Tag: Coping Mechanisms

A Stress-free Guide to Managing Stress

Anxiety is a condition that is neither welcome nor enjoyable. This condition can effectively reduce a persons productivity and ability to cope with various situations. Add to that the fact that periods of anxiety are uncomfortable and bring with it a host of nervous illnesses palpitations, cold flushes, clammy hands, and a boiling sense of dread in the pit of the stomach among others.

While it has been the subject of many studies and researches, scientists are agreed that anxiety is still not fully understood even today. However, as a result of their researches, they have been able to help people effectively manage and avoid anxiety.

1. Avoid Stress Stress is the greatest predisposing factor to anxiety attacks. If one is to avoid any anxiety-related illness, that person should reduce the amount of stressors experienced per day.

While not completely avoidable, one can at least create an environment where stress plays a lesser role on they body. Make sure you put the stressors that can be avoided away from your immediate vicinity. You could try lounging in an area that is peaceful and quiet.

You will be surprised at what a good five minutes of relaxation can do for a stressed-out body. You could also come up with good coping mechanisms for stress related issues. You could listen to soothing music, meditate, and do other relaxing activities.

2. Avoid Drinking and Other Substances Studies have shown that various substances can predispose one to bouts of anxiety. These substances play around with the normal balance of chemicals in the brain, effectively increasing the chance one acquires anxiety illness.

While some people drink or take drugs to soothe their nerves it actually has a counter-effect that will discourage those that do so. Drugs for example can increase the release of a chemical called dopamine in the brain.

Dopamine is a chemical that is associated with pleasure in the body. While activities such as sex and eating good food increase dopamine release anywhere from two to three times, drugs haywire the brain and cause an increase in dopamine anywhere from four to ten times.

While this may seem like a good thing for some people, this sudden and unwarranted increase in dopamine can actually cause havoc to the chemical balance of the brain. And while it makes those that take them giddy for some time, when a persons high wears off, the sudden loss of dopamine will induce a great amount of depression, stress, and anxiety.

3. Sleep Right People need the right amount of sleep to retain a calm, restive demeanor. If you have noticed, you are usually a lot crankier and anxious the day after you pull an all-nighter. This is because sleep is a necessity for good health physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

Not only is the amount of sleep important, but the regular schedule for it as well. If possible keep your sleep patterns regular, as an irregular pattern can cause an undue amount of stress and anxiety.

4. Eat Right The body needs certain nutrients to keep itself healthy. Not only does it need these nutrients for energy and building processes, it also needs certain nutrients to keep the chemical balance in the body at normal rates.

This makes the intake of healthy food important. The intake of the right kind of food is integral to the health and well-being of any person. Anxiety is, as studies have shown, directly related to diet.

Avoid taking food substances that can alter your body chemistry in the wrong way. Coffee and alcohol are some of the food stuffs that can play with ones chemical balance and cause anxiety as well.

Depression Anxiety Treatment Options

Most doctors will prescribe antidepressant medications to help treat depression and anxiety. They are not a cure though. These medications can treat some of the symptoms of depression and anxiety; however they have no effect on the underlying stressors contributing to your depression and anxiety. Therapy is necessary when lifestyle changes are in order.

There is research that proves that therapy can be just as effective at treating anxiety and depression as some medications. In fact, therapy can often help where medication cannot. Antidepressants only work as long as you are taking them. Once you have weaned yourself off of them, if no changes have been made to your lifestyle, then the stressors and other contributors remain.

This can actually cause a relapse. Therapy offers coping mechanisms, emotional insights, and the skills required to change your lifestyle and get rid of the contributing stressors. Sometimes medication is necessary in severe cases of depression and anxiety. This will help boost your mood so you can gain the energy to seek out and focus on effective therapy.

Therapy and medications are not the only forms of treatment available. Other effective routes include support groups, meditation, exercise, stress management, techniques for relaxation, and taking steps towards self-help. These types of treatment involve more effort than others, but their advantages usually outweigh any of the negatives. They can boost mood and energy levels just as effectively as medications in milder cases of depression and anxiety.

Recovery from depression and anxiety starts with making positive choices in your daily lives. Eating healthy and exercising can have a huge effect. Research indicates that exercise helps people feel more in control, increases self-esteem, offers a distraction, improves overall health, helps cope with stress, and decreases the chance of sleeplessness. It is hard to get motivated to start exercising when you are depressed or anxious. However that is exactly what you need to do. Exercise can offer a more immediate relief to how you feel than any antidepressant medication.

Depression often makes you feel like you have no energy to even get out of bed, let alone do exercise. By taking easy steps it is possible to add activity to your daily routine. Remember to keep it simple. Set your first goal of the day to get out of bed, get outside, and walk around the block. You would be surprised what a little sunshine can do for your mood. Then add a little more each day. Also, take it easy. Your body may not be used to physical activity and the last thing you want to do is overexert yourself and cause injury.

Feel good about what you have accomplished, no matter how little. The best way to add some activity is by doing what you enjoy. If you like to do yoga, then do yoga. Do not force yourself to go to the gym if that is not enjoyable. This would defeat the whole purpose of exercising to feel better. Sometimes, exercising with a friend makes it easier. Just make sure it is someone who is supportive and encouraging, and someone whom you can talk to.

The best treatment is found by working in conjunction with your doctor. S/he will be able to help you monitor your depression and anxiety and make necessary recommendations. They can also help you to work out the positive lifestyle changes needed to regain control over these illnesses.

Extreme Education can cause Mental Health Disorders

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage–at least it seems that way. If you’ve been thinking you need to know more about it, here’s your opportunity.

Have you ever heard or encountered people who became insane because they know too abundantly? Or are you sometimes regarded as having a mental health disorder because of your ability to be highly educated? According to certain studies, adults who have degrees which are advanced can be at risk for shattered mental health compared to those who are under the habitual quota. Sometimes, these people belong to the professional scene having a masters or doctors degree.

Factual was surprising to realize that participants who are regarded as highly educated expresses unsatisfactory mental health upon comparison to normalcy. Why does this happen? Perhaps work related stress can be sole of the very reasons. Competition in the workplace can be very disturbing and someone has to determine something about the person on the next desk who keeps on nagging you with how the interview for chief obligated had been a breeze. It is often the characteristics and the poor coping mechanisms that layoff the mental hazards within the community of white collared executives.

Because highly educated individuals comprises a majority of Americas manpower, it is necessary that every company or the government to take immediate action about the mind bugging situation. Without proper supposition, work may correspond to compromised.

Some of the reasons that were pinpointed to the public regarding the different aspects in their working environment are:

Perceived work and relationship problems within the work village and inside the cave as well

Events and situation which are regarded to epitomize very stressful on the part of the person

Ability to cope with the difficult problems and situations in their lives

Bad habits like alcoholism or drug medications according to antidepressants or anti – anxiety

Frequency of visits to their medical practitioner

Thos who belong to a younger age are most likely to experience relapses in their mental behavior because of high level of home or work related stress, alcoholism, and usage of drugs which can result to the dependency to the substance.

Home or work related stress is referred to since those activities, responsibilities, and tasks that the individual must do in a certain time body. At home, the parent expects a higher salary while at work; on the other hand your boss wanted you to finish the newly given report within an hour, your co – labourer has no intention of articulation, another project is given set to be finished before 5, an emergency meeting has just been called up to discuss something about progress report.

These, with all other little things can inculcate on so much pressure on an characteristic just because he is bright. Expectations can sometimes bring a person lone to his knees and beg for an easier life. Alcoholism and the use of illegal drugs wont do any good either. These factors will just add up to the laid injury.

Confidence is something that some of the researchers has stressed. It is said that because adults is in addition adept in coping with a very difficult situation because of a heightened level of confidence. While younger ones are not yet at the verge of knowing the difference between right and wrong because their self – esteem is still growing some roots.

Furthermore, it is stated that compared to sexuality, women who belong within the more advanced degrees have higher mental health foot than men.
Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about mental health.

Awareness as the Solution for Dual Diagnosis

So what is diagnosis really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about diagnosis–info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.

Proper and appropriate treatment for people who are exhibiting and experiencing dual diagnosis which is also referred to as mental health illnesses combined with positive substance and alcohol addiction is hardly impossible. It has been quite difficult and tiring for medical health professionals dealing secrete personality disorders to point out both problems at the alike time. Identification has also been a terrible headache although, with the subdivision, efficient are possibilities to further treat besides rest the clients.

Dependence on chemicals had been found out that it is not only a symptom but a problem that can be completely sour when inappropriate medication is given. Medical professionals major in addiction believe that mental disorders are symptoms or drug addiction. While mental practitioners who specialize in mental disorders beg to differ now they have stated that its the other way around. Here is where the confusion stands and yes, effectiveness of treatment is vague for patients who are diagnosed dually.

Even at the brink of proper diagnosis and case finding, there is still dwarf hope for treatment. Majority of those who are regarded as mentally disturbed will choose to medicate in a way that will benefit them negatively. Addiction states that there will be no proper sobriety again cleanliness unless the person stops taking medications which are prescribed. Discrimination of clients will be felt through the professionals treatment modalities and also those addicts and alcoholics recovering through medications because of the statement that majority of drugs are bad.

Difficulty in domicile at their own homes and other rehabilitation programs will not produce tolerated thus, making these dually diagnosed clients lose their coping mechanisms and support systems. With this kind of rejection, hospitalizations are probable and they may suffer relapses that are frequent again sometimes, severe. Mentally ill patients with substance dependency and abuse carries a burden that can cause them to drop out of mental health treatment centers as clients who didnt have any substance addiction problems which can become a future predicament.

Awareness is the key

It is important that a medical professional dealing with a dually diagnosed patient address to both disorders in a way thatll be fruitful for the persons totality. With addressing both disorders simultaneously, treating one disorder will mean nothing. Awareness of both of the disorder is important. Adrift awareness there is no tolerant and treatment.

In doing a simultaneous approach, treatment of acute stage and stability of the persons attitude can contribute to focus on both the disorders. Its like shooting two birds with one stone. In relation with rehabilitation further maintenance of the patient, the adept must attend to the aboriginal disorder.

The antecedent of the system of care in rehabilitation programs must appear as designed in order to meet the needs of the patient in each phase of recovery from every illness. These programs must address the different levels of disability and severity thatll be invaluable for clients who are motivated to bring out responsibility in order to attain their recovery.

Awareness about the dually diagnosed situation is the crucial element for providing the effective and efficient care to the patient. Education thatll demonstrate the disorders as illnesses is necessary to advocate the mentally ill patient. Advocacies happen in order to take meaning the disorders which are addictive and otherwise may cause the heating up of the other.
Knowing enough about diagnosis to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you’ve just learned about diagnosis, you should have nothing to worry about.