Irrational Mental Health Stigmas - Diagnosis and Cure

By Gillian Green

Ever since Hippocrates performed his first exploration of the human skull, back in 490 BCE, man has been increasingly fascinated with anything to do with the brain and its functions. Although we have learned a lot since Hippocrates' time, some irrational notions still exist. The old 'dualism' argument, for instance: is the brain merely a material substance, as scientists insist, or does it have an entirely separate dimension involving the soul, a spirit and even yet unknown dimensions, as argued by religious and spiritual people?
Whatever the answer, there is no doubt that this uncertainty fuels the debate about mental health stigma in society. It was ever so. As with death, things that people don't yet understand often carry a tag labelled 'fear'. As with a cascading set of dominoes, push the first 'fear' block, and inevitably other irrational behaviours will follow in successive sequence.
 
Overcoming the stigma
 
By definition, stigma is a mark of shame or disgrace. Stigma begins when someone is labelled. In the case of a mental health condition, very hurtful words can be hurled at a sufferer, like psycho or schizo. As in football grounds, the person uttering such foul words is creating a 'tribal' division between his perceived 'superior' group and the sufferer's perceived 'inferior, devalued' group. However, labels aren't always negative and can sometimes be useful. A health diagnosis, for example, is essentially a label which in turn helps us to investigate the cause and ultimately find a cure. Interestingly, old diagnostic labels which used to be stigmatized, such as breast and bowel cancers, are gaining acceptance and empathy. 
 
Is mental health the final taboo, the last stigma to be overcome? 
 
Much still needs to be done in the field of education. For far too long the term 'mental illness' has suggested that it's not the same as a 'more definite' physical ailment. There are many who still instruct sufferers to 'pull themselves together'. It's as if the very term 'mental' infers someone who is weak or lazy. In fact, mental illnesses have very complex causes, often an eclectic mix of life experiences and one's genetic or biological makeup - most of which are entirely beyond a sufferer's control. Modern medicine can help by reporting on neuroimaging studies, which show actual physical changes in the brain associated with mental disorders. The more people who read about such studies, the more educated the public become. 
 
Some common misconceptions
 
It is often thought that mental health disability is allied to violent or dangerous behaviour. The media often compounds this view when they portray a criminal as 'mentally disturbed'. Yet, statistics prove that most sufferers are neither criminal nor violent.
Much 'comedy' in popular culture continues to be portrayed against members of society who can least fight back. There needs to be a complete overhaul of media standards so that lambasting or stigmatising mental illness becomes as illegal as racism now is. Attitudes, though, can change. These days depression, for example, is more likely to generate compassion. It is thought this is because of the ease of obtaining antidepressant medicines, bringing the illness more into the open - and therefore more acceptable. 
 
Some harmful effects of stigma
 
Pretending nothing is wrong, refusal to seek treatment, rejection by family and friends, work problems or discrimination, difficulty in finding housing.....so the list goes on.
 
How we can all help
 
Insurance companies should include mental health illnesses in their mainstream health policies. Actively learn more about the whole field of mental health: its individual disorders, treatment and available therapies. Check websites such as Uticopa for the latest information and local therapists. Watch television programmes and read news features about the many celebrities and public figures who suffer from a mental condition, then discuss them with your friends, family and colleagues. If a member of your family is a sufferer, think about forming a local support group to share experiences.
 
How to help yourself

• Don't let the fear of stigma prevent you from seeking treatment.
• Surround yourself with supportive people.
• Tell people how they can help you.
• Don't equate yourself with your illness: Don't say, for example, 'I'm schizophrenic', say 'I have a schizophrenic disorder'.
• Become more confident and attend groups where you can share your own experiences.

Therapy cure
 
Let therapy help you overcome self-doubt and shame. Tell the world that you have a medical condition, it's not your fault, and that you are receiving treatment. You yourself can help to educate people about the hurt of stigmatizing mental illnesses. And have hope: the tide is slowly, but inexorably, turning.

Uticopa.com is the UK Therapy Network, where you can access over 10,000 qualified therapists across the UK. Our advanced Find a Therapist tool can help you locate a specialist that suits your needs. You can contact any therapist via our secure messaging system. Whether you are looking for a therapist, want to learn more about a Mental Health condition, need to share with others who might be experiencing similar problems or just would like to learn about therapies available - you can find support on Uticopa. You don't need to deal with your problems alone - visit Uticopa. http://www.Uticopa.com

Resolving Drug Addiction

By Larry A Burns

New Year's resolutions are about creating change and improving your life. If you are struggling with drug addiction, you are not alone. Millions of people abuse drug and alcohol, year after year, but you don't have to continue to be one of the numbers. You can take a stand to resolve your drug addiction once and for all. It is the most important resolution you can make.
Your drug addiction affects not only you but your loved ones, family, and friends around you. Perhaps your addiction has caused you to drive away people who care about you, caused you to lose a job, or caused you to lose faith in yourself. You can take solace in knowing that drug addiction is not an incurable disease. It is a situation of circumstance and there is a way out. You can take control. With the right treatment program you can resolve your addiction forever. A drug and alcohol rehab center with a holistic treatment program using modern advances in neuroscience can address the physical, psychological, neurological, and emotional aspects of your addiction and provide you with a plan for sustainable success.
Every person has his or her own reasons and paths for how they become addicted to drugs. Some people party and play too hard, some people are attempting to self medicate to cover emotional or psychological traumas in their life, and in a more recent trend many people are becoming addicted to strong narcotic drugs after being prescribed them by their doctors after suffering an injury or accident. Whatever the cause, whatever spurs a person's addiction is unique to that person. That is why it is important to get an accurate diagnosis by a medical professional as you begin your journey to rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is not one size fits all. It must be unique to you. Your past, your genes, your medical history, and your life experiences are all a part of what makes you "you" and why your treatment program needs to focus on who you are.
If drug detox is necessary, this will come first in your program. Don't attempt to manage this on your own. Once you decide to resolve your drug addiction, seek a neuroscience center immediately and let them handle your detoxification under medical supervision. If detox is not necessary you will proceed to undergo neuro and physiological testing to help determine the underlying cause of your addiction. This testing may include but is not limited to brain scans and brain mapping, neuro and biofeedback, and biophysical rehabilitation. In the process you will heal the emotional, physical, and spiritual you-mind, body, and spirit.
Resolve to build a new you today. Resolve to leave your addiction behind and enjoy life the way you were intended, without pain and addiction.

Learn more information about drug and alcohol rehab centers and cocaine addiction treatment at: http://www.crosbycenter.com/

How to Tell If You Suffer From Bipolar Disorder

By Bradly H Harmelink

There are certain signs that may be indicators that a man or a woman may have bipolar disorder. There are many different forms and levels of the illness in various degrees of severity.
One sure sign is when a person has mood swings. This may mean going from being down or depressed then changing from this state to another mood state type called mania. Some times when strong enough one can experience psychosis or a complete break from reality.
Depression can also vary in degrees. It can be feeling down or "blue" to feeling hopeless and helpless and even suicidal.
Mania can be marked by racing thoughts, higher energy, lack of sleep or appetite, paranoia, eccentric behavior such as spending large amounts money and the person can be having a stronger sex drive.
Psychosis may accompany the mood swings. This usually leads a person to seek immediate attention and possibly a stay in a psychiatric hospital. The symptoms can be paranoia, hearing or seeing things that aren't really there, strong delusions and faulty beliefs and some times becoming catatonic or unresponsive.
Something a person can also look for to know if they have bipolar, is sometimes having both depression and mania. However, one mood at times, can be more dominant than the other. They can also come and go at different lengths of time. This is called cycling and when the changes occur in quick intervals it is called "rapid cycling".
Still, there are times when the mood changes can last a long period of time. One may go a long time with being depressed and only experience mania on occasion when different stressors cause it to take over their mood.
Mania and psychosis on the other hand can not usually be sustained for a long period of time. The symptoms can be mild, like racing thoughts or at times this state of mind can even dangerous to ones self or to others. When manic the person may feel invincible or feel that they have special powers or that they are on some kind of important mission.
If you feel like you have these symptoms you may indeed have bipolar and may or may not seek treatment depending on if it is affecting the function of everyday life.
There are many different medications and there are mental health professionals that can come along side an individual and offer services over time to help a person cope with bipolar disorder.

Hello, my name is Bradly H Harmelink. Please visit my blog at http://www.bipolarandbeyond.com for more articles dealing with bipolar disorder. I have almost twenty years of experience with this illness and desire to reach others, and be an encouragement. I also have a face book page that fosters a sense of community with others who struggle with the illness. The page is also Bipolarandbeyond. Thank you.

Alternative Medications for Schizophrenia

By Jared Hobbs

Schizophrenia is mental disorder that is thought to be an inherited condition that involves several different brain disorders. Medication is the most common treatment for this condition, but there are several different alternative and complementary treatments available for those seeking holistic treatment options. Alternative treatments include changes in diet, dietary supplements such as vitamins and herbs, and lifestyle changes.
Seeking Treatment
Schizophrenia is a very serious condition that can lead to harmful behaviors in those suffering from the condition. Because this disorder is serious, seeking treatment from an experienced physician is the first step in the process of recovery. Treatment with prescription medications allows those with schizophrenia to reduce symptoms while alternative treatments promote overall well-being and mental health. It is generally advised that patients with schizophrenia continue medications until a physician is consulted because there are often serious side effects when medications are suddenly stopped.
Types of Alternative Treatment Available
Alternative treatments for schizophrenia are focused on using dietary supplements, including herbs and vitamins, and making healthy lifestyle changes to encourage mental health. Drugs, such as marijuana, are harmful to patients and may make symptoms of schizophrenia more severe. Other steps toward health are also important. Reducing and eliminating alcohol and tobacco consumption are both steps toward healing holistically. Other treatments can safely be used with lifestyle changes. Therapy with a licensed therapist, using vitamins and dietary supplements, and attending group therapies are all options available.
Therapy and Schizophrenia
Therapy is widely accepted as being beneficial for anyone suffering from a mental disorder. Schizophrenia is now considered as a condition caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, but therapy can benefit patients with this disorder by allowing them space to work through problems and issues that arise in their personal life because of the disease. A psychologist can also provide resources that patients can use to encourage a healthy lifestyle. For instance, if rehabilitation services, such as group home living, is needed a therapist can provide recommendations.
Rehabilitation services are an important part of recovery after beginning a consistent medication schedule. Rehabilitation can include vocational and living training to assist patients in gaining the skills needed to live independently. Stress management skills are also important for those learning to live independently. Therapy and rehabilitation services are among the most important alternative therapies available for schizophrenic patients today.
Vitamins and Herbs
Modern therapies for schizophrenia can include the use of vitamin supplements or herbs to reduce the symptoms of the disorder and to improve overall health. It is important that patients check with a licensed physician before beginning the use of dietary supplements to ensure the herbal ingredients in supplements won't interact with any prescription medications currently being used. Some herbs have side effects and interaction precautions that make them unsuitable for use among schizophrenic patients. Vitamins are typically safe if taken according to the instructions on the label, but checking with a primary physician first is recommended.
One of the most common vitamins used in the treatment of schizophrenia is niacin along with Omega 3 fatty acids. This treatment is relatively safe. Some herbal treatments, however, can be dangerous when combined with traditional prescription medications. For example, St. John's Wort is considered an alternative treatment for schizophrenia but the herb, when combined with medications, can result in lowered blood pressure.
Caution is important when using herbal treatments along with prescription medications. The most successful alternative treatments for schizophrenia are those that can safely and effectively be used in combination with traditional prescription medications. Advances in medical science have made prescription medications more effective and convenient for use than ever before. Medication, therapy, a healthy lifestyle, and rehabilitation services are the ideal combination of treatments available today.

Jared is the primary author at http://SchizLife.com where he shares his experiences and knowledge on the topic of schizophrenia. If you or a loved one is concerned about your own possible symptoms, please visit and take our schizophrenia test to gain some insight.

Mental Health Maintenance Is Made Simple

By Cliff Kuhn, M.D.

Your mental health is often drastically improved when you use the techniques Dr. Kuhn teaches in this article. When you are able to experience this improvement, your relationships blossom, career paths open, and people find you attractive and accessible. You deserve to have fun and joy in your life - and Cliff Kuhn, M.D. will help you do that.
In the classic Frank Capra film, It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey's mental health is overwhelmed by the difficulties of his life and he wishes he'd never been born. George's guardian angel grants his wish and takes him to a grim reality as it would've been without him. George feels nothing when he reaches into his coat pocket to retrieve the flower his daughter, Zuzu, placed there - and that's when George knows that his wish has come true...he's never been born.
Wishing she had never been born, Roberta became my patient, seeking desperately to improve her mental health. Like the fictional George Bailey character, Roberta's depression and anxiety had grown so strong as to threaten her ability to lead any semblance of a normal life. Fortunately for Roberta, she soon discovered exactly why the natural medicine of humor is one of the most powerful adjunctive treatments for improving mental health, because humor literally pours water on the fire of depression and anxiety.
Roberta is not alone. As many as 35% of all Americans suffer from depression and anxiety, the twins that make mental health elusive for millions. Your depression and anxiety is exacerbated by your seriousness - taking yourself too seriously. As we move into adulthood, we unfortunately buy into the notion that responsible and productive people must be "serious." As we make the biggest mistake of our lives and relegate our humor nature and fun to recreational activities (if we experience fun at all), we doom ourselves to all the symptoms of the corresponding seriousness that fills the void - declining health, rising stress, increased pain, lessened energy, impaired creativity, and more.
The good news for your mental health, however, is that we know how to shrink your deadly seriousness to practically nothing and reduce almost completely the sway it holds over your health, vitality, wellness, and zest. The natural medicine of humor is an incredibly powerful resource that you already possess; you've only forgotten how to use it to maximum effectiveness. You will soon discover that, while not a panacea, the natural medicine of humor is a tremendous tonic for depression or anxiety and will also supercharge other treatments because it is an amazing adjunctive medicine too!
I have distilled the natural medicine of humor, through my years of medical practice, into an amazing prescription I call The Fun Factor. Based on what I learned over twenty years ago from a terminally ill fifteen-year-old patient, I created a unique set of principles I call the Fun Commandments, then forged these Commandments into my Fun Factor prescription and have been prescribing The Fun Factor with great success for years. This report will show you how to use just three of my Fun Commandments to turn your mental health around, and gain new joy, pleasure, and appreciation from your life!
Improve Your Mental Health Using My Fun Factor Prescription
Step One: Always Go the Extra Smile
The first Fun Commandment I recommend for improved mental health is: Always Go the Extra Smile. This Commandment is doubly helpfully for depression and anxiety because not only does it provide measurable emotional and physical relief, but it also is completely under your control - regardless of your circumstances. Because smiling remains totally under your control, it can be your greatest resource for using humor's natural medicine to accelerate your mental health.
Smiling produces measurable physical benefits you can experience immediately: your stress decreases, your immunity improves, your pain and frustration tolerances increase, and your creativity soars. And guess what? You experience all these benefits even if your smile is "fake." That's right...forcing a smile onto your face perks up your immune system and lightens your mood just as readily as a genuine smile. Fake a smile and you'll soon feel well enough to wear a real one!
This is great news for your proactive stance on sustainable mental health. You have an amazing amount of pre-emptive control over your mood - you can, literally, choose more energy and happiness. The key for your use of this Fun Commandment in enhancing your mental health is to start practicing right now, so that smiling becomes an entrenched, habitual method of accessing the natural medicine of humor. If you wait to smile until your mental health has taken a turn for the worse, and depression or anxiety has taken hold of you, it will not be as effective.
Step Two: Act and Interact
Smiling leads us right into the second Fun Commandment you'll find instrumental in maintaining your mental health: Act and Interact. Humor's natural medicine works best when we are sharing ourselves and this Commandment will teach you how to capitalize on the control you've taken over your physiology and mood by smiling. Acting and interacting is now easier for you to do because you're smiling more. Not only is your mood improved, but your smile is also a pleasant invitation to other people.
My suggestion is that you solidify the power of this Commandment by setting a reasonable goal regarding the number of people you will interact with each day. These social interactions are great for your mental health, forcing you to exchange information and ideas with another person. Combined with your commitment to smiling, your interactions should be pleasant, because your heightened energy, lessened pain, and lowered stress levels are very attractive to others.
Beyond keeping you out of isolation, there is another reason why acting and interacting with the people you encounter fosters improved mental health. It allows you to avoid spiritual "flat tires." Spiritual flat tires occur when you sidestep, or avoid, an interaction that is about to happen naturally - you duck into an office to avoid encountering someone in a hallway or you don't answer the phone because you don't want to talk to the person calling. This type of avoidance drains and deletes your reservoir of powerful natural energy and siphons your mental health reserves.
Have you ever noticed that it usually takes you twice as much mental and physical energy to avoid doing a job than you would have expended just doing it? It also takes twice the energy to avoid acting and interacting with the people who cross your path because you are, in effect, saying, "I'm going to correct the mistake that nature made by putting this person in my path and I'm going to correct it by being mentally and spiritually negligent." Mental and spiritual negligence have the same effect as physical negligence (isn't it strange how you get tired if you don't exercise?). If your mental health can afford to allow this much energy to be drained, then you have a much bigger reservoir than I!
But spiritual flat tires do more than drain our energy, they are detrimental in at least two additional ways:
We miss out on an interaction with a teacher. If nature didn't have a lesson for you, that person you just avoided would not have been placed in your path. You say that the person you just avoided was a negative influence or would've wasted your time? I know we have legitimate schedules to keep, but if I am avoiding people based on my prejudgment of them, I'm cutting myself off from my greatest teachers - those very same people.
We all learn tolerance from the intolerant, patience from the impatient, temperance from the intemperate, gentleness from the ruffian, etc. I am supremely grateful for those teachers and the lessons they give me.
We create a small, nagging spiritual void of dishonesty, the kind of dishonesty that keeps us from laying our heads down with complete peace of mind each night. Our spiritual flat tire is caused by the pothole our avoidance created; it is a natural consequence, or symptom, of our spiritual dishonesty. These consequences clutter our lives with mental and emotional baggage that further drains us of our energy and vitality.
Step Three: Celebrate Everything
The third Fun Commandment which will help you use the natural medicine of humor to charge up your mental health is: Celebrate Everything. Celebrating everything may sound like a monumental task to someone who's mental health isn't up to par, but you will find this part of my doctor's orders much easier to fulfill once you start practicing my first two Commandments. In fact, celebrating everything is more than a maintenance step providing sustainable mental health. It will also become your lifestyle, the more you practice it, because you will enjoy the results so much.
How do you celebrate everything and how will this keep your mental health on the upswing? The epitome of this Commandment is found in the old joke about the boy who wanted a pony for his birthday. Instead, he found a room full of manure waiting for him. But he dove right into the dung, gleefully exclaiming, "With all this manure, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"
Laugh as we might, we're quick to remember that, as adults, we would never allow ourselves such "naive" enthusiasm. Why not? Do you realize what is behind such a "grown up," "mature" decision? Your deadly seriousness (taking yourself too seriously) encourages the attitude that a mature adult should not let herself be so optimistic and thus mental health is jeopardized.
We could do more than chuckle at this birthday boy's unabashed optimism - we should emulate it! When was the last time you encountered an unexpected pile of manure in your life? You had absolutely no control over the mess, right? But you had absolute control over your reaction to it and this is the key to using celebration to keep your mental health improved!
When you celebrate everything, the natural medicine of humor creates spiritual, emotional, and mental health like nothing you've felt before. You will find that your fears become much less controlling when you are celebrating everything because it no longer matters so much how things turn out. In fact, you are literally ready for anything because you are prepared to find the blessing in whatever happens.
My daughter-in-law, for example, broke her back last year. My son, who is often my model for the embodiment of my Fun Commandments, can tick off a laundry list of blessings his family has received as a direct result of his wife's "tragedy." Not that his mental health hasn't been challenged, but faced with the choice of depression and anxiety over an event he couldn't control versus finding the blessings waiting for him, he has chosen the latter.
The choice to celebrate everything is not a panacea; my son's choice did not change the reality of his wife's injury. What did change, however, was his ability to respond to the injury and, thus, keep his mental health on an even keel. Celebrating everything changes our lives because it allows us to positively control the only things we have control over - our actions, ideas, and attitudes.
There you have it. Start by going the extra smile, use your newfound smiling energy and vitality to act and interact with people, and celebrate everything to maintain your positive momentum. Say good-bye to imprisonment from depression and anxiety and welcome to your new world of improved mental health!
Start Using The Fun Factor to Improve Your Mental Health...Right Now
Here are some simple, easy steps you can take right now to turbo-charge your mental health.
Subscribe to my Fun Times newsletter. The Fun Times is all about using your natural power of humor to increase the quality of your life - including your mental health. The Fun Times is 100% free, and is delivered instantly, every week, to your email inbox. If you sign up now, I'll also throw in a copy of my "Stop Your Seriousness" Ecourse and my book, Ten Ways You Can Be Happier...Right Now! which will show you how you can use my Fun Factor prescription in your life to increase your mental health!
Check out The Fun Factor. This prescription has changed so many lives for the better - it would be a shame if you passed it up. Check it out here if you're sick of wishing for mental health and want to finally achieve your greatest mental health!
My patient Roberta, by the way, learned to use these three Fun Commandments - and the rest of my Fun Factor prescription. She has enjoyed the same job for three years now and was recently engaged to be married. Roberta occasionally has setbacks, as most people suffering from depression or anxiety do. But, her mental health has never been stronger as she continues to apply The Fun Factor to her life.
In It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is so shocked by the grim vision of a world without him that he decides he wants to live again and begs to return. He knows he is back when he finds Zuzu's flower petals in his coat pocket again.
Let this article be like finding Zuzu's petals. Move forward today with a new, positive outlook on your improved mental health by using my Fun Factor prescription.

Clifford Kuhn, M.D., America's Laugh Doctor, teaches people and organizations to be more healthy and successful through the use of fun and humor. A psychiatrist, and the former associate chairperson of the University of Louisville's renowned Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Kuhn now dispenses his prescription for turbo-charging your health, success, and vitality from http://www.natural-humor-medicine.com/EZA3 On his website you will find tons of fun, free ways for you to maximize your sense of humor, and enjoy a life others will envy.

The 21st Century and Adolescent Suicide

By Frank M Smith

One of the more serious situations, which plague the fragile fabric of our interacting society, is adolescent suicide. A diminishing community involvement in a child's life, and the confidence in relationships with peers and adults, adds to the anxiety of growth. As a society we have a propensity of single mindedness toward adolescent behavior patterns attributed to suicide. There are many reasons attributed to this growing trend of coping with their changing world but as we consider the problem, signs of such activity are subtle. As we look at the subtlety and significance of these signs involved with suicide it is difficult for the untrained eye and ear to ascertain. Those who are adept at making the decisions for intervention are parents, teachers, peers, and if visits are frequent, the family physician. A question that is most often asked is what brings a child to the point of committing suicide? One of the factors that heighten the willingness to engage in such an endeavor is stress and lack of clear direction modeled by adults and those in authority or influence in our society. Adolescents raised in prior eras were given a direction for their future with examples that commensurate with the rhetorical patterns of the period albeit not all good there was a tangible certainty of the future. As we look at the models of behavior for children and adolescents in modern times, adults are pre occupied with being forever young engaging in immature and irresponsible behavior such as casual sexual behavior, leniency on teenage pregnancy, promoting promiscuous behavior in media, easy divorce as opposed to problem solving, suggestive clothing, lack respect for the importance of modeling behavior between other adults and their children; and self esteem that youth have engaged in their individual behaviors reflective of adult mannerisms that lack of judgment morality, compassion and empathy. Attitudes among adolescents differ in the exposure and performance of interpersonal, social and workplace skills.
The contributing factors involved with suicidal tendencies may be the result nebulous expectations and uncertainty of future security, a series of stressful events, or health issues. Depressions as a result of health issues are closely monitored for the protection of the patient simplifying detection. The subtle entities of these stimuli are more common in occurrence but underrated as a cause and effect factor in suicidal tendencies. These include the loss of a boyfriend or girlfriend, a parent through divorce, the death of a loved one, a sudden and unexplained move from familiar surroundings of friends and a familiar neighborhood. The public, family or friends, failure at school, and interactions with the law can attribute some psychological causes to humiliation. These events, albeit common, do not always result in suicide but the addition of depression, alcohol, and or drug abuse to the equation of suicidal tendencies renders the situation volatile producing feelings of hopelessness, depression and helplessness. Alcohol is extremely underrated as a precursor of suicide. Eighty percent of individuals who attempt suicide engage in alcohol before their attempts. The effect alcohol has on the body especially in over indulgence, cause regrets and anxiety when the alcohol is no longer available.
Individuals with depression combined with anxiety, a form psychosis or beliefs deferred are at higher risk. The advent of the gang situation is a result this form of psychosis. Adolescents in the inner city have adopted a new form of acceptance from society, which in itself is a form of suicide. Young gang members have been disillusioned about the world in which they live and their disadvantages. More than not the role models comprise of alcoholism, abuse, single parent families, little or no support for the school attendance, and lack of life skills modeling. There was a time that it was not good for someone in the "hood" to posses any qualities of manners and education only being accused of being white. The parental modeling profiles are never standard in these situations but the "alternative family" or "homies" has had enough of an influence to licit an alternative life style for many of the inner city adolescence. While this tends to be a predominately male endeavor the females often are the innocent victims relenting to demeaning behavior, pregnancies, a total lack of self-esteem, often being sexually and physically abused. This backlash is a type of suicidal behavior pattern of inner city adolescents. The music in itself is begging for help while reflecting their newfound values. Those that maintain these delusions of a greener pastures are at a higher risk of suicide than individuals who do not have this stigma attached to their psychological profile. Because of age, experience, and depth in processing, understanding patterns that lead to disharmony in life does not allow them to produce alternative decision making processes. Anticipation, inhibitions, and consequences of suicidal interjections lessen with the use of drugs and alcohol that is a donor to disaster as it slowly engages its victims down a difficult path difficult to reverse.
Treatment, Prevention, and Diagnosis
The adolescent youth usually confide in their friends. The IT boom has made the amount of information a 13 year old is exposed is disquieting. As we have mentioned before the signs that an overt attempt at suicide is imminent has many windows; parting with favorite possessions, social withdrawal, falling grades, over striving for acceptance are some of the subtle signs. Statements such as "What is my purpose here, I don't count", "I wish I were dead", and"Nobody loves me anymore" are clearer signs of expression. To minimalise a suicide attempt by teachers, parents, and other caretakers may send a signal of not caring to the adolescent and will try the act again. This is a direct correlation with the quality of time we spend with our adolescents. There is a great difference between the intent to commit suicide and the actual completion of the act. An example would be an adolescent who takes harmless spills with the intent to commit the act should be considered at risk. There are a number of factors involved in the seriousness of the attempt to commit suicide whether it is planned or spontaneous whether or not there was a cover up attempt to hide the fact that these issues were indeed on the fore front of the individuals mind. The type of methods used and its success rate are other determining factors in the diagnosis. There are three types of suicidal events there is of course the completed suicide were a death has occurred, the suicide attempt is where a life was intended upon being taken but was not successful. Suicidal gestures are an attempt to commit suicide that was not intended.
Communicating to our youth about the ease and consequences of falling into a behavior pattern of suicide is a must. A trained peer group is just as capable of stopping a suicide as an intervention center. Educating children to use proper language, not keeping secrets from those that can help and recognizing the signs are an important. Identifying suicidal thinking can lead to interventions. All types of suicide attempts are to be taken seriously no matter how minute the problem may seem.
Data
Approximately two thirds of those who attempt suicide attempt to do it again with success. The signs are as simple as self-inflicting wounds that may appear to be play scratches or taking more than the prescribed amount of pills. Most suicides are in the category of attempted and gesture. Suicides that result in death are about ten percent. Although most suicidal behavior does not result in death, 10% of people who try to kill themselves using a potentially fatal means do die from their actions. Suicidal tendencies result from a combination of factors represented to the victim. One of the major battles is depression, mania, and anxiety. Depression is involved in over fifty percent of those attempted. Medical disorders associated with depression may lead to suicidal tendencies. Some of the known disorders that cause suicide are delusional disorders, auditory hallucinations or that voice in the head that says. "This is the thing we need to do", personality disorders, antisocial behaviors, or those with a violent history.
Methods vary and are usually cultural and socially oriented. The availability of useful tools vary in each situation and is dependent upon factors such as spontaneity. A gunshot wound is more often than not fatal an overdose has a way out and is usually done when a rescue is imminent but the intent may just have been as serious. Completed suicides are generally procured by gunshot in the United States. Males tend to prefer this method or attempt while women tend to be less violent and pursue the direction of over dose or poisoning or drowning.
Conclusion
We often assume that treatment is the final stage in the treatment plan. "I am in treatment", "I am better now". This is the time to guard someone involved in an attempt to take their life They will tell you that they are feeling better than they actually do. This is a time some find they have a renewal of energy to complete the task or it is a way of releasing anxiety. Nearly sixty percent of all completed suicides are committed with a firearm. Keep them away from adolescents at all time. There should not be an instance where they need one. The gun does not excite the behavior does not feed into the plan. And while having a firearm does not in itself promote suicidal behavior, knowing that one is accessible may help a troubled teen formulate his or her suicidal plans. Our world is an astonishing place on which to live. As adults our mission should be in the passing of wealth and goodness of the planet to our children as opposed to selfishly raping the planet and forget our duty to protect our children's interests in lieu of a percentage.

How Internet Affects Mental Health

By Charles E Moore

The lives of millions of people around the world have never been the same since the advent of the internet. It has breached the barriers of commerce and built bridges for global collective research and education. It has greatly modified public communication, information acquisition and amusement. Sending of important information or simple personal greetings is made possible in the fastest way through e-mail.
These days you do not have to spend hours in the library to gather information for research work as everything is already simplified for you through the internet. All you have to do is open your laptop, type in what you are looking for and then indulge in the overflow of information. Most people will just tell you to "Google It" when you ask them about something. Moreover, people miles apart can conduct conferences as if they are just conducting it on one table.
The above mentioned are only a few the wonderful advantages offered to us by the internet. However, these advantages also have its positive and negative effects on people. This article will particularly discuss the effects of the internet to the mental status.
Sure, being afflicted with diseases is one cause why people use the internet to look for health information. But recent studies reveal that most people who search the web for health information are healthy people and that they are usually looking up information for a loved one or simply to be informed.
These people may have all the good intentions, but little did they know that what they are doing may bring harm to their mental stability. Knowing too much about health conditions may cause rumination thereby triggering anxiety or hypochondriasis which is the over-preoccupation of having severe illness. Obtaining too much information about diseases may bring about pointless concerns for their own health or for their family. Otherwise healthy people may encounter problems in their psychological state.
Additionally, an increase in incidences of depression have been related to excessive participation in online games, gambling and even window shopping.
In relation to this, researchers found out that sadistic online games influence hostility to players specifically children and teenagers.
On the brighter side of things, easy communication brought about by the internet augments social ties and creates new ones. Distance does not anymore prove to be a barrier for loved ones to bond. The effect is greater positive affect, low levels of stress and generally good psychological functioning.
On the other hand, people who have reduced social communication due to their distance are observed to have poor psychological functioning and high stress levels. But be warned as well, because online communication with strangers through chat sites may also not be good to your psychological and emotional health.
To some extent, the internet offers so many forms of entertainment that it is the easiest and most attainable form of reprieve from the stresses of the real world.
These things do not necessarily happen to everyone using the internet as they are all but possibilities. How it affects you will still rely on the way you use it. To help you with, just remember that the real world is outside and that too much of anything is generally not good. Enjoy the real life...go on a picnic, go camping, laugh, love, live...

Charles E. Moore enjoys writing for Vuyanilodge.com which offers safari holidays in south africa and african safari honeymoon as well as a host of additional services.