Resources for Healthy Lifestyle

Glucobay - Diabetic medicine

2011-04-15T09:18:00.000+08:00

What is Glucobay?

Brand Name : Glucobay
Common Name : acarbose

Acarbose is used to control blood glucose for people with type 2 diabetes when diet, exercise, and weight reduction have not controlled it well enough on their own. This medication is often added to other diabetes medications when additional blood glucose control is needed. It works by preventing the breakdown of starch into sugar and helps to lower blood sugar levels after meals. To be taken with the first bite of a meal.

Read more from this Glucobay website : Glucobay - uses, side effects, etc

Under the influence of GLUCOBAY, the digestion of starch and sucrose into absorbable monosaccharides in the small intestine is dose-dependently delayed

Read more from this Glucobay website : Glucobay

What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a situation whereby the body is not able to appropriately utilize sugar as the most important supplier of energy.

What is Dementia? Alzheimer’s Disease or Vascular Dementia : Forms of forgetfulness

2010-10-04T12:43:00.001+08:00

What is Dementia?

According to a website : Medical News Today

Dementia is the progressive deterioration in cognitive function - the ability to process thought (intelligence).

Progressive means the symptoms will gradually get worse. The deterioration is more than might be expected from normal aging and is due to damage or disease. Damage could be due to a stroke, while an example of a disease might be Alzheimer's. Read more here

Healthy Mind Healthy Life defines it as:

Dementia is an illness that affects the brain, leading to progressive memory loss, decline in intellectual ability and personality changes. It affects a person's ability to think, learn new information, solve problems and make decisions. Read more here:

There is a very informative booklet available on the website of Healthy Mind Healthy Life.

Click here to download this booklet from Healthy Mind Healthy Life

Read On:
What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
What is Vascular Dementia?
Signs and symptoms of Dementia
Cures for Dementia

Treatment of Tuberculosis: guidelines for national programmes from WHO - book or pamphlet about TB

2010-10-02T15:36:00.006+08:00

Treatment of Tuberculosis: guidelines for national programmes

Here is a book or pamphlet about TB :

Treatment of Tuberculosis: guidelines for national programmes
4th edition - English only : English [pdf 1Mb] , Buy a hard copy

Contents
1. Introduction 15
1.1 Chapter objectives 15
1.2 Purpose of the guidelines 15
1.3 Target audience 15
1.4 Scope
1.5 Why a new edition? 15
1.6 Methodology 18
1.7 I International Standards for Tuberculosis Care 21
1.8 E Expiry date 21
2. Case definitions 23
2.1 Chapter objectives 23
2.2 Purposes of defining a TB case 23
2.3 Case definitions 23
2.4 Anatomical site of TB disease 24
2.5 Bacteriological results 25
2.6 History of previous treatment: patient registration group 26
2.7 HIV status 28
3. Standard treatment regimens 29
3.1 Chapter objectives 29
3.2 Aims of treatment 29
3.3 E Essential anti-TB drugs 29
3.4 S Standard regimens for defined patient groups 31
3.5 N New patients 32
3.6 Previously treated patients and multidrug resistance 36
3.7 S Standard regimens for previously treated patients 38
3.8 Overall considerations in selecting a country’s standard regimens 42
57
4.6 Cohort analysis of treatment outcomes 57
4.7 Management of treatment interruption 59
4.8 Prevention of adverse effects of drugs 59
4.9 Monitoring and recording adverse effects 60
4.10 S Symptom-based approach to managing side-effects of anti-TB drugs 60
5. Co-management of HIV and active TB disease 65
5.1 Chapter objectives 65
5.2 HIV testing and counselling for all patients known or suspected to have TB 65
5.3 HIV prevention in TB patients 67
5.4 TB treatment in people living with HIV 67
5.5 Co-trimoxazole preventive therapy 69
5.6 Antiretroviral therapy 69
5.7 D Drug susceptibility testing 71
5.8 Patient monitoring during TB treatment 71
5.9 Considerations when TB is diagnosed in people living with HIV who are
already receiving antiretroviral therapy 72
5.10 HIV-related prevention, treatment, care and support 72
6. Supervision and patient support 75
6.1 Chapter objectives 75
6.2 Roles of the patient, TB programme staff, the community and other providers 75
6.3 S Supervised treatment 77
6.4 U Using a patient-centred approach to care and treatment delivery 78
6.5 Prevention of treatment interruption 80
7. Treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis 83
7.1 Chapter objectives 83
7.2 Green Light Committee Initiative 83
7.3 Groups of drugs to treat MDR-TB 84
7.4 General principles in designing an MDR-TB treatment regimen 86
7.5 Programmatic strategies for treatment of MDR-TB 86
7.6 S Selection of the country’s standard MDR-TB treatment regimen 89
7.7 S Selection of individualized MDR-TB regimens 89
7.8 Monitoring the MDR-TB patient 91
7.9 D Duration of treatment for MDR-TB 91
7.10 Treating TB with resistance patterns other than MDR 92
7.11 Recording and reporting drug-resistant TB cases, evaluation of outcomes 92
8. Treatment of extrapulmonary TB and of TB in special situations 95
8.1 Chapter objectives 95
8.2 Treatment of extrapulmonary TB 95
8.3 I Important drug interactions 96
8.4 Treatment regimens in special situations 97
A
nnexes 101
1. E Essential first-line antituberculosis drugs 103
2. S Summary of evidence and considerations underlying the recommendations 115
3. TB treatment outcomes 131
4. I Implementation and evaluation of the fourth edition 133
5. S Suggestions for future research 141
6. Members of the Guidelines Group 145
Contetentsts

Websites Information on TB (Tuberculosis)

2010-10-02T15:32:00.000+08:00

Websites on TB (Tuberculosis)

This page provides links to other web resources related to tuberculosis and list-services which provide news, publications, education, training, and research related to TB.

TB List-Services
TB Links

Taken from here.

How to prevent TB from spreading? - common questions about TB

2010-10-02T15:28:00.000+08:00

How Can I Keep from Spreading TB?

The most important way to keep from spreading TB is to take all your medicine, exactly as told by your doctor or nurse. You should also keep all of your clinic appointments! Your doctor or nurse needs to see how you are doing. You may need another chest x-ray or a test of the phlegm you may cough up. These tests will show whether the medicine is working. They will also show whether you can still give TB bacteria to others. Be sure to tell the doctor about anything you think is wrong.

If you are sick enough with TB to go to a hospital, you may be put in a special room. These rooms use air vents that keep TB bacteria from spreading. People who work in these rooms must wear a special face mask to protect themselves from TB bacteria. You must stay in the room so that you will not spread TB bacteria to other people. Ask a nurse if you need anything that is not in your room. After tests show that you do not cough out TB bacteria, you will be allowed to leave the special room.

If you are infectious while you are at home, there are certain things you can do to protect yourself and others near you. Your doctor may tell you to follow these guidelines to protect yourself and others:

* The most important thing is to take your medicine.
* Always cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough, sneeze, or laugh.
* Put the tissue in a closed paper sack and throw it away.
* Do not go to work or school.
* Separate yourself from others and avoid close contact with anyone.
* Sleep in a bedroom away from other family members.
* Air out your room often (if it is not too cold outside). TB spreads in small closed spaces where air doesn't move. Put a fan in your window to blow out (exhaust) air that may be filled with TB bacteria. If you open other windows in the room, the fan also will pull in fresh air. This will reduce the chances that TB bacteria stay in the room and infect someone who breathes the air.

Remember, TB is spread through the air. People cannot get infected with TB bacteria through handshakes, sitting on toilet seats, or sharing dishes and utensils with someone who has TB.

After you take medicine for about 2 or 3 weeks, you may no longer be able to spread TB bacteria to others. If your doctor or nurse agrees, you will be able to go back to your daily routine. Remember, you will get well only if your take your medicine exactly as your doctor or nurse tells you. Think about people who may have spent time with you, such as family members, close friends, and coworkers. The local health department may need to test them for Latent TB Infection(LTBI). TB is especially dangerous for children and people with HIV infection. If infected with TB bacteria, these people need LTBI treatment right away to keep from developing TB disease.

Taken from here.

Differences Between TB Infection and TB Disease : Pamphlets about TB (Tuberculosis) - information about TB - writeups

2010-10-02T15:15:00.000+08:00

Pamphlets about TB (Tuberculosis)

Summary Table - Summary of Differences Between TB Infection & TB Disease view in Adobe Acrobat

Summary of Differences Between TB Infection & TB Disease

For BOTH
Tuberculosis germ in the body
TB skin test usually positive

Latent TB Infection
Chest X-ray usually normal
Sputum smears and cultures negative
Do not feel sick
Can NOT give TB to others

TB Disease (in the lungs)
Chest X-ray usually abnormal
Sputum smears and cultures positive
Symptoms such as cough, fever, weight loss
Often can give TB to others before treatment

Taken from here and here.

What Is TB Disease? - Tuberculosis disease : Common questions about TB

2010-10-02T15:07:00.000+08:00

What Is TB Disease?

TB bacteria become active if the immune system can't stop them from growing. The active bacteria begin to multiply in the body and cause TB disease.

Some people develop TB disease soon after becoming infected, before their immune system can fight the TB bacteria. O

ther people may get sick later, when their immune system becomes weak for some reason. Babies and young children often have weak immune systems.

People infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, have very weak immune systems.

Other people can have weak immune systems, too, especially people with any of these conditions:

* substance abuse
* diabetes mellitus
* silicosis
* cancer of the head or neck
* leukemia or Hodgkin's disease
* severe kidney disease
* low body weight
* certain medical treatments (such as corticosteroid treatment or organ transplants)

Symptoms of TB depend on where in the body the TB bacteria are growing. TB bacteria usually grow in the lungs. TB in the lungs may cause a bad cough that lasts longer than 2 weeks, pain in the chest, and coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs).

Other symptoms of TB disease are:

* weakness or fatigue
* weight loss
* no appetite
* chills
* fever
* sweating at night

For information on how TB disease is treated, see the section on TB disease.

Taken from here.

What Is Latent TB Infection(LTBI)? - common questions about TB

2010-10-02T15:02:00.000+08:00

What Is Latent TB Infection(LTBI)?

In most people who breathe in TB bacteria and become infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria to stop them from growing. The bacteria become inactive, but they remain alive in the body and can become active later. This is called Latent TB Infection or LTBI for short. People with LTBI:

* have no symptoms
* don't feel sick
* can't spread TB to others
* usually have a positive skin test reaction
* can develop TB disease later in life if they do not receive treatment for LTBI

Many people who have LTBI never develop TB disease. In these people, the TB bacteria remain inactive for a lifetime without causing disease. But in other people, especially people who have weak immune systems, the bacteria become active and cause TB disease.

Taken from here.

How is TB spread ? - Tuberculosis : Common questions about TB

2010-10-02T14:57:00.000+08:00

How is TB (tuberculosis) spread?

TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The bacteria are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs or sneezes. Laughing, singing, or playing brass or woodwind instruments can also spread the germs in an enclosed space. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.

TB in the lungs or throat can be infectious. This means that the bacteria can be spread to other people.

People with TB disease are most likely to spread it to people they spend time with every day. This includes family members, friends, and coworkers.

Read more here.

What is TB (Tuberculosis) ? - common questions about TB

2010-10-02T14:47:00.001+08:00

What is TB?

TB, or tuberculosis, is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria can attack any part of your body, but they usually attack the lungs.

TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The bacteria are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs or sneezes. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.

People who are infected with TB do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot spread TB. But they may develop TB disease at some time in the future. People with TB disease can be treated and cured if they seek medical help. Even better, people who have Latent TB Infection(LTBI) but are not yet sick can take medicine so that they will never develop TB disease.

Read full article here.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne infectious disease that is preventable and curable.

Vertigo - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

2010-08-08T18:00:00.005+08:00

What is vertigo BPPV - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Here is a video available on Youtube explaining a form of dizziness which gives the impression as if the room is spinning or rotating or a person's head is spinning or rotating. This dizziness is called vertigo. There are many types of vertigo. In this video, the speaker explains a form of vertigo called the Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).

Here is a website that writes about Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) with diagrams illustrations : http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv.html

Wikipedia also wrote about Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) at this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_paroxysmal_positional_vertigo

Please consult the medical physician if you have symptoms of vertigo or before you try out any of these exercises recommended in the videos.

Note from the person who posted this video on youtube:
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) at Hearing Speech Balance Tinnitus Center, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya

Words that will help you to find information on this website on vertigo: What is vertigo, spinning, dizziness, nausea, inner ear infection, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), impression as if the room is spinning or rotating or a person's head is spinning or rotating, hallucination of spinning, treatment for vertigo, home therapy for vertigo, home exercise for vertigo

Vertigo dizziness treatment - Canalith Repositioning

2010-08-08T17:54:00.007+08:00

Treatment for vertigo and dizziness - Canalith Repositioning

Here is a video available on Youtube showing on a form of therapy for a type of vertigo called the Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).

Here is a website that writes about Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) with diagrams illustrations : http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv.html

Here is a website that talks about Canalith Repositioning treatment for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) : http://www.vestibular.org/vestibular-disorders/treatment/canalith-repositioning.php

Wikipedia also wrote about Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) at this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_paroxysmal_positional_vertigo

Please consult the medical physician if you have symptoms of vertigo or before you try out any of these exercises recommended in the videos.

Words that will help you to find information on this website on vertigo: What is vertigo, spinning, dizziness, nausea, inner ear infection, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), impression as if the room is spinning or rotating or a person's head is spinning or rotating, hallucination of spinning, treatment for vertigo, home therapy for vertigo, home exercise for vertigo

Treatment for Vertigo and dizziness - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

2010-08-08T17:50:00.005+08:00

Vertigo and dizziness treatment for BPPV

Here is a video available on Youtube showing on a form of therapy for a type of vertigo called the Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).

Here is a website that writes about Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) with diagrams illustrations : http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv.html

Wikipedia also wrote about Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) at this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_paroxysmal_positional_vertigo

Please consult the medical physician if you have symptoms of vertigo or before you try out any of these exercises recommended in the videos.

The person who posted this video on Youtube wrote "When your physical therapist or ENT physician has determined that your vertigo is due to dysfunction within the LATERAL (not the posterior) semicircular canal, then you will need this uncommon variant to self-treat your condition. About 10-15% of cases of vertigo caused by BPPV have this uncommon variant.

See more self-help and exercise techniques at www.MedicalArtsRehab.com"

Words that will help you to find information on this website on vertigo: What is vertigo, spinning, dizziness, nausea, inner ear infection, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), impression as if the room is spinning or rotating or a person's head is spinning or rotating, hallucination of spinning, treatment for vertigo, home therapy for vertigo, home exercise for vertigo

Treatment for vertigo - Brandt-Daroff Home Exercises

2010-08-08T17:37:00.013+08:00

Home therapy for Vertigo - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

Here is a video available on Youtube showing on a form of home therapy "Brandt-Daroff Home Exercises" for a type of vertigo called the Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).

Here is a website that writes about Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) with diagrams illustrations : http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv.html

Wikipedia also wrote about Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) at this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_paroxysmal_positional_vertigo

Please consult the medical physician if you have symptoms of vertigo or before you try out any of these exercises recommended in the videos.

The person who posted this video on Youtube wrote: In this video a Physical Therapist demonstrates home exercises for management of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) after canalith repositioning.

See all of the Physical Therapy Diagnosis and Treatment videos and downloads at http://www.Physical-Therapy-Videos.com/ .

Words that will help you to find information on this website on vertigo: What is vertigo, spinning, dizziness, nausea, inner ear infection, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), impression as if the room is spinning or rotating or a person's head is spinning or rotating, hallucination of spinning, treatment for vertigo, home therapy for vertigo, home exercise for vertigo

What to Eat for Breakfast?

2009-10-25T09:05:00.000+08:00

Here's a helpful article on "What to Eat for Breakfast?"

"What to Eat for Breakfast?"
By Jonathan Jenkins

I'm sure in childhood you heard it said many times that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. It's a very true statement. A lot of people tend to skip breakfast and it's not a good idea.
Even though you may lead a busy life and may be in a rush in the mornings it's vital to leave enough time for a healthy breakfast. Maybe that's why so many people are cranky in the morning. They haven't eaten a good breakfast so their blood sugar has dropped leaving them hungry and irritable.
There again there's also a lot of people who eat breakfast but eat the wrong type of stuff, sugary food or donuts. This isn't a good idea. A sugary breakfast isn't healthy. It may give you a sugar rush and a much needed boost of energy but it's not enough to set you up for the day ahead. Maybe too, this is why people have a habit of drinking a lot of coffee. They need the jolt of energy from the caffeine to wake them up and get them going for the day.
Do you ever feel sleepy or sluggish during the day? Or find it hard to get wakened up properly in the morning? This is because you're probably eating an unhealthy breakfast or no breakfast at all. It's vital to realise how important breakfast is. You should have a good substantial breakfast every day of the week.
So, what to eat for breakfast. Here's a list of do's and don'ts.
DON'T
Eat sugary cereals. They're just empty calories that aren't beneficial for your body in any way. Too much sugar will also make you pile on the pounds. Do you ever feel tired late morning? This is because you've eaten too much sugar.
Eat donuts. For the reasons explained above.
Fried breakfasts. Although the idea of bacon and eggs may seem appealing it's unhealthy and not good for you. All that fat will leave you feeling too full to move. Try some French toast instead.
Pastries. Again these are full of sugar and empty calories and are an unhealthy choice. They provide no sustenance for the day ahead.
Too Much Coffee. Just because coffee gives you a quick energy boost don't get into the way of thinking that you can just drink that instead of having a proper meal.
DO
Eat a low sugar cereal. A good healthy breakfast is a bowl of cereal with milk.
An egg sandwich. Very popular at fast food outlets but why not try making them at home? Experiment with ingredients. Try adding lean ham or some cheese. Make breakfast fun and exciting.
Eggs. An excellent choice for breakfast. Many people may be worried by speculation that eggs are in fact not as good for you as once thought. Don't be put off by this - just as with all other stuff moderation is the key.
Pancakes. A nice treat from time to time but don't eat too often if you're making them in the pan as they will contain too many calories. Invest in a griddle for a healthier option and be able to eat them as often as you like. Steer clear from toppings such as syrup and sugar. Instead try adding some fresh fruit for that healthy alternative. Delicious!
Juice. A great pick me up first thing in the morning. A great alternative to coffee. Just be careful though - some people may find it has laxative qualities!
Toast. Been around a long time but still a favourite. Go easy on the butter though.
Oatmeal. A great set me up for the day. Cook and add a little sugar and some milk and you have a breakfast that fill you up and will keep you going all morning.
Fruit. Chop up some fruit for a refreshing start to the day. Quick and easy to whip up into the bargain. Throw in lots of your favourite items into a healthy fruit salad.
So there we have it, some great ideas for a healthy and delicious breakfast. All easy and quick to make. Just remember- stay away from the sugary junk food!

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Jenkins

The above is taken from ezinearticles.com

Depression and Bipolar Disorder is an illness like any other

2009-08-02T10:52:00.000+08:00

An illness like any other

We always think of mental illness as something that happens to other people, not to us. To be diagnosed with depression or manic depression is a scary thing. But how we cope with our mood disorder is largely determined by how we look at it. If we can accept it as the illness it is - an illness like any other - we will be ready to move ahead with our lives in a positive way.

The negative view much of society has of mental disorders is partly due to the fact that people do not understand there is usually a physical basis for these illnesses, often in the form of a chemical imbalance. This imbalance is treatable with medication. With effective treatment most of us can live close-to-normal lives. Mental illness is an illness like any other.

In fact, mood disorders are comparable to other illnesses, such as diabetes. A diabetic is not to blame for his or her illness. Neither is a person with a mood disorder. Just as diabetes can cause serious disability and even death, so can mood disorders. Diabetics often require the use of medication to maintain stable blood sugar levels. People with mood disorders also require medication, in their case, to maintain emotional balance. Finally, as is the case with those who have diabetes, if people with mood disorders take their medications regularly, chances are they will live a close-to-normal life.

Nevertheless, because of the fear of having a "shameful" condition, or of being labeled by society, many don't search out the help they so desperately need. What results is much unnecessary suffering by people who could otherwise have been helped.

In recent years much research has been done and doctors, mental health associations, societies and libraries can provide much information. Mood disorder self-support groups are an especially good source of information. Here we can find pertinent literature and discuss affective illnesses with others who have problems similar to our own.

As we come to terms with our disease we learn to understand how imperative medications and other treatments are - how they form the basis for our well-being. Once we have the physical aspects of our illness under control, we can prepare to take charge of our lives and make the most of the strengths we all have.

As we walk with our friends and acquaintances, we should walk with self-assurance. In that great family of individuals who suffer from personal problems, sicknesses, and handicaps, each of us is a unique yet ordinary member.

Handling Stress according to the Bible

2009-08-01T10:50:00.000+08:00

Biblical Stress Handling

Everyone knows what stress is. At least, everyone has experienced some stress in his life whether he admits it, or recognises it as such, or not. Stress is always present with us because man is a thinking and emotional being. As a thinking being, he makes choices based on what he perceives to be most satisfying, or having the best outcome in his reckoning. Such being the case, if he were to live in a vacuum, and he can do all he wants, he would always be happy. But man is a finite creature, who is not always able to control the environment he lives in or the circumstances surrounding his life. Thus, he often finds himself in situations which he prefers not to be in. When that happens, stress results. And since every person is made differently, we can expect to be stressed in many different ways. In fact, what may be relaxing to one person may be stressful to another, and vice versa. If you are a person who enjoys a fast-paced life, and cannot stand not doing anything for a moment, you may find it very stressful to sit at the beach to relax for a while, or even to go to the toilet without a book in your hand! But if you are a person who hates pressure, you can find it stressful just to see someone walking quickly across the room!

Stress is not all that bad. It is part and parcel of human life and is a manifestation of the very different ways in which God has made us and the many different circumstances that He providentially puts us in. Many of us are stressed because of work pressures: tight schedules, unreasonable bosses and colleagues, many late nights, office politics, etc. Some of us are stressed because of demands of the family: misunderstandings between husband and wife, financial strains, illnesses, decisions pertaining to the children’s education, the interference of in-laws in the family affairs, etc. Others are stressed at school: assignments and project deadlines, examinations, relationship problems, competition among peers, etc. Even driving or walking along the road can be stressful. The list of factors contributing to stress in the modern society is practically inexhaustible. They are part and parcel of our lives.

However, stress, if it leads to frustration and is prolonged, can be harmful spiritually and physically. It is a well-known fact that too much stress can result in physical and psychosomatic disorders such as high blood pressure, heart diseases, ulcers, insomnia, migraine, and even eczema. It is less well known that prolonged stress, if not properly handled, can lead to spiritual depression and desperation, which is sin (cf. 2 Cor 4:8). Stress may also lead to manic depression.

How do we handle stress? Many have gone to New Age oriented stress handling seminars. Others have attended meditation classes or taken up yoga. Should the Christian ever participate in any of these things? Not at all! The Apostle Paul teaches us: "What concord hath Christ with Belial? … And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God" (2 Cor 6:15–16). Many of these pagan techniques stress on "emptying the mind," but the Word of God teaches us that we must be "transformed by the renewing of [our] mind" (Rom 12:2). In other words, our lives must be transformed by a new understanding and new attitude, which is based on the Word of God. Let me therefore suggest seven biblical and practical steps which we can apply to our lives to handle the stress that we experience.

Be Aware

Firstly, you should be aware if you are feeling stressed. You are probably stressed if you feel a great but inexplicable pressure upon you. You should suspect you are stressed if you find yourself becoming unusually impatient and irritable. You know you are stressed when you carry a frown all day long and find it hard to smile or laugh; and find that Proverbs 14:13 describes you very well: "Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness." Under such circumstance, you may even doubt your salvation because you feel miserable and loose focus of the purpose for your existence.

Pray

Secondly, and most obviously, you should pray. The Apostle Peter urges us to cast our anxieties upon the Lord because He cares for us (1 Pet 5:6–7). Come to the Lord therefore, with your burdens. Cry out unto Him as did the psalmist (Ps 18:6). Cry out to Him as your Abba Father who loves you and cares about every aspect of your life. Ask Him to grant you not only contentment in the midst of turmoil, but ask for wisdom and strength to handle the particular situations in your life. If you are aware that you have sinned, then you must repent and plead for forgiveness of sin. Sin is one of the greatest causes of stress for the believer. This is graphically portrayed by David in the Psalms: "When I kept silence [regarding my sin], my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long" (Ps 32:3). Pray for peace of conscience. Pray for guidance and help. A Christian who is constant in prayer is unlikely to become very stressed up, or be stressed for very long. A praying and trusting Christian may be facing much stress, but will never be tempted to despair. Like Paul, he can say: "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair" (2 Cor 4:8).

Be Biblical

Thirdly, seek to be biblical. I am convinced that being biblical is the most important Christian way of preventing and combating stress in the believer’s life. There is much that can be said under this subheading, but let me just focus on two points.

In the first place, I would suggest that many Christians are greatly stressed to the point of exhaustion because there is a general failure to observe the Lord’s Sabbath today. There is a certain sense in which the Sabbath is a primary means of stress-relief appointed by God. The Sabbath is the legislated rest day for all men, but especially for the child of God: "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work…" (Ex 20:9–10). Sadly, many will find keeping the Sabbath,—which is anything more than just attending a worship service on the Lord’s Day morning,—very stressful today! But this needs not be so. Those who have been observing the Sabbath rest (see WLC 116–117) will surely agree and can testify of the great blessings upon their life both physically and spiritually. And I believe that the initial stress that will be experienced by those who have to readjust their lives in order to keep the Sabbath cannot be compared with the benefits that will be derived. Being biblical can never be wrong.

Now, in the second place, if there are specific areas in your life which are stressful to you, then I would urge you to direct your mind and your eyes to the Scriptures to see if your attitude, your actions and your decisions pertaining to the causes of stress have been biblical. I know of a sister who was under tremendous stress in her life and was becoming quite distressed. Though there were numerous factors pressurising her, she eventually realised that the biggest contributory factor was that she was teaching in the Sunday School of her church. She stopped; and she was much happier. I believe that a child of God, who is doing something that is not in accordance to the Word of God, will eventually be troubled in his or her conscience and so experience guilt, stress and distress.

Be God-Centred

Fourthly, look away from self and man to God. Personal expectation and peer expectation are often the major causes of stress. If you are feeling stressed because of a sense of personal helplessness in a particular situation that you are in; then I would simply suggest that if you have already done what you could, that you should learn to submit the rest to the Lord. Some problems are simply beyond your control. Acknowledge your limitations and present your case to the Lord. When you have done so, you really have no reason to feel frustrated, as it would be to distrust the Lord.

The situation is quite different with peer expectation. Many of us are stressed because of what we perceived to be what others expect of us. This is not all bad, but sometimes we can become too sensitive so that we feel a tremendous amount of pressure when there need not be any. So, learn not to be overtly conscious about what others think about you. I used to feel very stressed when I wear a shirt with patterns on it, because I get a feeling that everyone is looking at me. But how often do you actually take notice of the way in which another person dresses—unless he is wearing gaudy green or orange. Similarly, I used to be very self-conscious about singing aloud in congregation worship because, once, someone who was standing in front of me actually covered his ears in order not to be distracted by my singing. But I have learn that unless I am exceptionally loud or if I am singing over the microphone, that I need not feel overtly conscious about singing out of tune. The Lord does not look on the outward appearance or the external sounds we make. He looks at the heart. And I must seek to please Him above man (Gal 1:10). If I am singing with grace in my heart, I really need not feel inhibited to sing my heart out even if I am not absolutely sure of the tune! Rather than being concerned with what others think of you, be concerned only with what God thinks of you. Look to the Lord, not to man.

Communicate

Fifthly, learn to communicate. There is some truth to the popular adage: "A blessing shared is doubled; a burden shared is halved." Besides, it is imperative for saints to bear each other’s woes: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2). So make sure that you share your burdens with brothers or sisters in Christ who can empathise or at least sympathise with you. This may be your spouse, your parents, your siblings or your friends. Make time for Christian fellowship. A healthy soul should generally experience much blessing from godly Christian fellowship. Also, learn to speak your mind when you find that you are being stressed because of some decisions or actions by your bosses. I am, of course, not advocating cathartic philosophy of stress reduction by gossiping against the boss with others who view him as a common enemy. I am referring to speaking to your boss himself. In the same way, you must learn to speak to your pastor, if something he said or did troubles you. I am told that speaking to the pastor can be a stressful experience! But it really need not be so, nor should it be so. The pastor of a flock who feels this way is in some sense failing his duty, for the Word of God forbids that the pastor should be lord over the flock (1 Pet 5:3). If the Chief Shepherd is a friend unto His flock (Jn 15:13–15); then an under-shepherd who is not a friend to the flock is simply not representing Christ. So, learn to pour out your burdens. Do not bottle-up and get more and more stressed-up and frustrated.

Relax

Sixthly, learn to make use of lawful means for relaxation. Remember that what may be relaxing for one person may be stressful for another. Some of us will find the singing of psalms very useful. But, I know that for some of us who are still not used to singing the psalms, it can be quite stressful to sing the psalms! But persevere, and you will soon find it a balm for your soul. Some of us will find it very relaxing to pick up a book to read; or to listen to music. Learn to make use of these in proper measures. Soothing music can be very helpful to relief stress. Although the problem of King Saul must have been more than emotional stress, it must have been part of it. And the music of David must have relieved him somewhat. Sports and exercises are also legitimate means of relaxation, which are very helpful for stress relief.

Remember that man is a two-part being. The attitude of suspicion towards anything that has to do with the body, that prevails in many a fundamental circle, is simply a form of stoicism and gnosticism. Some say that when Paul speaks about bodily exercise (1 Tim 4:8), he was not referring to exercise as we understand it today, but to ritualism. This is false. The Greek indicates that Paul was indeed referring to physical training. He says the "bodily exercise profiteth little." This is definitely true when it is compared to "godliness." But we must not therefore swing to the extreme to disdain exercise altogether. Exercise is generally recognised as an effective stress relieving activity. Similarly, it is not wrong for Christians to have fun, though we may be amazed at why we should be allowed to have pleasure despite our sin. Learn to laugh at the appropriate time (Ecc 3:4). A Christian needs not and should not go about with a sorrowful countenance. Laughter and smiling are definitely good medicine for stress: "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken" (Prov 15:13).

Plan

Seventhly, planning your time well is a good preventive to stress built-up. But again remember that we are made differently. Some of us find it useful to have an hourly timetable, others prefer to plan by day or week. But some form of plan, however imprecise, is always useful. When you plan, however, always bear in mind that God is in sovereign control over all that happen and will happen in your life. So all your plans must be accompanied by a Deo Volente—God willing (Jas 4:13–15). As such, do not worry about what would happen if things do not turn out as planned. "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" (Mt 6:34). Learn to submit your life entirely to the Lord.

Conclusion

A child of God should not feel stressed to the point that it becomes physically and spiritually detrimental. The word ‘stress’ does not occur in the Scripture, and for that reason, it is thought that the Bible has nothing to say about it. But we can see that this is not the case. However, it is true that much of the Bible deals with a greater problem of sin and guilt, which is itself a great cause of stress. Let us therefore give due priority to addressing the problem of sin in our lives, and then let us not neglect to handle the stress that may build up in our lives.

- by Pastor JJ Lim, Pilgrim Covenant Church

A Practical Workbook for the Depressed Christian by John Lockley

2009-07-31T10:49:00.000+08:00

A Practical Workbook for the Depressed Christian by John Lockley

Reviewed by Gaius Davies, Consultant Psychiatrist at King's College Hospital, London

I welcome this book, as I did the first edition in 1991. The author has been a GP since 1976 and is described as a writer of three novels and Christian music. Dr Lockley writes out of a wide factual knowledge of depression as well as experience in his work as a family doctor. He thanks 'all those who helped me through my own depression'.

His style is usually chatty, which will help many, and annoy some. He covers the field well. He attacks vigorously the teaching that depression is always due to sin, failure or other spiritual causes. Great good would come if ignorance and prejudice were replaced with facts and sympathy; this book does that well. His own very firm views, however, sometimes jostle unhappily with the consensus views. The book seems to aim to be encyclopaedic and includes exercises for Christians. There are some areas that could be improved. The bibliography is limited: I would like to see added well known names of those who have written in this area like Roger Hurding (Senior Lecturer in Pastoral Studies) and Prof Andrew Sims (Former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists). I hope the author will revise some sections, for example, adequate explanations of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) are missing from this book, and I believe it might be improved by CBT input for the exercises.

The result of covering both the medical views and the biblical issues is a large and heavy book, yet one that is eminently worthwhile to own, especially as a resource for churches and those involved in supporting its sick members. I hope this book will be used widely and although the severely depressed person cannot read anything properly, after recovery he may do so.

Reviewed by:
Gaius Davies
Consultant Psychiatrist at King's College Hospital, London

This review article is taken from Christian Medical Fellowship's website at http://www.cmf.org.uk/literature/content.asp?context=article&id=1197

For Ordering of this book:

You may place an order by...
E-mailing: pubs@cmf.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)207 928 4694 Fax: +44 (0)207 620 2453

Writing to the address below...
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Trust during rough times by Marja Bergen

2009-07-30T10:47:00.001+08:00

Trust during rough times
Excerpt taken from "A Firm Place to Stand" by Marja Bergen published by canadianchristianity.com
Republished here with kind permission of Marja Bergen

Depression can be a debilitating, torturous experience. During such times, I have to work hard to maintain my trust in God. I try not to be anxious but to relax and let God do his work in me and care for me. But it's difficult not to be afraid; it's natural to be afraid.

As my negative thinking takes over, I begin to doubt my ability to complete the projects I'm working on. I fear that friends no longer care about me and won't be there for me. I fear my depression will deepen and I might stop functioning altogether. I can't see how I could ever be cheerful again.

Fear is the universal response to suffering

Philip Yancey, in his book, Where is God When it Hurts? explains how fear is the universal response to suffering. And yet beyond a doubt it is also the single greatest enemy of recovery.' Fear is part of the extreme moods I go through, especially psychosis. The more I give in to fear, the worse my illness becomes. It is important to do all I can to escape it. The best way is to turn to God and trust in God. But it's hard.

David, the psalmist, fought similar battles. I need to pray along with him, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God, I trust; I will not be afraid." (Psalm 56:3-4)

Since the dramatic change in my life when I began to follow Christ, my faith in God has remained steadfast. No matter how bad things become, I know God is there. But belief in God and trusting God are two different things. Trusting means relying on someone, having confidence in God's power to help me. I cannot always do this. I have to work at it, over and over again. I have to remind myself to turn to God when things are bad. Even when it seems useless to do so, I need to read my Bible and pray.

A habit I developed a few years ago has stood me in good stead taking at least an hour of quiet time each morning. I start each day with Bible reading, prayer and journaling. These times do much to comfort and strengthen me, whether I'm excessively up or excessively down. Though my prayers are often awkward, though the words come slowly and with great effort, they help keep my focus on God. They help me stay close to God.

One of the symptoms of depression is a sense of hopelessness, the opposite of confidence. At times my trust has faded so severely I thought of giving up altogether. Yet my belief in God does not die, even when God feels distant. In my heart, I cry out, but I don't feel I'm reaching God. I struggle to find the patience I need. "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:14)

And yet, there are times when I struggle emotionally and the reverse happens. God's Word becomes more powerful than it could possibly be during stable times. Bible verses help me find great peace and hope. At such times, I read "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," (Matthew 11:28) and my entire being finds relief. I feel comforted. I know these words come from a loving God. These deep spiritual experiences sustain me during rough times; they provide memories I can go back to.

I will never forget the day my friend Helen came to me at a time I felt I couldn't go on. She impressed on me how much I had to live for. She told me she loved me. Whenever I need to remember how great God's love is, I think back to that occasion. Speaking to me through this caring friend, God became powerfully real to me. When I am waiting for depression to lift, I focus on how great God's love has proven to be, time after time.

I feel a kinship with King David who, in Psalm 40, wrote: "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry." Waiting patiently is the only thing I can do as I recover from extreme moods. Remembering that God loves me. Trusting.

Marja Bergen lives with bipolar disorder and is the author of Riding the Roller Coaster (Northstone, 1999). The above is an excerpt from her new released book, A Firm Place to Stand: Finding Meaning in a Life with Bipolar Disorder. She is a facilitator and founder of the Christian mood disorders support group, Living Room (www.livingroomsupport.org). She can be contacted at marja@livingroomsupport.org.

STRESS AND BURNOUT IN MINISTRY by Rowland Croucher

2009-07-29T10:46:00.000+08:00

STRESS AND BURNOUT IN MINISTRY by Rowland Croucher

It was a grey Canadian morning in April 1982. The children had gone to school, my wife to work, and I did something I’d never done before. I turned the phone down, put a note on the front door, and went back to bed. I was burned out - and within two months resigned my ministry there.

Meanwhile, back in Australia, four books about ministry had come off the presses. Note the titles: The Plight of the Australian Clergy, High Calling High Stress, Battle Guide for Christian Leaders - an Endangered Species, and Conflict and Decline.

FIRST, THE BAD NEWS

(1) ‘Stress now contributes to 90% of all diseases. Half of all visits to doctors are stress-related’. ‘Anxiety reduction’ may now be the largest single business in the Western world.

(2) ‘Doctors, lawyers and clergy have the most problems with drug abuse, alcoholism and suicide.’

(3) ‘Research 25 years ago showed clergy dealing with stress better than most professionals. Since 1980, studies in the U.S. describe an alarming spread of burnout in the profession. For example, Jerdon found three out of four parish ministers (sample: 11,500) reported severe stress causing ‘anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear, and alienation’.

Why is pastoral ministry so stressful? The reasons may be as numerous and unique as there are pastors. However, recent research is unanimous in citing the following problem areas: the disparity between (somewhat idealistic) expectations and hard reality; lack of clearly defined boundaries - tasks are never done; workaholism (’bed-at-the-church’ syndrome); the Peter Principle - feeling of incompetence in leading an army of volunteers; conflict in being a leader and servant at the same time (’line-support contamination’); intangibility - how do I know I’m getting somewhere?; confusion of role identity with self image - pastors derive too much self-esteem from what they do; time management problems (yet pastors have more ‘discretionary time’ than any other professional group); paucity of ‘perks’; multiplicity of roles; inability to produce ‘win-win’ conflict resolutions; difficulty in managing interruptions; the ‘little adult’ syndrome (Dittes) - clergy are too serious, they have difficulty being spontaneous; preoccupation with ‘playing it safe’ to avoid enraging powerful parishioners; ‘administration overload’ - too much energy expended in areas of low reward; loneliness - the pastor is less likely to have a close friend than any other person in the community.

STRESS
Stress and burnout are not the same (see box). Hans Selye defines stress in terms of the response your body makes to any demand on it. There is ‘good stress’ (eustress) - associated with feelings of joy, fulfilment, achievement - and ‘bad stress’ (distress), which is prolonged or too-frequent stress.

It is not possible (without a frontal lobotomy) to live without stress. Originally the term came from physics: the application of sufficient force to an object to distort it. So stress comes from ‘outside’ the organism, causing your body to respond in either ‘fight’ (when angry) or ‘flight’ (fear). Actually, stress is the transaction that takes place between you and your environment. The outside event impinges on your belief system, your brain interprets what’s happening, and tells your body how to respond. Adrenalin is pumped into your bloodstream; blood is diverted from various organs to brain and muscles; pupils dilate (making vision more acute); hands and feet perspire; breathing and heart-rate increase, etc. The body is on ‘red alert’, the alarm response.

Most of us are not subject to physical danger very often, but whenever you are ‘driven’ by a very tight program, or threatened by a demand or expectation you don’t think you can meet, your body reacts in the same way. In fact, medical experts are now saying that ‘Type A’ people in particular may be suffering a kind of ‘adrenalin addiction’. Dr. David McClelland, professor of psychology at Harvard, says stress addiction is similar to the state of physiological arousal some people derive from a dependency on alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. A recent book Management and the Brain (Soujanen and Bessinger) suggests that some professionals are actually ‘hooked’ on stress. They get a ‘high’ out of controlling people and making complex decisions. Dr. Paul Rosch, president of the American Institute of Stress, says the Type A male (50% of all pastors are Type A, according to Dr. Arch Hart) who is ‘living in the fast lane… has become addicted to his own adrenalin and unconsciously seeks ways to get those little surges’. These days more of us will die from a stress-related illness than from infection or old age. The only advantage of living stressfully : you’ll get to meet your Lord earlier!

DISTRESS: SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES
Your body is designed to give warning signals of stress overload, which may include insomnia or disturbed sleep, digestive problems, headaches, low energy, chronic tiredness, psychosomatic illnesses, muscle tension, teeth grinding, high blood pressure, etc. Arch Hart again: ‘Stress is ‘hurry sickness’.

The symptoms are often seen by the victim as obstacles to performance and success that he or she merely wants to get rid of. Seldom does the disease of over-stress slow the victim down - not until the final blow is struck and the ulcer, stroke or heart attack occurs.’

Stressors come to Christian leaders in four categories.

(1) Bio-ecological factors related to poor diet (too much caffeine, refined white sugar, processed flour, salt etc.) and poor exercise habits. They also include noise and air pollution.

(2) Vocational factors include career uncertainty; role ambiguity (a lack of clearly defined and mutually-agreed ministry functions); role conflict (between church expectations and personal or family needs); role overload (too many real or imagined expectations); lack of opportunities to ‘derole’ and be yourself, for a change; loneliness (95% of Australian pastors do not have a spiritual director); time management frustrations - and many more.

(3) Psychological factors relate principally to the great life-change stressors - from the most stressful (such as the loss of a spouse), through divorce, death of a close family member, personal injury or illness, all the way to getting ready for Christmas or being handed a speeding fine!

(4) Spiritual causes of stress may include temptations of all kinds (sexual, despair if your church isn’t growing, jealousy of the success of others, anxiety over financial problems, anger - ‘close to a professional vice in the contemporary ministry’ says Henri Nouwen - and any other way the devil can get at us). Even prayer can be stressful according to one study!

BURNOUT
Burnout is emotional exhaustion, ‘compassion fatigue’ (Hart). So even less-competitive Type B Christians can suffer burnout. And the most conscientious people-helpers are most vulnerable.

Researchers like Maslach, Freudenberger and others from 1977 onwards gave the name ‘burn-out’ to
the special stressors associated with social and interpersonal pressures.

Dr. Arch Hart says burnout symptoms may include demoralization (belief you are not longer effective as a pastor); depersonalization (treating yourself and others in an impersonal way); detachment (withdrawing from responsibilities); distancing (avoidance of social and interpersonal contacts); and defeatism (a feeling of being ‘beaten’).

Christina Maslach, who described burnout as ‘a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion marked by physical depletion and chronic fatigue, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, and by development of a negative self-concept and negative attitudes towards work, life and other people’, offers the following signs:

(1) Decreased energy -’keeping up the speed’ becomes increasingly difficult;

(2) feeling of failure in vocation;

(3) reduced sense of reward in return for pouring so much of self into the job or project;

(4) a sense of helplessness and inability to see a way out of problems; and

(5) cynicism and negativism about self, others, work and the world generally.

Personality and attitudinal factors may increase the propensity to burnout eg.: the pressure to succeed; an authoritarian personality which may come across insensitively (or a too-sensitive person who can feel with others’ hurts but who is vulnerable to criticism); inner-directed rage; underassertiveness - feeling victimized; carrying too much guilt about our humanness (an occupational hazard for clergy, so we develop facades for various occasions); inflexibility; and many more.

The essence of the problem, however, is the clash between expectations and reality. Clergy are often put on a pedestal - by others, and by themselves. Many of these expectations just can’t be met. We try to please, but may either become too goal-oriented for our people, or else too accommodating to their spiritual ’slackness’. ‘Strongly goal-oriented ministers will almost inevitably experience more frustration than process-oriented ones’ (Hart). We are working with volunteers, many of whom aren’t there when the work is unrewarding. And we’re stuck with each other - pastors have not hired most of the lay people they work with.

And so if we’re not careful, depending on our personality-type, we may become perfectionistic, over-conscientious, develop one side of our ministry disproportionately, or maybe identify so closely with our calling that if it falls apart, we do too.

People-helpers have another hazard: in our counselling we’re exposed almost exclusively to the negative sides of people’s lives. So the pastoral leader ought to spend as much time with the strong as with the weak - for his own sake (they give him strength and support), for the leaders’ sakes (they can be trained for ministry), and for the spiritual and emotional health of the whole church (there are more ministering persons available to help). Wasn’t it A.B. Bruce who suggested Jesus spent more time with the disciples than with the crowds?

PREVENTION AND CURE
Again, the people studying this phenomenon are becoming unanimous in their suggestions to Christian people-helpers:

1. Find fresh spiritual disciplines. A conference in California has the theme ‘One Hundred Ways to Pray’. Well, find about three or four, and ’shut the door’ as Jesus said (i.e. put in a telephone answering-machine), and learn the art of relaxing, contemplative prayer.Then, as the New Testament suggests, don’t be surprised when trials come your way. Jesus promised us trouble! So, as psychotherapist M. Scott Peck points out in his brilliant book The Road Less Traveled, when you expect life to be difficult, it is much less difficult.

2. Take regular time off. You aren’t called to work harder than your Creator. Develop a way of being ‘through for the day’ (at least most days). Take your full four weeks’ annual leave in one stretch (and make alternative arrangements for weddings, etc.). Encourage your denomination to include two weeks’ extra, all-expenses-paid study leave each year. On your day/s off, do something very different from what you do the other days. (Wednesday or Thursday is best for preachers - away from the adrenalin-arousing Sundays). Listen to Spurgeon: ‘Repose is as needful to the mind as sleep to the body… If we do not rest, we shall break down. Even the earth must lie fallow and have her Sabbaths, and so must we’. Jesus said, ‘Come apart and rest awhile’. (If you don’t rest awhile, you’ll soon come apart!).

3. Get proper exercise and sleep. Exercise fairly vigorously 3-4 times a week. Walk, swim, play tennis; perspire and regularly breathe deeply. Allow adequate time for sleep. Dr. Hart again: ‘Adrenal arousal reduces our need for sleep - but this is a trap; we ultimately pay the penalty. Most adults probably need 8-9 hours’ a night!’

4. Relax. The relaxation response is the opposite of the fight/flight response. Just 20 minutes a day when we’re free from the tyranny of ‘things present’ is enough to counteract the harmful effects of stress. Two ways to relax: tighten each set of muscles from your feet to your face, counting to five before relaxing them; or begin meditation by repeating a one-word or one-phrase prayer (’Maranatha’, ‘Lord have mercy’), repeat it slowly over and over and enjoy the ‘other side of silence’.

5. Join a small support/prayer group. Ministry peers will better understand your needs; a cross-denominational group will enhance trust and provide other spiritualities. Then there’s the classical discipline of ’spiritual direction’ (or spiritual friendships). Who is Paul to your Timothy? Who teaches you to pray aright, as John the Baptist and Jesus taught their disciples? To whom do you confess your sins (James 5:16)? Luther said every priest ought to have such a ‘father in God’.

Congregations can help their pastor by praying more than they criticize him or her; having open communications re goals and expectations; recognizing that the pastor is human and will make mistakes like all of us; being as generous as possible financially (e.g. encouraging study leave); and protecting the privacy of the pastor’s family life.

6. Cognitive restructuring (i.e. changing one’s thinking). Take a personal audit. Reassess your goals; like your clothes, change them sometimes. Improve your self-attitudes. Learn a healthy assertiveness (e.g. by using the middle two letters of the alphabet - NO - sometimes, without apology). Know your gifts, and your limits. Face your fears; don’t avoid them by pretence, or bury them in an addiction.

Above all, avoid states of helplessness: take time to develop coping strategies for difficult situations. Learn not to make catastrophes out of ordinary events (increasing paranoia - ‘they’re out to get me’ - is a sign of burnout). Be a growing person: if God has yet more light and truth to break forth from his Word, what new understandings have you experienced recently? Freudenberger suggests: ‘Discard outmoded notions. Don’t wear points of view just because you used to! Like old-fashioned clothes, they may become ill-fitting and ridiculous as time goes on’.

7. Have fun! To belong to the kingdom you have to be like little children. They aren’t bothered about piles of correspondence or running the world. They get absorbed in things, even forgetting to run their own lives! So develop a few ‘interesting interests’: buy a bird-book and identify 100 native birds; collect stamps; play indoor cricket; take your spouse to an ethnic restaurant; give each of your kids an hour a week, where you do together what they suggest; build something ; audit a course. But do something! And laugh sometimes! Did you know your body will not let you laugh and develop an ulcer at the same time? Remember, with humourist Kin Hubbard: ‘Do not take life too seriously; you will never get out of it alive!’

Footnotes:
1. Dr. Kenneth Greenspan, director of the Centre of Stress Related Disorders at New York’s Presbyterian Hospital.
2. From the Report of Adult Dependence Treatment Unit, St. Mary’s Hospital, Minneapolis, 1980.
3. Quoted in S. Daniel and M. Rogers’ ‘Burn-out and the Pastorate…’, Journal of Psychology and Theology, Fall 1981, 9 (3) 232-249.

Some Helpful Books
Christian:
Ross Kingham & Robin Pryor, Out of Darkness - Out of Fire: A Work-book for Christian Leaders under Pressure (JBCE 1988);
Ed. Bratcher, The Walk-on-Water Syndrome: Dealing with Professional Hazards in the Ministry (Word, 1984);
Kent and Barbara Hughes, Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome (Tyndale, 1988),
Robin Pryor, High Calling High Stress, & At Cross Purposes: Stress and Support in the ministry of the wounded healer (Uniting Church, Victoria, 1982, 1986);
John Sanford, Ministry Burnout (Paulist, 1982);
Archibald Hart, Coping with Depression in the Ministry and Other Helping Professions (Word, 1984),
and The Success Factor (Revell, 1984);
David Augsburger and John Faul, Beyond Assertiveness (Word, 1980);
Brooks R. Faulkner, Burnout in Ministry (Broadman);
Keith W. Sehnert, Stress/Unstress (Augsburg);
Charles Rassieur, Stress Management for Ministers (Westminster, 1982);
Leadership (Christianity Today, Summer 1984. Theme: Roles and Expectations);
Robert Banks, The Tyranny of Time (Lancer, 1983)

Secular:
Herbert Freudenberger, Burnout: How to Beat the High Cost of Success (Bantam, 1980);
Christina Maslach, Burnout - The Cost of Caring (Prentice-Hall, 1982);
Robert Alberti and Michael Emmons, Your Perfect Right (Impact, Calif., 1978);
Karl Albrecht and Hans Selye, Stress and the Manager (Prentice-Hall, 1979).

On contemplative prayer:
Anthony de Mello, Sadhana (St. Louis, 1978);
Mark Link, You, and Breakaway (Argus);
Morton Kelsey, The Other Side of Silence - A Guide to Christian Meditation (Paulist, 1976);
Simon Tugwell, Prayer (Vols 1 & 2) (Veritas, Dublin, 1984).

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BURNOUT AND STRESS
Dr. Arch Hart
* Burnout is a defense characterized by disengagement.
* Stress is characterized by overengagement.
* In Burnout the emotions become blunted.
* In Stress the emotions become over-reactive.
* In Burnout the emotional damage is primary.
* In Stress the physical damage is primary.
* The exhaustion of Burnout affects motivation and drive.
* The exhaustion of Stress affects physical energy.
* Burnout produces demoralization.
* Stress produces disintegration.
* Burnout can best be understood as a loss of ideals and hope.
* Stress can best be understood as a loss of fuel and energy.
* The depression of Burnout is caused by the grief engendered by the loss of ideals and hope.
* The depression of Stress is produced by the body’s need to protect itself and conserve energy.
* Burnout produces a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.
* Stress produces a sense of urgency and hyperactivity.
* Burnout produces paranoia, depersonalization and detachment.
* Stress produces panic, phobic, and anxiety-type disorders.
* Burnout may never kill you but your long life may not seem worth living.
* Stress may kill you prematurely, and you won’t have enough time to finish what you started.
================================================================= ==
Director, JOHN MARK MINISTRIES — resources for pastors/leaders & spouses
Home Page: http://jmm.aaa.net.au
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Copyright: Postings may be re-sent ONLY with all copyright notification intact.

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Depression : Broken Mind - Steve and Robyn Bloem

2009-07-28T10:45:00.001+08:00

BROKEN MINDS - THE PROBLEM OF DEPRESSION
David Gregson reflects on a recent book by Steve and Robyn Bloem

In 1985, American Steve Bloem was about to make a final visit ‘with a view’ to what seemed a very suitable and attractive church in Florida. He had a wife and a young family and had successfullypassed through Bible seminary.

Up until then, Steve had been blessed with a joyful, stable personality and had coped well with the pressures of life. In 1985, however, he entered the dark tunnel of severe clinical depression — whichtook him and his wife Robyn by complete surprise.

Since then, Steve has endured further episodes of mental illness. He confesses readily that he is now a man of God ‘on pills’ and will be for the rest of his life.

Sadly, Steve and Robyn have had to contend with the tragic misconceptions about mental illness that are prevalent in evangelical circles, both in the USA and UK. That is why Steve and Robyn Bloem have jointly written a new book entitled "Broken Minds" to try to dispel the myths that seriously hinder Christians who suffer from depression.

Can Christians get depressed?

The symptoms of Steve’s illness were gloomy mornings, endless walks around the neighbourhood, poor concentration, disordered sleep patterns, loss of appetite, stomach complaints, feelings of worthlessness, intense sadness and even suicidal thoughts.

When eventually Steve suspected that he might be suffering from depression, he fought against the very idea. He writes, ‘As a born-again believer and a trained theologian, I did not want to entrust myself to a system where I would be vulnerable to mistreatment or psychological brainwashing. A deeper reason was that I had been taught that depression was for wimps. Surely if Christians walked with God, they would not get depressed’.

Steve was further bemused when well-meaning people said that his condition was due to his inability to handle stress or the consequence of anger turned inwards. Even Robyn at first thought that her husband was showing uncharacteristic signs of weakness and self-centredness. She, however, came to
see that she too had been the victim of evangelical ignorance and misunderstanding regarding mental illness.

After years of witnessing Steve’s struggles and supporting him through all his pain, she was able to write, ‘Diseases from the neck downward are acceptable, but start talking about the mind and the defences go up’. She realised that among Christians there was a real misunderstanding of depression
and that a dreadful stigma had grown up around it. She had become convinced of the reality of mental illness, not so much by scientific studies as by her husband’s suffering.

Chemical imbalance

It is generally accepted in the medical field that clinical depression is due to an imbalance in the chemistry of the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances that carry electrical impulses from one nerve cell to another within the brain.

They are released from one cell (the sender) and travel to the next cell (the receiver), where it is either absorbed or returned to the sender. The best understanding of clinical depression is that there are not enough neurotransmitters to ferry these messages across all the gaps.

This deficiency leads to a change in the person’s mood, thinking and behaviour. Serotonin and noradrenaline are two neurotransmitters that increase brain activity and improve mood. Antidepressant drugs help the brain to retain more of these substances and so stabilise the mental condition.

At the present time, an estimated 121 million people suffer from serious depression throughout the world. It is one of the leading causes of disability and we should not be surprised to find Christians among the sufferers.

Spurgeon’s afflictions

One noteworthy example was Charles Haddon Spurgeon. It is well known that he had gout but the authors of Broken Minds suggest that he might also have been a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder (after a stampede in one of his services led to seven deaths) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD, due to a deficiency of light during the winter months).

He said in one of his sermons, ‘When the great wind blew at the time of the fall, a slate blew off everybody’s house; and some are more affected than others, so that they take the black view of all things’.

On another occasion he said, ‘The worst cloud of all, I think, is depression of spirit that is accompanied with the loss of the light of God’s countenance. Sickness, poverty, slander — none of these is comparable to depression’. He then quoted Proverbs 18:14: ‘The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness but who can bear a broken spirit?’

Competent to counsel?

One extremely helpful chapter in Broken Minds is entitled ‘Christian counselling, a treatment smorgasbord’, where Steve Bloem reviews the differing definitions of mental illness and treatment approaches advocated by various evangelical ‘camps’.

One of these is the ‘nouthetic’ counselling movement whose foundations were first laid in the writings of Jay Adams, in particular in Competent to counsel! Dr Adams based many of his conclusions on the experience he had acquired in two psychiatric institutions in America.

This led him to deny that mental illness even exists. He writes, ‘Apart from those who had organic problems like brain damage, the people I met in the two institutions in Illinois were there because of their own failure to meet life’s problems’.

Tragically, nouthetic counselling refuses to accept biological causes for clinical depression. One member of the National Association of Nouthetic Counsellors compares the idea that mental illness has an organic basis to belief in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. Depression is therefore a sinful condition which (say the nouthetics) calls for biblical confrontation and repentance.

Although I do not doubt the sincerity and integrity of Bible-believing Christians involved in the nouthetic counselling movement, I have to say that their principles have led to much misunderstanding and unnecessary pain. Steve Bloem concludes: ‘In the midst of my own depression, I found nouthetic counsellors degrading. I felt despicable — morally responsible for every problem in my life’.

By way of contrast, Steve also includes a chapter entitled ‘Reclaiming the Puritan care of souls’. Here he points out that the Puritans refused to see individual sin as the cause of every problem people face. They taught that God sometimes sends ‘dark providences’ to Christians.

The English and American Puritans of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were skilled at distinguishing between physical, psychological and spiritual problems. In fact, they were much more competent in this area than many of today’s spiritual guides.

They truly were physicians of the soul, as was Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones more recently. Evangelicals today need to develop greater skills and awareness in this area of pastoral theology and practice.

Pastor on pills

I have a personal interest in Steve and Robyn Bloem’s book because I too am a pastor ‘on pills’. My depression remained undiagnosed from the age of twenty until the age of fifty. That was largely because I put my cyclic low periods down to fatigue and refused to seek medical help.

I was greatly helped, however, by the elders and members of Little Hill Church near Leicester, where I was pastor for 15 years. They had the right ideas about clinical depression being organic in origin and eventually prevailed on me to seek appropriate help.

This was provided by my own GP, a consultant psychiatrist and also in particular two Christian GPs who are personal friends. As far as I know, the latter have never experienced depression themselves but have seen its ravages in many of their patients. I found in them a compassion and understanding for which I will always owe them a deep debt of gratitude.

My depression is now controlled by appropriate medication. I sometimes sink a little for a short period but that is nothing like the deep troughs I used to experience for three months at a time.

Benefits

These spells I now recognise as being good for me, ‘thorns in the flesh’ keeping me from being over-elated or arrogant (2 Corinthians 12:7). I also find that my personal experience of clinical depression has brought me two other benefits as a pastor — it has taught me to rely more on the God who is able to raise the dead and has given me a great sympathy for, and understanding of, those who suffer from depression (2 Corinthians 1:3-11).

Broken Minds by Steve and Robyn Bloem includes many autobiographical elements and it also contains insights and knowledge that both authors have acquired through their close contact with major depression.

There is much practical information in the book concerning treatment options and related topics like SAD, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder etc. and it has a biblical framework throughout. Broken Minds is now the Christian book I would most readily offer to victims of depression and those who feel that they are ‘losing it’.

When Your Husband Struggles with Depression

2009-07-27T10:43:00.000+08:00

When Your Husband Struggles with Depression
Take heart—there’s hope for him and you.
by Cheri Fuller

Several years ago, my husband, Holmes, began skipping meals and losing weight, eventually 25 pounds within three months. His laid-back, somewhat pensive temperament turned irritable and moody. Although he typically was quiet about his feelings, Holmes became increasingly withdrawn and didn’t seem to enjoy things anymore.

I knew Holmes was encountering tough times as a homebuilder in a flagging economy and a tanking stock market. But I kept hoping he’d perk up if he got another construction job. In the meantime, being ever the encourager, I tried everything I could think of to cheer him up. I pointed out all the positive things he did, such as being a great dad or helping other people. I encouraged Holmes to look ahead to a family trip we’d planned, but that didn’t help, either. As the months rolled into years, neither my encouraging words nor my hard work to take up the slack in our income seemed to make a difference.

In 1995, roughly seven years after I first noticed my husband’s struggles, our pastor realized from a conversation with Holmes that he was suicidal. He immediately made Holmes an appointment with a doctor who diagnosed him as having clinical depression. The physician told us Holmes probably had been depressed for years. Situational depression caused by the crushing pressures of Holmes’ declining building business in the late 1980s, compounded by a genetic predisposition to clinical depression on both sides of his family, had pushed him to the edge. Perhaps if I’d known the clues, Holmes could have gotten help before his depression had become full-blown.

I’ve discovered I’m not the only woman who’s experienced life with a depressed husband. With an unstable economy and corporate meltdowns, depression in males is on the rise. That means countless wives face the challenge of trying to help a spouse who’s in emotional turmoil. But depression doesn’t have to bring down your entire family. There is help, there is hope, and there are ways you can support your spouse—and yourself.

Caring for Your Husband

If the dark cloud of depression overtakes your spouse, how can you help him?

Recognize the signs. It’s important to distinguish between situational depression triggered by something such as a job layoff or demotion, and clinical depression. Situational depression involves some of the same symptoms of clinical depression (see below), but they’re of shorter duration and lower intensity. For example, if your husband’s depression is caused by discouragement over a jobloss, within six months he should regroup, recover his enjoyment of life, and move on. However, according to Michael Navarro, a licensed psychotherapist, clinical depression’s symptoms are more pronounced and last far longer. The absence of pleasure in the activities your husband once enjoyed is greater; his malaise, anger, or weight loss more substantial.

If your husband experiences a majority of the symptoms of depression, he needs professional help. Your family physician can determine what’s biological and what’s psychological; he may make a diagnosis of clinical depression and refer your spouse to a psychologist or psychiatrist for therapy and medication. In Holmes’s case, counseling and an antidepressant were helpful short-term, but since we didn’t have the money to continue therapy, his recovery process took much longer. (I’ve since learned many good therapists provide a sliding fee scale depending on your financial condition.)

How would you know if your husband needs to be hospitalized? If he’s seeing a doctor, his physician would make that recommendation. But here are other clues that in-patient help is needed to stabilize your spouse: when he repeatedly cancels or doesn’t show up for his outpatient/counseling appointments or refuses help; when he digresses into a more nonfunctional state; or if he experiences severe weight loss or sudden gain. And—most important—if he makes statements such as, “I wish I wasn’t around,” or “I think it’s better if you collect my insurance. You and the kids would be better off without me,” which indicate suicidal thinking.

Accept and love your spouse. One of the most important things you can do for your struggling mate is to let him know you still love and accept him despite how he feels about himself. “I’m not saying accepting is easy,” says psychologist Archibald Hart, author of Dark Clouds, Silver Linings. “But you have to accept the reality of the problem. It’s there whether you like it or not, and your responsibility is to communicate love and acceptance in whatever way you possibly can.” This could include a loving touch or hug, or gentle encouragement through a card or meaningful gift.

During one of Holmes’s darkest days, he said, “We—and I—may never be happy again; you’d be better off leaving.” I went in the other room, wept, and prayed for strength and the right response. A short time later, I sat down by Holmes, held his hand, and said, “Even if we’re never happy again, it’s just not all about happiness; it’s about loving each other and being together. I’m committed to you for the rest of our lives. I’m not going anywhere.” Although we had huge hills yet to climb, that was a turning point for us. And in that particular response, Holmes felt unconditionally loved and accepted right where he was.

Encourage exercise. While physical exercise can be an extra challenge to those struggling with depression, the endorphins it provides create a natural mood-lifter. So gently encourage your husband to go for a walk with you after dinner as many nights as he’s willing, or to work out at a gym or do whatever activity he enjoys most when he feels up to it. When my husband and I took our evening walks, he sometimes would open up. One night as we walked, I asked Holmes to give me a word picture of how he felt.

“I feel like a vine’s wrapping itself around me; that it began at my feet and now is almost up to my neck, choking me,” he described. It was hard to hear how terrible he felt, but it helped me connect with him and understand a little of what he was going through.

Realize anger often accompanies depression. But don’t allow your husband to disrespect or abuse you or your children. Be available to listen, but avoid trying to be his therapist. “A mate’s role is primarily one of support. The main therapeutic work needs to be done by a professional,” says Hart.

Whether your husband’s anger is rooted in grief and loss issues, unresolved childhood issues, failure, or job loss, he needs someone with whom to talk. One counselor I know has her clients list ten things they’re angry about when they come in for therapy because she’s found that underneath most depression is anger over something.

Encourage fellowship with other men. When Carrie’s husband, Jeremy, went through a depressive period after a job loss, a small group of friends met with him weekly over coffee to be his sounding board for his job-hunting. They also kept him in their prayers during the difficult months. Their support was invaluable to his recovery and the new career direction he found.

Avoid using words that make him feel worse. A man in the doldrums of depression doesn’t need to hear, “How can you be depressed with all God has done in our lives?” (He’s probably already feeling as though no one understands, and this just confirms it.) Avoid preaching: “Just read your Bible more and get right with God, and your depression will go away.”

Refrain from belittling him or comparing him to others as in, “You know, Brian took St. John’s Wort and he bounced back from his depression in only three months.” Also avoid saying, “Look on the bright side. Count yourself lucky and cheer up,” which makes him feel guilty. One woman I know purposed to praise her husband for the baby steps he took in learning to trust God in the darkness, and didn’t blurt out, “I thought you already knew that!” when he shared insights with her.

Caring for Yourself

I became so emotionally and physically depleted during my husband’s depression that I began suffering from severe insomnia. While working overtime, I parented our teens and worried about our financial situation and my husband. Sometimes I felt abandoned by Holmes —emotionally, at least.

Eventually I realized I harbored some anger as well. Some sessions with a counselor and later a small support group helped me tremendously.

If you get support and deal with your issues, you’ll be healthier emotionally and thus better able to help your husband and children. Here are some ways:

Ask for help. When Brenda’s husband, Daryle, needed to be hospitalized for severe depression, she didn’t think to ask her brother or pastor to accompany her. She drove Daryle the three hours to the center by herself.

Mile after mile he protested, “I’m going home. I’m not going to the hospital. The bank will pull the loans if I’m gone. The company will go under. We’ll lose everything.” After Brenda got her husband in the hospital and almost collapsed from exhaustion, she realized she couldn’t do everything alone. She found a student teacher to live with her family temporarily to help with her children and take them to school. Brenda learned to ask others for help. In the same way, you may need help from a support group or prayer partners, and assistance with your children.

Consider counseling with your husband’s therapist, because frequently the wife feels responsible for her husband’s depression. Find one trusted friend with whom you can cry, be real, and pray. Flo Perkins, an elderly friend whose husband had suffered with chronic depression, was my lifesaver. Flo understood, listened, prayed for me, and encouraged me repeatedly. She passed on the comfort with which God had comforted her (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). From her I learned the invaluable truth that I could give the Lord all my troubles and entrust my husband to his care.

Don’t keep secrets. When Liz’s husband’s life crashed around him due to clinical depression, they went from being pillars in their rural community to being under the lowest rock. He lost his profession, his reputation, his earning power, and his hope as he lived for six long years in a state of depression. One of the best things they did was endeavor to keep open communication with each other and their kids. They held family councils and talked over what was happening in age-appropriate ways, praying together during crises and ongoing struggles.

A word of caution: It’s best to clear this kind of family meeting first with your husband, perhaps by saying, “You’ve always been such a loving dad. Could you help me talk to the kids about your depression to let them know it’s not their fault, and that we’re all going to be healing together?” Avoid saying, “Your depression’s hurting our children, messing their lives up, and making life hard,” which only will make him feel worse. If he prefers, you could sit down with your children alone and explain the nature of depression and that you’ll help them cope with their dad’s condition.

Your kids may need to talk to someone such as a youth pastor or counselor who can help them sort through their feelings. They also need to know they always can come to you to talk about the situation.

Remind yourself of God’s truth. When Brenda was beset by fears, time after time she told herself the truths that restored her stability: that God would never leave or forsake her (Hebrews 13:5); that he promised her his grace when she was weak (2 Corinthians 12:10); and that God somehow would weave everything—even this depression—into a pattern for good (Romans 8:28).

“So often we try to force our way out of a crisis,” Brenda says. “Instead, I began to embrace the situation and say, ‘Okay, God, what do you want me to learn in this? How do you want me to change? And what are you going to accomplish in my husband and family through this difficult time?’”

As she focused on God, Brenda saw him working through Daryle’s hospitalization, the friends who surrounded Daryle, and the spiritual growth they as a couple experienced. Before, Daryle had been Brenda’s rock; through this experience, Brenda learned to depend more on God. And as Daryle recovered, he developed an effective ministry with hurting people and a special sensitivity to those suffering from depression.

Take “mini-vacations.” During the six years her husband was depressed, Liz learned to create brief getaways from her family difficulties. Since they were financially challenged, Liz took long walks through the countryside, singing hymns and praise choruses, sometimes crying buckets of tears and other times stopping to journal her feelings. She lit scented candles at home and took bubble baths to relax. She planned fun activities for her children—picnics, outings to the state park, zoo, and movies, and occasional trips to the grandparents—and carried them out without her husband’s participation when he couldn’t even fake the energy to be involved. These short breaks refueled Liz for the challenges she faced.

Let prayer be your lifeline. “Praying for those we love who are depressed is our best hope,” says Gerry Mensch, who not only survived her own depression but her husband’s as well. “Antidepressants can help, but some in the grip of depression refuse to seek help. When God begins to work in their hearts, he’ll accomplish more than we or medication ever can.” If your husband won’t go for counseling, start praying he’ll wake up and ask for assistance, or that God will put a man in his life to steer him toward help.

Throughout Holmes’s depression, my lifeline was praying Scriptures for him such as Joel 2:25, which asks God to restore the wasted years; Colossians 1:9-12, to give my husband direction; Isaiah 61:1-3, to lift his heaviness of despair and replace it with praise and joy; and 1 Peter 4:8, to fill me with the love that covers a multitude of sins.

It took several years for Holmes to recover from depression, and as we prayed together, we experienced God’s grace for every situation we faced. Prayer strengthened our marriage when we were weak, and reminded us again and again of God’s love. While Holmes’s recovery wasn’t quick, God always was faithful. Although medication and counseling helped, God’s healing power and his Word kept us together.

Today, when I see Holmes smile as he holds one of our five grandchildren, sense his sheer enjoyment of an American history course he recently took at a local university, or experience the fun of strolling on the beach together, I’m grateful for where he is now. I’m thankful for the things we learned and the comfort we received from God and others. I’m also glad we have a chance to share what we learned with others going through depression.

Cheri Fuller, a TCW regular contributor, is a speaker and author whose latest book is Fearless: Building a Faith That Overcomes Your Fear (Revell). Check out her website at www.cherifuller.com.

Warning Signs
Your spouse may be depressed if he:

* Sleeps too much or too little; wakes frequently throughout the night.
* Is persistently sad or has a flat, empty mood.
* Experiences increased anxiety, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and/or decreased
energy.
* Exhibits physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, or other chronic pain that doesn’t respond to treatment.
* Experiences appetite loss, weight loss, or sudden weight gain.
* Has suicidal thoughts.
* Feels hopeless, pessimistic, worthless, a failure.
* Is irrational in his thinking or has difficulty making decisions.
—C.F.

Copyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today’s Christian Woman magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Today’s Christian Woman.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/features/info.html#permission
September/October 2003, Vol. 25, No. 5, Page 68

——-
(Note: I am indebted to Cheri Fuller for giving me the permission to re-publish this encouraging testimony on this website (see Cheri’s email at the end of this article). It is my sincere prayers that this testimony of God’s mercies to Cheri Fuller and her husband will be a great encouragement to the readers and will give some hope and help to wives who are struggling to help their depressed husband. May they too know the comfort and help of God as Cheri Fuller and her husband has experienced. To God be the glory.)

Autobiography notes:
Cheri Fuller writes of her experiences and God’s mercies and help to her as she strives to help and support her husband, Holmes, who struggles with depression. Her original article is published on her website www.cherifuller.com. Cheri would like to tell our readers that her latest book is “Loving Your Spouse Through Prayer: How to Pray God’s Word Into Your Marriage”, which she thinks would be an encouragement, support and help to anyone who reads her article on their husbands and depression. It is possible to subscribe to her eNewsletter of hope, inspiration and prayer on www.cherifuller.com

Shedding Light on the Darkness of Depression

2009-07-26T10:41:00.000+08:00

(This article is reproduced with the kind permission of Religion Online.)

Shedding Light on the Darkness of Depression by John H. Timmerman

John H. Timmerman is professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He elaborates on his experiences with depression in his book A Season of Suffering (Multnomah, 1988). This article appeared in the Christian Century, March 2, 1988. Copyright by the Christian Century Foundation and used by permission. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted & Winnie Brock.

At the most unexpected moments it slips people its dark poison. One scarcely notices the initial sting. Slowly, insidiously, the poison spreads until the victim finds herself cut off from life by a gray veil. The monster, what Winston Churchill, a longtime sufferer, called “the Black Dog.” is depression. Medical statistics indicate that in the adult U.S. population approximately 12 per cent of males and 18 per cent of females have had a major depressive episode at some time.

Call it what you will, the most agonizing fact of the illness is that pall of darkness laid upon the mind. Life and light seem beyond reach. Something intervenes: a gray mist of separation, the inability to feel loved and needed, a feeling of being locked away from everything and everyone — including God.

Perhaps this is one way to distinguish between the “blues,” which afflict nearly everyone at one time or another, and the blackness of clinical depression. Clinically depressed patients cry, “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” — and sometimes add, “But I really can’t blame you for doing so.” Unworthiness. Forsakenness.

Clinical depression can generate a number of specific symptoms that are severe, persistent and disabling. Its causes may be internal (endogenous) or external (exogenous) But if it becomes severe, it is marked by a profound biological unsettling of the delicate interplay of chemicals in the brain. Into that imbalance enters the appalling cloud. It was this biological depression that sucked my wife — and my family — into its black maw. We became a vivid example of suffering in the Christian life.

Acknowledging that Christians can suffer from depression flies in the face of popular religious slogans that tell us about the power of positive thinking, that we should let go and let God, that all is well with the world when one is right with God.

Seven weeks following the birth of our fourth child, my wife, Pat, fell victim to postpartum depression. Though she entered the hospital diagnosed with severe, major biological depression, the admitting psychiatrist assured us that she could expect to leave within two to three weeks as antidepressant medications took effect. Her hospitalization lasted seven weeks, through a tormenting sequence of failed medication and terrifying mental affliction, culminating in a series of electro-convulsive treatments.

So many of us will worry over even a sore throat and seek condolences from others, but we are strangely reluctant to admit to mental affliction. It appears a sign of weakness or, in the perverted view of some, a sign of sin. However difficult it is to acknowledge depression, it is a fact that many Christians have experienced it. Just how many is difficult to say; statistics are often contradictory and unreliable. For many years depression, unless it required hospitalization, was something we hid in the closet (and even then we hid it if possible) As more people are recognizing the nature of the illness, more are seeking help. For all those on the continuum from “blues” to clinical depression, I want to affirm that the black dog can be tamed; depression can be healed.

But how can people recognize depression? What signs can they look for? The most recent psychiatric guidelines, given in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1981) , draw attention to persistence and severity, usually gauged as at least two weeks’ endurance (distinguishing depression from the common, passing blues) of four or more of the following symptoms: persistent feelings of guilt, sadness and hopelessness; thoughts of suicide; poor concentration; changes in appetite; alterations in sleep patterns; decreased interest in sex; and loss of interest in daily activities.

Clinical analysis generally divides depression’s signs and symptoms into four major areas. Affective signs include states of feelings, ranging from mild sadness to severe despair. The depressed person often feels some degree of anxiety, worry, anger or confusion.

Cognitive thought-process signs are the way in which the patient thinks about himself or herself, and about relationships with others or with situations. Typically, the depressed person has very low self-esteem, feels incapable of clear decisions, and seems to have little control over thought processes, into which thoughts of death or suicide intrude.

Both of the above may be observed in behavior signs. Because of their low self-esteem and confused thinking, depressed people may become terribly dependent and submissive, fearful of being left alone, and given to relentless crying and withdrawal. Agitation may give way to restless behavior such as pacing, trembling or handwringing. Their speech and action may become impeded. They may neglect routine activities, such as picking up the mail, reading the newspaper or making coffee. They no longer take pleasure in formerly enjoyable activities.

Depression inevitably takes its toll upon the patient’s physical functions. Initially, depressed people seem to lack energy, which may spiral rapidly into acute fatigue as sleep habits are disturbed. They may suffer physical symptoms such as constipation or diarrhea, indigestion, nausea and headaches. Despite the longing for physical contact, sexual patterns may be disturbed. Posture is often affected; the patient might slouch, bending shoulders forward as if a weight were pressing upon them. The eyes might appear dull and listless, seeming to turn inward with a kind of glazed look. Few illnesses reveal as clearly the relation between body and mind.

Having examined some of the indicators of depression, the word why inevitably arises. Here is the great perplexity of depression: Why does this happen to me? As a rule, depressed persons, because of the acute sense of unworthiness which typifies the illness, generally believe they are depressed because of something they have or have not done. They believe themselves to be responsible, even if they can find no direct cause-and-effect relationship in their lives. Since so many factors come to bear upon the illness, it is understandable that people are prone to inventing causes; they want to name, identify, pinpoint and blame someone or something specific.

Psychiatry has postulated causes that are more probable than one’s own actions. For example, genetic factors may to a certain extent make one more susceptible to depression. Those with a family background of mental disorders are at greater risk. Second, stress can provoke emotional mood shifts. A third area, the chemical functions of the brain, has become a primary focus of medical research into biological depression. Current science provides convincing evidence that disruption in hormonal patterns and the neural synapses in the brain are involved in clinical depression. Because of this chemical imbalance, the use of certain drugs has become critically important to the treatment of depression.

Psychiatry generally distinguishes between two major kinds of depression: bipolar and unipolar. Bipolar, or manic, depression is characterized by recurring mood shifts which the patient cannot control. Unipolar depression is a single, progressive state, without the mood swings. One theory speculates that too little of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine causes unipolar depression; too much of it causes manic depression. More recent theories hold that several transmitters are involved — serotonin and dopamine, for example. Treatment for both types of depression may involve pharmaceutical control, depending on the diagnosis of probable causes and background for the individual’s condition.

The use of medications in the treatment of depression, often prescribed over an extensive period of time, provokes considerable dismay in many people. They fear the possibility of physiological and psychological dependency upon the drug.

Having considered signs and symptoms of depression, the major kinds of depression and drug therapy for them, one has still skirted the medical fringes of a catastrophic human experience. Left begging is the key question: What is depression like? No single item emerges more clearly from studies of the experience of depression than the fact that it attacks the very individuality of the sufferer and is therefore unique to each person’s experience of it. It afflicts parts of us that make us individuals — our minds, emotions and personalities.

Some indication of what the illness is like may be gleaned from a journal my wife kept during her seven-week hospitalization. As she began to respond to medication her moods bounced up and down. It seemed that depression was a dark beast, always lurking behind some huge door in her mind, ready to spring out at unexpected moments. It was always there, and its attack could not be predicted. Fear of the beast was as terrible as the attack itself.

June 23 (after one week) :
When I awaken, I have a sick feeling as I remember that I am here. Sometimes it still seems like a bad dream. I attended chapel but found it very hard to concentrate. The message seemed meaningless.

June 28 (after two weeks) :
Last night was a frightening night. The overwhelming feeling of depression hit me during the night. I felt nauseated, like my nerves were in knots, and had diarrhea.

. . .Tears have flowed like rivers today. I really feel I need strength from the Lord to help me get through this hospitalization. Sometimes I feel so alone and worried about a recurrence when I get home.

July 7 (after 3 weeks) :
I feel so guilty that I can’t seem to get well. I feel like a stranger to myself. . . . I can’t read my Bible or pray. I know God knows my needs and the needs of my family, and I trust He will take care of us all. I’ve reread my favorite Bible promises. But I can’t feel them right now.

July 12:
I awakened about 3:30 A.M. I feel very nauseated and very thirsty. At 5 A.M. I got up for some ginger ale and a cracker. I still feel nauseated and my head is spinning. I am very discouraged. I still am thirsty. . . “I’m trying so hard to believe all of God’s promises. I know that they are true and I thank him that they aren’t dependent upon my feeling them. I feel totally helpless today. I feel that with every depressing day a little more of me dies.”

During this time Pat’s medication was not being effectively metabolized. Since switching her to a different medicine would have taken several weeks, and she had already been separated from her family for nearly six weeks, her doctors decided, with our approval, to use electro-convulsant therapy
(ECT)

The use of ECT has always been extremely controversial in psychiatry, and its mere mention strikes fear into the heart of the patient. The modern use of ECT, however, is far more carefully regulated and benign than the old-fashioned “shock treatments” of the 1960s. The careful administration of
muscle-relaxants and tranquilizers reduces the “shock” to the body. The small surge of electricity penetrates the disrupted activity of the brain, jarring the neurotransmitters into normal action. The most common side-effects are short-term memory loss and headache, the latter usually relieved within 24 hours. While seldom a first course of treatment for depression, ECT has resulted in considerable relief for biological depression. While the normal course of treatments runs a course of 6-12 administrations, ECT proved so successful for Pat that she was given only four. A week later she was discharged.

Discharge from a hospital, however, is only a beginning on the road back to health. A major depressive episode such as Pat’s may last as long as 18 months. In fact, it was almost two years before she was able to go completely off antidepressant medication. For some people, the battle with depression and the necessity for medication or therapy may endure for years. However long the ordeal, however, the experience will forever be a part of the person. The fear of recurrence is always there; the memory of the anguish never fully disappears.

Second. we learned how much the body of Christ must support members in need. We experienced this help in bountiful and unexpected ways, reminding us with a tremendous urgency of our corporate need and responsibility. Church members regularly lifted our need before God in intercessory prayer. Pastors and friends delivered meals to us, cared for the children and comforted us. We experienced the New Testament ideal of being one body in Jesus, and the care that each member shares.

We learned that others also suffer enormous hurt on their pilgrimage through this fallen world. It is not, however, a vale of tears with no light finally to show the way. The many helping hands that attended us testified to the opposite. But sometimes it takes the jarring impact of personal pain to remind us of the wounded spirits to whom we can minister. This need is particularly great, we found, among those who suffer psychological pain. For so many it is a private grief, borne upon lonely shoulders, hidden from the world.

Depression should no longer carry a stigma; we must recognize it as an illness entailing specific spiritual and psychological needs, and requiring specific treatments. Depressed people need recognition and urgent caring. One great need is for human contact, whether through greeting cards or visits. To the depressed person, the well of human kindness seems to have hit dry rocks; there never seems to be enough love available.

Our experience tutored us, painfully, in the reality of suffering among faithful Christians. We have no easy answers. But we felt the pulse of pain and, by looking to the cross, gained some understanding.

Jesus, the true light himself, the very son of God, stands in the form of humanity — the very same who marred God~s perfection and cast darkness over that light. To restore that light, Jesus, the perfect light, underwent the full anguish of complete darkness. He knew separation from God thoroughly; he plumbed the deepest sea of terrifying darkness in order to build a bridge out of it for us. There he cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” He felt cut off from God, forsaken. Still caught between the perfect light and the dark imperfection, we cry out the same plea. Though he was plunged into the sea of human despair, the devil could not hold Jesus. A shattered grave, blasted apart by the light of all ages, is the testimony. In the gutted wreck of that grave lies the foot of the bridge out of all darkness.

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Extreme exhaustion and lack of motivation : How to motivate myself

2009-07-25T10:53:00.000+08:00

How to cope with a lack of motivation to do things due to extreme tiredness or depression?

When a person go through a relapse of clinical depression, all his motivation to do things seemed to disappear.

He may feels extremely tired and easily tired. He has no heart nor energy to do anything. Waking up each morning seemed to be most difficult. He may dread to wake up to face another day. He may not think he has the energy to face another day.

When severely depressed, it takes a lot to effort to even attend to basic general hygiene.

Eating takes too much effort as he doesn't have appetite. Exercise became extremely difficult because he is too tired.

Actually during clinical depression, it was due to the chemical imbalance in my brain that one is not able to enjoy anything in general.

But when one is not doing very much, he began to believe that he is useless, ineffective, inadequate, helpless and incapable of achieving anything. These negative thoughts make him feel more discouraged and in turn reduced my ability to do things. It becomes harder and harder to wake up each morning and to attend to my usual activities. This become a visual cycle and it has been called the lethargic circuit.

How to break this lethargic circuit and derive motivation to face each day?

For a Christian, praying to God and reading the Bible daily, is extremely important. Unless God gives us the grace and strength to cope, we will not have the energy nor the desire to face another day.

Here are some things one can learn to do which may help to break the lethargic circuit and derive motivation to face each day and to do things:

1) Learning to wake up at the same time each day though you dread waking up. Usually once you are up, you are able to do some things. Try to also sleep at the same time every night so that you get enough sleep. Insufficient sleep or rest can worsen depression.

2) Learn to eat your meals regularly and as nutritiously as possible. Though you don't have much appetite and eating seems to be such an effort, know that you need all the energy and nutrition to fight this depression and therefore you must eat! Try to eat more vegetable and fruits to gain more vitamins and nutrition.

3) Learn to exercise regularly. Exercise may seemed very difficult at first as you are so tired daily. But exercise is important to build up your strength and stamina. Learn to start slowly and daily. You will find that as the days go by, you began able to exercise longer. Your body and mind becomes stronger. Exercise release good chemicals to help fight depression and expel bad chemicals in the brain.

You can try briskwalking if you do not like any other exercise. Do it whenever you can. You can also exercise by walking on a home treadmill or stationery bike, or join a gym.

4) Create a routine. Without a routine, you tend to avoid doing things as you no longer enjoy anything. This will only caused you to remain in the lethargic circuit. To break this lethargic circuit, learn to plan you days. Schedule regular exercise and some activities that you enjoy for each day. You will find that with every task that you managed to complete, you began to feel motivated to do more. You began to experience a sense of accomplishment.

5) Break tasks into smaller portions. When going through depression, every tasks seemed so difficult. It's hard to began to do anything. Procastination sets in. To avoid this, learn to break tasks into smaller and more manageable portions. Try to do only a portion each day and you will find that you are able to get things done slowly. This again gives you a sense of accomplishment and the motivation to do more.

6) Learning to be patient and not to be too hard with yourself. I try to remember that you are unwell now and it takes time to rebuild your body and mind. So when you failed to accomplish what you planned for the day, learn to tell yourself, it's okay. You can try again tomorrow. Or break the task into even smaller portions.

7) Learn not to let negative thoughts or feelings prevent you from daily activities. Feelings during depression are not necessarily valid. They often have little bearing on the truth. Your feelings of being too depressed to cope do not mean that you will not be able to cope when you are actually in a situation.

Finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder by Marja Bergen

2009-07-25T10:37:00.001+08:00

Finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder
by Marja Bergen

Mental illness is not all bad. I have lived with bipolar disorder for over forty years and have found it has many benefits. I couldn’t imagine living without it and am not at all unhappy with my life. In many ways, I value what this illness has made possible for me.

With effective medication to keep symptoms under control, people with bipolar disorder can live a close-to-normal life. Yes, moods will fluctuate and cause occasional problems, and treatment will need adjustment. Suffering will always be part of my life. But I accept the way God, the Great Potter, made me. I am rich on many levels.

Like many people with this disorder, I am very creative. I receive a lot of pleasure from photography and using my imagination. The deep emotions I experience, although painful, are a source of richness; I feel completely human. My frequent hard times have helped me appreciate the good times and I make the most of them. Spiritually, I’m stronger for having had to deal with great trials. The fires I’ve passed through have refined me.

Most of all, I appreciate the compassion I am able to have for others who suffer from depression and other mental health issues. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1: 4 hold true for me. I praise God “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received.” God has shown me his love, and I want to pass that love on to others.

Over the past few years, I’ve been fortunate to be part of a church community that has supported me and helped me grow spiritually. With the Christ-like love they have shown me, I have come to understand how great God’s love is. In turn, I now help others through a support group and one-on-one, in person and through my blog. I feel fulfilled. The language of suffering I’ve learned helps me connect with people in trouble. I am able to understand them in a way many others could not.

I feel a bit like Patch Adams in the Robyn Williams film. While Patch is a patient in a psychiatric hospital, he discovers his ability to connect with people. He learns to understand his severely disturbed roommate to see the person behind the illness and helps him through his problems. Not only does this delight Patch, it makes him a well man.

Patch eagerly tells his doctor he is well and needs to leave the hospital. I connected to another human being, he said. I want to do more of that. I want to learn about people. I want to help them with their troubles. I want to really listen to people. Connecting with other people gave Patch joy. It gives me joy, too. When God places you in this role a role he made for you joy happens. Walking with people through some of their toughest times is rewarding and a privilege.

Bipolar disorder will always be with me, and I suffer many high and low moods. But, I don’t feel I’m a victim of the disease. God has helped me find a way to make my illness work for me instead of against me.

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11) God has a plan for each of us. Though we might have a severe illness such as bipolar disorder, God has work for us to do. Eventually, we can use what God has given us even the bad and turn it into something good.

Marja Bergen is the author of Riding the Roller Coaster: Living with Mood Disorders (Northstone, 1999) and a new book for Christians about living successfully with bipolar disorder (to appear). She is the founder of Living Room, a faith-based Mood Disorders Association of BC support group. Her blog, marjabergen.blogspot.com, deals with mental health and faith issues. She can be reached at info@candidsbymarja.com.

This article is published on the website of CanadianChristianity.com and reproduced here with the kind permission of Marja.

Help for Suicide / Suicidal thoughts

2009-07-25T07:56:00.000+08:00

Suicide

Handling Stress

2009-07-25T07:55:00.000+08:00

Stress

Coping with perfectionist character trait / perfectionism

2009-07-25T07:54:00.002+08:00

Perfectionism

Coping with Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness)

2009-07-25T07:50:00.000+08:00

Coping with Clinical Depression

2009-07-25T07:49:00.001+08:00

Resources for better Mental Health

2009-07-25T07:40:00.000+08:00

WHO warns swine flu 'unstoppable'

2009-07-03T10:19:00.002+08:00

The UN's top health official has opened a forum in Mexico on combating swine flu by saying that the spread of the virus worldwide is now unstoppable.

World Health Organization head Margaret Chan added that the holding of the meeting in Cancun showed confidence in Mexico, which has been hard hit.

The WHO says most H1N1 cases are mild, with many people recovering unaided.

As the summit opened, the UK alone was projecting more than 100,000 new cases of H1N1 a day by the end of the summer.

As the peak of the flu season approaches in South America, some areas have declared a public health emergency and Paraguay has reported its first death.

'Mild symptoms'

"As we see today, with well over 100 countries reporting cases, once a fully fit pandemic virus emerges, its further international spread is unstoppable," Dr Chan said in her opening remarks.

he stressed that the overwhelming majority of patients experienced mild symptoms and made a full recovery within a week, often in the absence of any form of medical treatment.

The exceptions, she said, were pregnant women and people with underlying health problems, who were at higher risk from complications from the virus and should be monitored if they fell ill.

"For a pandemic of moderate severity, this is one of our greatest challenges: helping people to understand when they do not need to worry, and when they do need to seek urgent care," Dr Chan said.

Turning to the summit venue, the WHO chief added: "Mexico is a safe, as well as a beautiful and warmly gracious, place to visit."

Leaders and experts from 50 countries are in Cancun for the two-day meeting to discuss strategies for combating the virus.

It has been more than two months since the initial alert over swine flu.

Since then, the H1N1 virus has entered more than 100 countries, infected more than 70,000 people and killed more than 300 worldwide.

Authorities across South America are becoming increasingly concerned as the peak flu season approaches, the BBC's Andy Gallacher reports from Cancun.

Schools across Argentina have sent students home and pregnant women have been told they can take two weeks off work to avoid contracting the virus.

It is hoped the Cancun meeting will address many of the issues that might help slow the spread of swine flu but, our correspondent adds, many people are concerned that an effective vaccine has still not been developed.

The above is taken from BBC News 2 July 2009.

What's the Best Time to Exercise?

2009-06-25T09:00:00.001+08:00

Here's a helpful article on "What's the Best Time to Exercise?"

What's the Best Time to Exercise?
Experts offer tips on finding the best time of day for your workout.
By Leanna Skarnulis
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Some people swear by a 6 a.m. jog to get their hearts racing and get them psyched up for the day. Others wouldn't dream of breaking a sweat before noon, preferring a walk around the neighborhood after dinner. But is any one time of day the best time to exercise?

The truth is that there's no reliable evidence to suggest that calories are burned more efficiently at certain times of day. But the time of day can influence how you feel when exercising.

The most important thing, experts say, is to choose a time of day you can stick with, so that exercise becomes a habit.
Your Body Clock

Your body's circadian rhythm determines whether you're a night owl or an early bird, and there's not much you can do to alter it.

Circadian rhythm is governed by the 24-hour pattern of the earth’s rotation. These rhythms influence body functions such as blood pressure, body temperature, hormone levels, and heart rate, all of which play a role in your body's readiness for exercise.

Using your body clock as a guide to when to go for a walk or hit the gym might seem like a good idea. But, of course, there are other important considerations, such as family and work schedules, or a friend's availability to walk with you.
The Perks of Morning Exercise

If you have trouble with consistency, morning may be your best time to exercise, experts say.

"Research suggests in terms of performing a consistent exercise habit, individuals who exercise in the morning tend to do better," says Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief science officer with the American Council on Exercise in San Diego.

"The thinking is that they get their exercise in before other time pressures interfere," Bryant says. "I usually exercise at 6 a.m., because no matter how well-intentioned I am, if I don't exercise in the morning, other things will squeeze it out."

He recommends that if you exercise in the morning, when body temperature is lower, you should allow more time to warm up than you would later in the day.
When Insomnia Interferes

Unfortunately, hitting the snooze button repeatedly isn't exercise. But, if you've suffered insomnia the night before, it can seem a lot more appealing than jumping out of bed and hitting the treadmill.

Good, regular bedtime habits can help you beat insomnia. They include winding down before bedtime.

"Your body needs to get ready for sleep," says Sally A. White, PhD, dean and professor in the College of Education at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa."You want your heart rate and body temperature in a rest zone. It starts the body getting into a habit of sleep."

Exercising or eating too late sabotages your body's urge to sleep.

"Both exercise and eating raise your heart rate and temperature," White tells WebMD. "That's not conducive to sleeping."

When Later Is Better

White, who studies achievement motivation in exercise and other areas, says that in spite of good intentions to get up early and get her exercise over with, she is more likely to exercise after work.

"It's easier to get my body into a rhythm because I'm not fighting my body the way I do in the morning," she says.

For some people, lunchtime is the best time to exercise, especially if co-workers keep you company. Just be sure to eat after you work out, not before.

"Don't exercise immediately following a meal," says Bryant, who lectures internationally on exercise, fitness and nutrition. "The blood that needs to go to your muscles is going to your digestive tract. Give yourself 90 minutes after a heavy meal."

Finding Your Own Best Time to Exercise

You don't have to be an expert on circadian rhythms to determine the best time to exercise. Steven Aldana, PhD, advises trying different times of the day.

Work out in the morning for a few weeks, then try noon, then early evening. Which do you enjoy most and which makes you feel best afterward? Also, consider the type of exercise, and other daily commitments.

"Most of all, find a time that helps you make your exercise a regular, consistent part of your life," says Aldana, a professor of lifestyle medicine in the department of exercise sciences at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. "This is more important than the time of day."

Establishing the Exercise Habit

One day, you'll reach a point where daily exercise comes as naturally as breathing. At that point, you may want variety.

"In an effort to stay regularly active, some people change the type of exercise they do and the time of day they do it," says Aldana, author of The Stop & Go Fast Food Nutrition Guide. "Keeping it fresh makes it more enjoyable and more likely to be continued."

But if you're still at the point where exercise is hit or miss, scheduling it for the same time each day will help you make it a habit. Whether you choose morning, lunchtime, or after work to exercise, make it part of your routine.

"People who are just starting out and who exercise randomly are more likely to drop out," White says.

She adds that starting out can be as simple as changing the route you come home from work so that you drive by a gym. "Get into the habit of going that way, and keep a bag of exercise gear in your car or at work," she says.

The above is taken from WebMD website.

Is it better to eat before or after exercise?

2009-06-23T08:19:00.001+08:00

I found a helpful article on "Is it better to eat before or after exercise?"

Dear Reader,

To eat or not to eat... this simple question has a simple yet complex answer. Both strategies (eating before and eating after exercise) are good for performance, fitness, and health. However, how to eat for exercise is dependent on several factors, specifically, how long you exercise, your type of exercise, your exercise experience, and health factors that may play a role in how you process food. Nutrition plays a key role in building fitness, that's for sure.

Let's start with eating before exercise. What you choose to eat before you exercise can make or break your workout. Food is fuel, and it's important to eat at least something prior to a workout. Eating before exercise serves several functions:

fuels your muscles (both with food eaten in the days before as well as the hour or two before)
helps settle your stomach and avoid hunger
helps prevent low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) — symptoms can include dizziness, nausea, and headaches
fortifies your mental state by knowing that your body is fueled

What and how much you eat vary from person to person and sport to sport, with no right or wrong choice. The way to learn how much and what to eat is to experiment to see what works for you. Your food preferences may vary with the time of day, type of exercise, and level of exercise intensity. Consider the following guidelines:

Eat a balanced diet every day so your body is fueled and ready for action.

A balanced diet means incorporating a variety of wholesome foods into your daily choices. Good nutrition means eating sources of carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins/minerals, and water. The first three (carbs, protein, and fat) are sources of energy. Carbohydrates are a source of instant energy, proteins build and repair muscle, and fats are a source of long term energy. Choose foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, pasta, chicken, fish, and/or tofu, peanuts, etc. For more information on nutrients and food choices, visit the American Dietetic Association web site.

Maintaining healthy nutrition is important for exercise because your muscles rely heavily on the foods, and primarily the carbohydrates, you eat daily. Your body digests carbohydrates into glucose (simple sugar), and either uses it for energy or stores it for later use. Extra glucose is stored mostly in the form of muscle glycogen (complex sugar). When you exercise, your body uses both glucose (quick, simple sugars) and glycogen (longer lasting, complex sugars). You'll notice a big difference in the way you feel if you spend days eating wholesome food versus foods that are fried and/or high in saturated fat or sugar. Remember, food is your fuel.

Allow enough time to digest.

Allow 3 - 4 hours for a big meal to digest, 2 - 3 hours for a small meal, and an hour or less for a small snack, depending on your body.

Avoid high fat proteins.

Peanut butter, red meat, and cheese, for example, take longer to digest and often add to feelings of fatigue.

Eat for the duration of your workout.

If you are going to exercise for less than an hour, you'll simply need foods that digest easily. Choose high-carb, low fat foods, such as crackers, bagels, or bread. If you are going to exercise for longer than an hour, choose carbohydrates that last longer, such as yogurt or a banana.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Dehydration is a common source of an unpleasant workout.

(Adapted from Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 1997)

Many people choose not to eat before exercise because they worry that they'll feel sluggish, have cramps or diarrhea, and/or experience an upset stomach. According to Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., a leading sports nutritionist, unpleasant stomach and GI (gastrointestinal) problems can occur, depending on several factors:

Type of sport

Runners or people who do running-type sports that jostle the body report more GI problems with pre-exercise food intake.

Training status

Unfit individuals who are starting up an exercise regimen say they experience GI problems more than experienced athletes. This speaks to the time it takes to teach your body how to eat and exercise.

Age

GI problems occur more in younger individuals that those who are veteran exercisers. Again, this speaks to experience and knowing what your body needs.

Gender

Women are more likely to experience GI troubles, especially during times of menstruation.

Emotional and mental stress

An individual with stress, tension, and/or anxiety may experience either accelerated or delayed digestion.

Exercise intensity

During an intense bout of exercise, blood shifts from the digestive track to the muscles, leaving less blood to aid in the digestive process. This can cause cramps and other types of GI problems.

Precompetition food intake

Eating too much high-fat and high-protein foods (such as bacon or a greasy cheeseburger) right before a workout can trigger GI problems.

Fiber

High fiber foods (such as bran cereal or apples) can create GI problems.

Caffeine and concentrated sugar solutions

Coffee, for example, can lead to "coffee stomach" as a result of too much caffeine, creating unwanted stomach distress and/or hyperactive bowels.

Level of hydration

If you are dehydrated, you may experience GI problems during your workout.

Hormonal changes that occur during exercise

Exercise causes a change in the hormones that regulate the digestive system, creating an open door to GI problems.

Morning exercisers are especially guilty of exercising on an empty stomach. If you hit the road without any breakfast, you'll be running on fumes, not fuel. It's like choosing not to put gas into your car before driving to work. A few gallons will get you farther than if your tank is on or below empty.

Now, about eating after exercise: if you are a competitive athlete, what you eat after a workout is just as important as what you eat leading up to a workout, because your body needs to recover and replace glycogen stores in time for the next workout. If you are a recreational exerciser and work out 2 - 3 times per week, you need not worry as much about post-exercise foods because your body will have enough time between workouts to recover. It's common not to want to eat after exercise, because you may not feel hungry and/or don't have time. Learning to eat right after a workout, though, has benefits.

Studies have shown that 15 - 60 minutes after a workout is the optimal time to eat carbohydrate rich foods and drinks (e.g., banana, bagel, orange juice) because that is when enzymes that make glycogen are most active and will most quickly replace depleted glycogen stores in the muscles. Protein also helps with recovery in that it repairs muscle and helps with glycogen replacement. Eat a few slices of turkey on a wheat bagel, or have a large glass of protein fortified milk. The most important nutritional strategy post workout, though, is fluid replacement. Drink water, juice, or carbohydrate rich sports drinks to replace what you sweat out.

If you aren't used to eating before or after exercise, remember that it's a learned behavior. You can train your body to do almost anything. Teaching your body how to use food for exercise is an important part of building your fitness. Building fitness takes time, and so does learning to eat properly. With practice and patience, you can reap the benefits of good nutrition for exercise.

The above is taken from Go ask Alice website.

Is it good to take a bath immediately after meals?

2009-06-22T08:32:00.002+08:00

I am just wondering whether it is good to take a bath immediately after meal? I am used to doing so but have heard that it may not be good.

So I did a search on google and found the following results that it is Not good to do so.

* It is not a HEALTHY habit. Indigestion may result

* You feel dizzy after taking meal and your body temperature increases because a large portion of your blood is diverted to the stomach so that useful nutrients can be taken up in blood from the digested food. So it is not advisable to take bath immediately after taking food, specially hot food.

* ...one of my friends dad, who is a doctor explain me the same, that if we took bath after bath, our digestions factor will not work as per their regular routine, it will get it disturbed by our bath. That is the reason why, we have to give a minimum of 1 hour gap between our meal/or taking any type of food, and taking bath.

But you can take your meal or any food immediately after having the bath/shower. This will in fact help you to improve your hungry but having bath after food will disturb your digestions and also in some of the other technical factors too
as doctor explained to me. So, it is better to avoid to take bath, immediately after having your food.

* Don’t bathe – Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

The Obesity Epidemic (Obesity #1)

2009-06-03T19:44:00.000+08:00

The Obesity Epidemic (Obesity #1)

One third of Americans are classified as obese—-and the number is growing.

Overcoming Obesity (Obesity #3)

2009-06-02T19:41:00.000+08:00

Overcoming Obesity (Obesity #3)

Obesity can lead to a plethora of unhealthy consequences, but the good news is that it can be eliminated with some lifestyle changes.

How to Overcome Obesity in 12 Weeks : Overcoming Obesity: Exercise

2009-06-01T19:36:00.001+08:00

How to Overcome Obesity in 12 Weeks : Overcoming Obesity: Exercise

Exercise three times a week for fifteen minutes a day to overcome obesity. Learn how to overcome obesity in 12 weeks from a certified personal trainer in this free weight loss video.

Expert: Angela Martindale
Contact: www.youtransformyou.net
Bio: Angela Martindale is a personal trainer, lifestyle and weight management consultant, yoga instructor and fitness educator. She holds numerous certifications and has extensive training and education.

Obesity Treatment: Exercise

2009-05-30T19:33:00.001+08:00

Obesity Treatment: Exercise

Treating obesity through exercise.

Do I Suffer From Obesity?

2009-05-29T19:33:00.000+08:00

Do I Suffer From Obesity?

How to determine if you are obese.

Overcoming obesity - Life After Bariatric Surgery

2009-05-28T19:31:00.000+08:00

Life After Bariatric Surgery

Overcoming obesity.

Dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever

2009-04-13T09:56:00.000+08:00

Here are some useful information on Dengue/dengue haemorrhagic fever found on the website of World Health Organization:

Dengue/dengue haemorrhagic fever

- Impact of Dengue
- DengueNet
- Dengue activities
- Information resources

Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral disease of humans that in recent years has become a major international public health concern. Globally, 2.5 billion people live in areas where dengue viruses can be transmitted. The geographical spread of both the mosquito vectors and the viruses has led to the global resurgence of epidemic dengue fever and emergence of dengue hemorrhagic fever (dengue/DHF) in the past 25 years with the development of hyperendemicity in many urban centers of the tropics.

Transmitted by the main vector, the Aedes aegytpi mosquito, there are four distinct, but closely related, viruses that cause dengue. Recovery from infection by one provides lifelong immunity against that serotype but confers only partial and transient protection against subsequent infection by the other three. There is good evidence that sequential infection increases the risk of more serious disease resulting in DHF.

DHF was first recognized in the 1950s during the dengue epidemics in the Philippines and Thailand. By 1970 nine countries had experienced epidemic DHF and now, the number has increased more than fourfold and continues to rise. Today emerging DHF cases are causing increased dengue epidemics in the Americas, and in Asia, where all four dengue viruses are endemic, DHF has become a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children in several countries.

Currently vector control is the available method for the dengue and DHF prevention and control but research on dengue vaccines for public health use is in process. The global strategy for dengue /DHF prevention and control developed by WHO and the regional strategy formulation in the Americas, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific during the 1990s have facilitated identification of the main priorities: strengthening epidemiological surveillance through the implementation of DengueNet; accelerated training and the adoption of WHO standard clinical management guidelines for DHF; promoting behavioral change at individual, household and community levels to improve prevention and control; and accelerating research on vaccine development, host-pathogen interactions, and development of tools/interventions by including dengue in the disease portfolio of TDR (UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases) and IVR (WHO Initiative for Vaccine Research).

What is Dengue Fever and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever

2009-04-11T09:55:00.002+08:00

What is Dengue Fever and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever

The following information is taken from the website of Ministry of Health, Singapore.

Facts and Questions (FAQs) on Dengue:

1.	What is dengue fever?
	Dengue fever is a disease caused by the dengue virus which can be transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. The incubation period of dengue fever normally ranges from between 3 to 14 days.


2.	What is dengue haemorrhagic fever?
	Dengue haemorrhagic fever is a more severe form of dengue and can be fatal if unrecognised or not treated.


3.	How is dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever spread?
	Dengue is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are infected when they take a blood meal from a dengue-infected person. The virus does not spread from human-to-human.


4.	Can dengue be spread from person to person?
	Dengue fever cannot be spread directly from person to person. It is only transmitted/spread to humans by the bite of an an infected Aedes mosquito. A mosquito is infected when it takes take blood meal from a dengue-infected person. The virus does not spread from human-to-human.


5.	When do the symptoms start to appear?
	After the person is infected with the virus, there is generally an average of 4-7 days of incubation before the onset of symptoms.


6.	What are the common symptoms of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever?
	Dengue fever is characterized by the sudden onset of fever, (which can last up to 7 days) and is accompanied by intense headache, body aches, joint pains, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and the development of skin rashes. A blood test will often show low platelets. Dengue haemorrhagic fever presents similarly to dengue fever but is associated with more severe bleeding problems (e.g. gum bleeding, nose bleeding and bleeding into the skin and internal organs) along with evidence of plasma leakage.


7.	Can people suffer from Dengue and not appear ill?
	Yes. Dengue infection without obvious symptoms tend to occur more frequently in children. Dengue infection in adults are more likely to be symptomatic.


8.	Is there any treatment for dengue or dengue haemorrhagic fever?
	There is no specific treatment for dengue or dengue haemorrhagic fever. However, supportive care with intravenous fluids and frequent blood test monitoring reduces complications of the disease. In severe cases, blood transfusions may be required.


9.	Can dengue fever or dengue haemorrhagic fever lead to death?
	Yes. Death can occur in a small minority of persons especially if the infection is not recognized early or early treatment is not sought.


10.	How to prevent dengue fever from spreading?
	Dengue fever can be prevented through measures to prevent mosquito breeding around the house and to protect against mosquito bites. More information about the prevention of mosquito breeding can be found here. The National Environment Agency (NEA) ensures quality environmental health, and public can report to NEA (1800-2255 632 or Contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg) about potential mosquito breeding sites. Precautions include wearing long-sleeved clothes, using mosquito coils and electric vapour mats, and using insect repellent over the exposed parts of the body. Adoption of good daily habits such as clearing blockages from the roof gutter, clearing leaves and stagnant water from drains, removing water from potted plants daily, avoiding the use of pot plates and changing the water in vases everyday will also help to eliminate the chances of mosquito breeding.


11.	Is there a vaccination against dengue?
	There is currently no vaccines available that can prevent dengue.


12.	If I caught dengue fever before , will I be infected again?
	There are 4 strains of dengue viruses. Infection with one strain will provide protection against only that particular strain. Future infection by other strains is possible.


13.	Will I have to be hospitalised if I come down with dengue fever?
	Hospitalisation is recommended for patients who have severe symptoms, and for patients with signs (eg, low platelet counts) that may lead to haemorrhage (internal bleeding).


14.	My neighbour is down with dengue fever, what should I do to protect my family?
	The best protection against dengue is to guard against mosquito bites and to ensure no mosquitoes are breeding in your home. For more information on prevention of dengue, please refer to the following website: http://www.dengue.gov.sg


15.	Is Singapore experiencing a dengue epidemic?
	The dengue situation in Singapore coincides with a general upsurge of dengue cases in the region, and many other countries elsewhere. Dengue is, however, under control in Singapore as the country has put in place rigorous control measures. Life continues as per normal here.


16.	I have low platelet count because of dengue fever. What is the normal platelet when I recover?
	A normal platelet count would range from about 140 to 440 platelets x 10 ⁹/Litre, or about 140,000 to 440,000 platelets in each microlitre of blood. Each lab may differ slightly. Current hospital guidelines allow patients who are recovering well and have a rising platelet trend or platelet above 70,000 to be discharged.

Living a Meaningful and Balance Life

2009-03-26T10:58:00.018+08:00

What does it mean to live a meaningful and balance life style?

To live a meaningful and balance a life, is to be able to live in contentment spiritually, mentally, physically, morally and emotionally.

Here are some helpful resources for some of the above:

Christian Materials for spiritual needs

* Encouraging Christian articles and materials
Believers Encouragements, Christian Encouragements, Encouraging Quotes from the Bible, Sermons and Books, Bible Verses, Encouraging Sermons, Articles for Encouragements, Excerpts, Short Articles - encouragements for Christians, Psalms, Hymns, Songs, Poems, Free Christian Bookmarks with Bible verses, Free Christian Calendars 2009 with Bible verses, Free Photo with encouraging Bible quotes or verses

* Believers' Encouragement

* Encouraging Poems and Quotes with Free Pictures
Encouraging Poems, Encouraging Quotes, Poem, Quotes, Sayings, Encouraging Quotes from the Bible, Encouraging verses from the Bible, Encouraging Bible verses, Download Free Pictures with Encouraging Quotes / Bible Verses

* More Than Conquerors
My Life with Bipolar Disorder : Depression and the Christian. A testimony of God's mercies and goodness to me in my endeavour to understand, manage and conquer bipolar disorder or manic-depressive illness (a medical condition that can be treated) and other challenges in my life. Thank God that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us! (Romans 8:37)

Resources for better mental health

* More Than Conquerors
Real-life testimonies of bipolar disorder and depression, free resources on managing depression and bipolar disorder, Christian and depression, clinical depression.

* Resources for Living a Meaningful Life

Resources for a Meaningful Life - Healthy Living with Better Mental and Physical Health, What is the meaning of life, Exercise, Balance Life style, Useful Recreation and Hobbies, Relaxations, Better Mental Health, Mental Depression, Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness), Perfectionism, etc

* Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness)

What is bipolar disorder or manic-depressive illness, recovery steps, managing depression, depression self-help

* Mental Health in Singapore
Mental illness in Singapore, depression, bipolar disorder, Institute of mental health, Depression, Bipolar-Disorder, Manic-Depressive Illness, Mental Health resources in Singapore, Mental Illness, Psychiatrist in Singapore

* Myths and Facts about Mental Illness

Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Manic-depressive illness, mental illness, Myths and Facts about Mental Illness

Handicrafts, Homemade Art and Crafts and Hobbies

* Buy Homemade Bookmarks, Cards and Gifts
Buy Bookmarks, Homemade Bookmarks, Christian Bookmarks, Chinese Bookmarks, Chinese Christian Bookmarks, Cards, Birthday Cards, Calendars, Table Calendar, Planner, Cross-stitch, Corporate Gifts, Wedding Gifts, Birthday Gifts, Personalized Gifts, Customized Gifts

* Cross-stitch Resources
Free Cross stitch Pattern, Free Cross stitch Chart, Free Cross-stitch Resources, How to do cross-stitch, Free cross stitch resources, Free cross-stitch .jpg, Free Pattern for cross stitch, Free picture for cross stitch, How to cross stitch, Learn cross stitch, cross stitch free, Free instructions on how to cross stitch

* Winnie the Pooh Bear
Winnie the Pooh Bear, Baby Pooh Bear, Pooh Bear Bookmarks, Baby Pooh Bear Bookmarks, Pooh Bear Calendar, Baby Pooh Bear Calendars

* Hello Kitty Collectibles

Hello Kitty Bookmarks, Hello Kitty Calendars 2009, Hello Kitty Cards, Hello Kitty Keychains, Free Hello Kitty Bookmarks Templates, How to make simple Hello Kitty Bookmarks, How to make simple Hello Kitty Calendar 2009, Free Cartoon Bookmarks, Free Bookmarks, Hello Kitty Collectibles

* Precious Moments Bookmarks and Collectibles

Precious Moments Bookmarks, Precious Moments Calendars 2009, Precious Moments Cards, Precious Moments Keychains, Precious Moments Bookmarks Templates, How to make simple Precious Moments Bookmarks, How to make simple Precious Moments Calendar 2009, Free Cartoon Bookmarks, Free Bookmarks, Precious Moments Collectibles

* Homemade Bookmarks

Buy English & Chinese Homemade Bookmarks, Personalized Homemade Bookmarks, Bookmarks with English Bible verses, Bookmarks with Chinese Bible verses, Homemade Gifts

* Homemade Crafts and Gifts

Instructions to make Free Homemade Bookmarks, How to make Bookmarks, Free Homemade Bookmarks Templates, Free Printable Home made Bookmarks, Free Microsoft Word MS Word Bookmarks, Free PDF Bookmarks, Card, Free Homemade Calendar 2009, Free cross stitch pattern, Origami

* Free Cartoons Bookmarks, Calendars and Gifts

Download Free Cartoons Bookmarks, Download Free Cartoons Calendars, Download Free Cartoons Gifts, Download Free Cartoons Collectibles, Hello Kitty, Baby Pooh Bear, Winnie Pooh Bear, Precious Moments, Calendar 2009, Bookmarks, Book-marks, Homemade Bookmarks, Homemade Calendar 2009, Home-made gifts

* Free Photos and Pictures from Digital Camera

Download Free Photos, Free Pictures, Free Pictures with Bible verses, Free Pictures with inspirational quotes, Free Pictures with encouraging quotes, Digital Camera Photo, Photo taking, Take photos, Flower pictures, Animal pictures, Sceneries

* Download Free Photos from Digital Cameras
Download Photos, Free Photos, Digital Cameras, Photos taken with Digital Camera, Free pictures, Pictures free, download pictures, Free download photo, Free photo for download

Free resources

* Free things in Singapore
Freebies in Singapore, Free items in Singapore, Special Offers in Singapore, Special Price

Recreations, travels, etc

* Around Singapore
Interesting links, photos and places of interest in Singapore, Links to Government Departments in Singapore, Hospitals, Changi Airports and others.

* About Singapore
Interesting links, photos and places of interest in Singapore, Links to Government Departments in Singapore, Hospitals, Changi Airports and others.

* Free things in Singapore
Freebies in Singapore, Free items in Singapore, Special Offers in Singapore, Special Price

Music

* Chinese Christian Psalms, Hymns and Songs
Music Videos of Christian Psalms, Hymns and Songs, Hokkien/Hokkein, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hymnals, 基督教诗歌一件礼物, 愛的真諦, 生命的執著, 讓愛傳出去, 奇異恩典 Amazing Grace in Mandarin, 我要向山舉目(詩篇121篇), 足印, 你真伟大(How great Thou art in Mandarin), 禱告 (I pray in Mandarin), 耶稣爱你 Jesus Loves You,愛的真諦 (The essence of LOVE 1 Cor 13 in Mandarin), 我要向高山舉目(Psalm 121 in Mandarin and Cantonese), 我要赞美你, 这一生最美的祝福 (The Best Blessing in This Life in Mandarin), 野地的花, 除你以外, 若是有你在我生命中, 牵我的手, 走过的日子

* Christian Hymns and Songs
Videos of Christian Psalms, Hymns and Songs, Hymnals, Lyrics of Christian Songs, Because He Lives The Gaither, As The Deer, Be Still My Soul, Blessed Assurance, How Great Thou Art, You are My Hiding Place, Trust His Heart, God Will Make a Way, Guide Me O Thou Jehovah,

* English and Chinese Psalms, Hymns and Songs
Videos of Christian Psalms, Hymns and Songs, Hymnals, Lyrics of Christian Songs, Because He Lives The Gaither, As The Deer, Be Still My Soul, Blessed Assurance, How Great Thou Art, You are My Hiding Place, Trust His Heart, God Will Make a Way, Guide Me O Thou Jehovah, Music Videos of Christian Psalms, Hymns and Songs, Hokkien/Hokkein, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hymnals, 基督教诗歌一件礼物, 愛的真諦, 生命的執著, 讓愛傳出去, 奇異恩典 Amazing Grace in Mandarin, 我要向山舉目(詩篇121篇), 足印, 你真伟大(How great Thou art in Mandarin), 禱告 (I pray in Mandarin), 耶稣爱你 Jesus Loves You,愛的真諦 (The essence of LOVE 1 Cor 13 in Mandarin), 我要向高山舉目(Psalm 121 in Mandarin and Cantonese), 我要赞美你, 这一生最美的祝福 (The Best Blessing in This Life in Mandarin), 野地的花, 除你以外, 若是有你在我生命中, 牵我的手, 走过的日子

Freelance / Part-time Work

* Freelance Administration Services
Cost Effective Freelance / Part-time / Project Based Administration Services: Typing, Typesetting, prepare Powerpoint slides, Proofreading, Summarization, Transcription, Transcribing, Mail Processing, Laminating, Homemade Crafts and Gifts, Corporate Gifts.

* Administrative Services

Freelance or part-time Administrative Services, Administration work, Secretarial work, Typing assignments, Administrative work in Singapore

* Freelance Jobs

Freelance Jobs, Freelance Jobs, Freelance assignments, Looking for freelance jobs, Free lance jobs, Part-time job, temporary jobs

* Part-time Jobs

Part-time jobs assignments, Parttime jobs, Parttime Work, Freelance jobs, Typing, Administrative jobs
* Transcription and Dictation

Transcription of audio messages, Dictation of messages, Audio recording and transcription, Typing, Typesetting, Type, Type from audio messages, type from recorded messages, type from video taped messages, transcribing of recorded voices

* Transcription Services
Transcription of audio messages, Transcribing of recorded messages, Transcription, Transcribing, Typing, Type-setting, Freelance Transcription, Freelance Transcribing, Type recorded messages, Type video taped messages

* Typing Jobs
Typing jobs in Singapore, Typist, Home Typing Jobs, Part-time typing, Part-time typist, Freelance Typing, Freelance typist, type-setting

Learn Languages

* Learn Cantonese

Learn Simple Cantonese, Speak Cantonese, Talk Cantonese, Read Chinese, Cantonese PinYin, Cantonese Han Yu Pin Yin, Chinese Language, Cantonese Language, Chinese Cantonese, Cantonese Songs

* Learn Chinese Mandarin
Free Learn Chinese, Free Learn Mandarin, Speak Chinese Mandarin, Read Chinese Mandarin, Chinese Hanyu Pinyin, Meaning of Chinese words

* Learn English

Learn simple English, Read English, Write English, Talk English, How to learn to speak English

Resources for blogging, IT, website

* Resources for Blogging
Resources to design a Blog, Blogging Resources, Free Blogger Templates, How to change a blogger template, How to make money by blogging, Free Anti-Virus, Search Engine Optimization

Useful words to help find this website:
Resources for a Meaningful Life - Healthy Living with Better Mental and Physical Health, What is the meaning of life, Exercise, Balance Life style, Useful Recreation and Hobbies, Relaxations, Better Mental Health, Mental Depression, Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness), Perfectionism, How to live a meaningful and balance a life, Encouraging Christian articles and materials, Believers' Encouragement, Encouraging Quotes and Poems with Free Pictures, More Than Conquerors, Living victoriously despite difficulties or illnesses, A personal testimony of a Christian with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) and depression, Resources for Depression and Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness), Mental Health in Singapore, Myths and Facts about Mental Illness, Handicrafts, Homemade Art and Crafts and Hobbies, Buy Homemade Bookmarks, Cards and Gifts, Buy encouraging Bookmarks, Cards, Calendars (with Christian Bible verses and other general wording), Cross-stitch Resources, Winnie the Pooh Bear, Hello Kitty Collectibles, Precious Moments Bookmarks and Collectibles, Homemade Bookmarks, Homemade Crafts and Gifts, Free Cartoons Bookmarks, Calendars and Gifts, Free Photos and Pictures from Digital Camera, Download Free Photos from Digital Cameras, Free resources, Free things in Singapore, Recreations, travels, Around Singapore, About Singapore, Free things in Singapore, Music, Chinese Christian Psalms, Hymns and Songs, Christian Hymns and Songs, English and Chinese Psalms, Hymns and Songs, Freelance / Part-time Work, Freelance Administration Services, Administrative Services, Freelance Jobs, Part-time Jobs, Transcription and Dictation, Transcription Services, Typing Jobs, Learn Languages, Learn Cantonese, Learn Chinese Mandarin, Learn English, Resources for blogging, IT, website, Resources for Blogging

Myths and Facts on mental illness

2008-08-22T17:01:00.000+08:00

The following is taken from the website of Mental Illness - What A Difference A Friend Makes:

Mental illnesses are very common. They are also widely misunderstood. People with mental illnesses are frequently stigmatized by others who think it's an uncommon condition. The truth is, mental illness can happen to anybody.

Arm yourself with the facts, then use your knowledge to educate others and reach out to those around you with mental illness. Understanding and support are powerful, and they can make a real difference in the life of a person who needs them.

Myth: There's no hope for people with mental illnesses.
Fact: There are more treatments, services, and community support systems than ever before, and more are in the works. People with mental illnesses lead active, productive lives.

Myth: I can't do anything for a person with mental illness.
Fact: You can do a lot, starting with how you act and speak. You can create an environment that builds on people's strengths and promotes understanding. For example:

Don't label people with words like "crazy," "wacko," or "loony" or define them by their diagnosis. Instead of saying someone is "a schizophrenic," say he or she "has schizophrenia." Don't say "a schizophrenic person," say "a person with schizophrenia." This is called "people-first" language, and it's important to make a distinction between the person and the illness.
Learn the facts about mental health and share them with others, especially if you hear something that isn't true.
Treat people with mental illnesses with respect and dignity, just as you would anybody else.
Respect the rights of people with mental illnesses and don't discriminate against them when it comes to housing, employment, or education. Like other people with disabilities, people with mental health problems are protected under federal and state laws.

Myth: People with mental illnesses are violent and unpredictable.
Fact: Actually, the vast majority of people with mental health conditions are no more violent than anyone else. People with mental illnesses are much more likely to be the victims of crime. You probably know someone with a mental illness and don't even realize it.

Myth: Mental illnesses don't affect me.
Fact: Mental illnesses are surprisingly common; they affect almost every family in America. Mental illnesses do not discriminate—they can affect anyone.

Myth: Mental illness is the same as mental retardation.
Fact: These are different conditions. Mental retardation is characterized by limitations in intellectual functioning and difficulties with certain daily living skills. In contrast, people with mental illnesses—health conditions that cause changes in a person's thinking, mood, and behavior—have varied intellectual functioning, just like the general population.

Myth: Mental illnesses are brought on by a weakness of character.
Fact: Mental illnesses are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Social influences, like the loss of a loved one or a job, can also contribute to the development of various mental health problems.

Myth: People with mental illnesses cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.
Fact: All jobs are stressful to some extent. Anybody is more productive when there's a good match between the employee's needs and the working conditions, whether or not the worker has a mental health problem.

Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who have recovered, tend to be second-rate workers.
Fact: Employers who have hired people with mental illnesses report good attendance and punctuality as well as motivation, good work, and job tenure on par with or greater than other employees. Studies by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) show that there are no differences in productivity when people with mental illnesses are compared to other employees. (Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, 1999)

Myth: Once people develop mental illnesses, they will never recover.
Fact: Studies show that most people with mental illnesses get better, and many recover completely. Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. For some individuals, recovery is the ability to live a fulfilling and productive life. For others, recovery implies the reduction or complete remission of symptoms. Science has shown that hope plays an integral role in an individual's recovery.

Myth: Therapy and self-help are a waste of time. Why bother when you can just take a pill?
Fact: Treatment varies depending on the individual. A lot of people work with therapists, counselors, friends, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers during the recovery process. They also use self-help strategies and community supports. Often they combine these with some of the most advanced medications available.

Myth: Children don't experience mental illnesses. Their actions are just products of bad parenting.
Fact: A report from the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health showed that in any given year five to nine percent of children experience serious emotional disturbances. Just like adult mental illnesses, these are clinically diagnosable health conditions that are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Myth: Children misbehave or fail in school just to get attention.
Fact: Behavior problems can be symptoms of emotional, behavioral, or mental problems, rather than merely attention-seeking devices. These children can succeed in school with appropriate understanding, attention, and mental health services.

I'm not supposed to feel like this

2008-08-22T16:57:00.003+08:00

I'm Not Supposed to Feel Like This by Chris Williams, Paul Richards and Ingrid Whitton

Reviewed by Richard Turner, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director of, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

This is an excellent book, written by a Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, the pastor of a Baptist Church and a Consultant Psychiatrist in Leeds. It provides a Christian view on anxiety and depression, and is written for sufferers and their carers as well as providing practical help for church leaders. Because of its multiple authorship and wide appeal, it is a book that could probably be dipped into at different times by readers from the differing constituencies. It is accepted that a depressed person may well find it difficult to read through the book at one go, yet it is written in such a way as to make reading and reflection easy. There are invitations to 'stop, think and reflect'. Various parts of the text are highlighted. There are spaces to make one's own notes. Key points are recorded at the end of many sections and prayers are suggested.

The book is quite clear that depression and anxiety are not due to a lack of faith in God - they are illnesses and should be treated as such. Whilst most people have an idea about treatments for physical illnesses, many are not so well informed about the treatments that are available for depression and anxiety. Along with the stigma of mental illness, there are often preconceived ideas about mental health treatments with stereotyped fears that are inaccurate. There is an excellent chapter on psychiatry and health services that should allay the majority of these fears. The section on 'overcoming your problems' is written from a cognitive behaviour therapy viewpoint and is very full in its treatment.

The book well recognises that as Christians we are all different, with varying personalities and experiences of church life. Some prefer a more emotional experience and others are more intellectual. For church leaders there is a similarly excellent chapter emphasising the integration of spiritual and medical approaches as helpful aspects of whole person care. The development of a Religion and Spirituality Special Interest Group in the Royal College of Psychiatrists is further evidence of the positive working relationships that are developing between professionals working in the Health Service and within churches to the benefit of our patients.

Reviewed by:
Richard Turner
Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director of
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

I'm Not Supposed to Feel Like This - Chris Williams, Paul Richards and Ingrid Whitton - Hodder & Stoughton 2002 -
£6.99 Pb 280 pp ISBN 0340786396

This review article is taken from Christian Medical Fellowship's website at http://www.cmf.org.uk/literature/content.asp?context=article&id=1200

For Ordering of this book:

You may place an order by...
E-mailing: pubs@cmf.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)207 928 4694 Fax: +44 (0)207 620 2453

Writing to the address below...
Publications Secretary
Christian Medical Fellowship
157 Waterloo Road
LONDON SE1 8XN
United Kingdom

http://www.cmf.org.uk/bookstore/?context=book&id=82

A Firm Place to Stand by Marja Bergen : Finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder

2008-08-22T16:15:00.001+08:00

A Firm Place to Stand is a must-read for Christians who struggle with mental health challenges and the faith communities who minister to them.

For too long, society has misunderstood and feared individuals who live with mood disorders. This book dispels the lingering stigma attached to mental health conditions and encourages people to lovingly welcome the sufferers into congregations by understanding them better and supporting them in practical ways.

Most importantly, for the sufferers themselves, A Firm Place to Stand shows that it is possible to have a mental disorder yet be close to God and derive strong support from a growing relationship with Christ.

In her sincere and candid style, Marja Bergen reflects on her forty-two years with bipolar disorder, showing how faith in God can help a person with a serious illness turn weakness into strength. She describes how God transformed her from an insecure, withdrawn person into a leader, an activist, and the founder of Living Room, the growing Christian support group for people with mood disorders.

Riding the Roller Coaster by Marja Bergen : Living with Mood Disorders

2008-08-22T16:13:00.002+08:00

Mood disorders, such as depression and manic depression, affect up to 10% of the population. Marja Bergen is one of those people. Over the 30 years that she has had manic depression, she has gradually adopted a lifestyle that makes it possible not only to cope, but to live a full and productive life. In Riding the Roller Coaster, she shares very practical tips on such things as escaping the blues before they grab you, what to do when you don't feel like doing anything, and keeping life stable.

Reviews in the Media

Mood Disorders Association of BC
Robert Winram, Executive Director
This excellent first person account is filled with encouragement for those managing mood disorders. It delivers understanding, insight and very tangible strategies on how to overcome the difficulties of depression and manic depression. Marja Bergen gives us a very human perspective drawn from her experiences. Her path to recovery is exciting and positive.

News Leader
Despite increased understanding by the scientific community, there is still a big gap in the understanding of these illnesses by the general public. Long-time Burnaby resident, Marja Bergen, has tried to help bridge this gap. Having suffered with manic depression (or bipolar disorder) for the past 34 years, Bergen knows what it is to experience the elation of mania and the despair of depression in the book, she draws from her experience using personal vignettes from her life as well as offering strategies for dealing with the problems that arise.

Bergen offers encouragement to the reader with essays such as: Dealing with the Stigma, Keeping a Balance, If You Can Trust Yourself...and Building Confidence.

Burnaby NOW
Annie Boulanger
The publication of her book is very timely as there are indications that mood disorders are a growing problem in the workplace.

Personal vignettes and real-life examples abound in Bergen's book, including frank descriptions of her own history, from her first treatments in Riverview, to problems adjusting medications in later years.

The book is easy to read, and while Bergen's style is warm and encouraging, it is also clearly written from her own experience.

The book is not only helpful to sufferers of mood disorder related illnesses, but also to their families to understand what it is that their family member is undergoing.

Wayne A. Holst
This book come highly recommended as integrated resources for pastoral counselors as well as other caregivers in parishes who are committed to working with the spiritual aspects of depression within the larger framework of holistic health.

BC IAPSRS News
Bruce Saunders
Bite-sized essays. Brimming with wisdom, forgiveness, acceptance and practical advice. One can easily pick it up and read just a page.

I especially appreciated the “we” tense used throughout and her just plain good sense of things that often get overlooked in our battle with the pathology.

Marja Bergen has crafted an invaluable tool from her life experience with a challenging condition. A great deal of anguish for sufferers and their families, as well as time and money for the mental health system, would be saved if this book were standard issue for all people diagnosed with manic-depression.

I’d like to see all those engaged in psychosocial rehab reading this book to understand mood disorders better and to recommend it to their clients

Rural Roots
Peter Griffiths
The book is relatively small and easy to read.

It is excellent material, and presented simply and clearly. From her reading, research, and most importantly, her experience of living, Bergen has put together short writings on different aspects of depression and manic, and in a very readable format.

This book needs to be read by sufferers of depression and mania, as well as by their family and friends as well. I also wish that psychiatrists who treat people who suffer from depression or manic would hand out a copy of this book along with their prescriptions. If they did, they would be surprised to find out how more effective the medications would become.

A story of Bipolar Disorder or Manic-Depressive Illness : Does it sound like you?

2008-06-25T12:48:00.003+08:00

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

Early recognition of symptoms can lead to earlier diagnosis. And early diagnosis can lead to earlier finding helps and means to cope.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) produced a very useful article on the real account of someone with Bipolar Disorder and it gives important information on the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder.

The article starts by asking "Are you feeling really “down” sometimes and really “up” other times? Are these mood changes causing problems at work, school, or home? If yes, you may have bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness. "

James’ story:

“I’ve had times of feeling “down” and sad most of my life. I used to skip school a lot then I felt like this because I just couldn’t get out of bed. At first I didn’t take these feelings very seriously.

I also had times when I felt really terrific, like I could do anything. I felt really "wound up” and I didn’t need much sleep. Sometimes friends would tell me I was talking too fast. But everyone around me seemed to be going too slow.

My job was getting more stressful each week, and the “up” and “down” times were coming more often. My wife and friends said that I was acting very different from my usual self. I kept telling them that everything was fine, there was no problem, and to leave me alone.

Then, all of a sudden, I couldn’t keep it together. I stopped going to work and stayed in bed for days at a time. I felt like my life wasn’t worth living anymore. My wife made an appointment for me to see our family doctor and went with me. The doctor checked me out and then sent me to a psychiatrist, who is an expert in treating the kinds of problems I was having.

The psychiatrist talked with me about how I’d been feeling and acting over the last six months. We also talked about the fact that my grandfather had serious ups and downs like me. I wasn’t real familiar with “bipolar disorder,” but it sure sounded like what I was going through. It was a great relief to finally know that the ups and downs really were periods of “mania” and “depression” caused by an illness that can be treated.

For four months now, I’ve been taking a medicine to keep my moods stable and I see my psychiatrist once a month. I also see someone else for “talk” therapy, which helps me learn how to deal with this illness in my everyday life.

The first several weeks were hard before the medicine and talk therapy started to work. But now, my mood changes are much less severe and don’t happen as often. I’m able to go to work each day, and I’m starting to enjoy things again with my family and friends.”

Many people who have bipolar disorder don’t know they have it. This booklet can help. It tells you about four steps you can take to understand and get help forbipolar disorder.

Four steps to understand and get help for bipolar disorder:

1. Look for signs of bipolar disorder.
2. Understand that bipolar disorder is a real illness.
3. See your doctor. Get a checkup and talk about how you are feeling.
4. Get treatment for your bipolar disorder. You can feel better.

Download this Free Booklet from National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and read further:

A story of bipolar disorder.pdf

Suicide

2008-06-25T12:35:00.001+08:00

Some people with depression or bipolar disorder become suicidal. Anyone who is thinking about committing suicide needs immediate attention, preferably from a mental health professional or a physician.

I found 2 very useful articles against suicide. One is taken from the website of National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the other is from a book "Broken Minds" written by Steve and Robyn Bloem:

1) This article is taken from the website of National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). NIMH said "NIMH publications are in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without the permission from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). NIMH encourages you to reproduce them and use them in your efforts to improve public health. Citation of the National Institute of Mental Health as a source is appreciated."

Introduction
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

Suicide
Some people with bipolar disorder become suicidal. Anyone who is thinking about committing suicide needs immediate attention, preferably from a mental health professional or a physician. Anyone who talks about suicide should be taken seriously. Risk for suicide appears to be higher earlier in the
course of the illness. Therefore, recognizing bipolar disorder early and learning how best to manage it may decrease the risk of death by suicide.

Signs and symptoms that may accompany suicidal feelings include:
• talking about feeling suicidal or wanting to die
• feeling hopeless, that nothing will ever change or get better
• feeling helpless, that nothing one does makes any difference
• feeling like a burden to family and friends
• abusing alcohol or drugs
• putting affairs in order (e.g., organizing finances or giving away possessions to prepare for one's death)
• writing a suicide note
• putting oneself in harm's way, or in situations where there is a danger of being killed

If you are feeling suicidal or know someone who is:
• call a doctor, emergency room, or 911 right away to get immediate help
• make sure you, or the suicidal person, are not left alone
• make sure that access is prevented to large amounts of medication, weapons, or other items that could be used for self-harm

While some suicide attempts are carefully planned over time, others are impulsive acts that have not been well thought out; thus, the final point in the box above may be a valuable long-term strategy for people with bipolar disorder. Either way, it is important to understand that suicidal feelings and actions are symptoms of an illness that can be treated. With proper treatment, suicidal feelings can be overcome.

How Can Individuals and Families Get Help for Bipolar Disorder?
Anyone with bipolar disorder should be under the care of a psychiatrist skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Other mental health professionals, such as psychologists, psychiatric social workers, and psychiatric nurses, can assist in providing the person and family with additional approaches to treatment.

Help can be found at:
• University—or medical school—affiliated programs
• Hospital departments of psychiatry
• Private psychiatric offices and clinics
• Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
• Offices of family physicians, internists, and pediatricians
• Public community mental health centers

People with bipolar disorder may need help to get help.
• Often people with bipolar disorder do not realize how impaired they are, or they blame their problems on some cause other than mental illness.
• A person with bipolar disorder may need strong encouragement from family and friends to seek treatment. Family physicians can play an important role in providing referral to a mental health professional.
• Sometimes a family member or friend may need to take the person with bipolar disorder for proper mental health evaluation and treatment.
• A person who is in the midst of a severe episode may need to be hospitalized for his or her own protection and for much-needed treatment. There may be times when the person must be hospitalized against his or her wishes.
• Ongoing encouragement and support are needed after a person obtains treatment, because it may take a while to find the best treatment plan for each individual.
• In some cases, individuals with bipolar disorder may agree, when the disorder is under good control, to a preferred course of action in the event of a future manic or depressive relapse.
• Like other serious illnesses, bipolar disorder is also hard on spouses, family members, friends, and employers.
• Family members of someone with bipolar disorder often have to cope with the person's serious behavioral problems, such as wild spending sprees during mania or extreme withdrawal from others during depression, and the lasting consequences of these behaviors.
• Many people with bipolar disorder benefit from joining support groups such as those sponsored by the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (NDMDA), the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and the National Mental Health Association (NMHA). Families and friends can also benefit from support groups offered by these organizations. For contact information, see the "For More Information" section at the back of this booklet.

2) In a book "Broken Minds" written by Steve and Robyn Bloem, Steve described in a very vivid manner the great suicidal temptation that overcomes him and other sufferers and called it "A Sin of the Broken Spirit." He shared his own distressing experiences and God's grace in preserving him from suicide. He also provided a list of the strongest reasons he had given to convince himself not to commit suicide. This will be helpful to anyone who is contemplating suicide during a severe clinical depressive episode or those with suicidal thoughts for some reasons. It may be helpful to carers of such sufferer in his attempt to dissuade him from taking his own life and I trust it will be helpful to any pastor or elders in ministering to such a one with a broken spirit.

"A Sin of the Broken Spirit

Looking at the cold statistics, we cannot forget that the numbers refer to real teenagers and young people - individual men and women of all ages - for whom daily existence has become so awful that self-destruction is preferred. Many of these people are married with young dependent children, just as I was when suicide seemed so appealing. So the human cost goes far beyong the people who die. The dying are parents, spouses, siblings, and children. They have coworkers and fellow students and teachers. They play in the park and shop at the mall. When they die by their own hand, they leave a lot of emotional carnage among the living.

The reason so many mentally ill people commit suicide is not that they are uncaring of others or morally bankrupt. They fall prey to a disease that poisons their minds. Their mood is utterly dark and alone, and a shadowy doorway beckons as the only escapte from hell. Suicide has been called a movement away from the pain. Scripture in fact recognizes the unbearable pain that leads to the temptation to suicide. Proverbs 18:14 states, "The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, But as for a broken spirit who can bear it?"

Grace alone answers the question, and it comes in different forms to bear the broken spirit through tribulation. Acccording to 1 Corinthians 10:13, God will never allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to resist. That is true of all tempations, but we still fail to resist and do yield to sin. The difference with this sin is that, heinous though self-murder by a Christian may be, it is the sin committed by a broken spirit.

It could shock some to read that a young Christian father and husband, ordained to the gospel ministry after graduation from a conservative, Bible-teaching institution, could seriously be tempted to suicide. After entertaining such thoughts, shouldn't I be disqualified forever from the ministry? If you believe that, then you must in fairness say that no man who has ever broken any of the commandments is qualified. Humans from a broken world are the only sort God calls to lead His church. To be human is to know, and occasionally fall victim to, temptation. Most are not faced with a temptation to take their own lives. My personal struggle with that temptation has been a tough one. By God's grace, I have never actually attempted suicide, but in the midst of a severe depressive episode, the temptation to do so remains a formidable fiery dart in the Devil's arsenal.

According to 1 Corinthians 10:13, God will never allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to resist. Too often God's gift of grace in trial and temptation is presented as a grace that alleviates suffering so that the believer can bear it. But it may be that He does not change the struggle but gives strength of mind to bear up under it.

Some counselors do not appreciate the depths of struggle and are quick to condemn. In so doing, they can help Satan push a believer toward suicide. The King James Version offers an apt translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:14 : "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded..." The Greek here literally means "small souled." A clinically depressed person does feel, as I sometimes have felt, feebleminded. I think we get the meaning in this verse turned around. We comfort the unruly and save our harshest warnings for the weak.Extracted from pages 56 and 57.

Put on the Armor

We should instead be helping the feebleminded to put on the armor of God so that they can stand against Satan. In the batle against temptation to suicide, the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of righteousness take on particular importance.......Extracted from page 57.

STEVE: MAKING THE CASE FOR LIFE

In the person contemplating suicide, the brain has been thrust into a swamp of sadness, where God seems to be either angry or missing. It is hard to fight Satan-stirred emotions when the mind does not seem to work, when the spirit is broken, when all positive feeling is gone.

In such times, God provides others who can come alongside. Pastors on the front line here, for they often are the ones who hear the depressed person's last call of despair. We've already seen that doctors also encounter these cries. Professionals in the field of ministry and medicine need to be familiar with the indicators of suicide. Anyone who is ever in a counseling role needs training in how to talk to someone who is entertaining thoughts of suicide.

But anyone can suddenly find himself or herself in conversation with a suicidal person. If so, some general principles can help:

If someone does bring up such thoughts, encourage the person to talk openly and honestly about them. This person is already thinking about it and may already have a plan.

Any truthful deterrant you can give is appropriate.

Since the person may not consider suicide to really be "murder," it is wise to gently remind of the sixth commandment....

... A nurse wrote, telling real stories of unsuccessful suicide in which the survivors ended up seriously disabled. ....

The thoughts and others like them were a potent restraint. Here is a lists of the strongest reasons I have given to convince myself not to commit suicide.
- It is a sin and would bring shame to Christ and His church.
- It would please the Devil and would weaken greatly those who are trying to fight him.
- It would devastate family members and friends, and you may be responsible for them following your example if they come up against intense suffering.
- It may not work, and you could end up severely disabled but still trying to fight depression.
- It is true - our God is a refuge, "and those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You" (Ps. 9:10). God, your Father, will deliver you through what you are facing. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:10 that God "delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us."
- Help is available. If you push hard enough, someone can assist you to find the help you need.
- If you are unsaved, you will go to hell. This is not because of the act of suicide but because all who die apart from knowing Christ personally will face an eternity in a far worse situation than depression.
- If you are a Christian, then Jesus Christ is interceding for you before the Father, that your faith will not fail. He shares your afflictions. Psalm 56:8 says, "Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?"
- God will keep you until you reach a day when your pain will truly be over. Wait for God's time for that, not your own. According to Revelation 7:17c, "God will wipe every tear from their eyes." After going through some awful things, Paul was still able to say, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Rom. 8:18). Extracted from pages 58 to 60.

Support Groups for Bipolar Disorder, Depression and other mood disorders in Singapore

2008-06-25T12:31:00.001+08:00

I just found out that in Singapore we do have Support Groups though not specifically for Bipolar Disorder. Usually the Support Groups cater to a variety of mood disorders which involves depression. These mood disorders can be major depression, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), anxiety disorders, Schizophrenia, etc etc.

The following 2 places provide Support Groups or Group Therapy for mood disorders:

1) Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH)

Peer Support Groups (PSG)

The Peer Support Groups (PSG) are self-help groups for people who are recovering or have recovered from mental health problems to get together as a group for information and sharing of experiences, to obtain social and emotional support and to learn from one another.

How is the PSG run?

SAMH runs two types of Recovery Support Groups:

Sunshinepath - A Support Group for Depression (include Bipolar Disorder) and Anxiety
Mental Health Interactive Group for Schizophrenia

For Sunshinepath Support Group for Depression & Anxiety, members will meet on the first Monday of every month from 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

For Mental Health Interactive Group for Schizophrenia, members will meet fortnightly on the second and fourth Fridays of every month from 2 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.

(Both groups use English as the main language medium but translation by peer volunteers are provided for members who are Mandarin speaking)

Who will conduct the PSG sessions?
The Peer Support Groups are run by trained volunteers who are recovered sufferers with a mental health counsellor or social worker as the moderator.

Where will the PSG be run?
The Peer Support Groups are held at
Central Singapore Club 3R
Blk 69 Toa Payoh Lorong 4
#01-365 Singapore 310069

Who can join?
Persons who have suffered from:

Schizophrenia
Depression
Bipolar Disorder
Anxiety Disorders

Are There Any Requirements from PSG members?
As the PSG is a support group for people going through the challenges of mental health problems, we strive to make the support group a safe and therapeutic avenue for members to be able to relate their experiences. Therefore all members are expected to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Are there any fees involved?
You only need to pay a one time registration fee of $10 to join the group.

How do I join the PSG?
To register for PSG, please click here

For more information on Peer Support Groups, please contact between Monday – Friday (except holidays)

Social Worker, Support Groups, Singapore Association for Mental Health Blk 69 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #01-365, Singapore 310069
Fax No: 62526834
Email:supportsvcs@samhealth.org.sg
For further enquiry, please call 1800 2837019 (09.00am-1.00pm, 2.00-6.00pm) or email to the above email address.

2) Institute of Mental Health (IMH) runs Group Therapy besides individual and family therapy.

Institute of Mental Health (IMH)
Buangkok Green Medical Park
10 Buangkok View, Singapore 539747
Tel : 6389 2000
Fax : 6385 1050
Quality Service (Toll-Free): 1800-3864541
Emergency Help Line (24 Hours): (65) 6389-2222
Outpatient Appointment (65) 6389-2200
Email: imh_appt@imh.com.sg
Admission Enquiries: (65) 6389-2003/4
Billing Enquiries: (65) 6389-2016/7/8

Who to Contact in Singapore

2008-06-25T12:29:00.001+08:00

Who to Contact in Singapore

If you are in Singapore, and you are suffering from Depression or some form of similar mental disorders, or you know of someone suffering thus, and need medical and counselling help, do consider contacting the following to see if they can be of help, besides praying and supporting your friend or loved ones.

If you or someone is suicidal, please know that this is an emergency situation and there is hope and help. Please call 999 or see other emergency contact numbers below under number 4).

1) For Medical Help - For diagnosis and medical help

i) Private Psychiatrist

Dr Pauline Sim
Consultant Psychiatrist
L P Clinic Pte Ltd
Provides psychological services for adults and children
Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre
3 Mount Elizabeth Suite #05-01
Singapore 228510
Tel: (65) 6735-4526
Fax: (65) 6735-4527

Consultation Hours:
Mon - Fri : 8.30am - 5.30pm
Sat: 8.30am - 1.30pm
Sun & PH : Closed
After Off Hrs: (65) 6535-8833

ii) Hospital

- Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH)
- National University Hospital (NUH)
- Institute of Mental Health (IMH)
- Changi General Hospital (CGH)
- Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH)

2) For Counselling Helps

i) Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH)

Tel: 1800-2837019 (Mon to Fri: 9.00am to 1pm, 2pm to 6pm)

ii) Institute of Mental Health (IMH)

Tel: (65) 6389-2222 or 6389-2000

iii) Counselling & Care Centre

Block 536 Upper Cross Street
#05-241 Hong Lim Complex
Singapore 050536
Tel: (65) 6536-6366
Fax: (65) 6536-6356
Email : info@counsel.org.sg
Webwsite : www.counsel.org.sg

iv) Association of Christian Counsellors of Singapore
c/o 422-A Telok Blangah Road
Singapore 098848 (Near Grace Methodist Church)
Tel: 6274-7480 Fax: 62760024
Email: info@accs.org.sg
Website: http://www.accs.org.sg/

v) For counselling help for children and young adults up to the age of 36:

Clinical Psychologist
The Stepping-Stones Practice
112 East Coast Road #04-17
Katong Mall
Singapore 428802
Tel: (65) 6348-4002
Website: www.thesteppingstonespractice.com

3) 24 Hours Hotline - Samaritans of Singapore
Call: 1800-221-4444 (24-hr hotline)
Email: pat@samaritans.org.sg.

4) In time of emergency, especially when there is suicidal thoughts or tendency, please do the following without delay as the sufferers life may be in danger:

a) Police
Call: 999

b) Ambulance
Call: 999 / 911 / 995

c) Institute of Mental Health
Buangkok Green Medical Park
10 Buangkok View, Singapore 539747
Tel : 6389 2000
Fax : 6385 1050

General Enquiries General Enquiries enquiry@imh.com.sg
Quality Service (Toll-Free): 1800-3864541
Emergency Help Line (24 Hours): (65) 6389-2222
Outpatient Appointment (65) 6389-2200
Email: imh_appt@imh.com.sg
Admission Enquiries: (65) 6389-2003/4
Billing Enquiries: (65) 6389-2016/7/8

Behavioural Medicine Clinic
Alexandra
(8am - 12.30pm, Mon)
(8am – 4.30pm, Tue – Fri)
Tel: (65) 6474-4872 Fax: (65) 64756475

Health Promotion Board Building
(8am – 5pm, Mon – Fri) Tel: (65) 6534-5366 Fax: (65) 6534-3677

Geylang Polyclinic
(8am - 4.30pm, Tue - Fri) Tel: (65) 6746-5171 Tel: (65) 68484579

Child Guidance Clinic

IMH Clinic B
(8am – 5.30pm, Mon – Thu)
(8am - 5pm, Fri)
Tel: (65) 6389-2200 Fax: (65) 6385-1075

Health Promotion Board Building
(8am – 5pm, Mon – Fri) 64353878
Tel: (65) 64353879 Fax: (65) 6534-3677

Sayang Wellness Clinic
IMH Sayang Wellness Clinic
(8am – 5.30pm, Mon – Thu)
(8am - 5pm, Fri)
Tel: (65) 6389-2200 Fax: (65) 6385-1075

Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

2008-06-25T12:26:00.001+08:00

This article is taken from the website of National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). NIMH said "NIMH publications are in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without the permission from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). NIMH encourages you to reproduce them and use them in your efforts to improve public health. Citation of the National Institute of Mental Health as a source is appreciated."

About 5.7 million American adults or about 2.6 percent of the population age 18 and older in any given year,1 have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life. It is often not recognized as an illness, and people may suffer for years before it is properly diagnosed and treated. Like diabetes or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed throughout a person's life.

What Is the Course of Bipolar Disorder?
Episodes of mania and depression typically recur across the life span. Between episodes, most people with bipolar disorder are free of symptoms, but as many as one-third of people have some residual symptoms. A small percentage of people experience chronic unremitting symptoms despite treatment.3

The classic form of the illness, which involves recurrent episodes of mania and depression, is called bipolar I disorder. Some people, however, never develop severe mania but instead experience milder episodes of hypomania that alternate with depression; this form of the illness is called bipolar II disorder. When four or more episodes of illness occur within a 12-month period, a person is said to have rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. Some people experience multiple episodes within a single week, or even within a single day. Rapid cycling tends to develop later in the course of illness and is more common among women than among men.

People with bipolar disorder can lead healthy and productive lives when the illness is effectively treated (see below—"How Is Bipolar Disorder Treated?"). Without treatment, however, the natural course of bipolar disorder tends to worsen. Over time a person may suffer more frequent (more rapid-cycling) and more severe manic and depressive episodes than those experienced when the illness first appeared.4 But in most cases, proper treatment can help reduce the frequency and severity of episodes and can help people with bipolar disorder maintain good quality of life.

How Is Bipolar Disorder Treated?
Most people with bipolar disorder—even those with the most severe forms—can achieve substantial stabilization of their mood swings and related symptoms with proper treatment.10,11,12 Because bipolar disorder is a recurrent illness, long-term preventive treatment is strongly recommended and almost always indicated. A strategy that combines medication and psychosocial treatment is optimal for managing the disorder over time.

In most cases, bipolar disorder is much better controlled if treatment is continuous than if it is on and off. But even when there are no breaks in treatment, mood changes can occur and should be reported immediately to your doctor. The doctor may be able to prevent a full-blown episode by making adjustments to the treatment plan. Working closely with the doctor and communicating openly about treatment concerns and options can make a difference in treatment effectiveness.

In addition, keeping a chart of daily mood symptoms, treatments, sleep patterns, and life events may help people with bipolar disorder and their families to better understand the illness. This chart also can help the doctor track and treat the illness most effectively.

Medications
Medications for bipolar disorder are prescribed by psychiatrists—medical doctors (M.D.) with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. While primary care physicians who do not specialize in psychiatry also may prescribe these medications, it is recommended that people with bipolar disorder see a psychiatrist for treatment.

Medications known as "mood stabilizers" usually are prescribed to help control bipolar disorder.10 Several different types of mood stabilizers are available. In general, people with bipolar disorder continue treatment with mood stabilizers for extended periods of time (years). Other medications are added when necessary, typically for shorter periods, to treat episodes of mania or depression that break through despite the mood stabilizer.

• Lithium, the first mood-stabilizing medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of mania, is often very effective in controlling mania and preventing the recurrence of both manic and depressive episodes.
• Anticonvulsant medications, such as valproate (Depakote®) or carbamazepine (Tegretol®), also can have mood-stabilizing effects and may be especially useful for difficult-to-treat bipolar episodes. Valproate was FDA-approved in 1995 for treatment of mania.
• Newer anticonvulsant medications, including lamotrigine (Lamictal®), gabapentin (Neurontin®), and topiramate (Topamax®), are being studied to determine how well they work in stabilizing mood cycles.

• Anticonvulsant medications may be combined with lithium, or with each other, for maximum effect.
• Children and adolescents with bipolar disorder generally are treated with lithium, but valproate and carbamazepine also are used. Researchers are evaluating the safety and efficacy of these and other psychotropic medications in children and adolescents. There is some evidence that valproate may lead to adverse hormone changes in teenage girls and polycystic ovary syndrome in women who began taking the medication before age 20.13 Therefore, young female patients taking valproate should be monitored carefully by a physician.
• Women with bipolar disorder who wish to conceive, or who become pregnant, face special challenges due to the possible harmful effects of existing mood stabilizing medications on the developing fetus and the nursing infant.14 Therefore, the benefits and risks of all available treatment options should be discussed with a clinician skilled in this area. New treatments with reduced risks during pregnancy and lactation are under study.

Treatment of Bipolar Depression
Research has shown that people with bipolar disorder are at risk of switching into mania or hypomania, or of developing rapid cycling, during treatment with antidepressant medication.15 Therefore, "mood-stabilizing" medications generally are required, alone or in combination with antidepressants, to protect people with bipolar disorder from this switch. Lithium and valproate are the most commonly used mood-stabilizing drugs today. However, research studies continue to evaluate the potential mood-stabilizing effects of newer medications.
• Atypical antipsychotic medications, including clozapine (Clozaril®), olanzapine (Zyprexa®), risperidone (Risperdal®), quetiapine (Seroquel®), and ziprasidone (Geodon®), are being studied as possible treatments for bipolar disorder. Evidence suggests clozapine may be helpful as a mood stabilizer for people who do not respond to lithium or anticonvulsants.16 Other research has supported the efficacy of olanzapine for acute mania, an indication that has recently received FDA approval.17 Olanzapine may also help relieve psychotic depression.18
• If insomnia is a problem, a high-potency benzodiazepine medication such as clonazepam (Klonopin®) or lorazepam (Ativan®) may be helpful to promote better sleep. However, since these medications may be habit-forming, they are best prescribed on a short-term basis. Other types of sedative medications, such as zolpidem (Ambien®), are sometimes used instead.
• Changes to the treatment plan may be needed at various times during the course of bipolar disorder to manage the illness most effectively. A psychiatrist should guide any changes in type or dose of medication.
• Be sure to tell the psychiatrist about all other prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or natural supplements you may be taking. This is important because certain medications and supplements taken together may cause adverse reactions.
• To reduce the chance of relapse or of developing a new episode, it is important to stick to the treatment plan. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about the medications.

Thyroid Function
People with bipolar disorder often have abnormal thyroid gland function.4 Because too much or too little thyroid hormone alone can lead to mood and energy changes, it is important that thyroid levels are carefully monitored by a physician.

People with rapid cycling tend to have co-occurring thyroid problems and may need to take thyroid pills in addition to their medications for bipolar disorder. Also, lithium treatment may cause low thyroid levels in some people, resulting in the need for thyroid supplementation.

Medication Side Effects
Before starting a new medication for bipolar disorder, always talk with your psychiatrist and/or pharmacist about possible side effects. Depending on the medication, side effects may include weight gain, nausea, tremor, reduced sexual drive or performance, anxiety, hair loss, movement problems, or dry mouth. Be sure to tell the doctor about all side effects you notice during treatment. He or she may be able to change the dose or offer a different medication to relieve them. Your medication should not be changed or stopped without the psychiatrist's guidance.

Psychosocial Treatments
As an addition to medication, psychosocial treatments—including certain forms of psychotherapy (or "talk" therapy)—are helpful in providing support, education, and guidance to people with bipolar disorder and their families. Studies have shown that psychosocial interventions can lead to increased mood stability, fewer hospitalizations, and improved functioning in several areas.12 A licensed psychologist, social worker, or counselor typically provides these therapies and often works together with the psychiatrist to monitor a patient's progress. The number, frequency, and type of sessions should be based on the treatment needs of each person.

Psychosocial interventions commonly used for bipolar disorder are cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoeducation, family therapy, and a newer technique, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy. NIMH researchers are studying how these interventions compare to one another when added to medication treatment for bipolar disorder.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people with bipolar disorder learn to change inappropriate or negative thought patterns and behaviors associated with the illness.
• Psychoeducation involves teaching people with bipolar disorder about the illness and its treatment, and how to recognize signs of relapse so that early intervention can be sought before a full-blown illness episode occurs. Psychoeducation also may be helpful for family members.
• Family therapy uses strategies to reduce the level of distress within the family that may either contribute to or result from the ill person's symptoms.
• Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy helps people with bipolar disorder both to improve interpersonal relationships and to regularize their daily routines. Regular daily routines and sleep schedules may help protect against manic episodes.
• As with medication, it is important to follow the treatment plan for any psychosocial intervention to achieve the greatest benefit.

Other Treatments
• In situations where medication, psychosocial treatment, and the combination of these interventions prove ineffective, or work too slowly to relieve severe symptoms such as psychosis or suicidality, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be considered. ECT may also be considered to treat acute episodes when medical conditions, including pregnancy, make the use of medications too risky. ECT is a highly effective treatment for severe depressive, manic, and/or mixed episodes. The possibility of long-lasting memory problems, although a concern in the past, has been significantly reduced with modern ECT techniques. However, the potential benefits and risks of ECT, and of available alternative interventions, should be carefully reviewed and discussed with individuals considering this treatment and, where appropriate, with family or friends.19
• Herbal or natural supplements, such as St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), have not been well studied, and little is known about their effects on bipolar disorder. Because the FDA does not regulate their production, different brands of these supplements can contain different amounts of active ingredient. Before trying herbal or natural supplements, it is important to discuss them with your doctor. There is evidence that St. John's wort can reduce the effectiveness of certain medications.20 In addition, like prescription antidepressants, St. John's wort may cause a switch into mania in some individuals with bipolar disorder, especially if no mood stabilizer is being taken.21
• Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are being studied to determine their usefulness, alone and when added to conventional medications, for long-term treatment of bipolar disorder.22

A Long-Term Illness That Can Be Effectively Treated Even though episodes of mania and depression naturally come and go, it is important to understand that bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that currently has no cure. Staying on treatment, even during well times, can help keep the disease under control and reduce the chance of having recurrent, worsening episodes. Do Other Illnesses Co-occur with Bipolar Disorder? Alcohol and drug abuse are very common among people with bipolar disorder. Research findings suggest that many factors may contribute to these substance abuse problems, including self-medication of symptoms, mood symptoms either brought on or perpetuated by substance abuse, and risk factors that may influence the occurrence of both bipolar disorder and substance use disorders.23 Treatment for co-occurring substance abuse, when present, is an important part of the overall treatment plan.

Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, also may be common in people with bipolar disorder.24,25 Co-occurring anxiety disorders may respond to the treatments used for bipolar disorder, or they may require separate treatment. For more information on anxiety disorders, contact NIMH (see below).

This publication, written by Melissa Spearing of NIMH, is a revision and update of an earlier version by Mary Lynn Hendrix. Scientific information and review were provided by NIMH Director Steven E. Hyman, M.D., and NIMH staff members Matthew V. Rudorfer, M.D., and Jane L. Pearson, Ph.D. Editorial assistance was provided by Clarissa K. Wittenberg, Margaret Strock, and Lisa D. Alberts of NIMH. NIH Publication No. 3679
Printed 2002
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Updated: 01/24/2007

When Your Husband Struggles with Depression

2008-06-25T12:23:00.001+08:00

(Note: I am indebted to Cheri Fuller for giving me the permission to re-publish this encouraging testimony on this website (see Cheri’s email at the end of this article). It is my sincere prayers that this testimony of God’s mercies to Cheri Fuller and her husband will be a great encouragement to the readers and will give some hope and help to wives who are struggling to help their depressed husband. May they too know the comfort and help of God as Cheri Fuller and her husband has experienced. To God be the glory.)

Autobiography notes:
Cheri Fuller writes of her experiences and God’s mercies and help to her as she strives to help and support her husband, Holmes, who struggles with depression. Her original article is published on her website www.cherifuller.com. Cheri would like to tell our readers that her latest book is “Loving Your Spouse Through Prayer: How to Pray God’s Word Into Your Marriage”, which she thinks would be an encouragement, support and help to anyone who reads her article on their husbands and depression. It is possible to subscribe to her eNewsletter of hope, inspiration and prayer on www.cherifuller.com

When Your Husband Struggles with Depression
Take heart—there’s hope for him and you.
by Cheri Fuller

Several years ago, my husband, Holmes, began skipping meals and losing weight, eventually 25 pounds within three months. His laid-back, somewhat pensive temperament turned irritable and moody. Although he typically was quiet about his feelings, Holmes became increasingly withdrawn and didn’t seem to enjoy things anymore.

I knew Holmes was encountering tough times as a homebuilder in a flagging economy and a tanking stock market. But I kept hoping he’d perk up if he got another construction job. In the meantime, being ever the encourager, I tried everything I could think of to cheer him up. I pointed out all the positive things he did, such as being a great dad or helping other people. I encouraged Holmes to look ahead to a family trip we’d planned, but that didn’t help, either. As the months rolled into years, neither my encouraging words nor my hard work to take up the slack in our income seemed to make a difference.

In 1995, roughly seven years after I first noticed my husband’s struggles, our pastor realized from a conversation with Holmes that he was suicidal. He immediately made Holmes an appointment with a doctor who diagnosed him as having clinical depression. The physician told us Holmes probably had been depressed for years. Situational depression caused by the crushing pressures of Holmes’ declining building business in the late 1980s, compounded by a genetic predisposition to clinical depression on both sides of his family, had pushed him to the edge. Perhaps if I’d known the clues, Holmes could have gotten help before his depression had become full-blown.

I’ve discovered I’m not the only woman who’s experienced life with a depressed husband. With an unstable economy and corporate meltdowns, depression in males is on the rise. That means countless wives face the challenge of trying to help a spouse who’s in emotional turmoil. But depression doesn’t have to bring down your entire family. There is help, there is hope, and there are ways you can support your spouse—and yourself.

Caring for Your Husband

If the dark cloud of depression overtakes your spouse, how can you help him?

Recognize the signs. It’s important to distinguish between situational depression triggered by something such as a job layoff or demotion, and clinical depression. Situational depression involves some of the same symptoms of clinical depression (see below), but they’re of shorter duration and lower intensity. For example, if your husband’s depression is caused by discouragement over a jobloss, within six months he should regroup, recover his enjoyment of life, and move on. However, according to Michael Navarro, a licensed psychotherapist, clinical depression’s symptoms are more pronounced and last far longer. The absence of pleasure in the activities your husband once enjoyed is greater; his malaise, anger, or weight loss more substantial.

If your husband experiences a majority of the symptoms of depression, he needs professional help. Your family physician can determine what’s biological and what’s psychological; he may make a diagnosis of clinical depression and refer your spouse to a psychologist or psychiatrist for therapy and medication. In Holmes’s case, counseling and an antidepressant were helpful short-term, but since we didn’t have the money to continue therapy, his recovery process took much longer. (I’ve since learned many good therapists provide a sliding fee scale depending on your financial condition.)

How would you know if your husband needs to be hospitalized? If he’s seeing a doctor, his physician would make that recommendation. But here are other clues that in-patient help is needed to stabilize your spouse: when he repeatedly cancels or doesn’t show up for his outpatient/counseling appointments or refuses help; when he digresses into a more nonfunctional state; or if he experiences severe weight loss or sudden gain. And—most important—if he makes statements such as, “I wish I wasn’t around,” or “I think it’s better if you collect my insurance. You and the kids would be better off without me,” which indicate suicidal thinking.

Accept and love your spouse. One of the most important things you can do for your struggling mate is to let him know you still love and accept him despite how he feels about himself. “I’m not saying accepting is easy,” says psychologist Archibald Hart, author of Dark Clouds, Silver Linings. “But you have to accept the reality of the problem. It’s there whether you like it or not, and your responsibility is to communicate love and acceptance in whatever way you possibly can.” This could include a loving touch or hug, or gentle encouragement through a card or meaningful gift.

During one of Holmes’s darkest days, he said, “We—and I—may never be happy again; you’d be better off leaving.” I went in the other room, wept, and prayed for strength and the right response. A short time later, I sat down by Holmes, held his hand, and said, “Even if we’re never happy again, it’s just not all about happiness; it’s about loving each other and being together. I’m committed to you for the rest of our lives. I’m not going anywhere.” Although we had huge hills yet to climb, that was a turning point for us. And in that particular response, Holmes felt unconditionally loved and accepted right where he was.

Encourage exercise. While physical exercise can be an extra challenge to those struggling with depression, the endorphins it provides create a natural mood-lifter. So gently encourage your husband to go for a walk with you after dinner as many nights as he’s willing, or to work out at a gym or do whatever activity he enjoys most when he feels up to it. When my husband and I took our evening walks, he sometimes would open up. One night as we walked, I asked Holmes to give me a word picture of how he felt.

“I feel like a vine’s wrapping itself around me; that it began at my feet and now is almost up to my neck, choking me,” he described. It was hard to hear how terrible he felt, but it helped me connect with him and understand a little of what he was going through.

Realize anger often accompanies depression. But don’t allow your husband to disrespect or abuse you or your children. Be available to listen, but avoid trying to be his therapist. “A mate’s role is primarily one of support. The main therapeutic work needs to be done by a professional,” says Hart.

Whether your husband’s anger is rooted in grief and loss issues, unresolved childhood issues, failure, or job loss, he needs someone with whom to talk. One counselor I know has her clients list ten things they’re angry about when they come in for therapy because she’s found that underneath most depression is anger over something.

Encourage fellowship with other men. When Carrie’s husband, Jeremy, went through a depressive period after a job loss, a small group of friends met with him weekly over coffee to be his sounding board for his job-hunting. They also kept him in their prayers during the difficult months. Their support was invaluable to his recovery and the new career direction he found.

Avoid using words that make him feel worse. A man in the doldrums of depression doesn’t need to hear, “How can you be depressed with all God has done in our lives?” (He’s probably already feeling as though no one understands, and this just confirms it.) Avoid preaching: “Just read your Bible more and get right with God, and your depression will go away.”

Refrain from belittling him or comparing him to others as in, “You know, Brian took St. John’s Wort and he bounced back from his depression in only three months.” Also avoid saying, “Look on the bright side. Count yourself lucky and cheer up,” which makes him feel guilty. One woman I know purposed to praise her husband for the baby steps he took in learning to trust God in the darkness, and didn’t blurt out, “I thought you already knew that!” when he shared insights with her.

Caring for Yourself

I became so emotionally and physically depleted during my husband’s depression that I began suffering from severe insomnia. While working overtime, I parented our teens and worried about our financial situation and my husband. Sometimes I felt abandoned by Holmes —emotionally, at least.

Eventually I realized I harbored some anger as well. Some sessions with a counselor and later a small support group helped me tremendously.

If you get support and deal with your issues, you’ll be healthier emotionally and thus better able to help your husband and children. Here are some ways:

Ask for help. When Brenda’s husband, Daryle, needed to be hospitalized for severe depression, she didn’t think to ask her brother or pastor to accompany her. She drove Daryle the three hours to the center by herself.

Mile after mile he protested, “I’m going home. I’m not going to the hospital. The bank will pull the loans if I’m gone. The company will go under. We’ll lose everything.” After Brenda got her husband in the hospital and almost collapsed from exhaustion, she realized she couldn’t do everything alone. She found a student teacher to live with her family temporarily to help with her children and take them to school. Brenda learned to ask others for help. In the same way, you may need help from a support group or prayer partners, and assistance with your children.

Consider counseling with your husband’s therapist, because frequently the wife feels responsible for her husband’s depression. Find one trusted friend with whom you can cry, be real, and pray. Flo Perkins, an elderly friend whose husband had suffered with chronic depression, was my lifesaver. Flo understood, listened, prayed for me, and encouraged me repeatedly. She passed on the comfort with which God had comforted her (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). From her I learned the invaluable truth that I could give the Lord all my troubles and entrust my husband to his care.

Don’t keep secrets. When Liz’s husband’s life crashed around him due to clinical depression, they went from being pillars in their rural community to being under the lowest rock. He lost his profession, his reputation, his earning power, and his hope as he lived for six long years in a state of depression. One of the best things they did was endeavor to keep open communication with each other and their kids. They held family councils and talked over what was happening in age-appropriate ways, praying together during crises and ongoing struggles.

A word of caution: It’s best to clear this kind of family meeting first with your husband, perhaps by saying, “You’ve always been such a loving dad. Could you help me talk to the kids about your depression to let them know it’s not their fault, and that we’re all going to be healing together?” Avoid saying, “Your depression’s hurting our children, messing their lives up, and making life hard,” which only will make him feel worse. If he prefers, you could sit down with your children alone and explain the nature of depression and that you’ll help them cope with their dad’s condition.

Your kids may need to talk to someone such as a youth pastor or counselor who can help them sort through their feelings. They also need to know they always can come to you to talk about the situation.

Remind yourself of God’s truth. When Brenda was beset by fears, time after time she told herself the truths that restored her stability: that God would never leave or forsake her (Hebrews 13:5); that he promised her his grace when she was weak (2 Corinthians 12:10); and that God somehow would weave everything—even this depression—into a pattern for good (Romans 8:28).

“So often we try to force our way out of a crisis,” Brenda says. “Instead, I began to embrace the situation and say, ‘Okay, God, what do you want me to learn in this? How do you want me to change? And what are you going to accomplish in my husband and family through this difficult time?’”

As she focused on God, Brenda saw him working through Daryle’s hospitalization, the friends who surrounded Daryle, and the spiritual growth they as a couple experienced. Before, Daryle had been Brenda’s rock; through this experience, Brenda learned to depend more on God. And as Daryle recovered, he developed an effective ministry with hurting people and a special sensitivity to those suffering from depression.

Take “mini-vacations.” During the six years her husband was depressed, Liz learned to create brief getaways from her family difficulties. Since they were financially challenged, Liz took long walks through the countryside, singing hymns and praise choruses, sometimes crying buckets of tears and other times stopping to journal her feelings. She lit scented candles at home and took bubble baths to relax. She planned fun activities for her children—picnics, outings to the state park, zoo, and movies, and occasional trips to the grandparents—and carried them out without her husband’s participation when he couldn’t even fake the energy to be involved. These short breaks refueled Liz for the challenges she faced.

Let prayer be your lifeline. “Praying for those we love who are depressed is our best hope,” says Gerry Mensch, who not only survived her own depression but her husband’s as well. “Antidepressants can help, but some in the grip of depression refuse to seek help. When God begins to work in their hearts, he’ll accomplish more than we or medication ever can.” If your husband won’t go for counseling, start praying he’ll wake up and ask for assistance, or that God will put a man in his life to steer him toward help.

Throughout Holmes’s depression, my lifeline was praying Scriptures for him such as Joel 2:25, which asks God to restore the wasted years; Colossians 1:9-12, to give my husband direction; Isaiah 61:1-3, to lift his heaviness of despair and replace it with praise and joy; and 1 Peter 4:8, to fill me with the love that covers a multitude of sins.

It took several years for Holmes to recover from depression, and as we prayed together, we experienced God’s grace for every situation we faced. Prayer strengthened our marriage when we were weak, and reminded us again and again of God’s love. While Holmes’s recovery wasn’t quick, God always was faithful. Although medication and counseling helped, God’s healing power and his Word kept us together.

Today, when I see Holmes smile as he holds one of our five grandchildren, sense his sheer enjoyment of an American history course he recently took at a local university, or experience the fun of strolling on the beach together, I’m grateful for where he is now. I’m thankful for the things we learned and the comfort we received from God and others. I’m also glad we have a chance to share what we learned with others going through depression.

Cheri Fuller, a TCW regular contributor, is a speaker and author whose latest book is Fearless: Building a Faith That Overcomes Your Fear (Revell). Check out her website at www.cherifuller.com.

Warning Signs
Your spouse may be depressed if he:

* Sleeps too much or too little; wakes frequently throughout the night.
* Is persistently sad or has a flat, empty mood.
* Experiences increased anxiety, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and/or decreased
energy.
* Exhibits physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, or other chronic pain that doesn’t respond to treatment.
* Experiences appetite loss, weight loss, or sudden weight gain.
* Has suicidal thoughts.
* Feels hopeless, pessimistic, worthless, a failure.
* Is irrational in his thinking or has difficulty making decisions.
—C.F.

Copyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today’s Christian Woman magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Today’s Christian Woman.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/features/info.html#permission
September/October 2003, Vol. 25, No. 5, Page 68

——-
From: Cheri Fuller [mailto:cheri@cherifuller.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 11:06 PM
Subject: RE: Permission to put your article on my website

Dear Nancie,

Yes, you have my permission to carry my article described below on your website. But you will need to include my name at the top of the article, and also my website: www.cherifuller.com and my latest book, Loving Your Spouse Through Prayer: How to Pray God’s Word Into Your Marriage, which I think would be an encouragement, support and help to anyone who reads my article on your husband and depression. You might also tell people in the Author Bio Box that they can subscribe to my eNewsletter of hope, inspiration and prayer on www.cherifuller.com

I pray God will fill you with the life of Jesus, bring healing and wholeness to every area of your life, and guide you By His Spirit as you seek to help others through this website.

Sincerely
In Christ,
Cheri Fuller
www.cherifuller.com

STRESS AND BURNOUT IN MINISTRY

2008-06-25T12:17:00.000+08:00

Finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder

2008-06-25T12:15:00.000+08:00

Finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder
by Marja Bergen

Mental illness is not all bad. I have lived with bipolar disorder for over forty years and have found it has many benefits. I couldn’t imagine living without it and am not at all unhappy with my life. In many ways, I value what this illness has made possible for me.

With effective medication to keep symptoms under control, people with bipolar disorder can live a close-to-normal life. Yes, moods will fluctuate and cause occasional problems, and treatment will need adjustment. Suffering will always be part of my life. But I accept the way God, the Great Potter, made me. I am rich on many levels.

Like many people with this disorder, I am very creative. I receive a lot of pleasure from photography and using my imagination. The deep emotions I experience, although painful, are a source of richness; I feel completely human. My frequent hard times have helped me appreciate the good times and I make the most of them. Spiritually, I’m stronger for having had to deal with great trials. The fires I’ve passed through have refined me.

Most of all, I appreciate the compassion I am able to have for others who suffer from depression and other mental health issues. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1: 4 hold true for me. I praise God “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received.” God has shown me his love, and I want to pass that love on to others.

Over the past few years, I’ve been fortunate to be part of a church community that has supported me and helped me grow spiritually. With the Christ-like love they have shown me, I have come to understand how great God’s love is. In turn, I now help others through a support group and one-on-one, in person and through my blog. I feel fulfilled. The language of suffering I’ve learned helps me connect with people in trouble. I am able to understand them in a way many others could not.

I feel a bit like Patch Adams in the Robyn Williams film. While Patch is a patient in a psychiatric hospital, he discovers his ability to connect with people. He learns to understand his severely disturbed roommate to see the person behind the illness and helps him through his problems. Not only does this delight Patch, it makes him a well man.

Patch eagerly tells his doctor he is well and needs to leave the hospital. I connected to another human being, he said. I want to do more of that. I want to learn about people. I want to help them with their troubles. I want to really listen to people. Connecting with other people gave Patch joy. It gives me joy, too. When God places you in this role a role he made for you joy happens. Walking with people through some of their toughest times is rewarding and a privilege.

Bipolar disorder will always be with me, and I suffer many high and low moods. But, I don’t feel I’m a victim of the disease. God has helped me find a way to make my illness work for me instead of against me.

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11) God has a plan for each of us. Though we might have a severe illness such as bipolar disorder, God has work for us to do. Eventually, we can use what God has given us even the bad and turn it into something good.

Marja Bergen is the author of Riding the Roller Coaster: Living with Mood Disorders (Northstone, 1999) and a new book for Christians about living successfully with bipolar disorder (to appear). She is the founder of Living Room, a faith-based Mood Disorders Association of BC support group. Her blog, marjabergen.blogspot.com, deals with mental health and faith issues. She can be reached at info@candidsbymarja.com.

This article is published on the website of CanadianChristianity.com
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/christianliving/070816meaning.html

This article is reproduced here with the permission of Marja when I wrote to her. Thank God for her kindness:

Hi Nancie and Sandy. Thank you both for your good wishes.

And welcome to my site, Nancie. It’s good to meet you. I had a look at your blog and can see you are a kindred spirit. I’d be happy for you to post my articles from Canadian Christianity on your blog. There are several there, and you’re welcome to use any of them.

—————

Marja’s blog:
Roller Coaster
http://marjabergen.blogspot.com/

This blog is about Marja’s living with bipolar disorder and about how her Christian faith has helped her cope and develop a life that is full and satisfying. It deals with some of the frustrations and anger she feels about the injustice and damaging effect of stigma.

Shedding Light on the Darkness of Depression

2008-06-25T12:13:00.001+08:00

Shedding Light on the Darkness of Depression by John H. Timmerman

John H. Timmerman is professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He elaborates on his experiences with depression in his book A Season of Suffering (Multnomah, 1988). This article appeared in the Christian Century, March 2, 1988. Copyright by the Christian Century Foundation and used by permission. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted & Winnie Brock.

At the most unexpected moments it slips people its dark poison. One scarcely notices the initial sting. Slowly, insidiously, the poison spreads until the victim finds herself cut off from life by a gray veil. The monster, what Winston Churchill, a longtime sufferer, called “the Black Dog.” is depression. Medical statistics indicate that in the adult U.S. population approximately 12 per cent of males and 18 per cent of females have had a major depressive episode at some time.

Call it what you will, the most agonizing fact of the illness is that pall of darkness laid upon the mind. Life and light seem beyond reach. Something intervenes: a gray mist of separation, the inability to feel loved and needed, a feeling of being locked away from everything and everyone — including God.

Perhaps this is one way to distinguish between the “blues,” which afflict nearly everyone at one time or another, and the blackness of clinical depression. Clinically depressed patients cry, “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” — and sometimes add, “But I really can’t blame you for doing so.” Unworthiness. Forsakenness.

Clinical depression can generate a number of specific symptoms that are severe, persistent and disabling. Its causes may be internal (endogenous) or external (exogenous) But if it becomes severe, it is marked by a profound biological unsettling of the delicate interplay of chemicals in the brain. Into that imbalance enters the appalling cloud. It was this biological depression that sucked my wife — and my family — into its black maw. We became a vivid example of suffering in the Christian life.

Acknowledging that Christians can suffer from depression flies in the face of popular religious slogans that tell us about the power of positive thinking, that we should let go and let God, that all is well with the world when one is right with God.

Seven weeks following the birth of our fourth child, my wife, Pat, fell victim to postpartum depression. Though she entered the hospital diagnosed with severe, major biological depression, the admitting psychiatrist assured us that she could expect to leave within two to three weeks as antidepressant medications took effect. Her hospitalization lasted seven weeks, through a tormenting sequence of failed medication and terrifying mental affliction, culminating in a series of electro-convulsive treatments.

So many of us will worry over even a sore throat and seek condolences from others, but we are strangely reluctant to admit to mental affliction. It appears a sign of weakness or, in the perverted view of some, a sign of sin. However difficult it is to acknowledge depression, it is a fact that many Christians have experienced it. Just how many is difficult to say; statistics are often contradictory and unreliable. For many years depression, unless it required hospitalization, was something we hid in the closet (and even then we hid it if possible) As more people are recognizing the nature of the illness, more are seeking help. For all those on the continuum from “blues” to clinical depression, I want to affirm that the black dog can be tamed; depression can be healed.

But how can people recognize depression? What signs can they look for? The most recent psychiatric guidelines, given in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1981) , draw attention to persistence and severity, usually gauged as at least two weeks’ endurance (distinguishing depression from the common, passing blues) of four or more of the following symptoms: persistent feelings of guilt, sadness and hopelessness; thoughts of suicide; poor concentration; changes in appetite; alterations in sleep patterns; decreased interest in sex; and loss of interest in daily activities.

Clinical analysis generally divides depression’s signs and symptoms into four major areas. Affective signs include states of feelings, ranging from mild sadness to severe despair. The depressed person often feels some degree of anxiety, worry, anger or confusion.

Cognitive thought-process signs are the way in which the patient thinks about himself or herself, and about relationships with others or with situations. Typically, the depressed person has very low self-esteem, feels incapable of clear decisions, and seems to have little control over thought processes, into which thoughts of death or suicide intrude.

Both of the above may be observed in behavior signs. Because of their low self-esteem and confused thinking, depressed people may become terribly dependent and submissive, fearful of being left alone, and given to relentless crying and withdrawal. Agitation may give way to restless behavior such as pacing, trembling or handwringing. Their speech and action may become impeded. They may neglect routine activities, such as picking up the mail, reading the newspaper or making coffee. They no longer take pleasure in formerly enjoyable activities.

Depression inevitably takes its toll upon the patient’s physical functions. Initially, depressed people seem to lack energy, which may spiral rapidly into acute fatigue as sleep habits are disturbed. They may suffer physical symptoms such as constipation or diarrhea, indigestion, nausea and headaches. Despite the longing for physical contact, sexual patterns may be disturbed. Posture is often affected; the patient might slouch, bending shoulders forward as if a weight were pressing upon them. The eyes might appear dull and listless, seeming to turn inward with a kind of glazed look. Few illnesses reveal as clearly the relation between body and mind.

Having examined some of the indicators of depression, the word why inevitably arises. Here is the great perplexity of depression: Why does this happen to me? As a rule, depressed persons, because of the acute sense of unworthiness which typifies the illness, generally believe they are depressed because of something they have or have not done. They believe themselves to be responsible, even if they can find no direct cause-and-effect relationship in their lives. Since so many factors come to bear upon the illness, it is understandable that people are prone to inventing causes; they want to name, identify, pinpoint and blame someone or something specific.

Psychiatry has postulated causes that are more probable than one’s own actions. For example, genetic factors may to a certain extent make one more susceptible to depression. Those with a family background of mental disorders are at greater risk. Second, stress can provoke emotional mood shifts. A third area, the chemical functions of the brain, has become a primary focus of medical research into biological depression. Current science provides convincing evidence that disruption in hormonal patterns and the neural synapses in the brain are involved in clinical depression. Because of this chemical imbalance, the use of certain drugs has become critically important to the treatment of depression.

Psychiatry generally distinguishes between two major kinds of depression: bipolar and unipolar. Bipolar, or manic, depression is characterized by recurring mood shifts which the patient cannot control. Unipolar depression is a single, progressive state, without the mood swings. One theory speculates that too little of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine causes unipolar depression; too much of it causes manic depression. More recent theories hold that several transmitters are involved — serotonin and dopamine, for example. Treatment for both types of depression may involve pharmaceutical control, depending on the diagnosis of probable causes and background for the individual’s condition.

The use of medications in the treatment of depression, often prescribed over an extensive period of time, provokes considerable dismay in many people. They fear the possibility of physiological and psychological dependency upon the drug.

Having considered signs and symptoms of depression, the major kinds of depression and drug therapy for them, one has still skirted the medical fringes of a catastrophic human experience. Left begging is the key question: What is depression like? No single item emerges more clearly from studies of the experience of depression than the fact that it attacks the very individuality of the sufferer and is therefore unique to each person’s experience of it. It afflicts parts of us that make us individuals — our minds, emotions and personalities.

Some indication of what the illness is like may be gleaned from a journal my wife kept during her seven-week hospitalization. As she began to respond to medication her moods bounced up and down. It seemed that depression was a dark beast, always lurking behind some huge door in her mind, ready to spring out at unexpected moments. It was always there, and its attack could not be predicted. Fear of the beast was as terrible as the attack itself.

June 23 (after one week) :
When I awaken, I have a sick feeling as I remember that I am here. Sometimes it still seems like a bad dream. I attended chapel but found it very hard to concentrate. The message seemed meaningless.

June 28 (after two weeks) :
Last night was a frightening night. The overwhelming feeling of depression hit me during the night. I felt nauseated, like my nerves were in knots, and had diarrhea.

. . .Tears have flowed like rivers today. I really feel I need strength from the Lord to help me get through this hospitalization. Sometimes I feel so alone and worried about a recurrence when I get home.

July 7 (after 3 weeks) :
I feel so guilty that I can’t seem to get well. I feel like a stranger to myself. . . . I can’t read my Bible or pray. I know God knows my needs and the needs of my family, and I trust He will take care of us all. I’ve reread my favorite Bible promises. But I can’t feel them right now.

July 12:
I awakened about 3:30 A.M. I feel very nauseated and very thirsty. At 5 A.M. I got up for some ginger ale and a cracker. I still feel nauseated and my head is spinning. I am very discouraged. I still am thirsty. . . “I’m trying so hard to believe all of God’s promises. I know that they are true and I thank him that they aren’t dependent upon my feeling them. I feel totally helpless today. I feel that with every depressing day a little more of me dies.”

During this time Pat’s medication was not being effectively metabolized. Since switching her to a different medicine would have taken several weeks, and she had already been separated from her family for nearly six weeks, her doctors decided, with our approval, to use electro-convulsant therapy
(ECT)

The use of ECT has always been extremely controversial in psychiatry, and its mere mention strikes fear into the heart of the patient. The modern use of ECT, however, is far more carefully regulated and benign than the old-fashioned “shock treatments” of the 1960s. The careful administration of
muscle-relaxants and tranquilizers reduces the “shock” to the body. The small surge of electricity penetrates the disrupted activity of the brain, jarring the neurotransmitters into normal action. The most common side-effects are short-term memory loss and headache, the latter usually relieved within 24 hours. While seldom a first course of treatment for depression, ECT has resulted in considerable relief for biological depression. While the normal course of treatments runs a course of 6-12 administrations, ECT proved so successful for Pat that she was given only four. A week later she was discharged.

Discharge from a hospital, however, is only a beginning on the road back to health. A major depressive episode such as Pat’s may last as long as 18 months. In fact, it was almost two years before she was able to go completely off antidepressant medication. For some people, the battle with depression and the necessity for medication or therapy may endure for years. However long the ordeal, however, the experience will forever be a part of the person. The fear of recurrence is always there; the memory of the anguish never fully disappears.

Second. we learned how much the body of Christ must support members in need. We experienced this help in bountiful and unexpected ways, reminding us with a tremendous urgency of our corporate need and responsibility. Church members regularly lifted our need before God in intercessory prayer. Pastors and friends delivered meals to us, cared for the children and comforted us. We experienced the New Testament ideal of being one body in Jesus, and the care that each member shares.

We learned that others also suffer enormous hurt on their pilgrimage through this fallen world. It is not, however, a vale of tears with no light finally to show the way. The many helping hands that attended us testified to the opposite. But sometimes it takes the jarring impact of personal pain to remind us of the wounded spirits to whom we can minister. This need is particularly great, we found, among those who suffer psychological pain. For so many it is a private grief, borne upon lonely shoulders, hidden from the world.

Depression should no longer carry a stigma; we must recognize it as an illness entailing specific spiritual and psychological needs, and requiring specific treatments. Depressed people need recognition and urgent caring. One great need is for human contact, whether through greeting cards or visits. To the depressed person, the well of human kindness seems to have hit dry rocks; there never seems to be enough love available.

Our experience tutored us, painfully, in the reality of suffering among faithful Christians. We have no easy answers. But we felt the pulse of pain and, by looking to the cross, gained some understanding.

Jesus, the true light himself, the very son of God, stands in the form of humanity — the very same who marred God~s perfection and cast darkness over that light. To restore that light, Jesus, the perfect light, underwent the full anguish of complete darkness. He knew separation from God thoroughly; he plumbed the deepest sea of terrifying darkness in order to build a bridge out of it for us. There he cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” He felt cut off from God, forsaken. Still caught between the perfect light and the dark imperfection, we cry out the same plea. Though he was plunged into the sea of human despair, the devil could not hold Jesus. A shattered grave, blasted apart by the light of all ages, is the testimony. In the gutted wreck of that grave lies the foot of the bridge out of all darkness.

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Copyright 2007 CHRISTIAN CENTURY. Reproduced by permission from the March 2, 1988 issue of the CHRISTIAN CENTURY. Subscriptions: $49/year from P.O. Box 378, Mt. Morris, IL 61054. 1-800-208-4097

Helping Someone with Mood Disorders

2008-06-25T12:09:00.000+08:00

(taken from the website of Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)

Mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) affect millions of people. Their family members and friends are affected too. If someone you love has a mood disorder, you may be feeling helpless, overwhelmed, confused and hopeless, or you may feel hurt, angry, frustrated and resentful. You may also have feelings of guilt, shame and isolation, or feelings of sadness, exhaustion and fear. All of these feelings are normal.

What you need to know:

* Your loved one’s illness is not your fault (or your loved one’s fault).
* You can’t make your loved one well, but you can offer support, understanding and hope.
* Each person experiences a mood disorder differently, with different symptoms.
* The best way to find out what your loved one needs from you is by asking direct questions.

What you need to find out:

* Contact information (including emergency numbers) for your loved one's doctor, therapist, and psychiatrist, your local hospital, and trusted friends and family members who can help in a crisis.
* Whether you have permission to discuss your loved one's treatment with his or her doctors, and if not, what you need to do to get permission.
* The treatments and medications your loved one is receiving, any special dosage instructions and any needed changes in diet or activity.
* The most likely warning signs of a worsening manic or depressive episode (words and behaviors) and what you can do to help.
* What kind of day-to-day help you can offer, such as doing housework or grocery shopping.

When talking with your loved one's health care providers, be patient, polite and assertive. Ask for clarification of things you do not understand. Write down things you need to remember.

What you can say that helps:

* You are not alone in this. I’m here for you.
* I understand you have a real illness and that’s what causes these thoughts and feelings.
* You may not believe it now, but the way you’re feeling will change.
* I may not be able to understand exactly how you feel, but I care about you and want to help.
* When you want to give up, tell yourself you will hold on for just one more day, hour, minute - whatever you can manage.
* You are important to me. Your life is important to me.
* Tell me what I can do now to help you.
* I am here for you. We will get through this together.

What you should avoid saying:

* It’s all in your head.
* We all go through times like this.
* You’ll be fine. Stop worrying.
* Look on the bright side.
* You have so much to live for; why do you want to die?
* I can’t do anything about your situation.
* Just snap out of it.
* Stop acting crazy.
* What’s wrong with you?
* Shouldn’t you be better by now?

Download a quick guide to "What Helps and What Hurts" here.

What to do if someone is in crisis.

What can I do when my child or an older relative is ill?

How long will it take before the person feels better?

Some people are able to stabilize quickly after starting treatment; others take longer and need to try several treatments, medications or medication combinations before they feel better. Talk therapy can be helpful for managing symptoms during this time.

If your friend or family member is facing treatment challenges, the person needs your support and patience more than ever. Education can help you both find out all the options that are available and decide whether a second opinion is needed. Help your loved one to take medication as prescribed, and don’t assume the person isn’t following the treatment plan just because he or she isn’t feeling 100% better.

There is hope:

As a friend or family member of someone who is coping with bipolar disorder or depression, your support is an important part of working toward wellness. Don’t give up hope. Treatment for mood disorders does work, and the majority of people with mood disorders can return to stable and productive lives. Keep working with your loved one and his or her health care providers to find treatments that work, and keep reminding your loved one that you are there for support.

page created: May 3, 2006

page updated: November 2, 2006

Family and Friends' Guide

2008-06-25T12:04:00.001+08:00

The following is taken from the website of Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) :

Family and Friends' Guide to Recovery From Depression and Bipolar Disorder

When a friend or family member has an episode of depression or bipolar disorder (manic depression), you might be unsure about what you can do to help. You might wonder how you should treat the person. You may be hesitant to talk about the person’s illness, or feel guilty, angry, or confused. All of these things are normal.

There are ways you can help friends or family members throughout their recovery while empowering them to make their own choices.

The Five Stages of Recovery

It can be helpful to view recovery as a process with five stages. People go through these stages at different speeds. Recovery from an illness like depression or bipolar disorder, like the illness itself, has ups and downs. Friends and family who are supportive and dependable can make a big difference in a person’s ability to cope within each of these stages.

1. Handling the Impact of the Illness
Being overwhelmed and confused by the illness.

An episode of mania or depression, especially one that causes major problems with relationships, money, employment or other areas of life, can be devastating for everyone involved. A person who needs to be hospitalized may leave the hospital feeling confused, ashamed, overwhelmed, and unsure about what to do next.

What friends and family can do:

* Offer emotional support and understanding.
* Help with health care and other responsibilities.
* Offer to help them talk with or find health care providers.
* Keep brief notes of symptoms, treatment, progress, side effects and setbacks in a journal or personal calendar.
* Be patient and accepting.

Your loved one’s illness is not your fault or theirs. It is a real illness that can be successfully treated. Resist the urge to try to fix everything all at once. Be supportive, but know that your loved one is ultimately responsible for his or her own treatment and lifestyle choices.

2. Feeling Like Life is Limited
Believing life will never be the same.

At this stage, people take a hard look at the ways their illness has affected their lives. They may not believe their lives can ever change or improve. It is important that friends, families, and health care providers instill hope and rebuild a positive self-image.

What friends and family can do:

* Believe in the person’s ability to get well.
* Tell them they have the ability to get well with time and patience. Instill hope by focusing on their strengths.
* Work to separate the symptoms of the illness from the person’s true personality. Help the person rebuild a positive self-image.
* Recognize when your loved one is having symptoms and realize that communication may be more difficult during these times. Know that symptoms such as social withdrawal come from the illness and are probably not a reaction to you.
* Do your best not to rush, pressure, hover or nag.

A mood disorder affects a person’s attitude and beliefs. Hopelessness, lack of interest, anger, anxiety, and impatience can all be symptoms of the illness. Treatment helps people recognize and work to correct these types of distorted thoughts and feelings. Your support and acceptance are essential during this stage.

3. Realizing and Believing Change is Possible
Questioning the disabling power of the illness and believing life can be different.

Hope is a powerful motivator in recovery. Plans, goals, and belief in a better future can motivate people to work on day-to-day wellness. At this stage people begin to believe that life can be better and change is possible.

What friends and family can do:

* Empower your loved on to participate in wellness by taking small steps toward a healthier lifestyle. This may include:

- Sticking with the same sleep and wake times
- Consistently getting good nutrition
- Doing some sort of physical activity or exercise
-Avoiding alcohol and substances
- Finding a DBSA support group
- Keeping health care appointments and staying with treatment

* Offer reassurance that the future can and will be different and better. Remind them they have the power to change.

* Help them identify things they want to change and things they want to accomplish.

Symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder may cause a hopeless, “what’s the point?” attitude. This is also a symptom of the illness. With treatment, people can and will improve. To help loved ones move forward in recovery, help them identify negative things they are dissatisfied with and want to change, or positive things they would like to do. Help them work toward achieving these things.

4. Commitment to Change
Exploring possibilities and challenging the disabling power of the illness.

Depression and bipolar disorder are powerful illnesses, but they do not have to keep people from living fulfilling lives. At this stage, people experience a change in attitude. They become more aware of the possibilities in their lives and the choices that are open to them. They work to avoid feeling held back or defined by their illness. They actively work on the strategies they have identified to keep themselves well. It is helpful to focus on their strengths and the skills, resources and support they need.

What friends and family can do:

* Help people identify:

- Things they enjoy or feel passionate about
- Ways they can bring those things into their lives
- Things they are dissatisfied with and want to change
- Ways they can change those things
- Skills, strengths and ideas that can help them reach their goals.
- Resources that can help build additional skills

* Help them figure out what keeps them well.

* Encourage and support their efforts.

The key is to take small steps. Many small steps will add up to big positive changes. Find small ways for them to get involved in things they care about. These can be activities they enjoy, or things they want to change, in their own lives or in the world.

5. Actions for Change
Moving beyond the disabling power of the illness.

At this stage, people turn words into actions by taking steps toward their goals. For some people, this may mean seeking full-time, part-time or volunteer work, for others it may mean changing a living situation or working in mental health advocacy.

What friends and family can do:

* Help your friends or family members to use the strengths and skills they have.

* Keep their expectations reachable and realistic without holding them back.

* Help them find additional resources and supports to help them reach their goals step-by-step.

* Continue to support them as they set new goals and focus on life beyond their illness.

* Help them identify and overcome negative or defeatist thinking.

* Encourage them to take it easy on themselves and enjoy the journey.

People with depression or bipolar disorder have the power to create the lives they want for themselves. When they look beyond their illness, the possibilities are limitless.

What you can say that helps:

* You are not alone in this. I’m here for you.

* I understand you have a real illness and that’s what causes these thoughts and feelings.

* You many not believe it now, but the way you’re feeling will change.

* I may not be able to understand exactly how you feel but I care about you and want to help.

* When you want to give up, tell yourself you will hold of for just one more day, hour, minute - whatever you can manage.

* You are important to me. Your life is important to me.

* Tell me what I can do now to help you.

* I am here for you. We will get through this together.

Avoid saying:

* It’s all in your head.

* We all go through times like this.

* You’ll be fine. Stop worrying.

* Look on the bright side.

* You have so much to live for why do you want to die?

* I can’t do anything about your situation.

* Just snap out of it.

* Stop acting crazy.

* What’s wrong with you?

* Shouldn’t you be better by now?

What to find out:

Contact information (including emergency numbers) for your loved one’s doctor, therapist, and psychiatrist, your local hospital, and trusted friends and family members who can help in a crisis

Whether you have permission to discuss your love one’s treatment with his or her doctors, and if not, what you need to do to get that permission.

The treatments and medications your loved one is receiving, any special dosage instructions and any needed changes in diet or activity.

The most likely warning signs of a worsening manic or depressive episode (words and behaviors) and what you can do to help.

What kind of day-to-day help you can offer, such as doing housework or grocery shopping.

When talking with your love one’s health care providers, be patient, polite and assertive. Ask for clarification of things you do not understand. Write things down that you need to remember.

Helping and getting help

As a friend or family member you can provide the best support when you’re taking care of yourself. It helps to talk to people who know how it feels to be in your situation. Talk with understanding friends or relatives, look for therapy of your own, or find a DBSA support group.

DBSA support groups are run by people, families and friends affected by depression or bipolar disorder. They are safe, confidential, free meetings where people can learn more about depression, bipolar disorder, and how to live with the illnesses.

One father of a daughter with bipolar disorder says, “DBSA support groups help take a lot of stress out of your life. As a family member, you have to be as prepared as possible, and accept that things will still happen that you aren’t totally prepared for. DO all the research you can. Build a long list of dependable resources and support people, so when a situation arises, you know where to turn and how to take the next step. This really helped my family when we needed it.”

A mother of a son with depression says, “When you are in the middle of a situation, it’s hard to see what’s happening, but when you sit in a support group meeting across from someone who is going through the same things, it gives you perspective.”

DBSA has a complete section with information for family and friends to help a loved one on their recovery to wellness.

Resources for Healthy Lifestyle

Glucobay - Diabetic medicine

What is Glucobay?

What is Dementia? Alzheimer’s Disease or Vascular Dementia : Forms of forgetfulness

What is Dementia?

Treatment of Tuberculosis: guidelines for national programmes from WHO - book or pamphlet about TB

Treatment of Tuberculosis: guidelines for national programmes

Websites Information on TB (Tuberculosis)

Websites on TB (Tuberculosis)

How to prevent TB from spreading? - common questions about TB

How Can I Keep from Spreading TB?

Differences Between TB Infection and TB Disease : Pamphlets about TB (Tuberculosis) - information about TB - writeups

Pamphlets about TB (Tuberculosis)

What Is TB Disease? - Tuberculosis disease : Common questions about TB

What Is TB Disease?

What Is Latent TB Infection(LTBI)? - common questions about TB

What Is Latent TB Infection(LTBI)?

How is TB spread ? - Tuberculosis : Common questions about TB

How is TB (tuberculosis) spread?

What is TB (Tuberculosis) ? - common questions about TB

What is TB?

Vertigo - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

What is vertigo BPPV - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Vertigo dizziness treatment - Canalith Repositioning

Treatment for vertigo and dizziness - Canalith Repositioning

Treatment for Vertigo and dizziness - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

Vertigo and dizziness treatment for BPPV

Treatment for vertigo - Brandt-Daroff Home Exercises

Home therapy for Vertigo - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

What to Eat for Breakfast?

Depression and Bipolar Disorder is an illness like any other

Handling Stress according to the Bible

A Practical Workbook for the Depressed Christian by John Lockley

Trust during rough times by Marja Bergen

STRESS AND BURNOUT IN MINISTRY by Rowland Croucher

Depression : Broken Mind - Steve and Robyn Bloem

When Your Husband Struggles with Depression

Shedding Light on the Darkness of Depression

Extreme exhaustion and lack of motivation : How to motivate myself

Finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder by Marja Bergen

Help for Suicide / Suicidal thoughts

Suicide

Handling Stress

Stress

Coping with perfectionist character trait / perfectionism

Perfectionism

Coping with Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness)

Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness)

Bipolar Books

Bipolar Pamphlets

Bipolar Real Life Testimonies

Coping with Clinical Depression

Depression Videos

Depression Books

Depression Real Life Testimonies

Depression and the Christian

How Carers/Friends can help

Resources for better Mental Health

Depression Videos

Depression Books

Depression Real Life Testimonies

Depression and the Christian

How Carers/Friends can help

Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness)

Bipolar Books

Bipolar Pamphlets

Bipolar Real Life Testimonies

Misc

Perfectionism

Stress

Real Life Testimonies

Suicide

WHO warns swine flu 'unstoppable'

What's the Best Time to Exercise?

When Later Is Better

Finding Your Own Best Time to Exercise

Establishing the Exercise Habit

Is it better to eat before or after exercise?

Is it good to take a bath immediately after meals?

The Obesity Epidemic (Obesity #1)