Saturday, November 28, 2009

How to Know If You Have a Fear of Extreme Cold

The majority of people in the world are not happy when they have to face extremely cold weather but there are some people who thoroughly fear facing the depths of coldness. This fear is referred to as cryophobia and it is basically an irrational fear of extreme cold, frosty or icy conditions.

No one is certain as to how many people actually experience cryophobia since it is not necessary for everyone to live in places where it becomes ridiculously cold. In order to comprehend the fear further, you must know the symptoms that occur when the person is presented with the fear, how the diagnosis is determined and the treatments that are available.

Knowing how the person came to fear the extreme cold is not always easy to find out but there has been speculation that the inability to control how cold the temperature will get could be a major factor. Whenever a cryophobe is faced with the extreme cold they experience symptoms of panic, terror, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, shaking, anxiety and doing whatever necessary to stay away from the extreme cold. Since most of these symptoms are comparable to other phobias it can lead to an accidental misdiagnosis.

Being a cryophobe takes a lot more stress and fear than just not liking the extreme cold. A person has to actually be terrified of encountering the cold and will go to extreme lengths to avoid it at all costs.

A fear of extreme cold can not be correctly diagnosed until the person is faced with what they fear and it is obvious that are truly terrified. One way to determine if a person is cryophobic is to try and get them to step into a large freezer. Just the thought of extreme cold inside of that freezer will induce a fear so great that the person will start to experience the symptoms mentioned above.

The varying types of treatments available for phobias are numerous but only two have been proven as adequate forms of treatment. A person could overcome their phobia by breaking it down into different phases and addressing them one at a time. This treatment does work but it can take months or years for the treatment to be end. Hypnotherapy has proven itself as an effective treatment for phobias. The treatment consists of a hypnotherapist tapping into the subconscious of the patient in order to help the patient to be victorious over their fear.

Find help to overcome your fear of extreme cold with this fast, effective ten minute phobia cure.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Johnson


By Trevor Johnson
READ MORE - How to Know If You Have a Fear of Extreme Cold

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Fear of Flying Courses - The Best Cure For Your Phobia

Aerophobia, the word your normally encounter when you hear the phrase fear of flying. This phobia of flying is common to everyone. You can witness a lot of individuals who are anxious whenever they are asked to take flights. A fear of flying may signify flying in an aircraft or a result from another kind of fear like claustrophobia or acrophobia. This is a fear of being trapped in an empty space and scared of heights. Some common phobias are fear of not being on hold of the environment or situation, scared of a terrorist attacked, fear of water and scared of fear itself.

If in your profession you have to travel from other parts of the country by land can cause anxiety attack then you must do something about this. In your family, such phobia will hinder you from visiting them and your friends during holidays or special family reunions. Such fear will hinder you from improving your quality of life.

The anxiety of a human being who is suffering from fear of flying can have these usual symptoms that are felt when they have anxiety attack. These include nausea, vomiting, tightness of chest or throat, can not breathe normally, difficulty to swallow, excessive sweating, shivering and even extreme panic attack that will lead to hyperventilating. It is uneasy for the patient as well as those individuals around him since they feel helpless every time you are under such condition. If the patient who has this type of phobia and experienced attacks such as this, it will only worsen his disorder.

Coping with phobia in flying is really necessary for a person who is afraid of heights. There are so many ways on how to treat such illness. Some undergo fear of flying courses. While others undergo therapy, read self-help books and listen to audio tapes. For those who have enough resources they can try to do virtual reality sessions that are said to be also very effective treatment. Medication can also be an option together with the other procedures mentioned above. However, it is advisable to not depend too much on the medication, focus on the therapy. It is found that most of the patients can not successfully cope with the fear without going through such form of treatment.

For people who are suffering fear of flying should really consult a professional on how to treat their disorder. Your fear is not a valid reason to limit your opportunities in improving the quality of your life. Keep in mind, you need to take flights when traveling to long distances since this is the most convenient way of reaching your destination. Air travel has been the much preferred means of traveling whether for leisure or business purposes.

Why Fear of Flying Courses is the best solution to your recurring problem. Get to know the secrets to effective ways on treating phobias. Do not waste your time thinking it over. Get rid of your fears now! Visit Fear of Flying Courses if you want to get well faster.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Vurnum


By Mark Vurnum
READ MORE - Fear of Flying Courses - The Best Cure For Your Phobia

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Treating ADHD in Children - FDA on Alert

The FDA is concerned about ADHD drugs because they can and do, cause heart problems and hallucinations. The numbers are small but enough to force the FDA to recommend that the drug companies put the black box warning on the boxes of medication. That is the strongest warning possible so we are not talking here about minor side effects. Is this the best we can do in treating ADHD in children ?

There are many doctors now who are convinced that the drugs are being over prescribed for ADHD. In addition, as if that was not enough, ADHD is being over diagnosed.. The Harvard Medical School in a recent paper estimates that up to 8 to 10% of children may have ADHD. Also there could be up to 2.5 million children being treated with these medications.

So, what is wrong with treating ADHD in children with powerful mind altering drugs? Their defendants will tell us that their children can now focus at school and that hyperactivity is reduced. That may well be the case but there are two alarming facts that are often brushed under the carpet. One is that these drugs are stimulants and while they stimulate the brain, they also stimulate the heart and that is not natural for a growing child. The second alarming fact is that the main ingredient in these drugs is an amphetamine and they are still classified as Schedule II drugs which is why people still need a doctor's prescription for them. It also poses the question about giving children a drug which could lead to substance abuse,. If this was not the case, amphetamines would be freely available, but they are not. There are very sound medical reasons why this is so. There must be a better way of treating ADHD in children.

In research supported by the NIMH, it was found that after two to three years of treatment with these psychostimulants, the benefits faded and other types of treatment were called for. The most effective of all was found to be some medication combined with behavior modification techniques. Yet this fact is rarely mentioned in the ADHD forums as one of the best ways of treating ADHD in children.

Of all the natural cures for ADHD, homeopathy is regarded as one the safest and most effective ways of treating ADHD in children. Why is this? The reasons are many but the principal ones are that there are no side effects at all and children are treated with a gentle calm remedy which helps them to focus and reduce hyperactivity. There are no long term effects, no risk of abuse or addiction and no risk at all that the remedy will be sold on the school parking lot. If you have heard about 'pharming' where drugs like Adderall are sold for $15 a pill, this will come as a great relief. ADHD homeopathic cures are one of the safest and cost effective ways of treating ADHD in children.

Discover what is the best way of treating ADHD in children. Experts now tell us that child behavior programs combined with a natural treatment for ADHD is by far the most effective ADHD treatment. Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children's Health. He has written extensively on ADHD.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_William_Locke




By Robert William Locke
READ MORE - Treating ADHD in Children - FDA on Alert

Friday, October 23, 2009

7 Methods For Caring Parents of ADD-ADHD Children

  1. Do not give instructions with multiple requests or commands in one application: This may seem to take time but in the end, it works, and if something works, stay with it until it becomes a pattern sequence they can relate to, particularly in areas of self organization.
  2. Create patterns to follow: This became the greatest lesson I learned, for it contributed to consistency at home and a sense of routine where my son wasn't able to create his own. Hence, once something was patterned, he could follow the sequence that had been set and work with it as part of daily routine.
  3. Regulate where your child is at versus where they are not at in school: Keeping communication open between home and school is vital. If you can, take your child through readily available books of spelling, grammar, maths or their particular area of weakness at home at the level they are up to versus the school curriculum level, it's worth the effort. Make it fun and in a space they can absorb the information in.
  4. Look at their diet; limit intake of preservatives, additives and colourings: This does play a part. Observe when your child may be more hyperactive than other times after consuming certain foods or drinks, colourings, additives or preservatives and try to limit them in their diet.
  5. Work with them, not against them in behavioural/social interaction management: They don't have a natural built-in radar as to how to behave in social and public situations no matter how good your parenting skills are. It needs to be created in a different way to what parents would normally guide their children through. It can be like taking a chimpanzee to the shops or other outing. It's just part of the package of who they are. It's Important to work on patterning what is ok and what isn't; calmly and repeatedly. If I didn't do something to bring some sort of balance, it would have made life so much harder for my son later on. And I'm very thankful that I did.
  6. Teach them to stop, look and act or to stop, think and take action: And here I blew it, and in retrospect (so easy), this I regret! if I'd been able to look forward in some sense to see the consequences I would have integrated this way of learning to stop, observe what is happening and then to take action in a way that contributes to a solution. Down the track I had to work much harder at integrating this positive thinking and acting process.
  7. Love them through thick and thin, the highs and lows, the quirkiness, intelligence and humour, balancing it in with care of other family members and life: Retain calmness and humour wherever possible: ADD/ADHD is not your fault, and it certainly is not their fault. I was told it simply meant that soon after conception chemicals in my son's brain didn't mature. Something that did help was kinesiology exercises and the interaction of front and back, left and right sides of the brain. It was worth a try and had a positive effect in many ways.

Down the track my son chose a career in something he was passionate about. It took him much longer to study the course than other students but he finished it and is happy in his field; he matured in his time, particular to him. It will always be part of him but is more finely integrated.

Katie is a mother of a son with ADHD. There was little school support and living in a country town limited opportunities for support so through trial and error, we made our way through. It is the basis for further study and qualifications in becoming a proofreader and copy editor in the genre of education. Compatible with this came a compassion and understanding for children that struggle within systems that may not have the time to understand their needs.http://www.activitykitsforkids.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katie_Verco


By Katie Verco

READ MORE - 7 Methods For Caring Parents of ADD-ADHD Children

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Mental Health - What's That?

By Arti Haerter

Mental Health is about finding a balance between dealing with the difficulties in life and using the opportunities life presents for further development. Mental power is primary in helping create good things in our life, and is the vehicle that helps us work toward our hopes, dreams and aspirations. Mental health is far more than the absence of mental illness and has to do with many aspects of our lives including. The mental health issues may mean an increased risk of alcohol abuse, smoking and poor diet and physical fitness.

Anxiety, stress and depression can make coping difficult for seniors who are often facing the physical, emotional and economic changes associated with aging. For instance, everyone I know that deals with hypertension, diabetes, or asthma cope maladaptive to stress; they have anxiety issues yet don't get referred to psych. Most people with an anxiety disorder will try to avoid exposure to whatever triggers their anxiety.

In anxiety disorders, people tend to get anxious when they are faced with a particular situation. So, for example, as a mental health nurse you could be helping to care for and support a mother with severe post-natal depression young man facing the complexities of a mental illness such as schizophrenia someone experiencing anxiety and panic attacks which prevent them from functioning normally. Mental Power Signs the Symptoms in younger children. Depression and anxiety are the most common health conditions.

Depression is a real condition and isn't just "life. Depression, the fastest-growing cause of long-term disability in Canada, is the most common among this type of disorder, which includes bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression), dysthymia, and seasonal affective disorder. The research team has also found that stress at work is associated with a 50 per cent excess risk of coronary heart disease, and there is consistent evidence that jobs with high demands, low control, and effort-reward imbalance are risk factors for mental and physical health problems (major depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders).

With mental health problems affecting one in four people in this region, and now among the main reasons for absence from work, no-one can afford to be blasé about their own mental health - or that of their friends, family or colleagues. The Mental Power Foundation uses research and practical projects to help people survive, recover from and prevent mental health problems. Mental health problems are painful - emotionally, physically, spiritually and socially.

Stress, depression and panic attacks are common conditions and they can all be successfully treated. Stress plays an important role in mental health. People just don't taking account of the fact it's just as life threatening and just as distressing as these major other illnesses. Such people often set themselves up for added stress by the rigid expectations that they hold. Some therapists suggest that by using positive self-talk and trying to restructure the WAY we look at events can offset the physical and mental effects of dealing with negative or stressful events in life.

Symptoms of Mental Illness Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" mood Agitation, irritability, restlessness, moodiness Withdrawal from community, social situations or formerly enjoyed activities Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness or burden Feelings of hopelessness and negativity Physical complaints that are hard to explain and resistant to treatment such as digestive disorders, headaches, heart palpitations and chronic pain Denial of obvious problems Increasing inability to cope with daily challenges, activities or small problems Overuse of alcohol, medications and/or drugs There are many types of mental illnesses.

African Americans in this study did not show a significant relationship between depressive symptoms and high-effort coping strategies, while Caribbean Blacks and white Americans experienced increasing symptoms of depression linked to increasingly high-effort coping, in relationship to other beliefs and values. Anxiety panic attack symptoms are impacting the quality of life of millions of people worldwide. The type, intensity, and duration of symptoms vary from person to person, but all mental illnesses are treatable.

Mental health is the key to overall physical health. Mental health is a human rights issue. But mental health is far more than merely the absence of mental illness. Mental health problems can't always be seen, but the symptoms can be recognized.

Arti is a German author and knows many helpful tips to use Binaural Beats or other great systems for your balanced life. Look at his site for more Information about What is Mental Health?

Wish you all the Best!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
READ MORE - Mental Health - What's That?

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Online Psychotherapy- As Effective As Traditional Therapy?

There has been controversy for some time about whether psychotherapy can be conducted effectively remotely by phone or internet technology. Science Alert reports a study from the University Of New South Wales and St. Vincent's Hospital that argue that online treatments are as effective as traditional face to face treatment for a variety of mental health conditions.

They report that "Anxiety, social phobias and depression are all conditions that respond well to clinician-supported internet-based treatments, the researchers found, with program participants recording recovery rates comparable to those in face-to-face therapy."

These results are based on trials conducted targeting depression (the Sadness program), generalised anxiety disorder (Worry program) and social phobias (Shyness program). The studies were undertaken by Professor Gavin Andrews and Dr Nick Titov, from UNSW's School of Psychiatry and The Virtual Clinic at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital.

A paper outlining the results of the latest generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) trial appears next month in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.

They are currrently recruiting for larger trials for futher analysis. The results achieved by all three programs - which involved simple online lessons, regular emails and online discussion forums - reportedly surprised everyone involved.

The programs were described as highly structured and and involve people working systematically through a series of lessons and homework assignments, guided by the therapist.

While such interventions will likely never replace traditional psychotherapy completely, there is the possibility that online therapy may present a cost effective approach for many clients. Some people are likely to prefer this mode of treatment and others likely will find it too impersonal for their liking.

They are accepting new participants, but you must live in Australia to participate. You can check out more information at their Virtual Clinic website. The laws and ethics of providing such services vary from one country and profession to another so you will have to find out for yourself if this treatment option is available for you! Get the latest mental health and mental illness news at Mental Health News Today, News and information for consumers and professionals.

Related Articles - depression, anxiety, mental illness, mental health, therapy,



by ERIC MENZIES
READ MORE - Online Psychotherapy- As Effective As Traditional Therapy?

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Managing Panic Attacks

The difficulty in stopping or relieving the symptoms of panic attacks can make them seem completely debilitating. However, symptoms can be dealt with or reduced in severity by following some tried and tested steps for managing panic attacks. Firstly, turn your attention to the possible causes. A traumatic event from the recent past or suppressed issues from childhood may be at the root of the condition. Another possibility is that the stress involved in every day routine have escalated beyond the point that can reasonably be dealt with. It is important to consider the root cause and try to deal with these issues, otherwise the fear of panic can grow and other conditions can develop, such as OCD or agoraphobia.

The first step to stop a panic attack is to recognize the triggers that bring on the attacks. A particular animal or person or a situation or confrontation may be the trigger. The chances of having a panic attack can be greatly reduced after the trigger has been identified.

The feelings and symptoms occurring at the onset of a panic attack will be readily recognized by someone who has experienced more than one attack already. Becoming a little more familiar with the process can enable them to talk themselves through a panic attack and will help deal with the condition on the road to curing it. Prior experience is beneficial as one can remember that they survived the attack before and reduce the sense of fear in order to keep calmer. Another way to encourage calm is to breathe deeply and slowly.

When the panic attack is occurring, the techniques above will help to reduce the effects of it. Next, steps can be taken to stop the attacks. Firstly, it should be noted that you should not beat yourself up or expect a magic sudden cure. This behavior will only add pressure and anxiety, which could increase the chances of panic attack. It makes more sense to consider the root cause and examine your intake of chemicals like nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine.

In conclusion, do not despair if you are having trouble with panic attacks. There are plenty of resources out there to help. For more in depth information and advice, visit http://www.PanicAttackHealer.com where you can find information on a range of topics about different aspects, including managing panic attacks

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

By Jason Albany
READ MORE - Managing Panic Attacks