Being Socially Acceptable

Everything we do in our social lives is to build upon our reputation and most individuals go to great lengths to not only build a solid reputation, but to maintain it at all cost. Our reputations are platforms that enable us to obtain jobs, cultivate a social circle, and determine our place in the world.

Interestingly enough, one of the latest studies showed that our ability to build a reputation and maintain social relationships is directly related to a portion of our brain called the lateral prefrontal cortex, or PFC. This study has shown that disrupting the neurons in this particular area of the brain actually disrupts an individual’s ability to play psychological games by making it more difficult for them than for others. For example, individuals suffering a disruption in the PFC find it more difficult to fight off the compulsion to cheat and while most of us understand that it is better for us to simply not act upon these impulses because of the corresponding social ramifications, the study shows that individuals suffering a disruption are not always able to withstand the rigors of maintaining positive social status.

The research was conducted by Daria Knoch and a team from the University of Basel. While there have been a variety of other studies over the years which have compared neural activity in this part of the brain to an individual’s behavior, the brain scans conducted previously had not been able to determine whether or not the activity caused the behavior, or if the behavior caused the activity.

Understanding Reputation

In order to understand this better, Knoch and her team used a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation. This used rapidly changing magnetic fields to induce a weak electrical current in a specific part of the brain to suppress the activity of local neurons.

The research took 87 volunteers and put them through a rigorous trust game designed to see how individuals reacted to decisions about trust. What they found was that when they targeted the right lateral PFC, patients were significantly less likely to repay trust than other participants. The volunteers who were undergoing the TMS scan understood that what they were doing was unfair and unjust, but they were unable to put it into useful practice because of the corresponding disruption in their brains.

Knoch’s team is currently investigating a different scope of study to determine how other parts of the brain interact when reputation is on the line.

At the University of Manchester, a team recently studied special cells which they believe can play an important role in helping regulate an individual’s inner clock or biological rhythms. Previously, scientists had believed these particular cells were inactive during the day and therefore were tied to an individual’s chronological clock, but the new studies show that the inverse is true.

According to Professor Hugh Piggins, a neuroscience expert at the University, these findings can possibly pave the way to learning how to effectively combat various sleep disorders which affect millions of individuals throughout the world. These sleep disorders are triggered by malfunctions in their biological clocks. This research will hopefully allow scientists to discover a new approach to finding ways to help individuals re-tune their daily clocks.

Researching Chronobiology

The Manchester research team took the concept of chronobiology, or the idea that the body regulates itself by firing off more cells during the daylight and fewer during the night, and turned it on its head.

According to Professor Piggins, “The traditional model said that the clock and the brain communicated to the rest of the brain via the number of electrical impulses that the brain cells were producing. These impulses would travel around the brain, telling it what time it is. What we have found is in fact that there are at least two types of cells in this part of the brain.”

What the researchers discovered was that these particular cells are unlike any other cells currently understood. They contain a specific gene that allows them to sustain what the researchers described as “unusually high levels of excitability”. During this time, the cells become highly excited, but eventually they calm down and recover sufficiently to become naturally active. This is the specific activity which notifies the human body when it needs to be awake.

According to Professor Piggins, “There is a lot of interest in the pharmaceutical industry, obviously, to try and develop chemical treatments to reset your daily clock in order to counteract things like jet lag. Or, perhaps more importantly, different kinds of sleep disorders for which dysfunctions in this clock are often involved.”

While far from conclusive, this is the first type of study to discover and consequently scrutinize these types of “quiet” cells. What they hope is that this research will ultimately show that there are cells in other parts of the body, and the brain, which can also survive under these conditions, which is fairly groundbreaking in terms of understanding chronobiology.

In today’s medical world, it is the role of a clinician to make an educated diagnosis based upon particular criteria. Doctors are of course required to go through intense medical training and education, plus a stringent series of procedures and tests before they ever obtain a license to practice. Many family practitioners literally spend upwards of 15 to 20 years in various schools or undergoing various training procedures prior to being allowed to run their own clinic. Not only does a physician need to understand terms of normality, or homeostasis of the body, they also must understand the anatomy, physiology, pathology and psychology of the human body. In order for a clinician to determine what is normal, they must be able to measure a patient’s current condition against the normal range of results. Then they must determine where the patient departed from homeostasis and how to treat the problem.

Medical Art?
Some individuals have likened making a medical diagnosis to a form of art; superior clinicians are set apart by their ability to move beyond the simple science of lab tests and delve into the manipulation of physical knowledge created thousands of years ago by ancient physicians such as Hippocrates. In the modern world, many clinicians have come to rely upon lab work rather than physically checking a patient’s symptoms. The days of doctors rigorously poking and prodding your body are fading, much to the detriment of many professionals. According to Dr. Steven Y. Park, MD, the problem with many doctors these days is their obsession with discovering a rare or exotic diagnosis in order to establish a form of celebrity. This is not only a hindrance to medicine, but also a disservice to the patients.

Unfortunately, this has led to a wide variety of patients being misdiagnosed because the clinicians are failing to perform thorough physical exams. Many of the doctors are focusing upon rare oddities rather than mundane medical conditions that are simple to diagnose and easy to treat, but are passed over in favor of searching for that elusive super-disease. Establishing a diagnosis should begin with attentive listening, understanding a patient’s lifestyle and life stressors, and obtaining a holistic overview of the patient’s symptoms – as opposed to a simple review of laboratory work and imaging that is most common today.

Many of the simplest problems patients are suffering from can be diagnosed by physically inspecting the patient and taking the time to speak with them about their history, rather than looking at a chart and making a ‘guesstimate’. It is for this reason that many individuals turn to alternative medical practitioners, as holistic overviews are mandatory in such practices.

Guidelines for Consumption

Most guidelines are fairly vague when it comes to recommending a specific amount of sunlight required for healthy living, and the problem with vague guidelines is exactly that: the recommendations are too general to be useful and considering each individual has a distinctly different requirement, the levels of vitamin D necessary depend upon several factors; these range from where one lives, skin type, time of year and even items as mundane as atmospheric conditions.

A recent study put forth by scientists at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research demonstrated the creation of a calculator that takes into consideration the various factors and estimates the number of minutes of exposure each individual requires on a daily basis to produce sufficient vitamin D for optimal health: roughly 25 mcg. Unfortunately, while it does provide a general idea, the criteria for determining how much specific individuals require is extremely complex and US cities are not listed in the calculator.

Dietary Requirements

These days, most individuals consume their dietary requirements of vitamin D from supplements or from foods which have been fortified to reduce the risk of deficiency. However, above and beyond natural sunlight – the most natural way for your body to produce the necessary vitamin – a regular diet that includes vitamin D sources is the best choice. Fatty fish and premium essential fatty acid supplements are two excellent choices.

How much is too much?

It can be a complex task to calculate exactly how much time in the sun is necessary for an individual to obtain an unnatural amount of vitamin D. During that time, individuals need to be totally exposed – the arms, face and hands – something that becomes quite difficult for individuals living in areas where cold weather necessitates layers of clothing to stay warm. Thus, if you happen to live in a part of the world where it is overcast most of the time or chilly throughout most of the year, one needs to find additional ways to supplement the vitamin D in the diet to avoid deficiency and the corresponding side effects that such deficiency can wrought.

Research proves that quality sleep is paramount in a diet and exercise slimming regimen. As the world struggles with an epidemic of obesity, it is also struggling with an epidemic of sleeplessness. In American alone, an estimated 75% of the population does not obtain quality sleep, according to a 2005 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation. In order to help with slimmer waistlines and better overall health, sleep may be the missing ingredient.

This may sound contrary to conventional thought regarding dieting – eating fewer calories than can be burned off in a 24 hour period and burning calories through movement. But it also requires a period of recovery from such movement. Weightlifters are fully aware of the need to take a day to rest in between intense weight-lifting workouts in order to properly build muscle. A new study suggests that the body needs quality sleep in order to more efficiently burn calories. The results were presented at the International Conference for the American Thoracic Society.

Study Specifics

The weight loss study conducted in America’s premier veterans’ hospital, Walter Reed, found that sleep was the key to reaching a healthy body mass index (BMI). Fourteen Walter Reed nurses volunteered to be human guinea pigs. They wore pedometers and arm bands that measured their activity levels. By measuring vital body statistics such as temperature and body position, researchers were able to determine the activity level of each nurse.

The nurses were divided into ‘short sleepers’ (those who obtained only a few hours of sleep per night) and ‘long sleepers’ (those who slept eight hours per night.) The ‘short sleepers’ were more obese, with an average BMI index of 28.3, however, the ‘long sleepers’ only had an average BMI of 24.5. But the pedometers showed that ‘short sleepers’ took over 14,000 steps per day, while ‘long sleepers’ only needed 11,300 per day. The nurses that walked more and slept less also weighed more.

The study researchers stressed that more studies should be done to further clarify the role sleep has in weight loss. The head of the researchers, Arn Eliasson, MD, theorized that stress may be the main reason that ‘short sleepers’ are both overweight and tired. Stress can figure into disturbing sleep. The Mayo Clinic notes that people suffering from a depressive disorder often develop insomnia because the patients become too worried to sleep.

The Purpose of Sleep

Sleep still remains a mystery to science. Although the lack of sleep can soon trigger headaches, disorientation and hallucinations, just why does the body rely upon it so much that it needs to spend a third of its life in sleep mode? Scientists still do not know. The prevailing theory is that sleep helps the brain process the new experiences of each day.

A recent theory challenges this assumption, stating that sleep is for the benefit of the entire body and helps keep an individual sufficiently adaptable for survival, no matter how much the environment changes. This theory is from the Director of the Center of Sleep Research, Professor Jerome Siegel. Sleeping does slow down the body’s metabolism. Sleep seems to be the body’s way of constantly assessing where the body’s energies should be concentrated. Sleep is thus a full diagnostic of the body.

Cutting off this diagnostic means that the body is constantly confused as to where best to spend its precious amounts of resources, such as the type stored in fat. Fat is a calorie bank that is broken down during times of scarcity. Since homo sapiens are thought to be approximately 195,000 years old, fat was a necessary component of survival. It is only in the last hundred years or so that most humans have had constant access to food.

Diet and Exercise Affects Sleep

Studies such as the one conducted at Walter Reed do not mean that all that an obese person requires to slim down is to obtain eight hours of sleep per night. Diet and exercise are just as important to getting quality sleep as quality sleep is to diet and exercise. Regular exercise helps tire the body and assist in falling asleep. Dietary choices can assist the body to become drowsy or to stay up all night. With quality sleep, the body has the energy required to exercise and make wise food choices.

The National Sleep Foundation claims that insomnia is the symptom of an underlying illness requiring treatment. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that any person experiencing insomnia for one month should see a doctor. Vigorous exercise should be avoided right before sleep, because the body would be too stimulated to relax.

Sleep Aids

Treating weight loss and sleep problems is a very complex matter that requires a multi-faceted approach. The National Sleep Foundation recommends keeping a diary of diet, exercise and sleep habits to share with a doctor to obtain the best treatment. Using stress management techniques before bed can help shut off thoughts and worries. Medications may also be prescribed for short term use.

Patients shy away from sleep aid medications because there is a risk of dependency. Reputable doctors put a patient on a schedule to gradually add the medication and then wean the patient off of it. There are several promising herbs such as valerian root and chamomile that can help the body relax, although their effects are not as powerful as prescription medications, neither do they carry the same side effects.

One promising over the counter treatment is the hormone melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamin.) This hormone helps the circadian rhythms to function optimally. It is often available at airports because of its reputed benefits in alleviating jet lag. But all herbs and vitamins can cause side effects. For example, melatonin may cause nightmares and people with ragwort allergies will have the same allergic reaction to chamomile.

No matter what sleep aid is taken, the patient needs to diet, exercise and learn non-chemical ways of managing stress. Eventually, the pounds will be shed.

To date of course, no one has discovered a real Fountain of Youth. However, what has happened is that most of us are now living longer than ever before. What everyone wants is to translate that extended life into one that is healthy and vigorous. Some people use plastic surgery to remain youthful looking, but that is simply a superficial change.

Although we consider ourselves to have an expected “lifespan” we are not actually programmed to last for any specific period of time. In theory at least, we could live for much longer than we do, but in practice that does not happen. But there are methods that allow us to retard the aging process and remain vital and active. The aging process is inevitable, but its physical effects can be slowed.

Using Diet

Before beginning it should be pointed out that many methods have been used to positive effect on animals. However, their value on humans remains unproved. In part, this is because an adequate experiment would take decades rather than years.

The modification of diet, in which total caloric intake is reduced while ensuring that the nutritional supply of minerals and vitamins is maintained, has been proven to be a successful technique for extending lifespan in animals.

In some instances this has increased the active, normal lifespan by 300 percent. At the same time, it has resulted in a decrease in aging related diseases, including autoimmune disease and cancer. In ‘The Retardation of Aging by Dietary Restriction’, written in 1988, Charles Thomas suggested that these advantages could extend to humans.

Given that 40 percent of all cancers are due to aging, using dietary measures to prevent them becomes extremely desirable, and can result in an extended and healthier lifespan. This can be achieved in much the same way that one would reduce the levels of cholesterol in the body; namely by reducing the intake of meat, fat, and refined carbohydrates, while simultaneously increasing the intake of vegetables and fresh fruit and complex carbohydrates.

This needs to be a conjoined strategy with caloric reduction diets, since caloric reduction is the only method proven to extend life in all species on which it has been tried. It has the effect of lowering the metabolic rate, which in turn reduces the body’s core temperature, and has a corollary effect of reducing oxidation activity in the body. The overall result is a lessening of the risks associated with age-related diseases, and the possibility of those already in the body vanishing.

Experiments that have kept animals on low tryptophan diets have also been very effective, almost to the same degree as calorie restriction diets. Tryptophan is a protein based amino acid that is used to synthesize serotonin in the body.

Serotonin accumulates in the human body as it ages, and a high-protein diet will accelerate the production of serotonin. L-dopa, a drug used successfully to treat Parkinson’s disease, also suppresses the excess build up of serotonin (it has caused women past the age of menopause to begin ovulating again). However, there is no evidence to indicate that L-dopa alone can increase lifespan.

Amino Acids

Amino acid supplements stimulate the production of the growth hormone by the pituitary gland, and have been advocated since the 1980s. In 1990, one study involved injecting elderly males with growth hormone, resulting in positive health benefits.

Negative Ions

A number of items associated with modern life increase the production of positive ions (such as smoking, central heating, and even television). Positive ions encourage increased production of serotonin by the nervous system.

Using ionizers, which produce negative ions, can help counteract this by reducing the serotonin build-up. Ionizers are readily available in stores.

GH3

All human bodies contain the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO), which exists to keep the levels of some neurohormones in check. Aging produces increased levels of MAO, which can be limited by the use of prescribed MAO inhibitors, the most successful of which is GH3 – which is claimed to have anti-aging potential.

Studies on animals have shown that GH3 slows the aging process in cells when it is added.  By itself it does not extend lifespan, but it does appear to retard the aging process. This is not the same result, of course, but can still warrant inclusion on an ardent program to seek a Fountain of Youth.

Nucleic Acid Therapy

Since the 1970s, the use of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) to encourage extended life has been encouraged by some – the claim is that an increase in lifespan of 30 to 50 percent in animal studies has been achieved with nucleic acid therapy.

The person behind nucleic acid therapy, Dr. Benjamin Frank, has claimed that RNA derived from food and supplements, once combined with amino acids, sugars, and metabolically associated B vitamins, will cause “normal enzyme synthesis and activation” once it enters the cell. It encourages adenosine triphosphate production, which brings about cell function that is more efficient, and can even cause regeneration.

RNA can be found in a number of foods, notably lentils and chickpeas, along with various seafood (oysters, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies), as well as in brewer’s yeast and animal liver. The suggestion is that these sources are supplemented with commercially available DNA/RNA tablets, using a dose of 100 to 200 milligrams every day.

The benefits of nucleic acid therapy should begin within two months, and include improved strength and fewer wrinkles. Notably, a calorie reduction diet includes many of the foods used in nucleic acid therapy. The benefits are very similar to those of a calorie reduction diet.

In conclusion, there are several avenues to explore that can have the effect of not just lengthening life, but also making that extra time more active and vital, as well as possibly reversing some of the effects of aging on the body. Although no Fountain of Youth exists, the quality of physical life can be enhanced and optimized.

There are numerous symptoms associated with Computer Vision Syndrome, most notably an increased sensitivity to light, aches in the neck, back, and shoulders, eyes that burn, itch, or hurt, with either dryness or excess watering. Blurred vision or double vision is also quite common. It can lead to an individual requiring a prescription for glasses, or if the person already wears them, the necessity of a stronger prescription.

However, there are ways to minimize eye strain and its detrimental effects.

Setting up the Computer
A careful set up of the computer can reduce eye strain. It is important to sit directly in front of the computer screen, not at an angle or to the side of it. The sitting position should leave the head between 18 and 24 inches from the screen.

If possible, the computer desk should not face a wall or a corner. The user should be able to see beyond the computer, with their eyes level with the top of the monitor or above it.

On the seat, the knees should be below the hips, with the feet resting on the floor. Failing that, the feet should rest on a stool. Wrists need to be level with, or below, the level of the elbow, and the wrists should not be raised to type on the keyboard.

If working from hard copy or notes, these should be at the same level as the screen, rather than down on the desk. It creates far less eye strain looking to the side than it does to look down and back up again. If working from hard copy for an extended period of time, have it on one side of the screen, but also regularly look to the other side of the screen. This will alleviate eye strain and also the possibility of neck strain.

Computer Screen
Making sure that the computer screen is optimally adjusted can also help minimize eye strain. The contrast between the background screen and characters on the screen needs to be high, while both color and text size should be of the correct size to be easily viewed.

The refresh rate on the computer monitor should be 70 hertz, or higher to reduce eye strain. A lower rate than this will cause the screen to flicker, so that the eyes have to keep refocusing to see it clearly, producing extreme tiredness in the eyes.

It is also important to have the dot pitch on the screen, which regulates the clarity, set below 0.28 mm. In general, monitors will be set between 0.25 and 0.28 mm, but the lower the dot pitch, the less the eye strain.

Glare
It is possible to check for problems with glare, which can cause eye strain. Before turning on the computer monitor, turn on the lights in the work area. If images or reflections appear on the screen, then there is glare in the work area.

To minimize or eliminate this, try tilting the screen. In extreme cases it might be necessary to move the screen to another location altogether. Moving lights that cause the reflection or glare will help, or at least turning them down. Fluorescent lights are particular offenders, so covering them or turning them off will have a positive effect on eye strain.

Covering windows, either with drapes or by lowering the blinds, will help reduce the glare in the work area. A computer anti-glare screen can drastically reduce the glare, while a hood on the monitor will have a similar effect, although not to the same extent.

Lighting
The lighting in a work area has a great effect on eye strain. Fluorescent light will increase eye strain. Where possible, do not use fluorescent light, but instead use a small desk light. If working from hard copy have a separate desk light for illumination.

Failing a desk light, a standing lamp offers the best lighting to reduce eye strain. It should ideally have a 3-way switch or a dimmer.

Eye Muscle Exercises
If performed often, exercises for the eye muscles can be effective in minimizing eye strain. They counter the tension and fatigue created by constantly staring at a computer screen.

Look into the distance every few minutes. Focus on an object far away. This can be elsewhere in the room, in another room, or out of the window. Shifting the focus from the distance to close up three to four times over the space of five seconds helps the eye muscles.

When it is impossible to look at something distant, place a mirror above the computer monitor; look into that, focusing on the reflection of a distant object before shifting the focus back to something near. Blink between focusing.

Take a break every hour, standing and walking, moving away from the computer screen. This not only stretches the muscles in the body, it allows the eyes to relax.

Blinking is vital. Under normal circumstances, the eyes blink between 10 and 12 times every minute. It is important for hydrating the eyes, which lubricates them, as well as relaxing the facial muscles. However, when concentrating and focusing, as with a computer screen, that level drops dramatically. This will cause the eyes to redden, itch, and burn. When eyes begin to itch or burn, take the time to blink up to 20 times. Close the eyes fully, and blink every three to five seconds. Drink plenty of water to remain hydrated at the work desk.

Eye drops can also be used, but it is important that they are the correct eye drops, formulated to counteract dryness and irritation. Given that many offices have a very dry atmosphere, they are a useful addition to any desk drawer.

For many individuals, the thought of reaching 40 has always meant that life is half over. While that might have been true even 20 years ago, the reality right now is that 40 is not the halfway mark. It is just the beginning. The first forty years were simply you, the little caterpillar, working your way up to the point where you entered your cocoon. Now, you are emerging from that cocoon a mature butterfly, and the world is yours for the taking.

A Beautiful Butterfly

Turning 40 these days means nothing more than that you are a seasoned veteran of life. It is ironic that humanity has only just now reached the point in recent history where we understand that turning 40 is just a number. The reality is much simpler: we have always been 20 at age 40, it is simply that our mentality over the past century or so has clouded that fact.

Understanding who you are at every step of the way along the journey is paramount to being able to act your age no matter where you are in life. The only age that matters is the age you want to be, not the date on your birth certificate.

The Midlife Crisis

The midlife crisis as it is understood today is technically nothing more than a term first used by a man named Elliott Jaques to describe Western societies and their obsession with a dramatic period of self-doubt in the middle years of life, largely due to some sense of youth passing and the imminence of old age eventually setting in. Traditionally, Western societies have always associated midlife crisis with extramarital affairs, massive career changes, and significant changes to a person’s core lifestyle.

But as much as many would love to blame the midlife crisis on the fact that they are suddenly feeling overcome with age, the fact is that it is nothing more than a mental preoccupation with a manmade term. Over the years various research studies have shown that the idea of midlife crisis is nothing more than an excuse for individuals to act without rational feelings or thoughts. In fact, outside of Western societies, midlife crisis as a concept does not exist. Looking at Japanese and Indian cultures specifically, the concept of a midlife crisis is not even understood, because there is no such belief.

In fact, if you take a look at societies around the world, countries where individuals have longer life spans and better health as a result of regular fitness and proper diet generally see no reference to such a concept as the midlife crisis. As the age of the Internet has shown, as more and more adults in America gain access to knowledge regarding the lifestyles and dietary routines of these other countries, the obsession with midlife breakdowns has been radically reduced in the Western psyche.

America in particular is slowly graduating from the incorrect notion that turning 30 or 40 somehow transforms an individual, and as can be seen in various gyms across the nation, the vast majority of healthy, sexy adults are the individuals in the prime of their life: between 30 to 50 years of age; many would argue that this extends into the 60s.

While it is true that some of the reasons for such blooming health in the middle-aged adult are due to scientific advancements, much of it is due to healthy living, something that many societies have understood for thousands of years. The simple fact of the matter is that there was never a reason for someone who is 40 to think their life was somehow over. It was nothing more than a temporary period of time when society became obsessed with a passing phase.

Many sufferers often combine therapeutic options with drug therapy.  Anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs can be used to successfully eliminate panic attack symptoms altogether, however due to drug dependence risks and ineffectiveness after drug therapy cessation, the lifelong use of anti-anxiety or anti-depressant drugs is undesirable to control attacks.

What is desirable, however, is controlling anxiety and eliminating the underlying fears which prompt attacks through private and group coaching and CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.  For those interested in pursuing self-therapy, a large number of self-treatment CDs and private workshops are based upon conquering panic using CBT-like techniques.

CBT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a patient-centered series of sessions which teaches sufferers to manage panic attacks in various stages, culminating with practicing stress coping techniques in low anxiety situations, to desensitize the patient to the potential panic trigger. In many cases, the brain is “conditioned” to elicit a particular panic response to various stressors, so Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a process of “de-conditioning” these automatic reactions and reconditioning the body and mind to behave and think differently to no longer recognize ordinary situations as inherent dangers or threats.

The process concentrates on handling, coping with, mastering and then eventually completely overcoming panic attacks.  Modified versions of CBT are offered through many online courses, clinics, and self help treatment programs with high success rates.

CBT concentrates upon eliminating the behaviors and thoughts associated with stimulating panic attacks, and replacing them with positive thinking practices and behaviors to help sufferers cope in various stages.

Stages of Coping

In the first stage, patients learn about panic itself.  Education and awareness about what causes panic is the first step to self-mastery over the problem.  Anxiety is accepted as a natural and normal response; panic however is regarded as an excessive and inappropriate response in ordinary circumstances.  Not only does the patient learn why panic attacks happen, the patient also learns that the core assumptions believed by panic attack sufferers – for example, that the sufferer will die, or that the sufferer is having a nervous breakdown – are untrue as well.

Behaviorial patterns are also changed as well, with step two teaching sufferers effective breathing techniques that induce relaxation and create calmness.  Shallow, rapid breathing encourages hypertension which only stimulates panic attack symptoms.   Deep, even, abdominal based breathing not only creates a physiological feeling of calmness and relaxation, but also gives patients a psychological feeling of self control.  This is combined with the stage three instruction on how to handle and distract panic thoughts and turn them into positive reinforcing thoughts.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy then concludes with the ultimate challenge: practicing anxiety-coping skills in controlled low-anxiety situations.  Patients will soon realize that the thoughts, beliefs and fears underlying the panic attacks are excessive, eccentric and unnecessary.  The sufferer will then gradually elevate to medium anxiety situations, then high anxiety situations, until finally panic attacks diminish in frequency and severity and eventually disappear.

Controlled thoughts are the first step toward creating the energy necessary to realize such ideas in a concrete manner. A mind filled with disconnected thoughts and ideas cannot focus long enough to create sufficient energy needed to start the process, and will never reach a successful conclusion.

Mind Capabilities

Those who consistently succeed have disciplined their minds to focus upon the possibilities of an idea, rather than upon the negatives of why the idea might not work. Thinking in negative circles with fear and doubt will never produce the energy necessary for the completion of a worthwhile goal. The first step to any productivity is through channeling thoughts toward a central purpose, creating and setting a goal and manifesting the goal through a series of steps.

The mind harnesses great stores of power, and negative thoughts can (in part) create a negative life. It is entirely possible to eliminate bad habits such as smoking simply through the use and power of the mind.  In fact, hypnotherapy and NLP therapy are examples of manipulating behavior by manipulating unconscious thoughts and core beliefs.

Why is it then so hard to eliminate bad habits? Much has to do with the programming that has been instilled since childhood. Parental examples, one’s circle of negative minded friends and the news media that projects the worst of human nature have all played a role in shaping our thought patterns. We grew to believe we were not sufficiently intelligent, attractive, successful or youthful. A string of failures trained us to believe that we were not capable of doing certain activities.

For the majority, the main hurdle arises in trying to banish negative thoughts and controlling thought processes to tap into positive mental energy.

Banishing Negative Thoughts

The first step in controlling negative thoughts is acknowledging that their existence and challenging these thought traits.  Thus, the next time a negative thought arises, honestly ask yourself, “is this true? “What evidence in my life is there to support this thought?”  This helps to identify doubts and negative thoughts that are untrue and will also reverse these negative trends and incorrect perceptions. Then, reverse the negative thought by turning it into a compliment.  “At least I maintained my diet for the past four days, my jeans feel looser and my energy levels have risen.”  Remain positive even in the face of criticism and exercise this technique daily, so that positive thinking will arise naturally and automatically.

Experiences, culture, age and personality have little to do with tapping into mental energy and each of us has the power to create one’s own utopia.  It only requires a positive change in thought to move closer towards reaching your personal goals.