Trouble With The Head?
February 2012
Click on Leave a Comment above, or fill in Speak Your Mind at the end of the post
- Hello from Narelle;
- Trouble with the Head?
- Master’s Wisdom;
- Interesting News Bites:
- New Depression Treatment – Deep Brain Stimulation as seen on Ch 7 Today Tonight;
- Genetic link to Optimism, Self-Esteem & Mastery via hormone ‘Oxytocin’, impacts on Depression;
- Signs to Detect Strokes.
- Interesting News Bites:
Dear Reader
It’s been very quiet at work this month, and I can only assume that everyone is getting back into work and school and needing some recovery time, whether that is physical, financial, or emotional.
I am also planning a Weekend Workshop titled “Innermost Mind”. I need your help though for timing. Which of these dates suits best: March 24-25, or March 31-Apr 1, or during April once we are clear of Easter. Please let me know your thoughts, thanks.
If you haven’t seen me for a while and have been having any hiccoughs, then I’d like to suggest that you complete the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Survey to see how you are going. Sometimes we just need a reminder to reinforce the work that’s been done, or a reminder that tells you to pick up your strategies again or maybe even have a complete tune-up.
Regards
Narelle
Trouble With The Head!
A tune-up reminds me of a car analogy because if you don’t take regular care of your car it doesn’t run properly.
For a car, apparently there are three fundamental things that can cause a car to stop working (along with about a thousand others) and they are: a bad fuel mix, compression is lacking, or not enough spark.
I don’t know about you, but many people run out of spark, have a poor fuel mix, and I’m not sure what compression is to do with!
Wait, I just checked and compression requires a mix of fuel and air. Ah ha! A bit like your lungs needing decent food for a nourishing blood supply and a big intake of air, and output of carbon dioxide! Now in a car if that doesn’t happen it is because of a problem in the head, well, the cylinder head, which requires a head gasket and a gasket is a seal that prevents air leaks. (I’m really getting into this now.)
And we’ve all heard of blowing a gasket, haven’t we? Except I’ve heard that people blow a gasket too! When they are really angry, they blow a gasket, or blow a fuse. Which means their energy leaked out all over the place, or the pressure built up too much and the seal blew!
So, let’s check on your car’s head and engine, oops I mean your head and body, and see what’s been happening.
Do you?
- Let the fuel tank frequently run on empty so you end up with rust in the fuel tank, a fuel filter full of sludge, and the energy of the car is stop-start.
- Rather like running out of food and not eating regularly, it plays havoc with your energy and your emotions and your ability to think clearly.
- Run your car with dirty fuel and your car may run down and stop.
- Living on coffee, tea, coke, alcohol, and chocolate may cause issues with your stomach, liver, gall bladder and pancreas, not to mention your mental health. Drink plenty of water and watch your energy levels improve.
Or perhaps you don’t:
- Check your brakes and tyres and when you want to stop you might not be able to…
- Not resting enough or sleeping well, impacts on you guessed it, your mental health so that your brain just keeps on whirring. This can tip into not being able to stop and take a break or even slow down which increases stress and the potential to be anxious and panicked.
Insomnia Cure
(Double CD)The promoters say, “Cure insomnia for good with this double CD program”. Clicking this link will take you off this website, and if you purchase this set or any other products, Narelle Stratford will receive a commission payment from the sale.
- Take your car for a run out on the highway to get it cranking on all cylinders? Apparently, city driving with it’s stop/start and crawling in traffic is bad for your engine.
- Your body and mind need regular exercise just like your car! You need to blow the cobwebs out with a good workout on a regular basis.
- Service your car regularly and you miss the warning signs that would tell you that some work should be done sooner rather than later.
- Regular check-ups prevent health issues for your car and for you.
- After all, (women) do you go to the hairdresser regularly? If you’re a woman, then the answer is probably yes, and if you’re male maybe not so much, depending on your work and status etcetera.
- Could you be visiting your hairdresser more often than their doctor or psychologist? (Which is great if you are 100% healthy, and no I am not denying the value of looking good, it is valuable.)
- Do you go to the dentist for a regular check-up?
- Do you have an annual medical? Pap smear? Prostate check? Blood pressure check?
- Do you take your pet to the vet for annual shots?
- Does your car have problems with lights?
- This can be a reflection of your eye-sight and what you are viewing, and whether you are liking or not liking what you see. There is a book by Annette Noontil titled “Body Is The Barometer Of The Soul” which outlines car problems and how they may relate to your own body, I kid you not!
- Does your car blow smoke?
- Does your exhaust pipe work? How much wind do you blow, I mean pass? Is your bowel moving effectively or are you clogged up because of lack of exercise and an unhealthy eating style?
Taking care of your environment, your home, your pets and your car might be seen as a reflection of how well you take care of yourself. The better you take care of you, the more energy you will have to take care of these other areas of your life. Remember, it’s about balance, not obsession in one area, simply balancing it all out between you and what’s out there, and what’s inside.
In fact many people believe that there is no separation between what’s out there and what’s inside, and if you want to feel happier then you connect with yourself and the outside as well, with love and commitment.
Last month, I wrote about “Getting Results or Not, for Goals” and I am wondering if you are achieving the outcomes you want? Send me an email, let me know, I love hearing from you.
Master’s Wisdom
“Persistence pays off!”
Interesting News Bites
1. New Treatment for Depression: Deep Brain Stimulation
As seen on Today Tonight, January 31, 2012, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has been used to treat depression, OCD, Tourette’s Syndrome and other disorders involving movement such as Parkinson’s Disease. It involves stimulation via electrical impulses to specific sites in the brain.
Please check all research articles as the jury is still out for this procedure despite the convincing portrayal by Today Tonight.
There is a very good meta-analysis (a meta-analysis looks at and compares numerous specific studies) titled: “Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder and treatment-resistant depression: systematic review” by Shaheen E Lakhan* and Enoch Callaway (2010) which suggests 50:50 results. It is quite easy to read as well!
2. Psychologists Discover Oxytocin Receptor Gene’s Link to Optimism, Self-Esteem
“Scientists have identified for the first time a particular gene’s link to optimism, self-esteem and “mastery,” the belief that one has control over one’s own life — three critical psychological resources for coping well with stress and depression.” Read the full fascinating account here (Original article by Stuart Wolpert)
Ref: University of California – Los Angeles (2011, September 14). Psychologists discover oxytocin receptor gene’s link to optimism, self-esteem.
3. Signs of Stroke
Get someone treatment within 3 hours of a stroke and you can save their life.
During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) …she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.
They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.
Jane’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00 PM Jane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke…totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
Thank God for the sense to remember the ‘3’ steps, STR (OKE). Read and Learn!
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (Eg. It is sunny out today.)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS UP
NEW SIGN OF STROKE: STICK OUT YOUR TONGUE
if the tongue is crooked, as in it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
If the person has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this information and passes it on to 10 people will save at least one life. What if the life you saved was your own? PLEASE share this NOW.
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Remember: 3 hours!!
And that’s it for this month! Remember to click on Leave a Comment above, or fill in Speak Your Mind at the end of the post, down below. Love to hear from you.
