Kay Walker – Page 3

Benefits of grateful thinking

August 25, 2015 By Kay Walker

Whether you’re depressed or not, thinking negatively about life or yourself, from time to time, is simply part of being human. Unfortunately, no one has ever figured out how to be perpetually happy. Though most of us would like to.

The truth is, being upset or depressed is a survival mechanism that your brain uses to tell you to take an action that moves you from pain to pleasure. This is the brain’s job. So, it helps to learn how to break away from negative thoughts and to think more positively.

One strategy that will help you set negative self talk aside is the practice of bring gracious. Conjuring up feelings of gratitude towards people, situations or objects can help you by either: a) temporarily setting aside your negative thoughts, or, b) completely shifting your context of your current situation.

This quick article shares why and how to practice gratitude so you can get happy on-demand. Or, at the very least, understand that there are things to live for.

The benefits of grateful thinking

Your brain on gratitude

Even though it often seems like you have many thoughts reeling through your mind at the same time, what’s cool about your brain is that it can only think one thought in one given moment of time. This means, pondering positive stimuli means no attention allotted for negative thoughts.

Being grateful is a positive mind state. And when you focus your awareness on a memory, person, or object that you are grateful for, your brain activates blood flow in brain regions that increase production of a crucial “happy” brain chemical called dopamine. This quick release sends your body a quick flood of feeling good emotions.

In 2009, the National Institutes of Health examined brains of subjects thinking thoughts of gratitude. They had higher levels of hypothalamus activity and increased dopamine levels.

How to be grateful

Many experts suggest keeping a gratitude journal and logging what you are grateful for each day to help you cultivate this type of positive thinking, so it comes more naturally. This can be a useful practice. A study from UC Davis (2003) reported that adults who keep gratitude journals are more determined, attentive, enthusiastic and have higher energy levels than those who don’t.

But, being grateful doesn’t have to be even this complicated. It’s as simple as thinking about a memory, person, or object for as little as five minutes a day. Follow these quick steps when you feel negative or catch yourself putting yourself down:

Step 1: Stop all activities.

Step 2: Do whatever you need to, to take a five or ten minute “time-out”. You may need to close your eyes. You may need to physically leave your environment.

Step 3: Inhale and exhale deeply while you think about a memory, a person, or an object, that you feel blessed to have in your life. **If it helps to look at a physical object, like a picture, you can use that, as an aid**

Follow these three steps whenever you need to or want to. The more you do it the more you will help your brain stimulate the release of dopamine. This is good news, because when dopamine is released in the brain your brain responds by saying “I want more”. [It’s the same chemical that’s produced when alcohol is ingested, which is also how addictions occur.] But this is a a very healthy addiction to cultivate.

And if you’re in such a bad mood you can’t think of anything to be grateful for, refer to this quick list:

Think of a moment in your life where you accomplished something you are proud of
Think about the birth of your child or children
Think about your first kiss or your first love
Think about the day you married your significant other
Think of how grateful you are to be in a body that works
Think of a moment where someone made a difference in your life
Think of a pet that you love

What’s important to remember is that being grateful is not about putting others down by thinking thoughts. It’s about acknowledge the incredible life you’ve led and lead.

August 18, 2015 By Kay Walker

When you are clinically depressed you lack the chemicals for happy mood and positive thinking. With this comes a flow of unstoppable negative thoughts that you can’t turn off. It’s actually impossible for you to be happy. It’s important for you to accept this because it’s common for depressed people to feel guilty or blame themselves for the way they feel. You can’t change the negative thoughts until you restore your brain’s chemical issue. And that takes time unfortunately. So, when you feel terrible here is what you can do.

Reduce your responsibility. Communicate to loved ones in your life of how you feel and assign small tasks to the people in your life. If your not comfortable telling them about your depression, just tell them that you need help or make requests to extend deadlines. Give yourself more time to get things done. You have less energy right now.

Get comfortable. Get as comfortable as you can, which can be tough when you have constant buzzing of negative statements in your head. The includes ensuring your in an environment you enjoy to wearing clothes that make you feel good. Sometimes getting better dressed helps you feel like less of a loser. Sometimes sweats a pajamas and rolling up in blankets on the couch is what you need. Do what makes you feel better. You are sick.

Groom yourself. The simple act of bathing, showering, brushing hair, brushing teeth can help you feel less gross. These actions are small but seem major when you have little energy. Grooming yourself helps you get your importance. Even if you get out of bed shower and go back to sleep it may help break up your day and lift your midis or relax your body.

Accept where you’re at. Your depressed. That means your sick. Getting well involves accepting that your sick and taking the time to let yourself heal. You are not going to be as productive. You are not going to be as loving. Communicate this to people in your life.

Affirmations can combat negative thoughts. When you can’t stop negative thoughts what you can do is accept that they are there and use positive phrases or statements to counteract them. Even saying “this thought is not real” can help you feel better.

Create things

https://mydepressionzone.com/depression-fighter/1601-2/

Why you crave sugar when you’re depressed

August 18, 2015 By Kay Walker

There is a close connection between the foods you eat, your mood and your brain chemistry. When one of the three components malfunctions the others often do too. This is why many people with major depression or mood disorders have intense cravings for unhealthy foods that are high in sugar, and/or struggle with obesity issues.

This article explains the physical relationships between eating sugary foods, what it does to your brain and how it affects your mood, and what you can do to restore yourself to balance.

Why you crave sugar when you’re depressed

If you’re reaching for foods high in sugar (candy, chocolate, ice cream, soda) or refined carbs (bread, chips, crackers, potatoes) you likely have a beta-endorphin deficiency. These are brain chemicals that allow you to feel a sense of well-being, self-esteem, give you a tolerance for managing physical and emotional pain, and encourage you to feel like you want to connect socially with people. In other words, they make you feel confident and positive.

Eating sugar stimulates the release of beta-endorphin chemicals. This is why you crave sugar when you aren’t getting enough. Your brain is imbalanced and it’s sending signals to you to say “hey, my beta-endorphins are low, send me something I can work with”. It’s also why many people feel inclined to reach for alcohol and heroin, because, like sugar, these substances all known as “opiates”, have the same effects. (So does the pain reliever morphine).

But consuming large amounts of sugar only temporarily boosts your beta-endorphin levels. And this is a major problem because when you receive a giant boost of energy from sugar your body runs out quickly and goes looking for more. You become hungry for sugar again and intensely crave it.

Overtime, the pattern becomes worse and harder to control. It leads to sugar-addicted cycle that affects long-term mood and weight. It can also lead to binge eating disorder.

You do want to raise your beta-endorphin levels, but slowly. Here’s how:

Eat complex carbohydrates and avoid refined ones: Your brain desperately needs complex carbohydrates to function. So avoiding them is a terrible thing to do. And, eating too many refined carbs is also bad because it throws you brain chemistry out of balance and ultimately this affects your food choices.

The difference between the two types of carbs has to do with the level of sugar each one pushes into your blood. When you eat a food, the carbohydrates in it are converted to sugar, ( aka glucose or blood sugar), which provides energy that fuels your body.

Foods with refined carbohydrates are already broken down. Your body doesn’t have to do any work to process them. What that really means is they go through your system quickly. You receive a boost in energy, which allows you to be highly productive, sometimes agitated and overstimulated.

The problem is, you expend the energy quickly cause you use it faster and then your body is looking for more. Without more sugar your body will experience a major drop in energy. You’ll start to feel weak, fogging, and depressed and you you’ll crave more sugar to give you energy again.

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates (listed below) give you a slow release of glucose so your body does not run out of energy and you feel full longer.

So, you want to avoid these foods: Cookies, ice cream, cakes, pastries, chocolate, candy, chips, white rice, white pasta, white bread, potatoes

Eat more of these foods: Whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, farro, amaranth, barley, oats, starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes. It’s very important that they are whole grain not whole wheat (whole wheat products are usually processed and contain a great deal of sugar)

As a general rule, 10% or less of your daily intake of calories should come from refined carbs.

Making the switch from refined to complex carbohydrates can be very difficult if you’ve become used a to sugary diet. Start this process by make very small changes. Replace some foods at first, and slowly move towards a better diet.

Remember that your body and brain are used to a certain type of pattern, so sometimes it can be very difficult to stop the cycle. This is why small changes overtime work better than quitting refined carbohydrates immediately.

What to do when you can’t afford health insurance and you’re depressed

August 12, 2015 By Kay Walker

When you have a mental health condition, in many cases you are unable to work. If you live in the U.S. this can be especially problematic because it can affect your ability to received health insurance coverage. So, if you find yourself having difficulty getting the help you need because you can’t afford it, refer to the list in this article. Below, there are ten possible things you can do to deal with what may seem like a devastating and impossible situation.

And remember: Your health is the most important thing in your life. If you aren’t healthy you can’t live and enjoy life. It’s not a possibility to give up on getting the healthcare you need even when something as tough as lack of finances stands in your way. There are things you can do. Although you feel alone you are not the first person to deal with this issue. In many states, there a funded resources to help people in need.

What to do when you can’t afford health insurance and you’re depressed

Search for sliding scale therapists. Many therapists offer what’s called a sliding scale fee, which means you pay a rate per therapy session that is based on your income level. This could be as little as $20 per session. It’s helpful for you and for them. Many therapists don’t like to have to turn away business to those who need it most. They realize the truth of the market they’re in, that many people with mental illness cannot afford therapy.

Look into federally funded programs. In many states there are federally run programs. For many of them you can participate by a pay by donation fee of what you can afford. To find a center near you visit: http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

Seek out local organizations and crisis resource centers. Your city or state may have crisis organizations and centers that help community members dealing with many issues, including mental illness. In many areas you can access one of these centers simply by dialing 211.

Look into patient-assistance programs provided by pharmaceutical companies. If you’ve been to a doctor and have been prescribed a medication that you can’t afford you can see if the pharmaceutical company that manufactures your offers a patient-assistance payment program. If you need prescription assistance visit Partnership for Patient Assistance for more information.

Are you eligible for Medicaid coverage? If you are a U.S. citizen with a low income or a disability you may be able to apply for Medicaid and CHIP. They provide free or low-cost health coverage to millions of Americans, this includes people with mental health issues. Programs are run by federal and state governments together so the details vary between states.

Use the free immediate help features on this site. ReadThisBeforeYouKillYourself.com has a suite of free and low-cost resources specifically created for people suffering from depression, mental health issues and who may be considering suicide. You can use the Ask an Expert feature to send an anonymous question to a team of healthcare experts, or take the 7-day Feel Better Now program that will teach you tactics for immediate pain relief.

Use Quora. Have a question for an health care expert? You can also use Quora to post an inquiry and get it answered by many professionals. They can help point in the right direction.

Participate in clinical trials. It may not sound ideal but participating in a clinical trial can be a free way to get the therapy and drugs that may be able to help you. There are many research studies being conducted across the country and many are at the forefront of the latest therapies for treating mental health.

Appoint a health advocate. As you read through this list of options you may feel overwhelmed and exhausted by everything you need to do. Appoint someone in your life to help you navigate the healthcare system. This person can do all the research and find the resources for you, when you can’t do it yourself.

Don’t give up. No matter how alone you feel, there are thousands of people who want to know about what you are dealing with and who are waiting to help you. Sometimes acknowledging that you don’t know what to do and asking people in your life to help you will give you the support you need to succeed.

Need help now? Use the Ask an Expert. Let us know what you need by providing us with a question and the details of your situation. It’s anonymous and you’ll get a response within 24 hours.

course landing page

July 28, 2015 By Kay Walker

If you’re suffering from major depression and STRUGGLING TO STAY ALIVE, please know this: Your being happy and feeling good is NOT because it’s impossible for YOU to ever be happy or wake up to a life you love. Feeling good is not as far away as you think.

What’s between you and getting well is receiving the right type of support and learning the simple actions you need to take to recover.

…..because you don’t need another crisis line to call so you can talk to a volunteer who has minimal expertise in crisis intervention.

….because you don’t need another therapy session with a stuffy Ph.D who has had no firsthand experience with depression.

….because you don’t need to sit in a waiting room for twelve hours so you can see a doctor that will give you a sedative so you can get through your night and send you away with no real resources.

…because you don’t need to attend another community group therapy session where you listen to other people’s problems and get no resolution.

…because you don’t need to read another self-help book that’s written academically or at least is helpful but yet has not actionable steps for you take

….because you don’t need to read through another online resource that’s either a National website with suicide facts and FAQs, or a thrown-together personal site with opinions over real guidance.

…because you don’t need your name to go on another waitlist so you can spend two more months waiting to get into a hospital or see a therapist or doctor (that you’ll have to spend ample $$$ on to see)

When you hate your life and think about killing yourself daily WAITING is not an option. When you feel like this, each minute of your day lasts an eternity. All you want is the pain to go away.

And not tomorrow, or in a week, or month. RIGHT NOW.

Okay, so here’s your solution and it will change your life forever.

From: Kay Walker

Dear depressed and struggling friend,

Even though you’ve been having thoughts of suicide, the truth is, I know you don’t really want to kill yourself. If you wanted to die you wouldn’t be reading this page.

At times you may feel as though you really want to die. That there is nothing you can do to feel better or turn your life around. You may have even done the research.

Should you hang yourself? Overdose? Perhaps, a gun would be the easiest way to go?

Let me answer that one for you from experience, there is no easy way to kill yourself. All forms of death involve tremendous pain and suffering, more than what you are feeling now. And many people try and end up alive and maimed. (Just so you know the reality about the whole suicide thing.)

But the fact that you are vascilating on acting on the those thoughts means there is at least 1% of you that wants to stay alive.

There is still one brick in your pile of rubble. It’s all you need to start putting your house back together. (Whether you are sure if you want to or not).

And feeling better is not as far away as you may think it is. It’s also not as hard as you think. It only looks that way because you’re in pain right now, so everything seems impossible.

You’re probably having such negative thoughts that you don’t believe what I am saying. You don’t think YOU can ever get better. You think any action you take is too HARD. It’s all a painful mess. That’s part of the problem with depression.

So, it’s important you take your thoughts and feelings out of the REALITY of your situation. HERE IS THE TRUTH:

If you’re considering suicide you have major depression or you are in a situation of pain in your life that you’ve been dealing with for a long period of time and you’ve reached an emotional threshold – an inability to deal with it anymore.

Happy people don’t want to end their lives. This is as much as a law as gravity is.

Major Depression is caused by a brain chemical issue. Treat the physical problem with the right form treatment (good food, or an antidepressant or some natural supplements) and get better within as a little as two-to-six weeks.

If your dealing with life circumstances your trapped by (ie. financial trouble, abusive environments) – what I refer to as “situational depression”- is causing the pain you wake up to everyday, your solution is often much simpler.

Learn some skills for managing thoughts (that you probably never learned because it’s not something that is taught in school or formerly. It’s usually something we learn from our parents) and get better immediately. These types of tools can change how you think right away.

Your getting better is actually quite simple. It can “seem” more complicated because you’ve fallen into one or more of the following traps:

Trap 1: Your giving your feelings too much validity. When you’re depression what you feel often has nothing to do with reality. It’s your reality but it’s not real. It’s you putting a negative spin on everything. So how you see life and recovery is skewed by a negative filter that is always running.

It’s why getting better looks impossible and hard and not for YOU.

Again, what’s true is:

Getting better takes some simple actions

Getting better can happen as soon as one day from now and as long as a few months. Time is inevitable so your situation will change.

You have complete control over getting better.

90% of depressed people recover and lead healthy lives.

Getting better is for YOU. You are not different than any other human. You are an individual, yes, but you have a similar genetic makeup and disposition and problems. RECOVERY IS FOR YOU.

Trap 2: You have limited information on depression and the treatments available to you. If you don’t know natural remedies exist and only know about medications, you’ll take medications. You can only use the tools you have. When you increase the number of tools in your belt you have more options and one will likely be the one to fix your problem.

Trap 3: You’ve already learned a lot and explored treatment methods and you have not found a solution yet. You can’t bare to take any more time to learn anything else. You’ve given up. You feel you don’t have time. You do have time. Time is endless. You just need to learn tactics for dealing with your current pain and reducing symptoms. When you learn basic coping mechanisms they act as triage to get you through treatment exploration to find what works and recover. When you learn these coping strategies the time isn’t as bad.

This is why you need to do the 7 days to feel better course and get The Feel Better Now ebook. It’s an IMMEDIATE solution to all your current issues. You don’t have to wait for help. When you sign up, the course starts right away and you get the ebook automatically.

You’ll also stop having to do everything aimlessly and alone. I’ll be checking in with you multiple times a day. I’ll be sending you new tools, tips and tactics and cheer you on.

Because few people understand, like I do, how difficult recovery is and how badly sometimes you just need some encouragement so you can keep going. It’s nice to know the real deal from someone who has been there.

The added benefit is that I have formal training and expertise. The course lessons are routed in a study known as ontology that incorporates fundamentals in neuroscience and psychology. So you’ll learn:

Key factors that may have led to your depression
How to deal with negative thinking. How to separate thoughts from reality so you see life as truth and not through perception.
How to gain immediate confidence and triumph over stressful situations
A number of tools for relieving immediate symptoms
Simple worksheets that help you rewire unhealthy behavior patterns

After 7 days if you don’t feel you got value from the course you can ask for a full refund and I will send you back your money. It’s 100% guaranteed.

Though, I’m sure you agree it’s not much money. And you may be wondering why the course is so low. It’s simply because I want anyone who feels depressed or suicidal to be able to do it, no matter what your background or situation.

Not to mention, you may have all ready paid enough money on medications and therapies that haven’t helped you.

I believe in a help for all approach. I also believe it’s a right that you learn certain skills so you can succeed and build a life for yourself you never thought was possible.

And the money from the course is what’s use to fund these resources to help more people. So, it’s a bit of a pay it forward thing.

All the help you need is right here. Access your ebook and course right away.