you have a large house to live in, a full stomach and once in a while to enjoy outdoor recreation. You cannot possibly obtain these simple pleasures if your money earned is just consumed by your food and for paying your utilities..

We are living in a day to day basis for survival and we are affected materially so as to say that money indeed has that influence in this material world. Almost what you have from your head to toe requires a minimum amount of money, from toddler to college years and considering a degree takes most of your investment. If you graduate in college, you are much more equipped in life. You began to have confidence way beyond than those who were not able to finish any degree. For this, we must take account of the importance of money in fulfilling that dream that somehow has brought your life changes and makes it a lot happier.

Medically speaking, doctors have observations that rich people tend to have better health than low income families, this means that rich people live healthier lifestyles. What money can offer is convenience. The fact is, there is a relative influence with regards to how we react when monetary flow in our lives tend to increase or decrease.

With regards to marriage break ups and statistics, the inability to compensate the need to raise a family is one of primary reasons that might influences the smooth flow of relationships. Broken marriages leads to unhappy life and for what reason? Simple, money does matter.

Article Source: http://www.ArticlesandAuthors.com - THE Premier Site for Articles AND Authors

About this Article Author:

Daegan Smith is the leader of the fastest growing team of successful home business enterpernuers on the net. Find out how we're creating financial freedom all across the globe and how to get in on the action FREE at www.comlev.net
View their website at: netmlmprofit.com

How To Handle Criticism

2008-11-28T11:25:00.000-08:00

How To Handle Criticism

Do you find it ugly to fail? Think about it!

Sooner or later, we all encounter criticism in some form. The trick is not to avoid criticism, but to use it to your advantage.

Each week, I meet lots of people trying to get ahead in life, in one way or another. They have tried it all, such as setting objectives, creating an action plan and have invested 100 percent. Yet they fail. Why is that?

I have noticed that many of us, are governed entirely by the fear of criticism. I am talking not only about the criticism from managers, buyers and suppliers, but the criticism that we carry with us every day, throughout our lives.

Where does all this criticism from? Ninety percent of all the criticism is created by ourselves, and when the environment reacts to what we radiate, we receive scathing criticism back. The more afraid we are of being criticized, the more likely it is that we will get criticism in some form.

Often there are two ways to behave when you have this self-critical approach. One is by never doing anything with your life and be invisible in all situations, while the second is to actually be visible and go forward, regardless of the criticism. Whichever method you use, the truth comes out, and you will get scathing criticism, whether you are passive or active.

The solution lies not on the outside, but rather to dissolve all the fear that many go around carrying with them. Where does this fear come from? Our entire society is built on it that it is ugly to fail, and if you do it that once, you are written off forever as being an unworthy.

But if you look at the individuals who really have managed externally, as Henry Ford with the car, and with Edison and the light bulb, they have failed more times than they succeeded. Yet they went down in history as real winners.

Since childhood we have learned that it is ugly to fail. Our parents have learned from their parents to do it right the first time. But have you seen a small child learn to walk all at once, or one who has learned to talk in a day? According to today's standards, they would then be classified as failures to start businesses, become executives or even to be employed.

The key is to learn that it is ok to fail. Companies and individuals agree to hire people who have big plans, and who dares to succeed and fail. Without the power, we would still live in caves and no company would exist.

How do we then, deal with the scathing self-criticism that puts an end to so many people's success and dreams?

Here are four tips to being successful with criticism:

1. Find out what kind of criticism that you are afraid to get from others
2. Find out if you also criticize yourself, year in and year out
3. Learn to ignore the criticism that does not help you to grow (about 99 percent of all criticism)
4. Consider the criticism is justified and convert it into opportunities for you (about 1 percent of all criticism)

Keep in mind that the biggest critic is yourself, and it is only you who can change yourself and develop yourself so that you become a winner to handle criticism.

Good Luck!

Hans Thorn, Success Coach

http://www.personalcoachingonline.com

Bipolar Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, And Causes

2008-11-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

Symptoms of Bipolar disorder have been found in a greater percentage of women across America. Survey suggests that the count of women getting diagnosed with the disorder increases every year. The signs and symptoms can vary from mild to severe. There may even time when a person does seem to be normal. So Let s take a look at this psychiatric disease.

Signs of Bipolar Disorder

Characterized by mood disorder, bipolar disorder is identified as shift in the mood, energy and functioning ability of a woman. You can further distinguish it by a woman experiencing several cycles of manic episode. Their episodes involve abnormally elevated frame of mind along with depressive symptoms or episodes. But, what actually causes these episodes?

Causes (or Triggers) behind Bipolar Disorder

Causes behind bipolar disorder in women have always puzzled scientists. Some researches have unearthed theories. However, no one yet has pinpointed the true trigger (external factors) of this malady. Let us have an understanding of some of these triggers, which have been uncovered by scientists through their researches on the disorder:

Makeup of a woman’s brain: Researches have indicated that difference in the makeup of a woman’s brain might be one of the causes for bipolar disorder. Two imperative regions of her brain can contain more of those cells, which send signals to every other part of the brain. Theory suggests that these cells can lead to an over stimulation of their organ. This correlates with what we recognize as a bipolar disorder symptom.

Role of Genetics: One of the researches also revealed that Genetics can play a role in causing bipolar disorder. Surveys amongst families of women with this disorder, have been done for supporting this theory. Studies showed that parents, brothers, sisters or children, who have the disorder, are usually apt for a certain type of mood disorder. In case of identical twins, there is 80 chance of both having the disorder, if one is already carrying it.

Stressful Environment: Some scientists even feel that stress filled life might also be a major factor behind precipitating bipolar disorder. Life is full of stressful events. However, different women have distinct reasons to get stressed. What one woman can find stressful, others might thrive upon them. Scientists believe that stress can initiate bipolar disorder in women, who never faced illness before.

Everyone feels that once bipolar disorder starts, it continues to flourish and gets nurtured through several physical & psychological means.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder’s symptoms or warning signs include:

1 Excessive crying

2 Feeling sad, empty or helpless

3 Fatigued or energy loss

4 Losing interest in things you loved to enjoy

5 Change in appetite or weight

6 Mental or physical sluggishness

7 Finding it difficult to concentrate

8 Sleeping too little or too much

9 Having thoughts of committing suicide

10 Feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness

11 Extreme levels of irritability

12 Aggressive behavior

13 Poor judgment

If you can sense the bipolar disorder symptoms within you or someone you know, it is the right time for consulting a physician and getting an accurate mental health diagnosis.

Author Resource: http://www.womenscenter.com/ Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women's Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women. http://www.womenscenter.com/

Article From: Article Asylum

2008-11-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

ADHD in Adults: Coping With Social Gatherings

By: A Nutt

While ADHD is commonly recognized in children, most people expect adults to be able to hide the fact that they have a problem. Social gatherings and meetings can cause a lot of anxiety in someone who suffers from ADHD and this can even cause them to avoid social situations. It doesn t have to be this way, though. There are coping strategies to make even the most important meeting go well.

Concerns

Most ADHD adults have difficulty staying focused on conversations for any length of time, so it s not hard to imagine how trying it is to understand an entire meeting or speech. Unfortunately, those moments when the mind wanders are often the most important ones and this can cause problems later on when the facts are needed.

A social function, be it a picnic or a company party, can be emotionally and mentally exhausting if you are struggling to pay attention and to avoid blurting out something inappropriate. What should be fun turns into something more like work and requires a lot of energy just to make it through a couple of hours. This is the reason that many ADHD adults avoid social gatherings and prefer to spend their downtime away from other people.

Fortunately, there are ways to stay more focused during these social outings, making them less stressful and easier to deal with.

Strategies for Social Situations

• Keep it simple. Whenever possible, keep the social situation as stress free as possible. Choose to go to a movie or show instead of hosting or attending a party, which can be very distracting.

• Take notes. While this is not something you ll want to do in front of people, it can be handy to keep a notebook on hand to jot notes on people throughout the event or meeting. This can be invaluable when you need to contact someone again or talk to your boss about the meeting.

• Listen more than you talk. Even if your attention tends to wander, it s a lot easier to be in a social situation where you don t really need to say anything. Most people are more than thrilled to talk about themselves, so all you need to do is ask a question now and then and you ll be rewarded with plenty of talking.

• Find a way to be interested. Think about how you can use the information gleaned in the meeting for future projects. Many ADHD adults find that when they are interested in something, they really can focus on information input quite well. All you need to do is find the method of promoting interest in yourself.

• Opt for enjoyable outings. Rather than force yourself to go to a dozen corporate Christmas parties over the holidays, why not look for something you enjoy more, like a concert? Attend only the social gatherings that you absolutely must and the rest should be ones that you enjoy and feel comfortable with.

• Take someone along. Having a spouse or good friend with you allows you to break away from time to time when you simply can t stick to a conversation. Also, having someone who understands you can be a big help when you are feeling uncomfortable and lets you join someone who will understand if you are in need of a break.

ADHD in adults can cause some serious problems in social situations if you don t have a plan. Know what you can do to stay focused and to avoid embarrassing situations before you go in. This, coupled with support from a loved one, can help make all the difference in how you approach these gatherings.

Author Resource:-> ADD ADHD doctor provides solutions for situations that can prevent you from doing your best at work, school or in relationships. For treatment and recommendations of ADD and ADHD, consider Dr.Svec Institute of Psychological Services. http://www.drsvec.com

Article From Free Article Publishing

HOW TO TAME TOXIC EMOTIONS

2008-11-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

As spring and summer arrive, we dust out shelves, clear out clutter and spruce up our homes. With all this attention to our surroundings, it’s little surprise that we barely take time to do some decluttering on the inside. You know, sweep away those negative emotions that throw us for a loop. Too often we’re busy with the practicalities of the day to analyze the abstractions.

But unresolved negative emotions can result in poor health, broken relationships and unfulfilled dreams. Here, we show you how to cleanse five toxic emotions and get back to feeling centered.

Anger
What’s the score? “Anger has different faces, frustration, self pity,” says Dr. James Miklos of the New Hope Counselling Centre in Ontario. “It can be slow simmering thoughts on the back burner.” Other factors that may trigger temper tantrums include having unreasonable expectations, feeling you can’t control what’s happening in your life, or wounded pride. Everyone feels emotions such as anger at some point. However, emotions become toxic when you can’t let them go; they’re as much a part of you as your hairstyle or stride.

The fallout: It’s no coincidence feelings are often explained physiologically — “My blood was boiling,” or “I was about to explode.” Emotions spring from thoughts in the brain, which trigger bodily responses — explaining how posture, tone of voice and facial expression can reveal our emotions — it's the mind-body connection at work. “With anger, for instance, you’re actually wearing your body down, because you’re pumping adrenaline through it,” says Miklos, “It creates undue stress on your body; you’re in a hyper-alert mode, constantly tense.”

And constant tension can lead to a slew of health problems, from back pain, to change in appetite, extreme fatigue, anxiety and ulcers. Anger also narrows your perspective, which makes you impossible to reason with. Not exactly a fun ride for the people in your life. Beyond desiring to dodge any direct hits, people simply won’t want to get stuck under that cloud of fury that surrounds you.

What to do? A good first step to take is to remove yourself from the situation, if possible. If your friend always nitpicks about your home and it’s driving you up your newly faux-finished walls, invite her over less — go for walks in the park together or dine at her place instead.

If you can’t escape a particular situation that’s increasing your ire, like your job or a nightmare neighbor, get moving. “Physical exercise is good because you’re cleansing your body,” says Miklos. “Endorphins and dopamine [produced during exercise] make you feel better so you can handle challenges better.” Meditation and prayer can also help you cope. Miklos states that people who pray daily and meditate claim they feel calmer, more confident and relaxed.

Of course, few emotions are resolved overnight. So if anger has been your companion for a while, you may want to speak to a professional. According to Miklos, emotions are tied to core beliefs, which are early life experiences that influence how we respond. Therapy can help resolve core beliefs, opening up new ways of resolving toxic emotions and reactions.

Envy
What’s the score? Everyone comments on your sister-in-law’s beauty and her meticulous home. Everyone, but you. Deep inside you feel that other people’s achievements or gifts are personal slights against you. “Envy involves resenting the goods…talents…that other people possess,” writes Daniel Goleman in Healing Emotions: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Mindfulness, Emotions and Health. The seed of envy is a sense of not measuring up, of not being “as worthy.” It’s also inextricably tied to competitiveness.

The fallout: Short, intermittent envy is pretty ordinary, not good, but ordinary. Your colleague gets a coveted project you wanted, or your brother is having his third child and you and your partner are still trying…these are likely to stir your green-eyed monster for a brief period. But if your envy causes you to badmouth your colleague or constantly deride your brother’s parenting, well you’ve got a few issues. Envy is also an emptying emotion — even if you were to acquire what you envied in someone else, you’d likely start feeling envious about something else. It’s a bottomless pit.

What to do: It won’t be easy, but try to befriend the person you resent. According to Rabbi Nilton Bonder, author of The Kabbalah of Envy, “all envy springs from a ‘short-circuit’ of love.” Let your colleague know she can count on you if she needs help with the project. Or, try learning from the person you envy, if what she has is really important to you. If you want that showcase home, ask your sister-in-law her secret. Also, stop looking outside for validation. Instead, pinpoint five or six things that make you unique and start appreciating them.

Fear
What’s the score? We all feel fear in myriad situations, from the time we’re born, to perhaps our last breath. It’s a primary emotion — often a first reaction to some stimuli like a snake or the dark. And it can also be a good thing, for instance as a flight mechanism from a fire or attacker. But fear’s also a secondary emotion — a learned reaction. For instance, if you’ve faced heartbreak before, thoughts of being hurt or disappointed may give you cold feet when it comes to committing to someone else. In this case, fear’s tied to a core belief.

The fallout: In its less harmful form fear can disappear as quickly as it appeared. But the chronic variety can create anxiety, social paralysis (like not wanting to take chances or try something new), or lead to anger or hatred. As Miklos sums it up: “Fear makes you totally counterproductive.”

What to do: Fear is talking to you all the time. A key to drowning it out may lie in simply talking back. “Positive self talk is a part of cognitive behavioural therapy,” says Miklos. “It builds up immunity against fear, making you able to talk yourself out of it. When we think something and speak it, our minds shift and our bodies respond.” Positive self talk also helps build courage. As Mark Twain once said: “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.”

Hatred
What’s the score? When you hate someone you’re basically saying you have such a strong aversion to this person, you’d gladly welcome some horrible fate to meet them. You’ve likely taken a quality about that person as an affront to your own values, or maybe they bring to the surface some of your own insecurities. So you avoid them, you gossip about them and try to help others into hating them too. Hatred is tied to both fear and anger.

The fallout: You’re likely doing more harm to yourself than to the object of your hatred. “Anytime we hate somebody, we have obsessive thinking about them. We’re allowing that person or the image of that person to control our lives. Sometimes to the point where some people can’t work,” says Miklos. According to him, in its passive form, fear may cause you to ignore or avoid the person you hate. But, the aggressive kind can lead to physically harming the person. Hatred also carries with it physical side effects, such as cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, ulcers and headaches.

What to do: The first step is to pay attention to how much time you’re spending thinking about the other person, Miklos suggests. If thoughts are becoming obsessive, you need to get a little perspective. Forgiveness may help. “Fred Luskin wrote in Forgive for Good that it’s not about forgetting what the other person did, but rather, it’s a gift you give yourself,” says Miklos. If you’re harboring thoughts of doing some ill deed, however, you may want to speak to a counsellor to get to the root of your feelings.

Guilt
What’s the score? After your son reminded you for weeks of the date and time for his next soccer game, you still don’t make it. He’s upset and you’re welling up with guilt. It’s the sense that you’re responsible for something bad happening, for letting others down, or that to some degree, you’re to blame for someone else’s problem. Guilt is tied to our cultural values of right and wrong and can be a moral compass. If you’re a perfectionist or have low self esteem, you’re probably more prone to experiencing it.

The fallout: Brief guilt over a specific act isn’t toxic. But recurring, or long-lasting guilt can eat you up inside. It can lead to depression, anxiety, a sense of worthlessness, leading to negative internal dialogue like “I’m a bad mother for missing Matt’s soccer game.” A specific act suddenly becomes a blanket indictment of you as a parent, daughter, colleague, or friend.

What to do: Try to forgive yourself and focus on the things you do well. Really accept that sometimes you will make mistakes, and that you can’t be all things to everyone. Also, you’ll need to learn how to lovingly set some boundaries, which will take time, and may mean facing resentment from several people in your life. It’s a slow process, so navigate it with patience. If an underlying cause is to blame — like low self-esteem or perfectionism — a therapist can, through various methods of therapy, help you to resolve those issues.

The Power of Concentration By Remez Sasson

2008-11-18T06:19:00.000-08:00

When I was a child, I saw how a magnifying glass could burn a piece of paper, when the rays of the sun were focused through it. The fire could start only when the sun's rays were concentrated to a small point. When the magnifying glass was moved too far away or too close to the paper, the rays were not focused enough and nothing happened. This experience describes vividly the power of concentration.

This power can be described as focused attention. It is the ability to direct the attention to one single thought or subject, to the exclusion of everything else.

When our mind is focused, our energies are not dissipated on irrelevant activities or thoughts. This is why developing concentration is essential to anyone who aspires to take charge of his or her life. This skill is essential for every kind of success. Without it, our efforts get scattered, but with it, we can accomplish great things.

Concentration has many uses and benefits. It assists in studying and understanding faster, improves the memory, and helps in focusing on any task, job, activity or goal, and achieving it more easily and efficiently. It is also required for developing psychic powers, and is a powerful tool for the efficient use of creative visualization.

When this ability is developed, the mind obeys us more readily and does not engage in futile, negative thoughts or worries. We gain mental mastery and we experience true peace of mind.

This ability also plays an important role in meditataion. Without it, the mind just jumps restlessly from one thought to another, not allowing us to meditate properly.

Do you now realize, why it is very important and worthwhile to develop and improve the ability to concentrate?

To develop this power you need to train and exercise it. Forget all your excuses about not having the time or being too busy. Do not say that the circumstances are not appropriate or that you cannot find a quiet place to exercise. With a little planning, desire and motivation you can always find the time to exercise each day, no matter how busy you are.

The Restless Mind
Thoughts claim our attention incessantly, and waste our time and energy on unimportant and useless matters. They actually rule our life. We have become so used to this slavery, that we take it for granted, and have become unconscious of this habit, except on certain occasions.

While breathing, we do not need to pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation. We become conscious of the process of breathing, only when we have some difficulty with breathing, such as when our nose is clogged, due to a cold, or when we are in an unventilated room.

It is the same with thinking. We become conscious of the constant onslaught of our thoughts, and of our inability to calm them down, only when we need to concentrate, solve a problem or study. We are also acutely aware of them when we have worries or fears.

Look at the following familiar situation. You need to study something for your job or for an exam. You sit comfortably on the sofa with the book in your hands and start reading. After a while you feel hungry and go to the kitchen to eat something.

You return to read, and then hear you people talking outside. You listen to them for several moments and then bring your attention back to the book.

After a while you feel restless and switch on the radio to listen to some music. You continue to read for a little while, and then remember something that happened yesterday, and you start thinking about it.

When you look at your watch, you are amazed to find out that one complete hour has passed and you have hardly read anything.

This is what happens when one lacks concentration. Imagine what you could have accomplished, if you could control your attention and focus your mind!

Work that requires physical strength, such as carrying heavy loads for example, develops physical strength. Yet, it is not as exercising daily to the gym in a systematic manner. It is the same with concentration. Reading, studying and trying to pay attention to what we do, develop some of this ability, but practicing exercises diligently each day is something else, it is like training in a gym.

Inner resistance to developing concentration

In order to develop this ability we have to train our minds. Most people think that concentration is a strenuous and tiring activity, and that it involves exertion and tension, which are difficult and unpleasant.

This belief starts at an early age. Parents and teachers expect children to study, do their homework and get good grades. This brings up in the children a feeling of being coerced and forced to do something they don't like doing. When they are too often told that they are not concentrating good enough, they develop a loathing for concentration, and often for studying too. These become associated with coercion, lack of freedom, doing something they do not like to do, and which is against their will. When they grow up, it is no wonder that their powers of concentration are weak, and they have no desire to strain their minds.

Though most people acknowledge the fact that good concentration is a great asset, yet most of them do nothing to strengthen it, mostly because they don't know how. Reading and thinking about its benefits, and about the reasons why it should be cultivated, can help to change the attitude toward it.

Concentration can be fun if approached in the right way. It should be practiced with joy, fun, optimism, and understanding of its great possibilities. It has to be approached in a positive manner and then success dawns.

The benefits of developing concentration

Sometimes you can find strong powers of concentration in yourself. When you really and earnestly want to excel in your studies, pass an important exam or solve a problem, this power becomes available to you. In such cases, it appears because of some need or desire, but developing it in a systematic way brings it under your control, and grants you the ability to use it intentionally, whenever you need it. To do so, you need to practice special exercises on a daily basis.

Here is what you can gain by developing this power:
-Control of your thoughts.
-The ability to focus your mind.
-Peace of mind.
-Freedom from futile and annoying thoughts.
-The ability to choose your thoughts.
-Better memory.
-Self-confidence.
-Inner strength.
-Will power.
-Decisiveness.
-The ability to study and comprehend more quickly.
-Inner happiness.
-Enhanced capability to develop psychic abilities.
-More powerful and efficient use of creative visualization.
-Enhanced ability to meditate.
-And much more...

Seems too good to be true? Develop the power of concentration and find out for yourself!

So what about starting to develop concentration power today?

In part two of this article you will find advice and exercises for developing and strengthening this ability.

The Power of Negative Thinking

2008-11-17T05:32:00.000-08:00

Negative thinking appears to be more prevalent than positive thinking. It seems that with most people positive thinking requires some effort, whereas negative thinking comes easily and uninvited. This has much to do with education and the environment one has been living in.

If you have been brought up in a happy and positive atmosphere, where people value success and self-improvement, then it will be easier for you to think positively and expect success. If you have been brought up under poor or difficult situations, you will probably go on expecting difficulties and failure.

We all view everything through our predominant mental attitude. If our thoughts are positive, that is fine, but if they are negative, our lives and circumstances will probably mirror these thoughts.

If you believe that you are going to fail, you will unconsciously sabotage every opportunity to succeed. If you are afraid of meeting new people or having close relationships, you will do everything to avoid people and relationships, and then complain that you are lonely and nobody loves you.

Do you often think about difficulties, failure and disasters? Do you keep thinking about the negative news you have seen on the TV or read in the newspapers?

Do you see yourself stuck and unable to improve your life or your health? Do you frequently think that you do not deserve happiness or money, or that it is too difficult to get them? If you do, then you will close your mind, see no opportunities, and behave and react in such ways, as to repel people and opportunities.

The mind does not usually judge or examine thoughts and opinions before accepting them. If what it hears, sees and reads is always negative, it accepts this as the standard way of thinking and behavior.

The media constantly bombards the mind with a lot of information about disasters, catastrophes, wars and other unhappy events. This information sinks into the subconscious mind, and then manifests as your habitual manner of thinking. By occupying the mind with depressing and pessimistic thoughts you radiate negative energy into the surrounding world, thus creating and recreating more negativity, failures and disasters.

The mind is neutral energy. The way you think determines whether the results are positive and beneficial or negative and harmful. It is the same of energy acting in different ways.

The good news are that persistent inner work can change habits of thinking. You must be willing to put energy and time to pursue positive thinking, in order to change your mental attitude.

A few Tips:

- Each time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, reject the thought, and think a positive one instead.

- If you catch yourself visualizing failure, visualize success instead.

- If you hear yourself uttering negative words, change to positive words instead.

- When you say, "I cannot", say, "I can".

- Do you repeat negative words and phrases in your mind? Change them to positive ones.

- Open your mind to positive attitude and expect positive results.

- Decide that from today, from this very moment, you are leaving negative thinking behind, and starting on the way toward positive thinking and behavior.

It is never too late to change your attitude and your life.

Remez Sasson teaches and writes on positive thinking, creative visualization, motivation, self-improvement, peace of mind, spiritual growth and meditation. He is the author of several books, among which are "Peace of mind in Daily Life", "Will Power and Self Discipline", "Visualize and Achieve" and "Affirmations - Words of Power".
Visit his website and find articles and books filled with inspiration, motivation and practical advice and guidance.Website: http://www.SuccessConsciousness.comBooks: http://www.successconsciousness.com/ebooks_and_books.htm

Reclaim Your Assertive Birthright

2008-11-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

The idea that some of us are born more confident than others is false. We are all born confident. That means you can re-capture your true birthright, which is to be the naturally assertive person you really are.
As little children, we are all supremely assertive. Up until the age of about 3, we display all the characteristics of confident human beings:

· we are able to express our needs freely

· we trust others unconditionally

· we are innocently allowed to be ourselves

· we are wide-eyed and endlessly curious about our world

· we have fun, laughter and play

· we are instinctively creative

· we can express our feelings out loud whether joy or sadness

· we live totally in the present

· we have a huge potential for growth.

The trouble is, things don't last. Around the age of 3, when our thinking brain kicks in, we start to learn that the world isn't how we thought it was at all. As a result of what our parents, siblings, and teachers tell us, we learn that freedom must be restricted, play activity has no longer any value unless it is useful, others are no longer sources of interest and enjoyment but strangers to be treated with suspicion, and needs that were expressed and promptly met now have to take their place in the queue.

In short, out goes unconditional love and in comes blame and fear.

Our response is to protect ourselves against the world and we do that with 3 kinds of programmes:

1. The Blame Programme. The Blame Programme teaches us that when things don't go the way they should, someone or something must be to blame. This creates two versions of the programming.

1. We look outward at someone or something to blame. We set ourselves up in the role of Persecutor. Because nobody seems to come up to the mark, we take it upon ourselves to be critic, judge and condemner.

2. We look inward and blame ourselves. It is our fault when things go wrong. We set ourselves up in the role of Victim. As victims we hope that others will recognise our unhappiness and come to rescue us.

In one simple programming, we thus create aggressive and passive responses that can last a whole lifetime.

2. The False Self Programme. When we lose our true self that belongs to babyhood, we create a new programme based upon the now-hostile world.

Some of the beliefs of the False Self programme are...
1. forgiveness is weakness

2. you change others by criticising them

3. your anger shows you're right and others are wrong

4. revenge helps you to establish justice

5. it is weakness to ever let yourself be vulnerable

6. judging others proves what a good character you are

7. you protect yourself by attacking people and/or withdrawing love in order to control them through fear, guilt and shame

8. manipulating and deceiving others can help you to become successful.

3. The False Life Script Programme. The false life-script programme is the third programme we learn and it satisfies our early life needs for some kind of identity. This programme tells us who we are, what we are good at or bad at, how well we conform, how well we relate to others and how the rest of our lives should be led.

Unfortunately, the programme is false because it is written by others, not by us. Consequently, the programme gives us...

* other people's labels for us, such as Naughty Nigel, Earnest Eric, Solemn Sue

* their roles for us to perform, such as dutiful housewife, dynamic executive, happy handyman

* the life script of being either a victim of life or a persecutor in life.

Only when we realise the falseness of the life-script programme can we break free of it.

As a result of our early experiences of dealing with the world, most of us lose our natural assertiveness. We come to believe that it is normal to respond to the world in either aggressive or non-assertive modes, with all the miserable consequences that these behaviours produce. But our assertiveness hasn't gone away. It is still there and it is our birthright. If you want to re-claim it, just read again what you were like as a little child, and be assertive:
· we are able to express our needs freely

· we trust others unconditionally

· we are innocently allowed to be ourselves

· we are wide-eyed and endlessly curious about our world

· we have fun, laughter and play

· we are instinctively creative

· we can express our feelings out loud whether joy or sadness

· we live totally in the present

· we have a huge potential for growth.

Is your Personality making you Sick?

2008-10-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

If you’re Impulsive…Check out that Stomach AcheYou might expect impulsive people to be at risk from accidents but, in fact, their biggest health danger is stomach ulcers. Researchers at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health studied more than 4 000 people and found that those who had an impulsive personality were 2,4 times more at risk of developing peptic ulcers.These are triggered by high acidity in the digestive system - and it's thought that impulsive people tend to respond to stress with higher-than-normal rates of acid production. A contributing factor could be that, according to research conducted by the University of Wales, impulsiveness is associated with poorer control over eating habits.If you’re Cheerful…Wipe that Smile off your FaceOne of the most surprising findings is that cheerful people are more likely to die young. 'Children who were rated by their parents and teachers as more cheerful and as having a sense of humor died earlier in adulthood than those who were less cheerful,' say researchers at the University of California in the US. 'Contrary to expectation, cheerfulness and sense of humor were inversely related to longevity.' One theory is that cheerful people underestimate life's dangers and may also be more likely to have difficulty coping when things don't turn out as anticipated.

If you’re Anxious…Here’s (even) More to Worry aboutPeople with anxiety disorders are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. People with anxiety disorders are three times more likely to be treated for high blood pressure - possibly as a result of stress hormones, a study at Northern Arizona University in the US has found. And those with phobic anxieties, such as a fear of heights, have been found to be at higher risk of heart disease and high cholesterol as well as of high blood pressure. Although behavioral differences - such as a greater tendency among anxious people to smoke - go some way to explaining this, they do not explain it all. A study at the University of Antwerp in Belgium found that within 10 years of heart treatment, 27% of anxious types were dead, compared with 7% of others.

If you’re Aggressive…You Tend to be Long-Wounded Hostile personality types are prone to serious heart problems - and their wounds take longer to heal. People who suffer from atherosclerosis - furred-up arteries - are likely to have hostile personalities, according to a study of about 2 000 people carried out in Scotland. And a US study has shown that aggressive people are at greater risk of chronic inflammation throughout the body, which can lead to the build-up of fatty deposits in the lining of arteries, causing heart disease. One theory is that hostile people are often agitated, which raises blood pressure and heart rate, resulting in wear and tear on the cardiovascular system. Angry people also take longer to heal. Researchers at Ohio State University in the US created small wounds on the arms of healthy people and found that, after four days, only 30% of the angry patients' wounds had healed, compared with 70% of placid patients'.

If you’re Shy…You Need more Tissues than Most
Socially inhibited people are more likely than extroverted people to catch colds. Shy people are more vulnerable to viral infections, suggests research done by the University of California. In animal studies, scientists found that gregarious types had more active protective lymph nodes than shy types. (Lymph nodes are part of the body's immune system and help to destroy infectious germs, such as the common cold virus, and bacteria).

If you’re Optimistic…you have every Reason to Expect the BestPeople who always look on the bright side of things live longer, happier, healthier lives. Optimists live, on average, 7,5 years longer than those who take a gloomy view, according to research at the University of California.The risk of dying early from any disease is 55% lower for optimists, researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands found. One possible explanation, say researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the US, is that optimism helps boost the immune system.
Another view is that optimism may increase the will to live. And the fact that optimists are more sociable is also thought to play a role - sociability generally lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

If you’re Reserved…Try Uncorking some of what’s Bottled UpInternalizing all your feelings can put your health under pressure. Taciturn people - sometimes known as distressed or Type-D personalities - often suffer from a high degree of emotional suffering but consciously suppress their feelings, and as a result may be at higher risk of cancer and heart disease. Once Type-Ds develop coronary-artery disease, they are at greater risk of dying, according to a study by Harvard University in the US. The researchers suggest that these people have poorly regulated stress hormones, which puts pressure on their cardiovascular systems.If you’re Conscientious…You Know the right thing to doThis is the personality trait most closely associated with a long and healthy life. Conscientiousness has a significant effect on longevity and on steadying blood-pressure and cholesterol levels, suggests research by Nottingham University in the UK. A University of California study suggests this is because conscientious people are more likely to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors, and are less likely to be reckless.

If you’re Neurotic…Take a Deep BreathAll the stressing, obsessing and second-guessing isn't doing your health any favors. Being a neurotic type is associated with asthma, headaches, stomach ulcers and heart disease, according to a University of California study. It suggests that, because neurotic people often employ ineffective coping strategies - with lots of self-blame and hostility, rather than seeking help and support - they become even more stressed. This leads to a less effective immune system and greater susceptibility to disease.
If you’re Extroverted…Be Careful What you Eat
Like optimists, extroverts are generally healthy - except that they have a tendency to get fat. Extroverts are less likely to get heart disease, according to a study by Milan University in Italy. Researchers found that they were 15% less likely than other people to get any kind of disease, and were more likely to recover quickly if they did.

Extroverts were also found to be less susceptible to infections. One theory is that they have more effective coping strategies and, consequently, fewer stress hormones in their bodies. They may also be more likely to seek medical help when symptoms appear.

The downside to being an extrovert, researchers at Yamagata University School of Medicine in Japan have found, is that an outgoing person is more likely than introspective people to be overweight.

One possible explanation is that extroverts tend to be more sociable and therefore attend more social occasions involving food.

If you’re Pessimistic…You are Probably RightThose who always expect the worst will find that, when it comes to their health, they're right. Pessimists have a 19% higher risk of dying early compared with optimists. Researchers in the US have also found that people who have high levels of pessimism and anxiety have an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life.'What we have shown for the first time is that there's a link between an anxious or pessimistic personality and the future development of Parkinson's disease,' says neurologist Dr James Bower from the Mayo Clinic in the US. 'What we didn't find is the explanation for that link.'Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu

The Magic Of High Self Esteem

2008-10-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

The term, Self Esteem, is tossed around in everyday conversation but most people do not know the exact meaning of it. Most people think that self esteem is the other name for self confidence. Of course, self confidence is included in the definition of self esteem but self esteem covers much more than self confidence. True magic happens once you understand self esteem and learn how to have higher self esteem than you now have.

You may be surprised to know that there are millions of people that are at the height of their self confidence but have very poor self esteem. In fact, most of the human race fall into this category. The most common examples are movie actors, comedians, and singers who excel when performing and who are extremely insecure out of the public eye.

So what is self esteem, exactly? Self esteem is what we think and say about ourselves to ourselves.

If you trash talk yourself, you have to stop. You wouldn't verbally beat up a friend, so don't do it to yourself either. Take out a sheet of paper and make a list of all the bad things you think and say about yourself. Now make another list of positive things you could say instead. Whenever you catch yourself thinking or saying something negative, immediately stop and counter it with something positive. This will take some practice, but you will eventually be able to stop all the trash talk and think and feel much better about yourself.

Did you know that self esteem and health are inextricably linked? By keeping healthy, you will feel motivated to identify and achieve your life goals, which leads to higher self esteem. In turn, having high self esteem means that you value yourself enough to want to look after your health!

In adolescents, even the most confident of adolescents can grow up to experience low self esteem and to feel unworthy. Adult life can be tough and it can sometimes feel like "survival of the fittest" so adolescents act out as a defense mechanism to cover low self esteem.

One of the easiest steps to improve self esteem is to push yourself to do "difficult" things.

This breeds a sense of pride.

Pride in yourself and your accomplishments will give you a higher opinion of yourself (the esteem you have for yourself). By using your willpower to actually do some of these things, your self esteem will grow and along with it your perception of your own abilities. This in turn will create a momentum in your life where success breeds more success.

Never compare yourself with others. Every single person on the Earth has one attribute or another that you do not have. You have attributes that they do not have.

Comparisons are the easiest way to start feeling inferior and losing most of your self esteem. Instead, think about yourself in terms of your achievements. This will help you build or rebuild your self-confidence and it will make you feel better when dealing with your peer group at the same time. The result is self esteem magic in action.

The greater your self confidence, the greater your self esteem.

Focus on your achievements. If you take the time to think about it, you will realize that you have achieved many things in your life. It doesn't matter what these achievements are. It only matters that they have been recognized by at least one other person. We all have such achievements. List them and remember what it meant to you to have them recognized by someone else.

It doesn't matter what you think about your overall life at present. If you are honest with yourself you will make a long list of positive things you have done and that list will make you feel better about yourself. Every small thing you are proud of should be added to your list. The fact that you are focusing on positives will also help you to increase your level of self esteem.

One of the most important things you should be aware of is the erroneous belief that you need to be different from how you are in order to be loved. This idea causes a great deal of misery. Unless you are happy within, you'll never be truly satisfied with what you do. Liking yourself unconditionally is the key to happiness. Yes, you need to like yourself as you are and grow from there.

With improved self-esteem, your relationships with others will improve as well.

You don't have to be perfect because even the most loved person in the world make’s mistakes! You don't even have to do your best. You don't have to prove anything. You're all right because you're all right, and lovable exactly as you are.

I'm in your corner cheering you on!
Author Info:

Jim DeSantis is a retired TV News Anchor and News Director who created "Self Esteem Magic", a guaranteed step-by-step approach to start raising your Self Esteem in one weekend. Change your life starting this weekend - here - http://www.jdanswers.com/SelfEsteemMagic .

2008-10-27T07:51:00.001-07:00

Changing Seasons Bring Changing Moods

By: Shaun Parker

Winter is coming up and this is the time when people get a closer look at the interior of their homes and begin to think that they are looking a little worn and dreary. Those long summer evenings spent in pub gardens or out at barbeques are a fading memory and the nights are about to draw in to the point of being dark on the way home from work.

This is all very nice if you can cosy up in front of a fire in a warm, comfortable room but it is at this point that you begin to look around and become just a bit dissatisfied with your decor. However, just at the time when you are wanting to close windows early, do you really want a room full of paint fumes? At the end of a work day, do you really want to come home to reams of wallpaper draped over the furniture and that coldness that means you have no choice but to finish what you started weeks ago before you can settle down for the evening?

Well, there is an alternative. You can quickly spruce up your home with the use of little touches that make it look different, that bring fresh touches and that invoke lasting memories that warm you from the inside. So, how to do this.

Well, humans base a great deal on the visual. Anything that pertains to what we see provokes thoughts, feelings, discussions and memories. To this end, one of my favourite ways of changing the mood in a room is to install a digital photo frame. We can bring technology to such useful ideas these days that no home should be without one.

Simply hook your digital photo frame up to your pc with a wireless connection or USB cable and line up your favourite photos and pictures that you want to display in your room. Injecting flashes of colour this way will mean a regularly changing feel to your view. You can set the digital photo frame to a changing display format or one simple picture. You can even plug in a memory card to avoid the need of trailing wires.

Is this really all it takes to change the atmosphere in a room? Well, it can be, it really depends on your flair and the sorts of things that you like to see. Not everyone likes to have the TV as a focal point in a room and it could be a bit to early to make the fire that focal point. However, a room does need some interest other than that box in the corner.

Imagine if you had a fairly blank wall, or possibly a coffee table top, that was looking a little blank. You could set up your digital photo frame, choose a selection of pictures that could range from favourite family portraits to holiday snaps to party pictures or even scenery or landscape pictures from the internet. Anything that makes you feel good when you look at it, or mentally takes you somewhere else when you need it, is going to mean you have the right choice of pictures displayed.

You can soon alter the feel of a room with added extras eg. throws, cushions, candles - all are inexpensive ways of adding colour and vibrancy to a room and if they were colour co-ordinated with your chosen display of pictures this would bring the whole scheme together.

Author Resource:-> Shaun Parker is a leading interior design expert with many years of experience in the decorating industry. Find out more about digital photo frames at http://www.pixelar.co.uk

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2008-10-25T15:31:00.001-07:00

Breathe Into Wholeness: Meditation Using Wind Chimes

By: Rachel Betzen

Pure and finely tuned sound is a powerful tool when combined with different meditative stress-relieving techniques to ease physical and emotional pressures on the mind and body. We often discover that when troubled with a particularly difficult problem, clearing the mind allows not only for the body to release where we hold this worry, but also frees us to new possibilities and solutions.

For those who are suffering from physical pains, utilizing relaxing and stress reducing techniques can soften our responses and break up larger areas of discomfort, helping us better take care of our ourselves. Simply allowing time to slow our bodies down and clear our minds, helps us all better handle what comes our way in life.

The use of hand tuned quality windchimes helps to focus awareness and makes practicing these strategies much easier, as the melodies intertwine and are pleasing to the ear. As you engage in meditation with windchimes use their gentle ringing as a reminder of your intentions, allowing deeper and further release into your practice.

The Meditation Techniques

Thoughts blown away...

Many times in a meditation practice we may have difficulty clearing away the mind and releasing our thoughts. This meditation technique is an excellent way to begin with the intentions of letting go of our thoughts, opening us to a deeper relaxation and meditative practice.

This technique can be practiced indoors with your windchime nearby, or outdoors on a light breezy day. When inside place a fan across the room to play the wind chimes, it may also be helpful to use a fan that oscillates and will thus play the windchimes at regular intervals.

Sitting comfortably, align your body so that the spine is straight, but you feel relaxed through the shoulders and back. Breathe slowly and deeply, relaxing across the forehead and above the bridge of the nose.

As you feel the breeze and hear the ring of the windchimes, imagine that same breeze gently blowing away your thoughts. With each toll of the chime, allow the winds to further dislodge thoughts, worries and stresses from your mind. Let go of your thoughts as if you were opening a fisted hand and allowing them to drift away on the soft winds.

As you slowly end this technique and welcome back your thoughts, take a moment to give thanks for the simple blessings that come forward with gentle meditative practice.

Soaring on winds....

This meditation technique is best practiced where you can sit comfortably and feel fully supported. The use of an oscillating fan indoors is recommended. Find a seated position where you feel supported with the spine straight and shoulders resting comfortably. Breathe fully and deeply. As the breezes bring forward the sound from the wind-chimes, quiet both mind and body.

With the gentle toll of the windchimes, feel your thoughts blown away as you first practiced with the above technique. Allow each part of the body to soften, beginning at the crown of the head. Focus your awareness across the head and remain in that area for a few moments.

Notice the shifts that take place as your body relaxes here. Breathe deeply, and on the exhale allow your awareness to drift downward to your neck as you observe the calming changes there. Lengthen the breath. Next in your chest. Then move to the arms, and slowly throughout the rest of the body.

As this process of relaxing takes place, visualize your body becoming lighter, the contours becoming softer. With each chime that sounds, deepen the breath. Picture the body slowly filling with pure light, beginning at the top of the head and moving through your entire body.

Deepen each breath further, slowing to only four of five breaths per minute. As thoughts or concerns return prematurely, let the music of each chime be a gentle reminder for the winds to lift them away from mind and body.

You feel a deep relaxation that extends throughout your entire body. Continue with this practice until your awareness has moved through the entire body, and your whole being has softened with pure light and sound. Visualize your body as pure and healthy, floating in space, more deeply releasing with each arising tone. Allow your awareness to float freely within the body for a few more moments.

As you complete this exercise and again turn attention to your thoughts, allow your heart to fill with gratitude for the peace of mind that comes with the gift of deep relaxation.

Easing the discomfort....

This final meditation technique similarly can be practiced indoors with your windchime, or outside when there is a light breeze. An oscillating fan is particularly helpful for this technique as it is easier to begin with chimes at regularly spaced intervals. At times we all experience discomfort or pain within the body, which may be worsened by the confines of everyday stresses. Those who have pain in the body on a regular basis may also practice working with those sensations through this technique.

Begin by finding a comfortable position, either seated or lying down with the body as supported as possible. Slowly relax each part of the body moving downwards from your head to your feet, deepening the breath. Do not hold your breath, but rather visualize it's movement as ocean waves continuously in slow motion.

Feel the rise and fall of the breath moving through your belly and chest. As your body becomes more relaxed, specific areas of discomfort may become more noticeable. Choosing one area at a time to work with helps us to break down large areas of pain into smaller pieces that are easier to manage.

Listen for the next toll of the wind chime. Then, place your consciousness in an area where there is discomfort, no matter whether great or small. Focus your awareness in this area and relax, breathing into the discomfort. Open your heart to the sensations that you are feeling in that area at that moment. With each sound of the tuned wind-chime, further pinpoint your awareness, while also relaxing, breathing, and opening to that specific area.

You may feel a change, an increase in intensity or a softening of the pain. Or you may feel no change at all. Stay with the feeling that arises for a few moments, opening and releasing to that area, and then allow your intention to shift to another area of discomfort and again practice the deepening and opening of the heart to this place in your body.

Use the sound of the windchimes to lengthen the breath, and as a reminder to open the heart and relax into each specific area. Continue moving through the areas of discomfort in the body with the tuned wind chimes as a guide for practice.

As you complete this meditation technique pause to give a moment of thanks for the guidance you are giving your body in managing discomfort.

Author Resource:-> Rachel Betzen operates the on-line wind chimes store and is committed to social and environmental business practices. Rachel is grateful for the change of pace that comes from managing chronic illness, along with it's challenges and many blessings. She enjoys gardening and the practice of writing in nature.

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Meditate to Reduce Stress and Improve Mental Abilities

2008-10-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

Meditation is a group of mental training techniques .You can use meditation to improve mental health and capacities, and also to help improve the physical health. Some of these techniques are very simple, so you can learn them from a book or an article; others require guidance by a qualified meditation teacher.

WHAT IS MEDITATION?
Most techniques called meditation include these components:
You sit or lie in a relaxed position.
You breathe regularly. You breathe in deep enough to get enough oxygen. When you breathe out, you relax your muscles so that your lungs are well emptied, but without straining.
You stop thinking about everyday problems and matters.
You concentrate your thoughts upon some sound, some word you repeat, some image, some abstract concept or some feeling. Your whole attention should be pointed at the object you have chosen to concentrate upon.
If some foreign thoughts creep in, you just stop this foreign thought, and go back to the object of meditation.
The different meditation techniques differ according to the degree of concentration, and how foreign thoughts are handled. By some techniques, the objective is to concentrate so intensely that no foreign thoughts occur at all.
In other techniques, the concentration is more relaxed so that foreign thoughts easily pop up. When these foreign thoughts are discovered, one stops these and goes back to the pure meditation in a relaxed manner. Thoughts coming up, will often be about things you have forgotten or suppressed, and allow you to rediscover hidden memory material. This rediscovery will have a psychotherapeutic effect.

EFFECTS OF MEDITATION
Meditation has the following effects:
Meditation will give you rest and recreation.
You learn to relax.
You learn to concentrate better on problem solving.
Meditation often has a good effect upon the blood pressure.
Meditation has beneficial effects upon inner body processes, like circulation, respiration and digestion.
Regular meditation will have a psychotherapeutically effect.
Regular meditation will facilitate the immune system.
Meditation is usually pleasant.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYPNOSIS AND MEDITATION
Hypnosis may have some of the same relaxing and psychotherapeutic effects as meditation. However, when you meditate you are in control yourself; by hypnosis you let some other person or some mechanical device control you. Also hypnosis will not have a training effect upon the ability to concentrate.

SIMPLE TECHNIQUE OF MEDITATION
Here is a simple form of meditation. By this meditation technique, you should concentrate in an easy manner. This will allow foreign thoughts to pop up. These are handled one by one as they appear. You proceed as follows:
Sit in a good chair in a comfortable position.
Relax all your muscles as well as you can.
Stop thinking about anything, or at least try not to think about anything.
Breath out, relaxing all the muscles in your breathing apparatus.
Repeat the following in 10 - 20 minutes. Breath in so deep that you feel you get enough oxygen. Breath out, relaxing your chest and diaphragm completely. Every time you breathe out, think the word 'one' or another simple word inside yourself. You should think the word in a prolonged manner, and so that you hear it inside you, but you should try to avoid using your mouth or voice.
If foreign thoughts come in, just stop these thoughts in a relaxed manner, and keep on concentrating upon the breathing and the word you repeat.

As you proceed through this meditation, you should feel steadily more relaxed in your mind and body, feel that you breathe steadily more effectively, and that the blood circulation throughout your body gets more efficient. You may also feel an increasing mental pleasure throughout the meditation.

EFFECTS OF MEDITATION ON DISEASES
As any kind of training, meditation may be exaggerated so that you get tired and worn out. Therefore you should not meditate so long or so concentrated that you feel tired or mentally emptied.
Meditation may sometimes give problems for people suffering from mental diseases, epilepsy, serious heart problems or neurological diseases. On the other hand, meditation may be of help in the treatment of these and other conditions.

People suffering from such conditions should check out what effects the different kinds of meditation have on their own kind of health problems, before beginning to practice meditation, and be cautious if they choose to begin to meditate. It may be wise to learn meditation from an experienced teacher, psychologist or health worker that use meditation as a treatment module for the actual disease.

Knut Holt is an internet consultant and marketer focusing on health items. TO FIND natural medicines against common diseases, for example: Over-weight, acne, eczema, hypothyroidism, fatigue, depression, hemorrhoids, joint pain, hypertension, high cholesterol, circulatory problems, digestive ailments, allergies, menstrual problems, respiratory diseases and more, PLEASE VISIT:---- http://www.abicana.com

Which Mental Health professional should I choose?

2008-10-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Counselor? Which Mental Health Professional should I Choose? From Cary

By: Mike Shery

You have finally decided you want to consult a psychologist, psychiatrist or other mental health professional, but how do you go about choosing which one will meet your unique needs? There are at least 5 different types of mental health treatment providers from which to choose.

Do not just consider the professional degree when picking a counselor or therapist. Do you want a male or female?

Do you want one who is an expert in marriage counseling? Individual counseling? Substance abuse treatment? Do you want a therapist who prescribes drugs?

How about one who can X Ray your personality by using tests? One who can administer hypnosis? Electroshock?

A good first step would be to consult with a healthcare professional who knows the answers to these questions. Call the psychology or psychiatry department at a university.

Talk to a psychology instructor at a local community college or contact the behavioral health unit in your local hospital or your community crisis line.

It is important to be familiar with the training, skills and treatment philosophy of the various types of professionals, and then match what you prefer with what a particular treatment provider has to offer.

Also, talk to the representative of an organization which is concerned with issues like yours i.e. marriage, anxiety, depression etc. Their opinions are invaluable, as they are in contact with many different patients and treatment providers who are concerned with the very same issues as you and they have first hand knowledge of the characteristics and qualities of different types of counselors and therapists.

Your 5 main choices of mental health treatment providers are: The marriage and family counselor, the psychologist, the psychiatrist, the professional mental health counselor and the clinical social worker.

The marriage and family counselor has one to two years of graduate training in counseling those with troubled marriages and family problems. He or she will have a masters degree and will likely have done an internship.

The advantage of using these professionals is that you are working with someone who has intense training in this one area of counseling. The disadvantage is that some insurance companies may not cover their services.

The psychologist holds a doctoral degree in psychology. Some consider him or her to be the most highly trained of mental health professionals. The psychologist has approximately 6 years of college training in the psychological sciences; 2 years of upper division in college and 3 to 4 years of post-graduate school.

A psychologist is trained to do counseling, psychotherapy, research and mental X Rays, better known as psychological testing. They practice marriage and family counseling and therapy to eliminate anxiety, depression as well as the entire range of psychological disorders.

The advantages of using a psychologist are that he is the most highly trained in psychological practice, is an expert in providing cutting edge treatment for diverse problems and uses psychological testing to provide revealing information about how your mind works.

Also, in many cases, he or she is a trained mental health researcher, meaning, in this case, the psychologist is trained not to just practice psychology, but also to contribute to it through research.

Another advantage is that their services are covered by almost all insurance companies who provide mental health coverage.

The clinical social worker and professional counselor provide counseling to eliminate family problems and troubles arising from depression, anxiety, agitation and other emotional disorders. They have from one to two years of post-college level training in counseling and mental health.

The social worker holds a masters degree in social work while the professional counselor holds one in counseling. They both must do an internship and pass a comprehensive examination to practice independently.

Psychiatrists have most of their training in medicine, chemistry and the biological sciences. Their central training in psychiatry and mental health is usually received in the 3 year residency in psychiatry.

They hold a doctoral degree in medicine or osteopathy and receive no substantive training in counseling, family therapy, marital therapy or psychological testing.

They are mainly used to prescribe medication and administer occasional electroshock treatments. Their services are covered by all health insurance companies.

As you can see, there is a wide variety of professionals available to treat emotional problems. The one crucial ingredient, however, is the quality of the rapport you have with your provider.

It is important to check educational credentials, experience and any history of disciplinary action by your state Board. But even after all these check-out, be sure you trust and have an excellent rapport with your therapist, or you might have to start all over again!

Author Resource:-> Dr Shery is in Cary, IL, near Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Marengo and Lake-in-the-Hills. He's an expert psychologist. Call 1 847 516 0899 and make an appt orlearn more about counseling at: http://www.carypsychology.com

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How to get rid of panic and anxiety throught self help

2008-10-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

How To Get Rid Of Panic And Anxiety Through Self-Help

By: Nishanth Reddy

In our lives, we all want peace and happiness. We hope for a happy and pleasant environment around us all the time. However, to have all this we must be living in an ultimate world. However, we all know that our world is not ideal and tensions, panicky situations and anxieties arise every now and then.

However, we should not be afraid of them and whenever these situations arise we must be armed to deal with them in the most efficient manner possible. For this, we must first be able to examine our emotions and accept them as they are. Understanding the emotions can help you to learn to control the emotions without allowing the devastating feelings and emotions take control. As the last step, we must try to transform all such negative emotions like anxiety and panic into encouraging ones.
Anxiety has often been connected with worry and both are understood as the same emotion. Nevertheless, this is not true because although both are forms of fear but anxiety is related more to time and resources constraints whereas worry is a result of an anxiety that something we plan will not work out well.

Anxiety occurs because sometimes we need to complete a tight-string project and we fall in a rush. The project is of greatest importance and because of shortage of time or any other contributing factor you will not be able to terminate it to perfection or on time.

Often worry also results from the same reasons. Nevertheless, the major difference here that we must recognize is that it may not just be a result of lack of resources but may be also due to some problem with your child or spouse or any other personal issue. Worries are a result of our personal attachments with certain beings or things.

Since childhood, all these feelings are absorbed by our mind. We see the way people react to certain situations and emulate them. While some people behave in appositive manner to situations other don’t. Whichever affects us more determines how we behave to those situations.

To throw away all these anxieties and worries one must follow a proper system and diet. In helping you to reduce anxiety and panic situations, the below mentioned points will go a long way.

Regular exercises like an early morning walk, jog, or aerobics.

Try yoga. It helps in getting better your blood flow and reduces hyperventilation.

Whenever a panic situation arises, try to concentrate with deep breathing.

Try meditation as a solution searching method.

Follow a healthy low fat and high vitamin diet.

Following the aforementioned routine and steps will help you in freeing yourself from negative thoughts and emotions and creating a positive atmosphere around you. Try these positive countermeasures to anxiety whenever it strikes.

We must accept that whatever is happening to us has no purpose to harm us. We must give whatever we do, our best shot but it is useless to worry about the results. Once you have given it, your best shot there is no reason why you should fail, so why panic.

We must have self-belief in ourselves. We must tell ourselves that nothing is impossible unto us and that we can face all the problems of life without giving up on them.

We should never think low about ourselves. Like everyone else, we are all humans and have equal rights to life. We should never worry about what others think about us because at the end of the day you are your best judge.

You must be reminiscent yourself at all times that life is meant for being lived every moment and not for worrying every moment what the next will bring about.

Author Resource:-> Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of popular Self Help Blog. For more information on anxiety, panic and how to get rid of anxiety & panic situations visit:

Anxiety and Panic - Self Help

Article From Talkinmince Article Directory

Serious Problems in Psychotherapy Require Serious Medicine

2008-10-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

As a psychotherapy patient, do you wonder whether the work you and your therapist are doing will succeed and produce lasting results? You may like, even admire, your psychotherapist, but how do you know that as a result of his or her work you will achieve the goals for which you came to treatment?

Patients frequently remain in the dark about whether treatment is actually succeeding. The solution to this dilemma is a treatment considerably broader in scope than conventional psychological and psychiatric therapy. This treatment embodies proven techniques for accurately assessing the nature and severity of a psychological problem and for monitoring treatment progress. In using these methods, therapist and patient work collaboratively to track progress, continually providing feedback to each other.In conducting this innovative method of treatment, the therapist assumes the kind of clinical responsibility that is typical of a physician.

He or she takes responsibility for addressing the full range of the patient's presenting and underlying problems, and coordinating his or her treatment, always assimilating the feedback the patient provides. Take my patient Cori (not her real name). She had been treated by multiple psychotherapists and psychopharmacologists. Cori was bright and empathic, but had a history of failed relationships, depression, and withdrawal when situations soured. Following the loss of a job, Cori was forced to seek support from her aging parents.

All previous attempts at treating Cori had been disappointing. The medications prescribed by Cori's psychiatrists and psychopharmacologists all created additional problems through their side effects. Psychotherapy was unsatisfactory, too. In part, what caused these failures was the inability of professionals to work closely together. Those who were medically oriented also neglected to take full account of Cori's feelings of disappointment and helplessness, while they focused on her physiology. Cori fired her last therapist after two years because she had not progressed. That was when Cori first came to me.

Cori's case was indeed challenging. She needed a full medication review and overhaul, a more functional support system, vocational retraining, and goal-oriented psychotherapy addressing not only her depression, but also practical problems interfering with her daily life. No single issue had overriding priority, and none could be resolved with conventional psychotherapy alone. What Cori required was a new kind of approach to her treatment, one distinguished by reliable diagnostic assessment, clear-cut goals, monitoring of progress, and above all, coordination between professionals. This is the approach I use when practicing collaborative psychology. As therapist-coordinator of Cori’s case, I orchestrate and monitor the entire operation, collaborating with all the other clinicians and consultants involved, and the key people in her support system. But, this brief description of my experience with Cori doesn't capture the essence of the treatment. Cori was a complex human being and this new treatment had to be characterized by profound respect for her and her thinking. Cori needed to be a fully collaborating partner in her treatment. A patient, but not just a patient.

In its comprehensiveness and use of psychological assessment, this is a novel approach to psychotherapy. When patients have a combination of symptoms, such as depression, difficulties involving family, children, relationships, or employment, and at times one or more medical conditions, the issues tend to overlap and may be hard to sort out. To find solutions to these complex problems, the therapist must closely collaborate with the patient and all the other professionals involved. At the beginning of collaborative psychology treatment there is a clinical evaluation. This step is followed as soon as possible by psychological or neuropsychological testing. Based on these two assessments and the data they provide, the therapist-coordinator prepares a preliminary treatment plan. At this point the patient and therapist together determine the type of treatment they are agreeing to undertake. Then each clinical strategy proposed in the treatment plan is evaluated for efficacy during a trial period. Verbal or written reports, successively modifying the treatment plan, are created in response to changes and progress in treatment.You may be asking yourself at this point why go to this much trouble and expense?

Consider for a moment the world of medicine. Would you fault a physician who is meticulous about collecting data, obtains needed consultations, regularly informs patients about findings, and revises his or her treatment plan according to whether or not progress is occurring? Of course not.Using this collaborative psychology method, clinician and patient can determine exactly what kinds of problems need to be treated and become aware of changes in the patient's status as they occur. As the patient or his or her circumstances change, the treatment plan can be modified, so it remains maximally effective. A second clinical and data-based opinion from the psychologist who administers the assessment tests is always part of the process. This person remains available throughout treatment and even past its termination.

Making the clinical process even stronger are the regular progress reports the patient receives from and discusses with the clinician. The extra cost and time required for this comprehensive treatment approach are more than justified by its built in focus on the patient's progressively demonstrated needs and progress. The testing and self-discipline this procedure requires of the clinician assures against misdiagnosis or over-treatment. The likelihood of engaging in formulaic, unproductive treatment, such as often occurs when a therapist reflexively sees a psychotherapy patient once per week for many months or even years, is much reduced. Collaboration with spouses or family members is also encouraged when it is likely improve the treatment outcome.

And, once again, the benefits of such a process? More focused and efficient treatment that leads to substantial results. Cori is now working at a job she enjoys, her family is actively supporting her recovery, she hasn't abused any substances for several years, and is doing a marvelous job of mothering her two boys. Those are results!

About the author:
Steven A. Frankel, M.D. is the author of four books describing collaborative psychology, including his most recent book Evidence from Within: A Paradigm for Clinical Practice. He has been a practicing psychiatrist for over thirty years. A graduate of Yale University Medical School, Dr. Frankel is board certified in both general and child psychiatry. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California Medical School and founder and director of the Center for Collaborative Psychology in Kentfield, CA. Learn more about how you, your family, or your patients can work with Dr. Frankel at http://www.stevenfrankelmd.com.

ADHD at Home with Mom

2008-10-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

As a Mom at home, do you feel overwhelmed by all the little tasks you have to manage: house, children, social schedules and so many more? Read on to find a possible answer to your problems.

Michelle's friends called her lunatique. "Mom, isn't my lunch ready yet? I have to go back to school!" "Michelle, did you get my suits from the dry cleaners? You are at home all day and I still have to do everything!"

Michelle had no idea where the day went. She'd start the housework, but nothing ever seemed to be finished. Life passed her by, unrecorded in memory, while her mind floated on the wings of dreams. Unbeknownst to Michelle and her husband, she had an Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) without hyperactivity. ADD-inattentive type (without hyperactivity) affects women more than men, and it appears very different to the hyperactive type. It is characterized by low energy, slowness, dreaminess, and difficulty focusing and following through on tasks.

Michelle had difficulty connecting and functioning effectively in the world around her because her brain functions differently from "normal" brains. She had a problem organizing stuff like daily tasks and papers, managing time and getting to the end of whatever she started.
ADHD is a neurological difference in the brain. The ADHD brain can be very effective when following a passion but shuts down when doing the daily grind. Medication is helpful for some but often not sufficient. Coaching provides positive support and guidance for anyone with ADHD but especially for those who don't want to take medication.

For Michelle, housework seemed like a mountain of quick sand. Like many people with ADHD who are faced with a multitude of tasks, she didn't know where to start or how to continue. She would start here, go there, but at the end of the day nothing was finished, and Michelle was exhausted.

With coaching, she created a list of needed supplies and stored them where they would be used. She also made and prioritized a list of tasks for each room and posted it in a discreet corner. With the help of the lists she was able to do the housework efficiently. She could go to the starting point without having to make a plan or decide what to do first. Once she was able to cope with the housework, she discovered more energy and was able to move on to other aspects of her life.
In her daydreams, Michelle was creating a world of her own; she vaguely thought she would like to write, but she had no idea how to start. With coaching Michelle tried to write down her stories, but she had difficulty capturing her thoughts with a pencil. She tried using a tape recorder and found that she could "dream" out loud.

She revised her weekly schedule to make time to take a creative writing course. The support and encouragement she got from other creative writers gave her energy to soar. Her first short story was soon published and many more followed.

To most people the tasks which caused Michelle so much grief seem trivial and obvious, but they are typical of what makes life so difficult for people with ADHD.
So Mom, if life is a nightmare instead of a dream because you can't keep up with the piles of stuff and the busy schedules, start here.
1. Acknowledge the problem. This can be difficult for people with ADHD.
2. Get help.
3. Prepare to change your thoughts and your habits.
Don't let the ADHD monkey distract you. Act Today!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Jane Keyser worked for many years with computers as programmer, analyst, and user trainer, but her struggle with inattentive ADD kept getting in the way of her plans and dreams. Once ADD was identified and the great need that coaching filled, she added ADD Coach training (ADDCoach Academy) to complete her preparation for a new career as ADD Coach.
Learn more about ADHD at http://www.CoachingKeytoADD.com or sign up for Zebra Stripes, a free E-zine for ADHD at http://www.coachingkeytoadd.com/newsletter/newsarchive.html

Prevent Suicide - What YOU Should Know

2008-10-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

People who are suicidal usually suffer from some sort of depression or other psychological problem. The symptoms that a person typically has when they are suicidal include feelings of depression, intense sadness, hopelessness, lethargy, loss of appetite, poor sleep, decreased ability to perform ones usual tasks and a loss of interest in once-pleasurable activities People who are suicidal also may inflict pain upon themselves, or engage in self destructive behavior. If you are having suicidal thoughts, the most important thing you have to remember is that these are symptoms of a very treatable problem associated with chemical reactions in the brain, and that there is help out there for you. Feeling suicidal is not a sign of a weak character, so there is no reason to feel ashamed to get help. Suicidal feelings are not something to be ignored and will not go away by themselves. If you are feeling suicidal, talk to someone you trust right away. You should not let these feelings fester inside of you, because they will only become worse and worse.

There are many different types of treatments for individuals suffering with suicidal depression. After talking to your doctor, he or she can help you chose a drug that is right for you're personal needs and body chemistry. Other treatments include several types of therapy and help groups.

It is ultimately up to you how you would like to handle you're depression and find a solution that pleases you. The sooner you start looking for help, the sooner you can begin to feel happy again and start living your life to the fullest. Many people who commit suicide do so after suffering from less than three bouts of severe depression, because they have not yet learned that this feeling is only temporary. As soon as you realize that your feelings of depression are going to pass, the likely hood of committing suicide drops greatly. Many people who suffer from depression have a plan that they rely on when they are feeling extremely low. A plan that you might make could include a list of emergency numbers that you carry with you wherever you go, such as your doctor's cell phone or friends and family members contact information. You may also want to have the number to your local suicide hotline number ready. You should educate your friends and family before hand what they should do in case of a crisis. This will ensure that when you call them in you're time of depression they will know exactly what steps to take.
By carrying this paper around with you, others can contact these people, if you are not in a state to do so.
Source: Free Articles

About the Author
Author Barney Garcia is a proud contributing author and enjoys writing about many different topics. Please visit my web sites @ http://www.prevent-suicide.info and http://www.troubled-teenagers.info

Herbal Remedies

2008-10-08T13:13:00.001-07:00

Pounding Head? Discover 13 Sure-fire Herbal Remedies

They can be caused by a number of things including dehydration, hunger, grinding
your teeth, a food allergy, sleeping on your neck wrong, giving up caffeine, and
of course STRESS. Whatever the cause, there’s no mistaking that throbbing
discomfort that plague so many Americans. Here are 13 natural remedies to attack
your agony head on.

Tension, Hormonal, Seasonally-Occurring? Try...

Magnesium - Replaces a magnesium deficiency that can cause head discomfort.

Vitamin B-12 - Refills a Vitamin B-12 deficiency that can trigger
discomfort.

Ginger - Stimulates circulation, thins the blood, and helps blood flow
to the surface.

Valerian - Relaxes the mind and, encourages a healing sleep.

St. John’s Wort - Promotes a positive outlook after too many “blue”
days.

Licorice - In Chinese herbal medicine, licorice root is an ingredient
found in almost all herbal formulas for the purpose of “harmonizing” the
separate herbs involved. One of its many active
constituents—glycyrrhizin—has been found to possess anti-inflammatory
action.

Angelica - For centuries, Angelica Root has been hailed as the
ultimate remedy and a blood purifier. Angelica is believed to be a
health-protective herbal, as it blooms on the day of Saint Michael the
Archangel.

Skunk Cabbage - Also known as symplocarpus foetidus,this herb soothes the nervous system, which helps to reduce stress and mental fatigue.

Chamomile - Calms the body. Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Indians used this herb to treat disorders of the kidneys, liver, and bladder, and mind. Chamomile works well to promote healing.

Kava Kava - It’s been used for three thousand years by the people of
the South Pacific for ceremonial, social and medicinal purposes. Today,
kava is proven to relax and de-stress.

Regular, Ongoing Head Distress? Try...

Melatonin - Physiologists know that melatonin helps to regulates sleep
patterns, and thus promote overall health.

Cayenne - This herb enhances delivery of more oxygen to your brain,
and relieves discomfort.

5-HTP - Your body needs 5-HTP to make serotonin, needed for normal
nerve and brain function. It promotes calmness and sleep.

Feel better by taking care of your everyday stress in healthy ways.
Visit
Botanic Choice to discover other natural de-stressers. It's also good to avoid
dehydration or hunger. Take your regular breaks and lunch times. Eat and drink
sensibly. Most importantly, be good to yourself!

These
statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These
products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Consult your physician.

Can Natural Daylight Help Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder

2008-10-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) ?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) also known as winter depression affects around 2 million British citizens each year. Symptoms are most common in people aged between 18-30 years old. It is thought that twice as many women are affected than men, but this could be explained by the fact that men are less likely to admit to being depressed.

Sufferers usually experience no mental health problems throughout most of the year, but tend to develop depressive symptoms during the winter months. It is common that symptoms occur amongst sufferers between September and April each year with symptoms at their worst in December, January and February.

Symptoms of SAD
The symptoms of SAD vary between different people. A small percentage of SAD sufferers struggle to cope during the winter without continuous treatment. However for the majority of SAD sufferers, symptoms tend to be less intense and last for shorter periods of time. The most common symptoms of SAD (of which many are associated with general depression) include:
General Depression - feeling glooming
Mood Swings
Social Withdrawal - not wanting to see people
Anxiety - Inability to cope
Lethargy / Tiredness - no energy for everyday tasks
Sleep Problems - oversleeping and not wanting to get out of bed
Overeating - cravings for carbohydrates, leading to weight gain
Frequent Illness - due to a weakened immune system
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Loss of libido

What Causes SAD
The exact cause of SAD is still unknown. However most theories centre on light deficiency during the winter months due to the shortening of daylight hours and a lack of sunshine.

Light helps to trigger messages to a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which helps to control mood, sleep and appetite. A lack of exposure to light and problems with certain brain chemicals is thought to prevent the hypothalamus from functioning properly.

It is common for SAD sufferers to have lower levels of a brain chemical called Serotonin. Serotonin helps to transmit messages from nerve cells to the brain and has a role in "lifting the mood". It is thought that the development of Serotonin is affected by exposure to sunlight and therefore a lack of exposure to sunlight will mean that less Serotonin will be produced.

SAD sufferers are likely to respond to a decrease in light by producing more of a chemical called Melatonin during winter than non SAD Sufferers. Melatonin helps to slow down the body clock, affects sleep and alters mood patterns. When sufferers are treated with bright light, their Melatonin levels tend to return to normal. However using light therapy to affect Melatonin levels will not completely cure SAD.

Diagnosis of SAD
A GP will be able to advise you whether the symptoms present, are being caused by SAD. SAD is difficult to diagnose as the symptoms of the condition are very similar to those of other types of depression and other mental health conditions.

One occurrence of the aforementioned symptoms does not automatically mean that you have SAD. Diagnosis will usually take place when the symptoms have been experienced during the same months (usually winter), followed by the symptoms clearing in the following months (spring), over a period of two or more consecutive years.

Treatment For SAD
Research in recent years has shown that SAD sufferers have responded dramatically to "light therapy". By exposing SAD sufferers to summertime levels of daylight during the winter, it is possible to reduce the negative symptoms of SAD. Research has shown that light therapy works in around 80% of people, and an improvement in symptoms can be achieved in as little as 3 to 5 days.

Light therapy (also known as photo therapy) involves exposure to very bright light for extended periods each day. The aim of light therapy is to stimulate a change in the brain chemicals and hormones that affect the mood. Light boxes are ideal source for light therapy.

A light box gives out a light that is up to 10 times stronger than normal light. The necessary length of exposure depends on the strength of the light box and the recommended daily dose of light for SAD sufferers is 5,000 lux.

Although light boxes are the ultimate source of light for SAD sufferers, functional Daylight Lamps and Daylight Bulbs can also be purchased to enable the user to read, colour match and conduct fine detailed work, whilst exposing the user to increased levels of natural daylight during the darker winter months. This exposure can help to alleviate some of the symptoms of SAD whilst you are working.

Before conducting any light therapy, it is advised that you visit your GP in order to decide which form of light therapy will be best for you.

Stop Wasting Time – Learn to Make Decisions Faster

2008-10-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Every success starts with a decision. The biggest waste of time, the biggest waste of life, for most people is the decision they need to make but haven’t made because they can’t make up their mind.
There is power in a made-up mind. Every one of us is a decision maker. We have 50,000 to 100,000 thoughts a day. Consider executives. During the year these men and women have to make hundreds, thousands, maybe tens of thousands of decisions. If they give equal value to every decision, no decision is that important. They may give equal time to a $1 million decision, a $100 decision, or a $10 decision as to a $100 million decision or a $1 billion decision. Let’s have fewer decisions that have to be made. Let’s resolve to make fewer decisions. There are going to be more-important decisions, and there are going to be monumental decisions. There are going to be such big decisions that, as you look back on them, you will say the decision was worth making; you’ll say that was the decision that leveraged the results of the company.

Very few people understand the importance of making fewer decisions. You really need to start at the beginning of the year, and figure out what is the one decision, or what are the two or even three decisions, you can make that will take your company, your life, or your business, or whatever it may be, to a completely new level.

For example, last year I moved from Japan, where I had lived for 22 years, to Singapore. When I moved, one of the things I needed to do was to make up my mind about where I wanted to live. That decision was going to affect every waking moment, every sleeping moment of my entire life in Singapore, because that is where I was going to be spending all my time. So I put an incredible amount of time into making the decision about where I wanted to live. I looked at 47 houses before I found one that was going to be exactly the right environment for me. That was a decision that was worth spending a lot of time on.

Then it came time for me to get a local cell phone because I was now living in a new country. I spent exactly zero hours, zero minutes, and zero seconds on selecting a new cell phone.

How did I do that? I told my assistant, “Get me a cell phone.” She asked, “What type?” I said, “I really don’t care; you figure it out.”What you want is to hire the best. One of the decisions you make is to get employees who are better than you at some things.
Source: Free Articles

Developing Self Esteem is No Easy Task. Here are Some Simple Ideas for Help.

2008-10-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Shazfranc
Simple Steps With Regard To Developing Self Esteem.All of us wish for a content and happy life. Having a healthy self esteem goes a long way to helping us achieve those goals through positive thinking and positive action with regard to achieving goals. Those suffering from low self esteem don't think they can achieve a goal and may not even attempt it. Doubts and negativity which are the trademark signs of low self esteem. They would therefore never find out if they would have been a success or not. If you seriously wish to live a life filled with contentment and happiness, then you need to possess a healthy dose of self esteem

Developing self esteem seems simple enough to achieve but it is not that easy and requires a dedicated approach if one suffering from low self esteem is to succeed.

Think Positively

The initial step to take with regard to developing positive self esteem is to consciously try to think in a positive manner.
Much of the success of the points below stem from positive thinking. If you are one who is in need of developing self esteem, you should take heart from the fact that it is certainly possible and also quite simple to achieve your goals though at the same time it is not very easy to achieve.

Don't Doubt Success

Having doubts about your own abilities is a common symptom of low self esteem. You stop doing something before you have really tried because you doubt yourself.
This is the point where you have to have strong positive thoughts and be able to tell yourself that you are totally capable of succeeding and that you could actually do the job better than another individual.

Think as a Winner

If you think you are a winner and successful you already halfway to achieving your goal. If you tell yourself you are a winner you will come to believe it and will have taken one leap further in developing self esteem. Considering yourself a winner rather than a loser will make you feel great and thus bolster your self esteem.

Stop Negativity

"Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power" by Shirley MacLaine.There is nothing as true as the quote above. A key point to developing self esteem is to consciously stop yourself from thinking negatively from dawn until the minute you go to sleep at night. Sweep aside all negative thoughts from your mind and think positively, you will be surprised how quickly you can turn your thoughts around.

Search for Your Real Self

Take some steps to discover your real self.
Some other simple steps that you can take with regard to developing self esteem knowing just what you can succeed at and what will make you fail and in addition. You will be able to take responsibility for your own actions.

Turns Anxious Thoughts into Positive Thoughts

Other ways of developing positive self esteem include learning to turn anxiety into positive thinking, learning from your mistakes and to turn mistakes into chances for further self-improvement and making it a point to be in the company of those who bring out the best in you rather than associating with those who make you do the wrong things and do not give you the credit and encouragement you deserve.Encourage Encouragement!Lastly, developing self esteem also means eliminating all thoughts that can damage your self-esteem and instead you should concentrate only on finding some means to get encouragement and this is best achieved through thinking positively.

Again, hanging out with those who will offer you encouragement for your actions will help you every step of the way.

What Temperament Type are you?

2008-10-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

Submitted by bharrison41
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Many people are interested in their personality type. Not only does this tell them how they act, but it also shows what others may think as well. Unfortunately, many people never take the time to figure out what temperament type they are. That being said, this is easy enough thanks to information such as Myers-Briggs personality type profiles and books including Please Understand Me by David Keirsey. Generally speaking, there are four temperament categories that you may fit into. In most cases, you should be able to find one that you are most closely associated with.

The four types include: rational, idealist, guardian, and artisan. As you can imagine, each one of these temperaments has a unique set of traits that go along with them.

Rational: These people are non-conformist who are also competent and technically inclined. Idealist: These people are creative, passionate, and romantic. Often times, these people end up with careers in art related fields.
Guardian: Loyal, dependable, and traditional thinking governs this temperament type. Artisan: Those who are adventurous, risk takers usually fit into this category.

Do you really need to know what temperament type you are? Of course not. Many people feel that this information is of no use to them, but in many cases, this is not true. When you know what temperament category you fit into, you will have a better understanding of why you act as you do as well as how others perceive you. So with all of this information in mind, what type of temperament do you have?

St. John's Wort Capsules

2008-09-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

How to Lift Your Mood Naturally With Vitamins

2008-09-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Submitted by vitanet1

Similar to everyone else, you probably have an occasional period where you’re down in the dumps. But don’t fret; feeling a little bit down every now and then is normal. But when these low feelings persist, you may be in trouble. If they deepen over time no matter what you’re doing to change them, then chances are that you are truly depressed.

True depression occurs as a result of a loss of interest in nearly everything that once gave you pleasure. These pleasure feelings are replaced by an all-consuming feeling of emptiness and numbness which may be related to clinical depression.

Clinical depression is another matter, this form of depression is an intense feeling of sadness that lasts for long periods of time and prevents people from leading a normal life. It is a treatable medical condition and is characterized by persistent and sometimes severe feelings of worthlessness, guilt, sadness, helplessness, and hopelessness. There may also be disturbance in sleeping or eating patterns, anxiety, regret, shame, grief, diminished ability to concentrate, and repetitive suicidal thoughts. Having five or more of these symptoms for a span of two weeks or longer is categorized as clinical depression. However, there are shades of gray when it comes to being emotionally down, from low moods all the way to major depressive episodes.

Dysthymia is a lot less severe than depression, but it lingers sometimes for years, allowing people to function adequately but consistently feeling unhappy. Bipolar disorder also causes people to have severe high and low mood swings, while seasonal depression is another form that rounds out the category. According to a global study, depression may be the most disabling disease in the world.

Researchers found that depression can worsen health more than angina, arthritis, asthma, and diabetes. Those who have depression and one or more chronic diseases are in the worst health of all. It is estimated that 19 million American adults are living with major depression, with up to 25 percent experiencing an episode of major depression at some point during their lifetime and women suffering twice as much as men do from major depression. Suicide is strongly connected to depression and is the third-leading cause of death in 10 to 24 year olds, with most depressed people never seeking treatment. Those who are undiagnosed and untreated allow depression to worsen and last for years of untold suffering.

About 15 percent of people with major depression die from committing suicide. Major depression is a life-threatening illness that should be treated by medical experts. There is no test that can diagnose major depression. However, it is important to rule out other medical problems that have similar symptoms as those of depression. Depression is usually treated with medications and counseling. Natural remedies may also be effective in the treatment of depression, especially in those cases that are mild to moderate.

Additionally, many nutritional, environmental, and lifestyle factors are involved and it is important to recognize that these factors are not only important for depression, but also for our total health. Getting people healthy gets them less depressed, generally speaking, and there are three supplements that can help ease the symptoms of depression naturally.

Lithium, which is a prescription drug for bipolar disorder, is a simple mineral with benefits for the nervous system to improve mood and cognition. Since patients with depression often have low levels of omega-3 fatty acids and DHA, proper DHA levels are essential for proper functioning of the neurotransmitters. Supplementing with essential fatty acids can help with depression symptoms.

Finally there is SAM-e, a molecule that naturally occurs in the cells of plants and animals, works well as an antidepressant without causing side effects for most people. Always consult your doctor if you suspect you may have clinical depression or when you start any new vitamin supplements with medication and never exceed the recommended doses on the bottle with out a doctors help.