Thank you for reading the Self Help Tips Blog!

Hello! It’s Jeff Zens at the Self Help Tips Blog.

Today we will discuss anxiety and its relationship with depression.

Hardly anyone feels deliriously happy all of the time. Fluctuations in mood are natural and normal. However, if periods of low mood are prolonged and persistent then it may indicate clinical depression.

Feelings of sadness or depressed mood are natural reactions to loss or unhappy events. In the case of clinical depression, the feelings of sadness and lowered mood are disproportionate and prolonged. Usually the depressed mood will be accompanied by feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, lack of self-worth, pessimism and self-criticism. In more severe cases, suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm may also be present. These psychological symptoms influence the central nervous system and may cause the patient to display a variety of physical symptoms as well, including: fatigue, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed, headaches, body aches and a diminished sex drive.

Depression and anxiety quite often, but not always, go hand in hand. Anxiety is a natural response to stresses. Just like depression, however, it becomes a problem when the intensity and duration of this response is out of proportion to the stimulus. For instance, it is quite normal to feel anxious when confronted with a dangerous or daunting task, or even when placed in certain stressful social situations.

In a case of anxiety disorder, the feeling of anxiousness may prevail well after the stressful stimulus has been removed. The feeling of anxiety may reach such proportions and become so pervasive that it interferes in the person's ability to perform normal daily functions. The physical symptoms of anxiety may include: sweaty palms, sweating in general, rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, dizziness, diarrhea, blushing, nausea or dry mouth. Anxiety disorders may present themselves as specific phobias where the anxiety is triggered by a particular event, situation or thing.  Arachnophobia, which is an irrational and excessive fear of spiders, is a good example. On the other hand, anxiety may be less specific and present itself as a generalized anxiety disorder. In this case, the anxiety is not related to anything specific but is a state of tension and chronic worry even though there is no apparent or proximate cause.

Sufferers of both depression and anxiety have a tendency to withdraw, and consequently an inclination to self-medicate. This can lead to abuse of alcohol and other substances. Needless to say this does not help their situation and can well lead to a rapid downward spiral into total loss of control.

There are many treatments for depression and anxiety, and the treatment regimen must be customized to the individual circumstances.  The broad categories of treatment include:

1. Medication - Research has indicated that depression is often accompanied by changes in the chemical balance in the brain. These chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine, affect the neurological messages transmitted by the brain and the receptors of these messages and can directly influence mood. Many modern medications for depression including Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI's for short) attempt to correct this chemical imbalance and can provide fast relief from nervousness, anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness etc.

2.  Psychological and cognitive therapies - These strategies aim to influence the patient's behavior and thought processes and their response to external stimuli.

3.  Strategies for coping - Stress is a part of normal daily life. Teaching patients the skills needed to cope and react to these stresses in a positive manner can help them to deal with anxiety and depression.

4.  Alternative treatments and therapies - Herbal remedies such as St John's Wort are commonly recommended for mild depression.

While depression and anxiety may appear to a third party to be a totally unrealistic and irrational response, it is very real to the patient. Support of family and/or a wider social network coupled with appropriate and timely medical help is vital to stop its progression.

The good news is that most depression and anxiety can be treated effectively if the patient seeks help.

Good morning! 

Thank you for reading the Self Help Tips Blog on a beautiful Sunday.

Today I would like to spend some more time explaining how to set achievable goals.

Setting and achieving your goals can be one of the most stressful and sometimes futile things you ever do in your life.

Each new year brings new resolutions. People make unrealistic promises to themselves knowing that many of them are sure to be broken. But we do it anyway, because it is a tradition that has been passed down through many generations.

There are several ways to plan for reaching your goals that can greatly increases your chances for success and reduce the amount of stress involved.

First, you must understand that while goals should be written down, they need not be etched in stone. For instance, say that you want to lose twenty pounds in the next two months, and two months later, you have only lost fifteen pounds.

Many people would see this as a failure, get depressed, and go back to their unhealthy habits. The results are predictable. They gain back the weight they lost (or more) and end up back at square one.

Achieving a goal is like driving to a different city. You never travel in a straight line. You make turns, take detours, and sometimes get lost (although most men would never admit to this). Do you go back home and start over? Of course not. You just make adjustments from your current location.

Taking the above example once again, losing fifteen pounds instead of twenty is not failure! Absolutely not. You simply need to make the necessary adjustments in your goal and continue on. Instead of dwelling on your inability to lose twenty pounds, consider that you now only need to lose five pounds. Since you just lost fifteen pounds in two months, losing five more in the next month should be a snap. But if you do not, you simply make the necessary adjusts once again from that point. Each goal gets easier and easier.

You should also make reasonably achievable goals. If you need to lose one hundred pounds, do not plan to lose it in the next six months. That is not only unreasonable, it can be dangerous to your health. However, losing one hundred pounds in twelve months breaks down to slightly less that two pounds per week. That is certainly within reason.

If your goal is to earn a million dollars in the next year, that is admirable. But have you thought about how you are going to do that? If you are starting from scratch, that may not be a reasonable goal. Perhaps you should start by building a foundation first and shooting for your first million dollars next year.

Of course, if you plan on making a million dollars next year and only make twenty bucks, you only have $999,980 to go.

Hello, it’s Jeff again…

Good afternoon and thank you for reading the Self Help Tips Blog!

Today I will discuss a serious problem for those of us living in the most overweight nation on earth:  Food Addiction.

The unexplained craving for certain foods occurs from time to time. Often it is not even hunger, just craving a specific food. There may be no real reason other than to eat the food that is causing the craving.

This can occur as a result of boredom, depression or viewing something that is suggestive of food. Perhaps you were watching TV and saw a commercial that was advertising hamburgers. Before you knew it, you had an unexplainable craving for a hamburger. In the worse case scenario, you mysteriously found yourself in your car headed for McDonald's.

Although this may sound weird, it happens more often than most would care to acknowledge. Anyone can become addicted to food.

What does it mean to be a food addict? It is often very hard to recognize this addiction. Many things can cloud the reality of the situation. Being depressed or caught in an emotional downward spiral can make recognizing problems like this very difficult.

Often it can take a considerable period of time to notice that a person has an eating problem. Generally, it is first noticed in the waistline. Once this symptom occurs it does not take a genius to recognize that there is a problem with food.

Are specific foods more addictive than others? That is extremely hard to answer. All foods can be addictive. It is like asking what is worse for an alcoholic, beer or whiskey. This is tempered by the fact that some foods can be more addictive than others.

Sugar

This is an addictive substance. Often it is thought of as not being particularly addictive, but it is. The bursts of energy produced by sugar are very addictive. Sugar addicts often feel tired and cranky if they are not getting their daily consumption of sugar laden foods. They start to feel tired and worn out, as if going through withdrawal. Heroin addicts that are in withdrawal often consume huge quantities of sugar to offset the effects.

Sugar is very hard to avoid, but you should try to avoid certain foods that contain a lot of it. Particularly avoid candy and sweets. Also be sure to avoid sodas that contain huge amounts of sugar.

Caffeine

Starbucks beware! Everyone knows that caffeine is addictive. Just stop drinking those five cups of coffee a day, and it will not take much to realize that you are addicted to caffeine. The headaches alone will tell you that you are addicted.

It is often debated if coffee is really harmful. In reasonable quantities, it should not be. However, excessive amounts of coffee can certainly be bad for you. Be careful to limit the quantity of coffee you consume and don't over do it.

Carbohydrates

Many people think that carbohydrates can also be addictive. This may be true for the same reason that sugar is addictive. Unless you are a marathon runner or compete regularly in Iron Man competitions, you should temper the consumption of carbohydrates. Try to avoid eating excessive quantities of bread and pasta.

Carbohydrates will not turn you into a junkie, but your body can become overly dependent upon them. Many people are addicted to carbohydrates and don't even realize it.

In general, food addiction is not something that people will dwell upon. It just isn't something that you consider when addictions are discussed. Yet, you may be a food addict… and like most addicts you will not even realize it. Awareness of the potential problem will allow you to control it.

Like all addictions, those with the worst habits are often the least aware of their problem. Mankind is an addictive breed. Sometimes it seems that everyone is addicted to something. If it isn't food, it is power or something else. Like all addictions, if you feel powerless to help yourself, seek assistance, be it from a friend or a doctor. You should only be ashamed of yourself if you do nothing about your problem.

Hello, it's Jeff here…

Thanks for reading the Self Help Tips Blog!

I have been very busy the last couple of days, so I apologize for the lack of updates.  I hope you can forgive me!

Today I would like to spend some time discussing the very important balance between fitness and wellness.

Have you ever stopped to think about how to determine your current fitness and wellness levels? Does your doctor ask you if you believe yourself to be fit and well each time that you visit? Probably not. Nor does he likely give you any method for determining where you're at for yourself.

There are fitness centers everywhere, most of which are staffed with counselors who can test your fitness level. But what about your wellness level? Are they one and the same?

The fact is, being fit and being well are totally different conditions. However, both are essential to maintaining your health.

Your wellness rating depends on your immune system, including the vitamins, supplements and nutrition you intake. It is a fact that people who are fit can sometimes be unwell, and well people can sometimes be unfit. However, when you combine the two and use sound principles based on clean living, exercise and healthy eating, you attain a state of balance that helps you to maintain both fitness and wellness.

Many people don't take the time to completely understand the advantages of being both fit and well. We read and absorb the information we're given through the media and health organizations without ever questioning whether we're receiving the information we really need, or simply what is profitable for these companies to make available.

Fitness gyms need your monthly fees in order to stay in business, so they probably have no real concern about the condition of your immune system. Physical fitness is a condition of the body alone.

Hospitals and doctors need you as a patient in order to remain operational. They will tell you that you need to be fit and well, but often leave out important information that affects your wellness, and therefore, your ability to stay fit.

What about diet? What about vitamins? What role does our daily intake play in our health, wellness and fitness? The fact is, diet has more influence than you have been led to believe or understand.

Our body's ability to stay well is directly related to the nutrition you receive every day. The mind's ability to remain well is also a direct result of our nutritional intake.

For example, the human brain doesn't develop well without the necessary input of protein in our daily diet. No protein, no intelligence. If there is no intelligence, then none of the other states can be attained.

Spiritual input is another determining factor when establishing our wellness level. Spiritual reflection is a way to cleanse ourselves of the toxins of our daily life.  Meditation plays a very important role in this process. Wellness encompasses our complete state of being, mind and health. It's a condition of the whole … mind, body and soul.

These are just two examples of the daily nutrition your body needs to stay healthy.  Remember: for those who believe they are fit, it's also important to pay attention to wellness as well. Finding the ideal balance is the best way to achieve a long and healthy life.

Hello!

It's Jeff again from the Self Help Tips Blog.

My city recently passed a smoking ban, and a response that I keep hearing is “I should quit anyway.”  For those of you who are in the same situation, here is some advice to get you started.

Do you want to quit smoking? Most people fail the first, second or even the third time that they try to quit smoking. How about you? Have you tried to stop smoking before