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Stress & Worry
Got stress, anxiety and depression? Get answers by conferring with a counseling expert below. Emotional discomfort such as stress and anxiety are usually normal response to an internal or external trouble that is placed on your system. People react to most stressful situations with the "fight or flight" response. Others just bury their head in the sand and hope their troubles will leave on their own causing additional worry and stress. Sometimes the stress is emotional rather than physical and the body does not release the anxiety or tension created by the stress and anxiety. Stress caused by difficult relationships with friends and family can also build-up over time and is conducive to solutions offered through traditional talk therapy. Left unchecked, stress and worry can lead to back pain, headaches, raised blood pressure, indigestion, sweating, palpitations, irritability, and heart disease.
     


Anything can be a source of stress, but there are certain areas of life that are more likely than others to generate excess stress.  These include job or schoolwork, families and other personal relationships, problems with health, finances and sexuality, and of course, life changes of any kind.  Interestingly, stress is as likely to occur from positive events as it is from negative ones. The key is to recognize the danger before it arrives and by contacting a therapist to help you through the rough spots. It can be said that the relationship between a patient and his therapist is at least equally important to what the therapist chooses to do for the patient. Interestingly, studies show if you feel like your therapist knows what he or she is doing; you have a much better chance of getting better as a result of that therapy. Choosing the right therapist therefore is critical to your success as a patient. Here are some issues to consider:
   
Short-term therapy can be very cost-effective and result in real solutions. Usually, short- term therapy entails visiting your therapist once or twice a week for about five-to –ten weeks. Nearly seventy percent of the patients who receive short-term therapy report they see a fifty percent improvement in their target symptoms by the conclusion of their therapy. Long-term therapy usually focuses on the inner-self and aim to improve overall well being. This can be produce very powerful results for a patient, but takes time, in many cases as much as a year or longer. One thing is certain, however, a good outcome depends on a strong relationship between the patient and therapist.
   
Almost everyone, one time or another will run into serious trouble. Sometimes that trouble can be caused by a lost job, illness, divorce, accident or a hundred other miserable troubles people are forced to endure in times of serious trouble. Don’t let worry and depression rule your life, reach out for help and get your life back.
   
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Stress And Insomnia - Restless Legs Syndrome
 
It is estimated that nearly 12 million Americans suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS).  While RLS is not technically considered a sleep disorder, it is often associated with chronic insomnia. Today, RLS is considered mostly a neurological condition.
 
The primary symptom of restless leg syndrome is an uncontrollable jerking of the legs due to an uncomfortable and sometimes-painful sensation felt traveling along and through the legs.
 
RLS sufferers also report that the creepy leg sensations they feel begin slowly and then intensify usually within the first half-hour of sleep. Patients with RLS report that they find the symptoms to be less noticeable during the day and more pronounced at night.
 

Insomnia - Running On Empty – Sleep Deprivation

 
It seems that nothing is more stressful then going through financial hardship. Stress from unemployment. Stress from the threat of foreclosure. Stress from having to declare bankruptcy. The list goes on. The problem with financial trouble is that it keeps us up late at night – and for many – there is little to no sleep.
 
It is a cycle. The absence of sleep causes even higher levels of fatigue and nervousness. The symptoms deepen as the insomnia grows worse, the anxiety intensifies and sometimes it can develop into a full-blown depressive cycle. Left untreated, the condition can worsen and cause exhaustion, fatigue and mania. 
 
Restless Leg Syndrome affects both men and women, young and old. Some believe the condition is genetically transmitted. Women who are pregnant may have problems with RLS, which can be brought on by the added weight of the pregnancy as well. RLS has also been found in children, but is much more difficult to diagnosis in them. 
 

Signs of Restless Leg Syndrome

 
There are three main diagnostic features to Restless Leg Syndrome: 
 
  • Experiencing uncomfortable and sometimes painful prickly sensations crawling across your legs.
      
  • The sensation causes an involuntary movement of your legs usually during the first half-hour of sleep.
       
  • There is a sense of relief from the movement of the legs - albeit temporary.

Diagnostic Sleep Study –  Polysomnography

 
In order to determine the severity of the condition, neurologists will often order a sleep study to determine the degree of electrical activity in the patient’s brain and its correlative activity within the legs. The next step is to determine the best treatment for the person.
 

RLS Treatment Options

Mild forms of RLS can be treated with moderate diet and exercise modifications. Researchers have found that caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco can trigger symptoms in patients who are already predisposed to developing the condition.
 
It is also recommended that the patient engage in vigorous exercise and aerobic activities aimed at inducing a deeper and more uninterrupted sleep. A recent study suggests that RLS may also be caused by other medical conditions such as diabetes.
 
The neurologist after confirming the diagnosis of RLS, may suggest you consider medication to suppress the occurrence of the symptoms. There are different medications on the market today. Some doctors have prescribed benzodiazepines such as Ambian to help resolve the symptoms. Other doctors have suggested the use of Oxycodone.
 
For more information on sleep disorders, insomnia, stress and anxiety and how best to manage you’re emotional well being in times of financial stress, visit www.GotTrouble.com

 

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