Category: Anxiety

Natural Treatments for Insomnia

By admin on August 11, 2010 | comments 0 Comments

Insomnia (Chihiro Onitsuka album)
Image via Wikipedia
One thing that is a key component to both physical and mental health is getting enough sleep. For those who suffer from insomnia, not only is daily life interrupted by fatigue, but the immune system is compromised—inviting illness and disease. Insomnia can also be a symptom of depression or severe anxiety, or can merely be attributed to changes in routine, lifestyle, or environment.
There are several things you can do to self-treat and cope with insomnia, all of which revolve around making simple changes to when you go to bed and what methods are involved.
The first is perhaps the easiest, which is to decrease the time you spend in bed. This means no reading or watching TV in bed, as it confuses the body when bedtime is and promotes restlessness. Another easy technique to combat insomnia is to adhere to a strict schedule, making sure that you get up and get to bed each day at the same—even on weekends. This regulates the body’s natural clock and makes getting to sleep, and waking up, easier. It is also a good idea to avoid extended naps during the day. While a cat-nap or a short rest of approximately 15 minutes is helpful, anything longer makes falling asleep at night more difficult.
The next may come as a surprise, but has been shown to have positive results. Keeping clocks out of your bedroom will remove the obsessive worry your mind has with time, which is distracting and hinders falling asleep. By simply hiding the clock from your line of sight you can focus more on relaxing, and less on panicking about late it is.
Exercising and limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake are also successful ways to treat insomnia. It is also wise to eliminate all noise by using earplugs, keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature, and to not eat or drink right before bed. Furthermore, many people have found that doing activities that are calming, such as meditation or relaxing in a hot bath, help to induce a peaceful nights sleep.
Try a combination of these methods to self-treat insomnia, and a take towards securing mental and physical health.

One thing that is a key component to both physical and mental health is getting enough sleep. For those who suffer from insomnia, not only is daily life interrupted by fatigue, but the immune system is compromised—inviting illness and disease. Insomnia can also be a symptom of depression or severe anxiety, or can merely be attributed to changes in routine, lifestyle, or environment.
There are several things you can do to self-treat and cope with insomnia, all of which revolve around making simple changes to when you go to bed and what methods are involved.
The first is perhaps the easiest, which is to decrease the time you spend in bed. This means no reading or watching TV in bed, as it confuses the body when bedtime is and promotes restlessness. Another easy technique to combat insomnia is to adhere to a strict schedule, making sure that you get up and get to bed each day at the same—even on weekends. This regulates the body’s natural clock and makes getting to sleep, and waking up, easier. It is also a good idea to avoid extended naps during the day. While a cat-nap or a short rest of approximately 15 minutes is helpful, anything longer makes falling asleep at night more difficult.
The next may come as a surprise, but has been shown to have positive results. Keeping clocks out of your bedroom will remove the obsessive worry your mind has with time, which is distracting and hinders falling asleep. By simply hiding the clock from your line of sight you can focus more on relaxing, and less on panicking about late it is.
Exercising and limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake are also successful ways to treat insomnia. It is also wise to eliminate all noise by using earplugs, keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature, and to not eat or drink right before bed. Furthermore, many people have found that doing activities that are calming, such as meditation or relaxing in a hot bath, help to induce a peaceful nights sleep.
Try a combination of these methods to self-treat insomnia, and a take towards securing mental and physical health.

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categories Adult Mental Health, Anxiety, General, Mental Health Care

Dealing Directly with Emotions

By admin on August 1, 2010 | comments 0 Comments

Institute of Mental Health 3, Nov 06
Image via Wikipedia

One way we can achieve mental health is to deal with emotions directly, rather than suppressing them, ignoring them, or using forms of escapism (as is often the root of addictions) as a way to avoid them. When we face our emotions, we become more centered, compassionate beings who are in tune with ourselves—better able to understand our behavior and habits, and have insight into the workings of our minds.

For example, when we admit that we are angry or upset, we can identify the cause, work through the feelings, and let them go. By doing this, we can also turn our negative emotions into positive ones, choosing to combat anger with understanding and distress with patience. This allows us to be more relaxed, and to be able to focus on joy in the present moment—not harboring discontent that ultimately harms us.

Many psychiatry practices use this method on some level, instructing patients to either talk about what they are feeling (or have felt) and express it through different therapies. But without the help of a mental health professional, it is possible to simply confront your emotions directly, as they arise, with a sense of kindness towards yourself. In other words, when dealing with your emotions it is counterproductive to feel ashamed or blame yourself. By acknowledging how you feel objectively and honestly you can allow emotions to dissipate and for you to be free of their negative energy.

By utilizing this simple technique in your daily life, you do not have to rely on the use any mood-altering drugs or have the expense of a therapist. You can be in control of your mind, rather than having your mind in control of you, and gain a healthy, happy mental state of being that is beneficial to you and all those around you.

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categories Anxiety, Mental Health Care

Medicine and Therapy Combined Effectively Combat Anxiety

By admin on June 9, 2010 | comments 0 Comments

Large liver tumor in 50-year-old man operated ...
Image via Wikipedia

Anxiety is a natural feeling to some of life’s troublesome aspects. However, these emotions may result in physically painful forms. Loss of sleep, nausea and ulcers are all common anxiety-related symptoms that hamper the quality of day-to-day living. Medication is recommended to deal with anxiety disorders; however, should always be combined with proper therapeutic measures.

Xanax: An Introduction

A common anxiety prescription is Xanax. Alzapronam, a benzodiazepine, alters unbalanced brain chemicals that cause anxiety. While Xanax is extremely effective and highly popular, any patient taking Xanax must understand that the drug is highly addictive. Ironically, because of this aspect, taking Xanax has caused some patients increased anxiety due to the stress of taking medication.

Many conditions will make avoiding Xanax a must. Patients with glaucoma, kidney or liver disease or certain allergies should not take Xanax. If you have any of these conditions, consult with your physician. She may provide you with an alternative prescription (RX) list. An RX drug list given to you by your physician can provide you with alternatives that may provide the same relief as Xanax with far less risks to your health.

Therapy: The Foundation of Your Treatment

Even if Xanax is right for you, taking it under the supervision of a licensed therapist will maximize its effectiveness and strengthen your overall battle with anxiety. Today, therapy is a modernized industry and patients have a variety of methods to choose from. Be sure to find one that is right for you. The Anxiety Disorder Association of America can help you in your search. Also, don’t be afraid to let one go should you feel you are not getting the help that you need. Finally, be sure to find one that fits within your long-term budget. Therapy is a long-term expense that will benefit from stability. Thus, find the one for you and make it last.

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categories Anxiety, Therapy