Friend
Wen trouble comes your soul to try
U love the friend who just stands by
Perhaps there’s nothing we can do
The thing is strictly up to u
For there are troubles all your own
And path the soul must tread alone
Times wen love can’t smooth the road
Nor friendship lift the heavy load
But just to feel u have a friend
Who will stand by u until the end.
Anonymous
Pass On :
Life comes, Life Goes. this and all we know.
But do we see, why it goes.
Friends stay, Friends Leave.
Family is, Family was, is there ever a because?
Why must pass, what is, what was?
Pain it stings, Pain it Bites, Pain it takes away all Might!!
Such a hopeless, hopeless Fight.
What departs, what remains, What does constant effort gain?
What cause is worth more than Pain?
Nothing lasts, NO things Pass.
Nothing has such great Mass!
“”Do NOT FORGET this too SHALL PASS !! ……
JmaC
Positive thoughts
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile,
but sometimes your smile
can be the source of your joy.
– Thich Nhat Hanh
The greatest mistake you can make in life
is to be continually fearing you will make one.
– Elbert Hubbard
Always be a first-rate version of yourself,
instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
– Judy Garland
This above all, to thine own self be true.
– William Shakespeare
You are never too old to set another goal
or to dream a new dream.
– C. S. Lewis
Another Sunrise, Another New Beginning.
– Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Stop! Breathe deeply.
Begin bringing peace to the outer world
by regaining your own inner peace.
Choose love, choose gratitude,
choose forgiveness, choose peace.
Begin with your own inner peace.
Then use that inner peace
as a platform from which
to approach the outer world
with perspective, understanding, and patience.
– Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Use what talents you possess.
The woods would be very silent
if no birds sang there,
except those that sang best.
– Henry Van Dyke
Know when and how to end conflicts
Some arguments can never be resolved. learn to recognize when you should agree to disagree. On the other hand, sometimes when conflicts are left un resolved, stress increases, feelings of anger and resentment escalate, and productivity decreases for all parties involved. People with high emotional intelligence are able to collaborate with others to solve problems rather than waiting till one party gives in.
One way to solve conflict is for each party to state what final outcome he or she expects. By working towards agreed upon out come, finding solutions for the process will be much easier.
Happiness depends upon ourselves.
– Aristotle
Mental wellness is a key component maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Mental health wellness is just as important as physical and medical health, so it is important to learn strategies to maintain good mental health.
The definition of mental wellness is the awareness of one’s own ability to cope with stressors of day-to-day life while maintaining the ability to function effectively when socializing, working, learning and taking care of personal health and hygiene. A person that fits the definition of mental wellness has a positive sense of wellbeing and hope, despite daily stressors and challenges. Overall, mental health wellness depends on factors, like self-acceptance, autonomy, quality of relationships, capacity for personal growth, and overall life satisfaction.
Why Is Mental Health Wellness Important?
Mental health wellness is an important part of personal balance because it affects other areas of life, such as physical wellness, emotional wellness, financial wellness and spiritual wellness. For example, a person with good mental wellness who is suffering from a physical illness has a higher rate of recovery and a smaller risk of that illness from becoming critical or fatal than someone who has poor mental wellness. This is because mental wellness provides people with the ability to cope with and work through stress, frustrations, and even exhaustion, so these factors do not cause stress on the body.
Another example of how mental health wellness affects overall wellness is without mental health wellness there cannot be emotional wellness. A sound mind strengthens emotional regulation and balance, which promotes positive and healthy relationships, along with strong performance skills that promote financial stability.
Steps to Take to Maintain Mental Health Wellness
Achieving and maintaining mental health wellness takes patience and dedication. It is a skill to learn how to maintain mental health, and it may be more challenging for some than for others. Each person’s journey toward mental health wellness will be different, depending on his or her needs, lifestyle, and personal goals. Fortunately, there are mental health wellness tips that tend to work well for anyone who is working to improve mental health wellness, such as:
Maintaining a healthy diet with food for your mental health wellness
Exercising regularly
Keeping up with regular medical appointments
Practicing meditation
Maintaining positive and healthy relationships
Taking breaks throughout the day
Setting realistic goals and expectations for yourself
If you feel you are struggling with mental health wellness, then it is beneficial to consider consulting with a mental health professional. Even if it is only to learn mindfulness and wellness techniques with professional guidance, counseling can be beneficial for anyone with the right dedication and motivation to build mental health wellness.
Mental Wellness Examples
Everyone is different, and that means that each person will have needs to maintain wellness that are unique to their particular lifestyle. It can sometimes be a challenge to find the right fit for you when it comes to maintaining your mental health, but don’t worry! Everyone has something that promotes mental health and wellness in their lives. If you are struggling with finding the right step toward improving your mental health wellness, consider trying out these mental wellness examples:
Schedule time to put aside for mental breaks during your workday
Pick up a fun hobby, like a sport, craft or social activity
Expand your mind with learning more about something that interests you
Try practicing mindfulness and meditation exercises, like yoga and tai chi
Begin journaling to help you reflect on yourself, your successes, and your personal needs
Strengthen your bond and relationship with friends and family members
Try expanding your social support network by making friends with similar interests and life experiences
By Dr. Cheryl Lane, PhD
Almost everyone experiences at least brief periods of sadness, feeling “down”, or being energetic and upbeat at various points in his/her lifetime. That’s just part of being human. However, there’s a significant portion of the population that has disturbances in their mood that are not considered normal. Individuals in this group have what is clinically referred to as a “mood disorder”.
What “mood” means in a medical context
While many people use the term “mood” to simply refer to their feelings at any given moment (e.g. “I’m in a happy mood”), mental health professionals use it a bit differently. In clinical settings, it is used to describe a persistent emotional state that affects how the person sees the world.
Mood disorders are characterized by a significant disturbance in a person’s persistent emotional state or mood. The two primary types of moods are depression and mania. Thus, most mood disorders fall under the broad categories of depressive disorders and bipolar disorders (formerly known as “manic depressive” disorders).
Most individuals with a bipolar mood disorder experience episodes of depression as well as manic (or hypomanic) episodes. The term “bipolar” refers to these fluctuations in mood from one “pole” to the other.
Characteristics of Depression
Individuals experiencing a depressed mood often feel sad, “blue”, pessimistic, lethargic, irritable, apathetic, worthless, and / or hopeless. Difficulties concentrating and making decisions are common. They often experience problematic changes in their sleep and appetite, such as eating and sleeping more than usual, struggling with insomnia, or not feeling like eating much at all. In severe cases, depressed individuals may contemplate and even attempt suicide – usually in an attempt to escape their emotional pain.
Characteristics of Mania
Individuals experiencing a manic mood typically exhibit unusually high energy levels. They may be extremely happy or “euphoric”, unusually sociable or enthusiastic, or even very irritable. They may be very grandiose, have little need for sleep, experience racing thoughts, be easily distracted, appear agitated, and / or be unusually talkative. They may suddenly take on a lot of projects or engage in highly pleasurable (and often risky) activities, such as going on a major shopping spree or having sex with several partners over a short period of time.
Other Characteristics of Mood Disorders
Mood disorders significantly disrupt people’s lives in one or more ways. They may impair their ability to function normally at work or in their social life, or negatively impact their relationships. Their symptoms may be severe enough to require hospitalization in order to ensure their safety (or the safety of others).
In some cases of severe depression and mania, psychotic features are present. Psychosis essentially means there is a “disconnect” with reality. Symptoms of psychosis often include hallucinations (e.g. hearing voices when no one is around) or delusions (e.g. believing that aliens have removed their internal organs).
Prevalence of Mood Disorders
According to the National Institute of Health, 20% of the U.S. adult population will suffer a mood disorder during their lifetime. During any given 12 month period, 9.5% of the adult population has a mood disorder, with approximately 5% of them classified as severe. Unfortunately, only 20% of those with mood disorders receive adequate treatment.
Mood disorders are among the top 10 causes of disability worldwide (Murray & Lopez, 1996), with unipolar major depression being the most widely experienced. Women are 50% more likely than men to experience a mood disorder.
Diagnosis of Mood Disorders
Mood disorders are diagnosed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or mental health professional. The diagnostic process usually involves an interview with the patient and / or those close to him/her (e.g. a spouse or parent).
With depressive disorders, it is not uncommon for patients to seek treatment from their primary doctor for related physical symptoms such as insomnia or low energy. Unless their doctor takes the time to explore the symptoms sufficiently, an accurate diagnosis may not be made. Due to the stigma and shame often associated with both depression and bipolar disorder, many patients are also reluctant to disclose more obvious symptoms. They may deny them even if their doctor asks. Men in particular are less likely to admit to a low libido or feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and hopelessness.
Treatment of Mood Disorders
Most mood disorders are treatable. Even with treatment, however, some mood disorders last for a lifetime or recur periodically. For example, some people have one acute, relatively brief episode of major depressive disorder that resolves with appropriate treatment. Others, however, may have experience depression that lasts for several months or even years, or have recurring episodes throughout their lifetime. Unlike unipolar depression, bipolar disorder is considered a lifelong disorder that requires ongoing treatment.
The two primary types of treatment for mood disorders are psychotherapy and medication. Psychotherapy, as a general rule, focuses on managing symptoms as well as addressing the underlying psychological issues that may be causing or exacerbating the mood disorder. Medication is used to treat and / or manage the disorder by targeting imbalances in the person’s brain chemistry.
There are a variety of effective psychotherapeutic approaches that may be used in the treatment of mood disorders. However, many studies have shown that one of the most effective types of psychotherapy – particularly for depressive disorders – is cognitive behavioral therapy. In cases of mild and even moderate depression, psychotherapy alone is often sufficient. Severe cases of depression often require medication, at least initially.
Many clinicians argue that medication alone is not the best treatment for depressive disorders. This is because medication doesn’t address the psychological issues, such as negative thought patterns or low self-esteem, that often play a significant role in depression. Many patients find that if they stop taking medication, their symptoms return. Psychotherapy can also help patients learn effective coping skills that will help thwart or minimize future episodes.
Unlike depressive disorders, the treatment of bipolar disorders almost always includes ongoing medication. Mood stabilizers are typically used to help prevent manic and hypomanic episodes. Other medications may also be used in conjunction with the mood stabilizers. Psychotherapy can help bipolar individuals learn to manage stress (which can trigger mood episodes), learn more effective coping skills, and manage their disorder in general.
Treatment effectiveness for mood disorders depends on a variety of factors. These include the degree of patient compliance with treatment, the skill and experience of treatment providers, the severity of the disorder, whether or not the patient has other co-occurring disorders, the level of support in the patient’s life, and the type of treatment itself.
With severe mood disorders, such as a patient who is extremely manic or severely depressed and suicidal, hospitalization is often necessary. Once his/her symptoms are stabilized, the patient can continue treatment on an outpatient basis.
Seasonal Affective Disorder:
Overview
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in the late fall and early winter and going away during the spring and summer. Depressive episodes linked to the summer can occur, but are much less common than winter episodes of SAD.
Signs and Symptoms
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is not considered as a separate disorder. It is a type of depression displaying a recurring seasonal pattern. To be diagnosed with SAD, people must meet full criteria for major depression coinciding with specific seasons (appearing in the winter or summer months) for at least 2 years. Seasonal depressions must be much more frequent than any non-seasonal depressions.
Symptoms of Major Depression
Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
Feeling hopeless or worthless
Having low energy
Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
Having problems with sleep
Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight
Feeling sluggish or agitated
Having difficulty concentrating
Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide.
Symptoms of the Winter Pattern of SAD include:
Having low energy
Hypersomnia
Overeating
Weight gain
Craving for carbohydrates
Social withdrawal (feel like “hibernating”)
Symptoms of the less frequently occurring summer seasonal affective disorder include:
Poor appetite with associated weight loss
Insomnia
Agitation
Restlessness
Anxiety
Episodes of violent behavior
Risk Factors
Attributes that may increase your risk of SAD include:
Being female. SAD is diagnosed four times more often in women than men.
Living far from the equator. SAD is more frequent in people who live far north or south of the equator. For example, 1 percent of those who live in Florida and 9 percent of those who live in New England or Alaska suffer from SAD.
Family history. People with a family history of other types of depression are more likely to develop SAD than people who do not have a family history of depression.
Having depression or bipolar disorder. The symptoms of depression may worsen with the seasons if you have one of these conditions (but SAD is diagnosed only if seasonal depressions are the most common).
Younger Age. Younger adults have a higher risk of SAD than older adults. SAD has been reported even in children and teens.
The causes of SAD are unknown, but research has found some biological clues:
People with SAD may have trouble regulating one of the key neurotransmitters involved in mood, serotonin. One study found that people with SAD have 5 percent more serotonin transporter protein in winter months than summer months. Higher serotonin transporter protein leaves less serotonin available at the synapse because the function of the transporter is to recycle neurotransmitter back into the pre-synaptic neuron.
People with SAD may overproduce the hormone melatonin. Darkness increases production of melatonin, which regulates sleep. As winter days become shorter, melatonin production increases, leaving people with SAD to feel sleepier and more lethargic, often with delayed circadian rhythms.
People with SAD also may produce less Vitamin D. Vitamin D is believed to play a role in serotonin activity. Vitamin D insufficiency may be associated with clinically significant depression symptoms.
Treatments and Therapies
There are four major types of treatment for SAD:
Medication
Light therapy
Psychotherapy
Vitamin D
These may be used alone or in combination.
Medication
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat SAD. The FDA has also approved the use of bupropion, another type of antidepressant, for treating SAD.
As with other medications, there are side effects to SSRIs. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this medication for your condition. You may need to try several different antidepressant medications before finding the one that improves your symptoms without causing problematic side effects. For basic information about SSRIs and other mental health medications, visit NIMH’s Medications webpage. Check the FDA’s website for the latest information on warnings, patient medication guides, or newly approved medications.
Light Therapy
Light therapy has been a mainstay of treatment for SAD since the 1980s. The idea behind light therapy is to replace the diminished sunshine of the fall and winter months using daily exposure to bright, artificial light. Symptoms of SAD may be relieved by sitting in front of a light box first thing in the morning, on a daily basis from the early fall until spring. Most typically, light boxes filter out the ultraviolet rays and require 20-60 minutes of exposure to 10,000 lux of cool-white fluorescent light, an amount that is about 20 times greater than ordinary indoor lighting.
Psychotherapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is type of psychotherapy that is effective for SAD. Traditional cognitive behavioral therapy has been adapted for use with SAD (CBT-SAD). CBT-SAD relies on basic techniques of CBT such as identifying negative thoughts and replacing them with more positive thoughts along with a technique called behavioral activation. Behavioral activation seeks to help the person identify activities that are engaging and pleasurable, whether indoors or outdoors, to improve coping with winter.
Vitamin D
At present, vitamin D supplementation by itself is not regarded as an effective SAD treatment. The reason behind its use is that low blood levels of vitamin D were found in people with SAD. The low levels are usually due to insufficient dietary intake or insufficient exposure to sunshine. However, the evidence for its use has been mixed. While some studies suggest vitamin D supplementation may be as effective as light therapy, others found vitamin D had no effect.
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