Auteur/autrice : bridget

If your mind is racing, the chances are that you are excited, stressed, or have information overload. People’s minds tend to race if they are experiencing feelings of anxiety, or when they have been studying, working intently and focusing upon a subject. You may want to stop your mind racing because you need to sleep, or because constant thoughts are interfering with your enjoyment of being present in the moment.

How you tackle a racing mind will depend upon why your mind is racing. A constant barrage of thoughts due to work overload for example, is an indication that you need to slow down, take more regular breaks, and engage in other activities to take your mind away from what you have been focusing on.

When your mind buzzes, but you want to sleep, it is best to get out of bed and do something for a short while. You may make a hot beverage or find a good book to read before returning to bed. Lying in bed and going over unwanted thoughts however, will only serve by making you feel more stressed or excited.

At any time of day or night, provided the situation is appropriate, you may decide to practice relaxation exercises. You can make your mind still and calm by slowing down your breathing, and taking breaths deep down into your stomach area. Concentrate on taking long, slow breaths in and out, and take no notice of distractions.

Visualization can be a helpful method for quietening down your mind also. You can practice the art of visualization either in a comfortable chair, or lying down somewhere you will not be disturbed. Close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing until you begin to feel relaxed. You may then deepen your state of relaxation by tensing your muscles one by one and releasing them in turn. Begin at your toes, and work your way up your body to the top of your scalp.

Once you are extremely relaxed, visualize a pleasant scene, a favorite place, or a relaxing and enjoyable experience that makes you feel stress free and happy. Imagine what you would really see, hear, touch, taste and smell in order to increase the realness of the visualization. It may make you drift off to sleep, so only practice this method of quietening your mind when you are not in hurry to go anywhere.

When you have completed the visualization, you should feel calm, relaxed and refreshed. Your mind will also have stopped racing. Allow yourself to slowly come to, and wriggle your arms, legs, fingers and toes as you come back to reality before getting up from the position you are sitting or laying in.

Aids to help you quieten your mind can help stop racing thoughts in their tracks, and may be useful if you are unable to practice relaxation methods. Lavender oil, slow tempo music, a hot milky cereal drink or a hot bath will begin to quieten your mind.
Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, violent video games, excessive computer use and watching television when you want your thoughts to slow down. By reducing internal and external excitement, you can be better in control of the output of your thoughts.

In the past women expected to enter the menopause, while having symptoms such as hot flashes and irritability, somewhere around their fifties. It was assumed that this was the time when hormonal imbalances would occur, and could influence a woman’s emotional wellbeing. Today it is understood that hormonal imbalances associated with aging can begin when women are still in their thirties. The result can be depression, anxiety and insomnia, amongst a handful of other symptoms.

Early signs of hormonal imbalances, sometimes referred to as the stage when a woman experiences per menopause; include irregular periods that may be accompanied by heavy bleeding, weight gain, dry eyes, difficulty sleeping and ultimately depression.

The cause of the problem is an imbalance of the hormones progesterone, testosterone and estrogen. The perimenopause is a transitional stage between fertility and full-blown menopause, and during this time a woman’s hormones fluctuate causing mood swings. Diet, exercise and stress also play a role in increasing or decreasing depression at this time in a woman’s life.

Months, or years after the onset of perimenopause women enter into menopause, when their hormonal levels alter dramatically. Hormonal depression is likely to be heightened in women who undergo hysterectomy, as this results in estrogen levels falling fast, rather than at a natural pace.

Estrogen helps give serotonin a boost. When it drops considerably women can feel very depressed, and may even have consistent thoughts of suicide and death. Estrogen is also responsible for raising endorphin levels, and increasing the neurotransmitter GABA, which has a calming effect.

As the menopause begins to strike women can experience a fluctuation in the stress hormone cortisol. When cortisol levels rise, the result can be weight gain and insomnia. When it drops, mood swings are likely, along with a lowered libido and trouble dealing with stress.

The hormone progesterone has the job of balancing estrogen. However, during the menopause it fluctuates, resulting in depression and further anxiety. When progesterone levels are normal they act as an antidepressant. Once they begin to fluctuate, along with estrogen and cortisol, it is no wonder that many women become depressed.

Women experiencing depression due to hormonal imbalances can expect to show signs of other related symptoms, such as insomnia, a sense of being overwhelmed, indecisiveness, fatigue, appetite fluctuation, and feelings of worthlessness, guilt and decreased pleasure in life.

Those who think they may be experiencing hormonal imbalances can benefit from seeking help from a medical professional for diagnosis. They may be prescribed hormone replacement therapy, also referred to as HRT, or an alternative therapy to address imbalances and put them on the road to a more joyful life.

Dealing with a nervous breakdown can be difficult when you’re in the midst of it, especially if you’re unaware of possible causes, outcomes and ways of coping. Usually, when we speak of the term ‘breakdown’, we’re referring to an object such as a car or computer. In a way, a nervous breakdown has similarities, as it involves an overload of information, a level of psychological malfunction, and a lack of information required for self-repair.

Symptoms of a nervous breakdown can vary from a gradual inability to function normally during everyday life, to a dramatic event such as a panic attack, hearing voices or unprovoked angry outbursts.

For many people the first signs of a nervous breakdown are an inability to follow regular sleeping patterns, physical and mental exhaustion, withdrawal from usual activities and feelings of anxiety. Other symptoms can involve flashbacks to a particular stressful event, depression, and constant thoughts about death and suicide.

Sufferers may develop a dependency on drugs and alcohol as a means of attempting to ease symptoms, although this will not help and is likely to cause further complications.

A sufferer may deny the existence of a nervous breakdown for some time. This is partly because its onset can be so gradual that symptoms are mistaken for life just being tiring and sad, and partly because there is a social stigma attached to mental health problems and people don’t like to imagine they may have them.

To deal with a nervous breakdown it is necessary to establish its cause. If, for example, a breakdown occurs due to the pressure of an unbearable workload or a demanding emotional life, such burdens need to be lifted.

Adjusting the situation so an individual feels they only have a workload and emotional issues they can manage adequately can help remove part of the pressure that is pushing them over the edge.

At other times, a nervous breakdown may be due to a major negative life change such as an unwanted divorce or redundancy. In this case, a sufferer could benefit from counselling so that they can discuss feelings of loss and fears, alongside learning self-esteem boosting exercises.

Nervous breakdowns often stem from a trigger in a suffers life. This occurs when they are already predisposed to mental ill health. There may have been no warning of this predisposition if they have never been pushed to their emotional limit before.

A trigger may be anything from a life-changing event to an event that reminds them of a past trauma and acts to bring back past fears and worries. If this happens a doctor can give them medication to help them through the worst period of upset, and counselling can help to lessen anxiety from the past.

Studies have shown a lack of vitamin B6, niacin, can also be responsible for psychological breakdown. People need certain vitamins in order to maintain good mental health. When lacking them their brain functioning can become impaired.

Sufferers of a breakdown need to be sure they have a balanced diet including B vitamins, vitamins E, D, C and A. Kelp, brewers yeast and bonemeal tablets can help also.

It is important for sufferers to have adequate emotional support from friends and family during this time too. The resulting depression caused by a nervous breakdown can make them less socially active, which lessens their ability to receive the support they need.

Reaching out to others can be hard for sufferers, especially when they are withdrawn and less confident. Scheduling time to be around other people is an important part of rehabilitation, so it can be positive for sufferers to let others know they need encouragement to remain socially active.