Mental health resource

Eating Disorders A major health problem but a treatable one Author: Tis Amit

Eating Disorders are one of the major health issues facing the world today. Millions of people around the world are suffering from these disorders and statistics show that whilst a large percentage (86%) are aged 20 years and above, 10% of reported cases are in children 10 years and younger in age. Recent studies have indicated that the number of individuals suffering with an eating disorder may be as many as 3 times greater than the number suffering from AIDS. Many experts also believe that even these figures may not show the full extent of the problem as many men are not accurately diagnosed or not in fact diagnosed at all.

The 3 most common Eating Disorders are, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia nervosa and Binge Eating disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa.

Common symptoms include exhibiting irritation and becoming easily depressed. In addition to this, withdrawal from social situations and connections and the compulsive carrying out of rituals is common along with unusual eating habits. In physically mature women the menstrual cycle may become erratic or cease and in pre-pubescent females the menstrual cycle can be delayed or fail to commence. In males, the production of testosterone falls in level. Anorexia Nervosa is often a control issue. It is not about the food itself but by controlling the amount and type of food being ingested, the individual feels in control of their lives, this, possibly being the only way they have found to create that sense of control. Sufferers will exhibit marked weight loss which is self induced and a refusal to maintain a healthy weight and an attitude toward food and weight that is distorted and can show an intensive fear of gaining weight and becoming overweight.

Bulimia Nervosa.

Is a disorder that is characterized by excessive preoccupation with the body and worrying about weight. It can in some cases follow on from Anorexia nervosa. Sufferers may binge eat and then tries purge the food through dangerous behaviours such as vomiting, excessive exercising, laxatives, diuretics and other medications. In many cases, the individual will maintain a body weight within the normal range for their age, sex and height. Less obvious than anorexia and therefore may go unnoticed for longer. Again, In most cases of Bulimia Nervosa the issues are again not really about food but relate to other areas of the sufferers life. In many cases they suffer from low self esteem and often feel angry with themselves and the world around them. In addition to this, self destructive or potentially risky behaviour is often exhibited by bulimics and both person and substance addictions are common.

Binge Eating Disorders.

Whilst the binging part of Bulimia Nervosa appears the same as the Binge Eating Disorders, the major difference is that in the case of the Binge Eating Disorders, the purging does not take place and there is a marked increase in the weight of the individual leading to obesity. Individuals may become depressed about their behaviours, weight and appearance and comfort eat, so exacerbate the cycle of overeating and depression.

Eating Disorder Treatment

Unfortunately, there is much misleading information about Anorexia, Bulimia and other eating disorders and do not fully understand the dangers of the disorders on one hand or the fact that they can be successfully treated by skilled professionals. In addition to this, as many people who have eating disorders feel ashamed of themselves they are reluctant to engage with the services that are available to help them.

There are a variety of interventions and therapies that can be employed in the treatment of eating disorders, from brief interventions through to longer term psychotherapy, individual and group therapies and medical interventions where appropriate.

There have been many advances in all fields of therapy and treatment in recent years, one example being the controlled use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which has shown positive results in the area of weight maintenance. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has provided successful outcomes and in some cases Psychotherapy is the appropriate course of action.

It cannot be denied that Eating Disorders are serious and in some cases life threatening but it must be remembered that as with all disorders, conditions and illnesses, the sooner they are diagnosed and professionally treated, the better the expected outcome for the sufferer.

Welcome to the Prozac Revolution Author: Mike Didcky

Not too long ago, when people were depressed, they were either isolated in their homes, unable to draw themselves out into society or, worse, theyd be taken to a mental institution where they would unhappily live out whatever was left of their withered lives.

A solution to this problem has always been in the making, but it wasnt until the last 30 or 40 years that these solutions became true possibilities. In 1972 Prozac entered the scene. It took many years until it received FDA approval (15 years, to be exact), and when it did, no one knew how this little pill would change the face of depression forever.

By increasing serotonin levels in the brain (one of the main causes for depression), people were finally able to regain functioning they had lost to the debilitating mental illness. People who were considered crazy or dangerous, or just simply too sad to be normal were no longer outcasts. They could reenter into society and live normal, functional, and happy lives.

Prozac gave families their loved ones back. Prozac gave new life to people who had given up.

Since then, Prozac has become the most popular antidepressant on the market, with generic forms popping up constantly, making the drug (fluvoxamine) available to even more people at an affordable price.

But it did even more than that. It opened up the doors of research even further. Other companies began manufacturing different types of antidepressants to help with different types of depression. People who did not respond to Prozac could now turn to a new alternative. They could buy Paxil or buy Lexapro or buy Zoloftand those are just the SSRIs!

Today, the possibilities are endless (or at least it seems that way). There are affordable options for people to buy Prozac online, as well as other name brand and generic depression treatments.

The Prozac revolution has changed the way millions of Americans and people around the world think about depression and has opened doors to millions of people who can finally smile again.

Specific Phobias – The Mystery and Confusion of The Phobia Classification System! Author: Bertil Hjert

Claustrophobia. Agoraphobia. Triskaidekaphobia. All of these names have one thing in common: they add mystery and confusion to what is already one of the most poorly understood aspects of human behavior.

Phobias have always been classified according to their obvious triggers; the objects or situations that provoke the fear. These triggers are customarily dressed in exotic Greek and Latin labels, giving each phobia a more scientific air.

Unfortunately, the traditional phobic classification system has shed little light on the real, but hidden mechanisms responsible for creating and shaping phobic behavior. In fact, this Greek and Latin name-calling may have done a great deal of harm.

For instead of encouraging us to search for underlying common denominators capable of unlocking the many secrets of phobic behavior, it has led many to believe that these secrets are already known.

Even worse, this classification system has unintentionally led many of the doctors believe that each and every type of phobia i.e. xenophobia, aerophobia, etc. is a separate and distinct disorder with a unique cause having no relation to other phobias aside from the obvious similarity in symptoms.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The drawbacks of the traditional classification system are best illustrated with a few examples.

Suppose that a woman is cynophobic and agoraphobic. What do these two labels tell us, apart from the fact that she is afraid of dogs and wide-open spaces?

According to the current classification system, this woman suffers from two separate phobic illnesses, each requiring individual treatment. But what if her fear of dogs stems from a realistic fear of being chased by a dog into a wide-open space, namely, the street (realistic, because it has happened to her). If so, her fear of dogs is clearly part and parcel of her fear of wide-open spaces. The two are not separate disorders.

The connection between this woman’s agoraphobia and her gynophobia is vital if she is to receive proper treatment. But the traditional classification system does not encourage doctors to look for such interrelationships. Let’s look at another example.

Fear of Flying:

Four men suffer from aerophobia, the fear of flying. Although all four men are classified as having the same illness, a closer examination might reveal that each fears flying for a completely different reason.

One man, for example, may be afraid to fly because his neighbor recently died in a plane crash. Another may be afraid because planes fly over water and he can’t swim, hence he does not fear all flying, just flying over water. The third may be afraid of small enclosed spaces, such as the cabin of an airplane. And the fourth man may be afraid of heights.

Each of these possibilities suggests something entirely different about the mechanisms responsible for the fear of flying. More important, these differences clearly demonstrate that each case may require a different treatment approach.

But once we label all four men “aerophobic,” we unwittingly make a tragic mistake. For our label implies that one common mechanism is responsible for the fears of all four men. This makes no more sense than assuming that four men with the same name have the same mother. Yet in essence, this is exactly what we are doing.

This kind of mistake can only encourage physicians and other therapists to search for answers in all the wrong directions. Worse, it encourages them to subject all four men to the same treatment regimen. At best, the results of this kind of treatment approach will be less than satisfactory for at least three of the four.

Two Flaws in the System:

These examples clearly illustrate that two important characteristics of phobic behavior are masked by our traditional classification system:

Phobias of different names may have one and the same underlying mechanism.
Phobias of the same name may have distinctly different underlying mechanisms.

Superficial phobic triggers provide an important clue to understanding phobic behavior, but they are only one aspect of the highly complex phobic phenomenon.

By focusing only on these triggers, we are ignoring the far more important underlying mechanisms that create and shape phobic behavior. This interferes with our ability to make an accurate diagnosis and prevents us from developing a successful treatment approach.

Want to End Stress and Anxiety Today? Author: John Horrax

I’ve heard that Buddhists describe the state of constantly recurring problems in which we can sometimes find ourselves; to them the origin of this state is ignorance, it is a misunderstanding of existence. The truth is that everything in life is dependent on other factors and everything is in a constant state of change, whereas ignorance sees everything in a fixed sense; we especially see ourselves in a very fixed way; as if things weren’t in this state of continual change. “My problems”, “my life”, “my job”, “my house”, “my car”, “my turn”, “I’m next” “me” “myself” and “mine”….

As such we make ourselves very fixed. We have great attachment to ourself. We want to look after ourself we want ourself to be happy, if our neighbor or a guy down the road is not happy so what, as long as we are okay…. “I want to travel”, “I want to see this”, “I want to do such and such”, “I don’t want to do that”, “I want this”, “I wanted that” becomes our life story. We put ourselves first all the time. Everyone else comes in second place. Of course no one would come out and say such a thing outright, but its clear from the way we do things that this is exactly what is, in fact,happening.

This is where anxiety comes from,us beingconstantly preoccupied with ourself. We become preoccupied with ourself, and all of our concerns, to such an extentthat these concerns get excess attention. The key is that they are to do with ourself, even insignificant things, provided they are to do with us, gain a heightened sense of significance. Anxiety is very closely linked to this self-centeredness.

Instead, focus your attention on helping other people, even people you don’t know, and sympathizing with them, and helping them through their struggles. This will work wonders for reducing your own anxiety levels.

For better ways to cure anxiety, stress, panic, fear, or phobia click here: <a href=”http://www.johnsreview.net/beatanxiety.html”>Link Title</a>

This article was written by John horrax.

Psychology Tricks – Hypnosis Mind Control, Techniques That They Don’t Want You to Know Author: Ravivaarman Batumalai

If you’re an entrepreneur, salesperson, advertiser, or business owner, understanding hypnosis mind control techniques could boost your sales and profits instantly as you learn how to hypnotize someone instantly. However in today’s world, a lot of people are writing fluff about this topic and misleading you. That’s why I’m going to reveal one of the famous psychology tricks that I’ve learned so that you can start using immediately and reap great benefits from it.

There are countless hypnosis mind control techniques or psychology tricks in the world. However if you’re looking an easy way how to hypnotize someone instantly to like you or do something for you, I’ve an answer for you. It’s by building a strong rapport. In another word, it’s called “trust”. The real secret to build rapport with someone is by matching the language or words that a person use. If a person use the word “brilliant, smart or excellent” frequently while communicating with you, use the same words with that person. He or she will unconsciously like you more because of the similarity that both of you have. Once a person has started to like or has a strong rapport with you, he or she can easily be influenced or persuaded. That’s why you have to pay extra attention to how people speak and the words they frequently use so that you can sync with them easily.

Let me give you an example on how to use this technique. If a girl frequently explain things in the following manner, basically I’m a homely girl and I don’t like to go out partying” or “basically I’ve been trained to learn how to play piano”, the secret magic word that will hypnotize her instantly is “basically.” She uses that word a lot and if you use it while communicating with her, it’ll work like a charm. I’m pretty sure that you’ve stumbled upon someone or anyone who will frequently use certain words in communication. If you feel like you’re having trouble to sync with that person, use this tactic as it’s one of the most powerful hypnosis mind control techniques that I’ve seen and used it successfully to learn how to hypnotize someone instantly.

Learn How To Be Anxiety Free Author: Charlotte Wilson

Alone, Confused, Scared – Learn How To Be Anxiety Free

Are you feeling alone, confused and scared all the time, is this how you meet your day, you probably have many people around you but Im sure you still feel very much alone. Is this feeling starting to affect your everyday functions, do you feel like a prisoner of your own emotions. Do you feel that you are suffering such a weird disorder that it is setting you apart from the rest of the world, in such a way dont you feel that that any body will understand what you are going through. You just feel there is no way that you are ever going to learn how to be anxiety free.

You have no understanding as to what is happening to you, or that there are a multitude of people who are suffering just like you. The anxiety attacks you suffer come from nowhere, or that is what you believe at the time. The anxiety attacks strike while you are driving, working, eating or just walking through the shopping mall.

You constantly ask yourself Why Me? When are these attacks ever going to stop. You are always wondering what is happening to you. The greatest fear an anxiety sufferer has is that they are going to have another attack. Anxiety Attacks can happen at any time, and not only when an anxiety sufferer is awake, yes can they happen why you are sleeping. Now you are really starting to get frightened, imagine having to wake up to that feeling.

Anxiety disorders seem to be something that is swept under the carpet, most anxiety sufferers dont want to talk about it, feeling so embarrassed and ashamed that friends and family will think they are just crazy, so they just go on accepting their disorder and hide from it.

How Can You Battle Back?

Today, you feel very different; You now have admitted that you suffer form Anxiety Disorder. You know the condition that you have battled with year after year. You now know that if you dont do something about this condition, and seek a solution this is how the REST OF YOUR LIFE will be.

From the very beginning you MUST understand the Anxiety Attacks for what they are and when you are having an anxiety attack you have to realize that it is not going to last forever. Most times Anxiety Attacks only last anywhere from a few minutes up to no longer that half an hour.

The key to controlling anxiety attacks is control. Whilst having an anxiety attack lie down if you are able, if not sit or squat down, this way if the anxiety attack is upsetting your balance you will not fall and hurt yourself. Now you must try to relax, close your eyes and outline the external influences that may be causing the anxiety in the first place.

Now you must try to slow down your breathing, by taking very slow deep breaths and hold them for the count of four while you breathe in and also while you exhale. Relax your mussels by starting at your toes and work your way up your body. Feel your mussels relaxing.

If you are ever going to overcome your anxiety attacks you need to redirect your train of thought. You have to have mental images in your brain of your being in control of the anxiety attacks, keep your thoughts of the fear on an oncoming attack just melt away. Keep practicing this reversal of thought, the more you do this the better you will get at managing your anxiety attack the next time you have the feeling that one is coming on.

If you are suffering from an anxiety disorder I commend you for making the choice to learn more about it by just reading this article. Learning what an anxiety disorder is and what you can expect and the steps required by you to get your anxiety under control and to finally being anxiety free. The way to achieve this is through control.

Control through;

1.Searching out your Trigger Points and what it is about them that affects you
2.Understanding and directing your Self Talk
3.Building support with loved ones and friends
4.Facing each attack knowing it will not harm you
5.Forcing uncomfortable situations on yourself
6.Facing your fears and seeing them for what they arent

Remember you do have feelings; it just happens that you suffer from an anxiety disorder, you deserve the right to be happy and comfortable with your life. Having a clearer understanding of what you face on a daily basis and how you can get through the tough times.

If you are suffering and battling with Anxiety, I wish you all the best that life can give you. You are a wonderful person for taking the first steps in educating yourself on this very serious illness.

Understand your condition; learn about the different methods and medications that can support you defeating your disorder. Understand all your fears and how to challenge them.

Do this and you will learn How to Be Anxiety Free?

Stop Panic & Anxiety Attacks – Want to End Panic & Anxiety Today? Here’s some tips: Author: John Horrax

Stress is the biggest contributor to anxiety and it is self-induced! Consequently, it is under your direct control. Let go, treat yourself, have somefun. Although we can’t slow down the pace of life we can slow down our minds. Only ever do one thing at a time. When something that causes you anxiety happens, stop, close your eyes and count slowly to twenty. Break whatever it is thats causing you anxiety down into little steps. Then take it on one step at a time, at an easy pace. Then let your mind relax. Take a break from the cycle of stress and tension and just “lax out”, as they say. Don’t continually over-exert your mind. Take time off for you. Learn to say “no” to people. Clear your day of scheduled plans with nothing at all planned.

Do not allow yourself to get stressed over something which you have no or little control over. If your mind is on “overload” that is your body’s way of telling you that you need to stop, relax, and regroup even if for a moment or two.Startby breathingthrough your nose, not your mouth,practice some controlled breathing exercises, such as buteyko (shallow breathing exercises); if you have a medical condition such as a heart condition consult your doctor first. By doing shallow breathing exercises, youwill beable to slow your system down, and get your body to relax physically. Try closing your eyes whileshallow breathing, through your nose, for five minutes, and relaxing; concentrate on your breathing, while clearing your mind of all thoughts.

Other ways to unwindinclude taking a relaxing hotbath, this will help your mind to clearand relieve your mind ofstress and yourbody of tension. Another way is to occupy yourself with games or other activities that are filled with fun and entertainment. You could alsotake a break to watch a comedy and have alaugh, talk to someone, go exercise, sit by the sea, watch a sunset from beginning to end, spend time in nature, go for a walk along the beach, or next to a river, listen to the sounds of nature, take a vacation, gosomewhere tranquil. Whatever it is that makes you feel relaxed.

For better ways to cure anxiety, stress, panic, fear, or phobia click here: <a href=”http://www.johnsreview.net/beatanxiety.html”>Link Title</a>

This article was written by John horrax.

Anxiety Attacks – How Improper Diet And Dehydration Are Triggers For Your Fear Based Panic Attacks! Author: Bertil Hjert

For many people the trigger is financial turmoil, job related difficulties, or accumulated stress. These conditions build up and weigh heavily on you over time, increasing your susceptibility to panic attacks and then specific, worrisome thoughts act as triggers to get you going on a panic attack or anxiety ridden episode.

Another contributing factor to your susceptibility to panic attacks or even a trigger for anxiety episodes themselves is an improper diet and dehydration.

During times of stress or worry, people have one of two tendencies;

- they either eat too much
- or they stop eating enough

Either one of these conditions could be placing an undue burden on your body or mind. Starving yourself causes your body to go into survival mode, the same type of state that your body turns to during a fight or flight episode. Your body is now more susceptible to a panic attack and anxiety symptoms.

Likewise, overeating can cause your body to experience unpleasant physical sensations. Overeating can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weight gain and general sluggishness.

These problems can all contribute to your body feeling far worse than it should, mimicking the physical symptoms of anxiety. Moreover, the increasing numbers appearing on that scale might cause you to go into a panic attack all on your own!

In addition to a proper diet, supplying your body with enough fluids is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and reducing the potential for anxiety problems.

Dehydration is a great way to send your body into panic mode. Drinking soda or coffee all day does not equal hydration! Soda, while liquid, is not providing the hydration level your body needs and it is full of caffeine, sugar or sugar substitutes.

These are great ways to get your body keyed up, a definite no, no for anxiety sufferers. Coffee comes loaded with these same problems. Try drinking a bottle of water a day and Im not talking about a little bottle either. Get a liter size bottle of water and fill it up each day. Spend your day consuming that and in a few weeks you wont believe the difference in the way you feel.

Im not telling you anything you dont already know. We are constantly barraged with information about how to take better care of ourselves, stop smoking, lessen our caffeine intake, eat a proper, moderated and nutritious diet, and exercise regularly.

This is the feel good prescription that we have been receiving for years from doctors, TV hosts and anyone else who felt compelled to tell us how to lead a better life. While this prescription is certainly a good one, most people neglect to tell you, that a deficiency in any one of these areas can greatly affect you in the others.

Most of us think if we exercise a couple of times a week, we can still eat McDonalds. Wrong!

Most of us think if we stop smoking, we can drink soda. Wrong!

We have to be cognizant of all the areas of our health and work to improve each one of them. A poor diet can affect our body, even if we exercise regularly.Therefore, you are still susceptible to panic attacks and anxiety based phobias and fears. Your inattention to your overall health could be having more of a negative effect on your emotional well being than you think.

Your physical health can have a profound effect on your mental health. While you may think your anxiety problem is all in your mind that is far from the truth. The body and mind feed off of each other and lack of health in one part can lead to problems in the other.

If youve had panic attacks, think about it for a minute. Was the panic attack only in your mind or did you experience physical effects as well?

You probably had a racing heart and shortness of breath; you may have had tingling in your extremities and problems with your digestive functions. These sensations probably made you even more upset and nervous, adding fire to the panic attack overtaking you.

The same is true for anxiety sufferers. It is important to get your physical and mental house in order. Taking proper care of your body, through proper diet and exercise, will help you manage your stress and anxiety more effectively.

What is an Anxiety Attack? Author: Patricia Johnson

If you have ever suffered from an anxiety attack, you know it. Your heart looks to be leaping out of your chest and you feel as if you are crawling out of your skin. Your skin feels cold and clammy, you are quivering and even shaking. Your thoughts are jumbled and you may even have difficulty breathing or swallowing. You feel as though you’re a captive of your awareness, and you are .

About 20 % of the people will, at one time in their life, suffer from an anxiety attack. Many of us who end up having an anxiety attack wind up in the hospital emergency room, sure that they’re having a coronary. Many of the anxiety attack symptoms are similar to that of a coronary, although coronaries don’t sometimes present with heart agitation. You may notice that something isn’t right.

many folks feel small sympathy for those who have anxiety and think that they should just’snap out of it.’ What most don’t realize is that anxiety disorders cause anxiety attacks and they’re really real. Someone can no more snap out of an anxiety attack than they can a damaged leg.

Our bodies are trained to react in a certain way when we feel under a great deal of stress or face life threatening scenarios. But infrequently, the brain chemicals are unbalanced, giving us the sense that there are some things inaccurate, though in reality, there’s not. Our bodies then search for a method to come up inside something to justify the feelings we are having. Many of us who have frequent anxiety attacks have obsessive compulsive disorder. In such cases, folks will have intrusive thoughts that will bother them to the point that they repeat rituals. Frequent hand washing is one of the rituals frequently repeated by someone with obsessive compulsive disorder.

An anxiety attack is our body’s reaction to stress. The strain is generally something that happens environmentally. Most of the people who have anxiety attacks do so after a disturbing event in their lives. They often come after the demise of a friend or family member, divorce or loss of a job. Someone who suffers more than one anxiety attacks is habitually diagnosed as having an anxiety disorder. The tension disorder can be a selection of different disorders including general uneasiness disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. Almost all of the symptoms are similar to each other and the treatment for these symptoms is also very similar.

Anti-anxiety medicine is generally mixed with an anti-depressant as well as therapy to deal with anxiety attacks. While anxiety attacks can be very frightful and even crippling to a point, they may also be treated in a selection number range} of different methods, including medicine, care and even herbal treatments. While an anxiety attack isn’t a life threatening sickness, it can finish up causing havoc in your life if you don’t get some treatment. What is an Anxiety Attack?
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Young People Can Be Hypertensive Because Of Stress Author: lucky

Depending on their lifestyle, hypertension spares no one and this includes kids and teenagers who may become prone to high blood pressures at their early age. Nowadays, hypertension are not just for older ones but even for young kids and teens because of the lifestyle they developed in their stressful environment. According to latest statics the number of kids taking stress medication are increasing every year. According to the specialist.

A lot has to do with lifestyle and how they manage their lifestyle. The main reason for such issues is lack of sleep. Knowing the how hyperactive teenagers may be, especially if they love the nightlife and have to deal with late nights, you can just imagine how they can go through these instances which also includes studying late to be prepared for school requirements.

While parents may discipline their kids on how to deal with it, some dependents just feel that they can manage the stress these things have due to their young age. But just to be sure, it would be wise to monitor your kids on how they can be able to manage the facts of their young life. While kids feel vigorous, hypertension may strike and does not spare anyone regardless of age.

Especially small children with under-developed communication skills may display stress very differently than an adult does. Often kids stress is internalized and most noticeable in physical symptoms such as frequent flu-like symptoms including headache, stomachache, and even nausea.

Children under stress may regress to behaviors like bedwetting, clinginess, and frequent crying. Behavioral symptoms may be extreme at both ends of a behavior spectrum. A normally active child becomes either listless or hyperactive, a usually docile child has fits of anger or a child that acts out becomes docile and introspective.

Some signs of stress in kids are easily confused with childrens mental disorders. For instance, if schoolwork slides or your childs circle of friends undergoes a drastic change, it isnt a sure sign that your child is on drugs. Situations like these may simply indicate a childs inability to handle a stressful situation.

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