Defeating depression: How others can help April 29, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : depression, friends , 1 comment so farIT WAS the third time within just a few days that Ann had phoned long distance for no apparent reason. Her mother, Kay, noticed that her voice seemed lifeless. “It was like a voice of depression,” explained Kay. “Though she didn’t complain, the tone of her voice was saying out loud, ‘I need help!’” Kay’s heart raced as she sensed trouble. (more…)
How to win the fight against depression April 7, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : depression, friends, loneliness , add a comment“For waging war you need guidance” states an old saying. Skill, not just good intentions, is needed to win a battle. Certainly, if depressed, you do not want inadvertently to cause yourself to feel worse. For instance, a recent study of depressed persons found that some tried to cope with their depression by ‘taking anger out on other people, reducing tension by drinking more, eating more, and taking more tranquilizing drugs.’ The result: “more depression and physical symptoms.”Some depressed persons fail to seek skillful direction because of their fear of being viewed as mentally weak. Yet, major depression is not a sign of mental weakness. (more…)
How to maintain good friendship April 4, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : friends, loneliness , add a commentIt has been said that “the only way to have a friend is to be one”. Many, though, have chosen the route of solitude. Rather than reaching out and being a friend, they cut others off. The result? “People who spend a lot of time by themselves tend to feel ‘very passive, unhappy, left out of the world,’” a Brazilian newspaper quoted a researcher as saying. He continued: “When there’s nothing else to do, when there’s no one to talk to, you turn inwards. It’s much easier to get caught up in your problems.”
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Negative Emotions - Can you overcome them? March 15, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : good health, loneliness , add a comment“Of course not! Negative emotions are too powerful. I have no choice but to endure them until they pass.”That is how many respond to the idea of overcoming emotions such as anxiety, fear, anger, frustration, guilt, self-pity, and depression. But those emotions can be overcome. Rather than surrender to them whenever they arise, you can learn to lessen their intensity, perhaps even eliminate them. (more…)
How to quit smoking March 5, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : drugs, good health, stress , add a commentYou realize that smoking is bad for the health and you want to take care for yourself but you realize too that quitting is so hard. So what can you do to completely quit smoking?
How to prevent bad breath? March 5, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : good health , add a commentIt is said to be one of the world’s most common complaints, afflicting more than 80 percent of the adult population at one time or another. It can cause embarrassment, frustration, and anguish. Iin the professional fields, it is widely known as halitosis, from the Latin word halitus, meaning “breath,” and the suffix -osis, which refers to an abnormal condition. Some also call it oral malodor. But most people know it as plain old bad breath! Do you have bad breath?
Stress - An enemy to fight March 4, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : good health, stress , 6comments“We hear people say all the time, ‘Don’t get yourself so stressed out that you become sick.’ They probably don’t realize there is an actual biological basis for that”. Sonia, a single mother with a teenage son, a dwindling bank account, and a strained relationship with her parents, already had ample reason to feel stressed-out. Then, unexpectedly, an itchy, burning rash developed on her arm. She tried antibiotics, cortisone creams, and antihistamines, but none of these helped. Instead, the rash spread all over Sonia’s body, including her face. Stress was literally getting under her skin.
Good health - What can you do about it? March 4, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : good health , add a comment“PARTLY as a result of some spectacular successes of modern medicine, an attitude has spread to many parts of the world that health is something the doctors provide for people, instead of something that a community and individuals achieve for themselves.” So wrote a doctor in World Health, the official journal of the World Health Organization.
Of course, doctors and hospitals do contribute a great deal to our health and well-being. Nonetheless, they play essentially a curative role. We seek their services when something is wrong, but we seldom think about them when we feel well. What, then, can we do to achieve good health for ourselves?
Loneliness - Are you determined to fight it and win? March 4, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : loneliness , add a commentARE you lonely? There are occasions in life when it is natural to feel lonely, whether you are married or single, whether you are a man or a woman, whether you are old or young. Realize also that being alone does not necessarily cause loneliness. A lone scholar absorbed in his research does not feel lonely. A lone artist creating a painting has no room to feel lonely. They welcome a solitary moment, and solitude is then their best friend.