Did you know?
According
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more
than 2% of the U.S. population (some 5.3 million Americans)
currently live with disabilities resulting from brain injuries.
In addition,
"brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability
among America's youth." James McDeavitt, MD, Medical Director
of the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation.
The British Institute for
Brain Injured Children earns money for their cause by recycling
old printer toner cartridges. This not only benefits brain
injured children, it also helps the environment, since some 6
million cartridges are discarded every year.
To learn more:
http://www.bibic.org.uk
"The relationship between social
isolation and early death is as strong statistically as the
relationship between dying and smoking or having high cholesterol
... Unfortunately, medical science has greatly
underestimated the value of social support."
Quote from Dr. David
Spiegel, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Stanford University
Dogs and cats can soothe
the frayed spirit. At least that's what a recent study of 48
high-strung stockbrokers suggests.
Half of these brokers were
randomly assigned to get a dog or cat. After six months, those
having pets experienced a much lower increase in blood pressure
while under stress than those without.
Convinced?
The
petless brokers were! After seeing the study results, many of
them promptly went out and adopted animals
From a study reported at a 1999
meeting of the American Heart Association
Struggling to cope with crisis and
change?
-
Time: Time does
heal. Allow yourself time to grieve, time to accept, time to
plan and adapt and to begin again.
-
Social support: Things
become easier when we don't face them alone.
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Knowledge: Ignorance is
not bliss when it comes to making positive changes in our
lives. The more we know, the better choices we are likely to
make.
-
Problem solving: Taking a
critical, scientific look at problems may suggest new
solutions and new coping mechanisms - consider all the breakthroughs science has made.
-
Fun: Having fun makes us
happier, and the happier we are, the more upbeat we feel. Lots
of evidence suggests that having an optimistic outlook makes
us more likely to succeed at what we attempt.
-
Faith: Believing in a
power beyond ourselves cushions us against hardship and makes
us more able to persevere. Self-help programs like AA
draw upon the idea of a higher power as a powerful resource against addiction.
Spiritual support may come from study, contemplation of the wonders of the world, spiritual reflection,
and organized religion.
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