Posttraumatic stress disorder (commonly referred to by its acronym, PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event which results in psychological trauma.

This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one’s own or someone else’s physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual’s psychological defenses.
Have you lived through a scary or dangerous event? Do you’ve a few of the following problems?

*Feeling like the event is happening again.
*Trouble sleeping or nightmares.
*Not feeling about people.
*Becoming easy angered.
*Feeling guilty because other people died when you lived.

If so, you might have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Events that might cause PTSD include rape, physical abuse, an airplane or car smash, war or others.

For almost people, PTSD starts about 3 months later the event. However, some of the times signs of PTSD show up years after.

PTSD can happen to anybody, even kids. And, know this you’re not alone. 5.2 million Americans have PTSD.

If you’ve PTSD, you often have nightmares or scary ideas about the experience you went through. You try to stay away from anything that reminds you of your experience.

You may feel angry and unable to believe or care about others.

You may forever get on the lookout for danger. You can feel very upset when something occurs suddenly or without warning.

The symptoms of PTSD fall into 3 broad types: re-living, avoidance and increased arousal.

1. Symptoms of re-living include flashbacks, nightmares, and extreme emotional and physical reactions to reminders of the event.

Emotional reactions can include feeling shamed, extreme fear of harm, and numbing of emotions. Physical reactions can include uncontrollable shaking, chills or heart palpitations, and tension headaches.

2. Symptoms of avoidance include staying away from actions, places, ideas, or feelings related to the trauma or feeling detached or estranged from others.

3. Symptoms of raised arousal include being overly alert or easily started, difficulty sleeping, irritability or outbursts of anger, and lack of concentration.

The National Institute of Mental Health conducts and backs up research on reactions to national crises and traumatic events.

This research includes the reactions of people following the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers; the Oklahoma City bombing; wars and violence in the middle East; and disasters such earthquakes, tornados, fires, floods, and hurricanes, including the 2005 Gulf Coast storms.

There are a lot of different responses to crisis.
Almost all survivors have intense feelings after a traumatic event just recover from the trauma; other people have several difficulty recovering specially those who have had old traumatic experiences, who are faced up with ongoing stress, or who lack support from friends and family, will want further help.

There are a lot of things you are able to do to cope with traumatic events.

*Understand that your symptoms may be normal, specially right later the trauma.
*Keep to your common routine.
*Take the time to resolve daily conflicts so they don’t add to your stress.
*Don’t shy away from positions, people and places that remind you of the trauma.
*Find ways to relax and be kind to yourself.
*Turn to family, friends, and clergy person for support, and discourse your experiences and feelings with them.
*Participate in leisure and recreational activities.
*Recognize that you can’t control everything.
*Recognize the need for trained help, and call a local mental health center.

Past traumatic experiences can have a profound impact on the sum of anxiety that we regularly feel. Kids who grew up in extremely abusive environments often grow up to very anxious adults.

Veterans of war a lot of times come back with a heightened level of anxiety. And also, survivors of major disasters are prone to severe anxiety disorders.

About half of those with PTSD recover within 3 months without treatment. Some of the times symptoms don’t go away on their own or they last for more than 3 months.

This may occur because of the severity of the event, direct exposure to the traumatic event, serious mindedness of the threat to life, the number of times an event happened, a story of past trauma, and psychological problems before the event.

Whenever this is the case, you may need to consider looking for professional help if your symptoms affect your relationship with your family and friends, or affect your job.

Post traumatic stress is the result of some hazard happened in life like car accident, rape and any such event which has caused severe psychological distress.

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Depression and suicide are two topics which are at the centre of much debate on account of the growing number of children and teens who face these every day. The number of children succumbing to depression and the spate of suicides that are seen has led many people to rethink the education and the support system provided to today’s children and teens. As a parent, the idea that your child is dealing with depression can be unfathomable. The idea that your child might have to cope with suicidal thoughts seems all the more unthinkable. However, the reality is that there are too many youngsters facing these two problems and the two are inexorably linked. Getting the child to open up can be the trickiest part and it is sadly not uncommon for parents of suicidal children to have no idea that their child faced such thoughts.

One cannot simply blame the parents and expect them to know the details of their child’s thoughts. Most children are skilled at hiding their emotions from their parents and they often display only the most subtle signs of depression. Children are prone to depression for a variety of reasons which often revolve around anxiety, loneliness and lack of acceptability. To an adult, the idea that children face depression over such seemingly insignificant issues can be puzzling. However, the world of a child is very different and the need to be accepted is one of their foremost needs. The cruelty of other children and adults can have a deep and lasting impact on their psyche. Some children may have bipolar depression or some other disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder which could lead to such a drastic step.

Helping the child cope with such thought and such feelings of depression not only involves identifying the problem but also determining on the right course of treatment. Children are very susceptible to influence and are often depressed due to seemingly minor issues. A cutting comment from a loved one can ensure a depressed state weeks later. This is why parents and loved ones have to be extremely careful in their dealings with children. Opening communication may require the help of a counselor and the extent of the depression would determine the kind of treatment necessary. This may involve family counseling and could include the need for medical intervention. Building a support and safety net would be of utmost importance for your child and letting them know, verbally and through action, that you support them is as important as supporting them.

Kevin Pederson, authors web content for http://www.diethealthclub.com a complete online resource featuring diet, health and fitness. This article is focused on helping you plan for new year resolutions for healthy diet plans

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Summary: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a high level of worry and stress. Nothing specific triggers it. Women suffer more from it more than men.

Let’s get one thing straight. Everyone experiences stress. This life is hard; you don’t have to live many years to figure that out. You are guaranteed to feel a certain level of anxiety throughout your life; there is simply no way to completely avoid it. You need to be concerned if your worry is a chronic problem. If you are constantly worrying and stressed then you could have what is called the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

The GAD is a chronic, high level of anxiety that is not linked to anything specific.

The General Anxiety Disorder Symptoms are;

Constant worry: You are constantly worrying about the mistakes you made in the past and the problems you think you will face in the future. Many people worry about something that never happens. You worry about small matters in areas such as; family, finances, work and personal illness. Your worry is bad enough that you worry about how much you worry. Your worrying becomes a worry to you.

Decisions: You dread making decisions. You agonize over your decisions endlessly.

Irritability and edginess: Stress in general causes strong emotional responses. If you are under a great deal of stress you are more likely to lose control. If there is anything that can destroy love and unity at home or in a marriage it is out of control anger.

There is a philosophy out there that says if you are angry let it out. Freud believed in getting anger out of your system but he was wrong in this respect. That is not good advice. Most psychologists today believe different, they believe that acting out your aggression especially in a violent manner results in more anger and aggression.

If you think about it logically it absolutely makes sense. If you start yelling at someone at the top of your lungs what do you think they will do? Most normal people will yell back. You have just created a whirlwind of contention. It will require great effort to make it up.

When you start to feel your insides burn up with anger, it is time to force yourself to pause and come to yourself. Try your best to separate yourself from the situation and look at it from a third party. This is much easier said than done.

Another way to explain this is take an 8.5 x 11-inch piece of paper and put it directly up against your face and have it touch your nose. You have peripheral vision but not much. This is what it is like when your anger has the best of you. You don’t see other options but to act out your anger. Now take the piece of paper and pull it away from your face. Your peripheral vision expands representing more options than lashing out.

Physical Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

1. Trembling
2. Muscle tension
3. Diarrhea
4. Dizziness
5. Faintness
6. Sweating
7. Heart Palpitations
8. Difficulty sleeping

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a gradual process. Females tend to have it more than males.

Why this knowledge is important to you is because this disorder causes stress as was touched on a little already. It is important to understand what stress can do to you. Stress is both bad and good. The good aspects of stress are a topic for another article.

Learned helplessness is a form of stress that can lead to depression. Learned helplessness is a condition where you think all is lost and you simply give up which is behavioral disengagement. Quitting or giving up does not relieve the stress it actually causes more stress. There is nothing about giving up on something that is uplifting or ennobling.

Conclusion: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a disorder of chronic worry that causes unhealthy stress. Severe amounts of stress can lead to depression. Physical symptoms are also associated with this disorder.

Bret Bradshaw owns the website www.mindbodyandmoney.com concerning self-help/self-development and operating a business from home.

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If winter makes you eat too much pasta, sleep late, take daily naps, yell at everyone around you and feel like hiding from the world, you might have SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder turns up about this time every year. SAD usually starts when the days get shorter in October or November and turns into pervasive fatigue by late December and January. Anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate and weight gain round out the symptoms that strike people who live at some distance north or south of the equator.

It was called “the winter blues” before it became a recognized disorder in the 1980s. Now, medical and mental health professionals recognize it as very real depression, sometimes accompanied by decreased sexual interest, hopelessness, social withdrawal and even suicidal thoughts. Though children can have SAD, it usually begins to occur in our 20s and appears every year in fall and winter, especially in people who have a relative with clinical depression, bipolar disorder or alcoholism. More women get SAD than men. A few, rare people experience a type of SAD with opposite symptoms during summer months.

Is there a cure, besides waiting for spring? No, but there is treatment, the most common being light therapy or phototherapy. Ordinary light bulbs won’t do the job; the light must mimic sunlight. Don’t be fooled by fake claims. Medically developed light boxes are safe and work with daily use. They deliver 10,000 lux (normal room light measures from 50 to 300 lux), contain a UV filter or screen, and are certified electrically safe. If your doctor prescribes one for treatment of SAD symptoms, some insurance plans even help to pay for them.

Some women say they use tanning beds to combat SAD, but this is a bad idea because tanning beds have been proven so harmful to health and they don’t really work. Here’s why:

1. They offer neither the kind of light nor the delivery method that is useful for light therapy.
2. The UV rays in tanning beds cause harm including increased risk for skin cancer, decreased immunity to disease, and premature aging.
3. For light therapy to work, it must reach the eyes at an angle like that of the sun. Eyes covered with cotton or sunglasses in a tanning bed cannot receive the useful treatment.
4. The spectrum of light from a tanning bed is not the most effective in decreasing SAD symptoms.

White light, usually from fluorescent bulbs, is considered to be the safest. Avoid UV rays and always check with your ophthalmologist if you have any concerns about the condition of your retina or have other vision problems that might be harmed by incorrect exposure to bright light. LED lights are being used in some of the newer light boxes, but the retina is highly sensitive to blue light, which could have harmful long-term side effects. It’s best to consult with your doctor before investing hundreds of dollars in a light box.

Even though light therapy is the generally accepted treatment, doctors don’t really know why it works or how effective it really is. To reduce SAD symptoms, light boxes must be used every day. Some professionals recommend at least 30 minutes twice a day throughout the fall and winter. Once SAD appears, it returns each year.

Doctors think SAD might be caused by changes in the way the body reacts to light and its own biological rhythms. Everyone has a natural biological clock, called “circadian rhythm.” The decreased light during winter months can confuse your internal clock, and causes your brain to produce different chemicals. Medications that produce serotonin (the body’s mood elevator chemical) and melatonin (the body’s calm or sleep inducer) have both been used with some success to adjust these rhythms and chemistry to help reduce the symptoms of SAD. Anti-depressants also reduce symptoms for some people.

Another approach focuses on changing attitudes, behaviors and routines that may contribute to the SAD symptoms. Opening your blinds to increase the amount of light in your house or going for walks in the middle of the day can help mild cases. Regular exercise is a proven mood elevator and also helps you deal more effectively with stress, prevent seasonal weight gain and generally feel better about yourself.

Other proven mood elevators, especially laughter, can also help. If you are wallowing in SAD, go see a funny movie, treat yourself to a comedy club outing or just force yourself to socialize with entertaining friends.

Traditional mind-body relaxation techniques may also alleviate SAD symptoms. These include Yoga, meditation, guided imagery, Tai Chi, acupuncture, and massage. Herbal treatments and dietary adjustments might help some people. St. John’s Wort has shown to increase light sensitivity and reduce mild symptoms of depression, as have Omega 3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, flaxseed oil, walnuts and coldwater fish.

Recently, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) was tested in a small group of people diagnosed with SAD. Some of these people were given CBT alone and others were given CBT with light therapy. A third group was given only light therapy: three hours over a six-week period. Early results show CBT may have more long-term positive effects than light therapy. The CBT focused on changing attitudes and behaviors, acquired through years of dealing with SAD, which may contribute to the severity of symptoms.

Of course, people who can afford it often take a winter Caribbean cruise or vacation in a southern state with a tropical climate. Snowbirds increase by the thousands every year for a reason. Some studies show that as many as half a million people in the United States alone suffer from SAD.

The most important thing to keep in mind is: If you have seasonal depression, you can do something about it. Consult with your doctor before investing money in something you saw on TV. But if you have SAD symptoms, and especially if they are causing you severe disabling depression, get help before SAD harms your career, relationships and your physical health.

Nancy D. O’Reilly, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist who founded WomenSpeak.com http://www.womenspeak.com, based on a decade of research about women’s issues and concerns. A member of the American Psychological Association, she wrote “Timeless Women Speak” now available as age-decade chapters.

Though many people don’t realize this, most people suffer from some degree of depression. Whether it is brought about by the death of a loved one, unresolved stress, child birth or some other form of emotional distress, being depressed doesn’t mean that there’s something mentally wrong with you- it simply means that you are suffering through something that you can’t handle on your own.

Dealing with depression isn’t always a complicated matter; every person is different and each person reacts in their own way. When it comes to losing a loved one, the individual’s ability to cope and how the death of their loved one occurred can play a part in how depressed one can get. For example, if a person loses a parent that has been suffering from terminal illness for a long time, the consequent sadness may me intermingled with a bit of relief. As such, the person feels gloomy for a little while, but comes out of it in a short amount of time on their own, once the negative feelings have been resolved and the grieving process complete.

Other times, dealing with depression isn’t as simple. Some situations can severely affect a person to a point that they require professional help to resolve the emotional fallout. Post-partum depression is an example. After giving birth to a baby, some women find themselves feeling an overwhelming sadness that just won’t go away. Known as post-partum depression, this melancholy can invade all aspects of the mother’s life, causing adverse effects in her marriage, friendships and relationship with her child(ren). Unlike the loss of a loved one, where we personally understand where the emotional upset came from, a woman with post-partum depression has no idea why she feels the way she does.

Sometimes the reason for the negative feelings seems so small that a person feels silly seeking help, or it seems so big that one feels resolution is hopeless. Other times, the reason for the emotional upheaval is unknown- which makes dealing with depression even harder. Again, we are all individuals equipped with our own abilities, strengths and weaknesses- so no matter our perception of our situation, the reality is that it can be overcome.

The good news is that no matter why a person feels the way they do, there’s no need to continue suffering. Because the forces causing a person to be depressed can vary from one end of the spectrum to the other, there isn’t a one size fits all course of treatment. Between medications, support groups and professional counseling, there are methods available that were designed to help with every issue- big or small.

If you are suffering from depression or feel someone you know is depressed, visit http://healinside.com fro more information on how to get help.

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A 2003 study revealed that approximately 19 million people in the United States alone had suffered from depression at one time or another. Since then, these disturbing numbers have continued to increase. However, fewer than twenty percent of those people ever received a confirmed diagnosis or sought proper treatment.

Depression has a huge impact on people’s lives. It is the number one reason people miss work or perform at low levels. If not confirmed and treated, it can lead to serious consequences, including suicide. While advancements have been made to educate the public about this debilitating disease, much more work is needed.

Recently, though, we have seen new and more effective treatments that go beyond the commonly prescribed drugs by treating more than just the symptoms of depression. The public deserves to know all the possible options for getting better and leading a healthy, happy life. One of the most hope inspiring of these therapies is neurofeedback.

As more and more research stuides the effects of neurofeedback on depression, we can see that this appears to be a highly effective manner of preventing some or all of the symptoms of depression. Neurofeedback has also been very successful in controlling depression for people who have already been diagnosed. The most important first step for anyone with symptoms of depression is to see a mental health professional so a firm diagnosis can be made.

While every person has occasional times of feeling down or blue, that should not be mistaken for depression. The symptoms that go along with depression include an abiding sense of despair and hopelessness. People who live with depression have initial indicators that should be recognized as signs of someone at serious risk, which include:

- No interest in friends, family, hobbies, or work.
- Staying in the house, having no interest in getting out.
- Feeling overwhelmed by everything.
- Problems with sleep – too much or too little.
- Difficulty with concentration, finding easy tasks too difficult to complete.
- Becoming frequently short tempered.
- Having little or no appetite.
- Ongoing negative thoughts, to include thoughts of revenge and suicide.

As you can see, depression is a serious matter, one that ultimately has cost many people their lives. If you notice signs of depression in yourself or someone you care about, take action. Often, doctors will prescribe medication to bring the intensity down but we now see neurofeedback being added to the mix of available help.

Neurofeedback therapy works by training the individual to identify triggers so bouts of depression and the intensity of depression can be controlled. When neurofeedback is used in the treatment of depression, it identifies the brainwaves that are in operation when the patient is in a depressed state, as well as the triggers that cause the brainwaves to function at a less than optimal level. In many cases, depression is the result of another problem, which could be chronic pain, injury, or a distressing life event such divorce or the death of a loved one. Learning what the underlying cause of depression is becomes a vital part of successful treatment and therapy.

Neurofeedback is very effective in helping with conditions or disorders that are closely related to stress. The outcome of studies using neurofeedback for depression is highly optimistic, which is a good reason for people with depression to feel more hopeful for the future.

For more information about Neurofeedback, go to http://www.NeurofeedbackBook.com Dr. Clare Albright is a psychologist (CA License PSY11660) and a Neurofeedback practitioner and can be reached at (949)454-0996