Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy

Depressive disorders come in different forms, just as is the case with other illnesses such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease. This article briefly describes three of the most common types of depressive disorders.
However, within these types there are also variations in the symptoms, their severity and duration. Major depression causes symptoms i.e. excessive fatigue, relentless pessimism, hopelessness etc. that interfere with your ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy activities that were once pleasurable.
This type of depression can be disabling and may occur once but more commonly occurs several times in a lifetime. A less severe type of depression, dysthymia, generates longer-term, chronic symptoms that do not disable, but prevent you from functioning optimally or feeling enthusiastic when you should.
Many also experience major depressive episodes sometime in their lives. Another form of depression is bipolar disorder.
This serious and often devastating disorder is characterized by mood changes that cycle in and out or on and off- severe highs (mania) and lows (depression). Occasionally, the mood switches are dramatic and rapid, but usually they are slower and gradual.
When in the depressed cycle, one can have any or all of the symptoms of depression. When in the manic cycle,however, you may be overactive, over-talkative and manifest too much energy.
Mania often affects your thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that cause serious problems, anger and embarrassment. For example, once in a manic phase you may feel elated and full of grand schemes that might range from unwise business decisions to romantic or promiscuous sprees.
Left untreated, this disorder can literally ruin your life and even cause a deterioration into psychosis. Medical treatments typically used, depending on the condition type and severity, include anti-depressant medications, anti-psychotics, psychotherapy and mood stabilizers.
The best psychotherapeutic treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy which treats how your thinking processes affect your mood and behavior.
Unfortunately, sometimes patients inappropriately drop-out of medication therapy, rather than follow-through because of side effects which could have been ameliorated had they stayed in treatment.
Wonder if you are getting the correct treatment for your depression? The following recommendations are based on a review of the scientific literature regarding the use of psychotherapy, counseling and medication in treating depression.
Take heed:
1. The treatment of first choice for your depression should be cognitive behavioral or interpersonal psychotherapy. This is because of their superior long-term outcomes; they also pose fewer medical risks than using drugs or combined treatments. However, you should consider medications, combined treatment, or other types of psychotherapy if you do not respond appropriately.
2. You should not undergo insight-oriented psychotherapy by itself because studies suggest that it may produce poorer outcomes.
3. It is important that psychotherapy or counseling be included in your treatment program when anti-depressants are prescribed; you are at a higher risk for relapse if you use medication by itself.
Generally, the best results are achieved by the combined use of cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication.
4. Everything else being equal, when starting medication, a single medication administered with psychotherapy should be used.
5. Everything else being equal, when using an anti-depressant, you should use the lowest, safest therapeutic dose for the shortest possible duration. This minimizes the risk that you may experience any possible side effects, cardio-toxicity, potential suicidality or even drop-out of treatment prematurely.
6. If you are hospitalized, antidepressants should be only very cautiously prescribed, especially if you have cardiac vulnerabilities, because of the risk of sudden death.
7. If you have been suicidal, you should take antidepressants only if there is a vigilant monitoring plan in place to prevent over-dose.
8. Everything else being equal, you should be very reluctant to have ant-depressants prescribed for your children because there is no compelling evidence that they are effective for them and little is known about the health risks they pose for this population.
9. Caution should be used in prescribing antidepressants to elderly people because of possible hypotensive and side effect risks.
10. You should avoid taking regular minor tranquilizers alone for your depression because they have resulted in worse outcomes than no treatment at all.
11. It is crucial to hire the right professional for the right task. Clinical psychologists receive most of their training in psychology, counseling and psychotherapy.
Psychiatrists receive most of their training in medicine. Choose a psychologist for counseling and therapy; go to a psychiatrist for medication.

After yet another display of lining up toys or endlessly performing the same behavior over and over it’s not unusual for parents to wonder if their child may have not one but two disorders – autism and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).
OCD is a neurological disorder that causes obsessive thoughts and behaviors and can greatly disrupt a person’s life. There are two main elements to OCD, thoughts or obsessions and compulsions or behaviors.
The obsessions are experienced as thoughts, images or impulses and can be persistent. Whereas compulsions are repetitive behaviors that the sufferer feels compelled to carry out whether they want to or not. The performance of the repetitive behaviors is usually done to reduce distress or to stop a particular event.
It is common for people with an autism spectrum disorder to also display repetitive behaviors and have repetitive thoughts, comparable to those who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD is a condition that generally makes sufferers feel uncomfortable with their symptoms, and wish that they could get rid of them. On the other hand children with autism are usually unconcerned with their various obsessions or behaviors and may even see them as comforting, increasing the frequency during stressful situations as a calming mechanism.
There are two possible treatments for autism and OCD-like behaviors: behavioral therapy, and medication. Frequently, these two forms of therapy are prescribed together.
The most common kind of medication prescribed for treating OCD behaviors in autistic individuals are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). SSRIs are antidepressant medications that have also shown to be helpful in reducing OCD behaviors. However, they can come with some serious side effects including an increased risk of suicide. Parents’ whose children are on SSRIs should monitor behaviors closely and report anything out of the ordinary to a medical professional.
Behavioral therapy can be another way to reduce repetitive behaviors, however there is not one treatment that has been found to be consistently effective for all cases of autism. This is due to the fact that no two cases of autism are exactly the same.
Therefore, before a behavioral therapy is selected to deal with autism and OCD symptoms, an IQ test and/or functional cognitive level test will usually be administered. Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) works well for lower functioning children or younger children, and Cognitive Behavioral therapy can show good results for higher functioning, more verbal children with autism.
To ensure best results it is often recommended that behavioral treatments and medication be combined. The medication is usually prescribed to help the child become more open to the behavioral therapy. Since behavioral therapy can be challenging – especially as most children don’t see their OCD behaviors as undesirable – medication can make the difference in encouraging children to be open to the suggested changes.
While autism and OCD can occur in the same individual, it is much more common for children with autism to simply display behaviors that are similar to those of OCD, but that are in fact a part of their autism symptoms and not a separate case of obsessive compulsive disorder. Nonetheless, it is believed that autism and OCD based repetitive thoughts and behaviors are quite similar in the early stages of development, but become dissimilar over time as they often serve different functions within the two disorders.
Dealing with autism and OCD at an early age should be prioritized to ensure that regular childhood and life experiences such as early education occurs more smoothly. The fewer obsessive-compulsive symptoms a child with autism has generally, the more positive their educational and life experiences will be.
If you believe your child is suffering from OCD contact your doctor to discuss diagnosis and treatment options.

The actual treatment for this type of eating disorder must be oriented according to the severity of symptoms and the patient’s needs. The primer target of the therapy is to reestablish the physical health of the patient by helping him gain weight.

The patient must know the negative effects anorexia has upon his physical health and understand the importance of gaining weight. A complete eating schedule must be established with about 6 meals a day and the person must learn to adjust and increase weight. After obtaining a healthy physical status, improvement of the mental status of the patient can begin.

Very important as symptom of the disease, the psychological damages of the person making her have low self-esteem and poor self image can also be corrected by proper therapy. Every therapist has its own methods to talk about anorexia and solve its triggers that might be stress, fears or concerns. He will discuss with the patient all potential causes that may be related to anorexia. The relationship between patient and food must also be discussed during sessions, he must keep a diary of his interaction with food and learn to manage hunger or not be disgusted after eating. This is the cognitive method.

The Behavior related therapy is meant to reward the patient for the progresses and punish him for his temptations. The therapist must also identify and try to solve the problems in your emotional or social life that may trigger low self-esteem. Massages and relaxation can contribute to mental health improvement. Family therapy can make the members understand how their actions can negatively influence you and how their acting can help you get back to normal. When patients deny they suffer from an eating disorder, a subtitle family therapy can correct the main causes and increase the patient’s trust.

Group therapies lead by a specialist can help the patient reduce its sensation of isolation and give him the mental strength to fight anorexia. Persons with the same disorder can share their problems and find new ways of working them out. Support groups are lead by nutrition problem specialists or by volunteers which can help you find the most benefic group according to your own personal needs.

You will also need to be seen by a medical doctor that will determine the effects anorexia has on your body and teach you how to overpass the physical illness. He will closely monitor your vital signs, hydration level and electrolytes.

For more information about anorexia or even about pro anorexia please click this link http://www.anorexia-center.com/pro-anorexia.htm

COGNITIVE SCIENCE – NATURE OF INTELLIGENCE

            Many people reading this article may not be familiar with the term ‘Cognitive Science’. But the term ‘Artificial Intelligence’ may sound familiar, as its often heard term and its a booming research area. ‘Cognitive Science’ may be considered as opposite of ‘Artificial Intelligence’, as former deals with study of intelligence in human ,where as  later deals with intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science which aims to create it.

            Cognitive science, the term was coined by Christopeher Longuet – Higgins in 1973. It is an interdisciplinary field. The interdisciplines are Psychology, Neuro science, Linguistics, Philosophy of mind, Computer Science, Anthropology, Biology and Physics. The objective of Cognitive Science is to attain a complete understanding of the mind/brain and its processes.

            Attaining the complete understanding of the mind/brain is not possible by single level analysis.  As the field is highly interdisciplinary, research often draws research methods from different fields such as Psychology , Neuro Science , Computer Science etc., Any of the research methods on their own would not fully explain the process of brain. The relational study of the outcomes of the researches can give a clear picture of process of brain, but to its limits.

            Consider the problem of remembering a phone number and recalling it later. The problem can be approached in many ways. Two of the ways are explained here. One approach is to study the behavior through direct observation i.e. accuracy of the response could be measured when the phone number is recalled by the person. Another approach is to study the working of individual neurons while the person is recalling the phone number. Neither of the approach on their own would solve the problem completely, as discussed before.

            Cognitive Science has yielded a multitude of practical applications. The area of Robotics has seen the development of new and more sophisticated robots capable of executing complex tasks, thus making a positive economic impact. Advances in Neuro science often result in new treatments for disorders such as Autism, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Cognitive theories in Psychology have provided new therapies for the treatment of anxiety and depression. Cognitive insights have also created an impact in education having led to new methods in the teaching of reading, writing and other subjects.

           Thus concentrating more on this field of research can yield much better outcomes to improve our society both economically and psychologically.

When it comes to your overall mental health, stress is the biggest problem that most of face. It is also the biggest reason for many health problems that we face daily. Most of don’t even understand that stress can be the major cause of major health problems like heart problems. There are many different types of therapy that can be used to help with stress relief and music therapy is a relaxing and soothing one that can help with stress but also major and minor illnesses as well.

Music therapy services are available to adults and children with disabilities. Sessions are individually designed according to each person’s special needs. Using music and music activities, the music therapist works with each individual to address specific goals and objectives that are determined by the therapist.

With music therapy both individual and small group sessions will be conducted with regular progress evaluations. Music therapy can be done for clients with the following disabilities: Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Mental Retardation, Attention Deficit Disorder, Lowe’s Syndrome, and, Tourrette’s Syndrome.

Music Therapy may be commonly defined as the structured use of music and music activities geared toward helping individuals with disabilities meet both musical and non-musical goals. Music therapy goals may be based on behavioral, physical, cognitive, social, and emotional or language and communication. Music is a proven relaxation technique as well as a stimulant. Those who use music therapy often experience positive changes.

Music therapy is good for people of all ages may benefit from music therapy, from young children to elderly seniors. People with almost any disability have ability when it comes to music. Music Therapy clients participate through playing instruments, improvising and making up new songs, singing, or even just listening. The people that are involved in Music Therapy sessions may range from having a mild learning disability to having severe mental retardation.

Music therapists assess clients’ communication skills, social functioning, physical health and mobility, cognitive skills, and emotional well-being by how they respond to music. They design Music Therapy sessions for individuals according to their unique needs. In these tailored sessions, therapists use techniques such as music improvisation, receptive music listening, music performance on instruments and with the voice, and learning through music. That is just too cool. When you think of music in terms of therapy, it is very easy to forget how truly useful music can be. It really does sooth the savage beast within us if we let it.

AbstractFeminist Therapy focuses on empowering women and helping them discover how to break the stereotypes and molds of some traditional roles that women play that may be blocking their development and growth. This type of therapy grew out of influences of the women’s movement of the late 1960’s. Feminist therapy tends to be more focused on strengthening women in areas such as assertiveness, communication, relationships, and self esteem. One of the main goals of feminist therapists is to develop equal mutual relationships of caring and support. The therapist believes that her client is the only “expert” in her own issues and will help her develop the tools needed to reach her potential as a unique and valuable individual. There are six main tenets of feminist therapy theory with five main principles. It is important to realize that feminist therapy is not just for women but men can benefit as well. Furthermore, there is a notion in feminist therapy that “personal is political”. This notion means that personal experiences are embedded in political situations, contexts, and realities.Feminist TherapyFeminist psychology grew from the influences of the women’s movement of the 1960’s. This movement was a grassroots one; therefore, no one particular theorist can be named the originator of feminist therapy. Feminists tried to keep elements of other psychological theories that worked but attempted to get rid of sexist aspects of the theories. They then tried to explain some of the common experiences and difficulties associated with the social roles that women endure that may be blocking their growth and development. The focus is mainly on helping women in areas such as assertiveness, communication, self-esteem, and relationships. Feminist therapy also focuses on empowering women by helping them see the impact of gender issues. The aim of therapy is change rather then adjustment. It is important to acknowledge sex roles, minority status and socialization in society as possible sources or causes of psychological difficulties. A core concept is equality; therefore, the therapist is seen as equal in the relationship with an outside perspective who provides guidance and new information but the client is seen as having the power to create his or her own desired outcome in themselves and their lives. Reclaiming personal power is a key concept. A task of the therapist is to help individuals explore and understand what is causing dysfunction and unhappiness and then to help develop strategies to overcome these difficulties…Feminist therapy is not just suitable for women, men can benefit from this therapeutic process as well. Men also deal with social and gender role constraints such as the demands of strength, autonomy, and competition. In addition, they are limited by the notion that they should not express vulnerability, sensitivity, and empathy. Both men and women are exploited by a patriarchal society and limited culture and gender stereotypes. Men can benefit from therapy by working on these issues and by learning new skills to help them understand and explore issues involved with emotions, intimacy, and self-disclosure. There are four main philosophies of feminists with differing goals in therapy including socialist, radical, cultural, and liberal. First, socialist feminists emphasize the need for change in institutional and social relationships. Next, radical feminists focus on the need for change in gender relations and societal institutions. In addition, they strive to increase women’s self awareness in regards to her sexuality and her desires and views for having children. Subsequently, cultural feminists emphasize the importance of the recognition that women are devalued in society and how detrimental this is. Finally, liberal feminists focus on the individual and the biases these people face in regards to self awareness, self-respect, esteem, and equality. Many ideas and views held by these philosophies overlap and are integrated with the main focus on equality. There are four major approaches that are unique to feminist therapy which include consciousness-raising, social and gender role analysis, resocialization, and social activism. Consciousness-raising is sometimes held in small groups in a leaderless manner involving the discussion of women’s individual and shared experiences. Women in these groups do not have to feel that they are alone and they could listen and support others. These individuals examine how oppression and socialization contributes to personal distress and dysfunction and they talk about ways in which solutions for creating individual and social changes can be made. Consciousness-raising helps women feel more powerful to take steps against oppression by participating in social action. Social and gender role analysis involves the evaluation of the client’s psychological distress and methods of coping. First clients will learn about the impact and affects of social and cultural norms and expectations and how negatively these issues affect society. This helps the client become aware and identify his or her own experiences in regards to social and gender role norms. The therapist helps the individual become aware of both implicit and explicit sex roles that the client may have experienced over his or her lifetime. This helps the client explore possible origins of psychological distress. Together the therapist and the client come up with ways to implement change and gain self knowledge.Resocialization follows social and gender role analysis and involves reorganizing the client’s belief system. They learn to view things differently and they develop new coping skills and strategies. Methods are taught that increase self esteem, assertiveness, and self views. A main goal of resocialization is an overall increase in well being.Social activism is rather controversial and not practiced by all therapists. It is embedded in the notion that “personal is political”, which is one of the basic tenets of feminist therapy. This means that there are underlying roots of client’s problems that stem from society and politics. Feminist therapy should not only help the individual but it should help all individuals. Social activism may involve participation by both the therapist and the client. This can be accomplished by speaking out, organized protests, and letter writing campaigns. Feminists agree that social change is crucial and advantageous to the mental health of all individuals.According to Gerald Corey, feminist therapy is based on five interrelated principles:1.The personal is political which implements social change.2.The counseling relationship is egalitarian which encourages equality between the therapist and the client. The client should be aware that she has the power to change and define herself and the therapist is only a tool with new insight and information.3.Women’s experiences are honored and they should get in touch with their personal experiences and intuition.4.Definitions of distress and mental illness are reformulated involving the internal as well as external factors of distress. Pain and resistance are viewed as a positive confirmation of the desire to live and overcome distress rather than being viewed as weak.5.Feminist therapists use an integrated analysis of oppression which means that they understand that both men and women are subjected to oppression and stereotypes and that these oppressive experiences have a profound affect on beliefs and perceptions. These core principles set the basis for feminist therapeutic practice and it is important to acknowledge that these principles contain overlap and interrelated common ground. Additionally, Lenore Walker indicates that there are six tenets of feminist therapy theory:1.Egalitarian relationships: this equal relationship between client and therapist models for women personal responsibility and assertiveness in other relationships.2.Power: women are taught to gain and use power in relationships and the possible consequences of their actions.3.Enhancement of women’s strengths: so much of traditional therapy focused on a woman’s shortcomings and weaknesses that feminist therapists teach women to look for their own strengths and use them effectively.4.Non-pathology oriented and non-victim blaming: the medical model is rejected and women’s problems are seen as coping mechanisms and viewed in their social context.5.Education: women are taught to recognize their cognitions that are detrimental and encouraged to educate themselves for the benefit of all women.6.Acceptance and validation of feelings: feminist therapists value self-disclosure and attempt to remove the we-they barrier of traditional therapeutic relationships. Feminist therapy is beneficial and needed for several reasons. The main goal is change, not just change within the individual but change in society. Gender issues need to be addressed because they can cause psychological distress and shape unwanted behavior. Our lives are affected and influenced by the stigmas and stereotypes associated with these internal and environmental pressures which can affect one’s identity. Feminist therapy recognizes this and implements these concerns in practice. Furthermore, women live in a world dominated by males and masculine patterns of thought and behavior. Until recently, psychological studies of human behavior were almost always conducted by men and on men. The results of these studies were generalized to apply to women equally. The results are biased for several reasons including the fact that men and women are not the same. They have developed differently from early childhood and they tend to view the world in different ways. The media gives young children strong gender biased messages. Boys are supposed to be independent, self sufficient, dominant, aggressive, and successful. Girls are sweet, well behaved, passive, submissive, overemotional, and attractive. There is a conflicting problem here because the same traits that are considered appropriate for little girls are considered negative and inappropriate as mature adults. Males tend to view the world in terms of competition and power, while females look at aspects of the world through relationships and connections to others. Therefore, these studies and techniques may not represent women very well.Women’s natural gifts of being nurturing and caring do not hold much power and value in society according to our social norms. These views and norms prevent women from feeling a sense of strength and power. These characteristics should not be viewed as weaknesses yet society sees it this way. Women should be commended for all he roles that they play. It is hard to juggle a family with children and a career, then come home and do housework and errands. As society becomes more of a dual income earning community some of these issues may turn in a more positive direction. Men do not have it easy either. If a man were to stay home and raise the children and tend to the household needs, society may call him lazy or worthless. Feminist therapists recognize how these factors and they understand how much relationships, connections, and nurturance plays a huge role in individual’s lives. They consider sex bias in a male dominated society and they honor women’s experiences and instincts as being valid. Feminist therapists specifically address issues such as family and marriage relations, reproduction, career concerns, physical and sexual abuse, body image disorders, and self esteem. One of the most important concerns of a feminist therapist is the empowerment of women in today’s world. Bohan (1992) states six guidelines for feminist practitioners to follow:1.Therapists are knowledgeable concerning gender role socialization and the impact these standards have on what it means to be a woman or a man.2.Therapists are aware of the impact of the distribution of power within the family and power differentials between men and women in terms of decision making, child rearing, career options, and division of labor.3.Therapists understand the sexist context of the social system and its impacts on both the individual and the family. 4.Therapists are committed to promoting roles for both women and men that are not limited by cultural or gender stereotypes.5.Therapists acquire intervention skills that assist clients in their gender role journey.6.Therapists are committed to work toward the elimination of gender role bias as a source of pathology in all societal institutions.These principles are based on a gender fair ideology for counseling which may be applied to family therapists as well.  These principles also apply to both individual and group therapy. The fact that many principles of feminist therapy can be incorporated into other therapies is a strength because it can broaden the theoretical base of other models and therapies. Feminist therapy aims at enriching and enlightening everyone’s lives by hopefully encouraging social activism in a positive direction. There are some criticisms and limitations to feminist therapy. Some therapists may be too feminist and militant in their views there by persuading clients. No therapist should persuade nor tell someone the “right” way to look at things. The therapist’s task is to offer support and information to challenge the client to examine for herself which road to take. Another criticism is the biased stance that feminists take. They are not neutral. They are all for a definite change in society and they should take caution not to be too pushy with their views on clients. It is also important that clients take responsibility for actions and experiences and not just blame society. They can be aware of society’s impacts but they also need to fess up and not avoid taking personal responsibility. Another criticism is the fact that feminism originated and was developed by, middle class, white, heterosexual women. Other races and cultures were not involved. This has been brought to attention and feminists have become much more inclusive.In summary, feminist therapy is beneficial and advantageous to today’s society. The human race will continue to evolve and new theories will also evolve to meet the needs of our unsustainable, plastic society. Feminist therapists will continue to break down the hierarchy of power by therapeutic approaches and interventions with the overall remaining goal as empowerment of the client and social positive change and transformation.References1.Walker, Lenore E.A. (1990). A Feminist Therapist Views the Case. In Dorthy W. Cantor (Ed.), Women as Therapists, (pp. 78-79). New York: Spring Publishing Company.2.Hecklinger, Fred J. (2003). Training for Life: A Practical Guide to Career and Life Planning. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishers.  3.Bohan, Janis S. (1992). Replacing Women in Psychology: readings Toward a More Inclusive History, (pp. 88-99). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishers.4.Swanson, Jane L. (1999). Career Theory and Practice: Learning Through Case Studies. Thousand oaks, CA: Sage Publications5.Benjafield, John G., (1996). A History of Psychology, (pp.321), Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon6.Corey, Gerald (2001). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy 6TH Edition, (pp. 341-375), Wadsworth: Brooks Cole, Thompson Learning.

Stress can affect every aspect of life in general. That is why it is essential that people learn a bit of stress management since the experience can sometimes be inevitable. A little bit of stress now and then can sometimes be helpful in that it keeps a person be conditioned to react when certain unexpected circumstances happen. But this is the type of stress that one can easily cope up with. On the other hand, experiencing too much stress can have adverse effects on the body.
There are many ways that people do to try and cope up with stress. One of the most common but certainly not the quickest means is by changing a person’s mindset. It has been known that how a person thinks greatly affects his behavior and actions. If a person always thinks negatively, behavior seems likely to follow the same way. And when a person’ s way of thinking and behavior is based on negativity, it is more likely that stress becomes an ever present companion in every aspect of life. In order to stop stress from becoming a damaging factor in one’s life, then one has to get rid of all the negativity in terms of behavior and thinking.
One way of trying to get rid of the negativity in one’s mindset is by trying to identify There is a form of stress therapy called cognitive restructuring which deals with identifying and changing a person’s faulty thinking and unrealistic beliefs. Cognitive distortions is another term used to refer to these faulty thinking and beliefs. By correcting these distortions, only then can one be able to change one’s way of thinking.
People make use of different cognitive distortions which can be associated with stress. These are faulty thinking and beliefs that lead people to behave or act in a negative way. And there are several cognitive distortions that are common problems in many people. One of them is overgeneralization.
Overgeneralization is a common cognitive distortion among many people. Some may not be aware of it, but a lot of people are always guilty of overgeneralizing. It can be considered as a normal reaction by some. But too much of it can lead one to stress.
It is normal for people to base judgments on past experiences. When a person has experienced a negative event, it then becomes a factor that one naturally tries to relate other succeeding negative events of the same kind. This is why most people tend to develop stereotypes. But then overgeneralizing tends to make people believe that when experiencing a certain situation, all the other similar situations in the future would result in the exact same way.
People overgeneralize by thinking that there would be no difference in terms of results to similar situations that happen in the past to ones that happen in the present or in the future. When one has an experience with a rude salesperson, an overgeneralizer would judge that all salespersons are also rude.
Another common distortion in most people that is corrected in stress management is the trait of always jumping into conclusions. There are many people who, when faced with a certain situation tend to jump into making conclusions of why certain events happen. This is usually made before any evidence has been taken to back up the conclusion. For every negative situation, people with this cognitive distortion often try to go straight into concluding in the negative.
This can become so bad that people easily accepts the conclusion, even to the point of ignoring signs and evidences that prove the contrary.

Anxiety and panic disorders happen to millions of people around the world. According to statistics, three million Americans are afflicted by major panic attacks, depression and moderate anxiety disorders. Three million Americans suffer from panic disorder.  It is very common for those with severe depression to also have panic attacks and elevated anxiety levels.  Symptoms of the disorder are often similar to other disorders or illnesses, such as hypoglycemia, heart problems, asthma and many more serious conditions. Sufferers who have not been clinically diagnosed with panic disorder often feel afraid and tentative about their health.

When an undiagnosed person suffers from attacks,  but are also suffering from depression, then the one can aggravate and complicate the other until proper treatment is realized.

People suffering from depression often feel bored, sad, hopeless, lethargic, extremely and unloved. Insomnia and elevated anxiety levels are also side effects of clinical depression.  Because of this elevated anxiety, people with panic disorder coupled with depression usually experience panic attacks more often. Attacks are often emotionally and mentally frightening for the person who suffers from the disorder.  This sometimes leads the development of a phobia towards the situation, or a fear to return to a specific place.

While not everyone who is depressed will have these attacks, many people who suffer from it likely deal with bouts of depression as well. Treatment is available and very effective.  Through medication, cognitive-behavior therapy or relaxation techniques, those who suffer from panic disorder can get their lives and emotional freedom back! You no longer need to live in fear – you can regain control of your life, health and total happiness!

Occupational Therapy involves the utilization of key daily life activities to help patients participate in these functions, regardless of their emotional and physical impairment. It is a method of therapy that helps patients achieve independence, even though their physical or mental functions may be limited. Therapeutic techniques help improve cognitive abilities and motor skills in order to improve one’s overall well-being and quality of life.
According to Canada’s Occupational Therapy Resource Site, www.otworks.ca, “Occupational therapists consider occupation to be everything people do to occupy themselves, including looking after themselves (self-care), enjoying life (leisure), and contributing to the social and economic fabric of their communities (work/productivity).”
Occupational therapy helps patients with such conditions as physical injuries, head injuries, amputations, mental health and developmental disorders, congenital disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, orthopedic injuries, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and post traumatic stress disorders. An occupational therapist can also help children with such conditions as developmental delays, physical disabilities, and sensory and attention dysfunctions.
According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, stress is defined as “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation.” One type of stress is job stress. Symptoms of job stress include: job dissatisfaction, sleep disturbances, short temper, stomach ache, headaches, low morale, and more. The consequences of stress in the medical industry can include: reduced patient care, increase in staff turnover, discontented patients, and less time spent with patients.
Occupational Therapy is one career that can be can be stressful. According to Chris Lloyd from the University of Queensland, Australia in his article “Work-related stress and occupational therapy”, some causes of stress and burnout are: “the caring nature of their work, repeated exposure to distress, repeated exposure to difficult behavior, prolonged interventions, and uncertain outcomes.”
There are many resources to help one reduce stress and prevent job burnout. Many experts recommend avoiding isolating oneself from friends, coworkers, and family, make sure that you do not take on too many problems, take care of your physical health, and maintain a sense of humor.
Occupational therapists are regulated in all 50 States and work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, mental health facilities, private practices, children’s clinics, and nursing homes.
According to the United States Department of labor, “Employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase 23 percent between 2006 and 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations.” A major factor for employment growth is an increasing elderly population and increased need for children’s care. There are also an increased number of individuals with disabilities or limited function who require therapy services. An aging baby-boom generation also increases the number of incidents of heart attacks and strokes which can require the services of Occupational Therapists.
Occupational therapy is a highly valued and respected medical career. Occupational therapists help patients overcome obstacles that prevent them from participating in daily life activities. Understanding and identifying the stressors that may be involved with a career in Occupational therapy will play a big part in implementing the best stress management techniques.

The main objectives of Physical Therapy are to promote body strength, function and mobility and prevent future physical injury. Physical therapy is a dynamic health profession, which utilizes both scientific knowledge and evidence based clinical. A course to focus on prevention of impairments, functional limitations or disabilities by identifying disablement risk factors and providing educational intervention to facilitate a positive change in the health behavior of patients. Physical therapy focuses primarily on those individuals whose potential or actual impairment is related to musculoskeletal, neuromusculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, and integument (skin) systems.

Types

Orthopedic Physical Therapy: The first type of physical therapy is the one most commonly known to the general public. Orthopedic therapy usually takes place in the hospital directly following surgery or in an outpatient clinic where customers visit on a daily or weekly basis.

Pediatric Physical Therapy: Pediatric physical therapy assists in the early detection of health problems among infants, children and adolescents. Treatments often seek to improve gross and fine motor skills, strength, cognitive functioning and balance.

Geriatric Physical Therapy: This type of physical therapy is geared toward people of older generations as well as toward people who have trouble with the aging process. Victims of osteoporosis often see a geriatric physical therapist as do senior citizens who undergo extensive surgery.

Neurological Physical Therapy: Neurological physical therapy is one treatment path for patients with a neurological disorder or disease—such as Alzheimer’s, cerebral palsy, brain injuries, strokes, spinal cord injuries and Parkinson’s.

Heat Physical Therapy: Heat can help relax and heal your muscles and soft tissues by increasing blood circulation. This can be especially helpful if a joint is stiff from osteoarthritis or from being immobilized, or to relax the muscles before exercise. However, heat can also increase swelling in an injured area if it is used too soon after the injury.

Speech therapy : A speech therapist can also help your child strengthen her facial muscles if she has trouble eating or swallowing. This is especially important if your child is not getting enough nutrients at each meal.

Causes of physical therapy

Orthopedic Disorders – Orthopedic injuries are injuries that involve trauma to a bone, such as a fracture, or trauma to soft tissue. People with these types of injuries often have limited mobility because of pain, weakness, and limited range of motion. Westchase Physical Therapy focuses on helping patients regain their strength and mobility so they can get back to living life.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Pain, numbness or weakness that affects some part of the median nerve in the hand, thumb or ring finger. Pain may radiate into the arm. Causes for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include repetitive handwork and trauma.

Benefits Of Physical Therapy

benefits of physical therapy, but the key benefits are to evaluate physical problems, increase and maintain muscle strength and endurance, restore and increase joint range of motion, increase coordination, decrease pain, decrease muscle spasm and plasticity, decrease swelling and inflammation of joints, promote healing of soft tissue lesions, prevent contracture and deformity of limbs, alleviate walking problems, educate patients and family, decrease stress and a whole lot more too numerous to mention. These are but a few of the benefits of physical therapy.