Depression and Changing Your Mind-Set

What we need to bear in mind is that the conscious mind uses the information stored in the subconscious mind. We will use beliefs as an example. If you wish to change your beliefs then you need to re-educate your subconscious mind.

"If you always think what you've always thought, you will always get what you've always got". You need to fill your mind with all the good things that you wish to happen in your life. Living a full and satisfying life means that you have to fill your subconscious mind with thoughts of the kind of life you desire.

Affirmation.

Affirmation is a way to repeat simple and straight forward positive sayings and statement. We repeat affirmations over and over again so that our subconscious mind will begin to believe it's true. It then moulds your actions to suit your thoughts which in turn, move you closer to the life of your desires.

Creative Visualization.

This is probably the most powerful life changing tool. All you need to do is simply visualize or see in your mind's eye the kind of life you wish to have. Your mind will then mould your actions to suit your mind. Do this over and over again to speed up the process.

Hypnosis.

This is another way of bypassing the conscious mind and changing your life for the better. The good thing is that you do not even need a hypnotist as there are many CD's available on most subjects.

Self Esteem.

To succeed at anything you need to have high self-esteem. If you have low self-esteem one of the easiest ways to build your self-esteem is to say "I like myself" over and over and over again. While you are repeating the statement you are not allowing any negative thoughts to enter your head. More you say this statement, the more your subconscious mind will build your self-esteem thus making you feel good about yourself

It is important to remain positive and motivated during this process of self-development. To assist you read inspirational quotes from famous and successful individuals. This will help your mind to achieve it's goal and keep you uplifted.

As Earl Nightingale said "we become what we think about".

Self Help and Dealing with depression

Some of the things that depression does are drain your energy, enthusiasm for life and makes it difficult to for you to do what it takes to make yourself feel better.

There is no quick fix to finding a solution to being depressed.

The trick is to start small and deal with it in increments.

Recovering from depression will require action. Taking action when you are depressed is hard. Even thinking about taking those first steps can be exhausting within itself.

It really is a catch 22 situation as the things that help the most are the most difficult to do, even going for a walk or spending time with friends.

Small Steps

Start with small steps such as going for a short walk around the block or even ringing a close friend. You can then build on these small steps as your energy levels come back.

Takes things one day at a time and remember to reward yourself for each accomplishment. Although the steps are small they will soon add up. As you persevere with these small steps you will begin to feel better and your energy levels will increase.

Try to stay focused on the end result as this will get you through the times when you may feel like giving up.

Remember, small steps are the key as it's not a quick fix to the road of recovery.

Testing For Food Allergies - Self Diagnosis

There are several ways to check for food allergies on one's own. One is with the Coca test, based on Dr. Coca's observation that a person's pulse rate increases after eating a food to which he or she is allergic. The test consists of taking your pulse before eating and every 30 minutes after that for up to 2 hours.

Normally, the average person's pulse is between 70 and 80 beats per minute. After eating a food to which one is allergic, however, the pulse can increase significantly to a count that's 20 or even 40 beats above the normal level.

Another effective diagnostic measure that can be self-administered is the elimination test. Here, suspected allergy-producing foods are eliminated from the diet for 4 days. Every 5th day one of the foods is added back in to see if an allergic reaction occurs. So, if, for example, wheat is eliminated, on the 5th day a bowl of cracked wheat can be eaten. (Bread should not be used for this purpose because the person might be reacting to the yeast, sugar or additives.)

Recording Symptoms

It is helpful to keep a food diary to isolate those chemicals and foods that make you ill. Ask yourself, "Do I get bloated? Tired? Headaches?" Even is symptoms are not immediate, write them down. If you are allergic to a food, patterns will begin to emerge. A wide array of symptoms can occur depending upon which systems are most affected:

Adrenal System Reactions: Low energy or chronic fatigue is a common reaction, with immune dysfunction being at the most severe end of the spectrum. Another possibility is obesity, which can stem from a tendency to overeat in response to low glucose levels. A hypoglycemic person eats to raise the blood sugar and overcome inertia and exercise too little because not enough energy is available.

Central Nervous System Reactions: Brain allergies occur when molecules, breathed in or eaten, leave the blood and enter the brain. These foreign substances can interfere with enzymes and lead to any number of reactions - diminished concentration, impaired thinking, spaciness, anxiety, headaches, aggressive or antisocial behavior, depression, rapid mood swings, insomnia, hallucinations or episodic memory loss.

Many children experience hyperactivity or fatigue from allergens. Even serious psychotic problems can result; it is estimated that for over 90% of schizophrenics, food or chemical intolerances are contributory factors to their conditions. Unfortunately many allergic reactions, and many psychological problems compounded by allergic reactions, are mistaken for purely psychological.

Skin Problems: Some people experience rashes, or skin redness, discoloration, roughness or inflammation.

Respiratory System Problems: There may be wheezing or shortness of breath, asthma or bronchitis.

Cardiovascular Symptoms: These include heart pounding, rapid or skipped beats, flushing, pallor, tingling, redness or blueness of the hands and faintness.

Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Numerous symptoms include dry mouth, burping, flatulence, bloating, canker sores, stinging tongue, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, rectal itching and indigestion.

Other Problems: Other annoying, uncomfortable symptoms are muscle aches and joint pain, ringing in the ears and frequent urination.

Unless corrected, subclinical signs can turn into disease states. Most people mask their symptoms with medication instead of addressing the cause of the problem. They do not realize that seemingly divers conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, asthma, migraines, irritably bowel syndrome, adult onset diabetes and skin disease, can have food and chemical allergies as an underlying cause.

Simple But Radical Method to Get Rid of Signs of Clinical Depression in 6 Weeks

How would it be like for you to be able to get rid of signs of clinical depression in 6 weeks time? Allow yourself to imagine to reclaim your true self, have your life back, and be happy again!

Of course, you probably already know this: When you are depressed you get caught in a downward spiral with old-habit thought patterns when something goes wrong. Even if you feel only a bit blue, that can send you into full-blown depression.

You are still on your journey to recovery, and tried everything possible...medication, visits to physicians, psychologists, and psychiatrists but everything to no avail. It takes so much to not give up!

If I told you that you can recognize signs of clinical depression, and change these thoughts and habits by following a simple but radical new approach to them, would you be interested? While reading this article word for word you will discover these simple secret methods.

To be bigger than your depression, follow these 3 easy tips to start to heal completely ( 'just coping' is not an option):

• Establish priorities so that your energies go into what will be on what's most important to you.


• Communicate as directly as possible to everyone around you. Depressed people are often poor communicators who don't get their emotional needs served. With better communication, they can experience a more supportive emotional environment.


• Take care of your self. Learn to enjoy yourself.

Just pause for a moment, and imagine hearing your loved ones saying, "Thank you, for having you back in our lives!" How wonderful is this!

A Simple Cure For Anxiety And Depression

Our innate desire is to be happy, and when we move away from it, we experience fear.

This fear is actually millions of years old, for it arises from the biological programming of our species.

While we may not have to contend with a sabre-toothed tiger on any given day, we still use those very reactions to deal with events looming ahead.

We think, "Will I be fired for making that mistake at work?" or "Will I be able to meet the mortgage after I fix the car?" or "Will my health continue to decline?" or "Will my relationship fall apart after that argument we just fell into?"

Running questions with this type of urgency and helplessness trains our brains to prepare now for future danger by loading our bodies up with the stress hormone cortisol.

Anxiety is our anticipation of a dangerous future. We imagine having even less of the little that we have today.

This anxiety does not help us in any way to meet the future any better. In fact, it weakens and exhausts us. We usually worry most about things that we can't even control. Worrying about your dental visit, for example, will not make the visit better.

Anxiety, in fact, is a silent killer. It is enervating, and it drains you of purpose and hope, faith and initiative. It fogs up your thinking. And it makes the body susceptible to illness.

When anxiety--a fear of an event in the future--is high enough then you feel a deep sense of helplessness. This, in turn, translates into depression. You even begin to view the past as disappointing.

Caught between a miserable past and a frightening future you create a pattern of emotions that can lead to a variety of mood disorders, including manic-depression.

How do we escape from this vicious cycle?

Here is what I did 20 years ago and I have never since suffered from any serious mood disorder.

I started to cultivate my awareness of my mood swings--from elation to black despair.

I did this by basically watching myself when I was manic, and watching myself when I was depressed, and watching what I did to turn on these states. For example to get depressed, I used my love of literature to focus on dark, morbid, and unhappy stories about life. And to get elated, I would talk a lot, move very quickly, and do things in a dramatic way.

An interesting thing happened when I made my unconscious behavior conscious. I could not take my mood shifts seriously.

This is what I learned from that experience: when you are able to observe yourself over the course of a few weeks, you develop a curious detachment.

A paradoxical situation developed for me: I found it difficult to stay anxious and depressed when I was observing myself feeling anxious and depressed.

Ultimately, anxiety and depression are culturally-induced patterns of thinking that can be overcome through a deliberate cultivation of awareness. When you become your own observer, you weed out the unconscious habits that afflict you.

Despite the billions of dollars spent to heal anxiety and depression, and all the mood disorders and behavioral anomalies that arise from them, the cure is simple, quick, and free.

NLP & Hypnosis Can Help Overcome Postpartum and Perinatal Depression

Everyone has feelings of sadness. In most cases, these occasions last for a few hours or days. Nearly one-fifth of the people in the world, however, are diagnosed with major depression, which causes depression that lasts for weeks, months, or longer. These moods result in problems performance in career, family, or interpersonal interactions, which can become severe.

Females who have signs of depression when they become pregnant may be treated for perinatal depression. This condition may develop any time after pregnancy begins, or any time thereafter, until the infant is one year old. Typically, however, those who develop this illness after the child is born are diagnosed with postpartum depression.

Perinatal depression or postpartum depression may be caused by a number of factors. These factors can be physiological. For example, women with a previous or family history of clinical depression or mental illness are more susceptible to developing perinatal depression or postpartum depression. Furthermore, alterations in hormone levels in postpartum mothers, such as decreases in estrogen and progesterone amounts, can cause this illness. Postpartum thyroid problems can cause signs of depression such as exhaustion, irritability, and hopelessness.

At times, mental depression is a result of emotional issues. Women may are fatigued and overwhelmed in learning to cope with the needs of the new infant. These issues are sometimes magnified by a lack of support from family, friends, or spouse. Money problems may also assist in causing postpartum depression.

Perinatal depression and postpartum depression often have grave consequences for both the woman and her new child. Worry and depression may prevent a woman from connecting fully with her baby or being capable of meeting her child's physiological and emotional requirements. This may worsen the mother's feelings of insignificance, guilt, and low self-worth.

The infant is also affected by the new mother's problems. Failure to bond with his or her mom may cause the baby to develop trust problems in emotional relationships throughout life. Further, infants who do not have their physiological or emotional requirements met typically do not grow and develop properly. This condition, called "failure to thrive," may be very serious or even fatal to the infant.

Perinatal depression or postpartum depression can damage everyone in the family. The spouse or significant other can feel ignored or unable to help the woman's depression symptoms. This can severely damage their partnership. Other children in the family may experience similar emotions, and develop school-related or peer problems as well.

Depression harms the whole family. Therefore, women who have perinatal depression or postpartum depression should seek depression treatment as quickly as possible. Numerous approaches can be used, such as talk therapy and medication treatments. Medicines, however, can be risky for nursing babies, and sometimes yield erratic outcomes due to the tremendous hormonal fluctuations a woman has during these hectic months. Furthermore, traditional counseling therapies can be lengthy and expensive.

Two therapies for dealing with depression that do not involve medicines and may quickly yield dramatically effective outcomes are hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. Traditional Hypnotherapy is most effective for clients who can be easily hypnotized or are capable of accepting ideas without needing to analyze or comprehend them. Ericksonian Hypnotherapy is very useful for persons who often overanalyze. These techniques aid individuals to relax and get rid of tension.

For clients who are more critical or analytical individuals, NLP is often more effective. With NLP, trained practitioners give people depression help by coaching them to restructure their thought processes. This strategy can, quite literally, allow a client think past the depressive mood and conquer it.

Individuals can conquer depression by developing NLP techniques such as anchoring. They learn to remember times when they felt happy and controlled their situations. Remembering the event renews these emotions. Clients are instructed to put two fingers together and remember these feelings. The unconscious mind connects the touch of the two fingers with the emotions. Hence, the finger touch becomes an "anchor."

Then, when the individual begins to feel overwhelmed, he or she sparks the anchor by touching these identical two fingers together again. This brings back emotions of self-control and results in empowerment.

Through another strategy called the Flash, individuals learn to think away harmful feelings. They program their unconscious minds to instantly substitute positive thoughts for negative ones. When negative thoughts arise, the mind instantly exchanges them for positive thoughts. After learning this technique, individuals find it nearly impossible to conjure up negative thoughts!

Summary: Perinatal depression and postpartum depression may have harmful results for a woman and her new baby. The rest of their family is also profoundly affected because of these problems. Because of the probable severity of the consequences of this condition, females with depression should seek treatment as soon as symptoms begin. Two very effective strategies that do not require medication or great outlays of time and money are hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Depression in Pregnant Women - Signs and Symptoms

Although pregnancy depression has always existed, it is only in recent years that it has been acknowledged as a medical problem, and that women have been allowed to talk about it without shame. Many women will suffer from some level of depression during their pregnancy. In some, it can become a very serious problem.

If signs of depression are ruining what should be a happy and wonderful time in your life, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor. Help is available, and keeping yourself happy and mentally healthy is just as important to your baby as your physical well-being.

There are some major risk factors that may predispose a woman to depression. When deciding when to get pregnant, it's a good idea to avoid very stressful times in your life, such as financial problems, major life changes, and relationship issues. These can all be risk factors for depression. Other common risk factors in pregnant women are a history of infertility, previous miscarriages, and a history of depression prior to pregnancy.

From the time you experience the first signs of being pregnant, you may also see some signs of depression. It can occur at any point in your pregnancy. As hormones fluctuate throughout the three pregnancy stages, depression may come and go.

Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness or hopelessness, extreme fatigue, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, long periods of crying, irritability or moodiness, and difficulty concentrating. If any of these symptoms sound familiar to you, it is possible you are suffering from pregnancy depression and not just normal pregnancy mood swings.

Remember, getting help is the best thing you can do for yourself and your baby.

How To Stop Being So Hyper

Many people at one time or another get hyper. This is where you have tons of energy that is not really directed in one place. You might feel giddy and anxious inside at the same time. You tend to act a bit differently than your normal self. At times this happens quite often and you might not like it. Find out what you need to do to stop being so hyper so that you can relax.

First of all, you need to watch what you are eating. There are certain things that will make you feel more hyper than you normally would be if you avoided these. You need to start avoiding sugars and caffeine. These will both make you hyper. Don't have soda, coffee, or sweets before going out else you are going to be very hyper.

Learn what you are anxious about. Sometimes you have an anxiety problem or something is bothering you. Being hyper is a way of covering up what you are feeling. Deal with these nervous feelings and you will be less hyper.

Slow down. Before saying anything or reacting, you need to take a pause. Being hyper is shown when you are reacting completely. If you slow down, things will be better for you.

Become more comfortable with those you are around. When you are comfortable with others, you will have less anxiety. You won't have to be hyper to cover up for feeling uncomfortable.

Exercise more. Many times you have this excessive nervous energy. When you exercise, you have a place to direct this energy.

Get more sleep or less sleep. When you have too much sleep, you will have this extra energy that sometimes will cause you to be hyper. When you lack sleep, you will be more giddy which will make you act this way. Get proper sleep.