Psychlinks Psychology Self-Help & Mental Health Support Forum

Very nice to be here.

lovelyfairy27 — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:01:34 GMT

I have been perusing these forums for an hour now and am excited to be able to post and read the vast amount of information offered. I very much look forward to participating on the forum.

My name is Megan and I found this website while trying to find help and answers to my own mental illness. I was diagnosed with severe depression when I was 12 and was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I turned 18. When I lost my insurance in Jan. 2009 I lost a lot of the control I had over myself, but luckily I had my family to support me. I was on google trying to find where to get free help, and to find more information and try to figure out what has been going on emotionally for the last few years. I have had such terrible anxiety and paranoia that sometimes I feel out of control and it makes me sick physically and mentally.

I have been married for almost a year now to the most incredible man I have ever met. I am currently living and immigrating to Canada to be with him. (A very wonderful country by the way!) Sometimes I think he is the only one that can keep me sane anymore. He has been so caring about helping me through intense mood swings, stress, and all of my debilitating fears. I joined to find out more information so that I can be better informed for myself and my husband. There was a lot of information to read, and I hope I can find the right questions to ask! Thank you very much for having such an awesome forum. :)

Hello there

Supagloo — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:21:37 GMT

Hello

Nice to meet you all!!

I have Bi polar, OCDP just to name a few.

Have lived with this for a few decades now and it just doesnt get any easier,

Supagloo

Sept. 10 - Suicide Prevention Day

STP — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:48:59 GMT

IASP - World Suicide Prevention Day - September 10 - WHO - International Association for Suicide Prevention

Not sure how to fix this

quitoman — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

I have this weird thing where if I touch something I have to wash my hands before I touch something else personal like a tv remote or my desktop computer. It feels like a film of dirtiness on my hand after using anything not completely clean. It's really annoying and I would like to know how to manage this or make it go away.

Forgiveness After Affairs

David Baxter — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:27:22 GMT

Forgiveness After Affairs
by Sally R. Connolly, LCSW, LMFT and John E. Turner, LCSW, LMFT
September 9, 2010

Can there be forgiveness after an affair? Are spouses or betrayed partners really able to let go of resentment, anger and fear of more betrayals?

The simple answer is �yes� although the process to get there is not an easy one. Forgiveness is tough. Most wonder how they can be expected to forgive one of the most painful experiences of their lives.

True forgiveness, however, brings about an inner peace in your heart and in your mind. It allows you to be different than the events in your life. You no longer define yourself by your injuries.

Forgiveness should not come quickly and best comes with dialogue and work with and by both partners.

Even if the person who has had the affair is not willing to work; however, and the marriage may not be saved, it is still an important step toward health for the one who was betrayed to find a way to forgive.

Let�s talk for a minute about the idea of forgiveness, what it is � and what it isn�t.

Forgiveness isn�t:

Forgetting. The affair (or affairs) happened and affected your life. Shake hands with that experience but develop a richer and fuller story about yourself, about who you are and what your life is about. You might be a betrayed spouse but that is not all that defines you as a person. Remember the much bigger story about you.
Condoning. There was nothing okay about what happened and forgiveness does not mean that you find a reason to explain, excuse or even to accept part of the blame for the affair. There may have been problems in the marriage, maybe many problems; however, infidelity is not a solution.
Letting the person who had the affair off the hook. You can choose what relationship, if any, you want to have with your partner and you certainly will want to go slowly with any decision. Forgiving does not mean that you will not talk together and ask him or her to find ways to build trust.
Reconciling. Forgiveness does not mean that you have to reconcile. With forgiveness, however, you can calmly and slowly decide whether or not you want to work to put the relationship back together. Forgiveness allows your heart to mend.
Allowing it to happen again. With forgiveness also comes a need to learn self-protection and self-care. There have to be conversations, safeguards and work together to find ways to affair-proof a relationship and trust to build.

Forgiveness is:

Forgiveness is a process, not an event. It is a walk, not the destination. Forgiveness is a journey.
Forgiveness involves protecting yourself and not letting the offense continue. With time and conversation, reading and listening, you can have a much better understanding of how the affair happened and what you, and what your partner, can do, to protect the relationship.
It is more about you than the person you are forgiving. You may never tell your partner about the forgiveness, rather you will engage in life with a freer heart and mind.
True forgiveness brings about an inner peace in your heart and in your mind. It allows you to be different than the events in your life. You no longer define yourself by your injuries.

When You Can�t Stop Worrying � Tips for the Ruminator

David Baxter — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:00:05 GMT

When You Can�t Stop Worrying � Tips for the Ruminator
by Dr. Nancy Molitor
September 8th, 2010

Do you lie awake at night hashing over and over the things you messed up? Do you worry so much about what could go wrong in the future that you can�t seem to move forward? Or maybe you can�t let go of something someone said to you, and the more you think about it, the worse you feel about yourself?

This constant cycle of negative thinking is called rumination. It could be commonly confused and even dismissed as feelings of worry. But ruminating and worrying are different because a ruminator not only worries about her problems, she worries about all her feelings about her problems and is not able to develop strategies to solve them.

Research has shown a strong link between rumination and depression, especially in women.

Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, a psychologist and professor at Yale University, found that women are more prone to rumination, and that rumination is strongly associated with anxiety, substance abuse and bulimia in teenage girls. There�s even some evidence that links rumination to suicidal thinking. Ruminators are frequently more pessimistic about life and see fewer options to solve problems. While they desire more social support, ruminators often end up driving people away and actually develop fewer emotional connections, which can lead to more depression and loneliness.

You can see how rumination can create a cycle that seems impossible to break out of.
But there is some good news. While rumination can cause clinical symptoms, it�s also a behavior that can be changed�with the right help. It�s not enough to just talk about your problems. You need to learn techniques to halt the ruminating thoughts. That�s how long-term change can take place.

Here are some tips for ruminators �and you know who you are�gleaned from Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema and my own experience in helping those who seem to let their worries control them.

Worry the right way
Who hasn�t been told by well-meaning friends, �Oh, stop worrying so much?�

Besides not being very helpful, this kind of advice often makes someone feel worse. I have developed a strategy for my ruminating patients that often works: Teaching them a more efficient way to worry.

Pick a time everyday when you�re free to worry uninterrupted for 15-20 minutes. This could be in the shower in the morning, on the bus on the way to work, at lunch or after dinner. The only time that�s not good is before bed. No cheating allowed, so set a clock or kitchen timer.

When your time is right, start your worry exercise by closing your eyes and imagining that you�re taking your worries out of a file cabinet or drawer. Open your eyes and start worrying (many people find it�s helpful to write these worries on a notepad). Let yourself go to town with your worries! But at the end of the prescribed 15-20 minutes, you must stop.

Close your eyes again, imagine your worries going back in the drawer, only to be opened again the next day.

Open your eyes and go on with your day.

The idea is to lasso up your worries, rather than letting your worries or ruminations control you.

With regular practice, this technique works. For the first few weeks you might have a stray worrisome thought outside the time you give yourself to ruminate. That�s normal. Tell yourself you�re not going to give. Tell yourself that you must only worry during your allotted time, even if you�ve already done your worry time for the day. Like Scarlett O�Hara said, �Tomorrow is another day� � and plan to worry the next day. After awhile, you�ll probably surprise yourself at just how well you can control your ruminations.

Get up and move
Exercise distracts your mind and focuses more on activating the body�s healthy responses like pumping up the feel- good neurotransmitter, endorphin, lowering your blood pressure or promoting healthier sleep.

Breathe
Meditation, deep diaphragmatic breathing, biofeedback, yoga and other mind/body approaches help you relax. I recommend any of these techniques to my patients because they not only decrease anxiety and rumination but also slow down brain waves and restore a sense of calm and well-being.

Know that solutions are not simply black or white
Ruminators often get stuck in all-or-nothing thinking and have a hard time seeing anything positive or hopeful in any situation. They�ll think, �I have to either stay in this dead end job and be miserable the rest of my life or quit and lose my house.� But there are other solutions too.

Enlist the help of a trusted friend or therapist to help you problem solve other solutions to your worries. They exist�you�re just not seeing them. Stay focused on your immediate worries and don�t get caught up in the past, which of course, you can�t change.

By taking control of your worrisome thoughts and your ruminations, you�re letting yourself live and feel better in the present. And that means you�re beginning to have more in control of your life.

The Differences Between Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2

David Baxter — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:55:31 GMT

The Differences Between Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2
by Marcia Purse, HealthCenral
Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2 disorders have a lot in common. Both, of course, are characterized by mood swings. Both respond to the same types of medications. In both conditions, one end of the spectrum is depression that can range from moderate to crippling. So what are the differences between Bipolar 1 and 2?

One difference lies in the upper end of the mood swing scale. People with Bipolar 1 experience mania; those with bipolar 2 have hypomanic episodes. And while mania and hypomania share many of the same symptoms, certain aspects of mania don't happen in hypomania.

If you are having psychotic symptoms - hallucinations and/or delusions - you are experiencing mania.
Symptoms that cause significant disruption of your day-to-day life indicate mania. In hypomania, symptoms are often problematic from day to day but daily life is manageable.
If your high-end symptoms are so severe that they require hospitalization, you're in a manic episode, not a hypomanic episode.

The presence of any one of the above situations is enough to diagnose Bipolar 1 rather than Bipolar 2, according to the official diagnostic criteria.

There's another difference that is less well-known. People with Bipolar 2 Disorder tend to have longer depressive episodes and more of them, and also tend not to function as well between episodes as those with Bipolar 1. In particular, some symptoms of depression may linger during a period of relative stability. This difference is marked enough to make Bipolar 2 an equally severe condition with Bipolar 1.

Revenge of the Introvert

Daniel — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:02:27 GMT

From Revenge of the Introvert in Psychology Today:

Quote:

Introverts are not driven to seek big hits of positive emotional arousal—they'd rather find meaning than bliss—making them relatively immune to the search for happiness that permeates contemporary American culture. In fact, the cultural emphasis on happiness may actually threaten their mental health. As American life becomes increasingly competitive and aggressive, to say nothing of blindingly fast, the pressures to produce on demand, be a team player, and make snap decisions cut introverts off from their inner power source, leaving them stressed and depleted. Introverts today face one overarching challenge—not to feel like misfits in their own culture...

To Hell With Happiness
In the United States, people rank happiness as their most important goal. That view has a special impact on introverts. Happiness is not always their top priority; they don't need external rewards to keep their brains in high gear. In fact, the pursuit of happiness may represent another personality-culture clash for them.

In a series of studies in which subjects were presented with an effortful task such as taking a test, thinking rationally, or giving a speech, introverts did not choose to invoke happy feelings, reports Boston College psychologist Maya Tamir. They preferred to maintain a neutral emotional state. Happiness, an arousing emotion, may be distracting for introverts during tasks. By contrast, extraverts reported a preference to feel "happy," "up," or "enthusiastic" and to recall happy memories while approaching or completing the tasks.

At this year's meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Tamir, along with Iris Mauss of the University of Denver, presented a paper entitled, "Come On, Get Happy: The Ironic Effects of the Pursuit of Happiness." The two did not specifically study introverts or extraverts. What they discovered is that, for all people, the pressure to be happy actually reduces happiness.

"We found that when we prime people to value happiness more, they become more unhappy and depressed," reports Mauss. "Our findings offer an intriguing explanation for the vexing paradox that even in the face of objectively positive life circumstances, nations generally do not become happier."

The priming effect seen in the study parallels the social priming introverts experience in everyday life. Although introverts like pursuing frontal cortex functions associated with the exploration of meaning, "there are cultural pressures that could make one feel guilty for not wanting to be as happy as the culture dictates," says Tamir. As a result, introverts are hit with a double whammy—feeling less happy, then feeling guilty and inadequate for feeling that way.

With a biological makeup that enables them to see positive emotional stimuli as a distraction when they are focused on another task, introverts are good at resisting all distraction. Using functional brain imaging, Stanford biopsychologist Brian W. Haas measured the reaction time for introverts and extraverts when they tried to identify the color in which an emotionally provocative word was printed. Introverts proved more able to focus on the task of color identification while disregarding the emotional content and had significantly better reaction times. Concludes Haas: Introverts, who exhibit a higher resting state of arousal, "don't need the same kind of outside entertainment."

The Food-Mood Connection

David Baxter — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:18:48 GMT

The Food-Mood Connection
By Maggie Shapiro, M.P.H., Brigham and Women's Hospital
September 3, 2010

Have you ever felt depressed and treated yourself to some chocolate? When you are stressed out, do find yourself craving some comfort in pasta? Have you ever noticed that sometimes after eating a meal or a snack you feel alert, while at other times you are in desperate need of a nap?

Different components in food can affect how you feel after you have eaten them. When broken down in the body, these components can effect blood sugar levels and stimulate the release of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that send messages throughout your body. These include serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and acetylcholine.

Here's a review of the science behind food and mood connections.

Simple Carbohydrates
Examples: White breads, refined cereals, white rice and sugary sweets
Quick result: Simple carbohydrates break down quickly into sugar. Your blood sugar spikes and you get a short burst of energy.
End result: Blood sugar falls as rapidly as it rose. The energetic feeling quickly wears off. You're left feeling tired, hungry and irritated.

Complex Carbohydrates
Examples: Whole wheat breads, whole grain cereals, brown rice and vegetables
Quick result: Complex carbohydrates take longer to break down into sugar. Blood sugar rises slowly; there's less impact on blood sugar � when you eat a regular portion size.
End result: Your energy levels are maintained over time.

Proteins
Examples: Meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu and nuts
Quick result: Stimulates dopamine and norepinephrine production. Proteins break down into 20 amino acids rather than sugars. One amino acid, tyrosine, stimulates the production of dopamine and norepinephrine.
End result: You feel alert, energetic and better able to concentrate.

Talking Turkey
Turkey has a reputation for making people tired. (Think big Thanksgiving meal.) But it has just about as much tryptophan as other types of poultry.

In fact, it's the combination of foods we eat that can cause us to feel this way. On Thanksgiving, for example, most of us usually have potatoes and stuffing (carbohydrates) with our turkey. As a result, tryptophan becomes more available for serotonin production. So it does indeed make us drowsy after a big protein-rich, carbohydrate-rich meal

.
The Carbohydrate - Protein Connection
Eating carbohydrates stimulates production of the hormone insulin. It is released from the pancreas and helps move sugar out of the blood and into the cells. Insulin also takes amino acids out of the blood and into cells. One amino acid, however, remains in the blood: tryptophan. This makes it more concentrated than other amino acids.
Examples: Turkey on whole grain bread, peanut butter on whole grain crackers, and egg with whole grain cereal
Quick result: The higher concentration of tryptophan stimulates serotonin production.
End result: Serotonin can improve your mood by giving you a calm, relaxed feeling. Sometimes, it can even make you drowsy.

Choline
Choline is an essential nutrient that is often grouped with the B complex vitamins
Examples: Wheat germ, eggs, broccoli, shrimp, salmon and milk
Quick result: It is needed for the synthesis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is directly linked to memory and mental functioning.
End result: To improve memory and mental functioning, try increasing your intake of choline-rich foods.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Examples: Omega 3s are found in fatty, cold water fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel.
Quick result: None
End result: Omega 3s decrease inflammation in the body. Two potent forms of omega-3s, DHA and EPA, have been studied for their positive effect on mood. About half of the studies completed have linked consumption of omega 3s to better moods.

Fluids/Beverages
Most people need about 64 ounces of fluids each day to stay hydrated.
Examples: Anything that is liquid at room temperature; avoid high-sugar, high-calorie beverages. Caution: Alcohol is a depressant and can interfere with your sleep.
Quick result: Maintains body temperature, pH balance, metabolism and other body processes.
End result: Adequate hydration helps prevent fatigue and decreased performance.

High-Calorie, High-Fat Meals
Quick result: High-calorie meals increase blood flow to the stomach and gut, while decreasing blood flow to the brain. High-calorie meals are usually high in fat, as well, which delays digestion.
End result: You feel sluggish, lethargic and sleepy.

Chocolate
Quick result: Increases the release of serotonin
End result: A calm, relaxed feeling
A recent study found that people who are depressed eat more chocolate than people who are not depressed. However, current evidence is mixed on whether chocolate does affect mood; it could temporarily improve mood, but the side effects of increased calories can lead to weight gain. Try a small piece of dark chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa.

Caffeine
Caffeine is classified as a mild stimulant. Three 8 ounce cups of coffee (about 250 milligrams of caffeine) per day is considered an average or moderate amount of caffeine.
Quick result: In addition to "waking up" the central nervous system, caffeine stimulates increased production of stomach acid, encourages the kidneys to produce urine (briefly), and speeds up heart rate.
End result: Limited amounts of caffeine � up to 250 milligrams a day � have been shown to improve alertness. It also gives a slight boost to athletic performance. But too much caffeine has been linked to depression and mood swings, and can interfere with sleep. (Ten 8 ounce cups of coffee per day is considered excessive.)

Eating the right foods is not the only factor that can affect your mood. It is important to get adequate sleep and daily exercise.

The Take-Home Message

Eat small meals and snacks every 2 to 3 hours to avoid dramatic rises and falls in blood sugar.
Limit the simple carbohydrates in your diet, which can cause you to feel irritable, tired and hungry.
Eat complex carbohydrates, which contain fiber and can help control blood sugar levels from rising and falling rapidly.
Include some protein with meals and snacks to slow absorption of sugars into the bloodstream. This will help prevent the rapid rise and fall of blood sugar, and stabilizing mood and appetite.
For a calming effect, eat carbohydrate-rich foods (especially the complex carbohydrates).
For a boost of alertness and energy, focus on the protein-rich foods.
For memory and cognitive functioning, eat more choline-rich foods.
Stay well hydrated.
Get adequate sleep every night.
Stay active and try some stress-reduction activities.

Once you understand how food affects your mood, you can begin to make changes to your diet to shape how you feel. Remember that the best part is that your diet can be modified at any time � so take control of your mood today!

Three Brothers Lead Full Lives Despite their Tourette

Steve — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:55:49 GMT

August 25, 2010
Edison Metuchen Sentinel

( :acrobat: ) Attached is a wondeful story about three brothers Colin Lang, his twin Anthony and 12-year-old brother Jack all have Tourette Syndrome, yet they lead full lives. (Click on Attached Files below to launch Adobe Reader to view the pdf file)

The story is well written, realistically outlining many of the challenges people with Tourette face as they learn ways to deal with their disorder.

You too might be inspired by this story when you read the boys' conclusion:

Quote:

Would the boys change anything in their lives if they could? All three say no.
�I�d rather have it than not have it,� Colin said. �It makes me unique.�
�I�ll answer from here,� said Anthony, his voice booming from the main hall. �I feel like it�s just a part of who I am.
It doesn�t really matter.�
�We wouldn�t trade them for anything,� Patty said. �People ask, �Would you rather have a child without
Tourette�s?� No, because they wouldn�t be who they are.�

Attached Files

ems_gmnews_com[1].pdf (46.1 KB)

A Doctor Who Preaches What He Practices

Steve — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:34:18 GMT

Well-known Canadian Tourette Syndrome specialist preaches what he practices
Aug 24, 2010
Wire Service Canada

This doctor knows exactly how a person with tics feels. He's gone through the same frustrations.

Dr. Duncan McKinlay has Tourette Syndrome. At age seven, he noticed what he called a devil in his head. His parents thought he was delinquent. His classmates were sure he was nuts. He was unable to control his strange urges, and in his teens, it wasn't a question of whether to kill himself, but when.

He was finally diagnosed at 19. Since then, he has focused everything he had on researching TS. It's now his life path. Since coming to understand all his strange ticks are release triggers for the high energy charging through him, he earned a doctorate in psychology. He's in nationwide demand for his workshops that enlighten, entertain, and boost the spirits of the one percent of Canadians living with Tourette's. A documentary film was created about Dr. Duncan by Symmetree Media (distributed through National Film Board of Canada).

He found a way to control his tics and wrote a book so others can do the same.

Nix Your Tics! A How-To Guide for Nixing Unwanted Tic Symptoms by B. Duncan McKinlay, Ph. D., C.Psych. (ISBN 978-0-9810684-0-4) has the power to help you make the tics of your choosing to go away—for good!

This book has been endorsed by Paul Sandor, M.D. (Director, Tourette Syndrome Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital and Chair, Professional Advisory Board, Tourette Syndrome Foundation of Canada), John T. Walkup, M. D. (Department of Psychiatry, John Hopkins Medical Institute and Chairman, Medical Advisory Board, Tourette Syndrome Association), and many more.

To order: Freelance Communications

For more about Dr. Duncan McKinlay: Life's A Twitch - Tics & Tourettes (Welcome Home)!

Hello there

pandora — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:45:53 GMT

I randomly stumbled across this forum through a google search on hoarding. After glancing over the boards and main page, I knew I had to join. I'm currently finishing my Bachelors in Psychology and soon will be pursuing Graduate School. I have also been living with Bipolar,Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Chronic Pain. I am looking forward to becoming a part of this community. :)

Mood 24/7 Beta Test and Survey

David Baxter — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:16:22 GMT

Mood 24/7 Beta Test and Survey
Chris Hall, Director, Clinical Platforms
HealthCentral
September 8, 2010

How many good days did you have last week?

HealthCentral is developing a service called Mood 24/7, based on technology from Johns Hopkins University, to allow you to track your good and bad days with a simple text message.

We can't do it alone. We need your feedback on Mood 24/7, as it works today and your ideas for making it better. We believe that you can help us make Mood 24/7 a tool that really helps people.

To see how Mood 24/7 works, please CLICK HERE to register today for free. In two weeks we'll contact you again to see how it worked for you. Your answers to our short survey will help shape the direction of the tool.

To thank you for your time, we'll select, at random, one person who completes the survey, and make a donation of $100 in that person's name, to the mental health organization of his or her choice.

Mood 24/7 is a free service. However your cell phone carrier will charge standard text messaging fees for all inbound and outbound texts related to Mood 24/7.

Australian beer commercials

David Baxter — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:18:49 GMT

Working Together When Facing Chronic Pain

David Baxter — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:08:49 GMT

Working Together When Facing Chronic Pain

Attachment 1904

Working Together When Facing Chronic Pain
Les Productions Odon Inc. (Editor) 2010)

A book designed for patients and written by their health professionals Working together when facing chronic pain a book intended to support the self-management efforts of people suffering from chronic pain and their loved ones. When faced with chronic pain, education is one of the solutions to which this book opens doors. It is also intended for all health professionals who want to learn more about the issues and aspects specific to chronic pain, and benefit from the experience of their colleagues and the testimonials of patients. Whatever your painful condition or that of your loved one, each chapter provides relevant and validated information. Whether it be the importance of physical activity, care team support or the participatory role of the patient, each chapter contains information that could change your life, your attitude towards pain, your pain level, the awareness of the role you can play, and the importance to be given to every aspect of pain.

Working Together When Facing Chronic Pain is above all intended to give people suffering from any form of chronic pain food for thought and information about a large number of tools and treatments, as well as about the physiological, psychological and social aspects of pain. The loved ones of an individual suffering from chronic pain may also benefit significantly from this book since it will enable them to persevere in the search for short-, medium-, and long-term solutions, in order to return to a more active, even a normal life. This work is also intended for all health professionals who want to learn more about the issues and aspects specific to chronic pain, and benefit from the experience of their colleagues and the testimonials of patients.

The book is also available en francais.

Attached Thumbnails