More Than Just an Ordinary Addiction
You lie there in bed, but the events of the day continue to flood the mind. That angry client, that project that just can’t seem to be completed, the looming deadline, that aggravating call from the children’s principal: No matter how much you try to relax, you can’t. you toss and turn, and even if you do manage to fall asleep, it’s a restless slumber with the pressures and anxieties of modern life overloading your circuits. The next day it starts all over again, and, on top of everything else, you feel too tired to move. You’re tired and your emotions are close to the surface, creating a vicious cycle of fatigue and insomnia. You just need some relief.
That’s how it starts.
After a glass of warm milk and soft music fail to do the trick, many people, frustrated with lack of sleep, turn to more powerful chemical sedatives and relaxants to get the job done. Developed in the early nineties, Zolpidem became popular in recent years, particularly after the U.S. FDA approved 13 generic uses in April of 2007.
Known by its trade name of Ambien, Zolpidem is a medication used for short-term treatment of insomnia as well as some brain disorders. Today, like many other Schedule IV drugs, it can be obtained without a prescription through the internet. It is fast acting, usually taking effect within fifteen minutes, but its effects remain in the body fro a very short time, usually only two or three hours.
The United States Air Force uses Ambien as one of its “no-go” pills, to help pilots sleep after a mission. (It is used to counter the effects of the “go-pills,” used to stimulate them prior to the mission).
Most doctors only recommend the use of Ambien for a few days, or, at most, for two weeks. It is approved however, for up to six weeks for the treatment of insomnia. It has a hypnotic effect, similar to those of the benzodiazepine class of drugs, like Xanax, but, it’s molecular structure is distinct from them.
Ambien has joined the ranks of recreation drugs amongst the youth in recent years. Users “fight” the effects of the drug, forcing themselves to stay awake in order to experience mild euphoria, vivid visual, hypnotic, effects, as well as a “body highs.” While prescribed orally, when the drug is used for recreational purposes, it is sometimes crushed and snorted, or cooked for intravenous injection.
Ambien has been in the news recently with the death of Heath Ledger, the up and coming co-star of the latest Batman film. He had been taking Ambien in the weeks prior to his death last January. In the media storm surrounding his death, Jack Nicholson told reporters that he had amost driven over a cliff once while under the influence of Ambien.
Yet, even those who aren’t looking for the latest high can abuse and become addicted to Ambien. Like any drug which effectively treats a persistent problem, Ambien lends itself to habituation. It becomes much easier to reach for a pill to help one fall asleep, than to struggle with the underlying causes of insomnia.
Further, Ambien addiction is much harder to detect than other drug addictions. Friends and family will have difficulty recognizing the symptoms of abuse, especially in its earlier stage of use, when the user will actually seem healthier and more rested than he/she had been in the past. In addition, one need not abuse drugs daily to have a problem with addiction. Oftentimes the pattern of abuse can be occasional, as well as habitual. Further, the taking and abuse of sleeping pills does not carry the same social stigma associated with the world of illicit drug use. All of these factors may make it harder for an abuser, or those around him/her to recognize the presence of abuse and take actions to treat the addiction.
Some symptoms of Ambien abuse include extreme mood swings, relief from anxiety when using the drug, false bravado, preoccupation with running out of the drug, and unpleasant or painful feelings when Ambien is not being administered. In addition, an abuser of Ambien is sometimes subjected to hallucinations, or an increased sensitivity to sights and sounds.
If one uses the drug over an extended period of time, the body will develop a tolerance for the drug, and larger doses will be need to achieve the same initial effects. Further, if one suddenly stops taking the drug, the may be serious side effects and symptoms of withdrawal. One should never discontinue the use of Ambien without consulting a physician or seeking medical treatment. In some cases, discontinuation, without proper supervision, can be life threatening. If an Ambien addiction exists, patients need to taper off its use, to allow the body to detoxify, and minimize harmful withdrawal symptoms. In addition, counseling is recommended to prevent reoccurrence of addiction to Ambien or other drugs.
Simon P.
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/more-than-just-an-ordinary-addiction-466717.html
Depression Treatment – Try These Useful Home Remedies for Depression
This Article provides Information on most of the Home Remedies for Depression which are especially recommended by users. First we will discuss about Depression.
People with depression are simply not able to carry on their lives normally. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. When these symptoms become very intense, they start interfering with oneâ??s ability to normally carry out even the daily chores. The person feels unable to do anything about it; other people need to help him out of this depressive situation. Appropriate treatment is required to help most people who suffer from depression.
Symptoms:
The symptoms that help identify depression include:
1) Constant feelings of sadness, irritability.
2) Feeling exhausted most of the time, despite lack of activity.
3) Decreased interest social activities.
4) Significant weight change.
5) A change in sleeping pattern, such as difficulty sleeping or early morning awakening.
6) Lack of confidence.
7) Spends a lot of time thinking about what has gone wrong or what will go wrong.
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt.
9) Physical pain, which has no apparent physical
10) Thoughts of suicide or death
If you or somebody close to you is experiencing any of these symptoms, you must consult a doctor right away.
What causes depression?
Causes of depression are still unknown, Depression has no single cause - it may result from a combination of things. However, it can be triggered by:
1) Trauma and stress - financial problems, the breakup of a relationship, or the death of a near one can bring in depression.
2) Loss of social support such as the loss of a job
3) Poverty.
4) Physical conditions - chronic illness such as Parkinsonâ??s, diabetes, HIV or cancer
5) Side-effects of medications.
6) Hormonal changes that affect mood, such as the onset or end of menstruation, menopause.
7) Alcohol abuse
Hereditary - depression may run in families, and parents may pass on the defective genes.
9) People with low self-esteem, or who are pessimistic.
10) Psychological disorders such as anorexia.
11) Some scientists suggest that overexposure to electro-magnetic smog from computer terminals and kitchen appliances, especially the microwave oven, upset the balance of the body’s own electromagnetic field and leads to depression.
12) Being physically or sexually abused.
13) Family conflicts, especially between parents.
Depression in women
Women are prone to depression twice as compared to men. Many hormonal factors may contribute to the increased rate of depression in women particularly factors as menstrual cycle, pregnancy, miscarriage, premenstrual syndrome and menopause. Many women also face additional tensions such as responsibilities both at work and home, single parenthood, and caring for children.
How to diagnose depression:
A good diagnostic assessment will include a complete history of the patientâ??s symptoms, i.e., when it started, how severe they are, are they recurrent, whether any previous treatment was given, if yes, then what treatment. The doctor should enquire about physical abuse or alcohol and drug use. Further, a history should include information about whether other family members have had a depressive illness.
Can depression be treated?
â?¢ Yes, depression can be treated.
â?¢ About 80% of people treated for depression get better.
â?¢ Both medication and therapy can effectively treat depression.
What happens, if depression is left untreated?
Depression if untreated, can affect:
1) Social behaviour, along with normal day to day functioning
2) Self-esteem and confidence
3) Can lead to drug abuse, disruptive behaviours, violence and aggression,
4) Even lead to suicide
Depression is a serious problem that demands a serious medical approach. However, you need to first recognize what is causing it.
How to treat depression?
Most people with depression never seek medical help, even though the majority will respond to treatment. Treating depression is especially important because it affects you, your family, and your work. Depression is a curable illness.
Treatment includes a combination of professional counseling, drug therapy, and family support.
Love, appreciation and normal communication are some of the most important things you should provide to help the person cope with depression. Do not be critical of the person at any stage.
A change in normal lifestyle habits can help reduce symptoms of depression. Encourage the person to:
â?¢ Go in for some light exercise regularly, such as swimming, walking.
â?¢ Avoid alcohol and illegal drugs.
â?¢ Get a good and refreshing sleep
â?¢ Eat a balanced diet.
â?¢ Be optimistic. Positive thinking is very important in recovering from depression.
Change will not come overnight - but with the right treatment, you can keep depression from overshadowing your life. Early treatment of depression will bring about the best results. Think positive, recovery will happen, but gradually.
Are anti-depressants helpful?
Many psychiatric drugs have not been satisfactorily tested in patients, so we do not know for sure the risks or the benefits of these medications.
The thumb rule is caution while giving antidepressants - They should be neither a first nor a last resort. If given, anti-depressants should not be stopped abruptly, because it may lead to a withdrawal syndrome that includes dizziness, nausea, seizures and anxiety.
Side effects of anti-depressants:
The side effects vary depending on the drug, but can include:
â?¢ Insomnia
â?¢ Sleepiness
â?¢ Increased anxiety
â?¢ Nausea or vomiting
â?¢ Headaches
â?¢ Dizziness
â?¢ Weight gain or loss
Beware! Anti depressants can trigger off suicidal behaviour!
Some helpful Home Remedies for Depression â??
Home Remedy for Depression is the best solution as it is free from any side effects.
1) Ayurveda recommends yoga, massage and meditation, which increases the energy of life. Yoga exercises help to increase the circulation of oxygen in the system and helps keeps the mind relaxed. Deep breathing exercises or â??pranayamaâ? help the body and mind to relax. This is useful Home Remedy for Depression.
2) Try to distract your mind. Listen to your favourite music, do the things you are fond of, eat something good, go out with friends â?? bring a change in your daily routine, and it will help cope with depression.
3) Aromatherapy helps the body relax and revive the nervous system. Inhalation of some herbal oils like rose, jasmine, lime, and grapefruit are considered a natural remedy for depression.
4) Cashew nuts are extremely beneficial in treating depression, as it is a rich source of vitamin B. It ensures body activeness and energy levels. This is useful Home Remedy for Depression.
5) Take daily walks. Fresh air and deep breathing exercises are both good in aiding relaxation.
Avoid black tea, kava tea, tobacco and alcohol. Eat more wheat germ, which is an energizer. Pears, apples, and nuts assist the nervous system in functioning properly.
TALK TO SOMEONE IF YOU FEEL YOU ARE DEPRESSED��.IT MAY JUST WORK!!
Dr James Sameul
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/depression-treatment-try-these-useful-home-remedies-for-depression-196576.html
Deceptively Simple - Art of Living in the Moment
Two holistic health practitioners at New York University Medical Center recently launched an innovative program to help staff and patients begin the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of moment-to-moment awareness. Mindfulness exercises can improve your attention span, mental clarity, memory, mood, and self-esteem. With regular practice, you can experience a reduction in anxiety, muscle tension, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates.
Alex Tatarinov-Levin met recently with the founders of NYU’s Mindfulness program, Jackie Levin, RN, MS, and Tara Piergrossi, a Masters candidate in Public Health at Hunter College. Jackie and Tara talk about the concept of mindfulness and how to begin your own practice in this in-depth interview.
Itâ??s All in Your Mind: an Introduction to Mindfulness
Alex Tatarinov-Levin: How did you get involved in the concept of mindfulness?
Jackie Levin: I have a masterâ??s degree in holistic nursing, and as part of that I became interested in the practice of meditation. I studied mindfulness first with Jon Kabat-Zinn [Associated Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School] and learned about his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, and that became a foundation of my own personal strategy for becoming centered, focused and aware.
Alex: What kind of stress are you referring to?
Jackie: All types of stress are interconnected, so while we might see emotional stress manifested physically, for example, tense shoulders, aches, pains, and the beginnings of disease - we can also experience it emotionally through anxiety, lack of focus, forgetfulness, mood swings or spiritual distress, in which you donâ??t feel a connection to others or to a spiritual being.
Alex: Is mindfulness intended to relieve stress?
Jackie: No, but it can be a byproduct. Mindfulness is the moment-to-moment awareness of what is going on around you. Itâ??s a practice of becoming more aware and awake. So many of us are spending most of our time distracted, consciously or unconsciously, thinking about memories of the past or worrying about the future, but the only moment that really exists is this one. The practice of mindfulness helps you become a better observer and non-judgmentally aware of whatâ??s going on in your environment.
Alex: Whatâ??s the importance of non-judgment to mindfulness?
Tara Piergrossi: Youâ??re not trying to change the moment, just to accept it without judging it, and without trying to hold on to it or labeling it as good or bad.
Jackie: Your judgment says, if I were to see a dog going down the street and as a child I was bit by a dog and maintained that fear my whole life, I would see that dog as threatening. So is that dog threatening? I donâ??t really know, but if I take a moment I can become a non-judgmental observer of the dog walking down the street, I can then better understand if that dog is a threat or not, and whether I should turn and run or whether I could actually stop and pet the dog.
Alex: What if Iâ??m restless or have trouble clearing my mind for five minutes?
Tara: Then youâ??re probably normal.
Jackie: Yes, very normal. Youâ??re not trying to clear the mind; youâ??re trying to wake up the mind. We think our minds are awake, but mostly theyâ??re asleep to whatâ??s going on.
Alex: So mindfulness helps you step back and assess each situation on its own merits?
Jackie: Yes, thatâ??s it. Each moment is unique. It doesnâ??t mean you donâ??t have memories and it doesnâ??t mean you donâ??t utilize those memories to make current analyses but youâ??re not letting those past memories dictate your current experience.
Alex: Is there a relationship between mindfulness and meditation?
Jackie: Mindfulness is a type of meditation practice.
Tara: You can sit in meditation position and notice your thoughts. So thoughts come in, you notice them and just go back to your point of focus, whatever it is, and you do that as many times as you need to, without judgment.
Alex: So itâ??s intended to help you make sense of your thoughts?
Jackie: Most of the time, weâ??re not aware of what weâ??re thinking. Those thoughts are just having random effects on us. So if I stop and I just sit there, I see sometimes I have a repetitive thought. Which means I can begin to attend to it and say, oh, thatâ??s a worry I didnâ??t realize I had, and what is it Iâ??d like to do about that? Is it really as big a problem as I think it is? So you can begin to discharge some of the tension through natural stress reduction and observe it. And you develop a compassion for yourselfâ??a softness. Saying, oh, I did something I wasnâ??t so happy about. Most of the time, we end up being hard on ourselves. In mindfulness youâ??d be able to say, well, ok, I can now see how I did that in a clearer way, and I have lots of options and choices now. I can go talk to that person, I can redo the situation, I can get more information.
Alex: What other benefits are there to mindfulness?
Jackie: In the mental realm, it can increase focus, memory, clarity of thought. In the emotional realm, it can improve your mood. In the relationship realm, it can improve how you connect to others. In the physical realm, it may lower your blood pressure and regulate your heart rate and respiratory rate. Relaxation enhances your metabolism, so it can help your digestive processes because itâ??s actually activating the parasympathetic system.
Alex: What is the parasympathetic system?
Jackie: There are two systems: the stress response and the relaxation response. The stress response stimulates the sympathetic system that puts me in a fight or flight mode, and that raises the blood pressure and sends your blood out into the extremities so you can run or fight as you might need. It also narrows your focus, so youâ??re only able to focus on that stress. The relaxation response is the opposite and stimulates the parasympathetic system. Itâ??s about the bodily processes that can go on when youâ??re not in a fight or flight situation. For example, you donâ??t need to digest food when youâ??re trying to fight or flee. The relaxation response reduces your blood pressure. Your heart rate is more regulated; your digestive system is working better and your body releases muscle tension. A lot of energy goes into stress-related anxiety. Stress requires a lot of energy in the body. Sort of like if youâ??re in a car and revving in the engine but not going anywhere, youâ??re wearing the engine down.
Take a Minute to be Mindful
Alex: Whatâ??s the best position for mindfulness practice and what can people do if theyâ??re not comfortable with it?
Jackie: People should find a position in which theyâ??re comfortable and not in pain, whether sitting or lying. If youâ??re sitting, your feet should be on the floor, your spine should be tall, but not rigid, and your neck should be long. Youâ??re trying to give enough room for your ribs to breathe and take tension out of your spine. Arms are in your lap so thereâ??s no tension in your shoulders. If you feel tension in your shoulders, put a pillow in your lap to reduce it. If your feet donâ??t reach the floor, put a pillow underneath them so that thereâ??s no tension in your legs. You can also sit on the floor cross-legged, if thatâ??s comfortable, with a little pillow under the buttocks so that your hips are higher than your knees.
Tara: Or lying down, but itâ??s sometimes hard not to fall asleep.
Jackie: If youâ??re lying down you may need a pillow under your knees. You can do it lying down, but the trick is not to fall asleep. Sleeping is not meditating. If youâ??re having difficulty sleeping, itâ??s sometimes helpful to meditate first. Thereâ??s also yoga meditation, anything that has a point of focus that captures your attention in which you practice not letting your mind wander off your point of focus. Walking can be a form of meditation, chanting is also a form of meditation.
Alex: What connection, if any, is there, between mindfulness and yoga? Between mindfulness and Buddhism or spirituality in general?
Jackie: Mindfulness meditation is a form of Buddhist meditation and many forms of eastern meditation practices. The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program that Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli developed put the spiritual practice into a more secular format.
Alex: Is mindfulness similar to prayer?
Jackie: For me, mindfulness is related to contemplative prayer.
Alex: Is there any conflict between mindfulness and religion?
Jackie: No. people can practice their own forms of religion and spirituality and can also explore and practice meditation.
Tara: It can actually enhance religion.
Jackie: Other practices might call it prayer, concentration, contemplation. Itâ??s a practice to give you insight into yourself. Jon Kabat-Zinn suggested in a program I took with him that we become our own scientist in our own laboratory, and just a keen observer of what goes on in that laboratory.
Alex: Do you have an example of an easy exercise that anyone can start out with?
Jackie: Start with a breath and smile. Put yourself in a comfortable position, with your feet on the ground and your neck and back long and feeling supported. Begin by bringing your awareness to your breath and letting your mind rest on your natural rhythm of breathing. Next, bring your attention to the full duration of your in-breath and the full duration of your out-breath. Wherever you notice your breath the most, at your nostrils or mouth as the air enters and leaves your body or during the rise and fall of your belly and chest.
Alex: Does that help you relax?
Jackie: It can help many people relax, but some people can become more agitated. Then you watch your agitation without judgment and observe it. We tend to run away from the difficult parts of our lives, so if agitation is a response you have to sitting quietly, just observe your experience with agitation, and then experience your mind frame. You might say, I want to get off this cushion as fast as I can, or, I just want to run away from the experience of agitation!
But what is this experience of agitation? You might feel your chest tightening or your heart racing, and observing these symptoms in your body will help you deal with them. What can often happen from there is that you can begin to relax. When we stop avoiding our problems and start gently, compassionately and non-judgmentally facing who we are in this moment, youâ??ll realize itâ??s just one moment. And this one might be different from the next. Mindfulness can lead to relaxation, but itâ??s different for everyone, there is no one way. Itâ??s only you that youâ??re observing, in an intimate way, when youâ??re sitting in formal practice of meditation.
I want to connect this to making changes. The whole point of Healthy Monday is to develop a practice of reinventing yourself and changing once a week. If youâ??re not able to stop and reflect on what are the barriers to making change, or if youâ??re not able to observe yourself non-judgmentally and with compassion, when you realize youâ??re not making the choices that are good for you, you can just sit back and reflect on that and gain greater insight. And then perhaps you can make a more lasting committed change.
Formal vs. Informal Practice
Jackie: Formal practice is saying, Iâ??m going to sit down for five to ten minutes a day and just sit with my breath and observe my thoughts and sensations that might be passing through my awareness in these ten minutes. If have the urge to get up or to avoid a thought, then thatâ??s just my experience during this meditation. Informal practice is in our day-to-day life. Taking an everyday experience and being mindful throughout that activity. If Iâ??m brushing my teeth and I let my mind wander to the 50 things Iâ??m going to be doing the rest of the morning, I just stop and for two minutes just focus on the experience of brushing my teeth.
Tara: Thatâ??s a great way to utilize mindfulness. I was telling my students, pick one activity you do every day and just be mindful of it. Maybe washing your hair. Where are you going to go? Are you thinking about washing your hair? Probably not.
Jackie: Washing the dishes, making your bed, doing laundry. All those things in daily life are an opportunity to stop and just be present to this one moment. Letâ??s say youâ??re on this incredible beach and youâ??re watching the most amazing sunset. The first few moments youâ??re actually watching the sunset, but the rest of the time youâ??re thinking about how youâ??re going tell this friend of yours about it. In reality, you left the sunset and were actually in a conversation with your friend in your mind. You missed that beautiful sunset.
Tara: Another thing is when youâ??re on vacation, youâ??re thinking ahead to, oh, thereâ??s only three days left, and youâ??re missing your whole vacation because youâ??re thinking about when you have to go back to work.
Jackie: Then as we go about our day, our formal and informal practices can be utilized spontaneously when moments of stress arise. For example, If Iâ??m standing in a very long line at the supermarket and Iâ??m running late, I may begin to experience a sense of agitation because Iâ??m in a hurry. I just take a deep breath and observe my experience of standing in line, which then helps me realize itâ??s not that big a deal. Iâ??ll be 5 minutes late, or Iâ??ll put my groceries back and get them later, but I donâ??t have to let my blood pressure go up, I donâ??t have to let my agitation take over, I donâ??t have to stamp my foot and have all those experiences we have when youâ??re feeling stressed.
Tara: The benefit of using the breath-centered approach to mindfulness is that your breath is always with you; any time of day you can always focus on your breath.
Jackie: And your breath is always changing, so itâ??s dynamic, and that relates to life. If youâ??re able to connect to this ever-present dynamic aspect of yourself, youâ??ll be able to better manage the ever-present changing dynamics that go on in your external life as well. The thing that gets us most stressed and disrupted in our lives is that when we have an expectation of something happening and it doesnâ??t. Unrequited expectations cause stress. So the more youâ??re able to accept the moment for what it is, then thereâ??s less chance of your being disappointed.
Alex: Is there a specific breathing method you recommend?
Jackie: In this form of mindfulness itâ??s just observing your breath. There are many powerful distinctive ways of breathing in meditation, but, mindfulness is just observing the breath, one breath at a time.
Jackie: So there are a hundred ways we can lose our balance - emotional balance, natural, psychological balance, physical balance â?? every moment. If youâ??re practicing mindfulness, you have a greater awareness of when you fall off balance, and you can then grab onto your practice of mindfulness to bring you back into balance. This way I donâ??t get so off-center.
Mindfulness Monday: Practice Living Each Moment
Alex: Letâ??s say Iâ??m in an angry mood because I recently got laid off. What if meditating doesnâ??t make me feel any better?
Jackie: Mindfulness is not necessarily about changing an angry person into a non-angry person, itâ??s about you becoming aware of your anger and how you experience it. So imagine youâ??re feeling anger, and you send all this rage externally. Unless youâ??re being violent to someone physically, most of the violence is done to ourselves. Only weâ??re not aware of it because weâ??re so focused on our emotional hurt. The goal is not to take away the anger, the goal is for you to become awake to the feeling that youâ??re angry and that you might have all these varieties of thought and physical and emotional experiences while being angry. When you allow yourself to be aware of your experience, the experience shifts. Say you got laid off and youâ??re angry. A lot of us would be resentful and angry towards the person who laid us off and weâ??d blame them for our problems, instead I could become more specific about the concerns of being laid off like, Iâ??ve been laid off, I donâ??t know if Iâ??m going get another job. Iâ??m scared about not paying the mortgage. What am I going to tell my family? If you can get down to that beginning level of awareness, you can begin to sort through and go on. Just breathe for the next few moments and donâ??t try to change anything at all. Then see where your thoughts can lead you. Oh, I didnâ??t like this job anyway, or, maybe I can tell the bank I was laid off, and theyâ??ll give me a month without penalty of paying my mortgage.
Tara: Mindfulness helps you not to cling to that past experience. If youâ??re in the present, you know, that happened, Iâ??m here now, not looking forward, not looking ahead, just being here for a moment.
Alex: How can mindfulness help you stay away from extreme behavior while encouraging acceptance of it?
Jackie: The beauty of mindfulness, like life, is that it is full of paradoxes. On the one hand, mindfulness helps you not get so angry, but then you say but mindfulness is not asking you not to be so angry, so both are true. Itâ??s a paradox. Human beings want things defined, without confusion. But what mindfulness teaches is that if weâ??re being present fully in the moment, we become aware of the multidimensionality of our existence. So there is no absolute. So when I practice mindfulness long enough, I become more aware of what takes me, personally, out of balance, so that I am much more sensitive and alert to those situations - and when they start to happen, I go into my practice which is to be present to my own responses. However, if Iâ??m observing my anger, Iâ??m not necessarily acting my anger out. So you could say something to me that makes me angrier than Iâ??ve ever been, and you might never know.
Tips for Starting Your Own Practice
Alex: Who are your Monday Mindfulness Memos intended for?
Jackie: This is on the NYU Medical Center intranet, available for any employee of the NYU Medical Center right now.
Tara: But eventually weâ??d like to house them on our website, which is being created. We already have one for our preparatory surgery program, but weâ??re creating one for the Mind Body Patient Care program, and weâ??ll put these on there - so theyâ??ll be available to anyone. We want to do one memo a month and then supplement that memo with weekly Monday tips on how to use mindfulness and apply it to your daily life. So every Monday you start fresh â?? you use mindfulness and incorporate it into your life.
Alex: Are the tips cumulative? Or can anyone start fresh?
Jackie: Anyone can start fresh. Weâ??re going to have links and an archive for monthly memos so people can click on that and then utilize those tips.
Tara: The first one is basically, what is mindfulness? and that will always be on the intranet in case you come into this later and you donâ??t already know what mindfulness is. Later on we are going to write memos on mindful communication, mindful eatingâ?¦ all sorts of ways to use mindfulness in your everyday life.
Alex: What are you trying to communicate with these memos and tips?
Jackie: Basically itâ??s utilizing the principles of compassion and non-judgmentalness when we listen and speak with each other. The more skillful we are at listening deeply to what another is trying to communicate to us, the more we are able to understand the intent of the speaker.
Tara: Itâ??s an ideal way of communicating. Also, when youâ??re talking to someone, instead of thinking of what youâ??re going to say next â??youâ??re actually listening, mindfully listening, and then responding.
Alex: Sounds brilliant - and common sense.
Jackie: The practice of meditation is essentially common sense. But in order to implement it on a regular basis you have to practice. Itâ??s difficult to always remember to be mindful when somebody says something that I want to react to. It also helps me remember that the other person has a frame of reference too, and I want to understand it. Thatâ??s where the compassion comes in and the non-judgmental attitude. If you say something to me, I first try to understand your motivation, your reason for saying that, then I can honestly assess what kind of response I should give.
Alex: How does Monday fit in?
Jackie: I think the Monday idea is great. Change doesnâ??t happen overnight, and it takes practice and commitment. Using Monday helps you realize, without judgment, that changes will eventually occur if you stick with it. And on the days that you donâ??t, youâ??re not harsh on yourself. Be kind to yourself. If itâ??s Thursday, you can decide to meditate or skip meat or whatever else youâ??re trying to do on that day, but you also know that every Monday is another day when you can begin seeing yourself fresh and anew. In mindfulness, every moment gives you that opportunity â?? but I think itâ??s very clever to connect it to a day of the week. The whole point of Healthy Monday is to develop a practice of reinventing yourself and working on changing once a week. If youâ??re not able to stop and reflect on what are the barriers to making change, or if youâ??re not able to observe yourself non-judgmentally and with compassion, when you realize youâ??re not making the choices that are good for you, you can just sit back and reflect on that and gain greater insight. And then perhaps you can make a more lasting committed change.
Tara: I think it really supports being compassionate to yourself. I know in my life, if I donâ??t go to the gym, Iâ??ll be like forget it. But with Monday, you have a weekly opportunity to start over. It helps you not get discouraged with quitting or having a setback.
Jackie: Mindfulness has really helped with my greater sense of patience. When weâ??re taking on a big change, like quitting smoking â?? which is huge â?? you commit to Monday, you commit to being mindful of every time you have an urge to smoke, and you accept that urge, but in this moment, I can resist that urge because next moment that urge might go away. I know that if I can wait 30 seconds, that urge will be gone. That urge may come back later in the day, and then you sit with it. You can quit cold turkey, but it doesnâ??t mean you wonâ??t have other desires for cigarettes.
Tara: When you have the urge to smoke, you supplement it for something else, unless you really feel the reason why youâ??re smoking.
Tara: You donâ??t practice mindfulness to make yourself a better person or to relax or make changes in yourself, but to help you tune in to whatâ??s going on. All those things could happen as a result, but it is really easy to think I need to practice mindfulness to be better, to do more.
Alex: How has mindfulness changed your lives or perspectives?
Tara: Well I found mindfulness through yoga, and from the process of yoga I started teaching it. I just started doing yoga and it really changed my perspective on my life, and I didnâ??t know why. I wanted to figure out why and then help teach that to other people. I spent so much of my younger years looking forward, thinking Iâ??ll be happy when Iâ??m in college or Iâ??ll be happy when Iâ??m doing this. You can keep saying youâ??ll be happy when you get somewhere else, but this is your life right now. So that really helped me to live now and be happy.
Tara: My brother is a mindfulness meditation instructor. He did a workshop with people, and he had a little cup with sunflower seeds. We were sitting and observing our thoughts, and every time you had a thought, youâ??re supposed to drop a sunflower into the cup. So you could hear when everyone else had a thought, and it was like a rainstorm, and it was just a wonderful to hear everybodyâ??s thoughts. Youâ??re always giving off thoughts, and thereâ??s nothing wrong with having them, just remember to come back.
Jackie: Mindfulness has helped me take things less seriously, be more playful. I can deal with things that are serious and hard, but also have an accompanying lightness to that experience. The people that I know who practice mindfulness on a regular basis smile a lot more, laugh a lot more, enjoy life a lot more.
Tara: Since youâ??re observing your thoughts, and if you notice your thoughts, itâ??s like, oh, thatâ??s interesting. Where did that come from? Itâ??s much more playful.
Alex: Howâ??s this for a headline? Mindfulness: live for the moment.
Jackie: Itâ??s more, be present in each moment, really.
Jackie: The more mindful I am the more precise I am. Not in an exhausting way; but, because Iâ??m trying to actually capture everything as it is. Iâ??ve become less satisfied with a lazy approach to understanding what others are trying to say or do. Itâ??s a very precise practice.
Tara: Weâ??re also much more curious about ourselves, and the world around us.
On Mindful Eating
Alex: Can you tell our readers a little bit about mindful eating?
Tara: If youâ??re mindful of your body, you will be swallowing and chewing when you need to, and you will stop way before you have gorged yourself. To be full, sometimes we throw food in our mouths, but youâ??ll enjoy and taste the food more if you practice mindful eating. You can extend it to the mindfulness of purchasing and preparing the food, and it will also connect you to the food though awareness of who grew the food, who harvested it, packaged and delivered it, if weâ??re not in a rural community and growing it ourselves.
Alex: Why is it important to have a connection with our food?
Jackie: I think itâ??s important to have a connection with everything thatâ??s around us, and that I think good food is important, and the more weâ??re aware of how our food came to us, the more likely we are to make healthier choices.
Tara: If youâ??re mindful that youâ??re hungry, youâ??ll eat when youâ??re hungry, and you might make better choices if youâ??re mindful of your bodyâ??s hunger. So if right now Iâ??m hungry, I know that I would probably go eat that whole counter, but if Iâ??m aware of that it will help restrict me.
Jackie: When you connect to where your food is grown and the environment itâ??s grown in, we have a global awareness, and global awareness will help eventually bring peace.
Tara: It shows that weâ??re all connectedâ??
Jackie: â??and we should appreciate the people who grow our food.
Jackie Levin, RN, MS, and Tara Piergrossi, a Masters candidate in Public Health at Hunter College, are the founders of the NYU Mindfulness program.
Alex Levin
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/deceptively-simple-art-of-living-in-the-moment-748009.html