Category: Energy Healing

Mental health awareness is significantly one of the most discussed issues nowadays. Not only because it fits with the current pandemic situation but because people are now paying more attention to the debilitating effects of the symptoms. Many individuals are now putting an effort to help one another to witness how mental health problems impact childhood, social connection, community involvement, relationships, and life decisions.

But what exactly are the problems associated with mental health? Here are some of the answered frequently asked questions that might help out.

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Can anxiety make you stress? 

Yes. Stress is a known trigger of anxiety and often results in negative mood disorders and other mental health issues. Chronic stress can affect overall health, causing headaches, heart palpitations, skin rashes, chest pain, and high blood pressure. Thus, it is important to grasp anxiety symptoms as early as possible to prevent them from becoming an anxiety disorder.

If things are a bit too late, it is advisable to seek out immediate help and consult a licensed therapist.

 What is the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale? 

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale or DASS assesses negative emotional symptoms. It is a self-report instrument used to measure subscales states of stress, anxiety, and depression. It uses a 4-point scale that ranges from 0 to 3 with 14 items in each subscale for the DASS 42 and scales seven items each subscale for the DASS 21.

 How do I know if I have stress or anxiety? 

You will know you are stressed and anxious when you experience mental, emotional, and physical symptoms. These can include anger, irritability, fatigue, digestive troubles, difficulty sleeping, and muscle pain. Also, when you are experiencing persistent worry and feelings of isolation, consult a professional immediately.

Though some of the symptoms may turn out o be a common thing, you mustn’t ignore them as it can take a toll on your life in the long run. It is significantly important that you recognize the warning signs of stress, anxiety, and depression so that you can deal with them accordingly.

 How can I stop worrying about stress? 

It is never easy to stop and get rid of unnecessary worries immediately. However, it would be best if you took away all the negative beliefs about it. You must stay positive and get moving. If your problem is solvable, start brainstorming and look for ways to accept the uncertainty. Be mindful of your strengths and weaknesses.

Never let your thoughts and emotions ruin your decisions. It is okay to get anxious at times because you can’t handle uncertainties. But it should not have to be your focus. There are things you can’t control, and that is okay. You don’t have to force yourself to solve some situations that are already emotionally and mentally exhausting. Allow yourself to breathe and think about alternative solutions.

 What are the five emotional signs of stress? 

The five emotional signs of stress are agitation, irritability, loneliness, isolation, and general unhappiness.

If you think you’re experiencing some of these at the same time, start processing self-care. Work on the things that can lift your mood and distract you for a while from stress. If it doesn’t help at all, try reaching out to a friend or family. Talk to them and share them your thoughts and feelings. Never deal with emotional stress alone, as it can be hard for you to regulate necessary emotions when battling anxiety and depression.

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 Can anxiety come on for no reason? 

Anxiety triggers can be different from one person to another. Though there are instances that the same individuals may experience the same situation, their level of anxiety tends to differ due to their emotional and mental ability. But for some people in general, anxiety attacks can occur for no apparent reason.

 How do you kill anxiety? 

Kill your anxiety by taking a deep breath. You need to question and realize your thoughts to manage to get away with calming visualization. Observe your emotional and mental state. If you think that you are getting out of control and the mental condition makes you dysfunctional, use positive self-talk. That way, you can regain your focus.

Convince yourself that you are always worth it. Practice speaking kind words to yourself and encourage good vibes. Look in the mirror and be grateful for what you have. Also, if you can redirect your thoughts to other things, do it. Focus on productive activities that can take you off from anxiety.

 Can anxiety ruin your life? 

Yes. Anxiety can leave a serious impact on every aspect of your life, such as your work, school, and relationship with other people. Anxiety can cause you physical problems, including palpitations, rapid heart rate, chest pain, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

 Does anxiety go away when you choose to ignore it? 

No. Ignoring your mental health problem will never solve anything. Though anxiety can be good, sometimes, an extreme sense of worry is dangerous to your emotional and mental health. If you think you can’t manage your anxiety, consult a medical professional immediately.

 What is bad anxiety? 

Anxiety can be good sometimes because it allows you to prepare yourself for possible upcoming danger. Anxiety automates the mind and body’s fight-flight response. However, it tends to be different for people with anxiety disorders because there is intense and steadfast worry and fears even when there is nothing to worry about. Often, anxiety disorders include episodes of intense fear or terror that turn into a panic mode.

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 Is feeling cold a sign of anxiety? 

People’s stress response is actively changing depending on the situation. It can cause several symptoms, such as chills and shivers.

But never generalize it, as your symptoms may still come from other sources. Pay attention to your overall wellbeing.

 Can you rewire your brain from anxiety? 

Yes. Fortunately, your brain can be rewired with the help of neuroplasticity. The process helps in deleting negative brain connections to improve or even get rid of anxiety altogether.

 What is the 333 rule for anxiety? 

The 333 rules for anxiety help a lot. It is where you look at things around you. From there, you name three things you see and include the sounds you hear. Then the last part is to move three parts of your body.

 How do I train my brain to stop anxiety? 

The convenient way of getting rid of your anxiety is to be conscious of your emotional and mental recovery. That way, you can focus on caring for yourself in any situation. It is okay to let things slip because you can never control things around you. Be mindful that the only way you can be mentally okay is through positivity.

With that, picture yourself in a positive state despite having bad situations. It would be nice also to look for alternative ways to cope with stress and anxiety. Don’t dwell on things that are not that necessary, and focus on improving your overall wellness.

 Does anxiety change your personality?

Unfortunately, mental illness can cause personality changes. Certain anxiety issues can automatically escalate to severe mental health problems like depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD.

Insight

Stress, anxiety, and depression can be challenging. Thus, you must deal with mental health conditions with all your best efforts.

 

 

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There are several myths about family therapy, which include:

1. Family therapy is just like traditional therapy.
2. Family therapists have also thought that parents themselves are the root of their children’s issues.
3. Family therapy involves the whole family going to therapy in all sessions.
4. Family therapy is not effective.

 

Here are some facts that will undoubtedly straighten these fallacies.

A lot of people, when someone mentions ‘therapy’ to them, gets paranoid and immediately thinks about a person going in and out of a clinic, fiddling his hair, and talking to someone without any improvement at all. Well, the conventional talk therapy that typically takes several years with not-so-good results has gotten a negative reputation. And when parents learn about family therapy, they assume it’s another type of traditional therapy. This is the first fallacy about family therapy.

From the start, family therapy is described as something short and concise. This description caught my attention, which is why I turned to it in the first place. I used to be a behavioral therapist finding ways to reach out to my little patients and to yield quick results. My research let me to a family therapist who told me that child therapy could be successful after about seven sessions. Wow! Is that even plausible? But eventually, after a lot of talks and workshops with the therapist, I could swear that it was THE ONE that I was looking for. It wasn’t the conventional type of therapy that would take months or years. Family therapy was dedicated to resolving problems quickly and helping children and adults move forward the soonest time possible. It was then that I decided to study and practice family therapy – a brief type of therapy.

A lot of parents assume that when they go for family therapy, the therapist will tell them that it’s their fault why their children are suffering from their problems and worries. They think that they are asked to join the therapy primarily for this reason, which is why they already feel anxious if their child is sad or not doing well in school. And they don’t want to feel more devastated by being told by the therapist that their kids are problematic because of them in the first place. This is the second wrong impression of family therapy.

 

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Among the essential concepts of family therapy is the idea of joining. Here, the word ‘joining’ pertains to the therapist respecting and listening meticulously to each family member during a therapy session. He may make suggestions about better parenting styles, like being clear about reinforcing rewards and punishment, for example. They may also give recommendations to parents about modifying specific ways of communicating with their children, such as to try talking firmly instead of yelling or arguing in front of them, or to recommend that they establish rules about the use of electronic devices, screen time, or choosing healthy kinds of food. However, the family therapist knows that he should build a strong connection with the children or child in therapy as well as his or their parents for the whole process to be successful.

Parents And Therapist As A Team

 

Most often, people who learn about family therapy think that all family members should be in the room for every session. This very thought would worry the parents because they might have scheduling problems. Nowadays, it’s hard enough for the whole family to all be present for dinner once or twice weekly – much less ask all of them to be around for therapy at a scheduled time. This is the third fallacy of family therapy.

 

It is significant to note that the early family therapists used to prefer the whole family to be present in all the sessions. Still, most therapists of today, particularly the younger and more open-minded ones, don’t typically work that way. Initially, they would see the parents, along with the child, only during the first session. After that, the parents are asked to go together without their child. Often, the family therapist works with the parents more than they do with the child, and after the first session, they sometimes don’t see the child anymore. As for teens, the therapist might see them with their parents initially, then the parents alone, and then the teen alone or with a sibling for the weekly sessions.

 

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As a rule, family therapists find the sources of the child’s problem within his psyche or behavioral patterns, and his social background. A child can be sad or anxious because he saw his mom and dad fighting. A young girl bullies other kids at school because she’s troubled about the thought of her sick brother. A boy can have a lot of bad grades because he sees his favorite uncle or aunt failing in life. These may be harmless and incoherent circumstances to others, but to a family therapist, these are intertwined with unseen ropes. And they strive to make positive changes to the child’s background and way of thinking so that his behavior and mental being are improved, and his problems are resolved. Indeed, family therapy is effective in utilizing the connection and bond of the family to heal itself.

 

 

In this pandemic time, how do you deal with emotions you do not fully understand? How do you cater to the mental and emotional stress you do not know how to quite process? Do you repress what you feel because you become too afraid to admit that you are having issues with yourself? If you are confused about everything right now, that is okay. You do not have to pretend that you can handle things just because you don’t want people to view you as incapable and weak. Allow us to walk you through understanding what your emotions are trying to tell you.

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The Battle To Self-Awareness

Emotions serve to let you know how you are being affected by the things that have been going on with your life. It can be neither positive nor negative. It acts as signals that point you towards making the right response and help you make sense of what you are dealing with. While it may be uncomfortable and scary at times, understanding your emotions is vital to better understand yourself. These include recognizing your underlying wants, needs, and beliefs.

Happiness – One of the core emotions you experience is happiness. It is an emotion that often comes from the sense of safety and security that your loved ones give you. In this crisis, happiness allows you to stay positive despite the negative things around you. It reminds you that you should focus on things that you are grateful for having. It shows you that there are a lot more reasons not to quit. Not now, nor ever.

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Sadness – It is an emotion that comes in many forms. Its complexity contains varying degrees that manifest in a lot of different ways. But sadness is not always a bad thing. Honestly, in times of isolation, it allows you to heal your grief and process your thoughts. It makes you step back and reflect on yourself and your situation. It helps you better understand what the things that cause you so much pain are. It teaches you to concentrate on a broader perspective.

Loneliness – When you feel isolated from the people around you, you get lonely. At some point, it is a valid feeling that makes you value belongingness. As a human being, it is reasonable to desire social interaction to reconnect with people and yourself. Do not look at loneliness as something destructive because it aims to strengthen your emotional stability.

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Anticipation – During this pandemic time, anticipation is the most common emotions you can experience. It supports a psychological stage where you feel anxious, excited, and uncertain at the same time. But honestly, that is okay. It is your mental state that reminds you to look at things differently. It allows you to plan ahead of time so you can prepare for the future. It makes you get out of your comfort zone.

Anger – While most of the time, this emotion receives a bad connotation, anger can be a good emotion to experience. Yes, you get frustrated about not getting what you want because of a sudden change in your routines. That is why you sometimes lash out on something only to make yourself less helpless against the situation. But if you take the time to understand it, anger helps you act critically against your problem.

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Fear – Understandably, this emotion tops the rest from the list. With all the uncertainties everywhere, there is no escaping the feeling of fear. You don’t need to worry because fear is a primary survival mechanism meant to keep you safe from potential danger. But you need to keep in mind that you have to disregard fearing things that aren’t lethal. These include loss of control, uncertainty, failure, disappointments, and emotional vulnerability.

In the face of this outbreak, everybody feels the same. You can picture everyone having different levels of anxiety, stress, anger, confusion, and depression. Understandably, no one’s mental state is safe at this pandemic. All of us suffer from emotional and physical dilemmas as well. Since our mind is not capable of weighing data and creating decisions based on raw facts, we form things we can easily remember. That is why we often think about the future adverse effects of the situation. It is easy to look forward to it rather than staying positive without having no clue what could happen next.

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Getting anxious about everything in this COVID-19 global health crisis pretty much takes a toll on all of us. It somehow heightens our emotions and makes us react differently to things around us. Some of our actions result in positive, while others end up in a nasty approach. Perhaps there is no one to blame for that because we are all stuck in this situation. All we have is the thought of things getting more complicated as days go by.

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The Worst Thing About Anxiety

Commonly, not all of us are capable of shaking the anxiety away. There is too much damage that we visually see in the news. There are these images of millions of people wearing masks, the increasing number of families in the evacuation areas, and the unpredicted deaths of individuals from the virus itself. Those are the images in our heads that are easy to remember. And since it gets combined with a lot of concerns and fear, it forms a different level of anxiety. Thus, it becomes mentally harder for us to break apart the associations of negative thoughts in our head because we feel exposed to the danger. So how can we move on and get on with our daily lives despite this pointless anxiety we have?

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One of the things that entirely fuels anxiety is “uncertainty.” Yes, we do not have all the answers as to when this pandemic would end. And even though we somehow have an idea where it originated, we do not know how to stop the spread of the virus. We do not know what’s going to happen in the future. Therefore, the more uncertainty we deal with, the more anxiety-related thoughts and experiences count. So for all those reasons, our mind gets stuck with the idea that we will all soon end up getting infected.

Honestly, it is quite okay to feel anxious because it keeps us mindful. It allows us to become more concerned about our environment and the current things around us. It provides us enough information to be cautious with our actions concerning this public health concern. In a way, it protects us and keeps us aware of the danger this Coronavirus has. However, in most conditions, anxiety negatively gets us.

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Usually, the Coronavirus anxiety gets in the way of our lives when we find ourselves worrying excessively even without reason. Sometimes we feel too tense and aggravated with the situation that it gives us stomach distress. Sometimes we also find it hard to focus on what we do and often end up changing our daily routines. We either avoid or do things excessively. It can include unnecessary washing of our hands, using too many disinfectants in the house, and taking a lot of supplements. We know it is an anxiety problem when it takes us to an extreme approach only to be safe from this infectious disease.

This anxiety caused by the COVID-19 virus is mental torture. So to everyone experiencing this psychological issue, please allow yourselves to practice habits that can strengthen mental health.

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The 2019 Alternative Medicine Conference identified the benefits of different alternative medicines and holistic healing treatments, including aromatherapy and aromatherapeutic massage.

Aromatherapy And Aromatherapeutic Massage

Aromatherapy uses natural plant extracts turned into scented essential oils to promote the health and well-being of the body, mind, and spirit. It is both an art and a science that enhances physical and emotional health.

Aromatherapeutic massage blends aromatic oil with the massage, alternating between gentle- and hard-pressure massage. Typically, the essential oil is diluted beforehand and then mixed with the massage lotion. Aside from the relaxing massage, you can benefit from the healing properties of essential oils upon exposure and inhaling.

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Benefits Of Aroma Therapeutic Massage

The combination of aromatherapy and body massage provides emotional healing and relaxation. Here are some general benefits of aromatherapeutic massage:

• Relieves stress and anxiety
• Increase relaxation
• Decreases muscle tension
• Relieves muscle and joint pain
• Complementary care for symptoms of depression
• Improves sleep

It can also ease the pain of specific conditions, such as the following:

• Arthritis
• Chronic back pain
• Dysmenorrhea
• Fibromyalgia
• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Peripheral neuropathy

Most Popular Essential Oils

There are a lot of different essential oils with varying effects of healing. Your therapist can help you decide which specific essential oil is best for you to use. Here are the most popular essential oils and their correlated healing properties:

Lavender

• Boosts mood
• Supports brain health
• Relieves headaches
• Improves sleep
• Reduces pain
• Helps with depression

Tea Tree

• Heals acne
• Reduces congestion and cough
• Treats fungal infections

Lemon

• Relieves nausea
• Promotes detoxification
• Natural cleansing property

Peppermint

• Supports digestion
• Relaxes the airways of the respiratory system
• Relieves muscle and joint pain

Frankincense

• Boosts immunity
• Help reduce stress and anxiety
• Reduces swelling and inflammation
• Improves sleep

Chamomile

• Promotes relaxation
• Induces sleep
• Boosts mood
• Soothes digestive problems
• Promotes youthful-looking skin and hair

Eucalyptus

• Reduces congestion
• Fights respiratory infections
• Relieves headaches and muscle pain
• Boosts immune system
• Can be used as an insect repellent

Aromatherapy is a holistic method of care that can enhance your well-being. Essential oils are safe to use, and the only side effect that you need to take note of is whether you are allergic to a specific oil. It is not safe to inhale, let alone have direct contact, with a substance that you are allergic to.

Finding the right dermatologist that can help us solve our skin-related issues can be very daunting especially if it’s our first time. Not all dermatologists are with the same set of knowledge that can put an end to our skin problems.  Some can do it better than the others, and that’s the reason why we need to be cautious when it comes to choosing a good dermatologist.

“All the patients I’ve seen were referred by dermatologists who’d had a difficult time getting a positive treatment result and suspected a psychological component, or who’d responded to a patient’s request for a psychiatric consultation,” writes Robert London M.D.

Luckily, there are several guidelines we can follow when it comes to finding the best skin expert for us. Let’s take a look at the list of helpful tips in choosing the best dermatologist that can save us from spending too much time, money and effort.

 

Continue reading Finding The Right Dermatologist: Quick Tips

 

 

 

We used to rarely see the terms “men” and “skincare” in the same sentence, right? Well, it really shouldn’t be a surprise why.  For decades, it was almost taboo for guys to talk about how they take care of their skin out of fear that people might question their masculinity. Thankfully, those times are over, and we’re now living in an era where it’s acceptable for guys everywhere to take care of their skin. In fact, the industry of men’s skincare products has been steadily flourishing over the last couple of years.

Taking care of your skin will help avoid skin problems like acne, which can cause distressing effects to an individual. “Acne negatively affects self-esteem and can lead to anxiety and depression,” says dermatologist and psychiatrist Amy Wechsler, MD. “Self-care often suffers, and patients with acne often withdraw from social and work activities, don’t go on dates, and don’t try for better jobs.”

A lot of men are becoming more open to the idea of having the ability to take care of their skin. They follow morning and evening regimens and take care of their skin as what most women do. If you want to find out the basics of a proper skincare regimen but you have no idea how they don’t go anywhere because that’s what we can help you with today. Written below is a quick guide to a standard men’s skincare routine.

 

 

Men’s Skin Care Routine

Unlike the skincare routine for women, a man’s proper skin-care regimen only follows three standard steps; cleansing, toning, and moisturizing.  These three parts are essential for healthier skin, and when done regularly, you will have the kind of results that will make you smile. Now, let’s take a closer at these steps.

 

Cleansing

The first step is cleansing.  It is the process of removing all the dirt, dust, and oil clogging from your skin.  Since you are just starting, it is recommended to go for cleansers that have gentle ingredients and only use them once a week so your skin can suitably adjust to the usually active chemicals that facial cleansers have. The cleansing process opens the pores, and that is why you need the toning and moisturizing parts to close them again.

 

Toning

Most people skip this part, but it’s very essential. Toning removes the residual impurities left in the pores by the cleansing process.  Aside from that, it also reduces the size of the pores and eliminates dead skin cells that can cause further issues. A lot of people don’t even do this, but if you want to get the best results possible, then you also need to invest in some amount of skin serums or toners.

 

Moisturizing

The final part is moisturizing.  This process soothes the skin and helps restore all of the moisture that got lost during the cleansing and toning stages.  It also closes your skin pores which prevent impurities from entering and clogging them. Moisturizing is extremely important because without it you will leave your skin pores open and vulnerable to things that can cause unwanted skin problems such as oiliness, acne, and dryness.

These steps make a standard men’s skincare routine. Each one of them is important in making sure that your skin will look healthy and radiant. According to Ted Grossbart, PhD, “People with skin problems are at high risk of developing psychological problems, and they can linger even after the skin gets better.”

Finally, Amanda E. White, LPC, reminds, “[T]rue comfort with ourselves is a state of mind.” So keep these in mind and buy the best men skincare products that can help make you look good and extra handsome.

 

Making simple changes in your lifestyle can create a significant impact on your health, especially when you want to avoid complications of the mental illness. Your mental health affects almost everything in your system and putting an effort to look after it gives you a lot of relief and long-term benefits.

Mike Slade, PhD, states, “Recovery-oriented mental health systems focus on commonality. In practice, this involves an orientation toward supporting everyday solutions for everyday problems rather than providing specialist treatments for mental illness-related problems.”

Here are some of the things you can do to take care of it.

Continue reading Ways To Take Care Of Your Mental Health

Skincare is very tricky. We spend an ample amount of time everyday cleansing and moisturizing it only to notice that we have an acne breakout a couple of days later. “Skin conditions affect many people and can isolate them both physically and emotionally,” wrote Matt Fraube, MFT. “They often create intense feelings of shame and guilt that slowly diminish self-esteem, building a negative emotional snowball that gradually grows until it limits people’s lives.” While it’s easy to speculate about what could be causing our skin problems, finding the right reason is harder than that because there are a lot of things that can affect the way our skin looks.  From the food we eat and the habits we unwittingly do, up to the places we go to and our knowledge when it comes to skincare, there are tons of factors that can deliver significant effects on our skin.

 

Continue reading Bad Habits To Avoid If You Want To Have Better Skin