5 Advantages of Positive Thinking

Positivity is an important life tool and it can be an extremely beneficial state of mind capable of helping anyone achieve their goals. This article will examine 5 of the main benefits of a positive state of mind and discuss them in some detail.

1. The optimist will live longer than the pessimist. What a great benefit! Being more positive and optimistic will help you live longer. This is mainly related to the stress which can be caused by consistently thinking of the negative outcomes of a given situation. If you are constantly thinking of the worst possible outcome then you will automatically worry, which in turn leads you to be stressed. Instead what you need to do is ignore these thoughts, (which often just spring up uncontrollably) and replace them with optimism, with positivity, with confidence. This will reduce the worry, thus reducing the stress and remember, no one is a natural pessimist, we choose what we want to think about so it is 100% changeable.

2. A positive person will lead a more enjoyable life. Another very important concept and one which makes perfect sense, after all we all want a high quality of life. By thinking positively, naturally we enjoy our activities more, this is partly due to the fact that positive thought often leads us to perform better, moreover when we look back at the things we have done, we remember the positives as that is what was thought of at the time.

3. Helps us through the bad times. Unfortunately we all experience bad times in our lives, it could be losing our jobs, developing an illness or even losing a loved one. A positive person will deal with this bad news a lot better than a negative person. For example the optimist may interpret losing a job as an opportunity for a fresh start and a way to develop new skills and open more doors. The pessimist will concentrate on the useless things such as "I will never find another job", which again will bring on the worry, the stress and even the depression.

4. You will have more friends if you are positive. People like optimists, they like to be around them and they seek their advice and opinions. I do, I have a friend who is ever the optimist and I am always seeking his take on things because I know he will make me feel better.

5. Optomists are better decision makers. When weighing up the pros and cons of some choices they will often make the right decision because they are focused on the right things. They are concentrating on the relevant information and analyzing it accordingly, making the right decision at the end.

Whilst some advantages of positive thought and optimism have been discussed here, this is just the tip of the iceberg. It really is the key to a whole new way of living you life, a way of getting more out of your life and I think everyone deserves that chance.

Why Consuming Omega 3 Helps Depression

Did you know that getting sufficient Omega 3 helps depression? Yes, we need those Omega-3 fatty acids for a wide array of health benefits, but one of those that many people don't think of is relief from, and prevention of, depression.

Somehow, in the course of the last 150 years modern Western diets have dramatically changed from what most human beings were mostly eating up to that point. There were many reasons for these changes, but they have brought us a mixed box of good and bad results. Among the bad consequences of our changed diets is that the ratio of Omega-3 fatty acids to other types of fats has gone way down.

It used to be that human beings typically were eating about as much in the way of fish, nuts, and seeds rich with Omega 3, as they ate of foods rich with other fats. Today, however, the typical Westernized diet feeds the average person 10 times (or more!) other fats as it does Omega 3 fats. It's not a coincidence that modern times have seen dramatic rises in what were previously rather unusual health problems and diseases like heart disease, cancer, and, yes, depression.

How Eating More Omega 3 Helps Depression

One of the most rampant of depressive disorders inflicting us these days is SAD, seasonal affective disorder. SAD is brought on by the weather turning colder and days getting shorter as night-time and hours of darkness grow longer. Research has demonstrated that in nations where SAD should be rampant, but where the people eat a high concentration of fish in their diets, the people suffer from amazingly low levels of incidence of this type of depression. These nations include Iceland and Japan.

Oily, cold water fish are rich in Omega-3 essential fatty acids (essential because we need them but our bodies can't make them, and so we have to ingest them), and are especially high in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which is the "most essential" of the three forms of Omega-3 that we need.

Another rampant form of depression in our world these days is "bipolar disorder", which used to be much better known as manic depression. Someone suffering from manic depression goes, often quite rapidly, from moods of incredible energy and "high" feelings to dark, dreary, angry, and depressive feelings which may get so deep that healthy or normal social interaction and functioning become impossible while the depressive mood lasts.

While millions of people suffer from this type of depression, it remains a mysterious and difficult to diagnose disease. (It's also often misdiagnosed in people who simply have healthy but volatile and passionate personalities.) Research has proven that, as a supplement to pharmaceutical treatments, Omega 3 helps depression of this nature when taken in supplemental form, most notably through fish oils.

Fish: Brain Food

Other clinical observations have concluded that people who are eating much closer to the "old-time" ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids (1:1 to 1:4) have a far smaller chance of becoming depressed or remaining depressed than their fellow citizens who don't have such a diet. Most of these healthy-eating people get a lot of fish in their diets.

It seems that the way Omega 3 helps depression is by strengthening and keeping elastic the cellular walls of the brain's neurons. These cellular walls are predominantly made up of fats, and the essential fatty acids therefore need to be consumed to keep the brain functioning in a healthy way (hence the old adage that "fish is brain food"). Unlike other fats, however, Omega-3 fatty acids also help to keep the blood from becoming too sticky and clotting, and the brain also needs healthy blood flow to function properly.

Now you have an understanding of why eating more foods rich with Omega 3 helps depression.

To learn more about how Omega 3 helps depression, and bestows many other health benefits, just follow the link below.

Conservative Quote - Tough Times Never Last, Tough People Do

"Tough times never last; tough people do." Robert Schuller hit things on the head with this conservative quote. In a few weeks time, the bottom has fallen out of our economy and people are mad as blazes and scared to death. We feel hard times descended on us like a rampaging tornado. Our IRAs and pensions have been cut, then cut more, and cut yet again. The value of our houses has fallen, foreclosures are on the increase, and major American industries and banks are failing. Unemployment is up each month, with more and more jobs being threatened daily. All this before Christmas and, for many, Christmas looks pretty bleak. Young or old, our lives have been affected. And we have no knowledge of when this financial free-fall will end, which scares us even more. Just blind fear is ruling our lives!

Many pundits are comparing today's world with the 1930s when the Great Depression raged. Bad as things are now, believe me, things were much worse in Depression times. Our unemployment now is 6.5%; in 1932, 56% of black Americans and 40% of white Americans did not have jobs. Those who still had jobs had their incomes drop as much as fifty percent and their work week cut from six days to perhaps three.

Behind the depression, there was untold human suffering and degradation. Families split up, children dropped out of school, and people waited in food lines for hours to get a little bit of weak cabbage soup. Families were evicted from their homes unable to pay their rent or mortgages. Others ended up doubling or even tripling the number of people living in one apartment. Some crowded three or four families into one-room shacks living on dandelions and wild weed roots. Many starved to death and others died from related illnesses.

Yet through it all, Americans stayed tough, just as we must today. They still believed that America was the best country in the world, that there was a better tomorrow, and faith was the bedrock of their lives. We, too, must stand tough, just as Robert Schuller's conservative quote suggests. Let us today still have the patriotism, the faith, and the belief that there is a better tomorrow, just our grandparents did. Don't let your life be ruled by fear and rage. Stay tough and pray. We Americans will make it through this terrible time.

Two Anxiety Depression Symptoms You Should Look Out For and Take Care Of

Anxiety is a feeling that almost everyone experiences at some point or the other. It is just an uneasy feeling, which keeps nagging in the mind. When the level of anxiety exceeds certain limits, it poses a problem to the individual concerned. Anxiety depression symptoms are the traits in a person's behavior that indicate a potential problem due to anxiety. Two of such symptoms are discussed below.

INSOMNIA

This is a psychological disorder that is related to the sleep pattern of a victim. Anxiety depression is among the possible causes that can result in this affliction. The victim finds it difficult to sleep and loss of sleep results in tiredness, memory lapses and increase in the victim's irritability. In the case of Insomnia due to anxiety depression, the lack of sleep can be directly attributed to a persistent unease in the victim's mind that prevents the mind from relaxing into sleep.

Insomnia can be the effect of other causes too, but in the event of an individual displaying symptoms of insomnia combined with some other symptoms of Anxiety Depression, such as inexplicable tiredness, shortness of breath, concentration lapses etc. it is strongly recommended that the victim undertake an anxiety disorder self test. In case the victim is not inclined to follow that course, he/she may be subjected to an anxiety disorder test which psychologists provide.

DEPERSONALIZATION/DEREALIZATION

Depersonalization is a feeling of unreality and being detached from your self and your experiences. Derealization is a feeling of isolation from one's surroundings. These are a common set of symptoms displayed by most victims of anxiety depression. The mind is indulged in a separate thought process of worry, which causes their activities to be uncoordinated and gives them a feeling of surrealism. This may often lead them to question their own sanity.

This symptom usually indicates a high severity of depression due to anxiety disorders and requires prompt remedial action. It will be manifested with some physical symptoms of depression such as diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, palpitations and frequent urination.

There is a range of treatments for anxiety disorders available. These primarily deal with self-help, counseling, and medication among others. Based on diagnosis and the precise nature of the affliction, a remedy from among the following can be prescribed.

1. Hypnotherapy for anxiety

2. Counseling sessions with psychologists

3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

4. Tranquilizers, pacifying drugs

5. Natural anxiety cures that include self-help, vacationing etc.

The two symptoms that have been dealt with here are among the most easily detected manifestations of anxiety depression. Anxiety itself may also be a symptom for some other mental disorders such as drug or alcohol addiction, phobias and reactionary disorders. Physical disorders, like thyroid may also give rise to this condition. So, it is strongly recommended that any individual who displays symptoms of anxiety depression, get diagnosed by a physician and see a psychologist as well.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. The information in this article is not a substitute for specific medical advice. It is highly recommended you seek a physician for medical advisement.

Agitated Depression - Is There a Cure?

You may have heard of agitated depression, but you may not be sure what exactly it is. Basically this type of depression is a type of clinical depression in which patients have deal with restlessness as well as irritability. This is the term that is used for those who have depression when agitation is very prominent, and this is a very severe type of depression. Usually it is those who are elderly or those in middle age years that go through this type of depression.

While often people who go through depression feel very fatigued and laid back, there are others that are very irritable, angry, and agitated. This is what is being referred to when it comes to agitated depression. Although agitation can occur with other forms of depression, it is given this name when the agitation involved is very severe. However, there are no reasons to think that this type of depression is really different than other types of depression in most ways.

When it comes to agitated depression, there are several things that patients must show in order to be diagnosed with this type of depression. First of all, they must be having a major episode of depression. They must show symptoms like psychic agitation, tension on the inside, crowded thoughts, racing thoughts, or motor agitation. When they have at least two of these symptoms when going through an episode of depression, it is considered to be agitated depression.

There are a variety of different ways that this agitated depression may be expressed in patients. Some may pace a lot, others may shout out or start complaining. Others cannot sit still, some pull hair, rub their skin or clothes, keep talking all the time, or may go around wringing their hands all of the time.

Agitated depression is very serious, and it definitely does need to be treated. There are some drugs out there that are often used to treat this type of depression, but drugs are not always going to be the best option. For many people, drugs only cover up the problem, never really solving the problem at all. Instead of going with drugs, natural treatments can be used to treat this type of depression.

Natural options are available to treat agitated depression, and they are worth trying out. Instead of dealing with depression as well as medications and their side effects, natural options can bring relief that lasts long term. If you or someone you know are dealing with agitated depression, then you owe it to yourself to learn more about the natural treatments out there today.

Light Therapy Can Help With Bipolar Disorder

Affective mood disorders of various types and intensities are experiences by people all over the world. Some people experience mild types of mood disorders like SAD and SSAD (seasonal and subsyndromal seasonal affective disorders) while in a few cases, much more serious disorders like the Bi-polar disorder affect their lives in many negative ways for many years.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar affective disorder, also called bipolar affective disorder or manic depressive disorder. Those who suffer from this are prone to experiencing highly elevated moods at times (mania-manic) as well as severe depression (depression-depressive) states of mind during episodes, hence the term bipolar. There are also hypomanic episodes experienced by sufferers, which are characterized by excess energy and mild to moderate mania (observable in activity, speech and as generally high optimism). These two moods may alternate rapidly or be separated by periods where the sufferer behaves completely normally. The causes of this disorder are associated with both genetic and environmental factors. disorder afflicts more than 5 million Americans, 2 out of every hundred, in some form or severity, which is a cause for treatment through psychiatric help and / or medication. There are two main forms of the disorder, Bipolar 1 and bipolar 2.

Symptoms of Bipolar 1: One or more manic (elated) or mixed episodes occur in some sequence without the occurrence of a depressive episode.

Symptoms of Bipolar 2: In this type of disorder, hypomanic episodes occur rather than actual manic ones along with the occurrences of a major depressive episode.

Light therapy Treatment in relation to the sleep cycle

Along with the abnormal mood conditions, people with this disorder also suffer erratic sleep-wake cycles (Circadian rhythms). Studies have shown that regulating this sleep cycle using various forms of light therapy (as it is used for SAD - seasonal affective disorder patients) can not only improve sleep-wake conditions but also help normalize the mood in bipolar disorder patients a great deal.

In recent studies by the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine's Western Psychiatric Institute, published in the journal of bipolar disorders, bright light therapy (which includes blue light treatment - which is highly effective for similar mood disorders) is effective is easing bipolar disorder (science daily), especially of the treatment sessions are up to 45 minutes long, conducted at mid-day (i.e. not in the morning or at night). Clinical studies showed that over 60 % of the people tested on this treatment with varying schedules responded to a positive extent, while out of the whole sample, at least half of the people tested responded fully to the treatment (science daily).

Light sources emitting 10000 lux blue or full spectrum light at a distance of 60cm, used for sessions either in the morning or mid-day (at whichever time the sufferer responds best to a treatment), and for sessions between thirty minutes to one hour in length are generally considered to be the best for treatment, causing a positive change within a week of treatment in many cases.

References:

Wikipedia[dot]com

www[dot]sciencedaily[dot]com/releases/2008/01/080103101121.htm

www[dot]ehow[dot]com/how_5266250_treat-bipolar-disorder-light-therapy.html

What Are the Early Signs of Depression? When You Should Get Help

Depression is such a common illness now that it is difficult to meet somebody who has not been through this experience, myself included! Yet, the early signs of depression are just often ignored or swept under the carpet and the condition can become really serious and even result in suicide.

Depression could be triggered by some traumatic life event like the loss of a job or a loved one. But these are momentary feelings and there is a definite cause which can be easily pinpointed. But the majority of cases are not like that at all and there may be complex reasons. Usually though, there are warning signs of depression.

One of the early signs of depression is that the usual feelings of emptiness, lack of motivation and feelings of hopelessness have lasted a few months. Another sign is that the symptoms are affecting the person's daily life so much that they cannot perform normally and work and relationships are negatively affected.

Sleep can be affected and I know some depressed people who seemed to sleep all the time. But in other depressed patients, insomnia rules and that perhaps is even worse. Then there are feelings of emptiness and lethargy. It is very hard to get a depressed person to take an interest in anything. Even things they were passionate about, never fire them with enthusiasm now. This is just another one of the warning signs of depression.

It is remarkable how depression can affect our whole organism and this is evident in physical symptoms of all kinds. I remember how I had a whole range of physical symptoms which ranged from pains, cramps, headaches and digestive problems.

Appetite is usually affected and this can swing widely in some patients to food cravings for comfort food with a disastrous result for our body image if we really care about that. That may increase feelings of sadness, worthlessness and low esteem. It seems to be a vicious circle. in other cases, there is no appetite at all and that can also lead to less energy.

Once the early signs of depression are detected, a proper diagnosis needs to be made and then treatment sought. Actually antidepressants may only solve the problem initially with a reduction in symptoms so that the patient feels happier. Unfortunately, these drugs have side effects and they are known also to interfere with appetite so weight problems may be exacerbated.

Most people seek alternative remedies and lifestyle changes can also have a profound and lasting effect. But there is one remedy which is just as effective and which can have very few side effects. Why not click through and find out what it is. The early signs of depression will soon be just a memory.