Traumatic Stress Disorder
It is common knowledge that war veterans, rape victims, and other survivors of horrific situations, often deal with a condition known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD has been characterized as persistent struggles which come from reliving the past. These include recurring thoughts associated with going through one of these horrific ordeals. This is a debilitating disorder known to interfere with an individual’s work, personal, family and community interactions.
There are a number of terrible incidents which could cause a person to develop the signs and symptoms of PTSD. Along with the short list above, others traumatic incidents can include child abuse, raging assaults, ongoing threats, catastrophes, and accidents. In every case one can experience real feelings of defenselessness and imminent danger.
It is interesting to note, however, merely seeing one of these terrible events can be enough to trigger an onset of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
This troubling disorder features a number of distinct indicators which can help anyone interested in diagnosing their own condition. Some of these consist of bad dreams associated with a specific event, avoidance of certain ideas or feelings, memory lapses, suffering from depression, difficulty paying attention, mental strain, remorse, and a worsening remoteness from friends and family.
Having one or two of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you’re experiencing PTSD, and not everybody who goes through a scary situation will develop persistent stress and anxiety. However, it is best to see a doctor in the event these types of warning signs continue after 30 days.
Seeking treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is very important because the condition can cause problems at work and/or school and create serious problems with your social interactions.
But it’s important to realized that dealing with PTSD isn’t anything you need to be embarrassed about. Over five million Americans admit they have this particular condition. Post traumatic stress disorder can affect just about anybody, irrespective of gender, race, age, faith, or economic situation. However, it is believed that more females than males are apt to develop this disorder.
When something traumatic befalls you and you aren’t able to put it behind you, this disturbing condition is liable to manifest, no matter what you do or whom you appear to be.
Luckily, there are some effective methods for treating this disorder. Talking therapy is an excellent way to express your current problems, which may be helpful for putting a stop to the progression of symptoms in the first place. Make sure to tell your therapist details about everything and ask for suggestions to avoid or deal with flashbacks and anxiety attacks. Of course, pharmaceuticals may also be used to help people manage their symptoms.
It’s important to note that if PTSD is left unattended, the outcomes might be the development of additional symptoms such as increased anxiety, depression, insomnia, substance abuse, and a decrease in overall health.
Life As A Bipolar Mother And Wife
Being a parent is a hard job. Being a parent to 5 children is an even harder job. Being a parent to 5 children while coping with being bipolar can some days seem impossible. Downright impossible.
I won’t lie.
There are some days I would rather smash that alarm clock and crawl back inside myself before even thinking of dragging myself out of bed. These days don’t happen every day, but they happen enough. The days where I just don’t feel strong enough or tough enough, or brave enough to endure what’s to occur that day. Those days when I wish it could be just me. No responsibility, no children, no husband, no work to do, just me and my warm comforting bed.
But even on “those” days I find the strength inside myself, that energy I don’t think I have to get out of bed, to awaken my children and begin the day. On those days they are my very strength, my motivation, my force and will to move forward. And on those days I do continue to move and do what is needed. I wake them all up and serve them breakfast. I get the big ones off to school, and then I simply sit down with the younger ones and cuddle.
And cuddle and hug and cuddle some more. We sit back and watch the shows they wanna watch. We eat snacks at hours much to early to be eating snacks. And we simply exist. I am sure my two youngest ones truly love these days. The days when mommy doesn’t really want to do anything, so she doesn’t do anything but cuddle and love them.
And then, and always then, the realization kicks in that they need to be getting ready for school.
They need to get dressed, they need a million things done all at once. But I do it. I get them ready for school, and wave goodbye to my little ones as they ride away on the school bus and wonder what to do with myself. I know what I should be doing with myself, things like working or cleaning or the million other things in my life that need doing, but I cannot bring myself to do it. So, I take a nap. And I wait for them to return. All 5 racing through the door and the house becomes alive again till the silence of night sets in and I can think once more.
Of course, like I said earlier, not all days are like this. There are the ones on the other end of the spectrum. The ones where mommy is in a manic mood and feels like peeling off her skin. The days where my mind races, my heart races and it doesn’t seem like I can get enough done. And I get an amazing amount of things done. And I am grateful for the day to end. And hopeful that night will bring sleep. And that even though I feel like I am going crazy, that maybe just maybe, the kids didn’t notice it today.
And everyday continues on like this. Some days more then others. Other days not so much. Of course, in and amongst all this is my loving husband who somehow manages to keep some level of normalcy in my home, even when I don’t feel like I will ever be normal, or that my kids will ever even know what a “normal” mom is like. My loving husband who is always the first one to turn to me and say, it’s okay, take some time to you, take some time to simply go off and regain yourself. And often, with his love and support I do.
I slip away to my room where I cry, or I scream or I simply pass out into oblivion because the stress of the day, the mood of the day has simply worn me too thin.
But in the end I am happy. And so are they. Some days I am off, and simply want to love them to bits. Other days I am so busy hustling and bustling using up every ounce of energy I have, that I am sure they wish I would just stop moving if just for a moment.
Overall though, I wouldn’t change a thing. I am me, they are them, and we are a family. We are not the picture perfect family you see on television and probably never will be, but we’re a family none the less. With 5 children, a father and a bipolar mother.
Maybe you’re living with anxiety or depression or perhaps you are discovering concerns with your partner. Now you are taking a look at individual counseling or relationship counseling. Here are five wonderful ideas to make certain you pick the best counselor for you.
Tip 1: Are You Seriously Ready for Counseling?
In order to have counseling assist you in finding out and changing issues in your life, you need to be ready to do the work. Counselors have many tools that will aid you but you should be a central source infusing the improvement in your life that you would like. Research shows that one of the major contributors to the success of counseling is a foundation of trust in the counseling relationship. So make sure you are ready to build a relationship before you begin counseling.
Tip 2: Teamwork in Counseling
Once you realize that you want to be sincerely involved in your counseling, you need to choose a counselor who is going to cooperate with you. You know yourself better than any person and with that information there is an inner doctor in everyone. An excellent counselor will appreciate that there are two specialists in every meeting and they will welcome your contribution and to improving your wellness.
Tip 3: Look for a Holistic Counseling Option
Look for someone who is going to see your entire self: mind, body and spirit. Compartmentalizing your issues into one piece of yourself blocks your improvement. All three aspects of yourself are linked and you want to work with an individual who identifies your full self. It’s important to realize that your particular worry or difficulty is a part of you and not all of you. Carrying out work with a holistic counselor helps you grow yourself and move ahead.
Tip 4: Search for Depth, Not Swift Treatments.
Many signs and symptoms you might encounter have deep origins in emotions and thought patterns. You might search for an instant remedy such as prescription drugs or ordinary positive thinking, but these endeavors generally tend to cover up symptoms and ignore the authentic depth of the human self. Any time you are looking for a counselor you want to search for someone who has the sight and capability to assist you to get down to the source of the pain. As soon as you have reached the bottom of it you can practice identifying your doubts or affliction and tackle them instead of just the outward symptoms.
Tip 5: Enabling Therapist
Enabling therapists concentrate on the belief that you can bounce back and totally transform. A good therapist holds to these beliefs in the face of negativity, worry and agony. Having a person committed to your progress and health is a liberating and enlivening experience, which helps you to see your own transformation and overcome the barriers of anxiety and trauma that can be holding you back.
OCD, or obsessive compulsive disorder, is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by unwanted thoughts that keep coming back over and over. Some OCD sufferers also have behaviors that they can’t seem to stop repeating, such as washing their hands or checking the locks on the doors. OCD falls into the category of a mental health illness, which means that it can be effectively treated through a variety of methods. Upon getting a diagnosis of OCD from your doctor, you should consider what the right treatment option is for your situation. While your doctor might prescribe medication, you might want to consider other alternatives first.
One such alternative is cognitive behavioral therapy, which is one of the most common ways to treat anxiety disorders, including OCD. This type of therapy involves teaching your brain to break the habits caused by your anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be done with a professional psychologist, or can be done on your own. For example, there are many programs available to help OCD sufferers learn how to break the OCD habits that are caused by anxiety. As you can imagine though, some of these programs are better than others.
If you decide that you want to try breaking your OCD habits on your own before you resort to more extreme measures, then you need to be careful about the OCD/anxiety disorder program you choose. There are plenty of people out there whose main goal is to make money, not help you treat your OCD; you don’t want to be the victim of one of these scams. The best programs are going to be ones that let you “opt-in”, which means that they let you submit your email address in order to get free access to their basic information.
Also, when looking for an OCD/anxiety disorder program, be sure to look for one that offers free information about OCD. You shouldn’t have to pay for information, and websites that ask you to are likely to be only interested in your money. Many people have found that it is possible to successfully treat OCD on your own, without medications and therapists. To see if you can too, find a good OCD program that can teach you about two specific things. One, about how to break the habits that are being caused by your excess anxiety, and two, about how to avoid the stress that causes your anxiety.
The anxiety disorder you have is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However calling it a disorder is a misnomer. the problem is that it is really just a complex set of habits. I only say complex because it’s hard for people to look into their own thoughts. We are used to looking outward toward the world, not about thinking about our own mental processes, it’s just awkward at best. One of the best things that you can do is throw away any OCD books that you have that teach you how to “treat” OCD and learn the information on how to cure OCD. You will get whatever result you want according to what you search for. I’ve prepared some powerful OCD information for you below, enjoy!
Prevent Panic Attacks – Eat Healthy
Panic attacks are becoming more and more common nowadays. Studies have shown a steady increase in the number of people suffering from panic attacks. But what exactly are panic attacks, and how do we cope with it? Read on and you’ll find very helpful tips on how to manage them.
Panic or anxiety attacks are a sudden episode of unreasoning fear or panic. Some of its causes are heredity, as side effect of medication, or some life-changing event like having a baby, moving house, or losing or getting a new job. For example, a person who has been involved in a boating accident, when he or she was a child, may experience an attack whenever the need to ride a boat arises. Many attacks cause such severe physical symptoms that people go to the emergency room thinking that they are dying or having a heart attack. A panic attack feels very severe with both physical and mental symptoms. Some common physical symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, palpitations or accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling or shaking, blurry vision, Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint. Some people feel the sense of losing control or going insane, or of impending death. Even if some symptoms may be severe, it is important to point out that panic attacks are highly treatable.
We may not know it, but the food and drinks we intake can make us more susceptible to panic attacks. The top three substances to avoid are alcohol, caffeine, and sugar. Too much alcohol intake raises hyperactivity in the nervous system, and makes a person more irritable. High consumption of caffeine is another trigger of panic attacks. Caffeine can make you jittery, interrupt proper sleep, and negatively affect blood sugar and bone density. Most people think that drinking decaffeinated coffee is better than regular coffee, but the truth is, it isn’t. The biggest problem with decaffeinated coffee is that the process used to take out the caffeine creates chemicals such as chlorine, and these chemicals wind up in the coffee you think is so much healthier. If you want to avoid the caffeine altogether but you don’t want to give up coffee altogether, look for decaffeinated coffee in health food stores that have undergone an alternative, healthier process. And last but not the least, sugar. Other than contributing to diabetes and obesity problems, high levels of sugar in our body greatly increases our risk of panic attacks. The problem is, sugar is almost in all the food and drinks we take in everyday. Now even nutrition experts don’t expect us to suddenly stop taking in these substances and completely avoid them. Some individuals tend to have secondary triggers of anxiety when withdrawal from a substance is abrupt.
Having a child with bipolar often causes angst, not only in the child, but also in the other family members in the household. But, since there currently is no cure for bipolar, it is incumbent on everyone in the family to learn to deal with the situation.
Normally, when an adult is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he is placed on medication. With children, however, much more care is needed in prescribing medicines. This is because, a child is still growing and developing, and you want to ensure that any medications he is given will not adversely impact his brain development. So, as a result, even when medicines are prescribed for children, because of the limited dosages, they will not always have the same effect in a child as they would in an adult.
Because of this, therapy is often just as important in treating children with bipolar as drugs are. A prime cause of anxiety in a child with bipolar is his not understanding what is happening to him. And, therapy is one of the best tools available for helping us to understand ourselves.
When talking through his problems with a therapist, he will gradually gain an understanding of bipolar and the reasons why it is affecting him in certain ways. This understanding and demystification of the disease helps to calm his reactions to the illness. Therapy can also provide him with the psychological tools to better control his reactions when with friends and family or when alone.
One type of therapy that is particularly useful is something called social rhythm therapy. This is a fairly recent form of therapy, but shows great promise in the treatment of bipolar disorder. It focuses on helping the child to establish and maintain daily habitual rhythms in their life.
Essentially, the child will be encouraged to set regular patterns of sleeping, eating, exercising, and so on. For example, rather than going to bed at random times during the week, he is encouraged to go to bed at the same time every day. And the same is true with eating, school, and other activities that he is involved in throughout the day. By establishing regular patterns, he is subjected to less stresses throughout the day.
The importance of social rhythm therapy is the recognition that, to be most effective, bipolar cannot be treated with drugs alone. By incorporating this type of therapy into his overall treatment, he is able to live a much better quality of life.
There are many psychological disorders out there that can affect people in a profound way. Most psychological disorders are indiscriminate, it can affect almost anyone: men, women, the elderly, and even children. Although some psychological disorders, such as panic attack disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, actually fall under the category anxiety disorders, there is one thing in common with psychological disorders though; all sufferers will most certainly face major challenges in their day to day lives. For individuals who are fortunate enough to not have such psychological disorders will hopefully find that understanding these mental illnesses can help them get a better appreciation of what sufferers are going through every day.
One particular psychological disorder that is more common than most people think is a disorder called Generalized Anxiety Disorder, otherwise known as GAD. Generalized anxiety disorder is, pretty much, self explanatory, don’t you think? Individuals who suffer from this condition can manifest symptoms of fear from a variety of situations, objects, or even other individuals. As the name suggests, the sufferer’s fear is generalized, meaning they could fear a different number of things. Symptoms of such form of disorder can include muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating or focusing on a particular task. The mentioned symptoms alone will make you think about what it must feel like waking up every day with this condition. For the condition to be diagnosed as a disorder, the symptoms must continue to manifest for more than six months. The symptoms should be serious enough that it is interfering with the sufferer’s daily life. The treatment for this type of condition can vary from anti-anxiety medications to therapy, which teaches the sufferer how to deal with stress in order to get a grip on the symptoms.
Schizophrenia is another serious psychological illness that despite its significant gain in popularity through the media, very few people really understand. There are many different symptoms when it comes to schizophrenia. However, among the most basic of symptoms may include paranoia, hallucinations, hearing voices, and delusions. Treatment for this kind of mental condition requires a daily dose of antipsychotics, which can only be prescribed by a psychiatrist. People who are schizophrenic must stay on their medication; otherwise the symptoms will only get worse. Untreated schizophrenia can lead to the sufferer being completely lost within his or her own reality. Being detached from reality can have serious consequences. Although fairly uncommon, some schizophrenics can become violent if left untreated.
Anxiety disorder, sometimes known as panic attack disorder, is a psychological condition that is quite common among adolescents and full grown adults. Individuals who have this type of condition suffer from frequent panic attacks. This form of disorder can have serious effects on the individual’s day to day life since the condition can be quite debilitating. The attacks are usually caused by anxieties that the individual may have for a long time. Most of us may have experienced a panic attack once or twice in our lives, but people with a serious disorder will experience panic attacks more frequently, sometimes three to four times a week. The frequency alone is enough to disrupt the way of life of any individual.
Understand Why You Panic
Most people are unaware of what triggers panic attacks. Being overly anxious about things causes this situation. Being able to understand how anxiety affects one will help you deal with this condition. Anxiety is defined as being in a state of constant worry or irrational fear resulting from an anticipation of a real or perceived threat, situation or activity. Anxiety is a common human reaction felt by people at some point in their lives. However, most people who have never experienced extreme anxiety, cannot understand the frightening nature it.
One may be subject to extreme dizziness; blurred vision; numbness or tingling sensations; hot flushes and erratic breathing; trembling or shaking; sweating; fear of dying; chest pain or discomfort; accelerated heart rate; nausea and choking. These symptoms are clear indicators of anxiety. When feelings of this nature happen, people are overwhelmed to the extent of thinking that they are going insane.
This threat of not being in absolute control of one’s mind appears very real and naturally frightening. Anxiety is our body’s natural response to any danger or threat, because all of its effects are directed towards rebelling or running from the danger. The sole function of anxiety is actually to protect the person from danger.
This may appear doubtful to sufferers who feel that anxiety is actually causing more harm and is the main culprit of an impending attack. Possibly one of the most terrifying effects is the fear of being smothered or suffocated. It is a common experience during a panic attack to feel tightness in the chest and throat areas.
Some people might have personally experienced breathlessness which leads to a cycle of anxiety, as they feared their breathing may stop and that they may never recover. Contrary to popular belief, an attack does not stop your breathing. It actually increases the speed and depth of your breathing. This is an auto response of the survival mechanism in your body to increase more oxygen into your body tissues.
Some bodily sensations you may experience by this increased breathing, include breathlessness, hyperventilation, choked or smothered feelings, and possibly pain or tightness in the chest region. A side effect of increased breathing is that the blood supply to the head actually decreases. While such decrease is insignificant and not life threatening, it does however result in some unpleasant but harmless symptoms like confusion, blurred vision, dizziness, hot flushes and a sense of unreality.
People are puzzled over the nature of a fight/flight response activated during a panic attack and are unable to dispel their fears despite being told there is apparently nothing to be frightened of. It’s only natural for people to be afraid of the sensations as it appears as if your body is losing control. The unnatural physical symptoms aroused panic or fear that something is not right with your body.
It certainly does not make any sense to the people as to why these terrifying physical symptoms manifest in a fight/flight response, if you are not frightened initially. Studies show that symptoms can appear in many ways, not just through one’s fear.
If you have ever been stressed for some reason in your lifetime, this stress may result in an increase in the production of adrenaline and other chemicals over a period of time, which may ultimately produce symptoms, thought to be responsible for panic reaction. This excess adrenaline continues to be retained chemically in the body long after the stress has disappeared.
Diet has also been known to directly affect one’s stress level. Excess caffeine, alcohol, drugs and substance abuse or sugar also create stress in the body, and all are believed to be contributing factors of panic attacks. Unresolved emotions can also be considered a factor.
Reality Therapy Techniques
Reality Therapy techniques teach that we have five basic needs. These needs are widely accepted. They are power, love, freedom, fun, and survival. These are the things that we are constantly seeking in life, whether we realize it or not. The problem is that we don’t do a very good job sometimes of reaching them. This brings problems ranging from mild depression to complete departure from reality.
Brought Face To Face With Reality
So we need to be asked what we want and what we are doing to get it. The final question about whether what we are doing is working is the clincher. That will bring us face to face with whether we are approaching reality in an effective way. If we are not, we need to do something different. If we continue to do what we’ve always done, we will continue to get what we’ve always got.
Taking Responsibility
Accepting the responsibility to do something different is at the core of Reality Therapy techniques. We need to concentrate on what we can do instead of what we believe everybody else ought to do. To do these things, to make these changes in our lives, is the key to making huge strides toward fulfilling our basic needs and getting what we really want.
We Are Only Responsible For Us
This means we must come to a realization that we cannot control other people. Manipulation only alienates us from others and leads to endless anguish and frustration. Truthfully, we are the only persons we can control.
Face To Face With Our Dreams
Reality Therapy techniques are a great way to rescue those of us who are traveling down the primrose path of irresponsible actions. They can be the splash of cold water that brings us back to the sunny shores of sanity. Reality can be a wonderful place with the right perspective, even if it is harsh. Facing it heroically will bring meaning and dignity to our lives and guide us straight to the fulfillment of our deepest needs.
Surefire Tips to Beat Panic Attacks
Are you suffering from panic attacks? Well, you are definitely not alone. Lots of Americans, and millions more around the world, are suffering the same. If untreated, panic or anxiety attacks can develop into more serious disorders. Of course, you don’t want that to happen. So let’s read on to find out the surefire tips to beat panic attacks.
Panic or anxiety attacks are very frightening, especially to those who experience them for the first time. These abrupt attacks repeatedly appear without being caused by anything known to the person. People who experience repeated attacks develop the tendency of staying away from places or things that they think might be causing the attacks. There are many symptoms; the more common are increase in heartbeat or palpitations, sweating profusely, shortness of breathe and choking, trembling, and dizziness. The fear of losing control, or worse, death is one of the more severe symptoms.
Among the most commonly suggested panic attack treatment options are therapies and medication. However, medication can be expensive in the long run, and can also be habit forming. You might be delighted to know that there are a lot more natural ways to help solve the problem.
Learn to prioritize. We tend to do a lot of things that we think needs to be doing. But in reality, we don’t really NEED to do these things, we just CHOOSE to, and this adds pressure to our lives. Of course, this is not a bad thing, unless the things that you choose to do take priority over the things that you actually need to do. Take some time to sort out the things or activities that are going on with your life right now. Make sure you prioritize well, so that you will have some free time to relax and enjoy yourself.
Start a healthy lifestyle. Begin with eating a balanced diet, as studies show that some vitamin deficiency in our body can also be a factor in the increase of stress and anxiety. Cutting down on substances like alcohol, caffeine, and too much sugar is also a great help, since these substances can increase our levels of anxiety.
Get a good night’s sleep. A lot of us aren’t getting enough sleep that our bodies need to rejuvenate. Thinking too much about the day’s happenings, or stressing out about what’s going to happen tomorrow will contribute to poor sleeping habits, and make you more prone to panic attacks. Instead, free your mind and forget everything, after all, we give only about 8 hours to sleep, and the rest of the 24 hours to worry about everything else.