Mindhacks

I did a double-take when I read the headline.

I found this on the BBC website last night, and I re-read the page just to make sure it wasn’t some tabloid journalism.

Who would have thought?

Low self-esteem ’shrinks brain’

By Pallab Ghosh
BBC Science Correspondent

People with a low sense of self worth are more likely to suffer from memory loss as they get older, say researchers.

The study, presented at a conference at the Royal Society in London, also found that the brains of these people were more likely to shrink compared with those who have a high sense of self esteem.

Dr Sonia Lupien, of McGill University in Montreal surveyed 92 senior citizens over 15 years and studied their brain scans.

She found that the brains of those with low self-worth were up to a fifth smaller than those who felt good about themselves.

These people also performed worse in memory and learning tests.

Retraining

Dr Lupien believes that if those with a negative mind set were taught to change the way they think they could reverse their mental decline.

He said: “This atrophy of the brain that we thought was irreversible is reversible - some data on animals and some data on humans shows that that if you enrich the environment if you change some factors this brain structure can come back to normal levels”

Researchers are studying which psychological treatments work best.

According to Dr Felicia Huppert of Cambridge University - the early signs are that fairly simple techniques can have an enormous impact:

“There are interventions which talk about focusing on positive things in everyday life and savouring good moments even at times when life is difficult little tiny things may give you pleasure so there are skills involved in how to derive pleasure from the ordinary things in life”.

‘Reversed’

According to Dr Lupien, the fear of memory loss may be a self fulfilling prophesy as anxiety leads to negative thinking which leads to mental impairment.

“If you always think it’s normal to lose something, then you will never work to increase it because doctors have always told you that. I’m saying that it is not normal.

“So this might impact positvely on the public by saying that its possible to impact on increasing your memory performance and by saying that it is normal to have a fulfilling life, we may be able to increase self esteem among the general public - and prevent a lot of these deficits related to age”.

Story from BBC NEWS

A very recent study on the effects of anti-depressants have revealed some stunning results. Can you imagine reading: “This means that depressed people can improve without chemical treatments…” and not be excited for the wellfare of the planet?

And there are some fantastic treatments out there that we can employ!

How about meditation?

Study casts doubt on anti-depressants

By Salamander Davoudi

Prescribing anti-depressants to the vast majority of patients is futile, as the drugs have little or no impact at all, according to researchers.

Almost 50 clinical trials were reviewed by psychologists from the University of Hull who found that new-generation anti-depressants worked no better than a placebo – a dummy pill – for mildly depressed patients.

Even the trials that suggested some clinical benefit for the most severely depressed patients did not produce convincing evidence. Professor Irving Kirsch from the university’s pyschology department said: “The difference in improvement between patients taking placebos and patients taking anti-depressants is not very great.

“This means that depressed people can improve without chemical treatments. Given these results, there seems little reason to prescribe anti-depressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients.”

The researchers focused on four widely prescribed anti-depressants and the clinical trials that were submitted to win licensing approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.

The drugs included fluoxetine (Prozac), venlafaxine (Efexor), and Paroxetine (Seroxat).

All belong to a family of drugs known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs have become popular over the past 15 years as doctors consider them to be safer than tricyclic drugs that carried a high risk of overdose. In 2006, 31m prescriptions for anti-depressants were issued in England, up 27 per cent since 2001.

Alison Cobb, policy officer at mental health charity Mind, said: “This study represents a serious challenge to the predominance of pharmacological treatments for depression. Anti-depressants have been shown to help many people, but by no means all.”

“Too many GPs are being forced to dish out drugs because they don’t have proper access to psychological therapies services which are recommended by Nice.”

Mind is urging GPs to consider alternative therapies such as exercise – particularly outdoor exercise – which it believes has shown to be very effective in combating depression.

However, Dr Gary Bell, consultant psychiatrist at Capio Nightingale Hospitals, the provider of private psychiatry treatment, contested the conclusions of the Hull research. “Anti-depressants are one of the great breakthroughs in the treatment of depression in last 20 to 30 years,” he said.

“They do not always suit everybody but the results are often life-saving. People who do studies do not have the hands-on experience of using these medicines.”

According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, at least one person in five will suffer from a depressive illness at some point.

(source)

Anxiety found to increase risk of heart attacks by up to 40%!

We all know that people with a Type A personality and an off-the-charts hostility level may be courting a heart attack. But this might come as a surprise: New research shows that their nervous, socially withdrawn neighbors also have reason to worry.

The research, published in the January 15, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), shows that longstanding anxiety markedly increases the risk of heart attack, even when other common risk factors are taken into account.

“What we’re seeing is over and beyond what can be explained by blood pressure, obesity, cholesterol, age, cigarette smoking, blood sugar levels and other cardiovascular risk factors,” said Biing-Jiun Shen, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

The role of anxiety in hiking heart attack risk also goes beyond the effects of depression, anger, hostility, Type A behavior and other negative emotions. “These psychological factors are important in predicting the risk of heart disease, but anxiety is unique,” Dr. Shen said. “Older men with sustained and pervasive anxiety appear to be at increased risk for a heart attack even after their levels of depression, anger, hostility and Type A behavior are considered.”

For the study, Dr. Shen and his colleagues analyzed data from the Normative Aging Study, which was designed to assess medical and psychological changes associated with aging among a group of initially healthy men. Each of the 735 men participating in the new analysis completed psychological testing in 1986 and was in good cardiovascular health at the time.

Although most people think of anxiety as intense worry, Dr. Shen and his colleagues looked much deeper, examining four different measures of anxiety. The first anxiety scale measured psychasthenia, or excessive doubts, obsessive thoughts and irrational compulsions. The second anxiety scale measured social introversion, or anxiety, insecurity, and discomfort in interpersonal and social situations. The third anxiety scale measured phobias, or excessive anxieties or fears about animals, situations or objects. The fourth anxiety scale, manifest anxiety, measured the tendency to experience tension and physical arousal in stressful situations.

Separate sections of the psychological test measured hostility, anger, Type A behavior, depression, and negative emotions. Study participants also completed questionnaires about health habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption and daily diet, and had a medical exam every three years over a follow-up period that averaged more than 12 years.

The investigators found that men who tested at the highest 15th percentile on any of the four anxiety scales, as well as on a scale combining all four, faced an increase in the risk of heart attack of approximately 30 to 40 percent. Those who were found to have even higher levels of anxiety on psychological testing faced an even higher risk of heart attack. This finding held true even after the findings were adjusted for standard cardiovascular risk factors, health habits, and negative psychological and personality traits.

“The good thing about anxiety is that it’s very treatable,” said Dr. Shen. “If someone is highly anxious—if they’re suffering from panic attacks or social phobia or constant worry—we recommend therapy. Although more research is needed, we hope that by reducing anxiety, we can lower the future risk of heart attack. This is one more reason to seek help.”

Dr. Shen said the new research does not address the role of anxiety in provoking heart attacks in women. He and his colleagues are considering such a study in the future.

Source: American College of Cardiology

Giving babies nutritious food could significantly increase their earning power as adults, new research suggests.

The findings, published in the British medical journal The Lancet, were based on a three-decade study of Guatemalan males from birth.

Those who had been well-fed soon after they were born earned almost 50% more than those who had not.

Experts say the results could affect how aid is managed in countries in the developing world.

The findings could also have a bearing on social policy towards the poor in more developed nations.

‘First clear link’

Although there is widespread evidence that the babies of better-off parents grow stronger and richer than those of the poor - indeed, it’s so obvious that it hardly needs saying - the reasons why this happens are complex.

Food, schooling, the economic environment and the social services provided by government, all play a role.

In this long-term study of villagers in Guatemala, however, nutrition was the only variable that changed.

During the 1970s, some of the babies in the study were given a very nutritious food supplement, some a less nutritious one.

When the researchers returned three decades later to see how the babies - now men - were faring, they found that men who had had the very nutritious supplement up to the age of three were earning nearly half as much more per hour than the other villagers.

The girl babies who had become women did not have similar wage differentials, possibly because they had less choice about where they worked.

But The Lancet said these results were the first direct evidence of a clear link between early-life nutrition and adult wages, and that feeding babies well could drive economic growth.

(source)

Frustrated?

People spend thousands on diet books, gym memberships, and ten thousands to buy the latest exercise equipment and personal training, yet these people will always find themselves relapsing into their old, weight-gaining habits.

As a self-titled yo-yo dieter, I’ve gone through many programs without much success. So if your reading this, and nodding, I feel your frustration. Something has GOT to change.

Michael Lovitch, co-founder of the Hypnosis Network, suggested that I review one of their acclaimed programs; Enjoying Weight Loss. Having come to wits end with finding a successful weight loss program, I decided to give it a shot.

A Short Introduction to Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a state of inner focus, deep concentration, and increased self-awareness. When we enter a suggestive state, we are able to more efficiently use the unlimited potential of our minds. A common analogy is to think of our waking consciousness as the tip of an iceberg; the large majority of the iceberg is submerged, much like our subconsciousness. Hypnosis reduces the water level , per-se, allowing ourselves to become more aware of our subconscious selves.

By acknowledging that hypnotherapy allows people to tap into the vast potential of their minds, many renowned psychotherapists have started teaching self-hypnotism to assist people in many fields of personal development, such as smoking cessation, self-motivation, and weight-loss.

The Hypnosis Network, known for working exclusively with top psychologists, has enlisted one of the highest authorities in hypnotherapy to create Enjoying Weight Loss. She will teach you the techniques and research that will double the efficiency of your diet and exercise regime, without fear of losing focus.

The Expert

Celebrated hypnotist and psychotherapist Roberta Temes, Ph.D., has helped thousands of people overcome various weight-loss issues. But Dr. Temes is no stage hypnotist! She’s authored’ The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hypnosis’, and is currently the editor of Medical Hypnosis, a pioneering medical textbook on hypnotherapy.

Through the easy-to-follow 4-CD program, Dr. Temes will place listeners under hypnosis 7 times, as she programs life-changing habits that will keep the pounds off forever. And you can come back and listen to the sessions as many times as you need to, first while you’re learning, and later for reinforcement.

You will learn that while diet plans are crucial for weight loss, hypnotherapy can teach you to maintain focus, without falling off the boat. Sticking to your diet can actually be easy and fun.

Some of the habits that you will learn include:

- Reducing your overall caloric intake
- Drinking more water
- Exercising consistently
- Monitoring your progress systematically
- Planning your meals
- Appreciating yourself and your progress

The Verdict

Finally, a well-researched, American Medical Association-approved method, that can place you in control of your eating, exercising, and determination. A way where these behaviors can become instinctual, without becoming a chore! And if your not totally convinced, there’s a money back guarantee as well!

One of the most awesome things about Dr Temes is her calming and soothing voice, very different from some of the grating, preachy voices that many un-qualified hypnotherapists have. Her understanding tone and entertaining facts make for an interesting listen thats not going to put you to sleep. In fact, she acknowledges that the mind will at times wander while under the suggestive state, and assures us that it is perfectly normal!

Armed with these awesome CDs, I’ve managed to jump-start my weight-loss regime with renewed excitement and focus. I’ve been on the program for a week so far and I’ve started to notice differences in how much more water I drink a day, as well as how my food intake has reduced to a healthier and manageable level. I’m extremely confident that with this program and my diet program, I’ll be able to shed off enough weight before the Christmas season approaches!

If you are over 10 pounds overweight, then you owe it to yourself and your family to get your eating habits in order.

Interested in finding out more about the Enjoying Weight Loss program with Dr Roberta Temes? Click here for more information!

Healing - Can this miracle water speed up the pace of Wound Healing?

Both the New Scientist and BBC News have recently reported on a remarkable discovery - that a US firm has developed a miracle water which can accelerate healing.

This could be beneficial for the 246 million reported Diabetes sufferers worldwide who have problems with wounds not healing.

The water is “super oxidized” and so far the studies have shown it to work so fingers crossed healing will just get quicker and quicker.

Firm makes ‘healing super-water’

Bad circulation can prevent foot ulcers from healing

US scientists have developed chemically modified water which they say speeds up wound healing.

Oculus, the Californian firm which developed the water - made by filtering it through a salt membrane - says it kills viruses, bacteria and fungi.

It is also effective against MRSA and UK trials are being carried out on patients with diabetic foot ulcers, New Scientist magazine reported.

Experts said wound healing was a major problem for people with diabetes.

The key ingredient of the water, called Microcyn, are oxychlorine ions - electrically charged molecules.

The water can only kill cells it can completely surround, such as free-living microbes, so human cells are spared because they are tightly bound together in a matrix.

We would welcome any safe effective treatment which could help people with diabetes make a swift recovery

Tracey Kelly, Diabetes UK

It is made by taking purified water and using an electric current and a semi-permeable sodium chloride membrane to separate out the oxychlorine ions.

One study showed that patients with advanced foot ulcers who were treated with the water, alongside an antibiotic, had an average healing time of 43 days compared with 55 days in those who received standard treatment.

Read the full story > >

Read the New Scientists Report >>

Why not find out how you can heal using your mind

The debate rages on between conventional medical practices with scientific models and alternative forms of medicine. Let’s be honest it’s never going to die down. While exploring this topic a wonderful article came along my path.

This article shows how spirituality and enlightenment can be achieved alongside conventional medical practices. It has numerous stories of remarkable people who have overcome illness through alternative methods such as visualization in the case of Morris Goodman aka ‘Miracle Man’.

Delve into the article:

The Source Of All Illnesses

By Lorenzo @ RealitySeeds.com

For thousands of years humans have been trying to cure illnesses afflicting body and mind. Endless types and strands of disorders seem to be ever changing and constantly mutating into more complex forms.

Modern Day Science

We try hard to study and understand them with a scientific methodology, but we often have hard time making progress because our scientific models fail to describe much detail of how the human body works. While the science of health is making great steps forward, there is still a lot of guess work involved in applied medicine that often is more like a form of art based on the experience and gut feelings of the doctors, than a science with clear rules.

When we study illness, we notice the symptoms and we explore them; this research gives us clues on how to fix the symptoms, and often we discover possible causes and we attempt to attack these as well. This approach is similar to the approach we take when a car breaks, except that it is much more difficult given how complex the physical body is.

Treat The Symptoms But No Cure

 It often works, but often doesn’t fix the cause, and the illness comes back to hunt us again. Many times things just resolve themselves and we have no idea what the problem was, and why it is gone.

The First Of Many Real Life Alternative Thinking Cases

I remember when I was a teenager I started having troubles breathing at night. I was a young and healthy, much into all kinds of sports and always active. Nevertheless, this night breathing problem was bothering me a great deal.

 I went to my doctor. He asked me if I had that problem only at night, which I did. He also asked me if I had that problem while in vacation somewhere else, or if I had any known allergies. I answered “no” to both questions. In fact, I could sleep just fine while in vacation, and I had no known allergies.

He asked me if I spent much time in my room, which I did. That’s all he needed to hear. His prescription was “Change your room around! Move the furniture, take whatever is on the walls and change it with something new, paint the room with a different color. In short, make it feel new”. I thought it was an odd cure for my problem, but he is a very experienced doctor and I trusted him.

Well, believe it or not, that “cure” fixed my problem, which never came back again. Later he explained that I had problems breathing because I was associating my room with something bad that happened in my life, putting me in a negative state of mind and stress. Changing the room around was a way to deactivate these negative memories.

He didn’t really understand all the details of why that negative state of mind was causing the problems with the breathing; he just knew that it worked that way.

What is the real cause of illness? Most important, why is the body sometimes unable to fix itself?

Read More Here>>

What’s Your Take On This? Share Your Views

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Miracle Man>>

The old saying ”the eyes are the window to the soul”  has now been proven by Science.

Editor’s Note: I found this article on the BBC Website- psychics throughout history have talked about the huge potential knowledge that can be gained from staring at a person’s eyes. This might be one step along the path of proving them right.

 Swedish scientists and researchers have detected patterns between people’s irises and the personality traits they possess, such as warm-heartedness and trust or neuroticism and impulsiveness. So someone just looking at the shape of your iris can tell what kind of person you are.

The team from Orebro University read pits and lines in the irises of 428 people.

Experts said the study in Biological Psychology showed that at least some aspects of personality were determined by genetics.

Close-up pictures were taken of the study participants’ irises, and they also filled out a questionnaire about their personalities.

About The Iris. . .

The Iris is the most visible part of the eye. The word comes from Greek mythology, in which Iris is the anthropomorphized form of the rainbow.

Crypts

These are a series of openings, also known as pits.

Contraction Furrows

These are the lines curving around the outer edge of the iris which are formed when pupils dilate.

Left: Iris

The iris is the green, brown and grey area that surrounds the pupil.

The Findings

It was found that those with more crypts were likely to be tender, warm and trusting, while those with more furrows were more likely to be neurotic, impulsive and give in to cravings.

Is this down to Genes?

The researchers say that PAX6, a neurodevelopmental gene, could also play a major role. It is known to help control the development of the iris in an embryo.

Do you know someone very impulsive? Or someone that lacks social skills? Previous research has shown that this is linked to a mutation of the PAX 6 gene.

Dr. Matt Larsson- team leader:

“These findings support the notion that people with different iris configurations tend to develop along different trajectories in regards to personality.

“Differences in the iris can be used as a biomarker that reflects differences between people.”

Dr George Fieldman, principal lecturer in psychology at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College:

“This is very interesting. It shows that some aspects of personality have a genetic base and to identify them in the eye in this fascinating way is significant.”

The Future

Airports are using iris scanning to identify people, who knows what the future holds? Maybe people will have their irises scanned to find out their personalities.

What can you tell from a person’s eyes? Share your Thoughts here

Click Here for the full article >>