Category: Therapies

The Art of Nostalgia

“The Art Of Nostalgia” is a elaborate collection of nine personal essays of Lauren. These essays aim to capture nostalgia’s essence on how does it effects the person and the thought process. The essays bring the reader on a journey as Lauren crafts a timeline of memories that reflect a deep-rooted nostalgia for places, people, and transient phases of life. She, inadvertently, strings together pieces of herself, pieces that shape who she is at her core, daring us to ponder our own stories, our own past that vitally remains within us.

Here is some insight on how to tame the phenomenon that is nostalgia.

The cycle of Nostalgia

Keep in mind that you’ve missed things a thousand times before, and it always becomes easier. It may take weeks, or months, but it always does. Whether it’s a place, a person, or your favorite food that you can no longer eat because you just found out you’re gluten free, it always gets easier.

Be Realistic: The most dangerous part of nostalgia is the tendency to romanticize. When you look back, look back on the past as it actually was. Doing so will prevent you from ranking the past as better than the present.

Look Forward: Avoid excessive planning, but when that new movie tells you how enlightening your twenty-something years are, or how incredible your forties are, listen. Your grandmother is right when she says you have a lot to look forward to. Be excited for, and do not fear, what lies ahead.

Always Live In The Moment – Try to embrace how exciting life can be when you truly live in the moment. Respect the epitomic Cards and try new things everyday.

Balance – Try to find a balance between the past and the present. Keep in touch with old friends, and remember the events that made you the person you are today. Most importantly, always participate in Instagram’s “throwback Thursday.”

The first and probably the most important consideration is the attitude with which we approach our material. Since nostalgia serves no immediate purpose besides providing pleasure it is a fundamentally aesthetic memory experience, which means we should approach our material with the mindset of an artist.

The Best and the Beauty of Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a combination of different methods of natural healing that are extremely wide-ranging, and a practitioner may become a specialist in one particular area. Although naturopathy can be used to treat the symptoms of an illness it is, fundamentally, a way of life and a means of disease prevention. The management of stress and anxiety is a particular area that is addressed by naturopathy and adopting a healthy, naturopathic lifestyle benefits everybody and can be helpful to those suffering from phobias.

Naturopathy’s principle therapeutic elements

The examination of nutrition and diet including the use of vitamin and mineral supplements. Detoxification – the use of short periods of fasting or controlled diets and supplements to aid the natural processes by which the body rids itself of toxic substances.

Ways and means to control and reduce stress and anxiety including recognising and eliminating the cause whenever possible, relaxation techniques, modification of diet and the use of supplements, particularly to support the adrenal gland.

  1. Hydrotherapy – the use of water to promote healing.
  2. Herbal medicine Homeopathy
  3. Physical therapies such as massage, chiropractic and osteopathy

Counseling and lifestyle modification, which can be of particular value in relieving psychological, behavioral and emotional problems as well as physical ailments. Treatment may include hypnotherapy, relaxation ,techniques, visualization (image) therapy, color, music or dance therapy in addition to other naturopathic methods.

The use of acupuncture and Oriental therapies such as shiatsu, yoga and T’ai Chi Ch’uan

Exercise – the importance of exercise in the promotion of good health, including psychological and emotional wellbeing, and in the treatment of ailments is recognized by naturopaths and forms a part of most therapeutic programs.

A naturopath is interested in the person as a whole and not just in a particular condition or set of symptoms that may be troubling the patient. Hence consulting a naturopath gives a person the chance to discuss every aspect of life with someone who is concerned to offer help.

Differences between behavior therapy and cognitive therapy

The differences between the two approaches can perhaps be best understood by considering an illustration. Behavioral therapy may be able to help an agoraphobic to get used to the feared situation by repeated exposure. However, it is also possible that the agoraphobic could be employing an undisclosed safety or coping strategy on which he is secretly relying. He might in fact have his belief in the effectiveness of this reinforced by exposure alone, that is believing that he can confront the agoraphobic situation better because his safety strategy is working so well.

Also, if panic control measures have been strongly taught as a part of behavioral therapy the patient may subsequently be able to enter the agoraphobic situation only because he now believes that he can avoid catastrophe by employing them. It is then likely that he will not have come to realize that panic symptoms are harmless as this belief is not challenged by control alone. His agoraphobia has been controlled rather than changed and panic control has become a safety or coping strategy in its own right.

Cognitive Therapy facts

In cognitive therapy, panic control would perhaps be viewed as one of several useful measures aimed at changing an agoraphobic’s belief in the harmfulness of panic symptoms. In practice, cognitive therapy experiments, such as those described above, have to incorporate exposure, which is a key element of behavioral therapy.

There is, in fact, a considerable degree of overlap between the two approaches. The behavioral approach to agoraphobia, based on exposure therapy, has been proved to be effective in most cases and has also been shown to bring about cognitive changes. Many experts believe that the effectiveness of purely cognitive treatments has not been established or is inferior to that of behavioral therapy. The same view also tends to be taken with regard to combined therapies which have been tried. However, both behavioral and cognitive approaches have been proved valuable in the treatment of panic disorder.

The fact that a high percentage of agoraphobics are helped by behavioral exposure therapy is especially encouraging when one considers that it is generally only the most severely affected patients who seek treatment. As mentioned above, it is thought that many agoraphobics (no doubt including those who see themselves as being less seriously affected) remain ‘hidden’ within the community and never seek professional help. Hence part of the function of a book such as this should be to stress the importance and effectiveness of treatment compared with suffering the distress of agoraphobia.

How to tackle World which is filled with Sadness?

Can you tackle World which is filled with Sadness without getting effected?

Here are many top tips to help you on Sadness coming from the external world around us. The world is a crazy place, where several crazy things happen daily. You need to learn to tackle the world and the upcoming sadness from this. Here are few of the tips to help cut down the stress and take the path ahead.

Avoid the mainstream news

Every day in the morning you will read many racist, fear-mongering headlines which will not do any good to your day and your mood. Promise yourself a full month of media fast every year and you can see the results of it on your mood. The negative energy we have for the world is always better spent on positive thought and action. In addition there are various reasons you cannot trust the honest account of current happening in the world. Remember, news gathering and news creation both has been proven innumerable times earlier.

Channelize your frustration in some Creative thing

Getting mad and hysteric is not going to take you anywhere. It will just add complication. So do not stress yourself, but be poetic and start writing, drawing, painting, vlogging or blogging, playing a musical instrument, etc. Remember, creativity is a wonderful antidote to depression. You do not have to learn to perform, but to spend the good amount of time doing something constructive.

Disconnect All your Devices (to reconnect with life!)

Break from Social media and phone can relax you a lot more than you can think of. According to a study from Denmark, we’d all feel much happier if we had a break from social media. The study also found that people who quit using phones, tablets, laptop, etc., interacted lot more with real-life human beings.

Take control of your mind

Forget about past, Live in Present and Plan for Future is what you should be reminding yourself to live in the present moment is a very effective way to eliminate worrying and get some perspective. Participate in global group meditations which can help you visualize world peace.

Remember: millions of people feel the same as you!

You are not alone in this feeling. You need to realize that you are not the only one facing this issue. Just remember the millions of people around the world who are campaigning for change. Surround yourself with like-minded people, and never underestimate the importance of a hug.

Hearing Inner Voices

Simple tips to Handle Betrayal and Hearing Voices

Betrayal harms us more than anything else in the world.  It can go down till the deepest parts of us. Yet it is possible to reach those inner dark places which hide the darkest fears and desires. It is possible through gentle love and listening.

Whether it is a child suffering from sexual abuse or a partner dealing with domestic violence, the trauma is overwhelming since it involves someone with intimate relationship. Since you are dependent on the other person for food, shelter, emotional wellbeing, support, etc. the suffering received is also severe in the case of abuse.

In the cases of abuse and betrayal, many times people start hearing their names being called out from the back. When they turn around, there is no one. This hearing of voices if happens more than 2-3 times a week, is not normal and comes under the category of issue called hearing voices which has its roots in the betrayal and abuse you had suffered from deep inside.

When our experience of hearing voices goes beyond hearing names, then we tend to feel concerned. These in other words are also called auditory hallucinations which may not necessarily always be abnormal.

Differences in Voices origin

Different people hear voices from different places. Sometimes the voices appear to come through ears and sometimes, it is like coming from inside the head. There could be many voices or single voice coming from these places.  These voices can be both encouraging or intimidating coming either from someone you know in your life or from someone you never heard of.

Betrayal trauma can lead to visual and auditory hallucinations such as victims hearing the voice of their abuser.

Advice for those hearing voices

The following advice can help you recover from the deep hurt from these voices:

Acceptance

Accepting your voices and stop battling with yourself to avoid them, will make you in better position to understand them.

Control

There are different ways you can gain control over your voices. You can distract yourself from the voices by listening to music through headphones. You can also start a dialogue with the voices you hear. If the voices you hear are threatening, tell them that they have no power over you.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy – DBT for BPD and Mental Health Problems

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of CBT (cognitive behavioral treatment) that was initially developed to treat chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). It has been over the time recognized as the gold standard psychological treatment for this population.

It is also effective in treating a wide range of other disorders such as substance dependence, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders.

Although, DBT is the brainchild of Dr. Marsha Linehan, a clinical psychologist from Seattle, many others have contributed and the development of the treatment continues.

DBT has four sets of behavioural skills.

  1. Mindfulness – the practice of being fully aware at the current moment
  2. Distress Tolerance: tolerating pain in difficult situations, not change it
  3. Interpersonal Effectiveness: How to maintain self-respect
  4. Emotion Regulation: how to control emotions when you want to control them.

General Characteristics of DBT

 

DBT help the patient identify his or her strengths and build on them.

Cognitive-based – This type of therapy helps people find about their thoughts, beliefs, and assumptions that make life harder for them.

Collaborative: It requires constant attention to relationships between clients and staff. In DBT people are encouraged to work out problems in their relationships with their therapist and the therapists to do the same with them.

Diary cards

Specially formatted cards for tracking therapy interfering behaviors that distract or hinder a patient’s progress. Diary cards can be filled out daily, 2-3 times a day, or once per week.

 

Limitations of DBT

There are a few criticisms and limitations, if using DBT for treatment of depression and allied illnesses.

  1. Much of the available research on the efficacy of DBT included small sample sizes and focused on a specific sector of the mental health population. Critics argue more research should be done to determine whether DBT works well for those with varied or complex mental health concerns.
  2. DBT uses a detailed manual and requires solid training to implement. In many of the research studies where DBT was found to be effective. This does not necessarily indicate a weakness in the model itself but underscores the intensive amount of training required to deliver the services as designed. Therefore, expanding the availability of comprehensive training could be useful for community mental health organizations.

Yoga for health

Yoga is a practice that connects the body, breath, and mind. It uses physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation to improve overall health. Yoga was developed as a spiritual practice thousands of years ago. Today, most Westerners do yoga for exercise or to reduce stress.

yoga

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga can improve your overall fitness level and improve your posture and flexibility. It may also:

  • Lower your blood pressure and heart rate
  • Help you relax
  • Improve your self-confidence
  • Reduce stress
  • Improve your coordination
  • Improve your concentration
  • Help you sleep better
  • Aid with digestion

In addition, practicing yoga may also help with the following conditions:

  • Anxiety
  • Back pain
  • Depression

Who Should use Caution

Yoga is generally safe for most people. But you may need to avoid some yoga poses or modify poses if you:

  • Are pregnant
  • Have high blood pressure
  • Have glaucoma
  • Have sciatica

Make sure to tell your yoga instructor if you have any of these conditions or any other health problem or injury. A qualified yoga teacher should be able to help you find poses that are safe for you.

Styles of Yoga

There are many different types or styles of yoga. They range from mild to more intense. Some of the more popular styles of yoga are:

  • Ashtanga or power yoga. This type of yoga offers a more demanding workout. In these classes, you quickly move from one posture to another.
  • Bikram or hot yoga. You do a series of 26 poses in a room heated to 95°F to 100°F (35°C to 37.8°C). The goal is to warm and stretch the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and to purify the body through sweat.
  • Hatha yoga. This is sometimes a general term for yoga. It most often includes both breathing and postures.
  • Integral. A gentle type of yoga that may include breathing exercises, chanting, and meditation.
  • Iyengar. A style that places great attention to the precise alignment of the body. You may also hold poses for long periods of time.
  • Kundalini. Emphasizes the effects of breath on the postures. The goal is to free energy in the lower body so it can move upwards.
  • Viniyoga. This style adapts postures to each person’s needs and abilities, and coordinates breath and postures.

How to get Started

Look for yoga classes at your local gym, health center, or yoga studio. If you are new to yoga, start with a beginner class. Talk with the instructor before the class and tell them about any injuries or health conditions you may have.

You may want to ask about the instructor’s training and experience. However, while most instructors have had some formal training, there are no certified yoga training programs. Choose an instructor you enjoy working with who does not push you in ways you are not comfortable.

What to Expect

Most yoga classes last from 45 to 90 minutes. All styles of yoga include three basic components:

  • Breathing. Focusing on your breath is an important part of yoga. Your teacher may offer instruction on breathing exercising during the class.
  • Poses. Yoga poses, or postures, are a series of movements that help boost strength, flexibility, and balance. They range in difficulty from lying flat on the floor to difficult balancing poses.
  • Meditation. Yoga classes usually end with a short period of meditation. This quiets the mind and helps you relax.

How to Prevent Injury

While yoga is generally safe, you can still get hurt if you do a pose incorrectly or push yourself too far. Here are some tips to stay safe when doing yoga.

  • If you have a health condition, talk with your health care provider before starting yoga. Ask if there are any poses you should avoid.
  • Start slowly and learn the basics before pushing yourself too far.
  • Choose a class that is appropriate for your level. If you are not sure, ask the teacher.
  • DO NOT push yourself beyond your comfort level. If you cannot do a pose, ask your teacher to help you modify it.
  • Ask questions if you are not sure how to do a pose.
  • Bring along a water bottle and drink plenty of water. This is mostly important in hot yoga.
  • Wear clothing that allows you to move freely.
  • Listen to your body. If you feel pain or fatigue, stop and rest.