What Are You Afraid Of?

“The only two natural fears that humans have are fear of loud noises and fear of stepping off heights. All the other fears are taught to us as we grow up. All of the feelings of hopelessness, frustration, anger, guilt, bitterness, loneliness, have become assumptions we learned and we now live our lives based on. We are creating realities of fear. These fears come from the conviction that our basic hygienic needs are not being fulfilled: the need for safety, the need to feel worthwhile and valued, the need to feel loved and belonging. To calm the fears, we control, our spouses, our children, and ultimately, ourselves. If we lose control, the fears cause us to panic.

But all of these fears and the threats to our basic*hygienic needs are entirely in our minds; they are produced by the assumptions we hold that we learned as children. To grow to have bliss, we must face each of these assumptions and the fears they produce, one at a time, with the realization that we are eternal spiritual beings, unaffected by anything in the material realm.

Our assumptions that we will be unsafe, are unworthy, and are unloved must be replaced by the assumptions that we will never die and the spiritual beings we are can never be harmed. No tragedy can destroy us. No desire we have is important enough to make us frustrated and unhappy. No threat to our job or our health matters because we are simply having the physical part of an eternal existence, and we will learn from the tragedies as well as the triumphs. We can be blissful in the face of any circumstance in which we find ourselves.”

* Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory

We have basic needs (hygiene needs) which, when not met, cause us to be dissatisfied. Meeting these needs does not make us satisfied -- it merely prevents us from becoming dissatisfied. The 'hygiene' word is deliberately medical as it is an analogy of the need to do something that is necessary, but which does contribute towards making the patient well (it only stops them getting sick). These are also called these maintenance needs.

There is a separate set of needs which, when resolved, do make us satisfied. These are called motivators. This theory is also called Herzberg's two-factor theory.

Fear and Control

By Kathy Wilson

Fear has many uses. It can be used as a warning to keep you from entering into a situation that might hurt you. It can be used to motivate you away from something, such as a harmful relationship or a dangerous situation. It can also be used by others to control you.

How do people use fear to control others? When you understand what happens physiologically when people experience fear it becomes quite easy, as you'll see.

There is a part of your brain that exists solely for your survival called the "reptilian" brain, which is the original part of your brain. As humans evolved, our brains grew and other parts were added, such as the limbic system which deals with emotions and the cerebral portion which is the thinking part. This reptilian brain is located at the stem of the brain, securely protected by the rest of the brain. When all other parts of the brain are non-functional, this part will still be ticking away, assuring your physical survival.

When you experience the emotion of fear, your reptilian brain goes into action and the rest of your brain shuts down. The function of this part of your brain is to support you either to fight or in flight. When you are in the emotional state of fear, you have two choices and everything you do will be based on one of those choices.

If you're thinking, "Hoo haa- We're too advanced for that", remember the last time you were in a very disagreeable situation. Were you wanting to have a nice cozy, loving chat with the other person? Not likely. Probably you were wanting to get away from them and escape the uncomfortableness. Or maybe you were thinking how satisfying it would be if they got a comeuppance. These are flight and fight reactions.

Additionally, when you are experiencing fear, your entire body goes into fight or flight mode. All your blood is redirected to the parts that are needed for fight or flight - your heart, lungs, muscles, and your reptilian brain. The rest of your brain is left with only enough blood to keep it on idle, which means that you have no capability for rational or creative thought. It's all black or white, yes or no, good or evil. In this state you do not have the ability to think of alternative solutions to the situation. Only run or fight.

How ideal for the military! If they keep masses of people in fear and educate them in the many ways to kill other humans, they have a ready, willing, able, and non-thinking military force. This falls right into alignment with the basic premise of the military: follow orders without question (or without thinking). Whoever came up with the idea of using fear like this was a real genius. Just look at what they've created.

The polarity thinking that is created by fear can also be used very easily and effectively on the general populace by our politicians and other powers. Look at how our own country is divided right now by the fear that has been promoted by the current administration. They are continually coming up with new ways of keeping the citizens of the U.S. in a state of fear. The "security alert" with it's color coding is perfect. All they have to do is change the color of it to turn the level of fear in this country up or down, just like controlling the flow of water in a faucet.

What's the answer? First, get yourself out of the state of fear. In order to be able to think you need to be able to use the other parts of your brain. If you are having difficulty getting out of fear, here are a few things you can do:

TURN OFF YOUR TELEVISION- Especially the news. Have you ever felt wonderful, or even good, after you watched the news? Even the commercials are designed to make you feel sick and fearful.

Get in touch with the earth. Go for a walk without your cell phone or CD player and truly pay attention to the beauty that surrounds you. Notice all the things that are there to support you - trees for shade, all vegetation for oxygen, ants to clean up the minutest messes, birds to spread seed for more plants to grow.

Show appreciation to your body by giving it something nice - a massage, a cup of herbal tea, organic food, pure water. It will thank you by feeling more energized.

Don't hang around negative people or people who are being negative at the time. You don't need to absorb their fear any more than you need to absorb the fear from the news on TV.

As you begin to emerge from the state of fear and can once again think rationally and creatively, look at how you can create unity in your life instead of the polarity caused by fear. The world will thank you.

This Kid Can Play

Scientists Study the ABCs of Fear

There’s a trick to panic attacks,” said David Carbonell, a Chicago psychologist specializing in treating anxiety disorders. “You’re experiencing this powerful discomfort but you’re getting tricked into treating it like danger.”

According to the WASHINGTON (AP): Science is getting a grip on people's fears.

As Americans revel in all things scary on Halloween, scientists say they now know better what's going on inside our brains when a spook jumps out and scares us. Knowing how fear rules the brain should lead to treatments for a major medical problem: When irrational fears go haywire.

"We're making a lot of progress," said University of Michigan psychology professor Stephen Maren. "We're taking all of what we learned from the basic studies of animals and bringing that into the clinical practices that help people. Things are starting to come together in a very important way."

About 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. A Harvard Medical School study estimated the annual cost to the U.S. economy in 1999 at roughly $42 billion.

Fear is a basic primal emotion that is key to evolutionary survival. It's one we share with animals. Genetics plays a big role in the development of overwhelming -- and needless -- fear, psychologists say. But so do traumatic events.

"Fear is a funny thing," said Ted Abel, a fear researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. "One needs enough of it, but not too much of it."


Armi Rowe, a Connecticut freelance writer and mother, said she used to be "one of those rational types who are usually calm under pressure." She was someone who would downhill ski the treacherous black diamond trails of snowy mountains. Then one day, in the midst of coping with a couple of serious illnesses in her family, she felt fear closing in on her while driving alone. The crushing pain on her chest felt like a heart attack. She called 911.

"I was literally frozen with fear," she said. It was an anxiety attack. The first of many.

The first sign she would get would be sweaty palms and then a numbness in the pit of the stomach and queasiness. Eventually it escalated until she felt as if she was being attacked by a wild animal.

"There's a trick to panic attack," said David Carbonell, a Chicago psychologist specializing in treating anxiety disorders. "You're experiencing this powerful discomfort but you're getting tricked into treating it like danger."

These days, thanks to counseling, self-study, calming exercises and introspection, Rowe knows how to stop or at least minimize those attacks early on.
Scientists figure they can improve that fear-dampening process by learning how fear runs through the brain and body.
The fear hot spot is the amygdala, an almond-shaped part of the deep brain.

The amygdala isn't responsible for all of people's fear response, but it's like the burglar alarm that connects to everything else, said New York University psychology and neural science professor Elizabeth Phelps.

Emory University psychiatry and psychology professor Michael Davis found that a certain chemical reaction in the amygdala is crucial in the way mice and people learn to overcome fear. When that reaction is deactivated in mice, they never learn to counter their fears.

Scientists found D-cycloserine, a drug already used to fight hard-to-treat tuberculosis, strengthens that good chemical reaction in mice. Working in combination with therapy, it seems to do the same in people. It was first shown effective with people who have a fear of heights. It also worked in tests with other types of fear, and it's now being studied in survivors of the World Trade Center attacks and the Iraq war.

The work is promising, but Michigan's Maren cautions that therapy will still be needed: "You're not going to be able to take a pill and make these things go away."

When it comes to ruling the brain, fear often is king, scientists say.
"Fear is the most powerful emotion," said University of California Los Angeles psychology professor Michael Fanselow.

People recognize fear in other humans faster than other emotions, according to a new study being published next month. Research appearing in the journal Emotion involved volunteers who were bombarded with pictures of faces showing fear, happiness and no expression. They quickly recognized and reacted to the faces of fear- even when it was turned upside down.

"We think we have some built-in shortcuts of the brain that serve the role that helps us detect anything that could be threatening," said study author Vanderbilt University psychology professor David Zald.

Other studies have shown that just by being very afraid, other bodily functions change. One study found that very frightened people can withstand more pain than those not experiencing fear. Another found that experiencing fear or merely perceiving it in others improved people's attention and brain skills.

To help overcome overwhelming fear, psychologist Carbonell, author of the "Panic Attacks Workbook," has his patients distinguish between a real threat and merely a perceived one. They practice fear attacks and their response to them. He even has them fill out questionnaires in the middle of a fear attack, which changes their thinking and causes reduces their anxiety.

That's important because the normal response for dealing with a real threat is either flee or fight, Carbonell said. But if the threat is not real, the best way to deal with fear is just the opposite: "Wait it out and chill."

Want more info?

Check out this Harvard Med publication that pretty much sums up our lives, if your not consciously living.

Fear. . .or Fear Not

A Brief History of OCD

What Is OCD?

OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as it is clinically known as is an anxiety disorder. It is characterized by obsessive thoughts and inability to restrain these thoughts. In order to counterbalance these thoughts, OCD sufferers often execute certain compulsive actions that become incorporated as a significant part of their daily lives. The compulsions are an attempt to ease the pain of the recurring thoughts.

The Origin Of OCD

OCD as a disorder has been affecting lives for very many years. However, it has only been in recently that OCD has been given the due attention it requires. Newer methods of therapy and medicinal treatments are being researched and implemented to help people with OCD lead healthier and more prouctive lives. Alternative methods of treatment are being explored and all these developments are helping mankind progress. However, to truly find a solution to a problem we also need to learn about its origins. To move forward in a field we first need to trace its roots. Therefore, we go back to the beginning of the disease’s origin.

300 Years Ago

A medical condition akin to OCD has been recognized for almost 300 years. It has been widely accepted that each stage in the history of OCD has been influenced by the cerebral, scientific and artistic changes of that age. At the beginning of the malady’s analysis a lot of significance was attributed to supernatural factors. People ascribed the cause of illnesses to distorted religious faith and blasphemous thoughts. Such occurrences were considered to be the work of Satan. Even in today’s day and age, despite all the scientific development taking place, there are many people who tend to believe in supernatural forces. Such beliefs have no basis in science yet there are still firm believers. Superstitious ideas such as these often make people do drastic and useless things such as consulting “magic men” and exorcists.

Psychoanalysis Becomes More Acceptable

In 19^th century France, a fundamental position was accorded to distrust and vacillation. It was assumed that disorders were born out of flaws in the individual’s character such as lack of courage of conviction which gave rise to varying instabilities. With the dawn of the 20^th century greater importance started being given to psychoanalysis of OCD. According to such theories, OCD arose out of a person’s inability to adapt to certain conflicts in the earlier stages of their lives. Freud was of the opinion that underlying psychological conflicts between the id ego’s need for immediate gratification, mostly in sexual spheres, and a person’s moral conscience and a need for reality. The basic underlying assumption of this theory is that when a person has to fight with his internal self, in order to control certain unacceptable urges and behave in a socially appropriate manner, these conflicts give rise to a number of mental stresses and burdens. Hence, out of these complexities, the disorder is born.

Even though psychoanalysis was a popular theory it was confronted with strong opposition in the late 20^th century. The theory was criticized for not being able to explain the role of the brain in the arena of psychological imbalances. Even though the part of the mind has been clarified in great detail, there have been no concrete studies or researches explaining the working of the brain in such contexts.

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Microsoft researcher converts his brain into 'e-memory'

By John D. Sutter

(CNN) -- For the past decade, Microsoft researcher Gordon Bell has been moving the data from his brain onto computers -- where he knows it will be safe.

Sure, you could say all of us do this to some extent. We save digital pictures from family events and keep tons of e-mail.

But Bell, who is 75 years old, takes the idea of digital memory to a sci-fi-esque extreme. He carries around video equipment, cameras and audio recorders to capture his conversations, commutes, trips and experiences. Microsoft is working on a Sense Cam that would hang around a person's neck and automatically capture every detail of life in photo form. Bell has given that a whirl. He also saves everything -- from restaurant receipts (he takes pictures of them) to correspondence, bills and medical records. He makes PDF files out of every Web page he views.

In sum, this mountain of data -- more than 350 gigabytes worth, not including the streaming audio and video -- is a replica of Bell's biological memory. It's actually better, he says, because, if you back up your data in enough places, this digitized "e-memory" never forgets. It's like having a multimedia transcript of your life.

By about 2020, he says, our entire life histories will be online and searchable. Location-aware smart phones and inexpensive digital memory storage in the "cloud" of the Internet make the transition possible and inevitable. No one will have to fret about storing the details of their lives in their heads anymore. We'll have computers for that. And this revolution will "change what it means to be human," he writes.
   
Bell, who, along with fellow researcher Jim Gemmell, is the author of a new book called "Total Recall," talked with CNN about the advantages and drawbacks of recording one's life in painstaking digital detail. The following is an edited transcript.

CNN: What have you learned about yourself through this process?

That's been a really hard question to answer. ... The main driver of the recall turns out to be a [computer] screensaver or something where I go looking for [a digital memory] and I find something else. I guess it's the rich set of connections and people that I've been involved with.

CNN: What do you use to record your memories?

In a way, most of what happens during the day is sort of routine -- what you've done before. So I carry the Sense Cam only when I think there's an episode or a sequence or a certain set of events that I want to capture and have automatically photographed. But I tend to always carry a camera with me. I live next to a fire station and I've got lots of photos of the hook and ladder coming out of the house. And I like food so I tend to photograph wonderfully presented food all the time. To me those are very pleasant memories.

CNN: If we rely on computers instead of our brains, will humans become mentally sluggish?

That's certainly one of the concerns. I tend to counter that theory. To me, I feel a lot freer. In a way I feel like I still remember all that stuff, but I generally remember that [the computer is] remembering something for me so I can find it.

People have no memory of phone numbers now because of the cell phone -- their address book is in a cell phone. So I don't think they're getting any worse or any less facile about that. What an e-memory does, to me, is gives me a really wonderful free feeling.

CNN: If we all record audio of our lives, do you think conversations will become stilted and fake?

I think there will be a lot of court cases and lawyering around all of that. I'm personally less hung up about that. Certainly, people my age and Baby Boomers are. But the current X-Generation, [they think] this is pretty natural.

CNN: Are you on Facebook and Twitter?

Yeah, I'm on Facebook and Twitter and occasionally I will tweet something. Somehow my problem is that I don't think I have anything interesting to tweet about.

CNN: Should all of our memories and observations be public?

Absolutely not. Our own memories are our own private thing, and how much you choose to have on Facebook or blogs, that's your thing.

CNN: What does your family think about your effort to record everything?

Gradually, everybody is getting this idea. ... Think of it: You are a librarian for your life. Somebody has to be the family librarian.

CNN: Are you worried about losing your memory?

... Forgetting is not a feature, it's a flaw. I don't think forgetting is an important feature of human memory. I think it's important to be able to remember things accurately.

CNN: Are there any memories you deleted?

No. When we were scanning stuff I had written a memo about a company, an unpleasant company -- probably the only company I was ever ashamed to be a part of. ...

I put a note on that file that said, "Don't ever scan or copy this!" My assistant who was doing the scanning ran across this and said, "What do you want me to do with this?" And I said, "Well, gee. This is my life." I said, "It's OK, just go ahead." So it's all there.

CNN: Do you think it's possible for people to turn away from new technologies? Or are advances like "Total Recall" inevitable?

I think it's inevitable because so much content is being created. Virtually everything is coming in digitally -- everything from your photos to your videos to your music. ... I will love that day when the world is just bits. It's the ultimate in green, by the way.

Pain Management

Living in Pain

Pain has been defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) as “An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience which we primarily associate with tissue damage or describe in terms of such damage, or both.”

Pain is inherently subjective, therefore patient self report is the only way to assess the problem for relevant diagnosis or management. Ideally, the description of the pain should characterize its severity, topography, quality and factors that re–emit or relieve it.

Pain Intensity

Measuring pain severity is essential and may have important therapeutic implications. Pain can be measured validly and reliably using simple scales or instruments. For chronic pain, setting a time frame may be useful, such as the past week or the past month, and then obtaining separate measurements for pain in general, pain at its worst, and pain at its least. The descriptions used by patients to describe the quality of the pain are considered to diagnose the underlying pathology.

Pain that appears to be sustained by ongoing activation of pain–sensitive nerves, or nociceptive pains, are generally described as familiar by patients. If the injured tissue is somatic, such as bone, the pain is often described as aching or throbbing, and sometimes stabbing. If injury is to skin, then it is often described as burning. If the injured tissue is visceral, the pain often varies with the structures involved and is described as cramping or gnawing pain pattern and is referred to common cutaneous sites. Damage to other visceral tissues, such as mesentery, is associated with pain that is described as aching, stabbing, or throbbing.

Why Pain Management?

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do I need another doctor for pain management?” Many people with chronic pain have seen multiple specialists from neurologists, orthopedics therapists to psychologists. They continue to suffer and do not know what to do. There are many reasons why they should see a pain specialist. First, you need to understand the specific reason for your pain, then more focused and individualized treatment can be implemented. This evaluation is as important as all other tests. (MRI, X–ray, etc.). Reassurance and re–evaluating treatment may be necessary. Lastly, if nothing can be done medically, you should begin to live with your pain under pain specialists’ guidance and continue to maintain your physical and medical condition to the best of your capacity.

Chronic pain is not a choice but suffering is. What is the scope of pain management?

Pain management includes different modalities and treatments such as medication therapy, injections or nerve blocks, physical therapy and reactivation, psychotherapy, biofeedback, acupuncture, and other implantable devices. Pain Centers usually offer more than one type of treatment. You may be referred for one specific treatment such as nerve block only.

Minimally Invasive Pain Management Treatments

There have been many times where pain whether in the back area, neck, joints, or knees, has left a limiting scenario on my daily function.  Pain in any of these areas can have a major psychological effect on whether or not a person accomplishes the tasks they have to do.  In many cases these tasks may be mundane or trivial, such as, going to the post office to mail your bills or going to the store for groceries, but the pain may influence the decision of not doing these tasks.  The longer people ignore the pain, the more intense the psychological effect, which in the long run, doesn't help people feel good about themselves.

There is help at your local wellness, chiropractic, or pain management center. The following summaries are minimally invasive pain management treatments that have been proven to have a positive effect on patients searching for pain relief.


Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS):

SCS is a slightly invasive procedure designed to implant a non-obtrusive system into the patient's body. This system is similar to a modern day pacemaker. SCS delivers small streams of electrical impulses to the spinal cord targeting pain. The patient is given a remote to control the frequency
and strength of SCS as needed.

Sacroiliac Joint Injections (SI):

SI's are a trial and error procedure of pain location and management. A mild anesthetic is injected into different areas of the sacroliac joint which is located at the lower base of the spine. If the patient feels relieved from specific injections, problematic areas along this joint of the spinal cord become more recognizable. If the patient feels mild to no relief from specific injections, the doctor will concentrate on other possibilities of pain causation. SI's offer temporary relief of pain but may result in longterm diagnosis of pain management.

Medical Branch Blocks:

Scientific research has suggested that specific back pains are caused by medial branch nerves. A medial branch block is an injection that interrupts the signal between the medial nerve and pain sensation. This is a nonsurgical, semi-permanent procedure.

Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA):

This type of procedure is common for a variety of chronic back and neck conditions. The doctor is able to manipulate pain ridden areas that are corroded with damaged tissue while the patient is sedated. Through a series of stretches, kinesthetic movements, and massage, the doctor and
associates are able to break up the tissue afflicted areas.

Radio Frequency Neurolysis (RFN):

RFN is a way of determining which nerve endings along the spinal cord are damaged and causing the patient pain. By locating these destructive nerves through a series of injections and x-ray technology, the doctor is able to pinpoint areas of nerve damage. Once these locations have been determined the doctor uses radio frequency neurolysis to destroy damaging nerve cells resulting in relief from chronic back pain. 

For patient education videos and more information about pain management, visit the New Jersey Center of Spine and Pain Management.

Research on Colon Cancer

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Reviewed By Laura J. Martin, MD, MPH

March 4, 2010 -- A blood test may soon be able to predict which colon cancers are likely to spread to other parts of the body, according to a new study.

Researchers found two proteins in the blood that may serve as potential biomarkers of colon cancers that are more aggressive and likely to spread.

Colon cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. with more than 50,000 deaths reported each year. Surgery is the main treatment for the disease, but almost half of those treated for colon cancer experience a recurrence of the disease within five years due to cancer cells spreading to other parts of the body.

Researchers say determining which colon cancers will spread is difficult because there are no reliable chemical markers in the body for predicting its spread, known in medical terms as metastasis.

In the study, published in the Journal of Proteome Research, Chinese researchers compared proteins produced by the original colon cancer tumor cells to those of metastasized cells from a single person with colon cancer.

The results highlighted two proteins that occurred at much higher levels in the metastatic cells than in the original colon cancer cells.

Although further research is needed to confirm these findings, researchers say the proteins may bring them a step closer to understanding the disease.

"The identified candidate proteins," write researchers Hua Xue of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, and colleagues, "will facilitate our understanding toward the molecular mechanism of [colorectal cancer] metastasis as well as providing useful biomarkers for cancer prevention, detection and intervention in the future."