Herbal Health

No. In fact, a sizable percentage of adult ADHD patients manage to get through elementary school, high school, and even college without having their condition diagnosed by a physician or specialist.Many times, a diagnosis of ADHD is made only after an adult sees a doctor for a seemingly unrelated medical or psychological reason, such as mood swings or insomnia. Others are diagnosed after bringing their child to a specialist because of disruptive behavior; in my practice I’ve often heard a mother say, “His father has the same problem!” And, sadly, many ADHD sufferers don’t receive the help they need until their condition has caused them to hit rock bottom socially or professionally.One of the biggest problems in diagnosing ADHD in adults is that few physicians are aware of its existence outside of childhood. They don’t consider ADHD to be an adult disorder and thus often overlook the obvious when making a diagnosis. That’s why people who suspect they or a loved one may have ADHD should see a psychiatrist.*29\173\2*

Secondary processes refer to all other processes which an individual does not experience as belonging to him, and which he speaks about as if they happened to him from the outside, or as caused by another agent. For example, ‘My leg is killing me,’ ‘The police are after me,’ The world is against me,’ or ‘This other person helps me,’ etc. are statements which express that the leg, the police, the world and a helper are the names of secondary processes. These processes are further from awareness; they are projected and experienced outside of the individual who expresses them. Both primary and secondary processes are only partially conscious.The individual identity is connected to the primary process. Consciousness is a term which I use only for those moments in which the individual is aware of primary and secondary processes. Consciousness refers to a reflective awareness, to the existence of a metacommunicator, someone who is able to talk about his experiences and perceptions.I use the term double signals to refer to expressions coming from a person which are part of his secondary processes, information with which he is not able to identify himself in a given moment. The reader interested in the background to these terms is referred to the first chapter of River’s Way.*24\227\8*

 AL HEALTHSeveral types of mental health professionals, or providers, are available to help you. Most insurance companies have some type of psychiatric care provision, although the amount of coverage varies based on the policy plan and the credentials of the provider. The most important criterion when choosing a provider is whether you feel you can work well with that person, not how many degrees he or she has.

Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor. After obtaining an M.D. degree, a psychiatrist spends up to
12 years studying psychosocial health and disease. As a licensed physician, a psychiatrist can prescribe medications for various mental or emotional problems and may have admitting privileges at a local hospital. Some psychiatrists are affiliated with hospitals, while others are in private practice.

Psychoanalyst
A psychoanalyst is a psychiatrist or a psychologist having special training in psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a type of therapy in which a patient is helped to remember early traumas that have blocked personal growth. Facing these traumas helps the patient to resolve the conflicts they have caused and to begin to lead a more productive life.
 Psychologist
A psychologist usually has a Ph.D. degree in counseling or clinical psychology. In addition, many states require licensure. Psychologists are trained in various types of therapy, including behavior and insight therapy. Most are trained to conduct both individual and group counseling sessions. Psychologists may also be trained in certain specialties, such as family counseling, sexual counseling, or counseling related to compulsive behaviors.
Clinical/Psychiatric Social Worker
A social worker has at least a master’s degree in social work (M.S.W.) and two years of experience in a clinical setting. Many states require an examination for accreditation. Some social workers work in clinical settings, whereas others have private practices.

Counselor
The counselor often has a master’s degree in counseling, psychology, educational psychology, or a related human service. Professional societies recommend at least two years of graduate coursework or supervised practice as a minimal requirement. Many counselors are trained to do individual and group counseling. They often specialize in one type of counseling, such as family, marital, relationship, children, drug, divorce, behavioral, or personal counseling.

Psychiatric Nurse Specialist
Although all registered nurses can work in psychiatric settings, some have chosen to continue their education and specialize in psychiatric practice. The psychiatric nurse specialist can be certified by the American Nursing Association in adult, child, or adolescent psychiatric nursing.

Remember that, in most states, anyone can use the title of therapist or counselor. Before you begin treatment, you should consider the credentials of your counselor, your desired outcomes, and the expectations of you and your counselor.
When working with a client, therapists often subscribe to a primary philosophy of treatment based on their educational background and experiential training. Most, however, employ a variety of methods when helping a client, depending on the client’s needs and the therapist’s experiences in the field. Many different types of therapy exist, ranging from individual therapy, which involves one-on-one work between therapist and the client, to group therapy, in which two or more clients meet with a therapist to discuss problems.
*4/177/5*

sherry squeezed in her appointment with me between Catholic Mass, where she was a lector, and the Art Alliance meeting, where she was the secretary. Every minute of her day was filled with activity, and that’s the way she liked it—always helping others, the busier the better. Yet her overscheduled life was crumbling. She could no longer shove aside the horrors that were occurring in her own mind.
Petite and blond, hippie-looking but stylish, in jeans and a shawl, she rushed into my office, yanked her chair up close, leaned in, and took a deep breath. “I’m so scared,” she confided. “I have terrible thoughts. I think of killing people. I think of stabbing my husband and my four year old, Megan. Driving over here I saw a little girl walking home from school, and I had the urge to swerve and hit her. Last night we drove by our old house, and my husband remembered that we still had the key to it. I started thinking: ‘Oh good, we could sneak in at night and stab everybody.’ I’m totally sick.
“Some days I can’t think about anything else,” she said, speaking more rapidly. “No thought is too awful for me. Sometimes I get the idea of gouging my daughter’s eyes out. I used to think about throwing her in the microwave, but she’s too big for that now, thank God. This morning I was shaving my legs in the shower, and I felt like cutting myself, slashing my neck open with a razor. I saw the blood pouring from my neck.”
She leaned back and gave me a glassy look. “God, this sounds so crazy. I don’t want to do these things I think about. At my worst moments, all I hold on to are God and Jesus. When will this hell I’m in end?” She sat quietly, wiping away tears.
I asked gently when these upsetting thoughts had started. Sherry related that she had been tormented by obsessions since age eleven, when, while baby-sitting, she had her first dreadful obsession. She was sitting on the kitchen floor, serenely watching her six-month-old niece rock back and forth in a swing set. Then, by chance, her eyes came to rest on a carving knife lying unsheathed on the kitchen counter. Suddenly, in her imagination, she grabbed it and slashed at the baby. Blood was everywhere. She froze in anguish and guilt. Her life was never the same.
Each night for a week afterward she dreamed that an evil witch had cast a spell on her mind. Finally confiding in her parents, she was taken to a therapist. A year of psychotherapy aimed at uncovering conflicts helped her feel better about herself but did not stop the tormenting images. “Why me?” she thought.
Knife fantasies continued to trouble her throughout junior and senior high school, and new obsessions cropped up as well. She learned to keep herself as busy as possible. As long as she was involved in an activity, the self-tormenting thoughts would usually leave her alone. If, however, she put herself under too much stress, then frightening thoughts would hit hard, like when she tried out for cheerleader and suffered terrifying urges to scream out obscenities at the top of her lungs. She made the team by keeping her teeth clamped together like steel traps; her jaw muscles ached for days afterwards.
In college she majored in art after discovering that her obsessions disappeared when she was fully involved in a creative task such as painting. Yet most hours of the day tormenting, violent thoughts were her secret companions. Thoughts to commit suicide were often on her mind as well. Strangely, these were usually consoling in their effect. “If my awful thoughts get too strong,” she would think, “I can always kill myself before I murder someone else.”
Her worst period ever followed the birth of her daughter. Overwhelmed by almost every awful harm obsession imaginable, including knifing, dropping, scalding, microwaving, and sexually molesting her infant, she developed a state of nervous exhaustion. She couldn’t eat or sleep and finally just stayed in bed, leaving caring for her daughter to others.
A psychiatrist was consulted, and he recommended hospitalization because of the severity of her depression. She refused. “Please God, I’ll make a deal,” she prayed. “I’ll go to the hospital if it gets really bad, but give me the strength to fight the thoughts.” She began to see the doctor for psychotherapy and, with the help of antidepressant medication and the support of her husband, regained the ability to cope.
But four years later, after her husband landed a new job and the family moved to Pennsylvania, her equilibrium was shattered. She was again overwhelmed by OCD.
*2/338/2*

Quick, simple action can save a life
Thousands of Americans choke to death needlessly every year. People of any age can choke on pieces of food, vomit and small objects.

Prevention
For yourself
Take small bites and chew food thoroughly. Cut meat into small pieces.
Don’t eat too fast, or eat and talk or laugh at the same time.
Don’t drink too much alcohol before eating.
If you smoke, wait until after you’ve finished eating to light up.

If you’re a parent of a small child
Keep small objects that children might choke on out of reach.
Do not let children run or jump with food or any other object in their mouth.
Inspect all toys for small, removable parts that can cause choking. (Follow label guidelines that indicate “appropriate ages.”)

What you can do      
if someone is choking
You may have only four to eight minutes to save a choking person’s life, so you should know how to administer the Heimlich maneuver and CPR.
A conscious child or adult who is choking will breathe in an exaggerated way. They will be unable to talk or cough, and will probably nod in the affirmative to the question, “Are you choking?” They may grasp their throat. People who can cough or speak are still getting some air into their lungs, and should be encouraged to cough vigorously. The Heimlich maneuver should not be administered in these cases.

Choking rescue (heimlich maneuver) for a conscious person
Establish whether the person can speak or cough by asking, “Are you choking?”
Stand behind the person.
Wrap your arms around their waist.
Grasp one of your fists with the other hand and place the thumb-side of the fist just above the navel but below the rib cage.
Thrust your fist upward in five quick, sharp jabs.
Repeat until the object is dislodged or the person becomes unconscious.

Choking rescue for an unconscious person
Call 911 or your local emergency services number.
Check for object in the mouth by using tongue-jaw lift (see Figure 9) and sweeping deeply with a hooked finger to remove object.
Open airway (push down and back on the forehead and lift up the chin by placing your fingers on the jaw bone). Attempt rescue breathing by pinching the nostrils shut, placing your mouth over the . person’s mouth, and giving two breaths. If needed, open the airway and try again.
If object is still obstructing airway, kneel down and straddle either the person’s hips or legs.
Place the heel of one of your hands against the person’s abdomen just above the navel but well below the rib cage, then place your second hand on top of the first.
Press into the person’s abdomen with quick upward thrusts. Do this five times.
Repeat sequence of finger sweep, rescue breathing attempt and abdominal thrusts until successful or until help arrives.
Obstructed airway in children 1 to 8 years old
Use same procedure already covered with two important exceptions:
Look into the airway and use your finger to sweep the object out ONLY if you can see it. DO NOT perform a blind finger sweep. Instead, perform a tongue-jaw lift.
If obstruction is not relieved after one minute, call your local emergency services number. Of course, if someone else is available, have that person call for help immediately. Continue sequence until successful or until help arrives.

Obstructed airway in infant or child less than 1 year of age
The following steps are appropriate if there is complete airway obstruction due to a witnessed or strongly suspected obstruction by an object. DO NOT PERFORM these maneuvers to clear an airway that is obstructed due to swelling caused by infection. SEEK EMERGENCY CARE IMMEDIATELY.
Infant or child is conscious
Hold infant or child face down along your forearm, supporting the head and neck with one hand.
Give five back blows forcefully between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
Turn the infant or child face up. Keeping the head supported and lower than the rest of the body, position your index and middle fingers on the baby’s breastbone and give five thrusts with two fingers.
Do chest thrusts slower than you would for CPR.

Repeat until the object is dislodged or infant/child is unconscious. Infant or child is unconscious
Place the infant or child on a firm surface.

Open the airway (push down and back on the forehead and lift up the chin by placing your fingers under the jaw bone). With an infant, be careful not to extend the head back too far since that can shut off the airway.
If the infant or child is not breathing, try to give rescue breaths by covering his or her mouth and nose with your mouth.
If unable to give breaths, reposition the head and try again.
Turn child face down and deliver five back blows.
Deliver five chest thrusts.
Do tongue-jaw lift. Remove object ONLY if you can see it.
Try again to do rescue breathing.
Repeat back blows, chest thrusts, tongue-jaw lift and rescue breathing attempts until successful.
After one minute of emergency first aid, call 911 or your local emergency services number. Of course, if someone else is available, have that person call for help immediately. Continue process until successful or until help arrives.
If you are choking and can’t get help
Try not to panic.
Cough vigorously.
If unsuccessful, stand behind a chair or beside or over some other object that puts pressure on your abdomen just above your navel (but below your rib cage).
Thrust yourself upon the object in strong, sharp bursts.
Repeat until item is dislodged.

For a pregnant or obese person
Stand behind the person and place your arms under their armpits.
Place fist on the middle of breastbone in the chest, but not over the ribs. 
Place other hand on top of it.
Give five quick, forceful movements. Do not squeeze with arms, but use your fist.
Final notes 
Call your local hospital or Red Cross chapter for more information and instruction on these procedures. Those who have just had the choking rescue performed on them should see a doctor. The maneuver can cause trauma to the chest or abdomen, and the object may have damaged the throat.
*2\303\2*

Neuroprotection
Carro et al found that physical activity reduced the vulnerability to brain damage in models of neuronal injury involving different types of etiopathogenic mechanisms relevant to human disease. Physical Inactivity may increase the susceptibility to neurodegenerative processes attributable to insufficient brain uptake of serum IGF-I.

Neurogenesis
Voluntary running on wheels by mice increased neural cell proliferation and survival by producing a net neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, which was associated with a better learning performance. By comparison, physical inactivity is related to a lower level of learning performance and fewer brain cells in rats.

Neurotransmitters
Endurance-trained, adult rats showed a reduction in high-affinity choline uptake and an increase in muscarinic quinuclidinylbenzilate binding in the hippocampus, compared with their age-matched sedentary controls. It is possible, then, that physical inactivity leads to a reversal of these mechanisms.

Neurotrophic factors
Voluntary running was associated with an increase in the level of the activated transcription factor, CREB phosphorylation at Ser-133, in the rat hippocampus for at least 1 week, but not after 1 month. Phosphorylated МАРК (both p42 and p44) was increased for at least 1 month. Shen et al interpreted these observations to be consistent with the view that the relatively long-lasting activation of these signaling molecules modulates the regulation of neurotropin genes, and thus contributes to the beneficial effects of physical exercise on brain function.
Voluntary running exercise has been shown to increase the number of new neurons in the adult hippocampus. Because peripheral administration of IGF-I also resulted in increases in the number of new neurons in the hippocampus of hypophysectomized rats, Trejo et al speculated that circulating IGF-I might be mediating the stimulatory effects of exercise on the number of new hippocampal neurons in normal adult rats. They observed a complete inhibition of the exercise-induced increase in the number of new neurons in the hippocampus when IGF-I antiserum was infused into rats undergoing exercise training. They interpreted this finding to be a result of the antibody blocking the entrance of circulating IGF-I into the brain.
Sedentary animals showed reduced brain uptake of serum IGF-I compared with exercising animals. Neurons accumulating IGF-I exhibit an enhanced spontaneous firing and a protracted increase in sensitivity to afferent stimulation.
Finally, the expression of fibroblast growth factor-2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor in the brain was decreased in sedentary rats, as compared to physically active rats.
*1/282/5*