Stress and depression are two of the things in modern life that you have to deal with at one point or another. The former is an everyday thing, one that can stem from something as difficult as social anxiety to something as mundane as tripping over your own shoelaces. The latter, depression, is not quite as easy to develop in the clinical sense, but most people will end up experiencing a point in their lives that comes dangerously close to being depressed. For the most part, these two problems are considered to be threats to one’s physical and mental health. However, recent studies show that these two conditions also have nasty side effects on one’s intelligence.

According to recent findings, it is untrue that the human brain ceases production of neurons and other critical brain cells later on in life. In fact, there are some things that imply that the brain regenerates the aforementioned cells on an as-needed basis, generating more to suit the needs of the individual. This is in direct opposition to long-held medical doctrine that human brain cells do not regenerate after a certain point and instead begin to enter a state of slow decay. However, as recent studies have shown, the more primitive areas of the brain are capable of regenerating lost cells. This has subsequent effects on a wide range of mental functions, including memory, reaction time, and comprehension. Now, what does this have to do with stress and depression, you ask?

A whole lot, apparently. The two conditions states above put the more primitive parts of the brain into survival mode. Upon entering that state, the brain naturally attempts to minimize anything that could be seen as frivolous or unnecessary, instead focusing all energies on the basics. This not only accounts for the apparent reduction of brain activity during periods where an individual experiences the aforementioned problems, but it also starts to kill the currently existing cells. Basically, the brain cells are slowly dying when subjected to excessive stress and depression, burning out neurons at a faster rate than normal. This would explain why some normally intelligent people seem to be mentally slower and less adept when put under emotional and psychological pressure.

Another consequence would be the fact that the two aforementioned disorders can actually prevent the brain from regenerating new cells to replace the old ones. Trophic factors, chemicals that are known to stimulate the brain, are not produced properly when a person undergoes prolonged periods of the above conditions. Studies show that trophic factors are actually the chemicals responsible for telling the brain to regenerate new cells. If the chemicals are cut off or if the flow is disrupted, it can result in a rapid decline in the human brain’s ability to repair itself over time.

While these findings are still controversial and questionable, it does provide an interesting look into just how the brain works on a physical level. The long-held belief that the brain is incapable of fixing itself once a person reaches adulthood may just be put into question. These findings are still subject to further research, but there are already several avenues being opened by the concept. For example, there are studies now being conducted devoted to finding out whether or not serotonin, a chemical used to combat a variety of mental disorders, has an effect on neuron regeneration.

A lot of people view prison negatively. For them, a prison is a hellish place where the guilty and those who are innocently accused of crimes are locked away to suffer the worst in life. There is rampant violations of human rights. A breeding ground for the worst social evils. The prison cells are usually dark and filthy where many of the prisoners cry out for attention and understanding. Living conditions are far from being hygienic and convenient which pose danger to the physical, emotional and mental health of the inmates. Many of them are suffering from various illnesses, depression and anxiety disorders.
A prison or penitentiary is supposed to be an institution where those who are found guilty of violating the law are physically confined to serve their sentence. The justice system of any country imposes imprisonment as a legal penalty for the commission of crimes with the end goal of disciplining and rehabilitating them. However, some of those who are in charge of these prisons seem to be the ones who need rehabilitation and discipline.
Once a prisoner completes his sentence and is released from prison, he can either change to a better person or go back to his lawless ways. Leaving the penitentiary is a great relief to every ex-convict who is willing to do everything a good citizen does. But as soon he gets out of the confining prison walls is the realization that the social stigma of being an ex-con will follow him wherever he goes. Society may be willing to forgive ex-convicts but may not readily give them a chance to have a brand-new life.
Ex-convicts always face the reality that finding shelter can be a problem. Whether they are alone or they have families to return to, there are always the neighbors and the community they have to deal with. People may not easily trust their presence and they will obviously feel the unwelcome treatment and rejection. Starting a new life means looking for a job in order to earn a living. Felons who have paid their debts to society often discover that the road to opportunities are blocked with prejudice. Job opportunities will not give them priority and preference. Ex-convicts experiencing social rejection can lead to a number of adverse emotional and psychological consequences such as social anxiety and insecurity, loss of self-esteem and depression, and post traumatic stress disorder.
Social anxiety is simply the fear of being with people. Ex-cons who suffer from this condition find it hard to interact with others. They always feel that they are being watched, criticized or judged negatively by other human beings. It is the persistent feelings of self-consciousness and anxiety. They typically experience a sense of dread and nervousness in the build up to the feared situation, and analyse or ‘replay’ the situation in their mind when it’s over, ruminating on how they could have done better. Sufferers of social anxiety may also experience physical symptoms such as trembling, blushing or sweating.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects a person’s eating and sleeping habits, the way one feels about oneself or self-esteem, and the way one thinks about things. Depression is not just a passing mood that can be willed away. When ex-convicts experience social rejection and get depressed, they may have a hard time pulling their act together. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression.
Post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD occurs when a tragic event happens involving physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The harm could have happened to the person PTSD or to a loved one, or the person is a witness to a tragic scene that happened to loved ones or strangers.
PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.
Ex-convicts have tragic experiences while being held in prisons. Social rejection adding up to their pent up emotional wounds may trigger a post traumatic stress syndrome. This is why most felons return to prison after a few months of freedom. They end up going back to their old ways due to the pressure of a critical society who are not ready to give them another crack to a better life.
A number of non-profit organizations and social welfare groups are now helping those who are getting out of prison walls to move on with their lives by providing them shelter, jobs, counseling and rehabilitation. It is not meant to spoil or pamper them. Only to help them get up on their feet in order to start up on their new journey in life. Most of these non-profit groups believe that given the best scenario, ex-convicts can change and can do everything that good citizens do. Because most people involved in these organizations are reformed felons as well.

The media and the modern world both seem to be incredibly adept at inspiring fear and anxiety in people. Between reports of possible terrorist threats to the mundane possibility that your food could carry several bacterial infections, it can be very hard to find anything that can’t be connected with something unpleasant. All of this paranoia and anxiety can sometimes take a toll on a person’s mental health, even if the effects aren’t particularly obvious. This serves quite an amazing contrast with some many people espousing the message of living life to the fullest filling the airwaves. Of course, nobody really seems to have paid that much attention to how, exactly, to carry that out in today’s environment.

The fact is, there are a lot of things that can cause fear and anxiety in the world. However, it should be kept in mind that people have been living and dealing with those problems for thousands of years. Europe had to endure the widespread infection remembered as the Black Plague and eventually recovered. The Chinese have carried themselves well through the turmoil and self-destruction of countless periods when the country was divided into warring states. The honest truth here is that, for the sake of your mental health if nothing else, you should just try not to worry too much. There is a certain level of risk that is to be associated with pretty much anything, but that doesn’t mean those things should not be done.

There is no argument that the media has some influence over the mental health of people, although just how much is something left to speculation. There are some that theorize that, with the right combination of fear and anxiety caused by the media and environmental conditions, people can become exceedingly paranoid.We’ve already seen a large number of people being swayed into conformity by the media, while those who are unable to begin to develop either social anxiety or status anxiety. However, as stated, the media is not the only factor in the formation of these problems. Other influences can be used to aggravate or counterbalance the influence gained from TV and video games, depending on certain circumstances.

People today should learn not to worry about things so much, particularly as so many of the threats the media talks about are highly unlikely. For example, you’re less likely to get killed during a shark attack like what you see in movies like Jaws than you are to get hit by lightning. Incidentally, the anxiety people feel during a lightning storm is more or less unwarranted, as you’re more likely to slip in the bathroom than be struck by lightning. Unless you were stupid enough to walk with some sort of lightning rod on you, anyway. If you take the time to study the chances of things happening, you’ll realize that they’re not all that common. Most people can go through their entire lives without anything disastrous or traumatizing happening to them, which makes the ones that do and survive such special cases.

That’s exactly what the media is showing people, the special cases. If people getting hit by lightning or getting an infection of flesh-eating bacteria were as common as most people assumed, then there would be no point in reporting it in the news. Just because the media has fallen into bouts of sensationalism and would rather spread fear and anxiety than show a balanced report is their fault. For the sake of your mental health and the mental health of those around you, be sure to take the time to strike the balance.

Watching a child struggling with anxiety can be very difficult for parents. Anxiety may begin to mask their perception of their child and convince them that a child can’t do things that he or she really can. Many parents find it helpful to keep track of the child’s accomplishments and abilities so that they don’t begin thinking of their child as anxious and fearful. Instead they can recognize what abilities their child has that might be useful in dealing with anxiety. A little anxiety isnt always a bad thing, but, it can help motivate one to do one’s best and to respond appropriately to danger.

Anxiety, the bodys reaction to a perceived, anticipated or imagined danger or threatening situation, is a common occurrence among children. All children experience anxiety. Anxiety in children is expected and normal at specific times in development. For example, from around 8 months through the preschool years, healthy youngsters may show intense distress anxiety at times of separation from their parents or other persons with whom they are close. Anxious children are often overly tense or uptight. Some may seek a lot of reassurance, and their worries may interfere with activities.

There are different types of child anxiety. One such anxiety disorder very common among them is Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD. GAD is defined as chronic, excessive worry and fear that seems to have no real cause. Children with GAD often worry a lot about things such as future events, past behaviors, social acceptance, family matters, relationship, their personal abilities, and school performance. Although younger children can show signs of excessive worry, children usually develop GAD at about 12 years old. Studies also revealed that many children with GAD also have other anxiety problems. The most common of which are social anxiety, depression, separation anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD.

Worrying too much on things before they actually happen or too concerned about friends, school or activities is the most common symptoms of GAD. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. It may also include

constant thoughts and fears about safety of self andor safety of parents

refusing to go to school

frequent stomach aches, headaches, or other physical complaints

muscle aches or tension

sleep disturbance

excessive worry about sleeping away from home

clingy behavior with family members

feeling as though there is a lump in the throat

fatigue

lack of concentration

being easily startled

irritability

inability to relax

Several anxiety medications are available for treating GAD. A few of these medications include Zoloft, Paxil, Xanax, and Prozac. All of these medications are known as SSRI’s, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These medications are all fairly new anti-depressants on the marketplace and they often have very little side effects. When a child takes any of these drugs, he or she may experience overly nervous at first. However, after several weeks the feeling typically moves away. Some side consequences of anti-depressants that children may experience are sleepiness, tiredness, and confusion.

These medications should only be taken in with consultation from a child’s physician. A physician’s decision on what medications to be taken by a child depends on the child’s physical structure chemistry as well as how severe the child’s anxiety is.

Parents should not discount a child’s fears. Aside from the symptoms mentioned above, anxious children may also be quiet, compliant and eager to please, thus their difficulties may be missed. Parents should always be alert to the signs of severe anxiety so they can intervene early to prevent future complications.