Massage Therapy For Autistic Children

Autism is a brain disorder, usually diagnosed by age 2, in which the child fails to develop language and normal social interaction skills. Withdrawal from social contact and aberrant behavior are common. Parents have been trying numerous treatments, conventional and alternative,the in an attempt to restore what some believe may be permanent damage to brain while others believe that autism is reversible.

The relationship between a parent and their autistic child that has barriers in language and touch is one of the most heartbreaking issues of this condition. An autistic child typically is not able to express feelings of love, whether through words, facial expressions or hugs. Some have even said that children with autism are unable to form a bond or attachment. However, research has concluded that these children do attach to their parents, but some still are unable to act on this bond and do not respond appropriately. Many autistic children have sensory and tactile system issues making them unenthusiastic to certain sights, sounds, smells or touch.

The majority of autistic children are opposed to physical contact, so it is interesting that many massage therapists and parents are finding great success in the use of massage therapy with autistic children. The bonding factor alone would be a major accomplishment. Add massage therapy to the list of beneficial treatments that for some, has a very swift and positive response. There are children that love to get a massage; however, not all of them feel the same way.

Parents should learn some basic techniques and a few different methods of approach to massage before they begin. Always try to start with the child looking at your mouth as you say "massage." This, in time, will also give you an indication of whether or not they look forward to their massage sessions. The helpless feeling many parents often feel will be replaced with active massage treatment between parents and children.

Research has found that these children show less autistic behavior, are more social and attentive after receiving massage therapy. Regular sensory integration and safe, nurturing touch are beneficial in reducing touch aversion, inattentiveness and withdrawal. Clinical trials have also shown massage therapy as a viable complementary treatment positively impacting some of the characteristic behaviors of autism. One important study has emerged in this area within the past few years from the Touch Research Institute (TRI) in Miami, Fla. Escalona, A., Field, T., Singer-Strunk, R., Cullen, C., & Hartshorn, K. (2001). Brief report: Improvements in the behavior of children with autism following massage therapy. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31, 513-516.

Twenty children with autism, ages 3 to 6 years, were randomly assigned to massage therapy and reading attention control groups. Parents in the massage therapy group were trained by a massage therapist to massage their children for 15 minutes prior to bedtime every night for 1 month and the parents of the attention control group read Dr. Seuss stories to their children on the same time schedule.

Conners Teacher and Parent scales, classroom and playground observations, and sleep diaries were used to assess the effects of therapy on various behaviors, including hyperactivity, stereotypical and off-task behavior, and sleep problems. Results suggested that the children in the massage group exhibited less stereotypic behavior and showed more on-task and social relatedness behavior during play observations at school, and they experienced fewer sleep problems at home.

Through the use of massage therapy, our basic human need for safe, nurturing contact is met with often wonderful results. For children with autism, it provides not only a positive experience of being touched, but the effects hold lifelong benefits. You can find more in-depth information at Autism-Free Information and Reports

Not knowing what treatments or therapies to use can be very frustrating. There are many therapies and no two children are alike. You can find our more at Autism-Free Information and Reports

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Preparing Our Son With Autism to Ride the Bus

Having a child with autism in a family brings about many situations that leave family members very puzzled. Our family experienced a puzzling situation with our autistic first grader beginning a few weeks before winter break from school. Our son Collin begin to have "melt downs" in the classroom at the end of the school day. This involved crying, falling on the floor, some spitting and hitting.These behaviors are unusual for Collin than usual and we were having a difficult time pinpointing an antecedent to the behavior. What was happening right before these meltdowns to make this behavior occur? After talking with our Collin's teachers, therapists, and aid, we decided he could be having some separation anxiety as he was getting upset when his friends were packing to leave each day. Collin's teacher suggested a new method of transportation home. He was picked up daily in carpool by his mother or me. We decided that leaving at the same time as most of the other children may relieve some of the stress he was feeling at the end of the school day. So, we decided to let him ride the bus..... the typical bus with all typical children.

Collin's teacher did and excellent job at helping everyone prepare for this bus ride. My wife and I, our son's ABA therapist, the bus driver, our son's aid and selected peer helpers all came together to help Collin be successful. First, Collin was taken to the area where the buses were waiting for the children each afternoon for a few days. He got to step up on the bus and have a seat. He met his bus Driver Mr. Albert. He even got to sit on the bus while it pulled through he parking lot one day. He was becoming very excited about riding the bus. Collin's teacher made social story about rules on the bus and we got a copy for home. We used the book as reading material at bedtime and it was used in a couple of his ABA sessions the week prior to riding the bus. Collin was also assigned three peer helpers form the fourth grade to help him with bus safety. these three children were excited to help Collin and took turns one afternoon reading him the social story book as well. So, Collin began riding the bus home and the end of the day "melt downs" have ceased and he is enjoying the experience very much. The small steps taken to help him prepare made all the difference and we have not only changed an inappropriate behavior, but have given Collin more time with typical peers which is something he really enjoys.

Garrett Butch is the father of a 6 year old with autism and the founder of Maximum Potential Group.

Maximum Potential has developed courses that train parents and school systems how to work with children with autism.

http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com

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Out With the Old and in With the New - E-Prescribing

Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) is the use of a data entry system to create a prescription, rather than faxing it or writing it on paper. Automation of the prescribing process has several potential benefits to different sections of the health care industry, especially patients, physicians, and pharmaceutical companies. The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) began on January 1, 2009 to encourage the adoption and utilization of e-prescribing systems. E-prescribing can save time, enhance office and pharmacy productivity, and improve patient safety and quality of care.

Electronic prescribing is about more than just generating a prescription on a computer and printing it out or faxing it to a pharmacy. E-Prescribing must also provide functionality and workflow flexibility to work not only for physicians but also for the staff involved in the prescribing process. High prescribers, larger practices, and enterprise systems require software that is adaptable to their practice workflow and that draws the practice staff into the prescribing process.

According to the 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, some of the advantages of e-prescribing include:

- Improving patient safety and quality of care
- Reducing illegibility
- Reducing oral miscommunications
- Providing warnings and alert systems
- Providing access to patient's medication history
- Reducing time spent on pharmacy phone calls and faxing
- Automation of renewals and authorization
- Improving formulary adherence
- Improving drug surveillance

Getting started with e-prescribing:

1) Decide whether you wish to choose stand-alone e-prescription software or a full EMR system which includes e-prescribing functionality.

2) Choose an e-prescribing software vendor that utilizes true Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). The e-prescribing vendor will need to be connected to SureScripts-RxHub the universal electronic prescribing network.

3) Install a high speed internet connection.

4) Purchase hardware such as desktop PC's, laptops, pocket PC's, tablet PC's, PDA's utilizing a wired or wireless network.

This article is brought to you by DrFirst, provider of Rcopia, a full featured stand alone electronic prescribing management system. DrFirst is committed to improving healthcare and patient safety by delivering technologies that enable medical professionals and their staff to quickly and easily access critical medical information at the point of care. For more information about e-prescribing, visit http://www.drfirst.com.

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Holiday Emotional Hangovers

Even if you don't drink, the aftermath of holiday celebrating has a funny way of effecting people. The holiday season is filled with high expectations for the majority of people. However the reality in many ways falls short of these expectations. Delightful family reunions tend to reveal the hidden stresses and strains that we were able to ignore during the course of the year. Families all have their hurts, and disappointments that are somehow magnified by the rose colored lenses of our expectations.

Then we also add our tendency to use this time of the year as a time of reflection and resetting of goals. The 20 lbs you didn't lose last year has been joined by an additional 5 lbs. More of you to love, or is it only more of you to lose? The career/financial goals that had been set that didn't quite pan out now leave feelings of failure in their wake. These issues as well as trying to prepare for your taxes and clean up from the last two months of hyper activity on your credit card may be leaving you feeling down in the dumps. You are not alone.

Some things for you to remember as you navigate this season of emotional hangovers are; " Its only a season, it will pass. " The future is what you make it; the past is not a predictor for your future. " Many people are more prone to depression and anxiety around this time of the year. You're not alone. " Set bite size goals for yourself, week by week, month by month. " Measure your success by all you have accomplished not by what still remains on your to do list. " Nurturing you spirit should be one of your goals. Taking care of yourself is very important if you are going to achieve success in 2009.

Remember your success in 2009 is assured if you start it focusing on your accomplishments not on what you believe to be your failures. You have already accomplished something significant for 2009, you made it! And only you know all the obstacles that you had to overcome to even get here, so give yourself some credit and keep moving forward.

Allison Bonilla MSW, LCSW
Awareness Counseling Center
2425 S. Volusia Ave. Ste. B-4
Orange City Fl. 32763
(386) 774-1330
http://www.awarenesscounseling.com
http://sanityinsight.blogspot.com/

Allison Bonilla has been in private practice for 10 years in Orange City, Florida. She has been in the field of Social Work for over 20 years. Her experience includes working with children and families in crisis situations, through governmental agencies. She has been a presenter at various professional conferences. She also volunteers with her local church. Her Masters in Social Work was obtained at Adelphi University in New York. She is a Licensed Master of Social Work in New York State, and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Florida.

She is a professional Christian Counselor who successfully integrates a biblical world view with psychological theories in an attempt to assist her clients achieve optimal health. Her approach is holistic, with a strong slant towards Cognitive Behavioral theories. Allison Bonilla is a member of the North American Association of Christians in Social Work, and National Association of Social Workers.

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Mood Vitamins

Are you depressed? Anxious? Moody? Many of us who are turn to pharmacutical relief, or we play mental and emotional games with ourselves to try and "ride it out." But the reality of the situation is that with the proper nutrition, or "mood vitamins," we can actually feel better than we have in years, all the time, without drugs. Without mental games.

A deficiency in Vitamin B may be to blame for many of our emotional challenges. The B-Complex vitamins are essential to the well-being of our mental and emotional health. Unlike most nutrients, our bodies don't really store a surplus of the B vitamins. Rather, we must regularly consume them to harness their healing power.

The B vitamins can only enhance your mood if they are left intact and healthy within your body. An excess of refined sugar, caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol will essentially destroy the vitamin, rendering it useless. This will only serve to perpetuate anxiety, depression, and even thoughts of suicide. If you experience these feelings, immediately discontinue the use of those harmful substances.

Then, begin a B vitamin supplementation regimen by taking the following:

* Thiamine (Vitamin B1) - This is the vitamin your brain uses to convert blood sugar into fuel. When it is deficient, your brain will run out of energy at an alarming rate, causing depression, anxiety, fatigue, irritability, and suicidal thoughts. This vitamin is critical in maintaining emotional balance and a "zest for life."
* Niacin (Vitamin B3) - A minor deficiency in this critical vitamin will lead to agitation, anxiety, and mental & physical slowness. A major deficiency can cause Pellagra, or dementia & psychosis. This vitamin keeps you active and sane.
* Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) - Two substances your brain combines and uses to keep your mood in check and avoid depression are amino acids and acetylcholine. A deficiency in B5 prevents this from happening, resulting in major fatigue, chronic stress, and depression. This vitamin is so important in keeping you emotionally stable and able to cope with life.
* Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) - Your brain uses this vitamin to process amino acids and create seratonin, as well as melatonin and dopamine. B6 deficiency can result in mental confusion, along with immune system challenges and skin lesions. When this vitamin is in ample supply, you should feel sharp and alert.
* Vitamin B12 - This is a critical element in the formation of red blood cells. A B12 deficiency is perhaps the scariest B vitamin deficiency, as it leads to a condition called pernicious anemia, an oxygen transport problem. Symptoms include confusion, irritability, dementia, hallucinations, weakness, dizziness, and tingling in the extremities, among others. When in ample supply, this vitamin will help keep you oxygenated and centered.

In addition to an all natural, whole-food B vitamin supplement, I also highly encourage you to pick up both a whole-food multi-vitamin and a powerful antioxidant formula. The acai berry and green tea are phenomenal antioxidants that will kill any free radicals that could potentially hinder the effectiveness of your B, and other mood vitamins.

On a final note, please avoid your corner grocery or drug store. They deal mostly in synthetics. We want whole-food vitamins, as they are the only kind your body will actually recognize, assimilate, and use. Get to know the nice people at your best local health food store.

Mood disorders like depression, anxiety or panic, irritability, and apathy can be debilitating. They can ruin lives. They even did me in, once upon a time. "Mood vitamins" will give you the best fighting chance, I assure you.

You're going to do great! Thank you for reading.

Lee Murray is a musician and nutrition consultant living in Spokane, WA with his wife, Dana, and brand new baby boy, Cadence Benjamin.

Feel free to visit VitaMiracle, a premier online resource for amazing natural vitamins & minerals, beauty products, and alternative medicines.

If you'd like more information on the incredible acai berry, please Click Here.

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Aromatherapy For Depression - Does it Really Work? By Kyley Zimmerman

If you've ever suffered from depression, you know how debilitating it can be. It can touch every part of your life, from eating and sleeping to your work, relationships, and how you see yourself as a person. Feelings of sadness and disconnect can range from a mild case of the blues to clinical depression requiring medical treatment.

Can Aromatherapy Help?

Yes, it can. This is not to say that aromatherapy can "cure" depression - but it can help ease the anxiety, tension, stress and fear that are often part of the depression package. Aromatherapy is also useful for insomnia, low energy and poor concentration.

How Does Aromatherapy Work?

Aromatherapy works by boosting the body's internal healing process. Inhaling essential oils stimulates the olfactory nerves (sense of smell), which send signals to the brain's limbic system, which, in turn, triggers an emotional, physiological, endocrine and / or immune system response. Voila! You get the therapeutic effect!

Published clinical studies show positive results on (among other things) sleep problems and emotional, stress-related disorders. Although aromatherapy can help ease the symptoms of depression, it's best to use aromatherapy to support other treatments if your depression is severe or unmanageable.

Essential Oils for Depression

Try using some of the following essential oils to help ease the various symptoms of your depression.

* Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon and Orange to lift mood. Caution: these oils can cause sunburn when applied to your skin before sun exposure.
*
* Cedar, chamomile, frankincense, lavender and sandalwood for anxiety, tension and frazzled nerves.
*
* Peppermint and rosemary for an energy boost and to help improve mental clarity and concentration. Caution: DO NOT use rosemary if you have high blood pressure or epilepsy.
*
* Clary sage, geranium, lavender and rose to balance your system (including hormones.)




Essential Oil Safety

Always dilute essential oils when applying them to your skin (in a bath or massage oil, for instance.)

Pregnant women need to be careful about using essential oils. Only some essential oils are considered to be safe when used in small, well-diluted amounts. Safe oils include: geranium, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, spearmint and ylang ylang.

If you're highly allergic or have extremely sensitive skin, do a spot test before using essential oils.

Make Your Own Aromatherapy Inhaler

This is great because you can carry the bottle in your bag or keep it in your desk (keep an extra one in your car - it's great for road rage!) and use it whenever you need a lift.

Pour a teaspoon of coarse sea salt in a very small dark glass or PET plastic bottle and add:

* 10 drops Bergamot essential oil
* 5 drops Grapefruit essential oil
* 4 drops Sweet Orange essential oil
* 1 drop Geranium essential oil

To use, take three long, slow, deep breaths of the aroma. If you're really stressed out, take a short break, then take three more deep breaths. You can do this up to three times.

There are many more excellent aromatherapy remedies you can quickly and easily make for yourself or someone who needs a lift. Bath salts and oils, massage oils and even aromatherapy perfumes use a few simple ingredients that pack a powerhouse of mood-lifting, stress-relieving benefits. Try making some the next time you need a little something special!

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure any condition.

Kyley Zimmerman works from home and focuses on making her family life happy, healthy and eco-friendly. She shares her love of making natural bath, body and home products at http://www.easy-aromatherapy-recipes.com/ Check it out!

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Is Your Child Depressed? 6 Ways to Help Them Cope Kids and Depression Part II

In Part II of our series on episodic childhood depression, we'll discuss concrete ways you can teach your child coping skills. If your child seems distressed, despondent or sad for a prolonged period of time, have them seen by someone with diagnostic skills. Be sure to have a pediatrician rule out any underlying issues that might be causing depression.

I can't say it enough: teach kids problem-solving skills from a very early age. If your child has developed problem solving skills but lost access to them because they are depressed periodically, you have to help them regain access to those skills. So how do you do this? Here are some suggestions for ways to help you coach your child through it:

* Help Kids Identify Coping Skills: When you ask a teen or pre-teen, "What are your coping skills," if he can say, "Oh, I go to my room. I listen to some music, I count to ten," that's good because he understands that coping is a skill, not an art or magic. And once you teach kids that behavior is a skill, the next step is to get them to identify problems and develop the behavioral tools to deal with them. And so it becomes, "You're feeling sad, you're feeling depressed, what can we do about that problem? What would you find helpful?" It gives you a place to stand where you can both begin talking about how to solve the problem of feeling sad.


* Keep Them Busy: When people are depressed, kids as well as adults, they still have to meet their responsibilities. Again, I'm not talking about kids who are so clinically depressed they're immobilized. For everyone else, one of the most important treatments for depression is to get the person up off their butt to do the dishes, make the bed, take a shower. It doesn't have to be done in a harsh manner, but you should be firm. If your child can't handle a complex task, give them simple ones, but keep them busy. Depressed people should not be allowed to lie in bed under the covers, because it just makes the situation worse.


* Responsibilities: As far as responsibilities go, I don't think a lot of special consideration should be given to kids who are episodically depressed. Rather, maintain the same expectations. They will probably need more support to perform at the same level. Know that you have to give them more opportunities to regroup. Be more available to them when they start feeling overwhelmed, but don't let them avoid their responsibilities. You can say, "We understand you're down, but you still have to do your homework."You may want to ease them into tasks by having them do the dishes with you in the kitchen, do their homework while you work nearby, or go to the store with you. Again, get them out and moving about. Remember, a good parenting style for kids who are depressed is like a coaching style. Coach your child to learn new skills. During a time of episodic depression in your child's life, I would recommend that you use more coaching and less limit setting.


* Why a Quiet Room is Important: Children who are depressed often exhibit distractibility and impaired concentration, so it's important to get them in a soothing environment. Don't try to have a talk with them about their behavior or about their coping skills when a lot of other distractions are present. In a school setting, if you're in a special education class where there's a lot of noise in the classroom, an upset child will not be able to engage in a conversation in a way that's helpful. That's why many schools have a "quiet room" where kids can go to calm down. Once that happens, the adult in charge can talk with them about whether or not they're angry, whether or not they're depressed, what the problem is and how they can solve it. The same goes for kids at home. If possible, take your child into a room where there are no distractions and let them calm down before opening a conversation about why they're upset. And let your child know that you're willing to listen to them and talk with them about what's making them sad. You can say, "We won't force you to talk if you don't want to, but we're here."


* Recognize That Moodiness is Part of Growing Up: We all go through moods, adolescents especially, and parents have to be understanding of that. The idea here is, "Yes, we tolerate moods, but you still have to do your homework." You can say, "All right, so you can be moody, you can feel irritable, you can be down, you can be sad. We'll talk with you about it if you want to, but you've got to get your homework done either way." You can also do a bit more coaching with kids around this. Try saying, "Hey, you seemed okay yesterday, what happened? Did something happen in school?" You can probe it a little bit more, but don't let your child avoid responsibilities through these mood states.


* "Everyone Gets Sad Sometimes." Let your child know that we all have periods of feeling down, that problems can seem overwhelming to everyone at times. Feelings of sadness are a part of depression, but they're also very human. Even intense feelings of sadness can be experienced without it being considered unhealthy or abnormal. And for most kids, the depression they go through is a period of sadness, a period of being down, a time when something's going wrong and they don't know what to do about it. Parents can talk that through with their kids. And they can use the teaching style and a coaching style to help them manage those feelings and learn more skills./li>

What kids need to know is that no matter what, the rules still apply to them. A generation of kids is being raised to think that because they're depressed, they don't have to follow the rules. They believe if they say they're depressed, if they act out, somebody will give them a pill or give them easier homework or tell them, "you don't have to do your homework, you're depressed."By the time they're in adolescence, there are a lot of kids who are pretty comfortable using clinical and diagnostic excuses to avoid responsibilities: That has become their chief coping skill.

They don't learn how to solve problems and figure out how to manage tasks, because they're mainly concerned with convincing you that they can't do it. The sad thing is that they wind up in adulthood with absolutely no skills. What they don't realize is that nobody's going to be there to take care of them and make the world an easier place for them to navigate.

When your child is sad or depressed, it's not good-many parents would do anything in the world to take that feeling away so their child does not have to experience it. But look at it this way: hard as it is, going through an episode of depression is yet another opportunity for your child to learn how to cope with problems. And the more we can teach them to solve problems as they grow, the better they'll be able to function successfully and manage life's twists and turns when they become adults.

For three decades, behavioral therapist James Lehman, MSW, has worked with troubled teens and children with behavior problems. He has developed a practical, real-life approach to managing children and adolescents that teaches them how to solve social problems without hiding behind a façade of defiant, disrespectful, or obnoxious behavior. He has taught his approach to parents, teachers, state agencies and treatment centers in private practice and now through The Total Transformation Program -- a comprehensive step-by-step, multi-media program that makes learning James' techniques remarkably easy and helps you change your child's behavior.

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Depression and Relationships - 5 Signs Your Depression May Be Caused by Your Relationship

Depression is a common malady that afflicts many people at some point or another in their lives. There may be a multitude of factors to cause the symptoms - unresolved past grief, current life challenges, and/or brain chemistry issues. However, there is one factor that is often missed when determining the origins of depression. Emotionally and psychologically abusive relationships can do a tremendous amount of damage to our feelings of self worth and cause feelings of depression and hopelessness. Often, due to the nature of this type of abuse, the victim blames him or herself for the problem, assuming that their abuser is correct and they are inferior, incompetent, or even crazy. Emotional abuse can be difficult to detect especially in its more subtle forms. Here are 5 signs your depression may be caused by an emotionally and psychologically abusive relationship:

1. Your partner puts you down, in public or private. These insults may be as blatant as outright name calling, or they may be more subtle criticisms of the way you do simple things. In any case, the end result is a feeling of inferiority and worthlessness in comparison to your partner.

2. Your partner attempts to control your activities. You may feel obligated to report your activities to your partner, justify your actions, and endure criticism of the way you managed your day. You may even feel pressured to conform to an "acceptable" list of activities your partner approves of.

3. Your partner attempts to limit access to anything that might foster independence, such as work, educational opportunities, and friends and family. Isolation is a very effective tactic for the abuser. Keeping you dependent keeps the abuser in control. In keeping you from friends and family, not only are you under the abuser's thumb, you are also being kept from hearing the more positive, accurate messages about yourself from your loved ones. It may also reduce the opportunity your loved ones might take to criticize your abuser. Your abuser may expressly forbid you to see someone, or be more subtle by appealing to your guilt. "You would choose to see them over me?"

4. Your partner uses sex as a form of control and manipulation. This could take the form of demanding sex from you regardless of your mental state, needs or desires, or it may manifest as a deliberate withholding of sex and intimacy in order to keep you feeling rejected, dependent, and at the mercy of the abuser's agenda.

5. Your partner may imply that you will be punished non-physically for not complying with his or her demands. This tactic may also be punctuated with occasional acts of kindness and generosity designed to throw you off and plant false hope in the future of the relationship and its potential for improvement.

Are you interested in addressing your depression from a holistic standpoint, assessing the physical, emotional, and relationship components?

For a free copy of my ebook, "Natural Methods To Fight Depression", click here: http://www.stoptoxicrelationships.com/gifts-naturalmethodstofightdepression.html

Shannon Cook is a personal growth and relationship expert who has written a number of informative articles and ebooks on the topic of toxic relationships and holistic personal growth, including physical, emotional and relationship health.

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How to Speed Up Your Recovery From Depression

The most powerful plan for recovery from depression focuses on not just one method such as antidepressants. That's merely a step. If that was the case, then there would not be millions of Americans still on antidepressants. You must think of your antidepressants as the crutch to support you while you dig deeper into what is truly causing your depression. The true answer is found in a complete approach. Here are a few powerful steps you can implement for your recovery from depression.

What are you eating these days? A diet high in Omega 6 fatty acids (a junk food diet) is usually the first problem. Omega-6 fatty acids, found in everything from margarine and ice cream to snack foods such as potato chips, have replaced the healthy omega-3 fats. As a result, you can damage your levels of happy brain chemicals - serotonin and dopamine. (Low serotonin is linked to depression, the risk of suicide, and violent and impulsive behaviors. Dopamine is crucial to decision-making.) ((Dr. Hibbiln, National Institutes of Health, 2001)). Your recovery from depression often begins with looking at what you are eating.

After looking at your diet, your recovery from depression requires focusing in on your thoughts. You can easily get into negative thinking habits if you suffer from depression. Rather than coming up with a solution to a problem and acting on it, you may often find yourself allowing your negative thoughts to spiral out of control. It is important to recognize negative thinking patterns and put a stop to it immediately. One powerful exercise is to journal your thoughts to help you recognize this.

A third powerful step to speed up your recovery from depression is to get out in the sunshine or use a specialized light box. Several studies have documented the advantage of specialized light for depression. Patients responded to light within a week verses several weeks for medication, and light posed no long-term negative side effects. A review of light therapy in Archives of General Psychiatry concluded the following:

"The evidence is in that light is an active neurobiological agent. Light therapy is easy to administer in outpatient settings, lacks major side effects, and, importantly, is cost-effective." - Archives of General Psychiatry, October 1998

So remember that recovery from depression requires you to look at a complete approach beyond any medication your doctor prescribes. Ask your doctor about a complete approach to recovery from depression.

There is hope! You are worth it!

Merri Ellen

From suicidal to impacting the lives of others, Merri Ellen Giesbrecht shares hope for those suffering from depression. When antidepressants made her life worse, she began to research the medical journals to find the truth. What she found would not only change her life but also thousands of others around the world through her website: http://www.cure-your-depression.com

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Hypnosis to Counteract Depression & Suicide Thoughts

Remember you are not alone:
The first two things you should do, is to tell your doctor, and your family member. If there are counseling sessions available (these are usually free depends where you live- ask your doctor) If not find someone you can trust, I am in Los Angeles, Sun Fernando Valley area and I work with clients who are referred to me by their physicians, But I am not free, so first see if you can get all the help you need for free, I am sure your doctor can help... when you go, make sure you at least go to a handful of sessions, nothing less the 6 sessions..

Watching your eating habit is also important: avoid high sugar in sweets and excess fat in snack foods, since they are sending the signal to your mind as a "haywire" since it does monitor your hormone and chemical levels, not to add the great amount of stress on top of it.

Do your best to keep a balanced healthy food intake such as: fruits, vegetables, none sugar cereals, yogurts, fish, lean meat, when you do that, it will not only improve your mental state of mind but also your physical health. (It is really a win win situation)

Do your best to start a small routine of exercise, do it for a ridiculous amount of two minutes a day and with time you will get use to doing more...since there are no pressures and a difficult task or commitment, I am sure you can do the two minutes walk or starching, can't you?

Now the good part of it is, when you go out and do it at a part, the chances are that you meet new people and you start socializing with nice and interesting people like you...who are looking for some positive attention, after all what is it we all need? LOVE... that what we all are after.. Don't you agree? We want to be excepted, cared, understood, loved, hugged... we all deserve it and so do you... just so you know, when you exercise, your smart brain start to release a hormones called "endomorphines" which as well as increasing your feeling of well being, that will also help in reducing the fat storage, and the end result is a great "sense of well-being" Walla.. That's not it, it will also dull any physical discomfort or pain in your body, that if you do suffer from it.

Now that said, you will also need to take care of the psychological depression, and it is easy to overcome, since with a good therapist you will find out the cause and get to the root of the problem.

Everyone get depressed and suicidal when they have no understandings, and all it comes to, is I am depressed, I feel empty, no one cares, why M I even here, feeling lonely, losing loved one due to a divorce, job loss, death and many other reasons that is related to the individual person...

Just remember, one of the affective tools to survive depression is Hypnotherapy sessions followed with a psychologist or a psychiatrist referral or even your family doctor...together you will be a new person before you say Yabba-Dabba Do.

As a reminder, please remember, Hypnotherapy, NLP or Energy Healing should not be considered as a "cure" for anything, I am not a medical practitioner, nor do I make medical claims, or offer diagnosis for medical conditions, or offer medical treatment of any kind.

All Hypnosis, NLP and Energy healings are vocational and avocational therapy to help educating clients with self improvement and self healing, In any event, cases of depression should be cared with doctors first and to be assist with Hypnotherapy session of course with doctors referral only.

Feel free to email me with any personal questions, if I can help you in any way I can, I'll do my best.

Free your self from the negative thought of "I am not worth it".

You are love, you are life and it can only get better...

Feel free to email me with any personal questions, if I can help you in any way I can, I'll do my best.

Doreen Cohanim MM, C.Ht, HBCH

HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator

http://www.EnterYourMind.com

Doreen has conducted lectures on Past Life Regression and Energy Healing classes at various places and countries such as Israel, Mexico and Canada.

As a Certified Hypnotherapist and Energy Healer, Doreen draws to her practice a great experience in working with psychologists, family therapists, sexual assault therapists and physicians since 1999. Doreen is also assisting therapeutic personal growth workshops for Chakra balancing that is called "The Dance Chakra," as well her experience as a Certified Massage Therapist for six years.

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