4 Mind 4 Life: Mental Health Tips

Learning how to stop panic attacks and anxiety that accompanies them can be very challenging for most people. Panic attacks are usually experienced as short bursts of intense fear and occur for various reasons. Some people speculate that they are caused by an underlying anxiety and stress problem, while other researchers think that they are completely genetically based. Researchers are working hard to come up with remedies for people that suffer from panic on a daily basis. If you have ever seen someone with a panic attack, it can look weird as an outside observer. Really the only way you can completely understand what it feels like is to experience it yourself. Helping to teach people how they can stop their panic is very beneficial because it will calm them down and help them think logically about their situation.

How To Stop A Panic Attack

1. Breathe Deeply – Breathing deeply is probably one of the easiest ways to calm down when you are in a state of panic. It isn’t easy to go from being all revved up and nervous to calm, but with practice, you can deliberately change your state of mind by simply changing your breathing.

2. Eat Healthier – Diet can play a huge role in mental functioning. If you want to know what types of foods you should be eating, consider checking out the List of Brain Foods that I put together. Certain foods are going to have a bad effect on your mental state (e.g. processed foods, meats with hormones, etc.). Know what you are putting into your body will affect your brain functioning.

3. Practice Relaxation – Relaxing daily is something that you should do if you have panic attacks. Relaxation likely help indirectly by lowering your baseline level of tension. Although it may not eliminate the attacks, it will likely help you learn how to calm down while experiencing them. Any way you can relax will help your panic subside.

4. Exercise Daily – Exercising is good for your mind and body; it released proper neurotransmitters to keep you thinking clear, focused, and happy. It also has been show to lower stress levels. Keep your body active every single day of the week for at least 45 minutes each day and see how much better you feel.

5. Confront Your Fears – This is probably the toughest thing for most people to do, but arguably the most effective. If you want to learn how to stop panic attack symptoms the moment they hit, you will need to understand what is causing the panic in the first place. Most people have certain cues that cause them to go into a state of panic – these fears need to be confronted and fear needs to be overcome.

Treating Panic Attacks Is A Different Process for Everyone

The process of learning how to stop anxiety and panic attacks will be different for everyone. Each person with panic disorder is going to have a different set of symptoms and there will be different techniques that should be used. If you have panic disorder, it is recommended to seek professional medical advice. Hopefully you are eventually able to overcome your panic or help someone else with theirs.  If you found this article helpful, consider checking out a related article I wrote called “How to Treat Anxiety Disorders.”

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If you have anxiety disorder, then you are probably sick and tired of feeling anxious in certain situations. Learning how to treat anxiety properly is key if you hope to overcome this mental phenomenon. Some people have generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) which makes them more susceptible to feeling stressed and anxious in normal situations. If you have had to deal with anxiety, then chances are that it has been tough for you to come to terms with how it should be treated. Probably the hardest thing to do if you have anxiety is to learn the truth about it’s treatment.

How To Treat Anxiety Disorders

Therapy – A helpful therapist could be one of the best ways for you to learn techniques to overcome your anxiety. If you find a good therapist, it can make all the difference in the world. I personally had a lot of anxiety in social situations in the past, but was able to overcome a lot of it due to some very helpful advice given by my therapist.

Educate yourself – Reading books like “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyways” by Susan Jeffers is one of my personal favorites for fear and anxiety disorders. I would rather have knowledge and learn how to use it to overcome my problems as opposed to taking a pill. Based on personal experience, most medications lead to an array of other problems; if you can confront your disorder, it may be painful, but facing your fears is always better than avoiding them.

Psychological support – Psychologists can provide great advice and help you learn how to treat anxiety disorder problems that you are dealing with. Finding a good therapist or counselor can be just as effective as a psychologist though. Read reviews to find out which psychologists, therapists, and counselors have gotten good feedback from their clients; this will help you make a good decision.

Biofeedback – This is a newer treatment option, but is effective in some people at helping them relax and learning to take conscious control of their own body. I have done biofeedback before and walked out of my session feeling like I just took a nap. It may not work for everyone, but it’s worth giving a shot.

Relaxation Techniques – Meditation, guided hypnosis, visualization all help you decrease your beta brain waves (which cause anxiety) and move your brainwave state down to the alpha brain waves range (which is calming). Learning how to properly relax through various techniques like yoga and deep breathing can be extremely beneficial. They help with a lot of the physical symptoms (such as lowering adrenaline levels and cortisol (a stress hormone)).

Overcoming Anxiety, Fear, Stress, etc.

Learning how to treat severe anxiety can be difficult for most people, but it is certainly possible. Always talk to a professional if you want to figure out how to treat anxiety attacks and get your life back to normal. It may be one heck of a journey and personal growth experience as you learn to overcome your fears, but ultimately, it will be worth it to build up your skills and learn to surpass the problems that hold you down. Whether your problem is biological, environmental, or a combination of both, if you work hard to overcome your problem and put forth the right effort, you can certainly treat your anxiety.

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There are many people that have sleep disorders these days. Unfortunately, statistics have shown that the rates of sleep disorders are actually increasing each year. As there becomes more technology to keep us up and our minds occupied, people often neglect sleep. Some argue that there is a clear biological (e.g. genetic basis) for sleep disorders, while others think that the environment causes it. Although coping with a sleep disorder can be difficult, fortunately most of them are manageable. Below I’ve put together some sleep disorder statistics for you to check out if you are curious about the prevalence of certain types of sleeping problems.

Sleep Disorder Statistics

General Sleeping Disorders Statistics

-Most adults should be getting up to 8.5 hours of sleep every night

-As of now, there are 84 different types of sleep disorders that are diagnosable

-Sleep disorders have contributed over $15 billion to heath care problems

Insomnia Stats

-It is estimated that between 18% and 42% of the adult population has insomnia at least one time annually

-One third of all people have insomnia sometime throughout their life

-Over 65 million people in the United States have sleep disorders (over 50% of those disorders are considered “chronic”)

Check out the article:  “Best Natural Cures for Insomnia” if you are interested.

Kids Sleep Disorder Stats

-It is estimated that over 2.2 million kids have sleeping disorders

-Roughly 35% of kids do not get enough sleep or quality sleep

-Most kids should be getting at least 9+ hours of sleep every night

Female Sleep Disorders Statistics

-Menopause can affect sleep

-Pregnancy can reduce quality of sleep

-Changes in hormonal levels can affect sleep

-Females are 2x as likely to have difficulty with sleep as men

Older Adults Stats

-Nearly 50% of people over 65 years old have sleep problems

-People over 65 years old consume over 25% of all prescription sleeping pills in the U.S.

Sleep Apnea Stats

-Roughly 20 million individuals in the United States have sleep apnea

-Males are more likely to have apnea than females

-Well over 10,000,000 people with sleep apnea are not yet diagnosed

(Consider checking out the articles: “Dangers of Sleep Apnea” as well as “Sleep Apnea Remedies“)

Narcolepsy Statistics

-Over 150,000 U.S. citizens have narcolepsy

-Less than 40,000 people with narcolepsy are actually diagnosed

-Roughly 10% of people are believed to have inherited this disease

Restless Leg Syndrome Stats

-1 out of every 10 people in the U.S. have restless leg syndrome

-Restless leg syndrome can be increasingly difficult to deal with when pregnant

-Onset can be in early age

If You Have A Sleep Disorder…

Hopefully you found some of these sleep disorder stats helpful. If you think that you may have a sleeping disorder or think that you know someone that does, be sure to contact a medical professional for a check-up. Most sleep disorders require medical attention as soon as possible; they aren’t something that a Dreamate Sleep Aid is going to cure. If you are affected by a sleep disorder, it is hoped that you are eventually able to overcome it and get proper sleep again.

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There are tons of people that have trouble sleeping that are looking for natural cures for insomnia. Fortunately, there are some solutions that you can try to help you get a better night’s sleep. There are millions of people that are put on sleeping pills and although they can help for a period of time, many people hate the side effects associated with them. Plus, it’s way better for your body to get natural sleep instead of sleep that is induced by drugs. Sure it makes more sense to take sleeping medications if nothing else works, but there are other things that you can try before you resort to taking the most extreme measures.

What Can You Do To Overcome Insomnia?

1. Read a book before bedtime – Probably the easiest natural cure for insomnia is to simply open up a book and read. Not only will it make you smarter, but you will actually be changing your brainwaves to a slower pattern. As you get caught up in what you are reading, your mind shifts to a slower brainwave state. In comparison to surfing the internet or talking on your phone (which will keep you awake), reading helps many people start to feel sleepy.

2. Avoid the computer – The best thing that you can do for yourself before bed is to shut off your computer if it is distracting. Do you commonly surf the internet before bedtime? If so, you are going to keep yourself up for a longer time.

3. Turn off your cell phone – Cell phones are nothing more than a distraction when you are trying to fall asleep. If you take the time to turn off your phone, you won’t be preoccupied with late night texts or messages. Don’t accept calls after a certain time so that you can actually take a break from all of the chatter.

4. Turn off the TV – A lot of people watch TV before they go to sleep. Based on my own experience, I know that watching an entertaining show or movie can keep me up for a much longer time than expected. Turning off the TV will help you minimize distractions so that you can get to sleep.

5. Listen to relaxing music – Calming music or self hypnosis tapes work great when you are trying to get some sleep. I personally listen to a self hypnosis or guided meditation tape so that I can calm down my thoughts and drift off into a nice peaceful sleep.

Natural remedies for insomnia

1. Melatonin – This is probably the most well known natural remedy for insomnia that is on the market. Your body actually makes melatonin (it is a hormone) on its own, but the production can get thrown off in some people under stress. Consider taking this if you want to fall asleep quicker.

2. Kava (“Kava Kava”) – People under a lot of stress are sometimes recommended to take Kava in order to help them fall asleep. There have been disputes by the FDA about this though because it has caused liver problems when found in dietary supplements. I personally would probably not use this, but some people find it very helpful.

3. Valerian Herb – This is a less common herbal solution for insomnia that people use to help them get sleep. It is more common in European countries than the United States. Some people swear by taking this, while others don’t find it to be effective. The easiest way to find out whether it works is to give it a try for yourself.

What if you have severe insomnia?

If your insomnia is so severe that you cannot seem to find relief, then be sure to go out and talk to your doctor about what you can do to overcome it. Some people have gotten used to having insomnia and don’t mind it as much as others. The truth is that it can take a toll on your mental performance as well as your energy levels during the daytime. Anything that impedes you of getting a good night’s sleep needs to be stopped.  Do whatever works best for you, even if it means getting the Dreamate Sleep Aid or going old school and counting sheep.

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There are many dangers of sleep apnea that you should be aware of if you have this problem. If you haven’t already consulted a doctor or medical professional to talk about your problem, do so as soon as possible. The advice that you get from a professional is going to be much more accurate than what you read online. With that said, there are some common dangers that you should know about if you are plagued with sleep apnea. For people asking, “What are the dangers of sleep apnea?” – read some of them below to find out.

Some common sleep apnea dangers include:

Increased risk of heart attack and complications – Studies have found that people with sleep apnea problems end up having a significantly greater risk of having a heart attack than people who don’t; mostly due to low oxygen levels. Obviously this is a huge motivating factor to fix the problem for most people. Usually the dangers of things like apnea scare people a little bit and they end up making healthier changes.

Psychological disturbances – Sleep apnea can severely affect a person’s psychological state. It could lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, or stress. The ironic thing is that some of these conditions may cause sleep apnea to worsen.

Poor concentration – A lot of individuals with sleep apnea recognize that it can drastically affect their levels of concentration during the day. Having poor concentration means worse work performance and getting less accomplished; which could be considered by some as being “dangerous.”

Daytime sleepiness – A common danger of sleep apnea is daytime sleepiness. If you are at a job operating heavy machinery or driving your vehicle somewhere, all it takes is one slip up and you could put your life in jeopardy.

Weight gain – Gaining weight can be dangerous in its own right. Nobody wants to gain weight because weight gain is something that can lead to health problems and put you at increased risk for more apnea. Fat can literally build up on the necks of people with apnea, which can prevent good airflow.

Sleep apnea can be fatal – The scariest thing about having sleep apnea or knowing someone with it is that it can be life-threatening. The dangers of sleep apnea in children are just as scary as the dangers for adults and both cases should be taken very seriously. Always ask your doctor for advice on what you can do about your apnea and be sure to take the time to read about some common sleep apnea remedies if you haven’t gotten any good advice yet.

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Self help tapes are commonly used by people that are looking to improve a certain area of their life. Although they can be effective in some cases, it really depends on the quality of the tape itself. When it comes down to any tape that you are looking to get information from, it’s only as good as the content on it. If the tape doesn’t have very good information, then buying that particular self help tape is going to be useless. There are tons of self help items on the market today and many of them are not even worth getting because they contain regurgitated advice that most people have already heard about.

What About Subliminal Self Help Tapes?

Chances are good that you have likely come across advertisements for subliminal self help tapes at some point. These tapes are touted by marketers as being able to “unlock your subconscious mind” and clear out all of your limiting beliefs. The truth is that a lot of research has been done on subliminal messages and it has found that they do not work very well; the evidence in support of the fact that they are effective is miniscule at best.

Finding Self Help Audio Tapes

There are a lot of places that you can go to find yourself some audio tapes with decent information. These days, there are even free podcasts that you can listen to with things like: relationship advice, financial advice, and anger management. People that have depression and/or anxiety can also find places that offer these tapes for sale. Personal development websites like StevePavlina.com even offer free advice in the “audio” section. Not all of the information that you get is going to be free of charge, but that doesn’t mean that the free stuff is any worse than the tapes that you end up paying for.

Considering Self Help Hypnosis Tapes?

A lot of people don’t want to just hear advice from someone talking, but they would rather get the experience of trying out some self hypnosis tapes. I have personally tried self hypnosis and have had some success with it. It can be very calming and relaxing to listen to self hypnosis sessions in order to influence positive changes in your life. I usually listen to self hypnosis to calm my mind and relax, but some people find them helpful for changing their lives. I recommend giving them a try to see whether you get some benefit.

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A lot of people have considered using hypnosis to quit smoking, but don’t really know whether it can work. So does hypnosis to quit smoking work? There are a lot of places on the internet that want people to believe that it does so that they can sell you self hypnosis sessions, but the truth is that it isn’t going to be super effective. There have been studies on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy and self hypnosis to quit smoking, and most people don’t find them very helpful to kick their nicotine habits. As a smoker, you are probably trying to find different things that you can do to stop your habit because you are aware of the fact that smoking is unhealthy in both the short and long term.

Can Hypnosis Have Any Influence on Smokers?

There have been certain cases of people that have found hypnosis helpful to supplement their withdrawal from cigarettes. If you are focused and serious about stopping your smoking habit, then hypnosis is not a bad thing to consider adding to supplement your withdrawal. However, you aren’t going to really make much progress if you expect the hypnosis to do all the work for you. What hypnosis is going to do is help you stay focused on quitting and put you in mentally focused and relaxed states of mind that will make you more likely to quit.

Where Can You Get a Hypnosis Session to Try?

Unfortunately, there aren’t many “free hypnosis to quit smoking” audio files (e.g. for self hypnosis) that are available on the internet; in fact, I haven’t found any. Most people that have made products to help people withdraw from cigarettes are trying to make money off of them. You can consider seeing a professional hypnotherapist if you think that you could benefit from it. There’s nothing wrong with at least considering it because you really have nothing to lose (except your cigarette habit). The cost of hypnosis to quit smoking is going to vary depending on the hypnotherapist you go to. Some are going to charge you several hundred dollars per session and require multiple treatment sessions.

Alternative Ways to Quit Smoking

There are a lot of techniques that you can use to help yourself kick your smoking habit. I recommend meeting with a professional counselor or therapist; they will help keep you focused. Coming off of cigarettes can be one of the toughest things that you’ll ever do in your entire lifetime, but the end result of better health will be worth it. As far as hypnosis goes, feel free to give it a shot to help you come off of cigarettes. If you know anything about hypnosis, you’ll know that it’s nothing more than a deeply relaxing, highly focused state of mind; it is not going to make you do anything that you don’t want to do.

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Sleep apnea is caused when the throat literally closes when a person is asleep. It is an extremely serious condition that can end up being life-threatening if not dealt with properly. Some researchers even believe that there is a magnified risk of having a heart attack for people with sleep apnea. So what can you do about it if you are a person that is plagued with this condition? Well, there are some sleep apnea remedies that you can give a shot, but there is no guarantee that they are going to cure you of your apnea. Always make sure that you visit a medical professional if you have this condition for treatment advice.

Sleep Apnea Remedies Natural Options

Lose some weight – A lot of people that are overweight and/or obese happen to have sleep apnea and don’t realize that losing some pounds could help them breathe better. If you are overweight, you should try to eat healthy and exercise so that fatty deposits don’t build up around your airway; this can and does happen. If you gain weight, it could cause your condition to worsen.

Position yourself properly – Making physical adjustments to your body positioning before you go to bed may help you get a better source of airflow during your sleep. Some people elevate their head and avoid sleeping on their back.

Improve the quality of your sleep – Getting a poor night’s sleep can cause the condition to worsen (very ironic). With that said, make sure that you are getting at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

Avoid alcohol use – Alcohol and sleep apnea don’t mix… Alcohol can cause sleep apnea to worsen, yet a lot of people try to convince themselves otherwise. I know several people personally with sleep apnea that drink a lot of alcohol and don’t want to admit to that there might be a connection. The bottom line is that if you stop drinking, your condition could easily improve.

Don’t smoke or do drugs – Obviously doing things like smoking cigarettes and taking other drugs that affect your throat area may worsen your problem. Staying away from them may be able to improve your sleep and improve your particular case of apnea. Many drugs can cause your throat area to actually swell up – which could make your apnea worse than it already is.

Always see a doctor if you have sleep apnea

Before trying a sleep apnea remedy that is listed above, make sure that you go visit a doctor to see what he/she recommends. Medical professionals will be able to give you advice that is more geared towards your particular apnea (there are different types like central and obstructive). Obstructive sleep apnea remedies may not be equally as effective in people looking for central sleep apnea remedies (and vice versa). Although the underlying problem may be sleep apnea, it is important to understand that everyone is unique and may require different treatment.  Remember that this is a serious condition and simply getting something like the Dreamate Sleep Aid is not going to help with your condition.  Always talk to a medical professional for advice about your apnea!

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The Dreamate Sleep Aid is a cool sleeping gadget that you can use to help yourself fall asleep at night. It apparently uses acupressure in order to gently massage your wrist and put you right to sleep. I personally haven’t had a chance to try one of these out, but I think it would be cool to give it a shot sometime to see whether it actually did what it was advertised for: to help me fall asleep. I would imagine that if these Dreamate Sleep Aids actually work, they could be a huge benefit to people that are struggling with insomnia. I would certainly rather give one of these things a shot over taking sleeping pills anyday.

Dreamate Sleep Aid Reviews

I took the time to read some reviews of the Dreamate Sleeping Aid and most of them were from people that used the product themselves. I cannot say whether it works well because I have not used it, so I thought that I’d write a general overview of the product so that you all could get a better idea about what to expect with this product.

The product is made and manufactured by OMA and if you take a look on Amazon.com, you will see that this is the only product that this company offers. The reviews were pretty positive and really the only negative thing that I saw had to do with being shipped the wrong product from Amazon. The people that actually got the Dreamate thought that it worked well and really helped them relax and fall asleep.

Some key features of the Dreamate Sleep Inducer include:

1. Double Frequency Acupressure Technology – I’m not too sure what the “double frequency” means, but “acupressure” just means physical pressure. It is also apparently a good biofeedback device. I’ve talked a lot about biofeedback, so I really like the fact that it can be used as such.

2. Biological Clock Training Features – It can help you recognize your biological clock and understand your sleep cycles better; this is something that a lot of people could benefit from.

3. Golden Triangle Stimulation of Massage Points – Not sure what the “golden triangle” is, but massaging sounds like it would definitely help you fall asleep quickly.

4. Conductivity Gel – This just helps the device stay attached so that it is able to do a good job at getting you to fall asleep faster.

Dreamate Sleep Aid Review (My Final Thoughts)

I think that this product sounds very interesting and based on customer reviews, it seems like it works. I would like to get my hands on one so that I can try it out and let people know whether it actually helps people fall asleep. If you work for OMA (and happen to be reading this) and feel like sending me a free sleep aid for review purposes, I will be happy to check it out and let people know my final thoughts!

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