Friday, October 17, 2008

How to get rid of panic and anxiety throught self help

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.




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

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

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

  4. Try meditation as a solution searching method.

  5. 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.




  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

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Life Without Stress: The Far Eastern Antidote to Tension & Anxiety

Life Without Stress: The Far Eastern Antidote to Tension & Anxiety


In this practical guide to the wisdom of the East, Sokoloff demystifies Eastern teachings and shows how the basic tenets of the four major philosophies--Taosim, traditional Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, ...












Thursday, October 16, 2008

Serious Problems in Psychotherapy Require Serious Medicine

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.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

ADHD at Home with Mom

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

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Prevent Suicide - What YOU Should Know

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






St. John's Wort 260 mg.

St. John's Wort 260 mg.


St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) contains the active ingredient hypericin, which can promote a positive mood.

Available only in the United States.












Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Herbal Remedies

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...




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



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



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



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



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



  6. 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.



  7. 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.



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



  9. 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.



  10. 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...


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



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



  3. 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


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.






Friday, October 3, 2008

Stop Wasting Time – Learn to Make Decisions Faster

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