Ramanisblog

Tag: Mental Health

  • ADHD ‘is not bad behaviour’.

    Abnormal or normal behavior is a value judgment.Many of us impose our views of behavior on children.
    If one is sloth or a martinet, then behavior of the child may be viewed differently based on one’s nature.
    In the present day, people tend to seek immediate,instant solution for everything , including children behavior.
    Children are children.Merely because they do not conform to our standard of behavior, it does not mean they are sick.
    Trying to find a physiological/psychiatric solution shall compound the problem.
    Children follow parents behavior and the child needs to have a normal stable family. Ido not know how many parents’ background has been taken into account along with the status of their married life.
    Behavior of children shall drastically vary in each case.
    Normal behavior( again a relative term) can be expected of children if the home is stable and proper parenting, by which I mean personal attention ,not money alone with personal attention and sharing of children’s emotion and feelings, is done.
    Children must be treated as a kings till 10 years,as a slaves till 15 years and as  friends after 15.To achieve this our behavior should be exemplary.
    Children not doing well in class is not the criterion to classify the child as  a problem child as also being cantankerous can be taken as a sign of  bad behavior.
    Stable family ,Faith( of any nature),Family values and courteous behavior by parents, the ability to understand the child’s likes and dislikes  and effective verbal and non verbal communication shall ensure that the child  develops into a normal adult.
    Story.

    A child is being disruptive in the classroom – not paying attention, talking and annoying those around him. Does he have Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder? Or is he simply badly-behaved?

    Children jumping on sofa Experts say bad behaviour is distinct from ADHD

    It is a question many parents may have asked themselves about their child or about someone else’s.

    But experts say if parents think their child may have ADHD, they are probably right.

    Bad behaviour is intermittent and often premeditated, experts say.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11443945

    Misbehavior is caused by bad parenting, right? That has always been said, but that child in the grocery store might not be a brat – he might have a medical problem.

    Not Bad Parenting – Medical Causes of Behavior: Some Conditions that Affect Children’s Behavior http://www.suite101.com/content/not-bad-parenting-medical-causes-of-behavior-a70954#ixzz11vGTG6L7

    Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, are very energetic and can cause a great deal of frustration for parents that don’t know how to deal with their sometimes outrageous behaviors. ADHD children sometimes seem as if they are driven by a motor, the Energizer Bunny that never stops! They also have a difficult time sitting still, often squirming in their seats or fidgeting with anything they can get their hands on. ADHD kids also seem to talk excessively, the non-stop chatter can be frustrating and even overwhelming, especially when it’s combined with the creative sound effects that these children are so good at. Whether it is talking, whistling, or clicking their tongues against the roof of their mouths, ADHD children are continually making some sort of noise!

    How does a tired and overwhelmed parent deal with these hard to handle children?

    1. ONE THING AT A TIME! Parents should realize that they can’t change all of the child’s undesirable behaviors at once. Focus on one specific behavior that you would like to change. It doesn’t necessarily have to be one of the most annoying or distracting behaviors. It could be something as simple as remembering to put his toys away when he is finished playing with them. Remember that ADHD children forget things quickly, they need several gentle reminders to help them remember. When it is almost time to clean up, start reminding the child that he will have to put all of his toys back into his toy box as soon as he is finished playing with them. Many ADHD children respond better when they know something is going to happen, surprises or a change of routine may throw them off-guard and cause them to act out.2. STAY CALM! Although it may be difficult, try your best to remain calm even when the child’s behaviors are at their worst. When you get angry or scream and yell at the child, it will NOT make his behavior improve, it will make his bad behavior increase. Couple that with your bad reaction to his behavior, and a real crisis could result. Many children, particularly ADHD children, will strive for attention, even if it is NEGATIVE attention. If the behavior is something that can be ignored (something that is not dangerous or potentially harmful to anyone), try ignoring the behavior. In some cases if the child sees that he is not getting your attention with his actions, he may stop the behavior. However, in some instances the child may try to outsmart your ignoring technique and increase the actions of his bad behavior. If after several minutes the child continues with his behavior, you probably need to intervene. Try putting the child in Time Out for a few minutes, usually the amount of minutes should correspond to the child’s age. While the child is in Time Out, do not talk to the child. This will teach the child that his negative behavior will not earn him your attention, but his good behavior will. Explain to your child WHY he is being put in Time Out and that you will talk to him as soon as he gets out.

    3. A FIRM ROUTINE! ADHD children function best when they have a firm routine to adhere to. Spontaneity is not a friend to the ADHD child

    . Knowing what to expect and when to expect it can decrease a lot of bad behaviors. If the child’s bed time is 8:00 p.m., you should have him start getting ready for bed 30 minutes sooner, knowing that his ADHD behavior will require him to be forewarned. Establish a routine where you tell your child that he has 30 minutes until bedtime. Remind him again when it is 15 minutes until bedtime. Make sure that he is in bed at 8:oo p.m. if that is the bed time you have chosen. Establish a similar routine for homework, getting ready for school or in whatever category your child needs more structure.

    4. ESTABLISH A BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION PLAN! A Behavior Modification chart should not only take away privileges when the child displays the wrong behaviors, but it should reward the child when something is done successfully, or when the child has tried his best! Make a chart of behaviors that are acceptable as well as ones that are not acceptable. Make sure that the child knows that his good behavior will reward him with something he wants (stickers, a new toy, watching a movie of his choice, etc.). Always be consistent with your Behavior Modification techniques. Your child will soon learn that not putting his toys away means that he will have to go to bed 15 minutes early. If you need help creating a Behavior Modification plan, check your local library, there are several books available aimed at helping parents to create an effective Behavior Modification chart for their child.

    5. GET SUPPORT! There are many organizations that bring parents, teachers and doctors together to discuss ADHD and how it affects your child and your family. One such group is C.H.A.D.D., Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder. All parents of ADHD children feel overwhelmed at times. Support groups, such as C.H.A.D.D., are not only a wonderful way for parents to get together to discuss behaviors and techniques, but the group leaders often have some of the latest information and medical updates on the disorder. Check your local newspaper or phone book for times and meeting places, or you can search for C.H.A.D.D. on the Internet.

    Different children respond to different methods of Behavior Modification. Above all, be consistent in your approach to dealing with your child. ADHD children need a very strict routine, any changes may upset them. All parents of ADHD children know how frustrating and overwhelming it can be to deal with the child’s behaviors

    at times. If you feel that you cannot deal with the child at that moment, take a few minutes in a separate room to calm down. Remember that you are not Wonder Woman or Superman: if you need help don’t be afraid to ask for it.

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  • Men reluctant to consult mental health services .

    n Canada, less than 10 percent of the population utilizes mental health services for problems ranging from depression to schizophrenia. But this number isn’t representative of the real number of people suffering from mental illness, according study author Aline Drapeau, a researcher at the Université de Montréal’s Department of Psychiatry and Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin of the Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital.


    True.As a matter of fact, even women turn to mental health professionals excepting under social pressure or when they symptoms become intolerable.
    May be, this has something to do with psychiatry as a Science and the rate of cure is negligible. Psychiatrists may disagree and also the social stigma attached to those who were under mental care.

    Story:
    According to data from the Statistics Canada Canadian Community Health Survey, women are 1.5 times more likely than men to turn to psychiatric services, twice as likely to consult a psychologist and 2.5 times more likely to turn to a general practitioner.
    While these numbers might suggest that more women suffer from mental illness, Drapeau disagrees. “In comparable circumstances, women consult more often than men,” she says. The discrepancy, says Drapeau, shows how men and women do not perceive symptoms in the same way as programmed in their social anchorages.
    “Social anchorages is an enculturation mechanism by which a person learns his or her social roles,” says Drapeau. “Men and women don’t always have the same cultural reference points because socially acceptable attitudes and behaviors can vary for both sexes.”
    For instance, parental obligations aren’t perceived equally in the workplace. For women, it is perceived as positive to attend to maternal duties. For men, forgoing work to take care of the kids is perceived more negatively.
    The same parallels exist in mental health. “If mental disease is seen in a negative light in the workplace, a man will be more reluctant than a woman to use the services available to treat their disease,” says Drapeau.
    Other factors, such as tight finances or even type of employment, can influence whether men use mental health services. But the root of the problem, Drapeau stresses, is that men have greater difficulty acknowledging and accepting their symptoms.
    http://www.physorg.com/news162213289.html

  • Macrobiotic Diet for Health.

    Very true.Note that non vegetarian food is excluded.
    Indian Philosophical treatises stress the fact that natural food is to be consumed.
    Human Nature is broadly divided into three categories.
    Contented,self reliant and calm
    Highly energetic,active and passionate .
    Inactive,dull and depressed.
    These three characteristics are present in every human being and the combination of these factors vary depending on predisposition, and habit.Also these characteristics vary from one moment to another.
    The first mentioned is ideal when you become healthy, strong both physically and mentally.You shall be in control of your mind and emotions and you shall be self reliant and self contented.
    This can be achieved by diet;for your thinking is determined by what you eat and you become what you think.
    For instance if you take pungent, spicy food you become hyperactive , easily swayed by emotions.On the other hand if you take mainly dairy food and vegetables you not only become healthy but you can manage your emotions.
    Therefore Diet is given pride of place in Indian Philosophy.
    There are foods to avoid.
    -Spicy,pungent,stale,food that is too hot or that is too cold;
    that is not cleaned,that is over cooked/under cooked;non vegetarian food including egg.
    Suggested food.
    Grains, Vegetables,roots,Milk products
    Also it is necessary that the food be prepared by people who love you.In fact Sanskrit texts say ‘That food is best that is prepared by self; next that is prepared by one’s Mother,Sister,Daughter and Wife in that order.Any thing other than this is equivalent to poison’
    Mental vibrations do play an important part in preparing the food.
    .
    http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/macrobiotic-diet.htm

    Story:
    Macrobiotics is an Oriental theory that lays down guidelines for promoting wellbeing and longevity through systematic diet consisting mainly of whole grains and beans. Macrobiotics is made up of two Greek words, Macro meaning the bigger picture and Bios meaning life. It is basically more a way of life than a specific diet that was followed in Japan.

    The macrobiotic diet probably originated with the teachings of a nineteenth century Japanese natural healer, Sagen Ishizuka. It was introduced to the West by George Ohsawa, a teacher in Japan who studied the eating habits of ancestors, followed the dietary principles of Sagen Ishizuka and claimed to have been cured of a life threatening disease—tuberculosis.

    Macrobiotic Diet

    Chinese philosophy describes the Yin and the Yang as the two opposite, but complementary cosmic forces that operate in all areas of life. Macrobiotics extends the principles of the Yin and the Yang to the realm of food and cooking. The main tenets of the macrobiotic diet are Yin and Yang, meaning Expansive and Contractive forces that are inherent in any food we intake. Ohsawa said if we balance the contractive and expansive forces we will stay away from diseases and live a healthy, happy life. Ohsawa’s original macrobiotic diet was considered too restrictive by many dieticians and the Kushi diet popularized in North America by Michio Kushi in 1978 is seen as a popular alternative to Ohsawa’s macrobiotic diet.

    The nutritional aspect of the macrobiotic diet holds to the principle that the body can exist in harmony with Nature and recover its natural good health. It is important to note here that the diet should be based on foods native to ones’ own climate, as this helps in achieving that “natural balance”. The diet should constitute of the following components:-

  • Internet addiction’ linked to depression, says study

    First para gives the impression that internet browsing is strongly related to Depression.
    Second para ‘1.2%’ -is this an indication of strong relation ship?
    Third para totally negates the para no 1 and 2.
    Why study and publish at all if you are not sure ?
    Story:
    There is a strong link between heavy internet use and depression, UK psychologists have said.

    The study, reported in the journal Psychopathology, found 1.2% of people surveyed were “internet addicts”, and many of these were depressed.

    The Leeds University team stressed they could not say one necessarily caused the other, and that most internet users did not suffer mental health problems.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8493149.stm

  • Depression as Deadly as Smoking, Study Finds

    Depression and anxiety can be tackled only by the individual concerned.Medicines and counseling can go only thus far.What is needed is understanding of some facts.
    Out of desire comes attachment,from attachment expectations,expectations lead to lead to frustration,it leads to depression.
    We have had many desires during our life time.If we sit down and ponder what was interesting and pleasurable at one point of time , no longer excites us, at times repugnant right now..The things we desired for retain their nature then and now.Then why we do not get the same pleasure out of it?Reason is that pleasure does not lie in things per se.They are our attitudes towards them. When the attitude changes, the whole picture changes.Therefore accept things in life as they are and not attach value to it.Do not carry it forward for our attitude may change and we may even be unhappy about the the things we liked.This is the truth.
    Anxiety arises when we feel what we have done or achieved is not enough or things do not happen the way we want them to happen.If we are sure we have done our best, that is it.We can do no more.Accept your limitations.Do not set your goals too high.Remember,whatever you achieve is naught when you depart.
    Things happen, controlled by various factors ,us being only a factor and not THE factor.As said earlier do your best and leave it at that.
    Another reason for depression and anxiety is comparisons .No two things in the world are identical ;at best they are similar.Never try to be other than what you are.You too have a function and a purpose in the scheme of the Universe.
    These are few tips to beat anxiety and depression

    ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2009) — A study by researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King’s College London has found that depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking.

    Utilising a unique link between a survey of over 60,000 people and a comprehensive mortality database, the researchers found that over the four years following the survey, the mortality risk was increased to a similar extent in people who were depressed as in people who were smokers.
    Dr Robert Stewart, who led the research team at the IoP, explains the possible reasons that may underlie these surprising findings: ‘Unlike smoking, we don’t know how causal the association with depression is but it does suggest that more attention should be paid to this link because the association persisted after adjusting for many other factors.’
    The study also shows that patients with depression face an overall increased risk of mortality, while a combination of depression and anxiety in patients lowers mortality compared with depression alone. Dr Stewart explains: ‘One of the main messages from this research is that ‘a little anxiety may be good for you’.
    ‘It appears that we’re talking about two risk groups here. People with very high levels of anxiety symptoms may be naturally more vulnerable due to stress, for example through the effects stress has on cardiovascular outcomes. On the other hand, people who score very low on anxiety measures, i.e. those who deny any symptoms at all, may be people who also tend not to seek help for physical conditions, or they may be people who tend to take risks. This would explain the higher mortality.’
    In terms of the relationship between mortality and anxiety with depression as a risk factor, the research suggests that help-seeking behaviour may explain the pattern of outcomes. People with depression may not seek help or may fail to receive help when they do seek it, whereas the opposite may be true for people with anxiety.
    Dr Stewart comments: ‘It would certainly not surprise me at all to find that doctors are less likely to investigate physical symptoms in people with depression because they think that depression is the explanation, but may be more likely to investigate if someone is anxious because they think it will reassure them. These are conjectures but they would fit with the data.’
    The researchers point out that the results should be considered in conjunction with other evidence suggesting a variety of adverse physical health outcomes and poor health associated with mental disorders such as depression and psychotic disorders.
    In light of the findings, Dr Stewart makes suggestions on the focus of future developments in the treatment of depression and anxiety: ‘The physical health of people with current or previous mental disorder needs a lot more attention than it gets at the moment.
    ‘This applies to primary care, secondary mental health care and general hospital care in the sense that there should be more active screening for physical disorders and risk factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, adverse diet, smoking, lack of exercise, in people with mental disorders. This should be done in addition to more active treatment of disorders when present, and more effective general health promotion
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094933.htm