Is Your Doctor Making You Feel Worse?

Has respect been lacking?

First, an update on my book! (The Truth About Depression and How You Can Beat It)

It has been so frustrating trying to get my book out to you. I am still trying to get my website up and running and I have to wait until 12 March for a telephone conference call with my graphic artist. It will then possibly be 3-4 months until the book is in physical form. So I must plod on relentlessly with getting my website done so you can immediately download the PDF version (all ready and waiting to go). This has already been uploaded onto my site so all I have to do now is link it to a payment button, so hopefully I won't keep you waiting too long now.

You can read all about it in my November Post

Your patience has been appreciated - it will be worth waiting for.

Right, back to it. I went to an appointment at my doctor's surgery recently and because I was seeing a registrar (a newly qualified doctor finishing off training), was handed a questionnaire to fill in after the appointment. There were questions on it such as 'did the doctor listen to your story' 'did they spend too much time looking at their computer screen' etc.,

The questions got me thinking about previous appointments at the surgery, over the years and after completing the questionnaire I thought it would be a good idea if you could have the chance to fill one in after seeing the regular doctors. I say this because if I had the chance to do this, there would be certain areas that, in my opinion, were not being adequately executed.

It could be that some doctors may become complacent over the years and through habit, some may even lose sight of the patients needs and even develop an offhand manner, not realising the effect it may have on their patients. They may not even realize that they are doing it.

For example. I know of people who are so put off by their doctor's attitudes towards them that they simply will not go to one, even when they are ill. I think this is atrocious. I have even had to persuade two people to go to a doctor and even made an appointment for one of them because they looked so ill. I have even known of 4 people who will not even entertain the idea of seeing one particular doctor!

A common complaint seems to be that doctors may appear too aloof. Obviously they need to keep a professional 'air of detachment' to a certain extent, but surely the odd smile of welcome to put you at your ease would not go amiss. This would go a long way to make you feel comfortable instead of making for a possibly difficult appointment. You may even come out not having said what you wanted to about the reason for you being there.

Controversial? yes it is, but I am convinced this is a very common occurence.

I am sure that each country has some sort of Health Constitution, covering patients rights. I recently looked up our own (UK) National Health Document and if you are in the UK you will be very interested in this. NHS Constitution : Department of Health - Health care (click to view)

People just seem to accept the fact that they have come out of their doctors surgery feeling upset with no suitable resolution and maybe even vowing not to go back again. You do have a right to a duty of care and a right to give feeback (good or bad) to your doctor, who should be treating you with respect, dignity and compassion.

I will quote passages from our own Constitution in the hope that this article will persuade you to visit a doctor if you have been put off in the past. You do have the right to see any doctor you want so do not have to stick to just the one. You will not be 'troubling him' - it is his job so please do not put your health at risk by ignoring any problems.

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NHS CONSTITUTION (passage extracts) Doctors are representatives of the NHS. I think it would be helpful for them all to re-aquaint themselves with the document!

NHS 'It has a duty to each and every individual that it serves and must respect their human rights'

NHS 'high quality care that is safe, effective and focussed on patient experience'

RESPECT, CONSENT & CONFIDENTIALITY

'You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, in accordance with your human rights'

'You have the right to accept or refuse treatment that is offered to you, and not to be given any physical examination or treatment unless you have given valid consent'.

'You have the right to be given information about your proposed treatment in advance, including any significant risks and any alternative treatments which may be available.....'

'You have the right of access to your own health records.These will always be used to manage your treatment in your best interests'

'You have the right to express a preference for using a particular doctor within your GP practice and for the practice to try and comply'

'You have the right to make choices about your NHS care and to information to support these choices. The options available to you will develop over time and depend on your individual needs'

'....to inform you about the healthcare services available to you, locally and nationally (pledge) and to offer you easily accessible, reliable and relevant information to enable you to participate fully in your own healthcare decisions and to support you in making choices'

INVOLVEMENT IN YOUR HEALTHCARE AND IN THE NHS

You have the right to be involved in discussions and decisions about your healthcare, and to be given information to enable you to do this.

COMPLAINT & REDRESS

'You have the right to have any complaint you make about NHS services dealt with efficiently and to have it properly investigated'.

'You have the right to know the outcome of any investigation into your complaint'

'You have the right to take your complaint to the independent Health Service Ombudsman, if you are not satisfied with the way your complaint has been dealt with by the NHS'.

'You have the right to make a claim for judicial review if you think you have been directly affected by an unlawful act or decision of an NHS body'.

'You have the right to compensation where you have been harmed by negligent treatment'.

The NHS also commits:

'to ensure you are treated with courtesy and you receive appropriate support throughout the handling of a complaint; and the fact that you have complained will not adversely affect your future treatment (pledge); '

'when mistakes happen, to acknowledge them, apologise, explain what went wrong and put things right quickly and effectively (pledge); and to ensure that the organisation learns lessons from complaints and claims and uses these to improve NHS services (pledge)'.

PATIENTS AND THE PUBLIC - RESPONSIBILITY

'You should give feedback – both positive and negative – about the treatment and care you have received, including any adverse reactions you may have had'.

'to be open with patients, their families, carers or representatives, including if anything goes wrong; welcoming and listening to feedback and addressing concerns promptly and in a spirit of co-operation. You should contribute to a climate where the truth can be heard and the reporting of, and learning from, errors is encouraged; and to view the services you provide from the standpoint of a patient, and involve patients',

NHS VALUES

Respect and dignity. 'We value each person as an individual, respect their aspirations and commitments in life, and seek to understand their priorities, needs, abilities and limits. We take what others have to say seriously. We are honest about our point of view and what we can and cannot do.'

Commitment to quality of care. 'We earn the trust placed in us by insisting on quality and striving to get the basics right every time: '

'We welcome feedback, learn from our mistakes and build on our successes.'

Compassion. 'We respond with humanity and kindness to each person’s pain, distress, anxiety or need. We search for the things we can do, however small, to give comfort and relieve suffering. We find time for those we serve and work alongside. We do not wait to be asked, because we care'.

Improving lives. 'We strive to improve health and well-being and people’s experiences of the NHS.'

'We value excellence and professionalism wherever we find it – in the everyday things that make people’s lives better as much as in clinical practice, service improvements and innovation.'

Working together for patients. 'We put patients first in everything we do, by reaching out to staff, patients, carers, families, communities, and professionals outside the NHS'.

'We put the needs of patients and communities before organisational boundaries'.

We accept that some people need more help.

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I hope this has been helpful to you. If it helps just one of you who are too scared to repeat a visit to the doctor because of a bad experience - then it will be worth it.

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To date, I have had 132 visits to this blog despite the fact that I have not actively marketed it! Many are from search engines all around the world (check my stats). You can 'subscribe' to my blog, or become my first 'follower' - see list on the right of this post.

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Are you planning to, or have you written, your own book? Then I can highly recommend my own publisher. Click on the link below:

'til next time

Bonnie

The Truth About Depression and How You Can Beat It

Prescripton Drugs - Kill or Cure?

Are We Being Naive In Our Faith With The Drug Industry

When you get to read my book, (I am awaiting a conference call at the moment to go over the finer details of the pending publishing of it) you will see that I mention prescription drugs, especially anti-depressants and I tell you about all the alternatives you can take to help yourself.

You can read all about my book on my November post.

You do get the impression, early on, that I do not believe in drugs (unless given in a life and death situation, of course) and fought against being prescribed anti-depressants because I knew that I did not need them and this was confirmed by a psychiatrist (it's ok, I was pronounced as 'sane' and having no mental illness)! You will read on a post further down how I recently had these 'foisted upon me' against my will and so refused to take them.

This is not to mean that you can just suddenly stop taking any that you may have been prescribed because this is dangerous. They have been shown to help in major depression so they may be helping you ok, but I was only ever in the mild depression bracket because I have been taking alternative remedies for many years.

I have just read an article that can only add even more substance to my claim that a lot of prescription drugs may not be fit for their purpose. The only winners are the drugs companies and the billions of dollars that pour into their coffers each year. I will refer to extracts taken from my Candis (health/charity) magazine.

In the UK we spend out £8.2 billion (GBP) on prescriptions and it is said that GP's hand out an average 14 prescriptions per person which will increase for the over 65's. We accept our medication without even querying it. Would we just grab any old car, house or holiday without looking for a good deal. We trust our doctors and accept whatever they may hand out with a rather childlike trust.

Whilst drugs can help and heal, they can also hurt and harm us and we don't even give the fact another thought. Well, I have done and have also researched the subject in great depth.

In the UK alone, prescription drugs kill between 10 and 15,000 people a year and when you think this is 3-5 times the number of people who die on the roads here, the enormity of it will surely hit you. They also cause an astonishing one million admissions to our hospitals, which is a staggering 6.5 per cent of the total. A number of these may be accidental overdoses but unfortunately the rest is down to adverse drug reactions - from heart attacks to hallucinations.

In Canada, a study showed that the type of drugs to cause problems are:

• pain relief drugs (based on opium)


• heavy tranquillisers (known as antipsychotics)


• sleeping tablets


• anti-depressants

If road safety was treated in the same way as drug safety is, then we'd be driving with few traffic lights, without seat belts, no white lines or street lighting - and crashes would never be investigated, says Charles Medawar, director of the charity 'Social Audit', which monitors the pharmaceutical industry.

It is naive to think that every available drug has been trial tested and not only that, that interaction with other drugs has also been widely tested as this is just not possible. It costs the drug companies £300-600 million for the different trial types and would needs years and years of testing. Needless to state, the drugs companies have found ways around the rigorous process and can be set so they are more likely to show favourable results. Shocked? so you should be. They are likely to use volunteers who are younger and fitter then the elderly people who have the bulk of the prescriptions.

In a study, the 'New England Journal of Medicine' found that only 2 per cent of the people included in trials of aspirin-like anti-inflammatory drugs were over 65, despite the fact that this age group is more likely to use them. Also the elderly are more likely to suffer from drug reactions as when we age we get less efficient at handling toxins.

Women are also under represented in trials so reactions that women are vulnerable to, such as problems with heart rhythm, are less likely to show up in trials until after a drug is considered safe.

20 per cent of the most commonly prescribed drugs do not have a licence for the condition they are being used for. This is known as 'off label prescribing'. This means a drug may be prescribed for another purpose from that which it was intended.

For example: heavy tranquillisers that are licensed for use with schizophrenia are now also being routinely prescribed in the treatment of elderly patients with dementia and children with behavioural problems.

I have my own example where I was prescribed a drug that was supposed to help with my hot flashes (but it did not), which was marketed to treat high blood pressure! (belonging to a group of med's called vasodilators - which cause blood vessels to dilate (widen) thereby increasing the blood flow). These were originally trialled as an anti-depressant but were found not to be of much use. The leaflet says that it should not be taken if 'you have a history of depression or you are depressed' with such possible side effects as: low blood pressure, tiredness, difficulty in sleeping, hallucinations, confusion, nightmares, depression, anxiety, etc., etc., so be warned!

This 'off label prescribing' is widely practiced both in the UK and the US but it's one that is widely abused and it must be recalled the drug disaster stories that were around at the time - the link between HRT and heart disease and suicides and anti-depressants drugs for children - which were prescribed 'off label'.

As many as 200,000 dementia patients are being prescribed antipyschotics even though large scale studies have shown that they are not suitable for such people and can increase their risk of a stroke. There are also bad side effects such as: involuntary or repetitive movements, large weight gain, very low blood pressure, intense dreams or nightmares, lethargy or seizures.

They are also being prescribed to children with behavioural difficulties and is like giving chemotherapy for a headache.

The average person over the age of 65, is taking 29 different prescriptions! and as mentioned above, none of these multiple combinations have ever been tested in clinical trials and taking such a combination is likely to do more harm than good (Dr Malcolm Kendrick, a columnist for GP magazine 'Pulse'). Nobody is going to test them all because it would cost billions plus the drugs are made by different companies so co-operation between them all would be a problem.

It is mentioned that most elderly patients would be far healthier with fewer prescriptions. In-fact, an Israeli study in 2008 found that when a group of elderly patients reduced the number of drugs they took, they were 3 times less likely to have an emergency dash to hospital.

Relative and Absolute Risk

As well as becoming aware of the possible dangers from drugs, there are two things that can help you get a better idea of how effective a drug is. The first is the difference between relative and absolute risk. Your GP may tell you that a certain drug reduces your risk of some conditions by 25-30 per cent making it sound worth taking, but they might not mention how big the risk is to start with.

In trials of the risk of having a first heart attack, for example, it is 4 per cent on a placebo and 3 per cent on a cholestrol-lowering statin. That is a drop of 25 per cent - known as the relative risk. But the real (absolute) risk reduction is only 1 per cent. Not so impressive.

The second is something known as NNT (numbers needed to treat). This tells you how many people have to be treated with a drug over a certain period for one to benefit. So an NNT of one means that everyone who is treated benefits; NNT2 means that it works for one in two. e.g. head lice lotion has an NNT of one, aspirin has an NNT of two for reducing the pain of a sprain. Preventative treatments like the cholestrol-lowering statin drugs have very high NNT's, such as 641 to prevent one stroke.

So, it is up to us to ensure that we know everything we can about the drugs we are taking. My book stresses the fact that you must thoroughly read the leaflet accompanying your prescription. Do not be afraid to ask your GP questions about your med's and if you do suffer any of the side effects then it is vital you go back and tell him.

10 Questions to ask your Doctor (taken from Candis) - make an informed decision

1. Is this a drug that has only recently been licensed?
2. Is it a replacement for one that has just run out of patent?
3. Is this drug being prescribed 'off label' or not?
4. Have there been any trial of the drug run by researchers who are not financed by the drug manufacturers?
5. Was the drug tested on the same sort of people who are most likely to use it?
6. Has the drug been tested against any drugs already in use and how did it perform in those tests?
7. Are there any non-drug treatments that could be more effective than drugs for this condition?
8. Have all the trials carried out on the drug been registered anywhere so we know what all the results were? Did any trials show no effect or signs of problems?
9. What is the actual percentage figure for this drug's absolute risk versus relative risk and what is it's NNT?
10. What side effects are there and what serious side effects should I make sure I report immediately

I personally think that we probably won't have much luck in getting answers to some of these questions! Number 7 particularly interests me because when I told my doctor I was taking an alternative to anti-depressants he made it more than clear (on more than one occassion) that he did not believe in these alternatives, so I would be very suprised if your doctor recommends a 'non drug treatment that could be more effective'. If they do, then I suggest you hang on to them!

Remember - you must never just stop taking any medication that you have been prescribed as it is dangerous and could even be fatal. - I am not a doctor.

Don't forget that you can subscribe to my blog and receive alerts straight into your inbox each time I add a post. Click on the link to the right.

Are you planning to, or have you written, your own book? Then I can highly recommend my own publishers, click on the link below for details

Bonnie

The Truth About Depression and How You Can Beat It

Depression And Alcohol

Depression cannot be helped with alcohol and here's why

First, excitement has been gathering at the pending launch of my book, based on my true experience and written especially to help you on your own emotional journey.

There has been an unbelievable 97 hits on this blog (to date) and this is without even marketing it so I know my book is being eagerly awaited.

You can read all about it on my November post. My Website is coming along nicely and you will be able to purchase my book, 'The Truth About Depression and How You Can Beat It' in both physical and download mode very soon. It will be made available from 25,000 outlets so you can be sure of your copy.

Remember! you can sign up to receive updates straight into your inbox, click on the link to the right of this post, you can also sign up to be a follower (will you be my first?) - I promise you will not receive any spam from me - I know how annoying it is.

Watch out at the end for something you can do to cheer yourself up! I did it Thursday and it has proved great fun!! intrigued? - hint - I am now a 'twit' - official!

Now, to the subject in hand:

I have a whole chapter on depression in my book, how you can learn the signs, what you can do, and what I did! all chapters are interspersed with what was going on in my life - it will really inspire you.

Amazingly, just a few decades ago it just was not done, or expected, that women would drink at all! or maybe just sip on a sherry. how times have changed as unfortunately, now there is an increasing number of us who drink alcohol to cope with pressures of modern life. I am pleased to say that I am not one of them, despite now going into my 30th week of a stress related illness - so this is proof that you do not need to turn to drink to survive. Sometimes I may have a small 25cl bottle over two nights, giving me about three quarters of a wine glass full each time (red wine, purely for health reasons!)

Not only is alcohol a depressive, it can cause an extreme 'low' after a short 'high'. It must also be pointed out that it can cause liver disease and also breast cancer. Research has shown that in the Uk, people are drinking more than ever before (not helped by the fact that you can purchase drink so cheaply in the supermarkets).

Our own 'National Health Service' figures show that more than 7 million people drink more that the daily recommended amount. This is given as 3/4 units for men, and 2/3 for women. People are automatically assuming that 3/4 units means 3/4 pints but it means one large or two very small glasses of wine. 6 units would mean you will be drinking two large glasses of wine!

A bottle or even a half bottle of wine a night could harm your health, happiness and relationships and pay havoc with your family life. If parents regularly drink in front of their children then the chances are that the children will end up as drinkers also. Some parents think it is funny to watch their children drinking alcohol and do not realize that their stomachs are just not made for this and long term damage could be caused, putting them at risk.

They are doubly put at risk if the parent gets violent with the other parent or the children themselves.

TV and Movies do not help either as they show frequent drinking which 'glamourises' it - just like smoking used to do in the old movies. We are further lured in with fancy 'wine bars' and 'gastropubs'. You may be like me and have to drive so do not drink, then you get your family and friends urging you to have a drink and catch a cab home - all you can do is rise above it as I do, all it needs is willpower and a respect for your own health.

Women have more stressful lives. Trying to juggle work with family and home in a way that is different from even 20 years ago. We all tend to demand more of ourselves, work longer hours and feel pressurized, (due to the tv and media) to cook fantastic meals and keep ourselves looking fabulous, giving us less time to see our family and friends, so grab a glass of wine or two to ease the pressures and forget our worries. It is a fast paced life that I am glad (at the moment) not to have to be a part of.

Evidence for the link between women, stress and alcohol - In a study done by University College, London, found 'female executives were more than 3 times more likely to develop a drink problem than men in similar positions, with nearly 14% drinking too much. And women who felt their work was underpaid and unappreciated - from nurses to housewives - drank the most'

Horrifyingly - it is estimated that up to 22,000 deaths a year are associated with drinking too much alcohol - twice the rate of 2 decades ago. It can also be responsible for:

• brain damage
• heart problems
• strokes
• bad skin
• cancer
• infertility
• not sleeping well
• leading to feeling guilty and shameful about drinking too much

People also think that you have to drink 'bucket loads' before being classed an an alcoholic - not so I'm afraid - because if you habitually have a bottle of wine a night you will already be in this bracket. Because of the way our bodies work - women are even more vulnerable to physical damage from alcohol.

Medical definition of addiction:

• physical cravings
• withdrawal symptoms
• build up of tolerance
• a compulsion to drink

Even if you don't suffer withdrawal symptoms such as sweating, shaking, upset stomach and anxiety you may need to drink more to get the same high. Even if you don't suffer from this as yet, it can creep up on you before you realize it.

Warning signs:

• You may plan your day or weekend around alcohol
• You may prioritise people and places that will reinforce the behaviour and cut out those who don't
• You may think about drinking all the time
• You may plan to cut down but can't, or find yourself drunk at a work function when vowing to stay sober

There is evidence that genetics play a part in whether we become alcoholics because a child with an alcoholic parent is four times more likely to develop a drink problem. Experts believe (what I have always thought myself) that drinking too much is a sign of deep inner unhappiness and not necessarily because people actually enjoy the taste of drink - they may drink to remove themselves from reality, what's in their head, low self esteem or depression and are unable to deal with their feelings - feeling fear, anxiety or pain.

If you think that you are drinking too much out of habit, boredom or stress, then try to make changes in your life. Plan more fun, alcohol free activities such as playing a sport, learn relaxation techniques (and I quote several in my book) or meeting friends for coffee.

They say 'once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic' and it is reckoned if you give it up then it is likely to be impossible to be able to drink socially again. It takes 2 years for your brain to lose the habit of craving drink or drugs as an automatic response to any problem or situation and you will have your work cut out trying to keep it up.

(typing all of this, and thinking about my own situation which inspired me to write my own true story - I am feeling rather pleased with myself that I resisted going down this road).

Because women are so used to 'multi-tasking' we can actually drink to excess without our lives falling apart! because we are so good at coping with things. 'Life Works Addiction Centre' says that 60-70% of their clients are women and well over half of these managed to hold everything together. They go for help because they know that they are addicted and can't see a way out. Apparently we can hold it together - look great on the outside but are falling apart on the inside.

You can get outside help if you cannot stop yourself - via your GP or AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) or you can even try a helpline as sometimes you may just need somebody to talk to. You do not have to go through it alone and it is suprising that many people go through life wanting to do something about it but not willing to take the first simple small step.

Now for the bit of fun I promised you! (to end on a lighter note)

Have you heard of 'twitter'? it is a social site, a bit like 'Facebook' or 'MySpace' but you only have up to 140 characters to inform people 'what you are doing'. You can follow people, and gain followers. You even get to follow No. 10 Downing Street (home of UK's Prime Minister), Barack Obama, Al Gore, New York Times, NPR Politics, etc., You can even sneakily include your URL.

I signed up for it on Thursday to divert myself from what ended up to be a bad day for me, and a setback. I will give you my personal 'tweeter' referral link below. When you have signed up I suggest downloading (free) a TweetDeck (just google). This means that you do not have to keep logging in and all your contacts are there, in one place. You even get a sweet little 'trill' when there is a new entry added.

First you need to sign up for a twittter account, so just click the link http://twitter.com/ as you need your log in details to sign up to 'tweeter' below. You can also see what I am up to.

Check it out! one way to banish depression without the need for alcohol!

http://tweetergetter.com/bonnietoner

Don't forget to sign up for automatic alerts - you do not want to miss my book launch date

Are you planning to, or have you written, your own book? If so, I can highly recommend my own publishers. click the link below for details:

Bonnie

The Truth About Depression and How To Beat It - launching soon.

Panic Attacks - You Will Not Have a Heart Attack

You do not have to be scared out of your wits, as I was

You can read all about my true emotional journey, in my book and can read of the contents on my blog post. My chapter 'Discover the signs of an anxiety/panic attack' tells what happened to me and how I learned of the signs and what I personally did to help myself. Meanwhile, I have been researching the subject further to help you, whilst you are awaiting publication of my true story 'The Truth About Depression and How You Can Beat It'.

The passages below (which I cannot take credit for!) was on a site I discovered and goes into the subject more comprehensively. My story was written especially to help you and my further wish is to bring even more information to you. It was sadly lacking in my case and I really do not want you to go through all that I had to. When you get to read my book I think you will find it absolutely incredible, if nothing else - because of the total lack of any proper help - that was not forthcoming to me. I had to fight for any little bit of assistance that I could.

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Ever Wondered What Exactly Is Happening In Your Brain When You Have A Panic Attack?
The University College London have recently published findings in the journal Science (2007), demonstrating that when people experience extreme anxiety or panic, the activity in their brain moves from the front of their brain to the mid brain. This was demonstrated by scans showing higher blood flow to the section of the brain that was most active. The front of the brain (prefrontal cortex) is where decision making and rationalization takes place. The midbrain (periaqueductal grey area) is where survival mechanisms such as fight or flight originate from.

You are probably well aware that a panic attack is a 'fight or flight' response to a perceived threat. The reason the human brain responds like this goes back to our prehistoric past where humans needed their bodies to respond quickly to a perceived physical threat. What this new research is telling us, is that people's mental activity during a panic attack is suddenly moving to the mid brain, resulting in the heightened state of fear and panic. In short, a separate part of your brain becomes more active during a panic attack. The problem, as you well know, is that once the panic attack begins and that heightened state of fear starts, it is very difficult to calm yourself down. In order to restore calm you therefore need the brains mental activity to change.

This is the reason why deep breathing is so ineffective in helping people control a panic attack. All deep breathing does is try and restore calm to the body. Trying to mentally calm the body is like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. Your brain is the control center and that is where the change needs to happen. During a panic attack your brain has moved into panic mode and in order to really restore order you need to learn how to switch your mental activity back to the rational part of your brain.

If you visit a doctor or psychiatrist you are almost always going to be given a prescription for medication simply because they are short on time and believe it to be the fastest solution to your anxiety problem. I am not judging these professions, many do an excellent job but are sadly too short on time to investigate the issue further and try a different drug free approach with you. (Bonnie says: my book thoroughly endorses this because it is exactly what happened to me! - I even tell you what helped me and further alternative ways in which you can help yourself)

Fact: A Panic Attack Will Not Harm You

I know when you are in the middle of a panic attack it feels like this terrifying experience is so intense, it might just kill you! You feel an array of unusual bodily sensation from dizziness, rapid heart beat to tingles (paresthesias) right through your body. You fear you may have a heart attack or that the anxiety will push you over the edge mentally.

I want to reassure you that even though the sensations can be terrifying, they will not cause you harm. There is very good medical studies to back this up. In fact panic attacks are not too dissimilar from a good aerobic exercise workout. The fear is powered by an overreaction to bodily sensations.

Please Don't Let Your Anxiety Fool You Into Thinking Your Case Is Unique and Not Curable
That is simply not true. There are no lost causes -no matter how long you have been suffering from anxiety. You must not simply go on coping with this condition. You must embrace the opportunity now to change all of that today. It is so very important to remove these self imposed limitations and get rid of the anxiety that is holding your life back from its true potential. Only you can make the move towards this freedom.

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I had a lot of panic attacks and at first I did not even know what was going on. I only found out through a book that what I was having was, in-fact panic attacks. My own book shows you that there are many other symptoms also which I certainly was not aware of, made even more confusing by the fact that anxiety/panic/depression/stress - all have some symptoms the same. Three chapters of my book go into each and you will get to compartmentalize your own symptoms and know the best treatment to suit you.

Please check out and enjoy my other posts - I will keep you updated as to when my book is going to be launched. It will be in both physical (which will not be long as it is just about to be submitted to a publisher) and PDF format (I am currently in the middle of building a website to promote this) It is a complete one off because each chapter is interspersed with what was going on in my life and how I struggled on a day to day basis - just to get through each day.

Please also feel free to send me your comments as I love hearing from you:

howtobeatdepression@googlemail.com

Are you planning to, or have you already, written your own book? If so, I can highly recommend my own publishers. click on the link below for details:

Bonnie

'The Truth About Depression and How You Can Beat It'