Archive for the ‘Mental Health’ Category


“When we change our perception we gain control. Then, stress becomes a challenge, not a threat. When we commit to action, to actually doing something rather than feeling trapped by events, the stress in our life becomes manageable.”Greg Anderson

The word “stress”, means different things. Examples of usage In the English language are – “He presided over the economy during the period of its greatest stress and danger” (Robert J. Samuelson, to indicate a state of great difficulty) or ” The teacher stressed the importance of discipline in school”, suggesting the use to indicate emphasis. In the computer language, it is designed for use in solving structural analysis problems in civil engineering [str(uctural) e(ngineering) s(ystems) s(olver)] and in physics, it means an applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or cause deformation.

It was only in 1946, Dr. Hans Seyle gave us the current meaning of the word stress. Dr. Seyle was an endocrinologist who has done a huge amount of work in understanding stress.

What then does the word stress really mean to us? Very simply put, it means a response to a disturbing influence or environmental demands (the stressors). It is a point when one feels that it is not possible to cope up with a situation with the current capacity.

It is important to distinguish between the words stress and stressor. A stressor is what elicits the stress response.

A stress response means that a neruroendocrine cascade is triggered, with release of the stress hormones (mainly, adrenaline, & glucocorticoids and the neurotransmitter noradrenaline), which together with the sympathetic nervous system, stimulate our thinking, enhance alertness, and arouse the nervous, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, preparing the body for a “fight or flight” reaction. This works very well in the acute situation. For example, when walking alone on a lonely street, if one senses a threat in the form of a stranger following you or approaching you, the stress response allows you to flee at an otherwise unimaginable speed.

However, in today’s world, stress responses are continuous to different stressors through the day. It could be just reaching in time, crossing the road, a relationship, work colleagues and so on.

However, unlike the “lonely street” example, one cannot find outlets like “fleeing” from all the stressors. When an executive gets angry during a meeting, he cannot just walk out. He has to control his emotions and sit through or when a flight is delayed with no information provided for hours, we cannot smash the airline office and walk out, the traffic chaos is a stressor with no outlet for the sufferer.

The end result is piled up stress responses, which means means that the body is revved up with the stress hormones and has no outlet. What happens then? THE BODY AND MIND BEAR THE BRUNT. The stress hormones start acting and have effects on our body, mind, emotions and behaviour.

Some attempts have been made to measure stress with stress self tests and burn-out tests. The Trier Social Stress Test is one example. There are now studies being done to identify biochemical markers to ascertain stress levels. Salivary amylase is one such marker. The foolish man needs a biochemical proof for everything!

It is important then to identify clearly what are your individual stressors – it could be relationships, marriage, loneliness, work, lack of confidence, inability to accept your changed circumstances in life (retirement, divorce, age) and perhaps, the most important – a lack of purpose in life.

Understanding your own stressors is the first step towards mitigating stress levels.

Having identified the stressor, one has to evolve one’s own stress-busting strategies. There is no single effective method. Strategies can be as simple as writing a daily diary, talking to a friend, learning to accept change as a part of life, relaxing breathing techniques, maintaining good health, and taking firm steps towards leading a more spiritually rich life.


Loved ones find it particularly difficult to deal with compulsive hoarding in the people they care about. You can see so clearly that there is a problem, but the nature of hoarding is such that the hoarders really don’t see an issue with it; in fact, they may even defend their behavior as proper and prudent. Consequently, these folks are generally not very likely to want to change or get help in any way.

Therefore, it can be a real chore to just get these folks to the point of accepting intervention. It’s not surprising that it’s hard to get people to change when they don’t want to change, as it’s tough for us to break habits even when we want to. In this instance, it’s especially difficult because you can’t really justifiably assert that they are a threat to other people or themselves, so you can’t really force them to get help. There are times when you can compel forced intervention by third parties. If things get so out of hand, then landlords can try to have tenants evicted who are not keeping up the property. Sometimes you may even have the Board of Health get involved to clean up a property that is health concern in a neighborhood. Hoarding food is a particular behavior that can really lead to some of these hazardous levels of conduct.

Significant health problems can result when people amass such a food-based collection of garbage. As you can imagine, the primary issue has to do with them attracting pests. It’s essentially a foregone conclusion when people are hoarding food. What happens is that the people hoarding food are so determined to keep food that they will end up holding on to things, even if they are expired, and they just keep this stuff and eventually can no longer even keep up with it. Not surprisingly, this is the ideal buffet for rodents and insects to dine on. Living around a bunch of rat and mouse feces is not exactly healthy, and there are times when the infestation gets so bad that people can be attacked by the intruders. In Chicago there was a couple hoarding food that was literally buried alive in their food-ridden home and when they were extracted from their residence it was discovered that rats had been biting on them!

Not to despair, there are some useful ways that we can start to support and align with folks who are hoarding food in an effort to help them face the reality of their hoarding. To be successful at it, it’s important to remember certain key facts in the back of your mind and have your conversations grounded in these principles if you want the best shot at reaching people who are hoarding food. One of the first things to remember is that you cannot argue with them, and doing so will make them your adversary. Do this and they’ll be so defensive that you’ll probably never be able to reach them. Note that they are inclined to think that hoarding food has some pragmatic benefit, so you are already trying to overcome what they see as rational.

There are some general key insights into what people who hoard are usually thinking that can be helpful. Hoarders are generally of the mindset that they are holding on to things of value. Some may even think that they can sell their stuff at some later date for profit. Other items may have sentimental value or represent a beloved friend or family member. The take home message here is that if you minimize the stuff they are collecting, you may be indirectly attacking the people or memories the stuff stands for.

A real important factor when confronting people who are hoarding food is the fact that they may have been hungry as a child, or somehow had to go without food or enough of it. Or, they may have even been unable to find work and take care of themselves by providing ample food. One sign you’ll see is that they are exceptionally enthusiastic about food that’s on sale, and may feel especially good about having saved money. This really helps you understand how easy it can be to find yourself in an argument, since these are dicey areas. Any way you can show some indication that you can understand their feelings will help. Note that you are not necessarily indicating that you agree with them hoarding food, but rather that you are a listening ear.

At the end of the day, it’s real important that these folks are ultimately entitled to handle things the way they want to. Therefore, we cannot force them to change and cannot barge our way into their lives unless they are a threat to themselves or others. We actually gain some ground when we talk about the fact that we appreciate their freedom to choose hoarding food. At the same time, it’s tricky because they are exercising a right to make choices when they are really not in control over their actions.


Shopping isn’t simply a woman’s thing. Studies demonstrate that men and women were nearly equally likely to be compulsive buyers. They do shop differently, though.

Men tend to shop more in a “work” form and women are more “leisure time” shoppers. Women–who tend to be other-oriented and relationship-centered, tend to purchase apparel, jewelry, cosmetics, and appearance orientated goods. While men, who tend to be self-oriented and activity-centered, often buy electronics and sporting goods, chiefly functional goods. Men and women likewise relate differently to what they have… women treasure their emotional and symbolic possessions, while men prefer their functional and leisure items.

Likewise, men’s shopping is more culturally accepted. We tend to see men more as consumers and collectors, but not shoppers. While a woman’s buying habits are frequently seen as self-indulgent and insignificant. Call it what you will, the fact is that both genders are subject to severe abuses when it comes to purchasing behavior.

Ways To Curb Buying

Be a private detective around your purchasing behavior. Distinguish the cues or triggers that lead to over shopping or compulsive spending, e.g. a foul day at work, a battle with a mate, feeling lonesome, relaxed, or in need of pay back, spare time, or the holidays maybe.

Seek patterns and associations. It’s crucial to recognize that shopping is an equal opportunity, general-purpose mood changer, but works only temporarily. After a brief while, your mood will frequently dip even below where it was previously as now the shame and the remorse are imparted to it.

The Outcomes of Compulsive Spending

In what regions of your life overspending is costing you? Financially? Emotionally? Socially? In your occupation? Spiritually? Pick out somebody in your life to be a buying back up chum and brainstorm together about how that individual will support you to quit compulsive spending.

Anticipate that you might very likely feel sorrier before you feel better, since the anesthetic qualities that the purchasing supplied are now gone.

Put down everything you spend and allot each expenditure a score, based on how essential you deem it to be, from 0=totally unneeded, to 1/3=a bit essential, to 2/3=really essential to 1, crucial. At the close of the week, view how many of your buys you rated totally or relatively unneeded and then you’ll see how much you may save if you were only purchasing things that were more essential instead of less.

Make certain you apportion a little money monthly for things that make your heart whistle. Otherwise, you’re placing yourself at risk for feelings of deprivation and a spending splurge.

Confer with one of the many net calculators that will help you to discover the high cost of charge card debt.

Take charge of your prompts by avoiding them altogether, or limiting your vulnerability. For instance, if Wal-Mart is a prompt… Remain far away!

Likewise build in a break between your impulse to purchase and your real purchasing behavior. During the break, ask yourself:

– How come I’m here?

– How do I feel?

– Do I need to have this?

– What if I hold off?

– How will I pay for this?

– Where will I place it?

Use cash or a debit card, without overdraft protection. Know what’s in your checking account at all times.

Attain a list of your most beneficial reasons to quit your compulsive spending. Retain this “Stop Shopping?” list with you at all times.

Question yourself: What Am I Truly Shopping For? What rudimentary emotional needs have tripped my addiction to shopping? Rather than shopping, do something else that’s good for you and life-enhancing to meet some of your rudimentary needs. If you shop because you’re lonesome, find a different way to feel associated that builds self-regard, not tears it down!

Remember: you are able to never acquire enough of what you don’t truly need.


ADHD is a condition that is characterized by three primary symptoms inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, along with a myriad of co-existing conditions such as anxiety and depression, along with a long list of secondary symptoms such as low self esteem and boredom.

But what would it look like if a new business decided they wanted to set a new ground breaking standard by hiring only those with one of the three primary types of ADHD? For those of you not in the know that would be either the predominately inattentive type, the impulsive hyperactive type, or the combined type, which of course is a smorgasbord of different combination’s of symptoms.

In this article we will taking a sneak peek into what most assuredly will be the next big trend in hiring and examine how this environment in which failure would be predicated could possibly succeed and even prosper.

But first we have to come up with a name. Okay, I see you attention deficit disorder riddled person who forget to take your medication today has an idea. That’s right, you in the back sitting quietly who locked your keys in your car early, forgot to fill out your job application, and left your pocket organizer at home. You say, “Getting to Know ADHD Better”. That’s sounds pretty catchy, so we will go with that.

Learning more about “Getting to Know ADHD Better”

Getting to know ADHD is a company specializing in advertising for ADHD medications of all kinds. They have already landed a couple of big contracts from the major pharmaceutical companies. After all who knows more about ADHD that a company full of people with attention deficit disorder. Some of the employees tell me their adds are going to be running on television, radio, and they can’t remember where else but it is BIG.

Some of the employees take prescription meds such as Ritalin and Adderall, others stick with behavioral therapy, and then you have those natural health nuts who wouldn’t be caught dead without their homeopathic remedies. Of course the health nuts are quick to tell you that a recent study has homeopathy producing a 70 percent success rate with no side effects.

There are even those who love the idea of be totally riddled with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder so much that they don’t take any medications at all but do use a form of diet modification, by reducing sugars and simple carbohydrates.

Ron the head ADHD mental health head at the company has picked a location that has six foot thick walls, after all he can’t have his talented group of employees being distracted by a car driving or an inadvertent horn blowing. He does worry about the civil defense warning siren going off and nobody knowing the tornado is coming, but his inattention has been kind of bad lately and he continually loses focus when looking for solutions.

But while quite and secure Ron knows that ADHD individuals will not be able to stay motivated unless they love what they are doing so he has equipped each work cubicle with a video game console only to be played by the person who comes up with the best ADHD advertising idea every hour.

As the company swings into action this talented group quickly rises to the top because of their knack for creativity, fearlessness when it comes to taking risks, and their endless energy. Some even think that “Getting to Know ADHD Better” should contact that company with that catchy energetic bunny that never stops drumming about advertising, but Ron insists on going with what the they know the best, and that is inattentive ADHD.


Are you struggling with some memory lapses nowadays? Have you been forgetting a lot of things lately? Your brain must be having an all-time low then. Have you been feeding it well? Or better yet, what have you been feeding your brain?

Your brain needs energy, an enormous amount of energy. The brain is the biggest energy hog in the body. You have to remember that the brain controls all the functions in the body. It is the one that sends signals to each part of the body on how to move. Therefore, it needs all the energy it can get to be able to function well.

But there really are times when that our brain needs a boost for it to work well. Here are some foods that can help with the brain function and enhance it power when it comes to memorization and remembering.

Of course, what can top the list but coffee? Coffee is rich in anti-oxidants and can give you a boost when you need it. This is because of the caffeine content of the coffee. A cup of coffee will give your short-term memory a fix. It can help improve attention and problem-solving skills. A cup of coffee is enough to get this momentary high. Do not overdo it though, as caffeine can tamper with your sleeping schedule.

For a long-term memory enhancement, eating blueberries is the best way to do it. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants that protect the brain from free-radical damage. The antioxidants can cut the risk of you having Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Have blueberries everyday and make it part of your diet. They are known to improve cognitive processing or thinking. If you can find wild blueberries then that is much better than the ordinary blueberries as these have more brain-boosting antioxidants than the latter. But if you cannot find any fresh blueberries available, frozen ones will serve as substitute. The frozen ones have kept all the vitamins and minerals intact and are much more nutritious than the available ones that did not ripen in season.

Salmons and mackerels are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are the primary blocks of the tissues in the brain and will boost one’s thinking powers. These fats can only be found in fatty fishes so if you cannot find salmon or mackerel, any fatty fish will do. But remember that not all fats are equal so do not make the mistake of eating high-fat foods. Some high-fat foods contain saturated fats which are not good for the body and can clog up the blood vessels. So instead of getting the nutrients you need, you will never get them at all.

And for an improved concentration, drink peppermint tea. The scent can help you focus and keeps your mind alert. Studies show that peppermint makes people more alert and less anxious.

But nothing can beat a good night’s rest. Your brain needs to rest, too. If the brain is constantly tired, it will not function effectively and efficiently. A well-rested brain is the best brain there could ever be.


Despite all the efforts to explain how symptoms of schizophrenia and how it affects an individual, there is no bigger challenge for the patients of schizophrenia but to learn how to live with it on an everyday basis. Learning how to manage the symptoms alone is already difficult, add to that some minor but relevant challenges that make this task seem impossible.

There are five challenges that truly stand out in an effort to realize your treatment plan, which act as hurdle to your success. If you can overcome them, it should be easy to see effective results.

Maintaining a Daily Routine

There are several layers to this when one refers to maintaining a daily routine in relation to dealing with schizophrenia. First off, you need to properly maintain the treatment plan as recommended for by your physician to ensure that you can alleviate symptoms or improve overall condition. If a certain kind of lifestyle is recommended to manage your condition well, then you have to learn to stick with that.

This is not as easy as it seems though knowing how schizophrenia affects one’s cognitive function and de-limit their ability to sustain a daily routine. In addition, it is important to keep one occupied to eliminate depression or anxiety that goes when they are continually confronted with their mental illness.

Staying Active

This therefore leads you to the next important challenge when dealing with schizophrenia – the ability to stay active. When one is diagnosed with schizophrenia, it is easy for one to go on a downward spiral, especially emotionally speaking. The negative symptoms can overwhelm a patient until they lose motivation and lack the energy needed to keep themselves busy and active all the time.

Staying active is therefore an important tip to keep in mind to combat the symptoms of schizophrenia. This will help to keep them in a physically good condition, while also promoting positive attitude.

Practicing Independence

Most people have this misconception that people diagnosed with schizophrenia cannot survive on their own. Instilling the need to stay independent is an important ability for patients to combat the symptoms of their condition. Although it is important for a patient to live in a protective environment that will keep them secure and safe. However, it would be helpful to encourage them to explore outside of their comfort zone and regain self confidence.

Financial Support

In relation to the item above, the ability to produce your own income is a crucial challenge for patients of schizophrenia. This gives you the ability to gain control over your life and lead the life the way you wanted it to be. This is also a good way to promote restoration of the patient’s ability to perform basic functions and follow a set routine.

Social Support

This is probably the most crucial challenge that patients had to face. Without enough social support from friends or families, then coping with their condition and its symptoms alone is hard enough. The relationships you have with the people around you helps to increase your motivation and gain confidence about yourself knowing that you are not alone in your battle with schizophrenia.


What is hurting? Where it hurts? Why it hurts? Did you ever pause to think about that? It could be you are ignoring the stern look from that “some-body” that made you feel like you were nothing, the harsh work, the undignified gesture that seemed to hush you completely down and make you feel like you are worthless. It hurts. You know it hurts. And sometimes you can’t just explain why. There are those buried hurts from your past, the anger, enfolded within you that never had any outlet, the sense of treachery, of betrayal, of abandon…. the list goes on, and that make you hurt a lot, you can’t even know where the pain came from. You have heard about psycho-therapy and such stuff like hypnosis. They work incredibly great to ensure healing. But here are some elements of truth you may like to consider in dealing with your pain.

One of the greatest emotional pain spring from our sense of being left out, our abandon, our frustrations of not being able to integrate with others. You feel like you are brushed aside, just like a worth-less, use-less thing. That is what i wanna talk about. The feeling might be so imperceptible… you do not understand how it comes about. That is what I want us to talk about, and I’d not love it to be professional at all, I am no professional myself. I am a beating heart reaching yours.

Do you know what hurts? That is the question I asked you in the opening line of this gist. And do not just take it less seriously… Most of us hardly know what hurts us and that makes the pain so cruel and searing. Knowing what causes your pain is a way of naming it. When you name the source of your pain, you become its master. Pain is a kind of “enemy” and knowing it means you start identifying ways to handle it. The immediate reaction we face when we meet with painful and disheartening circumstances is that of denying facts… we think it couldn’t be possible. You may as well stand up, face high and say to yourself, with some gentleness: “never mind, such is life!” And know what, it isn’t easy as that. You would need to acknowledge that things aren’t always the way we want them to be. That is a thought that makes you expect less yet recognizing surprises. You’ll never recognize the miracles that life offers if you can’t admit that things could get so bitterly abnormal.

You ever know this feeling of pity, I mean feeling so dejected you say to yourself: “I pity you?” That could be so mean, sometimes, you know. Pity isn’t a healing feeling, especially when it turns back to yourself… instead there is compassion that you can express towards yourself. Compassion means, holding your own pain with gentleness and and believing that you can start the journey again. Compassion is the welcome you offer your heart thirsting for recognition and love. You can start loving yourself… the journey begins there always. You best know what your pain feels like, realizing that you are hurting is getting ready to treat yourself with much patience and tenderness. Few people love this and few people actually draw the waters from their hidden wounds to make the seeds of their humanity flourish.

No one, no other human being can make you understand what you are worth. That others encourage you could be a sign of grace falling upon your pilgrim path. But only you can measure your worth and it is much of how you feel than what others see of you. Often emotional hurts never well up on their own from within us, they are a result of abuses and hurts we get from those we are directly or indirectly related with. But it falls back to us to determine what to do with those hurts.

Do not whine and rote alone in your pain. let others love you. You know what? There are still people out there who do not understand this: they are famous for lavishing others with affection but they do not even recognize their need for affection. Love is healing energy, wherever it comes from. Open to its call and let others pass through your wounds to cleanse the space that hurts within. Letting others inside isn’t easy. It could be like revealing your fragility, you hidden wounds, your very “nudity” to others. It is worth the pain and it demands a lot of trust. You might be hurting so much because you do not open up to others. The person offering you affection and attention has a rare gift of his/her uniqueness that you will never find within you. Receiving this gift is empowerment…



Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic-depressive illness, is one of several disorders known as mood disorders. Mania and depression alone or in combination are the hallmarks of the mood disorders. Mania is characterized by a feeling of euphoria in which the individual has grandiose ideas, exhibits boundless energy, needs little sleep, and exhibits great self-assurance. While in a manic state people’s thoughts race, they speak too fast, and they demonstrate poor judgment. Manics may impulsively spend too much money, commit sexual indiscretions, and alienate people with their irritability and impatience. Hypomania refers to a milder form of mania that is an excessive amount of elation but does not significantly impair the individual’s life.

Depression can be characterized by many symptoms, including feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and sadness. When one is depressed, life seems empty and overwhelming. The depressed individual has difficulty concentrating, cannot make decisions, lacks confidence, and cannot enjoy activities that previously were pleasurable. Physical symptoms may include gaining or losing weight, sleeping too much or too little, agitation, or lethargy. Depressed individuals may be preoccupied with death or suicide. They may believe that they have committed the unpardonable sin and that loved ones would be better off without them.

Bipolar disorder is so named because those afflicted with it experience both mania and depression, in contrast to those with unipolar disorders, who experience only one extreme, usually depression. Bipolar disorders are categorized into two types, Bipolar I and Bipolar II. In Bipolar I the individual experiences both mania and depression; in Bipolar II the individual experiences hypomania and depression. Mania or hypomania is the key to diagnosing bipolar disorder. A person who experiences a manic state even once is presumed to have bipolar disorder. Manic and depressive states may immediately precede or follow one another or may be separated by long time intervals, and the individual may have more episodes of one pole than the other. Some individuals, known as rapid cyclers, will experience four or more episodes per year.

The age of onset for bipolar disorder is younger than for unipolar depression and usually begins in the late teens or twenties but seldom begins after age 40. In some cases it is preceded by a disorder named cyclothymia, which is a milder form of mood disorder, characterized by marked moodiness and mood swings for at least two years. Bipolar disorder is a chronic disorder and even with treatment less than half of the individuals who experience it go five years without a manic or a depressive episode. People with bipolar are at risk for suicide in the depressive phase and are more prone to accidental death in the manic phase due to impulsiveness and poor judgment.

The causes of bipolar disorder are unclear, but it is probably determined by multiple factors. Family and adoption studies have consistently indicated a genetic predisposition toward mood disorders. First-degree relatives of persons with bipolar disorder are much more likely than the general population to experience bipolar depression, unipolar depression, and anxiety. At this point, however, there is no clear evidence that a particular gene is linked to the transmission of bipolar disorder; instead it seems that a family history increases vulnerability to several disorders.

Neurotransmitters in the brain have been widely investigated and are very likely involved in bipolar disorder but in complex and interactional ways not yet understood. The relationship between neurotransmitters and the hormones secreted by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands seems to be significant. There is also speculation that bipolar disorder may be related to circadian rhythms because some people with bipolar disorder are especially light-sensitive and show abnormalities in sleep patterns such as entering REM sleep too quickly, dreaming intensely, and missing the deeper stages of sleep.

Stressful life events may precipitate episodes of mania or depression but do not seem to be the primary cause of bipolar disorder. Psychosocial factors such as attributional style, learned helplessness, attitudes, and interpersonal relationships all seem to be correlated with bipolar disorder but have not been identified as causes; they are often the result of having such a disorder. It seems that a genetic vulnerability coupled with stressful psychological and sociocultural events may result in bipolar disorder.

Three primary treatment modalities are most frequently used for bipolar disorder. Medication is commonly used, especially lithium. For reasons not yet fully understood, lithium reduces the frequency of episodes, and many persons with bipolar disorder are maintained on lithium for long periods. Lithium levels must be carefully monitored through blood tests, and there may be side effects such as weight gain, lethargy, and kidney malfunction. Because of the side effects of medication and because they miss the energy of hypomania and manic states, people with bipolar disorder may discontinue their medications. The newer antidepressants that affect serotonin levels are often used, but there is some suspicion that they may contribute to more rapid cycling. Antiseizure medication, such as carbamazepine, is also being used.

A second treatment approach that is sometimes used is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This approach is used only in severe cases in which uncontrollable behavior or the threat of suicide makes it impossible to wait the two to three weeks for medication to take effect. ECT, used to treat people who have not responded to other forms of treatment, is often effective but is subject to side effects: temporary short-term memory loss and confusion immediately after treatment.

Psychotherapy is the third treatment approach. While many psychotherapeutic approaches have been tried, cognitive therapy and interpersonal therapy are currently the most popular. Cognitive therapy focuses on identifying and correcting faulty thinking and attributional styles, so that the client can gain cognitive control of emotions. Interpersonal therapy focuses on developing the skills to identify and resolve interpersonal conflicts, which frequently accompany bipolar disorder. Both of these psychotherapies are highly structured and short-term. Many people receive a combination of both medication and psychotherapy to stabilize them and prevent relapse.

In addition to addressing the potential causes of bipolar disorder, psychotherapists help people cope with a number of problems that arise in living with the disorder. One is the difficulty of living with interruptions to one’s life that manic and depressive states bring. People may be too ill to work or parent and may even be hospitalized. Another problem is undoing or coping with inappropriate behavior that was performed during a manic state, when the individual may have recklessly spent money, made grandiose promises, or said inappropriate things. A third common problem is dealing with negative reactions and the distrust of family, friends, and co-workers who have been affected by the individual’s extreme mood swings. Taking medication regularly is a struggle for some people, a struggle that is compounded by the tendency for people in a manic or hypomanic state to feel that they do not need medication. People with bipolar disorder deal with the constant anxiety that their feelings may spin out of control. They often feel powerless and as though their illness is in control and may take over any time. There is also the question of why God allows people to go through such struggles. People with bipolar disorder need therapists who help them exercise cognitive control over their emotions, recognize when they are getting too high or too low, manage interpersonal relationships, cope with life stresses, and understand how to accept and live successfully with bipolar disorder.



An omega-3 fatty acid deficiency is one of the leading nutrition-related triggers of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Usually, a lack of omega-3 fatty acids in the typical Western diet is the main cause of the deficiency, but researchers have discovered that some children have an abnormality that prevents their bodies from metabolizing omega-3 oils. A growing pile of evidence shows that omega-3 supplements or foods rich in omega-3 are effective in reducing the symptoms of ADHD, improving behavior, and boosting academic performance. Correct an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency by adding these omega-3 rich foods and supplements to your child’s diet.

Fish oils

According to nutritionists, fish oils are the best sources of long-chain fatty acids because they contain the most potent variety of omega-3 oils. Fish oils can be obtained by eating deep-sea fish like tuna or salmon, but many of these fish swim in polluted waters and may be contaminated with toxins like dioxins, mercury, and PCBs. Unless you are absolutely certain that your deep-sea fish is free of these toxic chemicals, fish oil supplements can provide the fatty acids needed by your child. Make sure that the fish oil supplement you get is certified organic and cold-pressed to guarantee freshness and bio-availability. Experts also recommend supplements with a high EPA-to-DHA ratio, as these seem to be most effective for children with ADHD.

Flaxseed oil

Flax and flaxseed oil are just as good as fish oils, because they contain a high amount of the parent of omega-3 fatty acids, ALA. Since heating flaxseed oil will destroy its omega-3 content, it has to be taken orally. Nutritionists recommend one tablespoon daily, followed by a glass of all-natural fruit juice. Remember to refrigerate the flaxseed oil; the slightest heat will cause the fatty acids to oxidize.

Unlike flaxseed oil, flax can be included in cooked meals without damaging its omega-3 fatty acid content. Use mill flaxseed instead of flour when making muffins and breads, or add to smoothies and salad dressings.

A caveat: the ALA in flax is unrefined omega-3, meaning the body will have to metabolize ALA before it becomes the useful DHA and EPA variety. Children with a certain metabolic disorder are unable to do this. If your child has this problem, use fish oil supplements instead.

Eliminate vegetable oils, omega-6 fatty acids, and trans-fats

Trans-fats are low-cholesterol man-made fats made of hydrogenated oils; they are usually included in processed foods. The low cholesterol content makes trans-fats seem healthy, but trans-fats are chock-full of omega-6 fatty acids, which impede the body’s ability to metabolize omega-3 fats. Vegetable oils like corn oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oil are also high in omega-6. Inspect the ingredients label of all foods you put in the grocery cart, and make sure they do not contain vegetable oils.

Canola oil
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Instead of using vegetable oil for cooking, switch to canola oil instead. Canola oil has 10% ALA that stays intact even when heated to low temperatures. Use canola oil for cooking or as a substitute for butter and margarine. When not in use, store the canola oil in the refrigerator to keep the omega-3 from oxidizing.

Supplement with vitamins E and C

Omega-3 fatty acids are easy targets of free radicals, and are at risk of oxidizing before they even reach the brain. Vitamins E and C are natural antioxidants that protect long-chain fatty acids from oxidation and free-radical damage.