According to a new research, asthma is significantly linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts. But then when mental health conditions and smoking comes into play, this theory is somehow weakened.

There were a number of studies that have shown an increase in the rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts among people who have asthma and other respiratory ailments. However, there is still no concrete evidence why this is happening.

During the investigation of researchers on an analysis of data that was gathered from 5692 individuals, there were an overall rate of 8.7 percent who had suicidal ideas without actual attempts at some point in their lives and there were 4.2 percent of them who had the idea but somewhat attempted to take their own lives. There were many factors that correlated with the suicidal thoughts. These factors include younger age, being female, current smoking, dependence in nicotine, major depression and alcohol abuse.

Asthma was associated with suicidal ideation with suicide attempts according to researchers. However, the strength of the link went down with the adjustment for smoking, nicotine dependence, age, sex and race. But then, we could not count out the possibility of depression, panic disorder and alcohol intoxication.

However, as they concluded, there is still a major link between asthma and suicidal tendencies with attempts involved. But, more research needs to be conducted to make the link stronger. As an additional finding, if we could just modify the use of cigarettes and make use of effective treatment of depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse and asthma are important in preventing suicide.

In a couple of months after a devastating attack, stroke victims are more likely to succumb to depression but then taking a few antidepressant drugs may reduce that risk according to a new study. While antidepressants are proven to work, problem-solving therapy also has the ability to lower the risk of depression among the victims.

Being a survivor of stroke carries the possibility of having a lot of difficulty in recovering the activities of daily life which will in turn lead to depression. This happens to more than half of the estimated 700,000 people in the United States who will have stroke.

The study in itself is centered in post-stroke depression which is a very important clinical problem. It gives evidence that pharmacological treatment will help decrease the chances of survivors from having post-stroke depression and that there could be a possible role for behavioral intervention as well. It is an important study because it can convince more people to start on preventive therapy and monitor closely for depression and then immediately start the therapy.

As of now, researchers and experts are still working on the proper treatment pattern and that what professionals should focus on right now is to evaluate patients through physical, occupational and speech therapy to help them cope up with their regular lifestyle before they went through the terror of stroke.

None of us has unlimited time. Professionals or executives often find themselves in a pressure-cooker environment as they manage people, make costly decisions or determine directions of their organizations - on top of their obligations to family and friends. How they manage their time is critical to how they will be able to manage their stress – and more and more admit that stress is impacting their jobs, emotional life, relationships and ultimately their health.

The first step in managing stress is to become more aware of all of the things that trigger it. Keep a stress journal documenting all of your stressors for one week. Don’t forget to include the less obvious stressors like commuting or family arguments. This way you at least have a starting point to do some self examination of your stress – and then figure out how you’re going to cope. Obviously, some stressors will not change and must be accepted - but others might benefit from being adjusted to lessen their impact.

Time management and effective delegation are two of the leading ways to combat unusually stressed professionals in higher level positions. In addition, learning tools to counteract the body’s “fight or flight” response associated with the unhealthy type of stress should be implemented.

Lisa Brookes Kift is an Individual and Relationship Therapist in San Diego who helps people resolve their individual issues and have more satisfying relationships. Learn about Lisa’s practice or read more of her mental health and relationship articles, tips and tools at http://www.lisakifttherapy.com.

Physical therapists have a lot of tools in their arsenal. They have rehabilitation tools and many more. In Buffalo hospital, they have this interesting equipment called Alucas. It is an automated CPR machine that pumps 100 compressions a minute.

Imagine someone who just lost his heartbeat and you have been doing manual CPR for a minute, do you think you can sustain the same pressure for the next few minutes? No, you can’t. You will tire out eventually and thus, the effectiveness of the CPR will go down the drain. If this machine is around, then you can position it in the patient’s chest, turn the knob and it will pump without tiring out and it shall retain the same pressure. It gives a negative pullback to the chest which helps pull blood back to the heart and keep it pumping again. A lot of doctors agree that this is a lot better than the manual way. What’s good is, even a 12 year old can operate this machine. This will come in pretty handy during emergencies, that’s for sure. Price? It plays around $15,000.00.

I was watching the news awhile ago and there was this portion that talked about kids and drugs. There are teens who are actually in rehabilitation facilities right now because of drug addiction. But, this time, it is not marijuana or cocaine, this time its prescription drugs.

When they were interviewed, the problem showed. When depressed and troubled, they tend to look into taking in medication to stop whatever it is that they are undergoing. The misconception happens when they think that the medicine that they take is safer than illegal drugs simply because it is prescription drugs and can be bought over the counter. They have an easy access on these drugs because it is already in the comfort of their homes. They just have to open their medicine cabinet and everything is there. No need for a dealer, no need for a courier. Another thing is, they do not think that they are breaking the law because these are prescribed medications.

Teens are taking addiction to a whole new level and this could grow worse if parents and adults do not take it seriously. If you notice that your kid is having problems, or even notice that the pills are diminishing really fast, bring them to rehab immediately before it is too late. Overdose can kill anyone. To prevent this from happening, try to be on the lookout for mood swings and other signs that might show you that your child is having problems. If so, talk to them immediately or seek professional help.

For those who do not know the story of the good samaritan, it is this person who is helped an injured man in need while others just passed by and ignored the poor man. There were a couple of psychologists who wanted to test if religion has a certain effect on the helpful behavior of people. These psychologists are John Darley and C. Daniel Batson.

The subjects were a group of seminarians. The first half were given the story of the good samaritan and was asked to perform a sermon about it in a different building. The other half were told to give a short talk about job opportunities in a seminary.

The subjects were then given different times that they had to deliver the sermon so that some of them will be in a hurry and the others will not. On the way to the building, an injured man will be slumped.

Those who studied the story did not stop any more often than those who prepared for a speech on job opportunities. The biggest factor was the time frame given to the students.

What does it say? We are hypocrites. Who would contest to the fact that it is much easier to speak in a room full of people than helping a stranger and actually touching a smelly and bleeding old man.

Who have read the book of Paolo Coelho? I am a huge fan. Funny as it may seem, my friend’s psychiatrist recommended this book to him after one of their sessions. He was there because basically, after losing the relationship that he loved the most, his whole world collapsed and there he was, sitting alone with so many thoughts in his mind but he has no power to accomplish anything. He was a total bum.

Why did the psychiatrist recommend this book? Because it is a very inspirational novel that is well written and everyone can make a deep connection with the characters of the story. It all began with a boy who had a dream or a personal legend. He was doubtful at first but he listened to the voice of his inner heart and before he knew it, he became an alchemist himself. The story was touching, compelling and moving. I guess this was the novel that made Paolo Coelho the ultimate magician who made his books disappear from stalls right after the release.

I suggest that you read this novel too. It is moving and may end up being one of the best therapy methods you have evern encountered.

Unbelievable as it may seem, some men think that their genitals are shrinking. This is called the Koro Syndrom or the shrinking penis syndrome. It is a genital retraction syndrome wherein there is a pathological fear that the genitals are shrinking into the body. It is the fear of a man that his penis is being sucked into his body which sometimes result to death.

There are no cases that are documented to show that there is an actual deduction in a man’s penis. Some are suffering because they are frantically trying to stretch their genitals. It is somewhat related or similar to a panic attack only that it is with sexual elaborations. This disease is mostly in Asia and Africa. Rehabs and treatment will help solve this psychological problem.

Is there such as thing as sex addiction? Many professionals believe there is. I believe in it myself. If you could still remember Pamela Roger, the one who got 13 counts of statutory rape last 2005, she is a sex addict. She confessed what she done and is willing to go through rehabilitation.

Sex addiction is often the problem of men. Some would say that it is an excuse for cheating and some would say that it is a disease. Yes, professionals consider it a disease or an addiction. Although it is not through chemical means, it has something to do with the urge to do it just like gambling for example.

Professionals say that some are addicted to sex because of low self esteem and they needed an outlet to prove that they are something. Everything starts with just searching and watching porn for a few hours a day and then it will lead to using prostitutes whenever they can. This is very alarming since it can destroy lives, careers and more importantly - families.

This addiction is being dealt with by professionals and if you think that you are having this problem, seek help before it is too late.

Depression is a very hard emotional state to work with. Going through this emotional stress gives one person an extreme feeling of loneliness and can significantly affect a person’s work, family and school life and generally everything that he has to do in his life.

The course of depression varies widely. It can be once ion a lifetime event or it can occur multiple times, it can be gradual and it can come in all of a sudden and may last for months or be a life long disorder.

Talking is a great way to get over depression. While there are a lot of medications that stimulate the brain cells, talking to someone is still the best bet. It may be a psychiatrist or to a friend.

Being depressed means being down. Some people resort to engaging in activities to get over depression while some allow depression to get the best of them. In engaging in activities, you get to meet different people. Sooner, you will learn to make more friends and later on, you will be trusting them. This is a great ego booster for those who are depressed.