Questions Alzheimer's Caregivers Ask Frequently

Why do Alzheimer patients forget how to drive?

Many teenagers age thirteen and fourteen know how to drive. Yet, the states do not license them because they have not developed the judgment required at their young age. With regards to Alzheimer patients, their judgment and the complex operation issue of driving has been impaired. Remember years ago, when you first learned to drive or learned a new skill... It was often difficult at first, but after a few tries, it was a breeze? In this Early Stage of the disease, it is this memory combined with this lack of judgment that causes the patient to refrain from driving. My mom was an Alzheimer Patient. She said, "I couldn't back out of my own driveway. I got hung up in the shrubbery.and my neighbor had to come and get me out. Mom never drove again!

Why do Alzheimer patients wander?

From my extensive readings and observations, I do not believe that Alzheimer patients wander aimlessly. Fifty years ago as a young girl, I observed my great-grandfather 'on Alzheimer'. I noticed that he would always commence his trip in the right direction to reach his destination over 50 miles to the south... However, along this walk, he would get confused. Now, I believe that he generally had a destination in mind. Although the destination was clear only to him.

Alzheimer's patients confuse how to get there? They confuse the city or the location, they confuse the mileage, they confuse the directions-north, south, east and west, or the directions first, second, third, they confuse right and left. No wonder many patients give up driving, cooking, shopping and other activities- IT'S TOO CONFUSING!

Now, I understand that when you are forever confused daily, hourly, minute by minute, you will have extreme mood swings, you will become agitated and unreasonable, you may become DELUSIONAL and really have that steadfast belief that your caregiver is a thief, a robber, and an abuser. To understand Alzheimer, I realized that it is important to have a working knowledge of Delusions and Hallucinations. I understood and accepted the ideas of hallucinations-when the patient sees, hears, tastes or feels something that is not true. However, the concept of delusions-The false belief that the patient believes are real-really upset me. When my mom said, " You are being cruel to me." I was very upset and took it personally, even though all books, leaflets, and brochures on Alzheimer's caution ideal caregivers -Don't Take it Personally. Six months later as I was re-reading The 36 Hour Day, I read that exact learned phrase that many Alzheimer's patients repeat to their caregivers when they are confused, or agitated or stubborn, or unreachable, or want things done their way.

So, I playfully said to the authors, Where were you when I needed you most? My answer to caregivers, I am here when you need me most. Where were you when my mom screamed this sentence to me? Seriously though, during my five years of caring for my mom, I began to realize how Alzheimer's caregivers feel.. and of course, they will tell you loudly and clearly. More importantly, I am beginning to understand how the patient feels...They will tell you loudly but not clearly. My goal is to understand what they can not say clearly. With this brain disease, the ability to communicate goes first. So, even though they are adults, they communicate on a two- three age level at times.- at the times- at the locations where their brain cells are diseased, or tangled or twisted. So, we know about 'the terrible two's and how they physically throw, hit and kick to communicate their agitation or to express their feelings when they don't get what they want. Toddlers can be taught better responses because that section of the brain has not been completely formed. Unfortunately, Alzheimer's patients can not recover this section of the brain that is diseased, or that is malfunctioning, or that is not acting properly... So, they kick, throw, and hit to communicate their feelings especially when they do not agree with the caregiver.Or maybe, they don't understand the caregiver, or maybe, they don't understand the requests. Alzheimer's Literature suggests that caregivers make requests a game of what to do instead of what not to do? Something like 'Simon Says.'

For example, My mom would often bring in the mail and throw it to me. Sometimes, I would be taking a nap or reading and throwing the mail would startle me. So, I would say," Don't throw the mail. Well, that didn't work. Finally, I remembered one of the tips in the support group leaflet. TELL THEM WHAT TO DO instead of What not to do. So, I began saying, "Place the mail on the kitchen counter."

...and my mom never threw the mail at me again.

So, what can caregivers do?

My answer today is based on caregivers suggestions, my readings, my visits to Alzheimer's conferences, my personal experiences- being an Alzheimer caregiver for eight years- five with my mom, and especially my valuable support from the Alzheimer Support Group.

My short answer is Read, Read, Read

1. Look at Alzheimer as a disease-- as an injury make all requests simple.

Once we look at Alzheimer as an injury- an injury to the brain- we can treat it as we treat our other injuries that are slow to heal -treatable but incurable.

2. Practice calming behavior-- a calm voice.

Many times a loud voice is upsetting - but a LOUD MAD VOICE- OH NO!

3. Try introducing calming activities- music, modeling clay

4. Become interested and Listen to the patient's stories-over and over and over...

5. Divert the patient's interest or focus towards more calming conversations.

Did you notice the keyword today is CALM?

In my first article, I discussed" Understanding Alzheimer's Patients" and I emphasized that ATTITUDE IS THE KEY.

..."Attitude will make or break a company,..a church...a home."

Once we enter the patient's home, our attitude takes center focus. Alzheimer's patients may be confused and forgetful, but they are smart. They feel that calming personality and they tend to cooperate with that calm, loving person who is their caregiver.

..." The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.

Annie Kate Gaskins Laws
Exposing Alzheimer's

http://www.outskirtspress.net/bookstore

Original article

Bound By Behavior

Traveling to office, an auto driver hits your car, your dearly beloved car is damaged, you feel something churning inside you, ready to burst out; what happens next needs no mention.

You love her to bits; she walks towards you, looks at you with those beautiful eyes, and says, "its over! Its never gonna work out between us", you are left alone by yourself and the thought process tumbles down to a restart of unhappy thoughts and threats.

You fall down, he sees you, comes rushing to help you, buys a bandage for the wound and then helps you walk to where you can sit so that he can get you a glass of water, you watch him walk towards the water cooler, something lightens your heart, you feel warm, and his presence starts making you feel nice about yourself.

Anger, depression, love are just some of the emotions that humans feel without controlling them. Other than feelings there are certain characteristics in us that we always fall prey to, but somehow we control ourselves and fit into the societal norms in one way or the other. In normal circumstances, most people can handle these emotions. But not so is the case with the people who suffer with behavioral disorders. Things are more magnified and unmanageable for them.

OCPD

Take the case of a person suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Suppose a person named X has OCPD then he will be very disturbed and even angry if you put his red mug before the black one and he keeps it the other way round. Just like you cannot help being angry with the auto driver who scratched your new car, X cannot control his anxiety when you misplace his things.

Reason behind this, you could say is that, X is an extreme case of perfectionism, orderliness and has the need to control his environment. This does not mean that anyone who likes to have things a certain way and want things clean is an OCPD patient. We are talking of extreme cases here. The intensity to which orderliness matters and otherwise affects the individual must be really high to be said that he is suffering from OCPD.

It is usually difficult for X to maintain relationships because of his inability to understand and accept others who might not be like him. The demands from spouse, children or friends are very high and rigid. They have to have things their own way.

BIPOLAR DISORDER

Y has not gone out with her friends for over two weeks now. She mostly stays in her room, does not feel like meeting people. She feels low and anxious. She feels fatigued and sleeps a lot. She has lost considerable amount of weight in the past month.

But after a few days Y has become overtly active and worked up. Her attention span is very less. She bursts out into sprouts of anger and is so impatient and irrational that something seems to be abnormal about her to others around. Almost every second day she goes to party and has more than one sexual partner.

If we study Bipolar disorder we will know that first Y had a depressive episode and later a manic episode. These are the two episodes that occur for certain time spans to individuals who suffer from this disorder.

Sometimes these episodes can happen simultaneously, known as the mixed episode. The person might start crying during a manic episode or have racing thoughts during depression. These times are extremely frustrating and most dangerous for the patient. During which, they might even try to commit suicide.

Bipolar disorder is divided in three types according to its episodes. The mildest one is Cyclothymia: With hypomanic episode (less intense than manic episode) and mild depressive episodes.

Then Bipolar II is has hypomanic and depressive episodes. Last and most intense of all in Bipolar I where the individual has full-blown manic and depressive episodes.

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER

Suppose we took the story further of the girl who fell down, mentioned in the beginning. She falls in love with this man and starts idealizing him completely immediately after he has got a glass of water for her. She tells him about her love and he rejects her proposal, as he was only being polite in helping and had no romantic interest. Thereafter she starts hating him. She goes to the extent of slitting her hand in order to express herself.

This girl can be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. In this disorder person live is two extremes of either idealizing a person or demonizing a person.

There are various types of behavioral disorders. One cannot even hope to understand what they go through, we can only understand that they cannot control their behavior the way normal humans can. Which is the reason why they usually find it extremely hard to adjust in the society. And the society also finds it hard to accept them as they hardly ever can stick to the norms of the society, which creates a stigma about them thereby making it even harder for them to live normally; hence victimizing them to a vicious cycle.

Anger, depression, love are just some of the emotions that humans feel without controlling them. Other than feelings there are certain characteristics in us that we always fall prey to, but somehow we control ourselves and fit into the societal norms in one way or the other. In normal circumstances, most people can handle these emotions. But not so is the case with the people who suffer with behavioral disorders. Things are more magnified and unmanageable for them.

Satya Shourie

Writer, Researcher and Web Content manager

Original article

Stop Panic Attacks, Recognise the Condition, Overcome the Symptoms With These Techniques

If you suffer panic attacks, you will be keenly aware of them. But the problem of self-diagnosis if at the very beginning, when the sufferer is unsure that they have a genuine health scare, or an anxiety attack, as both can seem very similar. There are a broad range of symptoms in panic attacks. Here are some of them:

- heart racing

- feeling dizzy

- tingling in the hands or feet

- chest pain or discomfort

- feelings of disorientation

- sweating

- faintness

- trembling

- shortness of breath

These symptoms are disturbing, and when eventually the sufferer realises that he or she is suffering panic or anxiety attacks, they often begin to hide their concern of being discovered in the embarrassment and shame of the attack by withdrawing from some roles or social groups. Others may see this behaviour in itself as rude if they do not know the person has the condition.

It is when the suffering has become a problem which threatens the individual's behaviour, lifestyle, job and income through this kind of withdrawal that taking action is absolutely vital, unless the person is to suffer further anguish and other problems because of their covering up. If we can catch the problem before this stage, then so much the better.

Countless numbers of people out there are desperate to stop panic attacks ruining their lives. Many are still hiding their condition.The feeling of losing control can be terrifying, and the symptoms can feel as devastating as any physical condition. The good news is that with consideration and the help of practical techniques panic and anxiety attacks can be brought under control and managed by the sufferer. Before we progress to look at some of these techniques to stop panic attacks, we must remember to be careful and not confuse panic attacks with other physical conditions. If you even partially suspect you are suffering something like a heart attack, you must always err on the side of caution and contact a physician. That said, here are some of the techniques we can use to overcome panic.

- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and drugs which can stimulate panic attacks.

- Take like deep breathing,yoga and meditation, on a regular basis, as these can really help.

- As with meditation, First, relax and become conscious of any tension that you may be feeling.

- Then, think about and feel and move the muscles in your legs, arms and hands and feet, body part by body part. This will help move your focus from concentrating on the panic.

- Slow down your breathing, lengthen the breath to longer than an average breath, and do so calmly.

- Talk to somebody during the attack. If you can talk, you can breathe.

But remember, if there is another condition in the sufferer's history alongside panic attacks, the sufferer should talk with a medical professional. We must not confuse panic attacks with something potentially life threatening, such as a heart condition.

There are many ways to help stop panic attacks from ruining people's lives, from these basic techniques to progressive personal programs, to individual counselling.

John Paul Williams
Great Leap - information, motivation, inspiration

http://www.stoppanicattacksq.com/

Original article

Signs and Treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a type of behavioral disorders, typical for children in preschool and early school age. It is shown by aggression, brutality, defiance and a tendency to irritate and bully others. Although often many children behave like that, oppositional defiant disorder is characterized by a persistent and hostile behavior for at least 6 months.

What signs of child's behavior may help to determine oppositional defiant disorder?

Here they are:

• often loses his temper;

• refuses to comply with rules and requests of adults, showing disobedience;

• often argues with adults;

• deliberately annoys people around them;

• often irritable and easily loses his temper;

• blame others in his own mistakes or misconduct;

• showing malice and revenge;

• often angry and offended.

The key difference of ODD from other behavioral abnormalities is the lack of apparent violations of the rights of others and the existing laws (stealing, fighting, cruelty, destructiveness, assault, etc.). There are also no characteristic signs of affective, psychotic and conductive disorders.

The main causes of oppositional defiant disorder are the following factors:

• biological factor (abnormal changes in the function of neurotransmitters of the brain);

• genetic predisposition (heredity);

• external factors (psychological environment at home or at school);

• delays in development.

Disturbances in behavior often become the cause of significant deterioration of the child's social, professional and academic activity. According to statistics, at least 5% of children today can be diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder. Many child psychologists reasonably associate ODD with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Of course, not all children suffering from ADHD have ODD. However, many of these children do have it (about 65%).

In many children, suffering from ODD, symptoms disappear with time. For example, a rebellious teenager could turn into quite accommodating an adult. Nevertheless, some signs may remain for a lifetime. And aggressive two-year-old toddler is likely to grow into the same aggressive adult.

What can we advise to parents of children with ODD?

• encourage the child to interact and flexibility;

• try to self-control;

• develop a strategy for their behavior;

• set boundaries, which the child must adhere to;

• do not act alone (interact with a spouse, coach, teacher);

• avoid mental and physical exhaustion (the child should not take all your time and energy).

The treatment of oppositional defiant disorder is profession of child psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists who have appropriate experience. They can prescribe medication for kids with ODD. In most cases, doctors give advices, related to the child and his family.

What you should know about kids with oppositional defiant disorder?

Original article

Stress and Alzheimer's Disease

A recent study discovered that there might be an important link between chronic stress and Alzheimer's disease. The study indicated that those under constant stress spawned insoluble tau proteins in their brain. This protein is one of the suspected causes of Alzheimer's, thus establishing a clear link between people who are constantly stressed out and their likelihood of getting Alzheimer's.

Neurofibrillary tangles-a protein deposit-are one of the most recognizable indicators that someone has Alzheimer's disease. This, the researchers are saying, is why there has always been a link between stress and sporadic Alzheimer's. Now that it's known that stress can actually spawn these protein structures in the brain, steps need to be taken to figure out how to fight this stress-induced problem. Alzheimer's disease affects about 25 million people around the world, and now that one of the possible causes of this disease is better understood, the next logical step is to figure out how to prevent it.

The study looked at lab mice and found that when they were exposed to emotional stress, their likelihood of getting Alzheimer's increased. The stress spawned the insoluble proteins and this in turn leads to the neurofibrillary tangles mainly found in the brain's hippocampus that so accurately diagnose Alzheimer's.

There are a lot of advances that have been made in Alzheimer's and dementia research lately. This is just another important step toward finding an effective way of preventing and treating this awful disease. Now that one of the causes of Alzheimer's is known, researchers should move in the direction of learning how to prevent this from happening. Stress, of course, is unavoidable in many situations and as a result will never be able to be eliminated, but the results of that stress-the protein deposits-might be able to be avoided. This would be a huge step forward in treating this disease. Responding to the results of stress is the most logical way of approaching this information.

The interesting thing about this study was that they found that not all stresses and stressors are created equal. Acute stress, the kind that is severe and harsh but doesn't last for very long, has little to no bearing on the development of the detrimental proteins. These transient stressors are actually beneficial to the brain, researchers believe, since it increases cellular plasticity. It's chronic and repeated stress that has the biggest negative impact upon the brain. The constant wearing and tearing of stress pathways is what leads to these protein deposits within the hippocampus. And it is the results of this constant stress that is the likely cause of Alzheimer's disease. By figuring out how to eliminate these insoluble tau proteins, doctors will be taking a huge step toward the fight against Alzheimer's.

Matthew G. Young is a freelance writer who specializes in financial, sports, and health-related topics. To learn more about in home health care visit Paradise In Home Care

Original article

ADHD - What Do You Need To Know About It?

As a parent when you first come across the term ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) you would probably think of it as a puzzle and if the words are arranged correctly they would form a word which will make sense. Children with this disorder have trouble concentrating at school and at home.

It can cause problem in learning and relationships which could continue to affect their adult life if not diagnosed during their childhood years. It is found more prevalent in boys than girls.

What are the symptoms of this disorder and as a parent of a child who is showing some behavioral problems at school and home how can you easily identify it? ADHD in children can be identified by the following symptoms which include:

Difficulty following instructions,Forgets things,Disorganized,Doesn't pay attention to details,Easily distracted,Does not listen,Trouble with tasks that require planning,Does not pay attention at school and at home.

ADHD symptoms can be easily identified if the parent is alert and notices these changes in their child's behavior. There are certain symptoms which are specific to this disorder and these include:

Been fidgety,HyperactiveTalks too much,Interrupts a conversation,Does not wait for his/her turn,Does not play quietly and is always on the move either running or climbing both in school and at home.

ADHD is caused due to lack of certain specific chemicals in the brain which are necessary for the thought process. Most parents usually blame themselves for this change in behavioral pattern in their children and some think it is due to a specific diet, too much of TV or video games. You cannot be further away from the truth.

The treatment can be done using certain drugs in consultation with your doctor but the most important aspect of treatment starts at home and school. You as a parent need to bring certain simple changes in your life and this can be done in a systematic manner. The rules and schedules that you make should be easy to follow and must be rewarded appropriately.

There is a misconception that children tend to outgrow this disorder but this is not the case. There are many among them who carry these symptoms into their teenage years and later into adult life.

A combination of certain specific drugs along with lots of love and affection bring about the desired results. ADHD assessment needs to be done at frequent intervals so as to help your child win this battle.

Original article

How To Increase Your Brain Power

Many of us feel that it is natural for us to lose our mental agility and keenness as we get older. This certainly does not have to be the case. It has nothing to do with old age but rather our lifestyle choices and poor thinking habits. So if we change our choices and thinking habits we can stop and even reverse the trend and become mentally sharp once again.

TECHNIQUES TO INCREASE BRAIN POWER

Challenge your senses - Have you noticed that most of your world perception is based largely on what you see and hear? This is by choice, a life choice that will lead you down the path of losing mental agility and keenness. To change this start using all your senses to gather information about where you are and what you are doing. Here are some simple techniques.

Put a blindfold on and try and to make your way around the house or down the street. Just as a blind person compensates for their loss of sight by increasing the sensitivity of their other senses you will to. You will start noticing all the smells around you and the taste of the air or the feel of the sidewalk. It may not stay with you when you remove the blindfold but even for the short duration of the exercise brain power is increasing. If you do it often enough you will be able to become more aware of your surroundings without the blindfold.

Visit your local bakery or chocolate shop and sample things you wouldn't normally try or simply take longer to eat the things you usually do. Use your sense of feel to discover the texture of the product, or try and guess the weight. Then smell it and try and determine all the ingredients in the item. Finally taste it and savor the flavor on all the different parts of your tongue. Chew slowly and smell the aroma emanating from your mouth.

Solve puzzles and play games - There are many studies that show puzzles and games are great ways to stimulate the human mind and bolster the thinking process. The beauty of this is they do not have to be complicated games or puzzles, although the more complicated they are the more brain power boost you achieve. The goal is to just stimulate the brain, not to become an expert at it or achieve the highest level every time.

Playing a simple board game with your grandkids can be very stimulating and great family fun. All these games were developed to stimulate the minds of young people. What is to say they do not stimulate older folks as well? Often mental math is involved, as well as reading, hand-eye coordination, and choices about what path to take. All these activities stimulate brain cells and cause the brain to grow.

Take a few moments with you morning cup of coffee and do today's crossword or yesterday's Sudoku. Many newspapers have several different puzzles with varying degrees of difficulty to stimulate the mind. Although it is fun to challenge one's ability at times, remember the goal is to simply task the brain rather than allowing it to lapse into poor thinking habits and begin to lose the keenness it once had.

John Burge is a writer who specializes in increasing brain power. You can check out his latest website at Boost Your Brain Power, where he provides mind powering techniques including Increase Your Brain Power Information and Power Up Your Brain Today.

Original article

Obtaining A Diagnosis Of ADHD Is Never Achieved Quickly And Effortlessly

When you have reason to think that your child might have ADHD your next course of action is to have them properly evaluated and assessed by a trained and qualified ADHD specialist. It is important to understand that there are some unscrupulous folk in the medical profession who will render a diagnosis after a single consultation and nonchalantly hand over a prescription for Ritalin or Adderall, or some other ADHD medication. While some children do respond well to ADHD drugs there are those that show no improvement. Then there are a great many who have to cease taking the drugs because the side effects become too much to bear. In fact, the side effects associated with ADHD drugs have resulted in a great deal of controversy which has simply fuelled the fires of controversy surrounding the actual disorder itself.

There are still those that maintain that ADHD is not a real disorder and that poor parenting, insufficient discipline, too much time playing video games and watching television, and a poor diet are the real reasons behind unruly and bad behavior. Parents are advised by friends and family to be stricter if they wish to have a better behaved, more manageable child. This is all very well and good if the child is merely badly behaved, but for some children, millions in fact, bad behavior is not the result of insufficient discipline, junk food, and video games, it is instead indicative of a very real disorder - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is believed to spring from a chemical imbalance in the brain and restoring that balance helps to improve the associated symptoms and behaviors. Homeopathic remedies are considered very beneficial in this regard. Rather than simply masking the symptoms for a few hours, the ingredients chosen for the remedy actually work toward treating the disorder.

Obtaining a Diagnosis for ADHD

There is no single test to determine whether a child has ADHD or not. That means that a blood test or brain scan will not indicate if a child has the disorder. That being said there are those that are looking forward to the day when a genetic test will be available and they insist that it is soon going to make its presence known. Those who might have ADHD will simply have to visit their doctor's office for a cheek swab. Results would likely be available just seven to ten days later.

You would be forgiven for thinking that sounds too good to be true given the fact that currently the diagnostic process is a really long and drawn-out one. However, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute (Maryland), a gene has been discovered that is able to indicate who is likely to develop ADHD. Even more remarkable is their claim that this same gene is also able to indicate whether that person would then respond well or not to stimulant drugs, such as Ritalin.

Upon receiving a diagnosis for ADHD the usual course of action is to place the individual on stimulant drugs. For many of these individuals the results are positive but for many others, they are anything but. Either there is simply no improvement at all, or the side effects are too much to handle. If this test were to become available it will provide useful information far more quickly and spare many people, kids especially, the unpleasantness of nasty side effects.

To find valuable information about diagnosis for adhd, visit my blog at http://www.adhd-treatment-info.com/. V K Rajagopalan allows you to learn about a very effective natural homeopathic remedy for your child.

Original article

How to Find Happiness By Accepting Yourself for Who You Are

The single most important key to living a happy and healthy life is our ability to be dedicated to the truth at all costs. This may seem like a simple thing to do but the reality can be very different.

Why? Being honest with ourselves about how we feel and what we want may not be what we were brought believing we should do. We may have put our own thoughts and feelings to one side to fit in with what other people expected of us. Perhaps this is what we are still doing to this day.

We will know that we are not following our heart whenever we are doing something does not feel right for us. That knowing feeling in the pit of your stomach!

"Every time I've done something that doesn't feel right, it's ended up not being right." Mario Cuomo

But what do the majority of people do when they have that dreaded feeling? They carry on regardless, continuing to please others or doing what others expect of them! The thoughts and feelings do not tend to go away so we will find a way to manage them.

We will find a way to suppress the feelings. Some people will give their power away by taking on the belief that they are not in control of how they are feeling. That there is some unexplainable reason why they feel the way they do and the only answer is to take anti-depressant medication.

This is not the only way that we block these emotions! Some people will rely on food or alcohol to get them through the day. Others might appear more "together" but really fill their time so much so that they are never really alone with themselves. They never have to listen to what their mind, body and spirit is communicating a daily basis. We all have our way of avoiding the truth.

In the past I would keep myself very busy jumping from one project or job to another. I never really felt happy and content. I can now see this was a sign that I didn't want to stop for long enough to really listen to myself. I now know that this meant that I would have to change and unravel the mess I had created.

We also avoid the truth of other people in our lives. We avoid talking to other people about their truth! If we can't cope with our own, we certainly can't handle the truth of others. So what we do is we avoid asking questions or we avoid talking about some situations. Rather than opening our ears and LISTENING we project how we feel or our beliefs on to the other person.

Why do we do this? Listening to either ourselves or others can often lead us to change how we are living our lives. This thought terrifies most people so instead it is easier to try and block these feelings. However, this can cost us dearly! The question is whether it is worth the price you are paying. Only you can decide! You have to live with yourself and your choices.

Scott Peck was a famous Psychiatrist and he wrote about people and their maps. He informs that so many of us have mapped out our entire life. We believe we have a certain path to follow and often we stick rigidly to this even when we find out new things about us and others. He very wisely says that for us to have a healthy mind it's "an ongoing process of dedication to reality at all costs".

So, is it worth changing? It may be the road less travelled and it may mean changing that outdated map that you have. But at least you will be able to live with yourself and who knows at the end of the day you may even like yourself!

Kelly Menzies, Change and Personal Development Leader has been working in HR, Change Leadership and Learning and Development for ten years. She is currently working with fitness and nutrition professionals, using personal development techniques to help them attract and retain more clients and build their business. Get started today with her FREE 7 Day Training Series, "Build Your Client Base and Make More Money" http://www.life-is-now.co.uk/

Original article

Using a Herbal Remedy for Anxiety Disorders

There exists little doubt as to the fact that all humans possess varied kinds of flaws. Virtually all mankind find themselves susceptible to emotions such as fear, happiness, sadness and jealousy. These emotions help individuals to understand and express themselves. Nonetheless, emotions sometimes get the better of the personalities. In this regard, anxiety usually takes over as an unpleasant scenario. It stands out as a physiological or psychological situation emanating from behavioral or somatic elements. Moreover, anxiety would normally result from emotional and cognitive components.

Anxiety usually rears itself through certain disorders like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), phobia, panic and agoraphobia. Medical experts have prescribed varied forms of treatment as pertains to this predicament. The treatment modules usually cater to each of the resultant of anxiety disorders. The most common ways of treating anxiety patients include psychotherapy, anti-depressants and medications like benzodiazepines. Alternatively, people can turn to herbs as a curative for these ailments.

An herbal remedy for anxiety holds the advantage over other treatment methods by virtue of its originality. On most occasions, people who cure anxiety using herbs incur fewer costs on the exercise. Furthermore, there are a lot of herbal medications or practices in the market. These natural medicines follow certain modalities in the curative process. For example, these medications work best in conjunction with a supplemented diet. In this regard, St. John's Wort always fulfills this purpose. As such, the BMJ (British Medical Journal) has endorsed the herb as a viable method for treating anxiety.

Consequently, medical practitioners can cure anxiety problems by borrowing a leaf from their Asian partners. The age-old tradition of ginseng has proven itself capable of alienating mood swings from the body. The herb normalizes blood sugar levels; thereby reducing high blood pressure. By extension, researchers opine that ginseng assists patients to enhance their endurance levels. Another herbal remedy for anxiety exists in the form of kava-kava. People can use this herb to relax their tensed nerves, hence eliminating other complications like insomnia.

Kava-kava usually bears some form of modernity to its structure. Patients can consume this herb as a tea or capsule. The medical profession can also utilize herb in treating anxiety through improvement of the circulatory system. Such a tool for increasing oxygen supply stands out as ginkgo-biloba. Thus, people will be able to harvest sufficient nutrients from their bloodstream and reduce fatigue. Psychological experts have always prescribed a lot of rest as a stress detoxifier.

Consequently, herbs can play a vital role in the achievement of relaxation. Chamomile tea poses as an efficient anecdote for headaches resulting from stress. As an herbal remedy for anxiety, chamomile comes embedded with a sweet taste making ingestion easier. Furthermore, it assists in reducing upsets of the tummy. Evidently, anxiety disorders bring into disrepute the various body functions. Patients should institute treatment methods at the earliest opportunity. The existence of herbal remedies is a plus for the medical profession and the public at large. This scenario increases the fighting chances against anxiety disorders.

Martina Gerste is an online publisher of health and self help related websites. Click the link for more information on Anxiety Relief Techniques.

Original article

Solutions for ADHD: Revealing the Scope of the Problem and Real Answers

Solutions for ADHD are desperately needed. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder in both children and adults. According to classification systems and government statistics, it affects 3 to 5 percent of children and adolescents. However, other research indicates the range may be as little as 2% and as much as 14%. Males are diagnosed t a rate of 2.5 times that of females and the reasons for this are not completely understood.

ADHD is a clinical syndrome that has been defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV-TR) and International Statistical Classification of Diseases - Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The syndrome is defined by high levels of hyperactive, impulsive and inattentive behaviors beginning in early childhood.

All people have problems with attention and over-activity some of the time. However, solutions for the ADHD child and adult are needed as they have more extreme symptoms that persist over time. These symptoms can lead to clinically significant impairments that affect children, adolescents and adults in their daily lives.

Characteristics of ADHD can include low self-esteem, educational problems, interpersonal problems and occupational adjustment difficulties of many types. Unfortunately, antisocial behavior can develop as a consequence of poor adjustment from the aforementioned problems.

Despite efforts to otherwise cope, those with attention deficit problems often have a difficult time focusing in daily life. Children are often labeled as oppositional and defiant due to the difficulty in paying attention.

Simply put, they may daydream a lot, thus projecting the perception that they are being non-compliant or do not care and are unmotivated in school or at home.

The syndrome often means that these individuals will be distracted from schoolwork or play. Since information may not be processed due to the attention issue, memory encoding and retrieval can be significantly affected. Thus, these individuals appear to have memory problems, even though the parts of the brain the store memory may be working well.

Children, adolescents or even adults with ADHD squirm or fidget a lot. They may talk too much. Not uncommon is the tendency to act and speak without thinking. This impulsive behavior may annoy others further leading to social and interpersonal problems. Breaking a residual rule, such as interrupting others, can be quite annoying to those who lack understanding of ADHD.

Those with ADHD may also develop psychiatric symptoms due to problems with adjustment to life. Syndromes or problems that may co-exist with ADHD are common and include other neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, alcohol or substance abuse, depression, reading problems such as and dyslexia, personality disorder, or other behavioral health problems such as anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder or others.

Solutions for ADHD can be both positive and negative. Real answers are needed. Various stimulant and non-stimulant drugs have been shown to have varying degrees of effectiveness. However, side effects among medications have been well documented and can be quite problematic.

Adverse drug effects can include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach pains, diarrhea, anxiety, headache, numbness, fainting, slow or slurred speech and many others.

Many believe that the best solutions to attention and hyperactivity are noninvasive and use natural supplements and behavioral approaches. Important as well are behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapies which have been shown to be quite effective.

Homeopathic or natural remedies have been shown to be a good solution for the ADHD child and adults. They do not have the adverse effects noted above.

Dr. Chris Wolf is a neuropsychologist who is a strong advocate of natural health remedies for the treatment of various conditions and illnesses. He has studied brain-behavior relationships for 25 years, and has been both a treating doctor and researcher. You can learn more about safe, natural treatments for ADHD on his site, http://www.adhd-solution-guide.com/.

Original article

Should You Take the Alzheimer's Test or Is It Just Forgetfulness?

Are you in your 50s or 60s and think you need to take an Alzheimer's test. You think your losing your memory because you misplaced your keys or you can't find your glasses? Don't panic here in the United States as the baby boomers are reaching their 60s Alzheimer's disease and dementia are growing concerns. If you're had personal experiences with a friend or family member who suffers from dementia, you are critically aware of what a monster this disease is.

Occasionally we all forget things; you can't remember the name of the person you were just introduced to. Perhaps you've misplaced your car keys again, can't find your glasses the moment you need them. You have to search for a word to complete a sentence. When driving you miss a turn going to a familiar place. These are not Alzheimer's signs it is simply normal forgetfulness. Despite what the family may think, it's not time to take an Alzheimer's test.

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are aggressively being researched to find a cure. Researchers have begun to unlock many causes of memory loss, where memories are stored and why we easily recall some information and not others. Alzheimer's tests are being developed and evaluated constantly.

Researchers have raised the challenge, and although a cure may be out there on the horizon. What can we do today to help ourselves? No matter what your age it's never too late to take steps to preserve your memory. Preventing memory loss must be easier than trying to restore it.

Memory issues concerned most of us at some point, but let's not panic. A certain degree or forgetfulness is to be expected as we age. You don't expect to have the heart and lungs of a 19-year-old when you're 60. Nor should you expect the rest of your organs not to have some age related wear and tear, your brain included.

So much of our concern about dementia and Alzheimer's disease may just be forgetfulness. Unfortunately as we age it's only natural to have concerns over memory loss. Here is a list of some common complaints that do not signal Alzheimer's disease or other dementia.

1. You have a hard time recalling the name of a colleague.
2. You're reading a good book and for a moment you can't recall the title.
3. At home you open the refrigerator and have no idea why.
4. You go to the mailbox only to remember you have already retrieved the mail.
5. You walk into a room and forget why.
6. You miss place common things, your keys, your eyeglasses.
7. A person's name is on the tip of your tongue, but you just can't remember it.

These few items and many more are simply signs of forgetfulness, and is a normal sign of aging. It's not time to subject your-self to Alzheimer's testing just yet.

Here's a list of signs of mild cognitive impairment;

1. Constantly misplacing items, even when you try to make a mental note of where you're placing them.
2. Frequently forgetting people's names, and are slow to recall them if at all.
3. You have difficulty choosing the right words when speaking.
4. You begin to forget important events, like doctor's appointments or meeting the kids at the bus stop.
5. Have trouble retaining newly learned information or news events you've just read in the paper.
6. When driving you are getting lost more often, and don't remember how to program the car's GPS.
7. Your family and friends began to notice your memory loss, and start showing concern. You may want to consider taking some Alzheimer's tests.

Remember this: it's just forgetfulness if you miss-place your keys. It's time to take those Alzheimer's tests, when you find those keys you have no idea what they are. Visit the memory site and learn how to improve your memory in seven days guarantee.

Warmest Regards,
William Morgan

Original article

Bipolar Disorder Is No Laughing Matter

You've probably heard it a hundred times: "Boy, I feel really bipolar today." However, bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness, and using the phrase "bipolar" like this out of context, so that it just means something like "unstable" person, can be very hurtful to people who actually have the condition. In this article, I will discuss what the condition actually is, and why the misuse of the term is hurtful.

What Bipolar Disorder Actually Is

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that causes people to have periods of high mood, called mania or hypomania and periods of low mood, called depression. For most people with the condition, these mood episodes occur less than four times per year, and they can last several months.

Bipolar disorder is mostly a genetic disorder, and virtually everyone with the disorder has some history of it in the family. It is currently incurable, but can be managed using medication and therapy.

Even with current treatments, however, bipolar disorder can be very debilitating. Unemployment rates are very high among people with the condition, as episodes can damage functioning. Manic episodes often require hospitalization, and living with the condition is a lifelong struggle.

Why Some Uses of "Bipolar" Are Hurtful

Often, the word "bipolar" is used simply to mean "unstable". Just today, I found an article referring to President Karzai of Afghanistan as being "bipolar" because of his shifts in policy. Other times it refers to whenever someone feels moody, and it is often directed at women.

However, using the term in this way trivializes the illness, treating the condition as though it is a laughing matter. Bipolar disorder is not something that just happens when someone is in a strange mood. It is something that greatly impacts people's lives. Having something that impacts people so greatly treated as a joke trivializes the experiences of those living with the condition.

Moreover, "bipolar" isn't just used trivially. It is used as a term of abuse. When people call other people "bipolar", they are intending it as an insult. However, when a disease is used to insult other people, the implication is that there is something bad about people who actually have the disease. By using the term as an insult, it insults not only the person being targeted, but all bipolar people as well.

Conclusion

Please be careful when using the term "bipolar" outside of its normal context. The stigma that the mentally ill face is very difficult, and using the term either trivially or insultingly both underestimates the seriousness of the condition and treats all bipolar people as objects of ridicule. There is no need to insult and mock millions of people just to get a laugh.

Daniel W. Bader, Ph.D. was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1997, and now works as the webmaster and primary author of the site Bipolar Today, where he provides information, news and blog posts about bipolar disorder. Articles include discussions of bipolar disorder in popular culture, such as a recent article about the television show "Homeland" called Bipolar Disorder in the Mainstream: "Homeland" (Spoiler Alert).

Original article

Self Knowledge - Key to Confidence

Within the newly developing expanded sphere of the science we call psychology, there is growing acceptance and understanding of the existence of the individual directing consciousness - the component we call the soul.

Although remaining a vague concept in many minds, our soul deserves recognition as the profound component of the psyche beyond the body, emotions and mind. It is the immortal or enduring consciousness that we know as "I" or the true self.

Whereas it is well known that the personality can yield its moods, thoughts, attitudes, appearance and behaviour, the soul is not so quickly moulded or changed, but is the more permanent nature that grows and develops slowly, changing by life experience.

Like sheaths of ever subtler gradient, the different aspects of the individual function in different spheres, from lower or material to ethereal, each is of equal important to our person as a whole.

The physical body is tenanted by our consciousness and is our responsibility to care for it as an important visible expression of our nature.

Others see our body but cannot perceive as clearly our emotions or feelings that are very real to us.

Although some may come to perceive and understand our emotions and our changing moods, there are fewer who share our own thoughts and come to known our minds except in the measure we communicate them by our speech, writing and our attitudes. Our minds are more private a world and central to our sense of possessing an inner safety and place of refuge.

Our hearts and minds are the twin power centres of our being that together guide us through life. We tend to identify ourselves most with our thoughts, although our feelings are just as important.

Outwardly people may observe and assess our personality and relate to our physical, emotional and even mental nature but there are even fewer who are familiar with our central being - our soul. It is here that our own inner wisdom and truth resides. And it is when soul to soul relationships are made that the most profound friendships are formed.

We may be reminded of the ancient teaching "To thine own self be true". But in the midst of the complex and often conflicting components we possess in a human psyche how do we find our 'self' to which we are encouraged to remain true?

Some of us believe we should start with understanding the importance of physical culture and physical training and gradually integrate the emotional and mental aspects until we are at ease with life.

Others choose to take a more simplistic approach to rely upon their genuine affections and allow their emotions and the heart and as their 'self' and true life guide.

Others believe in the supremacy of the mind as the true 'self' and search through the labyrinthine ways of the intellect in the search for Absolute Truth.

However, when the body dies and we lose our physical form, we also lose our emotional self and our thoughts, leaving only our soul consciousness to journey on into future existence.

To understand each aspect of our nature develops self confidence but to know and focus upon our own soul being throughout our life is surely of supreme importance.

Sally Janssen is a writer, and Yoga teacher well known both in Australia and abroad for her skill in demonstration of the Hatha Yoga practices and her wisdom in applying the principles of Raja Yoga -the study of the mind and consciousness.

More details at

http://www.essence-of-yoga.net/
http://www.mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog

Original article

Help Dementia By Meditating With Brainwave Entrainment

It's no secret that meditation has many benefits and it's not a new kid on the block.

For hundreds of years, if not thousands, meditation has been practiced daily, in just about every culture of the world, to achieve a no mind state of consciousness, where the brain releases chemicals to enhance health physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Meditation is a process that enables a person to communicate between you and your mind and your mind and your body.

If meditation can reverse damages done to the mind and brain, and stimulate areas of the brain that are not being used, it stands to reason that meditation can help with the symptoms of dementia.

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania, has confirmed that daily meditation can improve cognitive function. Cognitive function, is an intellectual process by which one becomes aware of, perceives, or comprehends ideas. This involves aspects of perception, thinking, reasoning, and remembering... all functions that are impaired in dementia patients.

In this study, subjects were taught how to meditate using Kundalini Yoga and were told to meditate 12 minutes a day for a period of eight weeks.

Kundalini yoga meditation involves the chanting of sounds, or words, in a repeating rhythm, to redirect the flow of thoughts, altering the brain's normal patterns, neural chemistry, and emotional balance.

After the eight weeks, SPECT scans showed a significant increase in blood flow to the area of the brain that deteriorates in people with Alzheimer's disease-the area associated with learning and memory.

"If this kind of meditation is helping patients with memory loss, we are encouraged by the prospects that daily practice may even prevent neurodegenative diseases such as Alzheimer's." Andrew Newberg, M.D.

Meditation, any kind of meditation, is not a skill that is easily acquired, and is especially difficult in people who have damaged areas in their brain.

Brainwave entrainment is a powerful, fast and efficient form of technology, that uses audio and/or visual pulses, to engage the brain into a specific pattern. Using specially designed recordings, while attempting a meditative state, can hasten the effect. Entrainment stimulates the brain to alter its dominant brainwave frequency to a precise brainwave that improves cognitive function.

Practicing Kundalini meditation, with a brainwave entrainment recording, will carve new neural pathways in the brain, those of which can be seen physically, on a brain scan. New neural networks form in the gray matter, waking up areas of the brain that are not being used to the best of their ability and enhances the damaged areas. Memories, made through the course of the day, have a new place to be stored, by-passing the damaged areas that used to store memories.

It's very exciting to think that dementia symptoms can be diminished or maybe even eliminated, just by changing the way the brain stores memories.

Brainwave entrainment is a technology that can speed up the ability to achieve a meditative state, which in turn speeds up the receiving of cognitive benefits.

Check out Waverider Emporium's Newest Product "10 Minute Brain Booster" to help you achieve your peak performance level.

Using brainwave entrainment is easy and fast and can change your life in every way. Begin your transformation by downloading your free "Decompress" and "Trance" mp3s in binaural beats and isochronic tones at http://waveridermp3.com/

Original article

Does My Child Have ADHD?

Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder is a disorder that is almost exactly what it sounds. It is when children (and adults) are inattentive, hyperactive or impulsive causing significant life problems. Some with ADHD only have problems with inattention. Others only struggle with hyperactivity, and some have issues with both.

ADHD is a disorder usually first diagnosed in childhood. If you are a parent and are concerned that your child may have Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, here are a few things to consider and some information on how to seek out appropriate help.

To be diagnosed in childhood, symptoms of inattention or hyperactivity must occur before the age of seven. Also symptoms must occur in another location besides home; usually at school. If you are concerned that your child may have ADHD I recommend that you seek out help immediately. Here are a few ideas for how to access resources for diagnosing the problem and finding treatment.

If your child is in school you may request an evaluation from your school psychologist. I also recommend that you communicate with the teacher to compare notes and talk about concerns. If there is a counselor at school you may consider initiating counseling.

Outside the school there are also resources. Talk with your pediatrician about your concerns. Or have your child seen by a psychiatrist, preferably one that specializes in children. Both a pediatrician and psychiatrist are able to prescribe medication for ADHD, although some pediatricians are more comfortable doing this than others.

You may be asked to complete some assessment tools to help a physician diagnose ADHD. These comprise of written questions to be answered by a parent, and one other adult who has viewed the child in a setting outside the home (such as a teacher). These questions are really helpful for diagnosing ADHD and help bring objectivity to the evaluation because they gather data from two different settings. Also, because behaviors such as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity can happen for a variety of reasons, the assessment tools help rule out other disorders and issues.

Finally, I encourage you to seek out help in diagnosing this disorder if you have concerns about your child. As a parent you know your child the best and can become a strong advocate for getting answers and finding support. ADHD makes it very difficult for children to thrive, especially in school. So intervening early will make all the difference.

Andrew McGowan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in Santa Barbara, California. You can read more of his articles at andrewmcgowan.org

Original article

The Real Importance of Your Mental Health

I will give you a simple explanation for the meaning of life for the human being so that you may understand how important your mental condition is for you. You will also understand what you have to do in order to guarantee your mental stability forever, and find happiness in life.

If you belong to the human race, this means that your behavior follows many absurd behavioral programs because the biggest part of your brain belongs to your wild conscience (anti-conscience) which is primitive, violent, absurd, immoral, indifferent, and cruel. I discovered this truth after continuing Carl Jung's research.

The necessity to eliminate your absurd tendencies indicates that the meaning of your life is related to your psychological transformation. You pass through the necessary process of transformation that will guarantee your mental health by following the guidance of the unconscious mind.

The unconscious mind that produces your dreams is God's mind. You are helped through secret dream messages, so that you may eliminate your wild nature and find peace. This is how you will manage to preserve your mental health.

The dream language follows a different logic, and the meaning of all dream images is symbolic. Carl Jung discovered this meaning for you, and I transformed his complicated method into a fast method of instant translation.

You can absolutely trust the dream messages. The information I'm giving you is the result of a scientific research and many cures through dream therapy into practice for two decades. The unconscious mind is a perfect doctor because it has a divine origin.

Carl Jung didn't have a religious attitude after discovering this truth, but I had the attitude of someone who recognizes the meaning of sanctity after perceiving the unconscious goodness.

I also found proof that clearly revealed our dependence on a creator. Our planet is too young. Life could never have appeared on Earth merely by chance. If the formula for the appearance of life wasn't known, we needed numerous billions of years of permutations by chance until the right formula would finally be found, while our planet is only 4.56 billion years old.

Our planet's age indicates that everything was prepared to follow a known sequence, so that life could appear on Earth and we could have the development we had, in a short period of time. I found more proof about the existence of God but right now I won't give you more information about this matter. I'm simply showing you that the atheistic mindset of the current civilization is based on erroneous concepts.

God's existence is necessary for many reasons. We are absurd if we insist on disregarding so many indications that we need a creator and a superior brain that would organize the perfect functioning of our planet and of the animal life. God's existence is a fact.

When you translate your dreams according to the scientific method you understand God's words. This is a privilege that you must recognize and feel grateful for.

You are used with ridiculous dream interpretations based on suppositions. However, the scientific translations of the meaning of dreams are accurate translations of the meaning given by the unconscious mind that produces your dreams to all dream images. You learn the meaning that the dream producer gives to the images he uses in order to give you important messages.

You must transform the absurd content of the biggest part of your brain into human content.

You are lucky because now that I simplified Carl Jung's method you can understand the wise guidance of the divine unconscious mind in your dreams. The unconscious mind shows you everything you have to do in order to eliminate all the negative tendencies you have inherited and increase your intelligence.

You learn how to develop only the positive characteristics of your personality by following the guidance you have in your dreams. You don't have to figure out by yourself what you have to do in order to transform your personality and evolve. You only have to obey the guidance of the unconscious mind, which works like a natural psychiatrist and psychologist.

You reality depends on your mental health. Your physical health depends on your mental health. Everything in your life depends on your mental health.

Your planet was created with the intention to help you transform your evil and absurd anti-conscience into a human being. The divine unconscious mind produces your dreams in order to protect your mental health. It sends you wise messages in all dream images in order to help you fight the absurdity of your wild conscience and evolve.

The scientific method of dream interpretation gives you a clear vision of what is happening in your brain and how you can control your behavior. When you follow the unconscious guidance you surely find sound mental health. Your mental health guarantees your peace of mind and your happiness in life.

Christina Sponias continued Carl Jung's research into the human psyche, discovering the cure for all mental illnesses, and simplifying the scientific method of dream interpretation that teaches you how to exactly translate the meaning of your dreams, so that you can find health, wisdom and happiness.

Learn more at: http://www.scientificdreaminterpretation.com/

Click Here to download a Free Sample of the eBook Dream Interpretation as a Science (86 pages!).

Original article

Defeating Borderline Personality Disorder - Amanda Wang Goes The Distance

After enduring many years of hardship, you were finally diagnosed properly. Can you talk about how things turned around for you?

Without the proper diagnosis and the proper tools, it is a hard battle to fight. Especially if you don't know what you are fighting.

My treatment now, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, is not a cure all. But it teaches you the necessary skills to cope with high emotions, urges of suicide, self-injury as well as the ebb and flow of everyday life. That, along with medication and exercise, has been the foundation of my journey towards recovery.

But I still struggle everyday validating my sense of self worth. I question everything I do, especially my need to exist. But I've come to understand that at times what I feel may not necessarily be what I have to do.

How do you deal with situations that make you feel emotionally vulnerable?

If there is a chaotic environment, a loud room, an argument unfolding, or anything that feels out of control, I become over stimulated.

This used to happen often, where lots of things were going on at once. Something as simple as big family dinners would completely overwhelm me and cause an anxiety attack, wreaking havoc on the rest of the week.

I know now to look out for things like that. I can recognize my triggers now and will remove myself from the environment until I return to my baseline.

Yet you were drawn to boxing, which seems an unlikely choice. How did this happen?

After my diagnosis I wanted to do something empowering and stumbled upon a boxing gym. I was drawn to these people who wanted to push themselves in a different way and were open to learning new things.

For the first 3-5 times that I sparred, I cried and was completely overwhelmed. But then I started to learn the sweet science, practicing shadowboxing, heavy bag, double end, and speed bag - and bringing it into the ring.

Boxing reminds me to show up, do the work and then reap rewards. It teaches me to work through the emotional chaos and, yes, there will be another day. For a person with BPD, it's quite comforting to be reminded of that.

Can you describe what goes on in your head, getting into the ring and being in the middle of a fight?

How much time do you have? Ha! Seriously, preparing on the day of a fight is emotionally draining! But once that bell rings, I leave all my doubts, all my questions, all my anxiety behind and focus on one thing. Winning. The practicality of the issue is that there is no time to think negative thoughts or feel anxiety.

It's one of the things I love about boxing and melds well with my treatment. It forces you to be mindful and in the present moment. Nothing else can bother you or else you'll get hit! And even if you do get hit, you can't dwell on it- or else you'll get hit again. So you learn very quickly to stay in the present moment.

As a fighter, what happens when your opponent is extra provocative, trying to get a rise out of you? Do you ever feel yourself getting out of control?

Fortunately I've had an exceptional experience working with other opponents in the ring.

The ring is perhaps the best place I've found to deal with my emotions. It's almost as if boxing were a conversation - even an argument or a heated debate - but your emotions must be kept focused to the task at hand.

It's kind of like exposure therapy. You may get overwhelmed with a flutter of punches, but you learn how to maneuver around it, using counter aggression with speed, with smarts with angles. All those things you practice- round after round, day after day, become part of your arsenal so you don't have to feel out of control.

That's why showing up for training is so important. Boxing is one of the most difficult sports out there to train for and to perform at; you need all the preparation and skills to get you there. Much like my journey in treatment for BPD.

You've put yourself out there, not only as a boxer, but also lecturing to groups about BPD. What is more taxing emotionally, speaking in front of a crowd or being in the ring?

There is nothing like being in the ring. Sparring gets close, but even that is miles away from the feelings you get when you're in a competition. When I talk in front of a crowd, it's more of a one-way dialogue. A monologue. They're paying attention, nodding heads; there might be some questions and answers.

But in the ring, there's a three -way conversation going on, you, your opponent and your coach. And it's all improvised. When you get really good at fighting competitively, boxing is a lot like jazz. But, right now, I'm still learning the notes, the phrasing, the beats and the rhythm of it all while trying to keep my cool and stay aggressive. It's a fine balancing act.

For others suffering from BPD, who aren't boxers, and are looking for emotional tools and outlets. What do you suggest for them?

There is something that exercise does for the mind/body makeup. I highly recommend some form of physical activity just because it reaps so many benefits.

I found boxing to work because it gave me an outlet for anger and aggression, which I felt I could never display. For others, it's something else. They need to search for tools, projects, work or forms of fitness that will keep them anchored.

I believe that the more you fill your life with things to help build you up, the better you're able to keep the disorder at bay.

Do you have any final words?

We can do great things not only despite mental illness, but also maybe because of it. If it weren't for my diagnosis, my treatment and my desire to feel empowered, I would have never gone down this road with the hopes of boxing in Madison Square Garden.

Now I have something greater to live for and to live and do for others to help them believe in themselves. Somehow it gives my suffering meaning. That is my hope. That is what I believe. That is what I want others to receive from my story.

The empowerment revolution provides tools and inspiration to defy your comfort zone! http://www.theempowermentrevolution.com/

Original article

What Is Sandtray Therapy?

Sandtray is one technique that play therapists use to treat children, adolescents, adults, and families (Homeyer and Sweeney, 1998). Here, the children can work through problems and traumatic experiences, which they are unable to verbalize, but can act out in play. There are specific tools used in sandtray therapy. First there is the sandtray. Then there are the sand and the water, which are earth symbols. They are appealing to the child's eyes and other senses. Finally, there is a collection of miniatures, which serve as symbols and images. They are used as words in play, much like grown-ups use words in conversation to express their pain and emotions.

A Case Study

Julie, her name is changed to protect confidentiality, is an eight year old Caucasian female from a lower middle class family. She came to see me because she has had anxiety over her mother's divorce and has problems with her father not being consistent in her life. She will scream, throw things, and temper tantrum if he does not call when he says he is going to call. When he does call, she gets anxious and does not know how to react. Therefore, she will yell at anyone in her way.

Our first session alone was spent using the sandtray. Here we used dry sand in box painted with blue paint inside and filled with sanitized sand. First, Julie played in the sand rubbing her hands in it and swirling it around in circles. She smoothed out the sand and made several concentric circles. Next, she divided the sand box in half. She heaped up all the sand on one side of the box and layered it down to a blue bottom of the tray. She said this was the sand at the sea-shore and the ocean was at the bottom. She took out male and female figurines and paired them together. Some she put at the top of the pile of sand and she stated they were waiting to go down to the beach. Then she took some more figurines and put those three-quarters away from the ocean. She said that they were walking to the water. A final couple, she put one-quarter away from the ocean. Here, she stated that these people are thinking about going into the water. That was the end of her first sandtray.

Julie has never been in counseling before. She seems to be telling me what she is experiencing in counseling. She is at top of the sand and is coming down closer and closer to the water, but she is afraid to go into the water for fear of what it is going to be like. She was testing me out to see what it would be like in therapy. She was not sure she could trust me yet. This is a perfect first sandtray and tells us where she stands. Are we not all afraid when we enter a new situation and do not know what is expected of us? We are Julie standing at the edge of the water.

Why Therapists Use Sandtray Therapy

1. Sandtray therapy gives expression to non-verbalized emotional issues.

2. Sandtray therapy has a unique sensory approach.

3. Sandtray therapy serves to create a necessary therapeutic distance for clients.

4. Sandtray therapy provides natural boundaries and limits, which promotes safety.

5. Sandtray therapy provides a unique setting for the emergence of metaphors in play (Siegelman,1990).

6. Sandplay therapy is effective in overcoming resistance in therapy.

7. Sandtray therapy can offer a medium of expression for someone with poor verbal skills.

8. Sandtray creates a place where one can experience a sense of control over their environment.

9. Problems can be accessed more easily and thoroughly through sandtray.

In Julie's sandtray we can see how important it was for her to be able to use the sand in the sandtray to express herself. She was able to tell me of her fear even though she did not have the words for the fear. This is the dynamic of the metaphor. Many other things can be said of the sandtray scene, but I am only amplifying what I see and not doing direct interpretation as what is done in sandplay. Sandplay is similar to sandtray, only it uses a Jungian base in terms of interpreting levels within the sandtray itself and focuses on interpretations.

This is just one example of sandtray and how it can be used. You should not use sandtray unless you are trained in the method and certainly not for personal use.

Homeyer, L.,& Sweeney, D. (1998). Sandtray: A practical manual. Royal Oak, MI: Self Esteem Shop.

Siegleman, E. (1990). Metaphor and meaning in psychotherapy. New York: Guilford.

Carolyn L. Nelson is a licensed clinical social worker who has been in the field over 20 years. She writes for her Blog at http://blog.therapistscornerblog.com/

She also can be reached at her website at http://www.therapistscornerblog.com/

Original article

10 Ways to Reduce Your Stress Level

Stress is everywhere we look. Let me tell you what stress looks like, how it affects your life, and then 10 simple steps to stress management.

Did you know that 75 percent of all medical complaints are stress related? Here are the most common complaints:

· Insomnia/sleep disorders

· Sexual dysfunction

· Indigestion/ Vomiting

· Ulcers/diarrhea

· Headaches

· Muscle Aches

· High Blood Pressure/heart attack/strokes

· Chronic illnesses ( flu, colds, etc.)

· Hives

At least 50 percent of the population suffers from one of these symptoms on a regular basis. The difference in how we react to stress depends largely on how we perceive ourselves and our situation. Stress releases hormones into our system that attack our immune system. While you can seek out medication to help with stress, it does not take away the source of the stress and the stress hormones are still released to reach havoc on our immune system.

Over work and anxiety may result in hormonal imbalance, which can cause exhaustion or sluggishness in our systems. This hormone reduces the ability of our bodies to fight diseases. There are several symptoms of ongoing stress. They include:

· Isolation from family and friends

· Drug/Alcohol abuse

· Increase in smoking

· Depression/anxiety

· Irritability/rapid mood swings

· Compulsive eating/dieting

· Child/spouse abuse

There are 3 key areas stress hits the hardest:

· Personal/home

· Work/career

· Money/financial

Stress is contagious. If you experience continual intense stress in one area of your life, you will find it in all other areas of your life. That is why Stress Management is so important. There are four phases or coping mechanisms that people usually use to cope or hide stress.

· Phase I: Hope it will go away.

· Phase II: Seek fast relief. (Turning to medication, alcohol or drugs)

· Phase III: Take it out on others:

· Phase IV: Seek help. (The use of stress management techniques; talking to someone)

There are 3 skills to coping with stress. Most people do not plan ahead to cope with stress. These are just some things to think about.

1. Identify the stress source.

2. Have a stress-management strategy in place that offers a step-by-step method to relieve the symptoms and eliminate the cause of the stress.

3. Have outside support available such as family and friends or a counselor.

There are 10 Ways to Manage Stress

1. Do not let minor aggravations get to you. Do not try to ignore feelings of aggravation. Acknowledge them and then look toward possible solutions. Review them the next hour, day, or when the situation will change. Keep your perspective. Small stressors can seem huge, but fade quickly if you let them.

2. Don't succumb to guilt. If you did something you regret fix it if possible-apologize, change your behavior, and learn from your mistakes. Do not let others use guilt to manipulate you. If it is legitimate, take steps to make sure it does not happen again.

3. Develop strategies. This is an action strategy to achieve a specific solution or a coping strategy for adapting to the situation.

4. Learn to accept and adapt to change. Look for opportunities instead of staying in the status quo of things. Take a leadership approach-an active approach to coping with stress.

5. Change the way you look at stress. Look at stress producers from all angles. Look for choices and alternatives. View problem solving as enjoyable and challenging.

6. Develop a support system-at least one person who can be a sounding board. These people can provide valuable insight and perspective.

7. Learn to accept the things we cannot change. You cannot control everything. Look to the future, when things will improve. Accept your feelings and do not hide them, instead look for your supports. Keep busy. Avoid too much free time to think about problems. Change the environment-take a walk, plan a trip. Pamper yourself. Indulge in a personal luxury like relaxing in a hot bath or buy yourself a small gift.

8. Develop a personal anti-stress regimen. This involves a combination of diet, exercise and relaxation. Make it convenient, time effective, inexpensive, and enjoyable.

9. Don't take it personally.

10. Believe in yourself.

These are 10 simple steps to reduce stress. I recommend that you look up how your diet effects stress, simple exercises that reduce stress, and look into relaxation CD's or Podcasts that can teach you relaxation and can be used as relaxation exercises. Having these in hand will greatly reduce your stress level.

Carolyn L. Nelson is a licensed clinical social worker who has been in the field over 20 years. She writes for her Blog at http://blog.therapistscornerblog.com/

She also can be reached at her website at http://www.therapistscornerblog.com/

Original article

The Road to Trauma Recovery

Dealing with a trauma or death can be excruciating for any family, but having to deal with trauma clean up can be unbearable and even hazardous -- both physically and psychologically. The vast majority of families that attempt trauma scene cleanup themselves are unaware that crime scene cleanup services exist or that most Homeowners Insurance will pay for the cleanup. Without the services of trained crime scene clean up technicians using the correct precautions, trauma survivors face many risks. Physically, the dangers include blood and air borne pathogens such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Influenza, tuberculosis, and meningitis.

Psychological risks include Critical Incident Stress Syndrome (CISS) or Acute Stress Disorder. CISS is a pattern of psychological and/or physiological reactions to a stressful incident or traumatic event including nausea, vomiting, anger, depression, exhaustion, restlessness, feeling a loss of control, isolation, anxiety and stress. There is no standard pattern of reaction for trauma survivors nor is there a standard time frame for symptoms to last. However, there are a number of things a trauma survivor can do after a death or traumatic event to help restore an emotional state of well-being.

First, and most important, would be to educate yourself about Critical Incident Stress Syndrome. CISS is an equal opportunity offender; symptoms can occur in all types of people from all different walks of life and is not a sign of weakness.No two people react the same way to a traumatic incident. There are a myriad of possible feelings you may have and those feelings are normal.Understanding the symptoms of CISS that you may be having will make the situation less frightening to you.You should also know that CISS symptoms do not last forever, that you will feel "normal" again.Take extra care of yourself. You can significantly help the process of trauma recovery by giving yourself the time and space to cope with any emotions or symptoms.Be sure to get enough rest at night.Eat a balanced diet and avoid non-prescription drugs and excessive alcohol.Find trauma recovery support by talking with friends and family or seek the help of a professional counselor or support group.

Remember, there are no "right" or "wrong" ways to cope with the stress brought on by a traumatic event. Crime victims, suicide survivors, and people who discover an unattended death sometimes need years to heal completely. The important thing is to take the steps to recovery and to take good care of yourself. For more information about Critical Incident Stress Syndrome, there is a good article here on Wikipedia.

Jerry Turner is the founder and president of Advanced Bio Treatment, a biohazard response company. As a former police officer and insurance agency owner, Jerry saw the need for caring, competent and dedicated service to trauma victims. Disgusted with the crooks and the amateurs working scene cleanup, Jerry started Advanced Bio-Treatment with a focus on training, professionalism, and honest work. ABT understands that its services are needed as a result of some traumatic event. Whether it is a crime scene cleanup, suicide cleanup, or some other tragic event, ABT understands. As a result, all of the employees of ABT are chosen for their attention to detail, empathy, and desire to help others.

Advanced Bio Treatment is proud to offer Support Resources for Trauma Survivors on our Resources page.

Original article

Borderline - What Do You Need To Know About It?

What is borderline disorder and how does it affect you as an individual? Borderline could be best described as a personality disorder in which the person affected by it displays repeated patterns of disorganized behavior with regard to close personal relationships, have low self image and irrational mood swings.

If left untreated it could affect personal and professional life of the individual suffering from it. This syndrome is found more predominantly among women than men. Individuals with this disorder are known to have suicidal tendencies and there are many instances of people committing suicide due to this condition.

It is a very serious mental illness where the patient may show signs of aggression, anger, depression and anxiety which may last from a couple of hours to many days at a time.

People with this disorder may tend to get very aggressive, self destructive and indulge in alcohol and drug abuse. They may also feel unworthy and think of themselves as bad. Due to this behavior they may end up losing their loved ones and friends. This further creates emptiness and they start feeling more and more isolated and lonely.

The usual symptoms include

· Unstable social relationships

· Acute mood swings where love towards to a person could suddenly turn into hatred.

· Impulsive behavior.

· Excess and risky sex,

· Binge eating,

· Excessive spending,

· Suicidal tendencies,

· Uncontrollable anger and aggression

Most people with this disorder could lead pretty normal lives with no signs of anger or aggression ever displayed but inside there is a volcano ready to burst and all it needs is a trigger factor. The end of a relationship, loss of a relative could all result in the symptoms coming to the surface.

Treatment is very much possible and the symptoms could vary from one individual to the other. In most cases medication and counseling do the trick and the symptoms of this condition are brought under control.

Sexual abuse and violence as a child have been proved to be major reasons for this disorder in a vast majority of adults. Medication in the form of anti-depressants and help from a professional counselor has been known to be of great help. If diagnosed early the chances of recovery are better and long lasting.

There is a lot of research that is been done to get to the bottom of these mental diseases and as more and more information about borderline is analyzed it offers hope to patients suffering from it.

Original article

What Is Mental Health?

Mental health is the capacity of individuals and groups to interact with one another and the environment, in ways that promote subjective well-being and optimal development with the use of cognitive, affective and relational abilities.

Furthermore, mental health plays a crucial role in the well being of the Australian community, with one in five Australian's directly suffer from a mental illness at some point in their lives.

Mental illness will have a direct effect on the quality of the individuals life with varying effects on family members, friends and the community.

PsychoMentalMadCrazyBananasNutsCrackersDelusionalDepressedBipolarLunaticInsaneParanoidPsychotic

are just a few terms that are used in a negative way by the greater community to describe mental illness; however mental illness can be understood as: "any illness experienced by a person that affects their emotions, thoughts or behaviour; is out of keeping with their cultural beliefs and personality; and produces a negative effect on their lives or the lives of their families".(World Health Organisation)

Mental illness is generally misunderstood, and has a negative social stigma attached to it. Having to live with a social odium can be more debilitating than the illness itself and forces the individual further into the margins of society, resulting in increased hardships and isolation. Furthermore, whilst the treatment and medicine for mental illness has improved, the stigma attached to it continues to grow.

Whist this website offers many fantastic self-help resources, there may a point in time where you need to seek professional help. Here are a few professional titles that you may be aware of:

Psychiatrist, is a medically trained practitioner who specialises in mental health.Psychologist, is a mental health professional that takes a scientific approach to psychological knowledge, theory and practice.Psychoanalyst, specialises in the deeper personality structures and the role the unconscious mind plays with in the mental health field.Social worker, focus their skills and knowledge on the interaction between the individual and their environment.Registered nurse, helps the individual with home care, hospital stay, and consultancy.

Multidisciplinary teams of health professional with specialised fields, are assembled to work together to detect, asses, diagnose and treat mental illness. Once an initial assessment has been made, the information can then be formulated into a diagnosis, which will then be constructed into a treatment plan that will ultimately aid and assist the individual in creating a better quality of life.

Diagnostic classification enhances clear communication, which supports the understanding of treatment options, predictable prognosis and stimulates analytical research. Furthermore diagnosis aids in the treatment planning and medical management. In addition to this, diagnosis aids in patient education and is fundamental in medical record keeping. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and related Health Problems (ICD-10) are two of the leading diagnostic systems currently used to classify and diagnose mental health illnesses. Mental health professionals are essential in the assessment of a mental disorder or illness.

Factors that must be consider during the initial interview are;

PsychologicalBiologicalSocial.

A good clinician is like a detective, gathering information, and asking questions like, who, what, when,how and why. The clinician will allow the client to tell their story without cultural or sexual prejudices, bias of opinion or judgement; and one who will keep counter transference to a minimal.

So if you think that you may need help, visit www.followyourdreamlife.com for an international list of agencies that specialise in mental health.

Thank you for reading:
For a list of mental health resources visit the following link: http://www.followyourdreamlife.com/what-is-mental-health

Original article

Ways To Find Out If You're More Than Just Shy

Are you shy, have Social Anxiety Disorder or Avoidant Personality Disorder? Have you been called shy all your life but you feel it could possibly be more than just shyness?

The life of a socially anxious or avoidant personality is not fun. In fact, it can be very sad and lonely.

People don't understand you. You appear cold, aloof and uncaring. However, the reality couldn't be further from the truth. Anyone that took the time to get to know you would find that you're a sweet, kind, caring, and sensitive person. You desperately want to make and to have friends but you feel so inept and so self-conscious that it is hard for you to open up to people.

You think so little of yourself and push people away without realizing it. Your self-esteem is low and you have a poor self-image. In your mind, you deserve to be alone.

When I encounter a person that appears to be shy and withdrawn, I will smile and say hello when I see them. In the beginning I will have to speak first each time but as time goes by they will eventually open up. The day they say hello first is a rewarding day for me.

Having Social Anxiety Disorder is a little different from being shy or having Avoidant Personality Disorder. The shy person will eventually relax and open up. The socially anxious person is more nervous and afraid (anxious) around groups of people. The avoidant personality is afraid and anxious around groups of people as well, especially people they don't know, but they are more concerned with being embarrassed, humiliated and afraid of what people think of them.

They desperately want to be accepted but are afraid to be themselves. They feel they are not good enough and basically think they are a bad person. When they interact with people they are so afraid and nervous that they will become another person just to fit in. They are "people pleasers" and think people won't like them if they're honest.

If the shy person is invited to a party they will more than likely take a chance and attend, whereas the avoidant personality will "avoid" going for fear of doing something stupid to embarrass themselves. They will either make up excuses why they can't go or if they do get talked into going, they will find an excuse to leave early. They will then torture themselves all the way home. They torture themselves with thoughts, real or imagined, of how dumb and stupid they acted and how everyone noticed their dumb and stupid behavior.

Each time this happens it reinforces the already negative feelings they have about themselves. This also justifies their avoidant behavior. The armor of avoidant protection continues to build and things get worse and worse. Sometimes it gets so bad they become hermits and have very little social contact outside of work.

It is said that medication doesn't work well with Social Anxiety Disorder or Avoidant Personality Disorder. The treatment said to work best is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Other therapy sessions can go on indefinitely, however, CBT sessions are for a set amount of time (usually 16 weeks). Patients learn to look at their thought patterns and discuss the ways they view life and the world. They already know that the way they think is unreasonable, they just feel powerless to change.

There is a lot of homework with CBT. You are given tasks to perform and you will be challenged to do things that you have avoided all of your life. For example, if you find it hard to make and/or maintain eye contact, your assignment may be to have a conversation with someone and not look away. You would then come back and discuss everything about that experience with the therapist.

If you can stay with it, CBT has really positive results and a high success rate. The problem comes in when the patient is so afraid to step out of their comfort zone or paranoid that the therapist doesn't have their best interest at heart. They may also believe that the therapist is being insensitive. If the patient loses trust in the therapist, they will not continue with the sessions. However, if they are serious about changing their life and want to be happy with themselves, they will gladly continue.

If shyness, Social Anxiety Disorder or Avoidant Personality Disorder doesn't describe you personally, you may know someone who should read this article. This article could be an ice breaker for you if you've wanted to talk to them about their behavior but did not know how.

If you are a teen or a young person do not be discouraged. You can research on the Internet and read plenty of articles and books on the subject. Find out as much information as you can. Knowledge is power. Along with getting as much information as you can, challenge yourself with little acts of courage. I heard a statement once that I love, "Having courage is not the absence of fear, having courage is being afraid and doing it anyway." Force yourself to do things like maintain eye contact or be the first to say hello. Take baby steps.

Have a great and happy life and just know there is a lot of help out there and a lot of people who really care...honest.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information in this article to discontinue your medication, for diagnosing or for treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider.

Original article

Boost Your Brain Power Today

Everyone wants to boost their brain power but the simple truth is very few people do. The sad fact is that it is very simple to boost your brain power. It only takes a few minutes a day and you probably use some of the techniques already but you don't expand upon them enough to make a great deal of difference.

There are hundreds of books and articles on how to increase your brain power out there. The great thing is you don't have to spend a lot of money in order to boost you thinking capacity. Simple steps like these, done every day, will increase neural receptors in your brain which grow and actually increase your thinking ability and if exercised continually will be around for a long time. It is very similar to building muscle. If you want stronger muscles you have to exercise them. So to, if you want a stronger brain you have to exercise it.

START EXERCISING YOUR BRAIN TODAY

Learn something new - It is that simple. There has to be something that you have always wanted to do but never made time for. Take the time now and begin researching it and work it into your daily life. Learn that musical instrument you have always wanted to play. Learn how to draw. Learn how to repair that light switch that you keep walking by because you don't think you have the skill to find out why it doesn't work.

Just the process of sitting down and researching how to do a new skill will exercise your brain and builds it up. When you begin to practice the talent, the brain will work very hard to turn that newly researched skill into actual application and build up even more. The great thing is you do not have to become a virtuoso in the new skill. The desired goal is to just exercise the brain so that it expands and becomes stronger. If you do become an expert in your new found skill create another stream of income!

Concentrate on looking at things in a new way - This can be more challenging than it sounds. We get very set in our ways as we get older, including how we see things, and perceive our surroundings. It becomes our mental comfort zone. Just like any comfort zone, if you want to grow, you must get out of that zone.

For instance a chair is for sitting in right? What else could you use it for? Sit in your chair and write down 25 new uses for it. If that was easy write 25 more. Now, what time is it? What else can you use your watch for? Did you know your analog watch is also a compass? Find out how a watch is used as a compass and never get lost again while boosting your brain power?

John Burge is a writer who specializes in increasing brain power. You can check out his latest website at Boost Your Brain Power, where he provides mind powering techniques including How to Increase Mind Power and Power Up Your Brain Today.

Original article