How To Guide

Example 1

Kelly

Bulimia is a disorder that somebody suffering from it begins to hate the idea of living. Kelly, a thirty-year-old woman is a long-term bulimia sufferer. She has been battling for the past seventeen years. It’s a long and arduous journey with more downs then ups. She had to resist the temptation of binge, which wasn’t easy at all.

Kelly underwent a therapy and has been taking medication for years. At one point, she had more cavities than teeth, scratchy hands, stifle reflexes and a constant stomach pain. She had to spend a fortune in recovery and nothing helped much. In order to improve the way she looked, she tanned constantly and became an easy victim to skin cancer.

Kelly is a strong individual who never gives up fighting bulimia. She’s getting endoscopy and a colonoscopy done shortly. But she always feels that her mother could have helped her initially. She feels her life was fought making some hard choices on a day-to-day basis but it had to be done.  Her advice for other sufferers is to be… Read More

Example 1

Angie

Angie continues to live with bulimia and hates life to the fullest. It all started when she was a teenager. Her experiences are unpleasant – she didn’t like the idea of settling abroad and hated being the dullest student at school. Her mother accused her of being fat and since then she developed a dislike for structured mealtimes and began to binge in secret.

When Angie was twenty her teeth hurt when she ate sweets. She was made to attend four counselling sessions with a sympathetic lady counsellor. Angie grew bored of the sessions and stopped attending. She felt there was no hope until she met her GP, who was very practical in his approach. He prescribed anti-depressants for eight weeks and that seemed to have a positive effect on her. Angie began to see a ray of sunshine finally.

Her old habits of secret eating continue to haunt when she finds herself hiding sweet biscuit wrappers. But she hopes to unlearn those habits gradually.

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Example 1

Joy Weiss

Crohn’s disease is a debilitating digestive disorder, affecting millions with no single cure for it. In 2001, Joy Weiss was the first patient to undergo stem cell therapy to deal with Crohn’s. When she was only 11 she had been diagnosed with this disease which prevented her weight from becoming normal and there was very little that she could actually eat.

She used to suffer daily from severe cramping abdominal pains and had bloody diarrhea. Because she could not absorb nutrients from her food, she developed osteoporosis. She was advised a colostomy which her doctor put off because of her young age. First she underwent two cycles of chemotherapy and said she started feeling better very fast.

The stem cells used were harvested from her own bone marrow. She has a follow-up every few years and is happy that now she can lead a normal life and eat pretty much what she wants.

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Example 2

Billy Tytaneck

When Billy Tytaneck was 12, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. He had till then suffered… Read More

Example 1

Polly Todd

Mrs. Polly Todd was diagnosed with breast cancer way back in 1975. She already had one breast removed because three cancerous nodes had been found. She was told that her chances of survival were dim. She went for an expert opinion and this diagnosis was repeated. She was advised chemotherapy and radiation, which she did not want to undergo.

When a friend mentioned the Laetrile-nutritional program, she decided to try it out. She also used diet, vitamins and enzyme therapy. Thanks to the nutritional program, she beat her cancer and had no recurrence of the disease while those with similar diagnosis, who opted for conventional treatments, lived only for 1 1/2 years. Her story is documented in the book “Alive and Well’.

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Example 2

Brenda Cobb

Brenda Cobb was diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer in the early stages. She decided she did not want to go in for surgery or chemotherapy or radiation. Her doctors told her that she would need surgery, chemo and radiotherapy otherwise she would be dead within a… Read More

Example 1

In 2004, Korean researchers said that they had cured a woman who had been paralyzed due to spinal cord injury for 19 years and could not walk. She had not even been able to stand up. A team headed by Chosun University professor Song Chang-hun, Seoul National University professor Kang Kyung-sun and Han Hoon, Ph.D, from the Seoul Cord Blood Bank (SCB) used multi-potent stem cells from umbilical blood.

The cells were injected into the damaged portion of her spine. Within 15 days of the treatment, she was able to feel and move her hips. Within 25 days, her feet became responsive to stimulation.

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Example 2

Timothy Ray Brown

Timothy Ray Brown, a US citizen living in Germany, was HIV positive. When he was diagnosed with leukemia and was being treated at the Charite University of Medicine in Berlin, he received stem cell transplants. His story made headlines all over the world.

Earlier, after being diagnosed with HIV, he had been on anti-retroviral drugs and his treatment had been successful. However, he developed acute myeloid… Read More

Example 1

Ms. G

Ms. G at the age of 72, was single and lived alone. It was only when neighbors complained about the smell and flies coming from her house that people from the mental health services visited her. They found that her apartment was filled with five feet high piles of refuse, urine and feces on the floor, and no furniture. She was herself in a malnourished state, filthy and wearing layers of dirty, urine soaked clothes.

She was hospitalized and there, too, she was aloof, verbally offensive, isolated herself and did not want to be in hospital. She refused to take any medicines and was found to mentally competent. After three weeks in hospital she was discharged, but refused offers of help from the social services. She said she would take the help of an old friend of hers to help clean up her apartment.

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Example 2

Ms. W

Ms W was 78 years old, a retired office clerk, whose husband had died seven years earlier. When neighbors complained about a foul smell coming… Read More

Example 1

Terry Mill

Terry Mill is just one of the hundreds of thousands of people that have been diagnosed with clinical depression. His diagnosis was made more than ten years ago and his account, “How I Overcame Depression” details his struggle against the dark clouds that tried to overwhelm him every single day.

Terry describes the initial confusion of the onset of depression, explaining that he thought it would eventually pass on its own. He denied the fact that it was depression and suffered with it for too long. He suffered from various signs of the illness, including crying, insomnia and loss of appetite. Terry states that recognising have you have depression is the first step towards getting better and only then will you be able to find a therapist that can help you. He highly recommends therapy and states that it is important to make sure that you take your time to choose the right one.

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Example 2

Mada

Mada’s story is published on The Experience Project website as part of a group… Read More

Example 1

Phil Kissi

The Prostate Cancer Charity website is an excellent resource for people looking to draw inspiration from the personal stories of those men who has suffered with prostate cancer. Phil Kissi MBE is one of the people whose stories are featured. Diagnosed in 2006, he realised he may have the illness when he watched a programme on TV about it.

Phil describes going to the GP to get tested for prostate cancer and finding out that e had an aggressive form, although it was still in the early stages. He also describes how lucky he was in catching it incredibly early. Phil goes onto day that the element he found was most helpful in learning how to deal with prostate cancer was having  GP whom he could talk to and lean on when in need of support. He recommends finding a GP who can offer you the same if you are diagnosed with it but ultimately says that the best thing you could do for your health is take responsibility for it.

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Example 2… Read More

Example 1

Ruth Rodan

Ruth Rodan writes a unique blog on the New York Times website and has excellent advice for people looking to learn how to relax and release stress. When she was pregnant, her family added to her stress, especially her aunt, as a result of the things they would say. However, Ruth soon learned how to relax.

Instead of using conventional means, Ruth turned to self hypnosis to let the stress drain from her body. She used a self hypnosis tape to relax but it took quite some practice to get there. Ruth points out that it did not work at first, although her husband found it useful. However, over time, it did begin to work for her as she gave herself over to it more and concentrated on the world less. As such, her advice would be to never give up if something does not work the once. Try and try again!

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Example 2

Dawn Rosenberg McKay

Dawn Rosenberg McKay’s article “Do You Know How to Relax?” offers tips to help you… Read More

Example 1

Nicola Sanders

Nicola Sanders has two children and was lucky enough to be quite slim before getting pregnant. As such, when it came to losing her baby weight, she was confident that she would not have a problem. She also prioritised her baby after giving birth so it took some time for her to address the issue of how to lose weight after pregnancy. However, she does offer plenty of tips in the article she wrote for MizFitOnline.com.

When Nicola got around to losing weight after giving birth, she set herself targets over a realistic period of time so as not to rush her body and stress herself out. As part of these targets, she made sure that she lost weight by eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, eating smaller portions and making sure that there was no junk food in the house. According to Nicola, fulfilling such small goals makes the whole process much easier.

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Example 2

Steffe

There are plenty of hints and tips out there for women who are about to… Read More

Example 1

Terry Edwards

Terry Edwards is an experienced snorer. In fact, he believes that his wife essentially deserves a medal for putting up with it for so long. Like half of the world, he undoubtedly had a snoring problem but took steps to put that right. In an article he wrote, “How I Stopped Snoring – Simple Tips and Advice”, he offers others hope without the need for expensive treatment

The first thing you need to do, so Terry says, is find out why you snore in the first place. He explains the mechanics of snoring and then offers some of the most simple common sense tips around, many of which are ignored. For example, Terry recommends using a pillow to prop yourself up, avoiding smoking and alcohol and losing weight if you need to. All of these points help to tackle snoring at its root. As such, Terry’s advice is priceless and definitely worth remembering.

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Example 2

Dan

Dan is a reformed snorer. He is also a blogger with a specialist stop snoring blog… Read More

Example 1

Andrew G. Marshall

Andrew G. Marshall is one of the many people out there who are scared to death of anything to do with their teeth. He hated the dentist, or at least he says he is in his article “Dental Implants: A Personal Story of Dealing with Fear” on his website. He makes a convincing case, describing just how much the fear takes over him when he walks into the surgery for help. However, he overcame it to get dental implants.

Andrew says that the assessment appointment went some way to allaying his fears because he was treated well by his dentist, Guy. He was friendly during the examination and put him at ease so Andrew would highly recommend doing research to find the best dentist around. When it came to the procedure, Andrew was sedated but he found the work incredibly high in quality and low in pain. After his recovery, he was very pleased with the work and so recommends visiting for consultations until you feel completely at ease with your dentist.

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This lesser diagnosed disorder exists in youngster and teens and may be put down to growing problems.

Oppositional defiant disorder exists to a certain extent in almost all children and teens, but is often not diagnosed. That is because youngsters are expected to be defiant and questioning and oppose whatever their parents tell them. They usually do not like to be disciplined. However, this disorder becomes a problem when it prevents the child from doing well at school or college as well as in the home and social environment.

Arguments are common between parents and children as children want to test the limits of what they can get away with and assert their independence. Often parents just disregard behavioral problems or do not realize that there may be an underlying cause for this kind of behavior.

What is oppositional defiant disorder?

Oppositional defiant disorder is a combination of behavioral problems which are not normal. ODD is a consistent pattern of negative and disruptive behavior on the part of the child. It includes

• Constant defiance
• Temper tantrums

… Read More

Munchausen syndrome is a strange psychiatric disorder which affects some attention seeking people.

Named after Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus Freiherr von Munchausen, who used  to tell tall and heavily embellished tales having no basis in reality,  this disorder is a personality problem which affects a few people. There are two different types of this disorder. One affects the individual and the other affects others living with the individual, usually kids, wherein it is called Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome (MBPS).

What is Munchausen Syndrome?

This illness is one in which the individual seeks attention by imagining and talking about fictitious medical problems. He or she feels happy and cared for when getting sympathy and attention from hospital staff and others. The person reads up and learns about medicines, medical disorders, surgery and other medical jargon and then pretends that he or she has some medical problem. These are usually not run of the mill medical problems, but can be serious disorders.

While this may seem to be the same as hypochondria, it is not, because hypochondriacs truly believe that they are… Read More

This extremely rare condition is usually found among the elderly.

This syndrome is named after Greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope, who lived an ascetic life as a beggar. He was known for his disregard for normal domestic comforts, social interactions and material possessions. Similarly, a person who is afflicted with Diogenes syndromes has no regard for personal comfort and does not live a ‘normal’ life.

His or her living conditions will be pathetic – even if he or she is well off and does not want for money. There are numerous well publicized incidents of people who suffered from this disorder, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ relatives.  In Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, the character of Miss Havisham had this disorder and it is sometimes called Havisham disorder.

What is Diogenes syndrome?

It is a disorder which affects the elderly, usually geriatric people. Very rarely, it also afflicts younger people. The sufferer does not care for personal hygiene and does not take care of himself or herself. It is an extreme behavioral disorder which is very difficult to treat.

Unlike Diogenes who… Read More

Cerebral palsy first manifests in infants and shows up as a developmental problem in the early stages.

An infant is supposed to reach certain development milestones at certain periods of his or her growth. While parents have been told not to pressurize their kids or be disheartened if they don’t reach their milestones, let us not forget that these milestones also present a standard for doctors (and parents) as an indication that there may be something wrong.

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a sort damage to some parts of the brain, a kind of paralysis which causes manifold problems. In the same way as adults are affected differently after a stroke, so too infants face different problems.  Some kids face minor almost undetectable problems, in others the problems are acute. There are different kinds of cerebral palsy depending on what portion of the brain is affected.

Spastic - kids with this have problems with muscle stiffness affecting movement. These could be minor, causing stiffness and spasms. The side which is more affected may not grow as… Read More

Example 1

Justin

Justin did not have a happy childhood like most children his age.  At only 11 years, Justin went through some horrible life experiences.  His parents were addicted to methamphetamine and they destroyed everything around them.  Justin and his sisters were constantly exposed to physical abuse and toxic chemicals.  Each day was another fight for survival for the three kids, and none of them could predict their future.

Justin was the only responsible person in the house.  While his parents were drugged, he had to feed his two little sisters, clean the house and keep them safe.  When the authorities discovered the abuse, the children were immediately removed from the house and their parents arrested.  Justin had accumulated a lot of anger, frustration and shame, and got into trouble at school.  The Kempe foundation, specialized in fighting child abuse and neglect, helped Justin deal with his feelings caused by abuse.  It took about nine months for Justin to deal positively with his emotions. He lives with his sisters in foster care and they are surrounded with love and… Read More

Example 1

Anni R.

Anni R. is 28 and she is an experienced mother.  After her third pregnancy, she knew exactly what to do in order to lose the baby weight.  She was aware that to prevent is easier than to actually ‘cure’.  Therefore, she started to get in shape and eat healthy foods even before she got pregnant and throughout pregnancy.

The most effective way to lose the extra weight was going to the gym three times a week.  She tried the Turbo Kick class, a core strengthening class and cardio sessions.  Initially, Anni was afraid the kids would interfere with her personal time, but she really wanted to do this for herself.  Anni’s husband arrived earlier home twice a week and her friends took care of the kids once a week.  When you accept the challenge of losing the baby weight, motivations is essential.

Anni was fortunate enough to have a group of good friends.  Whenever she tried to ‘skip’ classes, they would call her and encourage her not to give up. Anni managed to lose 27 lbs.… Read More

Example 1

Alanis Morisette

Anorexia and bulimia are quite frequent amongst celebrities as well.  The entertainment world has specific standards when it comes to its celebrities, so everyone is trying hard to keep up.  However, some of the celebrities have struggled with eating disorders long before they reach fame & fortune.

For example, Alanis Morisette was both anorexic and bulimic as a teenager.  At 14, she was already a rising star: she starred in a popular Canadian show for kids, had a publishing contract and she started recording a disc.  All these things were overwhelming for the frail teen.  Alanis was frustrated, sad and disappointed.  She barely ate anything.  Carrots, black coffee or Melba toast was the only things she ate for months.

Four years later, a close friend helped her fight the eating disorder.  She recalls a book that played a major role is her recovery, called “Eat to Live”.  At 35, Alanis Morisette is now aware that starvation is not an option.  She eats healthy foods such as nuts, fruits or spinach and considers eating ‘a sort of… Read More

Syphilis is an ancient sexually transmitted disease which has claimed many famous people.

Beethoven, Schubert, John Keats, Van Gogh, Mozart, Oscar Wilde are only a few of the very famous people who died of syphilis because in early times there was no cure for this disease. At times, it was the ‘cure’ which actually killed the sufferers of syphilis as the cures included mercury and arsenic which are poisonous substances.

How is syphilis transmitted?

Typically a person infected with syphilis develops a sore or chancre and the infection takes place through this. The infection can take place during vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected person. Unfortunately syphilis is a disease which can lie dormant for years without any symptoms or there may be a sore which is unnoticed. Once it is latent, the infection can still be passed on, but if untreated the infected person will go into stage two of the disease.

Different stages of the disease

The first stage of the disease is the manifestation of one or many sores which are… Read More