Cognitive Therapy of Depression

When you feel bad, your thinking becomes negative. This is the ABC of emotion. ‘A’ stands for the Actual event, ‘B’ for your Beliefs about it and ‘C’ for the Consequences you experience because of their beliefs. If you can somehow prevent erroneous negative beliefs from forming around an actual event, you have gone a long way toward protecting yourself form the unnecessary negative emotions that are sure to follow from such distorted thinking. I recommend seven tips to protect yourself from negative, distorted thinking. These tips work for many unpleasant experiences, but let’s use as an example a particularly unpleasant experiences, but let’s use as an example a particularly unpleasant divorce. In the throes of a nasty divorce you might be tempted to believe many of the charges your ex levels against you: You’re selfish, uncaring and vindictive, and not only that, you are lousy in bed. If you buy into this picture of yourself, the consequences might well be low self-esteem and guilt, not to mention severe depression. Cognitive therapy tries to change the Bs – your beliefs – so you do not experience the Cs – negative consequences. Here’s how to cope.

1. Define Your Terms

You had no ideas your ex was having affairs. You were blind. Define blind. The dictionary says “completely without sight.” That wasn’t you. You saw that your ex was withdrawn from you and was spending an enormous amount of time “working late.” You weren’t blind, just too trusting of someone you had every reason to believe was trustworthy.

2. Solve The Problem

You blew up when you came home early and found your ex, who moved out months ago, unexpectedly in your house. Since that ugly scene, you have been thinking that your “terrible temper” has turned you into a “monster.” Possibly, but the problem in this case is not your temper. The real problem is that your ex still has keys to your house. Maybe it is time to change the locks.

3. Take A Survey

Your ex insists that your refusal to take the kids for an extra day after a holiday weekend proves you are vindictive. You maintain that you are open to a rescheduling time with the children, but not when the real reason is to allow your ex to jet off to a luxurious resort with a new lover. You feel justified, but after a screaming argument on the phone, your confidence is shaken. Perhaps you are a vindictive creep. Now’s the time to call a few friends and solicit their views. Chances are they will say you are justified.

4. Talk To Yourself As You Would To A Best Friend

Suppose a friend were getting divorced and felt like a selfish, uncaring, vindictive failure. What would you say? Probably something like: You are not a failure simply because your relationship ended. Many marriages end in divorce, and many winning teams lose a game now and then. It is rough to endure a divorce, and break-ups never bring out the best in people, but I have known you for years, and you are a warm, kind, caring person.

5. Examine The Evidence

Take in the big picture. Write it down if you have to. Your ex says you are lousy in bed, but are you really? Until you learned of your ex’s unfaithfulness, the two of you had a great sexual relationship. Of course, after your heart was broken, you did not have any energy for sex, especially with the person who rejected you. That is not being lousy in bed. That is a normal reaction to betrayal.

6. Look For Partial Successes

Instead of thinking that your marriage was a complete failure, consider the many ways that it was successful: You took turns putting each other through school, and now you both have much more fulfilling careers than you had when you met. You have two great kids, and the problems that led to your breakup have given you valuable new insights into the kind of person you will look for in your next relationship.

7. Experiment

See how this negative thinking about yourself in this one area stacks up against your behaviour in other areas. Your ex called you selfish for wanting to keep the house, but are you really? If you were truly selfish, you wouldn’t give to charity, wouldn’t help friends in need and wouldn’t share credit for your group’s accomplishments at work. Test your reactions the next time a charitable solicitation arrives or a friend calls with a problem or your group’s efforts are recognized. If you write a check, offer to lend a hand or praise a co-worker, you are not entirely selfish. You may not be as magnanimous as you like to be, but you are not the ogre your ex says you are.

Iron is very important for sustaining good health.

Iron deficiencies can cause feeling exhausted, create Clinical Depression, make us more susceptible to viruses, cancer and a variety of degenerative conditions.

Likewise, iron excess or alteration in the iron-binding capability resulting in free, unbound iron carries the potential for causing or aggravating all diseases, infections, cancers and toxicities.

Therefore is it necessary that we do not only strive to both acquire adequate amounts of iron and rid ourselves of excess iron, and that every effort is made to bind and properly escort iron from the moment it enters the body until it exits.

In addition, binding and escorting iron is particular important during the detoxification process. Otherwise, the many benefits iron provides are easily overshadowed by its toxicity.

Discussing Body Iron is difficult and no single indicator or combination of indicators is ideal for the assessment of iron status in all clinical circumstances.

Each indicator may be affected by a variety of conditions including infection, inflammation,liver disease and malignancy, and these factors must be considered in interpreting laboratory investigations.

Iron is essential to life, because of its unique ability to serve as both an electron donor and acceptor.

But iron can also be potentially toxic.

Iron’s ability to donate and accept electrons means that if iron is free within the cell, it can catalyze the conversion of hydrogen peroxide into free radicals. And free radicals can cause damage to a wide variety of cellular structures, and ultimately kill the cell.

To prevent that kind of damage, all life forms that use iron bind the iron atoms to proteins.

That allows the cells to use the benefits of iron, but also limit its ability to do harm.

The Free Radicals can be identified in a comprehensive biochemical screening report.

Six subclinical defects have been identified that are common to every degenerative disease.

Free Radicals are extremely reactive chemical entities that arise normally from metabolism, and also from toxic exposure.

When your iron status is out of balance, then there will be free iron produced and this free iron is very toxic. Free Iron, indicates that iron is not bound to protein. It is a heavy metal.

Many proteins are enzymes that catalyze biochemical reactions, and are vital to metabolism.

One example of this is that enzymes produced by chronic inflammation, combined with damaging free radicals and alterations in the other subclinical markers assessed cause a breakdown in connective tissues.

Connective tissues make up the body’s “superstructure” and “guy wires” that literally holds the body together.

The words protein, polypeptide, and peptide are a little ambiguous and can overlap in meaning.

Protein is generally used to refer to the complete biological molecule in a stable conformation, whereas peptide is generally reserved for short amino acid oligomers often lacking a stable 3-dimensional structure.

However, the boundary between the two is ill-defined and usually lies near 20-30 residues.

Polypeptide can refer to any single linear chain of amino acids, usually regardless of length, but often implies an absence of a defined conformation

The iron withholding mechanism occurs naturally at the onset of every healthy, acute inflammatory response.

Given full recognition to the natural defence mechanism of iron withholding allows health professionals to be far more effective when building immunity, treating people for cancer, iron deficiency, inflammation, excessive tiredness, memory decline or depression.

The risk in amplified when laboratory testing is inadequate; typical of many insurance driven health plans.

Similarly, there is risk in supplementing iron where the decision to supplement is based solely on a low serum iron reading.

To give an example, when in the chemistry it shows up that a person has low serum iron, an elevated to high Transferrin Iron Binding Capacity and a low Transferrin Saturation, this is an indicator that there is free iron.

It also indicates that there is a Copper Deficiency.

Cerruloplasmin is a specialized copper-rich protein that enters the Ferritin molecule to free iron, so it can be attached to transferrin.

This is a pretty good marker, when it gets elevated, of a copper deficiency.

Remember that the Cerruloplasmin is the copper bound protein or protein bound copper is the compound that pulls the iron out of the ferritin cage, puts it out on to the transferrin leash and attaches it

to the leash.

If the Cerruloplasmin are not there then of course you can have a lot of transferrin in the serum without the iron molecules being attached to the leash.

Each one of these transferrins has two hooks on them so you can put two irons on each leash but if the copper is not there, if you are deficient and can’t make the Cerruloplasmin, what happens Transferrin Iron Binding Capacity rises because you don’t have iron actually attached to enough of the transferrins.

When there is free iron, this also indicates that the iron is not bound to the protein. One of the consequences of the depleted amino acids pool is that this has an impact on the neurotransmitters.

Therefore it could be helpful to access the iron status as discussed and the amino acid pool.

The diagnosis of Clinical Depression could be dealt with an additional different protocol, which might lead to better outcomes.

By identifying the markers for disturbed iron status and assisting you in developing a comprehensive strategy for achieving a healthy iron status your risk of all disease and toxicity and infection are lessened.

In addition to accurately measuring iron levels, strategies for restoring iron balance need to take into account many factors.

1. Maintaining a healthy intestinal mucosa

2. Sustaining adequate protein levels

3. Sustaining and aerobic versus anaerobic metabolism

4. Achieving a state of alkalinity versus acid stress

5. Maintaining a healthy cytochrome P450 system to rid the body of organic solvents and other toxins that may hinder protein-iron binding

6. Establishing a diet rich in whole eggs and cultured dairy for individuals with a tendency towards free iron, iron overload.

7. Recommending a phlebotomy program for those confirmed with iron overload.

Transferrin, lactoferrin, lactoglobin and ovotransferrin are iron-binding proteins. Transferrin, the only commonly measured iron-binding protein that is synthesized by the body, is readily taken up by receptors of both healthy cells and cancer cells. Lactoferrin and lactoglobin, derived from dairy foods, plus ovotransferrin (conalbumin) from eggs binds tightly to free iron

Suicide occurs almost twice as often as murder. Each year, about 30,000 people in the United States die by suicide. In the United States:1 * Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 24. * Suicide rates are higher in the western states than in the rest of the country. * White men commit suicide more often than any other group. * A gun is used in almost 3 of every 5 suicides. * Unemployment increases the number of suicides. * Suicide rates increase with age. More people over age 65 commit suicide than any other age group.Only about 1 out of every 40 people who attempt suicide die. Women try suicide more often, but men are 4 times more likely to die from a suicide attempt.Many people have fleeting thoughts of death. Fleeting thoughts of death are less of a problem and are much different from actively planning to commit suicide. Your risk of committing suicide is increased if you think about death and killing yourself often, or if you have made a suicide plan.Most people who seriously consider suicide do not want to die. Rather, they see suicide as a solution to a problem and a way to end their pain. People who seriously consider suicide feel hopeless, helpless, and worthless. A person who feels hopeless believes that no one can help with a particular event or problem. A person who feels helpless is immobilized and unable to take steps to solve problems. A person who feels worthless is overwhelmed with a sense of personal failure.Most people who seriously consider or attempt suicide have one or more of the following risks: * A family history of suicide attempts or completed suicide * A personal or family history of suicide attempts * A personal or family history of severe anxiety, depression, or other mental health problem, such as bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) or schizophrenia * An alcohol or drug problem (substance abuse problem), such as alcoholismThe warning signs of suicide change with age. * Warning signs of suicide in adults may include alcohol or substance abuse, recent job loss, or divorce. * Warning signs of suicide in children and teens may include preoccupation with death or suicide or a recent breakup of a relationship. * Warning signs of suicide in older adults may include the recent death of a partner or diagnosis of a life-limiting illness.Anytime someone talks about suicide or about wanting to die or disappear, even in a joking manner, the conversation must be taken seriously. A suicide attempt—even if the attempt did not harm the person—also must be taken seriously. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone you think may be considering suicide. There is no evidence that talking about suicide leads to suicidal thinking or suicide. Once you know the person’s thoughts on the subject, you may be able to help prevent a suicide.People who have suicidal thoughts may not seek help because they feel they cannot be helped. This usually is not the case. Many people with suicidal thoughts have medical conditions that can be successfully treated. People who have suicidal thoughts often have depression or substance abuse; both of these conditions can be treated. It is important to seek help when suicidal thoughts occur because medical treatment usually is successful in diminishing these thoughts.The possibility of suicide is most serious when a person has a plan for committing suicide that includes: * Having set a time and place to commit suicide. * Having the means, such as weapons or medications, available to commit suicide or do harm to another person. Nearly 3 out of every 5 suicides is committed with a firearm. * Thinking there is no other way to solve the problem or end the pain.People who are considering suicide often are undecided about choosing life or death. With compassionate help, they may choose to live.Review the Emergencies and Check Your Symptoms sections to determine if and when you need to see a health professional.

How on earth can you deal with defiant kids ? No pill exists for that ! It is now a well established fact in the medical profession that ADHD treatment should be a comprehensive one which will include a good dose of behavioral modification alongside with medication, diet, exercise and school support. In spite of taking medication, child behavior will not change at all in the long term. It may well get worse. There may be some improvements in symptoms such as restlessness, fidgeting and better focus and improved concentration but these are only skin deep. In the long term, the medication will not cure ADHD and if child behavior is left unchecked, it is unlikely that the child will outgrow ADHD and he will have a handicap for the rest of his life.

Going back to the defiant kids, there may also be other symptoms which could well be that of a co-morbid disorder like ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder). Symptoms will include an incredible amount of anger, outbursts and a generally aggressive attitude to both parents and siblings.

It is in cases like this that ADHD behaviour therapy comes to the rescue. If parents are prepared to make the required effort, it can well turn a disastrous situation around. Studies have shown that child behavior can be positively influenced by these methods. Similar success has been found with older citizens suffering from GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston got similar results when they tried cognitive behaviour therapy among the patients who had problems taking anxiety medication because of the side effects.

Talking of medication for ADHD it has been shown that about 20% of children have great difficulty in adjusting to these medicines because of the considerable side effects and grow less than normal kids. Stunted growth is not the only problem either as there are risks for heart health and psychotic episodes are linked to some of the other medications like Strattera. If parents choose an ADHD homeopathic remedy they can side step many of these problems and spend considerably less. They are just as effective in improving child behavior as pharmacological solutions .

There are now quite a few researchers advocating ADHD behavior therapy before medication and they are saying that this should be the first option rather than the last in trying to resolve problems with child behavior The drugs companies obviously do not agree and will try to discredit ADHD behavior therapy instead of spending money to research the long term effects of the psychostimulants they have poured down children’s throats while earning enormous amounts of money.

Children for a variety of reasons often are reluctant to talk about their feelings and concerns in therapy whether individual, group, or family therapy. Therapists sometimes need to be resourceful to help children who are anxious to participate in a meaningful way in the therapy process. It is important for children to feel included in the process. Some children may not feel they can express themselves because they may be too young, others may be silent due to anxiety, anger, fear, resentment, and a few may not be able to talk due to trauma events.

Therapists need to have various strategies that do not rely on language such as symbolic play either directive or non-directive, drawing, storytelling, or therapeutic work with symbols. Many therapists, irrespective of the therapeutic modality (e.g. CBT, Interpersonal, Psychodynamic), have integrated play techniques in their work with children.

Most children do not choose to come to therapy, rather they are “brought” or “sent” by parents, teachers or other professionals who in turn are sometimes pressured to do so by extended family, social services, or courts.  The child’s experience upon arrival at the therapist’s office is often like being punished and sent to the principal’s office.

Creative methods of engagement are dictated by necessity because good therapy doesn’t usually take place in a context of fear and punishment. The therapist must think out-of-the box for ways to transform the experience for the child and make the context a safe, comfortable, and playful context that gradually allows for trust to build and for the child to be able to use the therapeutic space in a helpful way.

for more information go to: http://cognitivetherapyforchildren.net

Eating chocolate is one of the world’s most popular passions. The typical Swiss eats more than 21 pounds of this chocolate each year. Even the average Belgian or Brit downs some 16 pounds annually. In the United States, consumption weighs in at roughly 11.5 pounds per year. The earliest record of chocolate was over fifteen hundred years ago in the Central American rain forests, where the tropical mix of high rainfall combined with high year round temperatures and humidity provide the ideal climate for cultivation of the plant from which chocolate is derived, the Cacao Tree.

The Cacao Tree was worshiped by the Mayan civilization of Central America and Southern Mexico, who believed it to be of divine origin, Cacao is actually a Mayan word meaning “God Food”, hence the tree’s modern generic Latin name “Theobrama Cacao” meaning ‘Food of the Gods’. Cacao was corrupted into the more familiar “Cocoa” by the early European explorers. The Maya brewed a spicy, bitter sweet drink by roasting and pounding the seeds of the Cacao tree (cocoa beans) with maize and Capsicum (Chilli) peppers and letting the mixture ferment. This drink was reserved for use in ceremonies as well as for drinking by the wealthy and religious elite, they also ate a Cacao porridge.

Chocolate is full of mood-enhancing chemicals. To start with, it is loaded with sugar, which is a carbohydrate and triggers the release of seratonin. Chocolate also contains fat, which in itself provides a feeling of satisfaction since it answers the urge for calories. Chocolate is also said to have the same mood-enhancing chemical that is found in marijuana, although in much smaller quantities. To test the theory that chocolate enhances mood, a study was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. Students who felt the urge to eat chocolate were given either milk chocolate, white chocolate (which contains no cocoa, just cocoa butter and flavoring), and pills containing stimulants found in chocolate.

Researchers say the findings were predictable. The pill didn’t do the trick, but both the white and milk chocolates did satisfy the students. The results suggest that it is not some secret chemical ingredient in chocolate that provides the euphoria, but the sensory experience such as the taste, the smoothness and the aroma. While some may be using chocolate as an energy booster, a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry has found a link between chocolate cravings and personality. Results suggest certain personality types are not only more likely to crave chocolate, but it may also improve their mood.

Researchers from the Black Dog Institute correlated results from an online survey completed by nearly 3,000 people. Of the respondents, 54 percent reported food cravings during bouts with depression, of which 45 percent specifically wanted chocolate, and 61 percent of these said chocolate improved their mood and reduce stress. It’s believed substances in chocolate called endorphin and opioid, may be responsible for the mood enhancing effect. These compounds may make one feel more relaxed, thereby reducing stress and anxiety and improving mood.

Chocolates can also play a major role in a number of disorders, including bulimia, binge eating, and obesity. There’s some hints that chocolate may possess natural analgesic properties. Studies indicate that eating high-fat, chocolate foods can trigger the brain’s production of natural opiates. During the study, it showed that when a physician used a drug to block the brain’s opiate receptors, a binge-eater’s desire for sweet, fatty foods such as chocolate, dropped down. Still, there are questions left unanswered on the experiment, such as: Does the body simply desire anything sweet and fatty, or men naturally feel some special craving for chocolates?

The potential health benefit of chocolate is a popular area of study. Previous research has shown dark chocolate may be good for cardiovascular health and some scientists recommend them for reducing heart disease risk. The down-side is, of course, the calories. Chocolate is full of fat and sugar. While small amounts can be beneficial to your health, larger quantities are not so good. When using chocolate, even as medicine, moderation is the key.

A study regarding acupoints and magnetic wave therapy and Fibromyalgia was performed by the Mayo Clinic in the United States and presented at a pain conference held in Sydney, Australia. Great promise is shown when it comes to this non-invasive, ancient form of therapy. Anxiety, pain, and chronic fatigue are just some of the symptoms experienced by many fibromyalgia patients and shown to be effectively alleviated by stimulation of acupoints, or the points at which the body’s meridians contact the skin. While acupuncture is not seen as a cure for fibromyalgia, it can greatly enhance the patient’s quality of life over the long term, particularly with continued treatments.

This seems to be a viable alternative to the medications usually prescribed to counteract pain and depression.

About Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome rather than the definition of an ailment. It has no known cause but is characterised by a set of symptoms that are common and chronic. It may be related to arthritis but is not a true arthritic disease of the joints, which involves joint or tissue inflammation. Instead, fibromyalgia is considered a rheumatic condition which impairs the tissues and joints and causes pain. There are a variety of symptoms those diagnosed with fibromyalgia suffer from.

These include cognitive difficulties; disturbance of sleep; headaches; irritable bowel syndrome; stiffness, numbness, and tingling of the limbs; restless leg syndrome; and sensitivity to temperature and light. It is usually women who suffer from fibromyalgia, but this does not preclude it from affecting men and children; race or ethnic background is not an indicator of a person’s likelihood of contracting the syndrome.

How Magnetic Wave Acupuncture Helps with Pain

Acupuncture, which can be accomplished via magnetic waves, electrical impulse, massage, or other methods that do not utilise needles, can alleviate many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia without the side effects of prescription medications. The procedure is non-invasive and the positive effects are nearly immediate. Muscle manipulation is usually not tolerable by anyone suffering from fibromyalgia so acupuncture provides a way to treat the symptoms without causing further pain and discomfort.

Stimulation of acupoints has a positive effect on stress and anxiety because it can release melatonin, the body’s natural chemical for relaxation. This can help a patient sleep better. Because chronic fatigue often leads to depression, getting sufficient rest aids the patient’s mood tremendously. Magnetic acupressure also stimulates circulation, which can provide the sufferer with increased energy and vitality.

Yet another benefit of acupuncture is the release of endorphins, which block feelings of pain. All of these benefits were supported by the Mayo Clinic study. Many alternative therapists already knew how acupuncture could positively affect patients suffering from pain, anxiety, and sleeplessness but the fact that highly respected members of the medical community confirmed their beliefs has brought a new level of acknowledgement to the practice.

For anyone diagnosed with fibromyalgia, acupuncture can present a viable, complementary treatment to help them lead a more normal and functional life. With a magnetic wave device, the procedure can even be performed at home, making it both simple and cost-effective. Talk to your physician about adding acupoint therapy to your fibromyalgia therapy options. Ref: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2006-rst/3495.html

Most researches promote that a 10-12 session therapy helps as much as medications against panic attacks.
This approach utilizes coaching as anxiety management techniques and usually works better than medications especially in terms or recurrence after final treatment.

Selecting a treatment is a doctors recommendation for the therapy regimen. In severe cases, therapy and medications are combined to get the best results. For infrequent attacks, one can try self-treatment but are usually not proven to work depending on ones capacity and discipline. If after a few internal self therapy sessions, one is still not panic free, then trying another method is usually beneficial.

It is known that most stringer medications give out a faster effect compared to behavioral therapies. The known disadvantages however include side effects and the return of panic attacks after the medication is terminated. In behavioral therapy, panic attacks rarely occur after full treatment and if they do, they are often less than with medication. There is also no risk of side effects. Known disadvantages include slow response to treatment in some individuals. They may also be expensive and time-consuming. Some people also are aware of the stigma attached to therapies especially in social circles.

For some people a CBT or cognitive-behavioral therapy is actually fun as they are allowed to relate with other people suffering from the same condition and are able to recognize the different patterns of a panic attack. Psychologically, the mind does its own effort to overcome a problem when it sees one from another persons point of view. This is more applicable to persons in the beginning stages of panic attack syndromes.

Therapists try very hard to develop confidence in their patience and point out where work is needed. They are also there to aid patients which is ultimately better as psychological assistance is provided. Freely talking about a problem also relieves tension and in a way helps alleviate patterns of disruptions in panic attacks.

For fast relief of panic attacks, some people prefer medications compared to therapies which promotes a longer effect in the treatment of panic attacks. Medication may be prescribed by doctors who, through the lack of other options and knowledge of non-chemical substance treatments believe that panic attacks or anxiety are chemical conditions that a magic pill can alleviate. Sometimes in desperation, and in some cases where anxiety can still be controlled, medications may aid but soon after its effects wear off, the risks of succumbing to another attach is very much anticipated. Other panic attacks brought about by agoraphobia and dependence require more than just plain medications in its treatment.

Studying the patient before prescribing the medications is very important. Knowing the occurrence of attacks, its frequency and its strengths is vital prior to medical prescription. Other psychologists and psychiatrists would require their patients to rely on therapy and use medications for a certain period of time to allow the body and the mind to treat itself after a period of normalcy provided by the meds in the intervals between attacks.

Common medications include antidepressants to treat the panic disorder which is effective and totally eliminates panic with little or no side effects. However, antidepressants are quite slow-acting and cannot be taken in large doses all at once. Sometimes, by the time the antidepressant effects are fully generated in the body, non-invasive therapy through counseling may have already taken effect and decreased panic attacks through the brains own adjustment with little therapy.

Valium group or benzodiazepines are fast-acting within the first hour of the first dose. The side-effect is it potential to promote addiction as the body gets used to the medication. Usually, continuous usage after a period of 2-3 weeks results to drug tolerance.
Some doctors would offer benzodiazepines for a few weeks while you’re trying to find an effective therapist. As soon as they are tapered off, the doctor assumes that one should be no worse when you stop than when you started. Some individuals can take medications for a few months, then stop, and remain free from panic attacks. Ideally, medications are discontinued after a specific goal is attained.

When we think of children at risk what comes to mind is drug abuse. Children can be at risk for emotional problems, depression, anxiety, learning disabilities, social problems, school drop-out, sexual acting out and high risk behaviors. How do we know? Children often lack the verbal skills to tell us how they feel. They keep their emotions hidden and seem introverted, shy or withdrawn. On the other hand, they act out, become hyperactive, impulsive and angry.

Children experiencing academic difficulties at school are at risk. Their self-esteem is affected; they are constantly challenged and cannot keep up with the demands of the school. These problems can be caused by a learning disability, a metabolic problem, ADD/ADHD, processing issues or emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. Depending on the child’s temperament they might persevere in school and keep trying to succeed or they may abandon the effort and simply quit. Either way, finding out the underlying causes through a consultation with a professional will help avoid future issues. A professional child psychologist that is able to provide therapy, diagnosis and treatment. This psychologist should specialize in children and understands how depression, anxiety and learning problems are different in children and adults.

Children are at risk when there is a sudden change in their behavior. If your child was an outspoken, self-secured and confident child who all of a sudden becomes angry, withdrawn and insecure, you should be concerned. He might be experiencing problems in school, be the victim of bullying, social ridicule, bad company, or changes in the home. Have there been any recent loses, changes, divorces or upsets in the child’s life? Talking to them about the change, their worries and providing reassurance might be enough. Sometimes they will resist parental intervention. Again, seeking professional help is recommended.

Finally, there’s the risk for sex and drug abuse. Teenagers experiment and many times they are too young to realize the consequences of their behavior. Talking to them about sex and drugs, keeping open communication with them, knowing where your children are and who they are spending time with is crucial. This is when they will request privacy and “trust.” The privacy and the trust must only go so far.

In short, our children can be at risk academically, emotionally or behaviorally. They can show red flags early on and we can deny their existence. This can increase their chances of depression or anxiety, decrease their academic performance and increase the risk of teenage pregnancy, drugs or diseases. When in doubt, contact a professional. Intervention early on may prevent the problem for snowballing out of control.

Lots of people have used therapy to relieve panic disorders.  Since each person and their proglem is not the same, the amount of time the treatment can take to be effective can vary significantly.  Sometimes you may need to wait several months before you can start to see any results.

Patience is the most important factor when starting panic attack therapy.  One form of treatment may work for one person rather quickly, while a second person might need more time, or even a combination of different treatment types to improve their panic attacks.

Try to be flexible and don’t set specific goals for progress such as “I must recover in one month or else this method doesn’t work.”  This is a guaranteed way to frustrate yourself and ensure that you don’t experience results.  Give whichever treatment method you use a fair opportunity and give it time to show results.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a common and usually successful way to ease panic and anxiety disorders.  CBT is used to help people begin to alter their thinking and behaviors.  If you are seeking anxiety or panic attack therapy methods, it is very likely that you will encounter this in some form.

When you do CBT, you will probably work out a plan with your doctor.  You may be given homework to be done by yourself such as jotting down your individual goals that you will use to gradually expose yourself to scenarios that may trigger anxiety or panic attacks for you.  You will likely be keeping a journal to record your thoughts and feelings as well as a way of looking back to see your progress in your recovery.

Depending on your condition, you might also be given medication.  There are a good deal of medications for anxiety disorders out there that can be quite effective.  Medication, though is not an answer.  It just dials down your anxiety so that you can start to seek an effective recovery program.

Here are some good exercises you may be asked to do as part of your panic attack therapy regimen.  Please consult with your doctor though before you begin any of these on your own.  These tools are intended to mimic some of the physical symptoms of anxiety attacks so that you can get used to feeling them knowing that you are in full control of the situation and eventually desensitize yourself from them.

First, you might try to breath heavily for thirty seconds or so.  Most panic attacks begin with hyperventilation, so if you can begin to do this on your own, you can start to feel more relaxed and stop a panic attack in the future.

Also try spinning around several times to create a feeling of dizziness.  Dizziness is another common symptom of panic and anxiety disorders.

Run in place or take up an aerobic exercise routine to raise your heart beat and get used to that experience.

Anxiety attack therapy can be a useful way of treating anxiety disorders by slowly getting you accustomed to typical physical symptoms of a anxiety attack.  Again, it may take some time to see measurable progress in your recovery so stick with whatever program or form of therapy your doctor recommends.

We are often taught to ignore and bury our problems and upsets and to ‘be strong.’ This is a temporary solution for distress that has serious drawbacks. Learning to identify and to release our feelings are much better ways of handling them. Varieties of self-treatment methods enable us to do this, with excellent results, including the release of anxieties about having problems in the first place.
Bandages
I was taught in medical school in the 1960s that psychological wounds, like physical wounds, are often best handled at the time of emotional injuries by bandaging them, ignoring them as best one could, and carrying on with life. This was then, and continues to be now, the prevalent attitude of the majority of people.
Most of us develop habits of doing just that from childhood, both on our own and with the encouragement of family, friends and other authority figures. We cover over our wounds, burying them in our unconscious mind, and do our best to ignore them, or better yet, to totally forget them.
In childhood, this may be truly helpful. When we have only a limited understanding of the world, and limited coping abilities, it far less painful to bury our hurts than to suffer with them.
‘Billie’ started out in life a bright and cheerful girl with lots of curiosity and good energies. She had the misfortune to be born into a family stressed by her father’s limited earning capacity and her mother’s chronic depression, which was self-medicated with whiskey. Billie suffered neglect and the abuse of her parents’ violent arguments. She learned to grit her teeth to remind herself to be silent, lest she draw the angers from between her parents to herself. She also suffered from frequent criticisms from both her parents, never seeming to be able to do anything that would gain her their praises. The best she could manage was to draw the least attention possible to herself.
Baggage
As adults we have far better coping mechanisms for dealing with hurts. However, at that point we already are in the firm habits of burying our hurts and running away from them. These habits are so much a part of ourselves that we don’t even know they’re there.
The problem is, when we bury our hurts, we end up carrying them around with us in our unconscious mind. Through the years, we may accumulate enormous collections of such buried emotional baggage.
A buried hurt is like a festering sore. It sits in an internal trash bucket in our unconscious mind and exudes negative energies. The unconscious mind senses these as warnings about having been hurt in the past and remains alert lest we be hurt again in the present.
The unconscious mind then keeps us away from anything in the present that is similar to the warning signals it is getting from the buried hurts. In milder cases, we may have aversions for occasional foods, people and places with which we had negative experiences – often without conscious awareness we are doing these things for those reasons. In moderate cases, we may generalize from hurts in a specific situation and then we avoid anything similar to the original trauma. People who had an abusive parent my avoid relationships in their present lives with anyone of the same sex as their abusive parent. In severe cases, people may respond to the approaches of a person of the same sex as their abusive parent with stress reactions. This is called a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It is often in our most intimate relationships that these buried issues become apparent. A colleague at work, a close friend or a life partner may stir the buried hurts in our inner buckets and be utterly blindsided by our inappropriate responses. The behaviors of people in our lives today trigger us to respond with feelings that have been buried in the past.
It is at this point that many people will seek me out for psychotherapy, as they waken to the fact that they are not behaving rationally but don’t fully comprehend why this is happening. Others come with requests for psychiatric medications, thinking they need stronger bandages.
Billie suffered from frequent, severe tension headaches. She knew they were set off by stresses in her life, but could not figure out how to not get stressed when she was confronted by any criticisms from her boss, her fiends or her boyfriend.
Balms
Varieties of treatments are available to help with these sorts of problems. Each has its benefits and limitations.
Medications are the quickest ‘fix.’ They require the least efforts on the part of family physicians, psychiatrists and people who just want to be free of their symptoms, but have little sense of the emotional baggage that may be contributing to the symptoms. Not only do then not address the underlying problems, they also carry risks of side effects, including fatalities. It is a little publicized fact that over 100,000 people die annually in the US from medications that are properly prescribed and properly used. Pain medications contribute to significant numbers of these deaths.
For those who are willing to take the reins of their lives into their own hands, there are many helpful approaches. The most popular today is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This can include relaxation exercises to reduce tensions; imagery exercises to reprogram the mind to not respond in the present with reactions from the past; and developing more constructive plans of action to handle inappropriate responses. CBT is a methodical approach for developing better habits to deal with buried hurts, but a rather slow one. It can take many weeks and months to make modest progress in changing one’s habits of reacting to stresses that trigger unhealthy responses.
Many varieties of complementary/ alternative therapies are available for addressing problems. Some are symptom-based and some are person-based, and the ‘how’ of the therapist administering the therapy may determine which approach is taken. For instance, acupuncture, homeopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, hypnotherapy, massage and relaxation techniques can all be offered as doorways to transforming one’s life, or as balms for particular symptoms.
Billie explored acupuncture because it has a good reputation for alleviating pain, but her acupuncturist was a physician who had only been on several weekend courses and used the needles much as he used medications – i.e. to alleviate the symptoms. Relaxation exercises provided temporary relief when she had the headaches, but they kept coming back, often at stressful times at work when she was unable to use these methods.
WHEE: Whole Health – Easily and Effectively finally provided permanent relief, with the release of fears, angers and hurts that had been buried since childhood.
Blessings
As we learn to deal with our physical and emotional pains, we often grow wiser in the process. We come to realize that our body is an intimate part of our whole being. When we have symptoms and illnesses, we learn to ask, “What is my body telling me about stresses and disharmonies in some part of my life?”
Many therapies end with the release of symptoms and problems. WHEE teaches how to install positive feelings and awarenesses to replace the negatives that have been released.
As she learned to listen to what her body was telling her, Billie came to understand that when she was clenching her teeth she was unconsciously ‘biting her tongue’ to hold back from sharing her feelings of anger and frustration and telling people off. She learned to use WHEE on her negative feelings and was then able to prevent her headaches and other pains from recurring
As we use self-healing methods, we can also come to understand how to nurture ourselves and to be more considerate of our physical and emotional needs. With continued practice, we even free ourselves of the fears about getting upset.