Counseling, culture and emotions.

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:50:00 +0000

"Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn! Look to this Day! For it is Life, the very Life of Life. In its brief course lie all the Verities and Realities of your Existence. The Bliss of Growth, the Glory of Action, the Splendor of Beauty; For Yesterday is but a Dream, And To-morrow is only a Vision; But To-Day well lived makes Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness, And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope. Look well therefore to this Day! Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!" by KALIDASA

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:22:00 +0000

A meditation course offered by the Art of Living Foundation. Those interested in learning about meditation or deepening their meditation practice.

April 26th- 29th in Mercer Island

http://secure.artofliving.org/course_details.aspx?course_id=12192

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

Book Recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:41:00 +0000

4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Farris -- great ideas how to streamline your work and create more satisfying career path
How to Stop Worry ang and Start Living by Dale Carnegie -- book full of great examples how people overcame worry and fears
40 Days to Personal Revolution by Baptiste Baron-- book to help with lifestyle changes, including weight loss through yoga.

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

Lifestyle and Mental Health

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:01:00 +0000

An article titled "Lifestyle and Mental Health" by Roger Walsh in American Psychologist 2011 Vol. 66, No. 7, 579-592 caught my eye.

How does our lifestyle contribute to our mental well being? The article lists these eight lifestyle components that if utilized can improve mental well being. 1) Exercise; 2) Nutrition and diet; 3) Nature; (my personal favorite because NW is so beautiful) 4) Positive relationships; 5) Recreation and Enjoyable activities; 6) Relaxation and stress management; 7) Religion and spirituality; and 8) Contribution and Service;

How many of those areas do you incorporate in your lifestyle? What area is the strongest and weakest? Do you agree with this hypothesis?

The author outlines research how each of these eight factors can improve our mental health. Making an effort to incorporate all those factors may take some time by can be a low cost option in working out our mental well being.

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Reading a book called Why Is It Always About You?
by Sandy Hotchkiss

The book describes people who are narcissistic and how to deal with them. The author suggests the following seven traits of a narcissism: Shamelessness, Magical Thinking, Arrogance, Envy, Entitlement, Exploitation and Bad Boundaries.

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:48:00 +0000

Sometimes the reason we feel badly is because we have people in our lives who treat us badly.
Is this you? Would you answer yes to any of these statements? Would you answer yes to most or all of these questions?

Currently experiencing separation stress, loss, panic, depression, problems with intimacy
Problems with self-esteem and intimacy
In your work you have not achieved your potential
Dissatisfied with their job / or employed below skill level
Current career resulted from family expectations
Have avoided developing your talents, capabilities, and creativity
Afraid of being abandoned/rejected
Afraid of intimacy because you fear losing your identity, possibly being overpowered or controlled
Seek partners who are parental and take care of you,
Paint a rosy pictures of other people
Ignore red flags that indicate impeding problems
Feel unable to manage life in a mature manner
Feel dependent on others to take care of you and meet your needs
You seem younger than your peers
Your life is full of frustrations and anger because you can’t express yourself fully
You have difficulty with spontaneity and aliveness of affect
You have difficulty asserting yourself
Maintaining your self-esteem is difficult
You have difficulty with commitments and intimacy
Its difficult to be creative and spontaneous
Sometimes you act rashly to obtain instant gratification and feel good, and avoid the affects of painful emotions through excessive work, substance abuse, and sex and/or instant relationship

To build a healthy relationships with others means building a healthy relationship within yourself.

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

The middle place

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:16:00 +0000

That place in-between or a transitional place in our life can be a painful place but it also can be the most fruitful place in our life.

A nicely written book by William Bridges explains what kind of a place this is

Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes,

When we have to face a loss, illness, a divorce, a career change, a relocation we land in that place. On one hand we know staying in the same place is not good for us but on the other hand moving toward that thing that would make us happy is incredibly difficult and painful. It brings up all kinds of issues inside of us and we struggle in this place before we are ready to step forward.

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

Free: Eating Disorder Forum June 21st

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:40:00 +0000

An Educational Forum On “Eating Disorders: Facts, Myths & The Road To Recovery”

Guest: Mehri Moore, MD

Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2011, 7 PM - 9 PM

Location: *Evergreen Hospital, Suite Tan 100,

12303 NE 130th Lane,

Kirkland, WA 98034

Click here for more: Eating Disorder Forum June 21st

Autism Awareness

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Sun, 01 May 2011 04:50:00 +0000

Autism Now: Meet Nick, Robert MacNeil’s Grandson
About a PBS reporter’s 6 year old grandson diagnosed with autism, and his family’s experiences. Includes a look at physical symptoms and how they interact with behaviour, and a touching interview with his 10 year old sister.

Quote of the day

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:30:00 +0000

"Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die." - Malachy McCourt

We are less anxious when we are thirsty a new study

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:57:00 +0000

Response to social anxiety better when our sodium levels are elevated and we are thirsty. The reason for this according the the article is that we have to search for water so we are less likely to be anxious. Eric Krause, PhD from University of Cincinnati is quoted saying:

"When you're thirsty, you have to overcome some amount of fear and anxiety to approach a communal water source. And you want to facilitate those interactions - that way everyone can get to the water source."

Krause and his team dehydrated laboratory rats by giving them sodium chloride, then exposed them to stress. Compared with a control group, the rats that received the sodium chloride secreted fewer stress hormones and also displayed a reduced cardiovascular response to stress.

To read more follow this link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/221485.php

Getting stuck in a vicious cycle

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:03:00 +0000

This an excellent excerpt from a book "PEACE from Broken Pieces. How to get through what you're going though" by Iyanla vanzant -- what it must be like to gets stuck in a vicious cycle of an abusive relationship, what its like to loose oneself and become possessed by a need to be loved,

"...your desire to know love will have a powerful impact on your life. It will dredge up everything that is unloving within you and around you. The more I loved him, the more unlovable I felt. The more unlovable I felt, the uglier I believed I was. The uglier I believed i was, the more unworthy I thought I was in my own mind. The more unworthy I thought I was, the harder I held on to what I thought I did not deserve. It was painful; loving him and believing I didn't deserve to be loved. Back then, pain was my drug of choice. It was a vicious cycle that had very little to do with him. A friend said it was almost like I was possessed. And I was. I was possessed by him that I forgot, on many occasions, to possess myself; to honor me and love me. I was possessed enough to stay with him, knowing, as I did, that there were pieces of me that were badly broken or missing altogether." (Page 14)

Another great quote from page 10 in Iyanla Vanzant book

"When you have no positive pictures and, are unable to access the feelings those pictures would evoke, you have a tendency to make up what you want the pictures to be. More often than not, the pictures you create are not fully developed, causing you to live your life in the blur of false images."

Quote by a Psychoanalyst that survived Nazi Concentration Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:20:00 +0000

Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. --Viktor Frankl

The writings of Viktor Frankl are classics in the therapy community, I highly recommend reading them.

Free parenting workshop in Renton

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 06:51:00 +0000

http://www.inittogether.org

A recent recommendation

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 06:04:00 +0000

Recently I received a wonderful recommendation on LinkedIn from my work at Fairfax Psychiatric Hospital. I was stunned and very grateful!

“I worked with Vera at Fairfax hospital. I was able to interact with her almost daily in her role as therapist and admissions triage coordinator. Vera is a exemplary clinician. Her ability to assess and triage difficult patients, formulate a clinical profile, and present those patients to the medical director and the hospital was highly valued. We could all count on Vera to accurately assess need and clearly articulate issues. Vera possesses advanced clinical insight and is able to communicate in a clear and concise manner. She was always upbeat and positive. Vera could put the most challenging patients at ease and make them feel welcomed and cared for. Our medical director continually praised Vera for her accuracy and speed in admitting highly acute clients, keeping him informed of critical clinical data. It was a pleasure working with Vera as her positive attitude, sense of humor, personality, and calm affect infected all around her. I would highly recommend Vera to any organization that desires a dedicated professional with a fantastic attitude and a work ethic that is rarely seen in today’s workplace.

Dan Munsey Director of Nursing Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center” March 11, 2011
Director of Clinical Services/Director of Nursing, Fairfax Hospital

managed Vera indirectly at Fairfax Hospital

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

A quote by my favorite author

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 05:51:00 +0000

"Self-awareness is a supreme gift, a treasure as precious as life. This is what makes us human. But it comes with a costly price: the wound of mortality. Our existence is forever shadowed by the knowledge that we will grow, blossom, and inevitably, diminish and die." (Irvine D. Yalom "Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death" 2008)

Poem by Portia Nelson (1920 - 2001)

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:57:00 +0000

There Is a Hole in My Sidewalk
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
By Portia Nelson

Chapter One
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost…I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend that I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in this same place.
But, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep whole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in…it’s a habit…but,
My eyes are open
I know where I am
It is my fault.
I get out immediately,

Chapter Four
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter Five
I walk down another street.

Quote you hang on your wall

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:32:00 +0000

"We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking only to learn it is God who is shaking them."

another one
"Nothing changes until we do." - Stanny B. (2004). Secrets of Six-Figured Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life." Harper: New York.

Self Improvement Classess

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 06:39:00 +0000

Are you facing a difficult time but cannot afford traditional therapy?

Here are several inexpensive options around Eastside and Renton area to look into for self-improvement, enrichment, and support classes. I'm a strong believer in the importance of making our emotional health a priority especially during difficult time. These places offer some great alternatives at a low cost:

North Campus at Bellevue Community college has some great career, self-improvement, conflict resolution, weigh loss classes anyone can take visit www.gotobcc.com

Evergreen Medical Center also offers great community classes from childbirth to stress management to weight loss to bereavement support at https://weblink.healthlines.org/web3/clSc.do

Another place to look for inexpensive community classes is Valley Medical Center http://www.valleymed.org/Health_Info/support-group-patient-ed.htm

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

"A sad person who says that the world looks dull and gray and that flowers no longer smell so sweet may not just be speaking figuratively. Two recent studies from Germany provide evidence that sensory perception is diminished in depressed individuals."

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 05:17:00 +0000

Interesting article examines the effects of depression on persons senses... http://discovermagazine.com/2010/dec/01-how-depression-dulls-the-world-literally

How Depression Dulls the World—Literally

The condition seems to affect how our senses work, and researchers may one day use this to make an objective diagnosis of depression.

by Eliza Strickland

From the December 2010 issue; published online February 11, 2011

A sad person who says that the world looks dull and gray and that flowers no longer smell so sweet may not just be speaking figuratively. Two recent studies from Germany provide evidence that sensory perception is diminished in depressed individuals.

To determine if depression has an effect on vision, neuropsychiatrist Ludger Tebartz van Elst of the University of Freiburg hooked up depressed patients and control subjects to a pattern electroretinograph, a device that measures electrical signals in the retina. When viewing black-and-white checkerboard images, people with depression showed markedly reduced electrical responses.

The effect may originate in the retina’s amacrine cells, which feed sensory input to the neurons in the eye. Amacrine cells rely on the neurotransmitter dopamine to function, and mood disorders have been linked to dopamine dysfunctions in the brain. Tebartz van Elst believes the visual response test could serve as an objective measure for establishing a diagnosis of depression: “The patients don’t have to say anything at all—they just keep their eyes open,” he says.

Separately, otorhinolaryngologist Thomas Hummel of the University of Dresden Medical School explored odor perception in depressed patients. Compared with control subjects, he found, people suffering from depression were less able to detect weak smells; MRI scans revealed that they had smaller olfactory bulbs, the brain structures involved in odor perception. Both Hummel and Tebartz van Elst next plan to investigate whether the successful treatment of depression restores the richness of the senses.

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

Early attachment may predict couples' recovery after fights

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 05:01:00 +0000

Interesting finding about attachment. Most intriguing conclusion "This means that if your caregiver is better at regulating your negative emotions as an infant, you tend to do a better job of regulating your own negative emotions in the moments following a conflict as an adult."

Early Attachment May Predict Couples’ Recovery After Fights

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on February 21, 2011

Emerging research suggests couples’ abilities to bounce back from conflict may depend on what both partners were like as infants.
The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, is an outgrowth of studies on how couples fight.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have been following a cohort of people since before they were born, in the mid-1970s. When the subjects were about 20 years old, they visited the lab with their romantic partners for testing.
This included a conflict discussion, when they were asked to talk about an issue they disagreed on, followed by a “cool-down” period, when the couples spent a few minutes talking about something they saw eye to eye about.
Although the cool-down period was included just to make sure the researchers weren’t sending the couples away angry, Jessica E. Salvatore, a Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota, noticed some interesting things about the couples’ communication styles during this recovery time.
“As part of another project where we looked at how couples fight, I would often catch a few minutes of this cool-down period,” she said. Salvatore noticed that some couples had intense conflicts, but made a perfectly clean transition to chatting about something they agreed on. In other couples, one or both partners seemed “stuck” on the conflict discussion and couldn’t move on.
Salvatore and her co-researchers embarked on a closer look at what happens after a conflict supposedly ends. By looking back at observations of the participants and their caregivers from the 1970s, when they were between 12 and 18 months old, the researchers discovered a link between the couples’ conflict recovery behaviors and the quality of their attachment relationship with their caregivers.
People who were more securely attached to their caregivers as infants were better at recovering from conflict 20 years later. This means that if your caregiver is better at regulating your negative emotions as an infant, you tend to do a better job of regulating your own negative emotions in the moments following a conflict as an adult.
The researchers also found that there is hope for people who were insecurely attached as infants.
“We found that people who were insecurely attached as infants but whose adult romantic partners recover well from conflict are likely to stay together,” remarked Salvatore.
“If one person can lead this process of recovering from conflict, it may buffer the other person and the relationship.”
The health of a relationship can be salvaged if one person can quickly disengage from conflict and avoid dwelling on negative thoughts and emotions.
This is some of the first evidence that romantic partners play an important role in buffering the potential harmful effects from poor experiences earlier in life.
“That, to us, was the most exciting finding,” Salvatore said. “There’s something about the important people later in our lives that changes the consequences of what happened earlier.”
Source: American Psychological Association

http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/02/21/early-attachment-may-predict-couples-recovery-after-fights/23721.html

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 05:04:00 +0000

Interesting article how lifestyle changes can also effect mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/216903.php

Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Offer Many Mental Health Benefits

21 Feb 2011

Lifestyle changes - such as getting more exercise, time in nature, or helping others - can be as effective as drugs or counseling to treat an array of mental illnesses, according to a new paper published by the American Psychological Association.

Multiple mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, can be treated with certain lifestyle changes as successfully as diseases such as diabetes and obesity, according to Roger Walsh, M.D., PhD. of the University of California, Irvine's College of Medicine. Walsh reviewed research on the effects of what he calls "therapeutic lifestyle changes," or TLCs, including exercise, nutrition and diet, relationships, recreation, relaxation and stress management, religious or spiritual involvement, spending time in nature, and service to others. His paper was published in American Psychologist, APA's flagship journal.

Walsh reviewed research on TLCs' effectiveness and advantages, as well as the psychological costs of spending too much time in front of the TV or computer screen, not getting outdoors enough, and becoming socially isolated. He concludes that "Lifestyle changes can offer significant therapeutic advantages for patients, therapists, and societies, yet are insufficiently appreciated, taught or utilized," The paper describes TLCs as effective, inexpensive and often enjoyable, with fewer side effects and complications than medications. "In the 21st century, therapeutic lifestyles may need to be a central focus of mental, medical and public health," Walsh said.

According to research reviewed in the paper, the many often unrecognized TLC benefits include:

Exercise not only helps people feel better by reducing anxiety and depression. It can help children do better in school, improve cognitive performance in adults, reduce age-related memory loss in the elderly, and increase new neuron formation in the brain.
Diets rich in vegetables, fruits and fish may help school performance in children, maintain cognitive functions in adults, as well as reduce symptoms in affective and schizophrenic disorders.
Spending time in nature can promote cognitive functions and overall well-being.
Good relationships can reduce health risks ranging from the common cold to strokes as well as multiple mental illnesses, and can enhance psychological well-being dramatically.
Recreation and fun can reduce defensiveness and foster social skills.
Relaxation and stress management can treat a variety of anxiety, insomnia, and panic disorders.
Meditation has many benefits. It can improve empathy, sensitivity and emotional stability, reduce stress and burnout, and enhance cognitive function and even brain size.
Religious and spiritual involvement that focuses on love and forgiveness can reduce anxiety, depression and substance abuse, and foster well-being.
Contribution and service, or altruism, can enhance joy and generosity by producing a "helper's high." Altruism also benefits both physical and mental health, and perhaps even extends lifespan. A major exception the paper notes is "caretaker burnout experienced by overwhelmed family members caring for a demented spouse or parent."

Difficulties associated with using TLCs are the sustained effort they require, and "a passive expectation that healing comes from an outside authority or a pill," according to Walsh. He also noted that people today must contend with a daily barrage of psychologically sophisticated advertisements promoting unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and eating fast food. "You can never get enough of what you don't really want, but you can certainly ruin your life and health trying" lamented Walsh.

For therapists, the study recommends learning more about the benefits of TLCs, and devoting more time to foster patients' TLCs.

The paper recognizes that encouraging widespread adoption of therapeutic lifestyles by the public is likely to require wide-scale measures encompassing educational, mental, and public health systems, as well as political leadership.

Article: "Lifestyle and Mental Health," Roger Walsh, PhD, M.D., University of California College of Medicine, Irvine; American Psychologist, Online First Publication, January 17, 2011.

Source:
Lisa Bowen
American Psychological Association

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/216903.php

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 19:59:00 +0000

Excerpt from http://www.brenebrown.com/welcome

Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. Brené spent the first five years of her decade-long study focusing on shame and empathy, and is now using that work to explore a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness. She poses the questions:
How do we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections so that we can engage in our lives from a place of authenticity and worthiness? How do we cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection that we need to recognize that we are enough – that we are worthy of love, belonging, and joy?

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

BPD Expert Dr. Marsha Linehan at the National Institute of Mental Health

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:01:00 +0000

Dr. Marsha Linehan from University of Washington, the pioneer of Dialectic Behavioural Therapy, designed for suicidal people with Borderline Personality Disorder, talks about her research and challenges with treating Borderline Personality Disorder.

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

noreply@blogger.com (Vera Akulov, LMHC. Psychotherapist (425) 444-5902) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:10:00 +0000

A great article about effectiveness of Yoga Practice on our mood. The interesting chemical changes practice of yoga stimulates our brain to handle anxiety and stress better. Is is linked to have the same chemical effects as antidepressants.

Yoga's Ability To Improve Mood And Lessen Anxiety Is Linked To Increased Levels Of A Critical Brain Chemical

< Main Category: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry; Anxiety / Stress
Article Date: 15 Nov 2010 - 0:00 PST

Yoga has a greater positive effect on a person's mood and anxiety level than walking and other forms of exercise, which may be due to higher levels of the brain chemical GABA according to an article in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free online.

Yoga has been shown to increase the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate nerve activity. GABA activity is reduced in people with mood and anxiety disorders, and drugs that increase GABA activity are commonly prescribed to improve mood and decrease anxiety.

Tying all of these observations together, the study by Chris Streeter, MD, from Boston University School of Medicine (Massachusetts) and colleagues demonstrates that increased GABA levels measured after a session of yoga postures are associated with improved mood and decreased anxiety. Their findings establish a new link between yoga, higher levels of GABA in the thalamus, and improvements in mood and anxiety based on psychological assessments. The authors suggest that the practice of yoga stimulates specific brain areas, thereby giving rise to changes in endogenous antidepressant neurotransmitters such as GABA.

"This is important work that establishes some objective bases for the effects that highly trained practitioners of yoga therapy throughout the world see on a daily basis. What is important now is that these findings are further investigated in long-term studies to establish just how sustainable such changes can be in the search for safe non-drug treatments for depression," says Kim A. Jobst, MA, DM, MRCP, MFHom, DipAc, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Source:
Vicki Cohn
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/