Mental Illness: Disease or Choice?

Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 October 2011 10:21 Written by Natural Health Team Tuesday, 25 October 2011 10:21

Health Information about Mental Illness: Disease or Choice?

Is it true that Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory doesn’t believe in mental illness? Of course not! However, that is what many believe and some don’t give his ideas credence because they think he is wrong about that. This article is my humble attempt to explain exactly what Dr. Glasser means when he says he believes in mental health, not mental illness. This article should be particularly helpful to those of you who work in the helping professions or those of you with family members who have been diagnosed with any type of mental disorder.

I’m asking you to take a journey with me into the realm of possibility. What if what we believe about mental illness is wrong in much the same way people in Columbus’ day believed the world was flat? And if it’s possible our conceptualization about mental illness is wrong, then it logically follows that perhaps we need to look at treatment differently.

My goal in this issue is not to change your mind about what you think and believe, but merely to present another possibility. Take a journey with me into an alternative explanation and see where it takes us . . .

Choice theory has two concepts that are central to this discussion. One is the concept of total behavior and the other is our creative system. I’ll start with total behavior. Glasser says all behavior is total, meaning it consists of four inseparable components-your actions, your thinking, your feelings and your body’s physiology. All of these components occur simultaneously, even when you are more aware of one of them.

You only have direct control over two of these components. No matter how hard you try, you will not be able to change your feelings or your body’s physiology without first changing your actions or your thinking. You may not believe you have control over your thinking because sometimes certain thoughts enter our minds unbidden. However, once you learn how, you can direct your thoughts from unwanted topics to healthier ones.

When we want something we don’t have, we are driven to create a behavior designed to get us what we want. Sometimes, we rely on behaviors we’ve used in the past that were effective. Other times we create a new behavior. Whatever our choice, we are choosing the best behavior available to us at the time to get what we want.

When it comes to mental health symptoms, many believe that an imbalance in our body’s chemistry causes the unusual behavior or thinking. But what if the “crazy” behavior and thinking over an extended period of time actually causes the chemical imbalance instead? Isn’t it at least possible? Isn’t it exercising that releases endorphins into our blood? It’s not the endorphins that make us exercise. Isn’t it thoughts of bodily harm that releases the chemical adrenaline into our blood stream when we are scared? It’s not the adrenaline that makes us scared, is it?

And what about those diagnoses that don’t have a known chemical imbalance? What about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder. These are groups of symptoms that develop during a serious crisis that serve us in that moment. In Choice Theory, Glasser would say they become organized behavior. In neurology, it might be said that neurons that fire together wire together. This means that once we produce a behavior and repeat it over time, it basically becomes the path of least resistance and when confronted with similar circumstances, we will default to our typical way of handling it.

So, if someone has developed a behavior that works for them to get something they want, then they are more likely to choose that behavior in the future. It is difficult to think of mental health symptoms as having any positive benefit to them. Why would someone choose such thoughts and behaviors?

Currently, there is a concept I hear more and more in psychology called secondary gain. Mental health professionals are recognizing that there often is some pay off for mental health clients in their symptomotology. It might get the client attention. It may abdicate them of daily responsibility. It might get them SSI benefits. They may be able to avoid unpleasant situations and keep undesirables at arm’s length. The list goes on and on. Couldn’t it at least be possible that these are not actually secondary gains, but rather the reason the symptoms developed in the first place?

Couldn’t it be that a person learned that being sad got them attention so they developed the behavior of depression? Couldn’t it be that a person learns anxiety gets them out of doing certain undesirable things? Once we experience a benefit, the behavior is more likely to become hard wired and therefore repeated, even long after it stops being effective.

Once of the criticisms of Glasser’s theory is that no one would actively choose to be neurotic or psychotic or personality disordered. Glasser never said it was a conscious choice. Most people suffering with mental health disorders are truly suffering, unaware there is any choice in the matter. Our current approach to treatment basically reinforces this image of mental health clients as victims.

I don’t know about you, but I want my clients to know there is a choice. They didn’t know it before. But if they understand now how symptoms can develop out of satisfying some need the had, then treatment becomes a matter of teaching them more responsible ways of getting those needs met.

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What is the significance of heart disease in a woman?

Last Updated on Sunday, 16 October 2011 11:28 Written by Natural Health Team Sunday, 16 October 2011 11:28

Health Information about What is the significance of heart disease in a woman?

What is heart disease in a woman? This is an abnormal number of diseases of the heart and blood vessels in the heart. In this article we examine some of the types of heart disease.

The most common form of heart disease in is coronary heart disease (CHD). And ‘the main cause of heart attacks. Arteries hard and narrow. The heart is all that needs blood because blood is a difficult time, ha.

CAD is angina pectoris.Angina is chest pain or discomfort that happens when the heart can not get enough blood. It’s like a squeezing or pressing pain in the chest. The pain is sometimes the shoulders, neck, arms, back or jaw. Sometimes it can feel like indigestion. Angina does not mean that there will be a heart attack, but it means having more of a.

A heart attack occurs when an artery is acutely or completely blocked and the heart is no longer needed blood forabout twenty minutes.

Cardiac arrhythmia is a different type of heart disease in and are harmless to most people. These are simple changes in the rhythm of the heart. People usually feel weak, dizzy, short of breath or chest pain at a time. As the age you become more arrhythmias. From time to time with a few heart flutters or if your heart sometimes race is not unusual. If you flutter with other symptoms such as feeling like you are, with not enoughAir or shortness of breath and dizziness, you should immediately call for emergency assistance.

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood through the body, as it should normally. This does not mean that the heart stops. Institutions, which generally receive blood from the heart and the blood is not enough. Here are some signs of heart failure:

Swollen ankles, feet and legs
Severe fatigue
Feeling like you can not get enough air or shortness of breathBreath.

Heart disease in women may be in danger of life. and more have a heart attack from them than men, they have. Treatment for a heart attack should be within an hour after the first symptoms, if possible. Cardiac damage may be limited by treatments, but must at the earliest after a heart attack begins to be given.

Research has shown that one three in America die from heart disease. A woman should take the necessary measures to heartDisease. Nearly as many died from cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart disease for all cancers combined in 2003. Because a woman is more likely that heart disease, as it develops with age, should be available at the intake to prevent as soon as possible.

http://www.womenhealth.pannipa.com/2010/03/what-is-the-significance-of-heart-disease-in-a-woman/

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How Stress, Depression and Anxiety Can Cause Mental and Heart Disease

Last Updated on Tuesday, 11 October 2011 10:21 Written by Natural Health Team Tuesday, 11 October 2011 10:21

Health Information about How Stress, Depression and Anxiety Can Cause Mental and Heart Disease

Symptoms and signs of heart diseases:

Chest pains or breathlessness are the early signs of heart diseases when the person feels tightness, burning pain, heaviness and pressure behind the breastbone. Mental health disorders can be treated under the supervision of skilled professionals like any other diseases depending totally upon the circumstances and symptoms exhibited by the person. Mental health disorders are very closely associated with coronary heart diseases. When the blood supply is cut off, the unfortunate result is the heart attack.

Heart disease facts:

Heart disease is related to two conditions, which are myocardial infarction (heart attack) and angina pectoris. Mental health disorders and heart diseases are two major causes for disability in a person. Exercise is the best potential way to improve mental health and they can slow down the risks of heart disease is.

It can cause adverse cardiovascular outcomes in the patients with the history heart disease. The symptoms of depression like fatigue, loss of interest in work and activities, loss of appetite, weight loss, and restlessness interfere with the normal functioning of the heart thus leading to heart disease.

Treatment:

Mental health disorder and heart disease can lead to extreme sickness and death. It has been established that risks of heart diseases is 2-6 times more common in patients having mental health disorders. Heart disease or cardiac disease is a general term used to cover all the malfunctions of the heart.

They are more likely to resort to smoking and drinking and thus leading to hypertension. Exercise relieves stress, strengthens muscles, gives confidence, and strengthens the cardiovascular system. However, symptoms of depression should not be confused with symptoms of cardiac failure or heart attack. There are several mechanisms which link stress and depression with cardiovascular diseases.

The pain is usually in the chest or left arm. High levels of insulin and cholesterol also increases the risks of heart diseases like heart attacks and cardiac failure. A healthy nutritional diet with regular fluid intake, fruits and vegetables, limiting sodium, avoiding foods with high saturated and trans fats like red meat, whole milk should be avoided.

Depression and anxiety also chronically elevate levels of stress hormones and thereby diverting the body metabolism meant for tissue construction needed to repair the heart diseases. Heart is one of the most important organs of our body. Only the health professionals can evaluate the heart diseases after conducting intensive tests.

Strategies for promoting a healthy heart: The diagnosis of heart disease in relation to other mental health disorders are the wakeup call alerting you to view your own habits that might be harmful or worsen the disease.

Mechanisms that link heart diseases to mental health disorders:

Psychosocial factors like stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders are the stronger risk factors associated with heart diseases when compared with other health defects. Smoking and drinking which are normally taken to combat stress should be avoided since they lead to increase in heart rate and blood pressure.

Mental health disorders lead to physiologic changes such as cardiac rhythm disturbances, hyper-cogulability and inflammation. These signs usually call for immediate medical intervention. If the oxygen rich blood does not reach the heart the person develops a pain called angina.

When the arteries carrying nutrients and oxygen to the heart become narrow and clogged, it results in coronary heart disease. Small portions of meal with low fat diets and protein rich should be taken.

One of the possible mechanisms is that patients with depression and stress are less likely to comply with medical advice. Prescribed medication under proper supervision, cognitive behavioral therapy which promotes adherence and behavior change, can increase the impact of pharmacological and behavioral approach to both the diseases.

It acts as a pump, which supplies oxygen rich blood to different parts of the body in order to maintain a healthy body. The support of your family and friends helps you in the transition to a healthy lifestyle. Hence, preventing mental and heart diseases plays a vital role in improving the chances of survival. Several measures can be adopted to reduce the symptoms of heart diseases.

The Adult Recovery Center is designed to meet the needs of people experiencing problems with alcohol and/or drugs. Successful recovery involves developing new skills and behaviors, changing old attitudes, and learning to deal more effectively with the ups and downs of daily living.

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Lyme Remedy- Past History Reveals Secret Natural Cure for Lyme Disease

Last Updated on Sunday, 9 October 2011 03:11 Written by Natural Health Team Sunday, 9 October 2011 03:11

Health Information about Lyme Remedy- Past History Reveals Secret Natural Cure for Lyme Disease

It is amazing what we can learn from our past, including what we can learn about a natural Lyme remedy. And history has showed us something that is making scientists and researchers scratch their heads in disbelief. Because before 1975, Lyme disease was never a problem until it showed up in Connecticut, after a group of kids came down with arthritic type symptoms… later known as Lyme disease.

After lyme was diagnosed over 30 years ago, many people wondered why ticks started carrying the bacteria causing Lyme. Could there be pesticides that made ticks genetically prone to the disease? Or could it be that humans are more susceptible to Lyme disease now? We now know!

Recent research has revealed that Lyme disease is partially caused by our diets? In other words, a simple Lyme remedy can naturally cure the disease in 24 hours using 2 ingredients that could cost 3 dollars.

If you are suffering from lyme, please take a second to educate yourself about the history of lyme.

A Natural Cure for Lyme Disease

Antibiotics typically work with an assortment of side effects on the patient. But what if you didn’t need antibiotics? For instance, it has been shown that urinary tract infections can be cured with cranberries but doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics to their patients. Unfortunately, doctors refuse to prescribe research-based natural health remedies even if they are effective. Why?

Doctors and pharmaceutical companies work hand in hand with treatments. Doctors are educated in schools that are medicated-based. Most doctors (with the exception of a few) have no education in natural health. And unfortunately, in the case of Lyme disease and a few other ailments, going natural is healthier and more effective.

In the case of a natural cure for Lyme disease, the remedy gives the body what it needs to fight off the infectious bacteria that are causing the symptoms. And why does this work? Because in optimal performance, the body in naturally immune to the borrelioisis which is carried by ticks.

But how has our diet changed in the last 30 years?

Learning about the Lyme Remedy

In order to discover why lyme cases are growing exponentially, researchers looked how the average American diet has changed in the last few decades. They found that the average diet contains less sodium, less fiber, more preservatives and more calories, fat, processed foods and cholesterol.

After years of studying all of these factors, they noticed a connection between sodium intake and Lyme disease. Did you know that Americans eat less salt today than ever before in history? Many theorists are demonstrating that a whole host of new illness could be a result of our lowered consumption of salt.

During earlier periods, many people would consume approximately 20 grams a day of sodium. Currently, this consumption has drastically declined because of research showing that sodium contributes to high blood pressure (which is a serious disease too!). Many are studying if there is a connection between low sodium intake and lyme, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and Alzheimer’s disease?

Knowing all of this, natural health experts have discovered a natural lyme remedy that uses sodium. Taking too much sodium can cause your blood pressure to jump through the rough. But scientists are finding that taking a moderate amount over a consistent period of time can cure the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

Cure Lyme in 24 Hours of Less

To discover a step by step Lyme Remedy Report that uses 2 ingredients to boost your immunity and kill the bacteria causing Lyme disease, please visit our Natural Health website today. We offer that only guaranteed remedy on the e-market that you can use tonight and be cured tomorrow. Cure yourself in 24 hours with $ 2 dollars.

Natural Cure for Lyme Disease

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Must-Read Natural Health Article: How to Lower Your Triglycerides & Stop Obesity, Diabetes & Heart Disease Naturally

Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 September 2011 07:10 Written by Natural Health Team Wednesday, 28 September 2011 07:10

Health Information about Must-Read Natural Health Article: How to Lower Your Triglycerides & Stop Obesity, Diabetes & Heart Disease Naturally

There are a lot of things to be grateful for in life. A great career, family, a good friend or two, a nice house, a slick car and vacations are usually at the top. But gleaming far above any one of these is great health. This fact hit Stan hard when his doctor told him his triglycerides were too high. With high triglycerides, Stan risks obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix that doesn’t require a pharmacy.

You can lower your triglycerides level and stop obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease and even cancer naturally. This means, in many cases (not all), you don’t need medication that can harm your body in other ways.

Stan has been focusing on work, work and more work. Doing so has left him out of the gym and eating for convenience rather than health. This has caused him to take in more calories than he uses. A high triglyceride level (usually anything over 200 mg/dL) is simply the result of an energy imbalance within your body. Rather than you utilizing fat and glucose (sugar) to “run on a treadmill,” or “chase your wife around the bedroom,” these molecules run amuck in the blood.

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Since metabolism likes to be as tidy as possible, it packages the unused fat and sugar fuel into a storage molecule known as a triglyceride. Once merged, they are stuffed into your belly (adipose tissue), your muscles (makes muscles look soft rather than hard and shredded) and even your liver (fatty liver) as storage.

Triglycerides natural enemy is a hormone known as glucagon. It’s the Loch Ness Monster of hormones because it’s rarely seen. High triglyceride levels are usually accompanied with high insulin (this is the “Oh, please don’t take your shirt off hormone”). Insulin stores fat while smothering glucagon production. Bring it back to the surface (by increasing your hormone intelligence), and glucagon will smash triglycerides, as well as all the medical complications that accompany them.

Space your meals out by five hours. This will help insulin simmer down so that your body can produce glucagon. Make sure your meals consist mostly of purified water along with healthy fats like seeds, nuts, grass fed beef, real butter, cod liver oil and avocados.

Start supplementing with a teaspoon of psyllium husk and about 300mg of alpha-lipoic acid daily. This will slow the absorption of calories and cause your body to speed up sugar metabolism for the overall effect of reversing an energy imbalance.

Exercise. Either chase your spouse around the bedroom more often, or make it a habit to do my 16-minute total body work out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g0f65I4khA) every other day.

Sticking to the plan, Stan’s triglyceride levels dropped from 556 to 172 mg/dL in a matter of 43 days! Side effects included 8 lbs of fat loss (from 173 to 165lbs), a gain in 5 lbs of muscle mass and skyrocketing energy. His wife started looking at him more often too. I suspect there are a few more welcome side effects to come, like increased longevity, which translates into more time with family and friends as well as enjoying an exotic vacation or two.

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