Reviewing The Phases Of Crisis Intervention

September 6, 2008 By Leave a Comment

family intervention

No one likes to admit they need help, even when deep down they wonder, “Will I ever heal from this?” Often, the residual effects of a crisis situation surface randomly, without warning, or manifest themselves in subconscious ways. There are some days when the victim may feel ok, but the deep sadness, anger or anxiety resurfaces again. Studies indicate that 31% of rape victims develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, 15% of males and over 8% of females developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as well. A crisis intervention could provide the counseling, support and necessary coping skills one needs to move on after surviving a terrible ordeal.

There are many situations when a crisis intervention is recommended, such as surviving suicide, rape, abuse, surviving a kidnapping, runaways, military discharge, or following the death of a loved one. These intervention services are available not only for the victims but for the loved ones as well. The support net is critical for a person’s recovery, although many of us weren’t born simply knowing the right things to say or do. An intervention program such as this is helpful in creating that strong foundation of family and friends that will ultimately provide the long-term therapy for the recovering victim.

There are generally three phases of a crisis intervention. The first of the intervention programs are designed as “psychological first aid.” Once a crisis occurs, the interventionist must establish rapport with the victim, gather information and rescue the victim from a current state of crisis. Immediate intervention also includes medical intervention if necessary, as well as addressing the mental health and personal needs of the victim. Home security, food and shelter can be arranged if needed. The sooner the victim is treated following a crisis, the better. The second of the intervention services are designed to assess the victim’s needs. Therapists will determine how the crisis is affecting the individual’s life so a recovery plan can be implemented. For instance, some people have trouble making new relationships following a crisis, whereas others may become suicidally depressed or may turn to binging, alcoholism or another vice to ease the pain. The good news is that all these reactions to a crisis can be treated to help the victim move towards the future. The third phase, called recovery interventions, helps victims to start fresh, re-stabilizing their lives again. Long-term therapy will help victims set up a health support net, maximize social services, renew self esteem and learn how to cope over the long haul.

Many victims resist crisis intervention because they fear the unknown or are suffering terrible anxiety. Generally, seeking help is more difficult as more time elapses. The sooner intervention services are sought, the better! Victims can get all the tools they need to overcome the flood of negative emotions they are confronting. Things like coping skills and self esteem building techniques can be lifesavers. Over time, one-on-one counseling will help the victim purge negative misconceptions and feelings of guilt, helplessness or resentment. In its place, they will learn self worth and to set goals, as well as gaining a sense of purpose, spirituality and happiness.

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Adolescent Depression: A Growing Dillema

September 4, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Our children will one day be the leaders, it is therefore imperative that we take a good look at the current realities of modern adolescent depression and make massive efforts to prevent its growth and proliferation amongst our youth.

The pressures of modern living are also having a detrimental effect on our adolescent youth. Take a look at the following statistics and be amazed.

Figures never lie and they are perhaps the best means to highlight certain facts and when they are brought to the notice of the general public leave a lasting impression. It is important to gain the attention of all who want to learn about what the statistics are saying. There are no doubts that statistics are nothing more and nothing less than concrete concepts that have the power to sway even the most skeptical of minds, and it will even show the young generation the true picture with respect to adolescent depression.

Twenty Percent Of Teenagers Are Sufferers

The first thing that will make you sit up and take notice about statistics pertaining to adolescent depression is the news that nearly a fifth of the teenage population in the US has experienced a form of clinical depression, even before having gained full adulthood.

Not only that, but there are about ten to fifteen percents of teenagers that have shown symptoms of adolescent depression and another five percent of the teenage population will have suffered from significant depression.

Secondly, another alarming aspect to adolescent depression is the fact that there is not much social acceptance when it concerns teenagers with such a condition, and what’s worse is the fact that as many as eight percent of teenagers will have experienced the re-occurrence of depression at least once a year. This is alarming because only a mere five percent of the national population suffer from depression.

When a person suffers a bout of adolescent depression it will generally last for about eight months and teenagers are also at risk that the subsequent attack of adolescent depression will strike them within a mere two years and the chances of this happening are about twenty to forty percent, and there is also a seventy percent chance that they will experience another attack of adolescent depression before they have even reached full adulthood.

Thirdly, another feature of adolescent depression is that quite a few teenagers will suffer from attacks of seasonal depression. This form of depression is most likely to strike during the wintertime, it is also found in places where the altitude is on the high side. Even the weather can play a significant part in the onset of seasonal depression, which means that teenagers also need to be aware of these external effects on the state of mind..

Fourthly, other figures related to adolescent depression reveal that dysthymia or a mild form of depression that lasts for a long time will affect about two percent of teenagers and a like percentage of teenagers are also likely to suffer from bipolar depression when they grow older. In fact, it is thought that as many as fifteen percent of teenagers that have suffered from major depression will later on be at risk of developing bipolar depression.

Thus, it is safe to say that adolescent depression will affect teenagers no matter their social background, income level, gender as well as race or even their achievements and that adolescent depression is very common mental health problem affecting teenagers in the US.

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What Are Various Methods On How To Meditate

September 3, 2008 By Leave a Comment

meditation practice

In many Western countries nowadays there is a rather strong and growing trend to learn how to meditate. There was an era, not so many years ago, when Westerners thought of the meditation practice as belonging to the hippie generation, but today it is considered more of a mainstream discipline that is becoming more and more popular. Even though many variations of meditating have been used for thousands of years, the Western cultures are finally becoming aware of the benefits.

In recent years, an increasingly expanding list of professional athletes, celebrities and business leaders have been learning how to meditate for themselves. These high-profile people have also been more and more willing to speak up and share the benefits they have received from meditation techniques. In some instances, coaches of professional or college sports teams, leaders and owners of businesses have introduced meditation practices to their teams and/or employees to help improve performance.

Nowadays, there are a variety of methods that people can seek out in order to learn how to meditate. Some years ago, the best option was to go on a week long retreat and be instructed by a group of trained instructors in various meditation techniques. In general, these retreats were expensive, making it hard for many people to take advantage of the opportunity.

Many different books have been published over the years to teach meditation. But, somehow trying to learn meditation through a book was a challenging task for many. As a result, many people were not able to experience the full benefits of meditation and in some ways were even left with a negative experience, simply because they were not utilizing the best learning method.

These days there are many guided meditations on CD, as well as MP3 downloads. These mediums are an easier and more effective way to introduce people to mediation. Most of the time, once they become familiar and comfortable with this practice, they are able to expand and meditate on their own or with special meditation music.

Another popular way to learn how to mediate is with DVDs or online videos. For many people, it really makes more sense to stick with the guided meditations that they can receive as an audio file, because many of the DVDs are simply an introduction to the meditation practice. In most forms of meditation, the person’s eyes are closed and so they will not be watching a video, although the DVD might include a section of meditation music for the person to use.

If a person has learned the basic techniques of how to meditate, then they will have the ability to make their sessions uniquely their own and to essentially customize their practice in a way that will enhance their own particular spiritual journey. Many times, students of meditation will learn other methods, such as Buddhist meditation or transcendental meditation, and even weave the different meditation techniques together to create their own form.

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Swedish Massage And Ayurvedic Massage-Which One Is The Most Relaxing?

September 2, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Because of the different influences in massage therapy, there are many variations in techniques, but all these different techniques, still offer the same health benefits. The Swedish and Ayurvedic massage both have very different origins and styles, but they still contribute a lot to achieve a healthy and relaxed body.

With so many different kinds of massage therapy programs available today, it has made it difficult for people to choose which one is for them

The Swedish Massage, which is often called the classic or traditional massage. This is the most common massage therapy method and it is what most people usually prefer. The long and flowing strokes characterize this method, and it is ideal for relaxing muscles, improving joint flexibility and aiding in better circulation.

The first stroke is known as effleurage, this involves a long gliding stroke from the neck down to the base of the spine or from the shoulder down to the fingertips. It is also done on the limbs with all strokes directed toward the heart to aid blood and lymphatic flow. A therapist would normally use there whole hand or a thumb pad to do this.

Next is petrissage, this consists of the gentle lifting of muscles, then rolling and squeezing them, while applying a gentle pressure. This helps to enhance deeper circulation, it also increases circulation which in turn eliminates toxins from muscle and nerve tissue.

The third technique friction, is the most forceful one and uses deep circular movements using fingertips. it is applied near bony areas and joints, it relaxes the muscle fiber which in turn enhances flexibility in muscles and joints.

Last of all, a therapist will use vibration or shaking, this would normally entail the pressing of hands on the back or limbs and shaking in a vigorous motion for a few moments. Again this is used to improve circulation and is beneficial to people with low-back pain.

The Ayurvedic massage originated from India and the aim of this method is to create harmony and balance within the individual. It is worth noting that this method is renown for removal of toxins and rejuvenation of the body.

Ayurvedic massage uses specific oils that suit your dosha. One such, is the Abhyanga-Garshana which comprises of skin brushing followed by an oil massage. Udwarthanam which is a slimming massage that uses herbal powders and the Ayurvedic foot massage which is a deep massage where the therapist uses his feet.

Now you have enough knowledge on both Swedish and Ayurvedic massage, it is up to you to choose between the two which best suits your style of relaxation. Remember both massages having unique qualities and techniques, the choosing part can be a little tricky though, so if you are still undecided why not try both?

Would you like to learn more about Massage Therapy Benefits. Then visit this popular website, that provides more information to help you relax and de-stress with its Massage Therapy Tips.

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Massage Therapy

September 1, 2008 By Leave a Comment

We all know that having a massage is a wonderful way to pamper our senses. While we have at sometime or another experienced a massage very few of us realize what massage therapy really means. A message therapy has benefits that people can soon after the massage has started.

However for the person to receive the full benefits from a massage session it is important for a number of follow up massage therapy sessions to take place. Massage therapy can heal our body from various types of problems that conventional medication sometimes has difficulty with.

Massage therapy is basically a therapy that is based on various massage techniques. These different techniques are both Western and Eastern in origin and some of them are centuries old is term of use.

When these techniques are used by a trained individual the person who is being given a massage will almost immediately experience the healing therapies that are found in massage therapy usage.

To get the best effects from these different forms of massage therapy you will need to discuss what form of treatment you want. You will need to say why you want to have a massage. To be more accurate you will have to tell the massage therapist if you have any muscular pains, respiratory difficulties, blood circulatory problems and other injuries that require a medical form of massage therapy.

Your massage therapy session can include different types of massage techniques that will help the specific problems that you might be going through. When you talk with your masseuse about the massage therapy that you will be having you should state if you want to be wearing your underclothes.

You can state if you would rather be comfortable with a towel or sheet draped over the various parts of your body that will not be involved in the massage. You will need to make sure that you understand how the massage will be carried out and the benefits that you can expect to experience.

For the masseuse to give you a really good massage you should inform the person if you have any medical or physical conditions that can be affected by a massage. This is important as your masseuse will need to be able to work the various sections of your body without worrying about causing you unneeded pain.

Massage therapy as you see is both and ancient form of healing and at the same time it is also a modern one. As our lives are full of stresses we can expect to have some healing benefits when we have a soothing massage practiced on us.

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