I keep a folder for interesting articles and tidbits that my readers might find fun to read and instructive. It has been growing fat!
Usually, I post a selection of these every couple of weeks or so, but have neglected to do so for quite some time. Though today’s post will not even begin to clear out the folder, at least it’s a good start!
Today’s topics cover a broad range of topics, as shown by the subject list:
- Therapy by Telephone
- Battle of the genes determine mental illnesses?
- Seven habits that could transform your life
- Is there a way to get rid of unwanted memories?
- Why we overeat when we’re stressed
[Read the entire article...]
Tagged as:
Genetics,
Memory,
Overeating,
Research,
Stress,
Therapy
Artwork by Andy Warhol
The recession has most of America in its clutches, but it’s not time to roll over and play dead. It’s time to be proactive!
The magnitude of the this calamity causes people to have a great deal of stress and anxiety over their financial situations. They react to this stress and anxiety in a variety of different ways — unfortunately among them is denial, paralysis, and sticking their heads in the sand.
It doesn’t have to be so. I hope that the main thing you come away with from this series is that you can be proactive; you can maintain control over your life even in the worst of times.
This is the fourth and final part of a four-part series on “Surviving the Recession.” Today’s installment has 16 tips to help you regain control of your finances, your emotional life, and your relationships. Yesterday’s post, “Surviving the Recession, Part 3: 15 Things You Can Do to Regain Control” has 15 more tips, for a total of 31.
The tips are presented in no particular order. They come from over 20 different sources, each with a particular point of view. There may be some overlap, there even may be some contradictions, but there is a wealth of good advice among them.
Be sure to read the first and second parts of this series. The first, “Surviving the Recession, Part 1: What It’s Doing to Us,” discusses the effects of financial crisis on Americans under these subject headings:
- How are people handling the recession?
- Women in particular are stressed by the economy
- What the recession and economic worry are doing to us
“Surviving the Recession, Part 2: Anxiety, Harmful Behavior, and Paralysis” is the second part of the series, and deals with how the recession is affecting our mental health. It covers the topics:
- Economic stress and mental disorders
- Excessive worry may lead to Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- If you’re stressed out, anxious or depressed, avoid turning to harmful behavior
- Paralyzing yourself: Denial and catastrophizing
[Read the entire article...]
Tagged as:
Anxiety,
Anxiety Disorder,
Economy,
Recession,
Stress
Artwork by Andy Warhol
The current economic crisis has been a disaster for many individuals and families, to say the least.
As has been pointed out in Parts 1 and 2 of this series, the recession is causing almost unbearable stress and anxiety to untold millions of Americans. For some, it is pushing them into harmful behaviors and mental illness. Yet, however bad your situation is, there are things you can do to help alleviate some of the stress and anxiety it is causing you.
This is the third part of a four-part series on “Surviving the Recession.” Today’s installment has 15 tips to help you regain control of your finances, your emotional life, and your relationships. Tomorrow’s post, “Surviving the Recession, Part 4: 16 More Things You Can Do to Regain Control“ has 16 more tips, for a total of 31.
The tips are presented in no particular order. They come from over 20 different sources, each with a particular point of view. There may be some overlap, there even may be some contradictions, but there is a wealth of good advice among them. I hope that the main thing you come away with is that you can be proactive; you can maintain control over your life even in the worst of times.
Be sure to read the first and second parts of this series. The first, “Surviving the Recession, Part 1: What It’s Doing to Us,” discusses the effects of financial crisis on Americans under these subject headings:
- How are people handling the recession?
- Women in particular are stressed by the economy
- What the recession and economic worry are doing to us
“Surviving the Recession, Part 2: Anxiety, Harmful Behavior, and Paralysis” is the second part of the series, and deals with how the recession is affecting our mental health. It covers the topics:
- Economic stress and mental disorders
- Excessive worry may lead to Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- If you’re stressed out, anxious or depressed, avoid turning to harmful behavior
- Paralyzing yourself: Denial and catastrophizing
[Read the entire article...]
Tagged as:
Anxiety,
Anxiety Disorder,
Economy,
Recession,
Stress
Artwork by Andy Warhol
The sustained economic tensions of the recession are taking a dire toll on Americans.
Stress and anxiety are now everyday demons threatening to overcome your life, rendering you helpless and hopeless.
In this climate, many Americans are finding that their stress and anxiety are growing to the point where they are more than annoyances, but real problems in and of themselves. We see more and more people self-medicating with alcohol and drugs. Others curl up in a ball of denial, hoping it will all just go away.
This series of 4 articles about surviving the recession offers an understanding of the situation that so many of us find ourselves in, as well as positive suggestions to help you regain control of your life and finances.
Today’s installment details how stress and anxiety can tip you over into Anxiety Disorder or other mental illnesses, as well as leading to harmful behaviors. It covers these topics:
- Economic stress and mental disorders
- Excessive worry may lead to Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- If you’re stressed out, anxious or depressed, avoid turning to harmful behaviors
- Paralyzing yourself: Denial and catastrophizing
The final two installments, “Surviving the Recession, Part 3: 15 Things You Can Do to Regain Control,” and “Surviving the Recession, Part 4: 16 More Things You Can Do to Regain Control” is a list of proactive steps that you can take to regain control, not only of your financial situation, but your and your family’s lives. It will be published tomorrow.
Be sure to read yesterday’s installment, “Surviving the Recession, Part 1: What It’s Doing to Us.” It discusses what the recession is doing to us, and has the following sections:
- How are people handling the recession?
- Women in particular are stressed by the economy
- What the recession and economic worry are doing to us
[Read the entire article...]
Tagged as:
Anxiety,
Anxiety Disorder,
Economy,
Recession,
Stress
Artwork by Andy Warhol
With the nation’s housing market in a ditch, the stock market in freefall, food prices rising, and government bailouts making the news almost every day, it’s no surprise that so many people are feeling anxious and stressed about the economy and their financial futures.
Anxiety and mild stress are a normal reactions to these events. It’s your body’s way of telling you to stay alert and work harder to protect your finances and your family’s future.
But with the nation in a recession, more Americans are feeling panicky about their future, leading to a remarkable increase in stress about their finances and job.
More than that, local and national mental health experts say that the loss of jobs, homes and retirement savings has triggered an increase in the number of people with symptoms related to toxic stress, Anxiety, or depression, such as changes in sleeping and eating patterns, headaches, and nervousness.
This series of 4 articles about surviving the recession offers an understanding about the situation so many of us find ourselves in, as well as positive suggestions to help you regain control of your life and finances. Today’s installment covers what the recession is doing to us, and has the following sections:
- How are people handling the recession?
- Women in particular are stressed by the economy
- What the recession and economic worry are doing to us
Part 2, “Surviving the Recession, Part 2: Anxiety, Harmful Behavior, and Paralysis” details how stress can tip you over into Anxiety or other mental disorders, and can lead to harmful behaviors. It will have these sections:
- Economic stress and mental disorders
- Excessive worry may lead to Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- If you’re stressed out, anxious or depressed, avoid turning to harmful behaviors
- Paralyzing yourself: Denial and catastrophizing
The final 2 installments, “Surviving the Recession, Part 3: 15 Things You Can Do to Regain Control,” and ”Surviving the Recession, Part 4: 16 More Things You Can Do to Regain Control“ are lists of proactive steps that you can take to take back control, not only of your financial situation, but your and your family’s life.
[Read the entire article...]
Tagged as:
Anxiety,
Anxiety Disorder,
Economy,
Recession,
Stress
Stress was only named as a factor in our lives only in the 1930’s! What did we do before then?
Certainly, human beings have been experiencing stress for eons, but it seems to be getting worse as we become more entangled locally and interconnected globally. The current economic situation is only the latest major cause for stress in many people’s lives.
As much as we all live with stress, many of us do not understand the basics about stress and its role in our lives. This ignorance can lead to very real negative consequences: Stress can bring on and exacerbate a host of physical illnesses — from heart disease to Alzheimer’s disease. And stress can also trigger or make many mental illnesses more severe. Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders are among the most susceptible to stressors.
This post examines 7 common myths about stress, with explanations for why they are not true, under these headings:
- Myth 1: Stress is the same for everybody
- Myth 2: Stress is always bad for you
- Myth 3: Stress is everywhere, so you can’t do anything about it
- Myth 4: The most popular techniques for reducing stress are the best ones
- Myth 5: No symptoms, no stress
- Myth 6: Only major symptoms of stress require attention
- Myth 7: Stress always comes from the outside
[Read the entire article...]
Tagged as:
Anxiety Disorder,
Stress
by Mike Nichols on September 10, 2008 · 3 comments
Stress seems to be just another component of the modern life.
It is so common that it is treated as a joke by standup comedians, in tv sitcoms and in the print media. Here’s one for you, brought to you by one of the prominent stress reduction gurus:
- Picture yourself near a stream.
- Birds are softly chirping in the crisp, cool, mountain air.
- No one knows your secret place.
- You are in total seclusion from that hectic place called “the world”.
- The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.
- The water is clear.
- You can easily make out the face of the person you’re holding under the water…
Can you relate to this joke? It’s funny because you can picture being at the breaking point, with the person causing so much stress leaving the picture permanently.
But stress is no laughing matter. It can ruin your physical and mental health. It can ruin your relationships and make your life a living hell. Following are lists of signs of stress to watch out for, along with information on how stress can affect your body and mind.
[Read the entire article...]
Tagged as:
Bipolar,
Depression,
GAD - General Anxiety Disorder,
Mental Health Professionals,
OCD - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder,
Panic Attacks,
Panic Disorder,
PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
SAD - Social Phobia,
Stress
Cookouts and parties on the Fourth of July are a long-standing tradition, something like apple pie, but this time you’re eating hamburgers and barbecue. You might be hosting the event yourself, or you may be going to a friend’s, as we are.
If you are going to a friend’s or a family member’s home, it might be an occasion for your Anxieties to act up, so it is prudent to prepare yourself in advance. Thinking through the event will give you a level of comfort you won’t have if you just wing it.
[Read the entire article...]
Tagged as:
Anxiety,
GAD - General Anxiety Disorder,
Gatherings,
Panic,
Panic Attacks,
Parties,
SAD - Social Phobia,
Stress,
Tips
The biology of stress has been studied extensively, and untold numbers of rats have been driven nuts in the process. But you don’t need to be a scientist or a rat to know that stress greatly effects your peace of mind and well-being.
Stress disrupts the balance in your life, putting a strain on you and those around you. It can and does make you sick, both physically and mentally. In the midst of plenty, it can make you miserable. As Aesop says in his Fables, “A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.”
We need to learn where the undesirable stress is coming from in our lives in order to take steps to manage it. The sources of stress may be broken down into two broad categories: that which comes from outside ourselves, and that which comes from within ourselves. These may be further divided into things we can control and things we can’t control.
[Read the entire article...]
Tagged as:
Anxiety,
Panic Attacks,
Stress
