Manufacturing Mental Illness

By Dr. Linda Sapadin

The American Psychiatric Association is now working on the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, otherwise known as the DSM. There will be some new categories as well as some possible exclusions of what is considered a "mental illness."
Next time you hear that an estimated 54 million Americans suffer from some form of mental disorder, (approximately 1 out of every 6 people) don't panic! If you do, you will be in danger of raising the stats to 1 out of every 5 people. And if 25 years ago homosexuality was not eliminated from the list of DSM diseases, the percentage of Americans who would have been labeled mentally ill would've been substantially higher. (A 2011 Gallup poll claims that 25% of Americans are gay.)
If we keep thinking of every "different" way of living as "mental illness," we just might be on the road to making a mentally healthy person a quaint relic of the past. And what will that do to our standing as the leader of the free world? Other countries already look down on us for being obese and living unhealthy lifestyles. Will they then think of us as a "nation of nuts?"
If the amount of people "suffering" from "mental disorders" seems a bit "crazy" to you, here's what you need to know. It's not that mental illnesses don't exist. Of course they do. But the pain and struggles and difficulties that people experience as they try to cope with the many ups and downs of life are not necessarily "disorders." We should not expect life to be so easy that people's reactions will always be "ordered." So, if you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed or simply out of sorts, don't let anybody convince you that you have a "mental disorder." It's probably not true.
Today, there are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Why the proliferation of these diseases? Follow the money folks. Get a diagnosis and major medical insurance companies must pay for treatment. In addition, you or your child, may well qualify for special services and special education. In other words, getting a diagnosis pays off.
Now, I'm not a trailblazer who is attempting to take on the entire mental illness industry. It's way too entrenched for me to do that. And though I sometimes cooperate with the system by filling out forms for people's insurance coverage, I'd like you to know that I DO NOT TREAT DISEASES. I leave that to the physicians. What I do, as a psychologist, is to TREAT PEOPLE who are having a tough time in life. How do I do this?
I encourage people to tell their stories.
I listen to people who have never been listened to before.
I provide people with comfort.
I provide people with hope.
I show people how to expand their options.
I show people how to reduce their stress.
I help people discover new roads.
I help people clarify confusion.
I help people free themselves from their prisons.
Some people who come to me need to vent.
Some need direction.
Some need to be held.
Some need to be respected.
Some need to think.
Some need to feel.
Some need to take a break.
Some need to get moving.
Some need to mourn.
Some need to rejoice.
Some need to know that they are important.
Some need to know that others are important.
Some need it all.
And I'm there to help. And I do.
But I do not treat their disease. I treat them.
© 2012

Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in private practice who specializes in helping people enrich their lives, enhance their relationships and overcome self-defeating patterns of behavior. To subscribe to her FREE E-newsletter, go to http://www.PsychWisdom.com. Contact her at LSapadin@DrSapadin.com. Follow her on twitter @DrSapadin or Facebook Linda Sapadin, PhD.
If you are finding that procrastination is hindering you from reaching your goals, there is help. Dr. Sapadin's book, "How to Beat Procrastination in the Digital Age" describes 6 personality styles (perfectionist, dreamer, worrier, crisis-maker, defier and pleaser), then provides a tailor-made change program for each style. Go to http://www.SixStylesofProcrastination.com for more info. Or, check out the book at Amazon, Kindle and Nook. i-Phone and i-Pad users, download the Kindle app.

Coping With Depression - Kick Start Your Life Again

By Karen A Crossett

Depression with all its consequences is on the increase.
Coping with depression is more than dealing with feeling low or blue, it's a major disease and it's sapping the life out of those suffering from it.
More and more people are experiencing that heavy dark cloud engulfing them in a reality of hopelessness and helplessness.
Glib remarks like "pull yourself together" "look at all you have" "Try and get on with it" or "kick start your life again" just don't cut it with the depressed person. If it was that easy they would do it. And the fact they can't follow your advice can make them feel even worse.
What would it be like, if you suddenly became lethargic and your life lost all interest for you? You preferred to stay in bed all day, because you were afraid to get up. What would it be like if life was a struggle, and there was no comfort or joy anywhere?
Many individuals are dragging themselves through their lives, coping with depression and every task experienced as a momentous burden.
And yet is it possible to stop coping with depression and really take action to kick start your life again.
Try these methods and see for yourself.
Ask yourself the question, "Am I better coping with depression or am I better kick starting my life again?"
The answer seems obvious, stop coping with depression, but it entails a commitment, a belief, that you can do it.
Can you do it? Do you want to do it?
If you do then-
Acknowledging you are depressed is important.
Many individuals believe that there is a stigma to depression, a thought that people will see them as weak or failing in some way. But depression is experienced by 1 in 4 of our population. Millions of pounds are being spent on anti-depressant drugs each year. It is a fact that life can get too much for anyone. Taking responsibility for your mental health is a big plus. Remember - stop neglecting yourself - mind matters.
STOP what you are doing and take time out.
If you continue to do the same thing over and over again you will get the same result! Take time to relax, let go, unwind and allow yourself to heal. If you take time off work, enjoy it. Don't feel guilty about what is not being done, or thinking you are letting people down, this is you taking action to kick start your life again. Think of this as a period of transformation. Your body is telling you that you have to make changes in your life, and you are up for the challenge.
Get Support:
This might be in the form of medication, counselling, a support group or a close caring friend. Find the support that you are comfortable with. Trust is a big issue here, as you want to have the freedom to talk to someone who understands and can help you through this depression.
Implement what you learn:
Taking massive action brings massive changes - taking small steps leads to big changes. It is all about making those small, simple changes and reaping the benefits. You can think of it as the 20-80 rule. Twenty percent change, eighty percent benefit.
Self-care:
Your body needs nourishment and energy. So give yourself the best chance by eating good healthy food, including Omega 3s. and drinking fresh clean water. Build up a routine. Sleep deeply and before you get up out of bed, visualize what you are going to do that day. Include exercise in to the routine. Try and find an activity that you would enjoy, if you can't at this stage, just open the front door and walk into nature, connect with the outside world, look and listen and breath. You are alive. Life is waiting for you.
Self Management:
Learn the golden triangle. What we think, generates an emotion, and the emotion motivates a physical response. Keep a mood diary and identify emotional triggers, implement the golden triangle. Events in our lives do not cause our deep emotional disturbances, it is our thoughts, beliefs, attitude to the event that is important. Whatever has happened in your life, a change in your thought pattern, can release old hurts, wounds, grief, shame. No one gets through life without challenges. Those challenges can help us grow into a strong, compassionate, conscious individual.
Kick start your life and stop coping with depression.l.

Karen has developed smart thinking - successful outcomes. Explore the power of thought to enrich your life with confidence, happiness and success.
If you would like to explore with me, check out karencrossett.com

Overeating Disorders As Well As Its Causes and Symptoms Easily Explained

By Claire Carradice

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 20% young women report that they have had compulsive overeating problems. Unlike anorexia and bulimia, compulsive overeating is also rather common in men, who account for approximately 40% of overall compulsive overeating disorder cases.
Overeaters and Compulsive Overeaters are often obese and are susceptible to many health problems due to being overweight, some of which are high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. Those who are obese increase their risk of heart diseases, many types of cancer and gallbladder disease. Compulsive overeaters often feel fatigued.
The majority of Overeaters feel as if they have no control over their overeating behavior, and eat in secret and when they are not hungry. They also feel shame and remorse over their behavior. Indeed, most times they simply don't have control over their habits.
What are the causes of overeating?
Causes of overeating vary, but there are usually a variety of contributing factors. A traumatic event, which may have taken place years before compulsive overeating manifested itself, is often a cause. Such events may include, but are not limited to:

• Sexual abuse or rape
• Emotional abuse
• Parents' divorce
• Death of a loved one
• Physical violence

The overeating begins gradually and often starts when children first start developing overeating patterns. Some children turn to food whenever they are upset. They begin to use food to soothe and comfort themselves. If left unchecked, this habit follows them to adulthood, and ultimately, obesity.
A friend was only four years old when she began putting on weight by overeating. At the time, her parents were going through some difficult times, and one of them may have been having an affair. Being a very sensitive child, she could have picked up on this, and started to soothe herself with food, resulting in weight gain. For the rest of her life, her weight went down and then back up again. In adulthood, she became obese.
Signs and symptoms of an Overeater, or Compulsive Overeater:

• Rapid weight gain
• Eating large portions of food even when not hungry
• Disgust and shame after overeating
• Depressed and anxious mood
• Eating food to the point that one is uncomfortable and even in pain
• Going from one diet to the next constantly, searching for answers to permanent weight loss
• Feeling out of control over food
• Eating late at night
• Using food to entertain when alone
• Hiding food around the home, anticipating the next binge
• Does not use any measures at all to purge the binged food
• Constant weight fluctuations
• Sexual avoidance
• Exhibits an abnormally low self-esteem
• Attributes any successes or failures to weight
• Avoids many social situations due to low self-esteem, or simply feeling uncomfortable
• Uses food as a "drug" to self-medicate feelings

Practical advice for the Overeater:

• Larger plates mean larger servings; up to 25%-28% more, so buy smaller plates as a start.
• Watching TV while eating can cause you to eat up to 40% more food. Don't eat while watching TV!
• It takes 20 minutes after we eat before the stomach tells the brain that it is satisfied. If you start feeling full, put your plate down. Wait 15 minutes, and you will more than likely find that the desire for more passes. If not, continue eating. But at least become aware of the feeling of satiety.
• It was found that both children and adults pour up to 76% more liquid into short, wide glasses than they do in tall, slender glasses. This is because we focus more on height instead of width, what's known as the vertical-horizontal illusion. Don't use short, wide glasses!
• As far as food cues are concerned, visual matters! An example: students at an all-you-can eat buffet, ate chicken wings nonstop when their tables were continually cleared. They simply didn't notice how much they were actually eating because there was no evidence in front of them. In contrast, people at buffets who gathered all they planned to eat, including dessert, before they sat down, ate 14% less than those who just take a little at a time and go back and forth for seconds. Take all you plan to eat up-front!
• Put the amount of a snack you want to eat in a bowl or on a plate, so you can see exactly how much you're putting into your body, and don't eat straight from the packaging.

If you need help to break the destructive habit of overeating, http://www.get-thin-for-good.com offers a free "Get Thin for Good" program which aims to help you change the way you relate to food which is the reason you are overweight in the first place. The program does not focus on dieting, slimming products or deprivation.

Current Thinking Regarding Bipolar Disorder Treatment

By Chris Borg

If you are someone who is suffering from bipolar disorder, then you probably already know how important it is that you obtain regular bipolar disorder treatment in order to keep the condition under control. There are many people who suffer from this affliction and the truth is that some of these individuals have no one to talk to when they feel really sad.
One of the treatment requirements is to get professional help as soon as possible. Just talking a health care practitioner will start the healing process. In between office visits, you should always have a good friend or someone you can talk to. Someone who can listen to you, understand you and offer you guidance. A parent can often fill this role, especially if they have also been touched by bipolar disorder.
Some of the time, the bipolar disorder will appear as a result of a very great fear. People tend to harbor deep feelings about worldly events, so if something is troubling you, it is possible that you begin to fear all things related to this event which in turn manifests itself as depression. The opposite is also true in that you may go on a heightened binge such as excessive buying or other irrational activity in order to escape from an inevitable event.
Bipolar disorder has been shown to be transmitted genetically. So if your parent had it, there is a good chance that you will develop it in your lifetime. This is probably due to the fact that the root cause of this affliction seems to be due to neurotransmitter imbalance. As this is part of everyone's makeup, it points to the genetic link just mentioned.
There are multiple factors that will make your condition better. Getting involved in some good social activity, or more than one activity will help immensely. Just having people to talk to, will keep your mind occupied and away from thoughts that might hurt you. Talk with your parents and other relatives as often as possible. The social side of life is a very important bipolar disorder treatment for those suffering with this disorder.
Find a good doctor to work with. They might offer a prescription to help the mood swings, once the diagnosis has been set. The medications will stabilize the three most common neurotransmitters that have been implicated with bipolar disorder. They are dopamine, seratonin and nor-epinephrine. In time, your bipolar disorder treatment will allow you to regain a normal life. The key to the whole regimen is acknowledging the disorder and getting help. Do it today for a better tomorrow!

Chris is a practicing pharmacist who writes on health care topics. You can see Chris's latest website on Manic Depressive Free and learn all about the symptoms, treatment and related information such as Manic Depressive Treatment and much more.