Tuesday's Psychology Tips: How To Get Rid of an Anxiety Disorder

Thought for the Day: Today is Tuesday. Which means it is time for Tuesday's Psychology Tips. A few days ago a question appear on HealthTap which brings the tip for today. The question was: How to get rid of an anxiety disorder without a therapist? Surely there  are many ways to reduce anxiety, but my reply was to ask, "Why wouldn't you consider psychotherapy?" Here's my answer with a bit more detail than I posted on HealthTap...

Tuesday's Psychology Tips: A Natural Anti-depressant, Anti-anxiety and Addiction Medication Anyone Can Try

Interesting Fact: Exercise = a natural antidepressant. Side effects = increased joy, health and weight control. Dr. Barbara Lavi on HealthTap

Thought for the Day: Tuesdays are reserved for Psychology Tips. I have been sharing 140 character tips that I have created or 400 character answers to questions I have responded to HealthTap. If you have not visited their site, I would recommend that you do.  Specialists from around the country share their knowledge 24/7. If you or someone you know suffers from depression, anxiety or an addiction, you may want to share this psychology tip.

     Today's tip relates to the convergence of physical and mental health. Most people think of exercise as an essential ingredient of physical fitness. However, many people do not realize that exercise is equally important to our mental health and psychological well being. Read on to see why...

Tuesday's Psychology Tips: Do You Take Your Anxiety Out On Your Stomach, Head or Neck?

Thought for the Day: Today, I chose a question that I answered on HealthTap from someone wondering whether their depression and anxiety could be "residing" in their stomach. I could have inserted multiple other questions about almost every body part you could think of from head, back, heart to chest. The answer would be the same simply inserting different body parts. Although the psychosomatic or influence of our emotional health on our physical health has been proven in multiple studies, it is always necessary to have a physician check to be sure that there is nothing medically wrong with the body part before assuming that it is purely a psychological issue. However, psychotherapy can help. Even if there is a medical problem for which you are being treated, like migraine headaches, reducing the emotional issues may help by reducing the stress you put on that part of your body. Here's my answer with a bit more elaboration than allowed on HealthTap:

Dr. Barbara Lavi answered:

Severe depression/anxiety, not on medication, & would like to know why I get this awful feeling in my gut as if my depression is residing in my stomach?

Different people

take out their anxiety on different parts of their bodies. Common figures of speech reflect this tendency, I.e., "it's a pains in the neck," "I need this like a hole in the head," "It gives me heartache." In your case, "It makes my stomach turn."

Tuesday's Mental Health Tips: Overcoming Addictions

Thought for the Day: On Tuesday's, I have been sharing some of the questions and answers I have given on HealthTap on various Mental Health issues. This week, I chose one about drug addiction. I have given a more detailed response than I can provide on HealthTap, but you can see the original post and follow my other answers on my HealthTap virtual practice by clicking on my name below.
Today's question was:

Who should I see for my anxiety from extreme drug cravings? Addiction counselor? Therapist? Drug detox? CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)? I can't get rid my substance abuse mindset.

Sunday's Comic Strips:The Antithesis of a Superhero: Anxiety Girl

This week's WakeUpAndDreamCatalyst.blogspot.com Sunday Comic Strips Choice

Thought for the Day: Often comics about emotional disorders are not very funny. Instead they are thought provoking. Since humor helps us overcome emotional problems, I try to share some of the psychological comics that I find as I surf the internet. Today's comic from Natilie Dee makes both a thought provoking and a funny statement. If you tend to be overly self conscious and anxious like Anxiety Girl, remembering this superhero may help you fight the anxiety. Remember, you may be the only one who notices that your tights are too tight or whatever you think may not be seen as "perfect" or acceptable to others. Most people are not focusing on you. Try not to jump to the worst conclusion! Have a great weekend!

Flashback Monday & Tuesday: Life's Festival Goes On Rain or Shine With No Refunds for Unused Tickets

Thought for the Day: I have a very busy week & decided to repost this post for both Monday and Tuesday this week. I wrote it last September. Sometimes it's a good idea to look back & reflect. This post is well worth paying attention to more than once a year. Here's what I wrote back then:
 On Friday night I went to services. I do not go on a regular basis, but it was Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, which is the holiest day of the year for Jewish people. Originally, our plan was to go to services in Boston, but plans changed. Jerry, my partner, has been swamped in a new position in school. He was too tired to travel & we would have missed the Friday night service anyway. When a friend called & was planning to go in White Plains with her daughter, son-in-law & 4 month old grand son, I decided to join them. They were going to a service at Beit Am Shalom, a reconstructionist synagogue, which holds their services in a huge tent beside their building. They do not require tickets & only ask for a donation. They do not want anyone to avoid participation due to the high cost of membership. The service was beautiful. The music was both traditional & creative. The Rabbi & his wife, who is the Cantor (musical leader), add beautiful harmonies to the prayers. The entire congregation joined in. It was both welcoming & inspiring.

The service was a bit too long for our youngest group member. Therefore, unfortunately, I missed everything but the introduction to the sermon. The Rabbi spoke about being at a music festival at the end of the summer. The words on the ticket resonated with him in relation to the Day of Atonement. The tickets said that the gates to the venue would be open from 10 AM till 10 PM, that the concert would be held, Rain or Shine & there would be no refunds. He repeated those phrases a few times before I had to leave. The parallel to life, however, seemed fairly clear to me. We all get one ticket to the festival. The show goes on rain or shine for a limited time. The only difference is that we only know when the event gates open. No one knows the exact time that the gates will close on our lives. We can't get a refund or a second chance in life as far as we know.

     I don't know where the Rabbi took this message, but yesterday, while answering questions on HealthTap a few of the questions & answers I gave took on a different meaning when seen through the metaphor of life as a summer music festival. 

     A 27 year-old male on HealthTap asked:

        " I am anxious to the point I can't even leave my couch for more than daily needs. I'm so scared  about my health .1mg xanax won't even work?"
Read on to see how I answered him and two others who may be missing out on the festival of life;..

Thursday's Psychology Trivia Answer: Mom's Junk Food Diet & Her Baby's Future Mental Health

Thought for the Day: Those of you following the Trivia series know that the psychology trivia topics that I share here are far from trivial. This particular study is so important, that I actually am sharing it for a second time. It was included in my Fabulous Finds last Friday. I wanted to make sure that people paid attention and hopefully you will share it with all expectant mothers and parents of young children. It is important not only for their physical health, but for their mental health as well. As they say, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
      On Tuesday we asked:
              True of False:
   Mothers who eat more unhealthy junk foods during pregnancy, such as sweet drinks, refined cereals & salty foods, have children with increased behavioral problems, such as aggression & tantrums.

     The answer is true. New research found a link between a mother's diet during pregnancy the future mental health of her unborn child. The study (published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) by researchers from Deakin University in Australia  & from Norway, analyzed data from more than 23,000 mothers from a Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study. In addition to information about the mothers' diets throughout pregnancy, they gathered information about the children's diets at 18 months & 3 years of age. When their children were 18 months, 3-years & 5-years-old tthe mother's answered questionnaires  to see if their children had symptoms of:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Conduct disorder, and/or
• ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Then, they analyzed the relationship between the mothers' & children's diets, & the mental health symptoms & behaviors the children had at the 3 age levels. Mother's who exposed their infants to unhealthy food during pregnancy had children with significantly more behavioral problems. Their children were more aggressive & had more tantrums. In addition, children who ate less healthy foods early in life had a tendency to not only show an increase in behavioral problems but also had more signs of depression & anxiety.

Therefore, what you eat when you are pregnant and what you feed your small children, can make a difference in their mental health. These findings are important for every expectant mother to know. Please share them with parents of small children as well.

Thanks to MNT (Medical news Today) where I found this story:
Junk food in pregnancy linked to childhood mental disorders