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WHAT TO DO FOR STRESS BREAKDOWN: THE GREAT COPING DEBATE

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:24:10 +0000

When people ignore the warnings of stage one and stage two stress breakdown and keep going under the stressful circumstances, breakdown is inevitable. Everyone has a breaking point. When people break down under stress, the reasons for persisting in the stressful circumstances can be divided into two.1. The stress breakdown victim has chosen to ignore the warnings of breakdown.2. The stress-breakdown victim has been unable to escape from the excessive stress and responsibility.The first question in the great coping debate concerns itself with the personality of the coping person. What are the characteristics of the coping personality, and is there anything that can be done to alter this person’s attitudes towards an approach to life less likely to cause stress breakdown? In my experience, coping people have some personality characteristics in common.• They have high standards which they expect from themselves and others.• They tend to have low self-esteem and often feel they need to earn the approval of others.• They tend to use a method of relating to other people where they tend to put the needs of other people ahead of their own needs.• While they put other people’s needs ahead of their own, they resent having to do this, but they tend to feel guilty about the resentment they feel.The factors which contribute towards the development of the coping personality are multiple and complex. Firstly, coping is much prized by our society. From infancy we are tempted, cajoled, blackmailed and forced into competition with others. Our society awards us badges, qualifications and rewards for excellence, for winning. However, winners are always losers. Before a winner is a winner, he has failed to win top place, and after he loses top place, he is a loser.Thus, our society teaches its children to value competition and ambition to succeed, and in doing so teaches them fear of failure and the possibility of being less popular if we’re unable to win a place in the race of life.
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BDD BEHAVIOURS – HOW TO DETERMINE PICKING IS A SYMPTOM OF BDD

admin — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:14:46 +0000

Skin picking has been described in the professional literature, particularly the dermatology literature, for many years, but it’s been little researched. Traditionally, this behavior has been considered a type of “neurotic excoriation,” a broad and antiquated term used for more than 100 years that doesn’t specify the cause of the picking or indicate treatment approaches. Not all people who pick their skin have BDD. Skin picking can occur as a symptom of other psychiatric disorders. In some cases, it’s simply a habit rather than a symptom of a disorder.
To determine whether picking is a symptom of BDD, ask the person why they pick. Do they pick to remove or minimize supposed defects or imperfections in their appearance, such as pimples, bumps, acne, or scars? If so, and if the other criteria for BDD are met, the picking behavior is a symptom of BDD. It’s often a clue to the diagnosis.
But often the picking is kept secret. Many people are very ashamed of this behavior and reluctant to reveal it to others. One adolescent who was referred to me because of his picking talked at length about other, more minor problems and didn’t mention his picking at all. When I finally asked him about it, he acknowledged that it was his major problem but that he’d been too embarrassed to bring it up.
But some people talk about it quite openly. One young woman I saw not only talked about it with others—she even picked her friends’ skin. “I can’t stand to see anyone with things on their face,” she explained. “I have to make their face smooth! When I see them, I pick off the little imperfections. They’re my friends, so they let me do it.” Another woman told me, “I look for anything to pick. I want to pick my friends’ skin because I pick my own and there’s nothing left. I especially like to peel other peoples’ backs when they’re sunburned.” She also liked to peel paint off walls, paper off jars, and dried glue off her hands.
People with BDD who pick are similar in many ways to those with BDD who don’t pick. But there are some interesting differences. Although skin concerns are common in both groups, those who pick are more likely than those who don’t to be concerned with their skin (close to 100% versus about 50%).
They’re also more likely to excessively groom and camouflage, perhaps because they sometimes do create actual skin defects that they feel they need to cover. People with BDD who pick their skin are also more likely than those who don’t pick to have actual skin defects, as opposed to none. Sometimes the minimal defects lead to the picking, and often they result from the picking. A vicious cycle can occur in which a minimal defect leads to picking behavior, which then creates more defects and more picking. Sometimes, skin defects caused by the picking are clearly present and noticeable.
People who pick their skin are also more likely to be treated by a dermatologist: approximately two-thirds versus fewer than one-third. Although dermatologic treatment is sometimes needed to treat the skin damage or infections that the picking can cause, it usually doesn’t decrease BDD symptoms (the skin-related preoccupations and associated picking).
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POWER OVER PANIC: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:35:16 +0000

Question

A friend of mine has told me alternative therapies such as massage or acupuncture will help me. I’m not sure if I should try them.

Answer

Massage and acupuncture can help to release and balance bodily tensions. As with all other therapies, we need to learn to control and^fnanage the anxiety and attacks ourselves. While we are learning the management skills, massage and acupuncture can be useful in reducing anxiety and tension. In the long term they can help keep our bodies relaxed.

Question

lam not happy about taking prescribed medications and I am wondering if herbal medications and vitamin therapy would help me instead.

Answer

Herbal and vitamin preparations are used regularly by many people. They can be bought over the counter or prescribed by a herbalist or naturopath. They can be helpful in easing the condition, but again they do not teach us the necessary skills for the long-term management of the disorder.

There is, however, one note of caution regarding these and other medications. Some people have reactions to them which are put down to anxiety; yet when the medication is discontinued the reactions disappear. If we are using these preparations, we must be aware of how we feel after taking them. We should not assume any new sensation or symptom is part of the disorder. It may be a reaction to the medication.

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POWER OVER PANIC/IN SEARCH OF SELF: JANE’S STORY

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:29:39 +0000

It was one of those beautiful autumn evenings. The light from the setting sun filtered through the trees and their leaves blazed with colour. Jane wondered how many other people were looking at this natural masterpiece as they hurried home after the day’s work. Jane knew that she had never taken much notice before. Now was different. Once or twice a day she would be struck by the beauty of her surroundings. A moment here, a moment there. But those moments were precious in their spontaneity. They added to the peace she felt within herself. She was amazed at the last few years of her life. It had not always been like this. The years of panic disorder/agoraphobia had appeared to take everything from her. They were desolate years. The fight back was long and hard but she knew now it had been worth it. Everything that had been taken away from her had been given back a thousand-fold. She was at peace with herself and she was free.

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BEATING THE WINTER BLUES WITH ST JOHN’S WORT AND LIGHT: SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD)

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:41:39 +0000

Sarah suffers from a typical case of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. People with this condition are very sensitive to the amounts of environmental light and become depressed when these levels fall below a certain threshold, such as during the short dark days of winter. Although the problem probably has a genetic basis, the severity of winter depressions depends on the amount of light in a susceptible person’s environment. Often people with SAD who have lived in different locations report that their problem is worse the further away they live from the equator, with depressions lasting longer and being more severe than when they live in more tropical climes. For some reason not yet understood, women are more susceptible than men to SAD, especially when they are in their reproductive years.

When depressed, people with SAD tend to oversleep. Often they just feel like curling up in bed and being left alone. They empathize with hibernating bears who are free to laze away the winter without the responsibilities that beset us humans all year round. Such responsibilities often overwhelm the person with winter depression, who can barely rouse herself and get going, let alone tackle the chores, work and personal commitments that are part of ordinary living. Overwhelmed by these demands, the person with SAD feels like a failure and anxiety and depression are always close at hand. One source of comfort is often food, especially sweets and starches, which are consumed in great amounts, resulting in unwelcome weight gain.

Seasonal affective disorder is extremely common and has been estimated to affect about 5 per cent of adults. Another 15 per cent are estimated to suffer from a milder form of the condition, subsyndromal SAD or the winter blues. Although most people with the milder version of SAD do not seek out medical attention, the dark short winter days nevertheless interfere with their productivity and creativity and make life feel dreary and dull. It is estimated that approximately one in five people suffers from emotional or behavioural disturbances as a result of the winter.

Light deprivation for any reason will tend to depress these susceptible individuals. Two or three cloudy days in a row, a windowless office or the scarcity of light in their ground-floor flat are all quite likely to lead to a lack of energy and a slump in mood.

Once the connection is made between the amount of environmental light and the drops in mood, however, the condition feels immediately less burdensome. As Sarah put it, ‘understanding the problem is half the battle.’ The other half of the battle can be won with the help of light therapy, St John’s Wort and other antidepressant strategies.

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ST JOHN’S WORT IN EVERYDAY LIFE: ST JOHN’S WORT AND SOCIAL PHOBIA

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:41:19 +0000

Social phobia, one of the most common hidden causes of distress and anxiety in everyday life, is estimated to affect approximately one in eight adults. People with this problem have a persistent and powerful fear of being scrutinized, evaluated or being judged by others. As you can imagine, this condition results in considerable impairment of functioning as it prevents people from asserting themselves in work or social situations. Although people with this difficulty may simply appear shy to outsiders, actually they spend a great deal of time worrying about being embarrassed, and engaging in painful fantasies of being ridiculed or humiliated.

According to Dr Michael Liebowitz of Columbia University in New York, a pioneering researcher in the field of social phobia, there are several lines of evidence suggesting that brain pathways involving the neurotransmitter dopamine are disturbed in social phobia. To a somewhat lesser extent, pathways involving serotonin also seem to be involved in this condition. Studies indicate that anti-depressants may be of some value in the treatment of social phobia. As St John’s Wort has been shown to influence both dopamine and serotonin pathways, there is reason to consider that the herbal remedy might be of some benefit in social phobia. As several of the stories in this book have indicated, after starting the herbal remedy a number of people report becoming more outgoing and less shy, and more willing to take the initiative in a social or work situation.

Currently social phobia is a greatly undertreated problem, in part because it is not recognized by clinicians but perhaps also because the very symptoms of the condition – fear of being judged and humiliated – may prevent people from bringing their problem to the attention of a professional. For these people, an herbal remedy that can be purchased over the counter may be enormously appealing. Although formal studies of this use of the herb are needed, early evidence suggests that if you are painfully shy or afraid of making a social overture or asserting yourself, St John’s Wort may really be worth a try.

As we can see, there are many possible roles for St John’s Wort in everyday life – for stress, low energy, down feelings, insomnia, premenstrual symptoms and painful shyness. Small wonder that the ancients thought this herb capable of miracles, and attributed magical powers to it.

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