Hypochondriac?

Is it just me? Or do other people worry? Are you a hypochondriac?

Hypochondriac (hī-pō-kon’drē-ak): a person with somatic over-concern, including morbid attention to the details of bodily functioning and exaggeration of any symptoms no matter how insignificant.

A main symptom of hypochondria is the misdiagnosis of any slight ailment. The fear that hypochondria exerts is so great that any small ache or pain is treated as a major illness. The hypochondriac will think that the smallest pain can be attributed to major illness such as cancer or AIDS. In a sense, the hypochondriac believes the worst and usually cannot be dissuaded by contrary expert opinion.

Recurrent visits to the doctor are another sign of hypochondria. The sufferer may also change doctors if the doctor suspects hypochondria. The hypochondriac may begin to fear the doctor due to this diagnosis.

The worries of the hypochondriac can have severe ramifications in daily life. The hypochondriac may spend a lot of time away from work worrying about his or her imagined ill health. Anxiety levels increase due to this incessant worry, and can create other illnesses such as panic attacks and depression.

Many physical symptoms of illness can be triggered by hypochondria. Psycho-somatic symptoms may also be found in the condition. Many hypochondriacs are seriously concerned with their own death due to the condition, and many begin to make preparations for their death.

Another symptom of hypochondria is an obsessive need for information on diseases and illnesses. The hypochondriac will usually not believe the diagnoses of doctors and will try to find his or her own diagnosis of the perceived illness. Hypochondriacs spend a great a deal of the day worrying about and discussing their symptoms.

Hypochondria affects at least 6% of people. Many people believe that bad posture is an explanation for hypochondria. The word hypochondria comes from Greek words meaning "below" and "the ribs

I would love to hear from anyone that feels they may be a hypocohondriac?

Let's Schmooze.

Please email me at mmorris358@aol.com

Positive thinking: Reduce stress, enjoy life more

I have been under more stress this past year and a half than most people. If you are like me....this stress is taking a hard hit on my health.

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic.

In fact, some studies show that these personality traits — optimism and pessimism — can affect many areas of your health and well-being. Positive thinking also is a key part of effective stress management. Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. It just means that you approach the unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way.

Learn how to put positive thinking into action in your own life, and reap the benefits.

Identifying negative thinking
Some common forms of negative self-talk include:

Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. But you forgot one minor step. That evening, you focus only on your oversight and forget about the compliments you received.

Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.

Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. You refuse to go out with friends for fear that you'll make a fool of yourself. Or one change in your daily routine leads you to think the entire day will be a disaster.

Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you're a total failure.

Focusing on positive thinking
Because your self-talk is mainly negative doesn't mean you're doomed to an unhappy or unhealthy life. You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it takes time and practice — you're creating a new habit, after all.

Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive way:

Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.

Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.

Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn to manage stress.

Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people, those who believe they have no power over their lives, may increase your stress level and may make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.

Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about yourself.

As always, I would love to hear from all of you...What Do You Want To Schmooze About?

Please email me at mmorris358@aol.com

Please DO NOT Place Family In Nursing Homes

In a nursing home in West Bloomfield, MI, my mother was waiting, and waiting, for an aide to answer her call bell and help her to the bathroom. She is only in the rehab part but it's still just a nursing home.

They don't care. They are really busy and hey have a lot of residents here. You’ll have to wait your turn.” is said on an hourly basis.

Nursing home staff and family members tangle — how could it be otherwise? Family members, doing something no one ever really wants to do, grapple with stress, guilt and raw emotion as they turn daily care for a loved one over to strangers. And virtually all nursing homes are chronically short-staffed, with too few aides and nurses scurrying to help too many residents, who are more impaired and suffer higher rates of dementia than their peers a couple of decades ago. Even staffers who want to provide warm, personal attention rarely have the time.

Nursing homes Do NOT Care about your loved ones...IF you care about your family member you will NOT place them in a nursing home.

As always, I would love to hear from all of you...What Do You Want To Schmooze About?

Please contact me at mmorris358@aol.com

All Nursing Homes Are Just Nursing Homes

Our parents are getting older, sometimes we are able to care for them and sometimes we have to depend on others.

I would NEVER put even my worst enemy in a nursing home to help a family member. It is very important to avoid nursing homes that will only give the basic standard of care to your love ones.

I have NOTHING nice to say about any nursing home. I have checked out a lot of nursing homes in the area and needless to say...ALL nursing homes are JUST nursing homes.

If you think money can buy your loved one into a great nursing home...NO such thing. They do NOT care about any one....

I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions on nursing homes.

As always, I would love to hear from all of you...What Do You Want To Schmooze About?

Please contact me at mmorris358@aol.com