Tag: stress

Tips to End Self-Sabotage

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Image: Hp Lyrikz

This article is from Dr. Annette Ermshar.com describing self-defeating behaviors.

Despite being aware of what is needed and even being capable of doing it, do you often engage in self-defeating behaviors that deter you from the desired result, perhaps even worsening things? This form of self-sabotage is often related to a compromised self-worth, fusion to unhelpful core beliefs, or the paralysis that often accompanies perfectionism. In this blog, we’ll discuss some helpful strategies for overcoming these self-defeating behaviors so that you can make greater progress in valued life directions.

While it can be enticing, it is important to keep in mind that it is not necessary to make every change at once. Attempting to make several changes all at once usually results in feeling overwhelmed and resorting to abandonment, so it can be beneficial to focus on consistently taking small steps forward.

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Do I want Group Therapy? Yikes!

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funny

Most of my therapy has been individual, and I shied away from group therapy due to the fact that I was uncomfortable sharing my problems relating to depression and sexual abuse with a bunch of strangers.  To be honest, my biggest fear was losing it and looking like an idiot if I started bawling my eyes out!   However, I had no choice at the eating disorder program, it was 90% group and about 10% individual therapy.

I loathed it initially, others speaking out about themselves, revealing deep dark secrets that they had been holding onto, and slowly I became to trust them and I opened up.  In short, it was very helpful in my recovery, yet I have to say honestly, I still prefer one-on-one.  Give it a try though, it may suit you.

This article appeared in PsychCentral.com

Individual psychotherapy will always be the staple. It establishes the bond. It explores the ups and downs of that bond and probes the depths of the psychodynamic patterns of that bond and other bonds. It is the primary mode of understanding. It exists of and for itself and is not dependent on anything else. Group therapy is an adjunct to individual therapy.

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My chronic migraines ~ I’m cranky

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I’ll admit I’ve been cranky with an awfully short fuse lately, however, I’ve also been bedridden with ice-packs stuck to my head, isolated, and living in dark spaces for months. Winters in Canada aren’t kind to me, the barometer changing from day to day and week to week promotes wicked chronic migraines. Weather changes are my triggers.

I’ve posted previously about my 40+ year struggle with these crappy recurring headaches doing anything to prevent a trip to the hospital emergency for an IV drip to end the agony. The waits are lengthy (8-12 hours), torturous and almost always have some nitwit beside me who wants to chit chat.  Leave me be, please!

Currently, in my city, though, migraine sufferers cannot be treated with narcotics relief at any hospitals only providing Toradol which is comparable to placing a band-aid on my forehead.  Best to remain at home and suffer in peace.

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Depression may pass from mothers to daughters

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Depression appears to be passed down from mothers to daughters, say researchers who have been looking at similarities in brain structures between generations. The research is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Around 8% of Americans aged 12 years and over are affected by depression. It is commonly found in both mothers and daughters, previous human studies have reported.

Animal studies in the past have shown that when mothers are stressed during pregnancy, this is more likely to be reflected in the brain structure of daughters than of sons, specifically in the corticolimbic system.

The corticolimbic system is used to assess danger, and it is also where emotions are processed and regulated. It includes the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

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JOB BURNOUT: I’m frazzled and stressed!

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Are you at risk of burnout?  Discover what you can do when your job begins to affect your health and happiness.

It’s time to head back to work after your brief vacation. You have a demanding job and carry a great deal of responsibility on your shoulders. Even though your time off was relaxing, you dread going back to work. A trusted friend thinks you have job burnout.

Maybe you’ve started to wonder whether you have burnout yourself. Or maybe — like many people — you’ve tried to avoid the question all together. A closer look at burnout and why you may have it can help you to face the problem and take action before it affects your health.

What is Burnout and Who’s at Risk?

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The Effects of Stress on the Body

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Healthline.com contacted me via email regarding a request to show a visual representation of “The Effects of Stress on the Body“, which I was more than pleased to post.

Hi Deb,
I hope all is well with you. Healthline just published an infographic detailing the effects of stress on the body. This is an interactive chart allowing the reader to pick the side effect they want to learn more about.

You can see the overview of the report here:
http://www.healthline.com/health/stress/effects-on-body

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Do I want Group Therapy? Yikes!

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funny

Most of my therapy has been individual, and I shied away from group therapy due to the fact that I was uncomfortable sharing my problems relating to depression and sexual abuse with a bunch of strangers.  To be honest, my biggest fear was losing it and looking like an idiot if I started bawling my eyes out!   However, I had no choice at the the eating disorder program, it was 90% group and about 10% individual therapy.

I loathed it initially, others speaking out about themselves, revealing deep dark secrets that they had been holding onto, and slowly I became to trust them and I opened up.  In short, it was very helpful in my recovery, yet I have to say honestly, I still prefer one-on-one.  Give it a try though.

This article appeared in PsychCentral.com

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Hoarding Disorder & Symptoms

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The main feature of hoarding disorder is a person’s irrational, persistent difficulty in discarding or parting with possessions — regardless of their actual value. This is a long-standing difficulty, not just something related to a one-time circumstance (such as having difficulty discarding property from something you inherited from a loved one).Discarding means that the person can’t seem to give away, throw away, recycle, or sell things they no longer need (or sometimes, even want).

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Honey, do we have to go?

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That’s the question I would raise each time hubby would announce a company function or get together with his group from work.  I was fighting never-ending depression, felt vulnerable and incapable of even forcing small talk. It’s also called isolation.

I was in a dilemma a few years back.  My husband’s company was having their Christmas party and he felt obligated to go.  I, of course resisted initially, and then thought I was being self-centered since backing out of several of his company parties previously.  These functions were of course met with forever the same excuse to hubby; my black-cloud feeling of the hopelessness and helplessness of depression. Continue reading →

Sudden death of loved one can trigger psychiatric disorders

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The sudden loss of a loved one can trigger a variety of psychiatric disorders in people with no history of mental illness.  While previous studies have suggested there is a link between sudden bereavement and an onset of common psychiatric disorders, this is the first study to show the association of acute bereavement and mania in a large population sample.

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Dark chocolate for stress? for health?

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Should I eat dark chocolate for stress and for health?  Seems bizarre, yet it sounds kinda yummy also.  Finally something I love to eat!

An article in (Time.com Health) – November 20, 2014 ~ writes about this subject:   “You can, of course, overeat the stuff—but in moderate doses it is perhaps the quintessential example of a food to love that will love you back,” says David Katz, MD, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center. “A considerable body of research, including several studies in my own lab, show decisive cardiovascular benefits with intake of dark chocolate,” he says, provided that it’s kept between one to two ounces.

More on this article @ time.com Health Diet/Nutritian  Article written by: Mandy Oaklander @mandyoaklander

 

Obesity: Considered a Disability in Europe

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(Reuters) – December 18, 2014 – Europe’s top court ruled on Thursday that obese people can be considered as disabled, but stopped short of saying that obesity was a condition that needed specific protection under European anti-discrimination laws.

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Reclassification of PTSD diagnosis potentially excludes soldiers diagnosed under previous criteria

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A new head-to-head comparison of screening questionnaires for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, shows a worrying discordance between the previous version of the PTSD definition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — fourth edition (DSM-IV) and DSM-5, released in 2013.

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Is growth in ADHD ’caused by marketing’?

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I thought this was an interesting article on ADHD, however, I’m curious to see how parents and others who are caring for ADHD children feel about what these “experts” say.

“The global surge in ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] diagnosis has more to do with marketing than medicine, according to experts,” the Mail Online reports.

But these experts are sociologists, not clinicians, and they present no new peer-reviewed clinical evidence.

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The meaning of dreams

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For me I always feel I’m out in public naked or being chased?  For the “naked” explanation, I highly doubt I ever feel proud (freedom)!  I wonder how accurate this is?

Stress, depression and the holidays: Tips for coping

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Stress and depression can ruin your holidays and hurt your health. Being realistic, planning ahead and seeking support can help ward off stress and depression.

wreath

By Mayo Clinic staff

The holiday season often brings unwelcome guests — stress and depression. And it’s no wonder. The holidays present a dizzying array of demands — parties, shopping, baking, cleaning and entertaining, to name just a few.

But with some practical tips, you can minimize the stress that accompanies the holidays. You may even end up enjoying the holidays more than you thought you would.

Tips to prevent holiday stress and depression

When stress is at its peak, it’s hard to stop and regroup. Try to prevent stress and depression in the first place, especially if the holidays have taken an emotional toll on you in the past.

Visit Mayo Clinic for tips: