Mental Health Services

Mental Health Services
Mental health problems are common with around 25% of the
population believed to be suffering from some form of
mental health problem at any point in time. Anyone
suffering from a mental health problem can access proper
treatment and most who do seek help will make a complete
recovery but unfortunately, there are still people who are
afraid of admitting that they cannot cope or that they need
help and will suffer unnecessary mental distress due to
lack of understanding about their illness or awareness of
what help is available. So what mental health services are
available to anyone suffering from mental illness?

Doctor

The first point of contact is your doctor. They will be
able to make a full assessment of your symptoms and your
physical and mental health in general as well as take into
consideration any other factors involved including any
family history of mental illness in order to make an
accurate diagnosis because an accurate diagnosis is
essential if the right help and assistance is to be
offered. For most people, a simple visit to the doctor may
be all that is required to put them on the road to recovery.

However, your doctor might feel that you could also benefit
from other mental health services so once he or she has
made a diagnosis they will be able to start you on a
suitable treatment programme which could include medication
and/or referral to other professionals or specialists in
the community mental health team as required, for example,
social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, various types
of counsellors or therapists and so on.

The Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)

It may be that you require specialist skills in order to
help you cope with your mental illness and as one person
couldn't conceivably be an expert in every single area, you
could be referred to someone in the community mental health
team. The community mental health team will vary depending
on which area that you live, some may be attached to a
hospital or work from a doctors surgery and others could
possibly have their own clinic in a separate building but
typically, they consist of professionals such as
psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses who may also be trained
to deal with specific problems or behaviours, clinical
psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, and
various other therapists and counsellors.

It is quite likely that one person will be appointed as
your key worker and will be liaising with you on a regular
basis and visiting you at home. This person could be a
social worker, a nurse, some type of therapist or quite
commonly, a community psychiatric nurse or CPN.

The CPN will assess your progress on a regular basis, will
identify and help you deal with any problems you might have
and put you in touch with others who can help, they will
monitor your mediation and any effects of that medication
and will generally offer support. They will work closely
with other professionals in the team so that everyone is
aware of any particular issues or challenges that need to
be dealt with. The CMHT will also regularly inform your
doctor about your progress, your medication and any other
issues involved in your case.

It might be that you need help from other professionals.
For example, an occupational therapist can help you regain
some independence in your life if you are suffering from
any disabilities, they can help you to do things for
yourself and improve your confidence in areas such as
dressing, washing and other practical skills. Social
workers can help with many social problems such as housing
needs, financial issues and maybe parenting or child care
challenges. Basically, the Community Mental Health Team
enables you to access the right kind of help from
professionals who are trained in a specific area.

Hospital

It might be that you need to spend some time in hospital to
get over a particularly difficult episode of mental illness
or where it is considered appropriate but this decision is
not taken lightly. Hospitals can offer safety and
protection and many people will voluntarily admit
themselves to hospital in order to get the right assistance
and support. However, there are also compulsory admissions
made under the Mental Health Act in order to protect the
person themselves or those around them. For some people,
the thought of admission to hospital can be frightening but
it is important to remember that a stay in hospital can be
a lifesaver and hospitals are there to help and are better
equipped to deal with particularly severe cases of mental
illness.

More support

Family and friends can be instrumental in helping someone
who is suffering from mental health problems to progress
and regain control of their lives and as such are an
extremely important part of any support network. There are
also numerous other agencies, support organisations, and
charities offering help to people suffering from various
mental health problems. Some will also tackle issues
related to mental health by raising awareness in the
community and others can provide information, advice and
support to people who are affected by mental health
problems in their family. You can ask your doctor or mental
health professional what other assistance is available in
your area.

----------------------------------------------------
Depression and anxiety are serious mental health conditions
that can strike anyone at anytime. For more information
about depression and selp help come and visit
http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk

How to Get in Shape: 4 Crucial Keys

How to Get in Shape: 4 Crucial Keys
Probably nowhere is there more dubious information than in
the fitness industry. Not coincidentally, it's doubtful
there's an area of life mired in more confusion with
conflicting information than the simple context of 'getting
in shape'. One person tells you to eradicate all
carbohydrates and spend your free time doing "cardio" (once
called aerobics). Another tells you to put on mounds of
muscle so you can someday burn hundreds of calories while
sitting in front of the boob-tube clicking the remote.
Still others get more esoteric by convincing you to "eat
for your blood type", or "exercise your core". It seems
that most experts in this field are more concerned with
coming up with new gimmicks for outdoing each other than
helping YOU get in shape.

But really, getting the body into better shape is
fundamentally simple. We are considered to "be in good
shape" when our body fat is low and our lean body tissue is
relatively high. In other words - when our muscle to fat
ratio is favorable, we are typically stronger, healthier,
and of better appearance. Pretty simple - huh?

So where does the confusion set in? It starts in that
typically ambiguous area where we need to reconcile fantasy
with reality.

Yes… you do need to build muscle in order to maintain youth
and burn calories more efficiently. But tossing some
weights around a few days a week on some generic,
regimented schedule will more likely waste your time than
produce muscle.

Yes… you do need to improve eating habits. But neglecting
to shift better eating practices into intuitive and
subconscious desires through self-image enhancement will
likely lead to unnecessary struggle and backsliding.

Yes… you should add some aerobic activity to your schedule
so you burn more unwanted fat. But doing this haphazardly
or overdoing it can cause inefficient wastes of time and
counterproductive wastes of solid body mass.

And yes… you should start an effective workout regimen as
soon as possible. However, you should probably
procrastinate just long enough to make sure you're mentally
prepared to begin. False starts, followed by recidivism,
can contribute to long-term self-doubt. That won't help.

So let's go over four crucial keys that I think you need to
have covered in order to improve the shape of your body and
get fit as quickly and efficiently as possible:

1. Make Sure You're Mentally Ready.

What do I mean by being "mentally ready"? I mean that you
know deeply in your mind that you've hit the point of
resolve. Let me clarify this by illustrating the opposite
of resolve.

A former coworker of mine spent most of his time being out
of shape with a 40-inch waistline (I've been there too).
When he finally told himself he'd had enough, he decided he
wanted to add the occasional meal replacement shakes he'd
seen me drinking to his daily menu. He handed me forty
bucks and asked me to pick up a box for him the next time I
was getting some for myself. Well, I did that. But when he
asked me again several weeks later (after I'd gone through
three boxes in the interim), it was clear to me that he
hadn't resolved to get in shape. He was just sticking his
toe in and testing the water.

Unsurprisingly, he appeared to be getting in worse shape
during the time he'd professed to be getting in shape. I'm
not claiming this was due to an unwillingness to drink meal
replacement shakes. Rather, the reluctance to pick up his
own products was symptomatic of a lack of resolve - the
results of which probably rearing their ugly head by way of
other steps he wasn't taking.

Without resolve, we don't achieve anything significant.

2. Build Muscle with an Easily Measurable Feedback System.

That former coworker I mentioned (I know - I'm picking on
him) was allowing himself to become deficient of muscle
tissue while only in his mid-forties. This was undoubtedly
making his fat loss a bigger uphill battle with each
intermittent attempt he made at getting in shape. He'd been
a non-muscular youth and now the unencumbered process of
age-related muscle degradation was creating an
ever-worsening ratio between his adipose tissue and muscle.

To turn this around, he needed an efficient and highly
effective muscle building routine. Basically, he needed a
routine that would be simple to use and that would provide
easily measurable feedback to see whether progress is being
made. That's what's needed for ongoing motivation.

If you want to really improve your body, don't get in the
habit of thinking any activity you do in the gym is
conducive to reaching your goals. Like success at anything,
you must have a simple method of planning and measuring
your progress. Otherwise, you might as well spend that time
you used at the gym to do something else.

3. Burn Body Fat with Low Intensity, Short Duration Cardio
Exercise.

When I went through Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL
Training in the Navy, we did high intensity aerobic
exercise and calisthenics all day. Guess what… we didn't
really look all that great.

My former coworker used umpteen mile walks each day to try
to lose fat. When he handed me the greenbacks for his
second box of meal replacements, it was apparent that all
the time spent walking wasn't doing much except burning off
what little muscle he had along with miniscule amounts of
fat. Sure, walking is low intensity. But he was doing too
much while slowing his metabolism with infrequent meals
consisting of assumed-to-be-healthy foods - such as salad.

To really improve your body, you need to burn fat while
building some muscle. Then you need to retain the muscle
you've gained - not lose it. This creates efficient fitness
gains. Keep your cardio work at low intensity for thirty to
forty minute sessions.

4. Condition Better Eating Habits in to Your Self-Image.

Those who go on diets will go on and off diets
indefinitely. Those who take on the eating habits of a high
performance person and then adopt that self-image will not
struggle to stay lean.

I used to crave junk food. Now I crave foods that make my
body feel good, energetic and high performance. This is a
matter of subconscious changes. That's beyond the scope of
this article, but I think you get the idea.

There you have it; four basic principles (or keys) you need
to get in shape. Sure, you can fall for the latest fitness
fads if you choose. But when you want lasting results, it
always comes back to simplicity and diligent execution. You
CAN have a better body.

----------------------------------------------------
Scott Abbett is the author of HardBody Success: 28
Principles to Create Your Ultimate Body and Shape Your Mind
for Incredible Success. He is a certified fitness trainer
and a Master Practitioner and Trainer of NLP. To see his
personal transformation, visit http://
http://www.hardbodysuccess.com

Garlic or not to Garlic ?

Garlic or not to Garlic ?
What are it's real benefits to you? Is garlic a must in
your anti-cancer diet and if so how much garlic should you
consume each and every day?

Garlic is an essential ingredient in everybody's diet. It
is an excellent anti-oxidant for the body to fight all
types of diseases.

Garlic's main and most important acts are as an:

Antioxidant / Anti-septic / Antibacterial / Antiviral

These beneficial health benefits of garlicare are derived
from its compounds:

Vitamin C / Vitamin B6 / Sulphur / Selenium / Manganese
Allicin

Therefore with all these benefits going through your system
I believe Garlic should be a 'Must have' In Your
Anti-Cancer Diet? Elements found in garlic makes it a very
good anti-oxidant and therefore a great fighting agent for
cancer and many other illnesses.

It is a great purifier to the blood system, especially when
administered along with sufficient water intake per person
per day.

These antioxidant properties of garlic can help to protect
your body from free radical damage caused by toxins. We
all know there are plenty of them in our world today so it
is our responsibility to our own being to help fight the
damage caused by these. Garlic also reduces the formation
of carcinogenic compounds, which are particularly good at
protecting against several cancers.

What amount of Garlic do you need in your anti-cancer diet?

Having one or two raw cloves of garlic in your anti-cancer
diet per day will help to protect you from cancer. If you
are not too keen on the taste of garlic or the odour which
accompanies it, garlic powder or tablet supplements are
also available. The recommended dose per day for
anti-cancer, is between 500mg and 900mg of garlic
supplements per day.

Garlic powder supplements tend to be much stronger tasting
than garlic capsules. Go to your health food outlet and
talk to them on which way best suits you for consumption.

PLEASE BE AWARE THOUGH: Garlic supplements are generally
safe to take, but if you are about to undergo surgery
notify your physician regarding your doseage of garlic
supplements. The reason for this is because garlic has
anticlotting properties, which may interfere with
anticoagulant drugs.

TAKING GARLIC IS PURELY YOUR CHOICE BUT DO THE HOMEWORK:

Trials have proven that garlic is excellent for protection
against cancer, especially oesophageal cancer, stomach
cancer and colon cancer. If you are in doubt or can't
stomach garlic there are other anti-oxidants available as
well. Do the homework once again as I did - this is how
you learn how to fight these dreaded illnesses we sometimes
encounter.

----------------------------------------------------
My most passionate objective for my website is to encourage
people to look at firstly preventing disease by building up
your immune system in many different ways, and secondly to
help make the journey of disease much more pleasant. Life
is worth living and if we are encouraged to live to our
utmost - WHY NOT? Please enjoy the knowledge of my
experience & visit

http://www.cancertohealthylifestyle.com
to receive a FREE Ebook read.

Boozing Harms Losing Belly Fat

Boozing Harms Losing Belly Fat
As we attempt to cope and deal with the pressures in our
lives, alcohol consumption is becoming too much of the
norm. We release our stress sometimes via an alcoholic
beverage or two without thinking about the cause and effect
it can have on your waist line, appetite and overall health.

I am not here to bash having a drink or two, but I am going
to encourage anyone who wants to lose body fat to rethink
their drinking habits.

First and foremost, alcohol is a poison and your body must
fight to get it out of your system. It directly impairs
liver function thus severely hampering your metabolism of
fat. If fat loss is your main goal moderation is a key. I
have trained many adults who like there nightly beverage,
but they never or rarely lose body fat. I would suggest
limiting alcohol consumption to once a week if fat loss is
your goal.

When your liver is processing alcohol it will stop all
other metabolic functions. It will do so until it rids your
body of ethanol toxicity which is the by product of
alcoholic consumption. This process leads many times to
stubborn fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and
syndrome X.

Drinking in excess will also contribute to fat gain not
loss. If you think you are going to gain muscle mass while
drinking think again! Your liver is to0 busy doing
something it does not want to do, process alcohol instead
of amino acids. In addition, alcohol reduces testosterone.

We have not even touched on how many extra calories alcohol
consumption can add to your daily caloric intake. As my
good friend Tom Venuto states, "Those calories add up so
quickly." Think about how much you consume and the caloric
value of each drink. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram.
This is almost twice that of carbohydrates and protein and
just under the 9 grams per calorie for fat. Here is an
example: consuming 2-3 drinks a day can add up to over 400
calories extra each and every day. Multiply that by one
week and you are over 2700 calories extra. That is over a
half a pound.

According to studies drinking alcohol increases visceral
adipose tissue. This is the fat around your body organs.
NOT HEALTHY! Other studies suggest alcohol consumption
increases and stimulates appetite. I remember when I went
through my Nutrition and Lifestyle Courses, alcohol was an
afternoon subject and I recall this sobering thought, "If
you really want to piss off your entire digestive system
and set your body up for a total metabolic nightmare, drink
alcohol before you eat."

Another item I have learned from Tom Venuto was the simple
but often overlooked factor that by doing something
everyday becomes habit-forming behavior. The daily routine
of consuming an innocent evening drink will lead to the ill
affects of alcohol consumption.

Consuming alcohol again stops all fat burning, adds extra
calories, increases estrogen level (stubborn fat),
increases appetite and makes you more easily persuaded to
eat that entire cheese cake.

There are some simple guidelines you can follow that will
not only help you stay on the fat burning path, but will
encourage better overall health.

Drinking red wine is much better for you then drinking
beer. Red wine contains some good things that can benefit
your health. On the other hand consuming beer, which
contains hops and are highly estrogenic, will lead to more
fat gain and harder fat loss.

Try to stay away from extra sweet drinks with added sugars.
This will keep your blood sugar from a massive spike while
having a drink. Have you ever wondered why are these drinks
are so popular?

I would highly suggest that you read my stubborn fat
solutions report (and you think you have stubborn fat) and
to avoid alcohol for at least two weeks while your detoxify
your liver and get started on a friendly fat burning
environment.

Follow the European model; eat some fat or protein with
your wine. The more food you have in your belly the slower
the absorption. It also aids in insulin regulation. Avoid
high carbohydrates snack with alcohol. It carries many
metabolic problems like insulin elevation and high fat
levels in your blood stream.

According to nutrition author Ori Hofmelkere if you are
going to consume alcohol red wine is the best and beer is
the worst.

Some common problems with alcohol consumption are:

Reduced testosterone, developement of additional estrogen,
problems with hydration and Inability to absorb vital
nutrients

In summary, I would suggest eating an anti-estrogenic,
well- balanced diet and minimize alcohol consumption until
you reach your fat loss goals. This will also aid in your
quest for a set of six pack abs.

----------------------------------------------------
David Grisaffi is a Sports Conditining Coach and holds
multiple certifications including three from the
prestigious CHEK Institute. Plus he is also the author of
the popluar selling e book, "Firm and Flatten Your Abs,"
which teaches you how to develop a ripped abdominal region.
Lean how to shead bodyfat and eliminate low back pain and
recieve his free newsletter by visiting:
http://www.flattenyourabs.net

The Dangers of Chronic Stress

The Dangers of Chronic Stress
There are two types of stress. The first type is acute
stress. That's the kind where your body senses danger and
adapts to the threat by making physical changes which
enable you to quickly get out of harms way. This occurs
because your body secretes chemicals and stress hormones
such as adrenaline and cortisol. These chemicals are
secreted in response to your thoughts and cause your body
to prepare for "fight or flight." For example, let's say
you are crossing the street and you notice a car quickly
approaching. You see the car which causes you to feel fear
and anxiety. Your body then adapts to the stress by
secreting chemicals and hormones which send messages to
your heart, lungs and organs in order to prepare them to
handle your crisis. Your heart rate increases, blood flow
is diverted to muscles allowing for quick movement, your
pupils dilate and more oxygen flows through your lungs for
an extra burst of energy. These changes allow you to react
quickly, enabling you to jump onto the curb to safety.
Within a short period of time your body calms down and
things return to normal. This protective mechanism is
crucial to your safety and is designed to protect you
against danger.

The other type of stress is called chronic stress. With
chronic stress, chemicals and hormones which were only
intended to be secreted for a short period of time are
continually being released. The stress response is engaged
and never turned off. Glands which secrete these chemicals
don't have an opportunity to replenish or restore
themselves to pre stress levels. Your body remains in a
state of hyper arousal, hormones are over secreted and
eventually depleted. It's like turning on the shower at
full force and leaving it on. Eventually, you're going to
run out of hot water.

Stress and the immune system are very closely linked. Your
immune system maintains internal harmony within your body.
When it is healthy and strong, it is in fighting shape to
protect you against unwanted invasion. One of the biggest
dangers with chronic stress is that the over secretion of
chemicals suppresses your immune system. When this occurs,
your body doesn't have the ability to fight off invaders as
effectively, so you have less protection against illness,
stress related conditions and disease. The immune system is
directly affected by the way we handle stress. If it's
strong, it offers us protection, if it is weak, it is
unable to fight for us.(Have you ever noticed how you may
get a respiratory infection when you're under a lot of
stress? The stress you were under caused a release of
stress hormones which weakened your immune system and
couldn't protect you against the invader).

Stress hormones and chemicals are released according to the
way we think, feel and act. The way we think, feel and act
is based on our ideas, beliefs, value system, religious
upbringing, personality, culture and past conditioning. All
of these variables determine how we are affected by stress
because they create how we view the world around us. One
event can be viewed so differently by two people depending
on their perspective. For example, have you ever noticed
how two people can view traffic? Once person can be seen
banging their steering wheel, cursing and flooding in a sea
of stress induced hormones. The other person can be seen
catching up on phone calls, listening to music and enjoying
a quiet moment. It's the same event for both, but how the
event is regarded is completely different and is based on
the way each one interprets the event. While we are all
affected by stress differently, people who are better
equipped to handle the stressors in their lives are the
ones who enjoy the greatest health and wellness benefits.
Their bodies aren't continually releasing stress hormones
which are causing immune system damage along with other
bodily wear and tear.

When these chemicals are being constantly secreted, over
time they can also cause stress induced conditions, illness
and disease because they alter the chemistry of your cells
while weakening your immune system. When hormones such as
cortisol are depleted, autoimmune diseases can occur and
conditions like arthritis are common. When levels are
abnormal, other problems arise. Sleep quality, skin
disorders, infertility, anxiety and delayed healing are all
common when stress hormones are out of balance.

Stress also affects the nervous system which is directly
tied to the digestive system. Ever notice how you many feel
gassy, bloated or like you haven't fully digested when you
scarf down lunch? Your body interpreted the stress you were
feeling and decided that it was more important to prepare
you for the perceived battle than to effectively digest
your meal. Digestive disturbances are so widespread that
they are now the largest emergency room complaint.
Conditions like reflux, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcers
are all so common and can all be tied to stress.

If things weren't bad enough, stress also causes us to age
more quickly. This happens when cortisol is over secreted,
there isn't enough and more needs to be produced. Levels
are regained by borrowing chemicals from your estrogen
stores which are needed to help retain youth and vitality.
Have you even noticed someone and thought "Wow, that person
looks like they've had a hard life." The way they've
handled their stress is written all over them.

When you thought things couldn't get worse, stress can also
make you overweight! Here's what happens. When you're
stressed the stress hormones are released and increase your
appetite for high fat, high calorie foods. You then eat
those foods and those are the foods which encourage the
release of stress hormones! It's an endless cycle leading
to the over secretion of stress hormones, weight gain and
frustration. These hormones also encourage fat to be stored
in your abdominal region, increase the amount of glucose
floating around in your blood and lay the groundwork for
insulin resistance, diabetes, high cholesterol and
hypertension. So, the stress you interpret encourages you
to eat foods that make you heavier which causes the release
of more chemicals. If you're an emotional eater, you're in
even bigger trouble. Now you've added extra eating as way
to self medicate to feel better from your stress. You may
choose foods high in fat and carbohydrates which give you a
boost of the feel good chemical serotonin. This lifts you
up but then drops you hard and you are left with less
energy than before. At this point, you're left with your
original stress, the feelings regarding your eating habits,
excess weight, a starting point for illness or disease and
stress hormones on a rampage.

It's important to realize that the stress response was
designed to be effective when used for short term safety.
Unfortunately, those same chemicals which protect you from
immediate danger, hurt you when they continue to be
released. To make matters worse, the body doesn't know if
the stress is real or merely imagined. It will secrete
stress hormones whether you're grieving over the death of a
loved one, reacting to your kids making you crazy or
replaying the pain, hurt or argument you had with your
mother ten years ago.

We often don't realize how the stress we feel can lead to a
physical response. It may be easier to accept that a
physical response is due to a physical cause. For example,
you stub your toe, you scream out in pain. But think of
this. You hear something embarrassing or something that
makes you angry. The message is heard and interpreted by
you according to the way you've learned to think, feel and
act. As a result, you turn beet red or blush! If you're
nervous about something, you may feel "butterflies" or your
hands may get clammy. If you're angry you may feel "your
blood boil", you may have a "sour stomach" or you may feel
heat coming off of you. All of these examples are physical
reactions to emotions. The message was heard, interpreted,
chemicals were secreted and you had a physical reaction to
the message. That's just one incidence! Now imagine the
stress of motherhood, trying to be a good wife, coworker,
daughter, sister, friend or neighbor. Add the need to be
perfect, liked, approved, admired and respected. Mix it
with the stress, strain and anxiety of past hurts,
grievances and negative feelings stemming from an outlook
or perspective that doesn't serve you well. What have you
got? A recipe for stress related conditions, illness and
disease. While this may seem frightening, the beauty is you
are in a wonderful position to stop the stress response.
Remember, your stress may not change. What can change
however is the way you choose to react to it.

----------------------------------------------------
Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC is a Registered Dietitian,
Certified Personal Trainer, Whole Health Coach and
President of Lifestyle Fitness, Inc. Debi is a Lifestyle
Expert who works exclusively with moms for nearly 20 years
inspiring and empowering them to become physically fit and
emotionally strong through gradual, lifestyle changes.
http://www.lifestylefitnessinc.com

Alternatives to Viagra

Alternatives to Viagra
This article is aimed at women. Why? Because, of course,
yes, there are alternatives to Viagra but most men wouldn't
be interested in them. They don't want an alternative. They
want the dream. They've bought the myth of the Magic Pill.
Whatever the problem - whether it's rage, or lack of
talent, or a physical infirmity - they assume there has to
be something small and powdery that you can pop down your
throat and solve the problem. Remember, Men are from Mars.
No argument there. They want 'a solution'. Just like all
the unemployed youth in deprived Inner City estates (or
hedonistic airheads in well-paid jobs and empty,
worth-nothing careers) they look for the answers in a
chemical.

It won't work. In the first place, you can't cure old age.
The years go by and your eyesight goes, your sense of smell
gets worse, your memory fades. Why shouldn't your manly
bits lose their vigour? Men can't accept that. They love
the idea that you can pop a pill and feel as frisky and
wanting as when you were in your 20's. How would they know?
How can they see what's happening down there in their groin
area when they're peering over mounds of excess flab and
unwanted stomach? Having taken their bodies for granted for
years, and filled them full of calorie-packed beer and
processed meat, they expect it all to keep on functioning
perfectly, delivering satisfaction in the bedroom, just
like it always did.

Ask their wives. If women told it like it really is - which
men would hate to hear - the truth is that most men are
hopeless in the bedroom. Women know that, but they haven't
the heart to tell their menfolk. When the men say proudly,
'Viagra has made me feel 10 years younger', most women will
cringe and think, 'It wasn't that great ten years ago'. The
fact is that the majority of men are selfish lovers. All
they care about is their own satisfaction. They hear their
wives moan with feigned pleasure and are fooled. Viagra can
give them more of that, but they shouldn't be surprised if
their partners look underwhelmed at their new,
enthusiastic, pill-enhanced performance.

There are many alternatives to Viagra, including Bach
Flower Remedies, Thought Field Therapy and Knipe Water
Therapy. Unfortunately they all take time and effort and
don't give that immediate feeling of 'I can carry on as I
am' while the loving deficit is restored. For a start,
here's an idea. Why not be more sexy? Stop doing what you
do, men, spending all your time with your pals in pubs and
clubs, enjoying sport and senseless chatter, and devote
more time to your partners. Take your wives out to dinner,
spend at least some of your attention in listening to what
they have to say, and see the returns in the warm reception
you might get later at night. The fact is that most women
respond to an attentive lover, not someone who's idea of
sex is ten minutes last thing on a Saturday night before
sleep.

Here's another idea. Give up sex. Yes, admit your age and
grow old gracefully. If you're a man in his 40s or 50s,
then no, you aren't going to have the fire of your old
self, twenty years earlier. Discuss it with your wife. Ask
her if she really would miss doing what you did back then.
Ah, but there's a catch. Yes, you have to talk to her. I
said it again. You have to discuss your troubles and be
prepared for a bit of the big 'E', emotion, something most
men run from in terror. Instead, they want to go on the
internet, look up the word Viagra, see the millions - yes,
millions - of opportunities to find it, spend some money
and get Magic Pills delivered to their door. Then, well,
it's worth it, isn't it? It means you don't have to discuss
things with anyone - those embarrassing, personal things -
you can fix the problem, (or so you think), and go right on
believing you will never grow old, nothing will change, and
you won't have to adjust to anything. There's only one
issue left. That it's a strictly one-sided view of things,
and, like the man used to say, 'It takes two to tango'.
Shouldn't you be discussing your dance steps with your
partner? Or are you too ashamed to break the habit of a
lifetime?

----------------------------------------------------
Mike Scantlebury is an Internet Author, with novels,
articles and self-help manuals to his credit. This article
is extracted from a new book he is writing on men's health.
You can order your copy at his download site. Try
http://www.mikescantlebury.biz where you can find links to
his many web sites and exciting news from his part of
Manchester, England.

Falling Asleep: An ADD Nightmare

Falling Asleep: An ADD Nightmare
Like many "night people," I have a hard time waking up in
the morning, but I have an even harder time falling asleep
at night. When I spoke to my doctor about this problem, she
offered me a very simple solution: take 3 hours to "wind
down" before bed. Don't do anything stimulating in the
evening that will engage your brain. Relax, unwind, and
you'll find yourself falling asleep much easier at night.

Sounds simple, right? Not when you have ADD!

People with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD)
often find themselves chronically tired during the day, but
unable to sleep at night. This can be true for adults and
kids alike. Some of us seem to have our own internal
schedule - a body and mind that want to sleep all day and
be productive at night. Unfortunately, most of the world
doesn't work this way. Many people with ADD have a schedule
to conform to, and find themselves suffering with sleepless
nights and sluggish days.

But if we have a possible solution - don't do anything
stimulating 3 hours before bed - then why do we still have
a problem? I know that if I can manage to spend a relaxing
evening free from stimulation, I have a much easier time
both falling asleep and sleeping soundly. Unfortunately,
relaxing and winding down in the evening is not as easy as
it seems. Two main symptoms of ADD are hyperactivity (which
can be physical and/or mental) and impulsiveness. These are
2 things that constantly tempt the brain to get active.
Additionally, once a task or project is picked up, people
with ADD have the potential to "hyperfocus" on it and lose
track of time. In order to avoid this and wind down, I find
it best to adhere to a routine. I have to schedule my
activities for the evening, and not allow myself to get
caught up in anything that I find engaging, like emailing,
talking on the phone, or even picking up an interesting
book.

When scheduling your evenings and developing a routine,
whether it is for yourself or your child, identify the one
or two things that usually provide the most stimulation and
eliminate them from the pre-bedtime hours. In my own
routine, I begin my wind down by shutting off my computer
right after dinner. This prevents me from getting caught up
in email, research, or any other number of interesting
things that the Internet has to offer.

The next thing to consider when planning your routine is to
schedule in "down time" for some serious relaxing. For me,
this can mean taking 15 minutes to meditate, going for a
walk with my dog, or even just sitting in my favorite chair
and breathing deeply. Whatever it is, I do it alone.

And finally, set up a "signal" that will let your body know
it's time to start shutting down. The very last thing I do
at night is brush my teeth. This is my signal to my body
and mind that the day is now over and it is time to rest.
You may choose to do some light reading, tuck in the kids,
or make your lunch for tomorrow - what it is doesn't
matter, as long as it's the same small task repeated every
night.

Once you have developed your schedule, make it a routine.
People with ADD often work well with this kind of
structure. You can change the activities you plan for each
night, as long as you stick to the basics. Get your body
and mind used to winding down in the evenings, and you may
just find yourself falling asleep easier at night!

----------------------------------------------------
Jennifer Koretsky is the Founder of the ADD Management
Group, Inc. and the author of the new book Odd One Out: The
Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD. Jennifer and her team work
with ADD adults who are overwhelmed with everyday life in
order to help them simplify, focus, and succeed. For free
resources and information on adult ADD, visit
http://www.ADDmanagement.com . To learn more about Odd One
Out, visit http://www.odd-one-out.net .

Effects Of Depression In Men

Effects Of Depression In Men
Any person can conceivably have depression, and there's no
group or category of people who are immune to becoming
depressed. At some point it may have been generally
believed that males didn't become depressed, but this
notion is certainly false. In the United States, it's
believed that at least six million men are depressive.
While the idea that women become depressed and men don't is
wrong, there is typically a difference in the way men and
women express and deal with depression.

On the whole, depression usually goes untreated. There are
a number of potential reasons for this. Depression may
still be a poorly understood condition, and thus people
typically don't know when depression is occurring. Lack of
access could be a factor: insurance companies often limit
access to mental health care.

The belief that depression is somehow an indicator of
weakness or of insanity is still prevalent today, and this
sort of reasoning may especially resonate with men. Males
often feel a sense of obligation to be strong and
unshakable under all circumstances, and the thought of
failing at this will often cause men to feel a sense of
shame and even self-loathing. Rather than fail as a man
then, males may instead choose to suffer.

Though men may often choose suffering over help in cases of
depression, their suffering is rarely if ever silent.
Depression will always eventually be expressed in some way
or another, and this rule applies equally to men and women.
When a male vents his depressive feelings, the outcome can
be quite destructive. Men tend to turn to the old standby
of alcohol, and possibly narcotics as well, as coping
methods for emotional difficulties. The obvious potential
in using alcohol or narcotics for emotional assistance is
the development of dependency, and men are more likely than
women to report problems with addiction.

Depressive males may also become angry, possibly from the
frustration of being unwell but believing that their honor
prevents them from seeking help. When this sort of
depressive anger appears, the people closest to the
depressed male often feel it most. In extreme cases,
depressive anger can lead to acts of violence.

The reasoning then of depressed males who believe they're
better served by attempting to cope rather than seeking
intervention is poor logic at best. Depression without
intervention often leads to damaging results, with loved
ones typically feeling the brunt of the effects. Depression
with treatment leads to the restoration of good health in a
timely manner. The better choice is obvious.

----------------------------------------------------
Zinn Jeremiah is a freelance author. Find help with
depression by visiting
http://www.hubonline.biz/healthy-mood.htm or
http://www.hubonline.biz/get-better-now.htm .