Social Anxiety - Are You Just Shy?

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Most people unfamiliar with anxiety see it as just a simple case of the nerves. Those of us who live with anxiety know it is much more than that.

Anxiety is similar to fear, yet very different. Let me explain. Fear is a rational emotional response to a real threat. Anxiety is an irrational emotional response to an imagined threat. However it feels very real to those of us who suffer with anxiety on a daily basis.

Example: Imagine you are walking down a dark deserted road and you turn around to see a man coming at you with a gun. This is real... this is fear.

Now imagine you are walking down a familiar street in broad daylight and you imagine some disaster is about to happen, to you, and without warning. There is no visual threat, it is all imagined, though very real in the mind of a person suffering anxiety. This is imagined... this is anxiety.

Social anxiety or social phobia is often misdiagnosed. Often, you are just labeled as being shy.

"Oh, you are just shy?" Are you sick and tired of hearing that? Are you wondering what is wrong with you? Do you feel like no one understands? You are not alone!

I lived with "shyness" all my life. Everyone told me to just "get over it." I wanted to scream! Something is wrong with me! I can't just get over it!

Then I got older. The problem with my "shyness" got worse. Other symptoms started to arise. Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, and many others.

If you are still wondering if you are just shy, or if it is something more, maybe this will help.

Do you worry for days, weeks, months about an event you have to attend?
Do you immediately start coming up with excuses not to attend an event?
Do you have an extreme fear of being judged by others?
Do you have extreme fear of talking to strangers?
Do you find it extremely hard to post in forums, newsgroups, use an instant messenger, or any form of conversation online?
Do you find it almost impossible to use the phone?
Do you panic when someone knocks on your door?
Do you even get nauseous and not answer it?
Do you avoid going to the store?

Some of these you may do, some you may not, and there may be other things you do or avoid that is not on this list. It should give you some points to ponder. Notice a couple of key words in the examples above. Extreme and Avoid.

Someone who is shy may blush when meeting someone new. Someone with social anxiety may also blush when meeting someone new. However, this person may also feel nauseous, light headed, and tremble. Their heart might race, they may sweat excessively, their mouth and throat may get extremely dry, they may have panic feelings and want to find the nearest exit.

It is imperative for anyone with these kinds of feelings seek professional assistance.

I have been living with Social Anxiety all of my life, though misdiagnosed until late adulthood. I now share my daily struggles in hopes to help someone along the way. http://anxietymadness.blogspot.com/

How Acupuncture Can Help Anxiety

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Traditional medicine primarily uses relatively strong drugs to bring relief to those who suffer from anxiety. While the drugs do provide a degree of relief, some of the complications make one wonder if it is really worthwhile.

There is another way, however, and this article will show you how acupuncture can help anxiety.

Acupuncture In The United States

The Food and Drug Administration in 1996 officially welcomed acupuncture into the United States. Since that time, many have found it to be beneficial in quite a variety of ways, including for anxiety.

Many who practice the use of acupuncture are medical doctors who now combine it, into their medical practice. There are now over 20,000 certified practitioners in the United States.

While it has been tested both in the United States and England, it still remains a little on the outside - partly because people don't like needles. Alternatives to the needles now use more hi-tech methods - acupressure and mild lasers, which they say has about the same effect.

How Does It Work?

The basic idea of how it works is a little foreign to the minds of those of of us who live in the West. Still, the idea is interesting. They believe that the body, when healthy, allows the free flow of energy, called qi (chi) throughout the body.

The energy, they say, flows through 12 channels, called meridians, where the streams of chi come together and intersect. When there is a restriction of chi, the result are symptoms, and health problems.

Acupuncture, through the use of the needles, works on those points where the channels intersect, to unblock the flow of chi.

Those of us that live over on this side of the ocean might replace chi with the words life-force. With that restoration of the proper flow of the life force, the body can then begin to use its natural self-healing mechanisms. Acupuncture specialists often also use herbal remedies as part of a treatment program.

Modern research has shown that acupuncture stimulates the body to release chemicals in your body called endorphins. Endorphins are your body's natural pain-relievers. They may have something to do with how acupuncture helps to relieve anxiety.

Treating Anxiety

Many of the treatments for anxiety largely involve the acupuncture points found on the ear. However, studies have shown, with various control groups, that only particular areas of the ear bring any noticeable difference.

But the differences were rather amazing. While doctors still do not know why it works, they do know that there are measurable differences.

The patients that had the correct areas of the ear needled, were those that had a significant reduction in anxiety and stress-levels.

Acupuncture works on both the physical and the emotional states to bring about a general good state of well-being. It also works for other emotional problems, too.

Before you visit your local acupuncturist for depression, however, make sure that they are certified by your state.

Acupuncture Treatments

A couple of nice things about acupuncture is:

? Many insurance companies now cover it ? It is drug free - though your doctor may desire you to continue ? It uses natural healing

The average treatment can last anywhere from a couple of minutes, up to about an hour - with no negative after-effects.

Annie Beal makes it easy for anyone to feel better
naturally with acupuncture and acupressure. To
receive your free 7-part mini-course visit:
www.acupuncturegold.com/tips.html

Depression Treatments And Symptoms Of Anxiety Depression

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More than 17 million American people are affected by anxiety depression symptoms, so that the specialists have been calling this illness as psychiatric flu.

When the young people are concerned, the psychiatric factors are the ones that influence the anxiety depression symptoms. People have to be thought by the specialist how to deal with the stress factors and also they need to know how to improve their own capacity of handling these stressing factors. Almost the majority of the anxiety depression symptoms are very respondent to different treatments, especially to medication. As a modality of reducing stress, anyone can cut some hours from the work schedule program and a refusal of some social obligations. As for the more improved stress confrontation capacity, the patient is supposed to do a lot of relaxing exercises, more adequate sleeping hours and a healthy diet.

Finding an effective antidepressant drug is not an easy task, as every individual has one particular set of characteristics and therefore it is not possible a priori to establish which antidepressant will be that effective one. Beyond to depression medication, other treatments like psychotherapy, integrated therapy and depression medication, electro convulsion therapy and the therapy with light are today available. Each one of these approaches has detailed prescription lists. As an example, the depression medication treatment and that psychotherapy one have a rate success from 60 to 80%. This integrated modality has one of its particular indications in the advanced shapes of depression. Some patients show the persistence of residual symptoms between an episode and the other and in the shapes in which depression medication or psychotherapy alone is not effective.

There is a large number of anti depression drugs that can help remedy the harmful effects of the depressive symptoms but some of them have more side effects than others and this is the reason why they get dangerous. Considering from the price point of view, there are cheaper and more expensive anti depression drugs that can be used for treating this disease, but they may have severe side effects, such as: wither mouth, urine abstain, sedation and a lot of sexual problems. Talking about sexual mal functions, some drugs, which were recently discovered, characterize an important development regarding the sexual abnormality. Each medication used for treating the disease in question has a skimpy different profile of side effects, so it may be possible for one to try several solution treatments in order for the doctor to discover the most appropriate one.

Michael Rad is the webmaster of http://www.depression-treatment-expert.com, a free informational resource hub dedicated to explaining depression and related treatments. Other health-related websites that you might be interested in include www.arthritis-hub.com and www.breast-enlargement-expert.com

Anxiety and depression

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Most of us do experience occasional outbreaks of anxiety or momentary depression, at least once or twice in our lifetime. Anxiousness, changing moods, shifting metal attitude and a short term depression are all so common to thousands of people allover the world. Low intensity anxiety and depression also work as positive parameters, when we can prepare for a pending task or take precious time to reflect on our actions, and regroup our effort in order to get success in life. Thus, anxiety and depression are a common part of our life, often more helpful than overtly harmful. But, when anxiety and depression seem to crop up out of nowhere, persist for many months without providing much relief, or if it interferes with daily life, then you're probably suffering from a grave illness or a permanent symptom.

Anxiety and depression are among the most prevalent and highly treatable forms of mental disease in the whole world. People who are suffering from acute anxiety display a varied degree of symptoms, which range from trembling, muscle aches, intense sweating, dizziness, extreme fatigue, jumping heart and dry mouth. But, anxiety disorder is much more serious than it is assumed to be, just because, persons who are suffering from such a malady become practically disabled, both mentally and physiologically, making the life a hell. Anxiety and its symptoms can be categorized into many types and one must realize that it is very common disorder, treatable by many modern treatment techniques.

Depression is possibly one of the most common mental conditions in the world today and almost 150 million people suffer from symptoms of depression. One in four women and one in ten men can easily be diagnosed with depression, at some point in their lives, though very often it goes undiagnosed. They may not even know that what they are experiencing are symptoms of a treatable illness. Most visible signs of depression are often associated with the daily work, when people tend to neglect even the most common of daily work like brushing their teeth. Other visible signs include intense sadness, helplessness, irritability and uncontrolled anger. One of the most dangerous side signs is probably the tendency to commit suicide. Associated symptoms like memory lapses, slurred speech and lack neuromuscular movement are not uncommon in the later stages of depression.

Anxiety and depression outbreak can occur at any age and time. Most of these patients are usually very stubborn and often never believe that they are affected by the illness. Advanced stages of anxiety and depression require frequent hospitalization and intensive medical care. Unattended depression can also lead to further serious medical complications like psychosis, schizophrenia and mental disorder. However, a proper medical care and regular counseling will help patients to recover from the ordeals of anxiety and depression.

Are you sick and tired of feeling depressed?

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When Someone You Know Struggles With Depression And Anxiety

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What do you do when someone you know has to deal with persistent fears, anxieties or even depression? Well the first thing you need to do is to get the person to seek the services of a professional and/or counselor who can lead them in the right direction and give them the help they need. In addition, here are some other things you can do to help the person cope.

Learn as much as you can in managing anxiety and depression. There are many books and information that will educate you on how to deal with fear and anxiety. Share this information with the person who is struggling. Education is the key in finding the answers your looking for in managing your fears.

Be understanding and patient with the person struggling with their fears. Dealing with depression and anxiety can be difficult for the person so do not add more problems than what is already there.

The person struggling with the anxiety must realize that managing anxiety and fear takes practice. So when experiencing an anxiety related situation, begin to learn what works, what doesn't work, and what you need to improve on in managing your fears and anxieties. As you do this, you will become better in dealing with your anxieties.

Don't forget to Pray and ask God for help. A person can only do so much. Asking God for help can give us additional resources to help manage our fears and anxieties. It is not always easy, however God is in control and he will help you if you ask him.

Another thing to remember is that things change and events do not stay the same. For instance, you may feel overwhelmed today with your anxiety and feel that this is how you will feel the rest of the week or month. This isn't correct. No one can predict the future with 100 Percent accuracy. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can't predict which can be used to your advantage. You never know when the help and answers you are looking for will come to you.

As a Layman, I realize it is not easy to deal with all of our fears. When your fears and anxieties have the best of you, seek help from a professional. The key is to be patient, take it slow, and not to give up. In time, you will be able to find those resources that will help you with your problems.

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear" an easy to read book that presents a overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com

Managing The Fear And Anxiety Of Finding Another Job

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Layoffs in today's business world are common and with it comes the fear and anxiety of finding another job. With this in mind, here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their stresses and anxieties in finding a new job.

A technique that can be used to reduce the stress of finding another job is to divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one at a time. For instance, the first thing you should do is to determine what kind of job you want. Once you know what you are looking for, the next step is to update and prepare your resume. Once that is finished, you should then concentrate on finding the companies that interest you and send your resume to them. Once you submit your resume, the next step is to prepare for the job interview by completing these smaller tasks, you will reduce your stress and anxiety and increase your chances of finding another job.

Sometimes we may get depressed during our job search. Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that make us feel good. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you in your pocket. Whenever you feel depressed, open up your small notebook and read those statements.

In addition, it also helps to write down a list of things you are thankful for in this world. For instance; good health, a good marriage, lots of friends, being smart and resourceful, and a good education are things that any person can be thankful for. Whenever you get discouraged in finding another job, take out your list and focus on the things that make you happy. This technique will make you feel better and give you more encouragement to continue with the job search.

Finding a new job can be tough, however remember to take it one day at a time. While the consequences of a particular fear may seem real, there are usually other factors that can not be anticipated and can affect the results of any situation. Focus on the present and do your best each day. Next week will take care of its self.

As a Layman, I know that our anxieties and stresses can be difficult to manage when finding a new job. Managing your stress during a job search takes practice. Be patient and in time you will become better in dealing with your anxieties.

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear" an easy to read book that presents a overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com

Effective Recognition Of General Anxiety Disorder

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General Anxiety Disorder affects approximately 1 in 20 people across the world and can have mentally crippling effects. The worst sufferers are virtually unable to leave their home let alone perform required tasks like working or shopping. They live in constant fear of rejection and feel that they don't fit in normal everyday society. it can sometimes be mistaken for paranoia, because paranoid feelings are a symptom of this illness. Even the slightest thing can trigger a reaction that many would consider to be over the top. Meetings at work or meetings with teachers are not merely an inconvenience but a reason for panic and worry. General Anxiety Disorder can make people very ill in the long run because they essentially burnout.

general Anxiety Disorder causes people to become very irritable. This is not only because of a lack of sleep and the onslaught of fatigue but also because many patients believe that people laugh at them. This feeling can make the most innocuous question seem like a challenge.

Sufferers will struggle to concentrate on anything and may lose interest in things they previously found entertaining. This is true of patients who develop General Anxiety Disorder.

Fatigue is very closely associated to general Anxiety Disorder because sufferers struggle to sleep and struggle to wind down. They are always worrying about things, no matter how small or large the problems are. Night times are the worst time of all because there is nothing else to take the sufferers mind off the problem.

Most symptoms of General Anxiety Disorder are behavioral symptoms and can be difficult to spot by people who are not closely involved with the patient. Often these symptoms are attributed to a person's character and the fact that they have a mental illness is ignored. There are some physical symptoms too but these are usually due to the mental symptoms in the first place.John Mancini has been writing about Anxiety Disorder online and offline for a long time. Visit http://anxiety-disorders-home.info or http://stop-anxiety-attacks.com to read more about matters like anxiety disorder symptoms and separation anxiety disorder.

Combating Anxiety: The Alternative Way

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Perhaps you break out into a cold sweat when you have to deliver a talk before a group of people. Or perhaps you become nervous when you have to take a test. There are certainly numerous causes for anxiety. Similarly, there are a number of treatment options for those afflicted with the illness. If you don't like the idea of medication, you might try an alternative approach to battling your anxiety.

It is estimated that nearly seven percent of Americans suffer from anxiety and panic disorders. While prescription drugs are routinely offered as a remedy for such illnesses, they can be dangerous if administered over a long period of time. Some of the more popular anxiety drugs include Diazepam and Wellbutrin. However, increasingly, Americans are turning to alternative medicines in an effort to soothe their anxious feelings. In just the last decade, the demand for alternative medicine has skyrocketed 300 percent. This is partially the result of the fact that many alternative medicines offer relief from symptoms without the side-effects linked to prescription drugs. It should be noted, however, that natural remedies are not meant to be long-term treatments, although they can offer relief in the short-term.

Before you buy a natural remedy, it is important that you do your homework as far as your knowledge of herbs and vitamins is concerned. It is also imperative that you consult your family physician in order to ensure that the alternative treatment is safe for you. A number of herbs offer relief from the symptoms of anxiety. For instance, St. Johns Wort is one of the most popular anti-anxiety herbs on the market. After taking St. Johns Wort for as little as two weeks, you should notice a difference in your anxiety level.

Valerian Root is another alternative option you might try. It is especially helpful in combating insomnia because of its sedative quality. In other words, it helps to lull the central nervous system to sleep. Research indicates that Valerian Root is effective in improving sleep 90 percent of the time. This is important, since much of anxiety is linked to sleep disorders.

Vitamins can also provide an effective treatment for anxiety. They can be quite important in enabling neurotransmitter synthesis and maintenance. For instance, B-complex can help produce neurochemicals, which in turn assists in the synthesis of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Yet another aid to combating anxiety is Passion Flower. It helps to calm the central nervous system, leading to feelings of peace. Meanwhile, Ashwaghanda Root can make you feel stronger so that you are better able to handle the effects of anxiety. But perhaps no herbal remedy is quite as effective as Kava Kava. This is considered to be one of the strongest anti-anxiety remedies in the world. A number of studies indicates that Kava Kava is highly effective in relieving the short-term symptoms of anxiety. It is also considered quite safe to ingest, making it one of the most popular herbs available on the market today.

An herbal remedy called PureCalm is being marketed as a safe way to deal with general nervousness and worry. You may feel relaxed after taking only a few drops of this natural substance. However, if you suffer from severe anxiety, including panic attacks, you might consider a remedy called MindSoothe, which combines St. Johns Wort with Passiflora. Mindsoothe has been linked to good sleep, greater concentration, and better memory. Therefore, it is particularly effective in treating the symptoms of anxiety.

We all have feelings of anxiety from time to time. But how can you tell if your anxiety is out of control? If you experience racing thoughts, rapid heartbeat, extreme difficulty resting or concentrating, you probably need to get help. If you do not like dealing with the side-effects of prescription drugs, an herbal remedy may be in order. You should know in advance, however, that some herbal remedies carry their own risks and lead to significant side-effects.

The more you know about herbal remedies, the better consumer you'll be. Don't allow yourself to be a human guinea pig. Take herbal medication only after you have thoroughly studied its effects upon the human body.

Tony Robinson is a husband, parent, webmaster and international author. Leading a full and busy lifestyle he is fully aware of the needs of a stress free life. For tips, techniques and further information visit http://www.stress-gone.com

Facing The Fear And Anxiety Of The Unknown

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All most everybody worries about what will happen in the future. The prospect of not knowing if something good or bad will happen to you in the near future can produce a lot of fear and anxiety. As a result, here is a list of techniques and suggestions on how to manage this fear of dealing with the unknown.

The first step is to learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or coming month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. When the time comes, hopefully you will have learned the skills to deal with your situation.

Another thing to remember is that no one can predict the future with 100 Percent certainty. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can't predict which can be used to your advantage. For instance, let's say at your place of work that you miss the deadline for a project you have been working on for the last few months. Everything you feared is coming true. Suddenly, your boss comes to your office and tells you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything. Remember: we may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference.

Sometimes what we fear may happen can be over exaggerated. A lot of times, our worrying can make the problem even worse. For those of you who believe in God, prayer can be very effective. In the end, we have to leave it in the hands of God. If God wants something to happen to us, it will happen regardless. All the worrying in the world will not change anything. All you can do is to do your best each day, hope for the best, and when something does happen, take it in stride by using the help of God. God will help us through our problems if we ask him.

As a Layman, I realize it is not easy to deal with the fear of the unknown, however sometimes the fear can be worse than the situation. If you have trouble managing your anxiety of the future, then talking to a counselor or clergyman can be of great help. There are ways to help manage your fear and all it takes is some effort to find those answers.

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear" an easy to read book that presents a overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com

Overcoming Anxiety

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Overcoming Anxiety

In order to create the healthy, happy and harmonious reality we all desire, we will need to create emotional harmony.

This process can be divided into six basic steps:

1. Recognize our emotions.
2. Accept them as they are.
3. Release them when necessary.
4. Understand how they are created.
5. Transform the negative ones through understanding and create more positive ones.
6. Transcend them.

Here we will present a short profile of some of the basic emotions. We have developed specific questionnaires for understanding each one.

As this book would have become prohibitively large if we included them here, those who are seriously seeking to understand themselves can download these questionnaires from our web site at http://www.HolisticHarmony.com/research/emotions.html. (for members ? but membership is free)

Answering those questions will help you discover how those emotions are created and how you might transform them.

ANXIETY AND WORRY

Anxiety and worry, although obviously forms of fear, have become so common that it is worth looking at them separately.

Anxiety often concerns the factors of time and results. We are anxious because we fear that we will not have enough time to complete all that we have planned, or that the result will not be successful, perfect or acceptable to the others.

We worry often for the same reasons, but also when we fear something may not turn out as we hope. That "something" may concern ourselves, our children, or our parents or spouse, which of course, ultimately, through our attachment to these people, has to do with ourselves.

We learn to worry as children, and this becomes a habit causing us to search for issues to be anxious or worrisome about, even when there is nothing really important enough to merit such a concern.

We may wonder at times why our mind thinks so much about a particular matter, creating anxiety and worry, when in reality that matter is not so important to us.

Anxiety and worry contain a feeling of danger, that we are unable to achieve what we want or protect ourselves from others or events. It is a form of self-doubt and lack of faith in ourselves, others and the Divine Laws of the universe.

"Soul-utions"

For this reason, we would do well to employ a daily program of:
1. Exercises
2. Breathing techniques
3. Deep relaxation with positive projection,
4. Meditation
5. A healthy diet
6. Creative self-expression.

These activities will help reorganize our energy patterns, freeing us from the hold of negative thoughts.

Positive antidotes to anxiety and worry could be:

1. Faith in divine wisdom and justice; that all will occur as is necessary and beneficial for our growth process. This belief allows us to surrender to the wisdom of the universe and feel secure even when externally we are being challenged by difficult situations.

This does not mean that we do not seek to create the reality we prefer, but simply that we feel sure that the results of our efforts will be the best for our growth regardless of whether they are what we prefer.

2. Confidence in our ability to deal with whatever life brings us.
Why should we doubt that we can deal with whatever comes? We have encountered so many tests in life, and here we are ? alive and reading this. We have survived. We, as spirit, are greater than any possible human experience.

3. Realizing that we are worthy of love and acceptance as we are.

Much of our anxiety has to do with our doubts about our self-worth which we tend to measure by what others think and by the results of our efforts. Accepting ourselves as we are removes much anxiety.

4. Living in and enjoying the present moment.

Our fears, regrets, anxiety and worry seldom have to do with the present, but rather with the past and future. But neither actually exist. The past exists only to the degree that we carry it in our minds. The future is equally an illusion.

Focusing on what we are doing in the present moment releases us from anxiety and worry.

(Adapted from the "The Psychology of Happiness" by Robert Najemy available at http://www.Amazon.com and http://www.HolisticHarmony.com. This book and other writings can be viewed at http://www.HolisticHarmony.com where you can also download FREE articles and e-books.)

Robert Elias Najemy is the author of over 600 articles, 400 lecture cassettes on Human Harmony and 20 books, which have sold over 100,000 copies.
He is the Founder and director of the Center for Harmonious Living in Greece with 3700 members.
His book The Psychology of Happiness; ISBN 0-9710116-0-5 is available at www.amazon.com and http://www.HolisticHarmony.com. where you can view and download FREE articles and e-books.

Dog Anxiety - How to Deal With It

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Anxiety in dogs can be caused by any number of things - illness, travel, thunderstorms, death in the family, separation, or they may develop unexplained phobic or neurotic behaviour, or barking or other antisocial behaviour.

If you can identify the cause of the anxiety, then the best solution to the problem is to remove the cause.

This is not always possible, though. If your dog is experiencing separation anxiety every time you leave the house, and you work full time outside the home, you've got a problem! I suppose you could give up work and stay home with your dog, but sometimes we need to be a little realistic!

For this particular problem there are a number of things you can do to alleviate your dog's anxiety when you leave - many people have found that playing soothing music while they're out works wonders.

Mozart? - that certainly used to calm my hyperactive son down a little, so Mozart would be my personal first choice, but there are many soothing classical and new age, or even some light rock or jazz music might work - try out whatever you have in your CD collection for starters.

Another wonderful idea I read about recently is making a tape recording of your own voice and playing that on a continuous play while you're gone.

And there are certain homeopathic and herbal remedies which really do calm your dog. So those may well assist with your dog's separation anxiety.

But what about dogs who are afraid of loud noises - my dog Kara has an irrational fear of thunderstorms, and fear of fireworks, and, well, actually, she's scared of just about any loud noises. Many dogs are like this.

One New Year's Eve when I was away, Kara dug her way under the house and escaped (due to being terrified of the fireworks which were going off). My neighbours had to pick her up from the pound the following morning. Apparently the dog catchers are out in force on New Year's Eve because they round up many dogs and impound them! A nice little revenue booster for the local authorities. From memory it cost about $100 to get her back.

Anyway, I've found that peppermint oil applied to the pads of her paws has some calming effect. And a natural stress remedy also works very nicely.

Some years ago, before I became interested in natural remedies for dogs - actually it was following the fireworks incident - Kara became quite determined to continue escaping, for some reason. Once she realised she could get out, she just kept on trying. She was even destroying part of my house in her determination to try to get through the thick wooden boards I had put up to prevent further escapes. So I took her to the vet, as I was at a complete loss to know what to do with her. She was prescribed an anti-anxiety medication. This made Kara quite dopey, and seemed to take some of her personality away somehow. In other words, I suppose she appeared drugged. I didn't like it at all.

Now I know that there are much more pleasant, all natural anxiety treatments for dogs, which have no nasty side effects. And they really do work just as well.


Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural health for dogs. For your free special report, as well as weekly tips, information, strategies and resources for a healthier happier dog, click here for your dog health report: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com

For information on dog stress remedies, go here: http://www.StressRemedies.BrigitteRecommends.com

Your Writing Anxiety - 10 Ways to Bring Relief

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Anxiety, apprehension, cold feet, consternation, dismay, distress, dread, fear, fright, horror, nervousness, panic, scare, strain, stress, tension, terror, trepidation, unease or uneasiness: whatever it's called, you've got it.

And the reason is ... you've got to write an article!

Writing anxiety or 'writer's block' happens to all writers at some point in their writing lives. It may be that you don't know what to write about or, with your topic firmly in place, you don't know where to start.

At this point, procrastination sets in.

Doing anything, rather than actually writing, seems a whole lot better than putting pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard. Even walking the dog, in pouring rain and gale-force winds, has higher priority!

Try some of these ways to restore your writing equilibrium:

1. Avoid starting with a blank page. There's nothing more daunting than beginning from nothing. Work with a template. This will help you to stay focused on your topic. Download and print out some appropriate free graphic organizers from the Internet or use graphic organizer software, like NotateIt, that will help you to rearrange and organise your thoughts in freestyle format.

2. Brainstorm your topic. Take some time out for creative thinking with a friend or colleague. You'll get some new twists on the theme, especially if they're not 'experts' in your subject matter!

3. Write an outline. Just set out a list of headings. They don't even have to be in order - you can always rearrange them later. Write each heading on a separate card or piece of paper and shuffle the result. A new order may emerge that you hadn't thought of, giving you a new slant on your topic.

4. Use a whiteboard. Fix a large magnetic whiteboard on your wall and use it to rearrange your ideas. If a whiteboard on the wall feels too intrusive, try some inexpensive whiteboard software on your PC instead.

5. Break your task down into smaller chunks. From your outline, choose one heading and write. Then go on to another heading and write. It doesn't matter which order you write in, because it can all be rearranged later. Not only that, you're achieving your larger goal in a series of smaller steps and that makes it much more manageable.

6. Write in the way that you speak. It's friendlier to read and it's an easier and more natural way for you to write.

7. Don't worry about perfection too soon. Spell checking, indenting paragraphs, changing font size - this is the icing on the cake. Just let your writing flow and, just for once, forget the grammar. Perfection can come later - at the redrafting stage.

8. Think about your readers in a different way. You may be anxious that your article is not "good enough" to be read by your peers. Remember, even if your audience are "experts", they don't know what you think about your subject. Nor does it mean that they know everything there is to know about a subject area. Target your writing towards an intelligent, enthusiastic, but non-expert, reader and your writing confidence will grow.

9. You've completed your writing. This is your first draft. The secret, now, is to redraft and redraft again. You'd be surprised at just how many things you'll want to say differently when the sun rises tomorrow! Read your article once a day, make changes then put it aside until the next day. In a few days, you'll read your article and find nothing to change. That's when you're ready to publish!

10. Believe in yourself. The first articles you write may not be perfect but the more you write, the better your style will become. It's like learning to walk - all it takes is a little time and lots of practice.

You're welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered, including the "About the Author" info at the end.


Lynda Blake is a UK freelance writer

Resources used in preparing this article:
Whiteboard Software: http://www.notateit.com
Free Graphic Organizers: http://www.nutsinmay.com

Fear and Anxiety: They Are No Match For Hypnosis

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Many people struggle each day with fear and anxiety. Were not talking about being afraid that you didnt pass your last test or anxiety over a job interview. Anxiety and fear become deep rooted elements of a persons life and can create havoc in relationships and make it impossible to function on a day to day basis.

Anxiety often creates a snowball effect of emotions that take place when something, even the smallest thing, goes wrong in a persons life. For example, for someone struggling with anxiety, even the minutest intrusion can throw his or her entire day out of line.

Lets say you are getting ready for work and your cat throws up on your carpet. Automatically your mind starts racing. This means you are going to be late for work, which means your boss is going to think you are irresponsible, which means you are never going to get the raise you need to buy your first home which means you are going to be stuck in an apartment forever and your whole financial life is ruined. In an instant cat vomit is equated to a destroyed life for someone dealing with anxiety.

Fear Is Often Related To Anxiety.

Individuals often become afraid of things that have led them to anxiety in the past. The individual in the above example may never look at cats the same way again. Fear leads to the avoidance of things that people fear and can create havoc in their lives such as the example given above. People may become phobic of snakes, spiders, clowns, chickens and many other things.

A New Approach

Perhaps you are someone struggling with fear and anxiety. You may have tried different methods including counseling and anti-anxiety medications to make it go away but nothing has worked. You may have spent hours in the self-help section of your local bookstore with no luck.

You still have one more option available to try and that is hypnosis. No, hypnosis does not mean that you are put into a trance by a freaky man with a pocket watch. The problem with basic therapy is that it simply uses the conscious portion of your brain. The conscious part is the portion that controls and assists you with day-to-day thought processes.

The purpose of hypnotism is to relax the conscious level of the brain and subdue it so that the subconscious portion is allowed to come forward. What is the subconscious? The subconscious mind is that portion of your brain that takes care of your automatic day-to-day business such as riding a bicycle. You have done it so many times that conscious though is no longer required for these tasks.

Once the subconscious is accessible to the hypnotist, he or she will work with you to rewire your subconscious. For example, if you are afraid of spiders, a hypnotist can help you relate spiders to something light and funny instead of something to be afraid of. Over time, you will learn that you are significantly bigger than your fears and can overcome them all through hypnotherapy!

Lyta Humphris is a trained hypnotherapist.

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