The problem of depression
By Robin Johns | April 29, 2008
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People who suffer with depression often complain they feel crippled by the ailment and there seems to be no way out of it. As a consequence of many years research into the illness, a number of variants have been discovered. For someone who hasn’t suffered from the clinical form it must be a difficult condition to understand.
Almost every person will suffer from it (usually to a lesser degree) from time to time during their lives. You just need to make sure that you’re getting the help you need to overcome the problem. Professionals can help with the situation but also discover the root cause of the ailment.
Feeling low and angry at life affects all of us occasionally in particular when something awful has happened. This is especially true if you’ve had a recent traumatic experience in your life, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re suffering from depression. The main difference with a depressed person is the level they have reached with whatever is causing the low feeling. As far as a person who is depressed is concerned, their problems have gone a stage further and need to be dealt with differently. Ignoring a situation does not make it disappear, in fact it usually gets far worse. A person ends up feeling more helpless than they did before, and it becomes a vicious circle that must be broken.
Another common cause is found in the workplace and problems can arise in the relationships with co-workers. It is not uncommon for this condition to result in panic attacks, so outside help is often needed to end the situation. Often, the person who is having work problems will end up unhappy and even have periods of sick leave as they become less able to perform their work duties.
Counselors can be very helpful in these situations as they are non confrontational which is especially helpful for people this vulnerable.
On occasion, it is possible for a person to be on medication for a different ailment which can cause depression. This is a problem for the person on medication especially where no external situation exists that could actually have caused the condition.
If signs like this become apparent, the medication needs to be stopped as soon as possible and the doctor who prescribed the medication consulted. A worse situation happens where despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the reason for the person’s depression cannot be found. When they don’t seem to have any cause that can be identified as the reason for the problem, medical staff will have to research the patient further. Denial of the originating situation can be the reason why sometimes it is not easy for a professional to determine the cause. Getting help is the first step in solving the problem.
Bipolar or manic depression is notoriously difficult to diagnose and owing to the many types of the condition. This particular complaint can often leave the patient in a position of limbo for anything up to five years. Whatever the cause, getting help is the most important thing but the sufferer should be willing to take up responsibility and get the necessary help. Often, once the depressed person makes this first move towards medical help, there is a sense that something might finally get better. By doing something about it you can expect improvements and a sense of relief in your mind and body.
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Are Kidney Stones Causing Stress to You or Yours?
By Frederic Baker | April 28, 2008
Whether you or someone you love has been diagnosed with kidney stones that can be an unnerving and stressful time for you. When you re dealing with treatments, and even the possibility of surgery, you’ll find that there is some comfort in learning a little bit about the culprit at the bottom of it, and it can be a relief to understand a little bit more about kidney stones and their causes.
Kidney stones most often form in the kidney or the bladder and they are essentially crystallized particles of minerals that occur in your kidney. They can be as small as a grain of sand, and in extreme cases, have grown to be as large as golf balls. If they grow to significant size before being passed through the system, they can block the urethra and cause a great deal of pain, nausea and vomiting. While men are more likely to have this affliction than women, women do make up about 25% of all kidney stone patients.
Kidney stones have a number of different causes, and for some patients, the cause is simply unknown. They can be a result of conditions that involve a disruption in the metabolic process; for instance, people who suffer from renal tubular acidosis, Dent’s disease or medullary sponge kidney are known to be candidates to kidney stones.
Essentially, because kidney stones occur due to an aggregation of minerals in the urine, they are often defined by what salts they are composed of. The most common type of kidney stone is called the calcium stone, and in structure, they can range from smooth to spiky. They can grow fairly large, and they are typically made of calcium phosphate or calcium oxalate. Calcium stones can be a problem for people who have too much vitamin D in their bodies or who have an overactive parathyroid gland. They will also frequently occur in people who have kidney diseases or cancer.
Compare this to sturvite stones, which develop when there is too much ammonia in your urine. This can be a result of a urinary tract infection, and they are most commonly seen in women.
Uric acid stones, on the other hand, can be caused by eating a large amount of meat. They can be exacerbated by gout and chemotherapy to treat cancer, and they tend to be softer than calcium stones and relatively soft.
Cystine stones, like calcium stones, are crystalline, and yellow, and they are fairly rare, only developing in people who have an inherited disorder called cystinuria. While most kidney stone sufferers tend to be older, cystine stones can occur in people who are as young as ten.
As you can see, there are quite a number of different causes when it comes to kidney stones, so make sure that you get good treatment immediately if you suspect that you might be suffering from one.
And now I would like to offer you free access to two Chapters of my Kidney Stones Guide when you subscribe to my free Health Coaching Minute Newsletter.
Frederic Baker - Professional Health Coach
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Tip to Reduce Stress - Learn about the Many Effects Adrenaline can have on your Body
By Frederic Baker | April 20, 2008
It’s happened to everyone. It begins when you’re startled, frightened, or angry. Your heart pounds, your breath is shallow, and you sweat profusely. Your intestines shut down. You feel tense, apprehensive, and ready to respond to danger. The substance responsible for all these changes is adrenaline, a hormone that your body secretes to give you the strength and alertness to fight off or escape danger. It’s the classic “fight or flight” response and it worked great when most of the dangers humans faced were physical. By fighting or running away, people both resolved the problem and worked off the tension that adrenaline produces.
Stress, Adrenaline, And The Jitters
Adrenaline also causes the jitters when you’re under stress, whether that stress directly threatens your safety or not. These stressful events could be being stuck in traffic, having a deadline to meet, or family conflicts. Even positive stresses, such as a promotion or getting married, can affect you. Unfortunately, you can’t respond to most stress by running away or fighting.
Adrenaline And Your Health
Adrenaline is necessary for survival and a certain amount of adrenaline can make you feel good. That’s why stress — the right amount of stress — seems to make some people feel more alive. But, constant stress produces constantly high levels of adrenaline, and that may affect your health. Excess adrenaline can raise your blood pressure and your blood sugar. Although no one knows for sure how adrenaline affects your overall health, high blood pressure and blood sugar can weaken the heart and many other organs. Adrenaline may be responsible for the chronic disorders people under constant stress suffer: sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, tiredness, and digestive problems.
Getting Around the Adrenaline Response
You can’t cut out all the stress from your life and you wouldn’t want to. A certain degree of stress keeps you alert and involved in your life. But, you can take steps to eliminate those stresses that are unnecessary and you can learn to control the adrenaline response to stress. For instance:
- Learn techniques such as relaxation, deep breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation, all of which help counter the production of adrenaline.
- Stay away from excessive alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, which may all increase your adrenaline.
- Get regular exercise. Exercise gives you a mild jolt of adrenaline while allowing you to work off the extra energy it produces. Your body will become more adept at processing the adrenaline that’s in your bloodstream during times of stress.
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Experiencing Stress Working With Difficult People
By Frederic Baker | April 17, 2008
Image via WikipediaDifficult people can sabotage any conflict resolution session. But often, the trouble arises when you overreact to these people. Here are seven difficult types and some do’s and don’ts for working with them. Add your own notes on what works with these people.
Aggressive types want to force their viewpoint on you. They like to blow off steam. They may attack verbally.
- Don’t attack back.
- Do ask them firmly to sit down and explain calmly what they have to say. Just listening without returning the anger often helps calm them.
Know-it-alls are “experts” who have no patience for other people’s input.
- Don’t be intimidated or let them take over a meeting.
- Do listen to them and try to benefit from their knowledge.
Victims often complain and feel they’re being treated unfairly.
- Don’t try to become their protector.
- Do ask them for suggestions to improve the situation. They need practice giving positive ideas.
Sarcastic types use words as weapons, often destroying harmony in a group and causing resentment. They can be poor team players.
- Don’t let them get away with this behavior. Let them know that sarcasm is unacceptable.
- Do compliment them when they say something positive or show team spirit.
Nay-sayers have nothing good to say about others’ ideas.
- Don’t try to reform them.
- Do invite them to suggest alternatives. Many times they will back off if asked to say something constructive.
Yay-sayers will go along with anything just to gain approval.
- Discourage them from making more commitments than they can handle.
- Do make sure they follow through on what they agree to do. And, ask them for their personal suggestions on an idea.
Withdrawn types seem to have nothing to contribute and are difficult to draw out.
- Don’t nag them to open up.
- Do ask open-ended questions that require them to produce more than a yes or no answer. Be patient about waiting for their answers.
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Approach Or Avoid: How Do You Cope With Stress?
By Frederic Baker | April 16, 2008
When there’s a crisis at work or at home, how do you respond? Do you worry and fret and try to get the situation resolved as soon as possible or do you just want to get away from it all?
“Avoiders” And “Approachers”
Your answer can tell you which coping style you adopt when there’s stress in your life. Researchers have found that people fall into two basic categories of reaction to stress.
- Approachers want to know everything they can about the situation, questioning and worrying. They can’t rest until the problem is dealt with.
- Avoiders tend to push things away. They deal with problems by withdrawing from them.
Neither of these responses is right or wrong. Avoiders seem to cope best with short-term crisis situations, while approachers handle stress over the long haul, but both are using effective coping methods. Knowing which type you are can help you choose stress reduction techniques that fit your style.
Avoiders Are Good Mediators
For instance, if you’re an avoider, you tend to block out stress by blocking out the external world. Meditation, reading, doing crossword puzzles, or taking a long run or a hot bath are effective stress reducers for you. You may need special help–such as biofeedback–in recognizing your body’s reaction to stress, since you tend not to be aware of it on your own. You may also need the help of a therapist or support group if a crisis comes along that you can’t ignore–such as the death of a spouse or loss of a job.
Some avoiders are drawn to drugs and alcohol to escape their problems, so make sure to focus on healthy ways to deal with your stressors.
Approachers Are “Problem-Focused”
If you’re an approacher, you tend to be a worrier and somewhat high-strung. You may get upset in situations you can’t control. Try taking an active approach to stress: Write down your worries as they arise, then set them aside. At an appropriate time, allow yourself a half hour to go over them and find solutions. You tend to be very aware of your symptoms of stress–jitters, butterflies in the stomach, or tense muscles.
Exercise can help you relieve this physical tension. Focus on exercise that requires concentration, such as tennis or volleyball, rather than running or swimming, which, like meditation, give you too much time to replay your worries.
If It Feels Good, Use It
A lucky few have a mixed style: They don’t sweat the small stuff, but can face big problems actively when necessary. Regardless of your style, you’ll know you’re coping with stress effectively if you look forward to your relaxation activities, enjoy them while you’re doing them, and feel better afterward.
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