Memory

Exercises to Help Memory Loss:

Alphabetize Adventure (in 5 seconds)

First: think of any word or see a work on a magazine cover or billboard (about 6 letters)

Second: stop looking at the word and just picture it in your mind; then arrange the letters in your head so they are in alphabetically order.

Ex: "Number" = BEMNRU

Try this for 5 minutes a day, 3 days a week. 

Have a Conversation WITHOUT Using the Letter "E"!

The object is for you and your friend to carry a regular conversation without using any word that has the letter "E" in it. This is such a powerful exercise because your mind becomes a human thesaurus. It's outside-the-box thinking on steroids and after 5 minutes, your brain will feel like you've had an incredible workout! The game doesn't have to center around the letter "E", if you get tired of that, change it to R, S, T, L, N, or A!

Add Up a Series of One-Digit Numbers... FAST!

Adding numbers in your head quickly compels you to continually change the information that you are having to work with and remember. There are very few mental exercises where focus and continually evolving information play such an important part. Which is why this one is so helpful in training the mind to remember essential information while deleting other data or details when try are no longer needed.


As we age, we lose things daily, things of importance and some not-so-important. Many older people struggle with the loss of memory. They have no clue where it went or how they lost it, unfortunately we will all go through times like these, BUT on the positive side, there are things we can do to help prevent it from happening. Usually we tend to go searching for something and then on our way, we forget what we came to look for. This has happened to me and other people in my family in the past, this is what you would call a "brain lapse" instead of memory loss all together. A "brain lapse" is different from regular memory loss when you cannot remember specific details about you or your loved ones. For future reference, I plan on informing people I come across about ways they can improve memory and stop from losing it.

Phobias

There are three different categories of phobias:

Agoraphobia: irrational anxiety about being in places from which escape might be difficult or embarrassing.

Social Phobia: irrational anxiety elicited by exposure to certain types of social or performance situations, also leading to avoidance behavior.

Specific Phobia: persistent and irrational fear in the prescence of some specific stimulus which commonly elicits avoidance of that stimulus (i.e. Withdraw)

Subtypes: 

Animal Type: cued by animals or insects

Natural Enviroment Type: cued by objects  in the environment, such as storms, heights, or water

Blood-Injection/Injury-Type:  cued by witnessing some invasive medical procedure 

Situational Type: cued by a specific situation, such as public transportation, tunnels, bridges, elevators, flying, driving, or enclosed spaces

Other Type: cued by other stimuli than the above, such as of choking, vomiting, or contracting an illness

Phobias are irrational, meaning that they interfere with one's everyday life or daily routine. If your fears keep you from enjoying life or even preoccupy your thinking so that you are unable to work, or sleep, or do things you wish to do, then it becomes irrational.

Most Common Phobias:

• Acrophobia 
• fear of heights 
• Claustrophobia
• fear of enclosed spaces
• Nyctophobia
• fear of the dark
• Ophidiophobia
• fear of snakes
• Arachnophobia
• fear of spiders
• Trypanophobia
• fear of injection or medical needles
• Astrophobia
• fear of thunder and lighting
• Nosophobia
• fear of having a disease

What Causes Phobias?

The cause of phobias is still uncertain with researchers. However, certain factors are believed to increase the likelihood that a phobia will develop.

• Genetics: Certain phobias may run in families
• Cultural Factors: some phobias may run in families
• Life Experience: Many phobias are based on real-life events that may or may not be consciously remembered.

Each person's symptoms are a little bit different. However, some of the following symptoms will be present during a phobic reaction:

• Dizziness
• Rapid Heartbeat
• Trembling or other uncontrollable physical response
• Sensation of terror, dread, or panic
• Preoccupation of thoughts; inability to change focus from the feared situation
• Intense desire to flee the situation

I fear just about everything in the world. Now, I've never been tested for a "phobia", but I do believe I suffer from claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces). Being afraid of so many things can damper your time on earth; you live worrying about what you fear instead of moving forward and overcoming our fears to live life without them holding you back. We all must find what we fear, because everyone fears something... or someone, and overcome that fear. We will feel a lot better about ourselves and the world once we let our fears go. Tell your fears they can't control you anymore and go out and have fun being FEARLESS!! 

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders now affect 1 in 10 people in America, which include Anorexia Nervousa (Voluntary Starvation) and Bulimia Nervousa (Binge-Eating followed by Purging). Mostly affected by such disorders are young women in their teens and early 20's, but it seems to be increasing in young men as well. It has been found that these eating disorders are driven by a desire for control; although sufferers of Binge-Eating (when people large amounts of food and gain weight) feel that their eating is out of their control. So what causes this? Culturally Meditated Body-Image concerns and Personality Traits like Perfectionism and Obsessiveness play a large role in the creation of an eating disorder. Eating Disorders are usually accompanied by Anxiety and/or Depression. Unfortunately, there is no immediate cure for such disorders, sufferers often refuse treatment and Anorexia can be life-threatening, requiring hospitalization and forced nourishment.

Symptoms: 

Anorexia:

• Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height
• Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat
• Extreme influence if body weight or shape on self evaluation 
• Infrequent of absent menstrual periods in those who have reached puberty
• Use of either food restriction or excessive exercising to limit body weight
• Feeling cold or lethargic, due to drop in body temperature as weight loss progresses
• Growth of hair all over body 
• Dry yellowish skin
• Brittle hair and nails
• Severe constipation 

Bulimia:

• Recurrent episodes of binge-eating, characterized by consuming in a short amount of time and amount of. Food larger than most people would eat 
• During those binge-eating bouts, a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control how much one eats 
• Some compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain; purging is most common, but laxative use and excessive exercising are also widely used 
• Extreme influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation
• Chronically inflamed sore throat
• Swollen glands in neck or jaw
• Wearing of tooth enamel and frank decay as a result of exposure to stomach acids 
• Dehydration due to purging fluids
• Kidney problems from diuretic abuse

Binge-Eating Disorder:

• Eating much more rapidly than normal
• Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
• Eating large amounts of food even when not hungry 
• Eating alone because of shame or embarrassment over eating disorder
• Binge-Eating occurs at least two days a week for six months or more

While treatments vary for each disorder, Psychotherapy is an essential part of any treatment for eating disorders. Individual, group, and/or family therapy all help with different aspects of these conditions. Antidepressants are often prescribed for those with eating disorders to both improve mood and reduce obsessiveness; although the fact of whether or not they are effective is still unknown.

    As today's modern society has constructed us to believe, girls in particular, should look a certain way in order to be accepted or liked by others. Now lets go back to 1950's, Marilyn Monroe was a famous model and actress; she was considered "beautiful" by many at 5'5 1/2" and 118 lbs, which is almost the complete opposite of what today's society says women should look like. Yes, being healthy is important, but "skinny" is not always healthy. Society has driven women and young ladies to eating disorders as their only choice at being "beautiful" or "skinny". Demi Lovato suffered from an eating disorder and depression for many years before getting help; “It was always there, but then I just acted on it at around 8 or 9 years old. I started overeating, compulsively overeating. I would bake cookies and then eat the whole pan. I went from doing that to being unhappy with my body. I went to just completely starving myself and that turned into throwing up and starving myself and it was just this crazy battle going on inside of me. It got really difficult [and] I would throw up and it would just be blood and it was something that I realized if I don’t stop this, I am going to die.” It is not just society and the media that controls the drive for these ladies to end up starving or filling themselves over the brim with food, it also comes from school and work; Children and Adolescents are the worst about bullying. If anyone goes against the "Status Quo" they jump on that one person till that person can't take it anymore and that is what happened to Demi: "I started compulsively overeating at a very young age. And then I almost stopped eating altogether at the age of 12, after being harassed by kids at school, for being "fat". Demi states, "Eating disorders often stem from feelings of low self esteem, depression, anxiety, or in my case, being teased and ridiculed for my weight. I also believe that a big contributing factor to these feelings is the pressure that’s out there to meet impossible standards." Demi says that she is also proud to be in a partnership with the "Jed Foundation" for their "Love Is Louder Than The Pressure To Be Perfect" Campaign. As I see girls at school who either don't eat or if they do, it's not much, I sit and think to myself what their reason is; sure some may say things such as, "I ate a couple hours ago", "I ate a HUGE breakfast this morning" or "I'm just not hungry" and while sometimes they are telling the truth, not all the time and not everyone will tell the truth. Some may not know they have a problem, while others may be trying to avoid it. The easiest

thing to do is to get help, whether the first step be professional help or help from the school nurse, a teacher or even your closest friend who you've told your deepest-darkest secrets to since kindergarten! TELL SOMEONE!

 

( http://perezhilton.com/2013-12-11-demi-lovato-eating-disorder-mom-dianna-hart-food-issues-mental-health#ixzz30JoCpJMF ) (http://www.seventeen.com/health/tips/demi-lovato-eating-disorder ) (http://www.jedfoundation.org/ )

Help can be found here: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

Stereotypes of Adolescents: Arguing

Arguing is...

Speaking Up

When adolescents argue, they are declaring what they think or want. When declaring themselves, they become more public ally known and socially defined. An adolescent who won't give you an argument can be an adolescent who is too wed to shitting up, too inexpressive and in assertive for their own good.

Informative

Adolescents are telling you something about theirselves, what matters to them, how they perceive what is going on, how they differ from you, when they argue. An adolescent who won't give you an argument can be like having a mystery child, a child in hiding who never tells you when they disagree, who keeping you in a constant state of ignorance about what they really think and want and feel.

Practice

When the adolescent argues with their parents, they are developing skills they will use later in life with others. What the adolescent chooses to argue about is up to the teenager, but how that practice is conducted is up to parents who teach how to speak and listen when one disagrees, and what kind of language is okey and is not.

Talking Out

There is a difference between talking and acting out to settle a disagreement. Parents should appreciate when their adolescent chooses to use verbal argument (speaking up) over acting out (throwing a tantrum or object or storming off). Adolescents who act out instead of speaking out, will be ill prepared for a world of relationships where arguing is how most disagreements are confronted, discussed, and resolved.

Respectful
Arguing with parents is a sign of respect. Disrespect would be totally ignoring what parents have to say. By arguing, the adolescent acknowledges parental rights to take positions, set limits, and make demands. An adolescent who is disrespectful not only disregards what parents have to say and want to have happen. The teenager holds their authority in such complete disregard she or he does not consider them worth arguing with at all. 

Thoughtful

To argue one's case, the adolescent has to organize his or her ideas. Reasonable statements must be advanced, counter arguments must be created, and personal positions must be defended and debate must conducted. Research may be needed to help your cause and you must think of a way to present your argument in the best way possible without offending, but also convincing them. Through the debate, you must keep a cool head and not get angry or upset, because this will defeat your pursuasive way. It takes a lot of mental discipline to argue well. An adolescent who can't keep their thoughts together during the back and forth intensity of argument may become disorganized or lose emotional control in the process.

Independent

Arguing declares independence by expressing what is personally true or works for you in opposition to what parents believe or want to have happen. Arguing helps express invidiual indentity and social independence is gained -the twin goals of adolescence. When you argue, you are thinking and speaking for oneself. An adolescent who can't individually express and independently argue with parents can have difficulty representing self-interest with other adult authorities. Authentically with the adult child requires that young person to be able to honestly disagree with parents. 

Courageous

Parents are among the most psychologically powerful people in the child's and adolenscent's world. To the degree that parents feel intimidating, that displeasing them feels hard to do, that offending them is hardest of all, arguing with them as an adolescent can feel daunting. Parents can make it safe to argue with them by listening respectfully, not putting the young person down in any way, like with humor or sarcasm. Adolescents take arguing seriously, especially with parents, because they want what they have to say be taken seriously and not be discounted or dismissed by reason of younger age or less life experience. An adolescent who avoids arguments at home fearful of a high controlling, domineering, or overbearing parent not only may lack openness in that relationship, but may also lack the courage to engage in honest disagreement with significant others later on.

Influential

When a young person finds that sometimes arguing a point can persuade parents to change their mind or grant what is requested, faith in this persuasive use of words is affirmed and encouraged. Adolescents do not need to necacessarily get their way, but if they feel that they are being taken seriously and have a fair hearing, they will have the satisfaction of knowing they have made their case. If parents do the opposite of this, adolescents will feel like there is no need to even make a contradicting statement against their parents, because they will see it as useless and ineffective. The only failed argument is the failure to argue at all.

Collaborative

It takes more than one person to have an argument. An argument increases understanding, there is more room for discussion and negotiation. An adolescent who is taught the collaborative and communicative value of argument can learn to treat it as a valuable tool for working out disagreements together; for solving problems and creating better possibilities.

Everyone argues at some time in there life, whether it be with a friend, parent, or other elder. Arguing can be a good or bad action to take. Good, because it teaches youth to learn how I think for themselves and defend their own thoughts. Bad, because many youth are disrespectful whilst debating their wants to someone else. We just need to figure out when the good and right time is to argue and what are the right things to argue about. 

Depression

Did you know over 15 Million Americans suffer from depression? Depression comes in three types: "Seasonal Affective Disorder" (SAD), Dysthmia, and Bi-Polar Disorder. Depression affects the body, mood and thoughts. This illness not only affects the one who suffers from it, but also those around them by interfering with daily life and normal functioning. People suffering from depression are three times more likely of experiencing a cardiac event. Depression affects the entire body, including the immune system (resulting in long term effects) and higher rates of diabetes and osteoporosis. All types of depression, from the weakest to the strongest, are treatable; and of course, like most other illnesses, the sooner the treatment begins, the more effective and greater the likelihood that a recurrence can be prevented. Appropriate treatment starts with a physical examination; Certain medical medications, as well as some medical conditions such as viral infection or thyroid disorder can cause the same symptoms as depression. When examining, the doctor should ask about any alcohol or drug use, and if the patient has thoughts about death and suicide. Once diagnosed, the patient can begin treatment, most common forms of treatment are medication and psychotherapy.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that follows the seasons, the most common follows the winter season. This is called winter depression, it begins in late fall or early winter and normal mood returns by summer. Now on the opposite, least common type is summer depression, when one's depression begins in late spring or early summer. Changes in daylight have been known to contribute to this disorder. Dysthmia is just as common as major depression which affects about 6% of the US Population and affects twice as many women as men.

Dysthmia is a serious and disabling disorder that shares many symptoms with other clinical forms of depression. Generally, it is experienced as a less severe, but more chronic form of major depression.

    Characterization:

• depressed mood (most of time for 2 years)
• along with at  least 2 of the following
• insomnia
• excessive sleep
• low energy
• fatigue
• low self-esteem
• poor appetite
• over eating
• poor concentration
• indecisiveness
• feeling of hopelessness

Symptoms such as Anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure), Psychomotor symptoms (particularly lethargy or agitation), and thoughts of death or suicide, are often absent in Dysthmia.
Double Major Depressive Disorder is when one suffers from Dysthmia whilst experiencing at least one episode of major depression. Therefore, Dysthmia can occur alone or in conjunction with other mood or psychiatric disorders.

Bi-Polar Disorder is also known as Manic-Depressive Illness. This causes unusual changes in mood, energy, and ability to function. Symptoms are severe, which means the "ups and downs" are not normal; symptoms have been found to cause damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. About 5.7 million (2.6%) of American adults have this disorder. Symptoms have been seen to surface anywhere between childhood and adulthood. People may suffer for years before they are properly diagnosed and treated; it is a long-term illness that requires careful management throughout the person's life. Dramatic mood swings can go from high and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, then back again with periods of normal mood in between; changes also occur in energy and behavior. These changes of highs and lows are known as Episodes of Mania and Depression.

Symptoms:

• Persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood
• Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
• Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Insomnia, early morning awakening or oversleeping
• Appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain
• Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts
• Restlessness, irritability
• Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders and chronic pain

 Being from Alaska where the seasons are more like two than four, Seasonal Affective Disorder affects many people, mostly during the winter months. Many people go into a deep depression due to the vast amount of darkness during the winter. People complain about the darkness during the winter, but then in the summer, some can't handle the light and no darkness, so they put "black out shades" in their windows to shield the light from peeking in. For future reference, try to get outside as much as you can when it is light outside (usually the middle of the day), so you don't get caught by the darkness. The reason to go out at around lunch time is because when you go to work/school, the sun will just be rising (if not rising, it will be risen by the time school/work begins) or when you come home from work/school, the sun will already begin to set. 

Social Life

In order to remain in a delicate balance of self-awareness, you must rely on your biases, but keep them in check. Biases are helpful when used in the correct way. Cognitive shortcuts can cause problems when we're not aware of them and we apply them inappropriately, leading to rash decisions or discriminatory practices (based on sexism, racism, etc). 

Being the human beings we are (social animals) our relationship with our primary caregiver (usually our mother) typically influences all aspects throughout our life. Without positive relationships, both our mind and body fall apart, because the tenor of our social life is one of the most important influences on our mental health.

   Most of us fight an internal battle with our biases and preferences. This includes prejudice, since the beginning of time prejudice  has been a main concern and argumentative piece in history. Predijuidce is not only based on race, but also, gender, ethnicity, and economic standing. We, as humans, must learn how to use our biases, preferences and prejudice in the correct way. I, myself, have to work on how I think about certain things or people before I've tried it met them. Being the picky and shy person that I am, there are few "new" foods that I will even think of trying and very few new people that I will talk to or approach. As I try to help myself by learning how to use my bias and predjudice in the right way, I will also help others to do the same. If we could all learn how to correctly use them, this world would be made up of less war and fighting. Everyone should learn and needs to learn to love one another, just as they love themselves. 

Are you struggling with procrastination ?

Procrastination affects 20% of people chronically avoid difficult tasks and deliberately look for distractions. This reflects our perennial struggle with self-control as well as our inability to accurately predict how we'll feel tomorrow, or the next day. Many procrastinators claim that they perform better under pressure, but most often that is their way of justifying putting things off. 

Having a hard time managing the oodles and oodles of things you need to do? Here's help:

Realize you'll feel better if you get more done

Many people don't think that it will matter if they try to manage their time better. You will end up feeling better and accomplished of you take some proverbial baby steps, you don't have to do and change everything at once. If you don't know how to break a task down into baby steps, or you hit a roadblock, as someone for help. Don't be embarrassed: everyone needs help and the person will probably feel good about being able to help you. 

Now ask yourself: "What should I get done?" 

Be time-conscious 

Try your best to come and accept that time is your most valuable possession. Making the most of your limited amount of heartbeats is central to having a life well-led. That doesn't mean trying to have as much fun as possible. Your time on earth would be less worth while of you spent your time on sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, than that of someone who was more productive and improved the lives of others.

Be time-effective

You could be time-conscious and still get far less done than you want or should. Ask yourself, "What's the most time-effective way to do this?". Not the best, easiest or fastest way, but the most time-effective way. 

Also try;

Consiously decide if you want to pursue a major time suck 

Ask yourself if a major time suck is a better use of your time than what you could otherwise do. 

Delegate

For tasks you dislike or are simply bad at, consider delegating or even hiring someone to do them. Even people of modest means may find that hiring an assistant at $15 an hour for five hours a week can be well worth the $75. 

Always have a "sponge activity" at the ready

We spend a great abundance of time commuting on buses or trains, standing in supermarket likes, or sitting in waiting rooms. Having something productive to do can help you get more done and make the waiting time to more quickly. "Sponge" up that time by reading a book, answering an email or doing internet research on your phone.  

    As we approach the end of the school year, tons and tons of students are suffering from procrastination. Students proceastinate end of term papers, projects and last minute extra credit! Procrastination comes along when a person didn't do what they needed to at the approopriate time, so now they're playing catch up in order to pass the class. Students need to work on their study and organization skills to avoid further suffering of procrastination. Not only students procrastinate, adults are just as guilty of doing so! They put off things they know they have to do, but wait till the last minute to do those things.  One of my closest friends takes first place in procrastination! She will waiting until 5 days before it's due, to do a  book report. My mom is also a bad procrastinator, I'll remind her of things we need to get done or do and she'll tell me, "I know, I'll do it after I do _____" -then it usually doesn't get done until me or someone else does it. Everyone has their moments of feeling lazy, but professional procrastinators are hard to break!