Medicare Provides Prescription Medicines

                                        Medicare Provides Prescription Medicines

When the Medicare prescription drug benefit begins in 2006, it will provide the most help to those with the greatest financial and medical need. Over 14 million Medicare beneficiaries-those with the most limited income and assets -can get significant financial help from the government to pay for their medicines.

The 6.4 million beneficiaries who have both Medicaid and Medicare have their prescription needs covered currently by Medicaid. In 2006, they will be automatically moved to Medicare for their prescription coverage.

Personalized medicine coalition, while those with limited resources have their medical needs covered by Medicaid, many of the remaining eight million low-income beneficiaries (those with income below $14,355/individual or $19,245/couple) are without prescription drug insurance. The Medicare drug benefit and the financial "extra help" are predicted to be a huge relief for these beneficiaries. With the "extra help," they will have little or no premiums and deductibles, as well as minimal co-payments for their medications.

The financial need for these eight million low-income Medicare beneficiaries is clearly apparent, but what may be less obvious is the medical need they face. They are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease than those with higher incomes, and they are more likely to have more than one chronic condition. With this medical burden, access to prescription medications can make a real difference in their health.

Bipolar Disorder

What Are the Causes of Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a difficult illness to manage and to treat.  Many who have it may ask themselves, "Why me?  What caused all this?"  There are great disagreements as to the causes of bipolar disorder.  They all tend to go back to the old nature/nurture controversy.  In other words, does a thing happen to a person because of who he or she is, or because of the environment he or she grew up in?

The nature side of bipolar disorder causes has always been seen in family histories.  This, however, can be misleading.  Families often pass behaviors on from one generation to the next, regardless of whether family members are natural relatives or adopted ones.

The scientific concept of correlation without causation may account for shared histories of bipolar disorder in biologically unrelated siblings.  This concept is easy to grasp.  For example, a man could state that all summer, every time he got a sunburn he ate fish.  So, did the sunburn cause the man to eat fish?  No, but the act of fishing both caused the man's skin to burn and allowed him to catch a fish, which he then ate.  In a similar way, bipolar disorder can occur in families without anything in one family member's bipolar disorder causing the bipolar disorder of another.

Also, for whatever reason, people with bipolar disorder are often drawn to each other.  In this case it is unclear whether the families formed come together because of their shared genetically similar predisposition towards bipolar disorder, or whether some members of the families are genetically more prone to bipolar disorder but the illness of some other members of the family becomes exaggerated more than it would in another environment.   

Research into the genetic causes of bipolar disorder is often done using twin studies.  It is assumed that twins will have environments that are as close as is possible.  Identical twins are used to show the effects of genetics, since they will share the same genetic materials.  Fraternal twins are used as a control group.  While these twins share nearly identical environments with their twins, the fraternal twins have less genetic material in common.

It has been shown through these twin studies, and other studies where identical twins are compared to adopted siblings, that there does seem to be a genetic basis for bipolar disorder.  Only one percent of the population has bipolar disorder.  Fraternal twins, who share some genetic information, are 20 percent more likely to have the disease if one has it.  The percentage for identical twins is even higher, at around 60 to 80 percent chance of one having it if the other does.

Environmental causes of bipolar disorder are more difficult to assess.  Bipolar disorder has been proven to have a chemical basis in the brain, but the chemical reactions can be caused by any number of factors.  A history of losses early in life can be a contributing factor, as can any major source of stress.  Physical illnesses such as cancer and others can lead to a depressive state, which is then often followed by mania.

Neither genetics nor environment can fully explain the causes of bipolar disorder.  Research is constantly being undertaken in both areas.  In the meantime, the nature/nurture controversy is just beginning to heat up.

Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating When the holidays arrive, many people forget all about their diets and healthy eating.  Weight gains of 7 - 10 pounds are common between Halloween and Christmas.  To make the holidays easier, these tips will help you with healthy eating through the season and not gaining weight. Most traditional foods can be made low fat.  Turkey is very lean without the skin, and gravy can be made without any fat.  Potatoes that are served without butter can be very healthy.  The beloved pumpkin pie is nutritious, although it can be made into a fatty dessert with the adding of whipped cream. Even though the holidays are in, don't forget about the exercise.  Keeping weight off during the holiday season is burning off the extra calories.  You should plan a walk after meals, park farther from stores when you shop, and take a few walks around the mall before you begin shopping. During holiday parties and at family dinners, feel free to sample foods although you shouldn't splurge.  Decide on what you plan to eat in advance, then stick to your plan.  Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, low fat dressings, and slices of lean meats.  Before you go to a party, eat a small snack to help curb your appetite. If at all possible, avoid alcohol.  Having too many drinks can cripple your will power, and also add excess calories to your diet.  In the place of alcohol, drink water with lemon. Water can help to limit your appetite and keep you from binging.  Also make sure to avoid eggnog, as each glass can have up to 300 calories. Be flexible with your healthy eating, as one bad meal won't ruin your diet.  Try to balance your calories over a few days and don't just look at one meal or day.                                                            Get Best health services

Taking Control of Mental Illness

We are told that mental illnesses occur because of our genes, our upbringing, our personality, our temperament, our lifestyle and we can do nothing about them. Stress or no stress, we are told, if we have all these factors loaded in our personal history, we are prone to have a mental illness. Some psychiatrists adhere to this belief strongly. This belief is then put across as the "gospel truth" of science. Naturally, this brings up a sense of low self-esteem and helplessness in the person who is suffering with the illness. We are then made to believe that medications are man-made answers to mental illness, which is a curse of nature.
The whole area of mental illness is about losing a sense of freedom. When we find ourselves bound to emotional issues of our life, that we cannot rid ourselves of, we lose our freedom of thinking. This creates stress in our mind and our body bears the brunt of it. This loss of freedom brings up a sense of fear or a sense of helplessness. Both such feelings bring up a sense of insecurity. People lose confidence in their own worth. Self-esteem becomes low. With lack of confidence and low self-esteem, comes poor decision-making. A person suffers with all these conditions when suffering with a mental illness. When a mentally ill person goes to seek help - confidence, self-esteem and sense of freedom are already lost. Instead of helping the person become independent, there is a tendency to make the person dependent on medication.
Medication plays its role in controlling the condition or state of illness. It does nothing to improve the quality of life permanently. To improve their quality of life, the person needs to take responsibility for their own well being. We live in a free society. The freedom to suffer is also one kind of freedom. We also have the freedom to look for answers to minimize our suffering

Mental Health

 Tips on Taking Care of Mental Health

Mental health issues affect nearly 15% of the population. This data can be alarming, considering that 2/3 of those diagnosed with mental disorder remains untreated. While mental disorders are sometimes caused by chemical imbalance in the brain, some of these are caused by the experiences that we need to deal with, such as death of a loved one or some other tragic or traumatic experience. Hence, the goal is to maintain a good or positive mental health, where one is able to take control of his life and able to cope with any and all situations that come his way. Here are some tips on taking care of mental health.

Always stay happy. This may sound vague, but there are many ways to stay happy. Remain positive and optimistic. Look at the bright side of life always.

So how do we stay happy? First, we must learn to balance our time. After a busy day or week, take time to relax. Do something pleasurable with your friends or family. It can be a hobby, sport or a simple activity. Aside from balancing our time, we must also manage time well. To minimize stress, make a schedule of the things you will do, and stick to it.

Be tolerant of others. All of us are different in many ways, so we must learn to accept each other’s ideas and opinion, even if it differs from our own. Learn to accept the weaknesses and shortcomings of others. Once we learn to accept, there is a lesser chance of conflict, which can be stressful and frustrating.

Spend time with your family and friends. Find time to talk to someone, even if you don’t make sense at all! What is important is the act of sharing your experiences, worries or problems with somebody. You must also learn to listen to their worries for them to feel better. In effect, not only have you helped yourself but you’ve helped your friend too.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle. You know the basics. Eat healthy food always. Exercise regularly. Sleep well. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Quit smoking. Avoid doing strenuous activities. Take time to rest.

Sadly, though, depression and other mental disorders affect children and the young. Parents have an important role in the child’s mental health. Parents must learn to communicate with their kids and at the same time listen to them. In their dealings, let the kid feel appreciated always. Acknowledge their strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses.

Their coping abilities must also be developed. If they commit mistakes, explain so they will learn from them. Allow them to develop a sense of responsibility by letting them solve problems as well as make decisions. Teach them the importance of discipline and self-worth. Discipline them without making them feel unloved or unworthy.

Lastly, accept them for who they are. With acceptance comes love, respect, and everything else.

The key to taking care of mental health is being happy and in control of our lives. Once we know how to take control, we are able to cope with any and all situations that come our way. Being happy is not just a one-time event – it is a lifestyle. Stay positive always. Learn to find joy in the simple miracles of life. And be grateful for each wonderful day.

                                             How to Maintain your Mental Health



In recent years people have realized the importance of proper diet and exercise, and recent surveys show that over the last 20 years people are eating better and working out more often, resulting in people living longer, but people are still lacking in their understanding that their mental well being is just as important as their physical health.

Today most people get on average 4 to 6 hours of exercise every day, and make sure that everything they put in their mouths is not filled with sugars or preservatives, but they pay no attention to their mental health, no vacations, not even the occasional long weekend, 60 hour weeks, taking work home with them and even working weekends. All of this for hopes of one day getting that big promotion. What good will it do you when your brain overloads and you have a breakdown in the office.

In the end your physical health will suffer no matter how well you eat and how often you exercise. You will wind up with high blood pressure, stress and tension all of which raises the chances of you having a stroke or heart attack.

In hopes of helping you avoid this I am providing you with the things I do to keep my mental health in tip top condition.

My absolute favorite thing to do to refocus myself is to go for a long ride on my Harley. Nothing brings the world back into focus like riding free like the wind, there is no better forms of therapy as far as I am concerned.

Another great way to relieve the stresses in your life and help put a sparkle in your mental health is a trip to the casinos. Most people go to the casinos and expect to go home a winner, I do not. I go to have a good time.

just like pressing my luck on the roulette wheel or slot machine. I also make sure not to take my credit cards with me to the casinos. Every week I put a few bucks on the side and when I have enough to go to the casino I go, and have a real good time. This way I can blow every penny I bring with me and know I am not hurting my self financially.

Sometime I just like to sit at a poker table, blackjack table or roulette table and just make small bets. This may not be as exciting as risking large sums of money, but in the end I play longer, and I probably win more often. The best part is because I do not expect to win I am not disappointed when I don’t win, and on those occasions that I do win beside going home with more money I have a supper big smile on my face because the night was all that much better.

Another reason why I love the casinos is how far they are from where I live so I can take my bike out in the morning have a good 3 hour drive to Atlantic City then at the end of the day I get to enjoy another 3 hours on my Harley, and if the weather is really bad I can either take my truck or just stay home and log on to one of the many online casinos available to choose from.

I also enjoy watching an hour or 2 of television every night, some light sitcoms are a great way to lighten your minds load, and laughing out loud for 30 seconds every day is a great way to release stress.

Video games are also great for stress release, if you are mad at your boss what better way to get it out of you then boxing, just imagine you are pounding on your boss and hope you don’t lose.

I hope you try some of these methods or think of some of your own to help keep the stress down in your life and keep your mental health in as good of condition as the rest of you.

Mental health

                 Your mental health is an amazing part of what makes you as a person.



Your mental health is an amazing part of what makes you as a person. Personal development is a way of life that effects your mind, actions, and how you treat others around you.  It plays a vital role on your over-all well being and the relationships around you.  Often times, we get so caught up in the physical aspects of what’s on the outside and forget to take care of the inside. Exercising our brain consciously and subconsciously is an important factor when improving one’s life and creating a healthy state of mind as we age.  When a person is depressed, stressed, tired, and frustrated it effects everything we do as well as the people closest to us.  I remember someone telling me in a depressed state, that she couldn’t even watch television because she didn’t want to watch the living. When I get down, I often think of that comment and it reminds me of a place I don’t ever want to  be. Isolating yourself for others could turn into something very dangerous and unfortunately help will only start with one person. YOU! Although there is a laundry list of books and professional help, also recommended, but if this article gives you a jump start to just get you slightly motivated to move forward, then moving an inch is greater than lying still. 

Depression and anxiety will use every good power that you have against you. Keep in mind that the most talented individual wouldn’t get anywhere without persistence.  Persistence and determination are the first steps to controlling your thoughts and feelings.  Many medications can trigger depression, make sure to consult with your doctor to see if this has any effects on the way you are feeling. 

Studies indicate that the most common reason for depression is the lack of interests and activities. When improving your personal life, interests and activities are vital in mental health, self esteem and happiness. Although this does not help much when fighting boredom, or other problems but you can best improve your mental health by practicing many of them until you do well.  When you are depressed it easy to forget all of the things we liked to do.  Motivation can help us overcome trying something new or remembering exactly what  made us happy. Asking friends and family to help motivate me is a tool that I use when I’m in the need of a little push. Reward yourself when accomplishing tasks, such as getting the laundry done before watching your favorite television show. 

Negative thinking also plays a major role in depression. The happiest of people experience the same pain, suffering and sorrows, just like a person depressed. To accept troubles gracefully and keeping a positive attitude is where you’ll find how some people cope with things on a different level. Ask yourself, are your expectations realistic?  Accepting a situation for what it is can eliminate your negative feelings.  Taking action for your own negative ways of thinking and turning those thoughts positive means that you are motivating yourself to change.  Tackle what is bothering you, and take a bad situation and turn it into something good.  A little humor helps my situation from time to time, meaning laughter does a great deal for our mind and body. Try not to constantly worry about being happy. Developing interests, activities, friendships and learning how to cope with the emotional pain will conquer your personal problems and further solve your thinking habits.  Doing this will get you on the road of happiness, as long as you put forth the effort.