Designing Web Success

It’s the cause of a great deal of controversy although, you need to understand, there are several practitioners out there who regularly employ conversational hypnosis. It’s inappropriate to describe hypnotic suggestion as “mind control”, however, because indeed the much repeated saw regarding mind over matter comes into play — you can simply convey messages and alleviate, or even treat, physical, mental as well as emotional issues by use of the unconscious mind. This could be something like watching a specific television episode or doing something silly to combating mental disorder and beating nicotine addiction. When employed by seasoned practitioners, there’s no real risk. Black ops hypnosis like the type taught in the underground hypnosis system can be easily expressed as inducing trance in a subject. The depth of the trance state induced is determined by a number of aspects, chief among them emotional status and hypnotist’s ability. Unconsciously, as you begin a mild trance, you’ll unwind your minor muscles. They feel drowsy. Many subjects feel like their eyelids are becoming heavier. You can watch fingers twitch and shoulders slump as a deeper trance washes through the subject at an astonishing pace. Try to imagine being able to see and hear only one person. A veteran hypnotist will let you experience this with a sufficiently deep trance. At this depth, the subject is exposed to the power of suggestion and governed by their unconscious mind. When deep enough you’ll find you can prevent recall of given situations — or to suppress physical sensation.

Powerful hallucinations gradually appear the deeper they descend into trance, and eventually they will arrive at a state similar to that found through anesthesia. Individuals might undergo various medical procedures at this point without anesthetic or painkillers.

You won’t find out how to induce that state through Underground Hypnosis, though it’s seldom necessary. In actual fact, when influence is all you require, you should only use the more common forms of trance. There are no barriers to the Underground Hypnosis crew — anybody can sign up. Would this take long, you ask? Almost no time — some speedy reading, some time to try out the techniques revealed, and you’ll soon find you’ll have quite the new skill. So why worry? No reason to be nervous.

Our world is stuffed with demands. It seems that the more we evolve with technology and means to produce things more speedily, the more panic anxiety attacks increase. This is an enigma. You would think that pressures and stressors would decrease with our non stop advancement in technology. Nevertheless, anxiousness and depression appear worse now than they ever were in the past. It is quite possible that in the past, people simply didn’t mention it. Well they certainly make an issue of it these days. Truth is, as a TV watcher, it is almost certain that you have come across an ad for a medicine, which provides anxiety treatment.

You are not alone when dealing with these issues. It might be just public place aversion or a problem sleeping, scientists are always coming up with new ways to fix it. Panic attacks and natural depression are certainly at the top of this long list. When I consider depression, I think of someone who has recently lost a loved one or a person who is disabled in such a way that precludes them from living a regular life. This is not necessarily correct. Many people are pressed down by the burden of anxiety and depression for other reasons. The fact is we oftentimes do not know the reasons. The food we consume could easily be a reason. Peculiarly, contentment with life is elusive to most individuals.

Adolescents, as associated with this issue, are of a special concern. Anxiety and natural depression appears to be striking them more than others these days. Acknowledged, being a teen is challenging in some areas, and incredibly simple in others. Through many teenagers eyes, it appears all painful. I was a teenager myself not long ago. We have not forgotten our experiences. Nevertheless, I can never recall being depressed. This makes me wonder what has changed in the last ten years. Depression should not be a part of childhood. As a matter of fact, anxiety and depression should be much less prevalent than it is altogether.

Shopping addiction is a disorder that our culture has largely
seen fit to smile upon. Feelings of emptiness, low self-esteem,
insecurity, boredom, loneliness–or the pursuit of ideal
image–can lead people to shopping addictions. But managing
these feelings and mood states by becoming a shopaholic can have
extremely serious consequences and significantly erode quality
of life.

As with most other addictive, impulse control, or compulsive
disorders, there is a wide range of effective treatment options
for shopaholics: drug treatment, individual, group, and couples
therapy, counseling for compulsive buying, Debtors Anonymous,
and Simplicity Circles can all be effective. The choice of what
form or forms of treatment to use with a particular person is a
complex decision that goes well beyond the scope of this
overview. For further information about making treatment
decisions, consult my own writings, the For Therapists page of
my website, www.stoppingovershopping.com, as well as the
bibliographic references at the end of each chapter in I Shop,
Therefore I Am: Compulsive Buying and the Search for Self.

Psychotropic medications, including antidepressants, mood
stabilizers, and opiod antagonists have been used to treat
shopping addictions, with varying effectiveness. For further
details, see McElroy and Goldsmith-Chapter 10 of I Shop,
Therefore I Am-and my own treatment chapter in Addiction: A
Practical Handbook.

Individual therapy for shopaholics runs the gamut from
traditional psychodynamic psychotherapy, with an almost
exclusive focus on the underlying dynamics within a historical
context, to a very strict focus on the here and now of the
problem, with little attention to underlying dynamics. Most
people suffering from a shopping addiction need the addition of
other specific tools for changing the behavior, including a
shopping diary and a spending plan. Some people will need to
participate in Debtors Anonymous or group therapy for
shopaholics, and/or have counseling specifically geared toward
shopping addiction. This is particularly likely if the
individual therapist has little experience with the tools of
shopping addiction counseling. For further information about
individual treatment, please consult the Psychodynamic Theory
and Technique section of I Shop, Therefore I Am, or see the
individual therapy section of my previously cited treatment
chapter.

Group therapy for shopaholics has been reported since the late
1980s. At least five different forms of group therapy have been
utilized with this population. My own group treatment model is
an amalgam of three things: useful techniques from existing
models; didactic and experiential material used in group
treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder; and material I’ve
found effective in my clinical practice. For information about
the Stopping Overshopping group treatment program, please visit
the website, www.stoppingovershopping.com.

Couples therapy for shopaholics is an extremely important
treatment modality, because couples act as a financial unit and
generally blend income as well as spending. Money issues are an
intrinsic part of marriage and are often a source of intense and
pervasive friction that can seep into other aspects of the
relationship. Couples therapy is indicated when the shopping
addiction can’t be dealt with adequately on an individual basis.
Olivia Mellan, the country’s foremost expert in this area,
discusses the treatment in Chapter 15, “Overcoming Overspending
in Couples”, of I Shop, Therefore I Am.

Counseling for shopaholics targets the specific problem and
creates an action plan to stop the behavior. Targeted counseling
for this problem alters the negative actions of compulsive
shopping and concurrently works toward healing the underlying
emotions, although less emphasis is placed on exploring the
emotional significance of the shopping addiction than in
traditional individual psychotherapy. The major premise of
counseling for shopaholics is the idea that insight alone will
not stop the behavior. All stages in the shopping addiction
cycle must be identified: the triggers, the feelings, the
dysfunctional thoughts, the behaviors, the consequences of the
behavior, as well as the meaning of the shopping addiction.
Creating and using a spending plan is a cornerstone of shopping
addiction counseling. More information about shopping addiction
counseling can be found in Karen McCall’s chapter “Financial
Recovery Counseling”, as well as in my treatment chapter in I
Shop, Therefore I Am.

Debtors Anonymous (D.A.) can be a powerful tool in recovery from
shopping addiction, especially for shopaholics who have problems
with debt. D.A. sees debting as a disease similar to alcoholism
that can be cured with solvency, which means abstinence from any
new debt. Since individuals are trying to control their lives
with addictive debting, D.A. offers a regimented program of
surrender and recovery, a program with a spiritual emphasis.
Individual debtors work through the steps of the program with a
sponsor, a more experienced member of the group, using newly
acquired tools in conjunction with the steps. How Debtors
Anonymous and psychotherapy can work synergistically is the
topic of Kellen and Levine’s chapter of I Shop, Therefore I Am.

Simplicity circles can be a helpful support to shopaholics,
although the shopping addiction problems are not dealt with as
directly as in the various therapies for shopping addiction or
Debtors Anonymous. What simplicity circles do have to offer is a
forum: a place to gather with others to discuss personal
transformation and the satisfactions of living a simpler life.
The caring atmosphere and the discussion of how to create a more
fulfilling life is a healthy way to meet some of the principal
needs that a shopaholic seeks to meet in shopping. In Chapter 20
of my book, Cecile Andrews discusses simplicity circles and the
shopaholic.

Shopping addiction treatment is still very much in a formative
stage. Society, advertising, and the media all conspire against
the cultivation of true wealth, which cannot be quantified in a
financial balance sheet but must instead be felt and sensed:
self-esteem, family, friendships, a sense of community, health,
education, creative pursuits, communion with nature. It is inner
poverty, both emotional and spiritual, that is at the core of
most shopping addictions. The acquisition of truth wealth is
crucial to recovery.

Go to Your Nearest Video Store

A new movie is now on DVD entitled “What the *Bleep* Do We Know?”. If you haven’t already seen it, here is the web site http://whatthebleep.com/
Among other things it’s about how attitude makes a HUGE difference to human effectiveness on all levels. Besides that — the movie is very entertaining. Your attitude vastly affects your bio-chemistry — which in turn can make or break your relationships with customers, suppliers, co-workers, bosses, computers, time deadlines, inner dilemmas, family, everything.

What You Focus on Grows

Candace Pert, the bestselling author of Molecules of Emotion, is interviewed in the film. She says our frontal cortex allows us to choose what to pay attention to. At any given moment there is so much stimulus going on. You can’t focus on all of it. The brain has evolved to the point where we can choose what to consciously pay attention to. Think of when you go to the gym and pump up your muscles, it’s the same with what you focus on. Like a bicep, it grows. If you focus on what you love, what you enjoy, what you are grateful for - the pleasure hormones increase — which then feeds your organs and your whole physiology profoundly.

Back Brain Triggers

We are in an evolutionary process. Early humans used their back brains to survive (located at the base of the neck). Over the millenniums our frontal cortex grew (located near the forehead). Metaphorically speaking, the frontal cortex is like the most advanced part of our bio-computer, whereby you have access to much more software –. larger RAM, quicker CPU, better mouse clicking — you name it. However, many people still revert to back brain responses in certain “triggering” situations — such as a grouchy co-worker, an unrealistic time deadline, or the printer eating your last piece of letterhead.

Quantum physicists have now proven that the frontal cortex exists to ensure survival through enjoyment. In other words, if you are enjoying yourself, your entire mind-body system runs far more effectively. That is why laughter works so well to activate the frontal cortex. Jean Houston, a leading edge researcher in Behavioral Science says at the height of laughter the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities. The more you operate from your Neo-Cortex — where a larger array of choice resides — the easier it is to choose joy.

Take Joy Breaks

How can you support yourself and others to make more constructive choices each day — to operate from the most advanced part of your bio-computer? A tried and true method is to take 1-10 minute Joy Breaks every day. Even if your workload is enormous, take a few minutes out and see if it makes you more productive, more creative, and more effective with the rest of the things on your TO DO list. Think of things you enjoy and break them down into an activity you could do at work that take less than 10 minutes. For example, a brisk walk in nature, singing, listening to music, calling a friend and telling them a joke, etc. It sounds trivial, but the effects can be enormous. Try it and see.

Earn a Copy of 500 Humorous Quotations

If you email us with what you have done as a Workplace Joy Break and how it affected you or others, we will send you a FREE copy of 100 Humorous Quotations.

Carla Rieger is an expert on creative people skills at work. If you want a motivational speaker, trainer, or leadership coach to help you stay on the creative edge, contact Carla Rieger.

Web site: http://www.carlarieger.com
Tel: 1-866-294-2988
Email carla@carlarieger.com

I hadn’t intended to go to my cousin’s funeral.

That sounds terrible, I know. And if I had chosen to focus on the 18 year estrangement of various factions of my family from each other and my own 15 year estrangement from my uncles (hey, Greeks are a war-like people, what can I say?), I could have patted myself on the back for the fact that I had gone to the wake and let it go at that.

But if you knew the littlest thing about me, you would know that I recognize an inner dragon when I see one. And, once I see one, I have to slay it. It’s a sacred covenant I have with myself.

And, should I get tempted to walk away from a soul-defining battle, I have some very powerful people watching my back. Powerful people who won’t let me slack off. Powerful people who say just what I need to hear to remind me of how powerful love is and the miracles that can unfold when we Show Up.

To prepare to attend the wake, I visited with my dear friend and spiritual Rock of Gibraltar, Mike Schwass, (http://www.dontblamethegame.com). He shared with me some of the last conversation he had with his dear friend, Blackhawk’s Keith Magnuson a month before he died.

You have to show up. Just your presence can be so powerful. You have to show up.

Mike has a way of planting seeds in my head that grow…and grow…and grow. Guru-types are like that.

This brought me to a lesson from an anonymous reader at my blog this week:

You can criticize or you can educate.

“Anonymous reader” chose to criticize my falling prey to a pervasive myth on Chinese calligraphy interpretation but never gave the slightest clue to how I could correct my path. All I got was, “sorry, you are wrong, seeya.”

Thankfully I am naturally inquisitive, so I was inspired to do research and enjoyed learning more. However, I could just as easily been hurt, embarrassed and defensive at being publicly defrocked as my unwitting blunder was exposed to my readers.

But since I also believe everyone is a Buddha here to teach me something I paid attention to what was really happening here.

You can criticize or you can educate.

The biggest reason I was going to avoid the funeral was due to my own belief that everyone in my family was going to do it wrong. That it would be a fiasco. That my grudge-holding family, in the midst of chaos and tragedy would just pour fresh gasoline on fires which had been smoldering for 18 years and I didn’t want any part of it.

No, I just wanted to sit in the woods and meditate and not be soiled by the whole thing. Not be irritated. Tempted to jump into the fray. Resurrect my Greek Evil Eye.

You have to show up (you big weenie).

The truth is I did know how to show up. Sure, there is something familiar about being pissed at my family. It’s just so easy. And, face it, anger is energizing. Gossip has a certain seduction to it. There’s momentum. Criticism is so easy.

But love is more powerful.

Yes, it’s a harder place to hold. It takes work. It takes a conscious conviction to stand for love when there are so many temptations to blame, to judge, to criticize. It’s easier to walk away.

It’s easy to walk away until you realize that your very integrity is on the line. I’m either walking the talk or I’m not. I’m either adding to the love or I’m adding to the pain. I’m either criticizing or educating.

You have to show up. Just your presence can be so powerful. You have to show up.

I showed up.

I’m here to tell you that my 15 year estrangement from my uncles has ended. We talked. And hugged. And the one that was most difficult to reach, who has been estranged from the entire family for 18 years accepted an invitation to come to my home next weekend. He even came out to the parking lot as I was about to drive away to make sure I knew the best route home.

My uncle’s laughter is one of my favorite sounds of all time. It’s brilliant and silly and mischievous and infectious. It is the sound of everything that was ever right and good in my family. And next weekend, his laughter will fill my home.

Laura Young is a personal development and business coach. She is a contributing author to A Guide to Getting It: Purpose and Passion and Become Your Own Great and Powerful: A Woman’s Guide to Leading a Real, Big Life. She has recently been featured on By, For and About Women and Artists First Radio. To learn more about her, visit http://www.wellspringcoaching.com

To visit Laura’s blog, visit http://antwatching.blogspot.com

Shakespeare and Human Nature by Lady Camelot

Isn’t it peculiar how human nature evolves through
environmental and socialogical conditions? It is evident that
we, as Human beings, tend to characterize our capabilities,
strengths and emotional intelligence through bonds of society.
As we encounter diverse walks of life we have a bizarre and
acute tendency to create new personalities. Through human
nature, we unintentionally become one with our counterparts. One
can travel East to West, North to South and eventually evolution
of the mind and soul takes its natural course.

Although differences exist, we enable ourselves to find common
bonds of life in general. In doing so, we can interrelate with
each other and attain goals that apart, are seemingly
impossible. In doing so, great undertakings are initiated. We
revolutionize our world through interaction and coexistence.

Even the most minute action creates an affect. In human nature,
we attract those that mirror ourselves in small ways. By
relating to past and present circumstances, we shape our world
of tomorrow. Like clay, we mold ourselves to the structures that
be. Perhaps chameleons display the best sense of human nature as
they cleverly and instantaneously blend with their surroundings.
Not only is this an excellent manuever to avoid danger, it is
also a profound way to “fit in” and become one with its
immediate environment.

Human nature never ceases amazement. We nurture ourselves with
spirituality, duality and even complacency at times, but
throughout life , we always manage to grow from our experiences.
We learn acceptance and emotional understanding through our
compelling desire to “be.” Shakespeare’s haunting & elusive
words, “…to be or not to be…that is the question…” is the
most profound phrase in human history. All human nature revolves
around this particular piece of artistry - “…to be or not to
be…” Shakespeare querried all Mankind.

Human nature is intriquitely defined by its owner. If we wish to
merely exist, then exist we do. But if we take his question to a
higher state of mind, we find life’s perfect answer: Mankind’s
nature is to evolve. Not only to simply exist but to assure
nonextinction of our species. We must use our natural instincts
and capabilities to overcome and conquer. That, as in all
things, must mature and ripen to a state of wholeness. Human
nature may fool those and lure unsuspecting travelers of time,
but the higher truth of human nature is the self exploration of
life and the ability to broaden horizons of the self or “alter
ego” and other individuals so they, too may come to see and
equally realize the unequivocal and honest meaning of life.

Yes, Shakespeare conquered literature with his defined works of
human nature; but the question he asks of us still confuses even
the most intelligent and collegiate individuals of our time. In
this day and age, we have a choice “to be or not to be.” This is
no longer an inquiry but an option. We, as Humans, must choose
the path of higher truth and awareness. By remaining unattached,
we choose not to fully exist. A play of words can tantalize the
senses, but Human nature can enrich the world in which we live.
The choice is yours.

(c) Lady Camelot

What has happened? Have we succumbed to habitual self deceit and deceit with others out of self preservation, fear, lack of confidence or ego? And if so, what damage do we incur in our personal life and business?

Are we truly living in a world that evolves around deceit? It would appear the answer is a resounding yes. Without question it would be extremely difficult to find anyone who has not lied, to themselves or others, almost every day of their life.

I suspect that many, who tell the sales person at the department store “I’ll be back,” with no intention of returning, give little consideration to their behavior of deceit or lying.

If that was only an isolated instant of deceit not much damage would occur. However, lying is pervasive in our culture and as such, works quite well for us, helping us skirt through multiple issues in life and business. It would appear that deceit is fundamental to the human condition and it’s a function that works not just some times but most often. Or does it?

But could we rationalize lying, at one level, as being ok and at another not so ok? Often we hear ourselves in little fibs when we get caught with our hands in the cookie jar to extreme outright intentional exaggeration and lies. As you follow along with some sense of curiosity we can explore innocent deceit as opposed to outright criminal deceit and the implications that manifest in ones life.

Studies show that women lie for different reasons than men. Psychologist Robert S. Feldman, of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, found that women had a higher probability to lie to make a stranger feel good, and men lie most often to make them look good. There have been studies conducted showing men are more prone to lie about their sexual conquests where as women tend to under disclose their sexual experiences. The many lies we engage in may seem somewhat innocent and are not just verbal, but take on forms of nonverbal deception.

Catch me – Catch you:

Here are just a few examples of lying – literally making statements and displaying forms of nonverbal behaviors that is simply not true.

• Making statements during an interview with exaggerations that are highly embellished to influence or support the padded resume.

• I’ll call you right back – never to pick up the phone – (procrastination or lying?)

• How about that phony flashing smile with the statement, that accompanies it, “Have a nice day.”

• The lies that people tell to gain an advantage or to boost a friend’s self-confidence — your very best friend was fired from her job and you told her she didn’t deserve to be fired when, in fact, you knew that her performance reviews were always at the lowest end of the scale.

• The choreography of deceptive skills to lure a potential partner into sexual activities or into a relationship.
  

It appears that lying will continue to be pervasive in our life because it works and helps us in reaping an advantage in social, professional and economic success.

Self deception! – Self damage?

Aldert Vrij, Department of psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK in his work says “people fool themselves – a process which is called self-deception. After failing an examination, students often delude themselves into believing that they could not motivate themselves enough to revise thoroughly for the exam, instead of acknowledging that they do not understand the topic very well.”

Pulling the wool over our eyes has critical ramifications. Let’s put another spin on this concept of lying to ourselves and look at how self-deception creates procrastination.

The mind can distort perception of deceit and trigger procrastination and self damage. Experts agree that procrastination is needlessly putting off, postponing or delaying a timely activity and is a learned behavior. Self-deception in the most innocent form becomes a learned behavior and flows over into all areas of life.

Lies begin to take on a life of there own many time fooling us to believe them as truths and because they work we build on them.

Example: You’re in a retail store admiring a jacket, of which you fall in love with, until you see the price. Knowing that you can’t afford it, you place it back on the rack and as you begin to leave tell the sales person that you’ll be back – the sales person smiles and you’re on your way - knowing full well that was a lie, an innocent lie, but never the less a lie.

In contrast you have a report due first thing in the morning and your boss stops in your office to remind you. You smile, saying the report is finish and it will be on your boss’s desk first thing in the morning. However, that was not the truth, and you’ll be burning the midnight oil because you have put off doing the report for the last week. The next morning you call in sick because you need several more hours to work on the report. Your boss is sympathetic and gives you a pass until the next day.

Lying worked again, supporting your lying and your behavior of procrastination. But self-deception serves to protect your ego and self-esteem to some degree. Think about a time you were rejected for a job or date. The little lie that may have wiggled into your explanation when asked why you were rejected was – I wasn’t interested in this person after all - or the job just didn’t pay enough so I turned it down. The real reason was the person was not interested in you and on the job interview you didn’t qualify – (to protect your ego and self-esteem you lied).

Clients I have worked over the years come to me with deeply embedded fears that are anchored in what they believe are truths about themselves. All of which creates compounded habits of procrastination, lack and limitations in their life – that doesn’t mean that people that have it all together don’t lie. By definition lying is an intentional act. Someone who does not tell the truth by mistake or believes what they are saying; is not lying. A person, who mistakenly believes he/she was shot at while driving there car down the highway, and reports it to the police, has given a false report, but they did not lie.

Political Lies:

Did President Bush deceive the world and the American people with his reasons for invading Iraq? How about John Kerry who also supported the invasion of Iraq – was he lying to the American public too? It appears that they both mistakenly believe that they were telling the truth base on the anecdotal evidence provided them.

In contrast: After the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke President Clinton was ardent in his lying - saying that he never had sex with that women.

Self-Oriented Lies and Other-Oriented Lies:

“Although no gender differences are found in the frequency of lying, it was noted that men and women tend to tell different lies” - Aldert Vrij. Regardless, self-deception in any form – believing one is less than they are - is damaging to the full actualization of a persons true ability and potential in life.

Example: Self-deception (self-oriented lies) that occurs in a person who believes that under any condition that he/she will fail an upcoming exam base on their historical past engage in procrastination and avoiding what is necessary to take the exam which precludes the individual from accomplishing their goal.

Other self-oriented lies many engage in are:

• Concealing information by evading questions from others – in questioning your 14 year old son or daughter if they smoke and they reply with a question – mom/dad do really think that I smoke?

• A spouse conceals her opinion when the husband asks about her sexual satisfaction.

• Many people fear rejection and try often to please others by avoiding giving their opinion on a topic and therefore either out right lie, conceal or evade a situation.

Many irrational fears are fostered from self-deception – bringing on anxieties, hopelessness, anger, lack of confidence and low self-esteem.

The consequences of self-deception and lying may not always be the same. Lying under oath will bring stronger consequences than lying about the number of dates you had this month. Regardless, the real consequence of lying, even though it has worked for you many times, becomes habit forming – many habits that can lead to procrastination and self destruction.

Don L. Price: Author, Sales/Marketing & Positive Change Solution Provider, International Speaker & Mental Fitness Coach http://www.donlprice.com

Invite Don to speak at your next Convention, Meeting or Retreat. Optimize your Power to Succeed with Strategic Performance Marketing/Sales and Success Coaching, for Reaching Higher Performance in Your Personal and Business Life.

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Nothing can be more upsetting than getting turned down by a the opposite sex especially when your suffering from depression. Be rest assured this is not the end of the world. While dating can be fun it can also help us out tremendously when we are feeling depressed. Having someone to talk to and be with will naturally lift your spirits up. But remember to keep cool and follow these general guidelines when dating while depressed.

Remember you may feel exhilerated at the first date, but as time goes on and you continue to date the person as things become routine you may start to feel depressed. Remember to always be doing something, The same routine over and over again is boring, unless of course your perfectly content with boredom.

Okay, we havent got to the part about asking the person out! That by far is the hardest part for anyone to do, especially if you are a person who is less socially active. But don’t dispair, it’s easier than you think. Think about it this way, do you get fearful when your calling up dear old gramma on the phone to check how she is doing? No! And I highly doubt she would reject you either. Just work up the courage, you can do it. Rehearse what you are going to say at first, and get it down so its fluid like. Don’t be depressed if you get rejected. The best of us all get rejected at times.

If your potential date says yes thats great. Now onto the date… Never, ever talk about how your depressed and feeling down on the first date. People have a tendancy to be turned off by those that are always sad and depressed. Find an atmosphere where you and your date can go that will uplift your spirits. If you get to the point where you have been dating this person for a while and still are feeling symptoms of depression then if you trust that person enough it may be okay to confide in them.

Hopefully this has started you on the path to happiness with dating. Remember to keep your chin up.

For further information and articles on depression and other mental health disorders please visit HelpingDepression.com

At any given time 9.5% of the population is suffering from some form of depression. Many of these people never seek treatment or are unaware that depression is in fact treatable. While not everyone experiences the same symptoms, if you are suffering from depression, you may feel consistently sad or empty, experience feelings of guilt or helplessness, lose interest in things you once enjoyed, suffer from insomnia and decreased energy, or have thoughts of suicide.

There are many potential causes for depression, and cases vary from person to person. Depression can run in families, which leads some researchers to believe that the condition can be inherited. In some cases, people who have experienced trauma or are suffering from severe illnesses will also develop a depressive disorder, suggesting that depression can be caused by psychological or physical changes in one’s life as well. Depression is more common in women than men, and can sometimes be caused by hormonal changes in the body, which women are more prone to.

Any diagnosis of a depressive disorder should be accompanied by a physical evaluation and conducted by a doctor. There are some viral illnesses, as well as other medications, that can cause symptoms of depression, and these should be ruled out. Once a diagnosis is obtained, your doctor should work with you to develop the best treatment for you.

Depression can often be treated with therapy alone, but some patients do decide to try prescription medication. The most commonly prescribed medications are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclics, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). It can take a while to find the right medication or combination of medications for each person, but all prescription depression medications have a risk of minor, or occasionally major, side effects.

If prescription medications aren’t working as well as you’d like them to, or if you’re unhappy with the side effects and risks that accompany them, you may decide to explore herbal remedies for depression. There are many natural cures for depression available in the marketplace, but it’s best to look for ones with a few key ingredients:

St. John’s Wort is one of the most effective natural ingredients for treating depression. In fact, in some countries like Germany, St. John’s Wort outsells many of the major prescription anti-depressive medications. The active ingredients in St. John’s Wort are believed to naturally boost serotonin levels, which helps lift spirits and ease depression.

Passion flower is a natural ingredient that is often used to treat sleep disorders and anxiety. It helps to soothe and calm, and when combined with St. John’s Wort can be a wonderful aid in treating depression naturally.

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In this paper I will be looking at the behavioural and
physiological processes involved when an individual experiences
‘fear’. I will be examining the conscious and unconscious
processes entailed in experiencing dangerous situations. I will
also consider the functional value of the autonomic and somatic
nervous systems in a given situation, and the crucial link
between the psychological and biological processes of an
individual.

The scenario is as follows:

A person is walking through a forest when he is suddenly
confronted by an angry bear. The person immediately runs for the
nearest tree and climbs it. Half an hour later the forest
rangers arrive to rescue him.

When an individual is confronted with apparent danger, one of
the first reactions is the ‘fight or flight’ response. In other
words, whether the individual stays to confront the perceived
threat, or runs away to avoid it. This is often considered to be
a conscious decision, based on the individuals knowledge of
particular situations or dangers, it is also assumed to be
evolutionary, from a period when man encountered physical harm
from other animals on a daily basis.

However, it is now thought that, before a situation is carefully
evaluated via the conscious mind, a split-second decision is
made unconsciously. Information about a dangerous situation
reaches the ‘amygdala’ (part of the limbic system) which is used
in emotional responses. This information travels down two
different pathways: the ‘direct’ pathway and the ‘indirect’
pathway.

The ‘direct’ pathway is the subcortical pathway (passing under
the cortex) and carries information unconsciously. The
information travels from the eye to the thalamus and on to the
amygdala. Because this pathway is shorter it registers any
perceived danger more rapidly and responds far more quickly than
the ‘indirect’ pathway. The disadvantage to this rapid response
is that we sometimes react hastily to a perceived danger which
is perhaps groundless, like jumping at a loud noise. However,
the advantage is that we are capable of reacting with great
speed to avoid sometimes genuinely dangerous situations.

The ‘indirect’ pathway or cortical pathway (passing through the
cortex) is slower than the ‘direct’ pathway. Information travels
from the eye to the thalamus through the visual cortex to the
amygdala. This pathway is thought to be used to assess the
situation after the initial rapid response. It allows us to
consciously consider, for example: how we should respond or
whether or not the danger is genuine.

Therefore, on witnessing a noisy bear approaching him our
’subject’ is likely to react rapidly before he even consciously
registers the existence of the bear. As he turns to run for the
nearest tree, information via the ‘indirect’ pathway will
consciously begin to register and he will be able to draw on his
knowledge of dangerous situation. He may know that bears do not
climb trees and his decision to head for the nearest tree may be
based on this thought process. Alternatively, he may act purely
on his emotional instinct to distance himself from the bear.

He will now need to conserve energy from non-essential areas of
the body to those which are required to physically remove him
from the situation such as the brain, the heart and skeletal
muscles. At this stage the ’sympathetic system’ will begin to
dominate the ‘parasympathetic system’ in order to provide a
rapid response. The sympathetic axons of the ANS (the autonomic
nervous system, which regulates internal organs) will begin to
innervate the adrenal glands, which will subsequently release
hormones into the blood. Hormones such as adrenalin and
noradrenalin will begin to hasten his heart beat and so rapidly
increase blood flow to the skeletal muscles. Whilst increasing
vital activities the sympathetic system will start to close down
all non-essential activities.

As sympathetic axons of the ANS react, our ’subject’ may not be
consciously aware of all the changes taking place in his body -
though he may detect an increased heart beat, and the adrenalin
flow which now enables his enhanced mobility. As he runs towards
the tree, he may start to reflect on his predicament and perhaps
consider the possible outcome of his situation.

Whilst his mind is continuously focussed on his dilemma, his
somatic nervous system has already begun the process of
innervating his skeletal muscles. Neurons in his primary motor
cortex (part of his somatic nervous system) are receiving
information from other cortical areas such as the somatosensory
cortex. This information is then relayed from the neurons and
interneurons of the motor cortex to the motor neurons via the
midbrain, pons and medulla to the spinal cords.

At the most basic neuronal level, cell bodies project their
axons from the spinal cord (CNS) to the effector organs in the
peripheral nervous system (PNS). The neurons fire by sending out
electrical pulses along axons and releasing neurotransmitters at
the axon terminals creating the synapse. This process activates
the skeletal muscle, and our ’subject’ is then able to run, and
to climb the tree, using the related muscles in an attempt to
escape from danger.

Once he is settled in a place of relative safety the
parasympathetic system may then take over from the sympathetic
system and begin to calm processes in the body. The
parasympathetic system may allow systems to return to normal
levels if our ’subject’ perceives that he is out of danger.
However, if he still feels that he may be in danger, hormone
levels may stay high and he will remain in a state of extreme
anxiety. This level of anxiety may only be decreased once he is
rescued by the forest rangers and he is able to re-evaluate his
situation.

It seems clear that ‘fear’ is something we have all experienced
and view as a natural emotional response to danger. However, our
reaction to fear, which to some extent, we tend to take for
granted provokes major underlying physiological changes. These
changes innervate functions that are sometimes clearly
understood by our conscious mind, such as ‘movement’ to enable
us to run from danger. But there are many others of which we are
not aware, such as the unconscious processing of information to
enable a rapid response to perceived danger.