Anger Control Problems

 People with anger problems often quickly react in aggressive ways when they feel insulted, or offended, especially when they think they are being ill-treated. People struggling with this problem often blow up or hit the roof at others. They also tend to blame other people for their problems, without considering the role they might be playing in the situation.

Everyone gets angry sometimes. This is normal, and sometimes it is even necessary and healthy. If a person is being hurt, it might be beneficial to their health and survival to get angry and tell the other person to stop. In other, less threatening situations, some people try to communicate and find compromises, some try to think of nonthreatening responses, and others try to distance themselves from the situation before reacting.

However, people with an anger problem react in a way that is more intense and aggressive than the situation calls for. Some of them physically hurt others or themselves. Some take their frustrations out on objects by punching walls or kicking doors. Others argue aggressively. They call others insulting names, make threatening gestures, or even hold all their anger inside and let the hostility simmer, perhaps while plotting how to take revenge.

People with this problem frequently have disruptive relationships and family life. A person’s anger might even lead to physical fights with his or her spouse or partner, the person’s children, or maybe even strangers. In these situations, It can be exceptionally violent and dangerous to the individual and others.

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When angry, the person probably notices excessive physical sensations related to stress. Their heart races, their face and ears get hot and flushed, muscles become very tense, breathing gets faster and deeper, the palms get sweaty, and the person feels edgy or nervous. The person may feel a sick in the stomach, much like. Then, when the episode of intense anger has ended, the person with may feel guilty when they see that others who witnessed the situation feel uneasy and upset.

Having high levels of anger can lead to problems sleeping at night; increased daytime fatigue as a result of not sleeping. It’s also has been shown that men who commit domestic violence against their spouses and partners consistently have higher levels of anger and hostility when compared with men who don’t commit these acts of violence. Excessive anger is often associated with other disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, antisocial personality problems, self focused personality problems, and borderline personality disorder.

The exact causes of anger problems are unknown, but studies find that there are biological and social factors that contribute to its development. One supposition is that the emotion of anger activates the behavioral activation system within the larger human nervous system. When a person is confronted with an anger inducing situation, the behavioral activation system causes that person either to confront the situation and express the anger, or to escape the situation and suppress the anger. The choice someone makes in that situation is influenced by a combination of social factors and inheritable genetic tendencies

Anger is a fundamental emotion that is expressed and seen in every culture around the world; but the way in which a person expresses anger is largely determined by what is considered acceptable by that person’s culture. Some cultural groups are more likely to suppress their anger, while other groups are more likely to express their anger. Children imitate aggressive behaviors they observe in other people, especially when that type of behavior is rewarded. So if a person grows up in a family or culture where excessive anger is frequently displayed or accepted as normal, that person has a greater chance of developing an anger control problem

There are some very successful treatments to help people with anger problems reduce their anger.  Many of these treatment, often referred to as anger management, help people identify the triggers for their anger and then learn how to create distance between the triggers and their angry responses.

Many people feel as though their anger quickly overwhelms them and leaves them little choice but to get angry. Anger management treatment aims to create time between the moment a person feels angry and the moment when he or she responds, providing the person with time to choose a different more constructive response.

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven to be beneficial. This treatment often uses relaxation skills to help manage angry feelings, thought processing to help recognize triggering situations, and skills training to learn new types of responses to these situations.

Other forms of successful treatment include anger management group therapy, and mindfulness therapy. Acceptance and commitment therapy is a form of behavioral therapy that uses mindfulness techniques, and it can be effective for anger control

Coping With a Mental Illness

Help someone close to you find and continue to take the medication needed for a balanced life. 

It is essential that a person with a mental health problem takes proper medication in order to manage the symptoms of their illness. Family and friends of this person need to know what the medication is, the effects it has, and the doctor who prescribes it. If for some reason the medication is no longer effective, the person quits taking the medication, or the side effects become unmanageable, it is the family and friends who often need to intervene and help the person to continue with their treatment plan.

Along with medication, some form of therapy is critical for someone with mental health problems. Family and friends can be invaluable in supporting this need for counseling and in assisting the person find the right therapist; who can help the person cope with the mental illness. It is also valuable for the family and friends to seek some form of therapy themselves in order to support the patient.

Learn as much as we can about their mental health problems. The more we know about the mental illness, the more you can understand their behavior, thoughts, and feelings.  You can assist in developing a healthy self-esteem. Many people with a mental health problem suffer from problems with their self-esteem. Their self-esteem is often either too low or too high. People who are close to the person are in a position to observe the level of self-esteem and to respond appropriately.

Accept the mental health problem they may be having even if this mental health problem does not cover all of life.

A mental disorder can become the focus of the life of a person with mental health problems There are two steps to you can take in order to be supportive: to accept the fact of the mental health problem; once this fact is acknowledged, it is crucial to accept that the disorders not the only problems in their life, that there are also other parts of life that deserve attention and focus.

Take an active effort to have:  proper exercise, sleep, diet, relationships, and by monitoring our feelings.

Often a person with mental illness requires special attention from family and friends. Become a supportive network who knows about the mental health problem and to act in their best interest as far as we are possible. A network of support can make it easier to deal with a person’s mental illness; a shared knowledge of the illness and a shared responsibility offers the best opportunity for everyone. This network will therefore require commitment to the loved one and to each other, including a commitment to resolving conflicts when they arise.

Identify the early warning signs that precede an onset of a problem and try to assist the person when these signs emerge.

You may have to monitor and identify early warning signs of a change in the thinking or behavior. Often a change in medication or the effectiveness of a medication, a stressful situation in life, a change in a relationship will trigger a more difficult stage of the mental illness. When those close to the person can identify this change, they can intervene and help the person to regain control over the mental illness.

Most people in our society acknowledge a belief in a Supreme Being whom many identify as God fostering that belief can be encouraging and supportive. In coping mental illness, many family and friends know that their efforts, support, and effectiveness are limited. Incorporating our belief in God or a Supreme Being we can understand that belief, makes coping with the mental illness easier and it more possible for the person stay in control.

Tips for Bipolar Disorder Patients

Maybe you have only recently been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, but, you have probably travelled this road for a long time. You may have been undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years. You may have been up and down with severe mood swings and relapses. You may feel your current treatment is not working, or you may be plagued by the side effects from medication.

Bipolar Disorder is a serious illness, and each individual’s symptoms are different. Taking an active a role in your treatment plan is the first step toward managing your disorder.

If your symptoms are not under control friends and family may feel confused by your changes in mood. Family therapy may help to promote understanding and strengthen relationships. Friends and family can be a great source of support. They can help you with compliance with your treatment plan and encourage you to avoid triggers; and learn the warning signs of an episode.

To get the most from your treatment, make sure you confide in your doctor about how you are feeling on your medication and any side effects you may be experiencing. Ask about alternate or additional treatment to help treat your symptoms.

There is no cure for Bipolar Disorder, but, there are effective treatments to help manage the symptoms. Some options may include:  therapy, group therapy, and prescription medication or a combination.

Some healthcare teams encourage patients to track their moods and discuss mood changes with a therapist. Many doctors agree that sharing this information and establishing a supportive and consistent relationship between Bipolar patients and a therapist can be an essential part of the treatment plan. In addition to having the opportunity to discuss current problems and ways to cope with symptoms; patients with Bipolar Disorder may also be able to discuss and better understand past episodes and behaviors.

Low Self Esteem and Treatment

Self-esteem is the amount of respect or self-worth that a person has for them. People are often described as having either high self-esteem, meaning they think very well of themselves and their abilities, or low self-esteem, meaning they are filled with doubts and criticisms about themselves and their abilities. People with low self-esteem may experience many problems in their lives.  Low self-esteem” is only a description of the way a person thinks or feels; it is not a diagnosis of a mental health problem. Mental health professionals do agree that healthy self-esteem is important to many aspects of a person’s life.

People with low self-esteem often think of themselves in very critical ways, such as I am a failure, or I cannot do anything right. With these thoughts there are upsetting feelings, these include: sadness, anger, anxiety, fear, and worthlessness. People with low self-esteem have difficulty making decisions, because they doubt that they will be successful. They also find it harder to make friends, because they are often shy or they do not think other people will like them. People with low self-esteem frequently stay away from situations in which they might be judged, so they avoid taking chances or trying new things.

People with higher self-esteem often have happier and more satisfying lives. They are confident about their abilities to cope with problems and take on new challenges, and more open to new people to make friends.

But despite these aptitudes, many doctors still doubtful about the benefits of helping people increase their level of self-esteem. Some researchers claim that encouraging people to raise their self-esteem does more harm than good. For people who recognize that their lives are not satisfying because of their critical, judgmental thoughts about themselves, increasing self-esteem can have many lasting benefits.

Because of the fact that low self esteem results in judgmental thoughts and troubling feelings about oneself; low self-esteem can lead to more serious problems. Research shows that it often results in problems like eating disorders and depression.

Low self-esteem can be particularly damaging during adolescence; it can be marked with aggression, antisocial behavior, and delinquency. Low-self esteem during adolescence was related to an increased likelihood of later problems in adulthood, including anxiety, depression, poor physical health, increased criminal behavior, and greater employment difficulties

Because of the possibility of low self-esteem leading to more serious problems, people who do suffer with this problem   should get help before the issue develops into a more serious disorder.

There are many reasons why people think of themselves and their abilities, including social, economic, cultural, and biological factors. Children in families who interact towards each other in positive ways often had higher levels of self-esteem. One study found that African-Americans and Latino Americans had higher self-esteem than their peers, when they were involved with their religious organizations. Also it was found that boys were more likely to have higher levels of self-esteem than girls. There are many factors that can influence a person’s self-esteem.

People with low self-esteem often think of themselves as being unworthy of happiness, unable to cope with problems, and unlikable. The combination of these thoughts and feelings causes them to avoid social events, friendships, challenges, and certain kinds of jobs, and other opportunities which all make them feel worse and judge themselves even more.

Improving a person’s self-esteem comes by attacking the self-critical thoughts that caused the problem in the first place and engaging in behaviors that have been avoided. These are the focus of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of treatment that combines elements of both cognitive therapy and behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy examines the way people thinks about themselves, others, and how affects their mental health. Behavior therapy investigates the way people’s actions influence their own lives and their interactions with others. With the two, this type of therapy examines the way people can change their thoughts and behaviors in order to improve their lives.

The cognitive behavioral therapy treatment for self-esteem focuses on addressing the causes of the problem. In general, this treatment includes: conduct education; prove false the self-criticism; challenge cognitive distortions; develop compassion for self and others; omit should; learn to handle mistakes; learn to respond to criticism.

Changing one’s beliefs and improving self-esteem can be complicated and difficult. There will be successes and difficulties during the process. The key to long-term, healthy self-esteem is to continuing therapy and to seek professional help when needed.

Getting Out of the Rut

In a rut of depression or missing a High?  Wishing you was more productive and creative?  Well you are it is only a temporary feeling of missing something that is still within you.  Start a new project; read a poem; write a poem.  Delve into the arts try writing a short story; learn a new languague.  Broaden yopur horizons take photos nature soothes the thoughts that race and portraits can  introduce new people into your life.

Get into yourself for a while and get in tune with the emotions you feel and write them into a Blog.  I was going through a similar period of feeling nonproductive and a little disgusted with me for not doing what I normally enjoyed.  What did I do?  I started blogging I am now the proud owner of 2 websites and over 100 blogs all written within 6 months time.  Blogging is a great way to share what you know; learn what you do not know.

Another thing which I find very helpful is joining online support groups all the advantages of therapy with less cost and the without the time restriction of having to keep appointments.  You can login whenever you want to feel like writing at 3 am the groups are at your disposal.  Medication has also proved to be helpful with soothing my tired mind and getting rid of the negative thoughts that cloud my perspective on life. 

Get rid of the worries and disappointments by meditating at least twice a day and you will begin to see yourself as the person you are.  Anger management can be found on the internet just learning that there are people like you, who experience the same feelings can often bring you a step closer to your goals.  Make goals in life even if it to clean the baseboards in your house any goal will work to your advantage and give you something to do; keep track of you achievements and failures and you will see where you may be able to improve your life.

Don’t feel alone I found through research, which is always a constructive way to spend your time, a list of famous Bipolars.  While it is not complete and I cannot account for the accuracy you are not alone.  Millions of people have and still go through the same thing that you do.  The mood swings plague many people and have since the beginning of time.  Take thoughts off of yourself for a while and you will see improvement in your life.  And get back to a rewarding gratifying life.

Famous Bipolars ·  Abraham Lincoln (leader) ·  Adam Ant (musician) ·  Agatha Christie (writer) ·  Axl Rose (musician) ·  Buzz Aldrin (other) ·  Drew Carey (actor) ·  Carrie Fisher (actor) ·  Edgar Poe (writer) ·  Gordon Sumner (Sting) (musician) ·  Hans Christian Andersen (writer) ·  Heinz Prechter (entrepreneurs) ·  Isaac Newton (other) ·  Jane Pauley (other) ·  Jean-Claude Van Damme (actor) ·  Jim Carey (actor) ·  Jimi Hendrix (musician) ·  John Dally (sporting stars) ·  Jonathan Hay (sporting stars) ·  Kay Redfield Jamison (other, writer) ·  Kurt Cobain (musician) ·  Larry Flynt (entrepreneurs) ·  Liz Taylor (actor) ·  Ludwig Boltzmann (other) ·  Ludwig Van Beethoven (musician) ·  Marilyn Monroe (actor) ·  Mark Twain (writer) ·  Maurice Benard (actor) ·  Mel Gibson (actor) ·  Micheal Slater (sporting stars) ·  Napoleon Bonaparte (leader) ·  Ozzy Osbourne (musician) ·  Patricia Cornwell (writer) ·  Patrick Joseph Kennedy (leader) ·  Patty Duke (actor) ·  Plato (other) ·  Ralph Waldo Emerson (writer) ·  Rene Rivkin (entrepreneurs) ·  Robert Downey (actor) ·  Robin Williams (actor) ·  Sinead O'Connor (musician) ·  Sophie Anderton (other) ·  Stephen Fry (actor) ·  Ted Turner (entrepreneurs) ·  Tim Burton (writer, other) ·  Tom Waits (musician, actor) ·  Thomas Stearns Elliot (writer) ·  Vincent Van Gogh (other) ·  Virginia Woolf (writer) ·  Winston Chruchill (leader) ·  Wolfgang Armadeus Mozart (musician)

What is Your Role in Treatment

Expect everything and anything.  Be prepared to answer questions, discuss your problems, and learn about what the problem may be.  For the initial visit you should have a history of yourself, including medical problems, medications you have taken and are currently on, a family history of members who have had the same or another mental problem.  Be prepared to answer questions that at first you may be uncomfortable answering but will help the doctor to make a diagnosis.

After the diagnosis learn everything you can about your disorder; do research; question your doctor to find what the medication is and what side effects to watch for.  Learn what the medications are supposed to do and keep a journal on any out of the ordinary feelings.  Get in touch with your feelings about having mental disorder; you can be angry, sad or happy at finding that there is a treatment for it.  It is natural to have feelings of anger and a grieving process is something you feel when you learn you have an illness for which there is no cure and chronic.  Write down what you are feeling and show it to the doctor.  He can reassure you, remember he will be your main support contact, and treat him as if he is your best friend.  Some doctors encourage questions about where they went to school, how long they have been practicing, if you don’t feel comfortable with this one doctor ask to be referred to another it is your choice.  Choosing a doctor is difficult at first and finding the right doctor and therapist if needed sometimes takes time but you are in control.

Learn the treatment plan often one visit is enough for a correct diagnosis and the treatment that will help in the fastest easiest way.  Make sure your goal for treatment is the same as your treatment team.  Ask for options to what the doctor plans and if there are alternative treatments such as a different medication or your preference of a male or female therapist remember your goal is to get well.  Study your medication look it up in the various resources at the Library find all you can know about what to expect.

Once you decide which medications may work the best for our, we are all different individuals and medication works differently for every person; the expected results may not come with just one medication you may need to combine medications.  Having a mental illness takes work finding the right drug or combination of drugs takes time.  Give yourself time to heal do not stop your medication because you feel better or worse.  Contact the doctor for any unpleasant side effects there may be a way to avoid them your dosage may have to be adjusted.  Taking medication for a mental disorder is often trial and error.  Never stop a medication once you have started it without approval of the doctor relapses come with noncompliance.

Keep your appointments do not skip because you woke up on the grumpy side of the bed, besides being disruptive to the doctor’s schedule it is crucial for the doctor to know how you are responding to medication and or therapy.  Ask questions if you do not understand something that they have said sometimes the meaning is different in the medical field than to the layman.  Your doctor and therapist are there to help you on your road to recovery try not to place obstacles in the way of treatment.

Compliance is the answer to the medication regime.  Sticking to your treatment plan may seem hard at first but as it progresses you will feel more confident at handling triggers that may come your way and overall feel better at helping to help yourself.

Follow advice but keep a record of how the medication is making you feel; discuss any new symptoms; gain the knowledge to go back to living your life better than it was.  With the right treatment recovery for most people is achievable take time to heal you.

Discrimination and the Mentally Ill

 Stigma and discrimination are the principal obstacles to treatment for the mentally ill. For the most severely ill, there are other stumbling blocks to treatment, the laws that prevent treating individuals that need higher care; the IMD exclusion law is one such law.  Failure to recognize and treat these persons until they become dangerous although preserving their constitutional rights violates their right to treatment. These laws and our failure to treat individuals with schizophrenia and manic-depressive illness are the utmost discrimination against those with mental illnesses.
 

 Stigma is created by the headlines which depict the mentally ill, during times of crises, committing violent crimes and not by the statistics which show that a large number of them have been released from hospitals without the proper treatment time that it takes for stabilization of their disorders.
 

 The negative attitudes toward people with mental illnesses increased greatly after people read newspaper articles reporting violent crimes by the mentally ill according to studies that have been done.  It is futile and out of place to expect the stigma of mental illness to be changed by the news and entertainment media with pleas to help the severely mentally ill. 
  

 The government must tackle over 30 years of the disastrous deinstitutionalization policy if they hope to win the battle of mental illness stigma and solve the nation's mental illness crisis. Hundreds of thousands of defenseless Americans are living a pitiful existence on city streets, underground in subway tunnels or in jails and prisons because of the misguided efforts of civil rights advocates to keep the severely ill out of hospitals and therefore out of treatment.
  

 These grievously ill persons in our cities are grim reminders of the failure of deinstitutionalization. They are seen huddling in the cold in makeshift cardboard box dwellings, carrying on conversations with invisible companions, wearing filthy, rags for clothing, urinating and defecating on sidewalks or threatening passersby. They frequently are seen on stretchers as victims of suicide or violent crime, or in handcuffs for committing violent acts against others.
  

 All of this occurs while government officials who in blind ignorance do nothing but punish those without the insight to help themselves; without the right to long term treatment to be stabilized in a setting less harsh than the streets. The consequences of failing to treat these illnesses are devastating peoples lives until they become soothing less than human in the publics eyes.  Americans with untreated severe mental illnesses represent less than one percent of our population, and yet they commit almost 1,000 homicides in the United States each year. At least one-third of the estimated 600,000 homeless suffer from schizophrenia or manic-depressive illness, and 28 percent of them forage for some of their food in garbage cans. About 170,000 individuals are in prison and suffer from these illnesses, costing American taxpayers billions per year.
  

Delaying treatment only results in permanent damage, including increased treatment resistance, worsening severity of symptoms, increased hospitalizations and delayed remission of symptoms.  Persons suffering from severe psychiatric illnesses are frequently victimized.  Studies show that many women with untreated schizophrenia have been raped. Suicide rates for these individuals are 10 to 15 times higher than the general population.

The inadequate psychiatric hospitals and the closure of the state hospitals have only served to compound the devastation. Most state laws today prohibit treating individuals over their objection unless they pose an immediate danger to themselves. Most of the people who are untreated do not have the insight to know that they need treatment; not being aware that they have an illness causes them to refuse the treatment that could end their misery,

 It has been proven that outpatient compliance is effective in ensuring treatment compliance; the challenge remains in getting them to utilize what is their answer to their problem without the revolving-door syndrome of hospital admissions, readmissions, abandonment to the streets and incarceration that plague those not receiving treatment.

Adequate care in psychiatric hospitals for long term treatment also must be available. A large number of the 3.5 million people suffering from schizophrenia and manic-depressive illness require long-term hospitalization which means hospitalization in state psychiatric hospitals. This critical need is not being met, since we have lost most of our state psychiatric hospitals since 1955.

 It is time to reform the laws that prohibit long term hospitalization for those in need.  People with mental illnesses are not to be blamed for having a disorder; they should not be penalized for an illness that is through no fault of their own.  The discrimination and stigma against the mentally ill must be cleared from the minds of the ignorant public.  Their fellow citizens are being denied the right to a life free from shame and turmoil; that deserve a life with dignity and equality.

The Chronic Mentally Ill

Who are the chronic mentally ill; individuals who suffer from one of several diseases affecting the brain, the most essential part of human beings. The causes are still unknown, but are probably multiple. There is no cure, but, effective treatment does exist. People with serious mental illness are significantly functionally impaired by the illness for an indefinite period of time. At least 1% of the population has a serious mental illness. The problems of these persons and their families are compounded by centuries old stigma, the prejudice still persists.

Symptoms of chronic/serious mental illness:

Acute symptoms: Distorted perceptions; loss of contact with reality; delusions; hallucinations; disordered; disorganized and confused thinking; unstable and inappropriate emotions. ; Bizarre behavior; impaired judgment.

Residual or deficit symptoms, several of these usually present most of the time: vulnerability to certain kinds of stress; extreme dependency sometimes combined with hostility; difficulty with interpersonal relationships; deficient coping skills; poor transfer of learning; fear of new situations; restricted emotional response and lack of enjoyment; reduced speech and impaired abstract thinking; reduced ability to pay attention; slowness; apathy; lack of motivation; phobic avoidance of situations; sensitivity to stimulation.

 Common for anybody who learns that they have a serious, chronic, incurable illness:

General stress response with fear; grief; denial and impatience; anger; guilt and self-blame; depression; hopeless, helplessness; regression to earlier levels of functioning; preoccupation with self; immaturity.

This includes loss of normal role functioning and normal family, community functioning. Social breakdown syndrome can be a side effect of any treatment that removes the person from their usual social environment.

Coping and adaptation what is hoped for and is a possible outcome of treatment, rehabilitation, family support and self-help. Acceptance and hope; interest in the illness and its treatment active cooperation with treatment and rehabilitation; lifestyle modifications is what is attempted to achieve.

In general, patients need:

Indivilualiged treatment; Continuity of relationships with staff with a smooth transition between, and coordination among, programs and treatment components.

.Patient education and full understanding about the illness and its treatment; leading to informed consent; responsible patient role; safe and comfortable care and surroundings with adequate privacy and desired amount of contact with others; plans for crises; support and education of family and significant others.

 Compliance with care with appropriate medication by a psychiatrist and treatment team who understand the illness and its treatment; careful monitoring of beneficial effects and side effects. Elimination of unnecessary drugs; alcohol, caffeine, marijuana, etc.; symptom monitoring by patient and others.  Adequate rest and regular, planned, exercise; a balanced, nutritional diet.

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A therapeutic teamwork with a person which involves support; varying degree of support depending on need, respect, reality orientation is the goal of therapy.

Being actively, comfortably and purposeful busy; a relaxed atmosphere; a regular daily routine; including evenings, weekends and holidays; behavioral approach using natural consequences. Minimization of the handicap. If alcohol/drug use is a problem, attention to dependencies should be integrated with other treatment; psychosocial and occupational rehabilitation. Communication and problem solving skills for patient and significant others; construction of supportive social network; prevent or reverse social breakdown syndrome;  help with daily living; money management, transportation, housing, etc.

All of these issues need to be addressed in order for the person to live a more fulfilling, rewarding life.  Chronic sever mental illness can be managed with as little stress and debilitating effects as possible.  With the cooperation of the person, doctor and treatment team long term hospitalization can be avoided.