Mental Stress
Today's Story on CHILDREN: Stories like this always have a way of putting the right perspective on life. THE TEACHER Jean Thompson stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very first day of school in the fall and told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all the same, that she would treat them all alike. And that was impossible because there in front of her, slumped in his seat on the third row, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were unkept and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy was unpleasant. It got to the point during the first few months that she would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then marking the F at the top of the paper biggest of all. Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, no one else seemed to enjoy him, either. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's records and put Teddy's off until last. When she opened his file, she was in for a surprise. His first-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright, inquisitive child with a ready laugh." "He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around." His second-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student well-liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle." His third-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy continues to work hard but his mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class. He is tardy and could become a problem." By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem, but Christmas was coming fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all, until the day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on Teddy Stoddard. Her children brought her presents, all in beautiful ribbon and bright paper, except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper of a scissored grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of cologne. She stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume behind the other wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed behind just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing, and speaking. Instead, she began to teach children. Jean Thompson paid particular attention to one they all called "Teddy." As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. On days where there would be an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the class and...well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had once vowed to love all of her children exactly the same. A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his favourite. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still his favourite teacher of all time. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would graduate from college with the highest of honours. He assured Mrs. Thompson she was still his favourite teacher. Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still his favourite teacher, but that now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D. The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that Spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering...well, if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew usually reserved for the mother of the groom. And guess what, she wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And I bet on that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like... well, just like the way Teddy remembered his mother smelling on their last Christmas together. THE MORAL: You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another's life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact in your venture thru life. (Author Unknown) QUOTE: "Parents learn a lot from their children about coping with life.' (Muriel Spark).
Next page: Inspirational Quotations
Mental Stress News
Does respect for elders apply equally to all older persons? - News24
25 May 2012 at 12:59pm News24 The supreme focus on the stability of the community is based on a whole-systems theory embodied in the philosophy of Motho ke motho ka batho. In this philosophy, an individual is responsible for the stability of the community and in turn, the community ... |
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William Hooper's ?The Scientific Development Concept?: A Rare Articulation fo...
25 May 2012 at 4:46am Spyghana.com Those of you who observe China may know that this political philosophy was advanced and officially adopted into the CPC (Communist Party of China) constitution in 2007. Hooper has taken a lot in and articulated this idea for the Western audience. |
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Word of the Day | suborn - New York Times (blog)
24 May 2012 at 10:07pm New York Times (blog) ... Church would not control the government and suborn its independence advanced a philosophy of strict separation that would create a purely secular public square cleansed of all religious wisdom and the voice of religious people of all faiths. |
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Veteran counsels wisdom of listening - River Forest Leaves
24 May 2012 at 12:01pm River Forest Leaves For the Oak Park resident and Triton College philosophy teacher, the past is prologue. ?The past is very relevant to the present,? he said. ?I want to keep the continuity with the past alive.? As he grows older, Griffin said life is getting better for ... and more » |
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World Wisdom Launches Children's/YA Imprint - Publishers Weekly
24 May 2012 at 10:49am  Publishers Weekly | Publishers Weekly By Lynn Garrett World Wisdom, the Bloomington, Ind.-based publisher of perennial philosophy books, is launching Wisdom Tales, a new imprint for children and young adults. The first title, The Man Who Dreamed of Elk-Dogs and Other Stories from Tipi by ... |
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Chemistry by Candlelight - Wired News
24 May 2012 at 8:47am Wired News ?There is no better, there is no more open door by which you can enter into the study of natural philosophy than by considering the physical phenomena of a candle.? It was the above line that first caught my attention. The recognition that we often ... |
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Canucks GM's philosophy of change doesn't include Vigneault - Canada.com
23 May 2012 at 8:18pm Canada.com And, over the last month, that philosophy was put to the test. While the precise details haven't been fully disclosed, the accepted wisdom has it that Canucks ownership wasn't as enthusiastic about retaining the head coach as the general manager. and more » |
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Philip K. Dick, Sci-Fi Philosopher, Part 1 - New York Times (blog)
20 May 2012 at 3:00pm  New York Times (blog) | New York Times (blog) 20, 1974, Dick was hit with the force of an extraordinary revelation after a visit to the dentist for an impacted wisdom tooth for which he had received a dose of sodium pentothal. A young woman delivered a bottle of Darvon tablets to his apartment in ... and more » |
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For Mother's Day, the gift of earned wisdom - News & Observer
12 May 2012 at 10:08pm News & Observer And I recently received some rude and uninvited parenting advice from a stranger that prompted me to think about what, if any, ?parenting philosophy? I hold. That question made me laugh aloud because I realized (a) my parenting style is pretty much ... and more » |
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The "Wisdom" of Pearson's Pineapple Passage - Huffington Post
10 May 2012 at 9:30am Huffington Post Clearly Pearson and Tisch need some lessons in classical philosophy. I decided to read up about wisdom in the University of Chicago's The Great Ideas, A Syntopicon of Great Books of the Western World edited by noted philosopher Mortimer Adler and ... and more » |
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what do you think of this extremity?
Bile bear
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A bile bear or battery bear is the term used for Asiatic black bears kept in captivity in Vietnam and China so that bile may be extracted from them for sale as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). [1] The bears are also known as moon bears because of the cream-colored crescent moon shape on their chest.[1] The Asiatic black bear, the one most commonly used on bear farms, is listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) Red List of Threatened Animals.
Contents
[hide]
?1 Extraction methods
?2 Living conditions
?3 Numbers
?4 Bile trade
?5 Pharmacology
?6 Notes
?7 References
?8 See also
?9 Further reading
Extraction methods
Latex catheter
In a crude surgical procedure, a latex catheter is implanted into the bear?s abdominal wall and gall bladder, where the bile is stored. This method allows 10 and 20 ml of bile to be tapped from each bear twice daily, but is liable to clogging.
Metal jacket
A rubber catheter drains the bile into a fluid bag attached to the bear via a metal jacket. At up to 10kg in weight, this crude device is locked in place for years at a time, leading to infection, hairloss and painful irritation for the bear.
Metal catheter
Similar to the latex catheter method, the bears are forced to lie flat on the bottom of cage for more effective ?milking?. Often a metal ?crush? forces the bears to remain in the flat position permanently, in some cases for years at a time.
Free Drip
A supposedly more humane method, instead of a catheter, a permanent hole or fistula is punched in the bear?s abdomen and gall bladder, from which bile can freely drip out. This open wound is, unsurprisingly, highly liable to infection.
Living conditions
To facilitate the bile milking process, the bears are commonly kept in cramped extraction cages, also known as crush cages. While this allows for easier access to the abdomen, it also prevents the bears from being able to stand upright, and in some extreme cases, move at all. Living up to twenty-five years in this extreme confinement, results in severe cases of mental stress as well as severe muscle atrophy.[2] The World Society for the Protection of Animals reports that investigators saw bears moaning, banging their heads against their cages, and chewing their own paws. The mortality rate is high. Bears in bile farms suffer from a variety of physical problems which include loss of hair, malnutrition, stunted growth, muscle mass loss and often have teeth and claws extracted.[3] When the bears stop producing bile after a few years, they are usually killed for their meat, fur, paws and gall bladders. Bear paws are considered a delicacy.
Population figures for the Moon bears in China are causing concern, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to as low as 16,000. Some estimates put the total Asia-wide population as low as 25,000.
There are estimated to be 4,000 bile bears in Vietnam, where their bile can sell for 100,000 dong (~ US$6.25) a millilitre (with 37,500 dong a week regarded as the poverty line for an urban resident), and around 9,000 bile bears in China. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) conducted a study in 1999 and 2000, and estimates that there are 247 bile-bear farms in China, holding 7,002 bears, [1] though the Chinese government has called the figures "pure speculation." [2]
In July 2000, Animals Asia Foundation, a Hong-Kong based charity, signed an agreement with the Chinese government to remove 500 endangered Moon Bears from the worst bile farms in Sichuan province, and work towards ending the practice. Today, the China Bear Rescue has placed 219 previously farmed Moon Bears at a Sanctuary in Chengdu, and is helping to advance the concept of animal welfare in China.[3]
The Chinese consider bear farms a way to reduce the demand on the wild bear population. Officially 7,600 captive bears are farmed in China. According to Chinese officials, 10,000 wild bears would need to be killed each year to produce as much bile.[4] The government sees farming as a reasonable answer to the loss of wild bears from poaching, and at the same time claim insouciance regarding the cruelty issues that concern Western animal rights activists. However, the government's agreement to allow the rescue of 500 bears may represent a softening of this stance.[4]
Bile trade
The monetary value of the bile comes from the traditional prescription of bear bile by doctors practising traditional Chinese medicine. Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which is believed to reduce fever, protect the liver, improve eyesight, break down gallstones, and act as an anti-inflammatory. The high demand for the bile has led to the introduction of intensive farming of bears. Because only minute amounts are used in traditional Chinese medicine, a total of 500 kg of bear bile is used by practitioners every year, but according to WSPA more than 7,000 kg is being pr
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Could you correct my English letter, please?
Dear Sports centre
I am writing this letter to complain about your ununderstandable attitude and very disappointed about your act. Currently I am here at home with my twins from last December and my wife and elder daughter still in ( ) . Before I came back home I noticed quit of my membership including my family to you and quitted sports centre last early December. However despite all my wife?s effort to stop automatic withdrawal from my father?s account( ;My father contract my membership instead of me), she told me that the fees are still withdrawn from my father?s account. I know the fact that my wife was very stressed about this unsolved problem and also she have tried every way she can such as meet your staff several times to figure out this. Furthermore she heard from them that there would be no more direct debuit for my membership.
I totally do not understand why you demand a fee from me despite I am not living in your country and quitted your centre. How do you make atonement for me and my wife?s time and mental stress spent on this and your failure to keep a promise?
I look forward to hearing your clear and understandable answer.
Regards
In advance many thaks for your time and kind note.
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Siddh Makardwaj capsules?
Can any one clarify me following points for Ayurvedic Medicines.
1 I am 50 year old. I needed to cure my lack of libido, sexaul weakness due to mental fatigue, premature ejaculation,minor depression, inability to be cheerful and to relax, attention Deficit like symptoms and restore alertness of mind, general debility, relaxed mind set.All my condition are due to continued mental stress .
2. I am Mix of Vaat and Pitt.
3. I was prescribed by a ayurvvedic doctor, Siddhmakar dwaj capsule and Manasmitrvatikam tablets at bed time.
4.. Due to nature of my work , i inaviriably end up in late drinkls and dinner.
What are the alternate times when I can take these medicines.
Any other medicine that may help me to be untense and cheerful and rejuviniate me. I look and feel 10 years older than my age.
My opld ayurvaidyacharya is not approachable for next 1 year.
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do you think you can reduce your stress levels to get pregnant and not miscarry?
ive been reading online about something ive only just read about cortisol. im definately going to be trying not to get stressed as i can now see exactly why people tell us to calm down and then we will get pregnant...
[edit] Factors generally reducing cortisol levels
Magnesium supplementation decreases serum cortisol levels after aerobic exercise,[44][45] but not in resistance training.[46]
Omega 3 fatty acids, in a dose dependent manner,[47] can lower cortisol release influenced by mental stress[48] by suppressing the synthesis of interleukin-1 and 6 and enhance the synthesis of interleukin-2, where the former promote higher CRH release. Omega 6 fatty acids, on the other hand, acts inversely on interleukin synthesis.[citation needed]
Music therapy can reduce cortisol levels in certain situations.[49]
Massage therapy can reduce cortisol.[50]
Laughing and the experience of humour can lower cortisol levels.[51]
Makeup reduces cortisol levels in a mental stress situation.[52]
Soy derived Phosphatidylserine interacts with cortisol but the right dosage is still unclear.[53][54]
Vitamin C may slightly blunt cortisol release in response to a mental stressor. [55]
Black tea may speed up recovery from a high cortisol condition.[56][57]
[edit] Factors generally increasing cortisol levels
Caffeine may increase cortisol levels.[58]
Sleep deprivation increases cortisol levels.[59]
Intense (high VO2 max) or prolonged physical exercise stimulate cortisol release in order to increase gluconeogenesis and maintain blood glucose.[60] Proper nutrition[61] and high-level conditioning[62] can help stabilize cortisol release.
Val/Val variation of the BDNF gene in men, and the Val/Met variation in women is associated with increased salivary cortisol in a stressful situation.[63]
Hypoestrogenism and melatonin supplementation increases cortisol levels in postmenopausal women.[64]
Burnout is associated with higher cortisol levels.[65]
Subcutaneous adipose tissue regenerates cortisol from cortisone.[66]
Anorexia nervosa increases cortisol levels.[67]
The serotonin receptor gene 5HTR2C is associated with increased cortisol production in men.[68]
Some formulations of combined oral contraceptive pills increase cortisol levels in young women who perform whole-body resistance exercise training.[69]
Commuting increases cortisol levels, related to the length of the trip, the amount of effort involved and the predictability of the trip
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Can severe stress seriously impact your mental functioning and to what degree?
I have noticed increasingly lately that my concentration, memory, both short and long, ability to think and concentrate and functioning is notably impaired. I seem to be in one place but another in mind, never really with it and often finding myself not really listening to people even going into a trance and finding it hard to snap out of going into myself. I have been under a lot of mental stress lately, loss of someone close, generalised anxiety, became a new mum, moving house i could go on. Could this just be severe stress or could i be going mad?
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