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Intermittent Explosive Disorder

June 17, 2008

It’s common to read in newspaper stories about a usually calm and intelligent person who “snaps” and commits a violent act. Some people lose their tempers in this way, repeatedly and dramatically, causing serious physical harm to others. It’s a pattern in which tension builds until an explosion brings relief, followed eventually by regret, embarrassment, or guilt feelings. In this sudden outburst, people might do things they normally would not even think of doing —they might break things, abuse others, hurt or try to hurt someone else or even try to harm themselves. The degree of aggressiveness expressed during the episodes is grossly out of proportion to any precipitating psychosocial stressors. Yes, we are talking about a disorder called Intermittent Explosive Disorder.

What is intermittent explosive disorder?
On the way to work, you hurl abuses at the driver who just cut you off. At the office, a trivial problem gets your blood pressure high. That night at home, you fight with your spouse and throw a bottle of water against the wall.We all have a propensity to get angry and upset. But then, there are people who react to situations with a sudden outburst without thinking about repercussions. This little-known disorder marked by episodes of unwarranted anger is more common than previously thought, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) has found. Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) affects as many as 7.3 percent of adults in their lifetime.

Why people suffer from IED
Research findings suggest that IED may result from abnormalities in the areas of the brain that regulate behavioural arousal and inhibition. Impulsive aggression is related to abnormal brain mechanisms in a system. Persons with IED have a set of negative beliefs strongly embedded in their personality, often resulting from harsh punitive methods inflicted by the parents. The child grows up believing that others “have it in for him” and that displaying anger is the best way to restore damaged selfesteem. There is some evidence of that the neurotransmitter serotonin may play a role in this disorder.

Symptoms of IED
Many people diagnosed with IED appear to have general problems with anger or other impulsive behaviors. They may experience racing thoughts or a heightened energy level during the aggressive episode, with fatigue and depression developing shortly afterward. Some report various physical sensations, including tightness in the chest, tingling sensations, tremor, or a feeling of pressure inside the head.

Diagnosis
A psychologist who is evaluating a patient for IED would first take a complete case history. One has to rule out head trauma, epilepsy, and other general medical conditions that may cause violent behavior. Series of psychological tests are conducted to rule out other personality disorders.

Treatment
Anger management skills through a combination of cognitive restructuring, raising endurance levels, and relaxation training looks promising. And because intermittent explosive disorder often begins in early adolescence, parents need to be vigilant in tapping aggressive symptoms in their teens. Treatment could involve medication, with the best prognosis utilising a combination of the two.

Some

Better Communication:
Angry people tend to jump to and act on conclusions and some of those conclusions can be very inaccurate. The first thing to do if you’re in a heated discussion is slow down and think through your responses.

Get away from the Situation:
Sometimes our immediate surroundings give us cause for irritation and fury. Problems and responsibilities can weigh on you and make you feel "trapped"; making you resentful." Give yourself a break.

Be tolerant:
All you have to do to practice tolerance, accept other people as they are, not as you would like them to be. When you are tolerant, your actions will almost always become more logical and reasonable.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” (The writer is a clinical psychologist)

Written by James · Filed Under Health 

Tips for relieving back pain

June 16, 2008

• Use a commercial ice pack or make your own cubes. Take a clean cloth and place the cubes or     ice pack inside it. Secure the cloth and it’s ready for use.

• Position the ice on your back. Either hold the ice on the spot or prop the ice so that it stays        directly on it without moving. It may be easier to   prop the ice if you lay on your stomach.

• Leave the ice on your back for 20 minutes. You can cause additional damage if you leave it on the injury longer.

• Wait an hour and reapply again, if necessary. If you plan to use ice as your course of treatment for the back pain, then you’ll want to repeat the process   over the next two days. Take an hour break between icing periods and then reapply.

• Remember, you should ice your back only for the first 48 hours following an injury. If you still feel discomfort after this period, consider heating   options to find some relief.

• If the ice pack feels too cold on your back, you can moisten the cloth in lukewarm water to ease your discomfort.

Written by James · Filed Under Health 

Eye care for Computer users

May 26, 2008

Your eyes are the windows to your soul. They are the most delicate part of your face and they need all your care and attention. Computer-users who spend sometimes more than 18 hours in a day on their PCs or laptops need to take a break every now and then so that the eyes do not feel much strain. Some steps definitely need to be taken to protect your eyes so that they last you for a lifetime. A change in your lifestyle, your behaviour patterns and diet can help you in achieving that end.

Dr George Cooper, a specialist vitreo-retina surgeon, says, “When working for long hours at a computer or laptop, the reduced blinking rate can cause dryness. Hence frequent breaks (every 45 min to 1 hour) with forced blinking is essential. Also one should work in a well-lit environment. Try to minimise light reflections or glares if possible. Also place the visual display terminal of your PC at or slightly below eye level,” he advises.

 Nowadays you don’t see kids enjoying outdoor games like hide and seek, gilli danda, etc. Rather, you’ll find them hooked to their computer sets playing computer games or video games. Says Dr Chhugani, “Parents should encourage children to do more physical activities rather than playing just computer or other video games. It does spoil their eyes so they need to be careful.”

 Diet too plays an important role in maintaining your eyesight. “A vegetarian diet should include a fair amount of fruits and vegetables like spinach, coloured bell peppers, carrots, papayas and drumsticks. If you are a non-vegetarian your diet should include fish, broccoli and dark green leafy veggies, as all these contain essential nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins which maintain the health of various structures of eye,” informs Dr Chhugani.

And with the Summer still on in full swing “use of protective sunglasses labelled with 90-100 per cent UVA-B blocking properties” is helpful. Here’s a word of caution for swimmers and those involved in all types of other sports. “Use goggles while swimming. Also use protective eye wear for activities like snow skiing, water and racquet sports,” advises Dr Chhugani.

Here are a few more provided by Doctors which can help you take good care of your beautiful eyes:

Individuals suffering from diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and those who have a family history of glaucoma must visit their eye care professional on a regular basis as if neglected they can lead to permanent blindness.

Preferably read in good light with focus of the light falling from up or behind. Although dim light does not harm your eye it can cause strain, fatigue, occasional headaches and tiredness in the long run.

If you have prescription glasses make sure you use them as recommended by your eye doctor.

Wash your eyes regularly with cool water and drink lots of water.

Discard/change your eye liner and other make-up near or around the eye after 5-6 months as this may increase chances of irritation and infection in the eye.

Individuals wearing contact lenses must replace them on a regular basis as recommended by the eye doctor. One must preferably purchase them from an eye doctor or a trained optometrist so that they work well on your eyes. Also maintain them with utmost hygiene as any traces of dust on the lens can cause irritation and infection in your eyes.

Do not ignore any eye related symptoms, do not self medicate and get regular eye check-ups done with an eye doctor.

Written by James · Filed Under Eye Care 

Hair Coloring Tips

May 18, 2008

Blonde or Bronze,

Coloring hair  has come a long way and  Indian women are more willing to experiment now than we were willing to earlier. A head of colored hair, even in the 1980s, drew a lot of attention and appreciates glances. But today, take a quick look around you and you will agree that 80-90 per cent of young college girls and even career women have colored hair. And unless it is crazy color, it is considered normal and acceptable. Should you or shouldn’t color your hair is a question you often ask yourself. Here are a few answers to help you make up your mind about coloring your hair.

Are hair colors safe?
Yes, they are totally safe, in fact most of the colors today have special polymers and conditioners incorporated in them to make them superior to hair colors which were available earlier. These polymers and conditioners actually penetrate the hair shaft and enter the cortex, mending any damage in the normal hair structure. They smoothen the outermost layer of hair that is made up of cuticles, which appear like tiles on a roof under the microscope. The ultimate effect after the use of such a product on your hair would be shinier, smoother and healthier hair. So far there appears to be no connection between the application of hair color and the appearance of gray hair. Hair turns gray due to the inability of hair to produce melanin in the early stages of hair growth.

Melanin is the color pigment in your hair, which can be black, brown, red or yellow. The individuality of your hair color is determined by the percentage of each color pigment, making each person’s hair color characteristically their own. Poor diet, illness, age, heredity, etc can cause the acceleration of grey hair and the actual use of a hair dye has nothing to do with the graying process.  Read more

Written by James · Filed Under Tips for Good Hair 

For Great looking Legs!

May 17, 2008

There’ll be plenty of flesh on show this season with micro minis and hot pants making a huge comeback,  so you’ll make sure your legs are looking at their best with our 12 simple :

1. Ditch the fuzz in favour of smooth, silky legs
The first stop to perfect pins has to be getting rid of leg hair. Whilst there may be an excuse for fuzz in the winter months, self-respecting legs should be hair-free this summer especially given the current fashion for micro minis and barely there dresses. If you’re planning to shave, take time to make it a pampering experience to avoid those in-a-rush nicks and cuts. After also shaving or waxing be sure to moisturise to keep silky smooth.

Top Tip: The on the shin is especially thin, and prone to becoming dry, wrinkled and flaky if neglected so be sure to slather on a moisturiser every morning.

2. bumps and stretch marks
bumps can occur because of a condition called keratosis pilaris or as a result of ingrown hairs. To avoid them, exfoliate legs with a grainy scrub in the shower.
Also get to work on reducing the appearance of stretch marks by applying a stretch mark corrector. Read more

Written by James · Filed Under Skin Care 

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