April 29, 2011: New findings, by the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, were issued to kick off a month of national activity aimed at raising awareness of childrens’ mental health. With about 15% of high school students in the United States reporting they have seriously contemplated suicide in the past year, many of those efforts are geared toward identifying those at risk and intervening early to prevent self-harm. » Continue reading “Depressed teens mostly struggle alone”

The American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2010 – Stress in America survey disclosed that stress is taking a toll not only on physical health, but also on the emotional well-being of individuals and families.In America, the majority of the Americans live with moderate to high levels of stress but have a hard time making changes to cope with it. » Continue reading “Stress Busters”

In an article a developmental psychologist cited a mountain of evidence showing that IQ was one of the most significant predictors of emotional resiliency in children. The same pattern has also long been seen in the military, where it has been conclusively shown that higher-IQ soldiers show fewer signs of long-term post-traumatic stress.

Why would cognitive ability predict emotional hardiness? In truth, it doesn’t. But the tests that measure cognitive ability do. When you tell people they have 12 minutes to show whether they are smart or dumb, the ability to stay calm and focused under duress has a huge impact on the scores. » Continue reading “How Stress Can Improve Your Performance”

Avoiding The Stress Trap

• People load themselves with work, family and social commitments until they are a mess of stress with no time to wind down. This season, break the cycle.
  • Stress. It’s a part of life, but sometimes it gets out of control, many of us load ourselves with so many activities and commitments that we’re left feeling exhausted and cranky and vulnerable to illness.
  • The irony is, when we’re overloaded, it’s hard to find time to rest, eat right and relax – exactly the things you need to do to cope with stress. The trick is first to balance your life to minimize stress and then to entrench coping mechanisms into your daily schedule, so don’t find yourself caught in the stress trap. » Continue reading “Coping With Stress”

April 28, 2011 – WASHINGTON

Stress can affect the immune system and weaken the body’s defense against infection and disease - has been confirmed by various studies across the world.

In Cancer Patients

-      Stress can also affect a tumor’s ability to grow and spread.

-      However, the biological mechanisms that underlie such associations are not well understood.

-      Now, researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center (One of the leading cancer research and treatment centers in the United States) find that poor psychosocial functioning is associated with greater vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression––a signaling protein that not only stimulates tumor growth, but is also associated with shorter disease-free survival in head and neck cancer patients. » Continue reading “Stress and depression are associated with shorter survival in head and neck cancer patients”

Symptoms from everyday stress may be affecting our bodies and we may have no idea. If left unchecked, stress can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, stomach issues, obesity and depression and to our disbelief this is just the beginning of the list.

Recognize stress and learn how to manage it especially before the holiday season sets in and the daily life commitments start to multiply. » Continue reading “Before the holidays is the time to beat stress”

Stanford neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky, PhD, the author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers said “If you are a normal mammal, stress is the three minutes of screaming terror on the savanna after which either it’s over with or you’re over with” – by far the best explanation of stress ever heard.

Stress Spot: The Brain

-      Chronic secretion of the stress hormone cortisol damages memory centers, when excessively, we can be caught in perpetual stress, triggering anxiety disorders, depression and margaritas at lunchtime. » Continue reading “Kiss Stress Goodbye: Natural Ways to Beat Fear and Anxiety”

Debunking the myth surrounding carbohydrates and weight gain, the connection between carbohydrates, serotonin and antidepressant weight gain.

The triggers that make dieters and non-dieters reach for food are endless, and they range from a computer virus erasing data to caring for a chronically sick relative. Distress triggers can also arise from the hormonal changes of premenstrual syndrome, menopause, chronic pain, exhaustion from too much work, too little sleep or decreased sunlight. Regardless of its cause, stress often leads to the abandonment of a diet and overeating. » Continue reading “The Antidepressant Diet”

Heart is one of the most important organs of our body. Depression and anxiety chronically elevate levels of stress hormones and thereby diverting the body metabolism meant for tissue construction needed to repair the heart diseases.

Heart disease facts:

-      Mental health disorders and heart diseases are two major causes for disability in a person.

-      Heart disease is related to two conditions, which are myocardial infarction (heart attack) and angina pectoris. » Continue reading “How Stress, Depression and Anxiety Can Cause Mental and Heart Disease”