Jun 30

It is pretty difficult to determine the exact causes of anxiety, although basically doctors suspect brain chemistry, genetics and environmental stress as major contributors to the development of such psychological disorders. Not even the therapeutic mechanism of the medication prescribed for the alleviation of symptoms is not fully known or explained. From this perspective it seems like a nervous disease has lots of unknown elements in the equation, and that symptoms are easier to treat than the causes. Nevertheless, anxiety help doesn’t have to be out of the reach, on the contrary, a full recovery of the health condition can result from the adequate combination of therapy and medication.

Anxiety seems to be caused by Brain Chemistry and the abnormal levels of neurotransmitters which are responsible for the panic episodes. Information travels from never to nerve via these chemicals called neurotransmitters. When the brain chemical secretion is faulty, the brain gets incorrect messages, and the reaction is often anxiety. Genetics play an important part among the causes of anxiety, other than brain chemistry, since the frequency of the disorder is higher in families with mental illness history. Thus, the brain sensitivity is inherited and passed on to the next generation.

Traumatic life events are other causes of anxiety, but it all depends on the sensitivity of the person in question. Thus, the death of a dear person, frequent job and school changes, divorce and emotional problems could lead to anxiety and depression. Anxiety disorders usually become worse during periods of intense stress, with the mention that it affects most of the people who try to discontinue the use of an addictive substance. Thus, quitting smoking, or eliminating alcohol and caffeine can be more than a simple challenge if you suffer from generalized anxiety disorder.

Pregnancy for instance is another great life change that may cause temporary anxiety, but it all depends on the subjective individual factors and sensitivities as well. Then, the use of drugs like cannabis, ecstasy, LSD or amphetamines can also trigger anxiety in different forms and at various intensity levels. Some causes of anxiety can be identified in daily life; in fact, from a certain perspective, stress is the key to a successful career sometimes. Therefore, the causes of anxiety don’t have to be pathological; in many cases they are easy to diagnose and rule out with proper relaxation and the right attitude.

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Jun 29

Any person who has suffered with depression or who is currently suffering with depression will fully appreciate just how badly it can affect our lives. It is something that kind of creeps us on when we are least expecting it and then hits us for six. It can bring us to our knees and leave us with absolutely no desire or will to do anything constructive. The only way people can think is in the negative and the words of wisdom of people trying to help us only ever fall on deaf ears.

I suffered from a long bout of depression when I was in my teens. This was mainly due to the fact that I had a speech impediment, a stutter. This was something that virtually destroyed my self-esteem and despite my best efforts to increase confidence the stutter would always come back to bite me and ruin what ever progress I had made.

I did not want to continue living in this way, with a constant fear of stuttering, being down and depressed. The main problem however was the fact that the people who were meant to be helping me, the speech and language therapists, were forever telling me that there was not a known cure for stuttering. OK, thanks - this is exactly what I needed to hear! How was I ever supposed to break free from the cycle of depression and how was I ever supposed to start thinking positively when I had people like this destroying whatever hope that I had?

I was very lucky to have an extremely supportive family who worked very hard to help me to get back to reality. They gave me the conviction to battle through and to start thinking in a more upbeat way. There was only one way to think and that was in a positive manner. There was no way that I was going to listen to the rubbish that these so called speech therapists were telling me. I also had to start working hard to enable this day to become a reality.

My dad once stated:

“There is no time for depression; you have too much work to do – to eradicate the stutter and to learn how to increase your overall confidence levels”.

I worked very hard and had some major battles with my inner demons but was eventually able to overcome the depression and the stuttering problem.

Steve Hill, The How To Stop Stuttering Centre

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Jun 28

If you have a friend or loved one who is suddenly indulging in bizarre behavior and is not acting normally, they may be suffering f! rom manic depressive psychosis. Manic depressive disorder is characterized by violent mood swings from high to low and is believed to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. The symptoms most typically appear in adults between 25 to 35 years of age. This is a disease which can seriously effect a person’s ability to function.

People with manic depression may have difficulty keeping a job, or maintaining friendships and family relationships. Although the symptoms manifest as a mental disorder, the root cause is organic brain dysfunction.

Typical Symptoms

n manic depressive psychosis, the most common symptom is violent mood swings. A person suffering form this disorder will swing from deep, sometimes suicidal depressions to frantic elation, usually accompanied by disruptions of sleep patterns and appetite. In the manic state, it is not uncommon for sufferers to indulge in dangerous behavior, promiscuous sexual behavior, or spending binges.

In rare case, some people may experience auditory or visual hallucinations. Exaggerated perceptions of other’s behaviors or of the consequences of their own behaviour are fairly common. Delusional behaviour can also occur. If a normally thrifty person starts spending excessively, or a normally modest person suddenly starts believing that they are the best at everything they do, these could be symptoms of manic depression.

Support System

Most people suffering from manic depressive psychosis respond well to medication. It is vital that they have a good emotional support system. It may take some time to determine the right medications and the right dosages and the side effects can be hard to deal with. It takes patience and understanding to help someone receiving treatment for manic depressive psychosis. .

The patient should go to doctor appointments with their support person. The support person should know the types and dosages of medication prescribed so they can monitor the patient’s medication. Especially early in the treatment, it is not wise to trust a patient to take medication properly. If you notice a change in the patient’s behavior, you should report it immediately.

Treatment Regime

For treatment of manic depressive psychosis to work it is important that the patient sticks to the treatment plan. Maintaining a regular schedule is also important for the success of treatment to continue. Finally learning all you can about your disease is also extremely important for your treatment to work.

Recognizing the early symptoms of a manic or depressive episode and notifying your doctor, can prevent the episode from escalating. The improvement of symptoms of this condition are gradual and occur over a period of time.

 

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Jun 27

The Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HARS) was created as a tool to be used by doctors and psychologists to determine the severity of a patient’s anxiety. The patient is given fourteen relevant questions which are based upon typical symptoms that people experience.  The first thirteen of these questions are answered by the patient based on interviews and questions asked, whereas the last question is used by the therapists to indicate how they feel the patient is actually doing.

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Max Hamilton developed the HARS test as he felt there was a need to be able to measure both mental and physical or somatic anxiety.  Adolescents, children and old people have all been shown to be suitable candidates  The questions are based upon a list of symptoms that Hamilton created by using mathematical statistics.

The patient is questioned by a therapist or doctor and his or her answers are then graded from 0-4, with 4 representing the highest level of anxiety.  Upon completion of the test, the numbers are added up with the total being used to give the therapist a general idea of just how severe the patient’s anxieties are.  The questions are split into seven for psychic anxieties and seven for somatic anxieties giving the therapist a well rounded look at the patient and making it easier to understand their level of anxiety.

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Anyone with a score of 17 or less is considered to be only mildly anxious and can be helped through therapy.  Sometimes this can be misleading.  Quite frequently patients lie to prevent embarrassment about the degree of their anxiety. It takes a well trained therapist to coax the real answers out and to be able to make an accurate diagnosis. If the patient scores between 18-24 then this indicates a moderate level of anxiety which can be helped by learning to meditate or to breathe correctly.   Any patient that scores more than 25 is experiencing severe anxiety.  This level of anxiety may require medication to help bring the anxiety under control well enough that the patient can then learn to use relaxation techniques and programs like CBT overcome their anxieties once and for all.

The test is a useful tool in understanding how anxious a patient is but it should be borne in mind that the results are likely to be influenced by the skill of the therapist.  In fact the questions reflect not only the patients answers but the therapists interpretation of the answers.  Although not perfect, the evidence suggests that the test is a reasonably good indicator of a patients anxiety.  One area of weakness though is the tendency for patients suffering from depression to score highly on the HARS test.

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Although not perfect, the HARS test is still the most commonly used method for assessing a patients anxiety.  The reality is that over very many years HARS has demonstrated that it is accurate and consistent.  The results from this test are then used with great success to help the patient understand and then overcome their anxieties once and for all.

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Jun 26

Living with fear? Try The Linden Method. Read on for our full Linden Method review.

If someone were to tell you that there was a simple and no-nonsense way to stop anxiety attacks, would you take notice? One based not on harmful drugs, nor on long pscychological therapies, but directly targeting the root cause of the fears that manifest your panic and anxiety

Would you try it out if you could have this method cheaply, risk free and claim a direct refund if it wasn’t effective? Then you need to try out the Linden Method.

Reviews for The Linden Method product all appear to be good and certify how much value the product gives. The creator of the method, Chris Linden found a way to treat himself of the anxiety and panic attacks he suffered from for many years. In factThe Linden Method is so effective that it is now widely accepted in the UK and across the globe.

Independent evaluations of the Linden Method indicate that the method is safe, often effective, and accessible to even those in poor financial situations. At a low price point with a money back guarantee, there is very little risk.

As for the benefits, Chris Linden and his proponents believe that the method is a very reliable and successful way to initially combat panic attacks – in relation to which very fast response is expected – and over the longer term anxiety is also expected to stop.

The UK NHS (The Government provided National Health Service) also uses The Linden Method to provide treatment to patients with panic and anxiety problems. The treatment is free within the National Health Service in the U.K.. That is an extremely strong indicator of how reliable and safe the method is.

The reviews you see on the net for The Linden Method are also positive. You can order the Linden Method Product online via its website. The package includes a book, audios, exercises, video and one on one support from trained counsellors.

This program appears to tick all the boxes in providing a effective, easy, and natural way to handle panic and anxiety. There are many reasons why The Linden Method is worth buying – these include all the positive Linden Method reviews of the program, no medications needed, a money back guarantee, and most of all, the British National Health Service recommends and uses the Linden Method.

If you do suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, The Linden Method is something that you must try and comes with the highest recommendation.

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