1. Balance Your Brain, Balance Your Life by Dr. Jay Lombard & Dr. Christian Renna Presentation created by: Rita L. Sterling Aug/Sept, 2009

2. Who Wrote This Book?

3. Author: Dr. Jay Lombard Jay Lombard M.D. Dr. Lombard is in private practice in neurology and neuropsychiatry. Dr. Jay Lombard completed his neurology residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Long Island Jewish Medical Center and is on several advisory boards including Two River Holdings and Metagenics, Inc. Fast Facts: Dr. Jay Lombard is the former Chief Resident of Neurology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Former Chief Resident of Neurology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology at Cornell Medical University and New York Presbyterian Hospital. Director of the Brain Behavior Center in Pomona, New York. He is a member of the Medical Advisory Panel for the Cure Autism Now Foundation. He has lectured extensively on both the neurobiology of the autistic syndrome and on the application of complementary medicine in neurological disorders.

4. Christian Renna D.O. Dr. Christian Renna is a nationally recognized expert in the field of contemporary preventive medicine. Dr. Renna graduated from the University of Texas system in biology and chemistry. After working as a biochemist under the Nobel Prize winning scientist Dr. Phillip Levine, Dr. Renna earned his medical degree in Osteopathic medicine cum laude from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He completed a residency in family medicine and practiced for many years caring for tens of thousands of patients. He chose Osteopathic and family medicine because of its outstanding orientation toward integrated care and the emphasis placed on evaluating and treating the whole person rather than the disease or disorder residing within. He established a highly successful medical practice and maintained the admiration of his patients and the respect of his peers. Dr. Renna served as Chairman of the Department of Family Practice and Emergency Medicine at DFW Medical Center for more than ten years. He was the youngest physician to hold the prestigious position of Chief of Staff at that hospital and held faculty positions at two medical colleges. Following 12 years of dedicated service to his family medicine patients Dr. Renna turned his attention toward the underlying causes of disease and focused on Preventive Medicine. Dr. Renna was uncomfortable waiting for a patient to develop the symptoms of disease and treating those symptoms without getting to the origins of the disease. Dr. Renna saw this as a limited approach that led to unnecessary pain and suffering. He pursued formal study and educated himself in the areas that have become the basis of his clinical preventive programs. These areas included nutrition, metabolism, immune function, hormone regulation, mind/brain/body relationships, behavioral medicine, and the principles of DNA expression, which serve at the molecular level to create either health or disease. These disciplines are the foundation of LifeSpan medicine's programs. For more than a decade, he has served some of the nation's most recognized and accomplished individuals. His reputation has made him a popular speaker and authority on the subjects of Preventive Medicine, Peak Performance and Healthy Aging. His book, Balance Your Brain, Balance Your Life reveals his appreciation of the hierarchal constructs that rule each person's body. This publication has given him the opportunity to communicate his understandings to a larger group of people. Dr. Renna lectures to audiences across the United States and abroad. Some of the organizations in which he participates include the AOA, the American College of Preventive Medicine, the Los Angeles Gerontology Research Group and the New York Academy of Science.

5. Some of what is in this presentation has been added based on my internet research as well.

6. Pursuit of Knowledge Okay, Let’s Start!

7. In the past few weeks, have you: Endured chronic pain? Felt exhausted by the end of the day? Worried that you are losing your memory? Been unable to control your food cravings? Had a tough time concentra-ting? Had trouble with sleep? Had periods of anxiety or anger? Just wish you felt better? Suffered from allergies?

8. If So, You Are Not Alone We have eradicated many of the serious illnesses that devastated previous generations but still have Americans suffering from the following: A huge percentage are overweight or obese 70% of Americans have some kind of sleep difficulty 20 Million suffer from major depression

9. Do You Suffer From Any of These?You are NOT alone! Tens of millions have some form of anxiety or irritability 50 million have chronic pain 40 million have attention deficit disorders

10. Famous People who suffer(ed) from a mood disorder(source: http://home.comcast.net/~dbsa_sacramento/index.htm) One in four people will have a mood disorder; that is depression or manic depression. Depression is a medical condition – it is common and it is treatable but first it must be recognized. Abraham Lincoln (past American president) Anne Rice (author) Audrey Hepburn (actress) Brian Wilson (musician) Brooke Shields (actress) Buzz Aldrin (astronaut) Diana, princess of Wales Drew Carey (comedian/actor) Edgar Allen Poe (writer) Ernest Hemingway (writer) Francis Ford Copella (director & producer) Harrison Ford (actor) Jim Carey (actor) Ludwig van Beethoven (composer & pianist) Patrick J. Kennedy (politician) Patty Duke (actress) Richard Dreyfuss (actor) Robert Downey Jr. (actor) Sheryl Crow (singer) Tennessee Williams (playwright) Vincent van Gogh (painter) Virginia Woolf (author) Winston Churchill (British politician) The disease has been associated with creative people.

11. In Order to Understand These Physical Challenges, We Need To Understand: The Brain-Body Connection The “Two Forces” of Balance How the Brain Specifically Works /Biochemistry

12. The Latest in Brain Research Although scientists are only beginning to scratch the surface, new technologies are helping to solve some of the mysteries of the brain at a rapidly accelerating rate. Recent research has yielded significant findings, helping neuroscientists to better understand how our brain works and close in on cures and treatments for many seriously debilitating and potentially fatal diseases. With most major scientific journals maintaining Web sites, the latest neuroscience breakthroughs are right at your fingertips. Technological advances, for example with brain scanning, have shed light on just what is going on in the brain and it’s impact on mood and behavior. Annals of Internal Medicine Archives of Internal Medicine British Medical Journal ecancermedicalscience International Journal of Medical Sciences Molecular Medicine Journal of the American Medical Association Journal of Clinical Investigation Journal of Experimental Medicine The Lancet Nature Medicine New England Journal of Medicine Biochemical Journal Biophysical Journal European Journal of Biochemistry[8],[9],[10] FEBS Journal Journal of Biological Chemistry Biochemistry Journal of Molecular Biology

13. What is the Brain-Body Connection?

14. Brain & Body Connection A relatively New Paradigm Based on a discovery of nerve networks by researcher David Felten in the 1980’s, a new field of medicine arose called psychoneuroimmunology which studies the connection between the psychological, neurological, and immune systems (i.e. between the brain and the body). It is now known that the Brain & Body are inextricably intertwined. Properly balanced, they work in harmony and what happens to one has a direct impact on the other.

15. Western Culture The idea that the brain & body are completely separate is still deeply ingrained in Western Culture. Psychologists/psychiatrists deal with matters of the mind… …while internists of all kinds treat the body. By treating mental & physical symptoms separately, we neglect a whole category of diseases that involve both.

16. History In absence of solid science about the brain, people throughout history have made up stories about what the symptoms meant and what caused them. The stories took on different forms depending on the culture from which they emanated. These include all of the major religions and all of the different disciplines about physical and mental health. Whole systems of thinking emerged based on the different ways each culture interpreted their observations of the way people behaved. But now, science has learned so much about what is going on in the brain to cause the various symptoms. Let’s learn some specifics….

17. What is a Neurotransmitter?

18. What is a Neurotransmitter? Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers within the brain that facilitate communication between nerve cells. Examples of neurotransmitters: Serotonin Dopamine Norepinephrine

19. Why Do We Need To Understand Neurotransmitters And Their Imbalances?

20. Neurotransmitter (NT) Imbalance A psychiatrist who prescribes a serotonin-enhancing drug for a patient’s depression and underlying feelings of hostility and anger and the cardiologist who treats the same patient’s angina may never speak to each other – even though both symptoms are undoubtedly related to the same NT imbalance and should be treated together. A recent study, for example, showed that heart patients who were treated with serotonin-enhancing drugs were 40 percent less likely to die of heart-related illness than those who weren’t.

21. METAPHOR: “How the music sounds will depend on how well the conductor and the orchestra work together and respond to each other.” Brain Body

22. What are the Two Forces?

23. THE TWO OPPOSING “FORCES”: There Are Two Groups of Chemicals (Neurotransmitters) That Regulate The Balance of Warm and Cool Seratonin (Neurotransmitter) Dopamine (Neurotransmitter) Left side of brain Right side of brain Warming Cooling Together they influence how we think and feel every second of the day and play a vital role in maintaining our mental and physical well-being.

24. Warming & Cooling Everything – from the individual cells that make up our body to the universe itself – is governed by these two opposing forces: Warming Cooling

25. Two Forces of Balance in Ancient Cultures: China, Greece, India Even in ancient times, cultures realized there needs to be a balance between the body’s main “forces”. Now, every branch of modern Western medicine is designed around the twin concepts of equal and opposite forces and of imbalance being the cause of disease and illness.

26. Two Forces Everywhere Some version of these two forces exists in every atom and cell in our bodies, in every muscle and nerve and organ. I Love to Garden! These forces govern our every thought and control our every action.

27. What are the brain and body trying to balance? Hot Cold Chaos Order Two equally powerful yet opposing forces that are manifested, for example, as: Excitement Inhibition On Off

28. You Are A Network of Interconnected Nerves The communication between the brain’s left and right hemispheres and between them and every other cell in your body takes place over a network of billions of miles of interconnected nerves.

29. Nerve Communication These nerves communicate between each other to make your body work.

30. One Neuron Sends Neurotransmitter to Receiving Neuron Typically, a sending neuron releases small amounts of a neurotransmitter, and this activates receptors on the receiving neuron. Receptor activation then initiates a series of chemical changes in the receiving neuron, and if enough receptors are activated, the receiving neuron may itself become active and send the message along.

31. Warming & Cooling Forces = Neurotransmitters (NTs) There are over a dozen different neurotransmitters running through our bodies. Each has either a warming effect (they turn something on) or a cooling one (they turn something off). Because dopamine and seratonin are the ones most representative of heating and cooling, we primarily focus on them.

32. Overview of the Two Main Forces Dopamine is the neurotransmitter of choice for neural networks dealing with: Reward, such as the feeling you get after winning an egg toss or eating a delicious meal Memory Attention Serotonin is an example of a neurotransmitter involved with the regulation of multiple systems including: Mood Appetite Temperature Pain Sensation Sleep

33. How Do Neurotransmitters Work?

34. The Two Hemispheres of the Brain Yang Yin Dominated by Dopamine Dominated by Seratonin Emotional Feeling Subjective Rational Objective Thrives and feels at home in a world that is ordered, predictable, and secure. It’s assertive, activity-oriented, and verbally expressive. Warmth, brightness, expansiveness, movement, and agitation, reality, wakefulness, concrete science, and Western rationalism. It is responsible for coherent thought. Dark, receding, contracting, & cool. Deals with the amorphous. Houses our fantasies and dreams and the vestiges of our primitive unconscious. Deals with the aspects of our lives & environment that are mysterious, unknown, and chaotic. And since all of these are potential threats, the right brain exerts an inhibitory influence on our behavior and thoughts. Together they influence how we think and feel every second of the day and play a vital role in maintaining our mental and physical well-being.

35. Neurotransmission Information is communicated in the brain via a process called neurotransmission. Neurotransmission involves a variety of chemical substances called "neurotransmitters." One such neurotransmitter is called "dopamine.“ In the normal communication process, dopamine is released by a neuron into the synapse (the small gap between neurons). The dopamine then binds with specialized proteins called "dopamine receptors" (see image) on the neighboring neuron, thereby sending a signal to that neuron.

36. Neurotransmission After the signal is sent to the neighboring neuron, dopamine is transported back to the neuron from which it was released by another specialized protein, the "dopamine transporter" (see image).

37. Neurotransmission Problems Several things might potentially go wrong with this process and lead to a serotonin deficit. Just to enumerate a few possibilities: not enough serotonin is produced there are not enough receptor sites to receive serotonin serotonin is being taken back up too quickly before it can reach receptor sites chemical precursors to serotonin (molecules that serotonin is manufactured from) may be in short supply molecules that facilitate the production of serotonin may be in too short supply As you can see, if there is a breakdown anywhere along the path, neurotransmitter supplies may not be adequate for your brain's needs. Inadequate supplies lead to the symptoms that we know as depression and/or anxiety.

38. Levels of NTs Dopamine Seratonin Both are in Balance Dopamine is Low --therefore, seratonin is relatively high Seratonin is Low --therefore, dopamine is relatively high Negative Symptoms Both are Low

39. NTs Transmit Info Throughout Our Body They instantly convey information from every part of the brain to every other part, and from the brain throughout the rest of the body. They enable us to live and interact in our world, to think, feel, see, hear, form memories, show emotion, love, and breathe. In a sense, our neurotransmitters are us.

40. We are bodily manifestations of our NTs Imagine you are walking down the street when you hear a tremendous crash. Your brain instantly releases a tiny bit of dopamine, which speeds up your pulse, dilates your pupils, tenses your muscles, and gets you ready to handle what might be a dangerous situation. Your neurotransmitter balance has just tilted toward dopamine. After you survey the situation and come to the conclusion that the noise wasn’t anything to be afraid of (it was just the neighborhood garbage truck), your brain releases some serotonin to calm you back down. Now your balance is tilted toward serotonin.

41. We are bodily manifestations of our NTs (Cont’d) The same kind of thing is happening inside us millions of times a second. Every breath we take, sight we see, thought we have, step we take, bite we chew, conversation we have, place we go, book we read stimulates the release of certain NTs. The result is a never-ending process of oscillation between dopamine and seratonin. If it weren’t for the brain’s remarkable ability to instantly adapt to its ever-changing environment by making tiny corrections, we couldn’t make it through a day alive. Most of the time the brain’s response to NT imbalance has the desired effect. But when the imbalance becomes too severe, or something interferes with the brain’s ability to regulate NT production and release, we end up with disease or illness. oscillation S D

42. You Are Unique Each of us has our own ideal neurotransmitter balance. Actually, that ideal balance is a state of imbalance, a slight tendency toward warming or cooling. But it’s precisely the right imbalance for you.

43. Each of us has a unique ideal balance Individual Genes Your Body Chemistry Experiences, Etc. Your Unique Ideal Balance Is Influenced By These Elements What Your Mother Was Eating While Pregnant With You Living Situation Your Personality Lifestyle Temperament It also depends on your own personal definition of feeling your best.

45. behavior

47. Where Do You Tilt? If you are tilted toward warmth, you are probably alert, focused, active, energetic, attentive, engaging, confident, and fun to be with. It you are tilted toward cooling, you are probably calm, understanding, confident, capable, creative, thoughtful, unhurried, and easy to get along with. If you are tilted too much in any one direction or are deficient in both, see later slides.

48. How Can I Know Where I “Tilt”?

49. How To Determine Your Levels of NTs There are three major ways that I know of to determine your levels of warming & cooling NTs: 1) Paper Test (which follows this slide) 2) Get tested: Urine Test – see Appendix and check the web 3) Brain Scan – see Appendix and check the web

50. Just write down the numbers 1-150 and place your answer next to each number based on these directions: 0 points if the statement is not true at all or doesn’t apply to you 1 point if the statement is true some of the time 2 points if the statement is true most or all of the time Or, take the test using the Word document found here: http://www.sterlinginsightsinc.memberlodge.com/Content/Documents/Document.ashx?DocId=73894 The last page gives directions on how to score the test to determine which neurotransmitter you might be deficient in (p.s. you might be deficient in both). Take the test now

55. What Do My Test Results Mean?

56. BTW - Having a mood disorder is not a character flaw or a sign of personal weakness!

57. First, let’s understand a little more about dopamine and seratonin so you can understand your scores…

58. Dopamine Dopamine really IS about heat. It acts directly on the hypothalamus, which is the body’s thermostat located in the brain, and helps us maintain our body temperature. Warming

59. Dopamine (Cont’d) It turns on our immune system and regulates our sexual inclinations, firing up our passions. It activates receptors in the heart that elevate blood pressure and make it beat faster. It has a direct connection with the heart and is responsible for its rate & rhythm, and norepinephrine, which is involved in fight-or-flight response. Without dopamine, our heart cells wouldn’t contract, our muscles wouldn’t move, and our immune cells would refuse to battle invaders. Dopamine also regulates heat indirectly, stimulating our metabolism at a hormonal and cellular level.

60. Dopamine (Cont’d) Researchers have recently found that how quickly and permanently we learn things relates directly to how much dopamine we have available in our brains. As we get rewarded over and over again for something, we learn that we should keep doing whatever that is very deeply, and it’s hard to unlearn those kinds of behaviors. A shortage of Dopamine in the frontal lobe can reduce one’s memory. An increase of dopamine into the frontal lobe relieves pain and boosts feelings of pleasure.

61. When your dopamine levels are too high, you may be caught in distorted perceptions of reality, dangerous risk taking, and increased aggression. Here are ten signs that your dopamine levels are too high: 1. You have an excessively demanding sex drive. 2. You are an information and news junky. 3. You feel trapped when you do not have something risky and exciting to do. You may engage in dangerous risk taking. 4. You fear being alone and having nothing to do. You cannot tolerate relaxation or calm. Peace and quite bor. 5. You are prone to violence and aggression. You may deliberately create conflict to get a thrill. 6. You feel a lack intimacy and you do not want to make deep connections with others. 7. You are a junk food junkie. 8. You feel insecure, paranoid and try to control your environment in overt and destructive ways. 9. You are chronically stressed, frustrated, and anxious. You are a workaholic, driven by success, and burned out. 10. You are overly competitive and determined to win at all costs. You are demanding and lack the trust of the people around you.

62. When your dopamine levels are too low you lack a vital and strong inner force. Here are 10 signs that your dopamine levels are too low: 1. You lack energy and stamina. 2. You have no drive or motivation. 3. You are not able to concentrate. 4. You lack focus. 5. You are not able to move memories into long term storage. 6. You become depressed and lack the ability to orient toward the future. It will be all you can do to get through the day. 7. You have trouble thinking and keeping your thoughts organized. 8. You are not creative. 9. You are not able to pay attention. 10. You have no adventuresome spirit. You want to avoid making any changes in your life.

63. Seratonin Seratonin really IS about cooling and slowing things down. In Chinese medicine, water counterbalances the force of fire. That’s exactly what serotonin does, keeping the dopamine-fired immune system from overheating and attacking itself. It also slows the release of adrenalin, which moderates the amount of blood that flows to the heart during the fight-or-flight response. Cooling

64. Seratonin (Cont’d) Like water, seratonin is necessary for survival, and like water, it flows through us, nurturing and cooling the brain and body. It regulates our moods and emotions, heightens our senses, and helps us adapt to new surroundings and experiences.

65. Seratonin (Cont’d) Seratonin’s influence goes far beyond the psychological. It influences brain growth and development, cardiovascular and reproductive function, sleep, dietary choices, body temperature, and the perception of pain.

66. Seratonin It's rare that your serotonin levels would be too high. When your serotonin levels are low however, you may lapse into a cycle of struggle and hopelessness. Here are ten signs that you serotonin levels are too low: 1. You become reclusive and avoid situations that make you anxious. 2. You believe that you are too weak to handle the strain of conflict and challenge. You feel driven to avoid all conflict and challenge and are fearful of starting new ventures or taking calculated risks. 3. You feel overwhelmed, resentful, and victimized by your circumstances. 4. You have a tendency toward compulsive behaviors, perfectionism, and withdrawal. You worry a lot and see most things in a negative way. You may be extremely vigilant and overly controlling. 5. You are impulsive, have a short attention span, feel blocked and scattered, and easily fly off the handle. 6. You crave sweets and carbohydrates and tend to overeat (especially comfort foods). You tend to eat more in the afternoon and evening. 7. You are compelled to clean and organize things around you. Once you start cleaning you may get "sucked" into the activity and find it hard to stop. 8. You are prone to heat intolerance, panic, phobias, fibromyalgia, and TMJ. 9. You are a night owl, and you often experience insomnia. 10. You feel depressed, hopeless and that you lack personal power. You may feel sad and cry a lot.

67. What If My Neurotransmitters Are Out Of Balance?

68. The Need To Maintain Balance All of the following depend on how well we maintain brain-body balance. Our health Our hobbies The jobs we do Where and what we worship The survival or death of single cells within our body

70. Nervousness

71. Panic

72. Withdrawal

73. Fear

74. Depression

75. Fatigue

76. Dull thinking

77. Memory problems

78. Aches and painsSeratonin Dopamine Seratonin Dopamine The problem with your natural imbalance is that it is delicate and makes you vulnerable to a constellation of symptoms and conditions.

79. Major Imbalance Can Lead To Disease Dopamine Seratonin

81. Headaches

82. Back and neck stiffness

83. Infections

84. Rashes

85. Fatigue

86. Excessive weight gain/loss

87. Insomnia

88. Hormonal imbalances

89. Mood problemsIrritability Anxiety Depression Hostility & aggression

90. Interdependent There’s no such thing as perfect balance. The two forces of warm and cool are constantly evolving. Neither can exist without the other. They work together, influencing and being influenced by each other, creating and being created by each other. It’s a never-ending flow. Wherever you find one, you’ll find the other as well.

91. Righting Mechanisms Although most of us are out of balance most of the time, we’re not so far out that our brain, which contains our own internal righting mechanism, can’t catch us and straighten us out, restoring us to our natural disposition. If the righting mechanism works, we have a smooth flight and we don’t even notice the tiny corrections that are happening every second. If it doesn’t work, our levels of warming and cooling get so far out of alignment that we experience turbulence.

92. Past Cultures’ View of the Two Forces & The Connection to Dopamine & Seratonin Imbalances

93. What If I Am Low In Both Warm & Cool NTs = Dual Deficiency? See the book: Balance Your Brain, Balance Your Life if you have both deficiencies.

94. P.S. Some Facts from the National Institute of Mental Health  www.nimh.nih.gov

95. NIMH Statistics Statistics Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people. Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion — about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 — who suffer from a serious mental illness. In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity. The Impact of Mental Illness on Society The burden of mental illness on health and productivity in the United States and throughout the world has long been underestimated. Data developed by the massive Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Harvard University, reveal that mental illness, including suicide, accounts for over 15 percent of the burden of disease in established market economies, such as the United States. This is more than the disease burden caused by all cancers.

96. Real Men Real DepressionThe Facts About Men And Depression - NIMH An estimated six million men in the United States have a depressive disorder-major depression, dysthymia (chronic, less severe depression), or bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) every year. (2004). Although these illnesses are highly treatable, many men do not recognize, acknowledge, or seek help for their depression. While both men and women may develop the standard symptoms of depression, they often experience depression differently and may have different ways of coping. Men may be more willing to report fatigue, irritability, loss of interest in work or hobbies, and sleep disturbances rather than feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and excessive guilt, which are commonly associated with depression in women. Also, tragically, four times as many men as women die by suicide, even though women make more suicide attempts during their lives. The truth is, depression is a real and treatable illness. It can strike at any age, from childhood into late life. With proper diagnosis and treatment, the vast majority of men with depression can be helped.

97. What Makes Depression Different From The Blues? - NIMH Depression is a serious medical condition that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects how you eat and sleep. It alters your self-perception. It changes the way you think and feel. Men (and women) with a depressive illness can't just "snap out of it" or "pull themselves together," because depression isn't the same as a passing mood. Left untreated, depression may last for weeks, months, or years at a time. Depressive illnesses can make routine tasks unbearably difficult. Pleasures that make life worth living-watching a football game, playing with children, even making love-can be drained of joy. Depression brings pain and disruption not only to the person who has it, but also to his family and others who care about him. If you are experiencing some of the following symptoms, you may have a depressive illness. Ask yourself if you are feeling: sad or "empty"; irritable or angry; guilty or worthless; pessimistic or hopeless; tired or "slowed down"; restless or agitated; like no one cares about you; or like life is not worth living. You may also: sleep more or less than usual; eat more or less than usual; have persistent headaches, stomachaches or chronic pain; have trouble concentrating, remembering things or making decisions; lose interest in work or hobbies; or lose interest in sex. If these symptoms are familiar, it's time to talk with your doctor. Depression is a real, medical illness that can be successfully treated, most often with medication, psychotherapy ("talk" therapy), or a combination of both. Support from family and friends plays an important role as well.

98. It Takes Courage To Ask For Help - NIMH The feelings and behaviors that are part of depression can hinder a person's ability to seek help. In addition, men in particular may find it difficult to admit depressive symptoms and ask for help. It's important to remember, however, that depression is a real, treatable illness and is nothing to be ashamed about. Thanks to years of research, a variety of effective treatments including medications and short-term psychotherapies are available for depressive disorders. Treatment choice will depend on the patient's diagnosis, severity of symptoms, and preference. In general, severe depressive illnesses, particularly those that are recurrent, will require a combination of treatments for the best outcome. If you are feeling depressed, tell someone about your symptoms. Speak with a doctor, nurse, psychologist, social worker, or employee assistance professional. Asking for help takes courage, but it can make all the difference.

99. What are Anxiety Disorders? - NIMH Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation in the office, study harder for an exam, keep focused on an important speech. In general, it helps one cope. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it has become a disabling disorder. Types: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Panic Disorder Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder) Anxiety Disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (about 18%) in a given year,1 causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event (such as speaking in public or a first date), anxiety disorders last at least 6 months and can get worse if they are not treated. Anxiety disorders commonly occur along with other mental or physical illnesses, including alcohol or substance abuse, which may mask anxiety symptoms or make them worse. In some cases, these other illnesses need to be treated before a person will respond to treatment for the anxiety disorder.

100. Bipolar - NIMH Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a serious medical illness that causes shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder can be severe. Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings from overly "high" and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression. Most people with bipolar disorder can achieve substantial stabilization of their mood swings and related symptoms over time with proper treatment. A strategy that combines medication and psychosocial treatment is optimal for managing the disorder over time. Up to 97 percent of those who had some type of bipolar illness said they had coexisting psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, depression or substance abuse disorders, and many were in treatment for those conditions rather than bipolar disorder. The researchers found that many were receiving medication treatment considered “inappropriate” for bipolar disorder, e.g., they were taking an antidepressant or other psychotropic medication in the absence of a mood stabilizing medication such as lithium, valproate, or carbamazepine. Only about 40 percent were receiving appropriate medication, considered a mood stabilizer, anticonvulsant or antipsychotic medication. “Such a high rate of inappropriate medication use among people with bipolar spectrum disorder is a concern,” said Dr. Merikangas. “It is potentially dangerous because use of an antidepressant without the benefit of a mood stabilizer may actually worsen the condition.” Types of Bipolar (Bipolar I and Bipolar II): http://bipolar.about.com/cs/bpbasics/a/0210_whatisbp.htm

101. Symptoms of Bipolar Type I

102. More Facts http://www.mentalhealth.gov/health/publications/older-adults-depression-and-suicide-facts-fact-sheet/index.shtml Dr. Daniel Amen videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tI1UEPrYkE

103. It’s Important To Stop The Vicious Cycle 1) Activating Event  Stress 2) Decreased Cooling / Increased Warming 5) Anger 3) Anxiety 4) Depression

104. Here Are Some Of The Areas Of Focus To Get Back In Balance Deep Sleep Brain Chemistry Health Effective Nutrition Assumptions, Beliefs, Perceptions, Attitudes Sense of Purpose/ Passion Stretching & Aerobic Exercise

105. Now That I Know All of This, What’s My Next Step? ACTION

106. Balance Your Brain, Balance Your Life “Process” Talk with your doctor and get this book. It has a 28-Day Warming program and a 28-Day Cooling program depending on your particular need. It includes the following components: 1) Perspective and worldview changes (ex: banishing negative thinking) 2) Sleep improvement (ex: go to bed earlier – every hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after) 3) Exercise program (ex: 10 minutes of walking every morning) 4) Lifestyle adjustments (ex: 10 minute meditation at least 90 minutes before bedtime) 5) Diet & supplements routine (64 ounces of water every day) 6) Maintenance of your improved health (incorporating all of the above into a lifetime routine) Buy the book & do the process if your scores indicate that you need to have a better balance of warming and cooling NTs.

107. There is so much more to learn… There is so much more to learn and as I discover additional important information I will pass it on. Hope you will pass on anything you learn to me as well.

108. Never Give Up Seeking Help! Love, Rita May the force be with you!