Living With Generalized Anxiety

All of us feel stress and anxiety in our daily lives. It's completely natural. But when anxiety is persistent and debilitating, it could be a sign of a mental illness known as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This disorder is marked by excessive worry that's caused by nothing at all. You obsess over 'what if' scenarios and your fear won't leave you alone.
Is It Normal or GAD?
There are several ways to know whether your anxiety is normal or a sign of generalized anxiety disorder:

• There is no reason for your worrying, or you worry about things that could happen but haven't already.
• Your worry is constant and never seems to leave you alone.
• You're restless, edgy and irritable. You may find yourself easily startled.
• You have physical symptoms like headaches, sweating, and nausea.
• You constantly feel like you have to go to the bathroom.
• You feel tired and drained much of the time.
• Your worry affects other areas of your life negatively.

Generalized anxiety disorder can set in at any time, but it's most likely to in childhood or adolescence. Most people who suffer from this disorder start experiencing symptoms early in life. However, it's possible for it to begin in adulthood as well. Women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from GAD, as well as those who have it in their family.
No one knows exactly what causes GAD, but it's believed that it's related to brain chemistry. Generalized anxiety disorder is closely related to other anxiety disorders such as phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post traumatic stress disorder.
Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Treatment starts with a diagnosis by a trained therapist. If you believe you may suffer from this disorder, talk to your doctor immediately so that you can start treatment. As a general guideline, if you've suffered from excessive worry for six straight months or more, you're at risk for the disorder.
There are therapeutic and medical treatments for generalized anxiety disorder. Medications are most often used for severe cases or those where the symptoms need to be stopped immediately. Therapy focuses on several key areas:
Understanding Your Worry. Therapists use cognitive-behavioral therapy to help you understand your worry better. You can then use the techniques they teach you to reprogram your thinking. You basically learn to dispel the irrational thoughts that are causing your anxiety.
Relaxation Techniques. You can learn relaxation techniques to stop the symptoms when you feel them coming on. These techniques allow you to calm down quickly. They're especially helpful for people who suffer from panic attacks.
Interpersonal Therapy. Group therapy is often a part of treating GAD. In group, you share experiences with others and this gives you perspective on your own thinking patterns. You also benefit from relating socially to others and receiving their support.
If you suffer from excessive anxiety and it's interfering with various areas of your life, you can get help. Talk to your doctor and start treatment as soon as possible so that you can get on with your life.

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Choosing Psychology As Your Career

In order to decide whether you should pursue a career in psychology, you need to understand what it is. Psychology is derived from 2 words. Psyche meaning soul or mind and ology meaning the study. So basically, psychology is the study of one's mind and soul. It can be the study of your own mind and soul or even someone else's. Psychology deals with people's behaviors and understanding them on a daily basis, looking at the mental functions of a human being and systematically analyzing behavior.
There are many psychology programs being offered and they can be the start of your career in psychology if you choose them. People think that if you opt for psychology, you can only belong to the profession of a therapist or a psychologist. This is extremely untrue. There are many different kinds if degrees being offered in psychology and the kind you choose will determine your field of work.
Child psychology involves studying children and their behavior. Forensic psychology teaches you how to understand criminal behavior and a career in forensic psychology can land you a job with criminal investigation agencies. If you opt for clinical psychology, you will deal with people who have emotional disorders and are mentally unwell. Health psychology lands you a career in dealing with people who try to lose weight, who need to overcome addiction and are unable to because their mind doesn't allow them to. Counseling psychology is very common at schools and colleges and even in universities where people are often in need of guidance to make the right decisions in life and they are in search of advice. It is quite similar to clinical psychology, only that you won't always meet people with mental disorders, just people who need a little guidance and advice.
Psychology is a very interesting subject. It makes you think about different things and understand why people do certain thinks that they do. For example, why do people dream? Or can someone have more than one personality at one time? These are all things that psychology investigates and often has the answers to.
Since the amount of stress people are facing nowadays and the fast pace of life, the need for psychologists is emerging now more than ever. People are suffering from anxiety and depression more than ever and they are in search of therapy. You can work for schools and universities, start your own private practice or work for a corporate agency to start your career in psychology. Institutions like these demand psychologists for the well being of the people they are responsible for.
The mental pressures and stress in life has brought in extremely good prospects for all kinds of psychology degree holders. Whether its criminal psychology or clinical psychology, people need to be understood and dealt with repeatedly nowadays. They need to be understood and guided so that they can lead normal lives or have some degree of normalcy in their life. No medication can find a cure to stress and anxiety or depression. Psychology has a cure for all these conditions.

Dr. Philip A. Grossi is a Famous Psychiatrist in California. His Approach for Psychiatric Treatment for each patient is different. He has great knowledge of Mental Health related issues. To know anything about Mental Health related issues please visit his personal site:- http://www.mdshrink.com

The Harmful Consequences Of Addiction

For the addicts to live, they need to satiate themselves with narcotics. For them, to live without drugs is like living without air. The thirst should be anesthetized, and quenched, the addict should win in this grim struggle of existence. However, all that I know is all forms of addiction is bad. What would start as an innocent pleasure soon proceeds to overtake the life and become a nasty habit. Addiction is not praiseworthy or innocent. Maintaining the habit becomes the ultimate goal and leaves behind no interest in any other thing. Men are always tempted, but it is important to realize that some temptation reap deterioration and ultimately death.
These mood-altering substances can alleviate the disposition of the human mind. However, the ulterior motive of these components, remain the same. They produce the same "above the world" effect, relaxes the nerves and for some, allows them to be amnesiac or trance-like especially towards the recent happenings of their lives. Addiction can form towards anything. It can be defined as a state of the person being enslaved to a particular practice or habit that its termination can lead to further trauma and other related problems. It is a continued use or the abuse of substances and behavior that leads to adverse physical and physiological outcome. This can further cause neurological disorders, severe trauma, physical inability, and consequent relapses.
Addiction can include the abuse of the following:
• Alcohol
• Drug
• Physical exercise
• Gambling
• Watching television
• Internet surfing, etc
There are certain trademark behavioral symptoms that are visible in an addict. The hallmarks are as follows:
• Preoccupation with the particular object.
• Obsessive behavior leading to violent outbursts.
• Continued usage regardless of the consequences.
• Denial, inability to cope with the surroundings.
• Relapses into the substance abuse.
The habits and the patterns of this compulsion can be defined as the short-term gratification with prolonged deleterious effects. Changes in the physiological pattern are common phenomenon as the body includes the material in its normal metabolism. This is followed by repetitive state of tolerance and withdrawal. While "tolerance" is the procedure when the body adapts to the abuse and slowly requires increased amounts to quench the eventual effects, "withdrawal" is the physical and psychological symptoms that occur due to the stoppage of the substance. The "withdrawal" symptoms include irritability, anxiety, nausea, hallucinations, cold sweats, tremors and intense cravings for the substance.
This habit can pertain to compulsions that are not related to any substance exploitation. These may include obsessive shopping, overeating, under eating, gambling, computer and internet dependence or can be exercise or sport related. The compulsion arises in engaging in some kind of activity that would bring about harmful consequences. The consequences can even trickle down into the individual's social, mental and health state. Most of these compulsive behavioral patterns arise due to physiological, psychological and biological factors.

Addiction can be quite severe and may result in estranged relationships with loved ones. It's best to stay clear of any compulsions and substance abuse. For the already affected, there is Addiction Psychiatry Orange County.

Suicide: A Consistent Teenage Trend

Teenagers are naturally impulsive, sometimes rebellious and sometimes hard to figure out. This is their way of telling their parents and everybody else that, "Hey! I am growing up, so leave me alone and let me figure this out with myself, alone." But they cannot always blame them for acting out like that. It is part of the growing-up method and whether they 'adults' like it or not, in the finish, our teenagers will always find their way of jogging out of the shell that they have provided for them. And it is up to us on how they are going to handle their shortcomings and fights within themselves. And they must admit, they, ourselves walked that path one time and so they must understand and guide them to the path of righteousness.
Parents influence us over somebody else, from conception up to the final breath that they have. So fundamentally, what your kid is right now depends on the way you molded him/her. They can also trace the roots of these behaviors by using different theories like that of Sigmund Freud's Psychosexual Theory and Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Theory.
Suicide is from a Latin word meaning "to kill oneself". Suicide is the act of deliberately killing oneself. According to WHO, risk factors for suicide include mental disorder (such as depression, character disorder, alcohol dependence, or schizophrenia), and some physical illnesses, such as neurological disorders, cancer, and HIV infection.
So, how do people mismanage their life stressors that it even leads to self-destruction?
There's different kinds of people. Some are nurtured weak, some are strong and some are right, not so soft but not hard either. and those who were nurtured differently and grew up with low self-esteem, inferiority complex and vulnerability to relationship and life issues are usually the candidates for suicide.
These kids need helping hands, badly. They need anyone to speak to, not another nagger and definitely not another that punishes. They might not be able express it but they do. and they anyone who stays and sticks around even in the event that they shove you away.
Teenagers are emotional and sensitive. A simple mistake can make them feel broke. A simple unkind word from the people they value most can make them feel inferior. and a simple gesture can make them feel ignored. That is why there are teenagers who call themselves 'emo'. These kids ought to not be ignored or be humiliated more or be judged by us. They have this so-called inner-battle within themselves that needs to be won. One time their ego has been crushed or their self-esteem has been pushed down to its limit, they would not be able to guess what would be their next move. Stronger willed teenagers will probably lift their spirits up and think more positively and stand up again. But those with weaker mind tend to succumb to depression which may lead to suicidal ideas, suicide attempts and suicide gestures.
Relatives is of our strengths and also the reason why they hold on to something so hard. But relatives is also our weakness. Teenagers with lovely relatives relationship are more likely to succeed than a teenager from a wrecked unhappy relatives. like a personal computer, how can it operate if the CPU is not processing the knowledge well, if it was broken to start with?
But they can always prevent things from happening, right? Teenagers can always use somebody to hold on to, their relatives and friends. In the event that they need to be alone, then let them be but don't leave them. Let them know that you will be there whatever happens but be positive that you will be there, all right? They must help them find themselves and give a helping hand when they fell. And keep in mind, to have somebody who listens to your troubles is to make somebody feel better, so be a nice listener if not a nice adviser.
Parents ought to try and understand what is going on. When they make mistakes and were hurt, give consequences but give it after you comforted your kid. Let him express himself first. Let him describe what happened. And let him know that you trust him, that way they will have no other choice but to tell the truth.
Let him feel better first before you give any punishment because if they happens to be down and still you punish him, there could be no self-esteem left for him and they won't learn anything from you but feeling inferior even more even to himself.
Suicide is preventable.
Stress is manageable.
Life is a gift and so they must cherish it. It was given to us. It is ours now but it is not a reason for us to take it ourselves. There's a bunch of things that is worth our presence. Don't waste it.

Rose Ann Ramones
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