Posted by: Uticopa in anger management on
Apr 01, 2009
"Anger is a great force. If you control it, it can be transmuted into a power which can move the whole world." William Shenstone (Scottish writer, 1714-63)
Change the way you think
Angry people tend to swear or speak in highly colourful language that reflects their inner thoughts. Try replacing these thoughts with more rational ones. For instance, instead of telling yourself "oh, everything's ruined," tell yourself "it's frustrating but it's not the end of the world and, in any case, getting angry is not going to make things any better."
Notable celebrities with OCD
David Beckham - footballer
Samuel Johnson - lexicographer
Howard Hughes - inventor, businessman, recluse
Typical symptoms
There has been a tide of media interest in young people recently - from fathers at thirteen, to earlier and earlier sex-education in schools, to the cervical infections surrounding the tragic Jade Goody.
Sex is once again in the news, if ever it really left.
The sexual conduct of young people has long been vigorously debated, but what of the inevitable mental health issues that are caused by such behaviour?
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I need both of you to stay involved in my life. Please write or text me, make phone calls and ask me lots of questions. When I don't hear from either of you, I feel as if I'm not important and that neither of you really love me.
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Please stop arguing and work hard to be friends. When you argue about me, I think that I must have done something wrong and I feel guilty.
I want to love you both and enjoy the time that I spend with each of you. I feel as if I need to take sides and love one of you more than the other.
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Please communicate directly with each other so that I don't have to send messages back and forth.
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When talking about my other parent, please say only nice things, or don't say anything at all. When you say horrible, unkind things about my other parent, I feel like you are expecting me to take your side against the other one.
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Please remember that I want both of you to be a part of my life. I desperately need both of you to bring me up, to teach me what is important, and to help me when I have problems.
Most children feel angry, sad and frustrated about the prospect of their parents splitting up for good. How you deal with the situation will have an effect on your child throughout their life.
Ways to help your children
As well as reminders that they will be loved and cared for, reassure them about what they may fear. For example, "I know you are upset about moving, but we will make sure you can stay in the same school".
Posted by: Uticopa in single parents, divorce on
Mar 30, 2009
No matter whose decision it is to separate, fathers suffer stress, anxiety and loneliness when living apart from their children. All fathers in such situations say they feel cut off from reality, unable to sleep or work.
Some fathers in these situations try to take the law into their own hands. One civil rights group, Fathers4Justice, does just this as a means of giving a generation of children the right in law to see their fathers. Founded in 2002, it sets out to give parents, grandparents and children a fair, just, open and equitable system of family law.
There is no doubt, though, that when a marriage breaks down, trying to work things out between both parties out of court is always the easiest solution, both practically and for each other's state of mind.
Posted by: Uticopa in stress on
Mar 25, 2009
There is no doubt that well-organised and managed work helps to maintain and promote individual health and well-being. But not enough attention to good organisation and methods could result in work-related stress.
Recent statistics confirm that work-related stress is widespread in the U.K working population and is not confined to particular sectors or high risk jobs or industries. That is why a population-wide approach is necessary to tackle it.
If you believe you are suffering from work-related stress, it is important to take action and review your lifestyle to identify any contributing factors, such as the following:
Posted by: Uticopa in bullying, abuse on
Mar 25, 2009
Bullying can be a problem at any stage of your life. For the hapless victim it causes serious distress and can affect mental health for decades to come.
The mindsets of the people doing the bullying are often similar, whatever their ages. It's when the ancient ‘tribal' instinct of terrorising a perceived ‘enemy' comes into play. And who is the supposed enemy? It's anyone who is seen to be different in some way from the rest of the peer group. The instinct of the bully is to chastise and taunt the person seen to be ‘different' so that, by so doing, the bully is made to feel somehow more confident and ‘king' of his domain.
The bullying victim at school
Posted by: Uticopa in self help, big change on
Mar 24, 2009
Most people will probably admit to certain times in their working lives when they lack the motivation to do honest hard work.
If this relates to you, ask yourself honestly whether you're the type who has constantly cut corners, doing the minimum amount of work necessary for a certain project, and making excuses for handing-in papers late.
For many young people just starting out at work, there is the assumption that this tendency would end when they started doing a regular, paying job. However, in practice, this often proves extremely difficult - especially in a large, open-plan office where there may not be an obvious supervisor standing overseeing the job. In this sort of working environment, there are many employees who spend the majority of their time messing around on the internet, writing or even doing anything to waste time and not do the work for which they are being paid.
As with all health issues, it is only by actually listening to sufferers about their particular problems that specific issues and needs can be met. If you have a mental health condition, we would like to hear from you.
It may be you desperately need more attention, someone to talk to, or simply someone to listen. You may say that even the knowledge that there are other people in the same situation would help you to confront your illness. Alternatively, it might be something else entirely. We would like to know.
First, read the rest of this article, particularly the highlighted lines, then let us know what your real needs are by completing the Comments Box below.
Posted by: Uticopa in stress, children on
Mar 20, 2009
What is stress?
Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events - called stressors. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a difficult situation. The hypothalamus in the brain signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups, putting our muscles on alert. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases some of its stored glucose to increase the body's energy, and sweat is produced to cool the body. All of these physical changes prepare us to react quickly and effectively to handle the pressure of the moment.
Stress, or ‘the fight or flight response', is critical during emergency situations, but it can also be activated in a milder form at a time when the pressure is on but there's no actual danger - like that school exam or job interview. Of course, a little of this stress can help us rise to life's challenges. Also, the nervous system can quickly return to its normal state, standing by to respond again when needed. But, it's the abnormal levels that cause concern, and it seems that this is often set way back in early childhood.
