Women Soldiers' Response to Treatment for PTSD

Psychiatric Times
By Peggy Peck
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Feb 28, 2007

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt., Feb. 28 -- For women soldiers being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, symptoms improve when the therapy homes in on the original index event, no matter how long ago it occurred, researchers here found.

Compared with therapy that aimed at coping with PTSD symptoms in daily life, women whose therapy focused on the past traumatic events reduced symptoms by more than 70% (effect size, 0.27, P=0.03), investigators reported in the Feb. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Moreover, the women who underwent "prolonged exposure" therapy were also about two-and-half times more likely to achieve total remission (15.2% versus 6.9%; odds ratio 2.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-5.37, P=0.01), said Paula P. Schnurr, Ph.D., of the National Center for PTSD at the VA Medical Center here, and colleagues.

The "maximum benefits of prolonged exposure are observed immediately after treatment and persist over time," she said.

But while the prolonged exposure therapy was more effective, it also had significantly higher dropout rate: 38% versus 21% (P=0.002).

The study randomized 277 women veterans and seven active duty women soldiers to either prolonged exposure or present-centered therapy. The mean age of women was 45 and roughly 31% were married.

The women were enrolled and treated from August 2002 through October 2005 at nine VA medical centers, two VA readjustment counseling centers, and one military hospital.
Both therapies were delivered according to standard protocols in 10 weekly 90-minutes sessions.

"Prolonged exposure included education about common reactions to trauma, breathing retraining; prolonged (repeated) recounting (imaginal exposure) of trauma memories during sessions; homework (listening to a recording of the recounting made during the therapy session and repeated in vivo exposure to safe situations the patient avoids because of trauma-related fear); and discussion of thoughts and feelings related to exposure exercises," they wrote.
By contrast, the present-centered therapy focused "on current life problems as manifestations of PTSD."

Sexual trauma was identified as the "worst" trauma exposure by 68.3% of the women, followed by physical assault (15.8%) and war zone exposure (5.6%). The index trauma usually occurred more than 22 years before the women were enrolled in the study.

The high rate of sexual trauma exposure tracked closely studies of PTSD in civilian women, but Dr. Schnurr pointed that 70% women in this study said their sexual trauma exposure was associated with military service.

The study was limited by the small number of active duty women included-the authors theorized that active duty soldiers might be reluctant to seek treatment because they were "worried about the stigmatizing effects of PTSD, a concern that has been expressed by soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Active duty soldiers, they explained, were likely to be younger than veterans and might have responded differently to the two treatments.

The study was also limited by a higher dropout rate in the prolonged exposure arm, and by the fact that the study was limited to women. But Dr. Schnurr said the findings could "with some caution" be extended to men because published studies suggested that cognitive behavioral therapy was an effective treatment for PTSD in men.

The study was funded by the VA Cooperative Studies Program and the Department of Defense. Dr. Schnurr and reported funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Some of her co-authors reported funding from the Department of Defense and three co-authors -- Matthew J. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., Edna B. Foa, Ph.D., and Patricia A. Resick, Ph.D. -- published books on PTSD treatment for which they received income.

The Secret

On the The Oprah Show last week she had a panel of people talking about "The Secret". This movie, The Secret, and book was created by Australian Rhonda Byrne, and she says that if you follow its philosophy, you can create the life you want—whether that means getting out of debt, finding a more fulfilling job or even falling in love.

Rhonda defines The Secret as the law of attraction, which is the principle that "like attracts like." Rhonda calls it "the most powerful law in the universe," and says it is working all the time. "What we do is we attract into our lives the things we want, and that is based on what we're thinking and feeling," Rhonda says. The principle explains that we create our own circumstances by the choices we make in life. And the choices we make are fueled by our thoughts—which means our thoughts are the most powerful things we have here on earth.

See more about the show at the link above...

The Secret sounds like a new idea but it's a concept we have been using to assist people for a long time. The Secret has gained attention of the people and we would love to discuss it more with you. Contact us..

All Things Being Equal!

After a year of back-and-forth, a group of U.S. senators have reached a compromise on a bill offering "mental health parity" to health plan enrollees who have mental health coverage. While the details are still under discussion, generally speaking the bill would require health insurance plans with a mental health option to cover mental diseases the same way they do physical diseases, including reimbursement, co-payments, deductibles and limits on physician visits. The bill is being championed by Sen. Pete Domenici, who has worked on this issue since 1996, and co-written with Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Mike Enzi (R-WY). Creating a workable consensus proposal took years, but everyone involved seems to think the measure can move ahead now. Though health plans argue that such parity would be too costly to sustain, President Bush has previously expressed a willingness so sign a parity bill, so the measure's prospects may be better than many previous versions.

Fierce HealthCare to see more...

NYU Child Study Center
The New York University Child Study Center has identified warning signs of depression in teenagers for parents and tips for helping teens who may be depressed, in light of a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC study, published in the February 2007 issue of Pediatrics finds that suicide rates in children under 19 years of age increased between 2003 and 2004. Suicide was the only statistically significant increase in child death over this time. Overall, the suicide rate increased by 18.2 percent from 2003 to 2004, an increase largely driven by older teens.

"A teen's statement of a wish to kill him/herself must be taken seriously," said Lori Evans, Ph.D., Director of Psychology Training and the Project Coordinator of TASA (Treatment of Adolescent Suicide Attempters) at the NYU Child Study Center. "Before they actually commit or attempt suicide, teens often make direct statements about their intention to end their lives, or less direct statements about how they might as well be dead or that their friends and family would be better off without them."

"Discussing the problem does not encourage the teenager to go through with the plan," emphasizes Dr. Evans. "On the contrary, it will help him or her know that someone is willing to be a friend. It may save your adolescent's life."

Watch for symptoms of depression lasting longer than two weeks, which may include:
A change in eating and sleeping habits

A marked personality change, exhibiting angry actions or rebellious behavior or withdrawal from friends and regular activities

Involvement in drugs or alcohol or other risky behaviors such as reckless driving

An overreaction to a recent humiliating experience

Difficulty in concentrating and a decline in the quality of school work

Persistent boredom and/or lethargy

Unusual neglect of appearance

Complaints about physical symptoms such as headaches and fatigue

A pattern of giving away or throwing away possessions

Intolerance of praise or rewards

Preoccupation with death in writing songs or poems

An increase in comments such as "I can't take it anymore" or "nobody cares; I wish I was dead"

How to help
Take person's comments regarding self-hate, suicide, or death very seriously

Don't try to convince the person to not feel bad. Don't tell them to "snap out of it" or say "don't feel bad"

Keep in close contact with the person and their parent, teacher, or a good friend

Ask the child or teen what you could do that would be helpful to them

Don't promise to keep any information a secret

If symptoms persist or are dangerous and interfere with daily functioning, consult a mental health professional immediately
See Anxiety Insights for more...

Video Games May Increase Cognitive Functioning

Provided by: Sun Media
Written by: IAN GILLESPIE -- London Free Press Jan. 20, 2007

My brain is going bad. And probably yours is, too.

It's getting tougher to remember names. I go to the store and neglect to pick up the main item I need. I forget where I've put things (like, ah, the car).

I'm sure there are other symptoms, but I can't remember what they are.
Anyway, experts tell us memory problems are fairly common. They also say this is happening partly because our lives are so busy that our brains are being overloaded. (This doesn't explain why I can't remember where I put my glasses, when the only thing I've done all day is try to find my glasses.)

But now, there's hope.
Paradoxically, one of the solutions is something that, for years, we were told was bad for our brains: Video games.
That's right. Once regarded as devilish devices that would turn minds to mush, researchers now are saying video games may be good for us.

"There's been a lot of research recently, primarily on the standard shoot-'em-up action games, showing that those sorts of things can be beneficial," says Jody Culham, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Western Ontario. "Particularly with older people.
"There's some interesting stuff suggesting there might be some benefits to getting grandma playing the hot new games."

I'm not sure I can envision a gang of white-haired grandmothers, slumped in bean-bag chairs in a darkened basement, wasting gangsters in Scarface. But the general concept is gaining acceptance.

In his book Everything Bad is Good for You, for instance, technology expert Steven Johnson explored the benefits of an array of pop-culture offerings, including video games.
While early models like Pong and Pac Man were simple exercises in co-ordination and pattern recognition, Johnson argues today's games present a dizzying array of options and information. Indeed, he points out that one how-to-play guide for the game Grand Theft Auto III is more than 50,000 words long -- nearly the length of an average novel.

With their developing storylines, complex puzzles and multiple characters, Johnson argues, many modern video games are more than just instant-gratification machines. In fact, he says, these games actually delay gratification by forcing players to craft long-term strategies and figure out what to do. (Unlike board games of the past, you don't learn how to play a video game by reading a set of rules; you learn by playing it.)

Of course, many of these games are simply too fast and complicated for older players.
That's where Nintendo's Brain Age comes in. According to the promotional literature, this new software for the Nintendo DS hand-held system "acts like a treadmill for the mind."
Using a touch screen that allows players to write their answers with a special pen, Brain Age allows players to solve simple math problems, draw pictures, count moving objects and read examples of classic literature.

Culham says it's a variation on the old "use it or lose it" adage.

"There's lots of evidence that people who are in busy, stimulating work situations and have to do a lot of problem-solving fare much better in terms of (fending off) the development of Alzheimer's, senility and all sorts of cognitive problems," she says.

Oh boy! Finally -- a legitimate excuse to hide in the basement and waste hours and hours playing fancy video games with neat new software and . . . .
Hold it.

Culham says many of the benefits gained from video games can be found in plain old reality.
"I would suggest that people consider taking up tennis or playing strategy games like chess or backgammon with their friends," she says. "This way they get the intellectual benefits of a video game, but other benefits, too, such as cardiovascular exercise or social interaction and support."
Instead of shelling out cash for software, Culham says there are other ways -- just as effective but not as expensive -- to exercise your brain.

"Pull out the Sudoku from the newspaper, read some Jane Austen and play some games with your friends," she says. "That may do just as well -- or better."
Darn.

Adversity

It doesn't make any difference whether what you face is something that affects your work, your personal relationships, your sense of security, your appraisal of self-worth, or your appearance--the way you think about your situation largely determines whether you will do anything about it and what you will do.

Dr. Arthur Freeman and Rose DeWolf

Ode to Jeanette

"Hope, purpose and determination are not merely mental states. They have electrochemical connections that affect the immune system."

~ Norman Cousins

Celestial Seasonings Wisdom

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to the starts and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to hear on cheerfully, do all bravely, awaiting occasions, worry never; in a word to, like the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common."

- William Henry Channing

Our Deepest Fear........

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream!!!"

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Happy New Year!

Enjoy the New Year!!

Set realistic goals!!

Seek to embrace potential within you!!

If there is a will there's a way, find the way in 2007!!

Contact Us for a free consultation...

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) go through the day filled with exaggerated worry and tension, even though there is little or nothing to provoke it. They anticipate disaster and are overly concerned about health issues, money, family problems, or difficulties at work. Sometimes just the thought of getting through the day produces anxiety.

GAD is diagnosed when a person worries excessively about a variety of everyday problems for at least 6 months. People with GAD can't seem to get rid of their concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. They can't relax, startle easily, and have difficulty concentrating. Often they have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Physical symptoms that often accompany the anxiety include fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, having to go to the bathroom frequently, feeling out of breath, and hot flashes.

When their anxiety level is mild, people with GAD can function socially and hold down a job. Although they don't avoid certain situations as a result of their disorder, people with GAD can have difficulty carrying out the simplest daily activities if their anxiety is severe.

GAD affects about 6.8 million adult Americans and about twice as many women as men. The disorder comes on gradually and can begin across the life cycle, though the risk is highest between childhood and middle age. It is diagnosed when someone spends at least 6 months worrying excessively about a number of everyday problems. There is evidence that genes play a modest role in GAD.

Other anxiety disorders, depression, or substance abuse often accompany GAD, which rarely occurs alone. GAD is commonly treated with medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy, but co-occurring conditions must also be treated using the appropriate therapies.

For more information about anxiety disorders, visit the National Institute of Mental Health website @ Anxiety.

FDA Proposes Expanding Antidepressant Suicide Warning

Provided by: Associated PressWritten by: ANDREW BRIDGES Dec. 13, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) - Antidepressants increase the risk of suicidal behaviour for people up to age 24, the government said Wednesday. It plans new warning labels, and says users of all ages should be closely monitored.The label change proposed Wednesday would expand a warning now on the antidepressants that applies only to children and adolescents.The Food and Drug Administration presented its plan to update the drug labels at a meeting of outside advisers on the issue. They endorsed the plan.The FDA also stressed that patients of all ages should continue to be carefully monitored for signs of suicidal tendencies when they are beginning treatment on the drugs.

Public reaction was split, with some saying the changes were overdue and others arguing they could keep drugs from those who need them.In emotional testimony illustrated at times by slides of family photos, relatives of suicide victims pleaded for the new warnings.Suzanne Gonzalez, shouting and in tears, goaded the panel to action, telling the experts that her 40-year-old husband who had been taking Paxil shot himself."I wake up every morning thinking, 'Oh my God, he's dead. He is freaking dead.' Do you wake up and think, 'How many people are going to die today because I am doing nothing?"' Gonzalez asked.Still, mental health experts worry that additional warnings could curtail use of the drugs and ultimately do more harm than good.Dr. John Mann, a Columbia University psychiatrist, suggested simply replacing the proposed expanded warnings with the recommendation that doctors more closely monitor their patients."We can do more good by providing more treatment for depressed children and adults," Mann said.

The FDA proposed the changes after completing a review that found use of the drugs may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour among young adults 18 to 24, as well as among younger patients.Psychiatrists testified Wednesday that the 2004 addition of a warning for children led to a falloff in antidepressant prescriptions being written for patients under 18 - and an increase in suicides in that age group.Still, overall use of antidepressants continues to grow, with nearly 190 million prescriptions dispensed in the United States last year, according to IMS Health, a health care information company.

That suggests doctors have placed more weight on the long-term benefits of the drugs than on any short-term risks, said Dr. Thomas Laughren, director of the FDA's division of psychiatry products.Expanding the "black box" or other warnings on the drugs could dissuade patients from seeking or starting treatment, mental health experts said. They warned that people with untreated depression - about half of those who suffer from the disease - face an estimated 15 per cent greater likelihood of death by suicide.

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, a Harvard Medical School clinical instructor in psychiatry and author of "Prozac Backlash," said expanding the warnings wouldn't scare off patients, but instead would allow them to make informed choices.The FDA recently completed a review of 372 studies involving about 100,000 patients and 11 antidepressants, including Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac and Paxil.When the results were analyzed by age, it became clear there was an elevated though small and short-term risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviour among adults 18 to 24, the FDA said in documents released ahead of Wednesday's meeting of its psychopharmacologic drugs advisory committee.The FDA's analysis of the multiple studies suggests an age-related shift in the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour associated with treatment with the drugs. For instance, antidepressants seem to protect against suicidal thoughts and behaviour in adults 30 and older, with the effect most pronounced in patients over 65.

The FDA said the increased risk could mean as many as 14 additional cases of suicidal thoughts or behavior in every 1,000 children treated with antidepressants. For adults 18 to 24, there could be four additional such cases per 1,000.

In May, GlaxoSmithKline and the FDA warned Paxil may raise the risk of suicidal behaviour in young adults and added that to the drug's label."Anytime suicide is involved it is a tragic outcome. It is one of the things that keeps us motivated to search for better treatments because depression can be treated.

Self-Disclosure & Healing

As therapists, we generally are cast as the support-person, the listeners, the helpers, the objective re-framers and other client-focused “providers”. Clinicians, some more than others, tend not to self-disclose much with their clients; some prefer to keep their own feelings, life trials and even personal mental health experiences separate from the therapy relationship. Like most aspects of the client-therapist relationship there are no real hard and fast boundaries about how to act, what to say, what to reveal, when to set limits, etc; it is the art of therapy and the clinician experience that determines how the relationship develops.

Therapist self-disclosing can be an effective teaching opportunity that has real, human information and it can be a tremendously powerful client-therapist relationship building tool, remembering always that self-disclosure has its limits and the therapy session is for the client. I have personally known clinicians that quickly get caught up in self-disclosure to the degree the roles in therapy become reversed and therapist’s personal issues become the primary focus of the sessions; not good.

For example, recently my family learned my mother has been diagnosed with cancer; she is 76 years old. I am very fortunate to have a loving family with generally healthy siblings and parents; none of us really ever experiencing any tremendous life tragedies. Perhaps this is one reason the “news” has been emotionally devastating to me. My emotions have been flooding in since learning of her cancer diagnosis. I am scared for her, scared for me, scared for my Dad, wondering how I will balance being the ever-supportive “helper” and at the same time taking care of myself. I am preoccupied with all of this, at times finding myself in a daze when driving down the road or other times when I am generally attentive and focused. I have this ever-streaming thought process going on, saying to myself, “I want to know the outcome, I want to fix it, I know I can’t fix it, she’ll pull through this, am I ready to deal with this, how will I deal with this, why?, I will be there for her, she can count on me” and on and on. I know my Mom wants to fight for a cure, fight for more time. I want more time with my Mom yet I want to be unselfish as well. This is one of my life trials, perhaps the biggest yet for me. Deep down I know I can’t control this outcome, I am trying to settle for “maybe I can influence the outcome” through my support to her, my love for her, to my Dad, staying optimistic, praying for her/for us. My partner once told me, “Thoughts are things”. I will be trying to center on healing thoughts.

I hope you can see that struggling is part of our humanness, even healers need to heal and self-disclosure can open the path for others to become helpers too. When you may think that your life-challenges are overwhelming, unbearable or misunderstood, let someone know your pain, your struggle. By allowing ourselves to share our experiences we may influence the nature of our relationships and perhaps even the outcome of our struggle.

New Mother's Suffer from More Than Postpartum Depression

By Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press December 6, 2006

CHICAGO -- New mothers face increased risks for a variety of mental problems, not just postpartum depression, according to one of the largest studies of psychiatric illness after childbirth.

New fathers aren't as vulnerable, probably because they don't experience the same physical and social changes associated with having a baby, the researchers and other specialists said.
The study, based on medical records of 2.3 million people over a 30-year period in Denmark, found that the first three months after women have their first baby is riskiest, especially the first few weeks. That's when the tremendous responsibility of caring for a newborn hits home.
During the first 10 to 19 days, new mothers were seven times more likely to be hospitalized with some form of mental illness than women with older infants.

Compared with women with no children, new mothers were four times more likely to be hospitalized with mental problems.

New mothers also were more likely than other women to get outpatient psychiatric treatment.
However, new fathers did not have a higher risk of mental problems when compared with fathers of older infants and men without children.
The prevalence of mental disorders was about 1 per 1,000 births for women and just 0.37 per 1,000 births for men.

Mental problems included postpartum depression, but also bipolar disorder, with alternating periods of depression and mania; schizophrenia and similar disorders; and adjustment disorders, which can include debilitating anxiety.

The study underscores a need for psychiatric screening of all new mothers and treatment for those affected, said an editorial accompanying the study in today's Journal of the American Medical Association.

Two of the three authors of the editorial reported financial ties to the psychiatric drug industry. The researchers said they had no financial ties to the industry.
They examined national data on Danish residents from around 1973 to July 2005. About 1.1 million participants became parents during the study.

A total of 1,171 mothers and 658 fathers -- none diagnosed with any previous mental problems -- were hospitalized with a mental disorder after childbirth.

Lead author Trine Munk-Olsen, a researcher at Denmark's University of Aarhus, said similar risks for psychiatric problems probably would affect new parents in other developed nations including the United States.

However, differences in screening practices and access to healthcare might influence whether parents elsewhere are hospitalized, she said.
Physical changes after childbirth might partly explain why women are vulnerable, including fluctuating hormone levels, Munk-Olsen said.
These, alone or combined with sleep deprivation and the demands of breast-feeding, could trigger mental problems, she said.

Hard data on the number of women worldwide affected by postpartum mental illness are scant, but postpartum depression alone affects about 15 percent of US women.
The condition made headlines last year when actress Brooke Shields acknowledged taking antidepressants after her first child was born -- and Tom Cruise publicly criticized her for it.
Postpartum mental illness also has been cited as a factor in shocking cases of mothers killing their children, including Andrea Yates's drowning of her five children in Texas in 2001.
Dr. Nada Stotland, a psychiatry professor at Rush Medical College in Chicago, said gender differences in postpartum mental illness are not surprising.
Mothers generally bear the brunt of sleep deprivation, and many new mothers are socially isolated or live far from relatives who could provide support, Stotland said.

© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

Bending without Breaking

As we grow older we become more set in our ways. We can have a tendency to be inflexible and lack the ability to see the world from someone else's point of view. If we can bend our thoughts some and become more flexible we can find more compassion and synchronicity in the universe. Harmony is not created by one musical tone it is created by a blending of tones.

- Jamie Sams

Try it...You might like it!

Lifestyle and Panic Disorder

Changing aspects of a person's lifestyle (decrease alcohol, caffeine, smoking and increase in water and exercise) can help reduce severe anxiety and panic attacks, according to new research carried out at the University of East Anglia.

A study by Dr Rod Lambert, from UEA's School of Allied Health Professions, has shown that drinking less alcohol and caffeine and smoking less, while increasing water intake and exercise, can be at least as effective as traditional medication and psychological treatments for panic disorder.

About 1.5% of the UK population are affected by panic disorder, with panic attacks being one of the symptoms. Sufferers often experience palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness and nausea, as well as feelings of impending doom or death. Some also suffer from agoraphobia.
It is thought to be the first time that research has been carried out on how changing a range of lifestyle behaviors can help patients. Dr Lambert said: "It can offer an early input helping many patients to understand and control some of their symptoms.

"Panic disorder can stop people working, it can stop people shopping. I've seen people who have had panic attacks when they are driving and at night. It can affect family dynamics and work patterns. It's a very disabling condition that can last for many years and every single person is going to experience it differently."

The trial was carried out with patients aged 18-65 referred from 15 GP practices in the East of England. They had all been identified as having panic disorder and were then assigned to either routine GP care, such as medication and referral to outside agencies, or to an occupational therapy-led lifestyle approach, which looked at diet, fluid intake, exercise and intake of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.

Dr Lambert said: "The short term effect was significant, while the longer term effect was at least as effective as routine GP care. If someone is experiencing palpitations, they may interpret that as an impending heart attack. What the therapist was doing in the trial was to suggest other lifestyle-related reasons for the palpitations.

"We can suggest cutting down on caffeine or having a bit more water during the day or night. If doing something as simple as that alters the sensations, then they may no longer misinterpret their symptoms and the associated panic goes."

Those who made changes to their lifestyle showed a decrease in the level of medication and number of doctor visits compared to those following the routine care. Levels of anxiety and panic attacks also reduced the most in patients following the lifestyle treatment - by 10 months, 67.7% of the lifestyle patients and 48.5% of the GP patients had been panic-free for at least one month.

Dr Lambert said he hoped to do further research, with the aim being to see a change in practice. "I am very encouraged by the results. Habitual lifestyle behavior hasn't really been taken seriously enough when looking at this type of condition. This study looked at a range of lifestyle behaviors but ones which people can make fairly immediate changes to. It suggests that patients actually respond to it."

Lambert RA, Harvey I, Poland F. A pragmatic, unblinded randomised controlled trial comparing an occupational therapy-led lifestyle approach and routine GP care for panic disorder treatment in primary care J Affect Disord. 2006, doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.08.026 In Press.

Living Longer

People are living longer these days. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 1920 the average life expectancy was 54. Today, people can expect to live to 78.
Feel free to speculate about why--better food supply, better medical care, better hygiene or any number of other factors. It's not totally clear to scientists how they all add up. But what we do know is that studies are finding genetics don't tell the whole story when it comes to which diseases will likely kill us.

"There's a saying that genetics load the gun, but it's the environment that pulls the trigger," says Dr. David Fein, medical director at the Princeton Longevity Center, a clinic in Princeton, N.J., which focuses on quality of life and prolonging it. "You can have the gene for a certain disease, but it doesn't mean you're going to get it."

If you really want to live longer, then start with your attitude. Your way of thinking not only improves your outlook on life, but also how long you actually live. In 2002, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that optimistic people decreased their risk of early death by 50% compared with those who leaned more toward pessimism.

Besides looking through rosier-colored glasses, there other personality traits that can help us live longer, healthier lives. According to Dr. Howard Friedman, a psychologist at the University of California, Riverside, conscientiousness is related to mortality in a significant way. The Terman Life-Cycle Study, which ran from 1921 to 1991, examined an array of factors like personality, habits, social relations, education, physical activities and cause of death.

Valuing life is universal. Having some control over your own destiny is more realistic than many people realize. Learn more about how to live longer at Long Life. Knowledge is power; Applied knowledge is wisdom.

Broken Heart Syndrome

In the largest review of "broken heart syndrome" patients ever conducted, Mayo Clinic researchers studied 100 patients and found symptoms recurred in 1 out of 10 patients over a four-year period, and that patients experiencing physical stress had a worse survival rate than those under emotional stress. The information may help physicians manage their heart patients more effectively by providing new details about a recently recognized condition that mimics heart attack symptoms of shortness of breath and chest pain. Because one trigger of the syndrome is severe emotional stress, such as loss of a loved one, the condition several years ago was nicknamed "broken heart syndrome." It is known medically as apical ballooning syndrome (ABS).

If you have lost a loved or you are under alot of stress seek treatment before it starts to effect you heart. Contact Us for more information on how to reduce stress in your life.

Get where you want to go!

How do you go from where you are to where you want to be?

I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life.
You have to have a dream, a goal and you have to be willing to work for it.
If you want to achieve a high goal, you're going to have to take some chances.
Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something.
It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it.
Knowing your destination is half the journey.

-Kenn

Coping with Holiday Stress

Gerald Koocher, Ph.D, is president of the American Psychological Association and dean of the Simmons School for Health Studies in Boston. Koocher offers these tips for coping with holiday stress:

Q: Why do people get so stressed out during the holiday season?

Gerald Koocher: A lot has to do with expectations associated with the season (both our own, and those of others we care about). In much of Western society, commercial interests promote gift exchanges and shopping around the clock. This can add significant economic stress. And the pressures of getting one's work done interacts with holiday time off, family demands, and other end-of-the-year activities and obligations.

Q: How can we relieve this stress?

Koocher: One helpful step might involve calling a mental "time-out" and prioritizing. Find a quiet place and take a few minutes to think through your priorities. Ask yourself which activities or goals are most important to your wellbeing. Then, focus reasonable attention on those things, while deliberately allowing the less important matters to wait. By exerting some intentional control, you will feel less buffeted or overtaken by events. When shopping for gifts, remember that a relatively inexpensive gift showing attention to the recipient's interests, or conveying special affection, will be remembered with greater warmth and gratitude than a costly present that may end up at a department store's returns counter a few days later.
Q: Some people find that they feel depressed during this time of year. Why?
Koocher: "Seasonal blues" are not uncommon. One contributing factor involves our expectations; the media and commercial interests bombard us with messages that may often seem at odds with the reality of our lives. You may feel sad because you remember a family member who is not with you this season. You may realize another year has come and gone without attaining some major goal you had hoped for. Or you may find yourself struggling with problems involving food or alcohol intake during holiday festivities. Seasonal affective disorder, known as "SAD," also presents a problem for some people, leading to mood changes during periods of decreased exposure to daylight.

Q: The holidays may be a time to gather with difficult family members. Any tips for making these reunions less stressful?

Koocher: Family members can be sources of social support, as well as sources of intense emotional pressure. At work, your colleagues may recognize you as a high performing professional, but back home you may find yourself frozen in time as "little Bobby who wet his bed at age 3," or Suzie, who finds herself peppered with questions about her social life from nosy relatives. Two coping strategies involve recognizing what is happening, and taking control over your own reactions. Take a mental step backward for a moment and consider the person whose behavior annoys you. What does their behavior tell you about them? Are they angry, depressed, self-absorbed, or just plain insensitive? Recognize that you are not responsible for their problems, comments, or behavior. Remember that you need not let yourself become drawn back into old roles or relationships, and have no obligation to respond to intrusive or annoying questions. Change or deflect the subject, turn the question around asking about their lives, or just walk away. Behavior we do not reward (by responding or paying attention to it) will eventually fade away.

Q: What would you suggest to people who make - and want to keep - their New Year's resolutions?

Koocher: New Year's resolutions are a great coping strategy for people who find themselves disappointed with some aspects of their lives, and can use the end of the calendar year as a motivating force. If you are serious about making changes in your life, I suggest limiting the number and scope of resolutions to no more than two or three (one is better still). Accompany the resolution (your goal) with a plan (a series of steps or way points) and a tentative timetable. Breaking the task down into small, realistically achievable steps will more likely lead to success, than simply setting a single end point. Placing reminders in your calendar along the way can recharge your resolve to stay on track.
posted Friday, 10-Nov-2006

In what state is your mind?

Life inflicts the same setbacks and tragedies on the optimist as on the pessimist, but the optimist weathers them better. The optimist bounces back from defeat, and, with his life somewhat poorer, he picks up and starts again. The pessimist gives up and falls into depression. Because of his resilience, the optimist achieves more at work, at school, and on the playing field. The optimist has better health and may even live longer. -- Martin E. P. Seligman

Challenge Your Negative Thoughts

The “ABCDE” method of disputing negative thoughts is designed to fight off and transform feelings of helpless pessimism when misfortune strikes. Many of us would speak up if co-workers or family members criticized us unfairly. But when negative, self-critical thoughts fill our own heads, we may have a hard time telling ourselves that we are wrong.

The ABCDE model goes like this:

Consider the Adversity (A) you are currently facing.
Examine your automatic beliefs (B) about the situation; first thoughts that enter your mind. Are they unreasonably pessimistic?
What are the usual consequences (C) of these thoughts? What feelings emerge? What actions usually follow?
Dispute (D) the routine belief to interrupt the cycle of pessimism and down-trodden self-pity. Argue with yourself.
You will feel energized (E) and ready to take on the problem.

Challenging and modifying your thinking will lead to different and healthier emotional and behavioral response. Be nice to yourself.

Suicide

Are you filled with sadness, fear, self-hatred, ruminating thoughts, negativity and more? Do you feel like things are never going to get any better?

"What is the point if I lost my job, lost my best friend, lost my freedom, lost my partner.....? I can't seem to pull myself out of this, no one really care and I feel so helpless...."

Are you wake at night thinking about all the things going on in your life, What you said, what you should have said, what you want to say, what you want to do? All the reasons that life it just too unbearable to continue....

We want to know all of this but what I REALLY want to know is what keeps you alive? This is just as important as your pain. What are your dreams, what are you connected to? Who do you love and why? What inside you keeps you going?

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary or transient problem. Life will change!!!!! There is no doubt about that...Make a choice, seek help. Depression and suicidal thoughts are VERY treatable. You can get help. You can feel better. Seek help now. 1-800-SUICIDE or local mental health center near you.

Simplicity

Keeping it simple creates an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. We can really tend to complicate life with our fears, worries, wants and unhealthy attachments. How do you learn to focus on what is truly important? How do you find out what is important to you?

Breathe and let go
Be in the moment
One moment, One thing, One being
Make the choice Love or Fear (there are no buts or ands)

Focus on the simplicity of life we are only here in the moment who knows what the next moment will bring.

Waiting....

The Waiting is the Hardest Part......

- Tom Petty

The Power of Choice

Every action has a reaction.

What we do makes an impact on others and on ourselves.

We have the power to create our own experiences.

With power comes great responsibility...

Be careful what you wish for and what thoughts you but into action because you may get exactly that!

Mental Health Treatment by Video Growing

Psychiatrists, often in need and hard to find in rural areas, are increasingly turning to video to treat their far-flung patients, illustrating one of the latest growth areas of telemedicine.

"Once the telemedicine session starts, it's no different than a face-to-face," said Dr. Umar Latif of the Dallas VA Medical Center, which has been offering psychiatric sessions over video for more than a year.

Video medical treatment increasingly is filling the gap in regions of the country where specialists are in short supply. And mental health appointments work especially well over video, enabling therapists to reach many patients who otherwise might not get help, experts say.

There are no figures on the number of doctors using telemedicine or telemental services, which can include appointments by video screen or telephone. But American Telemedicine Association spokesman Jonathan Linkous said the practice has been growing each year.

"We saw the need when we surveyed rural sites. We asked, 'What do you need, as far as specialists?' Psychiatry was the No. 1 need that we found," said Blue Cross spokeswoman Cindy Sanders.

"I think that it has virtually unlimited potential," said Dr. Terry Rabinowitz, medical director of telemedicine at University of Vermont College of Medicine. "Not only can we help folks in underserved areas in the United States, but with little _ comparatively speaking _ investment, we can do consultations worldwide."

We believe that other mental health services, such as counseling, will follow this trend to effectively and efficiently service clients from remote locations. We see our Counseling Connections service as cutting-edge for mental health treatment. Contact Us to learn more how we can service your mental health needs.

The Seven Deadly Habits of Truly Miserable People

1. Punishing
2. Complaining
3. Blaming
4. Threatening
5. Nagging
6. Criticizing
7. Bribing

Unless you have a couple of crossed wires or a genetic glitch in your brain cells, most of the emotional turmoil you experience is directly traceable to the fact that you've learned to try to control those around you through these seven deadly habits, says psychiatrist William Glasser, MD, president of the William Glasser Institute in Chatsworth, CA, and author of Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom

Read further about these deadly behaviors @ Misery. Let us know how we can help as well. Contact Us for a FREE consultation.

How Does Music Heal?

We are only now getting closer to a full understanding. Music affects us physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. All we can say with certainty is that our responses to music are far more complex, subtle and far-reaching than we imagined.

Recall the parable about the blind men and the elephant: Each is sure they know the "truth" about an elephant’s nature, based on their perception of the trunk, the leg, or the tail. None of them sees the big picture.

Until recently, researchers have generally focused on easily observable physical effects, such as changes in blood flow through the fingertips or the speed of muscle reactions. We are now opening new vistas in the understanding of blood chemistry, the release of endorphins, and the connections between neuropeptides and emotions. The work of Dr. Gordon Shaw and associates has progressed far beyond their initial investigations into the apocryphal "Mozart Effect."

Steven Halpern’s , Inner Peace Music © expands on the way music provides us with healing properties. Link to his website to learn more, Inner Peace Music.

Fearlessness

Fearlessness is the the mastery of our fears and not the absence of fear. We can still experience fears but fearlessness allows us to accept, embrace and move thorough our fears. We can let situations in our lives harden our hearts to the point of resentment, shame and avoidance of others or we can allow them to soften us, increase our compassion and understanding. We can be a more open and loving human being because of our fearful experience. We have a choice!

Dalai Lama Speaks of Stress and Compassion

The Dalai Lama replied that early stress in life from poverty or abuse leads to negative emotions such as fear, jealousy and anger which turn into violence. Compassion and acceptance are keys to overcoming these obstacles. The compassion and total acceptance of a mother's love for her child is what brings us to heal from pain.

Dalai Lama, who spoke about how to cultivate happiness. "I feel for a successful and happy life much of it depends on our mental outlook," he said, as he sat cross-legged on a couch onstage. "The money, power or even health, I think is secondary. If mental state is calm, at peace, then you really enjoy your life."

"Aha"

Rather than tell people what to think, Socrates urged them to think for themselves. Why? Unless you can discover for yourself that something is true, unless you have a moment of insight, an, “Aha, now I see!” experience, you will not deeply understand an issue.
-- Judith Barad
Let us know how we can help with your discovery……

Partner

My partner is traveling this week; providing seminars in Minnesota. Running a mental health consultation business is rewarding in so many ways, especially when working together with a partner you respect, trust and appreciate. Although business goes on as usual while my partner is gone, the work is much more enjoyable and rewarding when we are collaborating on a daily basis, processing issues and concerns regarding our business, sharing frustrations and highlights and creating new ideas for our business future.

Our relationship is no different than other important and positive relationships that we all seek to create and maintain. These relationships are special in that they offer us feelings of belonging, affirmation, opportunity for personal growth and a sense of unity toward a common goal. Relationships are one key to a healthy and fulfilling life. Nurture and value these special relationships. Stop today and think about your relationships and how important they really are. Let your partner know how you feel.

Take Care of Yourself. Take a Nap!

Taking care of yourself means taking naps when our body and biological clock says you are tired. Research shows that taking a nap does not disrupt your evening sleep and actually can improve afternoon performance.

It's easy for many of us to ignore and neglect our own needs becuase we are "too busy" with work and family responsibilities. We "must" be available at all times to deal with problems that might arise. This is the old mantra about taking care of yourself. "If you don't take care of yourself, how can you take care of others?"

Enjoy your 15 minute nap! You will be more productive and feel much better.

Contact us for more ideas on how to be a healthier you.

Kids Who Witness Abuse at Home May Bully Others

Children who witness abusive behavior in the home are more likely to bully other children, and are at greater risk of depression and anxiety. A number of studies have shown that children exposed to domestic violence are at increased risk of behavior problems, but there has been little specific research on bullying. Bullying mirrors abusive relationships between adults, in that it involves recurrent aggression by a more powerful person over a less powerful one, with the intent to harm.

In a recent study, from the University of Washington in Seattle, researchers looked at the relationship between exposure to intimate partner violence and bullying involvement in 112 children aged 6 to 13. Half of their parents reported perpetrating verbal, physical or sexual violence against an intimate partner, or experiencing this type of violence, at least once in the past five years.

About one third of the children said they bullied other children in the past year, with girls more likely to bully others than boys. Nearly three quarters of the children said they had been victims of bullying by others and they were more likely to be physically aggressive to other children, and were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety or depression.

If you or your children have been victims of intimate partner violence, be watchful of signs that your children may be suffering ill-effects of those experiences.

Help is available……

Pediatrics, August 2006

Univeral Message

Be gentle
Your connection to the universe cannot be broken you are forever bonded
Things will change like the wind - they will change
Your grey hairs from love, life and relationships will bring you wisdom you can share
There is space for EVERYTHING in the universe
The universe will take care of you no matter what but you must seek it, humble yourself and ask for it
-The Universe

Forgiveness

"It's not that there is never a mistake or an evil motivation, but that there is something else as well. Forgiveness is the door to experiencing that something else."

-Hugh Prather

Not Like It Seems!!!!!! - Be Mindful.

Have you ever been adamant about something? I KNOW this person is trying to slight me, stab me in the back, stole something from me, etc. To find out later that your perception and thinking about the situation wasn't accurate. How do we find clarity when there is so much to filter through our own thoughts, feelings, previous reactions and experiences as well as others thoughts, feelings, reactions and previous experiences? Work at using skills to connect with this universal truth and MINDFULNESS.

OBSERVE - notice experiences without putting words to them.
DESCRIBE - now put words on what you observe without judgment (attempting to see how the world really is instead of what you think is happening)
PARTICIPATE - Enter into the experience, become one with the experience without judgment of yourself.

Contact Us...

Trust

It is only as I understand the feelings and thoughts which seem so horrible to you, or so weak, or so sentimental, or so bizarre--it is only as I see them as you see them, and accept them and you, that you feel really free to explore all the hidden nooks and frightening crannies of your inner and often buried experience. – Carl Rogers

Call Us……

Are Close Friendships Getting Harder to Find?

A new study finds more Americans than ever admitting to a decrease in their social circle, with many saying they have no one to tell their troubles to. The data also showed that friendships outside of the family are decreasing more than familial friendships, showing Americans' friendships as "a densely connected, close, homogeneous set of ties slowly closing in on itself, becoming smaller, more tightly interconnected, more focused on the very strong bonds of the nuclear family," the authors noted.

"The evidence shows that Americans have fewer confidants, and those ties are also more family-based than they used to be," study author Lynn Smith-Lovin, a professor of sociology at Duke, said in a prepared statement.

Considering this sociological trend, what is the likely outcome of shrinking social networks? What does it mean for those individuals who have few natural, family supports? It seems the natural progression due to this shift is a personal increase in social isolation resulting in increased feelings of detachment and depression. Many factors could be affecting this sociological shift; what we do as individuals to take care of ourselves as a result of it is the key.

Let us know how we can help.

The Power of Writing

This recent acticle, "The Write Stuff" speaks of a man who was able to connect to his feelings about having HIV in his ability to write. He was part of a group therapy that used writing as therapy. Writing can bring us to a space that other forms of communication cannot. It requires us to think and organize our thoughts in a way that makes sense, with descriptions and specifics about events, thoughts, feelings and behaviors. It allows us to step back a little and see the events from a different prospective. If you have not tried writing, give it a shot....for etherapy contact us...

Freedom from Suffering

Suffering is the sum of pain plus non-acceptance of our situation or condition. We suffer when we do not accept what is. We think about how it "should be".. Acceptance does not mean APPROVAL or liking something. It means accepting reality as it is. Suffering can and will distroy you. Pain plus acceptance is just ordinary pain and grief. We can live with ordinary pain. The key to FREEDOM from suffering is acceptance. Accept the moment. Contact Us.

Suicidal teens show lasting mental effects

Teenagers who contemplate suicide are likely to have emotional and behavioral problems that last throughout young adulthood, new study findings suggest.

The results, say the study authors, show that teens' suicidal thoughts need to be addressed not only because of the immediate danger, but also for their future well-being.

The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, found that 15-year-olds who thought about suicide were more likely than other teens to become 30-year-olds with emotional, social and behavioral difficulties.

At age 30, they were twice as likely as their peers to have a psychiatric disorder such as anxiety or depression, and they were far more likely to have contemplated or attempted suicide in recent years.

Beyond overt psychiatric disorders, suicidal teens were also more likely to develop emotional and behavioral problems that pervaded their everyday lives.

If you were the type of teen described above, have a teenager you are concerned about currently or are personally struggling with current emotional or suicidal thinking, Contact US.

Depression Screening

Life is full of good times and bad, happiness and sorrow. But if you've been feeling "down" for more than a few weeks or are having difficulty functioning in daily life, you may be experiencing more than just the "blues." You may be suffering from a common yet serious medical illness called clinical depression.

The good news is clinical depression is highly treatable. Most people with depression, however, do not seek the professional help they need -- often because they don't know the symptoms, think depression will go away on its own, or are embarrassed to talk about how they're feeling.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you have symptoms of depression is by taking a free, Depression Screening. Screening tests, such as the one on this web site, are not intended to provide a diagnosis for clinical depression. But they may help identify any depressive symptoms and determine whether a further evaluation by a medical or mental health professional is necessary. As with any other illness, you should see your doctor if you think you might have symptoms of depression.

For more about clinical depression, go to: www.depression-screening.org/ or contact us for a free mental health consultation. If you are reading this, you are ready…..

Parent and Teen Functions

Your teenager's function is to "turn against" you. Don't take this so personally. It's the leaving-the-nest stage. You are the parent. Relax into your destiny. Your function is never to turn against your teenager.

-Hugh Prather

Whew...It's Hot!

Are you irritable, short - tempered, negative, and just plain frustrated with life at this moment? It could be the heat! We are smack dab in the middle of the year and summer. The dog days of August have begun. "It's hot, it's sticky... don't touch me, give me some space"... Does this sound like you or your kids? What are we doing to take care of our physical and mental health? We hope that everyone is drinking plenty of liquids to pr0tect from dehydration. When we are feeling thirsty this already means that we are dehydrating. So practice some preventative medicine, carry a bottle of water with you at all times and you will be more apt to drink up. Limit exercise outside in the heat. Staying cool physically can go a long way to staying cool mentally. Go hang out in the mall or an air-conditioned movie theatre if you don't have air at home. Go to the beach, take a hose shower, run in the sprinkler with your kids......You will breathe a little easier and reduce the irritability you might be feeling due to the excessive heat. Enjoy the hot ones. They won't be here for long.

Let Go or Hold On?

I've learned that knowing when to let go is just as important as knowing when to hang on.

-Kenn

The Good in Everyone

"In every person who comes near you look for what is good and strong; honor that; try to imitate it, and your faults will drop off like dead leaves when their time comes."

-John Ruskin

Aging Parents: Five Warning Signs of Health Problems

Now that your parents are getting older, you want to make sure that they're taking care of themselves and staying healthy. But it's difficult to monitor the health of your aging parents from miles away. Use your next visit with your parents to ask about their health and find out if there's anything you can do to help them maintain their independence.

Sometimes your parents won't admit they need help around the house. Other times they just don't realize they need help. Here are five things to look for on your next trip home, to help you gauge whether your aging parents need assistance.


1. Have your aging parents lost weight?
2. Are your aging parents safe in their home?
3. Are your aging parents taking care of themselves?
4. How are your aging parents' spirits?
5. Are your aging parents having difficulty getting around?


Talk with your parents if you have any concerns about their health and safety. Knowing that you're concerned about their health may be all the motivation your parents need to see their doctor. Some parents may need a little more encouragement, so let them know that you care about them and that you're worried. Consider including other people who care about your parents in the conversation, such as other relatives, close friends or clergy.

Often times, we have our own histories with our parents that challenge how we relate to them in their older age; this can make interacting with them on a very basic level difficult let alone talking with them about and supporting them with their aging issues. As your parents age, their physical and emotional needs can change from an independent, self-sufficiency toward a greater reliance/dependency on those around them. In cases where your past family dynamics are perceived with unresolved negatives or conflicts this can trigger your own suppressed feelings from childhood. As these emotions surface and the relationship roles change between you and your parents, you may struggle with how to relate to and “help” them. Getting your own counseling at that point can prove beneficial. Contact Us……..

Anxiety and Depression: Battling Dual Disorders

Anxiety and depression, two mental illnesses that plague an enormous number of Americans, are deeply entwined. Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental disorders and afflict 19.2 million adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Depression follows closely at more than 18.8 million. In about half of all depression and anxiety cases—the more severe cases, typically—a person who suffers from one will be affected by the other as well.

The combination punch is a lot for anyone to bear. Researchers cite a common “chicken or the egg” syndrome, where it’s unclear which disorder led to the other and complicated the patient’s condition. While this might make the climb out of a psychological hole feel longer and steeper, it’s encouraging to know that health-care professionals are very successful at treating the two in tandem.

Similarly, a pervasive perception remains that depression and anxiety stem from some mental weakness or inherent fault in a person’s constitution. People suffering from these disorders are hypersensitive to the world around them and often adapt misconceptions like these as their own. They can be haunted by the familiar refrain, “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.” The sense of inadequacy people can feel while dealing with a mental disorder is further burdened by the notion that they are not even strong enough to rescue themselves. But by their very definitions, anxiety and depression are marked by incapacitation and a disruption in one’s ability to cope. Inadequacy is not a cause—it’s a symptom.

With the correct diagnosis combined with help from a compassionate and skilled professional, anxiety and depression are very treatable illnesses. Contact us for a FREE consultation.

Hypersensitivity in Relationships

Adults who are highly anxious can perceive changes in facial expressions more quickly than adults who are less anxious, a new study shows. By jumping to emotional conclusions, however, highly anxious adults may make more errors in judgment and perpetuate a cycle of conflict and misunderstanding in their relationships. "This 'hair trigger' style of perceptual sensitivity may be one reason why highly anxious people experience greater conflict in their relationships."

"The irony is that they have the ability to make their judgments more accurately than less-anxious people, but, because they are so quick to make judgments about others' emotions, they tend to mistakenly infer other people's emotional states and intentions," says Fraley.

If you are experiencing anxiety, difficulty in relationships and hypersensitivity to your environment and jumping to emotional conclusions contact us for assistance.

Fraley RC, Niedenthal PM, Marks M, Brumbaugh C, Vicary A.Adult Attachment and the Perception of Emotional Expressions: Probing the Hyperactivating Strategies Underlying Anxious Attachment J Pers. 2006 Aug;74(4):1163-90. [Abstract]

Child Development

It's time to change how we view a child's growth.

Do you know all the ways you should measure your child’s growth? We naturally think of height and weight, but from birth to 5 years, your child should reach milestones in how he plays, learns, speaks and acts. A delay in any of these areas could be a sign of a developmental problem, even autism. The good news is, the earlier it’s recognized the more you can do to help your child reach her full potential.

Parents interested in gaining more knowledge of child developmental milestones and parenting fact sheets, visit Learn the Signs, Act Early

Mental Health: What's Normal, What's Not

Determining what's normal and what's not is tricky. Scientists, researchers and mental health experts have wrestled with the issue for hundreds of years, and even today the line between normal and abnormal is often blurred.

"There's a huge range of what's normal," says Donald E. Williams, Ph.D., a psychologist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. "But there are also many types of mental disorders — thoughts, feelings or behaviors that are abnormal."

What's normal is often determined by who's defining it. Normalcy is ambiguous and often rooted in value judgments particular to a certain culture or society. And even within cultures, concepts of normalcy may change over time, particularly if influenced by evolving societal values or expectations. New medical research and knowledge can also lead to changes in definitions of normalcy.

One thing that makes it so difficult to distinguish normal versus abnormal mental health is that you can't simply be tested for it. There's no MRI or blood test for obsessive-compulsive disorder, no ultrasound for depression, no X-ray for bipolar disorder. That's not to say mental disorders aren't biologically based, because they are linked to chemical changes within the brain, and scientists are beginning to map those changes visually. But there's no physiological diagnostic test for mental illness.

To learn more about defining “mental illness”, go to Normal or Not or contact us for a FREE, individualized initial consultation.

Life ain't fair...what are you going to do about it?

I've learned that life doesn't turn out like we want it to sometimes, but making the most of how it turns out is the best way to be happy. There will always be things that just don’t work out and you just have to make the best of it. There is no guarantee that life will be fair, it’s up to you to make it the way that works for you.

- Kenn

Therapy Better Than Sleep Meds for Insomnia

Cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) such as relaxation techniques are more effective than sleep medications for insomnia. The findings, reported in the June 28 issue of JAMA found a greater improvement in sleep patterns among individuals who received cognitive behavioral therapy interventions than those who received the sleep medication zopiclone.

Among primary care physicians, the treatment of choice for insomnia has commonly been prescription medication. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely used psychological intervention for insomnia. At present, CBT-based interventions for insomnia are not widely available in clinical practice, and future research should focus on implementing low-threshold treatment options for insomnia in primary care settings.

Telephone consultations and CBT-based group therapy for younger patients with insomnia produced equally significant improvements as individual therapy sessions. In another study, CBT delivered via the Internet in a self-help format showed significant improvements in individuals with chronic insomnia.
CBT and Sleep

Depression Is A Family Matter

Depression is not just a medical matter. It's a family one, too.

The behaviors and mood of a depressed person affect the whole family. There's the irritability, which sets off conflicts and derails family dynamics. The negative thought patterns, which become a prism of pessimism for everyone. The withdrawal that literally disrupts relationships and breeds wholesale feelings of rejection. There are major responsibilities that get displaced. There is a general burden of stress.

And yet, families can be major forces of care, comfort, even cure. They are crucial to proper recognition and treatment of the disorder, not just at the beginning but throughout. They are the de facto caregivers, willingly or not. They contribute powerfully to the emotional atmosphere the depressed person inhabits, and so can be agents of recovery. Or not.

Yes, depression has a huge impact on families. And families have a huge impact on depression.

Nassir Ghaemi, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard, contends it's not even desirable to make the correct diagnosis of depression without the family. For one thing, many people -- particularly those at either end of the age spectrum and those with medical conditions -- don't realize they are depressed or may attribute symptoms to other things. The perspective of family members is useful.

Read more about the role and function of family and the depressed patient @ Depression is a Family Matter or Contact us for a clinical consultation.

Just like a teenager!

It's Friday! I think this means it's time to have a little fun.

I want to tell you a story about some squirrels that moved into our home some time ago. They were uninvited!

When I first moved out to this house 7 years ago, I was so careful about using live traps and I tried to think about how the animals and my family could live in harmony in the woods. It didn’t take too long before I started calling anything that invaded my space, “home wreckers” and if you were a “home wrecker” this means, war and I was taking you out dead or alive! I have never owned a gun or shot a gun in my life but last week I asked a friend of mine to loan me one. Remember in the cartoons when the crazy country person starts shooting up their house, if I had a gun I swear I would have been trying to shoot those squirrels through the ceiling and rafters.

My husband and I tried everything we could think of live traps, poisoning, trapping them inside, nothing was working and they were distroying our home. Our home I say....It was time for the professionals!

I called Barry from SW Michigan Pest Control. He came right out and got to work and set two live traps. Nothing! The next day he set a kill trap at the base of the tree and cut two holes for the squirrels to come in and out of with kill traps covering the holes. The bait was taken and one of the traps triggered but NO SQUIRREL. All the while, I can hear them running around back and forth, playing, rolling nuts, laughing and laughing...Ha, Ha, Ha! (This is really when the gun would have been a bad idea.) Barry came out the next day and said he had been thinking about this all night. I could tell because he was beginning to look a little disheveled. He was starting to look a little traumatized but I decided that he wasn't in need of a crisis intervention yet. He made a board to cover the holes with kill traps, covered any other place they could get out and put more bait in the traps. I could hear them again in the evening and SNAP! I run outside to see the kill trap has been triggered again! NO SQUIRREL. Really, I have no way of understanding how these squirrels could do this without getting caught. Barry is about fit to be tied and says, “You can fire me if you want, I have never been unable to catch an animal and you don't have to pay me.” (I think he wanted me to put him out of his misery and rid him of this hell job, but I didn't.) He noticed that somehow they have even gotten the bait out of the live traps, too! Ha! Ha! He had been at our home 3 times daily for 3 days in a roll. Barry noticed that they are making holes other places to get out and destroying our home even more, Home Wreckers!

So he decided to take the trap off the opening and set up other traps in the area. I noticed not soon after Barry left there was a lot of activity going on and I think I saw one carrying another squirrel…I haven’t heard much this morning and I am so hoping that they decided to move out yesterday!

You ask, "What does this have to do with a teenager?" I found myself chuckling to myself at how insane this chase had become with these squirrels. The more we tried to out smart, and control them it seemed the more oppositional and distructive the squirrels became. We were definitely putting pressure on them like you would do with a teen that you wanted to straighten up and fly right. Barry kept saying to have patience and they will come around, "We will get them." When provided a safe opening for the squirrels to leave after much pressure they decided to leave and make the choice that was going to most healthy for them. Sometimes as parents we need to let go a little to allow the teen enough space to make a good decision on their own.

Anxiety and Financial Problems

In this day and age with people seeking bigger homes, bigger cars, and increased wants with limited increase in salaries over the past couple years, people have maxed out credit cards, second mortgages, personal loans and extended equity credit lines. People are feeling overextended and increasingly anxious.

Dr. Irvin Wolkoff said Thursday of the findings of the report commissioned by Desjardins Financial Security, which sells life and health insurance. "This kind of empty pursuit of money - which is in the end unsatisfying - is generating a tremendous amount of stress, which in turn is producing a lot of anxiety, depression and physical illness," Wolkoff said.

Sustained anxiety can increase risk of heart related illnesses and other physiological concerns. If you are having difficulty managing stress and anxiety due to financial concerns contact us.

Point of View Matters

Our perception of our surrounds and environment effects how we see the world. An article published in the recent issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science studies how fatigue, physical ability and potential bodily endangerment effect how we view our environment. The study shows that when people are tired or fearful they see hills as bigger, roads as longer or packages as heavier.

The study indicates that point of view matters. It impacts our decision making, thinking, behaviors and emotions. Increased awareness of this phenomenon can improve our decision making skills. It also gives us insight into how to lead a more balanced life. Being well rested and receiving regular exercise can help us have a more accurate perception of our environment.

Helping

My role as a helper is not to do things for the person I am trying to help, but to be things, not trying to control and change his/her actions, but through understanding an awareness to change my reactions. I will change my negatives to positives; fear to faith; contempt for what he/she may do to respect for the potential within him/her; hostility to understanding; and manipulation or over-protectiveness to release with love, not trying to make him/her fit a standard or image, but giving him/her an opportunity to pursue his/her own destiny, regardless of what that choice may be.

Self-pity blocks effective action.
The more I indulge in it, the more I feel that the answer to my problems is a change in others and society, not in myself. Thus, I become a hopeless case.

Exhaustion is the result when I use my energy in mulling over the past with regret, or in trying to figure ways to escape a future that has yet to arrive. Projecting an image of the future, and anxiously hovering over it, for fear that it will or it won't come true uses all of my energy and leaves me unable to live today. Yet living today is the only way to have a life.
I will have no thought for the future actions of others, neither expecting them to be better or worse as time goes on, for in such expectations I am really trying to create. I will love and let be.
All people are always changing. If I try to judge them I do so only on what I think I know of them, failing to realize that there is much I do not know. I will give others credit for attempts at progress and for having had many victories which are unknown to me.
I too am always changing, and I can make that change a constructive one, if I am willing. I CAN CHANGE MYSELF, others I can only love.

Gratitude

Gratitude is a sentiment we'd all do well to cultivate, according to positive psychologists, mental health clinicians and researchers who seek to help everyone create more joy in life. Feeling thankful and expressing that thanks makes you happier and heartier—not hokier. Simple exercises can give even skeptics a short-term mood boost, and "once you get started, you find more and more things to be grateful for," says Robert Emmons, a leading gratitude researcher at the University of California at Davis.

Gratitude needn't be directed at another person to hit its mark. Take just a few minutes each day to jot down things that make you thankful, from the generosity of friends to the food on your table or the right to vote. After a few weeks, people who follow this routine "feel better about themselves, have more energy and feel more alert," Emmons says. Feeling thankful even brings physical changes, studies show. List-keepers sleep better, exercise more and gain a general contentment that may counteract stress and contribute to overall health.

When individuals start a daily gratitude journal, they begin to feel a greater sense of connectedness to the world. "The differences are noticed by others," Emmons says. "People who know them say they're more helpful." Thankfulness may launch a happy cycle in which rich friendships bring joy, which gives you more to be grateful for, which fortifies your friendships once again.

Even a simple "thank you" spurs people to act in compassionate ways they might not otherwise consider. People thanked for giving directions help more willingly in the future, social workers who get thank-you letters visit their clients more often, and diners whose waiters write "thanks" on the check give bigger tips.

Call it corny, but gratitude just may be the glue that holds society together.

For more on this topic of Gratitude, visit Make a Gratitude Adjustment.

e-Therapy is the Trend

In telemedicine today, the doctor is in -- and online. The medical profession has been developing telehealth technology for more than 35 years; integration of classic telemedicine (using telecommunications to provide health information and services) and telehealth technologies was the next step.

Some experts say Web-based therapy is the wave and the way of the future. Every day a growing number of people depend on the Web for advice and emotional support. Some look to the Internet for convenience, others for anonymity. High costs and low company co-pays, send some people shopping for bargain fees online. Aside from the issues of legality and legitimacy, several questions remain. Can an online mental-health practitioner can get a true sense of person's real-life situation and then adequately render service? Should the mental health community look at the numbers of people who seek counseling online and work to find ways to improve it instead of getting caught up in an emotional debate over its nuances? Should practitioners concentrate on all innovative therapies in the hope of meeting the mental-health needs of the next generation?

A local professor, who recently sought online counseling and had a positive experience, describes it this way: You moped away your week at the lake, you haven't showered in days. If you sat with a therapist, you'd worry that you looked bad and sounded worse. Or maybe it's not a good day outside for crutches, a walker or a wheelchair. Or your big meeting starts in an hour and you feel panic rising up in your chest. Or your glorious romance of three years just disintegrated. Or lots of little things have built up, and you feel like you're about to implode. You know there's no danger of you doing something egregious, but your problems are still very real. You feel safe there at your computer. That's when the right therapy for you might be waiting online.

Sticks and Stones

Abuse of any kind can have long-term detrimental effects on us. Physical and sexual abuse incidents frequently gain the most media attention. Emotional, psychological and economic abuse consequences are less obvious but the damage done is equally insidious and long-lasting. Researchers at Florida State University in Tallahassee report that repeated verbal abuse from parents can contribute to depression and anxiety that lasts well into adulthood. "Those who were verbally abused had 1.6 times as many symptoms of depression and anxiety as those who had not been verbally abused and were twice as likely to have suffered a mood or anxiety disorder in their lifetime," study author Natalie Sachs-Ericsson, an FSU professor, said in a prepared statement. Poor self-esteem triggered by verbal abuse during childhood continues into adulthood, allowing the symptoms of anxiety and depression to settle, the researchers said. But, they added, therapy offers hope for these victims.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people replace their self-critical, irrational thoughts with more affirming, positive thinking. CBT has shown remarkable positive outcomes in reframing people’s thoughts, challenging and impacting their beliefs, altering their emotional and behavioral responses and ultimately reshaping a once damaged personal self-esteem.

Learning our Lessons!

We are often given opportunities for growth. It is our weakness that usually challenges us. There are so many ways of learning and one of those is to learn through tragedy, pain and hurt. What about learning and growing through our feelings of JOY? Do we need to take the unpaved, gravel, pitted dirt road? Sometimes we do! I prefer though to learn through JOY and love. Make every effort to create JOY and Happiness in your life. Laugh at yourself! We humans can be foolish animals. It is another day, don’t take it so seriously. If there is one thing that we all know in our wise mind (inner knowing) is that life WILL change. What can you do to focus it towards positive change? Smile, just for a moment!