Since the beginning of the Internet, researching hints on stress
management got simpler. Can you remember the time as you had to
look into a dictionary when you wanted to come across anything
relevant to stress management? I’m assuming I hit the nail on
the head, right? Today the cyberspace is growing every hour, so
there’s plenty of material on stress management accessible - you
only need to know where to begin.

So, if you want to learn something on stress management you
would most likely begin your search with one of the big search
engines like Altavista or Google. The end of the story? You are
shaking your head in disbelief, because the search engine came
back with way too many possible results about stress management.
Have fun analyzing all the tips to filter out all the best web
sites. Perhaps you already came across so-called Web portals:
they deserve a closer look and an excellent point to start. Get
started with internet portals and compile loads of stress
management advice that qualified experts make available for you.

Where would you want to go with your stress management matters?
Internet groups or communities are a smart way to get stress
management-related advice. If you wish to get in touch with a
stress management pro you can write to a forum or join a stress
management group. Let Altavista operate for you and start a
research on “stress management forum” or “stress management
group”. You’ll be given eligible results!

A smart alternative to come up with valuable stress management
advice delivered by email is a so-called “newsletter”. You can
subscribe to an electronic magazine the same way you would do
with your newspaper. Usually they are free, however sometimes
the provider of the ezine charges a small fee. Due to the fact
that there’s considerably free stress management tips available
on the ‘net, you could expect a very skilled guru for your
money. On the other hand: you might earn a second paycheck when
you have stress management experience and start your own paid
service.

Info products are another choice for people with limited time to
research the Web. Arranged in an ebook or video tutorial you’ll
find material you would have spend days to surf on the ‘net. So
why not take the easy way?

If you need valid stress management material fast, current
online resources on the ‘net are extremely handy. Don’t hesitate
and become a guru on stress management!

Can you re-start your life?

“There is no real way to deal with everything you lose.”
Joan Didion, from an interview in the San Francisco Chronicle, January 6, 2004.

What do we lose? Though I did not notice it at the time, when I graduated from school I experienced a major loss - I lost my role of being a student and became a worker. Later in my life, I lost my wife to a sudden illness. This took place four years ago and is still vividly remembered.

In what ways is Didion’s statement both true and not true? While we easily deal with some losses, others are much more difficult. Some losses may take years to heal and others may never seem to be resolved. Take the loss of my role as student. I hardly noticed this happening and I did deal with it because it was a change I wanted. Does it still affect me? Yes, when I think back to my school days I remember the feeling of having unlimited time to pursue my interests. The only pressure was to complete assignments and study for tests; not to earn a living. It might be nice to go back to that role; however it was a necessary loss and a necessary next step in my life.

Consider next the loss of my wife. Married just days short of 35 years and suddenly she is gone. Is there a real way to deal with such a loss? If dealing means to forget; then no, there is no real way. If it means moving beyond this loss; then yes there are ways to do this.

Yet for some it is not a single loss, but rather a lifetime of losses. Building up, taking a toll on your ability to move through each day. Is there a way to deal with life-long loss? I think so.

There are ways to re-start your life. I say re-start because sometimes when we lose a loved one it is as if our life also stops. Besides death, other losses such as divorce, rejection and separation are also deeply felt. And beyond these, there are many other types of loss, all capable of stopping us from living fully.

What are the areas of loss?
Here are some examples of loss. It is not a complete list; we can all add to it from personal experience.

People: We can lose a relationship in many ways. As mentioned above it is not only death that ends a relationship. The loss may be of your spouse or partner, a child or parent, a long time friend. It may be a single loss or the build up of losses over time.

Place: You may have become attached to a place and then for some reason, you are gone from that place of comfort - of home. You may have moved many times as a child, or as an adult. Or you may have never felt at home in your setting and longed for your own place.

Things & Roles: Possessions handed down to us. Things treasured for the memories they hold; things we associate with people we love. I would include here roles and jobs because they are part of us and when we lose them it can be a deeply felt loss.

Self: To lose your way. This may be a very profound feeling of having no purpose. Or it may be a nagging feeling that you missed something; some turn in the road that would have led to happiness. We also lose our self in a direct way as we age. And for some we lose aspects of ourselves prematurely to disease.

How are we affected?
Who decides what a loss is and how deeply it is felt? It is up to each of us. You determine what the loss is and what it means to you.

I see four principle ways or areas of impact. These are some symptoms or indicators that we are experiencing loss.

Physically:Our body suffers. We neglect our self; we care less about and for our physical well-being. Disease and age also produce loss within and upon our bodies.

Emotionally: We may withdraw from others; not wanting to feel too much. We may lash out. Our emotions can be profoundly affected by loss.

Mentally:We may dampen down our thoughts. We may deaden our mind and avoid thinking or remembering in any number of ways. Our thoughts may turn negative, always seeing more loss in the future.

Spiritually: There may be a drawing away from beliefs long held; with a feeling that no comfort can ever come again from rituals and beliefs. There may also be a desire to find a new belief, one that takes the place of the old or fills this hole inside.

Will everyone respond the same way to loss? No, however most of us will respond in some negative or self defeating way for some period of time. If this is true, then what can any of us do to stop or minimize this?

New tactics
How do you make a shift to heal from loss? How can you re-start your life? Here are a few suggestions.

1) Take time to look closely at your situation. Assess your response to the particular loss. What are you feeling right now as you consider this? What are you doing differently now or not doing? If you are looking at life-long loss; then try to look at how this has affected your actions and thinking.

2) Take time to think about how you would want your life to be different. Changes you want to see in the future. What would a re-started life look like? Make a list. Be specific. Do it now.

3) Find a way to talk with and learn from others. Look for groups. Start your own group.

What if there are real ways to deal with everything we lose?
Would you want to miss the opportunity?

© Fritz M. Brunner, Ph.D. 2005

Fritz M. Brunner, Ph.D. is a coach and consultant engaged in working with people wanting to excel in life and business. He also leads tele-groups focused on loss. Please visit his web site at http://www.fmbrunner.com or contact him at fritz@fmbrunner.com

What’s curious is that most of them will be on these drugs for life. Equally curious is that over seventy percent of people who stop taking them, for any length of time, will relapse into another painful episode of their illness.

Something’s rotten in Denmark. Because if these drugs are as effective as their manufacturers claim, then sufferers should be cured of their illness. Clearly, this isn’t happening.

Why? I mean, if these drugs are so good, why don’t they cure stress, anxiety and depressive illness?

The commonly held belief, both by the medical profession and people who suffer from illnesses such as stress, anxiety and depression, is that anti-depressant drugs are the most effective treatment.

This is in fact, not quite true.

Antidepressant drugs DO help a sufferer. But they can only help them TEMPORARILY. They cannot offer a permanent cure for these illnesses. This is because anti-depressants treat ONE of the SYMPTOMS of stressful illnesses - reduced levels of “happy chemicals” called neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are the chemicals inside our brains that help to regulate our moods. So all anti-depressants do is to give the sufferer a “boost” by raising levels of neurotransmitters. The real issue here is that once the sufferer ceases the medication, there is a seventy percent chance of relapse.

The reason for relapse is because these drugs simply haven’t addressed the root cause of these illnesses. By boosting levels of our “happy chemicals” all the drugs are doing is masking the problem. Now, in the short term, giving our mental well-being a boost by increasing the levels of “happy chemicals” is very helpful in helping us START the process of recovery.

The last sentence is very important. It explains how these drugs should be used. Because when we feel stressed out, burned out, terrified of the future or that life has no point (all common feelings associated with stressful and depressive illnesses), we find it almost impossible to function. Finding our own way “out of the tunnel” is mission impossible.

And that’s where antidepressants can help. In giving us a boost, we can feel more able to cope. We can START to take the first steps towards ending our suffering.

But they will not provide a permanent cure. They only way to cure these painful illnesses is to address the root cause as to why these illnesses arise. The root cause is down to harmful mental habits and processes we have learned and put to use for most of our lives - since childhood in the majority of instances.

And there lies the crucial difference. Antidepressants can help us in the short-term by CONTROLLING the illness. Learning the mental habits and processes that crush these illnesses so they cannot even begin to arise help us in the long-term by CURING these illnesses.

Something else I think you’ll find illuminating about these drugs:

No single drug has proven to be more effective than any other and the latest research conducted at Yale university in the United States has revealed that drugs are ineffective for seventy percent of sufferers. This is because chemical imbalances in the brain are a symptom and not a cause.

You now know why this is so.

What’s also interesting to note is that sales of these drugs in the US alone are worth $12 BILLION annually. Pretty good for something that cannot provide a cure don’t you think? Of course, one of the issues here is having a sufferer paying thousands of hard-earned dollars for a drug which cannot cure them month in, month out, year in, year out.

I don’t think that’s right. Because I firmly believe that people who are suffering from stress, anxiety, panic, depression and similar illnesses, want to get rid of it from their lives forever. Cure means cured, permanently.

I overcame a terrible 5 year period of anxiety-induced depression without taking any antidepressants. By learning to address the harmful mental habits and processes which took me to the lowest point anyone can go, I turned my life around and found happiness again.

What worked for me will work for you and it will provide the one thing you deserve and what antidepressant drugs can never provide: A permanent cure to your suffering.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL BEFORE YOU STOP TAKING ANY ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION.

Chris Green is the author of the new book “Conquering Stress”, a special program which will show you how to conquer stressful illnesses such as depression, anxiety, panic and worry permanently and without taking powerful drugs. You can learn more about this new book and purchase it at http://www.conqueringstress.com

A major role of senior management is to motivate people to reach certain goals. To do that, they must engage their emotions, and the key to their hearts is story. There are two major ways to persuade people.

The first is by using conventional rhetoric, which is what most executives are trained in. It’s an intellectual process, and in the business world it usually consists of a PowerPoint slide presentation in which you say, “Here is our company’s biggest challenge, and here is what we need to do to get ahead.” And you build your case by giving statistics, facts and quotes. But there are two major problems with this approach.

First, the people you’re talking to have their own set of rules, statistics, and life experiences. While you’re trying to persuade them, they are arguing with you in their heads. Second, if you do succeed in persuading them, you’ve done so only on an intellectual basis. That’s not good enough, because people are not inspired to act by reason alone.

The other way to persuade people - and ultimately a much more powerful way - is by uniting an idea with an emotion. The best way to do that is by telling a compelling story. In a story, you not only weave a lot of information into the telling but you also arouse your listener’s emotions and energy. Persuading with a story is hard. Any intelligent person can sit down and make lists.

It takes rationality but little creativity to design an argument using conventional rhetoric. But it demands vivid insight and storytelling skill to present an idea that packs enough emotional power to be memorable. If you can harness imagination and the principles of a well-told story, then you get people rising to their feet amid thunderous applause instead of yawning and ignoring you.

A well crafted story will often be told and re-told many times. How many times does the leader’s powerpoint presentation get shown?

Derek Cheshire is an expert, speaker, consultant and facilitator in the areas of Business Creativity, Innovation and Idea Generation. He is creator of the Innovation Toolkit, and co creator of workshops such as Creating The Difference, Creativity as a Business Tool, Sticky Strategy and The Idea Factory. You can receive regular ideas and updates on Business Creativity and Innovation by visiting http://www.creative4business.co.uk and filling out the simple sign up form.

When I was seven years old, someone from my family asked me what
my goal in life was. I felt the answer was easy, so I listed a
horde of vocations including becoming the first woman wrestler.
“A vocation or the area you want to work in is not what I am
talking about,” my relative said. “I am asking why you want to
do what you want to do. It helps when we look for the reasons
underneath our desires.” Many years later, I realized that this
relative was teaching me the true meaning of goal setting.

To this day, I ask the same question to young people I come in
contact with and those whom I am in a position to influence. It
is surprising how many do not know the answer. They do not know
because most of us live by chance, accepting or complaining
about what the events push on our path, rather than living by
intelligent choice.

To know what you want in life and why you want it leads to
success. In all cases, the answer to the question “why” is more
important than the answer to the question “what.” Once a person
understands the “why” of what he wants, the next step of setting
it as a goal is easy. Sometimes, when we find out the underlying
reason why we want something, we may also find out that our
reason is an artificial one. Then, we know this is the time to
quit instead of working at something that would make us
miserable at the end.

We all make a faulty decision at one time or another, but if we
stop and think about our reasons, we can make corrections or let
go the project altogether. For example: as an initial emotion, I
felt true pride when one of my sons, during the time he was in
the tenth grade, announced that he had decided to enter the US
army after talking to a recruiting officer in school. Then, he
continued excitedly, telling us he would be getting free college
education. At that point, I asked him his real reasons. He could
not answer. I told him, his father and I were in a position to
provide him with a decent college education; however, if he
wanted to be in the army because–above and foremost–he wanted
to serve his country and that he would do anything and face any
hardship to give the best service he could possibly give, then I
would back him up one thousand percent and I would be very proud
of his decision. Our son told us that the recruiting officer had
not even mentioned the importance of service, but had focused
upon the benefits the kids would be getting from the army. At
that moment, I felt that this approach of recruitment was an
inadequate one. Our children are honorable and intelligent
enough to want to serve for the right reasons, whereas
artificial motives can lead them and the army into failure.

There has to be deeper, more meaningful purposes for our
decisions. When a teacher chooses teaching, he does not–must
not–choose it because of the long summer vacation, but for the
joy of teaching and shaping young minds for a better world. A
physician should not become a physician because he will be
considered the cream of the crop and he will make more money
than fifty percent of the population. This truth-seeking goes
for all professions, avocations, the mates and friends we
choose, and whatever options we face in life.

After knowing the deeper reason behind our goals, the steps
leading to achievement become much easier. Our potential turns
into being our process and it prepares our goal for fruition by
setting time limits for each step, afterwards leading us to
action upon our decisions, to vigilance for opportunities, to
willingness to make small adjustments along the way, and to
persistence on our path.

Also, when we focus our energies on one goal whose importance is
clear to us, we are better able to let go of anything that does
not serve a positive purpose. Guilt, fear, the mind’s
chattering, the feelings of unworthiness, bad habits, the worry
of what others may say are eliminated when we are aware of our
true purpose.

Making an intelligent and well-thought-out decision leads to
success, instead of jumping into action. A wise choice benefits
everyone instead of a bad, fast choice, because true winners are
directed from their insides, and those who are directed from
their inner beings find their true calling and a life well
lived.

Teachers, when you received your training to teach,
the world probably looked much different. Guns
meant water pistols and gangs meant West Side Story.

Here is a test to see if your skills have kept up with
the changes in our kids. If you discover that you are
more prepared to work with Beaver Cleaver than Beavis
and Butthead, then consider coming to our Problem
Student Problem-Solver professional development
training workshop or
ordering some of our books and tapes. Our resources
can turbo-charge your skills to fit contemporary kids.

The answers are shown below and at the bottom, you
can also rate your skills for working with today’s
youth and children.

** 1. Who is the hardest-to-manage, most potentially
violent kid, and how must you work with them
differently than everybody else?

**** Bonus Question: If you work with this hardest-
to-manage child using the same approaches you use
with everyone else, what is likely to happen?

** 2. There may be just 3 major ways that kids can
respond to adult directions. Name the 3 ways.

**** Bonus Question: What is the only effective
way to get children to comply with adult directions?

** 3. Name the student most likely to drop out.

**** Bonus Question: What other problems will
this child quite likely face?

** 4. Who are the kids at highest risk of extreme
violence?

**** Bonus Question: Why do you work differently
with each of these kids?

** 5. Other than violence prevention, name the
single most important school readiness skill to
teach to students. (Hint: Most schools don’t have
a formal plan to teach it, but they all require it)

**** Bonus Question: When is the time to teach
this skill?

ANSWERS!!

1. CONDUCT DISORDERS.
Conduct disorder is a mental health term that
essentially means that the child is sociopathic.
While you can continue to successfully use
relationship-based approaches with any other
child, these methods almost inevitably flop
with conduct disorders who, by definition,
can’t relate normally to others.

Bonus Question: If you use conventional
relationship-based approaches with conduct
disorders, it conveys to them that you do
not understand them. It may be close to
painting a target on your chest. Actions
that are normally appropriate under some
circumstances, such as giving one more
chance, can be dangerous even disastrous
with conduct disorders. If you do not know
this child backwards and forwards, you may
lack key tools to ensure your safety and
the safety of other children.

2. The child can become OPPOSITIONAL.
The child can CAPTIULATE if coerced to
do so. The child can comply: ACCEPTANCE.

Bonus Question: Acceptance is really the
only way to gain compliance. Power-
struggling with oppositional kids means
everyone loses especially you as no adult
ever wins a power struggle with a kid. If
you must hassle and harass a kid into
capitulating, that is not a positive
way of interacting with others that
you want the child to emulate as it
will normally not work in the world.
Plus, imagine the harm you might
do hassling a troubled child by
coercing compliance from them.
Acceptance is the standard that works
everywhere and won’t damage even a
very vulnerable child while gaining their
compliance.

3. TEEN MOMS

Bonus Question: Teen moms also have
the highest risk of poverty, going on
welfare and never getting off of
welfare when compared to anyone else.
Shouldn’t everyone know who is the
one child at highest risk of dropping
out and be aware of the potential
additional litany of woes?

4. CONDUCT DISORDERS, THOUGHT
DISORDERS, EXTREMELY DEPRESSED
KIDS

Bonus Question: Each of these 3 children
needs a very different kind of help. For
example, the thought-disordered child
might be able to benefit tremendously
from medication, while there is no medicine
for conduct disorders. This means that to
best prevent extreme violence, you must
understand how to work with different kids
very differently.

5. ATTENDANCE
If the student isn’t in your classroom, you
can’t work your magic on them
Bonus Question: Day 1 of school. It’s that
important.

SCORING: (Score 1 point for each
question or bonus question)
8-10 You’re READY for even the
“South Park” kids!
5-8 You’re DUE for a Training Update!
0-4 You’re OVERDUE for a
Training Update!

If this article has made you realize that
you are using yesterday’s methods with
today’s students, you may want to see what
updated teacher training looks like. Take
a look at http://www.youthchg.com, and
discover how you can fill in the gaps in
your training so working with difficult,
conduct disordered, angry, truant and
agitated students doesn’t have to be so
difficult.

Get much more information on this topic at
http://www.youthchg.com. Author Ruth
Herman Wells MS is the director of Youth Change,
(http://www.youthchg.com). Sign up for her free
Problem-Kid Problem-Solver magazine at the site and
see hundreds more of her innovative methods. Ruth
is the author of dozens of books and provides workshops and training.
For re-print permission for this article, contact the author by

email (dwells@youthchg.com.)

Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Treatment-Resistant Depression

About Vagus Nerve Stimulation

VNS is not brain surgery, although it is a treatment that affects the function of the brain. Vagus Nerve Stimulation uses specific stimulation of the vagus nerve to send stimulation to specific parts of the brain that are involved in mood. It is not like Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT), a treatment that involves stimulation of the entire brain and induces convulsions in patients. In fact, patients may not even feel the stimulation from VNS since the vagus nerve does not have the type of nerves that carry pain signals. Nor does VNS interfere with drugs, and patients having Vagus Nerve Stimulation can continue taking their other drugs without worrying about side effects or interactions between drugs.

On June 15th, the FDA’s Neurological Advisory Panel recommended APPROVAL of the vagus nerve stimulator as a treatment for chronic depression.

What is the Vagus Nerve ?

Vagus means “wandering” in Latin, and is the perfect description for the vagus nerve, the longest nerve in the body. It averages almost two feet in length and “wanders” throughout the upper body. The vagus nerve starts in the brain, goes down the neck and into the body where if affects the vocal cords, the acid content of the stomach, the heart, the lungs, and other organs. In the brain it projects to areas believed to be responsible for seizures, mood, appetite, memory and anxiety (note 3). However, the vagus nerve cord does not have many pain nerves, so stimulation of the vagus nerve is not painful, although some patients may feel some sensation when electrical pulses are generated.

The History of Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Vagus Nerve Stimulation has been used to treat epilepsy patients for years; the first human clinical trial was in 1988,(note 1) and the FDA approved VNS therapy for epilepsy in 1997 (note 2). So far over 22,000 people worldwide have had VNS therapy (note 3), and it has proven to be a safe and effective treatment for epilepsy. These patients have reported minimal side effects, which have tended to decrease over time. The efficacy of the treatment has also been shown to increase with longer treatment time (note 1).

When Vagus Nerve Stimulation was first approved for epilepsy, some patients reported an improvement in mood. Researchers decided to design a study specifically to measure changes in a patient’s mood and depression due to stimulation of the vagus nerve. In 1999, scientists began the first open label (no placebo group) study for depression with 60 patients. This first study found that there was indeed an improvement in mood for depressed patients. Based on this study, a more detailed and thorough study was designed to determine if Vagus Nerve Stimulation would be a safe, tolerable and effective treatment for chronic depression.

The recently completed one-year, double blind, placebo controlled trial had 235 patients from 21 participating hospitals in the United States, and showed clinically significant improvements due to treatment compared to baseline (note 2). The acute (short-term) phase lasted three months, during which half of the patients received stimulation (treatment group) and half did not (control group). The long-term phase of the study lasted an additional 9 months (for one year total treatment) of stimulation. The HRSD-24 (24 item clinician-rated Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) improvements observed over the first year were highly significant. The results of this long-term, pivotal study were submitted to FDA in October 2003; the FDA’s decision on the use of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for depression is not anticipated before October 2004 (note 2). Of note, Vagus Nerve Stimulation therapy was approved for use in patients with treatment resistant depression in the European Union in March 2001, and in Canada in April 2001 (note 2) .

How Does Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy work ?

The Pulse Generator (battery) delivers a small amount of electrical current to the vagus nerve intermittently (30 seconds on and five minutes off ) (note 3) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for up to 10 years. The stimulation is delivered automatically, so the patient does not have to do anything. Because there is nothing to remember, compliance is assured. The stimulation is not supposed to be uncomfortable, and some patients do not even feel the stimulation. A nurse at the doctor’s office can adjust the level of stimulation (amount of electricity delivered) if the patient ever feels uncomfortable. In the study currently being reviewed by the FDA, researchers noted several similarities between epileptic and depressed patients (note 4).

One of the most important similarities is that Vagus Nerve Stimulation treatment efficacy improves over time. The longer the patient receives stimulation, the better the results. In addition, both populations of patients share the following:

· Assured adherence to treatment regimen
· Safety of the procedure
· Safety of the therapy
· High continuation rates
· No drug interactions

What is the surgery like?

Vagus Nerve Stimulation is NOT brain surgery, even though it is an invasive surgical procedure that changes the function of the brain. The stimulator is a pacemaker-like device that generates electrical pulses (Pulse Generator); it is implanted under the skin in the left chest through a small incision. While this may sound like a serious or dangerous procedure, it is not. The FDA has approved the use, and confirmed the safety of this procedure, and 22,000 patients have received the implant to treat epilepsy. The Vagus Nerve Stimulation surgery involves two small incisions, one in the chest and one at the lowest part of the neck. At no time is the brain physically manipulated by the surgeon.

The surgery to implant the NCP System takes 45 minutes to two hours. Local, regional or general anesthesia (putting the patient to sleep) is used during the surgery; the doctor and anesthetist determine which type of anesthesia is best for each patient. Most Vagus Nerve Stimulation patients will have outpatient surgery, (note 3) but some patients may need to stay in the hospital overnight, and in that case they will need a family member or companion to take them home from the hospital.

What Happens After the Vagus Nerve Stimulation Surgery?

Most Vagus Nerve Stimulation patients go home the same day or the next day. You will feel some minor stiffness/soreness around the area of the implant for a few days. Your doctor may prescribe a minor pain medication such as Tylenol with codeine. A week later your surgeon will probably want to check the scars and a nurse can program/change the settings on the stimulator in the doctor’s office.

Is the Vagus Nerve Stimulation Surgery final?

The Vagus Nerve Stimulator can be turned off or removed (explanted) at any time if the patient feels that it is not helping, or in the unlikely event that the patient can’t tolerate the stimulation. The device can be completely turned off in less than 30 seconds in the doctor’s office, all it takes is for a nurse to hold a programmable wand over the skin above the Pulse Generator. Explantation (removal) of the Vagus Nerve Stimulation device is also possible, however, less than one half of one percent of the 22,000 patients have elected to have the device removed. As for implantation, the surgery to remove the device is a very simple procedure. Only the Pulse Generator is taken out of the body; attempting to remove the electrode from around the vagus nerve could cause damage, and is not recommended.

References

1. Pharmacoresistant Epilepsy and VNS Therapy. September 24, 2003 presentation by J.W. Wheless, MD. The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston TX, USA.

2. Form 10-Q for Cyberonics Inc, September 4, 2003.

3. Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy Mechanisms of Action. September 24, 2003 presentation by M.S. George, MD. Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.

4. The Investigation of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression. September 24, 2003 presentation by R.L. Rudolph, MD. Cyberonics, Inc.

Charles Donovan was a patient in the FDA investigational trial for vagus nerve stimulation and depression. He testified to the Panel at the Advisory Meeting on June 15th. After 25 years of chronic depression, vagus nerve stimulation completely cured his chronic depression. The author is so grateful and humbled by this remarkable device. Learn more at his website: www.VagusNerveStimulator.com

Since the rise of cell phone use in the workplace, this question has plagued people at all levels of management: Should you give your cell phone number out to your client? The quick answer seems like “Sure, why not?”. However, I urge you to think about this before you go ahead and give it out.

Here are five questions to ask yourself before you make this decision:

• Are you the sole owner of the cell phone? - Sometimes couples will share a common cell phone. If you’re not the only person who uses your cell phone I would strongly advise that you don’t give this number out. This is because you can’t be sure what kind of reception your client will receive when they call. For example, what if the person you share it with thinks it’s a telemarketer and is rude? Or what if they accidentally erase a message or hang up? Because of this, you need to make sure you are the only person with access to this phone if you decided to give the number out.
• Do you check your messages/answer it regularly? - This is another important point. If you don’t check your cell phone messages regularly or you don’t have it on most of the time, then you shouldn’t give your number out. Most likely, if your client is trying to reach you on your cell phone then it is an urgent matter (at least to them, which means it is to you too). You have to make sure that you answer it, or that you get back to them in a timely manner.
• Do you get good cell phone service at your office? - If your clients can’t reach you, then that number is no good to them. It also will just frustrate them to have a number that they can never reach you at during normal business hours. Make sure you have a strong signal during the business day, otherwise don’t bother giving them your number.
• Are you willing to be on call 24X7? - Once your client gets a hold of your cell phone number, I can guarantee that they will call you regardless of the hour or day of the week. Weekends, nights, you will get a call if they feel they need to contact you. You need to think about what this will mean to not only you, but to your family as well. This is a significant intrusion into their personal lives, and you should see what they think before making a decision.
• Does your company allow it? - This is the most important question of all. You must make sure that your company allows you to give your cell phone number to your clients. 99% of the time, this is no problem, but some companies do have a problem with this. Even if your company doesn’t, clear it with your boss first.

These are just five of the more common questions you could ask yourself, make sure to brainstorm for anything specific to your situation. The main thing to remember is this: This is a very important decision to make and it should not be made without a good amount of thought put into it.

Kevin Augustine is the administrator for Workplace Life - Where Every Cubicle Has a Window. Visit us for helpful articles on common Microsoft Office software such as Microsoft Word and Excel. We also have articles on career management, surviving in the office, professional email tips, and bits of humor to lighten up your day.

Life has always been a journey, a journey of finding of one true self and happiness. As however destined, all journeys will eventually find its very own destination and it is inevitable that every one of us will eventually have to depart from this world.

Many a times in our life, we have to experience the soreness of actually witnessing the departure of some of our very loved ones. With tears we bid them farewell, to a faraway land they go. Silently they might have left us, but spiritually around, we know they will always be.

Lots and lots of wonderful memories and guidance they have left us with, making this world ever so beautiful. Thinking back now, don’t they just bring you smile again? These beautiful memories certainly deserve to live on and not to fade away slowly from our mind, sadly dying off as we eventually join them in that faraway land. Generations to generations they deserve to pass on down forever.

Memory would be considered the best gift you could ever dedicate to your dearly departed loved ones. Don’t you like to share with your friends and family, all those wonderful memories you have and so dearly cherished? Telling the world how proud you are to have them, as your most dearly loved ones and how you will always remember them? Though they might not longer be with us anymore but deep down within our heart, we know that they will always be with us, staying alive forever…

A dedication of a little memorial specially to your loved ones is always a nice way of remembering them. It could certainly bring about an ever-lasting memory to all those wonderful and nevertheless meaningful stories and guidance that deserve to live on.
Putting them down in your most genuine words on a memorial page would definitely be a truthful and meaningful way of commemorating your loved ones.

With today’s Internet, we could even further present it as an online memorial, making it possible to be sharing with friends and family from all around the world. Likewise, to nevertheless be able to also, include photographs of the dearly departed, creating an even ever-lasting memory for all.

Well, you may not be the world best novel writer but your words for your loved ones, will definitely be the most truthful and touching gift ever to be dedicated to them.

Rick Valens

Freelance Writer for http://www.ecemetery.org,
Monument of Eternal Memory

Currently also the staff writer for http://www.loveletterbox.com,
Love Relationship Discussion Forum

NOTE: You’re free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided that the article is reproduced in its entirety, including the author information and all live website link as above.

Why We Fear Death

“Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark.” - Bacon

There may be a thousand reasons why we fear death, but most of all we fear death because we fear the unknown, and death is an unknown entity to most people. We fear that dying may be painful and we do not know what will happen to us at the point of death.

Some people fear death because they imagine the dying process to be very painful. Death is not painful. In fact, death is often very peaceful and silent even for those suffering from cancers or other terminal illness.

When the physical body is deteriorating day by day from a terminal illness, and pain arises from superficial wound such as bed sores, or deep pain such as bone or nerve pain, death may even be a welcome relief for the sufferer.

We need to distinguish the pain of the physical body from the process of dying. The dying process is a distinct process that is separate from the deterioration of the physical body. At the point of death, there is no pain.

What happens at death is the cessation of the breath and all other physiological functions of the physical body. The heart stops pumping and the blood circulation stops moving. The body stops generating heat, and thus progressively turns cold.

For those who believe that we are more than just a physical body, and that we are in fact spiritual beings, the dying process means much more than just physical death. Death is just a natural process that allows us to discard the physical body as we move into the spiritual realm.

Since our fear of death is due to the fact that we do not know or understand death, it makes sense to familiarise ourselves with it. The more we understand death, the less we fear it. We should therefore cultivate a friendship with death, and be totally familiar with it, just as we are familiar with our friends.

We can cultivate a friendship with death in three simple steps:

1. Establish a link with God.
2. Cultivate a habit of acceptance, instead of blame.
3. Be a blessing to others.

Establish a link with God.

By establishing a link with God, we touch base with our own spirituality. God can be whatever you perceive God to be. For Christians, Muslims and Hindus, that may mean an omnipotent God. For Buddhists, it may mean the Buddha seed within. Atheists may have to come to term with their own spirituality.

Establishing a link with God means re-gaining your spirituality. It leads you closer to the spiritual aspect of yourself. Whether we accept it or not, we are more than just this physical body. When we die, we leave this physical body behind and only our spirituality continues on.

It is therefore essential for us to be familiar with our own spirituality. It is the only part of us that continues after death. This ‘fact’ is in accordance with all major religions.

Cultivate a Habit of Acceptance.

It is funny how when good things come to us, we readily accept them as though we deserve them or we have worked hard for them, yet when calamities befall us we quickly look for an external source to blame.

This is especially so when misfortunes such as terminal illness befall us. We may blame God, and later blame ourselves or people around us. We should cultivate a habit of neutrality regardless of whether good or bad things come our way. Otherwise, we can become very bitter about life when negative things happened. Looking for someone or something to blame only serve to prolong our own suffering. Death is an enemy when we resist it, but the moment we accept it, it turns into an ally.

However, cultivating a habit of acceptance does not mean not doing anything to correct or improve our conditions. It does not mean, for example, that when we are diagnosed with a terminal illness we do nothing about it. It is only sensible to seek treatment, if it is available to us. On the other hand, it also means we must know and accept when curative treatment is no longer possible. We fear death only when we refuse to face it.

Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people who would take advantage of our fear of death to sell their ‘cure’. In my experience with the terminally ill, I have come across countless stories of dying people being duped into parting with their savings and properties in the hope of achieving a cure.

Be a Blessing to Others.

This is our greatest and most reliable ally at the time of death.

Knowing that we have been helpful to others and that we have tried to live a blameless life takes away the fear of death. If our life has been an honest one, free of any conscious intention to hurt any living beings, we have nothing to fear when death approaches. Our mind will be at peace, undisturbed.

On the other hand, those who lead selfish lives, and harm others to get little advantages for themselves, find themselves imprisoned in tiny, dark cells when they move to the other side.

Therefore, while we still can, we should give our best to the world and to people around us. Lend a helping hand to others and help to lighten their loads. Bring joy to the joyless and comfort to those in need of comfort. There are many who are less fortunate than us. Count our blessings and be a blessing to others.

Tim Ong is a medical doctor with more than 14 years of experience in family medicine. He is the author of the online “Build From Within” ezine and “The Book of Transformation”. He is also the webmaster of http://www.theselfimprovementsite.com