Category: Blog

Question
Dr.Braccio: It seems being old fashioned about parenting is a flaw escort kızlar mersin to many. My husband and I live in a home filled with love where our 14 and 15 year old sons are to let us know what they are doing, where they are and with whom. They have a curfew of 9:00 p.m. during the week and at midnight on weekends. After discussion with them, exceptions are made for school events and reasons we find reasonable. They also have chores we expect them to complete. To be good students is expected. Our kids go along with most of this. The problem is with friends of theirs who put pressure on them to push us to change. It amazes us that various parents of their friends feel we are too rigid and need to open up. Two parents have actually told us this. Most of their friends do not have curfews and few expectations at home. What do you think? Are we too rigid?
Answer
I do not think you are “too rigid”. In a world loaded with teenage disrespect, drug abuse, inappropriate sexual conduct, parental abdication of responsibility, and family chaos in many homes, the consistency you offer is critical to their chances for success in life now and in the future. Behaviors and outlooks during these years will predictably continue in adulthood.
Parents must be consistent and fair in their parenting. You appear to meet both standards. That other parents and their children think you are too strict is their opinion and nothing for you to worry about. You also can find parents with far more restrictive curfews and rules than you have. It is your responsibility to determine how to raise your children.
Too often parents cave in to the opinions of their children or others on parenting. This is the deceptively easy thing to do and reduces much pressure in the short term. The problem is that your parental standards become inconsistent, will always be challenged, and the end result too often is to lose control over your children through ineffective parenting.
An important aspect of parenting is to be flexible as a parent. Rules that are written in stone and never can be discussed or adjusted can limit your options by not being able to make exceptions. This does not appear to be a problem for you because you involve the children and do make exceptions for school events and other situations you feel are reasonable on an individual basis. Their involvement in family expectations is always a good idea.
Human beings need structure in their lives. This is particularly true with children in their teenage years. With all the social pressures and physical changes occurring, it is important that the home and family be a center of love and consistency. Do not back off from offering your children what you believe they need. Continue to be effective parents.
When all is said and done, you need to parent in a manner you are comfortable. Follow the dictates of your own heart and conscience.

Dr. Braccio:
Our fifteen year old daughter has had one very close friend her whole life.She also has a few acquaintances she infrequently spends time karatay eskort with. She’s a fine girl but I wonder if she should reach out and have more friends. She seems happy but I feel her life might be better if she tried to have more friends and be with more people. What do you think?
Answer
My first response is you are lucky in this day and age to have a stable 15 year old daughter with a good lifelong friend and a few acquaintances.
That “she seems happy” and you have no reason to doubt this, should be cause to back off and let her enjoy her life. She obviously is doing fine. Too often parents are concerned that their children are not with the “popular” kids in the “fast social track”. Do not join that group. To be popular has its benefits, but at age 15, inappropriate temptations can be overwhelming. Your daughter has a lifetime to develop her personality and relationships. Let her grow at a pace she is comfortable.
To encourage your daughter to be involved in church, school or community activities is positive for someone her age as long as the goal is to make activities available she may enjoy versus pushing her to do what you want her to do.
The temptation of our culture is to sometimes advocate quantity of relationships over their quality. It displays wisdom that your daughter prefers to manage her relationships with others qualitatively versus quantitatively. In fact, to demonstrate long-term trust and loyalty with others, even if only with one close friend, is a desirable social/emotional outcome of adolescence. These qualities will serve her well in the future. Too many adolescents have only surface level “friendships” that usually do not stand the test of time. Her friendship appears well on the road to being a lifetime friendship. It will be a positive model for future relationships she may choose to enter.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me directly.
John H. Braccio, Ph.D.

Question
We are in a real dilemma over the behavior of our 10 year old year son.He has been alot of trouble to us in spite of our best intentions He lies to avoid punishment and does some petty stealing silifke eskort numaraları in the house. We’re tough with him but he always fools us and lets us down when we begin to trust him. He behaves good at school and has some good friends. The current concern for us is that his teacher this year feels we are too negative and need to be more positive. We met with him and the school counselor about this. The school counselor is meeting with him and agrees with the teacher. We want to do that but are so worn out . So are his two older sisters. What should we do?
Answer
This is a difficult situation. It appears you are burned out with parenting your son. That he steals and lies certainly hurts trust and must be eliminated.
The problem is that he only gets negative from you and this continues due to his inappropriate behaviors. The teacher and school counselor may be able to help the whole family. Hopefully, they are building a rapport that can help him behave more appropriately at home. Encourage them to work with your son and keep in close contact with them.
You two need to start noting his good behaviors and reinforce them. Your negative approach is obviously not working and the family is in turmoil. The key is not to overlook lying and stealing but rather to praise him when he tells the truth and does not steal. Hopefully, this reinforcement will help him replace his negative behaviors with positive ones.
That he has good friends and does not get in trouble at school shows the problem is at home and relates to family dynamics. This is positive and enhances the chances for success in a shorter period of time if you can change the home environment.
Family counseling could be helpful. You might begin with the two of you to help give you new approaches to deal with your son. Your son and daughters could be included as deemed appropriate by the counselor. It is possible changes by both of you would lead to changes in him that would make the home life much better for everyone.
A pastor could also help if you have a spiritual orientation. The pain you are suffering is often relieved with spiritual as well as worldly support.
Even though it is obvious you cannot excuse lying and stealing, you would do well to see if his behaviors are really an inappropriate reaching out for some attention and maybe even love, even if it is negative. Counseling could help give you insight into causes of his behaviors as well as possible solutions.

We talked about the “Phenomenal Performance” of Michael Phelps.At that time, he had won 6 gold konya merkez escort medals. Four of those were world records. As I wrote this to you, be ended with 8 gold medals. Seven of them were world records. He has the “Perfect Storm” of training facilities, coaching, physical ability, nutrition, pool dimensions, swimwear and attitude.
I will focus on attitude, because that is the key to success in whatever we do. Without his absolute dedication and day in and day out effort, there would be no “Perfect Storm”. He might have had some success, but nothing like he has achieved.
The lesson for all of us is the importance of utilizing all the resources at our disposal to do our best. We may not receive the societal gold medals Michael Phelps has, but in our hearts we will know we did our best and give ourselves a good medal.

Standing up for yourself, not allowing yourself to become a victim and defending those who cannot defend themselves are all positive uses escort bayan mersin of anger. Historical figures like Jesus Christ, Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King are good examples of this.
I mention this because so much of our work in our Anger Management Counseling Center is related to those who inappropriately use anger. It also is true in our society the focus is on the many negative aspects of anger.
When you feel you are being treated inappropriately, it is important to be angry and assert your rights and not allow yourself to be a victim. We teach other people how to treat us. It also is important to defend family and other loved ones from being taken advantage of or hurt by others.
On societal issues important to us to make our community, state, nation and world better, it is important to be angry and state the unfairness of the situation and try to change it as best we can.
In all cases, we must control anger and have it be our strength. That can only occur if we have it under control.
Please call if you have any questions, comments or feel we can help you or a loved one in our Anger Management Program.
We also have developed various materials on Anger and how to use it to our advantage. You can call us or see what we have on this website. Our latest Brownbag Freedom Kit on Anger is: “Tips To Control Anger”.

The combination of wealth, power and opportunity are often too much for even the best of people not to do wrong.When you add his own words, the description of himself as narcissistic, you can see why John Edwards had an mersin anamur escort bayanları affair while his wife has had cancer. Because of the grave illness of Elizabeth, her bravery in the face of it and her willingness to campaign for the failed presidential bid of her husband, his treatment of her is seen by most as quite horrible. Many of us have come to care for her and marvel at her courage in battling cancer.
At a positive level, let us hope he can learn from this and he, his wife and children can move on and overcome this. Wonderful things can spring from horrible situations with hard work, soul searching, tears and spiritual reconciliation.

If you have a dream, go for it! Dreams can only come true if you have them and try with your whole heart to achieve kocasinan bayan numaraları them. Too many people out of fear or a belief they cannot succeed live a life, even if successful to others, that is not satisfying. In the back of their minds they always wonder what might have happened. They often sadly think of how different they or their lives might be if only they had tried to make their dreams come true. Do not let this happen to you. Remember, even if your dream is not fulfilled, you tried and that will make you happier and give you great satisfaction. There is no shame in aiming for the stars and only reaching the moon. The important thing is you tried your best.
Wealth, status and power are things people often seek, but over the years I have known countless people in and away from my offices who are not happy and would greatly trade them for having had the opportunity to achieve and live out their dreams.

In my segment with “Ebling and You” on 7/15/08, among other topics, we discussed the problems of General Motors.The downsizing of General Motors continues to hurt people silifke eskort ilanları in Michigan. The day of high income automobile assembly jobs are going the same way as the horseshoer. People now need to know jobs are no longer for thirty years at one place with a follow up nice retirement. Ongoing and constant training and education are the only ways to prepare for your next job because one can expect to have many jobs in a lifetime. In these difficult and transitional times, many people need to find happiness separate from high income and material goods. A positive outcome for people in turmoil is personal reflection which can lead to greater spiritual growth and closer relationships with spouses, parents, family, children and friends. What can be more important than this? A key to happiness is turning a negative into a positive. Even though the positive is hard to see when someone is hurting and feeling there is little hope, we cannot give up and we must keep trying. Never forget that the sun always follows the storm.

Question
I have a temper problem.I usually can control myself, but bayan escort mersin sometimes I just plain lose it. It only seems to happen with people I love or am close to. I grew up in a home where I was yelled at and criticized all the time. I would get so angry and eventually feel so ashamed. I felt like a bad person and loser. Now I often distort what people I care for say, particularly my wife and children. I interpret what they say in a negative and demeaning way. How can I stop doing this? They walk on eggshells and are long past being tired of me and my unpredictable attitude and anger. I need to change. I’m really a good person. How can I change?
Answer
Dr. Braccio: You appear to often interpret what is said to you as if someone from your “difficult youth” were talking to you. In effect, you distort what is said and give negative meaning to what could even be a very positive statement. The result of the follow up blow ups is that people fear to talk to you, do not share their feelings, and the end result is poor communication and the sometimes hostile environment you do not desire. Your self-esteem, as well as those you attack, suffers horribly.
You need to closely monitor your reactions to what your family says. The following are some things you can do to work on “your anger problem” from a family resolution perspective:
1. When beginning to feel angry, pause and put your mind on something else. Remember that this anger is your choice. If it’s a bad choice, then select a more loving/caring choice to respond instead of reacting in anger.
2. Meet with your wife and children and say you love them unconditionally, feel bad you hurt them but often distort what they say in a way that you become angry. Also say you are going to change and want their support. They know this, but it is good to admit you are wrong and apologize. The first step in change is to acknowledge the problem, that you have done wrong, and will change.
3. Explain how you were always criticized and felt demeaned and then ashamed as a child and these feelings sometimes come back. Say how painful it is to relive these feelings. Emphasize you get angry over the past and not the present. This explanation does not excuse you or minimize the hurt your angry behaviors cause to them. The advantage is that there is understanding and a basis you all can work from.
4. Commit yourself to change and work at it very hard. Confronting your vulnerabilities and fears of rejection and disapproval will begin to defuse your anger bombs.
5. Meet periodically with your family for positive feelings and encouragement and discuss
how things are progressing. Open discussion can result in greater understanding by all of
you.
6. When monitoring your outlook on statements that begin to cause you anger, ask: How
am I perceiving that I am being shamed or demeaned? What possible negative motive could my wife or children have? Am I overreacting to the hurt I feel? Am I not accepting fair criticism or an honest disagreement? How am I taking care of myself in this situation? How am I loving and respecting others?
7. Spend three twenty minute periods per day visualizing what you want your behavior to become. Practice and role play in your mind how you would prefer to respond to situations with love and caring as opposed to reacting to them with anger and hostility. Practice these dialogues and role play with others until you have a new behavior pattern that works. Become the change you want!
8. Learn to “step out” of yourself when you begin to feel upset and observe what is happening and why you are choosing your reactions. When you make these observations in a non-blaming way towards yourself and others, then you have the opportunity to make better choices for improved behaviors.
It will be very hard work for you to make the changes you desire. The old tapes from dysfunctional periods of your life are very hard to overcome. Some people never do and make themselves and everyone close to them miserable. Do not let this control issue happen to you and your family. Awareness of this is the beginning of positive change. Remember, the past is gone and today brings new opportunities for loving choices.
If you find you are not able to control your inappropriate anger, you can seek out a therapist who is an expert in anger management. This may be the best approach.

Question
I found out my 13 year old son stole a video game from an acquaintance when I overheard him bragging to a friend about it.When I first silifke escort ilanları talked to him about it later, he tried to deny he took it. Then he admitted it when I told him how I found out and would call the boy to check it out myself. I’ve punished him for lying to me. I also told my son to return it and apologize for taking it. He chose to put it in the mailbox and say nothing. In defending himself, he said if he told the boy what happened it would hurt his reputation and word would get around that he was a thief. As I told him, this is not the first time he has done something like this. I also told him the last time I would not again cover for him. My parents have sided with him. He and they think I’m being unreasonable. What do you think? Should he talk to the boy and apologize as I told him to do?
Answer
Dr. Braccio: Your son needs to tell the person the truth. He took the video game, bragged to a friend about what he did, first lied to you, only admitted he took it when he had to, and then returned it only because he got caught. After all of that, he chose to defy you and not admit to the person he took it and apologize. This is not a positive sequence of attitudes and behaviors.
In addition to everything else, he does not show any remorse for his stealing and lying. That is as bad as the lying and stealing. He needs to make some fundamental changes in himself.
He need not tell the person you made him apologize. The important thing he must learn is that there are unpleasant consequences for stealing, lying, being defiant and not having remorse. Admitting his wrongdoing and apologizing will be very hard for your son; however, it is how change and potential personal growth can occur in him. He needs a positive dose of humility.
That you “covered for him” in the past was bad parenting. You must stop doing it now. To your credit, you are trying to do that now. You are teaching him that even though you gave in before, you will longer do that. You can tell him you were wrong and that it will not happen again.
Once you decided what he was to do and told him to do it, then he had to do it. Any negotiation on how to solve the problem was to be done prior to his defying you and trying to negotiate afterwards. This is totally unacceptable. It probably got to this point because you went along with his bad behavior in the past. Do not worry about what you have not done in the past. Take control of this current situation. I think in this case, to have him personally apologize for what he did is essential not just because it will help him, but because you told him to do it as part of your parenting. This will help you positively assert your role as parent.
The involvement of your parents is inappropriate and must end. You need to talk to them and do some “parenting” with them. They are not helping anyone in the family with their misguided support of your son’s totally inappropriate behavior.
You might consider an experienced therapist and/or pastor to help him better understand appropriate behavior. A therapist also might be helpful to you with his resistance to change and the unfortunate support of your parents.

This is my response mersin eskort to a Question that someone asked me for my opinion. In life, it is wonderful to help others but we must not overlook our own needs.
Question
With support from my husband, sister and God, the doctors tell me they believe I have beaten colon cancer. My concern is that my mother and one sister seemed so distant with me during the past year. This also happened with a few friends. The hurt came because I have always been there for all of them whenever there was a problem or a concern. Even though my mother and sister are both immature selfish and I feel like the parent, I expected more from them. But when I was in crisis, they were not only not there, but seemed to resent me for my severe health problem and my inability to console them on their issues. Only one friend was honest enough to say she was used to me being a support to her and she had no emotional energy for me. A few unexpected persons out of the blue stepped up and helped me emotionally. What’s wrong here and should I be upset?
Answer
The problem is that you gave too much emotionally to those who will not now reciprocate because they cannot or have no desire to do so. You have every right to be upset. When one gives so much as you have emotionally, it is only reasonable to assume others will give back when you are in need. This would particularly be true with your mother and sister. Apparently, their immaturity and selfishness are such that they chose to not be supportive to you during your crisis. Some of your friends fit into this same category.
As painful and hurtful as this is to you emotionally, it is not that uncommon. Too often, the world is divided into “givers and takers”. You are a giver who has been surrounded by too many takers. That this includes your own mother and sister must be particularly painful. It also is true that a friendship is a like a wonderful and nourishing mirror where each person reflects understanding to the other. Some of your relationships have not been true friendships.
It is fortunate you have spiritual beliefs. They are so reinforcing and splendid in times of crisis.
A key concept for you in relationships is that you need to remember the wise statement that says you need to “love yourself” as well as “your neighbor”. You have too often left “yourself” out of your relationships. This is particularly true with people who will only take support but not give it back.
In the future, you need to determine who you want to be around. A key standard would be to seek out persons with your capacity to reach out and help others. Then when you give, you know you are appreciated and the person will be there for you when needed. You can begin this with the friends and family who stood by you during your ordeal as well as the persons who “stepped up and helped”. They are like you and deserve your friendship. Your husband and sister are good persons like you.

Question
Dear Dr.Braccio:
No matter how anamur eskort bayan hard I try, my weight will not stay off. With all the problems I have with anger and guilt about my divorce, being a single mother raising three children on my own and a single breadwinner, why can’t I lose the weight?
Answer
An amazing 90% of persons cannot keep weight off that they lose. The reason for the failure in so many, as appears in your case, is a lack of self-esteem. You feel bad about the life you are living. To be truthful, it is very difficult. Even though you are helping your children out of love, the combination of guilt, anger, feelings of loneliness and a general unfairness, your self esteem has been battered.
Weight loss programs such as ours and countless others will all work if you can love yourself to the point you can control your calorie intake, attitude and exercise. You can change your self esteem with therapy and/or searching within yourself to find the positive and why you deserve to weigh what you desire.
It is reasonable that you use food as comfort. We probably all learned food was loving and supportive during breastfeeding or on the bottle. We even use the words “treats”, “help yourself”, “healing” and “healthy” to describe how we see eating. The goal in weight loss is to eat a balanced diet with healthy portions, exercise and positive view of oneself.
If you want to know more about self esteem enhancement with counseling and/or our weight loss program, please visit my website at www.drjohnb.com or give me a call.

This Question/Answer reflects a common problem parents have every day.To use a behavior chart can anamur bayan escort be very helpful.
Question
Dr. Braccio:
I am exhausted and frustrated. I only have one child and she is overwhelming to me. She will not mind me and must be told ten times to do anything I want. I get louder and louder. The routine is wearing me out. What can I do?
Answer
You need to get a behavior chart for each of you. You can chart how often you must tell her to do something. Set up a system where the sooner she does it she can get a star or something that when combined, you can get her something she wants. For example, she can go to bed later by fifteen minutes. You can bring her into the process and have her involved in what the positive results will be if she does what you ask without the whole frustrating process. Some negative consequences can also occur is she refuses to change. An important strategy to use is to applaud her when she is doing what you want. This is a powerful tool to get her to do what you want. People love applause and encouragement.
For you, you can use a chart to eliminate your “nagging” or constant asking her to do what you want. Ultimately, consistently asking her to do something turns her off and she does not even hear you. By monitoring yourself and her, you can bring about the change you desire to best help both of you. This will not be easy and will require hard work; however, the positive results are worth the efforts.
If you have any questions or you feel we can be of service to you, please feel free to make contact directly.

Question
Dr.Braccio:
I am exhausted and konya merkez genç kızlar frustrated. I only have one child and she is overwhelming to me. She will not mind me and must be told ten times to do anything I want. I get louder and louder. The routine is wearing me out. What can I do?
Answer
You need to get a behavior chart for each of you. You can chart how often you must tell her to do something. Set up a system where the sooner she does it she can get a star or something that when combined, you can get her something she wants. For example, she can go to bed later by fifteen minutes. You can bring her into the process and have her involved in what the positive results will be if she does what you ask without the whole frustrating process. Some negative consequences can also occur is she refuses to change. An important strategy to use is to applaud her when she is doing what you want. This is a powerful tool to get her to do what you want. People love applause and encouragement.
For you, you can use a chart to eliminate your “nagging” or constant asking her to do what you want. Ultimately, consistently asking her to do something turns her off and she does not even hear you. By monitoring yourself and her, you can bring about the change you desire to best help both of you. This will not be easy and will require hard work; however, the positive results are worth the efforts.
If you have any questions or you feel we can be of service to you, please feel free to make contact.

It is a sad phenomenon that 65% of karatay genç kızlar Americans suffer from Obesity. Think about that….65%! This is hard to believe when the news is filled with heart wrenching pictures and stores about starving children and adults around the world.
The following statistics give you a clear idea of the severe danger to each of us if we are obese:
–Increases your risk of Arthritis by 200%
–Increases your risk of High Cholesterol by 200%
–Increases your risk of Heart Disease by 200%
–Increases your risk of diabetes and Type-2 Diabetes by 300%
My suggestion is that you use 2008 to funnel your energy into a weight loss period. This requires a change in lifestyle. You must eat nutritiously and judiciously as well as having a daily exercise regimen. My hypnosis CD could be helpful to assist to you and your program. However, the key to any success in any endeavor, whether it be weight loss or knitting, is commitment and follow through. Why not visualize you as a water fountain of health rather than a ticking time bomb?
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

Welcome to 2008! We made it through the hectic holiday period and 2007 is a year mersin anamur eskort bayanları of the past. I hope you and those you love and care for have a wonderful, healthy and love filled New Year!
As far as resolutions go, you will not fail if you chose reasonable goals that are helpful to you and in small increments that will allow you success you can achieve relatively quickly. For example, if you want to lose thirty pounds, break it down into increments of three pounds and give yourself kudos and rewards after each loss of three pounds. The wait for thirty pounds will predictably be too long and you will give up in what otherwise could be a successful weight loss program.
If you have any questions or suggestions or you feel we can be of help with our weight loss program, please feel free to make contact with me directly.

The holidays can be a very difficult period for persons grieving the loss of loved ones, struggling financially, feeling a loss of happier times, separated from loved ones and in poor health.This is supposed to be the happiest of anamur eskort bayan times as we hear the glories of Christmas and the holiday season. We must remember as joyful as it may be for you, many persons are suffering. The joys you may not have only magnify the unhappiness one may feel. If you know someone suffering this holiday time, do the following as possible:
1. Be patient.
2. Listen and be empathetic.
3. Share a hug, smile or even a cry if appropriate.
4. Share spiritual values and beliefs to give strength.
5. Share a happy story.
6. If a Christian, delight in the birth Jesus Christ and which he means to all Christians.
This topic is discussed in a download on my website from a segment I did with Jack Ebling on “Ebling and You”.
The best is wished to each and every one of you as we enjoy Christmas, one of the world’s greatest religious holidays!

Hello Everyone!
One of the most mersin anamur eskort bayanları common problems encountered in a home is getting children up and ready to go on school days. The following question to me and my answer can be helpful to you. It is one of many Quick Tips I plan to give you in future newsletters.
Quick Tips To Help You Parent – Getting Your Child Up In The Morning
Question
I am constantly worn out from yelling at my son to get up in the morning. He waits to the last minute to be ready and them blames me for his being late. What can I do to change this nightmare I live every single school day?
Answer
The key is to change the routine in your house and quit yelling and pleading with your son. You want the focus and responsibility off you and on him. This will be very hard for you to do because this is an ingrained pattern of interaction you and your son have developed. You each are splendid actors who have learned your roles perfectly! You must have faith that you can be effective without the useless frustration and even anger.
The following is the beginning of a more peaceful morning for you and your son:
I would suggest that you let your son know times are changing. Let him know you have bought an alarm clock that will go off five minutes after you call him. This then puts some responsibility on him to turn off the alarm and get up. You then can say you are going to get ready and make breakfast. This lets him know you will be busy while he gets up and gets ready. You also can say his breakfast will be ready and he can eat before he needs to go to school. This lets him know there is a benefit for him getting up. He can eat breakfast and be ready to leave on time.
This is not a perfect suggestion but then nothing on this earth is. With that said, this suggestion or a similar one can be helpful and has been various times I have suggested it.
You will need to be patient when implementing this strategy or any other I will be giving you in the future. The key is to take yourself out of the fighting and put a routine in place.
If you have any questions or you feel we can be of help, please feel free to make contact with me directly.
John H. Braccio, Ph.D.

Hello Everyone!
Over the years, I anamur eskort bayan have treated many persons for Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is a common disorder in a State like Michigan when there are cold and overcast days in the Winter. I believe the following Question/Answer may be helpful to you or someone you love.
Question
I dread winter more every year. I get so down and lose so much energy. Poor concentration, feeling guilty, binge eating, sleeping every chance I get, always tired, lack of motivation, moodiness and being irritable is what I become. I’m there! I’m not like this during the rest of the year. At least bears get to hibernate and don’t torture themselves and others. I love to see people but now have no interest in seeing anyone. My family tries to be helpful but I can see they stay away from me when they can. What’s wrong with me and what can I do to change?
Answer
It appears you have what is commonly called “Seasonal Affective Disorder” or SAD. It is a seasonal depression that occurs generally between November and April in colder climates when days are short, clouds often are in the sky and the temperature is cold. In the Northern climates percentages of people are seen to range from approximately 3% to as high as 14%. This higher number probably also includes persons who get the Sub-Syndromal/Winter Blues and generally do not like winter but do not have the severe symptoms of major depression.
You have many of the classic symptoms of SAD: Lack of energy, sleeping all the time and still always being tired and run down, poor motivation, guilt for how you feel, eating too much, difficulty concentrating, irritable, little interest in social or daily activities. In a way, you are hibernating from your normal personality and life patterns. The lights have literally gone out for you emotionally.
As you are painfully aware, there is no doubt that SAD is a terrible depression that greatly impacts one’s life when one is experiencing it. Only recently has the general public come to understand it.
The following are some steps to take to help overcome your Seasonal Affective Disorder:
1. Exercise and keep your body healthy. This will also help keep your mind
sharp.
2. Maintain a healthy and nutritious diet. You need to fight off food cravings.
3. Consider the use of Light Therapy to replace the lack of sunlight. Increments of 15
minutes to a few hours are typical at different times of the day. Mimicking dawn
can be done with a timed light that acts as if the sun is coming up in your bedroom.
4. Counseling to help you be more productive and focus on the beauty of winter as
well as helping you be out and about when your tendency, due to depression, is to
sulk away in a dark corner of your home. It can help you develop your own overall
multi-faceted program to end SAD once and for all.
5. Dress warmly and walk outside in the cold when the sun is out to both get exercise
and grab as much sun as you can get. This is an action too often overlooked by
persons with SAD.
6. Consider medication. Medications like Zoloft, Prozac and Welbutrin are often
effective when prescribed for SAD. Talk to your family physician or psychiatrist
as to what could be the most appropriate antidepressant to use.
7. A complete physical also might help to eliminate any other problems that are
causing your symptoms.
It is not unusual for persons with SAD to use one or more of the above suggestions at the same time. For example, counseling and medication would be a common combination.

Hello Everyone!

The following question comes from a spouse whose husband is underemployed and the result is a family in turmoil.The suggestions I give could be helpful kocasinan olgun bayanlar to you. In the difficult economy of Michigan, this is a common problem we see with families seeking counseling. At a positive level, be aware these are some things you can do to make things better.

Question

Our family is in turmoil since my husband lost his job and took a lesser one. What can one parent do when the other one is unhappy at work?

Answer

We sometimes underestimate the importance of having a job comparable to one’s abilities. In a time of major corporate downsizing and privatizing in government, it ought not be surprising that many people are clearly not in jobs comparable to their training and ability. While the comparisons may seem extreme, ask yourself how happy General George Patton would have been making guns or Julius Caesar spears? Many of those with spouses unhappily underemployed will readily tell you the suffering they are going through and how this negatively impacts on them and the family; and often on friendships and the overall quality of life of the family.
If someone’s spouse is suffering from one or more of the following:
Consider the following seven suggestions:
1. Listen, Listen and Listen Some More. People who are suffering and see no way out of their work related dilemma need to talk about it with a kind and sympathetic spouse, family members and friends. There is no substitute for caring empathy by the spouse and others who care for the person in work related turmoil.
2. Give Praise For Doing the Job and Recognition of How Difficult it is to go to a Job You are Overqualified For. Getting up daily and going to work is a major task for many under the best of circumstances and it can be torture if one hates the job and sees it far below his/her capabilities. Giving encouragement to keep trying to do his/her best along with praise for doing it for the sake of family and other valid reasons can be critical to the person continuing to function as effectively as possible.
3. Constant encouragement to keep resume updated and look for a more fulfilling job. It can be good mental health to simply put a resume together. Even if a job does not develop, having the resume ready for a possible job prospect can be positive and have the person who is unhappily under-employed feel he/she is doing something about the problem.
4. Seek Out Avocations. When one’s work is unfulfilling, putting one’s energies into avocations can be useful; and often, pleasurable avocations turn into successful vocations.
5. For those who believe in God, help your spouse find a spiritual understanding and healing to make his/her life more livable. While faith is a very individual experience, having it can be remarkably helpful in times of great crisis and emotional turmoil.
6. Find activities to enhance family unity and let genuine human love within the family heal some of your spouse’s pain. Of all earthly sources, the family is clearly the most obvious unit to help a member in emotional turmoil. To utilize the family in mutually enjoyable activities and to help a member is only reasonable.
7. Utilizing professional counseling may be useful in some situations. When the spouse cannot cope with the condition of the spouse suffering or needs are greater than one can give, then seeking out well experienced professional help is what is needed.
As a final comment, we all know how humanly painful it is to see an exceptional human being devastated by feelings that are not healthy for the person, spouse or other family members due to under-employment. To change the course of such sad feelings in someone we love makes attempting the suggestions made here worth the effort. In order to make a difference in the lives of those we love, we must believe we can do it and try to bring it about with energetic gusto! Go for it!

Questions?

If you have any comments or questions on our audio visual programs or regarding my website or products, please email me or call (800) 233-0766. All products have a 30-day money back guarantee. My goal is to satisfy you and be helpful.