WHAT IS STRESS?

What Is Anxiety? Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying. These disorders affect how we feel and behave, and they can manifest real physical symptoms. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating, having a serious impact on daily life. People often experience a general state of worry or fear before confronting something challenging such as a test, examination, recital, or interview. These feelings are easily justified and considered normal. Anxiety is considered a problem when symptoms interfere with a person's ability to sleep or otherwise function. Generally speaking, anxiety occurs when a reaction is out of proportion with what might be normally expected in a situation. Anxiety disorders can be classified into several more specific types. The most common are briefly described below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)? Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic disorder characterized by excessive, long-lasting anxiety and worry about nonspecific life events, objects, and situations. GAD sufferers often feel afraid and worry about health, money, family, work, or school, but they have trouble both identifying the specific fear and controlling the worries. Their fear is usually unrealistic or out of proportion with what may be expected in their situation. Sufferers expect failure and disaster to the point that it interferes with daily functions like work, school, social activities, and relationships. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is Panic Disorder? Panic Disorder is a type of anxiety characterized by brief or sudden attacks of intense terror and apprehension that leads to shaking, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and difficulty breathing. Panic attacks tend to arise abruptly and peak after 10 minutes, but they then may last for hours. Panic disorders usually occur after frightening experiences or prolonged stress, but they can be spontaneous as well. A panic attack may lead an individual to be acutely aware of any change in normal body function, interpreting it as a life threatening illness - hypervigiliance followed by hypochondriasis. In addition, panic attacks lead a sufferer to expect future attacks, which may cause drastic behavioral changes in order to avoid these attacks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is a Phobia? A Phobia is an irrational fear and avoidance of an object or situation. Phobias are different from generalized anxiety disorders because a phobia has a fear response identified with a specific cause. The fear may be acknowledged as irrational or unnecessary, but the person is still unable to control the anxiety that results. Stimuli for phobia may be as varied as situations, animals, or everyday objects. For example, agoraphobia occurs when one avoids a place or situation to avoid an anxiety or panic attack. Agoraphobics will situate themselves so that escape will not be difficult or embarrassing, and they will change their behavior to reduce anxiety about being able to escape. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is Social Anxiety Disorder? Social Anxiety Disorder is a type of social phobia characterized by a fear of being negatively judged by others or a fear of public embarrassment due to impulsive actions. This includes feelings such as stage fright, a fear of intimacy, and a fear of humiliation. This disorder can cause people to avoid public situations and human contact to the point that normal life is rendered impossibl. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by thoughts or actions that are repetitive, distressing, and intrusive. OCD suffers usually know that their compulsions are unreasonable or irrational, but they serve to alleviate their anxiety. Often, the logic of someone with OCD will appear superstitious, such as an insistence in walking in a certain pattern. OCD sufferers may obsessively clean personal items or hands or constantly check locks, stoves, or light switches. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is anxiety that results from previous trauma such as military combat, rape, hostage situations, or a serious accident. PTSD often leads to flashbacks and behavioral changes in order to avoid certain stimuli. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is Separation Anxiety Disorder? Separation Anxiety Disorder is characterized by high levels of anxiety when separated from a person or place that provides feelings of security or safety. Sometimes separation results in panic, and it is considered a disorder when the response is excessive or inappropriate.

DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL AWARENESS: THE HOW.

Developing Emotional Awareness Recognizing and Harnessing the Power of Your Emotions Emotions are the glue that connects you to other people and gives meaning to life. They are the foundation of your ability to understand yourself and relate to others. When you are aware and in control of your emotions, you can think clearly and creatively; manage stress and challenges; communicate well with others; and display trust, empathy, and confidence. But lose control of your emotions, and you’ll spin into confusion, isolation, and negativity. By recognizing and harnessing your emotions you can gain control over the way you react to challenges, improve your communication skills, and enjoy more fulfilling relationships. This is the power of developing emotional awareness. Whether we’re aware of them or not, emotions are a constant presence in our lives, underlying and influencing everything we do. Emotional awareness means knowing what you are feeling and why. It’s the ability to identify and express what you are feeling from moment to moment and to understand the connection between your feelings and your actions. Emotional awareness also allows you to understand what others are feeling and to empathize with them. Emotional awareness involves two basic abilities: The ability to recognize your moment-to-moment emotional experience The ability to handle all of your emotions without becoming overwhelmed Why emotional awareness matters Have you ever felt like depression, anxiety, or anger was controlling you? Do you often act impulsively, doing or saying things you know you shouldn’t, only to regret it later? Do you feel disconnected from your feelings or emotionally numb? Do you have a hard time communicating with others and forming meaningful connections? Do you feel like your life is an emotional rollercoaster—all extremes and no balance? All of these challenges are related to a breakdown in emotional awareness. Our emotions, not our thoughts, motivate us. Without an awareness of what you’re feeling, it’s impossible to fully understand your own behavior, appropriately manage your emotions and actions, and accurately “read” the wants and needs of others. Emotional awareness helps you: Recognize who you are: what you like, what you don’t like, and what you need Understand and empathize with others Communicate clearly and effectively Make wise decisions based on the things that are most important to you Get motivated and take action to meet goals Build strong, healthy, and rewarding relationships How developing emotional awareness can bring your life into balance “My life is an emotional rollercoaster!” Life doesn’t have to be about high highs and low lows. Becoming more in touch with your emotions can help moderate the extreme up and down swings. “I often regret what I say or do.” If you often wish you could press an “undo” button—or you simply have a short fuse—you can gain emotional awareness by learning to prolong patience during times of stress. “I have no energy.” Got the blahs? When there is nothing physically wrong with you, and you still don’t have any ‘get up and go,’ you might be depressed. When you are more emotionally aware, you can tune into these feelings and make a change for the better. “The people I’m interested in aren’t interested in me.” Relationships are hard, but you can have an easier time meeting people and creating lasting bonds when you become more emotionally aware. “I can’t seem to get ahead, even though I’m smart and work hard.” Sometimes, getting ahead at your career requires more than book smarts and effort. Becoming more emotionally aware can help you communicate better and advance your position. “They call me a robot.” There is such thing as too much control over emotions. If you’ve reined yourself in so much that you show no emotion whatsoever, you might benefit from becoming more balanced with your feelings. Evaluating your emotional awareness Although emotional awareness is the basis of emotional health, good communication, and solid relationships, many people remain relatively unacquainted with their core emotional experience. It is surprising how few people can easily answer the question: “What are you experiencing emotionally?” What is your level of emotional awareness? Can you tolerate strong feelings, including anger, sadness, fear, disgust, and joy? Do you feel your emotions in your body? If you are sad or mad, do you experience physical sensations in places like your stomach and chest? Do you ever make decisions based on “gut feelings” or use your emotions to guide your decisions? When your body signals that something is wrong (stomach tightening, hair standing on end) do you trust it? Are you comfortable with all of your emotions? Do you allow yourself to feel anger, sadness, or fear without being judgmental or trying to suppress them? Do you pay attention to your every-changing emotional experience? Do you notice a variety of emotions throughout the day or are you stuck in only one or two emotions? Are you comfortable talking about your emotions? Do you communicate your feelings honestly? Do you feel that, in general, others understand and empathize with your feelings? Are you comfortable with others knowing your emotions? Are you sensitive to the emotions of others? Is it relatively easy for you to pick up on what other people are feeling and put yourself in their shoes? If you didn’t answer “usually” or even “sometimes” to most of these questions, you’re not alone. Most people are not emotionally aware, but you can be, even if you have avoided some of your feelings for a long time. By learning to recognize, manage, and deal with your emotions, you’ll enjoy greater happiness and health, as well as better relationships. When we can't manage stress, emotions may overwhelm us You can’t manage emotions until you know how to manage stress. Emotions are unpredictable. We never know what will trigger an emotional response, and when stress strikes, we don’t always have the time or opportunity to get back into balance by going for a run, for example, or taking a relaxing bath. What you need are tools that allow you to manage stress quickly and in the moment. Emotional awareness depends on your ability to rapidly relieve stress Emotional awareness requires the ability to manage stress as it’s happening. The ability to quickly reduce stress allows you to safely face strong emotions, confident in the knowledge that you’ll be able to stay calm and in control—even when something upsetting happens. Once you know how to calm yourself down once you start to feel overwhelmed, you can begin to explore the emotions that seem uncomfortable or even frightening. Emotion is a double-edged sword that is meant to help but can also hurt If you're a person who doesn't know how to manage your emotions, or have lived with such a person, feelings can seem frightening and overwhelming. Fear and helplessness may cause you to freeze, act out, or shut down—inhibiting your ability to think rationally and causing you to say and do things you later regret. Common ways of controlling or avoiding uncomfortable emotions Many addictive and inappropriate behaviors are rooted in an inability to take emotionally stressful situations in your stride. Instead, you may try to control or avoid difficult emotions by: Distracting yourself with obsessive thoughts, escapist fantasies, mindless entertainment, and addictive behaviors in order to avoid emotions you fear or dislike. Watching television for hours, playing computer games, and surfing the Internet are common ways we avoid dealing with our feelings. Sticking with one emotional response that you feel comfortable with, no matter what the situation requires. For example, constantly joking around to cover up insecurities or getting angry all the time to avoid feeling frightened and sad. Shutting down or shutting out intense emotions. If you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, you may cope by numbing yourself. You may feel completely disconnected from your emotions, like you no longer have feelings at all. The upside of unpleasant emotions Anger can be both deadly and restorative. Out-of-control anger can run amok endangering others and ourselves. But anger can also protect and preserve life. Anger is an emotion with a lot of energy that can be used to save life by mobilizing us and inspiring determination and creative action. Sadness can lead to depression but also supports emotional healing. Sadness is a call to slow down, stop thinking and surrender to what we are experiencing emotionally. Sadness asks us to open up, trust and allow ourselves to be vulnerable in order to heal and recover from loss. Fear that overwhelms us is debilitating but fear also triggers lifesaving reactions that protect us from harm. Fear is a deeply rooted emotion—often the cause of chronic anger or depression. Overwhelming fear can be a barrier that separates us from others, but fear also supports life by signaling danger and triggering life-preserving action. Why avoiding unpleasant emotions isn’t the answer We are all born with a capacity to freely experience the full range of human emotions—including joy, anger, sadness, and fear. Yet many people are disconnected from some or all of their feelings. People who were traumatized in early life often disconnect from their emotions and the physical feelings they evoke. But when you try to avoid pain and discomfort, your emotions become distorted, displaced, and stifled. You lose touch with your emotions when you attempt to control or avoid them, rather than experience them. The consequences of avoiding your emotions: You don’t know yourself. This is one of the most important consequences. It includes understanding why you react to different situations, how much or how little things mean to you, and the difference between what you think you want and what you really need. You lose the good, along with the bad. When you shut down negative feelings like anger, fear, or sadness, you also shut down your ability to experience positive feelings such as joy, love, and happiness. It’s exhausting. You can distort and numb emotions, but you can’t eliminate them entirely. It takes a lot of energy to avoid having an authentic emotional experience and keep your feelings suppressed. The effort leaves you stressed and drained. It damages your relationships. The more you distance yourself from your feelings, the more distant you become from others, as well as yourself. You lose the ability to build strong relationships and communicate effectively, both of which depend on being in touch with your emotions. By avoiding emotions we dislike, we distance ourselves from pleasant emotions When we disconnect from emotions we dislike – emotions that we find uncomfortable or overwhelming - we automatically shut down intensely positive emotions like joy, laughter, and playfulness that sustain us in difficult and challenging times. We can overcome loss and great challenges, but only if we retain our ability to experience joy. These pleasant, uplifting emotions remind us in the worst of times that life is worthwhile and can be wonderful as well as painful. Make friends with all your emotions If you’ve never learned how to manage stress, the idea of reconnecting to unpleasant emotions may be uncomfortable. But even traumatized people can heal by learning to safely navigate their emotional experiences. You can change the way you experience and respond to your emotions. The process of raising emotional awareness involves reconnecting with all of the core emotions, including anger, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise, and joy via a process of self-healing. As you start this process, keep the following facts in mind: Emotions quickly come and go, if you let them You may be worried that once you reconnect to the emotions you’ve been avoiding, you’ll be stuck with them forever, but that’s not so. When we don’t obsess about our emotions, even the most painful and difficult feelings subside and lose their power to control our attention. When our feelings are freed, the core emotions of anger, sadness, fear, and joy quickly come and go. Throughout the day, you’ll see, read, or hear something that momentarily triggers a strong feeling of some sort. But if you don’t focus on the feeling, it won’t last, and a different emotion will soon take its place. Your body can clue you in to your emotions Our emotions are closely aligned to physical sensations in our bodies. When you experience a strong emotion, you probably also feel it somewhere in your body. By paying attention to these physical sensations, you can understand your emotions better. For example, if your stomach tightens up every time you spend time with a particular person, you can conclude that you feel uncomfortable in their presence. With the exception of a headache, physical feelings are usually experienced somewhere below the bridge of the nose. Examples include: Sensations in your stomach Tension in your muscles Subtle urges to move body parts Flashes of insight or “gut feelings” You don’t have to choose between thinking and feeling Emotional awareness functions like instinct. When it’s strongly developed, you’ll know what you are feeling without having to think about it—and you’ll be able to use these emotional signals to understand what is really going on in a situation and act accordingly. The goal is to find a balance between your intellect and your emotions. The fact is that emotional awareness will help you set healthy boundaries, communicate well with others, predict what others are going to do, and make better decisions. Emotional awareness is a mindfulness skill you can learn Emotional awareness is a skill—which means that with patience and practice, it can be learned at any time of life. You can develop emotional awareness by learning a mindfulness meditation that focuses on moment-to-moment physical and emotional sensations in your body. This meditation, “Ride the Wild Horse,” helps you to get in touch with difficult emotions and manage uncomfortable feelings. When you know how to do this, you can remain in control, rather than becoming overwhelmed—even in very challenging situations.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 4 : EMOTIONAL AWARENESS

Effective communication skills #4: Emotional awareness Learn to recognize & accept your emotions Emotions play an important role in the way we communicate at home and work. It’s the way you feel, more than the way you think, that motivates you to communicate or to make decisions. The way you react to emotionally-driven, nonverbal cues affects both how you understand other people and how they understand you. If you are out of touch with your feelings, and don’t understand how you feel or why you feel that way, you’ll have a hard time communicating your feelings and needs to others. This can result in frustration, misunderstandings, and conflict. When you don’t address what’s really bothering you, you often become embroiled in petty squabbles instead—arguing with your spouse about how the towels should be hung, for example, or with a coworker about whose turn it is to restock the copier. Emotional awareness provides you the tools for understanding both yourself and other people, and the real messages they are communicating to you. Although knowing your own feelings may seem simple, many people ignore or try to sedate strong emotions like anger, sadness, and fear. But your ability to communicate depends on being connected to these feelings. If you’re afraid of strong emotions or if you insist on communicating only on a rational level, it will impair your ability to fully understand others, creatively problem solve, resolve conflicts, or build an affectionate connection with someone. How emotional awareness can improve effective communication Emotional awareness—consciousness of your moment-to-moment emotional experience—and the ability to manage all of your feelings appropriately is the basis for effective communication. Emotional awareness helps you: Understand and empathize with what is really troubling other people. Understand yourself, including what’s really troubling you and what you really want. Stay motivated to understand and empathize with the person you’re interacting with, even if you don’t like them or their message. Communicate clearly and effectively, even when delivering negative messages. Build strong, trusting, and rewarding relationships, think creatively, solve problems, and resolve conflicts.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 3: Managing Stress

Effective communication skills #3: Managing stress Learn to recognize & reduce hidden stress In small doses, stress can help you perform under pressure. However, when stress becomes constant and overwhelming, it can hamper effective communication by disrupting your capacity to think clearly and creatively, and act appropriately. When you’re stressed, you’re more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. How many times have you felt stressed during a disagreement with your spouse, kids, boss, friends, or coworkers and then said or done something you later regretted? If you can quickly relieve stress and return to a calm state, you’ll not only avoid such regrets, but in many cases you’ll also help to calm the other person as well. It’s only when you’re in a calm, relaxed state that you'll be able to know whether the situation requires a response, or whether the other person’s signals indicate it would be better to remain silent. Quick stress relief for effective communication When stress strikes, you can’t always temper it by taking time out to meditate or go for a run, especially if you’re in the middle of a meeting with your boss or an argument with your spouse, for example. By learning to quickly reduce stress in the moment, though, you can safely face any strong emotions you’re experiencing, regulate your feelings, and behave appropriately. When you know how to maintain a relaxed, energized state of awareness—even when something upsetting happens—you can remain emotionally available and engaged. To deal with stress during communication: Recognize when you’re becoming stressed. Your body will let you know if you’re stressed as you communicate. Are your muscles or your stomach tight and/or sore? Are your hands clenched? Is your breath shallow? Are you "forgetting" to breathe? Take a moment to calm down before deciding to continue a conversation or postpone it. Bring your senses to the rescue and quickly manage stress by taking a few deep breaths, clenching and relaxing muscles, or recalling a soothing, sensory-rich image, for example. The best way to rapidly and reliably relieve stress is through the senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. But each person responds differently to sensory input, so you need to find things that are soothing to you. See Quick Stress Relief for more ideas. Look for humor in the situation. When used appropriately, humor is a great way to diffuse stress when communicating. When you or those around you start taking things too seriously, find a way to lighten the mood by sharing a joke or amusing story. Be willing to compromise. Sometimes, if you can both bend a little, you’ll be able to find a happy middle ground that reduces the stress levels for everyone concerned. If you realize that the other person cares much more about something than you do, compromise may be easier for you and a good investment in the future of the relationship. Agree to disagree, if necessary, and take time away so everyone can calm down. Take a quick break and move away from the situation. Take a stroll outside if possible, or spend a few minutes meditating. Physical movement or finding a quiet place to regain your balance can quickly reduce stress.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 2

Effective communication skills #2: Nonverbal communication When we communicate things that we care about, we do so mainly using nonverbal signals. Wordless communication, or body language, includes facial expressions, body movement and gestures, eye contact, posture, the tone of your voice, and even your muscle tension and breathing. The way you look, listen, move, and react to another person tells them more about how you’re feeling than words alone ever can. Developing the ability to understand and use nonverbal communication can help you connect with others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships at home and work. You can enhance effective communication by using open body language—arms uncrossed, standing with an open stance or sitting on the edge of your seat, and maintaining eye contact with the person you’re talking to. You can also use body language to emphasize or enhance your verbal message—patting a friend on the back while complimenting him on his success, for example, or pounding your fists to underline your message. Tips for improving how you read nonverbal communication Practice observing people in public places, such as a shopping mall, bus, train, café, restaurant, or even on a television chat show with the sound muted. Observing how others use body language can teach you how to better receive and use nonverbal signals when conversing with others. Notice how people act and react to each other. Try to guess what their relationship is, what they’re talking about, and how each feels about what is being said. Be aware of individual differences. People from different countries and cultures tend to use different nonverbal communication gestures, so it’s important to take age, culture, religion, gender, and emotional state into account when reading body language signals. An American teen, a grieving widow, and an Asian businessman, for example, are likely to use nonverbal signals differently. Look at nonverbal communication signals as a group. Don’t read too much into a single gesture or nonverbal cue. Consider all of the nonverbal signals you receive, from eye contact to tone of voice and body language. Anyone can slip up occasionally and let eye contact slip, for example, or briefly cross their arms without meaning to. Consider the signals as a whole to get a better “read” on a person. Tips for improving how deliver nonverbal communication Use nonverbal signals that match up with your words. Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being said, not contradict it. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will likely feel you’re being dishonest. For example, you can’t say “yes” while shaking your head no. Adjust your nonverbal signals according to the context. The tone of your voice, for example, should be different when you’re addressing a child than when you’re addressing a group of adults. Similarly, take into account the emotional state and cultural background of the person you’re interacting with. Use body language to convey positive feelings even when you're not actually experiencing them. If you’re nervous about a situation—a job interview, important presentation, or first date, for example—you can use positive body language to signal confidence, even though you’re not feeling it. Instead of tentatively entering a room with your head down, eyes averted, and sliding into a chair, try standing tall with your shoulders back, smiling and maintaining eye contact, and delivering a firm handshake. It will make you feel more self-confident and help to put the other person at ease.

CHILDPROOFING YOUR HOME

A child is curious and likes to explore. All the rooms in the house are its playground – and that includes corners, doors, wires and electric plugs. Here is an extensive childproofing checklist that will ensure that your child will be safer at home. All rooms Remember to use anti-trapping devices for doors, child-proof locks for windows, ensure that all sockets are covered with safety cover, and attach all loose wires with clips to the list or hide them behind furniture. Install stair gates to prevent the child from falling down, check the smoke detectors batteries every month, and take a good look at the furniture in order to discover sharp edges and corners. Kitchen Put locks on the doors and cabinets that the child can reach and open, install fire protection so that the child cannot reach pots and other cooking utensils, do not place hot drinks or hot food on near the tables’ edges. Also, dishwashing powder and things that are toxic are placed in upper cabins where the child cannot access them. Toys Every toy should be of high quality and it is important that the toys have no removable small details. The baby toys should be constructed for the child's age. If you have older children, be aware that the younger one might get their hands on toys inappropriate for them. The bathroom Never leave your baby alone in the bathroom. When bathing the baby fill the tub only to cover the child's legs, put a non-slip mat in the bath, and get a bath seat so your child can sit. Preventing falls Another childproofing tip is to never leave your baby alone without supervision. If you have to do it you have to put your baby in the cradle and remove any items that your baby can get hurt on. Safe sleep Let your baby lie on the back, never on the stomach (the baby can suffocate). Neither should the baby have a pillow that is too soft. Your baby will also be where it is not too hot (do not lie the baby where the sun shines or near a strong lamp). A childproofing checklist can be made endlessly long. But be assured, that if you have your baby’s safety on priority, than you will surely be able to childproof you home and to act responsibly.

SEXUAL ABUSE IN CHILDREN

A child is most likely to be sexually abused by someone he knows and trusts, such as a coach, teacher, neighbor, babysitter or family member. For the sake of any child you care for, it is important that you can recognize signs and symptoms of child sexual abuse. IDENTIFICATION Signs and symptoms of sexual abuse in children include if they have trouble sitting or walking or make a strong effort to stay away from a certain person without any apparent reason. Another sign of child sexual abuse is if a child demonstrates knowledge or interest in sexual acts or seductive behavior that is inappropriate for his age. Signs also include a child under the age of 14 becoming pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Another sign is when a child does not want to change his clothes in front of other people or participate in activities he used to enjoy. FEATURES An additional symptom of child sexual abuse is when a child has inexplicable fears. He might have severe disturbances while sleeping, accompanied by sweating, screaming or shaking. Your child might also be afraid of certain places or people or be hesitant about being alone with one person in particular. EFFECTS Signs of sexual abuse in children can also include physical things, such as trauma around your child's genital or anal area. He might also have genital infection symptoms including a foul odor or rash, complaints about pain while urinating or defecating. CONSIDERATIONS A child who has experienced sexual abuse might also display sudden mood and behavioral changes, including isolation, self-hatred, fear, rage, insecurity, irritability or unexplained panic attacks. Your child might also revert back to behaviors he did while younger, such as bed-wetting or sucking his thumb. PREVENTION/SOLUTION If you notice your child displaying any of the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse, you should first and foremost provide unconditional support and calm reassurance. Do not display any feelings of denial you might have to your child or show shock or disgust if your child tells you he has experienced sexual abuse, as this might cause him to avoid sharing what happened with you. Let your child explain what happened without interrogating him or asking too many questions. Reassure your your kid is the key to building confidence and reassurance. Appropriate action can be taking against those implicated to forestall future occurrence.

EMOTIONAL CHILD ABUSE.

Emotional Child Abuse. A child can be emotionally abused, not only with sticks and stones which may lead to broken bones and bruises. wrong words are just as potent if not more. Such children are prone to severely damaged mental health and poor social developments with a life long sycological scar as the cosequence. What constitute emotional Scar? - Constant belittling, Shaming and generally humiliating a child constitute child abuse. - Names calling and constant negative comparison damages a child's psyce. - Using negative phrases such as...No-do-gooder,worthless,bad or that a child is a mistake has a devastating psychological side effect. - Frequent yelling, threatening or bullying is the m,ost common child abuse. - The Silent Treatment: Ignoring, negleting or giving a child cold shudder is a form of emotional child abuse. - Delibrately limiting physical contact with a child...no kissing, no cooing,hugs of lack of other signs affection amount to emotional child abuse. - And finally, exposing a child to violence or abuse of others whether parents, siblings or pet amout to child abuse. PHYSICAL CHILD ABUSE; When there is physical injury or harm done to the child. This may be deliberate in an attempt to hurt the child as a form of corporal purnishement or inadvertent , using belt, sticks or stoning. Some caregiver often attribute such purnishemet to discipline. But physical purnishement that emphasises inappropriate method is nothing but gross child abuse.

CHILD ABUSE

Our next pre occupation on this social forum would be CHILD ABUSE. WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE: By definition: Child abuse is the physical, sexual and emotional mistreatment or neglet of a child or minor. Mistreatment is defined as any act or series of act of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, or threat of harm to a child. Child abuse can occur in a child's home, organizations, schools and communities the child interact with. CATEGORIES OF ABUSE: 1]. Neglect. 2]. Physical. 3]. Emotional( physiological). 4]. Sexual. CAUSES: - UNEMPLOYMENT. - SPARENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO ABUSE CHILDREN THAN BIOLOGICAL PARENTS. - PARENTAL UP-BRINGING/ BACKGROUND. - SUBSTANCE ABUSE. - STEP CHILDREN ARE MORE PRONE. - UNINTENDED PREGNANCIES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE ABUSED. - MARITAL STRIFE HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR CHILD IS BEEN ABUSED. * Excessively withdrawn, fearful, or anxious about doing something wrong. * Shows extrems in behavior( either in demandor passivity or aggression) * Lack of attachement to parens or caregiver. * Acting inppropriately either as adult(ie taking care of other children)or infantile-Thumb sucking etc.

FACTS ABOUT BANANA...A must Read.

8 Interesting Facts About Banana A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from effects of bananas on the brain. Read on: 8 Interesting Facts About Banana Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again. Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet Depression : According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. PMS : Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. Blood Pressure : This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

A NEW THREAT TO JOURNALISM.

All these news agencies, God willing, we find their office, we’re going to attack,” the narrator says. A radical Islamist sect published a video Tuesday showing a smiling suicide bomber drive into the offices of a major Nigerian newspaper and blow himself up, an attack that killed at least three people and made journalists a new target of the extremist group. The 18-minute video posted on YouTube includes new threats against journalists and major Nigerian newspapers, as well as the Hausa language services of Voice of America and Radio France International. An unnamed male speaker also threatens new attacks against Nigeria’s weak central government, saying security forces continue to hold the wives and children of its followers hostage. “If they destroy one brick from our building, we will destroy 500 from theirs,” the man says in Hausa. The video shows the suicide bomber drive a sport utility vehicle on April 26 into the Abuja offices of ThisDay, an influential newspaper. As a man softly prays, the car blows up, sending a massive fireball into the air. The attack killed at least three people at the offices in Nigeria’s capital. A separate bombing at offices the newspaper shared with other publications in the city of Kaduna killed at least four people. In the video, a narrator blames ThisDay for publishing inaccurate and biased information about the sect known as Boko Haram. In particular, the man mentions a 2002 article published by ThisDay suggesting the Prophet Muhammad would have married a Miss World pageant contestant. The video also shows the photograph of the reporter who wrote the article, which sparked riots in Kaduna that killed dozens. “The punishment for that is the person should be killed, especially when you’re talking about Prophet Muhammad,” the man says. The reporter who wrote the article later fled Nigeria for Europe. The narrator also warns other Nigerian newspapers that they will be attacked for their reporting, as well as the local services of VOA and RFI. Both the VOA and RFI broadcast via shortwave radio across Nigeria’s Muslim north. David Borgida, a VOA spokesman based in Washington, declined to comment on the specific threat posed by Boko Haram, but said the broadcaster “takes the safety of all its journalists very seriously.” Officials at RFI could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday. Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is sacrilege” in the Hausa language of Nigeria’s north, is waging an increasingly bloody sectarian fight against Nigeria’s weak central government. The sect is blamed for killing more than 450 people this year alone, according to an Associated Press count. Diplomats and military officials say Boko Haram has links with two other al-Qaida-aligned terrorist groups in Africa. Members of the sect also reportedly have been spotted in northern Mali which Tuareg rebels and hardline Islamists seized control of over the past month. The video shows a new sophistication of the sect. Past videos have simply shown the sect’s leader Sheik Abubakar Shekau talking. Tuesday’s video included images from an attack for the first time, as well as using another speaker besides Shekau to spread the sect’s message. It also reemphasizes the threat the sect poses to journalists in Nigeria, a country of more than 160 million people largely divided into a Christian south and a Muslim north. The sect previously killed two journalists. “All these news agencies, God willing, we find their office, we’re going to attack,” the narrator says. “Anything that has to do with them, even their worrrkers'.