Intro To Obsessions & Compulsives

You can start by looking into Obsessions and what they mean and how they affect people. Read more about what Pure "O" means, how everyone has Violent and/or Sexual thoughts to a certain degree and so on...

Then look at how Compulsions work.

Read more about why rituals are repeated, which actions might be repeated and so on...

Now that you understand those 2 elements of OCD, you can look at how they interact or counteract each other by looking at the OCD- Cycle.

Someone with OCD will often feel as if their obsession or ritual is different than those of others with OCD. However this isn't the case at all.

There are so many different types of OCD- Symptoms that although slight differences may occur, there most likely will be 1 you will be able to relate to. Hopefully this knowledge will lead to you feeling less alone.

OCD- Aspects got their own page, since although they are OCD- symptoms, they are also amongst the less known 1's. Most people have heard of people with OCD who wash, count or check, but there are a few aspects of OCD such as Hoarding and Hit- and- Run that could benefit from being given just that little extra attention.

SOME OCD FACTS & FIGURES.

What was once thought to be a rare mental disease is now known to be a more common 1. Approximately 2.3% of the population between ages 18- 54 suffers from OCD, which out ranks mental disorders such as: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or panic disorder.

In the U.S., approximately 3.3 million people have OCD, of which you have 0.3 to 1% of pediatric population and 2% of adult population.

So about 1 out of 200 adults have OCD and twice as many have had OCD at 1 point or another in their life.

There is no discrimination as to who has OCD, since it is found in all ethnic groups and both men and women are equally struck by the disorder, although in children OCD seems to be prevalent in boys.

Nearly 1/3 to 1/2 of all sufferers will find that their OCD has it's roots in childhood, some will even show signs in their pre-school years. Cases of OCD have been reported in children as young as 1.5, needless to say it's hard to make the diagnosis at such a young age (Lack of development of speech being 1 reason.). Around the age of 6 the linguistic abilities of the child make it easier to find out the existence of OCD, this co- relates with the age where most children show their first real signs of OCD.

In most cases however, symptoms will start to show while being a teenager or in early adulthood.

The age of onset is typically reported as 6 - 15 for males and 20 - 29 for females and is usually by the age of 40.

Although many people suffer from OCD, many are also still hiding their symptoms and surveys estimate that less than 10 % of those suffering are currently in treatment.

The presence of any aggression or oppositional defiant disorder has been said to indicate a poorer prognosis.

Typically OCD and it's symptoms will worsen due to Stress, Illnesses and Fatigue.

Treating a child with OCD is very important and all delay will only cause the child more harm and more chance of it missing out on certain aspects of her/his development and life.

Same goes for adults, the earlier professional help is sought the greater chances are that some real progress will be made.

OCD is a disorder that can be difficult to treat, but you can get your life back if you find the right help and are open to what is being suggested to you.

The longer 1 waits to act upon it and look for help, the more the system finds a place in the person's life and the harder it will be to fight it.

OCD will evolve throughout a person's life. Some will experience moments where their OCD almost disappears or becomes milder. For these people the anticipation of knowing it will or might come back is very distressing. Others will see how the OCD takes over more and more of their lives and will eventually take over completely making it impossible for them to function normally in life/society, this of course if left untreated or when no serious effort is made to fight back.

So treatment is crucial.

There have been successes that involve surgery, but this treatment is however left to those who previously were not responsive to other types of treatment that are known to work very well for people suffering from OCD.

MISUNDERSTANDINGS& MISCONCEPTIONS.

There are 2 distinctive parts to OCD: the Obsessions and the Compulsions which is explained clearly by the name Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. But it seems the clarity often stops there. While the medical world is finding out the why's and how's of OCD, there are also still many Misunderstandings. Even in this day and age of greater awareness concerning Mental Health problems, many people still aren't properly informed about the many mental disorders that exist and this leaves much room for assumptions and speculations. Both those who have OCD and those who are dealing with someone who has OCD may believe in such misunderstandings.

Misunderstandings concerning Possible Cause.

One of the first misunderstandings research has been able to take care of is the 1 where people assume that a neglecting or unbalanced upbringing was possibly at the basis of OCD behavior. With the use of PET- scans (Positron Emission Tomography) experts were able to find clear evidence that the brain of someone with OCD does function differently than that of a person without OCD.

With these finding a great deal of shame and guilt has been taken off the shoulders of the parents who felt they were directly to blame for their child's suffering.

This is not to say that certain events in a person's upbringing/life may not have contributed to the onset of the OCD, just that OCD is now considered to be triggered by a biochemical disbalance in the brain.

Read more about the Possible Causes of OCD or on how the brain or Serotonin work.

General Misunderstandings Within Society.

By far one of the most painful misunderstandings for a person with OCD are the ones they encounter in their direct surrounding and society in general.

Who should be held responsible for informing the world about OCD? Partly the medical world and the media who should actively be trying to bring the facts to the public and partly the general public itself. But the public's fear of the unknown, their intolerance and lack of understanding, which still exist when it comes to mental disorders, make OCD yet another one surrounded by its share of misunderstandings.

This is why talking about the disorder is so helpful since it will actively and constructively add to the acceptance of a common yet misunderstood disorder.

However as someone who might have OCD you aren't free of part of the responsibility either. Stop feeling ashamed for having a disorder that isn't a weakness, but as true and real as having a Heart condition.

If you can't show acceptance and understanding to yourself, how can you expect others to do so? Start with yourself and lead by example.

Thinking That Having OCD Is a Character Flaw or an Excuse.

Some people might assume OCD is simply being used as an excuse for not having to do certain things, that character flaws such as laziness or weakness are what are really causing this behavior, but this is yet another misunderstanding. Just look into all the things the individual with OCD isn't able to do that would possible provide them with possible.

Besides, it is always easier to motivate yourself to do things you like doing. Having to deal with the counting (or the not counting) will seem more worthwhile with things that give a greater sense of satisfaction or pleasure. Motivation is the key, accusing and personal critisicsm aren't.

OCD may look like laziness or just another excuse but it is a true and debilitating disorder.

Thinking That Having OCD Equals Being Crazy.

Another misunderstanding occurs when people assume, including those with OCD, that having OCD equals someone who is crazy.

So, is a person who has OCD crazy? Of course not! Someone with OCD has besides possibly strange looking rituals and disturbing obsessions also the capacity to see them as such. Maybe it is this conflict between the constant "urge" of OCD and common sense that makes people with OCD feel as if they are going crazy. The ability to see your own beliefs and actions as being unreasonable is extremely confusing but also a good sign to know you aren't crazy.

Unless we are talking about OCD with poor insight, people will at some point recognize that their obsessions are from their own mind and not excessive worries about real- life problems and that their rituals are also excessive and unreasonable.

So the answer to "Is a person suffering from OCD crazy?" is very simple: NO.

Mistaking the Obsessions With Someone Who Is Obsessed.

A man once asked a woman with OCD whether she would start focusing on him and become obsessed by him. Of course not! Although the word Obsession is for some linked to characters portrayed by "Robert De Niro" in the movie "Cape Fear" or "Glenn Close" in "Fatal Attraction", this has nothing to do with someone who suffers from OCD.

People with OCD don't have their rituals and obsessions result in the harm of others. Actually, people with OCD are said to be "perfect citizens". Which brings us to another misunderstanding but this time 1 which works in "favor" of the person having OCD. Of course this is just a generalization since having OCD doesn't take away from the fact people with OCD are all still humans and therefore will have their obvious fair share of flaws.

But it does seem that most people with OCD have a greater sense of righteousness.

Maybe it's more the fact of being afraid of doing something wrong which is making them act in the most "acceptable" way. I won't start a debate on what can be considered right or wrong, if only for the fact that this is a monologue and the debate might become really 1- sided.)

The conclusion is that it's important to see this disorder in a larger context and more importantly only form an opinion after having at least read about it in a serious way.

Please know that you can share this with anyone who you feel it may help, friends, famliy, associates. You may pass it on freely as long as this footer is left intact and the author is given proper credit. Thanks:)

Generate Stem Cells Naturally

You can generate trillions of stem cells within one month when you take glyconutrients every day, if every new-born cell is coated with them. 1 6

The cost? Between $60 - $200 a month depending on your body's health/toxic over-load, & history of nutrient deficiencies. On the other hand stem-cell transplants can cost $150,000 each, & some people receiving stem cell transplants end up with fungal/virus infections from a hospital stay.Transplanted stem cells have caused tumors & terrible health problems for the receiver.

The generating of stem cells from taking glyconutrients is automatically recognized as self, pure & simple.

What Are Stem Cells?

Stem cells aren't "finished" or part of a tissue or organ, but have the ability to generate into any other cell in the body. So a stem cell can become a neuron, a liver cell, a brain cell, a finger-nail cell...whatever the body needs, & the body knows what to do with real nutrition!

Glyconutrients provide the ability for cells to recognize where the body needs help, to transfer the information, & to generate stem cells to repair or replace damaged cells.

JAMA's Report

On Feb. 19, 2003 the Journal of American Medical Ass'n (JAMA) reported that donor stem cells crossed the blood brain barrier and became neurons in the recipient's brain.

These People Took & Take Glyconutrients

A doctor in Texas, H. Reginald McDaniel has a science team which noted many unexplainable FUNCTIONS being restored to the central nervous system, pancreas cells, lung, kidney, and heart, after being given glyconutrients over a long period of time.

They have seen changes in people of all ages, including infants, children, teenagers, adults, and some quite elderly, who were thought to be in irreversible health situations. They also give other core nutrients to help all body systems to be self-healing.

Anecdotal Reports from Afar

The JAMA report explains these medically impossible changes Dr. McDaniel's team saw in themselves, their patients, & heard from various reports by people they didn't know were taking the supplements.

Diseases or disease processes can't be named legally, but these symptoms have been relieved:

Auto-immune disorders, psychological disorders like 'hearing voices & depression, allergies/asthma; heart disease, cholesterol, weight loss/lean-to-fat ratio. Yeast die-off occurs...the list goes on and on.

Grandmother was right: "Eat your fruits & vegetables." These days that statement should include" grown in organic soil w/out chemicals."

I have a VHS tape 4 that tells of a premie's heart which had 'incurable' health problems. The doctors kept saying "We don't understand!" why she ended up with normal health at age 5. 5 It's now out of compliance because of legal red tape. Hopefully we will soon be able to talk about the diseases that have been reversed.

What About Viruses?

Although fever is the body's way of destroying viruses please don't lower fever unless it's dangerously high, constant diet- related inflammation leads to obesity, diabetes, arthritis all kinds, brain disorders/dementia, etc.

Anti-biotic use can cause cancer 6, does not kills viruses, & consistent use will create a foundation for bacterial/joint infections, heart disease, IBS, & commonly increases allergic reactions sooner or later. 6 7

Glyconutrients help protect cells from viruses & bacteria.

These important nutrients are almost gone from our food chain. Over the past 100 years commercial farming has taken over family- grown gardens. Mostly these farms don't replinish the soil with 87 minerals or enzymes - allow friendly micro-organisms & earth worms to break down organic molecules make humus which creates nutrients for plants - control acidity - or let it rest one year out of seven 7

Humus is the basis for soil life. Synthetic fertilizers & pesticides/herbicides kill vital micro-organisms & the soil's health.

And most fruits & vegetables are harvested green. *Only vine-ripened* plants develop all the nutrients which makes them so healthful.

Let Rot Or Irradiate

Irradiation, according to HSI's panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., in 2002: "Irradiation accelerates the growth of aspergillus mold which produces the most potent natural carcinogens cancer-causing known to man, called aflotoxins." Or known as formaldehyde & benzene.

The FDA changed the process from being called radiotoxins to "unique radiolytic" & "known radiolytic." Makes the terms easier to swallow pun intended.

From the book "Science or Miracle," Excerpt pages 28 - 29:

"Food is exposed to extremely high doses of radiation to kill bacteria, parasites, & fungi that may cause spoilage. Gamma rays...like Cobalt-60 in doses of 100,000 to 3 million rads are used. A dose of 10 thousand rads will totally destroy any living tissue. ...done to our fruits, vegetables, flour,

nuts, chicken, & other foods." 4

Buy The Best - Don't Cheat Yourself

When you buy glyconutrients the company should have saccharides to protect others during digestion, to make the IMMEASURABLE & irreplaceable chains they need to make, in nano- to ... seconds. Only the body completely knows how to make them.

See Proevity.com for Continuing Education CE Credits for doctors & other health professionals.

References:

1 "The Missing Nutrients," by Dr. Steve Nugent

2 StemCellFunction.org - Licensed health professionals can register & click on "Email" to receive protocol.

3 FisherInstitute.org , DrReg.net/ - SYLLABI studies for sale.

4 "Science or Miracle," by George V. Dubouch, Ph.D. - book 147 pages - Excerpt pages 28 - 29

5 GlycoTools.com - Glyconutrient/health CD's, books, Results Project ADD/HD, and certified nutrition course from the University of Miami - See "Training" link.

6 - National Cancer Institute - Dr. Roberta Ness of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health

7 - KnowTheCause.com/

8 PubMed: 15618138: Noverr MC, Falkowski NR, McDonald RA, McKenzie AN, Huffnagle GB

Dangerous Laxatives - Simple Rules For Choosing Safe Laxatives and Relieving Constipation Naturally

Laxatives are supposed to be the solution to constipation. Constipation is usually caused by the kinds of foods eat, therefore the most common way to prevent the problem is to actually ensure you have a good diet. But there are plenty of cases where constipation does not depend on diet alone. Natural treatment methods include eating roughage and drinking a lot of water. You can also cure constipation by using natural laxatives. Getting the best laxatives will give you a solution that will be fast and effective.

There are some laxatives that will give you very serious side effects. The most common side effects of the laxatives will include having thirst that is excessive, muscle cramps, pain when urinating, breathing difficulties, swallowing difficulties, rashes that will scotch the skin, irritability, tiredness, irregular heartbeats and many others. This is usually the result of pharmaceutical grade and/or synthetic laxatives.

The best laxatives are actually all natural and herbal. Some minor side effects may include gas or irritation of the skin and being thirsty. But nothing serious or complicated, and these of course are minor effects that are tolerable. They sure beat the side effects of synthetic laxatives (like intestinal blockage or even appendicitis). Some people, including pregnant women, infants, the elderly, toddlers, and breastfeeding mothers should always consult a doctor before taking any type of laxative. The safest type of natural laxative for all ages comes from stabilized Aloe Vera Gel or Aloe Vera Juice.

Should You Be Consuming Coconut Charcoal?

If you're a middle-aged man, you've probable felt the pain of eating too much fast food, drinking too much, or dealing with naturally occurring stomach acid imbalances. Believe it or not, the answer could be a unique solution called coconut charcoal.

The fact that coconut charcoal could be beneficial to health should not be that much of a surprise. If you're an outdoorsman, or even just a weekend warrior, you probably know how to filter water using charcoal from your fire. Those same detoxifying features that go into that process could also be used to detox your body and settle your digestive system, if you use the right type of charcoal, of course.

It turns out that the "right type of charcoal" is coconut charcoal.

Before I explain how it works, let's go over just a few of the benefits that coconut charcoal can provide you with.

The Benefits of Coconut Charcoal

Detoxify Your Body

Your body is constantly being assaulted with a variety of unwanted toxins that come from both your food and your environment. This constant bombardment can lead to many unhealthy side effects, including cellular damage, digestive issues, and decreases in energy. Coconut charcoal acts as a natural cleanser, ridding your body of unwanted chemicals and toxins.

Enhanced Digestive Health

Activated charcoal has been a remedy for digestive issues for thousands of years. It's use has been traced back to ancient Chinese medicine as a solution for bloating and stomach discomfort. Charcoal is the healthiest way to utilize the beneficial effects of activated charcoal to soak up unwanted stomach toxins.

Anti-Aging Benefits

As with any process of detoxification, charcoal can rid the body of toxins that prematurely age your internal organs. As we age there is an increasing sensitivity to harmful chemicals which can affect your hormone producing organs. By bolstering the health of these organs by eliminating toxins, your body will feel the effect of the years more slowly.

How Coconut Charcoal Works

The material contains microscopic pores that capture harmful elements like chemicals, metals, poisons, and even intestinal gases. Due to the unique chemical properties found in coconut charcoal, it is capable of capturing a lot of unwanted gas and toxins in your body, allowing you to pass them before they do damage.

Other Digestive Health Supplements

While charcoal is an excellent way to detoxify your body and improve digestive health, it's in no way the only name in the game. Here is a list of other supplements that can improve your health:

• 
  L-Glutamine (also helpful for nootropic supplements )


• 
  Chamomile


• 
  Ginger


• 
  Peppermint Oil


• 
  Licorice

Top Rated Probiotics - Primal Defense and Bio-K Plus

Researchers emphasize the importance of taking care of our digestive health. What we put in our mouths truly matters. One of the ways to maintain a good digestive health is by taking probiotics. They are beneficial bacteria that live naturally and over centuries they were used to preserve and prepare our food that provided raised immunity response. When taken internally they help 400 other species of bacteria living in the intestinal flora do their job. Probiotics solve digestive problems naturally and without side effects. There are so many probiotic products on the market and you have to do some research to find the best ones. This article will show the benefits of taking probiotics and what are the top rated probiotics on market today.

Benefits of taking probiotics:

• Aid digestion through production of enzymes.

• Support normal gastrointestinal balance of good and potentially harmful bacteria. Compete against harmful microorganisms -- deterring pathogenic invasion and growth. Help fortify the population of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. Support healthy lactic acid bacteria count and healthy pH levels in the gut.

• Maximize the benefits of a healthy diet by supporting normal absorption and assimilation of nutrients in the gut.

• They produce antimicrobial substances like hydrogen peroxide.

• Protect from bacterial infections, yeast and fungal.

• Detoxification and protection from toxins. (In the beginning of starting a regimen with probiotics detoxification might cause some discomfort which will improve with time).

• Promote regular bowel function by establishing healthy intestinal elimination regularity and consistency.

• Prevent gastro-intestinal afflictions, such as gas, bloating and intestinal cramps, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), leaky gut syndrome, colitis, colon cancer and Crohn's disease.

• Reduce or completely eliminate allergic reactions and food intolerances.

• Help to balance cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

• Stimulate the immune system which is beneficial to overall health. Experts say that 70% of our body immune response originates in the intestines.

Many consumers (including me) and Natural Health professionals give high ranking to Primal Defense and Bio-K Plus probiotics. Both Primal Defense and Bio-K Plus contain live cultures of probiotics, with the emphasis on word "live". So many products on the market are low potency probiotics because those microorganisms are barely alive.

Primal Defense maybe ideal for the both colon (large intestine) and small intestine, however Bio-K Plus has larger number of probiotic species for the balance and health of small intestine. The small intestine is where sugar and carbohydrates are processed and absorbed. This product is a live culture that helps the body process sugar and simple carbohydrates and guarantees the population number of those organisms in counts of billions. This is a unique property of Bio-K and it stands alone to be superior to all probiotics for the small intestine.

Neither Primal Defense nor Bio-K Plus has sugar or artificial flavors added which puts their ranking high above other probiotics.

Primal Defense is produced in US and Bio-K Plus in Canada. These are top rated probiotics available on the market today.

EndoBarrier, a Non-Surgical Alternative to Bariatric Surgery

If you're interested in bariatric surgery but are uncomfortable with the surgical aspect, consider endoluminal sleeve. Endoluminal Sleeve, or EndoBarrier, is a brand-new non-surgical procedure that hopes to give patients suffering from obesity and type 2 diabetes a different treatment. Similar to bariatric surgery, EndoBarrier's goal is to reduce excess weight and correct type 2 diabetes. This revolutionary procedure takes roughly 30 minutes to complete without any incisions, allowing patients to lose weight quickly without the risks of bariatric surgery.

The EndoBarrier, or the Endoluminal Sleeve, is a device specifically designed for type 2 diabetes and weight-loss. The procedure is classified as a non-surgical therapeutics, because it bridges the gap between surgery and prescription drugs.

How the EndoBarrier Works

The Endobarrier works by providing a barrier in a person's gastrointestinal tract, where food is absorbed. The barrier will limit about of digestive enzymes the food will absorb and thus the amount of nutrients the body will absorb The procedure takes roughly 30 minutes to preform and doesn't call for incisions, surgery or cutting. The Endobarrier is put into place via the mouth, providing a quick non-invasive procedure.

The Idea was to mimic the effect gastric bypass surgery does to one's gastrointestinal tract, and the resulting effect gastric bypass has on the remission and correction of type 2 diabetes. Because EndoBarrier only mimics one part, of gastric bypass's two part surgery, there are questions about its efficacy. But preliminary studies show that patients can lose twenty percent of their excess weight in three months.

The Feasibility of the EndoBarrier

The Endobarrier is a new procedure, receiving approval by the European CE in December 2009. The availability of the EndBarrier is growing with the approval in Australia, and also includes Chile, Germany, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The FDA has not yety approved the GI sleeve, but preliminary studies suggest that the GI tract could produce expected weight loss similar to bariatric surgeries.

Already approved in other countries the EndoBarrier is a completely new way to manage obesity and type 2 diabetes without any surgery. The procedure was developed by GI Dynamics, with capital investors like Johnson & Johnson Developed, Polaris and ATV Associates. The patented device was designed to mimic gastric bypass surgery.

EndoBarrier Cost

The cost of the EndoBarrier is not yet certain. Currently in the U.S. there are clinical trails and studies ongoing. But assuming the procedure is FDA approved to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, the company expects the cost to be roughly half of the gastric banding procedure or about $12,000.

Home Health Coding - History of Pressure Ulcers

Question: Should we go for V67.x (Follow-up examination following surgery) rather than a condition code for a healed stage 2 ulcer that we're following for observation owing to newly healed status but are recertifying for observation? Should we make use of the follow-up code in lieu of the actual condition that now is resolved?

Answer: According to Lisa Selman-Holman, JD, BSN, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, consultant and principle of Selman-Holman & Associates in Denton, Texas, A V67.x code for following surgery would not be correct in this case.

Here's why: The patient didn't have surgery for the stage 2 ulcer. The only code from the category that you might think about of using is V67.09. That's quite a non-specific code. You can't code the stage 2 ulcer once it's resolved.

The next issue at hand is whether the care you're providing (observation and assessment) would be included, says Selman-Holman. Consider the time span from healing to the end of the previous episode.

Is there a probable fluctuation in the patient's condition? Has the patient had repeated skin integrity problems or changes in caregivers that lead you to think that the patient is at increased risk of developing more ulcers? What other diagnoses does the patient have that show an increased risk for skin breakdown? Your answers to these queries must support the need for skilled care in home health coding.

Code V13.3 (Personal history of diseases of skin and subcutaneous tissue) is the apt history code for a patient who has a history of ulcers.

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