New Bipolar Treatment Proves Patients Can Control Their Mania

In an exciting development regarding bipolar patients and their ability to control their manic attacks, Australian researchers claim that they have developed a new procedure that can cut the number of manic episodes in their patients by 50%.

Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme mood swings from periods of excitability to periods of depression and back again. Bipolar 1 disorder affects over two million U.S. citizens every year. In many people, the mood swings can be so great that it prevents them from being able to live a normal life. This roller coaster of emotions not only affects them, but it affects their friends and family as well.

The new procedure basically involves adding therapy to the bipolar treatments that the patients normally receive. In reality, therapy is not new as many physicians already believe that the most effective treatment for bipolar disease is to use medication in combination with prescriptions medication. But belief does not equal proof.

Researchers from the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria (MHRI) located in Melbourne, Australia, and is Australia's largest independent psychiatric research center, have gone on record as believing that this study is the first one that proves bipolar patients can control their mania. The exciting impact of the Australian study is that it gives credence to the value of psychotherapy in treating bipolar illness.

The Melbourne study consisted of 84 bipolar patients. Half of the patients were given medication only. The other half were give the same medication but in addition attended weekly therapy sessions. The therapy sessions focused on teaching the participants to recognize the common symptoms that might trigger a depressive or manic episode. Symptoms such as
insomnia, a significant change in appetite, trouble concentrating, listlessness or tiredness, and other symptoms that are commonly recognized as indicating a bipolar event might be taking place.

The working theory behind the study is that if a bipolar sufferer is aware of an impending episode, he has the chance to do something about it. And the theory, in this case, proved to be correct. At the end of the study, the 42 patients taking the therapy, had only 50% of the manic or depressive episodes of the 42 patients that were treated with medication alone.

The study effectively demonstrates that therapy which emphasizes and teaches the patient how to plan his life, as much as possible, around regular daily activities and stable relationships, can help them to suffer less manic/depressive attacks and to recover faster from the ones that they do experience.

Unfortunately, long-term therapy is not cheap and many insurance companies will either not cover it or cover only a portion of it. Hopefully, studies like this will help to push the insurance companies into recognizing that therapy is a valid and useful treatment for bipolar disease and may even help to decrease their long term costs.

This study is also important and encouraging for many sufferers who don't want to be entirely dependent on prescription medication. It gives them a sense of hope that they can exert a portion of control over their lives that up until now has been lacking.

Analysis of John Clare's Love Poem First Love

"First Love" was written by John Clare, 1793-1864, about his true first love, Mary Joyce, whom he met when he was only 10 years old. She was the daughter of a wealthy farmer who forbade his daughter from meeting with Clare, a mere poor laborer, and his separation from her created an overwhelming sense of loss that set the tone for much of Clare's love poems.

The Poet

Clare was mired in poverty all of his life. He was malnourished during his youth, which contributed to his poor health later in life. At times he made his own paper by scraping birch bark, and he made his own ink with some dyes and rain water. Charity from his church kept him going until he published his first book of poetry.

John Clare married Martha Turner in 1820, the same year that he published his first book of poems. His "rural poetry" was relatively popular through the early 1820's and Clare enjoyed some success throughout London. By the 1830's the popularity of his poetry had diminished. Clare published 5 books of poetry during this period, each better than the previous, but each sold fewer copies than the previous.

Though Clare lived during the Industrial Revolution his early poems show his strong knowledge of the yearly cycles of the rural countryside. Clare gained a reputation for being able to write delightful descriptions of the natural beauties of the world and the details of raising animals and harvesting crops.

Friends and supporters helped Clare and his family move to a larger cottage, but with a wife and seven children Clare was unable to provide for his family adequately. He felt alienated in the new location and became more depressed. Stress and depression overtook Clare and he was admitted to a mental asylum in 1837. He had become delusional, imagining himself to be Lord Byron at times, Shakespeare at others, and sometimes a prizefighter or a son of George III.

He walked home from the asylum in 1841, about 100 miles, hoping that he would reunite with his first love, Mary Joyce. He had convinced himself that he was married to both his wife and Mary Joyce at the same time. He imagined that he had children with Mary Joyce as well. Disappointed and depressed at not finding her, Clare entered another asylum where he remained for the rest of his life.

He continued to write poetry as his health permitted while confined in the asylum. In fact some of his best love poems were written during the early years of this confinement. In all, Clare wrote over 3500 poems, about 400 of which were published during his lifetime. He composed his first poem, "The Morning Walk," at age 13 after being inspired by reading a copy of James Thomson's "The Seasons."

The Poem

"First Love" is a memorable, romantic poem, written by a notable Romantic poet. The poem has inspired many readers who often strongly remember and easily quote the final stanza of the poem.

The poem is well constructed with a typical romantic rhythm and rhyme scheme. The rhyme is a consistent abab when the poem is read as six quatrains. The rhythm is generally composed of lines of iambic tetrameter, eight syllables with the even syllables being stressed. However, the rhythm is not consistent, especially as seen in the poem's two final stanzas. To end his poem Clare utilizes a typical ballad meter with a tetrameter line followed by a trimeter line. This choice gives the end of the poem a musical quality.

Several similes and metaphors are evident in the poem. The metaphor in the final two lines has led to several different interpretations. Some feel that the lines mean that the poet has realized that his love is lost and will never be requited; the lines express rejection and loneliness. Others feel that the lines show that the poet is mentally unstable. Still others feel that the lines represent the romantic notion that one can lose oneself in love and be "head over heels" or "lost" in love.

First Love

Here's how the poem starts:

I ne'er was struck before that hour

With love so sudden and so sweet.

Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower

And stole my heart away complete.

Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression - Ignoring Or Being Oblivious of the Signs Can Wreak Havoc

Experiencing great fatigue is not much of a surprise when you suffer from bipolar disorder. After all you have been spending a lot of energy bumping around inanely when you were in the manic phase of the syndrome. And now that you feel down in the dumps, also pointlessly I might add, you have begun to feel the characteristic lack of energy.

Well, that's how it is with the mental disarray, and it is going to happen again, and again, constantly getting worse, until you get yourself some medical attention.

You know that feeling of being worn out like you have been carrying a heavy burden? Of course, that very feeling. That's bipolar disorder for you. You probably don't even know why you are feeling so down, particularly since you were practically ecstatic only yesterday. No surprises there either. Manic-depressive people never know why it happens to them, it just does. And the only way to get rid of it is through the right medication... and that under supervision.

It is probably no news that depressed people often have difficulty thinking, culminating in poor concentration and problems with memory. What might shock you is if you saw them outside picking a fight for no apparent reason when only minutes ago they could not even get off of the bed because 'the sky was going to fall down on us all!' Yeah sure, that happens too, when the depression has pushed the sufferer to bipolar disorder. So, rather than drop your jaw, drop your handbag, and get your friend some serious help seriously.

Where Depression Exists Anxiety May Also Exist

Anxiety and depression are far too common in our world today. Only depression is more prevalent than anxiety. When you consider the fact that wherever you find depression, you usually find a secondary diagnosis of anxiety disorder, it means one-fifth of the world is as anxious as it is depressed. Yes, it is true. Today one-fifth of the world is reported as having some form of depression.

Some of its symptoms are: *melancholia *helplessness *hopelessness *a general feeling of being overwhelmed (sometimes by even the smallest tasks) *generalized body aches (which are sometimes diagnosed as other physical ailments or diseases)

This is an incomplete list. If you have these symptoms and others for more than two weeks, it is time to see a medical professional for diagnosis and treatment. Today anxiety and depression are very treatable, and there is no reason for anyone to suffer more than is absolutely necessary. Talk therapy can sometimes do wonders for the suffering patient.

Medication is sometimes needed (short-term or long-term). Sometimes both are used. Only your doctor or other medical professional can help you to be sure exactly where the problem lies, and what are the best solutions. Depression and anxiety are sometimes situational and sometimes clinical. By situational, I mean, due to the circumstances surrounding the person and his life and loved ones. Everyone goes through times of sadness due to loss and pain. When it becomes more than grief or sorrow due to loss, grief, or short-term pain, it is time to see if you have situational depression or anxiety. There is help to get through these times of more than simple sadness or nervousness.

Clinical depression is very different. Usually beginning, not due to some event or circumstance, but somewhat "out of the blue" you might say. Sometimes beginning in childhood, some people have clinical depression for the whole of their lives. Having a clinical reason which is a chemical imbalance in the brain, most people respond well to medical therapy and/or medication. Anxiety can also be circumstantial or clinical, and the treatment for it must be considered by a medical professional. Anxiety is more than simple nervousness.

Sometimes the anxiety suffer may have anxiety attacks. Therapy, medication, or both may be needed. Great strides have been made in just the last five years in medications for the depressed and anxious. The need is there, the money is there, and the large drug companies have worked to fill that need. It takes time for producing, testing and getting a drug available to the general population.

Although to the sufferers of depression and anxiety, it could not have come soon enough. I have watched the progress in diagnosis and treatment for anxiety and depression for over forty years, and today it is so much better than it was even ten years ago. If you have not sought help in the last five years, you do not know what is available to you. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, see a medical professional, and find the help you need.

What Can a Therapist Do For Me? Three Ways a Therapist Can Help

A year ago,a 46-year-old slightly built man with piercing eyes sat across from me, and asked, "what can you do for me?" He had come from a severely abusive background, and he didn't trust easily. All he knew at that moment was the pain of betrayal. Today, he is feeling better both physically and emotionally; he has had to make difficult changes in his life. Did the therapy help? He would say, "yes."

Don't you wonder if a therapist can help you? What can talking to another person do to help me? Telling a stranger your inner most secrets may seem difficult to imagine given that you are probably being a fairly sane, well-functioning adult. Shouldn't you be strong enough to get yourself out of the funk you are in?

Jonathan, another client, had a wife who berated him for coming to therapy. She would tell him that if he were a "real man," he would be able to solve his own problems. He later identified her lack of support and understanding as one of his problems!

Clients have often told me that well-meaning loved ones recommend that they "just stop thinking so negatively," or "exercise more and you won't be so down." Basically this is the American motto of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" speech. While such a motivational speech might work for some situations, such as finding a new job, it doesn't help for someone who is experiencing clinical depression or anxiety. Most likely the person who hears this feels worse and like a failure.

Clinical depression and clinical anxiety require specialized treatment. And that is what a therapist can do. A therapist is not a "paid friend" who only listens and supports. And most friends require reciprocity. Therapists do not expect you to listen to their problems. Should you find yourself listening to your therapist's problems on a regular basis, change therapist!

A therapist receives years of special training so that he or she can do the following:

1. Asks the questions which lead to an accurate and objective assessment of the problem.. If there is a biological component to the problem, the therapist will recommend medication. Assessing the situation also includes determining the risk rate, i.e. harm to self or others. Those well-meaning others described above might not know that my client has considered suicide. While much rarer in my practice, my client might be thinking of harming someone else.

2. Guides the client through the maze of his or her past and present in a safe way so that maladaptive patterns can be identified and changed. Unless we are in an environment where we can become curious about why we think, feel and act the way we do, we can't identify those patterns that ultimately defeat us. In order to lower our guard, we have to know that we are heard, respected and understood. A therapist is trained to provide such an atmosphere so that the you can delve deeper into who you are. Facing those past pains and recognizing patterns of sabotage is difficult. We often prefer the pain of the known to the unknown, and the research from neurobiology supports this. We have well-worn pathways in our brain of the old maladaptive patterns. Changing involves discomfort and, at times, failure, before we can proceed to true change. Who wants to go through that? Having a guide who also supports and encourages the change during the rough times is often necessary. Talk therapy also has been shown to lead to that change as successfully as medication alone.

3. Facilitates change or improvement with special techniques that help the client gain clarity and awareness. Learning new behaviors, such as assertiveness, communication skills, or sleep hygiene, gives the client new tools to replace self-sabotaging ways. A psychologist, unlike social workers or marriage and family therapists, can use intelligence and personality testing to help decide what the least intrusive treatment. One person who was suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder as well as learning disabilities, needed the testing to confirm the diagnosis for herself and for the licensing board for her profession. She had failed the boards twice. When she asked for special considerations such as a reader for the test items, she passed the tests. Addressing these difficulties greatly enhanced that client's quality of life.

These are but three of the ways therapy can help you. I know that if you enter into a therapeutic relationship, you will discover others. Support and expert guidance is much preferable the pain of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Call a professional therapist today. You don't have to go it alone!

How to Be Funny, Become Popular and Be the Life of the Party

Funny people are fun to be with. Everyone enjoys their company. Learn how to be funny and you'll be the life of the party.  At parties you'll   be surrounded by a circle of friends, eager to listen to  your funny stories and laugh at your jokes.  People want to be entertained.

Make jokes and tell funny stories and you'll be welcome everywhere  you go.

Some people find it easy to be funny. It seems to be a  natural gift.  In actual fact it's a skill they learnt as children. Children love to do funny things in order to be the centre of attention. They learn to attract attention by making funny faces, dressing up with funny clothes or saying funny things.

It's quite natural to want to be popular; to be noticed, admired and accepted. Perhaps you may be a quiet, modest, retiring sort of person, prepared to  always be in the background while others get all the attention. But think how nice it would be to change your image.

Wouldn't you like people to find you amusing and entertaining? Wouldn't you like to have people crowd around you at parties, laughing at your funny stories?

Being funny is a skill.  Fortunately it's a skill you can learn.  It's never too late to start learning to be funny.  Knowing the best way to tell funny jokes and funny stories is easier than you think.  It does take a little bit of effort and practice, but learning to be funny is not as difficult as you think.

Here is some useful advice:

(1) Make a point of remembering jokes you've heard or read recently. They don't have to be vulgar to be funny. In fact it is probably not a good idea to tell a dirty joke unless you are absolutely sure that all the people who are listening to you enjoy this type of joke.

There are hundreds of really funny jokes on the internet. Choose jokes that really amuse you. If you find them really funny yourself, you are going to find it easy to memorize them. A good way to memorize jokes is to practice saying them to yourself in front of a mirror, just as you would do if you had to deliver a speech.

In telling a joke, remember that timing is everything. Make sure you deliver the punch line at the right time. How do you do this? Practice. Before you tell the joke to even a few friends, make a point of practicing it in private.

(2) In addition to remembering funny jokes that you have heard recently, make a point of remembering funny quotes and funny remarks. Try and remember as many as you can and then use them at appropriate times.

Here again, the internet is a wonderful source of extremely clever and funny quotes. Very often these funny quotes were made by famous people. In using the quotes, at an appropriate time at a party, it's not necessary to pretend that the remark is something you made up yourself. If the remark is really clever and witty, it will be just as funny if you acknowledge the source.

For example, it's really easy to remember the remark that Winston Churchill made at a party when a lady sitting next to him informed him, very loudly, and in an aggressive manner: "Sir, you are drunk!" Churchill immediately replied: "Yes Madam, you are right. But you are ugly. Tomorrow I will be sober".

(3) When you tell a story, instead of making fun of someone else, in order to show how clever you are, it's a good idea to make fun of yourself. You don't have to do so in a way that makes you look like a complete idiot. Rather do so in a way that describes an embarrassing situation that happened to you.

How to be funny is definitely a skill you can learn. There are a number of courses available that will show you how to become funny.

Depression Treatment Options: A Brief Overview

Depression can be clinical depression or seasonally affected depression. Moreover, the typical therapy for depression can be approached in a two way phase. We will come across many agencies claiming to cure depression quite immediately but you need to assess which are genuine. The patient is treated through medications and counseling sessions with a psychotherapist.

In this topic of "depression treatment options-what to consider and what to ignore," we need to know that people will be exposed to medications as well as their side-effects. If depression is quite negligible and has been detected as just a personality disorder rather than clinical depression, we need to just consider psychotherapy as the most effective option. This is because the functioning of the person's brain is normal but the person is not able to cope with certain situations and responsibilities. This is the leading factor causing depression symptoms in the person's body.

There are cases where patients have been prescribed a combination therapy of medications and psychotherapy. No case is handled with medications alone. Research studies have proved that depression can be controlled provided the person is taught effective interpersonal and confidence building techniques.

So, now in this topic "depression treatment options- what to consider and what to ignore" we discuss the pathway of medications used in this treatment. The most typical medications used for treating depression are segregated into three categories: tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

But, we need to cautiously select the most appropriate medication for depression. It has been found that the effective treatment through antidepressants may work for some while some people may not show remarkable signs of improvement. In this case, proper selection of antidepressant will depend on the case and will vary from one individual to the next. The FDA in US issued a statutory warning on all the antidepressants suggesting that antidepressants may cause an increasing suicidal tendency in children.

We now explore the use of lithium and thyroid supplements. It has been associated with improving the use of antidepressants. Antipsychotic medications will be prescribed to people suffering from depression related with psychotic disorders such as delusions and hallucinations. One of the last measures of treating immensely depressed individuals is through electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In this method, a seizure will be triggered into the patient by means of electrical current.

Preliminary research is being conducted on the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This works in a way quite similar to ECT: but the advantage of using this is associated with the fact that it triggers fewer side effects in the person as compared with ECT.

The effective treatment for people suffering from depression in months of winter is through the use of light therapy. This will help them in regaining their normal sleep cycle, having a marked impact on bringing about a relief in depression.

Alternative forms of treating depression include herbal medications and yoga. Yoga has shown quite promising results in containing the symptoms of depression. The efficacy of treating depression with herbal medication has not been fully substantiated with research. You could consider St. John's Wort as research studies in Germany have proved the efficacy of this herbal medication.

7 Reasons Why Young Men Are Suffering From Erectile Dysfunction Today

Erectile dysfunction is the inability of a male to get and sustain an erection to be able to enjoy satisfactory sexual intercourse with his partner. The condition of ED (erectile dysfunction) was previously considered by many to be a problem associated with men generally in the age group of 40 years and above, suffering from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or recovering from post prostrate surgery. Though this still holds true in many cases, recent studies have shown a dramatic rise of ED in younger men (early 20's onwards).

The modern lifestyle is a major contributor for both the psychological and physical reasons for this increase of ED in the young men. This holds especially true in the urban areas. The fast paced life of the younger generation has forced them to live a life which is unhealthy and full of stress.

The key psychological factors that affect young male adults include:

• Performance anxiety: This is by far the biggest psychological trigger that causes erectile dysfunction. Peer pressure and unrealistic expectations lead these youngsters to over think and worry about their sexual prowess, which in turn becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and causes them to loose erection.


• Bereavement in the family: A lot of young adults have trouble coming to terms with the recent demise of a family member or a friend, which affects their sexual performance.


• Work related stress: This is another biggie; the current corporate climate has increased stress levels of younger employees to a degree never before experienced by the preceding generations. Tight project deadlines, office politics and job insecurity have elevated stress levels to such heights that they can lead to erectile dysfunction.


• Depression: Untreated clinical depression is also on the rise among young men, the non treatment of which can also affect sexual performance.


• Other lifestyle factors that contribute to ED are:


• Excessive intake of alcohol: While there is no harm in letting one's hair down once in a while and enjoy a drinks with family and friends occasionally, problem arises when youngsters party hard; consuming copious amount of liquor on a regular basis. High alcohol intake not only impairs mentally but also physically and may lead to erectile dysfunction.


• Smoking: Despite the efforts of the Indian government to discourage sale of cigarettes by banning their advertisement and raising prices, the trend of smoking in youngsters especially male is on the rise. Studies have shown that smokers are 1.5 times more likely to suffer from E.D than non smokers.


• Obesity: Sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits among young men is leading to an alarming rise in obesity cases. Being obese means that the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently throughout the body including the penis, which leads to E.D.

Erectile dysfunction is totally curable, but unfortunately the majority of young men suffering from it do not take professional medical help, in fact only 1 in every 29 seek do so. They tend to suffer both physically and mentally in silence because of the social stigma attached to it, especially among younger men. They cannot talk to any of their family or friends because they think that if they do, their manhood would be questioned and they would be made fun of.

There is a lot of misleading information out there and a lot of times these youngsters will go for the quick fix in the form consuming non prescribed medicines such as the generic versions of Viagra etc, without realizing that they can cause adverse side effects, without identifying the underlying cause of their problem. The truth is that all they need to do is seek a qualified sexologist who will respect their privacy and is equipped to give them both; professional counseling (as we have seen that the biggest reasons for E.D in young men are psychological) and the right medication to identify the root cause of E.D in that individual, and offer a long term cure. This will help them lead a much more fruitful and complete life without having erectile dysfunction as a hanging sword over their heads.

Current Thinking Regarding Bipolar Disorder Treatment

If you are someone who is suffering from bipolar disorder, then you probably already know how important it is that you obtain regular bipolar disorder treatment in order to keep the condition under control. There are many people who suffer from this affliction and the truth is that some of these individuals have no one to talk to when they feel really sad.

One of the treatment requirements is to get professional help as soon as possible. Just talking a health care practitioner will start the healing process. In between office visits, you should always have a good friend or someone you can talk to. Someone who can listen to you, understand you and offer you guidance. A parent can often fill this role, especially if they have also been touched by bipolar disorder.

Some of the time, the bipolar disorder will appear as a result of a very great fear. People tend to harbor deep feelings about worldly events, so if something is troubling you, it is possible that you begin to fear all things related to this event which in turn manifests itself as depression. The opposite is also true in that you may go on a heightened binge such as excessive buying or other irrational activity in order to escape from an inevitable event.

Bipolar disorder has been shown to be transmitted genetically. So if your parent had it, there is a good chance that you will develop it in your lifetime. This is probably due to the fact that the root cause of this affliction seems to be due to neurotransmitter imbalance. As this is part of everyone's makeup, it points to the genetic link just mentioned.

There are multiple factors that will make your condition better. Getting involved in some good social activity, or more than one activity will help immensely. Just having people to talk to, will keep your mind occupied and away from thoughts that might hurt you. Talk with your parents and other relatives as often as possible. The social side of life is a very important bipolar disorder treatment for those suffering with this disorder.

Find a good doctor to work with. They might offer a prescription to help the mood swings, once the diagnosis has been set. The medications will stabilize the three most common neurotransmitters that have been implicated with bipolar disorder. They are dopamine, seratonin and nor-epinephrine. In time, your bipolar disorder treatment will allow you to regain a normal life. The key to the whole regimen is acknowledging the disorder and getting help. Do it today for a better tomorrow!

Read Inspirational Quotes to Brighten Your Day

Great inspirational quotes are sure some of the good ways in helping people in motivating them in their professional life, thereby attaining success. There are in fact countless of helpful and motivating inspirational quotes to choose from-ranging from the humorous to the practical. These kinds of inspirational quotes are really useful in our daily lives, may it be in our careers, our personal lives and especially reaching for our goals or even just maintaining a positive outlook in life. Reading some inspirational quotes especially on a regular basis is one way to effectively lead us to a more inspiring and happy life.

And here are some ways on why reading and absorbing inspirational quotes could enhance your life, and be fulfilled in our lives.

1. There is roughly endless cornucopia of inspirational quotes and you're free to choose from them! And in other words, you never run out of them-you are free to choose whichever you like and which ones apply in your current state of mood or your life in general. Plus, they are for free-providing you with the best and the positive insights to guide or enlighten us without even paying for a single cent! Browse the World Wide Web for many motivating quotes and the choices are limitless.

2. These quotes aid in beating the habit of procrastination. It's given that this habit is one of the most difficult issues that most individuals struggle with. Indeed it's tough to overcome it, so you need a heavy dose of inspiring messages to motivate you to do better and stop procrastinating. Especially when you're experiencing some problems or difficulties in your life, being inspired or motivated is the best way to deal with it.

3. They serve as quick motivational starters. Reading these inspirational quotes certainly improves your life even just temporarily. They provide a quick "lift" to lighten your mood and look at the bright side of life and go on working on what's about to be done and must be finished at a certain period. After reading these statements, naturally, it will give you a better sense of direction aimed at your goals and will let you feel that you've got the energy to work on them.

4. Inspiring quotes help you from dealing or coping with extreme sadness or depression. From the name itself, these inspirational quotes are here to inspire, uplift and motivate, to make another person feel good. And don't forget that they're all for free! It's less pricey than having to pay for a shrink or therapist! So the next time you're feeling down and you definitely need a boost, the cheapest way to do it is to read some friendly and helpful messages to perk you up.

And it won't hurt if they are adorned in a light and colorful background for maximum effect. Try reading some on a regular basis and it's even better to say goodbye to daily blues. In general, we all want to have a happy and positive outlook in life. And we can achieve it by being inspired and motivated even just in easy and effortless ways.

Foods that Help Relieve Anxiety, Panic and Depression Symptoms

Did you know that by making some modifications to your diet, you could alleviate many symptoms related to anxiety, panic and depression? Take a look at some simple ways to use your diet to improve your mental health today.

The B Vitamin Group

This group of vitamins can contribute significantly to your overall mental and physical health. Specifically, the following vitamins from the B group can help:

* Niacin (B3) - Niacin is a very important vitamin for energy production. Two unique forms of vitamin B3 are required for the body to convert proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into usable energy. Niacin is also used to synthesize starch that can be stored in the body's muscles and liver for eventual use as an energy source. Deficiencies in vitamin B3 are thought to be linked to depression and anxiety, as B3 helps to support the neurotransmission system of the brain. For this same reason, adequate levels of Niacin are also thought to help prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Foods rich in Niacin include chicken, tuna, salmon and mushrooms.

* Thiamin (B1) - Thiamin rich foods help your body by providing energy, coordinating the activity of nerves and muscles and supporting proper heart function. Low levels of thiamin in the body can cause restless nerves and irritability, like that seen by patients suffering from panic and anxiety disorders. While it is not believed that a lack of thiamin actually causes these disorders, recommended levels of thiamin in the body can help improve how a person with panic or anxiety disorder feels.

Foods rich in thiamin include tuna, sunflower seeds, black beans, and yellow corn.

* Vitamin B6 - B6 is one of the best vitamins for supporting the nervous system, so it can help support the body in warding off all sorts of feelings like sadness, depression, anxiety and panic. It is also helpful in the breakdown of sugars and starches in the blood, supporting proper insulin function, which helps provide energy and prevent fatigue.

Foods rich in Vitamin B6 include bell peppers, spinach, bananas and tuna.

* Vitamin B12 - Vitamin B12 is a critical nutrient in supporting the production of red blood cells, preventing anemia. In addition, it promotes proper development of nerve cells and helps your cells metabolize protein, carbohydrate and fat. Clinical depression and memory loss can sometimes be linked to a Vitamin B12 deficiency. In addition, heart palpitations and fatigue, just as often seen in anxiety patients, are side effects of being deficient in B12.

Foods rich in B12 include baked snapper, venison, scallops and yogurt.

In addition to these B vitamins, it is recommended that you ensure that your levels of Biotin, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, and Pantothenic acid, all B vitamin derivatives, is adequate, to support overall physical and mental health.

Foods such as Calf's liver, beans and sunflower seeds are all good choices to provide a wide variety of B vitamins.

Is that All You Can Do?

Making sure you eat all these foods rich in the B vitamins is not all you can do. There are two important natural substances found in certain foods that can help you boost your mood while relaxing your nerves and muscles - inducing a peaceful sleep. Visit the following site to learn about these key foods you don't want to miss and start feeling better today: foods that help anxiety and panic.

Divorce and Depression - 4 Natural Ways to Overcome the Blues During Divorce

Depression is a common affliction affecting many people at some point or another in their lives. Divorce is one of the most traumatic life transitions and frequently causes individuals to experience depression symptoms. The symptoms can include a sense of hopelessness, sadness, anxiety about the future, loss of interest in activities normally enjoyed, and changes in sleep habits or appetite. Severe cases of depression may merit a pharmaceutical approach to treatment, but many milder cases are very responsive to natural methods of treatment. Here are 4 natural ways to overcome the negative symptoms of depression during divorce:

1. Address your diet. The mind and body are closely connected, and the health of one impacts the health of the other. Try eating mostly fresh vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. Reduce your intake of sugars and highly processed foods. If your appetite is affected by depression, and you are having trouble eating, try carrying around snack foods and eating a mouthful now and then. Jerky and nuts are good choices. If your issue is with overeating, make sure not to eat while distracted, i.e. in front of the television, and set a cut off time in the evening when you stop eating.

2. Try supplements. Take a good, food based multivitamin. Add a calcium supplement if you do not consume a large number of calcium rich foods. Try fish oil, which promotes brain health, and 5 HTP (hydroxytryptophan), which is a precursor to serotonin. Serotonin is a brain neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood. L-Theanine is often taken in conjunction with 5 HTP (hydroxytryptophan), and is a natural anti-anxiety supplement.

3. Implement a doctor approved exercise program. Any exercise is helpful, but the ideal "prescription" would be cardiovascular exercise. What you want is an activity that raises your heart rate for a period long enough to release endorphins, the feel good chemicals that contribute to a feeling of well being. If you can get to 45 minutes of cardio exercise 5 times per week, that is a great goal. Do what you can. Not only will your mood lift, but greater fitness and better body image will lift your spirits.

4. Talk it out. Speaking with a professional counselor can be extremely helpful as you sort through your emotions surrounding the divorce. Having an unbiased, trained person offer you feedback and perspective can go a long way in giving you a sense of peace and resolution. Reach out to friends and family as well during this time, to be sure you are not too isolated and have adequate emotional support.

Bipolar Disorder in Babies and Young Children

Bipolar disorder is a stipulation that is often diagnosed only in teens and adults. However, the're rising instances of children and babies being diagnosed as bipolars. As a matter of fact, there are growing up children who're currently being treated for this illness. When mood swings are to be expected as a result of this disorder, it can be quite a challenge for parents and caregivers to take care of a bipolar child.

Understanding bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is a medical illness that is characterized by marked changes in temperament, behavior and mood swings. Bipolar disorder is also called as manic depression. It is a rather serious condition but it might be treated through medications and therapy.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder include:

- irritability
- mood swings
- anger or rages
- destructive behavior
- separation anxiety
- melancholia
- no curiosity about play
- insomnia or difficulty in sleeping
- bed wetting
- nightmares
- restlessness and agitation
- extreme elation followed by extreme depression
- agitation
- cravings
- uncontrollable tantrums

The most key of treating and managing bipolar disorder is early diagnosis and intervention. The symptoms of this disorder can appear in infancy and bipolar babies might be checked early by a medical professional so the chasten treatment can be prescribed.

Is bipolar disorder common in babies?
The're no studies yet that will show how frequent the illness is among infants and youngsters. What's known, though, is that only as many as 2% of the adult population in the world have the disorder. It is in addition observed that children who have ADHD (attention deficit disorder) showed symptoms of bipolar as soon as possible in infancy.

Looking after the affairs of mood swings in bipolar babies
It is very important that a particular diagnosis is performed. Is so that any underlying conditions that may be causing the mood swings in the newborn child appears eliminated. This is because in a few cases, bipolar disorder can only be an element of a larger condition. A wrong diagnosis cannot only prevent an infant from getting the assist he/she deserves, his health could also be placed in jeopardy if medications that aren't appropriate for his condition are prescribed.

If bipolar disorder is indeed diagnosed, then it would be easier for the parents and the physician to discuss which types of treatments may be helpful for the child. It's important that parents understand the kind of demands expected from them when in comes to taking care of a bipolar baby. Therapies, medications, sure adjustments in diet and lifestyle, are merely some thing that they have to be mindful of.

Parents should likewise keep records of any improvements or distinct behavior in children throughout prescribed treatment period. During consultations with the physician, any new observations should be discussed.

Parents should in addition try to obtain updated information regarding bipolar disorder in babies. Apart from on the internet resources, there are likewise professional associations and groups that offer not just news, facts and statistics but also necessary support. Joining on the internet forums can in addition be helpful because many parents who have bipolar babies on their own frequently offer their private proactive advice, something that inexperienced parents will see valuable.

There's no reason why a bipolar baby suffering from mood swings at an adolescent age cannot age and become a healthy diet and regular exercise, fully functional adult. The chief is for parents to ensure early diagnosis and treatment and sufficient medical, emotional and physical support for the infant.

How to Overcome Depression Symptoms Through Coaching

The term depression is often used to describe when someone is feeling 'low', 'miserable', 'in a mood', or having 'got out of bed the wrong side'. In addition to feeling low most or all of the time, many other symptoms can occur in depressive illness (though not everybody has every one). These include:

• losing interest in normal activities, hobbies and everyday life


• feeling tired all of the time and having no energy


• difficulty sleeping or waking early in the morning


• having a poor appetite, no interest in food and losing weight (though some people overeat and put on weight - 'comfort eating')


• feeling restless, tense and anxious


• being irritable


• losing self-confidence


• avoiding other people


• finding it harder than usual to make decisions

Experts believe that depression is caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. In fact, your lifestyle choices, relationships, and coping skills matter just as much, if not more so, than genetics. Certain risk factors can make someone more vulnerable to depression. These are a few of them:

• Loneliness


• Lack of social support


• Recent stressful life experiences


• Marital or relationship problems


• Financial strain


• Alcohol or drug abuse


• Unemployment or underemployment


• Health problems or chronic pain

There are many extremely effective life-skills and techniques that can be used to help individuals overcome depression. Importantly, whenever someone develops these skills, they will be much less likely to enter into additional episodes of depression., The dictionary defines 'overcoming,' as rising above, gaining control or an upper hand over someone or something. Additional meanings include struggling successfully against a difficulty or disadvantage, or to render somebody or something helpless or incapacitated.

It is vital to realize that overcoming something does not mean making it disappear. To overcome depression does not necessarily require eliminating the condition entirely, but rather, learning to gain control over, and rise above a potentially devastating condition.

As we discover how to overcome depression, it is also important to remember that learning to gain control of depression and the power it can have over our lives is not a one-time occurrence. In overcoming depression we are learning how to reclaim the power that we often lose in the depths of depression.

At any time, the way to overcome an obstacle, difficulty, or painful condition is basically the same. Start by facing the situation head-on. Knowledge is power, so we must begin the process by seeing our challenges as they truly are in order to understand them. We must adjust what we believe.

Behavioral scientists have shown that one-on-one coaching is among the most effective approaches to helping people make and sustain improvements in their lives. A health and wellness coach can facilitate a depressed client's positive change by focusing on their client's stated needs, values, vision, and goals and helping to bring out their personal emotional best. Together the coach and client will create their personal vision for wellness and identify priorities in one or more areas including: relationships, nutrition, stress, and general health. They will also discuss the principles that are important for them to be successful in developing a healthier thought process and lifestyle.

Life coaching clients reduce their stress, increase their energy, make better decisions, increase their life balance, increase their peace of mind, and focus more on what is really important to them, because of participating in the coaching process. The coaching process requires clients and their coaches to develop a very strong mutually trusting, mutually respectful and mutually focused partnership which can create the perfect environment that will defeat every depression symptom.

Hope for the Hopeless - Depression and Eating Disorders

Approximately 80% of all severe cases involving anorexia or bulimia have a coexisting major depression diagnosis. Depression is a very painful and all consuming disorder in and of itself. However, in combination with an eating disorder, depression is beyond devastating and is often masked within the eating disorder itself. Depression in eating disorder clients looks different than it does in clients who have mood disorder alone. One way to describe how depression looks in someone who is suffering with an eating disorder is: hidden misery. For eating disorder clients, depression takes on a heightened quality of hopelessness and self-hatred, and becomes an expression of their identity, not a list of unpleasant symptoms. The depression becomes intertwined with the manifestations of the eating disorder, and because of this interwoven quality, the depressive symptoms are often not clearly distinguishable from the eating disorder. One purpose of this article is to highlight some of the distinctions and differences in how depression manifests itself in someone suffering with anorexia or bulimia. Another purpose is to provide suggestions that will begin to foster hope for these hopeless clients within the therapy setting.

When dealing with eating disorder cases, it is important to understand that if major depression is present, it is most likely present at two levels. First, it will be evident in a history of chronic, low level, dysthymic depression, and secondly, there will be symptoms consistent with one or more prolonged episodes of acute major depressive disorder. The intensity and acuteness of the depression is not always immediately recognizable in how the client is manifesting their eating disorder. Clinical history taking will reveal chronic discouragement, feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, appetite disturbance, sleep disturbance, low energy, fatigue, concentration troubles, difficulty making decisions, and a general feeling of unhappiness and vague hopelessness. Since most eating disorder clients do not seek treatment for many years, it is not uncommon for this kind of chronic dysthymic depression to have been in their lives anywhere from two to eight years. Clinical history will also reveal that as the eating disorder escalated or became more severe in its intensity, there is a concurrent history of intense symptoms of major depression. Oftentimes, recurrent episodes of major depression are seen in those with longstanding eating disorders. In simple words, eating disorder clients have been discouraged for a long time, they have not felt good about themselves for a long time, they have felt hopeless for a long time, and they have felt acute periods of depression in which life became much worse and more difficult for them.

Unique Characteristics
One of the most unique characteristics of depression in someone who is suffering with an eating disorder is an intense and high level of self-hatred and self-contempt. This may be because those who have these major depressive episodes in conjunction with an eating disorder have a much more personally negative and identity-based meaning attached to the depressive symptoms. The depressive symptoms say something about who the person is at a core level as a human being. They are much more than simply descriptive of what the individual is experiencing or suffering from at that time in their life. For many women with eating disorders, the depression is broad evidence of their unacceptability and shame, and a daily proof of the deep level of "flawed-ness" that they believe about themselves. The intensity of the depression is magnified or amplified by this extreme perceptual twist of the cognitive distortion of personalization and all-or-nothing thinking. A second symptom of major depression shown to be different in those who suffer with severe eating disorders is that their sense of hopelessness and despair goes way beyond "depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day." The sense of hopelessness is often an expression of how void and empty they feel about who they are, about their lives, and about their futures. Up until the eating disorder has been stabilized, all of that hopelessness has been converted into an addictive attempt to feel in control or to avoid pain through the obsessive acting out of the anorexia or bulimia.

Thirdly, this hopelessness can be played out in recurrent thoughts of death, pervasive suicidal ideation, and suicidal gesturing which many clients with severe anorexia and bulimia can have in a more entrenched and ever-present fashion than clients who have the mood disorder alone. The quality of this wanting to die or dying is tied to a much more personal sense of self-disdain and identity rejection (get rid of me) than just wanting to escape life difficulties. Fourth, the feelings of worthlessness or inadequacy are unique with eating disorders because it goes beyond these feelings. It is an identity issue accompanied by feelings of uselessness, futility, and nothingness that occur without the distraction and obsession of the eating disorder.

A fifth, distinct factor in the depression of those with eating disorders is that their excessive and inappropriate guilt is tied more to emotional caretaking issues and a sense of powerlessness or helplessness than what may typically be seen in those who are suffering with major depression. Their painful self-preoccupation is often in response to their inability to make things different or better in their relationships with significant others.

A sixth factor that masks depression in an eating disorder client is the all consuming nature of anorexia and bulimia. There is often a display of high energy associated with the obsessive ruminations, compulsivity, acting out, and the highs and lows in the cycle of an eating disorder. When the eating disorder is taken away and the individual is no longer in a place or position to act it out, then the depression comes flooding in, in painful and evident ways.

Compassion for the Hopelessness
The reality of working with people who are suffering in the throws of depression and an eating disorder is that it is difficult not to feel hopeless for their hopelessness. Their hopelessness is extremely painful. It is an inner torture and misery, and it is encompassed by intense feelings of self-hatred and self contempt. For many, their emotional salvation was going to be the eating disorder. It was going to be thinness, physical beauty, or social acceptability. Many come to feel that they have even failed at the eating disorder and have lost the identity they had in the eating disorder. Hence, the hopelessness goes beyond hopeless, because not only is there nothing good in their lives, there is nothing good in them. Not only is there no hope for the future, there is nothing hopeful at the moment but breathing in and out the despair they feel. It feels to them like the suffering will last forever. Therapists who work with eating disorders need to be prepared for the flood of depression that pours out once the eating disorder symptoms and patterns have been stabilized or limited to some degree.

It is my personal observation that clinicians need to change what they emphasize in treating depression in those engaging in recovery from eating disorders compared with those for whom depression is the primary and most significant disorder. Therapists need to find ways to foster hope for the hopeless, much more so for someone with an eating disorder because oftentimes these clients refuse comfort. They refuse solace. They refuse support. They refuse love. They refuse encouragement. They refuse to do the things that would be most helpful in lifting them out of the depression because of their intense inner self-hatred.

For the therapist, the pain that fills the room is tangible. Clients are often full of sorrow and anger for who they are, which takes the symptoms of depression to a deeper level of despair. In working with eating-disordered clients with this level of depression, it is important for the therapist to show a deep sense of respect, appreciation, and love for those who feel so badly about themselves and who are suffering so keenly in all aspects of their lives. In spite of all the suffering, these people are still able to reach out to others with love and kindness and function at high levels of academic and work performance. They are still able to be wonderful employers, employees, and students, but they are not able to find any joy in themselves, or in their lives. These clients tend to carry on in life with hidden misery, and a therapist's compassion and respect for this level of determination and perseverance provides a context for hope. As therapists it is important that a sense of love and compassion grows and is evident in these times when the client feels nothing but hopeless and stuck.

Separating Depression from Self-hatred
One of the key components of working with the depression aspects of an eating disorder is to begin to separate the depression from the self-hatred. It is important to help the client understand the difference between shame and self-hatred. Shame is the false sense of self which leads someone to believe and feel that they are unacceptable, flawed, defective, and bad, an inner sense that something is wrong with their "being." They feel unacceptable to the world and to themselves, and feel that somehow they are lacking whatever it is they need to "be enough." Self-hatred is the acting out of that shame within and outside of the person. The self-hatred can be acted out in the negative mind of the eating disorder, that relentless circle of selfcriticism, self-contempt, and negativity that is a common factor in all who suffer with eating disorders. The shame can be acted out through self-punishment, self-abandonment, emotional denial, avoidance, minimization, self-harm, self-mutilation, and through impulsive and addictive behaviors both within and outside of the eating disorder. Self-hatred is the ongoing gathering of evidence within the client's own mind that they are broken, and unacceptable. In time, the eating disorder becomes their main evidence that there is something wrong with them and that they are unacceptable. And so, in a sense, the eating disorder is their friend and their enemy. It is a source of comfort and it is the reason they will not be comforted, and until they can achieve perfection in the mind-set of an eating disorder, they have great cause to hate themselves for who they are and who they are not.

All of these examples of self-hatred become intertwined with the symptoms and the expression of the depression, and so it becomes important in therapy to help the client to separate what depression is and what self-hatred is for them. It has been my experience that focusing on the aspects of shame and self-hatred has been more helpful to those who have eating disorders than focusing only on the depression itself. The self-hatred amplifies the intensity and the quality of the depressive symptoms. By focusing on the self-hatred aspects we begin turning the volume down on how the depressive symptoms manifest themselves with the client.

I have found that emphasizing the separation of self-hatred from the depression and its symptoms, and then beginning to change and soften the expressions of self-hatred fosters hope and generates hopefulness. Clients begin to see and sense that maybe the problem is not entirely who they are. Some hope comes from knowing that the feelings and the sense of self they have may not be accurate and true. They may recognize that some of what they have done forever and what has felt very much a part of their identity is really a chosen and acted out pattern of self-hatred. Somewhere in this separation of self hatred and depression they begin to feel hope in themselves, hope in letting go of pain, and hope in having their life feel, look, and be different.

Another reason for the emphasis on self-hatred is to help clients begin to recognize and challenge the unique quality of the all-ornothing thinking that leads them to filter everything about their lives in this most negative, personal, and self-contemptuous way. Hope is generated by learning that everything does not say something bad about who they are, that normal life experiences are not evidence that there is something wrong with them, and that negative feelings do not prove as true, what they have always felt about themselves. The unique perfectionism inherent in this all-or-nothing thinking allows no room for anything but perfection in any area of thought, feeling, or behavior. To be able to let go of the self-hatred filter and begin to see many of these thoughts, feelings, and behaviors they experience every day as typical, usual, and acceptable begins to foster hope, more importantly the kind of hope that is not tied to the false hopes of the eating disorder itself. Part of what has made the eating disorder so powerful is that clients put all of their hope in the eating disorder itself. Eating disorders are hopeless because after clients have done everything in their power to live them perfectly, they have only brought misery, despair, dysfunction, and more hopelessness. The attempt to generate hope through anorexia and bulimia has failed. By focusing on the self-hatred, they begin to separate their eating disorder from themselves. They also begin to separate the eating disorder from their source of hope. They begin to recognize that hope is within themselves and hope is within reach if they will soften how they view themselves and if they will change how they treat themselves internally and externally. Separating the depression from the self-hatred can help clients see the eating disorder for what it really is, with all its lies and consequences, and can help them begin to see who they are in a more honest and accurate way.

Renaming the Depression
I have also found it helpful in working with this clientele to rename or re-frame the depression and its symptoms within some kind of specific pain they are experiencing. I emphasize the pain aspects because part of what makes the depression so painful for those with eating disorders is the internalization of hopelessness. We can remove the global, ambiguous, and future sense of the depression, and break it into smaller pieces, more specific, immediate, and emotionally connected to their experiences rather than to their identity. We talk a lot about their feelings of hurt and sadness, and explore and deepen their understanding about their sense of feeling unloved, or their sense of inadequacy, or their feelings of rejection and disapproval, etc. I try to underpin the depression in very specific and emotionally-connected understandings and expressions. Rarely do I talk to them about their depression explicitly while we are trying to understand, validate, and generate hope in specific areas of their pain. I have found it more helpful to spend sessions talking about how to generate hope for themselves over a sense of loss, a sense of powerlessness, a sense of disappointment, etc., rather than to keep talking about depression and what to do to help lessen it. The realization is that in the process of fostering hope by focusing on and discussing the different kinds of pain, we are also de-amplifying and de-escalating the depression. It is impossible to get to the bottom of depression and avoid the specific pain, since avoiding the pain is what clients have been trying to do through the eating disorder.

It is important to note here that there certainly can be, and usually is, biochemistry involved in the quality, intensity, and type of depression they are experiencing, and that careful evaluation and utilization of antidepressant medications is strongly encouraged as an active part of the treatment. It is also important to remember that clients with severe eating disorders often resist the notion of medication or sabotage use of the medication as an attempt to control their body and weight, and to foster a sense of control. It is important to be very attentive and regularly follow up on taking medication and continue to help them in the positive interpretation of the use of medication. Too often, medicine represents weakness and becomes evidence to again engage in self-hatred rather than being viewed as one more piece of the puzzle that will help generate hope in their recovery. It is my experience that clients often respond to and benefit from medication if we can reframe the medicine as a hopeful part of their healing and their recovery from both the depression and the eating disorder.

When dealing with eating disorders it is also important to continue to evaluate and recognize the impact of malnourishment on clients' ability to process and/or modify the way they process information about themselves and about their lives. It is important to stabilize the eating disorder as a primary intervention and to emphasize renourishment before there will be a lot of success in treating the depression. Renourishing the brain and body is an important early framework for fostering hope.

Reducing Isolation
Another important component in treating depression among eating disorder clients is moving them out of isolation. It is often a very powerful intervention for clients to re-engage and reconnect with other people. Moving out of isolation and reconnecting with others in their lives generates hope. Pursuing a re-connection with others emphasizes opening themselves up to feel connected, to feel the love, compassion, and interest from others towards them and in expressing their own compassion and love toward family members, friends, other clients or patients, etc. Involving families in family therapy, partners in couple therapy, and friends in the treatment are often very powerful ways to lessen the depression and increase hope for clients because they feel comforted and supported by those who love them and care for them. Helping clients to communicate again with people in their lives brings hope and renewed ability to feel something different than self-hatred. To receive expressions of someone else's love, concern, and genuine caring is hopeful and becomes a very important part of treatment for the depression.

Letting go of False Guilt
Another aspect of the treatment of depression relates to the intense and unrealistic levels of guilt. Again, the reason the guilt becomes unique for those with eating disorders is because of the self-hatred. The guilt tells them to feel bad and terrible about themselves because they are not perfect, or not in complete control, or not accomplished, or not accepted or liked by everyone, or because there are people in their lives who are unhappy. A pain that will not heal is the false guilt associated with untrue or inaccurate realities. It is helpful in working with eating disorder clients to help them clarify the difference between real guilt and false guilt. We can help them recognize that real guilt is associated with having literally done something wrong. Their recognition of that fact can lead them to correct it. False guilt tells them to feel bad and terrible about themselves, and whatever has happened becomes the evidence against them which supports the feeling of guiltiness. Oftentimes I try to help clients understand specific ways that false guilt enters the picture and feeds the self-hatred. It is frequently tied to areas of their lives where they feel or have felt powerless but have made themselves emotionally responsible. An example of this might be feeling bad about themselves because they feel responsible for a specific relationship outcome they do not really have the power to create on their own. They may feel badly about themselves because they cannot fix a situation or problem someone they love or care about is experiencing, or because they could not prevent a tragedy. False guilt is a sense of shame, feeling like they "should have known better" or had it "figured out" beforehand. False guilt is often an expression of what they are not, rather than who they are or what they are capable of doing. Sometimes the false guilt is just an active expression of the intense pattern of negative comparison between themselves and others that is so common with eating disorders. Eating disorder clients are constantly comparing themselves to someone else, both physically and behaviorally, and end up feeling a great deal of guilt about who they are because they do not match up in their comparison with someone else. Sometimes false guilt is an expression of self-hatred for some wrong done in the past, something they will not let go of or forgive themselves for. They continue to actively punish themselves for what happened or what they felt bad about doing, sometimes a very long time ago. They hold it against themselves mentally as support for their self-rejection.

Often the false guilt and feeling bad about themselves is tied directly to how important people in their lives are behaving or acting. They tend to somehow feel responsible or accountable for someone else's negative choices or behaviors. False guilt gives them a sense of hopelessness because their ability to change it or re-frame it differently is impeded by their all-ornothing filter of self-contempt. They may compare themselves to unreasonable self-standards that no one could live up to, and therefore they become the exception to all the rules of normalcy. Somehow they have to live above acceptable, and the sense of guilt is evidence that they are not living at that expected, higher level of performance. Oftentimes when they hear feedback from other people about their behaviors, in particular their eating disorder, it becomes another encouragement to feel false guilt. The problem with self-guilt is that it produces intense feelings of fault, blame, guiltiness, shame, anxiety, and sadness, but instead of moving them to correction and change, it moves them to selfhatred, self-criticalness, self-doubting, and self-punishment. False guilt always leads to more hopelessness. Releasing false guilt fosters hope because it leads to an increased sense of freedom and choices through the setting of clear emotional boundaries.

In conclusion, it is important to emphasize that in order to truly intervene in the area of depression with those who have an eating disorder, we need to first stabilize and lessen the intensity and the acting out of the eating disorder. Until we do that, we are probably not going to truly see the depth and the extent of the depression and the very personal nature of how the depression manifests itself in eating disorder clients. It is also important to increase our awareness and understanding of how depression is uniquely different in those who suffer with eating disorders because it gives us therapeutic options and a framework to intervene in a more compassionate and hopeful way with those who have these coexisting disorders. The most helpful thing we can do in every session with these clients is to generate hope. Nurturing hope is not always a clear-cut and obvious list of techniques or interventions, but rather a willingness by both client and therapist to face the hopelessness in a kind and loving context. I hope that these therapeutic distinctions and suggestions will begin to foster some hopefulness for clients suffering with a coexisting depression and eating disorder. In facing the hopelessness, pain, selfhatred, guilt, and isolation, we can, little by little, foster and generate hope and decrease the depression. New hope will lead to answers. Genuine hope will lead to something better. Honest hope will lead to change.

What is the Secret of Concentration?

What is The Secret of Concentration?

Have you ever caught yourself concentrating deeply on learning the three key points in a Scientific American article and suddenly found your mind daydreaming about whether you locked the front door and then visualizing yourself at Bloomingdales buying a birthday gift for your significant other?

Concentration is being centered, focusing your attention on one goal, from Latin,
with a center. You do it all the time, right? What is the opposite of concentration?
It is distraction, wandering, spread out and scattering.

When we are concentrating on reading or listening, the slightest distraction will trigger a change of focus and loss of concentration. Many students swear they cannot study without Heavy Metal music in the background, or is it Bach? Both cause distractions and destroy learning and memory.

Distraction is the sound of a conversation twenty-five feet away, the audible hum of
an air conditioner, heater or recycling electrical appliance. What to do?

Wear a set of twenty-five cent earplugs while reading; it settles the issue.

Profound statement: Any music playing loud enough for you to hear will cause your
focus to be inhibited and concentration to wander.

Concentration is Really Brain Dominance

Homo sapiens spend their sixteen waking hours either focused on specific goals or unfocused and mentally wandering in random subjective thinking.

a) concentrating or

b) daydreaming

Daydreaming is watching five hours of TV daily including YouTube at the office,
verbal chatter with family and associates, and self-talk, also known as stream of consciousness.

When you are concentrating on your goals your left brain is dominant. When you
are daydreaming your focus is mentally hearing, seeing and feeling random
stimuli. Daydreaming includes worry, fear, anxiety and chronic stress.
It is produced and directed by your right brain exclusively.

The Secret

If you are reading and want to concentrate and avoid daydreaming you must
evict your right brain from mental dominance.

It is easy and required a two-minute eye movement exercise that maintains
concentration for 90 minutes.

Eye Movement Restructuring is exercising the six extraocular muscles of each
eye for concentration. After the first thirty seconds of eye movements your left brain is dominant and both hemispheres are in sync for learning, memory and concentration.

Here is the gist of it - move your eyes as far left (without moving your head) as
possible. Now stay peripheral left for a count of one, one thousand, two, one thousand, and three, one thousand. Return your eyes to center (focus forward).

If you can complete a lateral left eye movement, you can execute a lateral right
repositioning. Same as before: move your eyes to your extreme right; hold it for a
three count, and return to center.

Move your eyes toward the Northwest (your upper left) and remain there for
a three count and return to center. Do the same toward Northeast (your upper
right) for a three count and return to center. Remember; do not move your head.

Finally, move your eyes downward to the Southwest (lower left) for a three count
and return to center. Now move your eyes downward to the Southeast (lower right)
for a three count and return to center. Remember; do not move your head.

So What

Mental movies, stream of consciousness and self-talk are right brain effects.
Depression, test anxiety and panic attacks are exclusively right brain programs.

When you consciously make your left brain dominant by Going Lizard eye movements, you are using your left brain to dominant your right brain.

Only one hemisphere (brain) can be dominant at any given moment. When you do
the six eye movement exercises your left brain consciousness is triggered. Doing it KOs (cancels) whatever programming your right hemisphere is producing.

Endwords

This may be the most important personal strategy you learn in this life for survival
and self preservation. It offers you mastery over your state of mind and concentration. You own the strategy to cancel chronic stress in its tracks.

If you are experiencing daymares (mental movies causing fear and anxiety), Go
Lizard and after two minutes you brain shifts dominance to your left brain for reason, logic and order, and away from depression.

As soon as you begin the first extraocular eye movement you inhibit fear, anger and angst, and trigger relaxation and problem solving. You go Parasympathetic Nervous
system and a release of acetylcholine for deep relaxation and inhibition of adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormone.

How come?

It is because each cerebral hemisphere has its own specialization, and your brain cannot have more than one program operating at a time. Cognitive dissonance (mental conflict) grinds to a halt when one hemisphere becomes dominant.

Imagine this as a computer operation: it is serial processing. One program must complete its operation before another program can institute its code. When you
cancel a program in midstream (switch from right to left brain programming),
it is an almost instantaneous execution.

When you exercise your left brain programming by eye movement restructuring,
you cancel the right brain programming of stream of consciousness (self talk).

Your left brain cannot create depression, only your right brain. Switcheroo is choosing a new pleasurable mental program to run.

Please focus on this: Feelings follow imagery. Your mental movies create your
emotions. Change your negative, death and destruction mental visualization and
your instantly change your feelings.

Work on this one - energy follows thought. Wherever you place your attention
(concentration) energy follows. When you think failure, loss, and rejection, you
spray fuel on the fire. What to do? Go Lizard, do your eye movements and
cancel your depression by eliminating your frightening mental imagery; replace it with mental movies of success, improvement and personal growth.

Think about it. It is our secret strategy.

See ya,

copyright © 2007
H. Bernard Wechsler

Sadness in the Morning - Is it a Sign of Depression?

Many people walk up in the morning feeling sad or just pessimistic. After continuous days like this, it is natural to wonder if you are experiencing a form of depression and, if so...what to do about it. 

The first area you should examine is what has been going on in your life recently. The loss of a family member, friend or pet certainly could be causing your sadness in the mornings. Equally disturbing would be the loss of a job, change in marital status, or even something like a move. These types of events often cause what is commonly known as situation depression. This syndrome is also known as "adjustment disorder" and sadly it can take up to two years to work through them. Obviously if you are not willing to struggle for that length of time you might want to consider getting some guidance from health care professional specializing in mental issues. Often a an expert can show you simple techniques that will break through this sort of depression and get you back on the road to feeling positive and vibrant.

 If you have not had an event in your life that would cause the type of sadness just discussed, you may have be able to effect a change simply by adjusting your sleep habits. The most likely culprit is the time that you are waking up. 

Assuming you are getting up before daylight, simply allowing yourself to sleep until the sun comes up can be very effective...although not every one has this option. Daylight, in effect, tells your mind to diminish the hormones that help you sleep soundly at night and turn on the chemicals that make you wakeful and feeling refreshed. These chemicals actually help you feel better and better as you go through the day.

 A truly healthy way to live is to leave the shades open enough so that you are awakened by natural sunlight. Even when your eyes are closed, the pineal gland detects the light in the same way your eyes would. Obviously you will be operating more in rhythm with the day if you can do this. 

Lacking the ability to wake up to natural light you may have some good results if you time a lamp to come on with studies suggesting a blue light being most effective. In any event there are ways to combat morning sadness.

What Are the Characteristics of Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar, or manic-depressive, disorder is a mental health condition that happens within a certain time period and is characterized by varying degrees of mania, which is a hyper state of mind, and depression. Most people do experience times of elevated moods as well as depressed moods; however, the patient will have extreme mood swings lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a few months. Many times sufferers have frequent thoughts of suicide.

This mental disease is always in a constant state of change where at one point of time the sufferer is appears to be highly focuses and has plenty of energy while at another point of time the same person seems tired, listless, and withdrawn.

Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

A person who has bipolar disorder will have times of highly agitated moods, which can further put them in a state of depression; however, the amount of time one spends in this mental state can vary to a wide degree. And when a patient is experiencing fluctuating moods, their functioning can either increase or decrease, depending upon the mood's severity. Also, their cognitive functions, energy and activity levels, and pattern of sleeps are negatively impacted.

Specific Depression Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

The depression symptoms of bipolar disorder include a wide array of emotions--anger, sadness, anxiety, guilt, isolation, hopelessness, escapism, no interest in previously enjoyed activities, apathy, excessive shyness, self-loathing, and irritability. A patient in a depression state might also experience appetite issues, sleep and concentration problems, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and chronic pain. And when a patient is experiencing a depression stage, they may have guilty feelings so strong that make them think they are the main cause for terrible events happening in other people's lives although their feelings are completely unfounded.

Specific Manic Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

When bipolar patients are experiencing a manic phase, they tend to have a different set of symptoms than when they are in a depression phase. All of the following symptoms are contributed to unfounded reasons that cause high anxiety. Sometimes they become paranoid to a point where they believe an unknown entity is watching them in order to do them harm. In some cases, they believe their close friends and family members are involved in a conspiracy and are trying to hurt them or that they are abandoning them. Also, sufferers tend to have unique religious beliefs, believe they have special powers, or that they are on important, top secret missions during a manic phase. And even though the depression phase of bipolar disorder is debilitating, many times the manic phase is more noticeable to the people in the patient's life.

Bipolar Disorder Causes

There are quite a few theories concocted by experts to explain the causes and origins of bipolar disorder, but there is no one theory to explain this mental illness. However, most physicians believe that many factors compiled together can spark the onset of bipolar disorder. For instance, a commonly held theory is that the manic-depressive disorder runs in certain families even though researchers are still actively looking for the particular gene responsible for this mental disease.

Manic Depression Symptoms

Manic depression or as it is also known Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness that causes the sufferer to have rapid shifts in mood of such a magnitude to affect an individuals normal functioning.

The symptoms of manic depression are quite wide ranging. They normally include large mood swings, ranging from an extreme high, occasionally with irritability, to an extremely low and hopeless mood and back again. In between these two poles of mood are periods of normal mood. {As a ratio, the low and depressive mood is most common at a ratio of 3 to 1 manic, or high, mood.

Manic Depression Symptoms - Manic Episode

When a person has symptoms of manic depression and they experience "mania" it is known as a manic episode.

A manic episode is usually characterized by these manic depression symptoms:

* An extreme increase of energy, increased participation in physical and mental activities or restlessness

* An extreme high or euphoria and an overly good mood.

* Heightened irritability

* Fast talking and occasionally jumping from on topic to the next as a result of ideas and thoughts racing through the individuals mind

* A reduction in concentration levels and being distracted very easily

* Not needing a lot of sleep

* Egomania and a belief in one's abilities and powers regardless of how unrealistic they may be.

* A lack of good judgment

* Spending money regardless of whether it is available to spend or not

* The abnormal behavior lasts for a long period of time

* An increase in sexual drive

* Abusing drugs, in particular alcohol, cocaine and medications to aid sleep

* Aggressive, invasive or confrontational behavior

* Denying that there is something wrong

The diagnosis of a manic episode mostly occurs in an individual when there are three or more manic depression symptoms and they are accompanied by an elevated mood. Then again, if the mood is primarily characterized by high irritability then it must be accompanied by another four symptoms. In either case, the manic depression symptoms must be noticeable for most of the day, nearly every day for at least a week.

Manic Depression Symptoms - Depressive Episode

During a depressive episode, the manic depression symptoms may include:

* Relentlessly feeling sad or empty

* High levels of anxiety

* Feeling hopeless/pessimistic, Dwelling on negative thoughts

* Feeling guilty/worthless

* A lack of motivation and/or energy and feeling like there is nothing worth making an effort for

* No interest in activities usually found pleasurable

* Low or no energy

* Feeling like you are being slowed down or fatigued

* A loss of memory and trouble concentrating on one thing at a time

* Can't make decisions

Annoyance, rage or petulance

* Having not enough or too much sleep

* Appetite change and/or weight loss/gain without any explanation

* Physical symptoms that are not caused by physical illness or injury, such as aches and pains

* Suicidal or death related thoughts, possible suicide attempts

A person in a depressive episode who is suffering with manic depression symptoms needs all the help they can get. Throughout the depressive episode, there is a greater possibility of suicide and it is strongly advised that professional help is found as soon as a person starts talking about suicide.

What Are The Types of Depression?

Almost everyone experiences some form of depression. Simply put, depression elicits feelings of sadness, worthless, and hopelessness. Depressed individuals are often found to have negative views of things around them. Feelings of guilt may also come with depression.

In many cases, depression requires no medical treatment. Individuals feel sad for one reason or another, but the feeling normally goes away after a few days. In some cases, the feeling of sadness can become severe such that it already interferes with one's health and state of mind. Depression of this form has to be properly managed to eliminate or reduce health risks and suicidal tendencies.

Types of Depression

There are at least 10 different types of depression that you need to be aware of:

Major Depression. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, major depression is the type whereby the affected individual is in a state of gloom for most of the day lasting for a couple of weeks at the very least. Common to individuals with this disorder are the following signs and symptoms:

• Lack of interest in doing daily tasks.


• Loss of appetite or overeating


• Weight loss or weight gain


• Insomnia or oversleeping


• Fatigue or lack of energy


• Loss of focus and concentration


• Inability to make decisions


• Suicidal thoughts

Dysthymia. Dysthymia or dysthmic disorder is depression of the chronic type. Individuals with dysthymia are said to be in and out of depression for a period of two years, accompanied by the following signs and symptoms:

• Feelings of hopelessness


• Eating problems (decreased or increased appetite)


• Lack of energy


• Low self-esteem


• Loss of focus and concentration


• Inability to make decisions

Manic Depression (Manic-Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder). Individuals with Manic Depression have manic episodes in one instance and may or may not have depressed episodes. Manic-depressive individuals appear to be highly irritable for a week or so. Their self-esteem is so great that they may feel as if they are the most important people in the world. Individuals with this disorder:

• Have an inflating ego.


• Are hyperactive they may not have the time to sleep anymore.


• Talk nonstop.


• Get distracted easily.


• Have an increased interest in social and work activities.


• Are engaged in risky habits, such as irresponsible sex and shopping beyond one's limits

Seasonal Affective Disorder. Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is major depression that occurs during a specific season, such as fall or winter, for instance.

Post Partum Depression. It typically occurs within a month after giving birth.

Atypical Depression. This type is similar to a major depressive disorder or dysthymia but which comes with a temporary improvement in one's mood after experiencing something nice and beautiful.

Endogenous Depression. It occurs with no apparent reason. One simply feels "out of it".

Situational Depression. This type is brought about by circumstances such as death of a loved one, loss of job or broken relationship. It does not last for more than 6 months.

Psychotic Depression. This kind is major depression than comes with hallucinations and delusions. When somebody who is diagnosed with major depression appears to hear voices, you can be almost certain that person is entering the state of psychotic stage.

Catatonic Depression. It is a subtype of Major Depression characterized by lack of or inappropriate and bizarre voluntary movements. Catatonics meaninglessly repeat movements or words.

Treatment Options

Treatment options will vary greatly depending on the type of depression to be treated. A combination of psychotherapy and medications is usually recommended, and in more severe cases, ECT or shock therapy may be necessary. Treatment will also involve controlling the signs and symptoms to prevent them from posing major health risks.

Getting Started on Your Diet - Finding Motivation to Lose Weight

Two extremely irritating quotes that screech across the chalkboard of my conscience have been the most motivating weight loss words in my life.

"Eat to live, not live to eat!"

I don't know who said it, but I first saw this phrase on a refrigerator magnet, featuring a hefty-looking pig. It was given to the person who lost the least amount of weight in our weight loss club, and the magnet changed hands from week to week. The pig was a real motivator, partly because no one wanted to accept the humbling "prize," but mostly because it was good advice!

When I find my scales tipping the wrong way, it's because my hourly thoughts are consumed by where I'm going to eat this weekend, what sounds good for supper, or whether I have enough Peanut M&M's to munch my way through the day. I live to eat!

The main focus of my life should not be food. I should be eating just enough so that I am no longer hungry-and hunger pangs between meals is not a bad thing. That is the premise of the Weigh Down Diet, an inspirational weight loss book written by dietician Gwen Shamblin.

Gwen encourages readers to begin a small group book study, focusing on weight loss and spiritual support. Her weight loss plan is simple-eat smaller helpings, find support in like-minded people, and find your motivation in God. I've seen the results in one of our local churches. Like most good weight loss programs, it works-if you follow the plan. Eat to live!

"...Whose god is their belly" (Phillipians 3:18)

What a humbling analogy that I stumbled across in my Bible reading! Is that what my rolls of fat says to the world...I worship food so much that I can't get enough of it? To me, that paints a picture of an extremely large person seated at a 24-hour buffet table, who never gets up to leave. He can barely breathe, yet he keeps stuffing more food into his mouth. The analogy portrays an addiction that will surely lead to an early grave.

Is that me? Is that where I'm headed? Perhaps that is an extreme picture, and most of us have not reached that point.

But if my belly is my "god," it still means that food is my main focus in life. What caused my focus to become so imbalanced and unhealthy? What took my thoughts off of helping other people and making a positive difference in the world?

Stress is usually the culprit behind excessive weight gain. And allowing ourselves to fall into depression is the most common response to stress-which adds to our stress. This creates a downward spiral in our emotional and physical health which actually causes our bellies to get fatter!

Dr. Pamela Peeke addresses the fact that stress causes fat to form around our bellies. In her easy-to-read book, Fighting Fat After Forty, she offers a highly detailed description of your body's internal response to emotional upheaval-and how damaging stress can be.

In a nutshell, Peeke's book tells readers how we must change our response to stress. She then gives very specific and practical guidelines for losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The book is based on research from the National Institutes of Health, and includes case studies of clients who have sought out Peeke's assistance.

I have found this book to be extremely helpful in pursuing my own fitness goals, and lost 10 pounds in my first month of applying the principles from her book (which may not be the case for everyone).

Keeping a Journal: Chart Your Weight Loss

Weight loss experts say that keeping a food journal and an exercise journal is very important in a weight loss program. Dr. Peeke says that keeping a journal provides "valuable feedback about how we are learning to care for ourselves."

If you are reading this article, you probably desire a healthier lifestyle; you want to look and feel good. Now that's the kind of motivation that gets results. Your journal will serve as a travel diary toward your destination-a written record of the smooth highways on which you made good progress (weight loss) and those back roads that slowed you down with detours and potholes (too many calories and not enough calorie-burning).

What should your journal include?

Your Exercise Journal:

o Type of aerobic exercise

o Type of weight-bearing exercise

o Number of minutes or reps

o Distance walked or ridden on bike

o Comments about the weather or feelings

Your Food Journal

o Write down each meal, and each snack, being as specific as possible

o Keep track of daily calories, using a calorie counter

o Keep track of fat grams, for each food eaten

Here is the ultimate fitness tool that combines your exercise journal with your food journal, and allows you to keep track of not only your weight, but also how many inches you have lost-which is what really counts!

http://www.OpenFitness.com is a unique fitness web site that provides a quick, easy way for your family members (or friends) to track their progress.

The original fitness software program has received top reviews, in providing the most complete picture of your progress. Printable weight loss charts and graphs offer hard evidence of your efforts over the course of a week, month or year, showing which meal plan has worked best for you, and which exercises have had the most proven results.

The web site lets you select the specific foods and supplements you have eaten, and automatically calculates your intake of calories and fat grams.

If you are part of a weight loss support group or member of a fitness center, you will want to check out the Open Fitness web site.

I trust you have found something here to motivate you. Some weight loss groups offer money incentives-if you lose weight over the course of a week, you don't have to pay the collective pot. If you gain weight, however, you pay!

That has never worked for me-I just get discouraged and publicly humiliated! Keeping a written log of my weight loss and fitness journey is the motivation I need. True, a journal forces me to focus on eating. But it also reminds me that food (combined with exercise) is simply the necessary fuel to reach and maintain a healthy life.

Mental Illness Symptoms - Physical and Mental Changes

Mental disorders strike millions of people of any age, income, education level, or cultural background. Mental illness symptoms are described as any disorder or condition affecting human brain and influencing how a person thinks, feels, behaves and/or interacts with others. Although the symptoms and reactions can range from mild to severe and are different depending on the type and severity of mental disorder, a person with an untreated mental disorder often is unable to cope with life daily routines and demands, so the timely assistance of a mental health professional is necessary to manage the illness effectively.

Physical changes need to be observed first when a thought about possible illness comes to mind. Physical symptoms of mental illness include aches and pains that are not supported by medical examinations, loss of concentration and inability to follow the everyday routine, exaggerated tiredness, sleep and food disorders, loss of interest in sex and others. It can be rather difficult for close environment to realize whether a physical symptom is a sign of a mental disorder, or probably suspect an entirely different disease requiring a different treatment. But anyway spotting these symptoms in their early stages and acting accordingly through timely visit to a mental health professional can really help to prevent a person suffering from a long term mental illness.

Other mental illness symptoms are known to include a lost of interest in happiness and enjoyment and the tendency to social isolation when most people feel powerless, lonely and disconnected from other people and the world around them. In such cases a person suffering of mental disorder is known to lose interest in former hobbies, sports, past times and social activities. Very often a mental sickness of different kind from depression to bipolar disorders is expressed as an irritable mood and explosive behavior. This is seen as another popular symptom that many live with without realizing and reacting. Knowing those symptoms can help to understand better the pattens of behavior of a person demonstrating the developing signs of mental illness and seek help of a mental health provider on the early stage.

Diagnosing a mental health condition and prescribing the appropriate assistance can be done by a qualified health professional on the basis of monitoring and observing mental illness symptoms by the close environment. If there are symptoms of a mental illness or a mental disorder or just some strange behavior patterns, a diagnostic evaluation with a mental health provider is the first step to get the right treatment. Different treatment methods including medicine prescription often combined with therapeutic sessions and behavior modification therapy will be ordered depending on the type of a mental illness. Although there are different kinds of mental illnesses and related symptoms, family members and friends of those affected share many similar experiences and are influenced by the situation. Family therapy and counseling can be a necessary part of the mental illness treatment to achieve the best result.

Mental disorders of a close person have an ultimate influence on family and friends that play an unique, essential role in the treatment and recovery of a person with this problem. The closest environment stay in the best position to track changes in behavior and appearing symptoms of a mental illness and to assess the effectiveness of the treatment, thus being in the position to make the living environment as assisting and stress-free as possible. Together with mental health specialists family is a secure basis of symptoms observation, effective treatment and quick recovery, managing the best way a loved one's mental disorder.