Tuesday, February 28, 2006

How To Fight Depression When All The News Is Bad News - By Tonja Weimer


Do you find the national news full of tragic and depressing stories? Is it difficult to keep your head above water when it seems like the world is drowning in misery?

We are living in an edgy time, never sure when the next terrorist alert or weather disaster will flash across our screens. What can you do about something that feels out of your control? Here are a few suggestions that can have a positive impact, increase the quality of your life, and help bring some enjoyment to each day, in spite of tensions that exist. More than ever, you need to give yourself what you need. Here are six tips to break the blues from the news:

1. Take a news break.

It is easy to become addicted to news shows and commentary. Make a conscious effort to turn the TV off during meals, times with your friends and family, and several hours before you fall asleep. Try spending one day a week without listening, reading, or watching any news at all. The world will still be there waiting for you the next day.

2. Increase your self care and health care.

If you have been skipping meals, not exercising, and forgetting to take your vitamins, get back into healthy habits. Just because it seems the world is falling apart, doesn’t mean you have to. Floss, drink plenty of water, get your yearly physical, eat your vegetables, get to bed on time, and do the things your mother told you to do.

3. Have some fun and recreation.

Stop whatever you’re doing and play with your kids, your puppy, your musical instrument. Listen to music, dance to your favorite song, play dominoes, read a good book, or ask a friend to join you in doing something new you have never done before. When is the last time you rode a bus, a train, or a horse? While you are enjoying the novelty of the adventure, these new modes of transportation and new routes can give you a new perspective.

4. Make an energy list.

Make a list of people and events that give you energy and those that drain your energy. Make a conscious effort to spend time with those people and things that make you feel good and start weaning yourself from those that leave you feeling tired and down. If you can’t escape the boss who drives you crazy or the co-worker who complains all the time, start putting a strategy in place of how you are going to deal with them. Just knowing you are going to do something about it will infuse you with new hope.

5. Remove the debris from your personal life and your work life.

The external signs of clutter are often an indication of inner turmoil. Get focused on clearing out the unused, no longer necessary, extraneous pieces of your life, and work toward simplification. This activity, more than any other, will help restore lost energy and a measure of control over yourself. I often tell clients, “Under the rubble, you may find some lost parts of yourself.”

6. Delegate.

Find someone to do your errands such as going to the cleaners, grocery store, pharmacy, car wash, or hardware store. Hire a teenager in the summer to help you with extra jobs you have been putting off like: cleaning the garage, organizing the storage room, or painting the laundry room. Get someone to come in and cook meals that can be frozen or stored for several days. The point of delegating tasks is to leave time to build your reserves (financial, emotional, physical, spiritual.)

Greater self care is a personal responsibility and a choice we make every day. But when all the news is bad news, I think of a quote from Gandhi: “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”

Start now to make small changes which will help make a big difference in how you handle the news.

Visit http://www.tonjaweimer.com for more tips, skills, and insight on dating, relationships, singles, and love. Subscribe to our F*ree Savvy Dating Newsletter from master single's coach, life coach, and syndicated columnist, Tonja Weimer. Copyright 2006, Tonja Weimer. (Please note source if reprinting this article.)

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

Monday, February 27, 2006

Bipolar Basics - By Nikola Marshall

Bipolar is an illness that is little understood by the general population. Unless you or someone close to you is affected by it, chances are you have a certain amount of misconceptions. A basic working knowledge of the illness is in order.

More than two million American adults suffer from bipolar. The illness typically develops in the late teens or early adulthood, although it can manifest in early childhood or later in life. Those affected may suffer for years before being properly diagnosed.

Bipolar is characterized by dramatic shifts in mood, energy and ability to function. It can be the source for damaged relationships, poor job performance and even suicide. The good news is that it is treatable!

There are two main kinds of bipolar, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 is more typical and the more severe of the two. Type 1 has recurrent episodes, or mood swings and is more prone to psychotic episodes. Type 2’s never develop severe mania, but milder episodes of hypomania that alternate with depression. If a person had four or more episodes during a twelve month time period, it is considered rapid cycling.

An explanation of terms is required here. Dramatic mood swings are referred to as episodes. Psychotic episodes include hallucinations and delusions and these will reflect the mood the person is in at the time. Hypomania is a mild to moderate level of mania. Without treatment, it can become severe or switch to depression. Mixed states are when symptoms appear together, such as agitation, trouble sleeping, psychosis and suicidal thoughts.

Both mania and depression have a set of typical symptoms.

Manic symptoms can include: increased energy/activity, restlessness, euphoric mood, irritability, racing thoughts, talking fast/jumping from subject to subject, lack of concentration, insomnia, spending sprees, increase in sex drive, abuse of narcotics, aggressiveness, and denial that anything is wrong.

Depressive symptoms can include: lasting sad/anxious/empty mood, hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, lack of interest in things once enjoyed, decreased energy, difficulty concentrating/remembering/making decisions, sleeping too much, change in appetite, and suicidal thoughts.

Bipolar is a treatable illness. It is up to the patient to follow therapy. If not, their episodes can become more often and become more severe.

This is but a very basic introduction to bipolar. It is one of the remaining few mental illnesses with a stigma attached. With education, the public will have a better understanding and eventually, the stigma will be lifted from this illness too.

Nikola lives and writes in Oklahoma. She is active in her local Citizen's Police Academy Alumni, Volunteers in Policing and Skywarn. She enjoys scrapbooking, reading and spending time with her two dogs. Nikola is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Creative Writing.

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

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Landmark Study into Bipolar in Children and Young People - By Cerianwen Ball

A recent study by Course and Outcome of Bipolar Illness in Youth COBY found that children and teen-agers with bipolar disorder suffer from the illness differently than adults do with their symptoms lasting longer and changing more swiftly from hyper to lethargy and depression.

In this first major study by COBY psychiatrist conducted a study of over 400 patients some for over five years to determine the effects of bipolar in young people and children.

Dr Martin Keller a front liner in designing and conducting long-term studies of major psychiatric disorders says "Bipolar disorder severely impairs functioning and has a high rate of related psychiatric and physical health issues, such as anxiety and substance abuse."

Bipolar disorder also known as manic-depressive illness is distinguished by dramatic mood changes, energy levels and behaviour. Sufferers can swing from one extreme (mania, which can be accompanied by extreme irritability, lack of sleep, poor judgment, restlessness and impulsiveness.) To the other extreme, depression, this can be branded by hopelessness, tiredness and, in some cases, suicidal tendancies. These manic and depressive episodes are interspersed with milder symptoms and impaired function in a mainstream of sufferers.

The study showed that these symptoms run a longer course with children and young people and in many of the cases the mood swings were even more dramatic and switched within shorter intervals than usual in adult cases.

Many of those with Bipolar otherwise specified developed Bipolar or Bipolar II. While researchers supposed that such conversions might transpire, this is the first comprehensive study to clearly document the phenomenon.

Cerianwen is a writer and Bipolar sufferer striving to rid the stigma of mental health through writing. Cerianwen is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Creative Writers.

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

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Natural Ways To Treat Depression - By Gray Rollins



Depression is a medical condition that affects the mind, often leaving the person suffering from it feeling hopeless, without ambition and unable to focus. Left untreated, this condition can adversely affect academic achievement, family life, friendships and careers. People tend to seek help from a mental health professional who may prescribe mood balancing drugs. Most, however; use an alternative form of medicine for a more natural treatment in tandem with drug therapy. Milder cases of depression can be treated solely with natural remedies without the need for prescription drugs.

Therapy is a great way to restore balance in your life. Seeking help from others who have similar issues will provide a support system to discuss issues, understand symptoms, and develop techniques to feel better. Often talking is very cathartic and can help alleviate stress and loneliness, which may cause feelings of depression.

Therapy that involves personal expression has been found to provide an outlet for pent-up feelings and can be a positive way to articulate deep feelings and emotion. This can take many forms. Dance is a great outlet for this as well as other movement therapies such as martial arts. Martial arts teach focus, self awareness, and control which can greatly benefit someone suffering from depression. Using art as a form of therapy is another expressive form of therapy. Whether it is sculpting or painting or any other variation of art, it’s a way to expose feelings in a tangible way.

Relaxation techniques help a person focus and gain a sense of serenity. Yoga is an ideal form of exercise that melds the body, mind, and spirit. It promotes good health, a positive self image and teaches relaxation. Meditation is also a good way to relax and unwind. It reduces the heart rate and clears the mind, allowing more focused thought. Acupuncture has grown in popularity as a means to treat depression. By using various pressure points, it is believed to enable a calming effect and promote a healthier emotional balance. Hypnosis is also popular as a means of getting to the core issues of why someone is depressed and leaving them with a sense of well being.

Certain dietary changes and supplements have been reported to be helpful in the treatment of depression. Adding fish oil, Zinc and B vitamins are found to help the body regulate chemicals that may trigger depression. Exercise is also very important. Keeping active will rejuvenate the body and keep it fit, promoting a healthier lifestyle and better self image. Working out several times per week can calm the senses and invigorate the body.

Depression does not need to be debilitating. Making a few changes to your daily routine will help promote a sense of well-being and help alleviate symptoms of depression. If you continue to have feelings of depression or have severe symptoms like suicidal thoughts, consult a health care professional immediately.

About the Author: Gray Rollins is a featured writer Depressionso.com. To learn more about natural depression treatments and alternative depression treatments, visit us.

Source: www.isnare.com

Friday, February 24, 2006

Self Injury (Cutting) in Adolescents and Teens - By Dore Frances

Some forms may include:


  • biting
  • branding, such as with gang members
  • burning
  • carving
  • cutting on various parts of the body
  • excessive body piercing
  • head banging
  • marking
  • picking and pulling hair and skin
  • scratching with fingernails or objects
  • self bruising
  • self hitting
  • self piercing
  • tattooing

  • Some adolescents and teens may self-mutilate to rebel, reject their parents' values, take risks, state their individuality or merely to be accepted by their peers. Others, however, may injure themselves out of anger or desperation to seek attention, to show their hopelessness, loss of self-esteem and worthlessness, or because they have suicidal thoughts. These children may suffer from serious psychiatric problems such as Bipolar Disorder, depression, mood disorders, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), and psychosis. Additionally, some adolescents and teens who engage in self-injury may develop Borderline Personality Disorder as adults when not treated for this as youth. Some young children may resort to self-injurious acts from time to time, however, they often grow out of it.


    Children with autism or mental retardation may also show these behaviors which may persist into adulthood when not treated at a younger age. Children who have been abandoned (adopted) or abused (emotinally, physically, sexually) may self-mutilate.


    Why do adolescents and teens self-injure?


    Adolescents and teens that have difficulty talking about and openly sharing their feelings may show their emotional tension, low self-esteem, physical discomfort, and pain with self-injurious behaviors. Although they may feel like the "steam" in the "pressure cooker" has been released following the act of cutting and hurting themselves, adolescents and teens may instead feel intense anger, fear, hate and hurt. The effects of peer pressure can also influence adolescents and teens to injure themselves. Even though fads come and go, a lot of the wounds on the child's' skin will be permanent. A lot of times adolescents and teens hide their burns, bruises, cuts and scars, due to feeling criticized, embarrassed, or rejected.


    What can parents do to help their child?


    Parents are encouraged to talk with their children about respecting and valuing their bodies. Parents also need to serve as role models for their adolescents and teens by not engaging in acts of self-harm themselves.


    Some helpful ways for parents to address their child's self-injury acts include teaching them to:


  • Accept reality and find ways to make the present moment more tolerable while talking about their feelings.
  • Develop better communication and social skills.
  • Help them distract themselves from feelings of self-harm (for example, counting to ten, drawing, waiting 15 minutes, saying "NO!" or "STOP!" out loud and to themselves as may times as needed, practicing breathing exercises and/or meditation, journaling, thinking about positive images, giving them a safe place to "vent", etc.)
  • Help them to identify their feelings and talk them out rather than act on them.
  • Practice positive stress management within the home.
  • Help them to soothe themselves in a positive, non-injurious, way.
  • Help them to stop, think, and evaluate the pros and cons of self-injury.

  • Evaluation by a mental health professional may assist in identifying and treating the underlying causes of cutting and self-injury. Feelings of wanting to die or kill themselves are reasons for the parents of adolescents and teens to seek professional care immediately.


    A psychiatrist may also diagnose and treat the serious psychiatric disorders that may accompany self-injurious and cutting behaviors.


    Dore E. Frances, Child Right's Advocate & Educational Consultant

    http://www.guidingteens.com

    Copyright © 1999, Horizon Family Solutions, LLC

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

    Thursday, February 23, 2006

    National Depresion Awareness Week - By Samantha Weaver

    NATIONAL DEPRESSION AWARENESS WEEK
    17th APR 2006 – 24th APR 2006

    What is National Depression Awareness Week?

    National Depression Awareness Week (or NDA) is a key time of the year in event calendars for many charities or campaigners whereby they try to promote awareness of depression. This could be in the form of newsletters, newspapers, articles, campaigns, advertising and fund raising. With depression being such a debilitating condition funds need to be raised to support the work of charities like Depression Alliance to enable them to continue their work long into the future.

    It is important to recognise that depression affects approximately 1 in 5 people at any one time. Anyone can suffer from depression at any time in their life. Usually depression affects people after they have gone through a traumatic life experience. Issues build up, problems are not resolved and minds dwell on negative thoughts.

    Depression affects people in numerous ways. A person suffering from depression can find it hard to get into the day-to-day activities that life has to offer them. They lack motivation, energy and enthusiasm, relationships can breakdown, jobs can become extremely difficult to do, concentration levels suffer and the isolation felt by a depressive becomes paramount. If left untreated the illness can develop to such a severe extent that a person can consider suicide as their last resort to a way out of he pain they are suffering.

    There are many cures and options available to assist a person who may suffering with depression, but these tools need to be made available to people in the first place. So by providing support to the charities that need it the most, you could actually be saving a life.

    So how can you help?

    You could organise a fundraising event…Whether it be a walking challenge, a party, a month without chocolate, a day without talking (sponsored silence)… use your imagination and come up with something interesting and exciting whereby other people will be happy to sponsor you.
    You can then create a sponsorship page at http://www.justgiving.com/depression/raisemoney This is a safe environment. You do not need to worry about cash or cheques as the money is sent electronically.

    You could make a donation…Charities are just that, charities. They receive little or no government funding whatsoever and in order to continue to provide their services, they usually rely heavily on membership and donations. Every penny raised will go towards raising awareness of depression and contributing towards the continual service of charities that rely so heavily on people’s generosity.

    You could put up posters around your workplace, school or collage… You can be inventive and create your own designs or you could download the poster from depressionalliance.org (available from beginning of march). Either way you will be providing awareness of depression and National Depression Awareness Week.

    Go on – do your bit today… you never know, one day it could be you who needs the support!
    Author reserves all rights to this article (c) Samantha C Weaver

    Samantha Weaver is the Author of Saving Samantha: A Young Woman's Escape from Childhood Hell, due for release 17 Apr-2006. Find out more about Sam and her experience of depression by visiting her website at: http://www.samanthaweaver.com

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

    10 Mistakes That Sabotage Healing - By Mari Moratto


    All of us are in need of healing. Perhaps we are mourning the loss of a relationship, or the loss of a loved one (animal or human). Or the loss of our health. Or the loss of a job, or status. Or the loss of a belief, or trust, or faith. Or peace of mind. Any loss will put us in a state of uneasiness or dis-ease.

    Dis-ease as the name says is the lack of ease or the absence of well-being, to be more accurate. When we lose our well-being, in any which form it comes, physically, emotionally, psychologically, or spiritually, we grieve. There is loss and we grieve this loss.

    Here are the 10 biggest mistakes that sabotage our healing from whatever dis-ease we may be having in life.

    1. We don’t acknowledge we are in need of healing
    Except for when things are really bad, as with a physical disease that may or may not be fatal, many times, we are not even aware that we need healing. We become the notorious “walking-wounded” hurting everyone else we meet.

    2. We don’t take time for ourselves
    We pretend that nothing has happened or we suppress our hurt and live life as if nothing happened. We don’t acknowledge that we need time out to recoup and make a plan of action.

    3. We don’t make a plan
    When we are aware that we need healing, we seek and follow the advice of others and many times we don’t even know exactly what we need to do to feel better. We don’t write our objectives and we plan a strategy to reconnect with our perfection.

    4. We don’t live in the present
    We regret what we did in the past and become anxious about the future, creating greater stress for our mind and body. We forget to live in the present, not knowing that a good present will determine an outstanding future.

    5. We don’t forgive
    We hold eternal grudges about people, events, and circumstances, including ourselves, thus preventing peace of mind and freedom.

    6. We think in the negative
    Our mind chatters negativism, as usual, thus deepening our struggles. We don’t realize the importance of positive thinking to better our life.

    7. We don’t shut the nay-sayers
    Especially when we have critical or chronic illnesses, we keep hearing from other that we will never get well, and worse, that we will die, and we keep listening to them because we trust they know better than we do, which is a grave mistake.

    8. We don’t do spiritual work
    Just when we need to go deep into our spirituality, we forgo our evolutionary process and delve into the physicality of life. We pray for the wrong outcomes.

    9. We don’t wish for perfection
    We wish for everything but not for the perfection of the solution to our problems, thus creating even worse case scenarios for ourselves.

    10. We don’t expect miracles
    We forget that miracles happen every day and many times we give in just when it is our turn to manifest them. We give up hope.

    What will you do to feel better?

    About the Author: Come spend one hour in our free teleseminar, learn to feel better and get a free report. Sign up at http://www.rx4bliss.com/healingtelesminar.htm" Dr. Maria Moratto helps you balance your life so that you can have more health, abundance, better relationships, and fun.

    Source: www.isnare.com

    Wednesday, February 22, 2006

    Depression Is A Real Illness - By Dr. Isaac Schumann


    Because most people get depressed from time to time, there is that eternal question if depression is a real illness. The answer is: yes. The clinical one, that is. It has been said that about one out of eight United States residents will likely become clinically depressed. Some experience it once in a lifetime, while others have multiple episodes. This is a fact: if a person gets depressed for the first time, there is a 50 percent chance that he will fall to the same predicament again. And come the second time, there is the threat that he will go into a third depressing episode.

    Depression is a real illness as it involves the mental, emotional and even physical faculties of the person. It is not just a transient sad feeling that will go away when one wills it to. There are symptoms and signs as well as corresponding treatment. If not handled properly and immediately, it may escalate to worse conditions. Like any other illness, depression has also variations.

    There are three types of depressive disorders: major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and dysthymic disorder.

    Major depression is a culmination of all the symptoms and signs that intervene with one's capability to act normally. It can happen once, but recurring episodes are possible.

    Its less severe counterpart is dysthymia which is characterized by the same symptoms of major depression, only they do not totally interfere with one's activities. A person who has dysthymic disorder can suffer major depression sometime during his life.

    Bipolar disorder is also a type of depression that involves drastic mood changes, from being very high one minute to severely depressed the next. The manic cycle can make the person hyper and overenthusiastic but it changes as soon as the depressed cycle hits. The depressed cycle encompasses all the symptoms of depression.

    Because depression is an illness, there are symptoms. Again, they are the following:

    1. Persistent "empty" feeling

    2. Unbelievable hopelessness

    3. Feeling guilty and worthless all the time

    4. Lack or loss of interests in activities that used to bring joy to the patient and this includes sex.

    5. Prominent fatigue

    6. Has a difficult time making decisions

    7. Development of sleep problems

    8. Loss of appetite and drastic weight change or loss

    9. Suicidal attempts and thoughts.

    10. Pronounced irritability

    11. Physical aches and pains that have no physiological basis

    The good news is at the end of this dark tunnel called depression, there is hope. Treatment is available in three types: psychotherapy, antidepressant medicine and the combination of the two. There are also times when electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and light therapy are employed. We will discuss these in depth in an upcoming article.

    About the Author: Dr. Isaac Schumann brings to you a life time of experience in the mental health fieldhttp://www.depressionhelpguides.com"


    Source: www.isnare.com

    Tuesday, February 21, 2006

    Depression = Anger + Grief + Trauma - By Pradeep Chadha

    Many years ago, when I started my psychiatric training in Europe, I realized that mental illnesses happen to those people who are not allowed to work through their emotional issues. It was then an acknowledged scientific fact that stress events in life triggered depression and other psychiatric conditions. But how does unexpressed emotions turn into an ‘illness’ is something that mainstream medicine still has difficulty with.

    One of my first success stories in treating depression was a lady who had been on antidepressants and who had won money in a lotto game. In her case the money was the trigger for making her depressed. After taking her history, it emerged that she had more to her depression than the immediate event that was the trigger. She had not grieved over the death of her father. She had been angry with her then husband, who was threatening to separate. She had also undergone traumatic experiences at the hands of her relatives that she had not come to terms with. To my surprise, when the impacts of the causes were neutralized, not only did she come off antidepressant successfully, but she remained well without medication for many years till I lost touch with her.

    Another story that I remember was of a time much earlier than the above event. A mother in her early 40s used to attend the psychiatric services for the treatment of depression. She was on antidepressant medication for many years. She was not willing to come off medication. She had an excellent upbringing and a good personality. She had lost her child many years ago in an incident that she stated was not a suicide. It was an incident that had shaken her own belief regarding her abilities as a mother. Despite the efforts of the doctors, she was unprepared to allow herself to grieve over the loss of her son. She continued to suffer with depression.

    Most of the time the individuals who suffer with depression, have learnt to hold back their anger. This anger could be due to many causes. The commonest one is against one’ s parents. Though parents do their best to bring up their children, the children tend to carry some anger or annoyance about their parents. This anger gets compounded if there are elements of neglect, rejection or threat. Other factors are the parental strictness and disallowing the child to cry or express themselves emotionally in any form. The anger is then suppressed. Other life events like bullying and strict teachers add on to the anger. If the person has seen other crises in their lives, anger increases.

    Unresolved and unfinished grief is the other cause for depression. Anger and fear of the departed is the main reason for the grief to remain unfinished. This happens especially in the cases of abuse when the abuser is a close relative who has died. Unresolved grief is commonly seen in all forms of abuse.

    Traumatic events can occur in many forms. I once saw a lady having unresolved trauma from an accident that took place 25 years ago. She was under the impression that the event had resolved itself as it had occurred many years ago. On remembering the event a few times, she started to have aches and pains in precisely the same spots in the body where she had felt pain immediately after the accident. She was obviously surprised, but she learnt that an event that happened many years ago is not necessarily forgotten by the body even if we believe that we do. Traumatic events can be repetitive, like abuse, or they can be sporadic events like rape or road traffic accident or a physical assault. Each of these experiences individually, can be the trigger for depression. They can also affect the body and the mind in a subtle manner and one may not experience any major depressive event for a long time in life.

    A common complaint that family physicians encounter is- persistent and chronic fatigue with loss in interest and excessive sleep. This condition, when it occurs without any physical illness, is termed chronic fatigue syndrome. Fibromyalgia is another term currently used for similar symptoms. These conditions have the same causes, in my experience, as major depression.
    Depression, from clinical perspective, is diagnosed when a person has low mood with reduced concentration, reduced ability to enjoy day to day activities and reduced energy that has lasted for more than two weeks. The person may have a loss of appetite, with a reduction (sometimes an increase) in weight. Sleep may be interrupted or the person may wake up two or three hours earlier than usual wake up time. There may be guilt or a death wish especially if the person has a sense of hopelessness about the future.

    Dysthymia is a term that is used to describe long-term sense of feeling low that does not disturb the sufferer’s life in a major way. The quality of life is low because of lack of enjoyment. This condition is diagnosed when it has lasted for at least two years.

    In all the above cases mentioned, antidepressants are the main line of treatment in psychiatry. But if the anger, grief and trauma issues are addressed, medication is easy to come off. In most of such cases, the person may not need antidepressant treatment again.

    Pradeep K Chadha is a psychiatrist who specialises in helping patients with meditation and imagery using little or no medication. He is the author of The Stress Barrier-Nature's Way To Overcoming Stress published by Blackhall Publishing, Dublin. He is based in Dublin, Ireland.His website address is: http://www.drpkchadha.com

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

    Monday, February 20, 2006

    Depression - Sexual Urges Rejected - By Kacy Carr

    Each and every one of us has had our fair share of ups and downs in life. Trivial little things can trigger off emotional upsets but it is how we cope with the cause behind those stressful moments that matter. Ups and downs do not last forever because after the (Down the only way is Up).

    How do you compare depression against that of ups and downs is there any similarities? Yes. Ups and downs are just that, where as depression has its ups and downs in a way that it turns your whole world Upside Down.

    Depression is a psychological problem and depending on how serious the symptoms medical attention maybe necessary. Clinical depression can damage your health where lack of sleep is a main factor for chronic fatigue settling in. Bouts of depression can have devastating affects on a patient trying to lead a normal life due to different mood swings which interfere with their normal daily activities. Those feelings can be of sadness/loneliness and dysphoria. The lack of concentration is a major holdback for a person suffering from depression especially when decision making is involved.

    Behaviour in sufferers with depression can dramatically change causing major havoc to their daily way of thinking or doing. Common occurring mood swings can consist of uncontrollable anger outbursts or anti social emotions. Social withdrawal can lead to loneliness where living like a recluse is the only option to deal with the depression. This is not the solution.

    Sexual urges that were once placed high up on your daily list of pleasurable thoughts can be reduced to a level of near non existence therefore this can cause your partner to feel rejected (Not in all cases) Medication is there for the taking, help is there for the taking, so why not take it. It may not cure but it certainly helps combat stress and anxiety.

    Awareness of just how serious depression can be if it reaches a certain level has to be addressed immediately. Check out how this disorder has or is still destroying lives. With the right treatment and medication you can still hold onto life.

    Due to the similarity of symptoms to ups and downs and depression has led to a lot of heartache. Sadly to say life was not worth living for some whose ups and downs turned out to be depression which scaled to a height as high UP like that of a mountain and then to come DOWN to earth with a bump where they are to sleep forever.

    It is our own depressed state of mind that hampers our efforts in finding the true cause and cure.

    We pill pop to take away the pain, why? We turn a deaf ear to advice. Why? Instead of looking for the answer to how it all started we intend to deal with the pain that comes with depression why? Because like I said it is our own depressed state of mind that hampers our efforts in finding the true cause and cure.

    Not sure if you are coming or going thats fine we all get into a state where we get flustered and do silly things but the silliest thing you could ever do is ignore the comings and goings of your ups and downs because it just maybe the start of depression so please talk to your doctor.

    About the Author: Advice on my health page about this disorder and more. Browse for answers or solutions on how to relieve stress/depression etc. http://www.benidormbeaches.com"
    Source: www.isnare.com

    Sunday, February 19, 2006

    Family Support For Depression - By Justin Meyer

    Family situations can be very different. Some people have great relationships with their families, while for others the entire topic can be laced with venom. The thought of reconnecting with your family might be such a negative that you want nothing to do with them. However, for some, there is a middle ground, that allows you to get in touch with your family and get support from them. If you are lucky, your relationship is good enough that you don’t need this article.

    If, however, you are like most of us, read on.

    The best way to do this is similar to finding a way to tell your family. Choose those who would be your most likely supporters and approach them first. Tell them what you need and ask if they would be willing to help. You will – hopefully – get an affirmative response. That, in and of itself, is not very hard. However, when you have a need for support from more than one or two people is when the problems can begin.

    It is hard to get large groups to agree on anything, which is why Pizza Hut has so many different pizza toppings. So don’t go in looking for support from your whole family and hope for it to just materialize. You will find some people thinking that you just want attention, some willing to do whatever you want, and some only willing to do certain things. Everyone will have different ideas on how to help. Invariably, you will find that you, instead of being the focus of the group, will become just another voice in the chorus.

    Learn to alleviate your depression at http://www.curemydepression.com

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

    Saturday, February 18, 2006

    Do Christians Get Depressed? - By Sonya Triggs

    What does the Bible say about depression? Is it okay to be a Christian and still get depressed? And what exactly is depression, anyway?

    First, what exactly is depression? WebMD defines it as ‘A clinical mood disorder associated with low mood or loss of interest and other symptoms that prevent a person from leading a normal life.’ Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary has an even more eye-opening definition: ‘a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies’. And if that doesn’t make it clear, I don’t know what does!

    So, do Christians get depressed? The short answer to that is – Yes. The Bible is filled with a lot of people who got depressed! The prophet Elijah experienced his own depression very shortly after experiencing a major victory with God. Elijah held a competition – himself against 450 prophets of Baal! – to prove the might of God. After a lot of storm and drama, God proved Himself to be the Only True God and Elijah experienced a major personal victory. The queen at the time -Jezebel - was very unhappy about this and threatened Elijah’s life. Elijah became frightened and ran for his life. After coming to the end of his (physical) rope (in the wilderness), he stopped and started to feel very badly for himself. 1 Kings 19:4 says Elijah, ‘….begged for his life, that he might die. And he said, It is enough, O LORD, take away my life. For I am no better than my fathers.’ (MKJV). Elijah was definitely depressed (the entire story can be read in 1 Kings 19:1-18).

    Even one of Israelite’s Great Deliverers, Joshua the Son of Nun, experienced a down time. Joshua had led the Israelites to a resounding victory against Jericho. The Israelites then went to war against Ai and experienced a bitter defeat. Joshua 7:6-7 says ‘And Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust on their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, why have You at all brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? And, oh that we had been content and lived on the other side of Jordan!’ (MKJV). Joshua was a very unhappy man.

    What I find most interesting about these situations, however, is how God responded to Elijah and Joshua. God sent an angel to minister to Elijah after he’d stopped in the wilderness, who provided him with food encouraged him to eat and drink. Elijah then took a 40-day journey to Mt. Horeb where God Himself spoke to him. God asked Elijah ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ (1 Kings 19:9 MKJV) and Elijah has this pity party where he tells God how he had been zealous for Him and Elijah was now the only prophet left and how they were trying to kill him! God gave Elijah instructions to carry out and then promptly informed him, ‘Yet I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal...’(1 Kings 19:18 MKJV). In other words, that Elijah had no business being depressed because he was not, in fact, the only prophet of God left. He also got the opportunity to speak to God one-on-one, as God passed by him and spoke to him in a still, small voice.

    God had a different response for Joshua. Joshua 7:10 says, ‘And the LORD said to Joshua, Get up! Why do you lie on your face this way?’ (MKJV). God explained to Joshua that the Israelites had been defeated because they had sinned against Him. But that now, it was time to Get Up!, fix the problem and return to their warfare against the people of Ai.

    What is reassuring about both of these situations is not only the fact that God heard Elijah’s and Joshua’s cries to Him, but that He responded. He met them right where they were and gave them hope and instructions for how to carry on. He didn’t leave them in the middle of their hopelessness – He took control and gave them a renewed sense of purpose and direction.

    So, do Christians get depressed? Sure – but they don’t usually stay depressed. One thing is for certain – Christians will encounter many situations which will challenge their optimism. Jesus himself promised us ‘ …In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer.’ (John 16:33 (MKJV). And why should we be of good cheer? Because Jesus also reminded us that ‘I have overcome the world’. In other words, there is no need for us to remain down or out (or even surprised by the frequency of our troubles), because Jesus has already solved any problems we will encounter. Yes, God does hear your cry when you are depressed, and will comfort and minister to you (as well as give you guidance), but, ultimately, our victory happened right there on Calvary when Jesus died on the cross for us. We can rest assured knowing that we will eventually come to a place where all trials and tribulations will be over, all tears will be wiped away and we will have eternal rest and peace with our Father. So that’s why we must recapture our joy when we're down and make a serious effort to remain in good spirits at all other times.

    So what should you do if you find yourself in the throes of depression? Paul lays it out for us in Philippians 4:4-13. First, he tells us to let God know about our worries - through prayer and supplication. To make our requests known to God – with our thanks (for hearing, for responding, for whatever we can think of!). And then he promises us that peace will be ours. And to maintain that peace, he tells us to think on good things! Good things only. He says ‘….whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report, if [there be] any praise, think on these things.’ (KJV - emphasis mine)

    This doesn’t mean you have to adopt a Pollyana view of the world – that nothing bad is going on or that you don’t have a good reason to be down. Instead, it means that you CHOOSE to maintain a positive attitude, knowing that God has it all under control. It means that you CHOOSE to let God deal with it instead of wrestling around with it in your own mind. And, finally it means you CHOOSE to believe God instead of all the rotten things that are going on around you. Paul last of all reminds us that we can do all things because Jesus strengthens us. So, it’s not a matter of relying on your own strength, but on the strength of the Almighty.

    And He will never let you down.

    So, don’t worry if you get depressed (occasionally) - just try your best not to stay depressed. Remember that God hears your prayers (and will respond) and that His peace will keep you through it all – if you let Him. So think good thoughts, turn your cares over to Him and choose to believe in God’s word instead of the world.

    You will be blessed!

    About the Author: Sonya C. Triggs is the Founder of Urban Christianz Ministries (http://www.urbanchristianz.com" , where you can find great articles, resources and advice for single Christians, Christian teens and anyone seeking a closer walk with God! Visit Urban Christianz to improve your relationships, become closer to God and learn how to incorporate every-day sp



    Source: www.isnare.com

    Friday, February 17, 2006

    Diagnose This - By Stormy Gale


    The Gift of Forgiveness. It is a gift that Blesses You.

    I am sure that someone has traveled down a similar road as mine. For those that have not found their way, here's my hand reaching out to yours. There is an answer that awaits you. I am honored to be able to "Lead" you to the other side. Depression or suicide is not an option once you near the end of this journey with me.

    Anybody that hurts can be set free! Your chains can be broken and the pages of your life can be wiped clean. God is able to walk backwards and forwards throughout the pages of time concerning your life. He is not constrained by calendars or clocks.

    If you keep looking back in hate, your heart will turn as hard and as cold as stone. But You can allow God to go back, right into your painful past and correct and restore to you what the enemy has robbed. Let him do it for you. Your reward is so much greater than the unforgiveness and bitterness that await you.

    My prayer is that each and every one of you will be set free. I'm not anymore special than you are and God loves you no less than He does me. What he did for me, he can and will do for you.

    Let me hear a testimony of your metamorphosis. With your permission, I plan to include it in another book, about you and your recovery.

    Day after day of continually flipping through the channels on the TV, I have been bombarded with a barrage of unthinkable stories, and acts. I noticed that some of the talk shows thrive on exploiting hundreds and hundreds of poor souls. These are people that have encountered the worst that life has to throw at them; People that just haven't got a clue who to turn to nor what to do about their own abuse. The one common denominator that I gathered was, "Here's my trash and the trash of my loved ones ... I've exposed them! Now I can go on about my life!"

    This only contributes more to the ... Insanity. Those that are in the same situations get the message that they too should appear on some talk show and tell the whole world about their nightmare, as if somehow they'd get revenge. This mentality leaves the poor soul that might be able to relate to their insanity to conclude that life was just not worth living.

    Too many children are turning on their parents, and families members are killing one another off, or would like to. The sense of hopelessness is permeating the airwaves!

    I know we all have our "Junk Closets and Drawers," and that some are full ... Some more than others. No one on earth has been left unscathed. Does this give us a right to put our junk on the street ... for all to see if we are not trying to HELP one another?

    There's a very old story that goes something like this:

    A great old man planted a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. The youngest son entered the room ... Saw his father's nakedness and ran to tell his two brothers outside and people on the street. The older two sons took a garment and laid it across their shoulders, and walked backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way, so that they would not see their father's nakedness. When the old man awoke and found out what his youngest son had done, he spoke a cursed on his son. "The lowest of slaves you will he be to your brothers." The old man also spoke blessings on the two older sons. All three sons knew their father was drunk and naked, but the two older sons loved their father and respected him, but most of all they loved God.

    God also blessed those two young men, and their seed of generations to come. The one with the need to exploit, that had run to put this on the street ... Was curse by God. This one son's seed of generations to come, would be cursed all the way to this very day. The young man was telling the truth, His father was drunk and yes, he was naked. Yet God hated the rebellious disrespect practiced by the son; more than he was interested in what his father had done. Right or wrong, it is God's job to deal with our families deep dark secrets. It is not ours to avenge.

    This father was Noah.

    ( * The Bible, Genesis 9:19-27)

    There is never a beneficial purpose if you're just in the exploiting and exposing business. It will only bring curses on your own life. That was not an untrue story. It's principle holds true today. The reason why you should share with others is to become their lifeline and help lead them gently out of their pit, not to pull them back down in it ... Stepping on them every step of the way.

    God delivers each of us that trust in Him. He doesn't tell us to forget; he just tells us to
    Forgive!

    Forgive doesn't not mean forget! I learned in my college psychology classes ... that those that "do forget" are haunted with shadows of deep psychoses. Thousands of psychiatrists have patients that are being treated to rediscover their suppressed memories before they can be healed.

    We can be delivered from hate and from our transgressions ... However, sometimes we have been just as guilty as those we want to hate. To get forgiveness ... We simply must be able to exercise that same forgiveness towards others, no matter what. The eye opener is that we also get forgiven by others for our transgressions, by the "same measure" that we dole out.

    Our new life and the old life from which we come ... now becomes our Testimony ... Not our dagger. People do not care to hear anyone boast how great their life is, if they have no clue of what they themselves are going through.

    Don't waste your testimony in vengeance ... Trying to strike a pose. Rather take time to listen to yourselves, and to rearrange your hearts. It's time to cover our families with love and forgiveness. It's time to get those that are our perpetrators ... Real help.

    On those exploiting talk shows, I do not recall anyone having a happy ending. I do not recall anyone having a positive solution. I do not recall hearing anyone ever say that they have forgiven their perpetrators, or that they have truly been set free. I do hear a lot of bitterness and hate that can only fester in their soul, becoming the very infection that seeks to destroy them. Here's my hand! Embrace it. Embark on this unforgettable journey and find your own amazing freedom!

    Once you get to the place we are headed you will not have to pad the pockets of "Shrinks" or spend a lifetime taking mind altering psychotropic drugs. I tried that ... It does not work.
    Don't worry about exposing your enemies, God's Word say: "Everything Covered ... Will Be Uncovered".

    Article Source: www.Article99.com

    Thursday, February 16, 2006

    Winter Snow Can Cast A Blanket Of Depression - By Chris W James

    With overcast skies and the snow falling across the Northeast, many find themselves covered in a blanket of depression. Winter months are prime time for Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD as it's commonly referred to. SAD is a mood disorder associated with depression and related to seasonal variations of light. During the winter months, the days become shorter, so we are exposed to less daylight. No big deal, right? Wrong! Here are some tips and valuable information from the National Institute of Mental Health to help defeat those "winter blues."

    Possible Cause of this Disorder

    Melatonin, a sleep-related hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, has been linked to SAD. This hormone, which may cause symptoms of depression, is produced at increased levels in the dark. Therefore, when the days are shorter and darker the production of this hormone increases.

    -symptoms range from excessive weight gain and/or excessive eating and sleeping during the winter months

    -symptoms occur only during winter, with no recurring episodes during spring and summer

    -cravings for sugary or starchy foods

    -seasonal episodes substantually outnumber non seasonal depressive episodes

    Treatments

    Phototherapy or bright light therapy has been shown to suppress the brain’s secretion of melatonin. Although, there have been no research findings to definitely link this therapy with an antidepressant effect, many people respond to this treatment. The device most often used today is a bank of white fluorescent lights on a metal reflector and shield with a plastic screen. For mild symptoms, spending time outdoors during the day or arranging homes and workplaces to receive more sunlight may be helpful. One study found that an hour’s walk in winter sunlight was as effective as two and a half hours under bright artificial light. If phototherapy is not effective, other treatments are available such as medication. Other options are available. Speak with your family doctor for more information.

    Never Give Up!

    Chris W James, Founder of MusicCanHeal.org. A site dedicated to public awareness of depression and bi-polar disorder.

    Author of, "Music...Inside my Head and Out of my Mind." A book on bi-polar depression. Packed with information and ancidotes from Chris' life. How depression inspired the music; with a 26 song music CD included with the book.

    Chris has written songs for popular entertainer and wrestler," Big Poppa Pump," Scott Steiner, movie soundtracks, "Darkest Soul", "Deathcop", and Director Rick Shipley's "Dangerous Mode."
    Has 6 songs in regular rotation for airplay at www.songplanet.com

    Has multiple songs in rotation on iIndie 104.7 FM iRADIO LA, the #1 indie radio station based out of Los Angeles, CA.

    Diagnosed as bi-polar himself, Chris dedicates all his free time to depression awareness and public education. Founded Music Can Heal, (http://www.musiccanheal.org) to promote public awareness and to help others avoid the stigma associated with depression and mental illness.

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

    In Harms Way: Suicide In America - By: Arthur Buchanan

    Suicide is a tragic and potentially preventable public health problem. In 2000, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. Specifically, 10.6 out of every 100,000 persons died by suicide. The total number of suicides was 29,350, or 1.2 percent of all deaths. Suicide deaths outnumber homicide deaths by five to three. It has been estimated that there may be from 8 to 25 attempted suicides per every suicide death. The alarming numbers of suicide deaths and attempts emphasize the need for carefully designed prevention efforts.

    Suicidal behavior is complex. Some risk factors vary with age, gender, and ethnic group and may even change over time. The risk factors for suicide frequently occur in combination. Research has shown that more than 90 percent of people who kill themselves have depression or another diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder, often in combination with other mental disorders. Also, research indicates that alterations in neurotransmitters such as serotonin are associated with the risk for suicide. Diminished levels of this brain chemical have been found in patients with depression, impulsive disorders, a history of violent suicide attempts, and also in postmortem brains of suicide victims.

    Adverse life events in combination with other risk factors such as depression may lead to suicide. However, suicide and suicidal behavior are not normal responses to stress. Many people have one or more risk factors and are not suicidal. Other risk factors include: prior suicide attempt; family history of mental disorder or substance abuse; family history of suicide; family violence, including physical or sexual abuse; firearms in the home; incarceration; and exposure to the suicidal behavior of others, including family members, peers, or even in the media.

    Gender Differences

    Suicide was the eighth leading cause of death for males and the 19th leading cause of death for females in 2000. More than four times as many men as women die by suicide, although women report attempting suicide during their lifetime about three times as often as men. Suicide by firearm is the most common method for both men and women, accounting for 57 percent of all suicides in 2000. White men accounted for 73 percent of all suicides and 80 percent of all firearm suicides.

    Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

    In 2000, suicide was the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds—10.4 of every 100,000 persons in this age group—following unintentional injuries and homicide. Suicide was also the 3rd leading cause of death among children ages 10 to 14, with a rate of 1.5 per 100,000 children in this age group. The suicide rate for adolescents ages 15 to 19 was 8.2 deaths per 100,000 teenagers, including five times as many males as females. Among people 20 to 24 years of age, the suicide rate was 12.8 per 100,000 young adults, with seven times as many deaths among men as among women.

    Older Adults

    Older adults are disproportionately likely to die by suicide. Comprising only 13 percent of the U.S. population, individuals age 65 and older accounted for 18 percent of all suicide deaths in 2000. Among the highest rates (when categorized by gender and race) were white men age 85 and older: 59 deaths per 100,000 persons, more than five times the national U.S. rate of 10.6 per 100,000.

    Attempted Suicides

    Overall, there may be between 8 and 25 attempted suicides for every suicide death; the ratio is higher in women and youth and lower in men and the elderly.2 Risk factors for attempted suicide in adults include depression, alcohol abuse, cocaine use, and separation or divorce. Risk factors for attempted suicide in youth include depression, alcohol or other drug use disorder, physical or sexual abuse, and disruptive behavior. As with people who die by suicide, many people who make serious suicide attempts have co-occurring mental or substance abuse disorders. The majority of suicide attempts are expressions of extreme distress and not just harmless bids for attention. A suicidal person should not be left alone and needs immediate mental health treatment.

    Prevention

    Preventive efforts to reduce suicide should be based on research that shows which risk and protective factors can be modified, as well as which groups of people are appropriate for the intervention. In addition, prevention programs must be carefully tested to determine if they are safe, truly effective, and worth the considerable cost and effort needed to implement and sustain them.

    Many interventions designed to reduce suicidality also include the treatment of mental and substance abuse disorders. Because older adults, as well as women who die by suicide, are likely to have seen a primary care provider in the year prior to their suicide, improving the recognition and treatment of mental disorders and other suicide risk factors in primary care settings may be one avenue to prevent suicides among these groups.

    Recently, the manufacturer of the medication clozapine received the first ever Food and Drug Administration indication for effectiveness in preventing suicide attempts among persons with schizophrenia. Additional promising pharmacologic and psychosocial treatments for suicidal individuals are currently being tested.

    If someone is suicidal, he or she must not be left alone. Try to get the person to seek help immediately from his or her doctor or the nearest hospital emergency room, or call 911. It is also important to limit the person's access to firearms, medications, or other lethal methods for suicide.

    About the Author: Listen to Arthur Buchanan on the Mike Litman Show! http://freesuccessaudios.com/Artlive.mp3" target="_blank">http://freesuccessaudios.com/Artlive.mp3 THIS LINK WORKS, LISTEN TODAY!With Much Love, Arthur Buchanan President/CEO Out of Darkness & Into the Light 43 Oakwood Ave. Suite 1012 Huron Ohio, 44839 567-219-0994 (cell) http://www.out-of-darkness.com" target="_blank">http://www.out-of-darkness.comhttp://www.adhdandme.com" target="_blank">http://www.adhdandme.com (still working on)http://www.biologicalhapiness.com" target="_blank">http://www.biologicalhapiness.com (It Is Done Take a Look!)

    Source: www.isnare.com

    Wednesday, February 15, 2006

    Overcoming Depression Through Faith - By Foras Aje

    Let’s face it, we all get depressed at times, it is only being human. However, as with all things, when it becomes excessive, depression, characterized by erratic mood swings, loss of interest in hobbies and a generally sad demeanor is very detrimental to our overall health.

    As damaging as it is to our general well being, it is quite alarming that most of us do suffer from this ailment and it is even more frightening that many people have been diagnosed as being clinically depressed. Is there hope? Most of us might ask.

    Yes, there is.

    It is summed up in one word; Faith.

    And what is Faith?

    Well, According to Heb 11. 1; "It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen", in lay man's terms, it is believing in what you can't necessarily see, feel or touch but knowing that it is there and will be beneficial for you.

    Take for example; remember when you may have fallen of your bike as a kid and after your mom nursed the bruise she tells you "let me kiss it so the pain goes away..."?

    Well as adults, we know that didn't necessarily make the hurting stop...per se, but in being told that, as kids we automatically believed "Well, if mommy says it'll go away by kissing it, then I believe it will...” The trick is the second part of that thought is what made it happen! Believing that what mom said she'd bring about will happen!

    Evidently, kids in their innocence and supposed naïveté really are the group of humans who possess the most natural ability to abide by faith. We all had this gift at some point but, well, as we age and experience trying times in our lives, sadly the magic dissipates, leaving room for such negative forces as depression, doubt, self-hatred, you name it.

    It's no wonder Jesus said "To enter the Kingdom of heaven, ye must be like little children..." The same Man went on to say in Luke 17:20-21: "The kingdom of Heaven is within you"

    Wow...what a statement!

    The author of “The Power of Positive Thinking” Dr. Norman Vincent Peale analyzed this verse and states that it means "We as humans, the images of God, have everything within us to make our worlds and lives better and all we want it to be!” Hey, it's no error that Psalm 82:6 says: "For ye are gods..."

    Now as powerful as faith is and as necessary as it is to overcoming depression, it needs to be exercised wisely to be strengthened.

    Here are some tips:

    1. Always act like it is impossible to fail, believe that it always works.

    2. Pre-condition your mind to success in all things.

    3. Try, really try! Think, really think! Believe, really believe!

    You are what you are and will be where you want to be based on your thoughts.

    Admittedly, it may not always be easy, but that is what life is all about and one comforting fact is God has promised in His word, 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation (problem) has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (tested) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation (problem) will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

    Think on that, strengthen your faith with the tips above and you too will soon be overcoming depression.

    About the Author: Foras Aje is the author of the e-book: Fitness: Inside and Out-A guide to Improved Health, Vigor and Vitality. He is the webmaster at http://www.bodyhealthsoul.com

    Source: http://www.isnare.com

    Tuesday, February 14, 2006

    Depression and the Sensitive at Heart - By Friedrich Asen

    There are beautiful people out there, sensitive and tender at heart. One thing they often have in common: they suffer from low self esteem, depression and the like. Many times they work in the social field, but they may come from any occupation. Often they feel not to fit into society at all. Whatever they try, they cannot find a suiting place.

    On the other hand, there are the powerful manipulators out there, often unscrupulous and insensitive. Exploiting mother earth and their fellow men, they blossom. They have found a way to fight depression. They act, control, manipulate and accumulate power. I am sure they are depressed too, but they have found a way to suppress it. A life of manipulation, based on power and might, lacks one of the most important ingredients of life, wich is love. Where love is lacking, there is senselessness. And where there is senselessness, there is depression.

    There are people pointing out how wrong the Bible is today, because it proclaims 'the meek shall inherit the world'. "Can you think of a dumber line?", they ask. The only people inheriting the world are the super rich and the ones with big armies and nukes. Nothing meek about that.

    They say that it has always been the men with the iron fist who lead. From the beginning of time till the end. If your meek, you'll merely end up being the man behind the man.

    I don't agree with this statement at all. It is based on a total misunderstanding of the word meek, as it was used by Jesus and so many other powerful personalities. It confuses meek with weak. That's a major blunder. This is not only the fallacy of the powerful (and the ones controlled by them), but of the sensitive and tender hearted as well, who desire a different world of love and respect. They feel threatened by the manipuators and exploiters. They fall into depression and anxiety. They often fall into the trap of becoming passive victims. "The world could be so beautiful", they sigh, "if there weren't this greedy bad people, who seem to never get enough."

    I shall proclaim a different concept here: Meekness is absolute power. It is much more powerful than anything else.

    Let's first deal with the wrong concept of meekness to weed it out. To be meek in the wrong sense will certainly lead to depression and frustration. It is accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of impotence and powerlessness. Meek persons of this kind always feel dependent on the whim and arbitrariness of the persons in charge.

    The most sensitive and intelligent people fall into this trap. They feel that they could never become as cruel, unscrupulous and stone hearted as the oviously successful people. The Darwinian theory of evolution brainwashes you: "If you want to survive, you have to be the fittest. The rest is doomed to drown. Fittest means to be hard, harsh, cruel, calculating and strong."

    I have been taught like this in my childhood. My conclusion was that I will probably never become powerful, as I could not even stand an ant to be killed. There is no fitter person, not only to survive, but to live, than the meek one. Indeed the meek shall inherit the world, but this sort of meekness is totally different. It will rid you of depression. It will provide a new outlook to your life. It will give you a sense of power and control. It will guarantee you total independence.
    Actually misunderstood meekness and the display of superior manipulative power are of the same kind. They look different from the surface only. Both are a guaranteed source of depression and frustration. Both are based on a lack of internal independence and strength.

    While the strong guy is actively fighting for recognition and acceptance, mainly from himself, the week ones have abandoned their claim for respect.

    But, their weekness is often much closer to real power than the external display of control of the seemingly powerful. The later are often totally weak inside, driven only by their greed for recognition, for which they are eager to transgress all laws of life. The soft and tender person naturally has a lot of respect for these unbreakable laws. When they are carefully guided to discover their inner invulnerability, they will immediately start to blossom. When they are taught to completely step out of the stupid game of artificial competition by accepting the real identity of eternal bliss and knowledge, they will in any way be superior to even the most powerful manipulators. Life itself will be at their disposal, offering them any kind of opulence, strength and independence. External strenght will be reduced to a mere shadow of the power of pure conscious essence.

    Those powerful persons, whose power is built upon arrogance and manipulation, will find it almost impossible to abandon their pathological addiction to material superiority.

    Therefore rejoice, you, who are sensitive and tender at heart. Come out from depression and anxiety. Reclaim your heritage of power. The only reason, why a false display of artificial power can keep the whole world mesmerized is that more kind and sensitive persons will have to come forward to display the irresistible power of love, kindness and concern for the needs of others.

    The famous British mathematician, philosopher and author Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) has said the following: "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." These doubts can be overcome with the right guidance and education. Reality never supports power based on arrogance, cynicism and and unscrupulousness. It may be tolerated for some time, but very soon it is the cause of it's own destruction.

    On the other hand reality always supports love, freedom, sensivity, compassion, meekness and respect. These qualities are the characteristics of original life. If you cooperate with lifes inherent nature, who will blossom forever. Get out of the habit of complaining, wailing and accusing. Get out of frustration and anxiety. You may be much closer to your power than you think.

    Copyright © 2006 by Friedrich Asen. All rights reserved.

    Friedrich Asen has made it easy for you to grow and blossom. To learn more about the world's best resources for alternative depression treatment, read his article The Real Nature of Depression and its Spiritual Cause

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

    Monday, February 13, 2006

    Depression and Anxiety - By Robert Kokoska

    Most of us do experience occasional outbreaks of anxiety or momentary depression, at least once or twice in our lifetime. Anxiousness, changing moods, shifting metal attitude and a short term depression are all so common to thousands of people allover the world. Low intensity anxiety and depression also work as positive parameters, when we can prepare for a pending task or take precious time to reflect on our actions, and regroup our effort in order to get success in life. Thus, anxiety and depression are a common part of our life, often more helpful than overtly harmful. But, when anxiety and depression seem to crop up out of nowhere, persist for many months without providing much relief, or if it interferes with daily life, then you’re probably suffering from a grave illness or a permanent symptom.

    Anxiety and depression are among the most prevalent and highly treatable forms of mental disease in the whole world. People who are suffering from acute anxiety display a varied degree of symptoms, which range from trembling, muscle aches, intense sweating, dizziness, extreme fatigue, jumping heart and dry mouth. But, anxiety disorder is much more serious than it is assumed to be, just because, persons who are suffering from such a malady become practically disabled, both mentally and physiologically, making the life a hell. Anxiety and its symptoms can be categorized into many types and one must realize that it is very common disorder, treatable by many modern treatment techniques.

    Depression is possibly one of the most common mental conditions in the world today and almost 150 million people suffer from symptoms of depression. One in four women and one in ten men can easily be diagnosed with depression, at some point in their lives, though very often it goes undiagnosed. They may not even know that what they are experiencing are symptoms of a treatable illness. Most visible signs of depression are often associated with the daily work, when people tend to neglect even the most common of daily work like brushing their teeth. Other visible signs include intense sadness, helplessness, irritability and uncontrolled anger. One of the most dangerous side signs is probably the tendency to commit suicide. Associated symptoms like memory lapses, slurred speech and lack neuromuscular movement are not uncommon in the later stages of depression.

    Anxiety and depression outbreak can occur at any age and time. Most of these patients are usually very stubborn and often never believe that they are affected by the illness. Advanced stages of anxiety and depression require frequent hospitalization and intensive medical care. Unattended depression can also lead to further serious medical complications like psychosis, schizophrenia and mental disorder. However, a proper medical care and regular counseling will help patients to recover from the ordeals of anxiety and depression.

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

    Sunday, February 12, 2006

    Victory Over Depression Series: Letting Go of Your Pain - By Sharon Lowell

    Letting go

    I'd like to throw out the question to us both "what do we needlessly hold on to?"

    Interesting question, isn't it? This question seems simple on the surface to answer, but upon investigation into the deepest secret parts of our minds, and that being extremely complex. I desperately hung on to guilt, hurt, rage, disappointment and especially pity for years and years and years.

    I'd like to explain my own personal reasons for doing this, with the hope that maybe a light will pop on inside your mind, helping you uncover reasons for clinging to your pain.

    First of all, I felt that the horror of the experiences that led to all my negative torment deserved the reverence of me for ever paying "homage" to my consequential suffering.

    If I didn't stroke and nurture the pain that resulted from living through my hell -- who would?

    In my mind, no one else cared! So, I would carry the torch -- and live forever in remembrance of my agony – I was determined to take care of it. If I just let it all go, it would have been like admitting that what happened to me was okay, it doesn't matter, no big deal, forget about it!"

    Well, everything that happened is not okay, and will never be okay! What people did to me does matter, is a big deal -- and I certainly won't ever forget about it! So, with a strong and determined protective, obsessive attitude, I kept all these promises to myself, and I "honored” my agony 24/7.

    Unfortunately, this mindset eventually took on a life of its own. It gained momentum and power, and led me steadily down the path of nothing short of death. All I could see was the dark, critical, vicious side to life. Simple pleasures did not exist for me, and I became intolerably moody and angry. I trusted nothing and no one. My attitude towards everything became more and more sarcastic and miserable. The heaviness took its toll on my mind, body and spirit -- until I craved actual physical death.

    I find this very difficult to write about, and actually become literally heavy in my head, eyes and body when I revisit these thoughts and past lifestyle. The good news is, however, that because of the grace and patience of God, and the tiny spark left with the need to find healing -- that healing is what I did ultimately attain.

    My life changed forever when I finally adopted two very simple, but hard to learn philosophies:

    • Honor the traumatic memories by learning from them, instead of living inside them. I understand completely the need to show respect and reverence for our times of horror, but we can transfer this reverence into knowledge and understanding. The lessons permanently learned from our times of agony will provide potent influence we can apply to future choices that will have to be made. The knowledge and understanding that comes from torment is ultimately a powerful gift that allows us to find maturity, compassion for others, and certain joy in our future.

    • Reassign new positive associations and meaning to your hurtful memories. Almost always, in any bad situation, we can acknowledge the love and caring we put out there to others, which is always precious and of great value in the eyes of the Lord. Even if our love was responded to eventually with hate or betrayal, our love, concern and generosity of spirit needs to be seen as precious wonderful priceless, and worthy of great praise. Honor your goodness in mind body and spirit, and virtue in motive, regardless of how the situation turned out. Own responsibility for the mistakes you made, but feel compassion for yourself, as opposed to self pity.

    These points, as well as many others which I cover in my audio e-book; “A Path To Healing”, helped me after a long time of meditation, searching and honest evaluation of all the details surrounding my times of suffering, to find a way back to joy, self understanding, love and humble beautiful new beginnings.

    I pray the same for you.

    Copyright 2005 Sharon Lowell

    Sharon has found her way from debilitating suicidal depression to a new life of joy. Her passion now is helping others who suffer for the devastating affects of depression and anxiety through her new audio e-book; "A Path to Healing" at http://www.apathtohealing.com

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

    Saturday, February 11, 2006

    Depression In Teenagers & Children - By Carolyn Magura

    DEPRESSION in Teenagers and Children

    A while ago I did a blog about Adult depression. While doing the research on Adult depression, I learned quite a bit of information about depression in general, in addition to what I already knew because I suffer from this condition myself. What I didn't know, however, is just how prevelant this condition is in the population at large, and in children and teens in specific. One source said that depression is close to the top psychological condition in the western world (more about what this means in a later blog; it'll take a whold blog to talk about what this means).

    This article will cover the following: teenager and children depression statistics; teenager and children - specific depression symptoms (for "general" symptoms, check out the Adult blog), and, what you, as the parent and/or gaurdian, can do if you recognize the symptoms in one of yours. (Remember, the following information comes from many Internet sources.)

    TEENAGER AND CHILDREN DEPRESSION STATISTICS

    As many as 8.3% of teenagers in the U.S. suffer from depression. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in teenagers.

    As many as one in every 33 children and approximately one in 8 adolescents may have depression. (Center for Mental Health Services, 1996; these data have increased over the past 9 years).

    Treatment of major depression is as effective for children as it is for adults. (Dr. Graham Emslie, American Medical Association, Archives of General Psychiatry, November 15, 1997).

    Twenty years ago depression in children was almost unknown. Now the fastest rate of increase in depression is among young people. (I don't know about you, but this statistic scares me the most!)

    The statistics on teen depression are sobering. Studies indicate that one in five (1 in 5) children have some sort of mental, behavioral, or emotional problem, and that one in ten (1 in 10) may have a serious emotional problem.

    What is even more chilling is that of all these children and teens struggling with emotional and behavioral problems, a mere 30% receive any sort of intervention or treatment. The other 70% simply struggle through the pain of mental illness or emotional turmoil, doing their best to make it to adulthood. Many theorize that this is why the suicide rate in teens is so high. Suicide is the third (3rd) leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24. Even more troubling, it is the sixth (6th) leading cause of death among children ages 5-14.

    The consequences of untreated depression can be:

    increased incidence of depression in adulthood;involvement in the criminal justice system;or in some cases, suicide.

    WHAT ARE THE TEEN/CHILDREN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS?

    As we see above, treatment (i.e., counseling, therapy, or even medical intervention, if needed) for depression is as effective for teens/children as it is for Adults. Let me state that again; research from a variety of sources indicates that appropriate treatment for depression in a teen and/or a child is as effective as it is for Adults. So, what, as a parent or gurdian, should we look for? What are the symptoms of real depression, and not just a "bad mood"?

    "Real Depression" - the type that needs immediate and appropriate attention - in teenagers and in children is defined as: when the feelings of depression persist and interfere with the teen's/child's ability to function in his/her normal daily activities. This doesn't mean that one should ignore a teen's/child's bad mood if it lasts for a few days or a few weeks. What it does mean is that, at a minimum, you, the parent/guardian must know enough about your teen's/child's normal daily activities so that you can know when there are changes. OK, what covers "normal daily activities" for a teen/child? (And, in this, we are sticking to American generic teens/children, because that's what I am most famaliar with. If anyone can add to this list, please do so.)

    As you read through this list, remember that your teen/child has to have "a siginficant" number of these symptoms; they have to be ongoing, out of character; and impair the teen's/child's normal daily activities (sound familiar?)

    1) Snapping at people for no apparent reason - being irritable at everyone.

    2) Physically or verbally aggressive at everyone.

    3) Abandoning favorite hobbies or sports or other routine, daily activities.

    4) Increased passive TV watching (where the teen/child has that "thousand yard stare" and is not interacting with the programs).

    5) Increased risk-taking; e.g., dangerous driving; climbing too high in a tree and jumping, breaking something; other repeated unusually dangerous activities.

    6) Misuse of drugs and alcohol. Particularly teens, who use drugs and alcohol to "escape". (1)

    7) Changes in school behaviors (including training courses and work settings) for teens; changes in interpersonal behaviors and activities in a pre-school setting (i.e., used to like to color and play with clay; now just sits in a corner, holding a stuffed toy and sucking a thumb).

    8) Frequent absences from school; poorer grades than formerly attained; increase in skipping classes; etc. For a child, reversion in activities (i.e., used to color within the lines, now just scribbling on paper; intentionally breaking things, etc.)

    9) Complains of being bored (teen); a child whose attention waivers when it didn't before. A child who, during a group reading, who used to sit and listen, now gets up and wanders around.

    10) Becomes disruptive in class (both teens and children).

    11) Finds it harder to stay on task. Loses concentration easily; is mentally confused. Finds decisions difficult to make. In a child this might look like the following: unable to match blocks by color when s/he could before; unable to choose between playing ball and jumping rope when the child ALWAYS choose playing ball before. You can think of your own examples, I'm sure.

    12) Cannot remember commitments - doesn't keep appointments (teen). As a child, forgets to bring papers home when s/he ALWAYS used to do so; forgets home address/telephone number when s/he has known them for months/years; etc.

    13) Has difficulty staying still or conversely, is lethargic (sluggish). This would apply to both a teen and a child. You can picture, in your mind, the teen or child in constant motion; twitching, shaking a foot, or both feet; handling things; etc. OR, the teen or child who sits or lays with that thousand yard stare again. AND, again, this is unusual behavior for your teen or child.

    14) Changes in relationships with family and friends. Usually, this change manifests itself in hostility, or in passivity. Arguing when s/he didn't before; or, using the "whatever" answer, when s/he used to talk to you. (Again, don't single this one symptom out; it must be one of many symptoms that your teen or child has.)

    15) Stops going out with friends; shows no interest in group outings.

    16) Increase or decrease in sexual activity (hopefully, an OLDER TEEN).

    17) May start associating with a different peer group (that "bad influence" group as a teen; the "rowdy" kids as a child).

    18) Loses interest in activities which once were fun.

    19) More conflicts with parents and siblings than usual.

    20) Changes in eating and sleeping habits.

    21) Expresses inappropriate guilt, feelings of not being good enough, worthlessness, failure. (I can see this in a teen; not sure how this would look in a child. If you can, please let us know.)

    22) Expresses hopelessness and having nothing to look forward to.

    23) Speaks in a monotonous or monosyllabic manner.

    24) Has a preoccupation with self; is withdrawn.

    25) Cries easily, looks sad, feels alone or isolated.

    26) Has fears about having to be perfect.

    27) Fearful of doing something bad. This, in a child, could manifest itself as bedwetting after YEARS of not bedwetting; fear of darkness or "things that go bump in the night" after YEARS of no fear, etc.

    28) Incidents of self-injury. Ideas of killing self. (I have no idea of how this would look for a child, and hope never to have such an idea!)

    WHAT A PARENT/GUARDIAN CAN DO

    The two most important things a parent can do for your child/teen is to first, KNOW YOUR TEEN/CHILD'S ROUTINE, AND NORMAL DAILY ACTIVITIES so that you can identify any changes; and, LISTEN:

    1) listen when your children talk;

    2) listen to their music;

    3) spend more time with them and be involved in their activities;

    4) take them to movies and concerts, and discuss them afterward;

    5) know their friends, and listen to them, as well;

    6) do not lecture or offer unsolicited advice, or ultimatums; and,

    7) do not try to talk them out of their feelings; instead, ask them if they can describe their feelings.

    It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, learn the above symptoms and know your teen/child. Here are some more things that you, the parent or guardian can do.

    8) If a child, go to their day care periodically, and lern their routine; ask the teachers to alert you if their routine changes.

    9) If a teen, go to ALL of your teen's teacher conferences to learn the patterns of the normal school day, and ask to be alerted immediately to changes.

    10) For both teens and children, know their friends; see if your home can become the "gathering place"; get to know the parents of your child's or teen's friends and agree to let each other know if you see any changes in behavior.

    11) In all cases, keep a diary of any changes that you see, so that you will be able to discuss the situation with great clarity and specificity with professionals, should the need arise.

    12) Respond with love, kindness, and support if you think that your child/teen is experiencing problems that can lead to depression.

    13) Let your child or teen know that you are there, whenever she or he needs you, and do so often and in age-specific (as Dr. Phil would say) ways.

    14) Keep trying, but gently, if your teen shuts you out (depressed teenagers do not want to feel patronized or crowded).

    15) Do not criticize or pass judgment, once the child or teen begins to talk (the important thing is that he or she is talking and communicating feelings). REMEMBER, NEVER CRITICIZE FEELINGS; everyone has the right to their feelings, even if you think that they are "wrong".

    Let them be voiced; if inapproptiate, seek professional assistance.

    16) Encourage activity and praise efforts.

    17) Seek help from a doctor or mental health professional, if the teen's or child's depressed feeling doesn't pass with time (be prepared to list behaviors, note how long and how often they have been occurring, and how severe they seem - hence, the diary mentioned above).

    18) Do not wait and hope that symptoms will go away on their own. Better to seek assistance and be told that your teen/child is fine than to let your teen/child become one of the 70% who never receive help.

    19) When depression is severe – if teens or children are thinking about hurting themselves or about suicide – seek professional help as soon as possible.

    20) Parents of depressed adolescents may themselves need support. Seek out groups of parents who have experience with teen depression

    Footnote (1): What some of my friends and I did with alcohol when we had teenagers; we kept a "mark" (usually hidden so the teens couldn't see it on the bottle) that changed each time we used the bottle. In this way, we could know immediately if the teens were drinking, and could deal with the situation.

    About Disabilitykey.com & Carolyn Magura:

    Disabilitykey.com is a website designed to assist each person in his/her own unique quest to navigate through the difficult and often conflicting and misleading information about coping with disabilities.

    Carolyn Magura, noted disability / ADA expert, has written an e-Book documenting the process that allowed her to:

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

    Friday, February 10, 2006

    10 Tips For Relieving Depression - By Wambui Bahati

    1. Eat life-giving foods.

    If you eat devitalized and lifeless food, it makes sense you will be devitalized and lifeless. Your body has nothing on which to draw to keep it energetic and vibrant. If you do not feel like cooking, then eat apples or other fruits or vegetables, sliced or whole. Even though you may crave sugar and junk food, these foods not only do not help in relieving depression, they make it worse. Buy and eat organic foods, if possible. It has not been determined how chemically treated and genetically altered foods affect us, so best to avoid them.

    2. Know that you are not insane.

    Depression is a warning sign that something is wrong. It is a symptom that something is out of balance in your body, in your environment, or both. We live in an environment filled with toxins. There are wars, inequitable laws, financial pressures, and media overload. The list is unending.

    We are natural beings living in an unnatural world. This is the insanity. Our bodies, our minds, and our spirits are reacting to this insanity. Know that you are not insane. You are reacting to the insanity outside you.

    3. Turn the TV off.

    Take a break from media overload. Turn the TV off and do not read the newspapers. Most of what you hear on TV and read in the papers is not good news. This is not the time to read and listen to sad stories and ponder devastating events you can do nothing about.

    4. Fake it till you make it.

    Sometimes you need to work from the outside in. Act as if you are not depressed. How would you walk, talk or sit if you were not depressed? What would you do if you were not depressed? If Publisher's Clearing House came to your door right now with a $5 million check, would you tell them to go away because you are too depressed? Fake it till you make it. Your brain does not know the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Imagine you are not depressed.

    5. Dress up.

    Wear your good clothes. Do what you can to make yourself look and feel attractive.

    6. Count your blessings.

    When you are depressed, sad and perhaps angry, being grateful is not the first thought that comes to your mind. However, this is the perfect time to count your blessings. This is the perfect time to remember there are people who would gladly trade places with you. We have so many things to be thankful for; however, we often take them for granted. With an attitude of gratitude, depression cannot thrive.

    7. Drink water.

    You can survive many weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Dehydration will cause your body and your brain to shut down. Being happy and having a great attitude is impossible if your body is dehydrated. Drink plenty of water. One rule is to drink half your body weight in ounces each day. That is, if you weight 200 pounds, drink 100 ounces of water. Drink filtered or spring water if possible. The tap water in many of our cities contains chemicals and, again, we cannot be sure how these chemicals are affecting us.

    8. Listen to motivational tapes.

    Do not leave your mind alone to do its "own thing." Obviously, your self-talk is not serving you well at this time. Therefore, this is the perfect time to listen to someone else's talk. Listen to motivational and inspirational tapes and music. Bombard your brain with uplifting thoughts from others. If you feel like reading, read uplifting and inspiring material.

    9. Dance.

    The body needs to move. Get that blood flowing through your body and your brain. Your brain needs a good supply of blood in order to work properly. But when you are feeling depressed, the idea of exercising is not appealing.

    So, dance! Play uplifting and happy music. Play music that reminds you of happy times. Stretch out those parts of your body you are able to stretch. Move, move, move. Dance, dance, dance. Your body, your mind, and your soul will thank you.

    10. Remember who you are.

    You are a precious entity in this great cosmic universe. You are a representation of God. There is nothing true of the greatest among us that is not true of you. You are magnificent. Sometimes we forget how wonderful we are. Have you?

    Wambui Bahati (Miss Inspiration) is a professional speaker, entertainer, and Emotional Freedom Techniques practitioner. Her fun filled, inspiring presentations draw on her diverse background and challenging adversities that she miraculously overcame. Her mission: "To remind you of your magnificence." Book Wambui for your next event at http://www.wambui.com

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