Deciphering Stress and Anxiety; Relieving Ourselves from the Daily Grind
Stress and anxiety go hand in hand. It is said that one of the major symptoms of stress is anxiety. Aside from that, it is stress that is commonly blamed for a staggering eighty percent of all illnesses either directly or indirectly.
Stress comes from the pressures we feel in life, as we are pushed by work or any other task that puts undue pressure on our minds and body, adrenaline is released, extended stay of the hormone causes depression, a rise in the blood pressure and other negative changes and effects.
One of them is anxiety. With anxiety, fear overcomes all emotions accompanied by worry and apprehension, making a person a recluse and a bagful of jitters. Other symptoms are chest pains, dizziness, and shortness of breath and panic attacks.
When this happens to us, we are endangering our overall health. Stress and anxiety affects many factors in our body not only in our mental state. Cancer and other deadly diseases are related to stress and anxiety because of the changes in the chemical composition in our body due to stress and anxiety.
You don't have to be a victim of stress and anxiety, its just all about discipline and having a proper schedule. Not taking in anything you cannot handle will be a lot of help. Learn your limitations and stick to it. Do not over exert yourself. Just try to go over the border an inch at a time.
You can lead a productive successful and fulfilling life and career without the need to endanger your health. If not, you are not only killing yourself, you are also sending your family and friends and all the people around you away.
Decisions in Healing the Hidden Self.
What should I do? Should I invite my friends over for a party? We all have to make decisions. Our decisions determine in most instances the results. If you invite your friends over for a party for example, and intend to drink alcohol beverages knowing that tomorrow you have to work. Are you ready to face the consequences?
We can learn to make good decisions by examining the consequences of our choices. If you know that you must work tomorrow, why take a chance on partying the night before when we all know parties can get out of hand. If you can regulate and control the time you spend at the party, then there is no problem. You can make it to work the next day with a fresh mind.
If you go over your limits, you likely will lose REM sleep, which ultimately weakens your awareness. You will find it difficult to stay focused at work.
Decisions also determine our faith in the process of healing the hidden self. We must make the right decisions to assist us with self-healing. The problem is we do not always weigh out the decisions we make. For this reason, we all must take time to think through our decisions before acting on them.
By thinking carefully and attentively through your decisions, you can make sound choices that will push you to heal the hidden self.
You want to make it a practice to think through your decisions. One of the best ways to do this is through meditation. Meditation trains your mind to think carefully. You use reflections while you ruminate through your mind. In addition, you learn to consider all angles of each choice you must make. You also use deliberation tools to contemplate or ponder over each decision you must make.
When you develop the ability to make sound decisions, the healing processes becomes easier.
Because healing of the hidden self is a long, drawn out process that is problematic in various areas, you want to build a sound mind first to work through the procedures of personal growth.
Now that you have learned the benefits of making good decisions, take some time to practice meditation each day. This technique alone will assist you with developing the characteristics you must establish to heal the hidden self.
What characteristics must I develop?
Conceptions are the first tool you will need to analyze. Since our conceptions is the starting point of our growth, start here. Develop your conceptions by analyzing your beliefs and way of thinking.
Learn some strategies to help you reform conceptions that lead you astray. Work through your perceptions once you discover and accept your conceptions. This will help you reform your way of thinking.
Most of our badness is learned from teaching. Still, the way we perceive plays a part in the outcome of our personality. It is up to us to reform this personality by depending on self, rather than others. Only our own being can take us to heal the hidden self.
Be sure to practice meditation daily, since it will assist you with reforming the mind. Meditation alone has proven to bring great rewards to those who practice the technique often.
Transforming Your Thoughts Is Key For Dealing With Depression
The Greatest Teacher that ever lived once said: “As a Man thinks in his heart so is he”. What you constantly think of a situation is quite inevitably what becomes of it; therefore it is paramount that in any and every situation our thinking should be positive.
If there is one fact that religion, science and psychology seem to agree on, it is that the mind is indeed the most powerful force in the world. Yoga sages have stated that whoever can control the mind is indeed a powerful human being.
That said, it is obvious that in coping with stress and dealing with depressive situations, one should make every step to think positively as perhaps the first weapon to combat negative challenges.
Friends, everything starts with a thought.
Moreover, thoughts have the innate ability of phenomenally materializing into what it is that is projected in your mind. Consequently, it will be safe to say we should all make attempts to change our mental habits to belief instead of disbelief as much as possible. This of course will be most paramount when seeking ways to overcoming depression.
Characterized by feelings of worthlessness, doubt, pessimism, if we allow depressive thoughts to constantly permeate our minds, they could actually gain the ability to diffuse into our speech and actions and consequently could aggravate the very situations and challenges one is facing that may be causing depressive thoughts in the first place.
When dealing with problems arising from depression, the famous psychologist-William James has this cryptic quote to say: “Our belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking or challenging situation is the one thing that insures a successful outcome at the end”
This reminds me of another powerful verse in the Bible found in Mark 4 verse 23: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes”.
Combining the gist and effect of both quotes, one can see that it is imperative to believe in and expect the best in any situation one may be going through. In so doing you will bring everything into the realm of possibility and success.
In no way does this mean that we should sit back and just expect things to miraculously change. It means we must change our thought processes about our situations first, perform the actions that will lead us to and keep us on the path to success at overcoming our challenges and as words, thoughts and actions have an effect on each other as factors, one is also advised to constantly speak positively about what challenges one may be facing.
Combining all three factors will greatly help in making sure each component (most importantly our thoughts) remains positively tuned towards overcoming our depression.
My friends, although it may not always be an easy journey to overcome our challenges, I would like you to remember this quote as well “Life’s problems are like knives, which either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle: Grasp a difficulty or problem by the blade and it cuts; grasp it by the handle and you can use it constructively”
Take the quote above into consideration and keep it in mind my friend as THE reason to constantly have faith and to hope for the best when it comes to dealing with depression. It is perhaps the one thing that will ensure success at the end.
Many people suffer from depression at some point in their lives and people with diabetes are no exception. If you are obese and have type 2 diabetes you may blame yourself and your lifestyle on the disease you now have. It is hard to adjust to a new lifestyle. Feeling down or guilty about this is okay and even normal but if it turns into something more you need to seek professional help.
It is normal to feel down about having diabetes in the beginning but once you learn more about the disease and how to control it you can also feel more in control of your life again. Take charge, if you are obese and want to improve your blood glucose levels you can. By eating a healthy diet and regular exercise you can lose weight and improve your blood sugars.
If your feeling of being down or hopeless will not go away and is accompanied by any of the following as well you may be depressed. If this is the case, contact your doctor right away.
Signs of depression:
- You are no longer sleeping like you used to
- Not enjoying life or everyday activities like you used to
- No energy to do things you want or have to do
- You are eating more or less or have sudden weight gain or loss
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you seek help.
Being obese and diabetic can be trying both mentally and physically. It is important to know that you can take action to make things better. Your diabetes may never go away but you can certainly keep it under control and live a full life. By losing weight, even a small amount, you can make a huge difference in your health and diabetes.
Childhood Abuse And Depression Anxiety Lives On
It has been established that nature and nurture should not be taken as enemies or total opposites, but as two intertwined realities that function together to make up the human experience. Nature was designed for nurture.
Many recent and notable studies have documented the effects that early childhood experience can have on both the physical and chemical makeup of the brain. In particular, childhood abuse and/or neglect can permanently alter an individual’s physiology. These physiological changes may lead to a greater likelihood of the person suffering from depression or anxiety later in life.
Groundbreaking results from a major study of depressed women in the US have shown that women who were abused as children have abnormally elevated hormonal responses to stress compared to women with no history of abuse. It suggests that childhood abuse is associated with persistent hyperactivity of the hormonal system associated with the stress response and this may cause greater vulnerability to psychiatric disorders in adulthood.
Cortisol and ACTH (two hormones that play a critical role in a person’s response to stress) were measured in each subject while she completed the task. It was found that the levels of these hormones were especially pronounced in women who were abused as children and who also had current depression. In fact, their ACTH response indicators were more than six times those of the healthy women.
In addition to high levels of stress hormones, other studies by the same group found that women who had been abused as children had abnormal development of the brain’s hippocampus, which suggests another physical result of early abuse that could lead to permanent brain abnormalities in later life.
Other brain structures can also be affected by early abuse or neglect. While the basic unit of the brain is in place at birth, neuronal pathways for the body’s reaction to different experiences are still developing.
There is a critical period of time in a child’s first three years of life during which most of these pathways are formed. If a child receives primarily negative stimulation early in life, pathways for forming lasting relationships and responding to positive experiences can be stunted or destroyed. While this may be a reaction to help the child survive, it can cause permanent difficulties for the individual.
Other research shows that the brains of severely neglected children tend to be smaller than average with underdeveloped areas in the cortex. The long term implications of this are still being examined, but it shows one more way in which nurture or lack of it can affect a person’s biological make-up.
The knowledge that nature and nurture are two crucial aspects to a person’s health will undoubtedly prove to be a very useful tool in the research and treatment of psychiatric illness and may lead to even more effective treatments in the future.
Alcohol depression is very grave and should not be one's state of living, however just how one can overcome this form of depression could be quite challenging as two factors are being addressed here: a substance abuse and an emotional disturbance.
Alcohol depression is quite rampant these days as up to 40 per cent of people who drink alcohol heavily have symptoms that resemble depression. However, when these same people are not drinking heavily, only 5 per cent of men and 10 per cent of woman have symptoms meeting the need to be diagnosed for depression.
Even though when used sparingly, alcohol may briefly produce a pleasant and relaxed state of the mind, depression resulting from alcohol is not uncommon. This starts off like anything else, slowly but picking up intensity with time. When alcohol is used sparingly, it may for a while lift the moods; however, when used to treat a depressive illness, tolerance to the effects of it may lead a patient of depression to drink more alcohol in search for a positive effect. This is where the problems begin, one drinks more and more and before you know it, alcohol- being a noted depressant-starts to cause depressive tendencies in the mind.
Alcohol Depression: Effects and Consequences
Now we all know alcohol confuses judgment and makes one more impulsive to take risks, moreover it causes a loss of inhibition and increases aggressive behavior and violent acts even towards one own self. Consequently, when used as a means to curb depression, this should be a particular concern as studies have shown depression can lead to suicide. Generally, a much higher incidence of suicide, both completed and attempted, is associated with alcohol depression.
Moreover, alcohol depression leads to complicated social disorders such as absenteeism, sickness and under-performance. Inevitably, marital problems often arise because of an alcohol problem, add this to the depression problems at hand, it is not surprising that many marriages have suffered due to this particular depressive illness.
In regards to health, alcohol depression can cause a lot of physical problems. These may arise in the liver in the form of hepatitis, cirrhosis or liver failure. Stomach Ulcers, sexual dysfunction and irregular heartbeat are other factors as well. Now these are just symptoms that result from excessive alcohol use, add to this the effects of depression on the bodyneedless to say, this particular form of depressive illness is a very serious and grave one. Here are the symptoms of this particular kind of emotional disorder.
Alcohol Depression: Symptoms indicating its presence
There are a number of pointers that should lead one to consider if one has an alcohol depression problem. In no particular order, they include:
1. Using alcohol to try to escape from one's worries and trouble.
2. Drinking too much alcohol everyday.
3. Using alcohol to induce sleep.
4. Drinking this excessive alcohol alone.
5. Feeling an immense guilt about one's excessive drinking
Thankfully, as with all things there is hope, however one has to have the desire to change.
Enumerated are some helpful tips for this emotional disorder resulting from excessive drinking.
Alcohol Depression: Helpful solutions.
Depressive symptoms resulting from alcohol might indeed be quite difficult to curb, However, as with anything, the more one works at it, the better the chances of success.
It always helps to know the cause of one's reckless desire to drink in the first place. These may be marital, financial or even spiritual problems. Therefore these issues should be addressed by competent counseling, reading self-help books and even a good old talk with one's creator.
Moreover, a simple fast or restricted diet on a seasonal juicy fruit can aid to detoxify the body of alcoholic tendencies. Now this may sound very unconventional, but according to Professor Arnold Ehret, this method has been used successfully to aiding many an alcoholic to give up excessive drinking. Dr. Stanley Burroughs also attested to this in his writings known as the Master Cleanser. Of course 60% of the battle may perhaps be the patient's desire for change in the first place.
In addition, physical exercise, besides occupying one's time, also goes a long way to first aiding in detoxifying the body and helping with alcohol depression as this method exercises the motor centers of the brain, making the blood flow away from the emotional activity center; consequently one becomes more receptive to positive thoughts. Yoga is highly recommended as a choice for exercise here as several benefits lay in its use as an alternative depression treatment. From the intense relaxation and stress relief that arises from its use, to the increase of alpha and theta waves in the right portion of the brain ( a noted characteristic of optimistic people), yoga as a means of coping with alcohol depression, though admittedly may be unconventional, is indeed a wise choice.
One major step in overcoming alcohol depression is the desire for change. Consequently if a relative or loved one expresses the need for help, it is advised to immediately lend a helping hand and walk them through the steps to redemption. If however one is alone in these struggles, well, the internet in constantly making the world a smaller place or help may just be a phone call awayas long as one makes the move, the spiritual forces that are ever inherent in our own minds will guide one to the right path for success. The tips provided thus far can definitely help as well.
by: Anchor2Health
Anxiety is the body's alarm response to a perceived physical or psychological threat. Anxiety may be short-lived and come about by studying for an exam or preparing for a for job interview, for example. However, if it persists for a long period, it can seriously affect your everyday life. Here are 10 anxiety treatments to make you feel better at the time of mental stress:
Practice Yoga
When you are anxious, your breathing becomes fast and shallow. This disrupts the body's oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. This has an effect on your over all body system. Practice Yoga for breathing calm and get rid of anxiety.
Aromatherapy
If you feel physically tensed and suffering from anxiety, give your shoulder a gentle massage with two drops of essential oils like geranium, lavender, sandalwood, or basil oil. If you don't have these use two spoons of a cold pressed vegetable oil such as sweet almond or olive oil. Omit basil oil if you are in the first two weeks of pregnancy,
Herbal remedies
You can prepare yourself a cup of tea out of vervain, rosemary, or ginseng three times a day for two to three weeks when you are in anxiety. These herbs have a restorative effect on the nervous system. To ease your tension and to get a sound sleep try chamomile cava, lime flower, valerian, hops, or passionflower tea.
Diet
Mental distress can depress or increase appetite. Choose plenty of foods rich in the B vitamins, Vitamin E, calcium, and magnesium, since a lack of these nutrients can contribute to anxiety. You have to cut down on your sugar intakes and avoid alcohol and caffeine. Choose spring water, fruit juices, or herbal tea instead.
Self-understanding: Think of the possible origins of your anxiety as a first step to overcoming it. Think in a positive way and you will start feeling better.
In case your condition worsens, you can go for psychotherapy and cranial osteopathy or can consult your physician to get a proper treatment for anxiety.
by:Taylor Arnold
If you’re feeling like everything is getting on top of you, or you’re finding it difficult to cope or function, or you’re feeling down in the dumps, then try these 5 easy-to-do tips to relieve tension and stress and boost your spirits:
1. Take a relaxing bath. Add music, candles and a glass of your favourite drink: beer, tea, hot chocolate, wine or even champagne. Close the door and forget about everything else for an hour or so. This helps to increase levels of calmness and the calmer we feel, the less likely we are to get stressed out or depressed.
2. Comedy night: get in your favourite nibbles: chips, tortillas, salsa, crackers, cheese, pizza, chocolate, cookies, ice cream etc. Crack open a bottle of wine or pour yourself a beer or two and spend a full evening watching your favourite funny films or comedians. Laughter raises our spirits and is a great antidote to the stresses and trials of modern living.
3. Get out of the firing line: Take off for some peace and quiet for a day or better still a weekend or a week. Take a journal, relax and gather your thoughts. When we’re under pressure or struggling to cope with a major situation or event in life, seeing solutions to our problems can be really difficult. Distance from problems can bring clarity and relieve tension. I love going to the coast when I feel like this and it always, without fail, helps me to calm down and find solutions. I don’t know why but there’s something really soothing about being near the ocean. Being near water, come to think of it.
4. Increase calmness and feel great by indulging in massage. Share a massage with your partner – create a relaxing atmosphere by softening the lights and have oils and towels to hand. Lavender oil is particularly relaxing. Or, treat yourself to a massage from a professional masseur or masseuse. For a really invigorating massage, visit a Turkish baths if you’re fortunate enough to have one nearby. Massage is very relaxing and increases intimacy between lovers. It’s one huge stress buster as well but be warned, it’s addictive! Not a bad thing to be addicted to though, and it will do you no end of good.
5. Spend a week without watching any television. Television can fill your mind with negativity, bombard you with image manipulation via commercials and give you a distorted view of reality by showing you everything that’s bad about the world. Famines, disasters, murders, violence, war – the list is endless – and news programmes and soap operas are full of such events. So give your mind a break from this assault on your senses. Abandon the television for a week and do something more rewarding instead: Read a book, listen to music, socialize, workout, go for a walk or try your hand at something new. If you need to hear the news, listen to a radio news bulletin once a day. But try and avoid them for one week, replace them with something more life enhancing and see how you feel.
The above ideas are very simple to implement but they are also very effective in helping to relieve stress and tension. Give them a try and watch your mood levels rise!
Until next time.
#Transgender: #Hormones use for #manpussy #sissy #crossdresser
Risks Associated With Hormone Use (Estrogen)
As with any medication, taking estrogen comes with it's own set of risks
and possible side effects. HRT is very dangerous so I have compiled a
list below of the risks associated with taking estrogen.
The goal of HRT in regards to trans women is to lower a person's
testosterone levels to normal female levels while increasing their
estrogen to normal female levels. This is accomplished with a number of
medications and requires routine blood testing to insure these levels
stay correct.
In addition to hormone levels there are a number of other things that
need to be monitored such as blood lipids, prolactin levels and liver
health. There may be other risk so please talk to your doctor about
specifics. Your current health condition may play into this a great
deal.
Specific Risks
Blood Clots
This is one of the biggest risks for male to female transsexuals. As
many cissexual women know taking estrogen increases your risk of
developing blood clots. This risk is greatly amplified if you smoke!!!
If a clot does develop they can lead to all sorts of problems including
heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolisms (all of which can cause
death). Also, because of the clotting risks you will be required to stop
taking estrogen for a period of time before any surgery so make sure
you disclose that you take it regardless of the reason for surgery. For
example, I just had gallbladder surgery and had to hold off a week
because they surgeon wanted me off my estrogen just in case. Better to
err on the side of cation then end up dead!
Prolactinoma
A Prolactinoma is a type of pituitary gland tumor. They can develop as a
result of estrogen therapy. While they are usually benign they can be
dangerous leading to headaches, vision problems and even permanent
blindness. If you take estrogen your doctor will monitor a particular
hormone called prolactin. This will help them determine if something is
wrong in your pituitary gland. Again, there is a low risk but certainly
not a 0% risk. I know of at least one trans woman who has required
surgery because she developed a Prolactinoma so it does happen.
Gallstones
Evidence shows that HRT can increase your risk of gallbladder disease
and I can attest to it. I can't say with 100% certainty that my stone
was caused by my taking estrogen but it sure grew fast once I started
taking it. I also have a trans friend who has had her gallbladder out as
well. Be very aware of this if you have a family history of gallstones.
Possible Risk of Cancer
This is a controversial topic so I will not go to much into it here.
Some evidence says that HRT increases your risk of breast cancer while
others say it doesn't. I will just say ask the doctor (like with all of
these points) and know your family history!
Heart Disease
Another controversial topic but again, ask you doctor and know your family history.
Infertility
Some people see this as a side effect, some see it as a benefit; either
way HRT will make you infertile. If you want to have children in the
future make sure you plan accordingly by banking your sperm.
Regret
I know that the risk of regretting transition is very low but it can and
does happen. This is the ultimate decision really in the steps leading
up yo your transition... Do the risks of what you will need to do out
way the benefits of doing them? Are you really comfortable with
the permanent effects of estrogen therapy (i.e. breast development and
infertility)? Are you ready to come out (after all breasts are hard to
hide)?
While it is easy to make a snap decision on these questions, they really
are not things you should rush to find an answers to! Take your time,
talk to your doctor and your therapist, and enter into this process with
both eyes wide open!
A quick Warning About Progesterone
While some people feel adding progesterone to their HRT regimen will
help with breast growth there may be additional dangers including an
even higher risk of blood clots, cardiovascular damage and breast
cancer. This is definitely something to discuss with your doctor.
A Quick Warning About Spironolactone
Lastly I want to talk about the risks associated with Spironolactone.
This is the medication that is often prescribed to block testosterone
in pre opt trans woman. The fact that is blocks testosterone is actually
a side effect as it is a potassium-sparing diuretic that is
usually prescribed for high blood pressure or sometimes edema. This type
of medication works by causing the body to expel excess water while
holding onto potassium. This means you MUST have
your potassium levels monitored and keep foods high in potassium to a
minimum while taking it or your levels can become life threatening high.
