Self Improvement Site
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Articles from Bill White | Selfgrowth.com
- Skip the Hoopla in This Christmas Story - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2009 from Bill WhiteHere we are just three days before Christmas. Well, I suppose I should reach into my vast stores of inspiration, wit, and good cheer; and bring you the most awe inspiring newsletter of the year. But, no, I actually believe I can do much better. I’m going to share a story with you, and it’s ...
Views: 1275(3 votes) - Tired. A matter of acquiescence or despair. - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2009 from Bill White“Tired.” Just pause for a moment and ponder the word. Actually, it’s a very deep state of mind and heart, isn’t it? I mean, we all know what it’s like to be tired and ready for bed after a long day. However, I’m presenting the word within the context of being emotionally, mentally, and ...
Views: 1328(3 votes) - All We Need is Love... - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2009 from Bill WhiteBeing in the very heart of the holiday season, I wanted to share some thoughts and feelings about love. Now, I know the subject of love may be difficult to embrace for one with our past and present emotional experience; however I’m suggesting we sufficiently open our hearts and minds and give it ...
Views: 1553(5 votes) - Life's a Breeze. And I have some land in The Bahamas for you. - by Submitted on Dec 08, 2009 from Bill WhiteLife is difficult. But, do I really need to tell you that? Or maybe I should ask, "What would any of us really expect?" You know, so many in my line of work preach all things harmony and homeostasis. And not that I find anything wrong with that; I simply question how realistic it is. Not to ...
Views: 1178(4 votes) - The Reservoir - by Submitted on Nov 24, 2009 from Bill WhiteI’ve had a lot on my mind lately. On top of that, it seems as though there haven’t been enough hours in the day to accomplish all that’s on my “to-do” list. Absolutely, I’ve been pushing myself to the max in recent weeks. And I can feel it mentally, emotionally, and physically. Have you ever ...
Views: 1639(4 votes) - Anxiety & Depression. Badabing Badaboom. - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2009 from Bill WhiteAnxiety and depression are fast friends. We know that all too well, don’t we? And that statement brings some questions to mind (literally). When we consider the dynamics of anxiety and depression, can presentations along the depression spectrum be generated by anxiety? Can anxiety be ...
Views: 1546(4 votes) - Why Fix It If We Won't Own It? - by Submitted on Nov 16, 2009 from Bill WhiteThere’s no way on earth we’ll have any chance, at all, of successfully managing our disorder if we can’t own up to, embrace, and engage that from which we’re suffering. And we have to acknowledge that this suffering has legitimate biological and psychological foundations. If we can’t bring ...
Views: 1425(4 votes) - Give Up My Most Prized Possession? No Way! - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2009 from Bill WhiteLet me share a cool story as to how I came to know and understand one of life’s greatest truths. Years ago, as my ex-wife and I were putting the final touches (as if we were painting a portrait) on our divorce arrangements, I was being asked to sacrifice yet more time with, and access to, my ...
Views: 3235(2 votes) - Patience Impatience - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2009 from Bill WhiteA friend of mine loves to eat, and his food choices have traditionally been very poor. Over the years he’d become overweight, easily fatigued, and a lot less mobile than he used to be. Six months ago he had his annual physical. And though he’d always had cholesterol problems, this time around ...
Views: 1613(1 vote) - You're Not Suicidal, Homicidal, or Crazy... - by Submitted on Oct 31, 2009 from Bill WhiteYou’re visiting a friend at his 20th floor condo. He takes you out on the balcony for a marvelous view of the city. Suddenly you feel the urge to take a flying leap. You’re walking down the sidewalk and coming your way is a woman pushing her baby in a stroller. You can’t help but wonder what ...
Views: 1850(1 vote) - The Superior Colliculus. It's Not Ridiculous. - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2009 from Bill WhiteI guess when it comes to the anatomy and physiology of panic attacks and anxiety I’m kind of a geek. The stuff just fascinates me. What can I say? However, beyond the pure wonder of it all, a good portion of my interest is grounded in really wanting to comprehend that from which I’ve suffered ...
Views: 1528(1 vote) - Anxiety and the Quest for Perfection: Fuhgedaboudit! - by Submitted on Oct 22, 2009 from Bill WhiteAs we begin to recover from panic disorder, any mind variance for that matter, we spend so much time monitoring the frequency and intensity of our symptoms. As humans, pain isn’t out thing; so we’re always looking for signs that our suffering is coming to an end. And, naturally, we’re hopeful, ...
Views: 1636(3 votes) - Panic Attacks, Anxiety, and D-cycloserine: Thinking Outside of the Box - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2009 from Bill White“Necessity is the mother of invention.” Always works for me. It seems as though it works for psychiatric research, as well. And that’s a good thing because I’ve become frustrated and puzzled by the lack of research and treatment attention panic disorder, all of the anxiety disorders for that ...
Views: 3494(2 votes) - Lunch With a Friend Taught the Meaning of Life - by Submitted on Oct 09, 2009 from Bill WhiteHooked-up with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while today. And I’m very glad we had lunch together. You know, the lessons life unexpectedly throws our way can be absolutely amazing. She taught me one such lesson. Suzanne and I were in the same cohort throughout grad school. I’ll never forget ...
Views: 1320 - Panic Attacks and Anxiety: Is Opening Up Worth the Risk? - by Submitted on Oct 07, 2009 from Bill WhiteWithout a doubt, opening up has always been a toughie for me. Still can be. My issue has always been trust, trying my best to believe that those in whom I might confide will truly listen to all I have to say; and accept it, not necessarily in agreement, without passing judgment. God only knows ...
Views: 2514(2 votes) - Panic Attacks and Anxiety: Recap of a Great Article on Temperament - by Submitted on Oct 05, 2009 from Bill WhiteI read a marvelous article several days ago entitled, “Understanding the Anxious Mind.” Written by Robin Marantz Henig, it appeared in the September 29, 2009 edition of The New York Times Magazine. The article was so good I knew I’d have to spread the word moments after I began reading it. And ...
Views: 1495(4 votes) - Your Children May Suffer From Panic Attacks and Anxiety: Got the Guilts? - by Submitted on Oct 02, 2009 from Bill WhiteI have two wonderful teenage children and I love them very much. Over the years, I’ve pondered how my panic attack and anxiety-generating genes would one day impact them. Yes, would my children struggle as I did? You know, isn’t it odd that as much as I had nothing to do with my genetic ...
Views: 1290(2 votes) - Panic Attacks, Anxiety, and Anger: The Dynamics of Defense (Part 3) - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2009 from Bill WhiteWell, this is the final article of a three-part series on the role of anger in the occurrence and perpetuation of panic attacks and anxiety. In the first two installments we defined anger within two theoretical perspectives, and took a look at how anger presented in my life as an anxiety ...
Views: 2454(3 votes) - Panic Attacks, Anxiety, and Anger: The Dynamics of Defense (Part 2) - by Submitted on Sep 19, 2009 from Bill WhiteIn part one of this three part series we poured a solid foundation by defining anger within the context of psychoanalytic and cognitive theory. Well, now it’s time to have a look at how anger directly impacts panic and anxiety. As I focused upon recovering from my disorder, it didn’t take ...
Views: 1212(1 vote) - Panic Attacks, Anxiety, and Anger: The Dynamics of Defense - by Submitted on Sep 18, 2009 from Bill WhiteI’d like to discuss anger’s role in the generation and sustenance of panic attacks and anxiety. To give the matter its due, I’ve decided to present the information in two parts. In this edition, part one, we’ll review what anger is in the eyes of the psychoanalysts and cognitivists. And in part ...
Views: 1432 - Panic Attacks, Interpreaction, and Interpreversal: A Mind Game You Can Win - by Submitted on Sep 13, 2009 from Bill WhiteI’d like to share two concepts I believe will be of great assistance as we approach panic attacks, agoraphobia, derealization, and depersonalization - any of our anxiety and mood-driven misery, for that matter. They play so very big and need to be put into practice over and over again. And ...
Views: 1258 - Panic Attacks, Anxiety, and Your Primary Care Physician: Are You Getting the Best Care? - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2009 from Bill WhiteI found an editorial in the March 6, 2007 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine that I believe is spot-on. It was written by Wayne Katon, M.D. and Peter Roy-Byrne, M.D., from the University of Washington School of Medicine. The subject matter was poor treatment practices, as well as ...
Views: 1884 - Panic Attacks and Mitral Valve Prolapse: A Mimicker's Deception - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2009 from Bill WhiteA mimicker is a symptom or disorder that fools its victim, as well as medical and psych professionals, into believing he/she is suffering from something other than the true cause of the problem. And the likeness is so striking that the mimicked issue gets all the attention, allowing the real ...
Views: 2101 - Panic Attacks, Agoraphobia, Spatial Orientation: Perception is Everything - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2009 from Bill WhiteRaise your hand if you’ve ever been plagued by agoraphobia. Well, my arm’s fully extended upward. I can recall being all but housebound because of it in the early 1980’s. And if I did venture out it was with a few drinks under my belt, a few beers in the car, and about ten cigarettes in my ...
Views: 2342 - Panic Attacks, Guilt, and the Personality of Your Superego - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2009 from Bill WhiteGuilt can be absolutely crippling for anyone, but it hits panic attack and anxiety sufferers particularly hard. We’re so darned tough on ourselves, and hold ourselves accountable for so many things that simply aren’t fair or reasonable. And that makes guilt a major obstacle to overcome when it ...
Views: 3683 - Panic Attacks, Anxiety, and Somatic Experiencing: Part II - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2009 from Bill WhiteIn Part I of this two-article series we discussed Somatic Experiencing (SE), Dr. Peter A. Levine’s anxiety and trauma healing philosophy, within the context of a contributor to panic attacks and anxiety. Well, now we’re going to have a look at SE from a treatment perspective. As with the first ...
Views: 4327(2 votes) - Panic Attacks, Anxiety, and Somatic Experiencing: Part I - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2009 from Bill WhiteIn my ongoing quest for knowledge pertaining to the contributors to panic attacks and anxiety, as well as treatment strategies and techniques, I came upon some very cool stuff several years ago. It’s called Somatic Experiencing (SE) and it’s the amazing work of Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. This will ...
Views: 1797(2 votes) - Panic Attacks and Kindling: Building a Different Fire - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2009 from Bill WhiteFirst of all, this isn’t going to be a discussion of how to build a fire. Uh no, this is a review of a fascinating physiological phenomenon that I consider a physical contributor to panic attacks and anxiety. And that’s because the limbic system, particularly the amygdala, is highly susceptible ...
Views: 2370(1 vote) - My Mother Died Yesterday - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2009 from Bill WhiteMy mother died yesterday. She was 85 years old. A ruptured 6+ centimeter aortic aneurysm took her life subsequent to breaking a hip during a fall at her assisted living facility two days ago. I might also add that my mother suffered a stroke two and a half years ago, and was diagnosed with ...
Views: 1328(1 vote) - Panic Attacks From a Psychoanalytic and Cognitive Perspective - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2009 from Bill WhiteSometimes people ask me why I spend so much time on what generates panic attacks. My usual response is, beyond my natural curiosity, I simply don’t see how one can manage something if one doesn’t fully understand just what that something is. And, at least to me, a complete understanding has to ...
Views: 1440(2 votes) - Anxiety and the Insular Cortex: A Budding Relationship - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2009 from Bill WhiteI wrote an article just yesterday summarizing a bit of research by Dr. Jack Nitschke at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Nitschke’s work focused upon the role of the element of uncertainty in intensifying reactions to disturbing events, as well as increasing overall levels of anxiety. ...
Views: 2761(1 vote) - Panic Attacks, Anxiety, and the Concept of Uncertainty: Some Cool Research - by Submitted on Aug 18, 2009 from Bill WhiteYou’d certainly get no argument from most anyone that we’re living in very uncertain times. Though I suppose that’s been the case since humans graced the planet, it sure appears to be a lead-pipe-cinch these days. I mean, you name it, the economy, unemployment, political unrest, terrorism; the ...
Views: 1162(1 vote) - Panic Attacks, The Amygdala, The Prefrontal Cortex, and an Elevator - by Submitted on Aug 17, 2009 from Bill WhiteIf you’ve followed my writing you’ll know I believe misinterpretation and overreaction are the number one psychological contributors to panic attacks. I believe so deeply in this truth that I coined the term, “interpreaction,” to underscore the power of the relationship between interpretation ...
Views: 2424 - Panic Attacks, Temperament, and Uncle Hans: It's a Matter of Engineering? - by Submitted on Aug 13, 2009 from Bill WhiteHans Eysenck, a Brit born in Germany in 1916, may not be one of the more widely known personality theorists; however, he was one of the finest. And his work is important to panic attack sufferers. Eysenck believed temperament, a characteristic mode of emotional response, is the featured ...
Views: 1595(1 vote) - Panic Attacks and Other Mind Variances: Blood Tests on the Horizon? - by Submitted on Aug 08, 2009 from Bill WhiteOver a period of months you’ve noticed you can’t get to sleep. You’ve become very nervous and have had a couple of what you think are panic attacks. Man, your heartbeat’s been racing and your hands have been trembling. And if that wasn’t enough, your family and friends have wondered why you’re ...
Views: 982(1 vote) - Panic Attacks, Fear, and Learning: Fresh Insights - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2009 from Bill WhiteAny sufferer of panic attacks, agoraphobia, derealization, depersonalization, generalized anxiety, phobias, post-traumatic stress, or obsessions and compulsions is likely to have a pretty good feel for the concept of fear. Perhaps an understatement, right? Heck, as I was writing this article I ...
Views: 940(1 vote) - Panic Attacks and Anxiety: Treatment of Balance Issues in Childhood - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2009 from Bill WhiteIn a previous article I discussed the importance of including balance issues in any discussion of the contributors to panic attacks and anxiety. Amazingly, this connection hasn’t received much attention, but it appears as though that’s changing. Yes, children with balance issues are being ...
Views: 1045 - Panic Attack and Mind Variance Sufferers: Your Courage and Strength are Remarkable - by Submitted on Aug 03, 2009 from Bill WhiteWhether it’s within the context of panic disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, substance dependence, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, I never cease to be amazed by the strength and courage of mind variance sufferers. We, yes “we,” endure so much and somehow manage to ...
Views: 1290(1 vote) - Panic Attacks and Assorted Mind Variances: Pieces of a Greater Whole - by Submitted on Aug 02, 2009 from Bill WhiteThe human brain is absolutely amazing. And as much as we’ve learned about it, it remains one incredibly mysterious three-pound mass of tissue and fluid. The brain’s functioning has certainly been a puzzle to me over the many years, as it’s facilitated a long bout with panic disorder, as well as ...
Views: 984 - Panic Attacks and "Who Gives a Hoot": The Perfect Couple - by Submitted on Jul 31, 2009 from Bill WhiteThere are so many management strategies and techniques available to help us manage our panic attacks, agoraphobia, derealization, depersonalization, avoidance, and whatever else panic and anxiety may throw our way. Some of them are incredibly simple; however, our occupied minds roll right over ...
Views: 975(1 vote) - Panic Attacks and the "We Do It Intentionally Paradox" - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2009 from Bill WhiteOne could write and talk for days about the potential contributors to panic attacks. So much so that I choose to use the term “contributors,” not “causes.” And that’s because I believe using the term “causes” throws a very unnecessary roadblock in the path toward relief, as it attempts to find ...
Views: 1578 - Panic Attacks and Pre/Perinatal Trauma: Why Couldn't It Be a Factor? - by Submitted on Jul 28, 2009 from Bill WhiteAlways trying to learn whatever I can about panic attacks, and always thinking outside of the box, I came upon some interesting information regarding the potential role of prenatal and perinatal happenings in the generation of panic. It’s pretty heady stuff, and I wanted to share it with ...
Views: 1498(4 votes) - Panic Attacks, the Amygdala, and the Limbic System: A Paradox of Protection - by Submitted on Jul 27, 2009 from Bill WhiteThe amygdala, situated equally in both brain hemispheres, is an almond-shaped (“amygdala” is derived from the Greek for “almond-like”) grouping of nuclei approximately one-inch long, located just a few inches from each ear, inward and in a direction toward the forehead. It’s considered to be the ...
Views: 3236 - Panic Attacks & Getting Into a Zone: The Truly Incredible Can Occur - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2009 from Bill WhiteI’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “Dang, she’s really in a zone!” Or maybe you’ve thought, “Man, am I in a zone!” This “zoneness” is well worth discussing because it can really very positively impact a panic sufferer’s life. Tune in! Before we go any further, what exactly does “getting into ...
Views: 906 - Panic Attacks and Biochemistry: The HPA Axis (what?) - by Submitted on Jul 25, 2009 from Bill WhiteWell, buckle those seat belts tight, ‘cause I’m bringing you some pretty heady stuff here. But, we’ll get through it together just fine. I want to discuss something known as the HPA axis. This physiological interrelationship is of major importance to panic sufferers, so I’m going to get into a ...
Views: 2487 - Panic Attacks, Comfort Foods, and Carb Cravings: It All Makes Perfect Sense - by Submitted on Jul 24, 2009 from Bill WhiteI’d like to present what I believe is need-to-know information for panic and anxiety sufferers. I don’t think it’s front page news that what we eat and drink has great impact upon the onset and intensity of panic and anxiety. And one of the most prolific examples is the ingestion of food and ...
Views: 2526 - Panic Attacks & Connecting the Dots: Symptom Identification and Association - by Submitted on Jul 24, 2009 from Bill WhiteIn my eWorkbook, Panic! …and Poetic Justice, I share a story about crossing the I-43 bridge, with its open view of Green Bay (the actual bay) to the northeast, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. As I was driving the incline of the bridge, the whole experience was bombarding me with all sorts of mental, ...
Views: 1021 - Anticipatory Anxiety and Panic: Tomorrow's Dread, Today - by Submitted on Jul 22, 2009 from Bill WhiteAnticipatory anxiety is awful. Am I right? And it so often accompanies panic, perhaps being the precursor to avoidance phenomena such as agoraphobia and social anxiety. Of course, anyone can experience anticipatory anxiety, just as anyone can experience measures of panic and social discomfort. ...
Views: 3010 - Panic Attacks and Fear: Going with Logic and the Odds - by Submitted on Jul 20, 2009 from Bill WhiteFear, be it a thought or an emotion, is at the very foundation of panic. And, of course, panic sufferers find all sorts of creative ways to generate fear; and it generally has much to do with overreaction and misinterpretation. Am I right? Well, I propose these self-defeating dynamics can, in ...
Views: 1334 - Panic Attacks Acute Care: Gentle Expressions of Hope - by Submitted on Jul 17, 2009 from Bill WhiteSo often, my working relationship with a panic sufferer begins with an initial email of all-consuming pain, fear, bewilderment, and desperation. The writer has visited my website, identified with the content, felt a glimmer of possibility, saw my invitation to write, and did exactly that. But as ...
Views: 1448