Just caught this long article on Eating disorders on the main MSN.ca site. There are a lot of facts in this article and it is interesting that when people want to better their health sometimes they go to far and actually harm themselves by losing to much weight. I used to hate the talk of Anorexia and Bulimia being a disease thinking that it was just a way for some people to get attention but have really learned over the last few years that this is something that is a very dangerous disease with very deep rooted causes.

Eating disorders have increased in frequency as a consequence of society’s emphasis and preoccupation with thinness. Eating disorders are multi-factorial, with genetic, traumatic and nutritional causes. In North America, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the two most important eating disorders. They predominantly affect females.

What is the difference between anorexia and bulimia?

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric condition where people intentionally starve themselves because of a false belief that they are fat, or for fear of becoming obese. In reality, they are almost always underweight or of normal weight when the condition starts. It is estimated that more than 90% of all those diagnosed with anorexia nervosa are female, often from middle and upper socioeconomic backgrounds. This disorder usually starts in the years between adolescence and young adulthood, with the average age at onset of 14 years. Anorexia nervosa afflicts about 1 per 100,000 in the population at large, but the rate is believed to be higher among Caucasian adolescent girls – about 1 in 200. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Tags: affective disorder, alcohol abuse, American Psychiatric Association, anorexia nervosa, anxiety disorders, binge-purge syndrome, bulimia nervosa, cognitive behavioural therapy, constipation, Counselling, dangerous disease, dehydration, depression, digestive and reproductive systems, dizziness, drug abuse, Drug therapy, dysfunctional family environments, eating disorder, eating disorders, enemas, esophagitis, food, food craving, food cravings, food restriction, inflammation, low blood pressure, malnutrition, Mumps, nervous and hormonal systems, north America, obesity, obsessive compulsive disorder, olanzapine, panic disorder, parenting, Psychotherapy, runner, schizophrenia, social phobias, starvation, vomiting

The usual first step in treating Erectile Dysfunction is to check whether the problem is the result of a medication side effect. If so, there may be a different drug that can be prescribed that won’t result in Erectile Dysfunction. Psychotherapy and behaviour modification may be considered next in some people. If these measures are not enough to resolve the problem, there are some medications that can be prescribed.

Medications are not the only treatment choices for men seeking help for Erectile Dysfunction. One option is a mechanical vacuum device that causes an erection by creating a partial vacuum that draws blood into the penis. These devices have three components: a plastic cylinder the man places his penis in, a pump that draws air out of the cylinder to create the vacuum that pulls blood into the penis, and an elastic band that is placed around the base of the erect penis before it is withdrawn from the cylinder. The band keeps the blood from leaving the penis, allowing the man to maintain the erection.

In some cases, surgery is an option. One type of surgery reconstructs arteries in men whose blood flow to the area has been affected; another blocks off veins that allow blood to leak out of the penis. There is also an operation in which a device is implanted into the penis that enables it to become erect.

Each treatment method has its own risks and benefits, and a man needs to discuss his options with his doctor in order to select the method that is right for him. It is also important to let the doctor know how well the treatment is working, because if one treatment doesn’t work, another might. A man should never try combining medicines or changing dosages on his own. Only a doctor can determine what is a safe level of treatment.

Some men find that some simple lifestyle changes ease the problem. It may help to get more sleep, quit smoking, exercise regularly, find ways to reduce stress, and speak with a doctor if anxiety or depression are a problem. Some men and their partners recognize that sex doesn’t have to mean just intercourse. A pleasurable sexual encounter can involve a variety of different activities.

However a man chooses to face the situation, it is important for him to discuss the issue openly and honestly with his partner, because the partner may mistakenly interpret an inability to have an erection as a loss of desire or attraction. Simply reassuring his partner that the love and desire are still there can be very helpful in addressing some of the emotional issues that surround Erectile Dysfunction.

If you have any questions about erectile dysfunction, you can ask your pharmacist, who will keep your conversation strictly confidential.

Tags: depression, ed, erectile-dysfunction, erections, hormone_levels, mechanical vacuum device, orgasm, pharmacist, Psychotherapy, sexual_history, surgery

I think most people reading this weblog know that I am a pretty big fan of meditation and because of this I tend to find and post articles about meditation more than I should. I found this article at Psychology today and thought I would post it in its entirety.

In the highlands of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, people look at life differently. Upon entering the local Buddhist monastery, there is a spectacular sculpture the size of a large oak. The intricate carving of clouds and patterns are painted in powerful colors. But as soon as winter gives way, this magnificent work will melt to nothing. The sculpture, in fact, is made of butter, and it is one of the highland people’s symbols of the transient nature of life.

And life here is not easy. Villagers bicycle to work before dawn and return home long after sunset. Many live with nothing more than dirt floors and rickety outhouses. Upon entering these modest mud-brick homes, you’ll find no tables or chairs — just a long platform bed, which sleeps a family of eight. However, when the people invite you in for tea, their smiles are wide and welcoming. How do they possess such inner calm in conditions we would call less than ideal?

When villagers cook, sew or plow the fields, they do so in a tranquil state. As an approach to life, weaving meditation seamlessly into almost every action throughout the day seems unfamiliar to Western cultures. Is there something we can glean from this way of life that will improve our own? The romantic notion of quitting everything and joining Tibetan monks on a mountaintop is not the only way to meditate. You don’t need to quit your job, give up your possessions and spend 30 years chanting. Recent research indicates that meditating brings about dramatic effects in as little as a 10-minute session. Several studies have demonstrated that subjects who meditated for a short time showed increased alpha waves (the relaxed brain waves) and decreased anxiety and depression.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: alpha waves, atherosclerosis, brain meditation, California, cancer, cardiovascular disease, Chicago, clinical psychologist, depression, Diana Adile Kirschner, energy, Fairfield, fight disease, Harvard Medical School, heart attack, heart disease, Herbert Benson, infertility, Iowa, Irvine, Mark Epstein, meditation, Monterey Park, MRI technology, New York City, pain, Philadelphia, psychiatrist, psychologist, Psychotherapy, Qinghai, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Rob Nairn, Roger Thomson, School of Management, Steven Hendlin, the American Journal of Psychotherapy, tibetan monks, welcome tool