The Power of Belief PP
Every day, whether we know it or not, we alter our brain chemistry. We do this through what we eat, what we do, and what we think. These changes in brain chemistry cause transformations in mood and intellectual performance that range from the subtle to the profound. As science has proven, if we change the condition of the brain's neurons and chemistry, our thoughts and emotions change. The reverse is also true: change our thoughts and emotions, and the chemicals within our brains are also changed.
Thoughts and ideas that are maintained consistently over time cause changes in brain chemistry and function. We are shaped by what we think- especially if we think those thoughts consistently over a long enough period of time.
Wisdom for living
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.
Watch your actions, they become your habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
Anonymous
One of the secrets to making long-term changes in brain chemistry is through consistent types of thinking- optimism, faith, and so forth. Certain daily practices such as meditation, prayer, and relaxation exercises, can foster these long-term, positive changes in biochemistry.
Top ten tips for mind/body Health
1. Your body is your subconscious mind.
2. Your thoughts, beliefs and emotions have biochemical effects in your body.
3. Optimists live longer.
4. Social connections lower your risk of dying at any age.
5. Humility is linked to lower heart disease risk and better relationships.
6. Laughter is good medicine.
7. How well you THINK you are is a strong predictor of your disease risk.
8. Music has powerful healing properties.
9. Group therapy can increase life expectancy in patients with severe illness.
10. Your mind is located in every cell of your body... be careful, your body is
listening!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Health Meaning and Purpose
1. There many changes happening every day in the scientific world that are changing the way we think about our own health. New connections are constantly being discovered between science, consciousness, and spirituality. Lately, there seems to be a lot of emphasis on how so many parts of ourselves are due to genetics. It is important to realize that our genes do not determine our destiny. We can do things to change what we have inherited. We are all connected in this world, even things once thought to be so isolated. An example of this is that new studies are showing that animals and humans can interact over long distances. There really is a global consciousness. My favorite part of this lesson was that spiritual health begins with understanding the natural laws, and obeying those laws. We need to find our true purpose and then begin to use that knowledge to serve others.
2. Within all of us there is a force, which is the body's constant drive to heal itself, just as nature has a constant drive to heal itself. It is our Inner Light, however effected by our thoughts, emotions, our relationships, environment and our beliefs. We all have an "Informational Matrix" that maintains the harmonious integrity of our body, mind, subtle system, and spirit. When this is corrupted by negative thoughts of emotions, by toxins or other interferences, we can see illness develop. We age because these information systems become corrupted over time.
Health is the natural order of things. The maintenance of health and well-being comes from re-establishing balance and harmony not just in ourselves, but also in our relationships with others, society, and the environment. We are experiencing an extraordinary rate of change in every area of our lives. Our health and wellness are the result of an interplay of neurobiology of culture and of choice, of subtle systems and of spirit. It is interesting to know that environmental factors are responsible for 1/4 to 1/3 of the global burden of disease. An example of this is overexposure to light. Constant exposure to light, particularly artificial light, can produce aberrant signals that disrupt our natural rhythms (mood disorders, and insulin resistance).
BIOFIELD: Our inner light
Hindus refer to it as Prana
Chinese refer to it as Chi
Japenese refer to it as Ki
A biofield is the organizing informational matrix
After Newton had published his laws of mechanics, optics, and gravity, he spent many years looking for the source of life in alchemic experiments. His search was not irrational, given the knowledge of the day. Still, Newton and others who followed the same trail never managed to uncover a signal for a special substance of spirit or life.
Fritz Albert Popp discovered biophotons
BIOPHOTONS: cells and whole bodies emit coherent light
Scientists believe that biophotons may be involved in various cell functions, such as mitosis, or even that they may be produced and detected by the DNA in the cell nucleus.
This light may be the organizing principle in cells
As Latter Day Saints we understand the light of Christ, could this light be that?
We may at our central core all have a holographic structure = our spirit.
Our memory is not just a video of our life events; it is dynamic and malleable and is constantly being edited…
Therefore, we can change our stories and with that remove some of the restrictions that they have imposed upon us.
No surprise, then, that alternative practitioners find many eager listeners when they announce that they go beyond materialism and mechanism, and treat the really important part of the human system - the vital substance of life itself. People's religious sensibilities and images of self-worth are greatly mollified when they are told that they are far more than an assemblage of atoms - that they possess a living field that is linked to both God and cosmos. Furthermore, the desperately ill will quite naturally seek out hope wherever they can find it. So a ready market exists for therapists who claim they can succeed where medical science fails.
2. Within all of us there is a force, which is the body's constant drive to heal itself, just as nature has a constant drive to heal itself. It is our Inner Light, however effected by our thoughts, emotions, our relationships, environment and our beliefs. We all have an "Informational Matrix" that maintains the harmonious integrity of our body, mind, subtle system, and spirit. When this is corrupted by negative thoughts of emotions, by toxins or other interferences, we can see illness develop. We age because these information systems become corrupted over time.
Health is the natural order of things. The maintenance of health and well-being comes from re-establishing balance and harmony not just in ourselves, but also in our relationships with others, society, and the environment. We are experiencing an extraordinary rate of change in every area of our lives. Our health and wellness are the result of an interplay of neurobiology of culture and of choice, of subtle systems and of spirit. It is interesting to know that environmental factors are responsible for 1/4 to 1/3 of the global burden of disease. An example of this is overexposure to light. Constant exposure to light, particularly artificial light, can produce aberrant signals that disrupt our natural rhythms (mood disorders, and insulin resistance).
BIOFIELD: Our inner light
Hindus refer to it as Prana
Chinese refer to it as Chi
Japenese refer to it as Ki
A biofield is the organizing informational matrix
After Newton had published his laws of mechanics, optics, and gravity, he spent many years looking for the source of life in alchemic experiments. His search was not irrational, given the knowledge of the day. Still, Newton and others who followed the same trail never managed to uncover a signal for a special substance of spirit or life.
Fritz Albert Popp discovered biophotons
BIOPHOTONS: cells and whole bodies emit coherent light
Scientists believe that biophotons may be involved in various cell functions, such as mitosis, or even that they may be produced and detected by the DNA in the cell nucleus.
This light may be the organizing principle in cells
As Latter Day Saints we understand the light of Christ, could this light be that?
We may at our central core all have a holographic structure = our spirit.
Our memory is not just a video of our life events; it is dynamic and malleable and is constantly being edited…
Therefore, we can change our stories and with that remove some of the restrictions that they have imposed upon us.
No surprise, then, that alternative practitioners find many eager listeners when they announce that they go beyond materialism and mechanism, and treat the really important part of the human system - the vital substance of life itself. People's religious sensibilities and images of self-worth are greatly mollified when they are told that they are far more than an assemblage of atoms - that they possess a living field that is linked to both God and cosmos. Furthermore, the desperately ill will quite naturally seek out hope wherever they can find it. So a ready market exists for therapists who claim they can succeed where medical science fails.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Why Diets Don't Work
Reasons Diets Don't Work
1. Diet is a lifestyle-not an event
Most people enter into a diet thinking it is going to be a short-term change to lose weight and they can go back to their old lifestyles after they finish losing weight, Wrong! To make a diet successful, people must understand that it is a lifestyle change-not an event. They need to realize that their old lifestyle is what made them gain weight in the first place and that is what needs to be the ultimate change.
2. Food Deprivation and Failure
People also choose to start diets suddenly removing various foods from their diets all at once. This causes a trigger in the mind to want the food more because it knows that it can’t have it anymore. Suddenly the mind only concentrates on the food it can’t have and the cravings start. If at first a person can resist, eventually they may give in and ‘cheat’ which can lead to feelings of failure causing the person to give up altogether.
3. Crash Diets and Metabolism
Another problem is crash diets, or diets where a person stop consuming enough calories to sustain them in the daily activities. This causes the body to ‘freak out’ and lower its metabolic rate and hold on to fat cells incase it needs more energy later. In some cases, a person can gain weight or lose their muscle tissue and not fat cells.
4. Loss of Nutrients
Diets that are limiting remove important nutrients from the body. No one-food group should be limited, especially a basic food group such as fruit or bread, which are popular to not eat during diets. By labeling these foods ‘bad’, people have categorized them into their mind and believe that eating them ever again will cause them to gain weight and fail.
5. Diets Equal Failure
Some people also feel that having to go on a diet means that they failed at life but that a diet will fix the problem. However, they have labeled a diet as a failure meaning they see themselves as a failure just for having to go on one.
6. Eating Disorders
Diets can also lead to eating disorders, which are lead to very serious health problems. A person may start limiting the calories they intake to dangerously low levels. When sustained for more that a short time such as a day of fasting, it can be deemed anorexia nervosa and leads to serious complications. A person may also focus mentally on the food they can’t have and eventually give in and binge on ‘bad’ foods. Feelings of guiltiness can follow with the desire not to fail so they then purge, known as Bulimia Nervosa. In some cases the person does not purge but feels guilty and eats even more. This leads to weight gain and is called ‘compulsive eating’.
Recommendations for Losing Weight
1. Diet is a lifestyle-not an event
Most people enter into a diet thinking it is going to be a short-term change to lose weight and they can go back to their old lifestyles after they finish losing weight, Wrong! To make a diet successful, people must understand that it is a lifestyle change-not an event. They need to realize that their old lifestyle is what made them gain weight in the first place and that is what needs to be the ultimate change.
2. Food Deprivation and Failure
People also choose to start diets suddenly removing various foods from their diets all at once. This causes a trigger in the mind to want the food more because it knows that it can’t have it anymore. Suddenly the mind only concentrates on the food it can’t have and the cravings start. If at first a person can resist, eventually they may give in and ‘cheat’ which can lead to feelings of failure causing the person to give up altogether.
3. Crash Diets and Metabolism
Another problem is crash diets, or diets where a person stop consuming enough calories to sustain them in the daily activities. This causes the body to ‘freak out’ and lower its metabolic rate and hold on to fat cells incase it needs more energy later. In some cases, a person can gain weight or lose their muscle tissue and not fat cells.
4. Loss of Nutrients
Diets that are limiting remove important nutrients from the body. No one-food group should be limited, especially a basic food group such as fruit or bread, which are popular to not eat during diets. By labeling these foods ‘bad’, people have categorized them into their mind and believe that eating them ever again will cause them to gain weight and fail.
5. Diets Equal Failure
Some people also feel that having to go on a diet means that they failed at life but that a diet will fix the problem. However, they have labeled a diet as a failure meaning they see themselves as a failure just for having to go on one.
6. Eating Disorders
Diets can also lead to eating disorders, which are lead to very serious health problems. A person may start limiting the calories they intake to dangerously low levels. When sustained for more that a short time such as a day of fasting, it can be deemed anorexia nervosa and leads to serious complications. A person may also focus mentally on the food they can’t have and eventually give in and binge on ‘bad’ foods. Feelings of guiltiness can follow with the desire not to fail so they then purge, known as Bulimia Nervosa. In some cases the person does not purge but feels guilty and eats even more. This leads to weight gain and is called ‘compulsive eating’.
Recommendations for Losing Weight
***Start small
Don’t expect to plan on losing 20 pounds in two weeks. Set small weight loss goals. Start by just losing 5 pounds and when that is done, try to lose 5 more.
***Get Active
Move around. It is recommended to get 30-60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. Don’t expect to run a marathon after the first week but try to start walking quickly for 30 minutes and work up to a harder work out.
Habits of People who Have Successfully Lost Weight and Kept it Off
1. They establish reasonable goals for themselves such as 5 pounds first not 30
2. They plan
3. They get adequate sleep. Recommended 7-8 hours a night
4. They participate in regular physical activity. It is recommended to get as least 30-60 minutes .most days of the week
5. They eat a well balanced diet but calorie controlled
6. They eat 5-6 meals a day. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and 2-3 snacks in-between
7. They self monitor- by keeping a journal and weighing themselves frequently
8. They participate in some sort of stress management such as yoga, tai chi, etc
9. The don’t let a ‘lapse’ become a ‘relapse’. If they mess up they recover from it and keep moving forward
10. They have a clear motivation and strong personal reasons for wanting to change
11. Persistence- they keep working at it even when it didn’t work the first time
12. They watched less TV. On average, they watch only t10 hours of sleep a night. The average US citizen watches 28 hours a week
13. They also eat plenty of fiber and calcium and drink lots of water
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Pregnancy & Depression
What is Postpartum Depression?
After giving birth a mother will experience both psychological and physiological changes. Depression felt after giving birth is believed to be caused by the change of hormone levels within the mother’s body. Within the first 24 hours after giving birth, estrogen and progesterone decrease rapidly. Thyroid levels may also drop which lead to symptoms of depression. Symptoms of depression can range from mild to severe and last anywhere from hours to months.
Three Types of Postpartum Depression (PPD) Baby Blues can occur within days after childbirth and may last a few hours to two weeks after giving birth.
The “baby blues” does not always require treatment, but support groups and talking with other mothers often helps.
General Postpartum Depression can occur within a few days to months after giving birth. Symptoms are similar to “baby blues” but more severe. They can last up to a year if not treated through medication, counseling, or both.
Postpartum Psychosis, considered a mental illness, may occur within the first three months of pregnancy. Symptoms are very severe including auditory and visual hallucinations, anger and abnormal behaviors. Medication is almost always needed in treatment.
Signs and symptoms
-trouble sleeping
-sleeping too much
-lack of interest
-feelings of guilt
-loss of energy
-difficulty concentrating
-changes in appetite
-restlessness, agitation or slowed movement
-thoughts or ideas about suicide
-feelings of sadness
-headaches
-difficulty remembering
-excessive worry about the baby
-being afraid of hurting the baby or oneself
Coping with Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression may lead mothers to be inconsistent with childcare. Women diagnosed with postpartum depression often focus more on the negative events of childcare, resulting in poor coping strategies.
Four coping strategies:
Avoidance coping: denial, behavioral disengagement. Avoidance coping is one of the most common strategies used. It consists of denial and behavioral disengagement subgroups (for example, an avoidant mother might not respond to her baby crying). This strategy however, does not resolve any problems and ends up negatively impacting the mother’s mood, similarly of the other coping strategies used.
Problem-focused: active coping, planning, positive reframing
Support seeking: emotional support, instrumental support
Venting: venting, self-blame
Realize this isn’t a disorder. In fact, it’s quite normal. As many as 80% of the moms have experienced some form of these baby blues. It’s important that you recognize feelings of anger, restlessness, irritability and low self-esteem and address them as best you can.
Keep your doctor informed. Most cases of postpartum distress (baby blues) are mild, but sometimes the symptoms are more severe and last for longer periods of time. PPD can affect your emotions as well as your sleeping patterns and appetite. It’s important to you and your child’s health that you communicate with your health care provider.
Medication is an option. In nearly 85% of postpartum depression or psychosis cases suffering women are relieved by this choice.
Support groups can be very successful at mending your sorrows. The objectivity of outsiders can help you work through some of your more difficult feelings. Sometimes sharing is easier when it’s with a stranger who can empathize with your situation.
Above all else, remember to pamper yourself. You can enlist outside help—your mom, mother-in-law, sister, best friend and anyone else who’s interested. Schedule regular visits so that you can get in a peaceful shower or nap. Take the time to paint your toenails or give yourself a facial. These age-old pick-me-ups can be lifesavers.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Now is the time to use your support system. Talk to your spouse about your feelings.
About two weeks after the birth of my daughter the panic set in. What on earth was I thinking when I convinced my husband that it was time to have a baby? I wasn’t ready for this and I sure as heck didn’t know what I was doing. All I knew was to change my daughter's diaper whenever she started to crank and if that didn’t work, I could try to feed her. Frankly, I felt overwhelmed by my new responsibility. By nature I knew I needed to talk about my feelings. I let my family and friends know that I was freaking out and they were there to support me. My husband received countless calls to his pager in the weeks that followed. My mom called daily to see how I was doing. Even our birth class instructor got a couple worry calls in the middle of the day when I couldn’t get a hold of any one else.
Reach out. Your family and friends want and expect you to. You would want your loved ones to lean on you when they need, so don’t deny yourself the strength of your support system.
Natural approach to coping with Postpartum Depression
1. Maintain proper sleep
2. Eat a well-balanced diet
3. Manage anxiety as advised by your health care professional
4. Participate in an exercise program
5. Set realistic goals for yourself
6. Create small and manageable tasks
7. Let others you can trust such as family and friends help you
8.Take some risks. Reach out for experiences and relationships you need if you are to be happier.
9. Do something for someone who is in need.
10. Don’t measure yourself against everyone you meet
11.Take responsibility for your depressive feelings. Recognize they might be doing something for you, protecting your from failures or other consequences you fear. Begin to control these feelings.
12. Don’t hesitate to seek help from trained professionals
13. Engage in physical activity
14. Get together with people – people who are important to you.
15. Talk it out. Let someone you can trust get to know you better.
16.Take time to appreciate yourself and others. Savor the dignity and worth implicit in being a unique human being.
17. Don’t let feelings of hurt and anger smolder inside. Learn to express them appropriately.
After giving birth a mother will experience both psychological and physiological changes. Depression felt after giving birth is believed to be caused by the change of hormone levels within the mother’s body. Within the first 24 hours after giving birth, estrogen and progesterone decrease rapidly. Thyroid levels may also drop which lead to symptoms of depression. Symptoms of depression can range from mild to severe and last anywhere from hours to months.
Three Types of Postpartum Depression (PPD) Baby Blues can occur within days after childbirth and may last a few hours to two weeks after giving birth.
The “baby blues” does not always require treatment, but support groups and talking with other mothers often helps.
General Postpartum Depression can occur within a few days to months after giving birth. Symptoms are similar to “baby blues” but more severe. They can last up to a year if not treated through medication, counseling, or both.
Postpartum Psychosis, considered a mental illness, may occur within the first three months of pregnancy. Symptoms are very severe including auditory and visual hallucinations, anger and abnormal behaviors. Medication is almost always needed in treatment.
Signs and symptoms
-trouble sleeping
-sleeping too much
-lack of interest
-feelings of guilt
-loss of energy
-difficulty concentrating
-changes in appetite
-restlessness, agitation or slowed movement
-thoughts or ideas about suicide
-feelings of sadness
-headaches
-difficulty remembering
-excessive worry about the baby
-being afraid of hurting the baby or oneself
Coping with Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression may lead mothers to be inconsistent with childcare. Women diagnosed with postpartum depression often focus more on the negative events of childcare, resulting in poor coping strategies.
Four coping strategies:
Avoidance coping: denial, behavioral disengagement. Avoidance coping is one of the most common strategies used. It consists of denial and behavioral disengagement subgroups (for example, an avoidant mother might not respond to her baby crying). This strategy however, does not resolve any problems and ends up negatively impacting the mother’s mood, similarly of the other coping strategies used.
Problem-focused: active coping, planning, positive reframing
Support seeking: emotional support, instrumental support
Venting: venting, self-blame
Realize this isn’t a disorder. In fact, it’s quite normal. As many as 80% of the moms have experienced some form of these baby blues. It’s important that you recognize feelings of anger, restlessness, irritability and low self-esteem and address them as best you can.
Keep your doctor informed. Most cases of postpartum distress (baby blues) are mild, but sometimes the symptoms are more severe and last for longer periods of time. PPD can affect your emotions as well as your sleeping patterns and appetite. It’s important to you and your child’s health that you communicate with your health care provider.
Medication is an option. In nearly 85% of postpartum depression or psychosis cases suffering women are relieved by this choice.
Support groups can be very successful at mending your sorrows. The objectivity of outsiders can help you work through some of your more difficult feelings. Sometimes sharing is easier when it’s with a stranger who can empathize with your situation.
Above all else, remember to pamper yourself. You can enlist outside help—your mom, mother-in-law, sister, best friend and anyone else who’s interested. Schedule regular visits so that you can get in a peaceful shower or nap. Take the time to paint your toenails or give yourself a facial. These age-old pick-me-ups can be lifesavers.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Now is the time to use your support system. Talk to your spouse about your feelings.
About two weeks after the birth of my daughter the panic set in. What on earth was I thinking when I convinced my husband that it was time to have a baby? I wasn’t ready for this and I sure as heck didn’t know what I was doing. All I knew was to change my daughter's diaper whenever she started to crank and if that didn’t work, I could try to feed her. Frankly, I felt overwhelmed by my new responsibility. By nature I knew I needed to talk about my feelings. I let my family and friends know that I was freaking out and they were there to support me. My husband received countless calls to his pager in the weeks that followed. My mom called daily to see how I was doing. Even our birth class instructor got a couple worry calls in the middle of the day when I couldn’t get a hold of any one else.
Reach out. Your family and friends want and expect you to. You would want your loved ones to lean on you when they need, so don’t deny yourself the strength of your support system.
Natural approach to coping with Postpartum Depression
1. Maintain proper sleep
2. Eat a well-balanced diet
3. Manage anxiety as advised by your health care professional
4. Participate in an exercise program
5. Set realistic goals for yourself
6. Create small and manageable tasks
7. Let others you can trust such as family and friends help you
8.Take some risks. Reach out for experiences and relationships you need if you are to be happier.
9. Do something for someone who is in need.
10. Don’t measure yourself against everyone you meet
11.Take responsibility for your depressive feelings. Recognize they might be doing something for you, protecting your from failures or other consequences you fear. Begin to control these feelings.
12. Don’t hesitate to seek help from trained professionals
13. Engage in physical activity
14. Get together with people – people who are important to you.
15. Talk it out. Let someone you can trust get to know you better.
16.Take time to appreciate yourself and others. Savor the dignity and worth implicit in being a unique human being.
17. Don’t let feelings of hurt and anger smolder inside. Learn to express them appropriately.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Bipolar Disorder - by Ashley Kearl, Alexa Kirk, Bonnie Kirkham, and Camilla Israelsen
OVERVIEW
Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, is a mental health disorder that is distinguished by dramatic swings in a person's mood, from the elated highs of mania to the lows of depression. Bipolar disorder affects all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Although this is a lifelong mental illness that has a great risk of reoccurring episodes, behavior therapy and the right combination of medications can help most people with bipolar disorder can live normal, productive lives.
Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, is a mental health disorder that is distinguished by dramatic swings in a person's mood, from the elated highs of mania to the lows of depression. Bipolar disorder affects all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Although this is a lifelong mental illness that has a great risk of reoccurring episodes, behavior therapy and the right combination of medications can help most people with bipolar disorder can live normal, productive lives.
Prevention
- Bipolar disorder cannot be prevented
Symptoms
- Symptoms fall between two extreme mood states: Bipolar depression and Bipolar mania.
- There are many varying symptoms ranging from hallucinations to irritability.
Treatment
- Bipolar disorder is treated with medications and psychotherapy
Cure
- There is no cure for bipolar disorder but through interventions people can live practically normal lives
Causes of Bipolar Disorder
Risk Factors
Risk factors for bipolar disorder include the following:
- If a family member has bipolar disorder, other family members may be at risk. However, stress of some kind often is needed to trigger the disease.
- Certain drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine (speed), can trigger bipolar disorder.
Some people are affected by the seasons and may be more depressed during the winter (see Seasonal Depression). - Bipolar disorder may be caused by severe emotional stress at some time in life.
- A viral infection may bring on the disease.
- Most people never know why they develop bipolar disorder.
It’s not always Bipolar disorder
Not everyone with severe mood swings or a change in personality has bipolar disorder. Medical diseases, medications, other psychiatric conditions, and drug abuse can mimic or have symptoms similar to bipolar disorder include the following:
- Head trauma (blood clot or bleeding in the brain)
- Thyroid problem (both underactive and overactive)
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (a condition that may affect various body organs, including the brain)
- Brain tumor
- Epilepsy (seizures)
- Neurosyphilis (a form of the sexually transmitted disease, syphilis, that has gone to the brain because it went untreated too long)
- AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome the ultimate result of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV)
- Sodium imbalance (sodium, one of several elements found in body cells that is necessary for their proper function)
- Diabetes mellitus (a disorder of, among other things, sugar processing in the body)
- Certain medications that decrease the amount of serotonin or norepinephrine, such as some antihypertensive drugs and some preparations of steroids and birth control pills
- Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Anorexia nervosa
- Drug abuse (cocaine, methamphetamine use)
- Bulimia nervosa
- Panic disorder
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Social phobia
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Delusional disorder
SYMPTOMS &TYPES -
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
As mentioned before, Bipolar Disorder is characterized by dramatic mood swings from episodes of Mania (highs) to episodes of Depression (lows)
Symptoms and signs of mania (manic esipode):
- Increased energy and restlessness
- Extreme optimism
- Rapid speech and racing thoughts
- Risky behavior
- Increased physical activity
- Extreme irritability
- Little sleep needed
- Poor judgement
- Easily distracted, inability to concentrate
- Abuse of drugs, alchohol and medications
- Agressive behavior
Symptoms and signs of depression (depressive episode):
- Lasting sadness and hopelessness
- Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
- Problems sleeping or oversleeping
- Change of appetite and/or weight gain or loss
- Fatigue
- Loss of interest in daily activities
- Chronic pain without a known cause
- Problems concentrating
- Irritability and restlessness
- Anxiety
In some cases, these episodes of mania or depression include signs of psychosis (psychotic symptoms). Common psychotic symptoms are: hallucinations (hearing, seeing, or sensing things that are not actually there) and delusions (false, strongly held beliefs not influenced by logical reasoning). Pschotic symptoms often reflect the extreme mood state at the time. People may be delusional even up to the point where they believe they are President or possess magical powers, and down to the point where they feel immence but unexplained guilt or worthlessness, believing that they have committed a horrible crime or are ruined.
Types of Bipolar Disorder:
There are four main types of Bipolar Disorder: - Bipolar I Disorder--In this type, you have had at least one episode of mania or mixed mood and often experience depression too. In between your mood may be normal. Mood swings may happen when the seasons change
- Bipolar II Disorder--In this type, you have had at least one episode of depression and at least one period of hypomania (a milder type of mania). Like as in Bipolar I, your mood may be normal in between these episodes and may experience swings when the seasons change.
- Cyclothymic Disorder--This is a milder form of Bipolar Disorder. You may go back and forth between slightly elevated moods and mild depression, and these mood swings are less severe. This type of often progresses into a stronger Bipolar Disorder (although not for everyone).
- Rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder--This means they have had four or more periods of mania and/or depression a year.
The feelings of bipolar disorder vary from person to person.
DIAGNOSIS & TESTS/TREATMENT & CARE
Diagonsis &Tests
Diagnosis is primarily based on self-reported experiences of an individual, or abnormalities reported by family members, friends, co –workers, etc. This is followed by secondary signs reported by nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, etc. the criteria for someone to be diagnosed depends on the presence and duration of certain signs and symptoms.
Bipolar disorder cannot be prevented so it’s important to be aware of the early warning signs and symptoms.
There are no biological tests which can confirm bipolar disorder, but there are tests which can rule out other medical illnesses. The doctor may have a patient fill out a mood questionnaire to help identify symptoms of bipolar disorder
Neuroimaging tests can be used to see how the body is metabolizing a drug a patient is being given for treatment. EEG’s and MRI’s can show the differences between bipolar disorder and related behavioral syndromes which may have the same symptoms in children.
Treatment
There is no cure for Bipolar Disorder. It is a lifelong mental illness that has a great risk of recurrent episodes.
The combination of therapy and medication can help people live normal, productive lives.
Medication
The likelihood of having a relapse when you go off medications is great so you may need to stay on some medication or combination of medications indefinitely to keep your mood stable.
Lithium is the most widely known medication used to treat bipolar disorder, but doctors may also prescribe Symbyax (a combination pill), or anti-anxiety medications.
Combining an antidepressant with an antipsychotic drug may be helpful for bipolar disorder, because antidepressants alone sometimes trigger mania in susceptible people.
Psychotherapy
The aim of psychotherapy is to relieve you of symptoms and to help you manage your problems better.
Examples are Cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to correct ingrained patterns of negative thoughts and behaviors. You are taught to recognize distorted, self-critical thoughts.
Interpersonal therapy concentrates on your current relationships, both at work and at home.
Therapy centers on one of four specific problems.
- Grief over a recent loss
- Conflicts about roles and social expectations
- The effect of a major change
- Social isolation
Electroconvulsive therapy is one of the most effective methods for treatment but usually is not performed unless many drugs have failed. The purpose of ECT is to induce a seizure, which acts as the therapeutic agent. When there is a good response, the improvement occurs gradually over the course of treatment.
LIVING & MANAGEMENT/SUPPORT & RESOURCES
Behavioral counseling
Different types of talk therapy options are available to help those with bipolar disorder prevent or cope with a mood episode:
Individual Counseling: This is a one-on-one session with a professional therapist with experience in bipolar disorders in which the patient's problem areas are addressed. The session may include help accepting the diagnosis, education about bipolar moods, ways to identify warning signs, and intervention strategies to manage stress.
Family Counseling: Bipolar disorder extends beyond the patient and can affect the entire family. Families are frequently involved in outpatient therapy as they receive education about bipolar disorder and work with the therapist and patient to learn how to recognize early warnings of an impending manic or depressive episode.
Group Counseling: Group sessions allow for the sharing of feelings and the development of effective coping strategies. The give-and-take at group sessions can be the most productive way to change the way you think about bipolar disorder and improve coping skills as you face life's challenges.
Bipolar Disorder Coping Resources for Family Members
Finding support is as important for family as it is for patients. Living with a person who has bipolar disorder involves learning how to deal with the disruptions that symptoms can create, supporting the person through their recovery, and finding ways to cope with the effects on the family.
How bipolar disorder can affect the family…
- Emotional distress such as guilt, grief, and worry
- Disruption in regular routines
- Having to deal with bizarre or reckless behavior
- Financial stresses as a result of reduced income or spending sprees
- Strained marital or family relationships
- Changes in family roles
- Difficulty in maintaining relationships outside the family
- Health problems as a result of stress
What can family members and loved ones do?
1) Become an Expert
Knowledge demystifies a terrible unknown, reducing something overwhelming to an illness that people can and do manage effectively every day. Knowledge will also help you understand your important place in your loved one's recovery plan. Education for the whole family can improve symptom management and medication compliance, help prevent relapses, and alleviate stress for everyone.
2) Allow yourself to grieve
Family member grief about the illness of a loved one might be caused by a combination of things. This does not make you a bad person, and it does not mean that you are rejecting your loved one for who he or she is now. As you acknowledge the reality of what is lost, you can eventually start focusing on what has remained intact, and even what has been gained, through this experience.
3) Help with the recovery process
Family members especially are in the best position to observe changes in behavior, help track the effectiveness of medications, learn the warning signs of relapse, and make the living environment as supportive and stress-free as possible. As "inside observers" to the ill person's behavior, family can provide invaluable insight for the psychiatrists and other professionals concerned with effectively managing a loved one's disease.
Because poor insight (inability to acknowledge illness) is a hallmark of manic depression, a person may be unlikely to seek help for themselves when they need it, or faithfully take medications that help stabilize them.
4) Learn to Recognize and Deal With Symptoms
You will begin to learn some particular "warning signs" that indicate your loved one may be headed towards a manic or a depressive episode. There are things you can do to help stabilize them, or barring that, help them through the episode as best you can.
5) Care for Yourself
You are a concerned and loving family member, not a miracle worker. There is only so much you can and should do. You cannot cure bipolar, you cannot perfectly control episodes, and you cannot make your loved one's decisions for them. Trying to be all and do all will eventually wear you out. Always remember that your life and happiness is your own responsibility and right, and that your loved one must take a similar responsibility for themselves.
- Find a support group - family members recommend peer-to-peer support groups as invaluable for providing advice, suggestions, coping strategies, and much-needed empathy for the struggles you go through. These are the people that understand, and have been there too. Try starting with your local chapter of NAMI (a U.S. national organization for the mentally ill and family members).
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Mental Illness in the Family
Mental Illness
What is mental illness?
it is a psychological disorder that causes distress or disability. It disrupts a persons interactions with others, feelings, moods, behaviors, and interferes with their daily actions and abilities. Some common and serious illnesses are: schizophrenia, chronic depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and panic disorder.
What does it mean for a family?
If someone in your family has a mental illness, genetically you or your children are susceptible to getting it, but not always. Just like some babies are born with defects but have perfectly healthy parents, a child can develop a mental illness. Families are amazing support groups. If someone in your family has an illness, they need you more than ever! It is difficult though, and the best thing to understand is that it's not your fault.
How can you get help or be the help?
Easy!! All you have to do is learn!! It actually can be very difficult to figure out how to help in the best way possible, or what to do, but doing your best is all anyone can ask of you. Make sure your loved one is getting help! If they are not ready to get help, do not push them, Just support and encourage them. If something very dangerous or life threatening happens, call 911 immediately. You can go and see a psychologist to learn how to help the one you love. Also by doing this you make sure you can emotionally handle what is happening in your life. Just remember that it is not your fault your loved one has an illness. do as much research as possible, go to the doctor with your loved one, and ask how you can help. Maybe that means you need to exercise as a family, or eat better, or make sure your loved one has their medicine. Whatever you and the doctor think is best for your family you should do. For more information about mental illnesses or specific ones go to:
webmd.com
nami.org
healthyminds.org
call your local doctor
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Healing and The New Physics
(slides 1-3) Quantum Physics termed "New Physics" dates as far back as 1900 when the first principles were enunciated by Max Planck. The new physics began to emerge when a foundational assumption governing Newtonian physics began to be challenged. The challenged assumption was that the conscious attitudes and biases of the experimenter have no effect on the outcome of the experiment. Through building evidence, contemporary quantum theory has created new theories designed to account for the interconnectedness of the observation process. Conscious mental activity can directly affect our physical body. The mind is an irrefutably genuine factor in the process which health and disease unfold. It is important to recognize that Quantum Mechanics DOES NOT replace Newtonian physics, it includes it. Newtonian physics is still applicable to the large-scale world, but it does not work at the sub-atomic level.
(part of slides 1-3) Dr. Larry Dossey in his book Reinventing Medicine, explores 3-area medicine, where thoughts, attitudes, and healing intentions of one individual can influence the physiology of another person. This is very well supported by scientific studies that show the healing properties of prayer. This can't be explained with only the principles of physics and world views of traditional science.
(Slides 4-5)
(6-7)
This mentality of the world as a whole isn't new. Eastern religions all agree in fundamental ways with this way of thinking (Quantum physics and philosophy). They all have their roots in the idea of experiencing a pure and undifferentiated reality. Zen Buddhism is a good example. Here the students are guided to a point where conscious searching is abandoned. They believe the rational mind inhibits true understanding. Integrating the spiritual and physical is how we can truly grow.
Physics lectures are beginning to incorporate what is more traditionally thought of as philosophy. For example, discussions of what reality really means, where truth or perception originates, and the similarity between thought and matter were heard during a physics lecture by Professor Bohm at Berkeley in 1977.
(8-10)
7 principles of the "New Physics"
(slides 1-3) Quantum Physics termed "New Physics" dates as far back as 1900 when the first principles were enunciated by Max Planck. The new physics began to emerge when a foundational assumption governing Newtonian physics began to be challenged. The challenged assumption was that the conscious attitudes and biases of the experimenter have no effect on the outcome of the experiment. Through building evidence, contemporary quantum theory has created new theories designed to account for the interconnectedness of the observation process. Conscious mental activity can directly affect our physical body. The mind is an irrefutably genuine factor in the process which health and disease unfold. It is important to recognize that Quantum Mechanics DOES NOT replace Newtonian physics, it includes it. Newtonian physics is still applicable to the large-scale world, but it does not work at the sub-atomic level.
(part of slides 1-3) Dr. Larry Dossey in his book Reinventing Medicine, explores 3-area medicine, where thoughts, attitudes, and healing intentions of one individual can influence the physiology of another person. This is very well supported by scientific studies that show the healing properties of prayer. This can't be explained with only the principles of physics and world views of traditional science.
(Slides 4-5)
There are some main differences between old physics and new physics. Some of these differences are:
| Old Physics | New Physics |
| The universe is governed by laws that are susceptible to rational understanding. | Our knowledge of what governs events is not nearly what we assumed it would be. |
| Predict events | Predicts probabilities |
| There is an external world that exists apart from us and can be studied objectively | There is not an external objective reality that is separate from our own experiences |
| We can observe the external world without changing it | Not possible to observe reality without changing it |
| Separateness | Wholeness |
| External world is indifferent to us and our needs | We are part of nature |
| Based on absolute truths | Correlate experience correctly |
Classical science starts with separate parts and when put together constitutes physical reality. The starting point of this process is a mental attitude that sees the physical world as different pieces and they are logically unrelated. Newtonian science is the effort to put together separate parts and logically link them together. Quantum mechanics is the opposite- the mental attitude is unbroken wholeness of which everything is a form.
When we are growing up we see the world as different pieces not as a whole, and the more we experience and the more we go through, it opens our eyes and we are able to see the world as a whole instead of little pieces scattered.
(6-7)
This mentality of the world as a whole isn't new. Eastern religions all agree in fundamental ways with this way of thinking (Quantum physics and philosophy). They all have their roots in the idea of experiencing a pure and undifferentiated reality. Zen Buddhism is a good example. Here the students are guided to a point where conscious searching is abandoned. They believe the rational mind inhibits true understanding. Integrating the spiritual and physical is how we can truly grow.
Physics lectures are beginning to incorporate what is more traditionally thought of as philosophy. For example, discussions of what reality really means, where truth or perception originates, and the similarity between thought and matter were heard during a physics lecture by Professor Bohm at Berkeley in 1977.
(8-10)
7 principles of the "New Physics"
•1) All reality is interconnected at the deepest levels
•2) All time is simultaneous, and unmarred by either natural or artificial demarcations or division
•3) Each body is in dynamic relationship with the universe and every other body via sub quantum contact
•4) All matter, space, and time are relative
•5) The observer is so interconnected with the thing observed that isolation and insulation are impossible and “pure objectivity” is fiction
•6) The elemental components of the human body are in dynamic relationship with all the other particles throughout the universe
•7) The mind functions holographically. Each thought creates a discrete three-dimensional reality (parallel universe) in which anything is possible.
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