Sensory Deprivation: 3月 2012

2012年3月26日星期一

10 Tips on the Right Time of Day for Your Personal Best

Does choosing which time we do an activity really make a difference?

Have you ever wondered what would be the best time of day (or week) to do different kinds of work? Every person's internal clock runs on the Human Circadian Timeline. Except those who have been on graveyard shift for years!

This is the schedule by which our body systems (including our brain) 'take care of business'. Every work day is divided into cycles that match our naturally heightened abilities - both physically and mentally. The trick is to take advantage of identifying and using this information to schedule your work and life activities accordingly.

Circadian rhythms are present at birth and the body temperature cycle emerges between 6 to 9 months for infants. By the age of three the adrenal system is coordinating a complete daily cycle or timeline. The adrenal glands in coordination with our pituitary, hypothalamus, pineal glands control both our internal clock and our stress reaction.

This means our stress levels are in direct proportion to how far off we are from our natural time cycle.

Body temperature cycle doesn't vary so much from person to person. However, our natural rhythms do shorten as we age. Mental conditions like depression in which sleep disturbance is common and physical illness of any kind disrupt the daily cycle. However, healthy people keep their innate circadian cycle throughout their life.

Although each body system has its own rhythm, generally cell replacement peaks between noon and nine pm. The skin and the liver are the only organs which replenish worn out tissues with new ones at night and this process peaks by midnight. The brain is the only organ that functions without cell replacement - So, we'd better take better care of the one we have!

Setting Your Internal Clock

To work and live at our best, we need our internal circadian rhythm in harmony or synchronized with the environmental cues (i.e., light and dark, temperature etc). Human beings grow faster, produce more offspring, enjoy better health, do better work and live longer when time setting environment cycles match.

This makes it easy to understand the fact that graveyard shift (midnight to eight am) workers experience more accidents than day and evening shifts combined. Also, that more of the worst auto accidents occur after midnight. Our bodies 'know' we should be asleep!

One night of short sleep does not affect overall performance. However, several nights of sleep deprivation leads to dull sensory perceptions (vision, hearing etc.), longer reaction time, slow motor coordination, reduced memory retrieval, lowered new memorization ability, as well as increased irritability. These are exactly the functions we need to do good work - including decreased irritability.

In almost all life on this planet, light is the number one influence...and most powerful internal clock setting factor. Obviously, different mammals have different clocks; cats are active at night and sleep all day and people are active during the day and sleep at night. No one had heart attacks prior to the 1800s (city dwelling, rise of industrial work using artificial light).

Number two influence is temperature...

For example, people's sleep and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) or dream cycles are disturbed and they awake more often when the sleeping temperature is above 75 degrees. When the sleeping temperature is below 65 degrees dreams become unpleasant and contain emotional conflict. Working in a cold room increases your chances of a repetitive stress injury.

Number three is eating.

Did you know that Japanese people who are most Americanized have five times the heart disease compared to those who practice more traditional cultural habits and diet?

Number four is sounds for most species on the land and in the oceans. As you might expect, sound is an especially strong factor for auditory dominant learners like myself. Studies have indicated that among people living under the airport approach route there is a thirty percent higher rate of admissions to mental hospitals.

Exercise

Regular exercise increases everyone's cognition capability and releases stress from our bodies. For most men, the best time to exercise is in the afternoon. Women who exercise in the morning raise serotonin levels, which prompts a positive mental state.

If you exercise in the evening it disturbs the natural slowing down cycle leading to sleep. So a good thing like exercise can be even better if you know the best timing. If the only time you can exercise is the afternoon - go ahead!

Stress

We can't live without stress - but, what we need is the right type of stress in the proper quantity and at the right time. When mental (adrenal) skills are high sensory sensitivity is low and vice versa. We were designed to concentrate on the physical or the mental - but not to peak perform in both at the same time.

Stress causes our internal rhythms to lose synchronicity. It subverts our natural circadian rhythms into a dis-ease progression which affects sleep, eating and all functions.

Stress response is the same as if you were physically wounded and losing blood. This in turn breaks down the immune system and leads to weakness to new diseases as well as injuries healing more slowly.

Physical stressors include temperature, sound, vibration, movement and humidity.

Physiological stressors include sleep disturbance, irregular eating, alcohol and nicotine (depressants) and caffeine (stimulant).

Psychological stressors: fear, frustration, social and work or business pressure.

Generally adults operate in ninety minutes activity cycle - while under stress the cycle shortens to a one hour cycle (the same as in infancy). The natural activity cycle we are programmed for is made up of 30 minutes rest followed by 60 minutes activity followed by thirty minutes rest. Being at rest doesn't mean sleeping! It means alternating the kinds of activities you do every day for a little physical and mental variety.

The perfect ten-minute break is to drink a glass of water and walk around in the sunlight for ten minutes - wear a hat but, no shades. You want your eyes to pickup light without glare. It is remarkably refreshing to both mind and body.

Did you know an aspirin taken at seven am lasts for 22 hours but, taken at 7 pm it lasts only 17 hours? Here's why. Our mental abilities and physical functions coordinate with our body temperature which goes through a daily cycle of warming up in the morning and cooling down at night.

No matter what time it is, the colder you are the slower your senses function. Our ability to multiply quickly and accurately varies directly with body temperature, too. This is one of the reasons why cold is a strong stress factor.

Around 4 AM we settle into our lowest body temperature and the pituitary and adrenal glands start sending out wake up hormones. Our temperature begins to gradually rise until awakening around 5 AM - 7 AM. This also gives your body the opportunity to discharge the chemicals that keep you paralyzed during dream state (so you don't hurt yourself). Then, you can get up and move about without stubbing all ten toes.

You can trade in your morning cup of coffee for a quick warm shower because it wakes you up by increasing your body temperature, blood circulation and your breathing rate deepens.

Both men and women's hormones flow more quickly as body temperature rises and peaks out around mid-morning.

Mornings

Memory works best up til approximately noon. So for most any kind of testing mornings are best.

11AM body temperature reaches its daily plateau and remains with slight variation throughout the day.

Midday mental skills both speed and accuracy in mathematics and cognitive projects peaks out in early afternoon and then gradually declines through the afternoon.

After lunch performance level dips along with a slight temperature drop while digesting.

Heavier meals (high fat, more than 4 ounces of meat, etc.) the more physical lethargy and deeper loss of mental focus. Plus, the longer it takes our after-lunch fade to lift because digesting uses oxygen that would otherwise be available for brain functions.

Afternoons

Once the body has reached it's daily temperature of 98.6 degrees, motor skills remain steady throughout the day with mechanical skills peaking in the afternoon.

All five senses (seeing hearing, feeling, touching, tasting) peak in the afternoon as well. This is one reason why an enjoyable spicy dinner tends to be an unappetizing breakfast.

Pain sensitivity takes until mid-morning to reach its daily peak and is highest between 10am and 6pm. Then, our pain threshold falls off after dinner meal and into the night.

So by late afternoon most every one of our abilities has peaked and our temperature begins to drop at night before we sleep. This is especially true after 10PM. Then, it's "good morning", and the cycle starts over again!

You'll only find out if it makes a difference in your performance to align your activities with the time if you try it out and notice the improvement!

Eve Abbott's newest book, "How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain TM" is guaranteed to save you time while reducing your stress. The Organizer Extraordinaire pioneered in offering free online assessments to help you make your new personal organizing solutions match your individual work style.

For more proven tips, articles, interviews or teleseminars please contact Eve at: 510-528-4950 or Eve@Organizer-Extraordinaire.com. You are welcome to discover more cost-effective productivity resources at Eve's website http://www.Organizer-Extraordinaire.com

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2012年3月25日星期日

7 Benefits of Sleep

Many of us want to sleep as little as possible. There is so much to do that sleep can seem like a waste of time. Yet sleep, an essential time of rest and rejuvenation, benefits our minds and bodies in many ways. Everyone knows the downside of not getting enough sleep. You feel drowsy, have trouble concentrating, your productivity is lower and you are more irritable. Sleep is not a luxury, it is a need.

Here are 7 benefits of a good night's sleep.

Sleep helps to repair your body and makes you look better. Much of the body's healing work takes place while you sleep. Without the need to attend to all of the functions of daily life, your immune system and organs of detoxification can focus attention on cleansing and restoration. This is the time when your body does some major house cleaning, taking care of wastes that have accumulated during the day and repairing cellular damage. While you are sleeping, your cells produce more protein. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair any damage caused by stress, sun exposure (ultraviolet rays), and so on. This means that also your skin and muscles are repaired and/or regenerated, which gives you a healthy look. Sleep is essential to the immune system. Without adequate sleep, the immune system becomes weak, and the body becomes more vulnerable to infection and disease.

Sleep reduces stress. Although stress may seem like a natural result of today's fast paced lifestyle, this of course doesn't mean that it's good for your body. Too much stress increases the aging and degeneration of organs, cells and other body parts. By reducing high levels of stress, sleep helps to reverse these effects and encourages a state of relaxation.

Sleep helps you to concentrate during the day. Anyone who has had a night with little sleep will recognize this one. You feel lousy and sometimes it can be hard to focus on a simple conversation. Researchers believe that during sleep, neurons can shut down and repair any damage done during the day. Without these repairs, the neurons may not function correctly due to a buildup of waste products.

Sleep improves your memory. Researchers do not fully understand why we sleep and dream, but a process called memory consolidation occurs during sleep. While your body is resting, your brain is busy processing the day, making connections between events, sensory input, feelings and memories. We might learn new things during the day, but night time is when it all sinks in. That's why it could be better to have a good night's sleep before an exam, instead of studying the whole night through.

Sleep controls your body weight. Sleep helps to regulate the hormones (cortisol) that affect and control your appetite. Studies have shown that when your body is deprived of sleep, the normal hormone balances are interrupted and your appetite increases. Unfortunately this increase in appetite doesn't lead to a craving for fruits and veggies, but instead your body longs for food high in calories, fats and carbohydrates. So, if you're trying to lose a few pounds, make sure you get enough sleep.

Sleep reduces the risk of depression. Sleep impacts many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with a deficiency in serotonin are more likely to suffer from depression. You can help to prevent depression by making sure you are getting the right amount of sleep.

Sleep will make you a nicer person. Lack of sleep can make you irritable and cranky, which seriously affects your social interactions. Taken to extremes, severe sleep deprivation causes disorientation and paranoia.

So never underestimate how important a good night's rest is.

Sleep well!

Gerber de Lange is always searching for more ways to improve his everyday life in every way. He shares the information and experience he gathers along the way at the following site:
http://everydayimprovement.com

Feel free to use this article on your website or newsletter as long as you include this information.

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A Waking Dream, Through History - Part 4

This is Part 4, in an on-going study of dreams. Part 3 ended with the start of discussing the four different stages. In this Part, we'll look deeper into these four stages and also how our brain processes stimuli produced from our dreams and how our body keeps from actually acting out our dreams.

REM sleep is also known as 'paradoxical sleep', because during it brain activity, adrenaline levels, pulse rate and oxygen consumption come closer to those in wakefulness, yet muscle tone relaxes and the sleeper may prove particularly difficult to arouse. It is during the REM sleep that more dreaming takes place. It seems that physiological differences between REM sleep and the other three, deeper levels of sleep are as great as those between waking and sleeping.

A number of American dream researchers have even suggested that REM sleep warrants recognition as a third basic form of human existence, seeming to confirm the ancient Hindu tradition that consciousness consists of three distinct levels: waking, dreamless sleep and dreaming.

In the 1960's researchers found that REM deprivation appears to lead to daytime irritability, fatigue, memory loss and poor concentration.

Volunteers who were systematically deprived of REM sleep by being aroused whenever they entered the eye activity phase caught up on subsequent nights by engaging in more REM sleep than usual. If a subject is faced with total sleep deprivation, because of illness or other factors, the REM state has even been known to force its way into waking consciousness. It seems that we may badly need REM sleep, and this could be associated with a psychological need to dream.

Emotions are engaged during REM, causing heart rate and breathing to become erratic at times. Gastric acid production may increase by as much as ten times, asthmatics are more prone to attacks, and there is an increased tendency to cardiac arrest. Intriguingly, however, these extreme physiological changes do not necessarily have a direct relationship with reported dream content, but may instead result from what appears to be a total arousal of parts of the nervous system. Yet however, real such sensory experiences appear to the brain, something prevents us from performing in full actions and emotions that fill our dreams. There is a general loss of muscle tone during REM sleep and the eye muscles appear to be the only ones that are physically involved in acting out dream events. It has been shown that when dreams are most vivid, certain inhibitors are produced to prevent muscles from receiving the relevant impulses from the brain, thus ensuring that we do not act on sensory stimuli experienced in the dream. It is perhaps this effective paralysis that gives rise to the dream sensations of being unable to run, of attempting in vain to scream, or of trying to walk, but being stuck in sand or water. The brain somehow prevents us from moving physically when asleep with the power and agility possessed by the dreaming mind.

Join me for Part 5- where we'll continue to study together how dreaming effects our waking life. Information from: "The Secret Language of Dreams"; By David Fontana.

http://www.bonanzle.com/inspired

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2012年3月24日星期六

2008 Graduates - 20 Things You Probably Won't Hear at Commencement Ceremonies

Graduation means new adventures, new paths, and lots of new choices to make. Whether you're leaving for college or the work force, there are lots of things folks will tell you, attempting to give you 'advice' as you head out for this next 'stage' of your life. It doesn't really matter how old you are, or where you're heading off to. Everyone's going to tell you what to do (and what NOT to do), because they love you or they want to see you succeed, or maybe even so they can live vicariously through you. My guess is all that 'stuff' will come from a place of good intent. (Or whoever paid for your college tuition just wants their money's worth!) Whatever the case, here are some things you probably won't hear from all those 'grown-ups' who mean you well.

1. It's only going to be as hard as you think. It's up to YOU to find what works, not from what anyone else has done. Choose your path by way of your heart.

2. If you drink, don't drive. If you drive, don't drink. Common sense is not as common as one might think.

3. Always carry snacks. You never know when you might need food to get you through the next few hours. Food is more essential than alcohol (it's true!), but don't underestimate the medicinal properties of a glass of wine. It's part of your fruits/vegetables group. Also, don't over-imbibe as this well cause serious memory loss (which may be the difference between passing and failing that exam!)

4. Sleep is not to be underestimated. Sleep deprivation has been proven to reduce brain capacity by vast amounts, turning even the most brilliant student into an imbecile. Proven fact! (the adage 'I'll sleep when I'm dead" is NOT to be taken seriously!)

5. Personal hygiene is of the utmost importance. You can wear the same pair of jeans for days as long as you're also wearing clean undergarments. If you don't believe this, try living with someone who never bathes. This will cause various maladies including, but not limited to, sleep deprivation, nausea, chronic discomfort of the olfactory senses and weight loss (it's hard to eat when someone that foul-smelling is in the room!)

6. Avoid green shower stalls. If it looks like there's carpet in the bathroom (and you KNOW it's tile) do not put your bare feet on that floor. Fungi are nasty little organisms that are difficult to eradicate and extremely unpleasant sensory experiences. If all else fails, wear flip-flops!

7. Gym membership is not essential to staying in shape. Your own body-weight will do the trick. Good old-fashioned sit-ups, push-ups and a spirited hike will keep you just as fit as an hour a day in a gym. The added benefits of staying in shape? You don't need to sleep as much! (please refer to item # 4)

8. An email is NOT the same as a hard copy. In other words, drop your Mom a card every now and then. She'll appreciate the time you took to write it (in your own handwriting please!) and drop it in a mailbox. This will result in more 'treats' for you! The next time you bring 3 months worth of laundry home, she'll do it with a smile. Trust me, this works wonders!

9. Always respond quickly when Care Packages arrive. More thank-you notes result in more to be thankful for. In short, gratitude begets gratitude. Be grateful for every little thing. (side effect: it makes you feel good too!)

10. Hats are terrific for all sorts of catastrophies. Bad hair days, dirty hair days, rain, visible roots (color much?), etc. They're also quite handy for keeping those nasty little critters off of you (think ticks...ICK!)

11. Cotton, cotton, cotton! Avoid synthetic clothing. Cotton is more comfortable, easy to wash (even in the dorm sink), dries quickly and wears well. The nearest discount store sells cotton t-shirts in 6-packs. Buy 2. This will give you plenty of time to find someone to do your laundry before you run out. (same with socks!)

12. Say hi to the 'dork'. Just because someone LOOKS like a geek does not mean they don't have a heart. Be nice. You never know who that geek will turn into (think Bill Gates!). Besides, like gratitude, nice begets nice. Ignore the jackasses who think they're better than you. As my daddy used to say, "even the Pope has to wipe his own butt". (not a pretty picture, but you get the idea!) We are all people....and no one is better than anyone else. (it's just that some think otherwise...leave them to their delusions and get on with it)

13. It only takes 21 days to form a habit. Choose the ones that will provide the most benefit, and stick to it. It won't be long before you're the one acing exams and still having time to have fun! You CAN do both. It's all about balance.

14. Phone home. Once a week, call your parents. Just tell them you love them. If you've never done this before, expect various reactions. Do not dismay. This, too, shall pass. One day, after you're all 'grown-up', you'll be glad you did this. Again, you'll have to trust me here. Because they (your parents) won't be around forever...now is as good a time as any to tell them you care.

15. When your cash flow doesn't flow ~ BE CREATIVE. You'd be amazed at the things you can do to make money. Example: go to www.craigslist.org Search under 'Free'. Get free stuff...and sell it. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

16. Volunteer: you will be utterly astonished at how much this will change your life. Find something that inspires you (animal shelters, homes for the elderly, food banks, women's shelters, etc) and donate some of your time. It feels good, and the returns are a hundred-fold. Remember, what goes around, comes around.

17. Listen to your gut. Intuition is a gift EVERYONE has been bestowed. Use it. Often. It will always lead you to your best Self. It's also handy for recognizing the jerk that's hiding behind that pretty face. Trust your gut MORE than your eyes. Seeing is not necessarily believing.

18. There's no such thing as a stupid question. If you don't know, ASK. The only 'stupid question' is the one that goes unasked. Besides, how do you think the greatest minds of our time got their answers? Think Nobel Peace Prize.

19. Education is more than just the stuff you learn in class. It's equal parts mental, moral and aesthetic development. This means knowledge (from books/teachers/labs), experiences (parties, outings, etc.), and exploration. Don't be afraid to try new things. You might be surprised what you'll learn about your Self!

20. S-T-R-E-T-C-H! Both physically and otherwise...STRETCH. Reach beyond your norm and let yourself wander. Stretch your body throughout the day (good for lots of stuff!). Stretch your mind to consider new possibilities. Stretch your consciousness to feel the whole of this marvelous Universe. There is much to learn. Much to experience. Much to live. GO FOR IT!

Here's to your new adventures. I wish you great love, great joy and many wonderful experiences. Blessings to all the grads (and their parents!)

Camille Olivia Strate is an author and coach who takes great pleasure in helping folks 'remember' who they are. She spends much of her time with her beloved animals, maintaining that they are her greatest connection to Source. When she's not coaching or writing, she can be found in the garden or on a trail, soaking in the marvels of Nature's offerings. Her latest book, "Whispers" is now available in eBook format. Hardcopy to follow soon! Visit her personal site at http://joyizzachoice.blogspot.com/ [http://www.joyzachoice.com]

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3 Ways to Release Endorphins Naturally

Everyone wants to feel good, and some even turn to drugs or other artificial methods in order to do so. But did you know that you have your own natural pharmacy built right into your brain? The brain is easily capable of releasing its own feel-good chemicals, such as endorphins, which are much safer option than relying on pharmaceuticals and other drugs. Endorphins not only make you feel happy, but act as natural pain relievers too. In this article we'll take a look at three ways to release endorphins naturally.

Endorphins not only make you feel happy, but act as natural pain relievers too. These opioid chemicals are produced by the pituitary gland in response to a variety of factors, including stress, danger, vigorous activity and pleasurable situations such as eating and orgasm. Endorphin release can also be deliberately stimulated, including by using the following methods:

1. Exercise

The first natural endorphin release method is vigorous exercise. You've probably heard of the famous 'runner's high', which is an ecstatic state that is often experienced by those who participate in long-distance running. Exercise of this type causes the brain to release endorphins (and possibly other natural chemicals also), which provide that natural high.

You don't have to be a runner to experience this however, and most other forms of exercise can achieve the same result. The key is that the exercise should be of moderate to high intensity and prolonged - so short workouts are less likely to produce the effect, although most people find that exercise of any kind makes them feel better to some degree.

2. Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient technique that involves inserting fine needles at strategic points under the skin, which correspond to the body's energy meridian points. Acupuncture has often been used as a natural anaesthetic, and there is evidence to indicate that its pain-relieving effects may be down to endorphin release.

While most people won't be about to visit an acupuncturist every time they simply want to feel a bit happier, if you're experiencing pain, and are looking for non-drug-related pain relief methods, acupuncture is certainly worth considering, as it helps you to make use of your body's own natural inbuilt painkillers.

3. Brainwave Entrainment

A third, less well-known natural endorphin release method is brainwave entrainment. This involves exposure to repetitive stimuli such as waves of sound or light. For example, you may listen to a brainwave entrainment recording that contains sounds of specific frequencies. Thanks to a natural phenomenon known as the 'frequency following response', the brain will tend to match its own brainwave output to the frequencies of the sounds it's hearing.

Since brainwaves of different frequencies are linked with different mental states, this makes brainwave entrainment a useful tool for accessing different states of consciousness at will.

This also helps you to release endorphins, because it has been found that they're also released naturally when you enter a state of deep relaxation. For example, people who are immersed in a flotation tank will often experience produce endorphins when they become profoundly relaxed as a result of sensory deprivation. While this isn't a practical option for most people, brainwave entrainment provides a viable alternative because it too can help you achieve a similarly relaxed state in which the brainwave patterns linked with endorphin release are triggered.

Brain wave entrainment is probably the most accessible of these three endorphin stimulation methods for most people, and is well worth trying if you're not already familiar with it.

If you decide to use brainwave meditation for releasing endorphins at will, you might like the 'Endorphin Release' recording from The Unexplainable Store. This site has a great reputation for producing top-quality products, all of which are fully guaranteed. There are some free downloads available too, and you can find out more information at http://www.brain-sync.com

Loren Mann is an experienced 'explorer of consciousness' who enjoys writing about self-development topics and sharing helpful, high quality resources, and may receive compensation as a result of making these recommendations.

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2012年3月23日星期五

A Challenge to the Moral Reputation of a Nation

For the most part, the bulk of this article pertains to the period after the events of 911 and preceding the Invasion of Iraq. I believe the following actions were a precursor to the Iraq War, and part of a much broader plan to establish major U.S. military presence in the oil-rich Middle-East to which our economy funnels over $700,000,000,000 a year purchasing oil; assets very much endangered by philosophical differences.

In the year 2000, a new Republican administration Lead by newly elected President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney, began leading what would come to be a fundamental drift away from the accepted morality of American Democracy, as we have known it, since WWII. As a result of the events on 911, key in the philosophical sell-out of American ideals would be Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. A participating group of lawyers that came to be known as the "War Council" would shape a different view of the United States of America, by the rest of the World. David Addington, William Jim Haynes, Tim Flanagan, Alberto Gonzalez, and particularly John Yoo, would craft legal opinions that evolved into Presidential orders that would grant the President, unprecedented powers. Over a period of time, they would literally rewrite the "Rules of War" as the World had seen them, for over 50 years. It is generally accepted that Vice-President, Dick Cheney, spear-headed this push for new Executive Power.

The resulting policy changes would infuriate the rest of the World, and bring shame on the people of our country. Subversion of the U.S. Constitution, challenges to the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court, and corruption of the responsibility of the U.S. Congress, brought about by "fear mongering" would result in denial of the Geneva Conventions, and bring Global respect for the United States to an all time, historical low! Many would suggest that this Administration's policies had perpetrated "war crimes" and abolished the concept of "humane treatment" that the U.S., itself had spear-headed at the Geneva Conventions, following the atrocities of WWII, basing interrogation and detainment techniques on those of the Communist governments of Russia and N. Korea!

Maj. Gen. Thomas Romig (2001-05), a senior advisor from the office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) found the course that the "War Council" was pursuing, profoundly disturbing, from the very beginning. His opinion would normally be of the highest regard and very desired in such a major policy revision, as "rules of conflict". He was effectively left out of the process. In a significant meeting with senior military lawyers, Cheney and his 5 lawyers would finalize the original opinion, in the form of an official memo, and sign off on it with no JAG presence. Within hours, President Bush would sign it. At the Department of Defense, the resulting policy changes would also be opposed by Richard Shiffrin (1993-2003), Deputy General Counsel on Intelligence as having questionable legal ramifications. Thus, with notable opposition, the Bush Administration began an excursion into the detainment and torture of those that would be termed "enemy combatants" in the U.S. "War on Terror"!

On 911, the political concept of gaining power through terrorism was brought home to the United States of America. In an elaborate plan, a Muslim Extremist organization know as Al Quieda (led by Osama Bin Ladin, and known to few Americans) would be executed that would strike fear into the hearts of the entire country. Death and destruction as we had never experienced on our own territory, left the entire country in a state of shock! It is this unprecedented fear that the Bush Administration would capitalize on to take the United States into territory never before ventured. Amnesty International, the International Red Cross, and the American Civil Liberties Union would condemn their actions in years to come.

...The U.S. Army field manual on interrogation defines torture as, "The infliction of intense pain to the body or mind to extract a confession, or information, or for sadistic pleasure."

The ability to conduct war with little or no rules was now in the hands of the U.S. Government. Over a period of time, legal opinions would be crafted by the War Council and signed off by the President that actually set up detailed permissions regarding detainment and interrogation, attempting to avoid potential legal ramifications. Colonel Steven Kleinman Senior Intelligence Officer for the U.S. Air Force, who had served in both Iraq wars (1985-2008), has stated that, at that time, the CIA had no structured interrogation procedures. But, the U.S. Military SERE program did have a vast array of torture techniques learned from North Korea, used in survival training. These procedures would be fundamental in coming legal opinions written by John Yoo, aimed at expanding the power of the Commander-in-Chief in regard to detainment and interrogation of enemy combatants.

Then Deputy Secretary of State (2001-05), Richard L. Armitage, who was also left out of these processes and states that he would have had no part of them anyway, says that he had found Yoo's legal reasoning seriously flawed. In accordance, the Department of State warned the Administration that violating Section 3 of the Geneva Conventions would raise the risk of future criminal prosecution by other parties of the Geneva Conventions for "war crimes". It further warned that these prosecutions would not exclude President Bush and participating Staff members. In the same time frame, Amnesty International warned the Bush Administration that the use of sensory deprivation violated the same section of the conventions' laws, as they had acquired evidence of the use of hooding, shaving, chaining down and drugging of detainees. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stated publicly that these interrogation techniques were not a violation of civil and human rights, as the detainees at the Guantanamo detainee camp were the most dangerous, well-trained, vicious killers on the face of the Earth. This was quite alarming to many, as the vast majority of detainees were "suspects" and not determination of guilt had been established. Among those alarmed; along with his Deputy Armitage, was Secretary of State, Colin Powell. A most certainly imperative meeting to discuss Powell's concerns was subverted by Cheney and lawyers Addington and Gonzalez. They approached Bush with the idea that the Geneva Conventions were last century thinking and obsolete in regard to the current world issues and problems facing the United States. They further advised him that opting out of Geneva would go a long way in avoiding potential criminal prosecutions. Bush would follow suit, jettisoning the Geneva Law, declaring that the detainees, not "Prisoners of War", but rather that they were "Illegal Enemy Combatants" who would in any case, be treated humanely. Sadly, this whole mess would make Colin Powell's continued participation in the Bush Administration, a permanent scar on his life-long service to his country.

Col. Larry Wilkerson, Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State (2002-05), also Powell's long time aid and 31 year military Veteran, states that he believed this move was spearheaded by David Addington and was nothing more than an act of convenience. He is quoted as saying, "They had a vision, were ruthless in carrying it out, and executed it very well."

On February 7, 2002, George Bush publicly jettisoned Geneva and U.S. law, and declared the detainees to be Enemy Combatants.

U.S. Torture Statute, 1994: defines "Torture" as "an act committed by a person... Specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering... Upon another person within his custody or physical control."

America would no longer be constrained by the moral and humane prohibitions of Geneva. Cruelty and injustice had prevailed over principles long accepted ideals, ingrained in the American Philosophy of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "Laws of War" would protect no prisoners in U.S. confinement. Our military began "routine" use of interrogation tactics that evolved in Stalin's Russian prison camps and the POW camps of North Korea. In fact, "water-boarding" specifically, dates back to the "Spanish Inquisition", one of the cruelest periods in the history of mankind. It was also a tool commonly used by the KGB.

The CIA was not so quick to jump on the bandwagon. Some insight into the goings on, has been offered by Martin Lederman, Associate Professor at the Georgetown University, Law Center: The Whitehouse urged the CIA to use interrogation Techniques that appeared to be illegal. Fearing potential intervention by Congress the CIA insisted on a "Golden Shield" of protection from prosecution. On August 1, 2002 the Department of Justice released a memo; another legal opinion originating in the office of John Yoo. It stated that, "Congress can no more interfere with a President's conduct of the interrogation of enemy combatants, than it can dictate strategic or tactical decisions on the battlefield." It further defined that, "Any attempt by Congress to interfere with a Presidential order, even if it crossed the line into torture, would be un-Constitutional, and any interrogation would be legal unless it caused pain equivalent to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily functions, or even death." The CIA had the green light to conduct interrogation with few limitations.

Sec/State, Staff Chief, Wilkerson observed: If you can define torture as death or almost death, then you can stand up and say that you don't do torture, and "I think that's what they were doing."

Once the "Golden Shield" had been established, secret Whitehouse meetings chaired by Condoleeza Rice were held. At these a committee of top officials including Cheney, Rumsfeld, and CIA Director George Tennant, reviewed and approved the specifics of over a dozen harsh interrogations, including the "water torture" technique. Following WWII and Vietnam this method of interrogation had been prosecuted by the United States as a "War Crime". Richard Armitage had experienced water-boarding in SEER training and said he found it to be enormously unpleasant and frightening. In an interview this subject came up and he stated, "There is no question in my mind, there's no question in any reasonable human being... there shouldn't be, that this is "Torture". He then appeared somewhat embarrassed as he stated, "I'm ashamed that we're even having this conversation." This is coming from a distinguished public servant who served 3 combat tours in Vietnam.

The "Golden Shield" of August 1, 2002 included yet another attempt at derailing future criminal prosecution of interrogators and their superiors, stating: "For purely mental pain or suffering to amount to torture, it must result in significant psychological harm, of significant duration, lasting for months or even years." After these legal opinions had taken effect and been used for a period of time, on December 2, 2002, Donald Rumsfeld approved another memo, this time signed off by Jim Haines. This one approved 15, interrogation techniques, many of which again defied our military's own definition of cruel and inhumane treatment.

The Uniform Code of Military Justice: Prohibits U.S. Armed Forces from engaging in cruelty, oppression or maltreatment of prisoners, and communicating a threat, to wrongfully injure a detainee. Before his firing, Rumsfeld rescinded some of the techniques among the previous group of 15. Many others, though, have been a routine part of interrogations for years since.

Under years of pressure from the ACLU and many International organizations, the U.S. Supreme Court, in 2006, ruled that the detainees at Guantanamo were entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions. By that time many of those prisoners had been detained for over 5 years, without recourse. Following that ruling, only weeks before the 2006 mid-term elections the U.S. Congress came to the Bush Administrations rescue. They passed new law that stripped the courts of the power to hear cases based on Geneva, that also granted retro-active immunity to officials that might have carried our or ordered torture. Thus, in finality, all 3 branches of the U.S. government had effectively failed the cause of "Human Rights" and the American people!

After the passing of more years of confinement for many detainees of the U.S. a Supreme Court ruling stuck! Now many of those prisoners have been detained for over 7 years. On June 12, 2008 the high court ruled that Guantanamo prisoners have the right to challenge their detention. The Whitehouse may very well, now, have to answer for its practices and treatment of detainees, in U.S. Federal Courts. But, don't count on it!

In recent months pressure to close the Guantanamo facility has increased, and also over 500 prisoners have been released (Think they're worried?). But, it is still operating and the War continues... costing taxpayers lives and about $10,000,000,000 a month!

Note this:

As a Veteran I found this whole subject to be quite disturbing, from the beginning. As an American citizen I have and still do feel very shamed by it. I have long been a member of the ACLU, because it became clear to me way back when I was in the Navy, that someone has to watch our Government, besides the government. That, though, is another entire subject that I will never discuss because of the security clearance I worked under in the military, and my loyalty to oaths I took. At any rate, over the years I have tried my best to stay informed of what is going on with my Country. The article has very little opinion in it, though there is some. For the most part, though, the facts were gathered from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Associated Press, Reuters news agency, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Public Broadcasting System, National Public Radio, Meet the Press, Whitehouse Press conferences, many other newspapers and books, and Internet encyclopedias.

After PBS aired "Bush's War" nationally, the Bush Administration threatened to literally abolish government funding for public television and radio. As a result they are reticent about the airing of such endeavors. On the subject discussed in this article, a few independent public television stations recently aired "Torturing Democracy", produced by Sherry Jones and co-produced by Carey Murphy. PBS will broadcast it nationwide on January 21, 2009, after the Presidential Administration is formally changed. Smart, I think!

Americans, who've been waiting for someone to graphically connect the dots between the legal memos justifying torture, abuse of prisoners of Guantanamo and beyond, and the consequences for the moral standing of this nation, need look no further. It's all here. "Torturing Democracy" should engender the same mass outrage as the 2004 photos from Abu Ghraib. - Dahlia Lithwick, Slate.com

"This will go into the record books for historians and teachers and others who look back to ask, 'What did we do?'" - Bill Moyers

If you care at all about this country's place in the International Community, which includes our place in the Global Economy or have an opinion about what you would like Your Country to stand for... Don't miss this program!!!

David R Carroll, CADC is a certified substance abuse counselor, in California. He has served as a treatment program Director (started a new program). He developed the curriculum for that program that required approval from the California Department of Corrections Substance Abuse Services Coordinating Agency, and the California Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. He has also worked going into California prisons recruiting inmates for Aftercare threatment for addiction and alcoholism. Counselor Carroll is also WebMaster of the site, Addiction: Why Me?

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3 Steps to Break Through the Glass Ceiling

Your Glass Ceiling May Look Like Comfy Job Why You Should Get Up And Out When Things Look Rosy!

A strange thing happened on Jake's journey to management Nirvana: things were looking peachy for years only to end up on a dead track. Bright, young and engaged Jake was talent spotted at a local office of a global logistics company and found himself posted to the national HQ of the company by age 26. Not bad, the small town boy was going places in his management career. After a few years of patient toiling he was posted to the regional HQ, things were kind of falling into place. If he just worked hard enough at his job Jake's management career would surely stay on track! But something funny happened: Hard as he toiled, managed and delivered predictably consistent results, even in tough times, one year followed the next and Jake still found himself in the same chair located in the same corner of the same office in regional HQ. Unknowingly Jake had bumped against the invisible Glass Ceiling. He was going nowhere...

Decoding The Invisible Glass Ceiling Legions of managers are out there today, right at this very moment, ensnared in the seemingly invisible web of the Glass Ceiling. Try as they may, they just can't figure out what went wrong with their career, why they are not getting past this invisible barrier. They have worked diligently, cooperated, contributed and delivered and yet, here they are: stuck... their name is not hot property anymore, the promotions pass them by, everyone is nice and friendly enough to them but no one really tells them why they are going nowhere, it's as if they are stuck in a sensory deprivation chamber watching through a hole in the wall as the world passes them by.

3 Steps To Remove The Glass Ceiling From Your Management Career Step 1. Statistics Apply ? Why People Go From Young Hero To Being Invisible Think of an old fashioned hierarchical organization as a pyramid. There is plenty of space at the bottom of the pile. Most people who join a company at the bottom of the hierarchy pile have one goal in mind: find a job & pay the bills. Even one ounce more energy & determination than the rest will make you stand out from the crowd... you will be noticed easily and given your first leadership role fairly fast, for in the land of the blind the one-eyed is king. But don't be fooled, far from being an ideal pyramid shape a hierarchical organization looks more like a funnel: broad at the bottom suddenly tapering into a thin end. This means: there is much less space at the top and the air gets much thinner much faster than people believe. Your natural good looks, affable charm and ability to deliver predictable results will not get you past this sudden narrowing of the management strata.

Step 2. Don't Become A Legend In Your Own Mind Blessed with a few initial management successes and promotions many a young manager gets excited about his/her abilities. Far from understanding that these initial successes owe as much to their personal ability as to the fact that they achieved easy wins being the one-eyed kings in the land of the blind (it isn't hard to succeed in an environment populated by individuals who just want to pay the bills) these managers actually start believing in their personal prowess and that they are irreplaceable.... WRONG The moment you become a legend in your own mind: "I am good, what would they do without me, etc" a predictable psychological mechanism sets in: The egotist mind now has a delusion it needs to defend at all costs: "Only I can do this, they need me, etc..." which starts excluding all other possible realities and opinions.

You have trapped yourself in a cycle of having to prove yourself right. How many times have you sat in a meeting and heard Mr. X or Mrs. Y ramble on and belabor a silly point with only one intention in mind: prove themselves right when everyone perfectly well knew they were wrong... Get over it: you are not perfect, you cannot know everything and in a world of geometric knowledge & technology expansion wanting to be 'right' is a one way ticket to disaster.

Step 3. Move-Move-Move From Company To The Next! Yes, this does contradict traditional wisdom. Words like loyalty, perseverance, staying power, etc start flooding our minds instantly: "My gosh, what will my CV look like! People will think I am a mercenary!"... Lets look at this from another angle: What is it that you really get paid for: results or hard work? Many long term employees of organizations have got it back to front: loyalty, hard work and obedience to the 'corporate culture' of their team characterize their thinking and actions... "I have sacrificed long years of my life in loyal, hard-working service to this company, don't I deserve some recognition?" well, yes you do. If you have delivered results.

However, there is a strange correlation between long term loyalty, hard work and playing along with the corporate culture, it's called inflexibility, lack of imagination and diminishing results because we get bogged down in the corporate politics. Wake up my loyal, long-suffering, sacrificial friends! No one is interested in your sacrifice! No one is interested in your Siren's song of hard work and unrewarded loyalty! Everyone is only interested in: can you bring me a result! Are you fast, efficient, self driven and innovative!? All the qualities of speed, mental agility and willingness to deliver are crucially attached to your ability to change and taking on new challenges, instead of stagnating in an old pond you are like the rushing water of a waterfall: full of fresh oxygen, ideas, zest, power and energy to change things around you. That is what you will be paid for.

Talent search companies are taking a very clear look at CVs, one of the most important criteria is: have you been with a company for a long time (10 years or more)...then you might just have become a pond of stagnant ideas.... Too focused on adeptly sailing the political maze of your company and not innovative/disruptive enough to break old thinking patterns. Simply put: the employee is dead. Companies are looking for fresh thoughts, fresh solutions, individuals who are willing to stand up and deliver (and those companies who are not looking for such people won't be in the game for much longer). Companies are looking for Co-Creators, emotionally mature individuals who know that there is only one reason to join a team: achieve results, learn, improve processes and take this fresh knowledge to the next position in which they can become a key catalyst for results.

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6 Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions Going Strong

We're almost at the end of January-how are your dreams and visions coming along? Have you brought your innermost desires off the backburner? Have you started building the foundations for that new career? Have you taken action on the things most important to you?

Studies show that most New Year's Resolutions have a tendency to be dismissed before the first month of the year has even passes.

And the reason is pretty simple. Many goals are made in response to something negative; a habit or situation that the person wants to change or end. And that's where the problem lies-it's hard to develop momentum from a negative response. It is always easier to move toward something than away from something.

Consider one of the most typical goals-weight loss. It's difficult to get excited about losing weight. Sure, maybe the first week or so is thrilling because of the novelty of a new diet or exercise plan. But once the repetition and a sense of deprivation sets in, the plan becomes difficult to maintain. Self-defeating thoughts such as, "It's too difficult. Who am I trying to kid?" creep in.

In my practice, people succeed at losing weight and achieving their goals because they become motivated by a dream much bigger and more positive than moving away from something negative. For example, losing weight might be the starting point of defining the goal, but we quickly move towards defining a more exciting vision of life. They see themselves living the goal. They feel good envisioning the goal. They take steps that are do-able and then they acknowledge the steps taken. Creating a successful and lasting transformation involves learning how to connect with a big dream that is positive in nature.

GOAL SETTING SUCCESS

If you want to create positive change in your life, here are six steps you can take to increase your success:

1. Choose a resolution that enlivens you!

2. See yourself as having already achieved your goal! Make it a 3-D, multi-sensory experience that feels really, really good inside your body.

3. Make sure this goal is something you really want. It's a free choice made by you, not a prison sentence proclaimed upon you.

4. Break down your goal into manageable steps. Take tiny, small, achievable steps daily.

5. Write down your achievements. Reward yourself for your efforts. Feel good in the process-not only once the goal is attained.

6. Be flexible and have fun!

Instead of giving up on your resolutions this year, make a conscious decision about having what you most want. Walk to the nearest mirror, look yourself in the eyes, and be honest with yourself. If your resolution is important to you, make a solid choice and commitment to yourself. Tell yourself, 'I am 100% committed to giving myself what I most want." Decide that this is the year where you see yourself alive with more joy than you've ever had!

If you're serious about losing weight and changing the way you live in your body, check out Body Redesign: Goal Setting Secrets for a Thinner, Happier You at http://www.annettecolby.com/bodyredesign.shtml. Don't just start another diet, start a new life! Learn rock-solid success principles that will absolutely, positively turn your weight loss dreams into reality!

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2012年3月16日星期五

The Importance of Touch

I watched the panic in my friend's eyes when her newborn child made first contact with this world. "Quick! Put the baby on your chest. Make sure she gets skin contact". Sure enough, her husband was already cradling the babe on his chest at peace with the miracle of holding life in his arms. In my friend's urgent voice - I felt the fear of seeing so many people who had suffered from the lack of human touch and so many children deprived of what is normal human affection. My friend is a child psychologist and has worked with disturbed kids (and adults) for many years. Some of the disturbed children came from families who lacked the basics of bonding that come from human loving touch.

If a child grows up without touch, adult stimulation and interaction, they do not know how to appropriately connect with others, they lack empathy, the ability to imagine what it's like to be in someone else's skin, the ability to process feelings. These traits exist in a lot of us - kids or adults - the inability to understand others is one example. It is very simple to blame someone. It takes more cognitive processes and ability to listen to your own feelings in order to process understanding of others' actions without blaming them for their actions.

In my friend's experience the importance of the child having contact with the skin was vital to give the newborn a safe new world order. So the child moves from fluid suspension to the tenderness of skin and nurturing touch. In the first hours of transition from uterus to "earth" the child becomes reconditioned to a whole new language for their sensory nervous system. We spend the rest of our lives adjusting to and seeking the nurturing touch that re-establishes our world after leaving the womb.

Research has found direct correlation between nurturing touch on a child's brain development. Basically, if the child does not receive touch, the brain cannot develop neural pathways that allow the brain to process new information, learn how to love, how to form functional relationships with other humans and how to manage your environment. Without the nurturing reassurance of the parent, the new born will withdraw and shut down emotional pathways which then stops different parts of the brain communicating with each other and that prevents the emotional fluidity required to develop evolving exchange of emotion in relationships.

In my movement practice, I see women and men who have forgotten a childhood freedom in their bodies. I use dance and movement to teach women and men how to love their body and express themselves. In private sessions I encounter the beliefs created by the emotional body, where the body and mind have made certain beliefs about how the person should be, behave and feel. These beliefs are influenced by their cultural experience and their parental patterns. The strongest pattern comes from the contrast between the lineage of family patterns of emotional bonding and expression with their own sense of identity and expression in reaction to their general family pattern, or, what I call your "innate".

When it comes to the body, there are a lot of emotions around touch, how you receive touch or how you are allowed to receive touch. The programming in the body with receiving touch is synonymous with receiving and giving love. There is a non-verbal dialogue in the body about the way we receive touch and the way we receive love in our body. Each body, every-body, has their unique dialogue around touch.

As you discover the world in your body through touch, you will find your own story about how you are in relationships. If you have concerns about touch, you will most likely have concerns about your body or your relationships and you will have disconnected from your innate.

So how does an adult who has been neglected or has a bad story around touch start to rebuild their confidence in their body? You distrust your body, your body's natural ability to be loved and to be loving. You lose your natural intuition that allows your body to make positive beliefs about interacting with others and to be positive about giving nurturing to another. You lose your body's ability to know what feels good and what does not feel good. You are out of sync with the natural joy that is in your body.

The complex answer starts by finding your innate voice and joy in the body so your sense of your innate is able to navigate around the programming of other influences in your life. Once you have connected to your innate, you have a stronger ability to determine what feels good and what feels bad for you on many levels, including your body, how you wish to be touched, how you wish to share with others, how close you would like to be with someone, how to express yourself verbally and non-verbally. Continuing to strengthen your sense of your innate in your body is something that continues throughout life. Your innate will never seek to damage or harm your body and will always seek to find a stronger connection to others that allows them to experience joy and love.

The simple answer is to create healthy pathways in your emotional experience of the body that connect healthy touch with loving your body or giving love. Get a massage, hug someone or simply find ways to give gentle touch that show you care.

Angela Badolato is dance teacher, performer, movement therapist and workshop facilitator based in New York, Canada and Australia. As a performer she discovered dance and belly dance as a vital way to connect to the joy of life and the power of pleasure. Her movement practice connects women AND men to the healing pleasure of sensuality as well as enhance communication of love with yourself and in your relationships. She offers private sessions, workshops and seminars for men and women to enjoy the freedom of their body, connect to your authentic self and LOVE your body! Go to www.DancewithAngela.com to receive monthly newsletter and offerings.

Dance with Angela is part of an international healing network of therapists and advisors who work with body, mind and spirit, in the USA, Australia and Canada.

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Elderly: Depressed and Why

Depression in people more than 65 years old is very common. If this condition goes untreated, it often results in suicide. The problem with most people who are in contact with these elders is that they tend to overlook the signs and symptoms. Depression in the elderly can have many possible causes. They could be anything from the physical, to the psychological and even to the environment. It can either be genetic or just part of one's personality. Whatever the cause, they would exhibit similar giveaway signs that indicate that they are depressed. These signs should be observed carefully to facilitate intervention.

There have been studies that note that depression has a tendency to be inherited. It could also be caused by changes in the vascular network of the brain and different illnesses seen in old age such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, or cancer. Conditions such as these may have chronic or severe pain that may trigger and sustain depression. As a person grows old, he encounters many changes in himself and in the environment such as damage to his body image, frustration experienced with memory loss and other motor and sensory dysfunctions, fear of nearing death and loss of loved ones. The elderly often have difficulty adjusting to these changes. Depression may also be due to repressed or suppressed traumatic experiences that were left unresolved as a child because these tend to resurface as the individual slows down later in life.

A big part of the aging population suffers from some kind of physical condition and therefore takes medication for it. These drugs may be needed to maintain normal daily functioning however, some of these meds may have side effects that could cause or worsen depression. There are some medicines for pain relief, for lowering blood pressure and for controlling anxiety that have depression as a common side effect. Other drugs that have this effect are heart medications, hormones, anticancer agents, antipsychotic agents, medication for the control of Parkinson's disease and for arthritis. There are drugs, even when combined, which have no unpleasant effects. However some drugs, when taken together and are allowed to interact, can result in adverse effects. To avoid these non-therapeutic outcomes, physicians should be aware of the different types, dosages and drug interactions of the medications the patient takes and discuss with their clients the importance of strict compliance to the treatment regimen. Treating depression using antidepressants sometimes is not the best approach because there is a high risk for unfavorable drug interactions. Elders taking antidepressants should be closely monitored for changes. Also, some antidepressant medications create dependencies. Depression is closely associated to the abuse of prescription drugs or alcohol and is quite common in the elderly.

Depression can also be deeply rooted in the personality structure of a person especially when he has some unresolved issues or trauma from early life. Also, when a person already has low self-esteem, is unconfident and generally has a negative outlook on life, it is not surprising that he will be depressed. In addition, depression is recurring. It occurs much more in elders with a history of depression. Depression usually would set in when the person is deprived of sufficient emotional and psychological support or is not psychologically ready to encounter life changes like retirement, disability, being unmarried, loss and bereavement. In these times of crisis, the person feels alone, unwanted and isolated and needs much attention and support.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Depression

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2012年3月15日星期四

Herniated Discs

Herniated discs are very common spinal abnormalities. They are so common in fact; that they might actually be called "normal", since a large percentage of the general population has one or more disc herniations in their spines. Herniated discs have been vilified by the traditional and alternative medical systems. However, learning the truth about disc herniations will demonstrate that they are rarely the cause of serious chronic pain conditions.

Herniated discs are also known by a variety of terminologies including bulging discs, extruded discs, slipped discs, and ruptured discs. Regardless of the nomenclature used, herniated discs inspire fear in orthopedic patients around the world. Intervertebral discs are the shock absorbers of the spinal column. They reside between the individual spinal bones known as vertebrae. The discs are designed to be soft and pliable in order to cushion the vertebral bones, absorb shock in the spine and increase general spinal flexibility. Intervertebral discs are also known as spinal discs or simply discs. They are composed of a thick and durable outer wall known as the annulus fibrosus and a softer inner core known as the nucleus pulposus.

Herniated Discs occur when the disc wall bulges outwards. This bulge can occur towards the front of the spine, the rear, or either side. Sometimes the outer wall actually tears open, leaking some of the disc nucleus into the body cavity. Discs can herniated or rupture from a variety of causes including traumatic injury, related spinal conditions or degenerative processes. It is completely normal for discs to dry out and lose thickness as we age. While medicine calls this process Degenerative Disc Disease, it is not a disease at all, but merely a universal and expected part of the aging process.

The vast majority of doctors, regardless of specialty, theorize that herniated discs cause pain mostly by compressing spinal nerve roots in their vicinity. As the disc bulges, the outer disc wall can press on the thecal sac which surrounds the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Herniated discs can also compress individual spinal nerve roots as they exit through the vertebral foramen on either side of the spine. These instances of nerve impingement can create a host of symptoms throughout the local area, as well as the anatomical region served by the affected nerve. These symptoms can affect the sensory, motor or autonomic capabilities of the bodily region served by the impinged nerve. All this talk of neurological blockage and dysfunction can have a powerful nocebo effect on any diagnosed patient. It is no surprise that most patients' pain gets far worse after a positive diagnosis of disc herniation. All the blame residing on these poor herniated discs has certainly given them a fearsome reputation as a major contributor to long term chronic back pain problems. However, this is only half the story...

Here are some random facts about herniated discs which are not common knowledge. A sizeable amount of the population has one or more herniated discs and does not even know it. These people do not experience any pain or related symptoms and usually discover their disc abnormalities during routine imaging studies performed for a completely unrelated condition. Most patients who have herniated discs do not suffer any pain. There is very little direct proof that disc herniations are indeed the source of long term pain. Although herniated disc injuries can be painful for a time, they usually resolve themselves in a matter of weeks and do not require any special medical treatment. Continued compression of a spinal nerve will not create lasting pain; it will instead create numbness, as the nerve will cease the function altogether after a short time. Finally, the symptoms experienced by patients often do not correspond to the clinical impression of the disc injury. Patients often have pain and related neurological symptoms in areas not affected by the herniated disc.

Ok, so if herniated discs are rarely the cause of lasting symptoms, what is causing all these diagnosed patients to suffer endlessly with horrific torturous pain? The most logical and widely accepted theory says that most herniated disc pain conditions are misdiagnosed as the actual causation of symptoms. The disc irregularity exists, but is completely coincidental and innocent of causing any problems. This is the case for millions of patients who have been led down the wrong path when it comes to their back pain diagnosis. This is the primary reason for the dismal treatment results offered by most medical disc therapies. The sad reality is that back pain which lasts more than 2 months is more likely to continue forever than it is to be cured. Now that is truly frightening!

If the majority of disc conditions are innocent and asymptomatic, then what is causing all this pain? Once again, there are varying theories, but the most accepted and logical states that ischemia is the likely culprit. Oxygen deprivation of the muscles, nerves and other spinal structures can create serious pain and spasms which will bring the strongest patient to their knees. Ischemia leaves almost no telltale evidence, unless the individually affected cells can be dissected and studied in the laboratory. Oxygen deprivation can be caused by many purely physical processes, but is far more often created by a psychosomatic pain syndrome. Psycho-emotional pain is completely real, physical, and universal. The only variables are the location, duration and severity of symptoms. For patients with severe psychosomatic back pain, there is little hope for a cure, since their true underlying causative condition has never been correctly diagnosed.

I have extensive experience with herniated discs. After all, I have 2 of them, myself. I was diagnosed with multiple disc injuries in my early twenties after suffering with severe back pain since the age of 16. After diagnosis, my symptoms worsened and began a battle to control my very life. I tried every conceivable traditional, alternative and complementary treatment for disc pain with extremely poor results. After suffering in agony for 18 years, I finally ended my back pain for good. Learning the true and actual facts about herniated discs was a huge contributor to my cure. Do the research for yourself and read the clinical studies. You will also see that there is little correlation between herniated discs and chronic back pain. For every patient with a painful herniated disc, there are 10 patients with disc herniations, yet no pain. Learn the truth and become free...PAIN FREE.

Detailed information on disc conditions can be found at my Herniated Disc Information Hub.

Sensei Adam Rostocki suffered with severe and debilitating misdiagnosed back pain for 18 years. Sensei has devoted his life to helping patients who can not find relief for their chronic pain. Sensei Rostocki is the author of ?Cure Back Pain Forever? (ISBN 1-59971-997-5) as well as the interactive website, http://www.cure-back-pain.org

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Ten Practices To Express Gratitude While Serving Others

Although quite young, I can still remember my parents asking me, "What do you say?" as I was receiving something, be it a fruit, a gift, or a compliment. Of course, they were looking for the magical words "thank you", which many parents adamantly train their children to respond. Isn't it interesting that the very first training we encounter is to express gratitude! I find it very meaningful that, from the first Spiritual Law of Pure Potentiality comes the second Law of giving and receiving. Indeed, from the one comes the two, and with it, the dynamics of exchange. As written by Deepak Chopra "Giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives." How can you use this law to provide your customers a most fabulous service, which they will gratefully appreciate, and remember?

1. Give thanks; What and gratitude

It has been said that, if there was only one prayer, it would be one of expressing gratitude. And since this is our second piece, I would add that the second prayer could be this of asking for a way to be grateful again... Have you ever been so engaged into your desiring mind that you could only see what you did not have? It is as if the universe wants to lavish you with gifts, yet you keep on refusing them, a very painful position! On the other end, you have had the experience of not only accepting what life brings, but welcoming it fully into your heart... That shift in viewpoint is gratefulness!

Practically;

Say thank you, often. Say thank you everywhere. Say "thank you" when you talk to your clients, when you write to your clients, on the invoices you send. Say "thank you" to your staff. Say "thank you" when you talk about your clients. Say "thank you" in your mind when you think of your clients, of your staff, of your computer...

2. Give thanks; Why and gratitude

Let's see; on one hand, I deprive me of gratitude, and get to experience the deep frustration of not having what I want; on the other hand, I open to life and to being grateful and simply feel wonderful! Tough choice! So, I am not asking you to let go of the vision that you are forsaken, and that nothing works in your life. You can keep that perception; it is yours! I am asking if you can see a benefit to letting it go? How letting go of that thought would affect your health, your wealth, your surroundings, and ultimately the world?

Practically;

Enter a gratitude practice with your clients; create a client of the month ritual, where you would let all your client base know that every month, you and your staff elect a client, to be "Client of the Month", and receive special privileges during the month, such as being taken out to lunch, or sent a couple of movie tickets. On the first of the month, you may also send an email, or design a board with your client's picture and name, and a little blurb about who s/he is.

3. Give thanks; Grate-fulness and gratitude

The key word here is "fullness". Developing the ability of being totally involved in responding to what life gives, as it is, is the greatest blessing you can bestow on yourself and others. That quality of being fully in the moment of anything you may do, of bringing the totality of your being into it will organically engender grace. That experience of grace is amazing, because it is totally undeserved, in the sense that no one can earn it. Actually the very search of grace will elude it, as grace and "gratuity" are free. It is only granted unassumingly; amazing grace!

Practically; Do you have a full expression of gratitude to offer your client base? Do you have a system in place where you can show your gratitude, from the beginning of your relationship to the end? For example, you could send a hand written thank you note after the first contact, or immediately after you are hired.

You could design a "good bye" package to send your customer when your work and adventure together are complete.

4. Give thanks; Kindness and Gratitude

When you are in the full appreciation of life, when you are totally welcoming the whole picture, isn't it true that you belong, that you are one with all that is? There is no more giver and taker, there is just one entity, one reality. The seller and the buyer become one, simply because feeling one with the universe means that you are two no more. That is the ultimate kindness, to yourself and others, when you forget your identity, and when you lose your desire to receive for the self alone... Such a gift; that is so kind!

Practically;

Perform random acts of kindness, be they a sincere compliment given to your customer, or a fruit basket. Know that the exchange, the trade, the gift, whether it is energetic or material is the kindness itself! Wayne Dwyer mentioned how extending kindness heals both the giver and the receiver as it unites them. A simple kind attention will make anyone thankful. Move from trading in kind to exchanging kindness; everyone will win!

5. Give thanks; Attitude and gratitude

Marcel Proust beautifully stated: "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." Do you like people? Are you genuinely happy to have friends, and customers? Are you truly looking forward to your time with a client? Are you naturally enjoying your exchange with the people you meet? Your happiness is the greatest gift you can give the world, the greatest service you can offer a client.

Practically;

Give gifts, starting with the gift of your happiness to be in business with someone. Once that is in place, turn thankfulness into thoughtfulness: for example, provide a voice mail with "Tips of the Day," have flowers or cookies delivered to your clients, offer an online gift certificate. And when what you provide is not what is looked for, give business to others: refer a client to someone else.

6. Give thanks; Children and gratitude

Did you notice that children are naturally grateful? In "The Religious Potential of the Child," Montessori Teacher Sofia Cavalletti writes, "The prayer of children up to the age of seven or eight is almost exclusively prayer of thanksgiving and praise." Slow down aging and become a child again, gratefully!

Practically;

Children respond to sensory pleasures, i.e. sight, colors and smells, from the color yellow to dangling keys, to baking aromas... Dazzle the children of your clients, the inner child as well as their kids, with fun colors, pleasant sights and sounds. Provide a drawing area, with crayons, paints and games. Pay attention to the music played in the waiting room, or on your answering device. Have fabrics and textures they can enjoy!

7. Give thanks; Surprise and gratitude

The problem with the mind is that it thinks it knows something. That very knowing is what keeps the spontaneity out of life, and the possibility of being surprised. A life lived without a sense of surprise, of the unexpected is a life unlived, constricted by old patterns and fixed perceptions. Train yourself to notice what is surprising, what is extraordinary in your life... You may even find that, no matter what the conditions are, even the repetition of a yoga class, or of a daily meal can be a surprise! After all, isn't it surprising that we would have a whole world?

Practically;

Practice spontaneous Customer Service. Out of the blue, send an article of interest, a beautifully wrapped candle, a pair of tickets to a ball game, a bouquet of flowers. Surprise and effect guaranteed!

8. Give thanks; Abundance and gratitude

As offered by the Pope; "Now golden fruits on loaded branches shine, And grateful clusters swell." When we can realize that we receive always more than we give, then life truly becomes rich. Gratitude is a magnet for the things you most desire. "Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life." Christiane Northrup.

Practically;

Give a little and you'll receive a lot. Give a lot, and you'll receive even more! When speaking, writing, lecturing, giving a class, give it all, all you've gotten to give! That will be received so enthusiastically that you will transform instantaneously strangers into referring angels.

9. Give thanks; Health and gratitude

Interestingly connecting the dots between science and spirituality, psychologists are now looking at how emotions such as gratitude and thankfulness influence our health. Dan McAdams of Northwestern University, for example, specializing in well-being research, mentions studies suggesting that increasing a person's sense of thankfulness will lower stress. Psychology professor Barbara Fredrickson, who teaches at the University of Michigan, has found that gratitude directly lessens the effects produced by negative emotions such as anger and anxiety.

Practically;

Is your business peace and pleasure inducing or stress inducing for your clients? How simple and easy is it to return an item? Might the use of cutting edge technology make it challenging for customers? Does your customer service return calls promptly, and humanly?

10. Give thanks; Opportunities and gratitude

The more one practices feeling gratitude, the more one comes to the experience where circumstances do not matter. There is always another way to look at it, always a way to find a gift in the hand one is dealt. Can you see the wholeness, the holiness in this which you take for granted? By focusing on finding the good and the beautiful, gratitude naturally arises. When a challenge occurs, ask yourself: "What is my opportunity here? How can I see this as added value?" Indeed, there is always another way to look at it, especially if you ask to be shown...

Practically;

Your worst experiences and most painful memories with your clients are your best helpers towards having a shining, beaming customer service. Welcome any drama, any rejection, any delay, any frustration as an angelic gift bringing development to your practice or business. Be grateful for these opportunities to evolve and to love!

Forwarding/Sharing

Unless noted otherwise, all material is written and edited by Mahalene Louis, Copyright (c) Soulvision Axis, Inc. (r) 2003. All rights reserved. You may reprint material from "Turn on the Light!" Top Ten in other electronic or print publications provided the above copyright notice and a link to http://www.mahalenelouis.com is included in the credits. Also please send us a copy of the publication. When forwarding this material, please send the entire article intact and unadulterated.

Bio

Mahalene is an Inspiration Anchor, an Artist, an Author and the President of Soulvision Axis, Inc., a company assisting visionaries to unleash their creativity and awaken their spirit. She authored the Ten Techniques for heARTful living, as a result of 22 years of study and experience in creativity, communication and human development.

Beyond several local publications and national e-publications to which she is a regular contributor, she currently writes a blog (http://www.mahasblog.com) and publishes a monthly e-zine, Stop Trying, Start Trusting Mahazine, addressed to visionaries, holistic coaches, and consultants on the way to birth their personal and professional leadership. She also offers a Seven Weeks Mini-course, mad from the heART, and mini inspiring movies. Please do feel free to check out her work; http://www.mahalenelouis.com

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2012年3月14日星期三

Are There Useful Self-Help Treatments for Depression? A Review of the Evidence

Depression is a mental illness that is common and can affect anyone. Depressed people experience a low mood or disinterest in life, as well as trouble sleeping and concentrating, overwhelming fatigue, and feeling suicidal and worthless. Recommended treatments for depression include antidepressants and psychotherapy. The most common type of antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which work well for moderate to severe depression. Different types of psychotherapy include cognitive behavior therapy, problem solving therapy, and interpersonal therapy. However, many people self-treat their depression with techniques that often don't involve a professional. Self-help treatments are often preferred as an initial option when symptoms are still mild.

There are many self-help treatments that have been suggested as helpful for depression. These include different herbal remedies, dietary supplements, changes to diet and lifestyle, psychological techniques, and physical or sensory techniques. Yet are they likely to work for you, or are they a waste of effort, time and money? Scientific research can provide guidance about what treatments are likely to be helpful, and which should be left on the shelf. It's possible that treatments that have personal testimonials may work for you even if they haven't been researched thoroughly. However, you can be much more confident that treatments will work for you if they have shown effectiveness for a group of people in a scientific study. Scientific studies can show that treatments are effective regardless of whether people improve naturally with time, or expect to improve. This article will give an overview of what self-help treatments are effective for depression as shown by scientific research. Only evidence from high quality studies (randomized controlled trials) will be examined.

Helpful treatments

Bibliotherapy

Bibliotherapy is another name for self-help books. The helpful ones use cognitive behaviour therapy to change thinking and behaviour patterns. Several studies suggest it is helpful for depression. However, it may require a lot of motivation to persist with the treatment to see benefits.

Computerized cognitive behaviour therapy

This is similar to bibliotherapy but uses the internet or a computer program instead of a book. Several studies suggest it is helpful for depression. However, it may require a lot of motivation to persist with the treatment to see benefits.

Distraction

Thinking about or visualizing pleasant or neutral thoughts (e.g. the shape of the African continent) may help improve depressed mood temporarily. Studies show that it is better than sitting quietly. It may help if you often think about why you are depressed and the negative outcomes from depression.

Exercise

There is good evidence that exercise is helpful for depression. It is not clear whether aerobic exercise (e.g. running) is better than anaerobic exercise (e.g. weights). The amount needed to be beneficial is also unclear.

Light therapy

Light therapy uses a device to expose the eyes to very bright light for a period of time each day. The evidence is strong for winter depression (or seasonal affective disorder). It may also have a small benefit for non-winter depression.

Pleasant activities

Systematically doing more of the activities you usually enjoy is likely to be helpful. Studies with supervision by professionals show it helpful for depression. However, it may be less helpful when done on your own.

Relaxation training

Progressive muscle relaxation is learning to relax by tensing and relaxing specific muscle group. It can be self-taught from books or audio instructions. Several studies show it is helpful for depression, though less helpful than psychotherapy.

S-adenosylmethione

S-Adenosylmethionine is a compound that is made in the body and is available as a supplement. It is involved in many biochemical reactions. It also helps make serotonin, a brain chemical targeted by antidepressants. Studies generally show it is helpful for depression. However, the dosage required is unclear.

Sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation is staying awake for the whole night or restricting sleep to part of the night. Studies show that many people find it temporarily improves depression. However, the effect disappears once sleep is resumed.

St John's wort

St John's wort is a traditional herbal remedy for depression. It is available as a supplement. Studies consistently show that it is better than a placebo for mild depression. Be aware that herbal supplements are not usually well regulated, and that brands may differ in their effectiveness. It also interacts with some medications, so check with your doctor before using.

Promising treatments

These treatments show promising evidence, but more studies are needed to be sure.

Autogenic training

Autogenic training is the regular practice of simple mental exercises in body awareness for relaxation. One study showed encouraging results.

Borage

Borage is a herb traditionally used in Iranian medicine. Its flowers can be used in herbal teas. One study found it was better than placebo for depression, but more studies are needed to be sure.

Carnitine

Carnitine is a nutrient produced by the body and is available as a supplement. Carnitine has been tested in 3 studies for a mild form of depression called dysthymia. Promising results were shown for older adults.

Massage

Massage by trained therapists has promising evidence for depression.

Negative Air ionization

A negative air ionizer is a device that uses high voltage to electrically charge air particles. One study showed it helpful for winter depression (seasonal affective disorder).

Saffron

Saffron is a spice made from the Crocus sativus flower. It is used in Persian traditional medicine. Several studies show that saffron is a promising treatment for depression.

Yoga

Yoga exercises the mind and body through physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation. Initial evidence suggests it may be helpful for depression.

There are many other self-help treatments, but these were not reviewed because they have not been studied in good quality studies.

Content adapted from Morgan AJ, Jorm AF: Self-help interventions for depressive disorders and depressive symptoms: A systematic review. Annals of General Psychiatry 2008, 7:13.

Amy Morgan is a PhD candidate from the University of Melbourne, Australia. She has published 20 peer-reviewed papers in mental health and is the creator of Mood Memos http://www.moodmemos.com. Mood Memos are free emails with info and advice to help improve mild depression symptoms. Visit the website today to start receiving Mood Memos.

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Nutritional Health Supplements - Why Should Everyone Take Them?

Nutritional health supplements are increasingly becoming considered as essential in maintaining healthy lifestyles. Yet, many of those supplements do not address specific nutrient deficiency issue. It is because either they are incorrectly formulated or they contain only synthetic ingredients mimicking pharmacological properties of natural substances.

Why these supplements were developed on the first place?

Nutritional supplements were formulated and made available to the consuming public because of their potential in addressing severe malnutrition and nutrient deficiency. They had been developed after long years of research and clinical trials, initially involving animal subjects at times, to make them fit for human consumption.

These supplements are considered vital because they contain essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients necessary for the regular and optimal performance of various organs and systems. Microelements, for example, work best within the cellular level, for being essential in various metabolic processes. Biochemical reactions largely depend on sufficient availability of certain trace elements, such as those in harnessing and producing cellular energy, synthesis of protein and other enzymes and in facilitating normal cellular signaling to transport information from sensory organs to the brain and vice versa.

As powerful anti-oxidants

Various vitamin types and other elements found in most nutritional supplements exhibit anti-oxidant properties. Vitamin B complex and C, for example, are known to boost the body's autoimmune system, consequently preventing one from acquiring or developing diseases and ailments.

Continued exposure to environmental pollutants and the unwarranted contamination of water and food sources with hazardous chemical compounds result to the gradual accumulation of toxins in the body. When their presence increases through time, they have the potent effect of damaging body cells. When further exposed to oxidative stress, many toxins become converted into free radicals that embark on a rampage in making healthy cells imbalanced by stealing one electron each. Many cancer types are known to be caused by the harmful actions of free radicals in the cellular level.

Prevention of heart diseases, etc.

Every 34 seconds, one American dies from any form of coronary heart diseases. This has been reported last 2008 by no less than the American Heart Association, based on investigative studies and data collated within the year. Heart diseases are considered as one of the leading causes of mortality in the world today.

Most common and deadly form of coronary heart diseases are cardiovascular diseases. Atherosclerosis is the top form of this sub-category of heart diseases.

Atherosclerosis is the result of rapid accumulation of plaques within the arterial lining. High LDL cholesterol level causes inflammation of the arteries because of unwanted actions of macrophage white blood cells in the bloodstream. These white blood cells are automatically released by the body's natural immune system as a defense mechanism to fight what the body detects as potentially harmful substances, as in the case of LDL cholesterol.

Certain nutrients have been known to reduce LDL cholesterol level while increasing HDH cholesterol level. When at least 50% of the arterial lumen area is covered with atheromatous plaques, blood flow is significantly constricted and eventually blocked, depriving fresh supply of nutrients and oxygen to various organs, including vital ones, like the heart and brain. The consequences are very fatal if not treated well.

Instead of being reactionary with health condition, as in the case of most mainstream medicine, it is far more important to prevent the development of various conditions from the very start. By improving the natural performance of different organs and systems in the body, diseases are largely prevented from being acquired. Nutritional health supplements do just that.

There's no quick fix to cellulite. The best way to reduce it is to fight it with a combination of a healthy diet, exercise, cellulite cream and treatment. Visit my website at http://www.bodycellulite.com for more information.

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