Monday, May 26, 2008

Can anxiety be caused by a chemical imbalance?

Anxiety can be regarded as one of the main causes of depression, because it can make it difficult for a person to be comfortable with themselves, around people or even outside of their home. There appear to be many different causes of anxiety, which can sometimes make it difficult for people to quickly figure out the exact cause of their anxiety. It is sometimes caused by past trauma, by environmental factors or even by a person’s brain chemistry. Research is still being done, but it appears that some people with anxiety experience it as a result of an imbalance of certain chemicals in their brain.

For people who don’t seem to have any clear reason of why they might be suffering from anxiety on a regular basis, it is thought that they could be suffering from a chemical imbalance in the brain. There are a number of chemicals in the brain that can affect a person in such a way if the right levels are not present, including chemicals like serotonin, cortisol, epinephrine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). When all the chemicals are present at the right level in a person’s brain, chances are that this is not the cause of their anxiety; however, if a person has too much or too little of one or more of these chemicals, it could quite possibly be the reason for their anxiety. Tests are still being done on why someone would have this problem, but there is treatment available for anyone with this kind of imbalance. There are different medications offered to patients with these kinds of imbalances that can help to correct the imbalance and ward off some of the anxiety they are experiencing.

Anyone who has questions or concerns about possibly suffering from anxiety should seriously consider consulting a therapist or counselor. Many will avoid doing this because they don’t feel comfortable, or even feel a little anxious about going in to see a therapist or counselor in person. There is an answer to this problem; online therapy. Online therapy has been around for a while now and is becoming more popular all the time. People with concerns of a mental health nature can now look for a therapist online and then message the counselor they find. The online therapist or counselor will then answer any questions or concerns the patient may have through e-mail. The therapist can also work with the patient to find out why they might be experiencing so much anxiety and can then provide the appropriate treatment. Many people who have gone through online therapy have been successfully treated for their depression and anxiety. Online therapy does not limit the kind of treatment or help that a person can receive. It is the same as regular therapy, except that it is online and does not require a person to leave the comfort of their home if they do not want to. Online therapy is completely confidential and offers a more discreet way for people to seek the help that they need.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

How are weight loss and anxiety related?

There are a number of things in life that can cause a person to lose weight. Many causes relate to a number of different physical health problems, such as types of terminal illness or sicknesses that are not always easily treated, or mental health problems, such as depression or stress. While the weight loss that is caused by physical health problems are easy enough to figure out and even treat, the weight loss that is due to mental health problems can be more difficult to treat because there is no physical reason for the individual to be losing weight.

People suffering from depression can often have a change in appetite that will either greatly increase their weight or more commonly cause a loss in appetite, which often causes a loss in weight. Intense anxiety, however, more often causes a significant loss of appetite in a person, which can then cause them to lose a lot of weight. Anxiety is a stress on the body, especially when a person finds that they are more anxious about life than they should be. When most people are anxious or worried, they can have a difficult time in thinking of anything else other than about what makes them feel anxious or worried. The appeal of food goes away and they can’t bring themselves to eat because they are too tense to eat. They are distracted and their health becomes something that is no longer a great concern. Being this tense and not eating proper meals, or miss eating altogether, can be quite detrimental to a person’s health. If this is allowed to go on for too long, some people will lose so much weight that they will begin to suffer other medical problems caused by the lack of proper nourishment.

There are many reasons as to why someone would become so anxious about something, much in the same way that depression can be a result of many different things; it depends on the person, their personality, what they have been through, their genetics and what their life is like. Any of these factors can easily be what is contributing to a person’s anxiety and to their loss of appetite. Anyone who is so anxious and worried that they have lost their appetite to the point where they are beginning to lose weight should seriously consider contacting a therapist. Online therapy is becoming more popular for people to use these days, especially people who worry about other people finding out that they are seeing a therapist. The online therapist can communicate with the patient and find out why the patient is so distressed that their interest in food is gone. When the issue is found, the online therapist or counselor can then work with the patient to help them get over their anxiety and worries. In many cases, the therapist is successful in helping the patient deal with what is bothering them, and the patient begins to have more of an appetite as their issues are dealt with.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Can you receive free therapy through forums?

It may come as a surprise for many that there is now therapy available online that is also free. This particular service being offered is relatively new, but is one that is becoming more popular all the time as more and more people log in to talk, get some advice and receive some of the help that they may need. Depending on the website that a person visits to find some free online therapy, there may be the option to instant message with the online therapist at an arranged time, a chat room where people can go in as a guest and talk or a forum for people to join.

Forums are quite possibly one of the most popular ways for people to connect and talk on just about any topic imaginable. Online therapists and counselors who wish to make their services available to nearly everyone who needs them are taking advantage of the popularity and simplicity of forums. The reason for this is because most young people these days are more comfortable talking on forums with a concealed identity because they feel less vulnerable to being judged by others about what they have gone through, what they have to say or by questions they may have. Online forums allow people the chance to freely discuss just about anything that is one their mind without feeling that they have to pay special close attention to every word that they type out.

Many people will avoid going to see a therapist or a counselor about their problems at all cost because they are uncomfortable talking to a complete stranger about the issues that need discussing but leave a person feeling too vulnerable. Forums allow people the chance to avoid going in to speak to a therapist or counselor, but still have the opportunity to get things off their chest. Confidentiality is another concern for many, especially because they worry about people thinking that they have something seriously wrong with them because they are seeing a therapist. The online forums meant for online therapy allow a person to easily conceal their identity and maximize their confidentiality. Most forums, if not all, will often require a person to register or sign in. This is not to show other members of the forums who the new member is; this is to keep out spam and to also ensure that everything a person talks about with the online therapist will remain between them and will not be read by a third party. Like most forums that require people to register and become members, the information is encrypted so that third parties are not privy to an individual’s personal information as well as to what they have discussed.

Online forums offer quite a few benefits that can be more attractive to people who would normally avoid regular in person therapy or counseling. First of all, confidentiality is guaranteed and there are no chances of people seeing someone walk into the office of a therapist or counselor. Forums where a person has to become a member are password protected; all the information is encrypted and not shared with a third party and a person can refrain from using their real name if they feel more comfortable with keeping their identity to their selves.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

How to parent teenagers?

Parenting in general can be difficult, even though there are many positives to parenting. The bond between the child and the parent, for example, can often be the most rewarding part of becoming a parent for many. For others, it is the joy of caring for someone who will continue on the family bloodline and watching the person grow from an infant into a healthy adult who is a successful addition to society. However, parenting is not all joy. It takes time, patience and a whole lot of commitment. This is why it is stressed that before anyone chooses to become a parent, they seriously think about it before making the choice.

If the choice is made to become a parent, there are many stages that their child will go through before they are an adult. Throughout these various stages there are many good times, but there can also be a lot of difficult times. One stage, however, that many parents will complain about is the dreaded teenage years. Everyone has heard the horror stories of their teenage children becoming pregnant, getting into drugs or becoming too much to handle in the home. Here is the truth about these kinds of problems; none of these have to happen. Proper education, spending time with the children and showing that they have someone to talk to who will support them no matter what, and who have a good bond with their parent will most likely not have any of these problems. Most children who have a healthy relationship with their parents are more likely to succeed in life and not run into those kinds of problems. Communicating with the kids and being supportive of them will encourage a better relationship, while poor communication and lack of support can often lead to teenagers getting into trouble.

Teenagers are in a critical stage where they are changing in many ways before they become full adults. These kinds of changes, including changes in the hormones as well as in some chemicals in the brain can often lead to the typical teenage behavior that most are familiar with. Being more a friend, and this term is used lightly because they still need a parent, than an overbearing parent will tend to yield a positive response from the teenager. Online therapists and counselors are available online for any parents who may be having trouble with their teenagers. Seeking help in the form of advice and suggestions before any real problem builds is always the best thing to do. The online therapist or counselor can help the parent to diffuse a volatile situation and help the parent and teenager to build a better understanding of each other. It is possible to have a healthy relationship with a teenage kid; it just takes patience and understanding from the parent as well as some patience and understanding from the teenager. Online counselors and therapists can work with the parent and the kid to build a stronger relationship that will help to bring more positivity in the home. Continued negativity in the home will only lead to a worse situation.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Is there online counseling for substance abuse?

There are hundreds or even thousands of people throughout North America who suffer from substance abuse, either with prescription drugs, street drugs or alcohol. Many of these people are unaware that help is just a phone call, visit or click of a button away; others are aware of the help available but they don’t feel that it will do them any good. Most are aware of the live help lines or the crisis lines they can phone in order to talk to someone, but most don’t feel that these will help them. What they need is therapy or proper counseling, but most will do their best to avoid talking to a stranger in person about their problems. For people who want help, but are uncomfortable talking with a therapist or a counselor in person, there is online therapy or counseling.

The idea of online counseling is still fairly new for many people and there are undoubtedly quite a few who are unaware of the fact that they could seek help for their substance abuse problem through a professional therapist or counselor online. Since online therapy and counseling first started, it has grown more popular all the time because of its easy access and its convenience. One might wonder how an online counselor could help someone who is suffering from substance abuse; online counseling is very much the same as regular counseling, the difference is that one has people talking face to face while the other has the counselor and patient communicating by messaging back and forth online. The online counseling can be just as successful as the regular therapy, but like regular therapy the person has to want to get over their addiction. The online counselor will work with the patient to help them get rid of their dependency on the drug and can also help the patient with any other problems they might have. Many people who develop a dependency on a drug do so because they are trying to hide from something that really bothers them.

Online counseling could be the answer for many people looking for help to get rid of their drug dependency. Many people will avoid regular therapy because this would require them to speak to someone in person, which can often be uncomfortable. Online counseling offers people the chance to ensure their confidentiality as well as get the help they need in the comfort of their own home. Online counseling takes away the need for having to leave the home to get the help; instead, people looking for help to deal with their problem only have to sit down at their computer and send off a message to an online counselor they find. The online counselor will then reply and the therapy can begin. This easy access to help makes it easier for people to get the help they need, especially if they are only looking for someone to talk to at first before they become interested in going into counseling. For many, online counseling could be the answer they have been looking for.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Getting ready for parenting?

When first thinking about starting a family, there are a number of things that both parents have to think about before going ahead with it. These sorts of things have to do with whether the parents are really ready to raise a family yet, where will the kid be going to school, how are they going to bring up the kid and how do both members in the family believe the kid should be raised. There are also considerations to be made regarding the health of the parents, such as whether they are capable of looking after the kid and if the woman is physically healthy enough to have a child.

It has always been recommended that before parents have a child, they both have a physical to ensure that both are healthy enough to have a kid. A check through family history to see what diseases might be present is also a good idea, this way the parents can be prepared to handle a possible disease that the child might inherit. With today’s technology, planning for a family has become more complex, but it has also allowed for people to plan for the normally unplanned things.

A few decades ago, most parents would never have thought to contact a therapist or a counselor to discuss having a kid. Today, however, this is something that is becoming the norm because more expecting parents would like to make sure they cover all the angles to ensure that their child will have the best chance at life. A therapist or a counselor can help the soon to be parents think of all those angles, including how to set up the best atmosphere in the home for the kid. They will help bring things to the attention of the couple that the couple might not have thought of on their own. Parents who are serious about having a healthy family seriously consider therapy or counseling to ensure they have covered all the basics to ensure the best environment for their baby.

Online therapy or online family counseling can be a helpful resource for parents who are planning to have a child. Speaking with these professionals is easy in that they can be contacted from the comfort of the home, and this could help expectant parents be more prepared. Becoming a parent is something that everyone should be properly prepared for. The online therapist can also offer many helpful advice and suggestions for couples who are trying to become parents. These online therapists and counselors are there when people need them and can offer help on just about any subject. Whether it is looking for sessions to become more prepared for the role of the parent, or it is to find some helpful advice and suggestions about childrearing, they are there. All a person has to do is find them online and send them a message. These professionals will be more than happy to help in any way that they can to make the experience less stressful.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

How to deal with criticism within your family?

It can easily be forgotten that a family is supposed to work together and provide support to all of its members. It is with that support and caring atmosphere that can help the children to grow up healthy and prepared for life. A family whose bonds are weak, however, will lack in support and the children can grow up with an unhealthy idea of how to make friends, of how to be confident in their selves and be relatively unprepared for the life they will have to live on their own. Children who grow up in homes where their parents are overly critical and hard on the children can often damage the individual’s self image and lower their level of confidence.

There are many parents out there who believe that being critical of their kid is the way to inspire them to try harder the next time; unfortunately, this is not the usual outcome of children who receive a lot of criticism on their marks, their talents or their difficulties. There might be a selective few who will take the criticism in stride and work to better their selves, but the majority of children will react in a negative way. They start to have doubts in their abilities, they feel they are too stupid to achieve the decent marks in school and just feel that they can’t do anything right. This is not how a child should feel. A child should feel that their parents are there to help and support them when they need it. A child, especially a younger one, is very impressionable and they depend on their parents to teach them how to go about things in life, such as asking for help when something is not understood. One spouse being overly critical of the other is also extremely unhealthy. It has about the same impact on the other person as it does on the children; the result of the heavy criticism is only to bring the other person down and make them feel incompetent.

Whether the family is only two married people or the marriage includes children, the criticism should not be necessary. Being supportive and helpful will often yield more positive results that will only make everyone happy in the end. If a child just can’t seem to understand that math, or they can’t seem to hit those notes, the parent should be encouraging the child to keep working on it and seek the help that they need. Each spouse in a relationship should also be supportive and helpful, because heavy criticism will only threaten to break down the person on the receiving end or permanently damage the relationship to the point where it just no longer exists. Criticism usually brings negative results and emotions including poor performance than before, low confidence and resentfulness toward the person who is dealing out the criticism.

A family therapist or counselor can help to change this kind of behavior, whether it is intentional or not, and teach the family to be more supportive instead. This can easily be done through online therapy, which is far more convenient because the family doesn’t have to take time out of their day to try and get down to the office; instead, the family can have online sessions with the online family therapist from the comfort of their own home.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Is there free online therapy?

With one of today’s main focuses being money, few will offer a good or service for free. Fortunately, there are people who are serious about what they do and they care more for the work they do than they do about the almighty dollar. These people will sometimes volunteer and offer some of their services for free to people who are short on cash. The world can be hard for some and not everyone can afford that extra $50 to pay for the help that they need. These people are often forgotten by the main stream and they fall through the cracks of society as help moves farther away from them with each passing day.

It might take a bit of searching on the internet, but there are professionals out there who will offer their therapy and counseling services for free so that people who can’t afford it can get some light help and advice. This is not to say that the free service is only available to people who are tight on cash, it is also available for people who are unsure of therapy but feel it might be something for them to seriously look at. Most people will bulk at the idea of spending a large sum of money for a therapy session they worry will not do them any real good. Free online therapy is available for people to try and see if they feel they will get what they need out of it. From there they can decide whether they will return to it for some advice on occasion or if they should set up a regular meeting with a therapist or counselor about something that is troubling them.

At this point, many might be thinking that there is a catch to the free online therapy being offered. While it has become the norm for people to expect a catch, most professionals who offer the free online therapy do not have one. They are allowing people the chance to get some of the help or guidance that they require because they care about their job and the people they are offering to help. There are too many people throughout North America and the world who don’t have the help available to them; these professionals are working to lower these numbers when they can.

Free online therapy and counseling is just that; free. It is a service that is there for people when they need it. It is another open door for people to walk through if they need to, or even if they feel they just need to talk to someone, without the worry of how much it is going to cost them. Free online therapy is also available at just about any time, either in the form of a chat room, a forum, or even by setting up an appointment to chat through instant messaging. It is a service that is not to be taken for granted, but one that is there for people who would normally find it difficult to talk to a therapist or counselor in person. The other benefit of the free online therapy is that it is accessible from just about anywhere that has a decent internet connection, so the person’s identity never has to be revealed and their confidentiality can be guaranteed.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Can depression cause fatigue?

Any doctor will say that enough sleep is necessary in order to be energized enough to function properly throughout the day. Without enough sleep, a person can have difficulty completing their work, getting out of bed, remaining alert and preparing proper meals. The lack of sleep not only affects a person’s productivity at work and their habits, it also affects their mind and their alertness. Sleep is when the body has the chance to heal and rest itself from the previous day’s stresses and activities. When the body does not get enough sleep, it has been unable to recuperate. Over time, the mind becomes more affected and insomnia can result from enough sleep deprivation.

It is recommended that a grown person needs between seven and nine hours of sleep in order to get the amount of sleep they need. This will help to make a person more alert and productive during the day. Ensuring that a person gets enough sleep also helps to ward off depression. There are many cases where depression is caused by extreme exhaustion, resulting from insomnia or sleep deprivation. There are many reasons why a person may not be able to get the sleep that they need, but the resulting toll can be hard on the body and mind. Lack of sleep often causes more stress on the physical body and can increase the chances of heart problems or other health problems. The stress on the mind can also cause problems in the form of increased anxiety, increased sudden mood changes and depression. Depression is a relatively common result of sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep can cause a person to become more emotional, have difficulty in thinking rationally and can make a person more irritable; it can also make it more difficult for the person to let things go that would not normally bother them.

Insomnia or difficulty sleeping is not normal. Having difficulty in getting enough sleep usually means that there is something getting in the way of getting the sleep they need. It could be that the person is not getting the right foods, exercise or time off, but it could also be a result of issues from the past that need to be dealt with. If there might be issues getting in the way of sleep, it might be best to get into contact with a therapist or counselor. This can easily be done over the internet from the comfort of the home. For many people, this is a more comfortable way to get help because it gives more guarantees that their contact with an online therapist or counselor will be confidential. Online therapy can be quite effective and many patients who have participated in it have been successfully treated. It is actually quite simple and certainly more convenient because the patient doesn’t have to take the time and effort to go to the clinic. The online counselor can help the patient work through their depression. They can help the patient sort out the issues that are preventing them from getting the sleep they need, which can help them get out of their depression.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Can cleaning help maintain good mental health?

When most people think about mental health, they immediately think about depression, stress and anxiety. People will also think about how the causes of poor mental health, such as someone living in poor conditions, someone living in an abusive situation or someone who is suffering an addiction. There are many things in life that can contribute to poor mental health and there are just as many things a person can do to improve their mental health. Past traumatic events, stress, work, family and the overall lifestyle that someone has can all lead to a decline in someone’s mental health.

Many have heard that maintaining one’s physical health can go a long way in helping to maintain a person’s mental health, because they go hand in hand with each other. Others will tell you that eating well, getting enough sleep, having some confidence and respect for one’s self and having enough time set aside for one’s self are all things that a person can do in order to improve and maintain their good mental health. There is, however, one other thing that appears to help with improving a person’s mental health, or at least their mood. Apparently, most people tend to feel better after giving their living space a thorough cleaning. Taking the time to clean the home from top to bottom is like cleaning one’s life. The dirt, dust and clutter are done away with and the house has a fresher, more comfortable atmosphere that the person can feel happier and more relaxed in. In fact, some therapists might even suggest cleaning the house as a good way to take one’s mind off of something they tend to fixate on and to improve the look and feel of the home. The state of the house has a significant impact on a person’s mental health, as does cleaning; such an impact, in fact, that many people who are agitated, annoyed or frustrated can use cleaning as an outlet for their emotions and energy until they feel better. In most cases, this can be quite effective. Of course, if one finds that they are cleaning nearly everyday to vent frustrations or trying to improve their mood, it might also be a good idea to consult a therapist. Online therapists are always available for inquiries about how one can improve their mental health in other ways besides cleaning their home.

Anyone who finds that they are suffering from an overall decline in their mental health, such as a loss of confidence, a loss of concentration, depression and so on, should seriously consider contacting an online therapist. The online therapist can help work with the patient to find out why they might be feeling down, they can then suggest what the patient could do in order to improve their mental health. Life is meant to be enjoyed and someone who is not happy and has a bleak outlook on life can’t fully enjoy life. Seeking advice and help from an online therapist can go a long way in improving a person’s mental health.