deleted================================

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 27 2023, 10:39 PM

deleted==

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 27 2023, 10:40 PM

deleted==================

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 27 2023, 10:41 PM

deleted==================

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 27 2023, 10:42 PM

deleted==================

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 27 2023, 10:42 PM

deleted==================

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 27 2023, 10:45 PM

i just wanna ask, i have mild ADHD, does piracetam helps with my focus in studying

from the research i did online, it does not brings permanent side effect but if timed and dosed wrongly will caused brain fog which hinders me from preparing for exam? but if timed and dosed properly, my brain will have much less noise when studying, and i move around less ? and actually focus on what am i doing

Thanks for sharing, Manlet.
Regarding the piracetam, I will ask my colleague and another friend (Nutritional therapist and Pharmacist).
Hopefully someone in Lowyat able to answer your question too.
May I know that are you under follow up with doctor or take it yourself?

Pills are not the only way to manage your mild ADHD symptoms.
EEG biofeedback therapy is a safe, non-invasive, alternative option for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In November 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics approved biofeedback and EEG biofeedback as a Level 1 or “best support” treatment option for people suffering from ADHD.
I would like to recommend you to try EEG biofeedback therapy as it is an evidence based practice for improve focus and attention problem.
However, it is important for you to seek consultation first before making a decision.

Overcome insomnia and improve overall quality of sleep by hypnotherapy

Recent Study finds that those highly suggestible to hypnosis can have deeper sleep after hypnotic suggestion

A short session of hypnosis might lead to a better night's sleep, says a team of Swiss researchers.
The new study is the first to assess via measures of EEG brain-wave activity "the positive impact hypnosis has on deep sleep and to show that it is, in fact, real," he said.
At issue is the desire to boost so-called deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep.

This type of sleep "often correlates with the most restorative sleep -- it's a time for your brain to process and rejuvenate from the challenges of the day," explained Dr. Kim Hutchison, assistant professor of neurology and sleep medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
"Over the course of people's lives, with age, the amount of deep sleep drops off significantly. And by the time you're 50 or 60 you hardly have any, depending on the person," said Hutchison, who was not involved in the new research. "With age, non-refreshing sleep becomes a very common complaint, and one of the reasons can be not getting enough slow-wave sleep."

To explore how hypnotic suggestion might help improve deep sleep, the Swiss team enlisted 70 healthy Swiss women aged 18 to 35. All participated in a series of five in-laboratory experiments, successively staged once a week for five weeks.

None of the participants had any history of sleep trouble. None were taking any kind of sleep medication. Some of the women, however, were deemed (in pre-study testing) to be "highly suggestible" to hypnosis, while others were categorized as "low suggestible" patients.
Other phases of sleep did not appear to be affected by hypnotic suggestion. However, the team further observed that slow-wave activity during the deep sleep phase was "significantly enhanced" following hypnosis. This suggests that not only does hypnosis boost deep sleep quantity, it may also improve deep sleep quality.

The team acknowledged that the study only included female participants. This was by design because men have a tendency to be less suggestible to hypnosis overall. However, men who are highly suggestible would probably derive similar sleep benefits from hypnosis, Rasch's team said.
And given that roughly half the general population is believed to be moderately suggestible to hypnosis, the team concluded that hypnosis could ultimately prove to be a very useful -- and side-effect free -- way to help improve sleep.

"I have to emphasize that we did not focus on sleep-disorder patients," said Rasch. "These were all healthy people. So while our findings are really promising, we do not yet have proof that hypnosis will help people who suffer from sleep disturbances. I would say it would. But it's not yet proven," he added.

Hutchison believes hypnosis can play a role in helping some people sleep better
"I have found hypnosis can be helpful, even for non-susceptible patients," she said. "Because it gives them something to focus on, and helps them to relax and quiet their mind before sleeping."

Findings from the study were published on June 2014 in the journal Sleep.
Source:
http://www.webmd.com/ - WebMD News from HealthDay

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 10 2015, 06:07 PM

deleted=============

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 27 2023, 10:48 PM

Heard this in the news..

Some scammers hypnotize victim over the phone to transfer money to them.

Is this even possible??

Great thread. Thanks for opening it.

deleted=====================

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 27 2023, 10:48 PM

Thanks for supporting.
You're welcome to share your thoughts

Deleted~~~~~~~~

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 27 2023, 10:57 PM

delted

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 27 2023, 10:53 PM

My Philosophy is SIMPLE :

"DONT THINK TOO MUCH, BE PREPARED, STAY HEALTHY LIFE STYLE like light jogging and GET ENOUGH SLEEP"

True I do agree.
However, "don't think too much" and "get enough sleep" is very difficult for certain group of people because everyone has different brain waves pattern.
Your unconscious can't process negatives. It interprets everything you think as a positive thought. So if you think, 'I don't want to think too much,' your unconscious mind focuses on the "think" and, because it doesn't do negatives, the thought becomes 'I want to think.' Thus, you can't stop thinking when you want to stay calm.


Brain waves predict our risk for insomnia
The brain—specifically the deep, inner parts of the brain called the thalamus and cortex—produces electromagnetic activity during sleep. When monitored by diagnostic tools, this activity appears as patterns of squiggly lines that scientists refer to as spindles.
In a previous experiment, Dang-Vu and his team discovered that greater spindle activity helps sleepers resist waking, despite noise. The new study aimed to test whether there would be a similar relationship between sleep spindles and stress.
The hypothesis proved true. "We found that those who had the lowest sleep spindle activity tended to develop more disturbances in response to stress, when comparing sleep quality at the beginning of the semester and the end of the school semester," Dang-Vu says.
"We are not all equally armed when facing stress, in terms of how we can manage our sleep. Some people are more vulnerable than others."


Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-brai...omnia.html#nRlv

Brain training instead of medication to counter insomnia

The ability to finally enjoy a good night's sleep is something that can be learned. An Austrian Science Fund FWF project has investigated how this can best be learned and who responds best to such "brain training".

Training vs. chemistry
"People who suffer from sleeplessness, also known as insomnia, are often in a state of 'hyperarousal'. Resorting to tablets seems to be the obvious solution", explains the researcher. However, medication-based treatments are usually for short-term use only and confine themselves to fighting this state of arousal, resulting in undesirable side effects including dependence, morningness, drowsiness or amnesia. "Medication often just reduces nocturnal brain activities and thus also helpful functions such as 'memory consolidation', which is the nocturnal stabilisation of information so that recall is easier the next day", says Manuel Schabus. The EEG biofeedback training deployed within the framework of the FWF project, a type of biofeedback training for the brain, guides the affected persons into sleep. So-called "sleep spindles" are used in this process. These are patterns identified in EEG measurements which are characterised by "spindle-like" rapid rising and falling brain oscillations, and which occur especially during light sleep.

Crucial rhythm
The preliminary studies carried out for the FWF project showed the positive effects of EEG biofeedback training on healthy people. This method has therefore now been tested in a pilot study on patients aged between 19 and 50 who suffer from sleep disorders. "The brain oscillations are trained during waking to a frequency range of between 12 and 15 hertz, known as the sensorimotor rhythm. This frequency range is also prominent in light sleep and manifests itself as sleep spindles, particularly when a person is falling asleep", explains Schabus. The patients were able to observe and learn to control their own sensorimotor rhythm (measured using EEG electrodes) on the computer screen. They were tasked with moving a compass needle on the screen to a green dot using only the power of mental relaxation. They received positive visual feedback each time they reached this dot, i.e. to increase the band power between 12 and 15 hertz.

"Using the training, we managed to strengthen the sensorimotor rhythm in a waking state and the sleep spindles in 16 out of 24 patients with mild insomnia. Those who responded well to the training reported an improvement in the quality of their sleep. This was ascertained by self-monitoring methods like sleep diaries and importantly also verified in our sleep laboratory", says Schabus, outlining the process. Each of the participants visited the sleep laboratory a total of 21 times, which meant that the effects could be studied in great detail. The researchers were also able to establish positive effects on memory consolidation when word pairs were retested after sleep following earlier learning. Interestingly, the subjective sleep quality among patients who successfully completed this type of biofeedback training also showed improvement




Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-04-brai...r-insomnia.html

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 15 2015, 11:11 PM

Good post and i'd like to share my probrem here too

I have this problem where i think you call it as racing mind. i simply cannot just complete a task without thinking of something else. An example, i will be replying an email and halfway through the email, my mind would start wandering off on other task like opening up excel etc and checking it without even completing the email. Another example would be, if i am reading something, say a 300 line worth of information, i cannot just complete it at one go. i'l read it, then midwy i'l start forgetting what the end was and start dream away. this in effect makes me to start re-read the entire front part back again...even in fairly simple text


i think the right term would call it a racing mind...it just cant stop thinking of the next thing without completing what i am currently doing.

is there some kind of doctor i can meet/see? half the time my mind itself blocks me from thinking alternatives..when it was right infront of me....its like so clouded that i cant think of anything else......HELP!

Very informative topic! I love it!

I think I am a light sleeper. I often woken up by even the slightest sound. I mean I still able to sleep or rest if the sounds around me is consistent, but if the sound become inconsistent, like a sudden change of snoring sound by my partner/colleague, I would immediately awaken by it. There was a time when I was still a kid, I got awaken by very light knocking made my late grandmother when she fell down in the toilet asking for help. she was in the 1st floor at the other end of the house and i am in the front. Sometimes I'm even woken up by birds chirping in the morning.

Also, I am not sure whether it is relative or not. I dreams a lot and sometimes quite vividly and I remember lots of it. As I read and research online, does dreaming really related to our subconscious mind? There were times when something big or significant happens in my life, I will dream of something that I did not encounter during the days before that night I dream of it and often when I woke from it, I will try to record or find some clues of what it really means online, like representation/symbols/clues of that certain things I dream of. Is it consider as something spiritual or can it be something scientific about it? I just happened to post some of my dreams in other thread


and this! I love to drive! Whenever I am in bad mood or lots of thinking, I always went for a ride at highway. Waugh, I didn't know about it

This post has been edited by apocalypxe: Apr 16 2015, 09:49 AM

Great thread.

You are in the picture? On the right?

Thanks for sharing.
Your case reminds me one of my clients. She faced similar problem as you; racing mind, running thoughts, can't focus, feeling anxious and stressful.
She did share about her testimonial with me, thus I can share with you over here:)

After I analyze her unique brainwave patterns, I found that her "Hibeta (brainwaves that are associated with stress, anxiety and tension)" is higher than her alpha and theta, the slow type of brainwaves (Alpha and theta are associated with relaxed and subconscious mental activities).
I always find people with racing mind have excessive high beta brainwaves profile on prefrontal lobe area.
Thus, this might explain why she was experiencing the similar problem that you are facing currently.
Check the graph below:



So what is the solution? You can try the counseling, psychotherapy, coaching, hypnotherapy, EEG biofeedback, medicine etc.
For her case, she chose the neuro-hypnotherapy technique (EEG biofeedback+hypnotherapy) to deal with her problem.

As you can see from the graph above, her brainwaves patterns (Same location on her brain) is significantly changed! After 10 days of practicing her customized self hypnosis tool, now she is able to go into deep hypnotic trance state and relax herself by keep increasing her alpha brainwaves (Relaxed and calm) and decrease her own Hi-Beta brainwaves (Stress and anxiety). ALL BY HERSELF
She told me that she feels a lot more positive and calm. She found that her stress level decreased significantly. She faces no more harmful thought and is more optimistic after her first neuro-hypnotherapy session.


Possible solutions:
Well, hypnotherapy or EEG biofeedback is just one of the solutions.
You can try other therapies as well, they work well too(Psychotherapy, counseling, medicine and coaching etc).
I share about this method simply because clinical hypnotherapy and EEG biofeedback are the areas of my expertise.

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 25 2015, 03:23 PM

how do i try the above solution please? 10 days is a short duration and i undstn diff people have diff reaction but i am willing to try

Thanks for love this thread! I'll do my best to answer your questions Do come and support me often over here ya.

Let me explain based on my personal view, personal experiences and research studies:
A lot happens in your body while you sleep. When you get your ZZZs, you cycle between REM and non-REM sleep.
REM stands for rapid eye movement. During REM sleep, your eyes move quickly in different directions. That doesn't happen during non-REM sleep.
First comes non-REM sleep, followed by a shorter period of REM sleep, and then the cycle starts over again.
Your dreams typically happen during REM sleep


REM sleep and tonic immobility(Some people refer to this state as a trance or hypnotic trance) similarity are:
-Both states show a similar EEG pattern with additional “theta” waves linked to the brain’s hippocampus (which plays an important role in memory and spatial perception)
-Both states show strong loss of muscle tone and suppression of reflexes
-Both states show changes in heart and breathing rate
-Both states affect the body’s ability to regulate body heat
-Both states show changes in the brain’s biochemistry including increased acetycholine and decreased serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain stem
-Significant changes in eye movement, facial twitches, and jerking limbs in both states
-Also, both states rarely last longer than a few minutes, varying from five seconds to 20 minutes
-Both tonic immobility and REM sleep appear to be linked to parts of the brainstem involved with sleeping, eating, and breathing.

They also appear to have very similar roles in helping the body recover from traumatic experiences. As an emergency reaction to extreme danger, tonic immobility prepares the body to cope with trauma and heal afterward. This happens through the release of brain chemicals such as acetycholine to reduce pain and increase drowsiness. Research into REM sleep has found many of these same biochemical markers which suggests that the vivid dreaming experienced during REM episodes plays a strong role in helping the body cope with stress and trauma.

You dream excessively and you love hypnotic trance state (You love to drive and experience"highway hypnosis"), reasons could be one of the following conditions:
1) You're going to need to learn to manage your stress better.
2) Your parietal lobe might be overactive, the parietal lobe processes visual, auditory and touch information.
3) Your temporo-parietal junction is overactive. In 2013, Ruby published a study which found people with higher levels of temporo-parietal junction activity were light sleepers. "This may explain why high dream recallers are more reactive to environmental stimuli, awaken more during sleep, and thus better encode dreams in memory than low dream recallers. Indeed, the sleeping brain is not capable of memorizing new information; it needs to awaken to be able to do that," Ruby said.



Possible solutions:
For your case, EEG biofeedback and hypnotherapy might be helpful.
One of my clients gave me her testimonial after solved her excessive dreaming problem.
Her case is almost same as what you described over here. She had suffered for excessive dreaming problem for more than 20 years.
What I did for her? I taught her how to calm down her overactive parietal lobe area by using neuro-hypnotherapy technique (EEG biofeedback+hypnotherapy), thus her problem solved. The biggest difference notice is that now her sleep quality has improved significantly, increase deep sleep and dreaming occurs to a lesser degree.



Source:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/media-...stery-rem-sleep
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/3682/201...than-others.htm
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleep-101

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 17 2015, 12:25 AM

Thank you
I am the man in black suit

Aww...I was expecting the pretty lady

Anyway, how does one become a clinical hypnotherapist? What should he study?

That's great that you are open to try it.

Tips
For choosing a Hypnotherapist in Malaysia:
Make sure the hypnotherapist belongs to one of the major governing bodies such as - The Association of Hypnotherapy Practitioners, Malaysia (AHPM) which is regulated under the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

For choosing a EEG biofeedback practitioner:
Currently, there is still not professional regulation for EEG biofeedback practitoner in Malaysia. However, I would like to inform you that there are different EEG biofeedback systems in the market, I would recommend you look for someone who are using the international 10/20 system (An internationally recognized method to describe the location of scalp electrodes) to do the EEG biofeedback therapy. The reason is 10/20 system is a international standardized and accepted method for identifying locations on the scalp for EEG recording. It was developed early on by EEG pioneers. A EEG biofeedback practitioner should become very comfortable with this system as it is used on a daily basis, reseach studies and is essentuial for standardizing assessments and training, and for communicating results (Technical Foundations of Neurofeedback by Thomas F. Collura, 2014).

I'm sorry I disappointed you Haha.
The Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act (Act 756) sets the minimum competence level for the credentialing of a professional Mind Body Soul Therapy practitioner in Malaysia. The Association of Hypnotherapy Practitioners, Malaysia (AHPM) is regulated by Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia.
Thus, to be a registered hypnotherapist, the requirements are:
1) AHPM’s approved course or MQA acredited course (Next year, International University of Malaya-Wales (IUMW) will introduce the Bachelor Degree of Science in Hypnotherapy which is MQA accredited course)
2) Undergo AHPM’s supervision and be committed to continuing their education.
3) Must obtain at least 10 CEU in hypnotherapy or related fields of education to qualify for membership renewal every year
4) Follow AHPM’s protocols, AHPM’ guidelines and Code of Ethics at all times.

In my case,
I am a psychology degree holder.
Further training in the field of EEG biofeedback (oversea practicum) and diploma in clinical hypnotherapy (UK recognises qualification).
2015 onward, the requirements to become a registered hypnotherapist might be different.
My advice: check with AHPM before you enroll any course .
If your course is not approved by AHPM, you can't be a registered hypnotherapist in Malaysia legally.

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 17 2015, 01:10 AM

Thanks for the info

Qi gong has been and is very helpful, best of all, it's 100% effective WITHOUT pharmaceutical drugs


Title:
How Qi works from the perspective of the 3 Levels Theory of Matter


This post has been edited by ricstc: Apr 17 2015, 02:00 AM

Thanks for sharing .
As I know, Qi Gong practitioner is regulated by Ministry of Health Malaysia-T&CM department too.
Definition of Qi Gong(under Traditional Chinese Medicine Category):
A wide variety of traditional cultivation practices that involve methods of accumulating, circulating, and working with qi, breathing or energy within the body. Practiced for health maintenance purposes, as a therapeutic intervention, as a medical profession, a spiritual path and/or as a component of Chinese martial arts.
http://tcm.moh.gov.my/v4/modules/mastop_publish/?tac=31

And it's not all that strange in malaysia as shown in TV3 in 2011


But I believe it is HARAM for M a l a y muslims but only in malaysia

i am tracking this topic already.

okayyyyyy... now I finally understand able to connects it. ^__________________________^

O.O i didn't know there's a highway hypnosis thing!

I am interested to know more.. but will PM you for more details. lol

ur mind can be powerful to your body

Yes!
The mind and emotions play a critical role in our health

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 17 2015, 06:56 PM

EEG biofeedback therapy instead of medication to counter insomnia


The ability to finally enjoy a good night's sleep is something that can be learned. An Austrian Science Fund FWF project has investigated how this can best be learned and who responds best to such "brain training (EEG biofeedback therapy)".

Dark circles around the eyes, tired limbs, absent-mindedness – most people have experienced the effects on the body of a short night. "Roughly one-third of the Austrian population as a whole suffers from recurrent insomnia", says Manuel Schabus from the University of Salzburg. For years now, the psychologist has been studying a diverse range of states of consciousness. In a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, Schabus and his team have now studied how the state of mind of people with sleep disorders can be improved without administering medication.

Training vs. chemistry
"People who suffer from sleeplessness, also known as insomnia, are often in a state of 'hyperarousal'. Resorting to tablets seems to be the obvious solution", explains the researcher. However, medication-based treatments are usually for short-term use only and confine themselves to fighting this state of arousal, resulting in undesirable side effects including dependence, morningness, drowsiness or amnesia. "Medication often just reduces nocturnal brain activities and thus also helpful functions such as 'memory consolidation', which is the nocturnal stabilisation of information so that recall is easier the next day", says Manuel Schabus. The neurofeedback training deployed within the framework of the FWF project, a type of biofeedback training for the brain, guides the affected persons into sleep. So-called "sleep spindles" are used in this process. These are patterns identified in EEG measurements which are characterised by "spindle-like" rapid rising and falling brain oscillations, and which occur especially during light sleep.
Crucial rhythm
The preliminary studies carried out for the FWF project showed the positive effects of neurofeedback training on healthy people. This method has therefore now been tested in a pilot study on patients aged between 19 and 50 who suffer from sleep disorders. "The brain oscillations are trained during waking to a frequency range of between 12 and 15 hertz, known as the sensorimotor rhythm. This frequency range is also prominent in light sleep and manifests itself as sleep spindles, particularly when a person is falling asleep", explains Schabus. The patients were able to observe and learn to control their own sensorimotor rhythm (measured using EEG electrodes) on the computer screen. They were tasked with moving a compass needle on the screen to a green dot using only the power of mental relaxation. They received positive visual feedback each time they reached this dot, i.e. to increase the band power between 12 and 15 hertz.
"Using the training, we managed to strengthen the sensorimotor rhythm in a waking state and the sleep spindles in 16 out of 24 patients with mild insomnia. Those who responded well to the training reported an improvement in the quality of their sleep. This was ascertained by self-monitoring methods like sleep diaries and importantly also verified in our sleep laboratory", says Schabus, outlining the process. Each of the participants visited the sleep laboratory a total of 21 times, which meant that the effects could be studied in great detail. The researchers were also able to establish positive effects on memory consolidation when word pairs were retested after sleep following earlier learning. Interestingly, the subjective sleep quality among patients who successfully completed this type of biofeedback training also showed improvement, but so did people in a pure placebo condition. In general, the researcher cautions against generalising the results: in an even more extensive follow-up protocol, people with more persistent or more pronounced insomnia did not respond to the brainwave training, nor did they exhibit any positive changes in sleep or memory.
Hippocampus fitness
"When you consider the amount of information encountered by the brain, especially the hippocampus, on a daily basis, and how sensitively it responds to stress, it is important to be mindful of treating our thinking-organ with care. Systematic training and sufficient 'sleep hygiene' not only promote well-being but also protect newly learned information from disruptive influences", says Schabus. The studies conducted as part of the FWF project play an important role in encouraging trainingof this vital human faculty and act as a reminder to adopt a more conscious approach to sleep.

More information: Schabus et.al: "Enhancing sleep quality and memory in insomnia using instrumental sensorimotor rhythm conditioning." Biological Psychology 95 (2014) 126 –134.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23548378
Provided by Austrian Science Fund (FWF)


Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-04-brai...r-insomnia.html

Brain waves predict our risk for insomnia

There may not yet be a cure for insomnia, but Concordia University researchers are a step closer to predicting who is most likely to suffer from it—just in time for World Sleep Day on March 13.

In his study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Thien Thanh Dang-Vu, from Concordia's Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology and PERFORM Center, explores the impact of stress on sleep. Although researchers already know that stressful events can trigger insomnia, the experiment reveals that some people are more vulnerable than others to developing the condition.
To determine the role of stress, the study examined the sleep cycles of 12 Concordia students as they went through the nerve-racking experience of finals. Measuring students' brain waves at the beginning of the school semester, Dang-Vu and his team found that students showing a lower amount of a particular pattern of brain waves were more at risk for developing insomnia afterwards in response to the stress of the exams.
The brain—specifically the deep, inner parts of the brain called the thalamus and cortex—produces electromagnetic activity during sleep. When monitored by diagnostic tools, this activity appears as patterns of squiggly lines that scientists refer to as spindles.
In a previous experiment, Dang-Vu and his team discovered that greater spindle activity helps sleepers resist waking, despite noise.

The new study aimed to test whether there would be a similar relationship between sleep spindles and stress.
The hypothesis proved true.
"We found that those who had the lowest spindle activity tended to develop more disturbances in response to stress, when comparing sleep quality at the beginning of the semester and the end of the school semester," Dang-Vu says.

"We are not all equally armed when facing stress, in terms of how we can manage our sleep. Some people are more vulnerable than others."

How to increase sleep spindle?
The preliminary studies carried out for the FWF project showed the positive effects of EEG biofeedback training on healthy people. This method has therefore now been tested in a pilot study on patients aged between 19 and 50 who suffer from sleep disorders. "The brain oscillations are trained during waking to a frequency range of between 12 and 15 hertz, known as the sensorimotor rhythm. This frequency range is also prominent in light sleep and manifests itself as sleep spindles, particularly when a person is falling asleep", explains Schabus. The patients were able to observe and learn to control their own sensorimotor rhythm (measured using EEG electrodes) on the computer screen. They were tasked with moving a compass needle on the screen to a green dot using only the power of mental relaxation. They received positive visual feedback each time they reached this dot, i.e. to increase the band power between 12 and 15 hertz.
"Using the EEG biofeedback training, we managed to strengthen the sensorimotor rhythm in a waking state and the sleep spindles in 16 out of 24 patients with mild insomnia. Those who responded well to the training reported an improvement in the quality of their sleep. This was ascertained by self-monitoring methods like sleep diaries and importantly also verified in our sleep laboratory", says Schabus, outlining the process. Each of the participants visited the sleep laboratory a total of 21 times, which meant that the effects could be studied in great detail. The researchers were also able to establish positive effects on memory consolidation when word pairs were retested after sleep following earlier learning. Interestingly, the subjective sleep quality among patients who successfully completed this type of biofeedback training also showed improvement.

What is sleep spindle?
A sleep spindle is a burst of oscillatory brain activity visible on an EEG that occurs during stage 2 sleep. It consists of 12–14 Hz waves that occur for at least 0.5 seconds. Sleep spindles are generated in the reticular nucleus of the thalamus.






Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-04-brai...r-insomnia.html
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-brai...omnia.html#nRlv

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 19 2015, 05:54 PM

Sleep loss tied to emotional reactions
A person's loss of sleep can be connected to their likelihood of reacting emotionally to a stressful situation.

That is one of the recent findings included in a new book, "Sleep and Affect: Assessment, Theory and Clinical Implications," co-edited by a University of Arkansas psychology professor and his former doctoral student. Affect is a term in psychology that describes a broad range of emotional experiences.
"In our study, we wanted to find out if there was a link between the loss of sleep and our emotional response," said Matthew T. Feldner, a professor of psychology in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. "We saw that if a person lost a night of sleep they responded with more emotion to a laboratory 'stressor.' This finding extended previous work that had linked chronic sleep loss to anxiety and mood disorders."
Feldner co-edited Sleep and Affect with Kimberly A. Babson, a health science specialist at the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Menlo Park, California. Babson earned her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Arkansas.
Sleep and Affect summarizes research on the interplay of sleep and various components of emotion and affect that are related to mood disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and depression.
"One of the themes that emerged across these chapters is that certain components of emotion seem particularly linked to sleep," Feldner said. "What we call 'stressors' tend to be more emotionally arousing for people who haven't slept well, and emotional arousal also appears to interfere with sleep quality."
Babson conducted sleep-and-affect studies at the U of A under a National Institutes of Health research training fellowship. That research spurred her's and Feldner's interest in a book that synthesizes the latest research into the interrelationships between sleep and affect.
"We present this information in a way that will help clinicians both assess for sleep problems and problems related to anxiety or mood, when a patient is seeking treatment for one and maybe not the other," he said. "By improving sleep, we might improve our treatments for anxiety problems."
This book also includes the latest findings in neuroscience related to sleep loss. There appear to be effects of sleep loss on the functioning of the emotional regulation circuit of the brain, Feldner said.
"Some of the neurobiological structures that we think are involved in regulating emotional or affective experiences don't seem to function the same after we lose sleep as they do when we are fully rested," he said.
"Sleep and Affect" is published by Elsevier Publishing.


Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-loss...-reactions.html

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 20 2015, 11:25 PM

EEG biofeedback tunes key brain networks, improving subjective well-being in PTSD

Pioneering research conducted at Western University (London, Canada) points to a promising avenue for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): utilising EEG biofeedback training to alter the plasticity of brain networks linked to the condition.

During EEG biofeedback, intentional control of one's own brain activity may be learned with what's called a brain-computer interface, which is able to represent graphically a person's real-time brain activation on a computer. This can be done noninvasively with brainwave activities, for example, where the computer monitor behaves like a virtual "mirror" to real electrical oscillations produced by neurons in the cortex. These are recorded by surface sensors on the scalp, also known as an electroencephalogram (EEG).


Available online at the psychiatry journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, lead authors Rosemarie Kluetsch and Tomas Ros describe the details: "This is the first study to show that key brain networks involved in mediating affect and cognition in PTSD can be volitionally modulated via EEG biofeedback, with measurable outcomes on subjective well-being. It was achieved by harnessing multiple imaging techniques, including EEG and functional MRI (fMRI). In a nutshell, using fMRI we captured the patients' resting-state brain activity just before and after a 30-minute EEG biofeedback training session, which was carried out outside the scanner using EEG. We then searched for any differences in connectivity within well-known brain networks. Interestingly, we discovered significant correlations between EEG and fMRI network activities as well as changes in self-reported calmness. This indicated that EEG biofeedback was able to directly modulate the brain bases of emotional processing in PTSD."

Senior author and principal investigator Dr. Ruth Lanius, a professor at the Department of Psychiatry at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and a scientist with Lawson Health Research Institute, adds "The last decade of neuroscience research has offered a deeper understanding of the key brain networks involved in cognitive and emotional functions. Connectivity in the salience and default mode networks, for example, has been found to be altered in PTSD. We are now on the threshold of being able to use this information to understand the neural mechanisms underlying certain disorders and their treatments. EEG biofeedback offers great promise as a type of brain training that is directly based on the functional activation of these brain networks. We are therefore thrilled to see the first evidence of this in action, along with significant changes in subjective well-being. Our hope and vision for the future is that this approach could improve and potentially augment PTSD treatment."


Provided by University of Western Ontario
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-12-neur...n-networks.html

Kids can get migraines too

(HealthDay)—Migraines aren't just a problem for adults—about 6 percent of children and more than one-quarter of teens aged 15 to 17 have migraines, according to the American Migraine Foundation (AMF).


"There are many things that can be done if your child suffers from migraine, or if you suspect that he or she does," foundation chair Dr. David Dodick, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Scottsdale, Ariz., said in an AMF news release.
If you suspect your child has migraines, take him or her to a doctor to be assessed and receive treatment if necessary. Options include treatment to stop the pain and prevent a migraine from getting worse, along with measures to prevent or reduce the frequency, severity and duration of migraines.

If your child is prescribed a migraine medication, it's important for you to make sure he or she takes the medicine as directed. Inform your doctor if there are changes in your child's migraines, such as becoming more frequent or severe. A new treatment approach may be required, according to the headache experts.
A number of factors may contribute to your child's migraines, such as too little or too much sleep or stress. Parents need to help their children follow healthy lifestyles and cope with stress. Recent research in stress management suggests that a type of counseling called cognitive behavioral therapy can benefit children with chronic headache, according to the AMF.
Other potentially helpful stress-control techniques include relaxation therapy and biofeedback.
Keeping a migraine diary can help youngsters understand why they get migraines and how to prevent them. The diary tracks migraines, the severity, how long they last, what patients were doing before and during the migraine, and what foods they ate.
Mobile phone apps may be an ideal way for children and teens to tracks their migraines and to take their medications as prescribed, the experts suggested.


Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-02-kids-migraines.html

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 22 2015, 11:14 PM

In search of tinnitus, that phantom ringing in the ears

About one in five people experience tinnitus, the perception of a sound—often described as ringing—that isn't really there. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on April 23 have taken advantage of a rare opportunity to record directly from the brain of a person with tinnitus in order to find the brain networks responsible.


The observations reveal just how different tinnitus is from normal representations of sounds in the brain.
"Perhaps the most remarkable finding was that activity directly linked to tinnitus was very extensive, and spanned a large proportion of the part of the brain we measured from," says Will Sedley of Newcastle University. "In contrast, the brain responses to a sound we played that mimicked [the subject's] tinnitus were localized to just a tiny area."
In the new study, Sedley and The University of Iowa's Phillip Gander contrasted brain activity during periods when tinnitus was relatively stronger and weaker. The study was only possible because the 50-year-old man they studied required invasive electrode monitoring for epilepsy. He also happened to have a typical pattern of tinnitus, including ringing in both ears, in association with hearing loss.
"It is such a rarity that a person requiring invasive electrode monitoring for epilepsy also has tinnitus that we aim to study every such person if they are willing," Gander says.
The researchers found the expected tinnitus-linked brain activity, but they report that the unusual activity extended far beyond circumscribed auditory cortical regions to encompass almost all of the auditory cortex, along with other parts of the brain.
The discovery adds to the understanding of tinnitus and helps to explain why treatment has proven to be such a challenge, the researchers say.
"We now know that tinnitus is represented very differently in the brain to normal sounds, even ones that sound the same, and therefore these cannot necessarily be used as the basis for understanding tinnitus or targeting treatment," Sedley says.
"The sheer amount of the brain across which the tinnitus network is present suggests that tinnitus may not simply 'fill in' the 'gap' left by hearing damage, but also actively infiltrates beyond this into wider brain systems," Gander adds.
These new insights may help to inform treatments such as EEG biofeedback, where patients learn to control their "brainwaves," or electromagnetic brain stimulation, according to the researchers. A better understanding of the brain patterns associated with tinnitus may also help point toward new pharmacological approaches to treatment, "which have so far generally been disappointing."




Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-04-tinn...antom-ears.html

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Apr 25 2015, 03:28 PM

i always feel nervous..especially when i want to go to work or meeting people? social phobia? please advice

It is possible.
Or it could be Avoidant Personality Issue.
According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), a person diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder needs to show at least four of the following criteria:
1)Avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact, because of fears of criticism, disapproval, or rejection.
2)Is unwilling to get involved with people unless they are certain of being liked.
3)Shows restraint within intimate relationships because of the fear of being shamed or ridiculed.
4)Is preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations.
5)Is inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacy.
6)Views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others.
7) Is unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in any new activities because they may prove embarrassing.
A mental health professional can assess your symptoms and suggest the appropriate treatment options.

Social Anxiety
Social anxiety disorder causes both emotional and physical symptoms. It can make you nervous, sad, or easily upset before or during a social event. You may worry a lot or be afraid that something bad will happen. The anxiety can cause you to blush, sweat, and feel shaky. Your heart may beat faster than normal, and you may have a hard time focusing.
Treatment options for social anxiety:
1) Psychotherapy/Counseling/Coaching-for those who fear only one or a few social situations (such as public speaking or eating in front of others), professional talk therapy to overcome the fear may be all that is needed.
2) Hypnotherapy-Hypno-desensitisation affords the possibility of gradually confronting one's fears using imagination thus avoiding the potentially traumatic consequences of exposure therapy. Self-hypnosis can be taught to address anxiety and to repeat the therapeutic suggestions post session. Age regression can guide the client back in time and help the client re-examine the event that initially triggered the fear from an objective point of view thus re-establishing control; it can also be employed to access positive feelings such a s self-confidence, calmness and assertiveness.
3) Medicines-A combination of medicines (such as antidepressants, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, venlafaxine) and professional counseling may be effective for long-term treatment for people who have generalized anxiety and fear over many social situations.
4) Biofeedback-EEG biofeedback/Neurofeedback therapy is a safe, non-invasive, alternative option for the treatment of anxiety or phobia related problem. Biofeedback is a self-training, mind-over-body technique developed in the 1940s. Doing biofeedback has a slightly science fiction feel to it. But it's entirely legitimate, and it works. Biofeedback therapy is a highly effective research-based treatment for anxiety disorders. The individual is taught how to properly respond to their anxiety and it is one of the ways he or she can learn how to manage and control it without the use of medications. EEG showing higher activity for hi-beta waves in the brain (these waves increase when the mind is stressed. It also teaches the individual how to control the brain’s activity and maintain the proper brainwave levels to achieve a calm and focused state. By returning the body to a healthier physiological state, the “foggy head” that anxiety can cause, as well as the feeling of fear and panic throughout the body, are removed.


Hope it helps:)



Source:
http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/tc/soci...ces-to-get-help
http://www.bsch.org.uk/hypnodesensitisation.htm
http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/biofeedback-therapy
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013...th-biofeedback/

Napping reverses health effects of poor sleep

A short nap can help relieve stress and bolster the immune systems of men who slept only two hours the previous night, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

Lack of sleep is recognized as a public health problem. Insufficient sleep can contribute to reduced productivity as well as vehicle and industrial accidents, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, people who sleep too little are more likely to develop chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.
Nearly three in 10 adults reported they slept an average of six hours or less a night, according to the National Health Interview Survey.
"Our data suggests a 30-minute nap can reverse the hormonal impact of a night of poor sleep," said one of the JCEM study's authors, Brice Faraut, PhD, of the Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité in Paris, France. "This is the first study that found napping could restore biomarkers of neuroendocrine and immune health to normal levels."
The researchers used a cross-over, randomized study design to examine the relationship between hormones and sleep in a group of 11 healthy men between the ages of 25 and 32. The men underwent two sessions of sleep testing in a laboratory, where meals and lighting were strictly controlled.
During one session, the men were limited to two hours of sleep for one night. For the other session, subjects were able to take two, 30-minute naps the day after their sleep was restricted to two hours. Each of the three-day sessions began with a night where subjects spent eight hours in bed and concluded with a recovery night of unlimited sleep.
Researchers analyzed the participants' urine and saliva to determine how restricted sleep and napping altered hormone levels. After a night of limited sleep, the men had a 2.5-fold increase in levels of norepinephrine, a hormone and neurotransmitter involved in the body's fight-or-flight response to stress. Norepinephrine increases the body's heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar. Researchers found no change in norepinephrine levels when the men had napped following a night of limited sleep.
Lack of sleep also affected the levels of interleukin-6, a protein with antiviral properties, found in the subjects' saliva. The levels dropped after a night of restricted sleep, but remained normal when the subjects were allowed to nap. The changes suggest naps can be beneficial for the immune system.
"Napping may offer a way to counter the damaging effects of sleep restriction by helping the immune and neuroendocrine systems to recover," Faraut said. "The findings support the development of practical strategies for addressing chronically sleep-deprived populations, such as night and shift workers."
Other authors of the study include: Samir Nakib, Catherine Drogou, Maxime Elbaz, Fabien Sauvet, Jean-Pascal De Bandt and Damien Léger of the Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité.



http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-02-napp...fects-poor.html

looks like i have both

Every problem has a solution, and usually more than one.

What is psychosomatic illness?

Psychosomatic is defined as concerning or involving both mind and body. Psychosomatic illnesses can be classified in three general types. The first type includes people who have both a mental (psychiatric) illness and a medical illness, and these illnesses complicate the symptoms and management of each other. The second type includes people who have a psychiatric problem that is a direct result of a medical illness or its treatment, such as having depression due to cancer and its treatment.

The third type of psychosomatic illness is somatoform disorders. Somatoform disorders are psychiatric disorders that are displayed through physical problems. In other words, the physical symptoms people experience are related to psychological factors rather than a medical cause.

Somatoform disorders are the focus of this article and include the following:

Body dysmorphic disorder is an obsession or preoccupation with a minor or imaginary flaw, such as wrinkles, small breasts, or the shape or size of other body parts. Body dysmorphic disorder causes severe anxiety and may impact a person’s ability to function normally in daily life.
Conversion disorder is a disorder in which a person experiences neurological symptoms that affect his or her movement and senses and that do not appear to have a physical cause. Symptoms can include seizures, blindness or paralysis.
Hypochondriasis is an obsession or fixation with the fear of having a serious disease. People with hypochondriasis misconstrue normal body functions or minor symptoms as being serious or life threatening. For example, a person with hypochondriasis may become convinced that he or she has colon cancer when having temporary flatulence after eating cabbage.
Somatization disorder is a disorder in which a person experiences physical complaints, such as headaches, diarrhea, or premature ejaculation, that do not have a physical cause.
The exact cause of somatoform disorders is not completely understood. Somatoform disorders are thought to be familial, meaning that genetics may play a role. Somatoform disorders may also be triggered by strong emotions, such as anxiety, grief, trauma, abuse, stress, depression, anger or guilt. People who suffer from somatoform disorders will generally not recognize the role these emotions play in their physical symptoms. However, they are not intentionally producing these physical symptoms or making up their physical problems. Their physical symptoms are real, but are caused by psychological factors.

Women are more likely than men to have a somatoform disorder. Symptoms usually begin before age 30 and persist for several years. The severity of the symptoms may vary from year to year, but there are rarely times when symptoms are not present. Examples of somatoform symptoms include digestive problems, headaches, pain, fatigue, menstrual problems, and sexual difficulties.


Common symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder

People who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder become obsessed with minor flaws in their physical appearance or may see flaws where none exist. Common concerns include hair loss; the size and shape of features, such as the eyes, nose or breasts; weight gain; and wrinkles. Symptoms and associated behaviors of body dysmorphic disorder may include:

Anxiety and depression
Avoiding being seen in public and withdrawal from social situations
Avoiding mirrors
Constantly checking yourself in a mirror
Seeking reassurance from others about your looks


Common symptoms of conversion disorder

Symptoms of conversion disorder usually look like neurological problems and can include:
Blindness or double vision
Difficulty swallowing
Impaired balance or coordination
Inability to speak (aphonia)
Loss of sensation
Paralysis or weakness
Seizures
Urinary retention
Common symptoms of hypochondriasis

Hypochondriasis is the condition of thinking that normal body functions or minor symptoms represent a serious medical condition. A person with hypochondriasis can interpret a headache as a brain tumor or muscle soreness as a sign of impending paralysis. Typical symptoms of hypochondriasis include:
Anxiety and depression
Feeling that their doctor has made a mistake by not diagnosing the cause of their symptoms
Repeated doctor visits until a diagnosis is made
Seeking constant reassurance from friends and family about their symptoms
Common symptoms of somatization disorder

Somatization disorder is characterized by physical symptoms without a physical cause. Symptoms of somatization disorder include:
Digestive symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea
Neurological symptoms, such as headache and fatigue
Pain
Sexual symptoms, such as pain during intercourse, loss of sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, and extremely painful periods in women
Symptoms that might indicate a serious or life-threatening condition


People with somatoform disorders are at risk for suicidal thoughts and actions. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have attempted to hurt or kill oneself or have had thoughts about hurting or killing oneself.

People with somatoform disorders are also at risk of developing major depression. Seek prompt medical care if you, or someone you are with, have any of these symptoms:
Changes in eating habits, such as overeating or loss of appetite
Difficulty concentrating or remembering things
Fatigue or lack of energy
Feelings of hopelessness, guilt or worthlessness
Irritability and restlessness
Loss of interest in activities and hobbies including sex
Persistent feelings of sadness or emptiness
Sleep problems, such as insomnia or excessive sleeping


http://www.healthgrades.com/conditions/psychosomatic-illness

Bullying May Be Worse for Later Mental Health Than Adult Maltreatment

New research suggests a child has more long-term mental health issues after being bullied by a peer than if they were maltreated by an adult.

While there is already an established link between maltreatment by adults and the mental health consequences for children, researchers wanted to learn if bullying was associated with similar mental health issues.

A research team lead by Professor Dieter Wolke from the Warwick Medical School looked at data from 4,026 participants in the UK ALSPAC study (Avon Longtitudinal Study of Parents and Children) and 1,273 participants from the US Great Smoky Mountain Study.

For ALSPAC, researchers looked at reports of maltreatment between the ages of eight weeks and 8.6 years; bullying at ages eight, 10 and 13; and mental health outcomes at age 18. Data from the Great Smoky Mountain Study had reports of maltreatment and bullying between the ages of nine and 16, and mental health outcomes from 19-25 years old.

The research is published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Said Wolke, “The mental health outcomes we were looking for included anxiety, depression, or suicidal tendencies. Our results showed those who were bullied were more likely to suffer from mental health problems than those who were maltreated.

“Being both bullied and maltreated also increased the risk of overall mental health problems, anxiety and depression in both groups.”

In the ALSPAC study, 8.5 percent of children reported maltreatment only, 29.7 percent reported bullying only and seven percent reported both maltreatment and bullying. In the Great Smoky Mountain Study, 15 percent reported maltreatment, 16.3 percent reported bullying and 9.8 percent reported maltreatment and bullying.

Wolke added, “Being bullied is not a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up; it has serious long-term consequences. It is important for schools, health services and other agencies to work together to reduce bullying and the adverse effects related to it.”


http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/04/29/pe...alth/84055.html

Do you know?

a single cup of zero-calorie coffee for breakfast (without any additional food intake) can be fattening. This is due to the body’s hormonal response to caffeine, which causes the release of the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine. Both cortisol and epinephrine cause a stress response in the body, and cortisol has the added disfavor of signaling the body to store fat.

#nutritionalpsychology

12 Signs that Your Teen Needs Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy By Mihaela Bernard, MA, LCPC

Psychoanalysis has the misleading reputation of being the talking cure for the adult patient. Well, it is not. Children and adolescents can benefit greatly from early intervention and prevention through psychoanalytic work that can help prevent more serious and long-term problems in the future.

Child psychoanalyst and psychoanalytic therapists work with children (and their parents) as young as infants. Psychoanalytic technique changes depending on the age and developmental needs of each individual patient but I will leave that for another post.

Let’s look at 12 signs that your teenage son or daughter may benefit from psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Some of these signs you may have noticed earlier in your child’s life and the sooner you get some professional help, the better.

Sign #1. Concern from teachers and school counselors or social workers – school staff are usually the first to alert parents that something may be going on with their son or daughter. If the school counselor or social worker expresses concerned for your teen’s behavior or emotional state, you may want to ask them for a referral or consult with a psychoanalytic psychotherapist.

Sign #2. Unusual change or decrease in academic performance – emotional problems are one of the top deterrers to learning and academic success. If your teen is suddenly struggling to perform at school and the teachers are concerned, this may indicate an emotional difficulty that requires a therapeutic intervention.

Sign #3. Skipping school and classes – truancy and delinquent behaviors are another indicator that something may be interfering with your teen’s ability to function academically and or socially. It is often difficult for teens to talk to their parents about what’s going on with them and skipping on classes is usually a sign that something may be going on.

Sign #4. Frequent arguments at home – every teenager argues with their parents in an attempt to assert their independence and sense of autonomy. However, if the arguments are persistent and worrisome, you may want to consult a professional.

Sign #5. Substance abuse (alcohol, marijuana, etc.) – substance abuse is probably the most widely used, self-medicating tool used by both teens and adults to cope with emotional difficulties. Usually, it is used to relieve anxiety, to temporarily improve depressed mood or simply as an avoidance strategy.

Sign #6. Recent change in the family (divorce, separation, etc.) – parental and marital discord is always hard on the children. When parents decide on divorce, the kids experience variety of emotions, including guilt, anger, hope, denial, sadness, etc. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy offers ways to reduce the negative impact of the disruption for the whole family, especially the child/adolescent.

Sign #7. Loss/death in the family – unexpected life circumstances put strain on every family. Therapy provides a space to make sense of the nonsensical and cope with the loss in a healthy way. If your child/adolescent has experienced a loss in the family, this is a sign that they may benefit from talking to someone.

Sign #8. Traumatic experiences – physical, sexual or emotional abuse are among the most common reasons for people to seek out professional counseling. Trauma is also the number #1 problem that causes severe anxiety in both adults and children. If your teen has gone through a traumatic experience, psychoanalytic psychotherapy is one of the most appropriate therapeutic approaches to address it.

Sign #9. Angry outbursts and getting into fights – what cannot be expressed through words is often communicated through action – fights, delinquent behaviors, drinking, etc. Meeting it with punishments or disapproval does little for the kid and often escalates the internal difficulty. If your teen is angry and violent, this is a clear indication that s/he may benefit from psychotherapy.

Sign #10. Self-injurious and risky behavior - self-injurious and risk taking behaviors are often signs that your teen is struggling with emotional issues and is trying to cope with them the best way they can. It can be very scary for the parents to literally see their child’s pain marked on their body so don’t hesitate and get some help.

Sign #11. Sexual acting out – teens usually engage in sexual exploration one way or another. However, premature sexualized behavior and comments may be signs of deeper struggles.

Sign #12. Withdrawn and isolative behavior can be easily neglected as it is not explosive or loud in any way. However, it may indicate that your teen is depressed and getting a professional opinion is crucial for your kid’s safety.


Source:
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/practical-ps...medium=facebook

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: May 5 2015, 10:13 AM

Children's sleep and mental health are related

Toddlers who take a long time to fall asleep or wake up many times during the night have put many a desperate mom and dad to the test. Tired parents are often told that night waking is part of toddlerhood, and that it will soon pass on its own, but this is not the case for everyone.

Researchers at NTNU's Department of Psychology have conducted a comprehensive survey of nearly 1,000 toddlers that shows that serious sleep disorders in young children can have long-term consequences.
The study shows that four-year-olds with sleep disorders have a higher risk of developing symptoms of psychiatric problems as six-year-olds, compared with children who sleep soundly.
At the same time, four-year-olds with psychiatric symptoms have a greater risk of developing a sleep disorder as six-year-olds, compared with children who do not have these kind of symptoms.

Reciprocal relationship
"It is common for children to have periods when they sleep poorly, but for some children, the problems are so extensive that they constitute a sleep disorder. Our research shows that it is important to identify children with sleep disorders, so that remedial measures can be taken. Sleeping badly or too little affects a child's day-to-day functioning, but we are seeing that there are also long term repercussions," says Silje Steinsbekk, an Associate Professor and Psychologist in NTNU's Department of Psychology.
Her previous research on the relationship between sleep disorders and psychological problems in children has shown that four-year-olds with sleep disorders often also show symptoms of psychiatric problems.
The new study, which was recently published in the respected Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, shows that the correlation between sleep disorders and psychiatric disorders is also found over time and that the relationship is reciprocal.

Thorough interviews and diagnoses
We know that 20-40 per cent of young children struggle with sleep in one way or another, but we lack data on how many of them are suffering from a diagnosable sleep disorder.
NTNU researchers conducted diagnostic interviews with the parents of the children participating in the study. The interview was based on the DSM-IV diagnostic manual, which contains the official diagnostic criteria for mental disorders.

One thousand four-year-olds participated in the study. Parents of around 800 of these children were interviewed again two years later. The comprehensive study is part of a longitudinal study in Trondheim that examines the incidence, progression and risk factors for the development of mental health problems in children. The project conducts follow-up visits with the children and their parents every other year.
"Previous studies of sleep problems in children have mainly used a questionnaire format, with questions like, "Does your child have trouble sleeping?" But what parents define as sleep problems will vary. In the diagnostic interview we ask parents questions until we are confident that we have enough information to assess whether a symptom is present or not. The information we've collected is more reliable than information obtained from the questionnaire," says Steinsbekk.

What comes first?
Can we say that poor sleep causes psychiatric problems – or do psychiatric problems cause poor sleep? The findings from the study suggest that the relationship goes both ways.
One possible explanation for this reciprocity may be that both conditions are biologically determined, by common underlying genetics, for example.
Another explanation may be that insufficient sleep creates general functional impairment, and that the risk of other problems therefore increases – in the same way that psychiatric symptoms often result in poorer everyday functioning, which in turn may negatively affect sleep.


Vicious cycle
Perhaps sleep disorders and mental health issues share the same risk factors. A child who shows signs of anxiety or a behavioural disorder may easily end up in a vicious cycle, where conflict with adults triggers anxiety and in turn leads to trouble falling asleep.
It may also be that difficult and negative thoughts steal both energy and sleep and make us restless and depressed if we fail to gain control over them.
"Given that so many children suffer from insomnia, and only just over half 'outgrow it,' it is critical for us to be able to provide thorough identification and good treatment. Perhaps early treatment of mental health problems can also prevent the development of sleep disorders, since psychiatric symptoms increase the risk of developing insomnia," says Steinsbekk, stressing that this is something that must be examined in further research.

Insomnia is most prevalent
The study shows that insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder. Children who suffer from insomnia struggle with falling asleep and frequent waking. Insomnia was diagnosed in 16.6 per cent of the four-year-olds surveyed, and 43 per cent of these still had insomnia as six- year olds.
Insomnia in four-year olds increases the risk for symptoms of anxiety, depression, ADHD and behavioural problems as six-year-olds. After the researchers had taken into account the children's psychiatric symptoms at age four, the relationship between insomnia and ADHD disappeared.
Similarly, children who show symptoms of anxiety, depression, ADHD and behavioural disturbances as four-year-olds have a greater risk of developing insomnia as six-year-olds. When symptoms of insomnia at age four were adjusted for, the relationship between insomnia and anxiety disappeared.
Examples of other types of sleep disorders are hypersomnia, i.e. an extreme urge to sleep, and various cases of parasomnia, such as nightmares, night terrors and sleepwalking. These conditions are uncommon, and the study also shows that, with the exception of sleepwalking, they are shorter-lived.


Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-05-chil...tal-health.html

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: May 7 2015, 07:54 PM

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine (colon). Irritable bowel syndrome commonly causes cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation. IBS is a chronic condition that you will need to manage long term.

Only a small number of people with irritable bowel syndrome have severe signs and symptoms. Some people can control their symptoms by managing diet, lifestyle and stress. Others will need medication and counseling.


Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can vary widely from person to person and often resemble those of other diseases. Among the most common are:
Abdominal pain or cramping
A bloated feeling
Gas
Diarrhea or constipation — sometimes alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea
Mucus in the stool
For most people, IBS is a chronic condition, although there will likely be times when the signs and symptoms are worse and times when they improve or even disappear completely.
Symptoms that may indicate a more serious condition include:
Rectal bleeding
Abdominal pain that progresses or occurs at night
Weight loss


Lifestyle and home remedies
In many cases, simple changes in your diet and lifestyle can provide relief from irritable bowel syndrome. Although your body may not respond immediately to these changes, your goal is to find long-term, not temporary, solutions:
Experiment with fiber.When you have irritable bowel syndrome, fiber can be a mixed blessing. Although it helps reduce constipation, it can also make gas and cramping worse. The best approach is to slowly increase the amount of fiber in your diet over a period of weeks. Examples of foods that contain fiber are whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans. If your signs and symptoms remain the same or worse, tell your doctor. You may also want to talk to a dietitian.
Some people do better limiting dietary fiber and instead take a fiber supplement that causes less gas and bloating. If you take a fiber supplement, such as Metamucil or Citrucel, be sure to introduce it slowly and drink plenty of water every day to reduce gas, bloating and constipation. If you find that taking fiber helps your IBS, use it on a regular basis for best results.
Avoid problem foods. If certain foods make your signs and symptoms worse, don't eat them. These may include alcohol, chocolate, caffeinated beverages such as coffee and sodas, medications that contain caffeine, dairy products, and sugar-free sweeteners such as sorbitol or mannitol.
If gas is a problem for you, foods that might make symptoms worse include beans, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. Fatty foods also may be a problem for some people. Chewing gum or drinking through a straw can lead to swallowing air, causing more gas.
Eat at regular times. Don't skip meals, and try to eat about the same time each day to help regulate bowel function. If you have diarrhea, you may find that eating small, frequent meals makes you feel better. But if you're constipated, eating larger amounts of high-fiber foods may help move food through your intestines.
Take care with dairy products. If you're lactose intolerant, try substituting yogurt for milk. Or use an enzyme product to help break down lactose. Consuming small amounts of milk products or combining them with other foods also may help. In some cases, though, you may need to stop eating dairy foods completely. If so, be sure to get enough protein, calcium and B vitamins from other sources.
Drink plenty of liquids. Try to drink plenty of fluids every day. Water is best. Alcohol and beverages that contain caffeine stimulate your intestines and can make diarrhea worse, and carbonated drinks can produce gas.
Exercise regularly. Exercise helps relieve depression and stress, stimulates normal contractions of your intestines, and can help you feel better about yourself. If you've been inactive, start slowly and gradually increase the amount of time you exercise. If you have other medical problems, check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.
Use anti-diarrheal medications and laxatives with caution.If you try over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medications, such as Imodium or Kaopectate, use the lowest dose that helps. Imodium may be helpful if taken 20 to 30 minutes before eating, especially if you know that the food planned for your meal is likely to cause diarrhea.
In the long run, these medications can cause problems if you don't use them correctly. The same is true of laxatives. If you have any questions about them, check with your doctor or pharmacist.





Research about how clinical hypnotherapy can help Irritable Bowel Syndrome:

The Efficacy of Hypnotherapy in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and meta-analysis
This study provides clearer evidence that hypnotherapy has beneficial short-term effects in improving gastrointestinal symptoms of patients with IBS.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4015203/



Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of hypnosis in adult irritable bowel syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis.
This meta-analysis demonstrated that hypnosis was safe and provided long-term adequate symptom relief in 54% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome refractory to conventional therapy.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24901382


Source:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditi...on/CON-20024578


This post has been edited by zeropoint9: May 10 2015, 06:46 PM

Research shows sleep loss impedes decision making in crisis

The difference between life and death in the operating room, on the battlefield or during a police shootout often comes down to the ability to adapt to the unexpected. Sleep deprivation may make it difficult to do so, according to a Washington State University study published this month in the journal Sleep.

For the first time, WSU researchers created a laboratory experiment that simulates how sleep loss affects critical aspects of decision making in high-stakes, real-world situations. Their results provide a new understanding of how going without sleep for long periods can lead doctors, first responders, military personnel and others in a crisis situation to make catastrophic decisions.

Overcoming challenge of lab research
Recent history is full of examples of the sometimes devastating consequences of people operating without enough sleep.
Investigations into the Chernobyl nuclear power plant meltdown in Ukraine, the grounding of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker and the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger all concluded that sleep-deprived operators played a role in causing the accidents.
A long-standing conundrum for sleep scientists has been creating a controlled lab situation that sufficiently simulates the circumstances leading to severe lapses in real-world judgment. Previous laboratory research consistently showed sleep loss degrades attention, but its effects on demanding tests of cognition like decision making appeared to be relatively small.
"So there has been a disconnect between decision making in the lab where the effects of sleep loss appeared to be minimal and decision making in the real world where sleep loss can lead to big problems," said Paul Whitney, WSU associate dean and professor of psychology. "Our goal was to bridge the gap and capture the essential elements of real-world decision making in a laboratory experiment."

Adapting to feedback crucial
In a natural context, decision making is a dynamic process that requires a person to learn what is going on nearby as a result of his or her actions and changing circumstances. A surgeon, for instance, might notice a change in a patient's vital signs midway through a procedure. The surgeon can then use this feedback decide a better course of action.

"A novel aspect of this study was using a simple laboratory task that captures the essential aspect of real-world decision making of adapting to new information in a changing situation," said John Hinson, professor of psychology. "Prior studies of sleep loss and decision making have not realized how important adapting to changing circumstances is in determining when sleep loss will lead to decision making failures."
Whitney, Hinson and Hans Van Dongen, director of the WSU Sleep and Performance Research Center at WSU Spokane, along with Melinda Jackson, now of the RMIT University, Victoria, Australia, recruited 26 healthy adults to take part in their study conducted at the Spokane sleep center.
Thirteen of the participants were randomly selected to go 62 hours without sleep two days into the study while the other half of the group was allowed to rest. For six days and nights, the participants lived in a hotel-like laboratory where they performed a specially designed reversal learning task to test their ability to use feedback to guide future decisions.

Mid-study switch confounds sleep deprived
In the task, subjects were shown a series of numbers that, unknown to them, were pre-assigned to have either a "go" (response) or "no go" (non-response) value. They had less than a second to decide whether or not to respond to each number shown.
Every time they correctly identified a number with a "go" value, they received a fictitious monetary reward. Errors resulted in a loss.
After a while, both the sleep-deprived group and the controls started to catch on and selected the right numbers. Then the tricky part came. The researchers reversed the contingencies so that participants had to withhold a response to the "go" numbers and respond to the "no go" numbers.
The switch confounded the sleep deprived participants. Even after being shown 40 numbers with reversed contingencies, they had almost zero success. On the other hand, the rested participants would catch on to the switch within 8-16 numbers.

Implications of sleep-loss risk
The data show that no matter how hard a person wants to make the right choice, sleep loss does something to the brain that simply prevents it from effectively using feedback. The study provides a new tool for investigating how sleep deprivation produces decision errors in real-life situations where information emerges over time.
"People in high-stakes environments are held accountable for their actions when they are fatigued just like everyone else," Van Dongen said. "However, we now know that when someone is sleep-deprived their brain simply can't process feedback from their actions and changing circumstances.
"Our findings tell us that putting sleep-deprived people in perilous environments is an inherently risky business and raises a number of medical, legal and financial implications," he said.


All retrieved from:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-05-loss...ion-crisis.html

10 Ways to Make Memory Rehab Work

Physical exercise can rehabilitate bodies that have grown soft and flabby. Can mental exercise rehabilitate brains that have deteriorated because of disease or age? Maybe.

A published scholarly review has examined the research literature on this issue and arrived at several useful conclusions:

Focus, Reduce Distractions. The two common causes of forgetting, in both normal people and those with impaired memory, are a) failure to register new information effectively, and b) interference from conflicting sensations and thoughts.

Customize the Rehabilitation Needed. Rehab need to take into account the type of memory therapy and the cause and severity of the impaired memory capability.

Learn in Small, Frequently Repeated Chunks. New information has to be re-packaged for memory-impaired people so that it is in simple, concrete form, in small chunks, and repeated frequently — with patients required to re-state the information and make explicit associations with what they already know. (Notice how this sounds like the way one needs to teach young children).

Practice Attentiveness. Attentiveness to new information can be enhanced by self-cueing, wherein patients remind themselves to be more attentive at crucial moments. This can even be done by creating a conditioned reflex in which a cue signal conditions greater attentiveness. (Notice how this sounds like how you “clicker” train dogs).

Uses Mnemonics. Mnemonic tips and tricks can help. This includes using acronyms, rhymes, stories, and constructing mental images.

Find Ways to Compensate. Even in patients with severe impairments, some aspects of memory, such as subliminal or implicit memory, may have been spared and can be exploited to compensate for the lost ability.

Spread Rehearsals Over Time. Memory rehearsal is more effective if it is spread out over time rather than bunched into a few closely spaced sessions.

Manipulate the Cues. Be more aware of cues you are using. A “vanishing clues” approach can help. For example, in a rehearsal session, cued retrieval might begin with cueing the first three letters of a target word, then repeating later with two, then one, and eventually no letter cues.

Minimize Error, Lest you Learn the Errors. Trial-and-error learning is generally less effective than learning conditions that minimize error, because error responses can get stored as memories that compete with the right answers. In short, it is better to not know than to generate wrong answers.

Use Memory Crutches. Using external memory aids (sticky notes, wall charts, notebooks, etc.) should help, bearing in mind, however, that using such aids may themselves be a memory task. It is like having a schedule calendar and forgetting to check the calendar. Smart phones and radio paging devices (“NeuroPage”) can be especially helpful because they remind the patient when to check on the stored information. In some patients, repeated use of such aids develops a habit for target tasks and these may even generalize to certain non-target tasks.

These ten approaches are some of the same approaches that work especially well in people with normal memory capabilities. To make them work in patients with impaired memory just takes more effort, patience, and time.

Source: Ptak, R., Van der Linden, M., and Schneider, A. 2010. Cognitive rehabilitation of episodic memory disorders: from theory to practice. Frontiers in Human Research. 4 (57): 1-11. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2010.00057.





All retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory...mory-rehab-work

You might have ADHD


You know you can’t just say you have ADHD, right? In fact, if you go around saying it without having a valid diagnosis, there’s a chance you’ll upset someone who has the diagnosis. Especially if you don’t really have ADHD.

And the deal is, that having ADHD, as I’ve said a thousand times, is a mater of having symptoms that are pretty normal and common, but having them with a frequency and intensity that have a real and constant negative effect on your life.


So you know, if you’re going around saying you have ADHD because of things that happen to you or that are caused by you, and you’re saying it a lot … well, you might have ADHD.

And just to help you decide whether or not you should pursue a diagnosis, here’s a few more things you might look for in your life that might be hints.

My list:

If you’ve arrived for an appointment and found out that it was an hour earlier, then, while showing the receptionist the time in your calendar to prove your innocence only to discover that the time of your appointment according to your calendar was … an hour earlier, you might have ADHD.

If you’ve searched the house completely for your keys, and finally given up and grabbed the spare key because you’re almost late, then found your keys in the lock on the outside of your house door … again, you might have ADHD.

If you’ve checked a book out of the library because it looks interesting and then discovered by chapter three, that you’ve already read it, you might have ADHD. (note, this applies to rental movies as well)

If you’ve ever found yourself brushing your teeth, and your hair at the same time, you might have ADHD.

If you’ve ever gone to the grocery store for one thing and come home with two or more bags of groceries, you might have ADHD. FYI, if you came home without the one thing that you went for, you’ve upped the likelihood by a factor of two to three.

If you’re currently reading more than five books, you might have ADHD.

If you spend more than the average amount of time at the emergency ward of your local hospital, you might have ADHD.

If you have had more hobbies, jobs, or relationships than you can count on your fingers, you might have ADHD.

How did you do?

The thing is, the more of these that you answered yes to, the higher the possibility that you have ADHD.

But if you’re planning on telling people you have ADHD … you’re still going to need to get a diagnosis.


All retrieved from:
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/adhd-man/201...ight-have-adhd/

I love this thread so much, very informative.

I have a few questions,

i think i might have the social anxiety, fear to talk in front of people, easily get nervous and sometimes i rather be silent than do talking. any advice for that doc?

Other thing is, i'm very light sleeper, even someone drop a pen it can woke me up, sometimes i feel not having good sleep because of i often woken up by even the slightest sound. Some example situation what really annoys me, everytimes i go for travelling whether by car,bus or plane for long distance journey, light sleeper like me found hard to sleep on moving things somemore got noises, end up affects me headache.

What Makes Someone A Light Sleeper?

For some people, the slightest noise awakens them at night. For others, the wailing siren of a passing fire truck doesn't disturb their slumber. Just why, though, remains a bit of a mystery.

Although many people are self-proclaimed light sleepers or heavy sleepers, researchers have found that little is actually known about why people react differently to noises and other stimuli during sleep.

Genetics, lifestyle choices, and undiagnosed sleep disorders may all play a role. In addition, some studies suggest that differences in brainwave activity during sleep may also make someone a light or heavy sleeper.

Light And Deep Sleep
During sleep, you alternate between cycles of REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) that repeat about every 90 minutes. You spend about 75 percent of the night in NREM sleep, which consists of four stages of increasing relaxation.

Stage one, or the phase between being awake and asleep, is considered light sleep. Deeper sleep begins in stage two, as your breathing and heart rate become regular and your body temperature drops.

Stages three and four are the deepest and most restorative stages of sleep, in which breathing slows, muscles relax, and tissue growth and repair occurs.

In general, young people spend more time in the deeper, heavier stages of sleep as they grow and develop. Older people spend less time in deep-sleep stages and are more likely to complain of being light sleepers.

But sleep experts say the difference between a light and heavy sleeper may be largely subjective. Someone who gets eight hours of sleep a night may not experience as much slow-wave, deep sleep as the person who get six hours of sleep.

"There may be some overlap between what people subjectively feel about the depth of their sleep, and what we find in the lab in measuring the different sleep stages," said David Neubauer, M.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and associate director of Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center in Baltimore, Md. "But it's not necessarily the same thing."

What Contributes To Light Sleep
A small study, published in 2010 in Current Biology, suggests that differences in how sleeping people respond to noise may be related to levels of brain activity called sleep spindles. The researchers found that people whose brains produced the most of these high-frequency sleep spindles were more likely to sleep through loud noises. But more research is needed to confirm the results.

Neubauer said that if someone is complaining of not feeling rested because of being a light sleeper, they should look at the factors that might be contributing to the inability to achieve a deep sleep.

A doctor can recommend a sleep study in a sleep lab to see if a sleep disorder may be to blame.

Some sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, may contribute to light sleep by causing awakenings throughout the night because of breathing irregularities.

Neubauer added that it's hard to generalize about what makes some people light sleepers and others heavy sleepers. "It might be some sort of genetics, or it might be that some people have a greater degree of arousal over a 24-hour cycle," he said.

In most cases, however, factors under your own control affect the quality of sleep you get. "There are lots of issues related to lifestyle, medication, alcohol, and caffeine that can lighten sleep," Neubauer said. "People might also not be getting enough sleep because they're not spending enough time in bed due to the choices they make."

Practicing healthy sleep habits -- maintaining a regular sleep schedule; limiting caffeine and alcohol use; and sleeping in a quiet, dark, and cool space -- can all help foster deeper, heavier sleep.


Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/02/l..._n_3843676.html

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: May 20 2015, 02:03 PM

Thanks for support:)

Based on my observation,
Some people can't go to sleep easily. Their brain is still active and any noise or discomfort can make it harder to fall asleep.
I find that people who are fear to talk in front of people and easily get nervous often have a very activated EEG fast brainwave.
Fast brainwave such as Hi-Beta is associated with nervous, anxiety and fear. Based on my observation, fast brainwaves might cause headache too.

Some people don't experience much "relax" mode because either they asleep or awake.
When I look into their EEG brainwaves during neuro-hypnotherapy process, their parietal lobe of the brain shows spindling beta brainwaves.
This could reflect sensory hypersensitivity (Auditory, visual or kinesthetic). Thus, it could be the reason that makes them a light sleeper.
After doing the EEG biofeedback (Increasing the high-frequency sleep spindles) or hypnotherapy, most of them notice significant improvement in term of emotion and sleep pattern.

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: May 20 2015, 02:04 PM

I want to sleep only 4 hrs a day but hard to be applied. I always sleepy and sleep 9 hrs a day. at 9 pm already fell sleep. how to sleep only 4 hrs bro?

May I know what is the reason that you want to sleep ONLY 4 hours a day?
Sleep around 8 hours is quite normal.
Mind to share your daily routines?
You can go for a psychotherapy, hypnotherapy or doing EEG biofeedback.


You can read stategoes for getting out of bed which created by Dr.Ellen Frank.
STRATEGIES FOR GETTING OUT OF BED
© Ellen Frank, PhD and Holly A. Swartz, MD, 2011


ALARMS/TIMERS

 Put alarm clock across the room; vary the location

 Practice physically getting up in response to the alarm going off

 Use multiple alarm clocks

 Use vibrating alarm clock

 Use cell phone alarm: use different ring tones and volumes

 Use appliance timer to turn ON:

Lamp

Radio

Cassette player

TV

Coffee maker

Microwave

 Use appliance timer to turn OFF: White noise machine



ENLIST FRIENDS/RELATIVES TO

 Call you on telephone

 Visit you in the morning for breakfast (or come live with you?)

 Meet you for coffee or breakfast or exercise or errands



ENVIRONMENT

 Raise/open blinds when you go to bed to allow morning light

 Get a rooster?



ON WAKING UP

 Place encouraging/coping thoughts card on bedside table; read immediately

 Practice mindfulness and note thoughts, emotions

 Place pros and cons list of getting out of bed on bedside table; read IMMEDIATELY

 Listen to tape you made reminding yourself of reasons to get up

 Place water on bedside table; splash on face or drink

 Place something with strong smell on table; inhale (e.g., cinnamon)

 Throw off the covers IMMEDIATELY

 Put feet on the floor IMMEDIATELY

 Get up and take a shower

 Get the newspaper IMMEDIATELY



HAVE A REASON TO GET UP

 Set appointment or make plan for doing something in morning (e.g., go to work, go

to volunteer job, go to exercise)

 Get a pet

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: May 22 2015, 04:30 PM

Tricks and Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

In today’s world, snoozing can be difficult, particularly when all your screens (computers, TVs, cell phones, tablets) lure you into staying up just a little longer.

The basics are pretty simple:

Shut down your computer, cell phone, and TV at least an hour before you hit the sack.

Save your bedroom for sleep and sex. Think relaxation and release, rather than work or entertainment.

Create a bedtime ritual. It's not the time to tackle big issues. Instead, take a warm bath, meditate, or read.

Stick to a schedule, waking up and retiring at the same times every day, even on weekends.

Watch what and when you eat. Avoid eating heavy meals and alcohol close to bedtime, which may cause heartburn and make it hard to fall asleep. And steer clear of soda, tea, coffee, and chocolate after 2 p.m. Caffeine stays in your system for 5 to 6 hours.

Turn out the lights. Darkness cues your body to release the natural sleep hormone melatonin, while light suppresses it.


Source:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/sleep-and-weight-loss?page=2

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) problem? Let's hear what Mr.Jeff said

My major health concern is that I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) problem. I was looking for ways to solve and through online searching, I found Hiro Koo, a Clinical Hypnotherapist in SOL healthcare centre. I had been through a lot of treatments and therapies outside, both Chinese and Western but there is still no help to my problem until I found SOL.

In confidence, Hiro Koo explained to me about my current health condition in a very detailed manner and the solution to it – Neuro-hypnotherapy. He taught me the way to self-hypnosis and it really works. Now, my IBS problem has improved and finally I gain my life back. IBS has caused problems to my normal life and working performance and through neuro-hypnotherapy with Hiro Koo, I am better now.

Apart from that, combining with the nutritional consultation with the naturopath, I learn to eat healthily and nutritionally. I’m really satisfied with the result and would definitely recommend my friends and family members and those who need natural therapies to visit SOL.


- Testimonial by Mr. Jeff Liau



Remark:
This is a testimonial from my client, I just hope to share with people who has suffered with IBS for many years this information.
As far as I know, people who suffered with IBS really need a solution.
Find a clinical hypnotherapist to deal with your IBS problem now.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine (colon). Irritable bowel syndrome commonly causes cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation. IBS is a chronic condition that you will need to manage long term.
Only a small number of people with irritable bowel syndrome have severe signs and symptoms. Some people can control their symptoms by managing diet, lifestyle and stress. Others will need medication and counseling.
Treatment options for IBS:
1) Hypnotherapy-Participants enter an altered state of consciousness, either with a trained professional's help or on their own (after training). In this altered condition, visual suggestions are made to imagine pain or tension going away. Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of hypnosis in adult irritable bowel syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis.
This meta-analysis demonstrated that hypnosis was safe and provided long-term adequate symptom relief in 54% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome refractory to conventional therapy. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24901382
2) EEG Biofeedback--This strategy uses an electrical device to help people recognize their body's response to stress. Participants are taught, with the machine's help, to achieve a more relaxed state. After a few sessions, people are able to calm themselves down on their own. The gut has it's own nervous system (part of the Autonomic Nervous System) which communicates with the brain. EEG biofeedback train the brain to calm and balance its own activity, this has body wide benefits.
3) Psychotherapy/Counseling/Coaching- A trained mental health professional helps patients work out conflicts and understand feelings. For example, CBT is a form of psychotherapy that teaches you to analyze negative, distorted thoughts, and replace them with more positive and realistic thoughts.
4) Medicines-Medicine can help relieve your symptoms enough to prevent them from interfering with your daily activities. It may not be possible to eliminate your symptoms. Few medicines have proved consistently helpful, and all medicines have side effects. So medicine should be used for specific symptoms that disrupt your normal daily activities.

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: May 29 2015, 06:36 PM

A few theories about the function of dreams

Dreaming is such a common activity that we take it for granted. But have you ever asked yourself: Why do we dream? And is there any meaning to these visions we see almost every night?

Ancient civilizations considered dreams as signs or revelations from the gods. Sigmund Freud – the father of dream research – stated that our dreams are a “royal way to unconsciousness”. Nowadays most modern dream theorists consider Freud’s ideas outdated. However, his work was so influential that it makes a good starting point to begin investigating the question “why do we dream?

FREUD AND JUNG ON DREAMS

Freud came up with the iceberg metaphor to explain how our minds are represented by 3 different levels. According to him, our conscious mind – through which we perceive the ‘real’ world – is like the visible tip of the iceberg. Underneath this lies the preconcious mind- which although not readily available to us can be brought to consciousness when required. But Freud’s view was that the vast majority of our pysche is made up of the unconscious – thoughts, feelings, memories and desires that are usually buried deep below the surface, just like the submerged iceberg.

Freud believed that dreams allowed our repressed needs and desires to be fulfilled without the conscious mind needing to be aware of it. He also believed that dreams acted as a ‘guardian’ whilst we slept, protecting our sleep from disruption from external stimuli.

Carl Jung, a former student of Freud, also believed that dreams were a way to gain knowledge into the subconcious mind. Jung came up with the idea of a shared, collective unconscious. This, Jung said, is common to all mankind and the source of all mythology. Jung also postulated the idea of archetypes – instinctive, ancient patterns of our psychological makeup – which reveal themselves in dreams through symbols such as The Shadow and the Great Mother.

DREAMING WIPES OUR MEMORIES

In 1983 Francis Crick and Graeme Mitchison developed a controversial theory about the source and the meaning of dreams. They claimed that “we dream to forget”. Their idea came from studying work done on advanced computer systems that imitated neural intelligence. They argued that the brain’s memory systems can be easily overloaded and the dream-state was a way to eliminate cognitive ‘debris’. They called their theory reverse learning and researchers have compared this process with defragmenting a hard disk drive.

DREAMS ARE OUR PERSONAL PSYCHOTHERAPISTS

The late Ernest Hartmann, a psychiatrist and director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Newton Wellesley Hospital spent decades studying dreams and their possible function. His research found that emotional arousal had a direct correlation with the intensity of dream imagery. Hartmann’s Contemporary Theory of Dreaming says that dreams, rather than being random and meaningless, act as a form of therapy, by “making of connections guided by emotion”. He suggests that by making these symbolic associations, it helps us to cope with worries and traumatic events by weaving them into our personal history.

DREAMS AS PROBLEM SOLVERS

It has long been known that sleep can play a large part in problem solving by the act of ‘off-line’ memory consolidation. Building on these studies, researcher, Harry Fiss found that dreams play a part in this process. His studies showed a “positive correlation between elements incorporated in dreams and recall performance for these elements”. In his studies he found that when participants incorporated learning tasks into their dream content, they showed enhanced memory following sleep.

There are countless more theories of dreaming, and of course, some people don’t believe they perform any useful function at all. The jury is still out, and there is still no definitive answer about why we dream, what purpose they serve or what their various meanings are. One thing is for sure however. As scientific knowledge increases we are coming closer and closer to discovering the real meanings of our nightly



Source:
http://sleepjunkies.com/dreaming/theories-dream/

Some Types of Physical Activity May Cause Poor Sleep

A new study finds that while activities such as walking, aerobics/calisthenics, biking, gardening, golfing, running, weight-lifting, and yoga/Pilates are associated with better sleep habits, some activities actually may harm sleep quality.

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) discovered activities such as household and childcare work are associated with increased cases of poor sleep habits.

The study will be presented at SLEEP 2015, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

The new study breaks down physical activity — normally associated with healthy sleep — and provides detail into activities that significantly help sleep and those that may cause people to lose sleep.

The new study, led by Michael Grandner, Ph.D., looked at data on sleep and physical activities of 429,110 adults from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. From this data set, the Penn researchers measured whether each of 10 types of activities was associated with a typical amount of sleep, relative to both no activity and to walking.

Survey respondents were asked what type of physical activity they spent the most time doing in the past month, and also asked how much sleep they got in a typical 24-hour period. Since previous studies showed that people who get less than seven hours are at greater risk for poor health and functioning, the study evaluated whether people who reported specific activities were more likely to also report sufficient sleep.

Compared to those who reported that they did not get physical activity in the past month, all types of activity except for household/childcare were associated with a lower likelihood of insufficient sleep.

To assess whether these effects are just a result of any activity, results were compared to those who reported walking as their main source of activity.

Compared to just walking, aerobics/calisthenics, biking, gardening, golf, running, weight-lifting, and yoga/Pilates were each associated with fewer cases of insufficient sleep, and household/childcare activity was associated with higher cases of insufficient sleep.

These results were adjusted for age, sex, education level, and body mass index.

“Although previous research has shown that lack of exercise is associated with poor sleep, the results of this study were surprising,” said Grandner.

“Not only does this study show that those who get exercise simply by walking are more likely to have better sleep habits, but these effects are even stronger for more purposeful activities, such as running and yoga, and even gardening and golf.

It was also interesting that people who receive most of their activity from housework and childcare were more likely to experience insufficient sleep — we know that home and work demands are some of the main reasons people lose sleep.”

“These results are consistent with the growing scientific literature on the role of sleep in human performance,” said Grandner.

“Lab studies show that lack of sleep is associated with poor physical and mental performance, and this study shows us that this is consistent with real-world data as well.

“Since these results are correlational, more studies are needed to help us understand whether certain kinds of physical activity can actually improve or worsen sleep, and how sleep habits help or hurt a person’s ability to engage in specific types of activity.”

Source: University of Pennsylvania
http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/06/05/so...medium=facebook

I am here and I care!

It is an honour to be invited to participate in National Cancer Survivors Day 2015 which organized by the National Cancer Society Malaysia. Managing mental health needs is a crucial part for cancer patients or survivors. My role today is to provide brain assessment, support and treatment advice if necessary.

There is a healthtalk on how the clinical hypnotherapy able to help cancer patients and cancer survivors. In fact, clinical hypnotherapy has proven to be extremely valuable in the treatment of cancer. Hypnosis has been shown to be effective for decreasing chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in children with cancer.

Indeed, hypnotherapy is an effective supplement therapy in the management of terminally ill cancer patients in a hospice setting. It is useful in addressing:
(1) management of anxiety, depression, anger, and frustration;
(2) management of pain, fatigue, and insomnia;
(3) management of side-effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy;
(4) visualization to promote health improvement.
By successfully addressing these areas, studies have shown that hypnotherapy improves the individual quality of life and life expectancy. Further, there is a quantifiable cost savings to the hospital in terms of reduced medication and need for medical care.
One of the most well-known techniques involves the use of “positive mental images” of a strong army of white blood cells killing cancer cells. One 10-year follow-up study involving 86 women with cancer showed that a year of weekly “supportive/ expressive” group therapy significantly increased survival duration and time from recurrence to death. Postoperative complications and hospitalizations for the hypnotic intervention group are significantly shorter than the norm.

You can read this review:
"Hypnosis for Cancer Care: Over 200 Years Young" - The goal of this review was to summarize the empirical literature on hypnosis as an integrative cancer prevention and control technique. We have reviewed where hypnosis has strong support for its efficacy (surgery and other invasive procedures), where it holds promise (weight loss, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, metastatic disease), and where more work is needed.



Source:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3755455/
http://web.wellness-institute.org/blog/bid...Treating-Cancer

How to know myself is with ADHD? I found myself difficult to focus on my tasks and my cognitive function seems to be affected (Made careless mistake, memory loss).

I am in my early 30s.

You can meet with Psychiatrist or clinical psychologist if you want to be diagnosed.
However, adult client with ADHD symptoms may consider EEG biofeedback training if your concern is how to improve the symptoms instead of getting diagnosed.
EEG biofeedback or neurofeedback training is a non drug approach, no side effect, safe and painless procedure to improve ADHD problem.
In fact, in October, 2012 the American Academy of Pediatrics rated neurofeedback as a Level 1 “Best Support” Intervention for ADHD; this is the highest possible rating and at the same level as medication treatment. You can choose EEG biofeedback if you don't want to use medication to control your ADHD symptoms.
When diagnosing ADHD, clinicians now need to specify whether a person has mild, moderate or severe ADHD. This is based on how many symptoms a person has and how difficult those symptoms make daily life.

Inattentive presentation:
-Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes.
-Has difficulty sustaining attention.
-Does not appear to listen.
-Struggles to follow through on instructions.
-Has difficulty with organization.
-Avoids or dislikes tasks requiring a lot of thinking.
-Loses things.
-Is easily distracted.
-Is forgetful in daily activities.

Hyperactive-impulsive presentation:
-Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in chair.
-Has difficulty remaining seated.
-Runs about or climbs excessively in children; extreme restlessness in adults.
-Difficulty engaging in activities quietly.
-Acts as if driven by a motor; adults will often feel inside like they were driven by a
motor.
-Talks excessively.
-Blurts out answers before questions have been completed.
-Difficulty waiting or taking turns.
-Interrupts or intrudes upon others.

Combined inattentive & hyperactive-impulsive presentation:
-Has symptoms from both of the above presentations.





Reference: American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5), Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.

We have been invited to give a talk about alternative treatment for Autism.
Special thanks to Lembaga Penduduk dan Pembangunan Keluarga Negara (LPPKN) for the invitation.

Today psychologists know that autism is a problem in the way the brain works, not in how people are raised. That discovery has led them to develop medical, educational and behavioral approaches to treatment. Autism is a brain disorder that often makes it hard to communicate with and relate to others. With autism, the different areas of the brain fail to work together. Most people with autism will always have some trouble relating to others. But early diagnosis and treatment have helped more and more people who have autism to reach their full potential.

Yes, EEG Biofeedback is very useful for ASD.
Reports from caregivers of people with autism suggest people have witnessed improvements in a variety of areas including speech and irritability after EEG biofeedback training. A few scientific reports have highlighted that a demonstrated increase in social interaction may be seen in child with autism following treatment. One study suggested that parents who noticed an improvement continued to see the benefits for at least a year after EEG biofeedback. We know from other studies that the brainwaves of children with autism may well be different in many ways to the brainwaves of their non-autistic peers (www.psychologytoday.com).

Other kind of therapies include:
Occupational Therapy, Sensory Integration Therapy, Speech Therapy, Complementary and Alternative Treatments such as special diets, Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), acupuncture, homeopathic medicine etc.

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Jun 12 2015, 12:06 AM

Let me briefly explain about how alcohol affect sleep cycle.

Sleep Cycle:
During sleep, we usually pass through five phases of sleep: REM (rapid eye movement), stages 1, 2, 3, and 4.

REM Sleep: When people awaken during REM sleep, they often describe bizarre and illogical tales – dreams. REM sleep stimulates the brain regions used in learning and it affects learning of certain mental skills.
Stage 1: Light sleep, can be awakened easily.
Stage 2: sleep, our eye movements stop and our brain waves become slower, with occasional bursts of rapid waves called sleep spindles.
Stage 3: extremely slow brain waves called delta waves begin to appear,
Stage 4: the brain produces delta waves almost exclusively.

Deep sleep stage 3&4 coincides with the release of growth hormone, help people maintain optimal emotional and social functioning, encode memories and improve learning. Deep sleep is a time for your body to renew and repair itself.

How your habit affects your sleep cycle:
1) Heavy smokers often sleep very lightly and have reduced amounts of REM sleep. They also tend to wake up after 3 or 4 hours of sleep due to nicotine withdrawal.
2) Alcohol does help people fall into light sleep, however alcohol will also robs/destroys their REM and the stage 3&4 sleep. Instead, it keeps them in stage 1 or stage 2, the lighter stages of sleep, from which they can be awakened easily.
3) Sleeping pills lose their efficacy over time. Some sleeping pills can negatively affect sleep architecture, producing more of the lighter Stage 2 sleep, it might also robs/destroys their stage 3&4 sleep.


What Hypnotherapy/EEG biofeedback can help:
Hypnotherapy is the artificial activation of the REM state. It induces deep relaxation creates the same electrical patterns in the brain as occurs in REM sleep. Thus, client able to fall asleep easily without the help of alcohol or sleeping pill. And hypnosis won't destroy stage 3 & 4 deep sleep stage. As hypnosis is another way of creating the REM state, then it follows that it also performs the same updating and maintenance tasks as REM. Simply being in REM/hypnosis is enough to let an overloaded brain catch up on its housekeeping and switch off unresolved emotional arousals.
EEG biofeedback also can produce same type of brainwaves like hypnotherapy and sleep spindle but it will take longer time.

Poor sleep linked to toxic buildup of Alzheimer's protein, memory loss


Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have found compelling evidence that poor sleep - particularly a deficit of the deep, restorative slumber needed to hit the save button on memories - is a channel through which the beta-amyloid protein believed to trigger Alzheimer's disease attacks the brain's long-term memory.
"Our findings reveal a new pathway through which Alzheimer's disease may cause memory decline later in life," said UC Berkeley neuroscience professor Matthew Walker, senior author of the study to be published Monday, June , in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Excessive deposits of beta-amyloid are key suspects in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, a virulent form of dementia caused by the gradual death of brain cells. An unprecedented wave of aging baby boomers is expected to make Alzheimer's disease, which has been diagnosed in more than 40 million people, one of the world's fastest-growing and most debilitating public health concerns.
The good news about the findings, Walker said, is that poor sleep is potentially treatable and can be enhanced through exercise, behavioral therapy and even electrical stimulation that amplifies brain waves during sleep, a technology that has been used successfully in young adults to increase their overnight memory.
"This discovery offers hope," he said. "Sleep could be a novel therapeutic target for fighting back against memory impairment in older adults and even those with dementia."
The study was co-led by UC Berkeley neuroscientists Bryce Mander and William Jagust, a leading expert on Alzheimer's disease. The team has received a major National Institutes of Health grant to conduct a longitudinal study to test their hypothesis that sleep is an early warning sign or biomarker of Alzheimer's disease.
While most research in this area has depended on animal subjects, this latest study has the advantage of human subjects recruited by Jagust, a professor with joint appointments at UC Berkeley's Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, the School of Public Health and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

"Over the past few years, the links between sleep, beta-amyloid, memory, and Alzheimer's disease have been growing stronger," Jagust said. "Our study shows that this beta-amyloid deposition may lead to a vicious cycle in which sleep is further disturbed and memory impaired."
Using a powerful combination of brain imaging and other diagnostic tools on 26 older adults who have not been diagnosed with dementia, researchers looked for the link between bad sleep, poor memory and the toxic accumulation of beta-amyloid proteins.
"The data we've collected are very suggestive that there's a causal link," said Mander, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in the Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory directed by Walker. "If we intervene to improve sleep, perhaps we can break that causal chain."
A buildup of beta-amyloid has been found in Alzheimer's patients and, independently, in people reporting sleep disorders. Moreover, a 2013 University of Rochester study found that the brain cells of mice would shrink during non-rapid-eye-movement (non-REM) sleep to make space for cerebrospinal fluids to wash out toxic metabolites such as beta-amyloid.
"Sleep is helping wash away toxic proteins at night, preventing them from building up and from potentially destroying brain cells," Walker said. "It's providing a power cleanse for the brain."
Specifically, the researchers looked at how the quantity of beta-amyloid in the brain's medial frontal lobe impairs deep non-REM sleep, which we need to retain and consolidate fact-based memories.
In a previous study, Mander, Jagust and Walker found that the powerful brain waves generated during non-REM sleep play a key role in transferring memories from the hippocampus - which supports short-term storage for information - to longer-term storage in the frontal cortex. In elderly people, deterioration of this frontal region of the brain has been linked to poor-quality sleep.
For this latest study, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) scans to measure the accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain; functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to measure activity in the brain during memory tasks; an electroencephalographic (EEG) machine to measure brain waves during sleep; and statistical models to analyze all the data.
The research was performed on 26 older adults, between the ages of 65 and 81, who showed no existing evidence of dementia or other neurodegenerative, sleep or psychiatric disorders. First, they each received PET scans to measure levels of beta-amyloid in the brain, after which they were tasked with memorizing 120 word pairs, and then tested on how well they remembered a portion of them.
The study participants then slept for eight hours, during which EEG measured their brain waves. The following morning, their brains were scanned using fMRI as they recalled the remaining word pairs. At this point, researchers tracked activity in the hippocampus, where memories are temporarily stored before they are transferred to the prefrontal cortex.
"The more you remember following a good night of sleep, the less you depend on the hippocampus and the more you use the cortex," Walker said. "It's the equivalent of retrieving files from the safe storage site of your computer's hard drive, rather than the temporary storage of a USB stick."
Overall, the results showed that the study participants with the highest levels of beta-amyloid in the medial frontal cortex had the poorest quality of sleep and, consequently, performed worst on the memory test the following morning, with some forgetting more than half of the information they had memorized the previous day.
"The more beta-amyloid you have in certain parts of your brain, the less deep sleep you get and, consequently, the worse your memory," Walker said. "Additionally, the less deep sleep you have, the less effective you are at clearing out this bad protein. It's a vicious cycle.
"But we don't yet know which of these two factors - the bad sleep or the bad protein - initially begins this cycle. Which one is the finger that flicks the first domino, triggering the cascade?" Walker added.
And that's what the researchers will determine as they track a new set of older adults over the next five years.
"This is a new pathway linking Alzheimer's disease to memory loss, and it's an important one because we can do something about it," Mander said.


Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-06-poor...-alzheimer.html

This post has been edited by zeropoint9: Jun 24 2015, 09:49 PM

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (also known as “manic depression”) is a disorder that is often not recognized or misdiagnosed as simply depression by the patient, relatives, friends, and even physicians. An early sign of bipolar disorder may be hypomania — a state in which the person shows a high level of energy, excessive moodiness or irritability, and impulsive or reckless behavior for at least 4 days. Hypomania may feel good, thus, even when family and friends learn to recognize the mood swings, the individual often may deny that anything is wrong.

In its early stages, bipolar disorder may masquerade as a problem other than mental illness. For example, it may first appear as alcohol or drug abuse, or poor school or work performance.

If left untreated, bipolar disorder tends to worsen, and the person experiences episodes of full-fledged manic episodes and depressive episodes.

One of the usual differential diagnoses for bipolar disorder is that the symptoms (listed below) are not better accounted for by Schizoaffective Disorder and is not superimposed on Schizophrenia, Schizophreniform Disorder, Delusional Disorder, or other Psychotic Spectrum Disorders

And as with nearly all mental disorder diagnoses, the symptoms of manic depression must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Symptoms also can not be the result of substance use or abuse (e.g., alcohol, drugs, medications) or caused by a general medical condition.



Source:
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/bipolar-disorder-symptoms/

Treating ADHD, Anxiety, Depression: Here are 6 Important Things Your Doctors Won't Tell You.

1. Your child is most likely suffering from a nutritional deficiency and/or a food sensitivity.
2. Genetically modified foods (GMOs), food preservatives & chemicals are contributing to many of your child's attention, focus, sleep issues and even psychiatric symptoms.
3. For every medication that benefits a person, there is a natural plant or remedy that can achieve the same result without the consequence of side-effects.
4. Our emotions are largely governed by the state of our intestinal system. There is more serotonin in our bowels then in our brain.
5. Research has shown that the brain has a tremendous amount of neuroplasticity. Brain training therapies such as Brain Balance, Integrative Reflex, Vision & EEG biofeedback can make a world of difference.
6. The body has a greater ability to heal than anyone has permitted you to believe and recovery is possible without the need for potentially dangerous medication.

Source: www.healingwithouthurting.com

You are what you believe, So stay think positive. You can't expect positive results from negative thinking.

Any serious illness, especially painful ones, can make you tired. But some quite minor illnesses can also leave you feeling washed out. Here are 10 health conditions that are known to cause fatigue.
1. Coeliac disease
This is a type of food intolerance, where your body reacts badly when you eat gluten – a substance found in bread, cakes and cereals. One in 100 people in the UK are affected, but research suggests that up to 90% of them don’t know they have the condition, according to patient group Coeliac UK. Other symptoms of coeliac disease, apart from tiredness, are diarrhoea, anaemia and weight loss. Your GP can check if you have coeliac disease through a blood test.

2. Anaemia
One of the most common medical reasons for feeling constantly run down is iron deficiency anaemia. It affects around one in 20 men and post-menopausal women, but may be even more common in women who are still having periods.
Typically, you’ll feel you can’t be bothered to do anything, your muscles will feel heavy and you’ll get tired very quickly. Women with heavy periods and pregnant women are especially prone to anaemia.

3. Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome (also called myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME) is a severe and disabling tiredness that goes on for at least six months. There are usually other symptoms, such as a sore throat, muscle or joint pain and headache.

4. Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition where your throat narrows or closes during sleep and repeatedly interrupts your breathing. This results in bad snoring and a drop in your blood's oxygen levels. The difficulty in breathing means that you wake up often in the night, and feel exhausted the next day.
It’s most common in overweight, middle-aged men. Drinking alcohol and smoking makes it worse.

5. Underactive thyroid
An underactive thyroid gland means that you have too little thyroid hormone (thyroxine) in your body. This makes you feel tired. You’re also likely to put on weight and have aching muscles. It’s most common in women, and it happens more often as you get older.
Your GP can diagnose an underactive thyroid by taking a blood test.

6. Diabetes
One of the main symptoms of diabetes, a long-term condition caused by too much sugar in the blood, is feeling very tired. The other key symptoms are feeling very thirsty, going to the toilet a lot and weight loss. Your GP can diagnose diabetes with a blood test.

7. Glandular fever
Glandular fever is a common viral infection that causes fatigue, along with fever, sore throat and swollen glands. Most cases happen in teenagers and young adults. Symptoms usually clear up within four to six weeks, but the fatigue can linger for several more months.

8. Depression
As well as making you feel very sad, depression can also make you feel drained of energy. It can stop you falling asleep or cause you to wake up early in the morning, which makes you feel more tired during the day.

9. Restless legs
This is when you get uncomfortable sensations in your legs, which keep you awake at night. You might have an overwhelming urge to keep moving your legs, a deep ache in your legs, or your legs might jerk spontaneously through the night. Whatever your symptoms, your sleep will be disrupted and of poor quality, so you’ll feel very tired throughout the day.

10. Anxiety
Feeling anxious is sometimes perfectly normal. However, some people have constant, uncontrollable feelings of anxiety, which are so strong they affect their daily life. Doctors call this generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). It affects around around one in 20 people in the UK. As well as feeling worried and irritable, people with GAD often feel tired.


Source；
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/tiredness-and-f...-tiredness.aspx

I see your point and indeed I do agree

Nice thread. Keep up the hardwork. Will definitely spend my time reading them.

hi guys and fellow medic professionals here, good day to u. i would like to ask a question.

what is the best way to approach a person if we suspect that person is having mental problem / psychiatric disorder?

lets say this person is a family member, and we dont want to hurt his feeling by asking him directly to seek medical help.

Dealing with such people is something which I have to admit
that I am at a total loss as well.

''Hurting his feelings'' is the easier part actually, if he has just
a straightforward condition like depression and anxiety.

If it's a more serious and complicated disorder(s), their usual reaction
would not be one that is not unexpected or surprising - they will retort
back that ''you're the one who is schizophrenic and needs help''.

I am living with one whom I am quite certain has multiple personality
disorders - schizoid, paranoid and worst of all, narcissistic.

That person is my younger brother.


If I had my way, I'd quickly run down to my usual pharmacy and
get him some low doses of one of the atypical antipsychotics -
risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, amisulpride, etc.

But these psychotropic drugs obviously come with a host of debilitating
long-term side effects, even if you can get him to take them.


So after some discussion with a homeopathic doctor, I had thought
about spiking his water dispenser with a drop or two of the homeopathic
remedy, Arsenic 200 C to 1M, say once a week for a few weeks.

(Arsenic in homeopathic form is harmless and can't poison anyone.)

It is typically used in treating psychiatric disorders, and in this case, also
appears to match his schizophrenic-type constitution or ''remedy picture''.

But again, that's out of the question. His kids drink from the same
dispenser, so I can't risk the long-term effects it will have on them.

The higher the potency a homepathic remedy, the deeper and
longer acting, in this case on a psychological level.


Possibly you could take your relative to the Befrienders or Malaysian
Mental Health Association and ask them to talk to him about seeking
psychiatric help.


http://mmha.org.my/contact/

thank you very much for the detailed advice and information, truely appreciate that

.

This post has been edited by Tham: Aug 8 2015, 05:42 AM

Thank you very much

Hi,

I would suggest you to call a clinical hypnotherapist, psychologist or counselor and discuss about it.
Some of them might offer an intake or assessment session.
They will give you some ideas regarding this matter.