A HundredReasons to Laugh By Steve Goodier

A HundredReasons to Laugh

By Steve Goodier 

I read that a child laughs 400 times a day on the average, while an adult laughs only 15 times. Which puzzles me – what do you think the children are laughing at?

During one particularly dark period of my life I didn't laugh even 15 times a day. Not nearly. For a variety of reasons, ranging from anxiety in my personal life to overwork and exhaustion, I was depressed. I may not yet have recognized it as depression (later I did), but now I can see that the signs were there.

My self-loathing surfaced once when I found myself driving alone on a cold Spring afternoon to spend a couple of days with colleagues on a work-related planning session. “I don't have time for this!” I said out loud, and berated myself for not saying no. I was leaving my spouse to contend with children by herself while my daily work piled up in my absence. I felt submerged by an ocean of problems, professional and personal, with no chance of finding any way out. Everything looked bleak.

I met my colleagues for supper the first evening. To my surprise, we sat around the dinner table telling funny stories. We related real-life incidents that had happened to each of us. I had to admit, even in my despondency, that it was good to laugh. And those turned out to be some of the funniest stories I had ever heard! My anxiety melted as I relaxed and I found myself  laughing hard – harder than I'd laughed for years.

 

The next day we worked, but we also played. We invented games using whatever recreational equipment we could lay our hands on. The sheer fun of playing, something else I hadn't done for far too long, awakened something within me I thought I might never feel again.

The following day I returned home and I felt better than I had in months. Though it eventually took a lifestyle change to lift the depression for good, laughter became a key ingredient of that change. I determined then and there that a therapy of laughter would become a permanent part of my life. I've held to it, and have found that regular and hearty laughter is essential if I want to maintain inner peace and good health.

I had discovered a great truth about laughter – it is good for the body, the mind and the spirit. It's a natural stress reliever. Have you ever laughed so hard that you doubled over, fell off your chair, spit out your food or wet your pants? (Yes, I'm not proud to say, I have.) You just cannot maintain muscle tension when you are laughing.

Author Norman Cousins used to say that laughter is so beneficial for your body that it is like “inner jogging.” Numerous studies have shown that laughter is good for your heart, it boosts your immune system and promotes overall good health.

The good news is that you are not limited to 15 laughs a day. You're allowed hundreds of laughs. What might happen if you doubled the usual adult rate and tried to laugh 30 times today? Can you do it? You'll probably notice an immediate difference in how you feel.

Then try to laugh 50 times a day. By this time you will begin to notice an improvement in your relationships.

But don't stop there. What if you could find 100 reasons to laugh every day? You can do it by surrounding yourself with people you feel good around, looking for humour in daily life, taking a minute to remember what's funny and even keeping a journal of whatever makes you happy.

Find 100 reasons to laugh. You are bound to feel better, you will cope with problems more effectively and people will enjoy being around you.

Besides unhappiness, what do you have to lose?

Source:

Life Support System images from the internet _____________________________________________________________________________________

A Conspiracy of Love Steve Goodier

A Conspiracy of Love

By Steve Goodier  

​
Almost a century ago, two young medical school graduates, along with their doctor father, tried an important experiment. They built a small sanitarium on a farm outside Topeka, Kansas (USA). This was a time when the "rest cure" was in vogue as a treatment for psychiatric disorders as well as for a few physical ailments. Oftentimes patients were sent to impersonal institutions where they might remain their entire lives.
    
The doctors were Charles Menninger and his sons Karl and William. The Menningers had a different idea. Their sanitarium would not be impersonal. They were determined to create a loving, family atmosphere among their patients and staff. Their vision was to grow a community of doctors, nurses and support staff that would cooperate to heal patients; a place where a patient’s mental health would be as important as her physical health.

To this end, nurses were given special training and were told, "Let each person know how much you value them. Shower these people with love." Rather than being sent to a place where they were warehoused for life, many of the patients received more love and kindness at the Menninger Sanitarium than they had ever experienced before. 

The treatment worked - spectacularly. The experiment was a resounding success and the Menninger's revolutionary approach to healing and their radical (for that daytime) methods became world famous. 

Karl Menninger later wrote numerous books and became a leading figure in American psychiatry. "Love cures people,” Menninger wrote, “both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.” His work demonstrated just how true that statement is.

Essayist Hamilton Wright Mabie said, “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” I'm attracted to that phrase...conspiracy of love. For many people around the world, Christmas is such a season. This time of year is an annual celebration where folks agree to put aside destructive differences and toxic behavior and allow love to take center stage. When that happens, it can be a beautiful thing. And even more beautiful if the season can truly engage the whole world in such a conspiracy.

I would like to be part of the plot. And not only for a season. If enough of us join together, the movement will become an irresistible and unstoppable force for good.

Spiritual writer Emmett Fox put it like this:

There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer.
No disease that enough love will not heal.
No door that enough love will not open.
No gulf that enough love will not bridge.
No wall that enough love will not throw down.
No sin that enough love will not redeem.

What could happen if you let each person in your life know how much you value them? What might happen if you were to, as Menninger says, shower everyone with love? And not just friends and family, though they may need to hear it from you. But everyone? Especially those hardest to love?

Does it sound unrealistic? Maybe it is. But remember, love cures people. And it can cure a world.

The only real question is, will you join the conspiracy?

source: Life Support System

AASRA-The Thought Co. Interactive Workshop on the occasion of#WorldmentalHealthAwarenessWeek

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AASRA-The Thought Co. Interactive Workshop on the occasion of#WorldmentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek#MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MentalHealthAwarenessDay10thOct#Aasra24x7SuicidePreventionHelpline912227546669

AASRA-HELP talk on the occasion of #WorldmentalHealthAwarenessWeek

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AASRA-HELP talk on the occasion of #WorldmentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MentalHealthAwarenessDay10thOct #Aasra24x7SuicidePreventionHelpline912227546669

#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MentalHealthAwarenessDay10thOct #Aasra24x7SuicidePreventionHelpline912227546669

#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MentalHealthAwarenessDay10thOct #Aasra24x7SuicidePreventionHelpline912227546669

#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MentalHealthAwarenessDay10thOct #Aasra24x7SuicidePreventionHelpline912227546669

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Broke and Broken? The Psychological Effects of Poverty poverty

www.bestpsychologydegrees.org/poverty/

Broke and Broken? The Psychological Effects of Poverty
poverty




The Psychological Effects of Poverty
For the more than 40 million Americans in poverty, everyday life is a struggle — buying food, going to school, getting a job. And for a great many of them, what most people think of as simple tasks are also difficult. Let’s explore the picture of poverty in the U.S. and the psychological and physical toll it takes.

Poverty in the U.S.
46.5 million
Americans who live below the poverty line
16 million
Children living in poverty
$11,490
2013 poverty line for a single person
That’s the equivalent of working full time and making only about $5.50 an hour, which is far below the minimum wage
Where it’s worst
Percentage of residents below poverty line by state
16%+
CA
OR
NV
AZ
NM
OK
TX
MO
AR
LA
MS
AL
KY
TN
GA
FL
SC
NC
WV
OH
MI
DC
13%-15.9%
WA
ID
MT
CO
SD
NE
KS
WI
IL
IN
PA
NY
RI
ME
11%-12.9%
UT
WY
ND
MN
IA
VA
DE
MA
VT
HI
Less than 11%
MD
NJ
CT
NH
AK

The Brain on Poverty
Researchers have determined that the mental strain placed on a poor person is immense, affecting their ability to do well in school, to succeed at work — even to pay bills on time.
13 points
Rough IQ drop caused by poverty
Why? While there’s much about the human mind scientists have yet to decode, we do know that mental processing is finite. It’s the reason you think less quickly at the end of a long day.
What does it mean? The limited brain power caused by poverty is likely to create a series of problems in handling everyday tasks. Poverty may affect things like:

Awareness
Decision making
Memory
Patience
Focus
Stressed to Death
Adding to the reduced mental capacity brought on by poverty, the poor also have to navigate the rigors of everyday stress, most of which are made far worse by lack of income.
Top causes of stress for U.S. adults
Cause Factors
Work Co-worker tension, bosses, overload
Money Loss of job, reduced retirement, medical expenses
Health Health Crisis, terminal or chronic illness
Relationships Divorce, death of spouse, arguments with friends, loneliness
Poor nutrition Inadequate nutrition, caffeine, processed foods, refined sugars
Media overload Television, radio, Internet, email, social networking
Sleep deprivation Inability to release adrenaline and other stress hormones
3 in 4
Americans who regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress
76%
People who cite work and money as their top causes of stress
Physical and psychological symptoms reported (% of those who reported physical or psychological symptoms who said they had the following symptoms)
Fatigue 51%
Headache 44%
Upset stomach 34%
Muscle tension 30%
Change in appetite 23%
Teeth grinding 17%
Change in sex drive 15%
Feeling dizzy 13%
Irritability or anger 50%
Feeling nervous 45%
Lack of energy 45%
Feeling as though you could cry 35%

poverty-fb

SOURCES:

http://www.statisticbrain.com
http://www.census.gov
http://www.nccp.org
http://www.familiesusa.org
http://www.census.gov
http://www.theatlanticcities.com

Mental Illness in America

http://www.bestpsychologydegrees.com/mental-health/




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“Suicide Notes” Infographic

Suicide Notes

http://www.socialworkdegreecenter.com/suicide-notes/

Suicide Notes

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Suicide Notes

As the 10th leading cause of death for Americans, suicide exacts a huge human and FINANCIAL toll. What are the statistics behind suicide, and how can you tell if you or someone close to you is at risk of attempting to take their own life?

By the Numbers

Nearly 40,000 Americans take their own lives every year, putting suicide in the top 10 for causes of death for people in the U.S. (1)

Someone in the U.S. dies by suicide every 13.3 minutes. (1)

Top 10 causes of death (2011) (2)

Heart disease: 596,577

Cancer: 576,691

Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 142,943

Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 128,932

Accidents (unintentional injuries): 126,438

Alzheimer’s disease: 84,974

Diabetes: 73,831

Influenza and pneumonia: 53,826

KIDNEY DISEASE: 45,591

Intentional self-harm (suicide): 39,518

Suicide rate by state (per 100,000) (3)

Wyoming: 23.2

Alaska: 23.1

Montana: 22.9

Nevada: 20.3

New Mexico: 20.1

Idaho: 18.5

Oregon: 17.9

Colorado: 17.2

South Dakota: 17.2

Utah: 17.1

Arizona: 17.1

Vermont: 16.9

Oklahoma: 16.5

North Dakota: 15.8

Arkansas: 15.3

Hawaii: 15.2

West Virginia: 15.1

New Hampshire: 14.9

Tennessee: 14.9

Florida: 14.8

Kentucky: 14.5

Missouri: 14.3

Washington: 14.2

Alabama: 14.2

Kansas: 14.1

Maine: 14

Wisconsin: 13.9

South Carolina: 13.8

Indiana: 13.3

Mississippi: 13.1

Michigan: 12.8

Ohio: 12.5

Pennsylvania: 12.4

North Carolina: 12.3

Louisiana: 12.3

Rhode Island: 12.3

Iowa: 12.2

Virginia: 12

Delaware: 11.8

Georgia: 11.7

Texas: 11.5

Minnesota: 11.4

Nebraska: 10.6

California: 10.5

Connecticut: 9.9

Illinois: 9.2

Massachusetts: 9.1

Maryland: 8.7

New Jersey: 8.2

New York: 8

District of Columbia: 6.8

U.S. suicide rate by year (per 100,000 people) (1)

1981: 12.3

1982: 12.4

1983: 12.3

1984: 12.6

1985: 12.5

1986: 13

1987: 12.8

1988: 12.5

1989: 12.3

1990: 12.5

1991: 12.3

1992: 12

1993: 12

1994: 11.9

1995: 11.8

1996: 11.5

1997: 11.2

1998: 11.1

1999: 10.5

2000: 10.4

2001: 10.7

2002: 10.9

2003: 10.8

2004: 11

2005: 10.9

2006: 11

2007: 11.3

2008: 11.6

2009: 11.7

2010: 12.1

2011: 12.3

Suicide methods (2010) (1)

Firearms 50.6%

Suffocation (including hangings) 24.8%

Poisoning 17.3%

Other 7.5%

Gender, Age and Ethnicity

By age group (suicides per 100,000 people, 2011) (1)

>14: 0.5

15-24: 11

25-44: 15.5

45-64: 18.8

65-84: 15.1

85+: 16.9

By gender (suicides per 100,000 people, 2011) (1)

Male: 78.5%

Female: 21.5%

By ethnic group (suicides per 100,000 people, 2011) (1)

White: 14.5

American Indians/Alaskan native: 10.6

Asian/Pacific islander: 5.9

African-American: 5.3

Hispanic: 5.2

Despite representing about 2 percent of the overall U.S. population, Native Americans have the second-highest suicide rate. (1, 4)

Economic Impact

$34 billion

Estimated annual cost of suicide deaths in the U.S., taking into account lost wages and productivity (1)

$8 billion

Estimated annual costs from non-fatal self-harm injuries, including medical care and economic costs (1)

713,000

Emergency department visits for self-inflicted injury (2010) (2)

Around the World

Suicide rate by country (per 100,000 people, most recent years available) (5)

South Korea: 24.7

Hungary: 21.0

Japan: 19.4

Belgium: 18.4

Finland: 16.5

France: 14.6

Austria: 13.8

Poland: 13.8

Czech Republic: 12.7

New Zealand: 11.9

Denmark: 11.3

Sweden: 11.1

Norway: 10.9

Slovak Republic: 10.9

Iceland: 10.4

Germany: 10.3

Canada: 10.2

United States: 10.1

Luxembourg: 9.5

Portugal: 8.7

Netherlands: 7.9

Spain: 6.3

Britain: 6

Italy: 5.5

Mexico: 4.4

Greece: 2.9

Warning Signs

When should you worry about yourself or a loved one? Look out for these signs: (6, 7)

• Talking about wanting to die
• Researching methods of suicide
• Talk of hopelessness
• Referring to self as a burden on others
• Increased alcohol or drug use
• Reckless behavior
• Change in sleeping patterns (too much or too little)
• Extreme mood swings
• Self-isolation
• Loss of interest in hobbies or activities
• Sudden sense of calm in absence of therapeutic or medical intervention

How you can help: (7)

• Call 911.
• Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
• Speak to a local crisis agency.
• Check yourself into the ER, or convince loved one to go to the hospital.
• Keep person in crises away from weapons or other things they could use to harm themselves.

Sources:
1. https://www.afsp.org
2. http://www.cdc.gov
3. http://www.hopeline.com
4. http://quickfacts.census.gov
5. http://www.washingtonpost.com
6. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
7. http://www.save.org

Suicide Notes

As the 10th leading cause of death for Americans, suicide exacts a huge human and FINANCIAL toll. What are the statistics behind suicide, and how can you tell if you or someone close to you is at risk of attempting to take their own life?

By the Numbers

Nearly 40,000 Americans take their own lives every year, putting suicide in the top 10 for causes of death for people in the U.S. (1)

Someone in the U.S. dies by suicide every 13.3 minutes. (1)

Top 10 causes of death (2011) (2)

Heart disease: 596,577

Cancer: 576,691

Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 142,943

Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 128,932

Accidents (unintentional injuries): 126,438

Alzheimer’s disease: 84,974

Diabetes: 73,831

Influenza and pneumonia: 53,826

KIDNEY DISEASE: 45,591

Intentional self-harm (suicide): 39,518

Suicide rate by state (per 100,000) (3)

Wyoming: 23.2

Alaska: 23.1

Montana: 22.9

Nevada: 20.3

New Mexico: 20.1

Idaho: 18.5

Oregon: 17.9

Colorado: 17.2

South Dakota: 17.2

Utah: 17.1

Arizona: 17.1

Vermont: 16.9

Oklahoma: 16.5

North Dakota: 15.8

Arkansas: 15.3

Hawaii: 15.2

West Virginia: 15.1

New Hampshire: 14.9

Tennessee: 14.9

Florida: 14.8

Kentucky: 14.5

Missouri: 14.3

Washington: 14.2

Alabama: 14.2

Kansas: 14.1

Maine: 14

Wisconsin: 13.9

South Carolina: 13.8

Indiana: 13.3

Mississippi: 13.1

Michigan: 12.8

Ohio: 12.5

Pennsylvania: 12.4

North Carolina: 12.3

Louisiana: 12.3

Rhode Island: 12.3

Iowa: 12.2

Virginia: 12

Delaware: 11.8

Georgia: 11.7

Texas: 11.5

Minnesota: 11.4

Nebraska: 10.6

California: 10.5

Connecticut: 9.9

Illinois: 9.2

Massachusetts: 9.1

Maryland: 8.7

New Jersey: 8.2

New York: 8

District of Columbia: 6.8

U.S. suicide rate by year (per 100,000 people) (1)

1981: 12.3

1982: 12.4

1983: 12.3

1984: 12.6

1985: 12.5

1986: 13

1987: 12.8

1988: 12.5

1989: 12.3

1990: 12.5

1991: 12.3

1992: 12

1993: 12

1994: 11.9

1995: 11.8

1996: 11.5

1997: 11.2

1998: 11.1

1999: 10.5

2000: 10.4

2001: 10.7

2002: 10.9

2003: 10.8

2004: 11

2005: 10.9

2006: 11

2007: 11.3

2008: 11.6

2009: 11.7

2010: 12.1

2011: 12.3

Suicide methods (2010) (1)

Firearms 50.6%

Suffocation (including hangings) 24.8%

Poisoning 17.3%

Other 7.5%

Gender, Age and Ethnicity

By age group (suicides per 100,000 people, 2011) (1)

>14: 0.5

15-24: 11

25-44: 15.5

45-64: 18.8

65-84: 15.1

85+: 16.9

By gender (suicides per 100,000 people, 2011) (1)

Male: 78.5%

Female: 21.5%

By ethnic group (suicides per 100,000 people, 2011) (1)

White: 14.5

American Indians/Alaskan native: 10.6

Asian/Pacific islander: 5.9

African-American: 5.3

Hispanic: 5.2

Despite representing about 2 percent of the overall U.S. population, Native Americans have the second-highest suicide rate. (1, 4)

Economic Impact

$34 billion

Estimated annual cost of suicide deaths in the U.S., taking into account lost wages and productivity (1)

$8 billion

Estimated annual costs from non-fatal self-harm injuries, including medical care and economic costs (1)

713,000

Emergency department visits for self-inflicted injury (2010) (2)

Around the World

Suicide rate by country (per 100,000 people, most recent years available) (5)

South Korea: 24.7

Hungary: 21.0

Japan: 19.4

Belgium: 18.4

Finland: 16.5

France: 14.6

Austria: 13.8

Poland: 13.8

Czech Republic: 12.7

New Zealand: 11.9

Denmark: 11.3

Sweden: 11.1

Norway: 10.9

Slovak Republic: 10.9

Iceland: 10.4

Germany: 10.3

Canada: 10.2

United States: 10.1

Luxembourg: 9.5

Portugal: 8.7

Netherlands: 7.9

Spain: 6.3

Britain: 6

Italy: 5.5

Mexico: 4.4

Greece: 2.9

Warning Signs

When should you worry about yourself or a loved one? Look out for these signs: (6, 7)

Talking about wanting to die
Researching methods of suicide
Talk of hopelessness
Referring to self as a burden on others
Increased alcohol or drug use
Reckless behavior
Change in sleeping patterns (too much or too little)
Extreme mood swings
Self-isolation
Loss of interest in hobbies or activities
Sudden sense of calm in absence of therapeutic or medical intervention
How you can help: (7)

Call 911.
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Speak to a local crisis agency.
Check yourself into the ER, or convince loved one to go to the hospital.
Keep person in crises away from weapons or other things they could use to harm themselves.
Suicide_fb

Sources:
1. https://www.afsp.org
2. http://www.cdc.gov
3. http://www.hopeline.com
4. http://quickfacts.census.gov
5. http://www.washingtonpost.com
6. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
7. http://www.save.org