Creative Approaches to Family Gatherings

Do you find yourself dreading family gatherings? Is the family situation trying and very draining on your emotional state?

Staying centered when others around us are spinning in excitement, anticipation or agitation is never easy. It is challenging to hold our own position at times. The energy encountered in your family can be overwhelming. When you have to be at a family gathering, remember to take a few simple steps before getting out of your car:

1. Take three deep breaths.

2. Pull in your energetic field closer to your body (this contains your energy so it is not so porous and expanded- keeping you from picking up other's energies). You can also do this by crossing your arms over your heart, hugging yourself tightly and feeling very contained.

3. Focus your energy on your feet- feeling how rooted you are to the earth.

4. Clear your mind and focus on the task at hand, knowing you are centered within yourself and nothing can truly harm you or hurt you.

These few simple methods will help you have a better experience. They seem like very simple concepts, but each has a specific purpose and work together to bring you into a state of conscious awareness. This awareness is the most powerful tool we possess. If you have conscious awareness you are remaining empowered in your personal space. This can assist you in holding your own energy rather than being drained by the swirling energy around you.

It's easy to get caught up in family tension, experiencing undue demands on yourself and the guilt that comes with living according to old feelings of expectation and duty. Simply because something has been unchanged for years, does it mean it is the only way it can be done? Think about the ramifications of some of these expectations that have been passed down through the family for generations.

Do the family expectations make you uncomfortable? Do you visit members of the family out of duty rather than out of excitement and joy? Are you weighed down by the expectations placed upon you? Is there a sense of loyalty that is defining your every move? What would happen if you created a new way of responding? Would it be more fulfilling to you personally? Would you feel guilt? Would it bring you joy? Would it be exciting? Would it be too uncomfortable?

Only you would know inside yourself what your response would be.

Is it worth finding out? Step out on your own and do things differently the next time you are at a family gathering. Why not take the risk to change? Change is the healthiest thing we can ever do for ourselves. Being caught in a routine is stifling and can cause our energies to stagnate.

Samsara is a Sanskrit word that means to me, "the only thing that never changes, is the fact that everything changes." Samsara is about flow. Energy in flowing motion is free and openly being expressed. Energy held in expectation and tradition can be stagnant and unmoving.

Which do you prefer? Which do you choose? Take the leap and make a change! And most of all, remember it's about your wellbeing. Do what brings you joy. Allow that to be the guiding force within you.

© 2005 Jaelin K. Reece

Guide to Children's Dental Health

In a world in which most adults have trouble brushing and flossing on a regular basis, it can be even more difficult to encourage young children to maintain healthy mouths in order to promote healthy growth. Yet there are certain habits and practices that can help parents and guardians care for their child's teeth to ensure good dental hygiene. Below are just a few tips that can contribute to your child's healthy mouth.

Preventing Cavities:

While you may consider cavities to be a normal childhood occurrence, tooth decay in children can be prevented. Be sure your child brushes and flosses at least twice a day to maintain healthy teeth and gums. All of a child's primary teeth have usually grown in by the age of 2 and a half, which is when your dentist may begin fluoride treatments to help prevent cavities. Applying topical fluoride to the teeth helps to harden the teeth's enamel and prevents harmful acid from penetrating the teeth and causing tooth decay.

Your Child's Diet:

What your child eats affects the health of his or her teeth and gums. Sweet, sticky foods and frequent snacking between meals lead to a higher risk of tooth decay. To avoid your child developing cavities, limit the amount of snack foods that stick to your child's teeth, including not only candy but also some dried fruits, cereals and crackers. When you do give you child treats, try to make them a part of a meal, as too many snacks between meals means that cavity-causing bacteria are constantly attacking the teeth. Nutritious snacks, such as fruits and vegetables, help to promote good dental health.

Thumbsucking:

Babies and young children often suck their thumbs as a natural reflex that helps them feel comforted and secure. While thumbsucking can be soothing and can even help children sleep better at night, as the permanent teeth are growing in, this habit can affect the growth and alignment of the teeth, mouth, and even the roof of the mouth. Rather than scold your child for sucking their thumb, praise your child when not reverting back to this habit for more positive reinforcement. If your child sucks the thumb as a comforting technique, try to correct the problem by determining the cause of anxiety. Your dentist may also suggest using a sock, bandage or mouth appliance to help stop thumbsucking.

Visiting the Dentist:

Most children make their first visit to the dentist around the age of 1 year old. Be sure to see a pediatric dentist who specializes in children's dentistry and can check for any signs of early problems in your child's mouth. A strong relationship between your child and the pediatric dentist will help your child become more relaxed in the dentist's chair. Getting into the habit of regular dental checkups will ensure your child grows a healthy, happy smile.

Online Therapy, Ethics and E Mental Health

The internet has created a whole new way of seeing a mental health professional for common problems such as anxiety, depression, and academic problems: online therapy. Basically, you choose a particular E clinic and select from a list of online psychologists, clinical social workers, family and marriage therapists, or counselors. Then, you set up a date and time on the website, pay, and are good to go. On the day you are scheduled to see the therapist you are sent a reminder email, then go to your computer, click a link, and then talk or chat with your therapist who you can actually see via video-audio-conferencing, audio-conferencing, or just chat. Sometimes you can also communicate via email for routine questions that do not involve ongoing therapy.

As easy as it is to see an online therapist at an E clinic it is important to watch out for a few red flags:

1. First, if your therapist charges per minute do not see a therapist using that E clinic. They should charged per half hour or hour as it is unethical and unprofessional to charge people who already are having problems concentrating and thinking per minute because it is just simply hard to calculate how much you will pay at the end of your session. Sometimes when you are having psychological difficulties you just want to talk forever or just can't tell how fast time goes by.

2. Second, if your therapist gets publicly rated and reviewed stay away from that online therapy center. The reason is that mental health professionals deal with clients who may be angry today because of the therapy process and happy tomorrow. Also, if an online therapist is being rated, he or she may simply feel that to attract other clients he must make you happy and this is not how therapy works. The truth sometimes hurt but leads you to better mental health.

3. Third, if you can see an online therapist from another State and this online therapist is not licensed in your State he or she is practicing against the law and professional standards. This is extremely important. If the E clinic allows or encourages therapists to see clients from States where they are not licensed or insured, the center is engaging in unethical and unprofessional behavior. Believe it or not, some centers offer online therapists "time zone conversions" to make it easier for them to see clients in other Time Zone States.

4. Fourth, if you cannot see the therapists license number, you cannot call or check online with the State Licensing Board to make sure that their license is in good status.

5. Fifth, if the therapists cannot guarantee you that they are insured, you cannot take them to court for negligence or malpractice as it is your legal right in the USA.

6. Your selected E clinic should offer a wide variety of ways to contact your online therapist: just chatting is not enough because you may need something different from the next person.

7. The E clinic you selected only works with dedicated web servers as opposed to virtual web servers. A web server is a hard drive mini computer where all of your information will be maintained. A dedicated web server only has information related to the E clinic you visit while a virtual web server shares the space with thousands or millions of other businesses! So, it is more secured to use a web server owned only to service the E clinic you chose.

This is the reason it is not recommended or it can be unethical to use services such as Skype or Windows Live Messenger because these services use virtual web servers since they provide services to the public in general and therefore were not create to maintain confidentiality/privacy.

Medicaid - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, known as CMS for short, is a federal agency in the United States Department of Health and Human Services that works with state governments to administer Medicaid, Medicare, health insurance portability standards and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. They have other responsibilities too, such as ensuring long-term care facility quality, clinical laboratory quality standards, and simplifying the administrative aspects of HIPPA 1996.

In 1965, the Social Security Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which established both Medicaid and Medicare. The Social Security Administration was responsible for administrating Medicaid. Then, in 1977, the Heath Care Financing Administration (HCFA) became responsible for Medicaid and Medicare. In 1980, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) was split into two separate agencies now called the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HCFA moved under the Department of Health and Human Services. In July of 2001, HCFA was renamed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This change was done to give the agency a new direction and a new spirit to reflect the CMS's mission to serve millions of Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries throughout America.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is headquartered in Woodlawn, Maryland. There are 10 other regional offices located throughout the country. The Region I office is in Boston, Massachusetts and includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Rhode Island. Region II is in New York City, New York and includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Region III is in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and includes the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, Virginia, and West Virginia. Region IV is in Atlanta Georgia and includes Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, and Kentucky. Region V is in Chicago Illinois and includes Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Minnesota.

Continuing to move across the country, Region VI is in Dallas, Texas and includes the states of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana and Arkansas. Region VII is in Kansas City, Missouri and includes Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Iowa. Region VIII is in Denver Colorado for Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah. Region IX is in San Francisco, California and includes Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Region X is located in Seattle, Washington and includes the states of Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and Idaho.If you need assistance in locating particular coverages at a pre-determined price, we can help save 50% on health insurance.

Health Care for Children

Protecting your kid's health should be a priority up to the age of eighteen. If you have a family health plan, then you will be able to afford annual visits to the doctor, medications when needed, and emergency trips to the hospital if necessary. Paying your premiums each month and knowing what your plan covers will help you find the right doctors and specialists your kids need in order to stay health. You should see if your health plan includes dental and vision as well. Kids should have their eyesight tested yearly and they should also visit the dentist twice a year.

Protecting your kid's health by making sure they always have health insurance coverage is one of the best things that you can give them. Kids need to have health insurance for physical check-ups and for emergencies that many occur. Many schools require that children have health insurance before they will be allowed to attend school. You have a few options if you are unemployed or you only work part-time, however. Some states have health insurance assistance programs that will cover children.

If you do not have a health insurance plan, you will still be able to make sure your kid's health is protected. You can take them to an urgent care center if there is an emergency, pay for visits to the doctor out-of-pocket, or you can file paperwork in your local jurisdiction if you need assistance. If you are disabled, your kids may be covered by the government.

Free Health Insurance For College Student - Is it Essential to Have College Health Insurance?

Now that you have finally completed your high school education and are now pursuing your dreams by attending college, there are a few things that you need to ponder over other than just worrying about studies. One such thing is the aspect of health insurance. All this while beginning from your childhood till you reached 20 years of age, you were covered under the health insurance of your parents and will no longer be covered under it. This will be a difficulty as you are not working now as you are in college. So, how do you tackle this problem? You need to consider taking up a college health insurance plan. But, make sure to go over the details of the plan to ensure that the plan is best for you.

The benefits provided through college health insurance plans vary from one institute to the other. Although the popular belief is that many wrongly assume that these services are for free. Although consultations and checkup will not be charged in anyway, the individual has to bear expenses like lab tests or consulting a specialist. If services are availed at the health center of the college, the insurance will usually cover the expenses and nothing is paid by the student. But, if a specialist outside the campus is consulted, the coverage goes down and a high deductible is usually necessary.

If the student suffers from any preexisting problems, these are not covered if treated even at the college campus health center. Although treatment can be availed, the expenses need to be borne by the student themselves. It also poses way for fresh trouble as any illness that arises as a complication of the preexisting illness is also not covered by the college health insurance plan.

Since college health insurance plans can vary from one campus to the other, it is best to thoroughly learn about the benefits provided by your college health insurance plan. Check if the insurance plan provides coverage during your holidays when the college is not functioning and classes are not on. This needs to be checked as any mishap or illness during your holidays might not get coverage as your college health insurance may not be active during this period. While some plans provide coverage during this period, others might not.

Also, check about the details provided with the plan. See if the plan belongs to HMO type or you can just visit any physician under the plan? This is important to keep in mind for you to seek proper care in case of any medical emergency because if you have to visit a physician or hospital within a prescribed network you will be in trouble if you visit someone outside the given network.

Although it is debated on both sides about the essentiality of a college student opting for college health insurance, there is no ultimate answer. But, if you are planning on taking up one, it is best to thoroughly understand every benefit and detail about the plan so that you will not be in for a surprise when any emergency arises. While the insurance does not come free of cost, it will definitely be useful in case of any medical expenses due to an unexpected illness or a mishap.

10 Tips for Choosing the Right Mental Health Facility for You

One reason why mental health illness is a growing problem in today's society, is because our society is gaining speed and moving faster than ever; many more people are experiencing a more complicated lifestyle. It affect a large number of the population. And as the world gets more advanced many others are feeling the affect.

If you're feeling hopeless, depressed, or going through a personal crisis and need help but, you have no idea where to turn; these 10 tips may assist you to find the perfect mental health facility for you:

1. Cost

The cost of treatment is the main reason why patients fail in receiving treatment. Because of the high cost of rehabilitation services, many suffering from mental health issues go un-treated. Finding a government subsidized program without downgrading services, maybe an option.

2. Holistic approach

For proper treatment a more holistic approach is deem necessary. Since substance abuse recovery isn't one- dimensional, your treatment couldn't be either.

3. Location

Finding a great location can be a challenge. Although sometimes patients are embarrassed and want to be far away from friends and family members. However, being too far from home can become a bigger burden to your family. So when picking the best treatment facility, choose the one that you will not mind traveling to at the drop of a dime.

4.The Staff

This is an important step. Deciding on where you may be living for the next 30-90 days or more. You will want to spend some time talking with the staff members to make sure it's a good fit for you.

5. Management

Yes. Management plays a major role is the way businesses operate. So regardless to how well-kept the facility is, if the management team isn't more concern about its clients... you may want to keep looking.

6. Find the Best Counselor

Since counseling is a huge part of recovery, you will want to take some time in your decision-making process. You can look in the local directory for advertisements or ask other friends or family members for referrals. Without doubt, referrals are always better, because you can always trust a friend or former patient.

7. Appearance of the Facility

Unfortunately, some times long-term care is needed. To ensure a pleasant stay, be sure that the mental health center has a 'like home' feel. The facility should be clean, neat and organized with plenty of recreational activities, to keep their clients busy.

8. State Certified

Don't overlook this area. You will hate to get started in treatment and for some reason or another, you have to move to another facility.

9. Know what to expect

While during your recovery you will be assigned a team of counselors. Your counselors will put together a treatment plan based on your info and their professional advice. Know exactly what steps they plan to take.

10. Mission Statement

This may sound silly or unimportant, but the company's mission statement tells the whole company's story in a nutshell.

A substance abuse counselor is your partner in helping free you or a loved one from their substance dependency. It's never too late to live a happy and mentally healthy life. So educate yourself and make a decision for your home away from home.