David Rosenberg of Gluskin Sheff joined Consuelo Mack on Wealth Track this weekend to discuss his outlook for the economy. Rosenberg isn’t just bearish. He say the US economy is in a modern day depression similar to what Japan has suffered from for the last 20 years. He bases this view on the idea that de-leveraging tends to coincide during a prolonged period of economic weakness that is not merely consistent with recession.
Rosenberg says we’re just 4 years into a depression that will likely last 7-10 years. He says the economy is likely to begin contracting again in 2012 and that the employment situation is going to deteriorate further. He calls the MF Global bankruptcy the Bear Stearns of 2011.
Contrary to common misconception, Rosenberg is not bearish on everything. After being a long-time US Treasury bull, Rosenberg is sounding a bit less bullish on government bears. He says the love affair is over. He now prefers corporates and income at a reasonable price.
Sunday 13 November 2011
Friday 11 November 2011
Sexting Linked To Depression, Suicide
Research that has just been released by the Education Development Center in Massachusetts is linking sexting to some pretty serious psychological problems.
The study, which sampled 23,000 students in the Boston area, found that “sexting can include overtones of bullying and coercion, and teens who are involved were more likely to report being psychologically distressed, depressed or even suicidal.”
In fact, twice as many teens who reported sexting in the past year had depressive symptoms, compared to teens that said they didn’t sext. When you talk about suicide attempts, the trend is similar. 13 percent of sexting teens reported an attempt in the last year, compared to only 3% of non-sexting kids.
Of course, “sexting” can mean a lot of different things to different people – like the sending of explicit photos or even just having explicit conversations. For the purposes of this study, “sexting” was defined as sending or posting sexually suggestive or explicit nude photos or videos.
In general, 13% of the students surveyed said that they have received a sext in the last year.
The lead researcher Shari Schneider wants to make sure we know that it’s not necessarily a causal relationship between sexting and depression, but that there’s definitely a link -
It’s a cross-sectional study — it shows an association but not a causal relationship.” However, “it’s important to know there’s a link between sexting and psychological distress. It’s something to be considered if you know of a youth who is involved in sexting.”
The study also includes some interesting advice from the Cyberbullying Research Center regarding what kids should do regarding sext messages:
“You should delete it and not tell anybody. If it’s doesn’t get disseminated and distributed, it’s ended.”
That message has gotten them some heat, but they stick to it –
“If you tell adults, you’re throwing that person under a bus. Adults, it seems, are forced to respond to sexting in extreme ways — ways that have long-term, irreversible consequences. Until we can develop reasonable responses that do not potentially foreclose on the futures of all involved, we are wise to advise that students do not contact adults, unless the situation is appearing to get out of control. And I think teens know when it is out of control.”
The study, which sampled 23,000 students in the Boston area, found that “sexting can include overtones of bullying and coercion, and teens who are involved were more likely to report being psychologically distressed, depressed or even suicidal.”
In fact, twice as many teens who reported sexting in the past year had depressive symptoms, compared to teens that said they didn’t sext. When you talk about suicide attempts, the trend is similar. 13 percent of sexting teens reported an attempt in the last year, compared to only 3% of non-sexting kids.
Of course, “sexting” can mean a lot of different things to different people – like the sending of explicit photos or even just having explicit conversations. For the purposes of this study, “sexting” was defined as sending or posting sexually suggestive or explicit nude photos or videos.
In general, 13% of the students surveyed said that they have received a sext in the last year.
The lead researcher Shari Schneider wants to make sure we know that it’s not necessarily a causal relationship between sexting and depression, but that there’s definitely a link -
It’s a cross-sectional study — it shows an association but not a causal relationship.” However, “it’s important to know there’s a link between sexting and psychological distress. It’s something to be considered if you know of a youth who is involved in sexting.”
The study also includes some interesting advice from the Cyberbullying Research Center regarding what kids should do regarding sext messages:
“You should delete it and not tell anybody. If it’s doesn’t get disseminated and distributed, it’s ended.”
That message has gotten them some heat, but they stick to it –
“If you tell adults, you’re throwing that person under a bus. Adults, it seems, are forced to respond to sexting in extreme ways — ways that have long-term, irreversible consequences. Until we can develop reasonable responses that do not potentially foreclose on the futures of all involved, we are wise to advise that students do not contact adults, unless the situation is appearing to get out of control. And I think teens know when it is out of control.”
Thursday 10 November 2011
Take Vitamin B to lower work stress
Taking more Vitamin B, found in meat, beans and wholegrains, seems to significantly lower work-related stress.
These were the findings of a three-month trial, conducted by Con Stough, professor at Swimburne University of Technology, where participants were given a course of either high dose vitamin B supplements or a placebo.
`By lowering stress, we also lower the risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety,` Stough was quoted as saying by the journal Human Psychopharmacology.
Researchers assessed 60 participants against factors such as personality, work demands, mood, anxiety and strain and then re-evaluated them at 30 and 90 days, said Stough, according to a Swimburne statement.
`At the end of the three-month period, those in the Vitamin B group reported much lower levels of work stress than they did at the beginning of the trial,` Stough said.
`On the other hand, those in the placebo group showed no significant change,` he added.
`Vitamin B, which is found in whole unprocessed foods such as meat, beans and wholegrains, is integral to the synthesis of neurotransmitters critical to psychological wellbeing,` he said.
`But the reality is that many people don`t get enough Vitamin B from their diet, so they are turning to vitamin supplementation,` added Stough.
Source:http://food.sify.com/articles/Take_Vitamin_B_to_lower_work_stress-349716
These were the findings of a three-month trial, conducted by Con Stough, professor at Swimburne University of Technology, where participants were given a course of either high dose vitamin B supplements or a placebo.
`By lowering stress, we also lower the risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety,` Stough was quoted as saying by the journal Human Psychopharmacology.
Researchers assessed 60 participants against factors such as personality, work demands, mood, anxiety and strain and then re-evaluated them at 30 and 90 days, said Stough, according to a Swimburne statement.
`At the end of the three-month period, those in the Vitamin B group reported much lower levels of work stress than they did at the beginning of the trial,` Stough said.
`On the other hand, those in the placebo group showed no significant change,` he added.
`Vitamin B, which is found in whole unprocessed foods such as meat, beans and wholegrains, is integral to the synthesis of neurotransmitters critical to psychological wellbeing,` he said.
`But the reality is that many people don`t get enough Vitamin B from their diet, so they are turning to vitamin supplementation,` added Stough.
Source:http://food.sify.com/articles/Take_Vitamin_B_to_lower_work_stress-349716
Wednesday 9 November 2011
Depression Causes
Unlike with some other illnesses or disorders, there is no simple explanation as to . In general, depression is caused by a mixture of ‘pressure’ or ‘strain’, which can be mild or severe, combined with a vulnerability or predisposition to depression, which, too, can range from mild to severe. For each type of depression, there are likely to be different mixtures of causes. For psychotic or melancholic depression, physical and biological factors are generally more relevant. By contrast, for non?melancholic depression, the role of personality and stressful life events are generally far more relevant.
Contrary to the popular view that depression is due to life experiences and/or personality factors, there is strong evidence that genetics are a significant factor in a person’s predisposition towards developing depression.
Depression can be inherited. The genetic risk of developing clinical depression is about 40%, with the remaining 60% being due to factors in the individual’s own environment. Depression is unlikely to occur without life events, but the risk of developing depression as a result of some such event is strongly genetically determined.
Our knowledge of the human brain is still fairly limited, therefore we do not really know what actually happens in the brain to cause depression. It is likely that with most instances of , neurotransmitter function is disrupted. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry signals from one part of the brain to the next. There are many neurotransmitters, serving different purposes, however three important ones that affect a person’s mood are serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine.
In normal brain function, neurotransmitters jump from one nerve cell to the next, with the signal being as strong in the second and subsequent cells as it was in the first. However, in people who are depressed, the mood regulating neurotransmitters fail to function normally, so that the signal is either depleted or disrupted before passing to the next nerve cell. In non?melancholic depression, it is likely that the transmission of serotonin is reduced or less active, whereas in people with melancholic and psychotic depression, the neurotransmitters noradrenaline and dopamine are more likely to have failed or be functioning abnormally.
In a simple sense, illness can lead to depression through the lowered mood that we can all experience when we are unwell, in pain or discomfort, confined, and less able to do the things we enjoy. Illness can also change the body’s functioning in a way that leads to depression. Even if the illness isn’t making us feel down we still end up with a depression. For example:
- it is known that certain cancers can produce a depression – in these cases the person might be
quite unaware that they have the disease
- certain medical conditions can lead to mania
- compromised immune functioning might play a part in the emergence of depression, although
further research is needed to establish this link.
As we age, our brain’s capacity (in terms of general functioning) reduces, while certain neurotransmitters (which influence mood state) can become affected. Three reasons for these changes are worth mentioning in relation to depression.
Some elderly people who are developing a dementia may at some stage (often early on) develop a severe depression for the first time. The depression is commonly of a psychotic or melancholic type and reflects disruption of circuits linking certain basal ganglia and frontal regions of the brain. Sometimes these changes merely reflect an ageing process, particularly in people who are vulnerable to this kind of ‘wear and tear’. In others, however, high blood pressure or mini?strokes (often unnoticed by the individual and their family) may contribute. Good blood pressure control can reduce the chance of depression in some people with this problem.
Gender is a partial, but incomplete, explanation of why a person develops depression. Essentially, equal numbers of men and women develop . However, studies have shown that there is a much greater likelihood of women developing non?melancholic depression than men.
There are a number of explanations for this, among them: women are more likely than men to ‘internalising’ stress, thereby placing them at greater risk of developing depression; additionally, women with unsatisfactory marriages or a number of young children are highly overrepresented among samples of depressed people, suggesting a sex?role component or a reduced inability to seek assistance or support.
Hormonal factors commencing in puberty may account for the increased chance in women of developing anxiety – a precursor to depression – or depression. While sex hormone (or biological) differences may create a greater chance among women of developing depression, certain social factors still need to come into play before depression will be experienced.
It is important to recognise that nearly every individual can be stressed and depressed by certain events. Most people get over the stress or depression within days or weeks while others do not. Ways that stress can lead to depression include the following:
- Past and long?standing stresses can increase the chance of an individual developing depression in later years. An example is an abusive or uncaring parent, which may result in the child developing a low self?esteem and thus being vulnerable to develop depression in adult life.
- Most individuals who develop non?melancholic depression usually describe an important and understandable life event that occurred before the depression started.
- The events that are most likely to ‘trigger’ depression are ones where the individual’s self?esteem is put at risk, compromised or devalued. For most adults, self?esteem is closely linked to an intimate relationship as well as in other important areas, such as a job. Thus, the break?up of a relationship or a marriage is a very common trigger for depression.
- Other individuals develop depression when they feel a sense of ‘shame’, such as when they feel that they have not lived up to their own or others’ expectations, thus reducing their self?esteem.
Our researchers have confirmed an important link between a genetic marker (involving the serotonin transporter) and risk to depression.
The impact of life events upon melancholic depression is not always clear. They may serve to trigger the depression – or rekindle it – rather than cause it. If you are depressed, it can be helpful to find out whether stress contributes to the depression either by:
- its severity – so that you feel under ‘too much stress’ – in which case generic stress management programs may be helpful; or
- its particular meaning to you: if a particular event or set of circumstances is likely to trigger stress in you and may do so repeatedly if you are re?exposed to those triggers, it can be helpful to seek sophisticated counselling or psychotherapy to identify what those triggers are and why they produce the stressful reaction.
The Black Dog Institute has shown that people with the following personality types are more at risk of developing depression than others, those with:
1. high levels of anxiety, which can be experienced as an internalised ‘anxious worrying’ style or as a more externalised ‘irritability’
2. shyness, expressed as ‘social avoidance’ and/or ‘personal reserve’
3. self?criticism or low self?worth
4. interpersonal sensitivity
5. perfectionism
6. a ‘self?focused’ style
Those who are high on the first four factors are at distinctly greater risk to depression (especially non?melancholic depression). ‘Perfectionism is somewhat protective against the onset of depression but, if depression occurs, it can promote longer episodes. Those who have a high ‘self?focused’ style are likely to be at greater risk for brief depressive episodes only. There appears to be little effect of temperament or personality on the development of melancholic depression.
Tuesday 8 November 2011
Find The 4 Causes Of Anxiety Disorders
Lifetime can be complete of ups and downs. However when you suffer from anxiety lifetime is so much harder – in circumstance it can be share hell. Let me share with you four causes of anxiety disorders…
1. Personality and anxiety disorders … Researchers believe that your personality may play a role in your development of anxiety disorder. Human beings with extremely low self esteem, a tendency to negative thought patterns, poor lifetime coping skills, or a low IQ are particularly proned to this condition.
2. Heredity and anxiety disorders … Researches have clear evidence that anxiety disorders do run in families. Studies exhibit that if a close family member suffers from anxiety, another member may likely develop some type of anxiety. This doesn’t apply to all family members, however it certainly could be a factor. These findings suggest that lifetime experiences combined with a genetic factor, do in circumstance, constitute some human beings much more proned to familiarity these disorders.
3. Brain chemistry and anxiety disorders … Often anxiety can be relieved by using various medications which alter levels of chemicals in the brain. Researchers believe brain chemistry can play a major role in the onset of some anxiety disorders.
4. Lifetime experiences and anxiety disorders … Researchers believe that the relationship between exposure to abuse and violence can play an vital role in the onset of anxiety disorders. Other traumatic lifetime experiences such as death of a parent when you are a minor, or a lifetime partner, can also significantly contribute to causing these disorders
If you identify with distinct of the following signs of anxiety disorders, and they just won’t go away, you may be suffering from the disorder.
*Surges of overwhelming panic
*Distress breathing or a chocking sensation
*Feeling detached or unreal
*Fears that you know are irrational however can’t shake
*Heart palpitations or chest pain
*Nausea or stomach cramps
*Feeling of loosing control or going crazy
The excellent news is, that no affair what the causes of anxiety disorders are, there are many anxiety treatments that can aid reduce your anxiety symptoms or possibly eliminate them altogether, and aid you capture back control of your lifetime. When we first get the terrible symptoms of our disorder, we usually approach medical professionals. Traditionally anxiety is dealt with by using counseling, psychiatry and/or medication. Anxiety medications employment in masking and alleviating some of the symptoms of anxiety – however when conventional medicine doesn’t employment well enough, or the side effects are just also much to deal with, there are additional things you can do.
If the above treatments eradicated anxiety surely it wouldn’t be as prevalent as it is today. Therefore, there is a absolute demand to handle anxiety in a different path.
Many human beings believe anxiety and panic disorders are something they are predisposed to and they are something they just have to learn to live with. Anxiety is a conditioned habit. Whatever the causes of anxiety disorders are, there are initially severe symptoms. Through experiencing these symptoms our brain becomes ‘re-programed’ to respond with anxiety and/or panic attacks much at times when it is inappropriate.
When anxiety levels reach a certain level, we familiarity panic attacks, phobias, obsessions and all the other physical and psychological manifestations of anxiety – what a nightmare! In other words, our original anxiety attacks have taught our brain to have anxiety and panic attacks much when there is no cause.
When you first had your panic and anxiety feelings you had heightened anxiety symptoms and then more heightened anxiety – and as age went on your programmed intellect took on that programmed learning as reminiscence. So learning through familiarity is 100% responsible for your anxiety.
What do we do to undo that? We undo the learning! And it’s very simple to do.! We reverse the formation of that nervous reminiscence. The nervous habit that causes you all of these symptoms and all of these sensations of your anxiety attacks. It’s as simple as that!
Whatever the causes of anxiety disorders are, we can immediately deal with this condition. We can immediately permanently eliminate the subconscious nervous reaction that CAUSES your anxiety,
Be kind to yourself – find the solution immediately!
Source: http://www.blogenvy.info/2011/11/08/find-the-4-causes-of-anxiety-disorders/
1. Personality and anxiety disorders … Researchers believe that your personality may play a role in your development of anxiety disorder. Human beings with extremely low self esteem, a tendency to negative thought patterns, poor lifetime coping skills, or a low IQ are particularly proned to this condition.
2. Heredity and anxiety disorders … Researches have clear evidence that anxiety disorders do run in families. Studies exhibit that if a close family member suffers from anxiety, another member may likely develop some type of anxiety. This doesn’t apply to all family members, however it certainly could be a factor. These findings suggest that lifetime experiences combined with a genetic factor, do in circumstance, constitute some human beings much more proned to familiarity these disorders.
3. Brain chemistry and anxiety disorders … Often anxiety can be relieved by using various medications which alter levels of chemicals in the brain. Researchers believe brain chemistry can play a major role in the onset of some anxiety disorders.
4. Lifetime experiences and anxiety disorders … Researchers believe that the relationship between exposure to abuse and violence can play an vital role in the onset of anxiety disorders. Other traumatic lifetime experiences such as death of a parent when you are a minor, or a lifetime partner, can also significantly contribute to causing these disorders
If you identify with distinct of the following signs of anxiety disorders, and they just won’t go away, you may be suffering from the disorder.
*Surges of overwhelming panic
*Distress breathing or a chocking sensation
*Feeling detached or unreal
*Fears that you know are irrational however can’t shake
*Heart palpitations or chest pain
*Nausea or stomach cramps
*Feeling of loosing control or going crazy
The excellent news is, that no affair what the causes of anxiety disorders are, there are many anxiety treatments that can aid reduce your anxiety symptoms or possibly eliminate them altogether, and aid you capture back control of your lifetime. When we first get the terrible symptoms of our disorder, we usually approach medical professionals. Traditionally anxiety is dealt with by using counseling, psychiatry and/or medication. Anxiety medications employment in masking and alleviating some of the symptoms of anxiety – however when conventional medicine doesn’t employment well enough, or the side effects are just also much to deal with, there are additional things you can do.
If the above treatments eradicated anxiety surely it wouldn’t be as prevalent as it is today. Therefore, there is a absolute demand to handle anxiety in a different path.
Many human beings believe anxiety and panic disorders are something they are predisposed to and they are something they just have to learn to live with. Anxiety is a conditioned habit. Whatever the causes of anxiety disorders are, there are initially severe symptoms. Through experiencing these symptoms our brain becomes ‘re-programed’ to respond with anxiety and/or panic attacks much at times when it is inappropriate.
When anxiety levels reach a certain level, we familiarity panic attacks, phobias, obsessions and all the other physical and psychological manifestations of anxiety – what a nightmare! In other words, our original anxiety attacks have taught our brain to have anxiety and panic attacks much when there is no cause.
When you first had your panic and anxiety feelings you had heightened anxiety symptoms and then more heightened anxiety – and as age went on your programmed intellect took on that programmed learning as reminiscence. So learning through familiarity is 100% responsible for your anxiety.
What do we do to undo that? We undo the learning! And it’s very simple to do.! We reverse the formation of that nervous reminiscence. The nervous habit that causes you all of these symptoms and all of these sensations of your anxiety attacks. It’s as simple as that!
Whatever the causes of anxiety disorders are, we can immediately deal with this condition. We can immediately permanently eliminate the subconscious nervous reaction that CAUSES your anxiety,
Be kind to yourself – find the solution immediately!
Source: http://www.blogenvy.info/2011/11/08/find-the-4-causes-of-anxiety-disorders/