mardi 31 août 2010

Determine The Causes Of Heart Disease

Determining the causes of heart disease helps prevent and may even stop the development of heart disease.

Our heart is one of the most important organs that needs a lot of extreme care. Unfortunately, more and more people suffer from such disease. At present, heart disease is very common and worse; it is one of the leading causes of death anywhere in the world. This condition exempts no one; even a new born baby can have a certain type of such disease. How much more the older people who don't watch what they eat and don't even care to exercise.

Heart disease, like any other medical condition, has causes. Identifying the causes will greatly help in preventing the progression of any heart condition and in giving the right treatment. The causes of a heart disease maybe very common, but the consequences and impact of the same are fearfully bad for your health. The causes may include high blood cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and over weight, smoking, heredity, alcohol, birth control pills, sex hormones, and more.

High blood cholesterol plays a gigantic role in most types of heart disease. Cholesterol is a fatty substance which is carried in our blood and is also found in all our body cells, which causes the disease. If this fatty substance may stick in our arteries and builds up to form a plaque, it will then result to the narrowing of arteries. The narrowing of our arteries interrupts the blood flow, causing less supply of oxygen and other nutrients to our hearts and other parts of the body. If worse comes to worst when the arteries are blocked because of the fatty substance build up, a heart attack occurs.

Heart problem is one of the causes of death among the people with diabetes. If a person is found out to have diabetes, he or she should be under a doctor's care to monitor blood sugar levels, and therefore reduce the risk of heart disease.

Obesity and over; weight are among the causes of heart disease. If you are overweight, it is likely that you have high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure resulting to a high risk. Obesity increases the chances of developing heart condition. To know if you are obese, the doctors are measuring obesity in terms of body mass index (BMI), which is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared, [ BMI= W (kg) / H (m²) ]. You are considered over weight if the result is over 25; obese if over 30 is the result. In addition, people who are obese and over weight are usually physically inactive. They don't entertain the idea of a regular exercise, and if they do, just the thought tires them already (just like me!).

Smoking is one of the causes. It greatly increases your risk of heart disease and peripheral vascular disease, disease in the blood vessels that supply blood to your arms and legs. Many people die each year because of illnesses brought about by smoking and some of these deaths are due to the effects of smoking on the heart and blood vessels.

A heart disease can be hereditary. A heart condition has a possibility to be passed from one generation to another.

Studies shows that people who drink moderate alcohol has a lower risk compared to nondrinkers. A moderate intake of alcohol averages to one or two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. More than moderate intake of alcohol, on the other hand, is one of the causes.

It's never too late to take care of your health and your heart. Do the things which are good for your health and heart, and avoid those that aren't. Nobody knows yourself better that you! Start caring for your health and stop the causes of heart disease.

lundi 30 août 2010

Children in need, not misdeed

In the Philippines, there are more than 36 million people under 19 years old who are living in utterly inhuman conditions. About a million and a half children are estimated to live on the streets. They survive by begging for food and through petty theft. In spite of laws against child labor, more than three and a half million children from 5 to 17 years old work under grueling conditions. The data regarding child abuse and neglect in the Philippines are considered to be below the actual figures since the current statistics only reflect reported cases of abuse.

Recently, a survey by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reflected a sudden increase in the number of children that resulted from increased awareness and reporting in the community.  Most of these children in this survey were victims of child abuse and neglect, also known as “child maltreatment.” Child maltreatment is a behavior toward a child that is outside the norms of conduct and entails substantial risk of causing physical or emotional harm. Child maltreatment can be a single incident, but it is usually a pattern of behavior that takes place over time. There are four types of recognized maltreatment. These are physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse (psychological abuse), and neglect.

The causes of child maltreatment are varied and not well understood. Abuse and neglect are often associated with physical injuries, delayed growth and development, and mental problems. They are more common in poor and extremely poor families than in families with higher incomes. Child maltreatment is also associated with psychological and emotional problems such as aggression, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.  In extreme cases, child abuse and neglect can lead to death.

Child abuse is also linked to an increase risk of substance abuse, eating disorders, obesity, depression, suicide, and sexual promiscuity later on in their lives. Women who were victims of physical assault during their childhood are twice as likely to be victims of physical assault as adults. There are also evidences which suggest that victims of child maltreatment are more likely to engage themselves in criminal behavior as juveniles and adults than others.

Although it is said that the most important relationship for all beings is that with their parents or with their families, child maltreatment often starts at home. Unfortunately, an alarming number of parents do not understand the importance of the parent-child relationship.  They are often too young or unprepared for such responsibility.  Their inability to commit to good parenting techniques causes serious detriment to the lives and well being of their children.

Children who have been maltreated are usually unwilling or unable to reveal their situation to someone because of parental threats, or a feeling of loyalty to the family. For children who are in school, while carefully asking a child may help to unearth details of maltreatment, teachers need to be aware of non-verbal ways in which the message of abuse may be communicated. The presence of one indicator alone does not necessarily mean that maltreatment has occurred. If there are a number of indicators, then immediate counseling is needed for the child. It is the process by which a professional helps a person cope with mental or emotional distress, and understand and solve personal problems is called counseling.

Individual and group counseling sessions usually take two years or even longer. The goal of undoing life-long damage can be very difficult because the damage pervades every aspect of a child. There may also be physiological changes that cannot just be “counseled” away. Medication can be useful for the symptoms of depression, anxiety and other symptoms, but should never be dispensed in the absence of counseling for the root of the problem. For children, play therapy and family therapy can be helpful.

It is important to help a child deal with the abuse as well as the psychological problems they report.  Research indicates that without some form of intervention against child maltreatment, the long-term consequences for children can be nightmares, feeling of insecurity, feeling unsafe, poor school performance and low self-esteem. They are also more likely to be abusive or become victims of abuse themselves.

dimanche 29 août 2010

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Do You Have It?

Carpal tunnel syndrome reached epidemic proportions in the 90’s and has now achieved a status equaling pandemic proportions in the 21st century. With carpal tunnel syndrome having such devastating effects on millions of people each year, how do you know if you or someone you know has it?

With so much attention and hype the past 10-years concerning carpal tunnel syndrome in the workplace, you would think that a clear-cut picture would exist regarding the “how’s” “why’s” and “what is it’s” of carpal tunnel. Although carpal tunnel syndrome should be easily recognizable with such extensive media exposure, you would be amazed at how many people, including a lot of doctors, who do not recognize the symptoms or misdiagnose it as something other than carpal tunnel syndrome.

In order to provide a more clear picture of what carpal tunnel is, why and how it develops and what can be done to eliminate it, I have provided information below to explain the process so that you can better identify and therefore prevent carpal tunnel syndrome from taking over your life.

What is the Carpal Tunnel?

The carpal tunnel is a passageway in which the nine flexor tendons, median nerve, arteries, blood and lymphatic vessels pass through in order to supply function and movement to the fingers and wrist.

The carpal bones line the carpal tunnel on the posterior surface (backside) of the wrist with the transverse carpal ligament positioned on the anterior (front side) of the wrist. The size of the carpal tunnel is about the size of the index finger in diameter, and the flexor tendons, arteries and nerves glide past one another with ease in a carpal tunnel that has not decreased in size.

How Does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Develop?

Because the finger and wrist muscles are constantly overused in one-way movement patterns, (Gripping, squeezing, typing, etc.) a "muscle imbalance" develops, causing the carpal bones to shift, in turn, making the carpal tunnel smaller and impinging the structures within, resulting in painful and debilitating symptoms.

What are the Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

· Tingling

· Numbness

· Paresthesia (Pins & needles)

· Loss of grip-strength / coordination

Sensations involving tightness, discomfort, stiffness and pain on the front side of the hand and wrist may be present in carpal tunnel, but may also be symptoms of a general repetitive strain injury.

The only true telltale signs of carpal tunnel syndrome that you need to be aware of affect the thumb, index, middle and sometimes one-half of the ring finger. (All of the fingers and symptoms listed do not have to be experienced simultaneously for you to have carpal tunnel syndrome.)

If you have symptoms in your entire ring and/or little finger and your doctor tells you that you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you don’t! The ULNAR nerve supplies function to the ring and little finger and has nothing to so with carpal tunnel syndrome. (If the ring and/or little fingers are affected, it may either be Cubital Tunnel Syndrome or Guyon’s Syndrome)

How Are the Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Eliminated?

Carpal tunnel syndrome can quickly and easily be eliminated by performing a good stretch and exercise program that addresses the existing muscle imbalance that is the cause of carpal tunnel in most cases.

Staying Symptom-Free:

Knowing why carpal tunnel syndrome develops and what to look for is the key to keeping your hands healthy. With the information provided above you should now be able to recognize the disabling symptoms and take the steps necessary in order to stop it before it stops you!

samedi 28 août 2010

Caffeine: the culprit behind our migraines

Agnes, a 39 year old married woman have come to see a doctor and complained about recurring headaches and migraines. A thorough examination revealed that there wasn't any obvious cause and her doctor thinks Agnes headaches are more of psychological in origin. On further investigation, Agnes told her doctor that she was taking a lot of painkillers and that she prefers stronger tablets. She describes her headache as like a hammer pounding her head over and over again. 

    She blames her headaches from the stress and anxiety she was getting from home caring for her four very young children. But still it wasn't really enough reason to have migraine headaches and there is no sign of any childhood problems that can trigger this. The doctor advised her to take it easy on the painkillers that might have some “rebound effect.”

    Mr. Cooper on the other hand, had a history of migraines since he was a teenager. At 42, he was still taking medications as he was sensitive to the light and sound.

    Migraine headache can be defined as a type of primary headache that some people get it repeatedly over time. It is closely associated with disorders of the digestive system, the liver, and the vision. It usually occurs when a person is under mental tension. Profiling people who usually get migraines shows that a person who is likely sensitive, methodical, intelligent and a perfectionist are more prone to headaches. It is usually when they are in very stressful situations or so overworked.

    Not so many people know about it but caffeine is also a culprit in triggering migraine attacks. Americans are known for being big time coffee drinkers. Every inch of the city in the US is filled with coffee shops sprouting in the metropolis. If you think you are one of the heavy coffee addicts and are experiencing migraines afterwards, then you must lessen your caffeine intake.

    CAUSES OF MIGRAINE

l    Stress is the number one source of tension headaches and can trigger a migraine. It can cause the muscles in the neck and head to tense up, therefore, constricting blood flow to the brain.
l    Certain foods like cheese, chocolates, sardines and  dried meats. And fruits like pineapples, raspberries and avocados.
l    Smoke or exposure to smoke
l    Skipping meals
l    Allergic reaction
l    Alcohol

Another sign that you will be having a migraine is when you experience what is seems like “aura”like visions or like seeing stars or zigzag lines.


    MIGRAINE REMEDIES

    Your doctor can diagnose you properly and will take detailed history to make sure your headaches doesn't pertain to sinus inflammation or a more serious one like brain tumor. At times, a CT scan is helpful and EEG may also be required.

    If taking drugs is not to your liking, another alternative is “Feverfew” which is a popular herb specifically for migraines. Studies show that herbs are good for treating migraines. You can also consider drinking lots of orange juice or water therapy as water is a good cleansing system and adds vitality.

    A hot bath will go a long way in relieving migraine headaches and so does walking in a very relaxing environment with fresh cool air. There is no specific cure for migraine headaches but you can prevent them from happening.

vendredi 27 août 2010

Bright Lights and Jagged Lines

It  occurs without a warning. They look like jagged flashes of lightning bolts shimmering around the object or field of vision. It usually interferes or obscure vision. The seemingly hallucination episode usually lasts for 15-20 minutes and may or may not be followed by a headache. You might think that you are seeing things or getting insane. No. This condition is known as visual migraine. 
What is Visual Migraine?
Migraine is thought to occur when dilation and constriction of the arteries in the head lead to an extremely painful headache. Visual migraine, on the other hand, is a condition believed to be of the same cause as of migraine but instead of the spasm affecting the surface of the brain, it affects the ocular blood supply resulting to vasospasm, a spasm of arteries behind the eye, which shuts off blood flow to the optic nerve.
Visual migraine is like a temporary loss of vision associated with bright flashing lights and jagged geometric lines. It is not a blacking out of vision or a total blindness. Sometimes, a person experiencing visual migraine may think that he/she is hallucinating. A visual hallucination is actually a visual perception that does not involve the external stimuli. Thus, the person's frequent jagged geometric auras qualify as visual hallucination. However, it is important to understand that having visual hallucination in connection with visual migraine doesn't mean the person is getting insane, which is a common misinterpretation. 
More often than not, visual disturbance in visual migraine usually starts in the peripheral vision consisting of almost circular, jagged, shimmering spot which enlarges and moves to the center area which usually obscure the vision. The light is described to be of pale pastel shade. This episode disappears after 15-20 minutes and a mild headache may or may not occur.  many people experiencing this condition often complain of tiredness and mood changes.
Symptoms & Causes
Although there is no known causes of migraine, it is believe that stress can trigger migraine. The “weekend” headache usually follows the stress relief of a frenetic week during which the blood vessels in the head relax and constrict. Eye-related headaches occur after extended periods of reading, watching television, computer work, or anything that requires intense concentration. A tendency for the eyes to cross or drift outward may also bring on headaches, as well as eyestrain related to wearing of eyeglasses. However, symptoms from headaches can be extremely variable and may be dependent on the underlying problem. It is important to remember that this conditon is a nuerological problem, not an eye problem.
Triggers
Any stimulus that produces a reaction is called a Trigger.  Many things can trigger a migraine attack such as:    alcohol (eg. red wine)
        caffeine (coffee, chocolate)
        monosodium glutamate ( MSG usually found in asian foods)
        nitrates (processed foods, hotdogs)
        environmental factors (weather, altitude, time zone changes)
        exposure to light (brightness, glare)
        hormonal changes (in women)
        hunger
        lack of sleep
        anxiety
        stress
        medications (over-the-counter and prescription)
        perfumes

Treatment and Remedies
Usually, this condition resolves even without treatment and many people never have another episode. Some people may continue to have them. An examination of the eye is important to rule out any other causes for these symptoms.
In very rare situations that these symptoms continue to recur on a regular basis and interfere with one's quality of life, then treatment is available with pills that both decrease the frequency of attacks as well its severity. Treatment usually begins upon consultation with an family physician or neurologist.
There are several over-the-counter and prescription medicines that can provide migraine remedies or aid in relieving symptoms of attacks when they happen. For most people, treatments to relieve stress prove to be equally helpful as migraine remedies. Always remember to consult your physicians for proper diagnosis of your condition before taking any medication.

jeudi 26 août 2010

Ask the Doctor

Dear Dr. Hansen: I lead a very active lifestyle and am constantly outdoors. How do I best take care of my eyes during outdoor activities?

Protect your eyes from the environment, not just the sun. There's a high risk for injury with many outdoor sporting activities. It's paramount that you have effective sunglasses to protect eyes from flying objects and from ultraviolet (UV) rays. Brand names and high price tags do not indicate the quality of the lens. You should go to your eye care practitioner for recommendations for a pair that protects the entire eye.

Babies and infants in strollers should wear eye protection as well. People who start protecting their eyes at a young age are less likely to have problems later in life.

Keep rewetting products with you at all times. Keeping your eyes lubricated helps keep them free of certain pathogens. You should never rinse your contact lenses with water. Use eyedrops to lubricate and rewet contact lenses. The Complete Revitalize Active Pack for soft lenses contains all you need to keep eyes comfortable and protected while you're on the go-it contains a travel-size Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution and Blink-N-Clean Lens rewetting drops.

Dear Dr. Hansen: Can I swim while wearing contact lenses?

No. All water (tap water, pools, lakes, the ocean, etc.) contains all sorts of contamination. Hot tubs are the worst. It doesn't matter if you open your eyes briefly-you could get an infection in a matter of a few seconds. The best way to protect your eyes while swimming is to remove your contact lenses and wear good athletic goggles.

Dear Dr. Hansen: What should I look for in a good pair of sunglasses?

Sunglasses provide protection from UV rays in sunlight. Exposed UV light may damage the cornea and retina; however, good sun lenses can reduce the harmful UV rays. You can see on the sunglasses' label its level of protection from UVA and UVB rays. Poorly made sunglasses may also cause visual distortion. Unfortunately, distortion-free lenses cannot be checked over the counter. This distortion results in a reduction of optical clarity and may cause headaches. Buying the right pair of sunglasses gives you maximum protection, so visit your eye care practitioner for recommendations of a good pair.

Dear Dr. Hansen: How can I prevent dry eye?

Dry eye syndrome is very common. It causes a variety of symptoms, from irritation, burning and itching, to blurred vision. Though dry eyes cannot be cured, there are a number of steps that can be taken to treat them. Eat a proper, healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and get good exercise. Take breaks from staring at your computer screen every 30 minutes. Blink at intervals of three to five seconds to move tears and lubricate the eye. If you wear contact lenses, use a moisturizing lens solution for optimum comfort such as Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution for soft lenses that soothes with artificial tear ingredients, which can make a difference in how your eyes feel.

David W. Hansen, OD, FAAO, was in clinical practice, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and is currently Director, Professional Services at Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. in Santa Ana, Calif.

The best way to protect your eyes while swimming is to remove your contact lenses and wear good athletic goggles.

Dr. Dave Hansen

mercredi 25 août 2010

Anti Aging Skin Care Truths and Techniques

Aging will definitely come to all of us. As we live our everyday lives, we also grow old. We all know what aging does to us. The process of growing old makes us frail, slower, and more likely to fall ill. Everyday, as we live, we become older and there is no denying the fact that our skin will give out the most inconvenient evidence that indeed, we are aging.


When a person is younger, the skin is elastic, bouncy and self-moisturizing. However, with age, it loses a little of its elasticity. The skin becomes thinner, and loses its capacity to rejuvenate itself. This happens when collagen is produced less and less which results in wrinkle formation and skin sagging especially around the eyes, the mouth, or in places where the skin is thinner. Other signs of aging skin are the appearance of dark spots due to sudden dryness of skin and loss of oil content of the skin on the face. The dryness is due the shutting down of the sebaceous glands which stop producing oil.


Although one cannot stop the process of aging, there are actually a lot a person can do to help fight wrinkles and look younger. If one aims to be lively and robust in their “senior” years, one needs to learn some anti-aging skin care secrets. Here are some anti-aging skin care tips that are the most frequently touted anti-aging techniques.


    *

      Eat a low-fat diet that contains complex carbohydrates. The standard advice from the US government is to consume 5 fruits and vegetables and 3 servings of whole grains daily for vitamins and minerals and the other healthful micro-nutrients in plants. Drink five to eight glasses of water. Get no more than about 30-35 percent of daily calories from fat, with about 20 percent of that from unsaturated fat (e.g., 1 percent milk, olive and canola oil); 15 percent from protein; and the remaining calories from carbohydrates, with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates like oatmeal, whole wheat bread and wild rice.


    *

      Exercise regularly. Build endurance and strength with exercise. Regular aerobic exercise is a “must-do” for anyone committed to slowing the aging process. Hundreds of studies show that exercise combats the loss of stamina, muscle strength, balance, and bone density that increases with age. The American Heart Association advises doing a single set of eight to 15 repetitions, using eight to 10 exercises, two to three times a week for a comprehensive strength-building program. If you are not a beginner, that's about a 10-minute routine.


    *

      Maximize antioxidants intake. Free radicals contribute to the onset of age-related diseases and antioxidants “neutralize” free radicals. Everyone should take a combination of antioxidants through diet and supplementation. Eat dark-colored vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, squash, and spinach for carotenoids and blue and purple berries for flavonoids. Because foods contain many classes of antioxidants that work synergistically, they are the superior source of antioxidants. But because we don't always eat as we should, experts advocate the daily intake of supplements and antioxidants including 200-250 mg of vitamin C; 100-400 IU of vitamin E; and a mixed carotenoid supplement of 6-10 mg.


With some care and pampering, and living a happy life, one can have an excellent skin even in their golden years. Some are lucky and have a natural resistance to aging. Those who have not, depend on proper anti aging skin care treatment to keep their skin glowing and young.

mardi 24 août 2010

An Introduction To Bach Flower Essences - The Twelve Healers

What are Bach Flower Essences?

Pioneered by Dr. Edward Bach in the 1930's, a flower essence is a liquid preparation imprinted with the etheric pattern of a particular flower. Like a homeopathic remedy, the liquid - usually spring water with a little brandy added for preservation - contains little or no detectable chemical substance of the flower from which it was made. Instead, the liquid maintains the vibrational pattern of the flower. Well, what does this mean, exactly?

To understand flower essences (also called 'flower remedies'), you can imagine that all things are made up of vibrating energies - modern physics and eastern mystics both confirm this - that there are no finite particles, but instead repeating, dynamic energy patterns. Material objects are made up of huge amounts of energy really, as Einstein had shown with E=mc2, where the amount of energy (E) is equal to the mass (m) of an object times the speed of light (c - a very big number) squared. Now picture a beautiful red rose - bright, colorful, vibrant - the Rose has a particular energetic pattern, one that is repeated in every other red Rose (though not exactly, but very close). There are energy frequencies that are particular to the red Rose that are different from all other flowers. The vibrations that make up a Rose are faster than many other flowers (Rose is considered a very high-vibration flower), and these vibrations are woven together in a particular way. Now imagine any other flower - a Geranium for example - it's vibrational patterns are different from the red Rose - slightly slower perhaps, and woven together in a different way. It is these vibrational patterns of each flower that give them their particular characteristics - color, shape, smell, texture, and the like.

Now, somewhat like a sound from one source can make a material across the room vibrate with sound energy (as your eardrum may vibrate from the plucking of a guitar), flowers can cause water to vibrate with a different sort of energy. It's not so much a sound, or even light (though this is closer), but 'etheric' energy - the very essence of the flower has a vibration that is imprinted upon the water in which it is placed. The water, being made up of vibrational energy itself, retains some of the vibration of the flower that was soaked in it. This etheric imprint is stored in the water, and can actually be transferred from the water at a later time to other objects (or beings) also made of vibrational energy.

So, what does all this mean to us?! Well, Dr. Edward Bach held the notion that the source illness or disease was emotional in nature. And when one ponders what emotions really are, one can conclude that each emotion is a particular energetic state of being. All emotions seem to have a particular energy - love, despair, anger, fear, appreciation - one can consider each of these a different energetic pattern. Dr. Bach considered negative energetic states, negative emotions, to be the source of disease in the body, a theory supported by much of the world's healers. Dr. Bach also thought that these energetic states can be transformed, and that one of the transformational methods he discovered was the use of the vibrational patters of flowers - it was then that Flower Essence Therapy was born.

Through years of research and study, Dr. Bach developed a system of therapy using the vibrational patterns of flowers, imprinted into spring water, to transform the emotional vibrational patters of human beings. He showed through numerous case studies that flower essences, properly selected and applied, can be effective in treating the negative energies which underlie most disease states. Further, one need not have an illness or disease to realize the benefits of flower essences - flowers can be used to assist in transformation of any negative emotional state, be it temporary and transitive, or a more ingrained long-term pattern. (Flower essences do not transform positive states into negative ones, as flowers are not thought to contain negative energies themselves).

Dr. Bach's 12-7-19 Categorization Method

Dr. Bach categorized the original 38 flower essences he discovered into 3 categories to assist in their application. The categories are the '12 Healers' which reflect and transform our essential nature, the '7 Helpers' to assist with chronic conditions, and the 'Second 19' that relate to more immediate traumas or difficulties. Here we will consider the Twelve Healers and describe the properties of each essence. The Seven Helpers and the Second Nineteen will be considered in Parts II and III of this article.

The Twelve Healers were designated by Dr. Bach as the flower essences that help the individual transform the source of discord at the very core of their being. These twelve essences are meant to address the twelve archetypal groups of humanity; the twelve primary personalities as Dr. Bach saw them. Some have gone so far as to relate these to the twelve signs of the Zodiac (a reasonable relationship it seems), though it is unclear as to whether this relationship was drawn by Dr. Bach himself.

These twelve essences are an excellent starting point for any journey into flower essence healing, as it is often times our root 'disharmony' or karmic imbalance that is the source of much or perhaps all 'dis-ease' in our lives.

The Twelve Healers:

Impatiens - As the name of the flower implies, this essence addresses a tendency toward impatience; these individuals have difficulty with the flow of time. Their minds are often far ahead of the present moment, and with this they will deny themselves full immersion in the beauty around them. The individual needing Impatiens may be truly lonely, always being ahead of those subtle human exchanges which bring the richness to our collective human experience. Many find Impatiens to be a relatively 'fast acting' flower essence, feeling more at ease within minutes of essence use.

Gentian - Those in need of Gentian flower essence are too easily discouraged when setbacks occur. They may live with an omnipresent feeling that things are not going well, and may doubt the possibility of their own healing. Gentian can bring about a more positive outlook - perhaps with the feeling that one is 'good enough'. When things do not go exactly as planned, instead of being overwhelmed and disheartened, one can see the lessons in the circumstance, perhaps rebounding with more wisdom and strength than before.

Mimulus - This essence is the core remedy for known fears in everyday life. Those needing this essence can be hypersensitive to common events which will elicit an out-of-proportion fear response. The fear may be found in the physical body centered in the solar plexus, which may churn with anxiety. Mimulus flower essence helps bring courage to these individuals, bringing the strength of the higher Self to the personality so that they may find joy and exuberance in their lives.

Clematis - The Clematis flower essence type is a dreamy one; there is insufficient interest in the immediate moment of daily life. The individual may have a strong inner life - the abilities to dream, visualize and imagine are well developed, but the manifestation into the physical world is not strong. Clematis can help bring a warmth to the bodily incarnation, such that the individual can channel their great gifts into the here and now.

Agrimony - The Agimony flower essence type tends to hide more deeply rooted pain or ailments behind a cheerful façade, both inwardly and outwardly. They may make light of their own suffering, or try to ignore it all together, when really there are patterns and feelings which need to be addressed for personal growth and healing. These individuals may have been raised in strict environments, which may not have allowed the expression of such troubles. Agrimony flower essence can help them find inner peace, by allowing the connection to true inner conditions, acceptance of these conditions, and subsequent transformation.

Chicory - Filled with self-pity, and the 'nobody appreciates me' attitude, the Chicory flower essence type squanders their light by demanding it from others. A guise of seemingly loving behavior can be used to manipulate others into feeding somewhat selfish needs. The Chicory essence is considered important for clearing loving energy pathways so they may be directed outward and given freely. May be particularly helpful with children who have a pattern of negative behavior for demanding attention.

Vervain - The lesson of Vervain flower essence is one of balance. The individual in need of Vervain may be extreme, over-bearing, and very strong - perhaps inflexible - in their ways. Though their energies are high, the single-minded efforts of the Vervain type can result in stress, when given situations where flexibility is required. This is where the mind-body connection can be lost; the mind can be so strongly committed to a particular action, it may no longer consider the long-term effects to the physical being. Vervain flower essence brings grounding and earthly balance, allowing these strong-willed individuals the flexibility necessary to manifest their great intentions and efforts.

Centaury - The flower essence for those who cannot say no. The Chicory essence type finds their reason for being in the service and acceptance of others. The result is no true value of self, and the spreading thin of personal energies. There is the recurrent theme of personal boundaries being overstepped, because the will to create and enforce those boundaries is weak. Chicory flower essence strengthens the value of one's self, supporting the notion that one's life in and of itself is of importance. The idea that one must truly be honoring and respectful to one's self first, before others can be served, is reinforced - It is then that personal healing can finally be initiated as a powerful force.

Scleranthus - The personality in need of Scleranthus flower essence is marked by indecision, confusion and hesitation, often wavering between two choices. This inability to decide the best course of actions for one's self can be physically and emotionally draining - this mental energy is used repeatedly examining a situation rather than manifesting the best choice. The world can be a difficult place for such individuals, as there are limitless possibilities in which to get lost, never really making headway. Scleranthus will help these individuals define themselves and their world, summoning the strength to form an inner resolve. This allows a great release of energy to be happy and manifest one's chosen work.

Water Violet - This important flower essence is about the opening of the heart. Those in need of this essence may be functioning quite effectively in society and within their familial relationships, however, the deepest parts of these bonds are avoided. Whether due to childhood experiences, karma brought to this life from the past, or other situations, the individual has constructed a barrier preventing full integration with the human family. The true warmth of love and companionship should be utilized to further one's growth - Water Violet flower essence supports this transformation.

Rock Rose - This is the flower essence for great fear. Unlike Mimulus, which is indicated more for a fear which manifests as being 'timid', Rock Rose addresses terror. It is often indicated in traumatic events (as a component of Rescue Remedy) or for specific instances where a reaction of overwhelming fear is inhibiting further growth or healing. If one has been diagnosed with a life threatening illness, for example, and one is overcome with the fear of death, this fear will inhibit any healing process that may take place. Rock Rose brings courage to those most in need.

Cerato - Cerato flower essence types do not trust their own hearts, minds or instincts; instead they seek the advice of others, and rely on this advice to direct their lives. This almost certainly creates an imbalance, for it is only by honestly listening to our own inner voice that we may walk the path to true physical and emotional wellness. While seeking advice is certainly important in most of life's circumstances, the Cerato type uses this advice as a crutch. Cerato flower essence will encourage one to listen to one's own inner wisdom and facilitate spiritual growth in this respect.

This concludes the summary of the 'Twelve Healers' - the flower essences Dr. Edward Bach considered key to transforming root personality imbalances. As a physician, Dr. Bach believed that one or more of these imbalances was to be found associated with the illness of each patient, and that if these imbalances were addressed, the conditions necessary for healing may successfully arise. Of course one does not necessarily need to be outwardly manifesting a state of dis-ease to find benefit in these flower essences; through bringing balance to any person, they may further their personal development and heighten their life's experience.

lundi 23 août 2010

Alternative Methods to Quit Smoking

It is estimated that 70 percent of smokers want to quit, it's no wonder that there are many quit smoking products and programs out that are designed for these individuals. These are scientifically-proven quit smoking programs that have gotten the nod of many health professionals. However, using these products may not be that effective and may bring side-effects. For this reason, many alternative therapies are out to help many individuals in their desire to be nicotine-free. These alternative methods are considered by many as safe and effective way of quitting smoking.

Acupuncture

Medical studies show that acupuncture may increase the levels of endorphins in the body. Endorphins are opiate-like substances in the body that are known elevate the mood and bring moments of relaxation. These factors may lower the cravings for that stick or pack of cigarette. Many health professionals recommend at least four sessions of acupuncture during the first month of quitting.

Herbal remedies

There are no herbs that contain nicotine. However, there are herbs like chamomile that has a calming effect that may help one's transition to life as a non-smoker. The calming effect of this herb may help one cope with stressful situations that may lead one to light a cigarette. However, individuals who want to try this herb should seek the approval of a health professional because it might produce an allergic reaction and interact with other drugs.



Hypnosis

Smokers have natural cigarette triggers. Factors like driving, eating, watching TV, and stress may entice individuals to smoke. With subconscious reminders about the positive effects of quitting smoking, hypnosis may help reduce nicotine cravings and improve one's ability to quit smoking. In addition to these health benefits hypnosis therapy uses no drugs and can be completed completely and there is no long-term cause.

Exercise and nutrition

Regular exercise may improve blood flow and help individuals deal with tensions and stress in life without cigarettes. Studies show that moderate exercise like 30 minutes of jogging and brisk walking may bring many health benefits. Exercise and other physical activities may also promote the production of endorphins. In addition to exercise, eating regular meals and cutting down fat in one's diet may aid in the management of blood sugar changes associated in quitting smoking.

Massage

Having a massage may promote better moods and less anxiety which may lead to fewer and less nicotine cravings. A University of Miami Touch Research Institute suggested that a two-minute hand or ear massage may curb nicotine cravings and, therefore, cut daily cigarette intake.

There are many scientifically proven quit smoking products and alternative methods that are available. These products, however, cannot do all the work, the best and effective to quit smoking involves determination, discipline, and commitment to stop the habit permanently. Using these products and engaging in alternative methods can help smokers cut the habit by making them more comfortable and complacent to adjust to life without cigarettes. However, before taking over-the-counter or herbal products and engaging in many alternative methods to quit smoking, individuals are advised to seek the approval health professionals. They may explain various alternative methods and clarify side effects and drug interactions that may take place while under medication. With the right tools and attitude, quitting smoking can be easier than others think.

dimanche 22 août 2010

Alcohol Treatment - Save Your Life

Alcoholism is not a problem that is exclusive to adults. Many teenagers find themselves addicted to alcohol even though the legal drinking age is twenty-one. The pressure to fit in with others and the pressure to be popular among peers may play a significant role in drug and alcohol abuse among this population. Eventually, many of these teens need to seek some sort of alcohol treatment to deal with the problem.

A significant number of adolescents between the ages of twelve and twenty are affected by alcohol abuse. When children this young begin abusing the substance there is a greater risk of developing a serious dependency that requires some sort of intervention and alcohol treatment to break the destructive pattern.

The problem can have serious ramifications on the adolescent’s development and future endeavors. The teen may find him self unable to function at school and he may have difficulty succeeding in his academic studies. It is crucial to diagnose and find alcohol treatment as soon as a problem is recognized.

Since the reasons behind substance abuse in teens are different than it is in adults, it is necessary to approach the adolescent differently. The reasons stem from different causes in teens than adults. Adults usually are trying to escape problems or relieve stress and anxiety. Teens are usually driven to drink through peer pressure. Alcohol treatment for teens is different than it is for adults because of the differing causes and developmental stages.

Alcohol treatment for teenagers should be age-appropriate and it should involve other family members as well. The family history of possible substance abuse may play a significant role in the cause of the abuse. The teen needs to consider his family history with the condition and the family needs to work together to achieve success.

Sometime alcohol treatment for teens requires a stay at a rehabilitation facility. This is required for the most severe cases. The success of the program hinges on the individual’s commitment to his own recovery. Professionals work with the teen around the clock to help him through the crisis.

Self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon and Alateen are very viable options for a teenager who needs alcohol treatment. The self-help groups are valuable because it gives the teens an opportunity to look up to positive role models and it serves as a kind-of support community. Hopefully, with early intervention, the teens can find a new outlook on their problems.

samedi 21 août 2010

Alcoholism, Addictions and Friends of Bill: Post Holiday

Regardless of whether one believes alcoholism and addictions are diseases or not (It is a shame we are still having this argument in the 21st century),  they are real problems for millions of people and millions upon millions of families around the world all through the year.  But holiday seasons and other  times of personal tragedy and importance such as the death of a loved one, a divorce date, etc seem to spur the dependence as well as the craving for self medication and chemically induced euphoria.

Having battled alcoholism and addictions most of my adult life (since Viet Nam), the care of those who have bottomed out and reached out are near and dear to my heart.  Bill W, the founder of AA (alcoholics anonymous), understood that.  Both of us, like millions of others the world over, have started over more than once, and along the way we have learned the painful truth of the Biblical teaching that no  man lives unto himself.

Friends of Bill W know that they cannot make it alone.  Just like the group conscience keeps a church, a club, a school, indeed a society going, growing and maturing it keeps the Friends of Bill W on the path to a successful and rewarding life.

The good thing is that everyday we live to see a new sunrise, we have the opportunity to start a new life and to help another enjoy a fresh beginning.  That does not mean that all our baggage miraculously disappears.  It does mean God has granted us new grace and mercy with which to handle our demons.

It means that those who are walking the walk have a special responsibility to be there for those who still suffer...not that we don't.  But, we who have been lucky enough and blessed enough to grasp the deliverance of a power greater than ourselves must take that healing way of life to suffering mankind.  After all, we can only truly keep that which we freely give away.

And, especially during this time of year there appears to be plenty of opportunity to reach out to and help our fellowman.  During the end of the calendar year holidays more and more people fall off the wagon and need help getting back up.  After all, we understand better than most that any excuse will do and that it matters little (if at all) how many times one falls, but how many times one can get back on his feet.

So as we start a new year, any new year, we often find that the numbers in our recovery communities seem to have decreased. Actually what has happened is that the numbers needing our guidance have increased ... significantly.  Perhaps the bodies showing up for mutual support have declined, but that simply means the need for outreach has increased.

While others are making new years resolutions to lose weight, get a better job, go back to school, stop smoking or whatever; we should be making resolutions to make greater efforts to be there for those who still suffer, to reach out to those in pain, to find that member of our body who disappeared a week or two ago and then to be about that business today not tomorrow.  Someone you love does not have a tomorrow short of your intervention.

Perhaps just showing them the Life Story of Bill W will do the job.  It will certainly reinforce your convictions and strengthen your commitment to make it to, make it through, and enjoy sobriety this time ... one day at a time.

You can watch the Life Story of  Bill W or download it to your computer to show at your group meetings or to help with intervention at http://remotehelpdesk1.com

vendredi 20 août 2010

Agel OHM: Getting Your Energy Levels Back Up Safely!

Life just seems to zoom past us at record speeds sometimes, and trying to keep up…or rather – catch up – can very often become a daunting task.  It just doesn’t seem fair that we live in a world where we can’t add minutes to our days, but we have to add activities to our days that need to be done.  Trying to find our way around this problem can leave us drained of nearly any excess energy to get through the rest of our busy lives. 

When you need a boost of energy, there’s a good chance that you’re probably barking up the wrong tree – trying to get this boost from sources that just don’t work as promised.  This is because many of these sources of energy, especially the newest rage of “energy in a can” drinks, or “energy pills” contain many dangerous chemical stimulants or herbs proven to be harmful.  They may leave us with a very short burst of energy, but one that brings with it plenty of unwanted side effects such as jitters, nervousness, and even heart palpitations. 

Not only that but we often end up with a crash session afterwards that leaves us feeling like we’ve been on the losing end of a battle with a train.

Agel Enterprises has taken notice of this new dangerous trend and therefore designed a product just for the health conscious person who wants a burst of energy that not only gives you that initial burst to supercharge your day, but doesn’t leave you with the end of the road burnout from unnecessary ingredients such as an abundance of sugar and caffeine. 

Agel’s OHM is a different animal altogether.  OHM is a convenient and surprisingly tasty energy boost that comes not in pill, canned drink, or even powder form, but an all natural proprietary gelceutical that is easy to take on the go, allowing you to simply squeeze the contents of its simple and convenient single use packet into your mouth.  This is not only great for the ease of use factor, but just as well for the fact that your body’s much more able to absorb the active nutrients of the product faster and more efficiently.

The active ingredients that actually give your body the natural energy boost are a combination of vitamins, minerals, and natural and safe herbs that are able to give you an energy boost that you can sustain throughout the day.  With a series of B complex vitamins, this gel formula acts as a coenzyme to smooth the process of your body’s own metabolic process that’s necessary to convert carbohydrates into energy. 

Agel OHM also contains Panax Ginseng, which is a potent antioxidant that assists the body to more easily deal with stress.  This type of Ginseng has also been shown to be beneficial to your motor performance, and cognitive skills.  In a nutshell, you’ll feel as if you’ve been given the nutrients to endure a much better quality of life.

To ensure that newfound quality of life, the ingredient Schizandra, an herb grown in China and Korea is added to Agel OHM as well.  This is an herb that’s been used throughout the ages, as well as the present to help improve strength, endurance, and stamina. It also provides the extra benefit of improved concentration along with alertness, without the nervous jittery side effects.

You soon could be filling a new sense of focus and motivation that you haven’t felt in quite sometime, if ever.  And just for that added boost of energy and focus, OHM includes Rhodiola Rosea which is used to also help increase your endurance as well as assist in providing mental performance, and ease the symptoms of fatigue that you normally feel during the day.

In a nutshell, if you’re like nearly every other human living on the planet today, you lead a busy lifestyle that keeps you on the run – whether from your job, school, being a parent, or just life in general – you need Agel OHM to get you through your day safely, so that you also can maintain a sense of energy and focus!

jeudi 19 août 2010

Adequan Helps To Alleviate The Osteoarthritis

Adequan is an injectable substance, which is very similar to the more conversant oral supplement called ‘glucosamine’. Adequan is also known as ‘polysulfated glycosaminoglycan.’

Adequan has been proven to be specially absorbed by inflamed joints when interjected into the dog’s muscles. It pacifies and lubes the joint, reducing swelling and soreness by repressing friction in a natural way. It also helps to restructure cartilage in the damaged joint. It’s not just pain reliever, its therapy.

In treating inflammation of a joint or joints (arthiritis), injections are given two times a week for at least 4 weeks for a maximum of eight injections. Injections are given intramuscularly to dogs, cats, and horses suffering with arthritis. A human product has freshly joined the market.

Adequan does all this without potential fallouts. To know its possible side effects, a study was conducted on 24 dogs receiving Adequan injections, one dog developed a painful injection site, one developed looseness of the bowels (diarrhea), and one developed abnormal bleeding. All side effects were classified as mild and none of them required any cure.

Some humans who have used Adequan have reported that it burns a little. After injecting, Adequan upsets some dogs’ stomachs for a short time. In very rare cases it can cause low platelets, and this is a condition that is reversed upon discontinuing the drug.

Adequan binds to damaged cartilage and advances cartilage metabolism, easing repair processes. Simultaneously, it blockades the activeness of unhelpful enzymes, which encourage joint inflammation, collapse the synovial fluid, and harass the cartilage. Adequan energizes the synovial tissue layer to fabricate novel synovial juice to reinstate the thin, degraded fluid of joint disease. By doing all this, Adequan helps lubricate, nurture, and clear the cartilage.

Adequan has not been analyzed in pregnant or breastfeeding animals. At first 8-dose series is suggested: 2 mg/lb intramuscularly twice a week for four weeks. Adequan Canine is boxed in 5 mL (100 mg/mL) multidose vials.

mercredi 18 août 2010

Adventures with Hypnosis

In 1949, I had a real problem with a dental phobia.  Four dentists had turned me down as a patient.  I had two abscessed teeth and a mouthful of other cavities.  My dental phobia was so bad that it had forced me to go to a hospital some years earlier in order to have three abscessed teeth removed while I was unconscious. 

I went to a dental convention where I found the recommended dentist who did hypnosis.  He couldn't work on my teeth, but he said he thought he could help me.  So, at the lunch break, I went to his room with several other dentists, and he hypnotized me with a “standard” induction technique.  Then, he taught me a psychological trick of relaxation.  If I raised my left hand whenever I felt my right hand becoming a fist, indicating tension, the dentist would stop, and I would relax my right hand, and lower my left hand.)  I didn't believe it would work, but I made an appointment with the last dentist who had turned me down and had recommended hypnosis.

For the first few minutes, I kept raising my left hand, and he stopped immediately.  After that, I didn't need to raise my left hand much at all, and he worked fast.

He pulled the two bad teeth, and drilled and filled a dozen more in one single hour and half session.  I had Novocain for the bad ones, and didn't need it for the others.  Both the dentist and I were amazed at this, and he asked if I were really twins

To me, a 22-year-old engineering student, this was a genuine “miracle”, and I started to learn all I could about this miracle cure.  I read everything I could find, from the 1700's literature about Mesmer, Coue, etc, up to Erickson, Barber, etc.

I became an electronic engineer, and pursued this as my major career, but my avocation continued to be hypnosis, and by extension, psychology.  (Much of behavior psychology is similar to hypnosis).   I used it professionally, taught it in a major university to doctors, and continued to learn about it.  I performed some “shows”, and considered a career as a stage hypnotist, but was more interested in using it for helping people, as it had helped me. 

In 1979, I left electronic engineering, and turned to psychology.  I went back and obtained a Doctorate in Psychology based on my education, life experience, and my doctoral dissertation.  I became a successful Behaviorist Psychologist for years in private practice in Florida.  I gradually converted to an Orthomolecular practice when I found that these types of therapies worked better than any “talk therapy”, although talk therapy is sometimes useful as well.    
 
Hypnotic Relaxation

During this many years of study, and later career as a psychologist, I realized that what that original dentist who hypnotized me had actually done.  With hypnosis, he had simply given me a “new” conscious tool of relaxation.  Using this simple tool, I could actually change something in my unconscious called a “phobia”.  It wasn't really a miracle, though I had thought so at the time.  Adding this knowledge to my knowledge of Pavlovian “conditioning responses”, I came up with what I called the Bate Relaxation Technique. 

This is very simple, yet it can be very powerful - much more powerful than most realize because of its simplicity.  It starts with a general hypnotic induction technique of relaxing the body muscles, starting with the toes and going up to the scalp and face.  Then, in a state of muscle relaxation, ask the subject to visualize a very beautiful relaxing scene he/she is in.  Describe the scene.  Ask them to concentrate on how beautiful and very relaxing it is.

Then, ask the subject to memorize the feelings of relaxation and concentration they are feeling at that time.  Have them put these feelings into their memory like a photograph.  Then, give them a post-hypnotic suggestion that they can now recall those feeling any time they simply count to three.  End the session, and have the subject stand up, take a deep breath and simply count to three. 

It's simply amazing how the shoulders often slump 2-3 inches or some other muscles that the subject usually tenses from stress relax.  I describe the “strange” feeling as sort of a “blah” feeling.  (As subjects stand up from the session, their “normal” pattern of muscle stress takes effect, and the “instant” relaxation is definitely experienced.)

I then tell the subject that they now have the pattern, but it up to them to use it often, several times a day, even if not needed, for the next week or so.  This will set this pattern into their unconscious as a “conditioned response”.  (Remember Pavlov's dog?)  Now, they have the same tool I got from the original dentist, but it is much more enhanced and valuable.  It instantly relieves stress of any kind.
  
Driving a car a long distance is very stressful.  My wife and I recently drove over 20 hours straight thru, with me driving about 14 of those hours.  At 78 years old, that's not “usual”.  The secret - we both simply count to three every so often and are able to relax behind the wheel.  Muscle tension is very tiring, and few are able to relax this muscle tension behind the wheel.

This relaxation technique is very useful in many ways in helping to solve psychological problems of phobias, compulsions, and even some serious physical problems.  I was able to solve dozens of Asthma problems in all persons between 7 and 15 years old, and was often successful with older persons as well.  (Kids in this age range are very suggestible; some adults are too cynical.)

The system is simple, but effective.  First, teach the relaxation.  Then, have the patient emulate a really bad asthma attack.  “Come on, get really bad, your throat is closing more and more.”  It's getting worse and worse.”   When the patient really starts to become in distress, say, “Now, count to three”.  As he gets to three, he relaxes, and says, “Now, it's gone, and you are in control”. 
Many years ago, I did this routine on the 14-year-old son of lifelong friends.  When I was visiting them a few years ago, I walked into the store of the son, and he recognized me immediately.  I was surprised as it had been over 20 years since he had seen me.  He said, “Do you think I could ever forget the man who cured my Asthma?”
It was another great day for my ego.

There's nothing magical or even mysterious about it.  All you are doing is teaching a new “trick” to the unconscious mind.  This “trick” of instant relaxation is learned as a conditioned response by repetition and use.  It becomes a tool for the conscious mind to use in all types of situations to reduce stress.  As everybody knows, stress ages us, diminishes the immune system, and helps to kill us. 

The various forms of yoga and other meditation techniques are similar, yet different.  They relieve stress of course, but are of little use in immediate stressful situations.  This relaxation is immediate.

This also can be used for self-hypnosis, positive statements and visualizations.

I also used it for patients that wanted to stop smoking as a “substitute” for that instant craving that comes to an addicted smoker. 

One idea makes a lot of people “afraid” of hypnosis.  The idea that another person has “control” over them, and can make them do literally anything.  Every experiment ever conducted has shown that this is simply not true.  Hypnosis cannot force a person to do anything that is against his/her moral code.  The unconscious mind is very protective, and is what we are working with either with hypnosis or subliminal training. 

There is some possibility of “indirect” misuse of hypnosis.  I once witnessed a hypnotist demonstrating this.  He had a very attractive woman who was very hypnotizable (instantly into somnambulism by snapping his fingers).  He hypnotized her, and told her to take off her clothes.  She awoke instantly and was embarrassed, but had no conscious memory of why. 


He then hypnotized her again, and this time, told her that she was at home in her bathroom with the door closed, and she was going to take a bath.  She calmly started to take off her clothes.  He stopped her before she got too far, but she was obviously going to completely strip. 

It was interesting how he stopped her.  He told her that someone had come into her home, and was near the bathroom door.  She said, “Don't come in.  I'm not dressed”. 

He then had her get dressed, and woke her.  She had no memory of the incident.

 When I was a young man, I had a girlfriend who I had sex with once or twice.   And she had been hypnotized several times as well.  One night I wanted sex, but she didn't.  I used the cue that hypnotized her, but to no avail.  She refused, even hypnotized.  So, the idea that someone can make you do something you do not want to do is false.  I can testify to that personally.  Our unconscious mind is very protective of us in all ways, even though some ways may be wrong. 

Of course, if you work with either hypnosis or subliminal training, or virtually any type of serious psychology you have to be aware of the unconscious mind, as that entity is always what you are trying to influence. 

Hypnotic Age Regression

This is a very useful tool for a psychologist, or, for that matter, any doctor of any stripe.  Under even “light” hypnosis, it can be used to “pull” details from the life of the patient that he/she has forgotten consciously.  (The unconscious memory has everything in it.) 

There are several “tricks of the trade” involved.  After my Relaxation Technique, I used a “deepening” technique that went something like this,  “Now, I want you to imagine and visualize yourself going down an escalator as I count to ten.  One, imagine yourself stepping on and feeling the steps form under your feet.  Two, as you move down, relax even more.  Three, as you go down further, concentrate more and more.  Four, and as you relax more, you can concentrate more.  Five, this positive circle of concentration and relaxation continues as you move down.”

Continue with similar repetitions thru nine, and then, “Ten, step off the escalator into a room.  This room is yours alone.  It is only in your mind, and no one else can ever get into it.  You can make it anything you want.  In this room, you can do anything or visualize anything that will help you to be a better person.  In this room you can remember anything you want.”

Next, I would start the questioning.  For example, a man came to me to try to find a lost valuable diamond engagement ring.  He and his fiancé had broken up, and she had returned the ring to him.  He remembered taking the ring, but when he got home, he couldn't find it at all.   I did the above technique, and then started.

I said. “I want to you to go back in time to the moment when she handed you the ring.  Where were you and she at that time?”

He replied, “We were in her living room.”

“Alright, see yourself taking the ring.  What did you do with it?”

He said, “I'm putting it into my small watch pocket of my jeans.”

“OK, now you are leaving her.  What happened next?”

“I'm getting into my car, and driving home”

“Good, what happens next?”

“I'm going into my bedroom, and changing clothes.”

“Why?”

“I have to go to a baseball presentation dinner.”

“OK, what did you do with your jeans?”

“Oh NO!  I had put them in the washer!”

That was the story.  He went home and found the ring stuck in the washer.  (The usual story of such is that it gets caught in the “U” drain under a sink.)  This illustrates the value of “age regression” as a memory aid.

Of course, it's also useful to uncover the beginnings of phobias and compulsions.  A woman came to me with a cat phobia and asthma.  I did the usual as above, and with a couple of other useful techniques found the problem.  One “trick” is to say, “OK, now you are going back in time.  It is your 15th birthday.  You are awake in that morning.  Do you have asthma?”

She replied, “yes.”  (She had earlier said on intake questioning that her asthma had started very early.  I start well past that so as to get the patient used to going back.)

“Ok, now you are ten years old, just waking up on your birthday.  Do you have asthma now?”  Same answer.
“OK, you are now five years old, on your birthday.  Do you have asthma now?”  Same answer

 I worked back thru 4 and 3 and 2, 1, and started back in months.  I got to the ninth month, and she didn't have asthma.  Still she had no memory of anything that was related.  So, I went to her tenth month, and went backwards, day to day with the same question.  I got to the day when she did have asthma.  Now I asked her, “What happened to you during the last day that caused you to have asthma?  I am going to count to three, and when I get to three, you will remember everything.  One, you're starting to remember.  Two, memory is coming back.  Three, you now remember everything.”

She then related, “I was lying on my back in a crib, and the cat jumped into the crib, and lay across my mouth.  I couldn't breathe, or call out, and I was scared.  I don't know what happened, but I think I hit the cat, and she went off me.”

It was two birds with one stone.  Cat phobia, and asthma caused at that point.  Asthma is often a “protective” device used to keep oxygen in the body.  Most can easily breath in but have real problems breathing out.  This was her case. 

Then, we get to the really interesting part.  Age regression to past lives.  As an agnostic, I don't really know if the many stories I have heard from many persons are true, or something from the universal mind or what?

Probably the single most impressive story is from the man who came to me with two lifelong phobias that he had had since earliest memory.  He was deathly afraid of fire and water.  He thought that these phobias might be from past lives, and asked me to try to find out. 

He was easily hypnotizable, and with little urging went back thru birth to the previous life.  He had been a circus clown, and been burned to death in a circus fire.  It was then simple to go back to a previous life to that.  It seems that he had stolen a horse, and was caught.  The vigilantes didn't have a tree, so they hanged him from a bridge.  The rope broke, and he drowned.  Of course, it took much more time to go thru, and some suggestions from me.  He was cured according to a phone call a week later.

I've had several such interesting cases.  Another was fascinating to me.  Under hypnosis, a man kept saying, “All I can see is a bird”.  I kept after him about this bird for 10 or more minutes, but he couldn't see much more than this bird.  Finally, he said, “It's a black bird, and it's on my shield”. 

I pressed him harder about his shield, and did he have a sword and a horse.  He suddenly screamed, “There's blood all around me, and all over me and my horse.  I'm killing people all around with my sword, and they're trying to kill me!  ” 

I questioned him closely, and it became evident that the date was 1066 at the battle of Hastings as the Normans conquered England.

Is the story true?  I cannot say with any certainty, but it was impressive.

When I gave seminars and talks on hypnosis, I usually finished with doing my Relaxation Technique, and my deepening.  Then, I would say, “In your room, sitting comfortably, I want you to let your mind go out of your body.  Let it go out into space, and as you see earth behind you as that familiar blue and white marble, see space as almost velvety, with stars and planets being very clear and steady.  It's really beautiful out here in space.  Now, you are coming to a white cloud that is getting bigger and bigger, and you are now entering it.  On the other side, there is another blue marble world.  As you approach, it looks like Earth, but as you get really close, you see no huge cities, but beautiful parks and lovely buildings that seem to be a part of the landscape.  As you come to it, and walk about, you notice that the people are all friendly, and the animals are all friendly, and the gardens and parks all around are simply the loveliest you have ever seen.  You are filled with the same sort of happiness that it seems everybody there has.  You are at peace with yourself and that place.”

“Now, it's time to leave, and we are going back into space again.  Ahead of us is that same white cloud, and this time, as we enter it, we make a left turn, and we are now going back in time.  The year is 1700 on Earth, and as we come back to Earth in that time, we are going to each go into a body in that time and place.        I want you to look at your feet, and your clothes, and your surroundings, and have a sense of who you are in that body.  Now, it's time to return.  We are leaving this time and place, and going back thru that white cloud, and back to that blue marble of earth, and back to that comfortable seat, and into your own body again.  As I count to three backwards, you are gong to awaken, not drowsy or sleepy or affected by my voice at all, and you will remember everything you experienced.”

Then, I count, “Three, two, one, awake fully awake.  Now, how many persons really experienced that beautiful planet?” 

About a third or more really did visualize it clearly.  (A few were somewhat angry with me for not leaving them longer!)  Then I asked, “Now, how many persons experienced themselves in 1700?”  Surprisingly, about one third had very good and clear visualizations.  One woman was indignant “I had bare feet, and scratched legs, and I was a serving woman”.  She had a very high opinion of herself in this life obviously.  Needless to say, these stories were very interesting, and varied.  One woman impressed me with, “I was in a dark place waiting to be born.”

Of course, such stories do not prove anything.  They could be products of imagination, or simply scraps of something from the unconscious or universal mind.  However, or whatever they are, taken in bulk from honest persons with no known vested interest, they do prove something beyond our conscious knowledge.  
 
An “Impossible” Story

Here's a true story that is unbelievable to many people.  In reading about hypnosis, I came across an article where a professional hypnotist had claimed that he had been able to increase a woman's breast size using hypnosis.  I dismissed that claim until in 1978; I read an article by Dr Ted X. Barber in the Journal of Clinical Hypnosis about hypnotic phenomena.  This article discussed many different hypnotic phenomena, including several experiments at several different colleges that had all done a similar experiment.  As I recall (at this much later date), each college used 8-12 women, all of whom were somewhat flat chested, and all wanted larger breasts.

All were carefully measured, above and below the actual breasts, and across them at the nipples.  Once a week for 12 weeks, they were hypnotized as a group, and told to visualize things like, “See yourself in a mirror naked with larger breasts.  Admire your larger breasts.  See how good they look, and how good you feel with them.  Now, see yourself dressed in a very becoming dress, and how well it looks on you with your new breasts.  It increases your self-confidence as well. “ 

These comments were repeated several times.  As I recall, the average for all of the various experiments was that 80% actually increased their breast size, and the average increase was 2.1 inches.

Let's take another deeper look at this.  The average success rate for losing weight by hypnosis is considered to be less than 65%.  In other less reported breast size experiments, DECREASING breast size in women with overly large breasts, the success rate was negligible. 

In addition, this suggestion is specific - add body cells to a certain part of the body only!  We have no knowledge if actual mammary cells were added, or only fat cells, but still!!! 

I've won two bets from other psychologists that this story was published in a reputable scientific journal.  I made a hypnosis tape specifically for “breast enlargement”, and heard for a few of the women who purchased it that it did indeed work for them.  Unfortunately, few people report either success or failure.

Why doesn't hypnosis work better on the “lesser task” of losing weight, or losing breast weight?  The explanation is difficult, but in my experience the social “advantage” to women of large breasts inhibits the unconscious from losing this “advantage”.   Some women are “punishing” their selves (or their husbands) by being fat.  (Sort of “love me for me, not for my body”).  Motives of the unconscious mind are often murky and difficult for our conscious minds to understand.  The computer analogy of “garbage in - garbage out” applies here.

Harmful Unconscious Ideas

The unconscious mind can be a force for good or bad.  It apparently doesn't discriminate - again like a computer.  If a virus gets in, it can distort many other programs in different ways.

Let's examine a very illustrative case.  A woman brought in her 8 year old boy for hypnosis for bedwetting.  I did the usual direct suggestion, and told her to keep him off all milk products for at least a week. 

Two days later, she and her son were back.  No success.  This time, I did age regression hypnosis.  He went back (with a little urging) to when he was 4.  He was in bed almost asleep when he heard someone trying to get in his window.  He was so scared that he wet himself, and cried out.  The burglar (real or imagined) left.  The unconscious “logic” to this boy - urination protects from intruders in night.  It wasn't difficult to remove this logic (computer virus), and his mother said that he hadn't wet again a few months later.

The great master of hypnotic therapy, Milton Erickson, once had an almost comic situation that he solved in a unique way.  It seems that a recently married couple came to him because each was a bed wetter.  On their honeymoon, the bed was wet each morning, and each thought the other was very thoughtful in not mentioning it.  After a few days, they each confessed and came to Erickson.

He made them agree to do exactly what he said, and then told them to kneel on the bed when they were ready for sleep and each had to urinate, and then sleep in it.  They came back several days later, and they had kept their word.  He then told them, “Since you did as I told you, tonight you can go to bed normally without the urination, and come back tomorrow”.  The next day, they said the bed was dry in the morning, so he “allowed” them another dry night.  Then another, and then he declared them “cured”.

These two stories illustrate the immense power of the unconscious for both good and bad.  One of the major jobs of the unconscious mind is to “protect” the physical body (home of the unconscious mind) from harm.  If a threat is perceived whether real or imaginary, it goes into action, even if the action may be harmful to itself.
 

Phil Bate PhD - Retired Orthomolecular Psychologist
Inventor and Patent Pending Holder for
Brain Wave Amplitude Changing via Auditory Training
http://BateAudio.com
http://Alternate-Health.com

mardi 17 août 2010

Acupuncture Quit Smoking Therapy

Acupuncture quit smoking therapy offers real solid hope to countless smokers who are trying to quit smoking. It was discovered via the traditional Chinese acupuncture practices which exists long ago. Acupuncture is the application of needles on specific chi points of a human’s body. Each chi point or a combination of chi points correspond to certain body organs of systems and thus the human physiology is affected through acupuncture.

An acupuncture quit smoking therapy is an alternative smoking cessation method. It doesn't involve any medications which is why many people with complex medical condition can practice it.

What are the advantages, disadvantages and the things you should be aware of in the acupuncture quit smoking method:

Advantagess and Disadvantages of acupuncture quit smoking therapy.

Acupuncture is a non-medical treatment way that does not include any use if chemical or herbal medications. It helps though stimulation of specific body points usually situated on the eras and the face. The result is reduced cravings and cessation symptoms relief.

Unfortunately acupuncture quit smoking method does not give very satisfactory results. Although some patients feel significant improvement in their condition, the rate of the unsuccessful treatments is quite high.

What you should look for if planning to undergo acupuncture quit smoking treatment.

Ask your doctor for the best acupuncture specialists in your area; do not just go to the first address that you will find in the newspaper ads. It is necessary that you attend a specialist who is experienced in smoking cessation treatment. Try to find a well know and establishes acupuncture quit smoking clinic so that you are comfortable with the service provided.

Ask for testimonials from previous customers when you go to the clinic. Make sure what your treatment will include as the options vary – some clinics may offer you single session while other can offer you a package of services including initial medical exam, a number of sessions depending on your conditions, and a follow up treatment.

Modern alternatives of the acupuncture quit smoking treatment.

A modern way of stop smoking treatment employing the same principles as acupuncture is the laser treatment. The difference is that instead of needles low-level lasers are used. For some people the laser treatment is the preferred way because there is no breach of skin while in acupuncture the needles are pinned into the skin that can result into irritations and infections. Another significant difference is that the results that the laser treatment gives are much more positive than the traditional acupuncture.

lundi 16 août 2010

Across the board analysis of generic cialis price.

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On the pages of this web site you will find statistics about usage of these products, sales demographics, wholesale cost of generic ED pills products and much, much more. We even have helpful analysis articles that help you understand what all of this raw data means, and how you can use this information in your own business. We have done all the research, checked our numbers and gotten some of the finest writers in the business to compile this library for you. So what are you waiting for? The information you seek is just a click away.

dimanche 15 août 2010

Abstinence: The Only 100% Fail-Safe Birth Control Method

In the simplest explanation, birth control and all its methods are based on either preventing a man's sperm from reaching and entering a woman's egg --- a process called fertilization, or by preventing the fertilized egg from implanting into the woman's uterus and grow. Among all methods known possible, only abstinence is considered to be 100% effective.

Natural birth control is considered as natural since these methods are non-mechanical and non-hormonal in nature. They are not barrier methods that kill the sperm or prevent it from reaching the egg. Adding to this, they do not involve the use of hormones. Instead, natural birth control requires a man and a woman to not have sexual intercourse during the time when the egg is available to be fertilized by the sperm.

On the average, eggs are released about 14 plus or minus 2 days before a woman's next monthly period. But since the egg survives for up to 4 days, and the sperm can live for up to 72 hours, the actual time in which a woman may become pregnant is measured not in hours or days, but in weeks. Several natural birth control methods are made, depending on which the woman is comfortable with. Calendar rhythm method relies on calculating a woman's fertile period on the calendar. Based on her 12 previous menstrual cycles, a woman subtracts 8 days from her shortest cycle to determine her first fertile day, and 11 days from her longest cycle to determine her last fertile day. She can then calculate the total number of days during which she may ovulate. This method is about 80% effective in preventing pregnancy.  However, there are many factors that can still make this method open to error, foremost of which is human error in the counting of days.

The Basal Body Temperature Method is based on the fact that a woman's temperature drops 12 to 24 hours before an egg is released, and increases again once the egg has been released. But this temperature difference is not very large, almost less than one degree Fahrenheit when the body is at rest. This method requires a woman to take her own temperature every morning with a sensitive and accurate thermometer. To be able to use BBT as form of natural birth control, a woman should refrain from having intercourse from the time her temperature drops until at least 72 hours after her temperature increases again.
The Mucus Inspection Method depends on the presence or absence of a certain cervical mucus that a woman produces in response to estrogen. A woman will generate a larger amount of mucus than usual, just before the release of her egg. She can learn to recognize differences in the quantity and quality of the mucus by examining its appearance on her underwear, pads, or toilet tissue.

Sympto-thermal Method combines the three previous methods mentioned above. Not only are all these factors taken into consideration, but so are other symptoms such as slight cramping and breast tenderness. Some women experience lower abdominal discomfort during ovulation. There are also ovulation indicator testing kits, withdrawal, lactational infertility, and douching. Of course, abstinence may be the best option for any woman who does not wish to get pregnant. Be sure to ask a gynecologist for further information regarding these natural birth control methods.

samedi 14 août 2010

A Sleep Study - What to Expect

When sleep apnea is suspected a sleep study is recommended in most cases. It is a very good tool to collect comprehensive information about somebody’s sleep pattern.

Multiple data channels will record certain physiological parameters taken from your sleeping body. These are: blood oxygen saturation, airflow through your nose, chest effort, muscle tension, eye movement, and brain activity.

A number of electrodes and other sensors will be attached to your head and chest, like during a routine EKG. The study usually takes place in a specially equipped room called a sleep lab in a hospital or a sleep clinic. You will be asked to bring your regular sleeping supplies.

When you show up in the lab you will learn all you need to know about the study, you will also have a chance to ask all the questions you may have. The whole procedure is rather relaxing, there is no pain or risk involved. The technician that will work with you wants you to feel comfortable and relaxed so you can have as good a sleep as possible.

The only complication being that, as mentioned before, there will be several electrodes and sensors attached to various places on your body that may be slightly uncomfortable and may limit your freedom of movement.

Once you are in bed all the wires and tubings will be connected to the recording equipment. Usually it is located across the wall in the neighboring room so you are not disturbed by its operation.

At any time if you need to leave the bed the study will be stopped and you will be allowed to leave the room, it will just take a minute to disconnect you from the equipment. Even if you are not able to sleep through the night they will usually collect enough data to come up with a diagnosis.

Most people who have sleep apnea are sleep depraved and fall asleep easily. There will also be a camera and a microphone in the room so the position, movements, and sounds of your body during sleep can be correlated with the recorded data.

Once the study is over all sensors and electrodes will be deattached and you will be free to go home. Within a day or two your study will be scored and the results reviewed by a doctor specializing in sleep disorders.

If the study reveals that you have sleep apnea your doctor will choose the best treatment option based on the severity of your disease and other factors including medical insurance and personal preference.

For more information on Sleep Apnea go to http://www.the-sleep-zone.com/informationonsleepapnea.html

vendredi 13 août 2010

Abdominal Hysterectomy Recovery Time After Hysterectomy

Having an abdominal hysterectomy and the recovery time after hysterectomy are significant events in any woman's life. Since an abdominal hysterectomy is an in-patient surgical procedure, you should plan on being away from home and work during the surgery and perhaps during the beginning recovery time after hysterectomy. The length of the hospital stay depends on what type of hysterectomy you have, how your surgery goes and what your doctor recommends.

While the hysterectomy recovery may take a few weeks, here are things you can do to help speed up your hysterectomy recovery time:

1. Take all the pain relievers your doctor has prescribed. You will want to be as comfortable as possible during your recovery time after hysterectomy.

2. Keep sanitary pads handy since you may have some discharge and bloody drainage for several days after your abdominal hysterectomy.

3. Use a heating pad over your abdomen and another under it, if necessary. Be careful and do not sleep with a heating pad in direct contact with the skin because doing so can burn you.

4. Avoid all lifting after the abdominal hysterectomy surgery and during the post hysterectomy period. Just ask others to do all the lifting for you.

5. Avoid dairy foods during the post hysterectomy time since dairy products will tend to cause constipation. Pain medications taken during the recovery time after hysterectomy also tend to make you constipated.

6. Avoid alcoholic beverages totally during the recovery time after hysterectomy, especially while taking medications.

7. Drink 8-10 glasses of filtered water each day to adequately flush your system of toxins which would otherwise accumulate and cause discomfort or illness. Drinking pure clear water daily is a healthy habit to continue even once you are fully recovered.

8. Eat as healthy as you can since your body needs nutrients to help with healing. Be sure and include cold-water fish, turkey, chicken, organic bread, soups, salads, fruits and broths.

9. Take the best vitamin/mineral/nutritional supplement you can find. It's not just about the vitamins and minerals. Providing your body with important nutritional supplements is a good idea before and after your abdominal hysterectomy to help fill in the dietary gaps that everyone will have.

10. Use your recovery time after hysterectomy to really take care of yourself. Listen to your favorite music, watch your favorite television programs and read your favorite books. Relax and give your body a chance to adjust and recover from the surgery.

After an abdominal hysterectomy, women will likely experience a deficiency of the critical hormones progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. If only the uterus is removed in a partial hysterectomy, progesterone levels will fall dramatically in one to two months and estrogen levels will decrease in one or two years. Progesterone deficiency is related to numerous side effects including increased risk of developing certain kinds of cancer, including endometrial cancer. Testosterone deficiency in women causes low sex drive, low energy levels, thyroid deficiency and depression. Estrogen deficiency can result in vaginal dryness, hot flashes and night sweats.

Women considering abdominal hysterectomy or having had the procedure should seek the help of physicians trained in the use of natural bio-identical hormones. Bio-identical hormones are hormones that are identical to what the body makes and what normally would exist in the body. Synthetic drugs such as Premarin, Provera and Prempro are not natural nor the same as the body makes, and these kinds of synthetic drugs have numerous side effects.

There is a hormone health test provided by a leading women's health clinic that you can take online. The test takes just a few minutes and is free. Learn as much as you can about hormone imbalance, the recovery time after hysterectomy and physician-recommended natural alternatives for hormone replacement therapy.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

jeudi 12 août 2010

A Quick Look at Depression and Teen Suicide

An alarming truth: teen girls and boys are both at risk for suicide. Though many do not recognize suicide as a serious threat to a teenager's well being, teen suicide is a major cause of death among American teenagers. According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), about eight out of every 100,000 teenagers committed suicide in 2000.  Experts estimate that for every teen suicide death, there are 10 other teen suicide attempts. They also found out that almost one in five teens had thought about suicide. About one in six teens made plans on committing suicide and that one in twelve teens had attempted suicide in the last year.  As many as eight out of ten teenagers who commit suicide try to ask for help in some way before committing suicide, usually by seeing a doctor or psychiatrist shortly before the suicide attempt.

Teenage girls are more likely to attempt suicide, but teenage boys are four to five times more likely to die by suicide. Even though teenage girls make more attempts on their own lives than teenage boys, the boys are more likely to actually complete a suicide attempt. They do not allow for intervention, and are less likely to “call for help” through a suicide attempt, since there is often little opportunity to get males into treatment since their suicide completion rate is higher than that of females.

What are the major factors that influence or cause teenage suicide? It is said that depression is the most common cause of teenage suicide in the United States. It is depression that leads people to focus mostly on failures and disappointments, to emphasize the negative side of their situations, and to downplay their own capabilities or self-worth.

Depression or depressive disorders (unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feelings of sadness or despair. Depressed persons are not interested anymore in things that were once pleasurable. The symptoms of depression include having difficulty with sleeping, loss of appetite, significant weight loss, and loss of rationality in making decisions.

Depression affects a person’s thoughts in such a way that the person doesn’t see that he or she can overcome a present problem. It’s as if the depression puts a filter on the person’s thinking and totally  distorts reality. For this reason, depressed people don’t realize the gravity of pondering suicide as a means to “resolve” or escape a particular problem.  A teenager with depression may feel like there’s no other way out of problems; no other escape from emotional pain, or no other way to communicate their desperate sadness.  Some teenagers actually think that attempting suicide is the only way to get their message across to their family or friends. Depression is a very serious condition that can ruin a teenager's young life.  Young people with problems such as living in a violent or abusive environment, an unintended pregnancy, problems with parents, or a recent break-up with a boyfriend or girlfriend can suffer from emotional and psychological distress.

Further, teenagers who feel suicidal may not even realize that they are depressed. They may even be unaware of their depression.  At times, they can be so emotionally disturbed and see death as the only way out of their troubles.

We must realize that it is common for teenagers to have some thoughts about death. These thoughts can stem from a variety of causes, and can result in actual attempts on their own lives. Thus, it is very important to take suicide attempts seriously. Understanding that a teen suicide attempt is a call for help is essential to suicide prevention.

Counselors and therapists can provide emotional support and can help teens develop coping skills for dealing with problems. Constant communication, guidance, and abundant love from immediate family and friends is of major importance in dealing with a teenager's with suicidal tendencies. Teens with severe emotional and psychological problems will also benefit by joining a support network for young people who are going through the same problems. When depression lifts because a teenager gets the proper therapy or treatment, the distorted thinking is cleared.  Depression need not take the life out of a  teenager.   With proper help and guidance, young people with problems can recover and find pleasure, energy, and hope again.