Overcoming Agoraphobia - A Fresh Approach That Can Work Wonders

Overcoming agoraphobia is often approached in completely the wrong way. In some cases, this delays someone's recovery by months and even years.

The biggest problem is the misconception that agoraphobia is no different to any other mental illness, and so psychologists and books will often suggest traditional treatments - things like psychoanalysis, where you look into your own past for potential causes of your agoraphobia; cognitive behavioral therapy, where you're told to adjust the way you control your own thoughts; and even basic "positive thinking," where you're told to "think" your way happy.

But the truth is, these approaches rarely work. In fact, in those people who've successfully overcome agoraphobia, these methods are rarely responsible.

The vital thing to understand is that agoraphobia is not the root-cause of your problem. And because it's not the root-cause of your problem, addressing the agoraphobia itself will prove ineffective in almost all cases; the best this will do is temporarily mask your symptoms.

The true root-cause of your agoraphobia is the anxiety you experience 24/7. This may be based on another form of panic disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder, health anxiety (or hypochondria), social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or even a severe phobia of anything.

Or your anxiety may be non-specific and seem random to you.

Whatever the case, it is your anxiety that needs to be addressed, and not the agoraphobia itself.

So the first step in overcoming agoraphobia is uncovering its true cause. Once you've successfully achieved that, you'll be in a much better position, mentally and physically, to begin to work at beating it.

In the majority of cases, the cause will be one of the anxiety and panic disorders I mentioned above. And the good news is that those are generally more easy to successfully treat than agoraphobia itself.

The best approaches to beating any anxiety or panic disorder is to search for those activities and pastimes that calm you, and to concentrate on doing those as often as possible. Any time you can give your mind a break from the constant anxiety you normally experience your body will appreciate it, and your anxiety will decrease.

It would also be a great idea to cut back on all foods and drinks with "stimulant" qualities. The obvious ones are caffeine, chocolate, carbonated drinks, and sugar. So avoid those whenever you can!

The important thing to remember is that your agoraphobia has an underlying cause. The key to quickly overcoming agoraphobia is to find that underlying cause, and then to focus all your attention on beating it.

Autor: Alex Taylor

Since overcoming a lifelong battle with anxiety and panic disorder in 2007, Alex Taylor now devotes his time to helping others recover. He achieves this via his highly-acclaimed online course, "Beat Panic Today." You can experience the same results that many others have experienced by accessing the course right now, free of charge, by going to Alex's website: http://www.PreventYourPanic.com

Added: December 30, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

The Price of Being Nice

In the history of human beings, can you identify anyone who has ever made a name for themselves for being 'nice'? And if you are thinking of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, or Florence Nightingale, all three used their powerful personas to influence others, not the fact that they were or are 'nice'.

'Nice' really is an insipid little word. It says nothing. It evokes no feeling and generates no dazzling image. Picture your own obituary reading: 'She was always nice'. No reference to character quirks, no personality foibles, just an infinitely forgettable lifetime of being blandly nice.

The dictionary tells the story of the origin of this dull little non-word. It has its history in Middle English and Latin terms that mean 'stupid' or 'ignorant'. In effect, this is what 'nice' looks like because always being nice means having to fit in or go along with, with no confrontation, no argument. So it's no wonder that from the time a girl is squeezed out of the womb, she is programmed to be nice. She's drilled to be society's doormat and like a robot, she's engineered to please.

So conditioned are women to believe in the nobility of niceness that many think congeniality is their default setting. "What's wrong with this?" was a question posed to me by a radio interviewer. "Someone," she said "has got to be nice and look after everyone else." But why does it always have to be a woman?

Of course the pay-off of niceness benefits the males around her, from her father and brothers initially, to her lovers, partners and sons later on. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that we women are conned into being nice. We are led to believe it will get us what we want.

Women buy this scam because there is an element of truth in it. Others are far more likely to cooperate with people that they like, but does being nice really make women likable? How can anyone be trusted who is nice all the time?

Men get what they want because they are respected, admired or even feared but do women get their needs met, or their own way, because they're being nice? Nice is annoying to be around, it makes people on the receiving end feel awkward. So more likely being nice, rather than being assertive or demanding, means women's wishes are easier to ignore.

Being nice has its price. To behave this way requires being lobotomized from one's real persona. This translates into stifling one's desires and exorcising one's wishes and needs. It is an extreme form of self-censorship that forces women to live half a life.

Such a life prescription is a behavioural straight-jacket that society dictates for women and - because of this - just behind the veil of niceness lurks a dark shadow; rage.

Phyllis Chesler - author of 'Women's Inhumanity to Women' - refers to this as the 'tyranny of niceness' and you'd better believe that the sweeter a woman is, the greater the rage. Through her smile she is hissing her fury and, if confronted, she'll flee into denial. As nice people's lives are one big hidden agenda, they are capable of some of the worst forms of betrayal.

Rage is destructive energy that mobilises us to fight. Stymieing this fighting spirit with a veneer of niceness stuffs the rage into our system causing us to battle with ourselves. This leads to all manner of problems including: depression, panic attacks, phobias, controlling behaviour, perfectionism, hypochondria, addictions, anorexia, bulimia, obesity, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), jaw tightening and self-mutilation. So powerful is this rage that links are also being made to cancer, infertility and an increasing incidence of heart attacks in women.

Instead of gagging your rage, make best friends with the bitch inside, for she's the one who will protect you. The bitch fights injustices; she doesn't nag, whine or squabble about petty things. But she will put her foot down when others take your generosity for granted. Ironically, only with her protection do women feel safe enough to reveal the softer aspects of their authentic character, like vulnerability for instance.

Although the bitch is usually condemned, she's the one who protects the integrity and strength of our genuine female nature, and it is through her that women can reach wholeness. So instead of being inauthentically nice, retrieve your power by stirring the cauldron that feeds the ancient witch/bitch archetype of the wise woman inside.

Autor: Stephanie Vermeulen Stephanie Vermeulen
Level: Basic PLUS
Stephanie Vermeulen of The Effective Training Corporation runs practical training programmes on applied EQ and woman's issues in business and public forums as well as ... ...

Stephanie Vermeulen runs seminars on Applied Emotional Intelligence and Women's Issues in business and public forums as well as being an inspiring speaker, writer and personal coach. Her books, 'Kill the Princess: Why Women Still Aren't Free from the Quest for a Fairytale Life' & 'EQ: Emotional Intelligence for Everyone' are available from leading bookstores and online from Amazon.com and Kalahari.net. She can be contacted via her website http://www.eqsa.co.za

Added: December 29, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

7 Helps For Better Personal Health

Health is one of the important areas of our life. Others are religion, job or business with an adequate income, building a retirement income, and owning a house. But how important are these? They are important. So how does personal health fit into the picture?

Poor health in general does not allow full enjoyment of any of the items important. Specific health problems can be short time and interfere with life enjoyment. Long time specific health problems can be a never ending diminishing of life activities including work and other important areas.

At the same time one does not want to be deluded into frequent doctor visits when there is no real problem. At its worst it is called hypochondria. In less amounts it can be delusions caused by television commercials, and magazines ads.

Some pointers are:

1. Ignore commercials. If you believe you have a real problem, or daily routines are adversely affected by what appears to be real health problems, see your family doctor. At least you can then determine if the problem is real, whether it is an important problem or not, and relieve your mind, and be able to get on with your life. But do not allow commercials to cause you health worries, when in fact there may not be any.

2. Remember that there are few doctors will tell you to get lost. The basic attitude of doctors is to serve the patient. That is good. But realize that you are wasting your time and money and the doctors time if you do not have a real problem.

3. Physicals. At nearly every age regular physicals should become routine. Through these one can learn their general and specific health, whether any areas need attention and then acting on the best plans according to your doctor alleviate them, gain peace of mind even if there is a problem because then you know what it is and what you need to do to relieve it.

4. OTC Drugs. There are a multitude of over the counter drugs most of which you do not need. Aspirin is good, a cough medication may work for light coughs or colds. First one needs to determine with their doctor if they have a problem, and if yes, what is a good OTC remedy. Your doctor can tell you also, in general, what OTC drugs that are useful for you. Remember that you can become sick from too many or too much OTC drugs.

5. Prescription drugs. Doctors have a multitude of choices when prescribing a drug for a particular health problem. That is good, but remember a prescription drug can als cause you problems, and if one does notify your doctor and get a different drug.

6. Food. Good food is a critical part of good health. Take the time to learn healthy foods and then set your diet according to them. Your doctor's office can get you started learning what are healthy foods and those not good for you. And learn to read labels. Most grocery stores and restaurants aim to sell food, and not watch out for your health. Control of your diet is up to you. Exercise that control. Generally foods prepared at home are healthier than restaurant menus.

7. Exercise. If your life style is with little exercise then you probably need exercise. Walking up stairs a level or two is better than taking an elevator or escalator, and may prove faster. Parking away from the store or mall and walking to the store is good exercise. Mowing the yard with a walk behind mower is good exercise. The point is that there are many good exercises about in your daily life. A spa or gym is not necessary. However gyms do provide a community of people doing the same thing and that may appeal to you. Remember that toned muscles are good for they also represent heart exercise. Bulging muscles look good, but they can introduce health problems. Moderation is a good goal when exercising.

Every important area of life is better enjoyed when health is good. Pills may become a necessity, but they are not a substitute for good health. Doctors can be a big help, yet your health is up to you. If you have good health don't waste it. If your health is not where you would like then you need to get working on it.

Autor: Paul Mobley Paul Mobley
Level: Basic PLUS
Now retired, Paul is active doing small farming, maintaining a website, and writing. Though some income is desireable, many efforts are for free both of ... ...

http://www.geocities.com/mobleria/me.html list more information about the author, and provide resources that a publisher would be interested in, and some of the expertise that supports viewing his articles and these materials. Paul's Book are found at http://www.lulu.com/mobleria Paul is interested in writing from article size to books and invites anyone interested to contact him.

Added: December 27, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Fibromyalgia Tender Points - A Guide to Self Diagnosis

If like me, over the years you've had niggling little pains, nothing too debilitating but funny little pains that just won't go away-- you've probably been at a loss as to just what was wrong with you.

One day you could have an ache in your arm & then the next, that will disappear but you could have a pain in your knee. Friends and family get fed up hearing about the latest strange pain and just resign themselves to the fact that there is always something wrong with you.

So are you a hypochondriac or is there actually something going on in your body that can be recognized & then labeled and treated? After all; although you're not in agony, this constant pain is annoying and drains your energy & limits your enjoyment of life. So you surely owe it to yourself to get to the bottom of it, once and for all!

Where are these pains?

Is it tender to touch the following places on the front of your body?

Knees
Hips
Collarbone
Biceps

Is it tender to touch the following places on the back of your body?
(You may need a partner to help test these)

Nape of the neck
Top of the back
Shoulders
In between the shoulder blades
Elbows
Top of each buttock
Point on spine just above bottom

I suspect your answers may have been yes to most of these.

You may have a Fibromyalgia tender point in all of the above areas or just some. Maybe like me, you just have Fibromyalgia tender points on one side of the body only. This is quite common.

The really annoying thing is that there's no other definitive test for Fibromyalgia other than seeing if you test positive on a Fibromyalgia tender point examination.

There isn't a blood test or X ray that can help with diagnosis.

I was lucky. A new General Practitioner came to my local surgery and I was assigned to her books. I'd gone to see her with my usual moans of how my whole left side seemed to be constantly in pain, in different areas at different times. Even I knew that sounded odd & was even on the verge of asking her if there was anything I could take for hypochondria.

By using her knowledge of the 18 tender point examination she was able to diagnose me with Fibromyalgia.

The other doctors at the surgery usually told me I had tendinitis and prescribed anti-inflammatories.These helped in the short term but the pains always came back. Other doctors just put everything down to stress. I agreed. The stress caused by always having constant pain! Up until seeing this new doctor the whole scenario was just a vicious circle.

You owe it to yourself to get a proper diagnosis so that you know once and for all, if what you're dealing with is Fibromyalgia & then you can start on the road to recovery.

Book a Fibromyalgia tender point examination today with a Fibromyalgia tender point friendly doctor. Take responsibility for your health and do it today!

In the meantime, I hope my list of tender points has helped you to self-diagnose Fibromyalgia, dispelling any concerns that you too may be a hypochondriac.

Good luck with your own Fibromyalgia tender point examination and I wish you a happier & healthier future.

Autor: Laraine Turner

Find out more about safe and natural remedies to Fibromyalgia pain & symptoms at http://fibromyalgiaholistic.blogspot.com

Added: December 25, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

What Your Type of Handbag Uncovers

What you take along with you-just in case you might need them-and in what type of handbag you place them can be quite self descriptive.

Activity Handbag:
Taking with you lots of reading material and other things to do, and actually being admired by others for putting every spare moment to a practical use , if the true meaning behind you taking these objects are to take advantage of the time that has been allotted to you, then you have an intelligent way of cutting all kinds of corners in your life. Nevertheless, if the true purpose behind all of this paraphenalia is to avoid where you are holding in your life, it is actually a means of escape.

Bookbag or Knapsack:
You have more foresight than others.

Business Contents:
Possessing checkbooks, pens, stamps, etc., you are quite business oriented, now try being more people oriented.

Cluttered:
A definite busybody, you take people's telephone numbers at random and place them in your bag amongst all the debris. Although you did promise to call them, it just doesn't seem to be there when you look for it. You love being disorganized.

Color Coordinated:
What you wear and carry must match. You have good fellowship provided this is restricted to your sphere of acquaintances, as you are all structure, uniform and values.

Compartmentalized Handbag:
Having five different areas where to stash your goods, you are highly organized, though you find it difficult when something comes along unexpectedly.

Cosmetic Bag:
Carrying every type of makeup that you may or may not need, how you look is just about all that is important to you. This reflects a lack of confidence in the real you.

Emergency Handbag:
Taking with you anything that you may need, you are primarily concerned with having things in order-especially your life. You do not want anything unexpected to hamper your lifestyle. Although at times laughed at by others, they know who to come to should an emergency arise.

Ethnic Handbag:
You are imaginative, inventive, original and very particular in your pursuit of life.

Florence Nightingale:
Although you have taken care of every possible illness or medical need that may come up, you have not yet found the cure for your hypochondria.

Garbage (Collector's) Bag:
Once something finishes it is hard for you to part with it. Although others find you hysterical because of your basic love of life and being hilarious, people are attracted to you, but they do try to avoid your handbag.

Handbag plus Shopping Bag:
Family minded even if you do not have a family, you rely on yourself and even though this might be a trifle burdensome, you can be depended upon to bring everything home and then some.

Male 'Purse':
Novel concepts attract you.

Medium Sized Shoulder Strap:
Being essentially conventional, you tend to be moderate in most walks of life.

Metallic (Or This Years Fad):
Being very style conscious, not being able to get the latest thing may send you into a rage. Essentially one who takes chances, what other people say and think about you are at times more important than your own view.

Neutral Colors:
You have been accused of being slothful. You avoid the limelight at all costs.

Oversize "Horsefeed" Bag:
Because of your easygoing nature, casting just about everything you possess in your bag, people flock to you. If they could only handle your lack of organization and somewhat lack of accountability.

Physical Comfort:
Taking along with you an arsenal of belongings, thermal underwear, an umbrella in case it rains, gloves in case of a storm, an extra bathing suit in case you decide to swim, essentially being a worry wart, should anything occur that you have not anticipated, you become a nervous wreck.

Sexual Encounter:
Seeing that you hope to spend the night elsewhere than your own home, you take along a battery of supplies, anticipating your need for them.

Small Handbag Inside A Larger Bag:
Flexible, you exhibit an enormous amount of dynamo and can play various parts simultaneously.

Small Nothing Bag:
Inasmuch as there is no room for anything in your bag, you are extremely self confident. A fearless human being, though others may wonder why you bother to take a bag at all.

Straw Bag:
You are beach conscious.

Tote Bag:
You basically gravitate toward vogue, highly considering how other people are reading you.

No Handbag:
You are radical, sometimes even fanatic, you are either in great need of others, or have absolutely no need for them, but you are never in the middle. Nevertheless, an aura of a lack of accountability hovers above you.

Autor: Joel Engel Joel Engel
Level: Basic PLUS
Joel Engel has been a world-renowned graphologist for over 30 years. He is often quoted in the press and scientific journals for his "spot on" ... ...

Joel Engel is the author of "Handwriting Analysis Self-Taught" (Penguin Books) http://careertest.ws
http://www.learngraphology.com

Added: December 23, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

FEAR! - Is This 4-Letter Word Keeping You From Soaring in Your MLM Business?

What is holding you back from reaching your dreams and goals, soaring to higher heights in your life, succeeding in your MLM business? Living with fear means one can never concentrate fully and give one's best to anything. What is fear? False Expectations/Evidences Appearing Real?

Fear is created by the unconscious mind as a protective mechanism. Napoleon Hill in "Think and Grow Rich" defined the six basic fears of life. What are they? Let's explore them and why they have such a devastating, paralyzing hold on people.

1. Fear of Poverty - This fear hinders the faculty of reason, destroys imagination, undermines enthusiasm, leads to uncertainty of purpose, encourages procrastination, and diverts effort. Lack of abundance--not having enough of the basics in life. The fear of poverty is so devastating, yet so many persons are living in poverty. To eliminate this fear, be at peace with whatever wealth one can accumulate and without worry.This does not mean that one doesn't work hard, but that one is no longer grasping, hoarding and clinging on senselessly to money.
2. Fear of Old Age - Looks changing, body mechanisms changing, declining health, and slowing down. Lack of financial preparation and lack of proper diets and exercise make old age less desirable. This causes the habit of killing off one's initiative, imagination and self reliance or making one want to dress younger to feel younger. Refuse to treat old age as a handicap. Instead, leverage one's wisdom, experience and insight for success. Life is about being born, growing older and wiser, fulfilling a mission or purpose, and dying. What one accomplishes in life should be of great importance--pass on a legacy of oneself. Getting older is a given. Just know that it is a natural process of life. Concentrate this fear in the direction of one's success. Produce something that can be passed down to one's children and children's children.
3. Fear of Criticism - Criticism is one of the basic tendencies of human nature. To beat down an opponent, to stand in the competition, to justify ones behavior, one feels the need to criticize the others around him. The fear of criticism grips a person as a result of one's tendency to be a part of the crowd. One tends to do as the masses do to stay away from criticism. The fear of criticism is one of the basic fears and one of the most commonly observed ones. The fear of criticism is manifested in terms of shyness, fear of conversation, shifting of eyes, lack of poise/poster and an inferiority complex.One way to eliminate the fear of criticism is to accept it in the right spirit. One should learn to take criticism positively and use it to improve the personality trait. Consider criticism as the means of betterment, a means to end the ill trait. Taking this approach can be a sure way to help one overcome of the fear of criticism.
4. Fear of Loss Love - When jealous feelings about ones loved one start; when one starts finding faults in the loved one or tends to suspect the loved one of having done something ill, it may result in the person falling prey to the fear of the loss of love. Lack of trust between one and one's loved one is the basic reason for the fear of losing one's love. An intense feeling of insecurity about one's love leads one to fear its loss. The habits of cheating, perpetual lying and disbelief are the important factors causing a fear of the loss of love. An overly possessive feeling is another sure way to lead one to a fear of lost love.Building a trusting relationship will eliminate this fear. One should strictly avoid infidelity, lying, and manipulation, thus eliminating suspicion and suspicious behaviors on both sides. Relationships require mutual respect and admiration of each other's identities and positive qualities. One of the best ways of eliminating the fear of loss of love is to prevent the thoughts of the loss from entering one's mind. Stop thinking about solitude and bear only positive feelings and thoughts about one's loved one.Be comfortable even if one is without a partner. Be at peace even if one doesn't have love. One might be alone but one doesn't have to be lonely. Fill one's days productively.
5. Fear of Ill Health - Also known as Hypochondria (imaginary illness). Fear of disease can produce physical symptoms of the disease feared. Concentrate the mind on being well. Do not be reckless about one's health either; follow up with actions. A not so simple fix can be exercise regularly, stop looking for sympathy, and fill one's mind with positive self-suggestion - Say, "I am healthy"! Eliminate the cause of the illness--avoid watching the world news!
6. Fear of Death - Also known as Thantophobia and is a natural phenomenon. There are theories that address life after death, there are religious beliefs about what happens after a person dies, but there is no conclusive evidence of what will happen to one when one dies. Death remains the ultimate reality and continues to fear most people. However, we should understand that fearing death is harmful for our health. Fearing death prevents us from enjoying life. Dreading the future always deprives us of the joy of the present! Changing our thought patterns and behaviors helps one eliminate the fear of death. One true way to eliminate this fear is to face the reality that it will happen. Think of it as merely transitioning from one form to another-it is only the body that dies not the spirit. Changing one's thought patterns and behaviors helps one eliminate the fear of death. Enjoying life and making adequate preparation for death are essential to that process. The preparation is not difficult. It begins with study, analysis, and understanding that there are three enemies that have to be cleared out. INDECISION, DOUBT and FEAR.

Check to see whether from one's own life experiences if one has harbored some of the fears. In the process, one might just be reminded of the several times that one has been held hostage by insecurities, paralyzing one from taking a wiser course of action and preventing one from becoming more generous in spirit. At this point, it is clear to see why abundance has not been flowing through one's life. Fear undermines enthusiasm, discourages initiative, leads to uncertainty of purpose, encourages procrastination, wipes out enthusiasm and makes self-control impossibility.

It takes the charm from ones personality, destroys the possibility of accurate thinking, diverts concentration of effort, it masters persistence, turns will-power into nothingness, destroys ambition, clouds the memory and invites failure in every conceivable form; it kills love and assassinates the finer emotions of the heart, discourages friendship and invites disaster in a hundred forms, leads to sleeplessness, misery and unhappiness--and all this despite the obvious truth that we live in a world of over-abundance of everything the heart could desire, with nothing standing between us and our desires, except lack of a definite purpose. Personal growth and self analysis are necessary in facing up to fears. Facing up to fears requires one to make a conscious choice, a decision. Sure it can be painful initially, but the reward in the end is so worth it. Success in one's quest to help others resulting in Success in one's MLM business!

Autor: Jacquelyn Burns Jacquelyn Burns
Level: Basic
RN turned MLMer. Married-lives in Atlanta, GA with husband. Full-time Expert Internet Marketer. Dedicates her time helping her business partners gain new Internetwork marketing skills ... ...

Are high gas prices and a failing economy of concern to you? The best tax savings and advantages come with owning a home based business. Leverage your time and income simply by sharing fun and sun. Don't wait check it out today! http://EZwaymlm.biz and http://MLMtheEZway.blogspot.com

Added: December 22, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

What Your Neurosis Confirms

Antisocial Neurosis:
Your nature is to wield others. Of course being more intelligent, you have a higher self value and the generalized other is a jerk.

Anxiety Neurosis:
This is a self imposed shield. Unacceptable thoughts that you do not allow yourself, the worry wart in you assists you in not having made the wrong choice, and this is why you prefer avoiding having to make any kind of choice.

Borderline Personality:
As the condition implies, this personality is afflicted with an indefinite, doubtful view of self. Suffering from low self worth and disorientation of exactly who you are, you are constantly up down and in the middle, but rarely stable.

Depression Neurosis:
Feeling powerless, you blame others for your misgivings. Your exaggerated anticipations of others have left you disgruntled.

Garden Variety Neurosis:
You have symptoms of various neuroses. You prefer being out of it and dull, believing that you can't be special at anything in particular. You have a touch of every weird reaction-that's certainly outstanding.

Hypochondria:
You are emotionally in need of others-and somewhere in your upbringing, you probably noticed that when someone was sick they suddenly became the center of attention, moreso than when they were well. This having impressed you, you closely followed suit. The slightest symptom of anything convinces you that it's all over.

Hysterical Neurosis:
Violence and passion reflect your get up and go. Your pressing on others is due proportionately to what you believe was actually dished out to you.

Narcissism:
In psychoanalysis, the first stage of sexual development, in which the self is an object of sexual pleasure. This is payment for being unsure of yourself and having false and aggrandized self perception.

Obsessive-Compulsive Neurosis:
Only rigorous counsel can prevent impetuous behavior. Your reactions to the 't', both regulates you and does not allow you to wiggle out of your seat.

Paranoia:
The approach that many psychoanalysts take with their patients in dealing with the paranoid personality, is to directly or indirectly ask them what they did wrong to make others stare at them. The marked reaction is often candid. The paranoid builds up a superiority complex, actually due to a self image of very low value, consistent with having divorced himself from reality.

Psychoanalytic Neurosis:
Every person, place or thing gets you mad. Though you know that you must alter something, fear stops you.

Psychosomatic Illness:
You'd love to be sick, then you'd certainly be the center of attraction. Somewhere along the line you have confused being ill and the attention being given to one that is ill, with admiration, and have erroneously linked them.

Schizoid:
A mental disorder characterized by indifference, withdrawal, hallucinations, and delusions of persecution and omnipotence. Being removed and standoffish is your way of self preservation. Now no one can discard you.

Autor: Joel Engel Joel Engel
Level: Basic PLUS
Joel Engel has been a world-renowned graphologist for over 30 years. He is often quoted in the press and scientific journals for his "spot on" ... ...

Joel Engel is the author of "Handwriting Analysis Self-Taught" (Penguin Books)
http://careertest.ws
http://www.learngraphology.com

Added: December 21, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Discover the Secrets of Method Acting - Part 3

Sense Memory is the most important part of Method Acting.

Sense Memory
Sense memory is re-living sensations that were experienced through the five senses. Strasberg stressed the term re-living and not just remembering. The difference lies between knowing something and truly recreating it. That difference is substantiated by psychology.

You have heard of psychosomatic illnesses and hypochondria. The mind can manifest symptoms and responses from simply believing the body is sick. This true even if the body is not sick. Sense memory exercises are designed to train you to be able to elicit a response from your body by concentrating on stimuli associated with an experience.

Sense memory is using your memory of real objects to create sensory objects on stage. You need a great deal on concentration to create a sensory object. When you can create a sensory object, you can invoke a "real" response. You will be re-living a sensory experience and not demonstrating an experience. From this stimulus that you know isn't real, suddenly all the other false things become real and you start behaving truthfully. The audience will believe the performance is real because the actor believes it is real. Sense memory creates great truth performance, which is the actors "ability to experience".

For example, do you know the smell of movie theatre popcorn? When you think of it, do you recall the last movie you saw in the theatre? Does the memory of the smell help trigger other memories? By concentration on the smell, can you recall other aspects of your trip to the theatre? Does concentrating on the smell remind you of the sights and sounds of the theatre? Do the sense memories you recall help you remember the movie, the date and other details? You have recalled the sense memory of the smell of popcorn to re-live the experience of going to the movies.

Smell is the sense most closely associated with memory. It has been shown that smell helps triggers memory recall. Smells become associated with vivid memories.

You must concentrate on the sensory object and it's stimuli. Do not concentrate on trying to elicit an emotion. Through practice you will learn what sensory objects produce the desired emotional response. Then you must simple devote your focus to produce the sensory object without regard for the emotion. The emotional response will follow naturally.

Again, the choice of the sensory object for a scene is up to you. Ideally, you should choose an object that you have practiced with and you know will provide the appropiate emotional response. If possible, make your choice relevant to the scene as well. The more sensory objects you have practiced, and the more scenes you work, the more skilled you will become. Dozens of scenes are waiting for you to use at the website below. You can download them instantly.

Autor: Neils Bohr

from ActingScenes.com

Do you know how to prepare in the 10 minutes before giving your audition? Most auditions consist of a cold read. A typical audition consists of you getting a side when you arrive an audition. You will have 10 minutes to read over the side and prepare to read in front of the casting director or agent. Learn how you can succeed at actingscenes.com

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Added: December 19, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Why I Will Not Be Splashing Out on a Laptop For University

As a student I just can't afford to spend thousands of pounds on an expensive computer. Although part of my degree involves broadcasting I know I can get by with using the expensive editing equipment at university instead of updating my home computer with all the mod cons. All I need is a cheap computer to keep in my dorm room that I can write my assignments on, none of that fancy laptop stuff. After all I don't want to have to carry a heavy lump of equipment around with me when a pen and paper will do just fine for taking notes.

It's so easy to be tempted into buying a gorgeous shiny new laptop when you're browsing for a PC. Wafer thin Apple Mac laptops and business like Toshiba's reflect your drooling face right back at you but you must not succumb. Gone are the days of huge power house PC's greedily consuming your workspace like a fat hippo, forcing you to find inventive places for your pencil holder and document stack. All you need now is a wafer thin monitor, a cordless keyboard, a mouse and a suave black monitor that you can simply slide in under your desk.

It is usually the tangle of cords that finally repulse the PC user. They are seduced by the cordless simplicity of a laptop and its endless movable possibilities. Watching movies in bed, always having a computer to type out last minute essay when you know all the library computers are going to be taken and being able to revise with your downloaded notes at a friend's house. Even explaining the benefits is starting to persuade me over to laptop land but let us not forget the hindrances of the snap shut slabs.

Laptops have a much shorter shelf life than PC's. If you look after your PC as well as a laptop by making sure you have the right virus protection software and that you clean the disk drives and keyboard regularly then you should find that a computer should last you many more years. Laptops are easily dropped and broken as they are much more fragile than PC's are. They are also highly attractive to thieves if you are using one in a public place. Most laptops are heavy and carrying them around can do serious damage to your back if not carried properly. Many laptop cases only reflect practicality to certain levels. Sure its handy to have a million pockets for all of the little things you carry around with you like phones and paperclips but shoulder straps only really lead down one road and that my friend is the road to back pain. I would much rather spend my money on a nice office chair than a fancy computer case; the former will be much better for your future health. Just think of the money that you will save on future chiropractic and osteopathic treatments!

Before accusations of hypochondria are thrown at me I implore you to ask anyone who has being carrying a laptop for over two years about the state of their spine and I am sure you will find that they agree. I'm a student and I want to save my money to spend on worthwhile pursuits like holidays and drinking, not more work, I'm spending over 3000 on that a year already and I'd rather dry off my splashes than make more.

Autor: Sarah Maple

Buy a cheap computer from http://www.dealtime.co.uk/-computer

Added: December 18, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

What is Stress and What Do You Do About it Part Three ?

How the body reacts to prolong stress is described by Dr Hans Selye in terms of the General Adaptation Syndrome. Selye divides the stress response into three phases: Alarm Response, Adaptation and Exhaustion. The Alarm Response is the fight or flight response that prepares the body for immediate action. If the source of stress persists, then the body prepares for long term protection through the secretion of further hormones that increase blood sugar levels to sustain energy and raise blood pressure. This Adaptation phase, resulting from exposure to prolonged periods of stress, is common and not necessarily harmful but without periods of relaxation and rest to counter-balance the stress response, sufferers become prone to fatigue, concentration lapses, irritability and lethargy as the effort to sustain arousal slides into negative stress. Under persistent, chronic stress, sufferers enter the Exhaustion phase: mental, physical and emotional resources suffer heavily and the body experiences 'adrenal exhaustion', where blood sugar levels decrease as the adrenals become depleted, leading to decreased stress tolerance, progressive mental and physical exhaustion, illness and collapse.

Exposure to excessive stress results in hormonal imbalances, which can produce a variety of symptoms:-

Physical symptoms - changes in sleep patterns, missed heartbeats, fatigue, palpitations, changes in digestion, breathlessness, loss of sexual drive, headaches, infections, indigestion, tingling of hands and feet, aches and pains in various parts of the body, dizziness, sweating and trembling.

Mental symptoms - lack of concentration, panic attacks, memory lapses, difficulty in making decisions, disorientation and confusion.

Emotional symptoms - deterioration in personal hygiene and appearance, bouts of depression, impatience and irritability, fits of rage and tearfulness.

Behavioural symptoms - appetite changes, eating disorders, increased intake of alcohol and other drugs, nail biting, fidgeting, restlessness, hypochondria and increased smoking.

The term 'cardiovascular' refers to the heart and the body's system of blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease is probably the most serious health problem that can be linked to stress - it is the most common cause of death in the UK and the USA. The primary causes of heart disease include smoking and high fat diets but stress is a significant contributory factor.

Adrenal hormones act to increase blood pressure; temporary rises in blood pressure present no threat to health but a frequent or perpetual state of high blood pressure can have a serious effect on health in the long term. High blood pressure is linked with the development of arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Arteriosclerosis is the result of the development of blood plaque in the arteries, which progressively narrows the pathway through which the blood flows. Eventually an artery can become blocked, leading to angina, stroke and heart failure.

The immune system protects the body from infection and fights viruses, harmful bacteria and cancer. Excessive stress can damage the immune system by affecting the thymus gland, which manufactures white blood cells for regulating immunity and also produces various immune related hormones. The stress reaction diverts resources to the main parts of the body that need to deal with stress, mainly the brain, heart and muscles. The immune system and other systems are deprived of resources. The thymus gland may shrink because of the hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands. This will also degrade the work done by the white blood cells, which will cause damage to the body's ability to fight infection. As a result high stress can result in reduced resistance to common infections, such as colds, flu and herpes. Because certain types of white blood cells produced by the thymus are active in preventing the development of cancer cells in the body, any damage to the thymus may effect the bod's ability to resist cancer.

Asthma is a respiratory disorder marked by the temporary constriction of the bronchi, the airways branching from the trachea to the lungs. Attacks are usually brought on by allergic reactions to antigens, such as grass and tree pollen, mould spores, fungi and certain foods but also may be caused by chemical irritants in the atmosphere or by infections of the respiratory tract. Susceptibility to an asthma attack is based on hyperactivity of the bronchial muscles, which constrict on exposure to one or any of these agents. Chronic stress reduces the efficiency of the adrenal glands, reducing the output of anti inflammatory and anti allergic adrenal hormones, which may make an asthma attack more likely.

Diabetes is caused by the inability of the body to metabolise sugar correctly, leading to excessively high levels of sugar in the blood. Sugar metabolism is the responsibility of the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas. Most diabetics can produce insulin but various factors limit the hormone's efficiency, known as 'insulin sensitivity'.

The release of adrenal hormones under stress can have a significant impact on blood sugar levels. Adrenaline causes sugar in the liver to be put into the blood stream and cortisol acts to reduce the metabolism of glucose by cells. Large amounts of cortisol act to decrease insulin sensitivity. High blood sugar levels are not dangerous in normally healthy individuals but chronic stress, combined with other factors such as obesity, act to increase the likelihood of developing diabetes.

Ulcers are frequently associated with stress, although no conclusive link has yet been demonstrated. Normally the lining of the stomach is covered with a layer of mucus to protect it from the digestive acids and enzymes used in the breaking down of food. Over time, chronic stress can stimulate the overproduction of gastric juices, which break down the protective mucus and act upon the walls of the digestive tract, resulting in ulceration. Ulcers usually occur singly in round or oval lesions; the erosions are usually shallow but can penetrate the entire wall, leading to hemorrhage and possibly death.

Many problems with the digestive tract, such as constipation, diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome are linked to stress. The brain will send messages to the nerves in the digestive tract in the form of hormones. These messages will tell the intestinal muscles to expand or contract. Hormonal imbalances can cause alterations in intestinal function, such as spasms, constipation and diarrhea. Chronic stress tends to shut down the digestive system altogether, exacerbating intestinal problems.

Stress increases levels of toxicity in the body and contributes to hormonal imbalances, both of which have an effect on the skin. The visible effects of stress on the skin include:- acne, spots, skin diseases, eczema, excessive pallor and psoriasis.

Headaches are one of our most common afflictions and are normally caused not by disease but by fatigue, emotional disorders or allergies. Intermittent tension headaches are caused by worry, anxiety, overwork or inadequate ventilation. The most common type, a chronic tension headache, is often caused by depression. Brain tissue itself is insensitive to pain, as is the bony covering of the brain (cranium). The stimulation of the nerves of the cranium, upper neck and the membranous linings of the brain will cause headache pain. This stimulation can be produced by inflammation, by the dilation of blood vessels of the head or by muscle spasms in the neck and head. Headaches brought on by muscle spasms are classified as tension headaches: those caused by the dilation of blood vessels are called vascular headaches.

Migraine is the most common cause of vascular headache. Many things seem capable of triggering migraine attacks, including stress, fatigue, drugs and foods that contain substances that affect the blood vessels. Chronic headache may be physical symptoms of depression or other kinds of severe emotional problems.

Stress has a debilitating effect on the nerves in general and certain premenstrual symptoms may be aggravated by stress. Many sufferers of PMS have abnormal levels of the adrenal hormone aldosterone, which may account for some of the problems of excessive fluid retention and weight gain, breast tenderness and abdominal bloating. Further release of aldosterone caused by stress will exacerbate these problems.

Chronic stress can produce severe depression because of its debilitating psychological effects. The physiological changes produced by stress can also contribute to depression. Adrenaline and noradrenaline are not only adrenal hormones but chemical messengers in the brain. Deficiencies of noradrenaline have been linked to depression in certain individuals and so adrenal exhaustion through chronic long term stress may be a contributory factor in depressive illness.

Autor: Andrew Tomkinson

Andrew Tomkinson is a writer of articles on health related subjects. He also recommends fitness, health and nutrition products and services to improve your lifestyle and well being. Do you want to be healthier, have a better quality of life and take full advantage of the opportunities open to you? GO HERE- http://www.fitnesshealthnutrition.org

Added: December 16, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Fibromyalgia Blues - Depression, Anxiety Stress

How can you have chronic pain and fatigue and NOT be depressed? All people - healthy or not - struggle every day with the stress of raising a family, their jobs, financial troubles, family illness and yes, death & taxes. You've got to get the kids to school on time, pay the bills, go to work (if you can work), clean the house, feed the pets, water the lawn, pick up the kids, take them to soccer, piano lessons, make dinner, make the kids do their chores (good luck) and you have to do all this AND MORE with debilitating pain, fatigue, migraines, IBS, TMJ, RLS, etc. Just thinking about it is depressing!

Fibromyalgia sufferers are often misdiagnosed with anxiety disorders and depression, implying that it's "all in your head", but research has consistently proven that Fibromyalgia is not a form of depression or hypochondria. Anxiety and depression do CO-EXIST with FM & treatment is important because both can make FM worse and interfere with symptom management.

From my own experience, I can tell you how easy it is to let it get the best of you. There were days when I just got into bed in my dark room I called "the cave" and isolated myself from my family and friends. I avoided leaving the house unless I just absolutely had to and when I did, all I could think about was getting home and crawling into bed. The more depressed I got, the more pain I had. The more pain I had, the more depressed I got!

I had anxiety attacks and the stress of a bad financial situation was more than I could handle - or so I thought. There were times when I wondered how in the world I was going to make through the next day - How much longer can I deal with this? I felt hopeless, helpless and worthless. My self-image was horrible and my confidence level was nonexistent. I was ashamed.

Have you ever felt that way? I hope not, but IF YOU HAVE, there is a way to get out of the pit of depression and anxiety! You can become a productive member of your family and society as a whole. It's not easy, but what choice do you have? You know you don't want to live like this forever.

I always hated the idea of therapy! First of all, the effort it would take for me to get out of the house was a big factor. Secondly, I didn't want to tell all my pitiful story to a stranger and I wasn't even sure I'd be believed when it came to the Fibromyalgia part. There are still some mental health professionals that believe FM is psychological rather than physiological. I didn't want to hear it.

About a year ago, my son needed therapy for depression and anger issues. I took him to several professionals and one suggested (in front of my son) that he could cure my Fibromyalgia because it was more emotional & psychological stress than a physical problem. The next day, we went to another therapist. I didn't trust him to help my son if he was going to say that to me. We finally found one that fit our family since we would all take part in my son's therapy. It didn't take me or the therapist long to discover I needed help, too. He saw right through me!

Therapy has changed my life in so many ways and with an understanding professional to guide me, I have taken back the control I had given up to Fibromyalgia. He helped me see my value, my positive traits and taught me how to cope with my pain, stress, anxiety and depression. Talking about it with an objective party is also a way of healing emotional scars and it was a relief to just lay it all out there! He also recommended a new anti-depressant to my doctor which has helped me a lot.

Perception is everything. I perceived myself a certain way and became exactly that.

My father was recently diagnosed with small cell lung cancer - he never smoked. It is the rarer form of lung cancer that is fast-acting and incurable. I was devastated when I heard the news! My dad is my hero and my rock - life without him is something I can't even fathom. I really lost it for a while, but with counseling, I am finding my own way to cope. I'm still have bad days, but I am trying to work through them in a more healthy way. The woman I was two years ago would have gone back to her cave and never come out.

There many medications, supplements & herbs out there that can help. Talk to your doctor about which ones might work for you and always double check for interactions and side effects! I have a lot of information about prescription drugs alternatives, therapies and other resources on my website that might be of help.

Don't be afraid to take that first step and find a good mental health professional! It truly is worth it. I am now a functioning "Fibromyte" and though, I still have pain and other issues, I can get through them one day at a time. If I can do it, YOU can, too!

More articles on this topic to come!

Autor: Erica Thompson Erica Thompson
Level: Basic PLUS
Erica Thompson is a 40-year-old, Stay-at-Home mom with 3 children and a husband in the military. She has struggled with her weight, like countless others, ... ...

Erica Thompson is a 40-year-old, Stay-at-Home mom with 3 children and a husband in the military. She was diagnosed with FMS in 1995, but suffered from it many years prior to diagnosis and later, diagnosed with Myofascial Pain Syndrome. She has done extensive research and is an expert based on her own experience, her mother's and her grandmother's. Her goal is to educate as many people as she can about FMS and all that goes with it. Mostly, she just wants to make FMS sufferers' lives better - even just a little bit.

http://fibromyalgiahelp4us.com

Added: December 15, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Depression Anxiety - The Fibromyalgia Connection

As Fibromyalgia (FM) sufferers we are often made to feel like our pain is "all in your head", but research has consistently proven that Fibromyalgia is not a form of depression or hypochondria. IT IS REAL! However, there is a connection between FM and other chronic pain conditions to depression and anxiety. Treatment is important because both can make FM worse and interfere with symptom management.

There is some debate by medical and mental professionals about what causes what. The "What came first? The chicken or the egg" debate translates into "What came first? The chronic pain or the depression?" TRUE Fibromyalgia experts, researchers and others know that the chronic pain of FM & overlapping conditions leads to depression and anxiety.

Fibromyalgia is a common condition in which a person suffers from chronic musculoskeletal pain. There are points called tender points, sometimes all over the body, and these tender and painful points are used as part of the diagnosis of FM. Individuals with FM may also be more susceptible to pain in general. Whenever the tender points are simply touched, they can send sharp pain impulses. Many Fibromyalgia sufferers experience pain all over and some experience pain only in specific regions. It can involve the muscles and the joints. Sometimes, there is so much pain that it is hard to pinpoint exactly where the pain originates. Fibromyalgia is often accompanied by other overlapping conditions such as chronic myofascial pain (CMP), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), restless legs syndrome (RLS), migraine & tension headaches, interstitial cystitis (IC), mitral valve prolapse (MVP), cognitive dysfunction, depression, anxiety and more. The symptoms of Fibromyalgia, alone, are wide-ranging and debilitating. Do they really think that depression and anxiety is the CAUSE for ALL of the above?

Depression is a mental illness characterized by feelings of profound sadness and lack of interest in enjoyable activities. It is a constant low mood that interferes with the ability to function and appreciate things in life. It may cause a wide range of symptoms, both physical and emotional. It can last for weeks, months, or years. People with depression rarely recover without treatment and if you have Fibromyalgia, you may have to fight it for the rest of your life.

Anxiety is a normal state of apprehension, tension, and uneasiness in response to a real or perceived threat. Although anxiety is considered a normal response to temporary periods of stress or uncertain situations, prolonged, intense, periods of anxiety may indicate an anxiety disorder. Other indicators of an anxiety disorder are anxiety that occurs without an external threat and anxiety that impairs daily functioning.

What can cause depression & anxiety? Stressful life events, chronic stress, low self-esteem, imbalances in brain chemicals and hormones, lack of control over circumstances (helplessness and hopelessness), negative thought patterns and beliefs, chronic pain, chronic physical or mental illness, including thyroid disease & headaches can ALL cause both. Little or no social and familial support can be a main factor in depression for FM patients. Family history of depression & anxiety can also be a factor.

Lack of quality sleep is also believed to have an influence on depression. Since FM & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients tend to have insomnia and/or other sleep disorders, it stands to reason that poor sleep can lead to depression.

There is a wide variety of medications, vitamins, minerals, herbs and therapies that can help ease the impact of pain, anxiety and depression. With so many out there, you and your doctor may have to go through the process of trial and error to find what works best for you!

Exercise is not only good for FM, it is also highly beneficial for depression and anxiety. Recent studies suggest exercise can change your brain chemistry. Exercising can boost your level of serotonin, a brain chemical that is effects mood and pain perception. It can also stimulate the production of endorphins, natural painkillers that can give you an overall feeling of well-being.

Exercise is a great for stress, too. It relieves muscle tension and it gets the heart rate up. The combination makes us more relaxed and alert, which helps us deal with our problems in a calmer and more controlled way.

There are several other methods you can use to combat stress, including: meditation, deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, mental imagery relaxation, relaxation to music, biofeedback, counseling - to help you recognize and release stress.

You can learn more about this topic, medications, supplements, alternative therapies and more at my website AND I will be writing more articles - so check back here!

Autor: Erica Thompson Erica Thompson
Level: Basic PLUS
Erica Thompson is a 40-year-old, Stay-at-Home mom with 3 children and a husband in the military. She has struggled with her weight, like countless others, ... ...

Erica Thompson is a 40-year-old, Stay-at-Home mom with 3 children and a husband in the military. She was diagnosed with FMS in 1995, but suffered from it many years prior to diagnosis and later, diagnosed with Myofascial Pain Syndrome. She has done extensive research and is an expert based on her own experience, her mother's and her grandmother's. Her goal is to educate as many people as she can about FMS and all that goes with it. Mostly, she just wants to make FMS sufferers' lives better - even just a little bit.

http://fibromyalgiahelp4us.com

Added: December 13, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Understanding and Resolving Stress

The biological definition of stress is 'the consequence of the failure to adapt to change; the inability to respond appropriately to physical and emotional threats.' Stress can be described as the way you feel when pressure is placed on you. The impact of stress will vary from person to person and what causes stress to one person may in fact motivate another.

Our autonomic nervous system is responsible for a variety of involuntary bodily functions i.e. they are initiated without conscious control. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for maintaining optimum functioning within the body, known as homeostasis. This system is made up of two opposite functioning parts; sympathetic and parasympathetic.

Whenever we are faced with a stressful situation our bodies produce adrenaline which, through the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system, initiates the 'fight or flight' response. This response causes our body to automatically jump into action in whatever way is necessary to meet the situation.

Once the situation has been dealt with, the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system calms everything down bringing our body back to homeostasis.

The 'fight or flight' response is very effective at protecting us but if we trigger this response on a regular basis we tip the balance. The sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is working on overload with little time for the parasympathetic branch to perform its function. This overload impacts heavily on all other functions of the body and over time it becomes increasingly difficult for the body to restore its natural balance.

The result is we begin to experience the symptoms of stress.

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Around 75% of visits to the doctor are stress related.

Physical symptoms can include:-

• Tension headaches
• Tense back, neck and shoulder muscles
• Indigestion
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Hypochondria
• Disturbed sleep
• Loss/gain in appetite
• Dizziness
• Palpitations

Long term symptoms can include:-

• Migraine and frequent headaches
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Phobias
• Ulcers
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Immune system deficiency - frequent colds etcetera

We can also deal with stress by adopting copying strategies which although might feel they are relaxing and calming us down are actually making the situation worse. These can include:-

• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Smoking
• Use of recreational and prescription drugs
• Comfort eating (to include over consuming high sugar content foods and chocolate)
• Excessive consumption of tea, coffee and other caffeinated drinks.

CAUSES OF STRESS

Our lives can include a whole array of stressful situations and events. These include:-

• Relationships (spouses, children, family and friends)
• Financial pressures
• Low self esteem/confidence
• Anxiety/Depression
• Loneliness
• Anger
• Boredom
• Divorce
• Moving home
• Career

At work we can experience stress caused by:-

• Poor time management
• High workload
• Inability to delegate
• Poor organisational structure
• Unrealistic deadlines
• Office politics
• Poor relationships with colleagues
• Feeling undervalued

SOLUTIONS

Whilst the impact of stress can have a destructive and sometimes devastating effect on our lives, committing to highlight and resolve the issues will inevitably lead us to overcoming stress and restoring our natural balance, allowing our bodies to function normally.

The first step is to highlight the priority areas. By taking responsibility and admitting that our physical and/or emotional symptoms are stress related we can begin to look at the cause and find the solution.

The solution can be two fold. By first addressing the cause i.e. a stressful relationship with our spouse or high workload we should begin to look at ways of resolving this. Take one issue at a time so as not to cause more stress by trying to do too much at once. In dealing with this first aspect we are addressing and seeking to resolve or remove the cause of the stress so as to avoid placing further stress upon us.

The second aspect would then be to look at ways of relaxing, calming, nourishing, rejuvenating and restoring balance to ourselves. To help our symptoms we might seek alternative therapies and look at forms of exercise, hobbies and interests and other new ways which will add value to our lives. This second aspect should be seen as an ongoing addition to our lives and a way of providing us with an injection of relaxation and calm. Something which is for and about ourselves, that makes us feel energised and good about ourselves.

Having an awareness of self is paramount to achieving a healthy balance in our lives. Everyone is different and so it is important to know what the right balance is for you and exploring what is required in your own life to maintain that balance. Any healing, change or improvement has to come from within. No-one knows you as well as you do. Inevitably, improving one area of our life will impact on all aspects of our lives, enabling us to lead a happier, healthier and more fulfilled life.

Autor: Shelley Costello

Namast�, Shelley

http://www.shelleycostello.net

Shelley Costello is a Wellness Coach, incorporating Yoga, Life Coaching, Indian Head Massage, Relaxation, Meditation and Ayurveda.

The essence is of helping others to help themselves become healthier, happier and live a more fulfilled life.

Shelley is a qualified Yoga Teacher, Life Coach and Indian Head massuese. In addition, over the past two years she has studied Buddhism, meditation, anatomy and physiology, nutrition, quantum physics related to the natural laws of the universe and conscious creation techniques. She has extensive internet marketing experience and works part time as a freelance marketing consultant. She has 15 years business management experience and is currently studying courses related to wellness with the Open University, England.

For more information please contact Shelley by email at shelley@shelleycostello.net or visit her website http://www.shelleycostello.net

Added: December 12, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Cure For Hypochondria - How to Overcome Hypochondria

The notion of a cure for hypochondria can seem like a paradoxical one. After all, doesn't "hypochondria" just mean a constant sense of being afflicted by imaginary maladies? Does it not follow that hypochondria is, itself, an imaginary malady? The fact is the hypochondriac can't help his anxiety. A hypochondriac can visit the doctor again and again and be assured that nothing is wrong, without becoming convinced. Common-sense advice is no remedy for those who suffer from what can be a debilitating psychological condition. For the hypochondriac, even expert medical advice does not offer a way of releasing fear
.
A Mental Affliction

A hypochondriac is someone who is convinced that he or she is suffering from some physical malady, despite showing no objectively measurable symptoms of any physical illness. Sometimes the hypochondriac can become convinced that he or she is suffering from a particular illness, such as cancer or AIDS (often, immediately after he or she has read at length about that illness--something that hypochondriacs often show an inordinate interest in doing). At other times, the hypochondriac complains of such vague ailments as "weak nerves," or "a worn-out gall bladder." The hypochondriac will not cease to complain, no matter how often the doctors tell the sufferer that they can find nothing wrong with his or her nervous system or gall bladder.

Psychosomatic Symptoms

Unfortunately, although hypochondriacs' illnesses are often entirely imaginary, the impact of those imaginary "illnesses" on their lives can be all too real. When hypochondria sufferers of this mental debility complain of "slow blood," they will genuinely feel weak and tired, as though their blood were actually slowing down. Countless experiments have shown what a powerful influence the mind holds over the body. If the mind of a hypochondriac decides that the body is weak--or, even, near death--all too often, the body will follow suit. Imaginary illnesses reduce their sufferers' quality of life, and can lead to very real conditions, such as depression, weight gain, anemia, or a weakened immune system.

When You Need A Cure For Hypochondria

It's obvious, then, that hypochondriacs can't simply be told, "there's nothing wrong with you." Ethically, we cannot be dismiss them with that simple phrase, and then allow them to suffer from ailments of their own making. Hypochondriacs did not "choose" to become morbidly obsessed with the idea of becoming ill, any more than agoraphobics "chose" to be afraid of open spaces and crowds. Fortunately, there are powerful techniques that can help.

Stop Hypochondria With Hypnotherapy And NLP

Hypochondria is no different from other mental disturbances, in which a patient is plagued by a recurring, destructive, self-perpetuating, obsessive thought (in this case, becoming ill). NLP, or neuro-linguistic programming, is a method of ultra-effective communication that a skilled therapist can use (often, in combination with hypnosis) to "talk" you out of your obsessive thought patterns. With the help of the NLP therapist, you'll learn to isolate destructive thought patterns in yourself (e.g. "I'm going to get sick") and re-condition your mind to replace those destructive patterns with more constructive ones (e.g. "I'm not in any real pain, therefore I'm not sick").

In this way, you should look to a therapist, and not a medical doctor, to find a cure for hypochondria.

Autor: J J Seymour

J J Seymour is a writer with Self Help Recordings. Hypnotherapy and NLP can be very useful Cure For Hypochondria - one good source of experienced hypnotherapists and NLP practitioners is Just Be Well. This organization has experienced professionals throughout the UK in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, East Anglia, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Surrey, Sussex and Scotland. You will also find links to related practitioners for hypochondria treatment in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada, for Dublin, Ireland, and for Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in Australia. If you are unable to visit a practitioner in person you may well benefit from a good and guaranteed self hypnosis recording such as Releasing Fear, by experienced hypnotherapist Kathy Welter Nichols.

Added: December 10, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Testosterone Part VIII - Testosterone Deficiency Alzheimer's Disease With Other Health Conditions

I. Introduction
Testosterone deficiency
Testosterone is a male hormone. Besides promoting libido, it has other important functions such as maintaining muscle mass and forming bone, and regulating heart muscle and cholesterol. It also helps to improve the oxygen levels throughout the body as well as controlling blood glucose and strengthening the immune system. Starting at age 40, levels of testosterone start to diminish. The levels of the by-product prolactin of testosterone of men increases, stimulating the production of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase that causes the conversion of testosterone to gihydro-testosterones DHT thus triggering low levels of testosterone.

Alzheimer's Disease.
Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer's gets worse over time, and it is fatal.

II. Causes
Older men with lower levels of free, or unbound, testosterone circulating in their bloodstreams could be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) than their peers. In fact, testosterone deficiency causes the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a toxic peptide in certain region in aging brain. Study show that testosterone decreases secretion of harmful beta- amyloid and increases secretion of sbeta APP alpha as result of neuroproductive effect.

III. Symptoms
1. Memory failure.
2. Loss of ability to concentrate.
3. Reduced intellectual agility.
4. Passive attitude.
5. Poor or decreased judgment.
6. Problems with abstract thinking.
7. Moodiness and emotionality.
8. Inner unrest.
9. Loss of initiative.
10. Reduce interest in surrounding.
11. Hypochondria.

III. Prevention and treatment
Men suffered Alzheimer disease because of testosterone deficiency are likely also have conditions of heart disease, aging, high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol, weakened immune system and liver malfunction.We will try to give reader as much information and hope that these will help in preventing and treating Alzheimer disease.
The first thing that will help is to detoxify your body with intake of dark green leaf juice or chorella.

1. Raw dark green leaf juice
The fresh raw dark green leaf juices are vitally important in the nutritional treatment of testosterone deficiency and Alzheimer disease. Raw dark green leaf juice contains high amounts of vitamin C, bioflavonoids, carotenoids, living plant enzymes to aid digestion & vitamin K resulting in cleansing of liver toxins as well as strengthening the immune system, helping to detoxification your body in resulting of reversing the progressing of aging and other form of diseases.

2. Chorella
Chlorella containing beta carotene,chlorophyll and other many nutritional supplements is a powerful antioxidant that help to strengthen the immune system by blocking the formation of free radicals, improving oxygen levels for cell needs and nitric oxygen stimulating the enlarge of penis through sexual desire and detoxifying your liver as well as entire body.

A. Condition: Alzheimer's disease caused by testosterone deficiency only
Besides using raw dark green leaf juice or chlorella to detoxify or rejuvenate your body, here are some natural remedies will help to provide protein, the essential element for a stronger brain, increasing oxygen levels in your bloodstream in nourishing your brain' s cells and increasing the levels of testosterone to stop the progressing of the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a toxic peptide in certain regions in an aging brain.

a) Essential protein

i) Intake of soy product and whole grain
Soybeans and legumes contains isoflavones and is a unique source of phytochemicals It directly inhibits the growth of different types of cancer cells and provide plenty of protein for brain cell needs. Study shows that isoflavones were found to markedly inhibit prostate tumors in mice implanted with prostate cancer cells. Try adding soy or rice milk to your morning cereal or oatmeal.

ii) Cold water fish
Besides plenty of omega 3, cold water fish is an excellent source of vitamin A and zinc that help the binding of sex hormones, specifically testosterone and estradiol.

iii) Lean meat
Lean meat contains high amounts of protein, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Iron specifically offers the added benefit of raising levels of oxygen in the blood that is essential for providing nutrition to cell needs. High protein and zinc are two nutrients that help to optimize free testosterone levels and muscle-building.

iv) Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds contain high amounts of unsaturated fat and vitamin E. Unsaturated fat helps to prevent clots of arteries and lower cholesterol levels.

b) Increase levels of testosterone

i) Oyster and crustaceans
Oyster and crustaceans contain high levels of magnesium and zinc that is a natural aromatase inhibitor playing a key role in regulating testosterone levels as well as improving circulation of blood to the penis vessels.

ii) Avocado
Avocado contains high amounts of folic acid, which helps metabolize proteins. The vitamin B6 in avocado helps to stimulate the growth of testosterone.

iii) Saw palmetto
Saw palmetto not only helps to balance the natural hormone production but also helps to boost testosterone in men as well as estrogen in women if needed by our body resulting in a healthy, normal sex drive.

iv)Cinnamon Bark
The sweet and spicy taste of cinnamon bark is considered to have a very hot energy. In Chinese medicine, cinnamon bark increases the Yang energy and sexual vitality.

v) Sting nettle roots
Sting nettle root binds to sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in place of testosterone resulting in a reduction of SHBG binding of free testosterone, therefore helping increase the levels of free testosterone. It also promotes healthy prostate gland that helps to stimulate the sexual desire.

vi) Muira Pauma
Muira pauma is stems and roots of a ptychopetalum plant in South America. It has been used as an aphrodisiac, tonic and cure for muscle paralysis and strengthening the liver function that helps to cure the hormone imbalance in aging men. Study shows that muira pauma is a libido enhancer.

vii) Cordyceps
Cordyceps is one of the primary herbal substances used in tonic herbalism as an anti-aging agent and for the purposes of rejuvenation. It also helps to nourish and strengthen the kidneys and lungs and tonifies qi, relieves depression of liver qi as resulting of eliminating the surplus of estrogen and sex hormone binding globuline.

viii) Ginseng
Ginseng in Chinese medicine is used as a pituitary strengthening herb. It also contains herbs that benefit the endocrine system which results in tonifiying the entire endocrine system and helping the release of human growth hormone (HGH).

ix) DHEA
DHEA allows our body to create other hormones such as testosterone. Study shows that DHEA is a precursor to sex hormones. The deficiency of DHEA causes the deficiency of other sex hormones resulting in loss of bone density, increasing of body mass, hardening of blood vessels and low sex drive.

c) Increase levels of oxygen and blood circulation for brain cell needs

i) Onion and Garlic
Garlic and onions contain high amounts of sulfur compounds that not only help to improve circulation of blood but also help to keep your platelets from clumping together.

ii) Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that acts as an antioxidant helping to fortify cardiac contraction and enhance the outflow of blood.

iii) Magnesium
Magnesium helps to improve blood circulation by permitting the muscles in the arterial wall to rest.

iv) Ginkgo biloba
Unlike aspirin, Ginkgo biloba will not cause upset stomach and internal bleeding. Also, Ginkgo biloba can improve blood circulation. Be sure not to take Ginkgo seeds because they are toxic and can cause seizures.

v) Tansy
Tansy is used to help heart palpitations and also helps to improve blood circulation and oxygen for brain cell needs.

iv) Zinc and iron
Zinc and iron together help to increase oxygen levels, produce of more red blood cells as well as aiding the circulation of bloodstream.

Be sure to talk to your doctor before taking any above recommendations.

B. Condition: Alzheimer's disease caused by testosterone deficiency with other conditions such as high levels of cholesterol.

Besides the natural remedies in (A) these additional natural remedies will help to lower the levels of cholesterol.

i) Apple
Study shows that eating 2 apples a day will help to drop your cholesterol level by 16%. Apples contain rich flavonoids and pectins which form a gel in the stomach that keeps fats from being absorbed.

ii) Kiwi
This super food kiwi is high in vitamins A, C, and K that help to lower your cholesterol levels. It also offers high quantities of calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber that are the main vitamins in helping to reduce cholesterol levels. We will discuss more of vitamin supplements and cholesterol in part III of this series.

iii) Magnesium
Magnesium deficiency increases the danger of heart disease and stroke as we mentioned in the previous article. Study shows that adding this mineral to your diet could lower your cholesterol level by 33%.

iv) Lutein
Study shows that people that have alot of lutein in their blood stream see no increase in the thickness of their carotid arteries. That means LDL cholesterol have not oxidized causing formation of dangerous plaque at their arteries wall leading to heart attacks and lowering cholesterol levels.

v) Hawk thorn berry
Hawk thorn berry contains bioflavonoia that help in increasing the blood to the blood muscles, therefore it helps to prevent and reduce blood vessel degeneration. Daily consumptions of hawk thorn berry can enhance circulation and treat valvula insufficiency, irregular pulse and abnormal acid levels in the blood. Study shows that hawk thorn berry bioflavonoia also helps in
lowering LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides while raising HDL cholesterol levels.

C) Condition: Alzheimer's disease caused by testosterone deficiency with other conditions such as high blood pressure.

Besides the natural remedies in (A) these addition natural remedies will help to lower blood pressure.

i) Coenzyme Q10
CoQ10 significantly reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure. There is also a reduction in HbA1C, a marker for long-term glycemic control.

ii) Folic acid
Folate is a vitamin B that is necessary for the formation of red blood cells. It may help to lower high blood pressure in some people, possibly by reducing elevated homocysteine levels.

iii) Celery
If you are asking advice from your doctor about high blood pressure, chances are he will tell you to take 4 stalks of celery daily. Study shows that celery contains a chemical called limonene that acts as a mild tranquilizer that can lower levels of stress hormones in your blood. This allows your blood vessels to expand, giving your blood more room and reducing pressure.

iv) Red tea
Red tea has flavonoids, which have been proven effective in treating assorted skin and circulation problems.

D) Condition: Alzheimer's disease caused by testosterone deficiency with other conditions such as heart diseases.

Besides chorella, onions and garlic, nuts and seeds that has been mentioned above.

i) Vegetables and fruits
Vegetable and fruits contain high amounts vitamins A, E, C and B. Vitamin E, the antioxidants beta carotene and vitamin C help to strengthen your small blood vessels and thins your blood so it can flow smoothly in result of lowering the risk of heart disease and strokes. Plums, tomatoes, and watercress are the best choices.

ii)Flax seeds
Flax seeds contain high amounts of alpha-linoenic acid that helps to lower high blood pressure and the risk of stroke. Eating too much flax seeds will cause gas to build up if you are not used to it.

iii) Mistletoe
Mistletoe can stimulate the heartbeat and increase cardiac output. It can help to relieve heart strain, stimulate circulation, and lower blood pressure. Do not overdose and eat mistletoe berriea, because it is toxic.

iv) L-Arginine
L-Arginine helps to increase the production of nitric oxide in our body, this has an anti-angina and anti-stress effect upon the arteries enabling the muscles in the arterial walls to relax. L-Arginine also helps to prevent the build up of plaque on the arterial walls. L- Arginne taken either orally or intravenously has been found to prevent and reverse atherosclerosis, improving the functional status of heart failure and increasing blood flow in heart disease patients.

v) Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that acts as an antioxidant helping to fortify cardiac contraction and enhance the outflow of blood from the heart. Intake of taurine will reduce the risk of congestive heart failure and arteriosclerosis

vi) Nu zhen zi (privet fruit):
Nu zhen zi is the ying kidney and liver tonic that is the significant immune enhancement agent. Nu zhen zi also helps ying deficiency such as dizziness, floater, weak knee and enhancing heart blood.

vii) Mao yao (myzzh)
Mao yao contain elements that help to break up stagnation of blood resulting in improved blood circulation in our body.

E) Condition: Alzheimer's disease caused by testosterone deficiency with other conditions such as chronic diseases

Chorella and dark green leaf juice will help to ease the chronic condition by aiding the rebuilding of muscle tissues, joints, eliminating the forming of free radicals, boosting your energy, and repairing the DNA damage caused by free radical build-up in our body and many others.

I hope this information will help. Be sure to talk to your doctor before taking any above natural remedies. If your need more information, please visit my home page at:

Autor: Kyle J Norton Kyle J Norton
Level: Platinum
I have been studying natural remedies for disease prevention for over 20 years...

Kyle J. Norton

http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com

http://testosteroneviii.blogspot.com/

All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have all the links intact.

I have been studying natural remedies for disease prevention for over 20 years and working as a financial consultant since 1990.

Added: December 9, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Fighting Chronic Viral Infections Naturally

Some viruses like chronic fatigue syndrome and Epstein-Barr viruses are controversial diseases. They are often misdiagnosed as psychosomatic, hypochondria or depression because medical tests do not show that the disease exists. Traditional medicine, if it even recognizes the diseases, provides drug therapies to fight individual symptoms, but might not be effective in fighting the actual viral infection. It is necessary for people who are suffering from chronic viral infections to take a wider look at alternative therapies that help them overcome the infection.

Self-hypnosis programs can be a very powerful tool to use to help you fight off viral infections. They offer guided visualizations, where you visualize yourself enticing the viral cells out into the open and destroying them. The subconscious mind is very powerful and there is a very strong mind-body connection. The subconscious mind does not differentiate between imagined events and actual events, so you can directly affect a change in your body by actively imagining that change.

You can also use self-hypnosis to build your confidence and strengthen your belief that you can and will fight the virus off. You might be getting a direct or indirect benefit from maintaining the disease. A professionally designed self-hypnosis program will help you identify and replace any hidden benefits you might be getting from maintaining the disease. They will then empower with you with new coping mechanisms and subconscious habits that enable you to enjoy good health.

Lastly the self-hypnosis program can guide you through a creative visualization to boost your energy levels, ensuring that you are fit and strong enough to keep fighting off the viral infection.

Autor: Lisa Sandler

http://www.jasonsandler.co.za

Added: December 7, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Problems Effecting Mental Health

Hypochondria

The popular image of the hypochondriac is a Woody Allen-type character who goes from doctor to doctor, anxiously takes his temperature every hour and imagines any headache to be a brain tumor.

Most of us suffer mild episodes of hypochondriasis (commonly known as hypochondria) from time to time. But when hypochondria becomes chronic and severe, it's no laughing matter.
Hypochondria is a psychological condition that doctors categorize as a somatoform disorder the presence of physical symptoms suggest illness, but no illness can be diagnosed. If you suffer from hypochondria, you are constantly preoccupied with sickness. You believe you have a serious illness, based on your own interpretation of certain symptoms and sensations, and go from doctor to doctor in search of a diagnosis and a cure. These fears and beliefs persist, even when no illness has been diagnosed and despite many reassurances from numerous doctors. People with hypochondria know their own medical histories in great detail, and often say that previous physicians who found nothing wrong with them were insensitive or incompetent.

It's tempting to label anyone who does this a hypochondriac unfortunately, many people with real illnesses have been dismissed as hypochondriacs until their diseases were finally recognized. However,hypochondria clearly exists as a mental disorder, and the preoccupation with imagined illness can become so severe that it impairs relationships and interferes with the person's ability to function normally. The incidence of true hypochondria in the general population isn't known, but doctors estimate that between 4 and 9 percent of people they see in general practice suffer from some degree of hypochondria. The problem usually begins after age 30 and tends to persist in to older age.

Many people who suffer from clinical depression or anxiety become abnormally vigilant about their bodies, focusing on every little change, and it's not uncommon for them to develop hypochondria. The good news is that when these disorders are successfully treated, the hypochondria tends to disappear.

Abnormal Grief

When you experience the death of a loved one, it's normal to feel grief. This may include feelings of sadness and loss, as well as physical symptoms of stress such as insomnia and fatigue. While these feelings vary widely from person to person, they tend to follow a normal course. But sometimes grieving is intense and long-lasting enough to be considered abnormal or even pathological. Such grieving can take a tremendous toll on your emotional and physical health and should be recognized when it occurs so you can get help.

Autor: Pattrick Jhonson

Learn about other mental problems like anxiety and insomnia and their cure with natural herbal supplements, as they have been found to be quite effective.

Added: December 3, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Lower Back Pain and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Is there a correlation between lower back pain and Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Researchers have long argued that IBS may be caused by abnormal functioning of the nerves and muscles of the bowel. No indication or explanation is ever given as to why this malfunction might occur. To my knowledge there has been no adequate evidence to support this assumption. More over, I have not seen, heard of or read about any studies which were specifically implemented to test this hypothesis. Because of my own observations about my own IBS symptoms, I am inclined to believe and support this hypothesis.

Some of us who suffer Irritable Bowel Syndrome have tried for many years, without success, to eliminate the often debilitating affects of this mysterious disorder. Generally those who suffer have spent a great deal of time and money, having test after test only to be told that nothing conclusive was found.

Often after years of diagnostic procedures and expensive studies, patients are told there was nothing wrong with them. Their complaint of symptoms are brushed off as imaginary or more properly put in medical terms, psychosomatic. But with the ever increasing number of patients complaining of the same generalized list of symptoms, the medical community has been forced, in at least a small part, to acknowledge the malady as something more then imaginary symptoms of hypochondria.

So what can we surmise about IBS? It is a condition or disease in and of itself? Or is IBS is a condition caused by or a symptom of some other physical, neurological or possibly even psychological problem that is as yet undetected or undiagnosed as being relative to the IBS condition? I find this to be a more plausible conclusion and will provide some insight for my personal belief that IBS is a secondary condition rather then a condition unto itself.

For years doctors have proposed the secondary condition concept in relation to Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Unfortunately, they have not yet been able to successfully document any evidence to conclusively say what might be the root cause of IBS. Moreover, I believe there is not just one cause, but several causes, all with the same secondary symptoms, which make up what is termed as IBS.

Please don't think that it is my intent to say the IBS condition is not real, or the symptomology is psychosomatic in nature. I know from painful experience the condition and symptoms of IBS are very real. I also would venture to say because of the sheer number of reported cases, the medical community had been forced to re-evaluate their approach while dealing with patients with complaints of Irritable Bowel Syndrome-like symptoms. I am merely going to express what I personally have concluded about another possible causation for IBS which may be overlooked by the medical profession.

I would like to also toss up for consideration that IBS, with its list of many symptoms, may be a traceable progression of symptoms stemming from a single causation. I believe, in my case, this is a very valid assumption. I have as yet been unable to get any physician to agree with me, at least to the point of taking up the position on the record.

Before going any further, I think it would be a good idea to review a partial list of Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. IBS may be characterized by a combination of any or all of the following symptoms:

Abdominal discomfort or pain, usually in the lower abdomen

Altered bowel habit

Chronic or recurrent diarrhea, constipation, or both. May be mixed or in alternation.

Bloating

Heartburn

Nausea

Abdominal fullness

Feelings of urgent need to evacuate the bowel

Feeling of "incomplete" bowel emptying

Low back pain

Headache

Fatigue

Muscle pain

Sleep disturbances

Sexual dysfunction

More and more it is generally believed that the symptoms of IBS are produced by abnormal functioning of the nerves and muscles of the bowel. More and more I personally agree with this as a valid and plausible perception of at least one of the causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. With some personal observations, I hope to give light as to why I believe this to be a possible causation for many IBS sufferers. Unfortunately, what I have come to believe as the causation for my particular brand of IBS, most assuredly will not be a diagnosis for all cases of IBS.

I think we who have suffered Irritable Bowel Syndrome tend to minimalize our symptoms and pain. We have been led to believe that other than common sense changes to diet and exercise there is nothing we can do because there is no cure. Many people who suffer will suffer in silence for years before seeking medical treatment. By then, and I include myself in this group, we may have subconsciously lessened or even put aside some of the lesser symptoms that IBS causes, focusing only on the ones that cause the most pain and discomfort.

Worse yet, we are less likely to bring symptoms to the attention of a doctor by mere assumption that it is just another facet of our complex disorder. This could become a dangerous scenario for anyone who suffers from IBS. We may ignore persistent symptoms that have gotten more intense or new symptoms that seem to be related only because we are discouraged by being told there is nothing anyone can do.

Doing these kinds of things could lead to serious life threatening symptoms being overlooked. Symptoms of conditions that, unlike IBS, can be treated if caught in time. Things like colon cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer or many others, might be missed because we want to ignore our IBS symptoms after so many trips to the doctor.

My story of IBS starts over 20 years ago when I was a young man of 26. While helping lift a very heavy cast iron wood burning stove from the back of a pickup truck, the other person lost their grip and the load all shifted down hill onto my back. I felt my back give way as the stove went crashing to the ground at my feet. I knew I had sustained a serious injury. I couldn't erect myself from the 90 degree bent forward position I was in. I had to literally pull my self up by using my hands and arms against the side of the pickup.

Being 26 and stubborn and thinking that I was invincible, I had my wife help me home and to bed, not bothering to go to the emergency room. I had some left over pain killers which numbed the pain enough to allow me to sleep. When I awoke in the morning I was horrified as I could not feel my legs. They were both cold and numb to the touch. I could move them, I just couldn't feel them. After about 30 minutes of movement the feeling began to return to my legs and at that point I knew it was time to get to the doctor.

After the examination and x-rays what the doctor had to say wasn't pleasant to hear. He told me I had two options. One was to go to a surgical specialist and have fusion surgery on several of my lower lumbar vertebra because the discs between them had been severely compressed. He mentioned that having this type of surgery would reduce my physical mobility by as much as 30% or more. At best, he explained, the surgery was about 40% effective.

My other option, he told me, was time... time allow let my body try to heal itself. He explained I would probably never be as good as I was before the accident, but with time my body should partially heal it self. He told me the inflammation which was causing the pain and partial paralysis should lessen. At age 26 loosing permanently 30% or more of my mobility was an unthinkable option. At least the second option offered some hope of recovery. He gave me muscle relaxants and pain pills and that was that.

I trusted this doctor...we were good friends. We had a good personal and professional relationship. I took him at his word. By today's medical standards, his medical advice probably wouldn't hold water, but over 20 years ago, it was most likely a very good perception of my problem.

For the next 6 months, I would wake up to cold, numb legs and each day, but as he said, the symptoms gradually got better. I was so focused on my back injury improving; I didn't pay attention to other, minor things going on which had become bothersome.

The first and most prevalent symptom was a change in my bowel habit. Not a big change, but it seemed that instead of a daily movement, it was now once every other day, and it took a bit more effort. But with the back issue, it seemed minor in comparison and for several years seemed to be the only symptom. My back continued to get better but my bowel never did return to normal.

I have always been a large person, in 1986 at the age of 26: I weighed about 220 pounds, standing 6 feet tall. Slowly, my weight began to rise. I attributed my initial weight gain to a lessening of physical activity over the first year or two of my back problem. By the end of the second year, my physical ability and activity had almost returned to normal. I learned to deal with the pain and my legs no longer went numb. I was able to function fairly well. Only occasionally did the pain in my back become such that I was unable to function in my "new" normal fashion, and usually only lasted a day or two. I now had added 70 pounds to my weight with no real explanation.

Only in the past couple of years (over 20 have passed since my back injury) have I begun considering the original injury being related to my bowel and stomach problems. Because I believed there was little I could do to rectify the situation, I have done as well as I could to manage the pain mentally. I did this well until the pain in my back started to worsen to the point that again my legs started going numb again. Not that this happened all the time, it was only occasional, but these bouts of pain have gotten much worse.

Only now that the back pain is impossible to ignore have I come to realize the cycle of events which have taken place. Now when I notice my legs are beginning to go numb on a more frequent basis, I have also noticed an increase in my IBS symptoms. More frequent and painful symptoms seem to begin with chronic constipation, lasting for many days. This is followed by the gas distress fatigue, head aches, bloating, acid indigestion, heartburn and eventually explosive diarrhea. Along with other symptoms, all interwoven into a cycle I now believe to be directly related to some type of nerve injury due to my original back injury.

I have since gone to a neurosurgeon and been diagnosed with severe disk compression and degeneration and spinal stenosis in the lower lumbar region. The treatment is as yet to be mapped out, but I now have at least one doctor who agrees that many, if not all, of my symptoms could be tied directly to nerve dysfunction resulting from my present spinal condition.

If you have sustained a back injury, or have IBS with lower back pain, it may be prudent to have a spinal study, to find out if an underlying back problem might be involved in the causation of your IBS symptoms. It stands to practical reason that if there is injury to the spine or lower back from where the nerves controlling lower bowl function stem, there could also be bowel dysfunction. With bowel dysfunction, the progression of symptoms in logical sequence right up the line to the top of the digestive tract would be a very plausible scenario.

If you have IBS and low back pain you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain by having a spinal examination. At the very least you may find out that there is no problem with your spine thereby eliminating one more source.

Autor: Scott Best

Scott Best is a freelance author in association with IBS Help Site.com who also suffers with IBS. You can read more articles from Scott Best and others in the IBS Help Site Article Index

Added: December 2, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/