Talent Mash

Anxiety and panic are generally treated with traditional medications, behavioral therapy and alternative medicines. At the moment, traditional medicine is still the most powerful way of treatment compared to other methods, but it is also arguably insecure due to its side effects. As a result, herbs for anxiety treatment are gaining popularity as a milder and safer solution to the anxiety sufferers.

Almost all herbs used in anxiety treatment contain anti-anxiety properties. Here are some of the more widely-used herbs:

1. Kava Kava

This plant comes from the Kava crops in the western pacific and is effective in delivering tranquillity. Kava Kava is not addictive, but a very small number of patients have been found to have violent allergic reactions after using Kava Kava.

2. Valerian Root

This herbal supplement is extracted from the Valerian flower plant. Like Kava Kava, it is also as an effective tranquillizer, and is often used in reducing symptoms associated with insomnia and epilepsy. Valerian extract works rapidly, often in less than an hour, but it is also known to be mildly addictive.

3. St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is also known as Klamath weed or Goat weed. It is used for in anxiety treatment because it contains properties that are capable of combating depression. In some countries, St. John’s Wort is even more often prescribed than traditional medication in treating mild depression.

4. Others

There are more names to be covered, including passion flower, lemon balms, hops, chamomile, magnesium, B-complex, etc.

In the past few years, herbs have become more and more preferred by people with various medical conditions. If you do some web search, you will found dozens of claimed herbal applications. Some even claim that herbs are magic heals for cancer and AIDS. Are herbs really effective? In treating anxiety, will herbal drugs eventually take place of prescribed drugs? At this point of time, the answer is still a big NO. This is because there is no strong evidence yet to prove that herbs are effective in treating anxiety or, better yet, anxiety order, on its own. Although you may have read the claims by manufacturers of herbal products or testimonies from patients that they have been helped by St John’s Wort or Velerian Root, traditional medications and behavioral therapies are still the best combination in battling anxiety and other mental conditions. The role by herbal medicines is only supplementary to the main two, at the very best. Having said that, herbs still have their obvious advantage over the more powerful drugs for being less addictive and less harmful.

Your doctor may subscribe herbal drugs prior to stronger medications if your anxiety condition is not yet a serious one. However, if you are, just like many others, purchasing herbs for anxiety treatment on your own, you really need to be cautious with your selection. It always helps if you can check up the reputation of the manufacturers and reviews of the particular product before you spend your money. In case you really want to be lazy, you can also ask your doctor for a good recommendation.

Waking up in the recovery area after breast augmentation surgery can be disorienting and traumatic for many women. The medications used to induce and maintain anesthesia can affect your emotions, temperature, blood pressure, and breathing patterns.

As such, you may feel tearful, giddy, sad, or excited. Please be aware that this is normal and nothing to be alarmed about.

You may shiver or feel cold because the medications draw blood from your extremities. Add to that the fact that most operating rooms are very cold and you probably have ice packs on the front of the chest, both of which make it hard not to feel cold.

The nurses should have you wrapped in a warm blanket. If not, you can ask for one. Lastly, you may also feel a little nausea or emotional extremes from the anesthesia, as well as discomfort, swelling, bruising and scars. This is entirely normal and very common.

Discomfort after the surgery will vary widely across procedures and women. Your doctor may instruct you to put ice packs or cold compresses on your breasts for a period of time after surgery. Implants under muscle may cause pain and discomfort to be moderate or even severe. Your surgeon may perform certain operation techniques or prescribe medications to alleviate potential discomfort.

Swelling after the operation is greatest if the implants are placed under the muscle. If you are familiar with breast-feeding, the point of maximal swelling at 3 to 5 days post-op may feel like you are ready to feed a baby. If your implants are over the muscle, it is generally accepted that most, if not all, swelling will resolve in 2 weeks to a month. Swelling with implants under the muscle may take several months to completely resolve.

Some women may bruise after the operation, but it tends to be very rare. However, bruising is not unusual and should not alarm you as it resolves in a week or so.

Keeping incisions clean and dry will help to avoid unsightly scarring. Many surgeons use stitches that are absorbable, so you will not need to return to the office for removal. If stitches need to be taken out, they will be removed in 7 to 10 days.

Incision scars will remain pink for up to 6 weeks. After that point, they may dramatically fade, but will never disappear completely. Many surgeons use techniques that place incisions in locations where scars will be difficult to detect.

There are so many forms of back pain, that it seems impossible for Yoga to help them all. Truthfully, Hatha Yoga is great for pain prevention, but it also helps one cope with chronic back pain. If your day is filled with chronic back pain, less or no pain seems like a miracle. On the other hand, long term inflammations and chronic pain can make any form of adjustment or movement a challenge.

What can one do to get enough pain relief to practice Hatha Yoga, exercise, or physical therapy? In the case of a person who is in severe pain, no matter what he or she does, a physician may recommend a shot of marcaine, triamcenalone, or both. There is a school of thought that believes medication should be avoided at all costs. In reality, pain, and your tolerance of it, will make you come to a personal decision quickly. Each of us is different, and there is no need to make comparisons.

Doctors and chiropractors often recommend Yoga for back pain, but we want to make sure there is a doctor’s approval before beginning a practice. Once approval is received, it is wise to seek out a competent Yoga teacher, with expertise in back pain management. If a prospective Yoga teacher shows no sign of compassion and competence, search until you find one who meets your needs.

With safety in mind, each of us learns to explore the body gradually. Never force or lock a joint while practicing Yoga postures. Learn to incorporate Yogic breathing techniques, as you become comfortable with your practice, and do not skip past foundational Yoga instruction. Listed below are details concerning Trikonasana, which should help a person experiencing chronic back pain.

Trikonasana (Triangle Pose): This is an open twist, which is usually practiced from a standing position, but Chair Yoga practitioners may have learned to do this from a seated position. So many muscles are involved when practicing Trikonasana, that many people forget about the benefits to the skeletal structure.

To reduce pain in the back, the parts of the skeletal structure we are concerned with are the spine, shoulders, pelvis, and hip joints. When we consider back pain, all of these parts come into play, but we often forget that hips have limited range of motion while we move them from side to side. The hips have great range of motion going into a forward bend, but they are designed for stability more than mobility. Forcing the hips into abduction puts excessive torque on the SI joints.

One method to consider is the use of a chair, tall block, or a short stool while practicing Trikonasana. Forget the “cookie cutter” photographs of 19 year old models performing this posture. Forget the dogma from Yoga teachers who want to force your hips to rotate forward. Each skeleton is different. When you mindfully practice Trikonasana, you gently work the hips, pelvis, SI joints, and the rest of your spine, to reduce, or prevent, pain.

Recently a woman sought therapy because she was feeling overwhelmed in the relationship with her husband. As she sat tearfully recounting her experience of a seven year marriage, an emerging pattern of predatory rage began to take shape. She talked about the charming sophisticated man, capable of tremendous generosity and a razor sharp intellect who has increasingly acted more hostilely with hurtful and demeaning comments and behaviors. Social psychologist such as Harm Veling, suggest that predatory or instrumental anger is used in ways to gain power, control and to manage interactions in the behalf of the one expressing the anger. Clinically, most counselors that have dealt with couples or family therapy have had many an opportunity to view the mechanic of predatory anger first hand.

The question of what is the origin of such aggressive and hostile control strategies can be found most frequently in the developmental history of the individual who acts in the predatory fashion. The developmental history most often illustrates a family dynamic that could be considered Traumagenic in nature. Anger is pervasive in traumagenic family dynamics and it is assumed by many raised in these highly disruptive environments to be a reasonable and meaningful way to bring predictability to chaos and order to human relationships.

Before examining the attributes of the traumagenic family that contribute to predatory anger or rage, it is vital to disclose that not all anger and rage is the same or equal in terms of danger and lethality. Some anger is the result of repeated or long term frustrations, habitual interference with need acquisition, dis-inhibition from the use of substances, and serious mental illness. There is not absolute answer to what generates anger with any predictability, because many attributes of that contribute to the expression of anger are going to be in a constant state of adaption and fluctuation. Many of these traumagenic families possess patterns of behavior that interfere with the normal social, emotional, psychological and physical development of the individual family members, which means there are functioning patterns that disturb appropriate and adequate use of power, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, and connecting in genuine relationships of shared and equal affection. Many times the adults that have matured in this family dynamic will experience an incomplete sense of self; low self-esteem (or pseudo self-esteem), relational stress and anxiety, an illusion of connectedness, a psychological defensiveness toward genuine attempts at emotional attachment, an avoidance of real emotional closeness and affection with a simultaneous drive to possess the same, as well as a high need to exercise control and power to create internal states that are free or possess reduced tension.

This dynamic creates relationships that lack a self-sustaining quality, which would be essential to developing enduringly satisfying relationships and a healthy unfolding of the normal maturing process. When looking at the traumagenic family dynamics related to the generation of predatory anger or rage, one would notice a continuum of family dynamics. Perhaps the simplest or less in magnitude would be those behaviors that a caregiver or parent may demonstrate with a small child for example:

- A baby cries and no one responds or offers comfort.
- A baby is hungry or wet, and they aren’t attended to for hours.
- No one looks at, talks to, or smiles at the baby or young child for long periods of time.
- A young child gets attention only by acting out or displaying other extreme behaviors.
- A young child or baby is mistreated or abused.
- Sometimes the child’s needs are met and sometimes they aren’t. The child never knows what to expect and has little predictability.
- The infant or young child is separated from his or her parents.
- A baby or young child is moved from one caregiver to another (can be the result of adoption, foster care, or the loss of a parent).
- The parent is emotionally unavailable because of depression, an illness, or a substance abuse problem.

These behaviors on the part of the caregiver instruct the child that they must control the environment to have safety, security and predictability. These attributes are also seen as being related to other problems such as attachment disorders. Attachment is about the degree that one feels emotional connected to others, and the predictable nature of that connection. When attachment is inconsistent or poor the predictable nature of the emotional connection is vague and ill-formed. This appreciably reduces trust and the calm expectation of support that human beings rely on to feel a part of a community or family. This triggers a drive to control, manipulate and act aggressively to have some secure expectedness which leads to predatory behaviors.

While having one’s expectation or desire for security, safety, stability, nurturance, empathy, acceptance, and respect may not be met in a predictable manner, this is just one contributing cause to predatory rage and anger. When the family environment creates feelings of abandonment and repeated instability, low levels of reliability and trust, emotional deprivation accompanied by feelings of individual defectiveness and shame then it is more likely to see predatory rage and anger emerge and as an instrument to achieve those missing elements. Some of the strategies that become apparent in predatory anger are:

1. Losing control to get their own way
2. Trains others to avoid them when angry or else
3. Utilize threats of harm to self or others
4. Utilize threats to property or pets
5. Actively control interactions through Sarcasm, Name calling, Put Downs, Rude comments, being critical and harshly judgmental, and being angry when others attempt connections
6. Claim that they “lost control” after and aggressive, destructive or abusive incident
7. Uses anger to have power in a situation
8. Others become timid and “walk on eggshells” when they have to discuss problems or responsibilities
9. Size people up for how much power they have and respond differently based on their view of that power
10. Reacts negatively to or dominates those that appear to have less power
11. Act charming toward those with more power
12. Resist developing relationships with those that might be more powerful than they or threaten their power
13. Use omission and vagueness to confuse or avoid
14. Pretend to have misunderstood
15. Put others on the defensive when they are clearly wrong
16. Put others on the spot so that they wind up explaining themselves rather than focusing on resolving a problem
17. Use statements like “you don’t love me” “you don’t trust me” ” you don’t appreciate me” as away to avoid dealing with an issue and deflect away

Dr. Bruce Perry and other professional suggests that if there are other factors added to the traumagenic family dynamics described above that there will be an escalation of expressed violence attached to the predatory anger and rage. Some of these factors are:

1. Becoming more detached from each other and from common unifying beliefs of a community then there is more expressed violence.
2. Becoming desensitized to the emotional needs of others, loose or impair empathic ability then there is more expressed violence.
3. Promoting hateful ideologies within the family dynamic that makes groups or classes of people to be viewed as different, bad or even less than human then there is more expressed violence.
4. When alcohol or drugs are used regularly or at addictive levels then there is more expressed violence.

Predatory anger and rage can be thought of as a motivated strategy to obtain or possess some perceived end. Since the patterns tend to be long standing and having impacted the normal developmental process of the individual, these stratagems are seen as normal, and part of the ordinary world of the individual, and not seen as being aggressive or hostile but more easily characterized by organic sense that this is “how things are”. These patterns contribute to unsatisfying interpersonal interactions and exchanges, with the accompanying frustration and maybe even recognition that the behaviors are not generating the desired outcomes. However recognition of the failure to achieve the ultimate goal is not generally self correcting primarily due to the rigidity of the stratagem. Rather than act differently they increase the use of the strategy, which further spirals dissatisfaction and failures. Perpetual and repeated attempts to use the strategy creates a cycle of escalating attempts to meet the needs for control, connection and emotional safety through predatory acts and those failures drive more of the same.

The most common brain disorder in the world is the most misunderstood and neglected – Epilepsy is far more widespread than is generally realized, affecting 40 to 50 million people worldwide – around 1 in 200 of us. We probably all know someone with epilepsy, even though we may not be aware that they have the condition. Yet, myth and misunderstanding abound, sometimes even among the medical profession – even the best neurologists do not always understand epilepsy! Epilepsy can strike anyone at any time, but it is not an illness. It affects the brain, but it is not a mental or psychiatric disorder. It may sometimes be passed on from generation to generation, but it is not contagious. It is not usually curable, but in up to 80 per cent of cases it can be controlled effectively by drugs.

So what is epilepsy? Broadly, epilepsy means no more than a tendency to have seizures; This liability to seizures may be caused by many underlying brain dysfunctions. Epilepsy is a group of disorders, not a single condition. It covers a multitude of conditions to do with brain malfunction – in fact, asking what is epilepsy is rather like asking what is weather, when every day is different. It affects each person differently, with a wide range of symptoms and very varying degrees of severity. Epilepsy is best understood on an individual basis.

This is all the more so as epilepsy is a condition which affects not just many aspects of health, but also lifestyle issues such as relationships, education, careers and hobbies. In children and teenagers, for example, proper treatment of epilepsy is essential to allow them to fulfill their educational potential, learn how to form relationships, create confidence, and generally live life to the full.

For women, epilepsy has very particular implications in terms of sexual development, the menstrual cycle, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and the menopause. Until recently, the treatment of women with epilepsy tended to be the same as the treatment of men with epilepsy, despite the fact that 50 per cent of people with epilepsy are female. In practice, this meant that women were treated as if they were men, and their specific medical needs tended to be ignored or overlooked. However, there is now increasing recognition of the fact that having epilepsy is not the same for a woman as for a man, and treatment reflects this more, one of the most important areas being pre-conception counselling.

In older people, epilepsy has added relevance in that it may be a symptom of an underlying condition such as stroke. Early treatment may also help prevent physical damage from seizures, which may pose an additional danger to older people whose bones tend to be more brittle. Seizure control is also vital in terms of giving confidence to older people, who may risk isolation through fear of having a seizure or not being able to drive. This applies potentially to all with epilepsy but may have special relevance for older people.

Understanding epilepsy means different things to the affected person, and to the doctor. As with all medical conditions, the person affected views it from the inside, the doctor from the outside, although epilepsy may be singular in that the affected person often has no direct experience of what a seizure is like. If you lose consciousness during a seizure, you miss the essential symptom of your condition. This limited perception is often further clouded by lack of information about the condition, which can be surprisingly common even among people affected by it.

For people with epilepsy, epilepsy tends to be understood best in terms of its immediate impact. This may vary but potentially includes poor health, vulnerability, the constant dread of seizures, having to take daily medication, perhaps not being able to drive, being uncertain about a career, lacking confidence in relationships. This sounds a daunting list. But, it must be emphasized that it by no means applies to everyone with epilepsy. Self-imposed limitations (along with over-protection from others) may do more to affect a person’s experience of epilepsy than almost any other factor.

This infection may be due to a skin reaction to an irritant substance, to a skin allergy, or to an internal allergic reaction. Some forms of allergic eczema run in families, along with asthma and hay fever. The symptoms of eczema are patches of dry, red, itchy skin, which may be scaly and flaky, or weeping and crusted.

Treatment

Diet and Nutrition As allergies to certain foods could be part of the problem, try to figure out which ones are affecting your condition. (Atopic eczema is less common in breastfed babies, and affected children are often allergic to cow’s milk, or other foods.) Many complementary practitioners recommend nutritional modification as part of the treatment of eczema. Evening primrose oil supplements are very helpful.

Hydrotherapy Hot mud or sand baths, and Dead Sea bathing salts reputedly reduce long-term sensitivity. Add half a cup of sodium bicarbonate to bathwater for short-term relief from irritation.

Consult a qualified practitioner/therapist for:

herbal medicine Drink calendula or marigold tea, and take golden seal – either by mouth (mix with honey), or as an infusion to bathe the skin. St. John’s wort oil is also effective.

Acupuncture This reputedly has good success rates.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbal teas have been proven highly effective in alleviating childhood eczema.

Massage Daily local massage with essential oils such as rose, geranium, juniper, lavender, or hyssop has been found to be beneficial for some people who are suffering from eczema.

Urticaria (Nettle Rash or Hives)

Urticaria is an allergic reaction to certain foods, to drugs such as antibiotics, or to direct contact (insect stings, for example). The common foods for causing urticaria are milk, wheat, corn, citrus fruit, eggs, strawberries, and shellfish. Some urticaria seems to be caused by emotional distress. No matter what the cause, stress will always exacerbate the complaint.

Urticaria is characterized by raised red patches, sometimes with pale centers, which are intensely itchy. They are normally caused by a food allergy (shellfish, strawberries, and nuts are common allergens), food additives, drugs, insect bites, extreme cases of hay fever, stress and, in people prone to this condition, heat, cold, or sunlight.

Nettle rash occurs when the skin causes the body to release histamine into the affected tissues. These raise into the characteristic weals, normally appearing on the lips, around the eyes, the limbs, trunk, and neck. Occasionally there will be swelling of the tongue and voice box (larynx), which may cause the throat to close and prevent normal breathing. In this case, urgent medical help is needed. Nettle rash can last for several days or simply a few hours.

Treatment Naturopathy Apply vitamin E cream

herbal medicine Soak infected area in an infusion of camomile or chickweed to relieve itching.

Diet and Nutrition Vitamin C may reduce the risk of repeated attacks.

Homeopathy Take Urtica for a reaction to nettles; Apis for irritating weals; and Rhus tox. for blotchy swellings.