Insomnia Tips - What It Is and How to Cure It

Insomnia Tips - What It Is and How to Cure It
What is Insomnia? The Insomnia sleep disorder, also known
as Wakefulness or Dysomnia, is an inability to sleep, or
disturbed sleep preventing you from getting a proper
night's rest.

The main effect of insomnia is that you may feel constantly
tired and irritable, with poor concentration and
coordination.

There are two main types of Insomnia:

Primary Insomnia has no underlying medical cause for the
difficulty in sleeping.

Secondary Insomnia has an underlying medical cause
triggering disturbed sleep: any condition causing pain,
discomfort, or directly causing mental disturbance or
anxiety, or specific conditions such as Sleep Apnea or
Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you suspect an underlying
medical or mental condition seek medical advice.

In either case encouraging sleep should help with the
symptoms of insomnia and the behavioral causes can be
addressed by yourself.

A period of insomnia can vary from transient (a few nights)
to short term (up to 3 weeks) to chronic, long term
insomnia (over 3 weeks)

Transient or Short Term Insomnia can be caused by traumatic
events such as acute illness, injury or surgery,
bereavement, job loss or less serious events such as
trouble at work, an exam, extreme weather change, traveling
(including jet lag)

Statistics about Insomnia causes: 50% Psychological, 40%
Behavioral: sleep environment (30%) stimulants or
medication (10%), 10% Physical (pain, illness etc.)

30-40% of people report insomnia each year; 10-15% of
people reporting insomnia say they have chronic insomnia.

The amount of sleep needed by people varies: Babies need
about 17 hours sleep a day, a child nine to ten hours per
night, and an adult seven to eight hours each night, though
that typically decreases as you get older.

Chronic Child Insomnia can have even more serious effects
than with adults. Getting enough sleep is much more
important for young children than for fully grown adults,
as a childhood growth demands a healthy sleep cycle.

Don't send a child to bed as a punishment as this may lead
to insomnia due to a fear of being sent to bed. Consider
using a bedroom only for sleep, not play.

Don't give a child sleeping medicines unless advised to do
so by a doctor. Sleeping pills may seem to provide instant,
even amazing insomnia relief compared to behavioral
therapies, but their results are short term and they often
have other side effects.

Adults do not all need eight hours every night! Some people
manage on as little as four hours sleep a night. If you
don't need much sleep then get up early - spending too long
in bed can help trigger insomnia.

People can also mistake the amount of sleep they are
actually getting, because they tend to remember waking up
as a longer period than it actually was.

After failing to sleep for a few nights, you may become
anxious that you won't sleep causing Fear or Anxiety
Insomnia. A major step towards anxiety insomnia treatment
can be to accept that you can cope with its effects, thus
reducing the fear of not sleeping. You would then build
upon this with behavioral therapy.

Three main areas where you can encourage sleep are:

Sleep Environment - a comfortable bed, a bedroom that is
quiet, dark and the right temperature

Sleep Discipline - use your bed for sleeping (and sex)
only, watch TV etc. elsewhere

Sleep Conditioning - creating a routine, going to bed and
getting up at the same time

The results of behavioral therapy may take effect slowly
but are long term - the creation of good habits which make
you less prone to insomnia.

Normal foods and behaviors can act as obstacles to sleep:
e.g. don't consume coffee after 1pm - try decaffeinated
coffee instead. Avoid consuming alcohol within two hours of
going to bed, although it may make you drowsy initially it
can inhibit sleep when you wake up in the middle of the
night.

A warm drink, dairy, soy products, eggs, rice and grains
aid relaxation; foods high in carbohydrate such as bread or
crackers can reduce anxiety, all aiding sleep. Do not eat
sugary or spicy food or drink near bedtime.

Stress or a mind too active or anxious will hinder the
relaxation necessary before sleep comes.

Regular physical exercise helps control stress physically
and psychologically by breaking up the day after work to
distance you from work problems. The best time for exercise
to aid sleep is the early evening.

A warm bath can help relaxation - but don't stay there too
long or have the water too hot.

Try relaxation or meditation techniques. Once a good sleep
rhythm is established, then you may no longer need them,
though with continuous practice they become more effective.
If you are skeptical then just treat them as fun -
something to do while you are lying awake!

----------------------------------------------------
Andrew Jones is an insomnia sufferer. He has assembled
information on the disorder and behavioral treatments -
visit his blog at:
http://www.andrew-p-jones.com/insomnia-a-simple-guide/

The Benefits Of Vitamins For Fibromyalgia

The Benefits Of Vitamins For Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a disorder where patients suffer from
chronic muscle pain and tactile allodynia. In severe cases,
allodynia becomes so serious that even being touched by the
clothes the patient is wearing causes pain. This disorder
also causes 'tender joints', or in other words pain on
tender points on the body which includes the neck,
shoulders, back, hips, arms or legs. These parts hurt when
they are even touched tenderly. Fibromyalgia also makes the
patients suffer from fatigue, sleeping disorders, morning
stiffness, severe headaches and sometimes neuropsychiatric
problems which include cognitive dysfunction, depressive
symptoms and anxiety.

The causes of Fibromyalgia are not known, though study has
attributed a number of things to be associated with this
disorder to some extent of naming them as possible causes.
These include stress, Serotonin, Dopamine abnormality and
genetics among others. This disorder can affect anyone
though it's more common in middle-aged women. Thought much
study has been done since early 19th century, nothing has
been found that can cure Fibromyalgia effectively. The
doctors and scientists however suggest certain medicines
that can help the patients by reducing the pain. The
patients are also advised to get enough sleep and keep to
some regular exercises.

But as the studies go on, it has been seen that diet
patterns have a big role to play in bringing positive
changes to the patients. For example patients suffering
from Fibromyalgia have shown wonderful results with
vitamins and supplements. Patients suffering from
Fibromyalgia are anxious to know if they can be healed from
this wrecking disease. It is good if they can remain as
positive as possible. Their level of wellness in many
aspects of their lives helps reduce their pain and prepare
the body for a good healing process. Vitamins helps one to
have this state of mind and sound body by helping the body
to have a natural balance by keeping the cell count to the
required level at all times.

When people feel pain, they always think of taking a pain
killer that can quickly relieve their pain. But this is not
an affective way of eradicating the pain suffered by
Fibromyalgia patients. The most effective way to treat them
is by the use of vitamins and supplements. A pain killer or
such kind of a pill will only give you temporary relieve.
They will only cheat you that you are well, but it's not
the case. But by using vitamins, the body is always kept
healthy. Vitamins help the white blood cells which fight
diseases in our bodies. Once the cellular level is
maintained, the body is ready to fight any attacks and the
body can get ready for healing.

Vitamins are available in most of the foods that we eat
especially the vegetables and fruits. But since
Fibromyalgia is a disorder that needs special attention, it
is important for patients to know which types of vitamins
are good for them and which one will bring the desired
results fast with long time effect. If you are Fibromyalgia
sufferer, you should think of getting professional
counseling on this, no matter what the cost.

As for the supplements, there are many of them available in
the market. But some of these supplements do not work so
well with Fibromyalgia sufferers. And so, it is imperative
to know which supplements won't have side effects on their
bodies and which ones will. This information can only be
found by asking experts who have been dealing with the
disorder. Apart from the usual benefit of maintaining the
cellular levels, vitamins and supplements also help in
reducing the joint and muscle pain, reducing fatigue,
boosting energy levels, improving the relaxation ability
and reducing headaches among other benefits.

In nutshell, when a Fibromyalgia sufferer takes vitamins
and combines them with supplements and starts practicing
lifestyle change, he or she can get very good, positive
results. Chemical compositions should not be used, which
only give you cover up effect and later the problem recurs.
Recently, scientists have come up with some medicines which
work well with Fibromyalgia sufferers, but before you lay
you hands on these medicines, try vitamins, the result can
be amazing.

----------------------------------------------------
Hailey Harris is an expert in dealing with Fibromyalgia
after suffering for more than 10 years with health
problems. She is now symptom free and living a pain free
life. She developed Ridfibromyalgia.com found at
http://www.ridfibromyalgia.com to help others learn to do
the same. To receive tons of info, tips, and healing
strategies for free visit
http://www.ridfibromyalgia.com/how.html .

Stunning Levels of Lead Toxicity Revealed in Recent Research

Stunning Levels of Lead Toxicity Revealed in Recent Research
Americans are too heavy -- but not just on the scale.

Metals, not fat, are making us heavy. In fact, almost 40
percent of us have toxic levels of lead in our bodies. And
we don't even know it.

Lead toxicity does have symptoms, like headaches, insomnia,
irritability, low sex drive, tremors, mood problems,
nausea, depression, memory difficulties, trouble
concentrating, poor coordination, and constipation.

But it's hard for most us to realize that they may be
caused by lead poisoning.

At a recent medical conference on heavy metals and health,
I was surprised to hear about new research that the media
has been ignored.

For example, a 2006 study in the journal Circulation should
have been major news. In that study, researchers measured
the blood lead levels of 13,946 adults and followed them
for up to 12 years to track what diseases they developed
and why they died. (1)

It's true that the average person's blood lead levels have
dropped dramatically since lead was removed from gasoline
and house paint several decades ago.

But our levels of lead are still high, because we are still
exposed to lead in our soil and water, as well as from our
own bones, where we store it.

The level considered "safe" by the government is less than
10 micrograms/deciliter. But in this study, blood levels of
lead over 2 micrograms/deciliter significantly increased
the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and death.

After researchers controlled for all other risk factors,
they found that people with lead levels over 2
micrograms/deciliter had a 25 percent higher risk of dying
from any cause, a 55 percent higher risk of dying from
heart disease, a 151 percent higher risk of having a heart
attack, and an 89 percent higher risk of having a stroke.

But that's not all.

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association
showed a strong link between high blood pressure in
postmenopausal women and blood lead levels. That's because
bone loss during menopause releases lead and injures blood
vessels, which raises blood pressure.

Another study in The New England Journal of Medicine found
that reducing lead levels in patients with kidney failure
by using chelation therapy could prevent further loss of
kidney function, save billions in healthcare costs, and
eliminate the need for dialysis in millions of people. (3)

Lead has also been linked to ADHD, developmental and
learning problems, and autism.

Yet most doctors don't offer chelation therapy. They
haven't learned how to deal with environmental toxins like
lead.

That's a huge concern, because research shows that children
with decreased IQ scores are those who have lead levels
between just 1 and 10 micrograms/deciliter. (4)

And more than 10 percent of poor and inner city children
have lead exposure levels higher than 10
micrograms/deciliter!

I recently treated a young boy with extremely high lead
levels who had Asperger's syndrome, severe ADHD, and
violent behavior. The lead was probably passed to him from
his mother in the womb.

But once we used chelation and nutritional support to
eliminate his lead poisoning, his attention, behavior, and
social skills got much better.

Lead isn't going away. It's still in our soil and water. We
track lead into our homes from contaminated soil. Today
regular house dust often contains 17 times the level of
lead it once did.

And in Washington, DC, the government recently had to
provide free water filters for everyone because up to 20
percent of the city's tap water may be contaminated with
lead.

But there's good news. There are some ways you can treat
yourself for lead toxicity. Do the following:

1. Test your lead levels. The easiest test is a simple
blood lead test, but make sure the lab can measure
extremely low levels of lead. Levels higher than 2
micrograms/deciliter should be treated.

Because the blood test only checks for current or ongoing
exposures, you'll also need a heavy metal challenge test
with DMSA, EDTA, or DMPS, which you can get from a doctor
trained in heavy metal detoxification. (See
www.functionalmedicine.org or www.acam.org to find a
qualified doctor.) Consider undergoing chelation therapy if
your lead levels are high.

2. Reduce your exposures by removing your shoes before you
enter your home. Ask guests to do the same.

3. Test your water for heavy metals.

4. Buy a carbon or reverse osmosis drinking water filter.

5. Take 1,000 milligrams of buffered ascorbic acid (vitamin
C) a day, this helps remove lead from the body.

6. Take 2,000 to 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily to prevent
your bones from releasing lead into your bloodstream.

By following these steps, you can reduce your lead exposure
and get -- and feel -- healthier.

REFERENCES: (1) Menke A, Muntner P, Batuman V, Silbergeld
EK, Guallar E. Blood lead below 0.48 micromol/L (10
microg/dL) and mortality among US adults. Circulation. 2006
Sep 26;114(13):1388-94.

(2) Nash D, Magder L, Lustberg M, Sherwin RW, Rubin RJ,
Kaufmann RB, Silbergeld, Blood lead, blood pressure, and
hypertension in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
JAMA. 2003 Mar 26;289(12):1523-32.

(3) Lin JL, Lin-Tan DT, Hsu KH, Yu CC Environmental lead
exposure and progression of chronic renal diseases in
patients without diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2003 Jan
23;348(4):277-86

(4) Canfield RL, Henderson CR Jr, Cory-Slechta DA, Cox C,
Jusko TA, Lanphear BP.Intellectual impairment in children
with blood lead concentrations below 10 microg per
deciliter. N Engl J Med. 2003 Apr 17;348(16):1517-26.

----------------------------------------------------
Mark Hyman, M.D. is a pioneer in functional medicine,
practicing physician and best-selling author. For a sneak
preview of his book "The UltraSimple Diet" go to:

http://www.ultrasimplediet.com
For more on lead toxicity and its effects on the body and
mind, see: http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/lead-toxicity

Emotional Eating - The Dog Ate My Homework

Emotional Eating - The Dog Ate My Homework
One of my children (it would be unfair to give a name) has
tried every trick in the book to get out of handing in
homework. Actually, they've all gone through a phase of
doing that, so much for my brilliant parenting. Don't kids
realise that teachers have heard every excuse and no longer
believe any of them?

Over the past few weeks I have heard all sorts of excuses
from my clients:

It was Easter (al the snacks are chocolate not like the
healthy nuts and seeds we have at Christmas).

It snowed and I couldn't exercise (some allowance here -
the weather has been weird. But the snow melts very quickly
and what do you do the rest of the week?)

It snowed and I didn't feel like it. (Strange logic here -
snow = winter = comfort food)

I forgot (forgot to diet? Forgot that when you have one bit
of the cake you eat the lot? Forgot you have 60lbs to lose?)

I've been busy. (Look, you're going to be busy the rest of
your life. And you're going to eat the rest of your life.
So eat sensible stuff. Otherwise you'll be too ill or too
dead to be busy)

I was away with the family. (Family get togethers are
difficult - it's so easy to overeat. But if you stick to
the right food groups and the right quantities you can do
it. Have one celebratory meal; don't over eat the whole way
through the weekend.)

A sensible eating plan isn't technically difficult. Lean
meat or fish, veg and salads, a little fruit. Any food that
looks as if it grew on a tree or in the ground or grazed in
a field or stream. You don't have to count calories or fat
grams, weigh or measure foods and it does allow the odd
celebratory meal or comfort fest.

But you do have to be disciplined and apply some common
sense to your eating habits on a day to day basis. It is
the consistent behaviour in your diet that makes the
difference. Consistently eating well, you'll get away with
the odd lapse. Consistently loosening your waistband,
slumping on the sofa and troughing out when you don't need
to will end in misery.

It's also important to identify why you are eating the
food. Is it to meet your physical needs (hunger) or are you
using it to deal with your emotions? If you eat when you
are bored, sad, lonely, angry, irritated or all of the
above you will be trying to feed your emotional hunger. You
may even feel your emotions in your stomach and mistake
that for physical hunger!

So ask the question before you eat - "If I eat now, what am
I feeding, my body or my emotions?" If you don't deal with
these feelings you'll have to use incredible willpower to
stay on a diet. Look at your emotional eating patterns,
decide now to be consistent in your eating habits, take one
day at a time and consistently shed the pounds!

Happy eating!

----------------------------------------------------
Liz Copeland is a Nutrition Coach. She shows people who
find healthy eating difficult how to change their beliefs
and behaviours around food so they can eat well, look good
and feel great. Find her "Live Your Best Life" guide and
the newsletter No More Rabbit Food - weight loss tips for
people who love food at
http://www.tranzformations.co.uk/signup.php

Can Sleep Apnea Cause Death?

Can Sleep Apnea Cause Death?
Sleep apnea is an extremely dangerous, and sometimes deadly
disorder, if not properly treated.

How can sleep apnea cause death? Death can result directly
from apneic events or indirectly from health issues
adversely affected by the sleep apnea. Death can also
result from accidents that are due to exhaustion from sleep
apnea.

Oxygen is needed for cells to survive. Oxygen enters the
body by respirations. Respirations are voluntary and
involuntary. Voluntary is when you consciously control a
function. Involuntary is when a body function is automatic.
You can stop yourself from breathing, but only until you
pass out, then your autonomic system takes over and tells
the body to breathe. When sleeping, we automatically
breathe.

Oxygen intake is interrupted in the patient who suffers
from sleep apnea. Sometimes the apnea is caused by a short
circuit in the brain. The autonomic system isn't being told
to keep the body breathing.

Other times the apnea is caused by an obstruction of the
tongue or collapse of the airway. If air doesn't enter the
lungs, oxygen cannot be extracted and after about 4 minutes
cells will begin to die. If enough cells die, the body will
not be able to compensate and it will result in death.

Hundreds of short breathing cessations each night harms the
body. Oxygen saturations drop over and over again while
carbon dioxide builds up. This puts stress on the heart.

The heart will enlarge over time if the sleep apnea is
allowed to go on untreated. Blood vessels constrict causing
high blood pressure. Sometimes it will also result in a
stroke if too much pressure causes a vessel to burst. If
the bleeding from the stroke cannot be controlled, it will
also result in death.

How else can sleep apnea cause death? Lack of sleep causes
our bodies chemicals to become out of whack. People
suffering from sleep apnea live continuously with off
balance chemicals that never get a chance to regulate,
therefore sleep deprived people often suffer from
depression. This depression can lead to suicidal thoughts.

Impaired judgment and slow reaction times can cause
accidental deaths from automobile crashes or falls.
Sleepiness and inappropriately falling asleep has resulted
in fires and accidental CO poisoning.

There have been athletes, actors, authors, and other famous
people who have died due to sleep apnea. the most recent
and well known is Reggie White, a NFL Hall-of-Famer who
died at 43 years of age from an arrhythmia caused by sleep
apnea.

So can sleep apnea cause death? Certainly. Can a person
with sleep apnea prevent death? Definitely. Early
diagnosis, proper treatment, and treatment compliance is
crucial for saving your own life.

----------------------------------------------------
The risks of sleep apnea are real, but many people who
suffer from this sleep disorder don't know they have it.
Help someone you love by learning the common signs and
symptoms of this disorder at http://www.SleepApneaOSA.com

Mood Swings Got You Down?

Mood Swings Got You Down?
One of the early menopause symptoms are mood swings.
Menopause information reports that mood swings can start
slowly with slight mood swings day-to-day or hour-to-hour,
or there can be full onset of extreme mood swings from
happy/elation to fear/anger/depression. Natural hormone
replacement therapy is one of the first recommended
solutions for early menopause mood swings.

Mood swings are one of the major symptoms of being
perimenopausal or menopausal. In some women, menopause can
be a rapid onset and mood swings are typically one of the
early symptoms.

There's a wide scope of treatment recommendations for women
going through menopause. Much menopause information is
available on the signs of menopause; most menopause
information recommends including such things as
complementary therapies and conventional styles of
medicine, however, most menopause common therapies possess
side effects and it is always questionable whether the side
effects outweigh the benefits.

Natural treatments such as progesterone, progesterone
creams, and progesterone supplements are in vogue today due
to the documented side effects of hormone replacement
therapy (HRT). The progesterone-type products are generally
called natural hormone replacement therapy substitutes and
are often an effective menopause treatment.

In addition to mood swings, night sweats are also an early
sign of menopause. It is highly recommended when mood
swings and night sweats become problematic, a woman should
begin with the simplest, mildest treatment for her
menopause treatments that maintain the broadest benefit and
the least number of side effects.

When the symptoms of menopause (such as mood swings or
night sweats) increase to higher levels of discomfort, a
woman can slowly progress to stronger forms or doses of
menopause treatment management if necessary.

Early menopause treatment should include natural hormone
replacement therapy and exercise. Exercise is a good
example of a natural healing treatment for menopausal
symptoms that comes with minimum drawbacks and actually
provides other benefits, such as strengthening the heart
and bones while controlling weight.

Estrogen treatment is at the most powerful end of the
menopause symptoms/menopause treatment spectrum and, while
not recommended as much as in the past, it is still a
significant possibility especially for women without any
history of breast cancer. At risk are the long-term
impacts of HRT are not fully known.

Mood swings are a common early menopause symptom and
definitely a menopause symptom during full stage menopause.
But they don't have to debilitate you. Exercise and
natural hormone replacement therapy in the form of
progesterone creams can significantly help with this
symptom.

----------------------------------------------------
John Russell of IH Distribution, LLC brings you health,
anti-aging and skin care products from around the world. A
significant resource to help women during early menopause
symptoms and symptoms of menopause can be found at
http://www.hormones-beauty-health.com

How Can Women 'Reverse Wrinkles' Naturally?

How Can Women 'Reverse Wrinkles' Naturally?
There are specific reasons why skin 'grows old' before its
time. Most skin ages prematurely. Women (and men) often
show accelerated signs of aging that could be prevented or
reversed naturally. Your skin was created to completely
replace itself every 28 days from the very cells that gave
you the youthful skin as a baby. Wrinkles, sagging skin and
other visible signs of aging indicate the skin has
degenerated.

So, what causes lines and wrinkles? They are caused by many
factors - primarily stress and the accumulation of toxic
chemicals in the skin.

Toxic Chemicals

Synthetic chemicals cause pollution in the body. As the
largest organ of the body, the skin is often called upon to
neutralize potential damage as well as to attempt to
eliminate the toxins. This can result degeneration -
causing a cascade of problems that can include wrinkles,
sagging skin, loss of elasticity and loss of vital life
force. For example, synthetic detergents in cleansers break
down the skin's own moisture and oil barriers, leaving skin
stripped, dehydrated and vulnerable. Synthetic emulsifiers
and binders disrupt collagen and other connective tissue
causing it to lose elasticity and become brittle.

Other toxins include:

- Dioxin can visibly accelerate the appearance of aging.
Many skin and personal care products are contaminated with
this carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting toxin. Avoid
products with PEG, Triclosan or Sodium Laurel Sulfate
ingredients.

- Detergents over-cleanse and strip the skin of important
nutrients. Commonly used detergents include SLS, SLES,
Betaines and soaps.

- Destructive free radicals can be stimulated by the use
of bar soap, alpha hydroxyl acids, synthetic fragrance and
color pigments.

- Preservatives like Imidazolidinyl Urea and DMDM
Hydantoin contain free formaldehyde which can increase
inflammation rashes. It's been implicated in DNA damage,
inhibiting DNA repair as well as causing cancer.

Stress

Facial muscles display how we feel through various
expressions. Repeated facial movements under excessive
stress cause aging to be even more accelerated. This
happens when we try to mask / hide the presence of fear,
anger or insecurity. Lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and
other signs of accelerating aging are cause from undue
tension trapped in the face.

- Repeated facial expression - especially under stress,
creases the muscle and skin tissue as well.

- Tension restricts blood flow and oxygen, causing cells
to starve and become weak or die prematurely.

- Stress activates release of excessive adrenal-based
chemicals that flood the body and hold tension in place.

- Stress factors can initiate premature signs of aging,
leading connective tissue to degrade. Sagging skin is often
a result. With accumulated stress and chemical damage,
connective tissue can fray and draw skin into small
creases/fine lines.

Those are just two examples that can lead to a cascade of
cellular breakdowns that degenerate our beautiful, youthful
skin. Very few scientists, medical professionals or
cosmetic companies are dealing with these two major
problems. So, here are suggested steps to help YOU take
control and reverse wrinkles naturally:

Step One - eliminate toxic chemicals that contribute to
premature aging and wrinkles.

Step Two - help retrain and restore the Muscle Memory to
skin, muscles and myofacial tissue by applying clinically
proven, organic skin care products to feed the cells and
create smooth, younger looking skin.

Finally - by adding unique techniques to retrain the facial
muscles, you can create muscle tone for an everlasting
youthful look - reversing wrinkles naturally.

----------------------------------------------------
Linda Chaé is President & Chief Formulator for
Chaé Organics, Inc. and a pioneer in 'go natural'
skin care for consumers. Her commitment to clean, safe
toxic free products requires organic ingredients backed by
scientific research. As a consumer advocate, protecting
human beings from dangers in skin care products became
personal when she became a cancer survivor herself. To
order her products, visit http://www.chaeorganics.biz

Do You Suffer From Anxiety?

Do You Suffer From Anxiety?
Have you ever become extremely nervous, to the point where
you stuttered and shook just by the thought of doing
something that you didn't want to do? Maybe you were
thinking about getting on an elevator, maybe it was looking
at a spider or maybe it was being in a social situation.

Have you ever felt the need to continually wash your hands
even though you knew that they were clean? Have you ever
felt really uneasy about something that other people around
you didn't even notice?

Did you contribute to the problem by asking yourself
"what's wrong with me" and begin to feel self conscious?
Did you repeatedly wonder why others could do this and you
found it so challenging?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, what you
were experiencing was anxiety and if you have ever
experienced these feelings be assured you are not alone.
An estimated 18 million people go through the same kinds of
emotions when faced with the same types of challenges.

In fact, medical professionals agree that anxiety is one of
the most common medical problems today. And anxiety is
more than just emotions, anxiety can result in very
limiting behaviors that affect a person's entire life.

As you probably noticed in my examples, there are many
types of anxiety. Here are some of the most common types:

1.Panic Attacks are an intense fear for a very short period
of time, usually about 15 minutes. They come on without
warning or reason and are far more intense than any other
form of anxiety.

2.Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, also know as, OCD is a
very common type of anxiety. The person who suffers from
OCD experiences impulsive thoughts and they deal with these
thoughts by engaging in actions that are repeated over and
over again.

3.Post Traumatic Stress Disorders are caused by a person
witnessing a terrifying event. After the event the person
is subject to worry, often unjustified that the event will
take place again.

4.Phobias are the most common type of anxiety in which the
person has unjustified fear of either certain things or
doing certain things. This would include things like
irrational fears to elevators or even going outside.

The Symptoms

There are many symptoms of anxiety and they vary widely
depending on the severity of the condition. Also, certain
people will experience anxiety one way while the next
person will experience the same type of anxiety with
completely different symptoms. Here I have listed some of
the symptoms.

Depression
Unrealistic expectations
Difficulty sleeping
Dizziness
Extreme fear
Back pain
Difficulty in concentrating
Fatigue
Physical symptoms

Treatments for anxiety

The first thing to do is to find a qualified professional.
Make sure that you find someone that you can relate to
because openness and honesty are the keys to recovery.

The most common treatments for those who suffer from
anxiety are cognitive therapy which is talk therapy that
changes the meaning that something has to someone and
medication. The two are usually used in combination,
although each can be used alone.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is also very successful. This
is the same as cognitive therapy only behavioral techniques
such as deep breathing are added. Another therapy that
works well is modeling. Hypnotherapy has also been used
with varying degrees of success.

Medication, can be difficult in finding the proper one, but
don't give up! Not all medications work for all people.
Often finding the right medication can be a long period of
trial and error. If you are shy about talking to someone
face to face begin with the internet. There are many
online forums and a lot of good information available.

One thing that is very important to understand is that you
need to be motivated because overcoming anxiety takes a lot
of hard work.

Conclusion

Anxiety is a very broad subject that affects many people to
various degrees. Some people only feel minor effects while
others have anxiety rule their entire life. There is also
a wide range of symptoms that affect people differently.
The important thing is that if you do feel anxiety, get
professional help. Don't let your anxiety take over your
life.

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Scott Becker is an expert author mostly writing on
depression and anxiety. His expertise however did not come
the usual way, it came from having to cope with his own
life challenges. To read more about it as well as pick up
your Seven Days of FREE REPORTS Titled "The Undisclosed
FACTS to Ease Your Depression NOW", visit his blog at
http://healthfitnessvitamin.com