Sometimes, it is all down to your self esteem...

Do you rub your hands in glee if an acquaintance fails to land their dream job? Or chuckle when someone spills their coffee down their white shirt? If so, then it could be because you’ve got low self-esteem, according to researchers.

Enjoying someone else’s misfortune is known as schadenfreude and scientists from Leiden University in the Netherlands say that the lower your self-esteem, the more you’ll experience it.  ‘If somebody enjoys the misfortune of others, then there's something in that misfortune that is good for the person,’ said study researcher Wilco W van Dijk.

The first was about an ambitious student who was aiming to secure a dream job. The second was a chat with his supervisor who revealed that his academic success had been extremely patchy and that he wouldn't be offered the role. The volunteers were then given various statements and asked to what degree they agreed with them.

Their responses would measure their susceptibility to schadenfreude. The statements included ‘I enjoy[ed] what happened to Marleen/Mark’ and ‘I couldn’t resist a little smile.’

Self-esteem levels had been worked out in a separate test before this stage of the experiment and the results show that those with a low opinion of themselves were happiest at learning of the student’s misfortune.

To add even more veracity to the study those with low self-esteem were tested again after they’d been given some short and intense positive thinking exercises – and their schadnfreude levels dropped.

Van Dijk told LiveScience: ‘I think when you have low self-esteem, you will do almost anything to feel better, and when you're confronted with the misfortune of others you'll feel schadenfreude. ‘In this study, if we give people something to affirm their self, then what we found is they have less schadenfreude - they don't need the misfortune of others to feel better anymore.’

read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2073208/Secretly-feel-good-fail-Its-YOUR-low-self-esteem.html

About Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) is a chronic brain disorder marked by bouts of extreme and impairing changes in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior. The most outwardly apparent symptoms are behavioral; however, the illness often has less visible, but serious, cognitive, cardiac, and metabolic effects. Symptoms may emerge gradually or suddenly during childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. Researchers have identified cases of bipolar disorder in every age group studied, including preschoolers.
  
Here, The Balanced Mind Foundation examines bipolar disorder that emerges in childhood or adolescence. Bipolar disorder does not affect every child in the same way. The frequency, intensity, and duration of a child’s symptoms and the child’s response to treatment vary dramatically. As the child grows up, bipolar disorder may affect the size, shape, and function of brain regions and networks. Recent research suggests that pediatric bipolar disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Parts of the brain mature (or come online) at different rates and times; brain maturation is not complete until an individual is 25 or so. Consequently, the symptoms and diagnosis of a psychiatric illness may change as the child grows. 

Children and adolescents can have bipolar disorder. Some of our ill children meet the textbook definition of bipolar disorder. Some of our ill children with severe mood dysregulation might not meet the textbook definition because they don't have distinct episodes of a certain duration or have few clear periods of wellness between episodes. They might have rapid and severe cycling between moods or they might present in a mixed state that produces chronic irritability. Experts have not yet reached consensus as to whether children with chronic irritability and clear mood swings, but without mania, should be classified as having bipolar disorder.  The Balanced Mind Foundation urges the research community to agree on a common terminology and a way to communicate with each other and with families about the full spectrum of the severe illness(es) impairing our children. It is imperative that we work together to alleviate the terrible suffering that this disorder wreaks.

Bipolar I. In this form of the disorder, the individual experiences one or more episodes of mania. Episodes of depression may also occur, but are not required to diagnose bipolar disorder. 
Symptoms of mania include:

• euphoria (elevated mood)—silliness or elation that is inappropriate and impairing
• grandiosity
• flight of ideas or racing thoughts
• more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
• irritability or hostility when demands are not met
• excessive distractibility
• decreased need for sleep without daytime fatigue
• excessive involvement in pleasurable but risky activities (daredevil acts, hypersexuality)
• poor judgment
• hallucinations and psychosis

For an episode to qualify as mania, there must be elevated mood plus at least three other symptoms, or irritable mood plus at least four other symptoms.
Symptoms of depression include:

•  lack of joy and pleasure in life
• withdrawal from activities formerly enjoyed 
• agitation and irritability
• pervasive sadness and/or crying spells
• sleeping too much or inability to sleep
• drop in grades or inability to concentrate
• thoughts of death and suicide
• fatigue or loss of energy
• feelings of worthlessness
• significant weight loss, weight gain or change in appetite

Stable periods occur between episodes of mania and depression. An episode must last at least one week, or, if hospitalization is necessary, may be of any duration.

Bipolar II. In this form of the disorder, the individual experiences recurrent periods of depression with episodes of normal mood (euthymia) or hypomania between episodes. Hypomania is a markedly elevated or irritable mood accompanied by increased physical and mental energy. Hypomania can be a time of great creativity and energy and may, but not always, progress into full-blown mania if not treated. Some people with bipolar disorder never develop full-blown mania. 

Bipolar Disorder NOS (Not Otherwise Specified).Doctors may make this diagnosis when there is severe mood dysregulation with serious impairment, but it is not clear which type of bipolar disorder, if any, is emerging.  Perhaps the individual has always been impaired, with cycling apparent since infancy. Maybe there have been no discernable periods of wellness. Perhaps the child is experiencing the emergence of another neurodevelopmental illness and the symptoms of that disorder have not yet been fully expressed. The inability to pinpoint a diagnosis should not be taken as a dismissal of the severity of the child’s symptoms. 

Bipolar disorder is often accompanied by symptoms of other psychiatric disorders (those other disorders are said to be "comorbid" with the bipolar disorder). In some children, proper treatment for bipolar disorder clears up the symptoms thought to indicate another diagnosis. In other children, bipolar disorder may explain only part of a more complicated case that includes neurological, developmental, and other components. An accurate diagnosis of a child or teen presenting with severely troubled behavior is perhaps the most problematic issue facing families.
Diagnoses that mimic, mask, or co-occur with pediatric bipolar disorder include:  

• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)* 
• Depression** 
• Oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD) 
• Conduct disorder (CD) 
• Pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) 
• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) 
• Panic disorder 
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 
• Tourette's syndrome (TS) 
• Seizure disorders 
• Reactive attachment disorder (RAD)

read more: http://www.thebalancedmind.org/learn/library/about-pediatric-bipolar-disorder?page=1

Accidental cure ends 50 years of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common skin condition that involves skin cells reproducing too quickly in certain areas of the skin. This results in thickened patches of skiin whire are red and dry and covered in whitish scales.

The medical division of labour within the Heath Service works, for the most part, pretty well. The GP and hospital consultant have complementary roles – the former providing personalised "holistic" care and the latter the specialist knowledge to sort out complex problems. 

Still there is always the danger of falling between the two proverbial stools when the GP, presuming the specialist has everything in hand, does not take an active interest, to his patient's disadvantage. This is a particular hazard for chronic conditions for which there is no definitive cure but a host of options. 

"I have suffered with psoriasis since a cricket-ball accident when aged 14," writes a 64-year-old reader from Surrey. Since then, he has tried the full gamut of emollients, moisturisers, coal-tar preparations, topical steroids, the vitamin D derivative Calcipotriol and two lots of 28 sessions of ultraviolet (UV) light therapy. 

Over the years, his family doctor has not been much involved beyond issuing repeat prescriptions, but a recent visit to his hospital specialist had a most surprising outcome. She was keen to give him yet another protracted session of UV light therapy but then asked almost incidentally whether in the previous 50 years he had ever tried a cheap and simple preparation combining a steroid cream and salicylic acid (as found in aspirin) called Diprosalic. 

No, he had not – but within a fortnight of two daily applications his "peeling wallpaper" had vanished. Large areas on his thighs and buttocks and the patches on his elbows and elsewhere "have converted almost to a natural skin colour that is perfectly smooth".

He wondered, naturally enough, how many others like himself just bounce along to discover almost by accident the definitive remedy for their ailment. 

The fresh walnut season has arrived to coincide with a report that just a handful a day can usefully lower the cholesterol level – which must be preferable to taking statins for life. 

Dr Joan Sabata, of the University of California, writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, attributes the effects to a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. This also accounts for their supposed value as a "brain food" – whose appearance the nuts themselves so closely resemble – in conformity with the medieval doctrine of "signatures". 

Further, as previously commented on in this column, walnuts can triple the amount of melatonin in the blood, ensuring for a reader from Cheshire six hours of uninterrupted sleep at night, and the further serendipitous benefit of transforming her previous brittle nails into powerful talons. And if that were not enough, Dr Paul Davis, also from the University of California, reports that, at least in mice, walnuts slow the growth of cancers of the prostate.
That is a lot of health claims for just one type of nut – posing yet again the profound question why every type of fruit and plant should be a unique chemical factory whose many diverse products are so beneficial to ourselves. 

This week's conundrum comes courtesy of Mrs W L of Suffolk, "an active 70-year-old woman in reasonable health", were it not that most evenings, around 6pm, she develops burning, red-hot ears that last for up to a couple of hours. 

"The area above my ears feels swollen, and then they turn bright red and become very painful," she writes. "At times, the pressure of my lightweight glasses becomes unbearable." This has been going on for over a year and "no doctor has been able to offer a solution". 

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthadvice/jameslefanu/7726301/Accidental-cure-ends-50-years-of-psoriasis.html

Workplace Bully Behaviors: Hidden Traits

To enjoy a long and successful career, a skilled bully must disguise his true character. To accomplish this, his behaviors must conceal his bullying nature while unfairly exploiting others.

These subtle but powerful tactics are at the heart of his arsenal. They are dangerous because they tend to remain unrecognized. And even if you perceive the subtle pattern of bullying behavior, others probably won’t.

What can you do about it? If you say anything to your co-workers, they’ll look at you like you’re confused, delusional or even paranoid. If you report your suspicions to upper management, they’ll conclude that you’re using underhanded tactics against the bully (the absurdity of this will be lost on those oblivious to the bullying). And if you confront the bully directly, you may be fired.

There is rarely an easy solution when you’re dealing with a well-established, highly skilled bully, but the initial steps are always the same: study his behaviors and learn to understand him. Only by recognizing his hidden traits will you have any hope of effectively fighting back.

Hidden traits:

1. Charming
2. Obsessed with image
3. Distorts truth and reality
4. Evasive
5. Plays the victim
6. Self-righteous
7. Pompous
8. Hypocritical
9. Two-faced
10. Rumor-monger
11. Passive-aggressive
12. Pretends to care

Read more: http://www.kickbully.com/hidden.html

Hating your job is as bad for your health as being unemployed, researchers warn...

A demanding job, nasty boss and poor job security are as bad for your mental health as being out of  work  |   Only those who enjoy their jobs fare better  |  Also linked to increased risk of heart disease

Having a job you hate is as bad for your mental health as being unemployed, Australian researchers have claimed. They say that people with poor working conditions suffer just as much as those out of work.

And they weren’t just referring to a dusty factory or dimly lit office, but psychological factors such as a demanding job, nasty boss and poor job security. The researchers, from the Australian National University, compared the mental health of British people who were unemployed with those in jobs of differing ‘psychosocial quality’, as they called it.

The study’s author, associate professor Peter Butterworth, said that people unhappy in their jobs were just as likely to have mental health issues as those without a job at all.

 

Those in departments with high rates of promotion were approximately 20 per cent less likely to develop heart disease than those who weren’t. 'It’s largely down to a feeling of being in control (or not),’ said Daryl O’Connor, professor of health psychology at the University of Leeds. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2237371/Hating-job-bad-health-unemployed-researchers-warn.html#ixzz2D82ouTb9 

Having a job you hate is as bad for your mental health as being unemployed, Australian researchers have claimed.
They say that people with poor working conditions suffer just as much as those out of work.
And they weren’t just referring to a dusty factory or dimly lit office, but psychological factors such as a demanding job, nasty boss and poor job security.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2237371/Hating-job-bad-health-unemployed-researchers-warn.html#ixzz2D80qCfGl
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Hating your job is as bad for your health as being unemployed, researchers warn

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2237371/Hating-job-bad-health-unemployed-researchers-warn.html#ixzz2D7ze2utv
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Hating your job is as bad for your health as being unemployed, researchers warn

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2237371/Hating-job-bad-health-unemployed-researchers-warn.html#ixzz2D7ze2utv
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Stress of 21st century life puts Britons at greater risk of stroke, study warns

Around one in seven Britons are feeling 'extremely stressed'...  they are at a higher risk of suffering a stroke, research suggests. Almost one in five women and one in 10 men feel their stress levels are out of control, according to the poll of 2,000 people. 

Experts warned that stress pushes up blood pressure, putting people at higher risk of stroke.Rising stress levels: British men and women could be more likely to suffer a stroke due to their fast-paced lives.

A poor diet and lack of exercise also contribute to the chances of suffering a stroke.
Stroke is the third commonest cause of death in England and Wales after heart disease and cancer, killing more than 67,000 people every year. An estimated 150,000 people annually suffer a stroke.

Today's survey, from the Stroke Association and Siemens, found almost a fifth of people said they 'take no exercise whatsoever'.
A similar number said they manage only 30 minutes of exercise once a week.

Over a quarter of middle-aged people (45 to 54) said they never exercise, despite suffering the highest stress levels - with almost half ranking themselves as more than 'moderately stressed'. Overall, 40 per cent of Britons surveyed said they were unaware of the link between exercising and lowering the risk of stroke.

James Beeby, head of corporate fundraising for the Stroke Association, said: "The research is incredibly worrying and emphasises the need for the public to be aware of the dangers of stroke.

'Stroke is the UK's third biggest killer and we'd encourage as many people as possible to take part in Stroke for Stroke week - and help to raise awareness as well as vital funds.
'It's imperative that people take regular exercise and modify their diet to reduce the risk of suffering a stroke.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1344207/Stress-21st-century-life-puts-Britons-greater-risk-stroke-study-warns.html#ixzz2CIpPtSQy



 

Smoking in front of children can make them addicted to nicotine

Most smokers are very aware of the damage they are doing to their own health - and know that others can also suffer though passive smoking. 

But a worrying new study reveals that smoking infront of children not only passes on the harmful effects of the smoke in the air - it can also get them hooked on cigarettes.

A Concordia and University of Montreal study published in the Oxford journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, found that tweens who repeatedly observe a parent, sibling, friend or neighbur consuming cigarettes are more likely to start smoking themselves.

Worrying: A new study reveals that smoking infront of children not only passes on the harmful effects of the smoke in the air - it can also get them hooked on cigarettes

'Kids who see others smoking are more likely to take up the habit because they don't perceive cigarettes as unhealthy,' says lead study author Simon Racicot, of Concordia University's Department of Psychology.

'We found that kids who'd never smoked who were exposed to tobacco use were more likely to hold positive beliefs about the killer habit. These are the kids who are more likely to start smoking as teenagers.' This new investigation builds on previous studies examining the negative effects of being surrounded by smokers.

 

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Senior author Jennifer J. McGrath, a professor in the Concordia University Department of Psychology said around 60 per cent of children are exposed to secondhand smoke across North America.

'Greater exposure to smokers is largely associated with greater exposure to nicotine,' she said.

'Children exposed to the same amounts of secondhand smoke as adults absorb higher doses of nicotine. 

'Early findings suggest that secondhand smoke exposure could possibly trigger addiction in the brain – before kids actually start smoking themselves.'

Earning: Early findings suggest that secondhand smoke exposure could possibly trigger addiction in the brain - before kids actually start smoking themselves

For the study, 327 11-13 year olds enrolled in French-language public schools were questioned about their smoking habits, the number of smokers in their entourage and the situations where they observed smoking. 

'Preteens who were surrounded by more smokers believed that there are greater advantages to smoking,' says Racicot. 'Therefore, smoking by parents, siblings, and friends increases risk factors for later smoking.'

The researchers argue that new prevention efforts must be tailored to children who are highly exposed to secondhand smoke - ensuring they are aware of the risks.
The general public also needs to be informed about how smoking around youth normalizes the dangerous habit.

'When it comes to smoking around kids, the best thing a parent can do is to avoid exposing their kids to cigarettes and to secondhand smoke,' says Racicot. 

'A parent should step outside of their home or car to smoke. And the addictive habit should remain out of sight, out of breath and out of mind.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2003453/Smoking-children-make-addicted-nicotine.html#ixzz2CImuje98

24,000 with diabetes 'are dying needlessly': Fewer than half of patients get vital checks, say MPs

Up to 24,000 patients with diabetes are dying needlessly each year despite the NHS spending £3.9billion on their care, warn MPs.

A report from an influential Commons committee says that there is an ‘unacceptable postcode lottery’  of care, with massive variations across the country.

Fewer than half of diabetes patients are given nine basic checks by their GP which can reduce the risk of complications such as blindness, amputation or kidney disease.

Risk: New figures show that less than half of diabetes patients receive the correct checks by their GP!! The Public Accounts Committee warns: ‘Most alarmingly, the Department estimates 24,000 people with diabetes die prematurely each year because their diabetes has not been managed effectively.’

Unless care improves significantly, the NHS will incur ever-rising costs and avoidable deaths will continue, it says. The number of those with diabetes, mostly type 2, is expected to rise from 3.1million to 3.8 million by 2020.

 

More...

• Weight-loss surgery could cause weak bones, warn doctors
• The fast-track dementia test: PM to announce creation of new NHS hi-tech brain clinics that will help cut diagnosis time from 18 months to just three
• A moment on the lips, 30 minutes on the hips: The Coca-Cola calculator that reveals how long it takes to burn off the calories in just ONE CAN

PAC chairman Margaret Hodge said fewer than one in five diabetes sufferers has the recommended levels of blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol. She criticised the lack of mandatory targets to deliver diabetes care, as there are for cancer, stroke and heart disease.

Across England fewer than half of diabetes patients received the nine recommended checks between 2009 and 2010. In some primary care trusts,  standards actually worsened with fewer than one in ten patients getting proper checks. 

Rising problem: The number diabetes patients is expected to rise by 700,000 in eight years

The PAC report says GP practices are being paid for individually monitoring diabetic patients rather than providing the vital nine-point check-up  – and this should be changed.
The Department of Health is reviewing annual incentive payments, which could result in practices getting the cash only if they do the full range of checks for at least 75 per cent of patients.

The PAC report comes after the National Audit Office laid bare a decade of failure since minimum standards of care were set in 2001. Mrs Hodge said progress had been ‘depressingly poor’, with no accountability at local level and no strong leadership.
‘We have seen no evidence that the Department will ensure that these issues are addressed effectively in the new NHS structure.

‘Failure to do so will lead to higher costs to the NHS as well as less than adequate support for people with diabetes.’ Barbara Young, of charity Diabetes UK, said: ‘This sets out how a postcode lottery of care has been allowed to develop that means too many are getting healthcare that’s not good enough. 

‘Given the increasingly strong evidence of inadequate care, we cannot understand why the NHS has sleepwalked into this situation. 'This has led to huge numbers of potentially preventable complications such as amputation, and to many thousands of people dying before their time.’

The Department of Health said: ‘We do not accept the conclusion services are “depressingly poor” as there has been progress. But we know there has been unacceptable variation and we’re determined to put that right.’

THE NINE CRUCIAL CHECKS

All diabetes patients should receive nine crucial tests from their GP at an annual review, including:

- Weight
- Blood pressure
- Smoking status
- A marker for blood glucose called HbA1c
- Protein in the urine (for kidney damage)
- Creatinine levels in the blood (for kidney damage n  cholesterol levels
- Tests to assess whether eyes have been damaged and
- Foot examinations.

If left unchecked, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure and increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and stroke.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2228443/24-000-diabetes-dying-needlessly-Fewer-half-patients-vital-checks-say-MPs.html#ixzz2CIkQ8oIN