Teens' Late-Night Cellphone Use Linked with Mental Health Problems
Teens' Late-Night Cellphone Use Linked with Mental Health Problems |
- Teens' Late-Night Cellphone Use Linked with Mental Health Problems
- Child Abuse Injuries, Deaths on the Rise
- Hot Flashes in 11-Year-Old Linked to Herbal Medicine
- HPV Vaccine Safe, But May Raise Risk of Fainting & Infections
- Buddhist monks promote inner peace
- The greatest danger
- Mindfulness meditation as a way to heal and cope with cancer
- Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 10/2/2012
- New SARS-Like Virus: Who Should Get Tested?
- 5 Body Postures That May Actually Boost Your Self-Esteem
- "No-self" isn't a spiritual goal -- it's what we already are
| Teens' Late-Night Cellphone Use Linked with Mental Health Problems Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:00 PM PDT
Teens who use their cellphones after "lights out" may be at increased risk for mental health problems, as well as lost sleep, a new study from Japan suggests. In the study, teens who frequently used their cellphones after going to bed were more likely to have poor mental health and suicidal thoughts, and to have harmed themselves, compared with those who did not use their phones at that time of night. The link held true even after the researchers took into account other factors known to affect mental health, such as alcohol and drug use. In addition, among young teens, cellphone use after lights out was linked with shorter time spent asleep, the researchers said. Researchers caution that the study only found an association, and they cannot say that nighttime cellphone use causes mental health problems or reduced sleep. It could be that teens who use phones after bedtime are a specific group, one already prone to mental health troubles. However, the findings add to a growing body of research linking poor sleep with mental problems in teens. For instance, a study published last year found that teens who had trouble sleeping were at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and self-harm. Looking at a bright display and performing tasks that excite the brain may change the production of melatonin, a hormone produced during sleep, and hurt the quality of a night's rest, the researchers said. Researchers at the University of Tokyo investigated close to 18,000 adolescents in in junior high and high school in Japan. Participants answered questions designed to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the occurrence of suicidal thoughts and self-harm. Participants also reported how many hours they slept at night and how often they spoke on their cellphones or sent emails after going to bed. The findings do not necessarily apply to U.S. children, said Dr. Michael Brody, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Silver Springs, Md. Japan has a different culture and one of the highest suicide rates in the world. In addition, the researchers do not know the reasons for the nighttime cellphone use. The children could be reaching out to others at night to talk about their problems, Brody said. "I wonder how many kids have been saved from destructive activity by talking about it," Brody said. But Lauren Hale, an associate professor of preventive medicine at Stony Brook University in New York, said the findings were not surprising, given what we know about the link between shortened sleep time and poor mental health. The cause of that link remains unknown, however. Mental health problems may lead people to stay up late at night and use their phones, for example, Hale said. In addition, the study failed to take into account other things the children may be doing after lights out. "They watch television, they surf of the web…they play video games, and all of these things are eating into sleep time and may have their own independent consequences," Hale said. The professor said she is in favor of taking cellphones out of bedrooms. However, further studies will need to be conducted to see if prohibiting late-night cellphone use improves teens' mental health, she said. The study is published in the October issue of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. Pass it on: Cellphone use after "lights out" is linked to mental health problems in teens, but the cause of the link is not clear. Follow Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner, or MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+.  Read More @ Source 
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| Child Abuse Injuries, Deaths on the Rise Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT
Contrary to what was thought, cases of child abuse that cause serious injury or death may be on the rise, a new study finds. The results show that between 1997 and 2009, hospitalizations for serious injuries caused by child abuse, such as fractures and traumatic brain injuries, increased by about 5 percent in the United States. Hospitalizations among children less than 1 year old increased 10.9 percent, the researchers said. The findings are based on information from a U.S. national database of children's hospital records. Earlier studies conducted using data from child protective services agencies presented a very different picture. Those studies showed a 55 percent decline in rates of child abuse over a similar time period. Information from such agencies does not look at hospitalizations for injuries, but rather, it includes cases of validated physical abuse that occurred in the United States in a given year. The decrease seen in studies that use data from agencies may be due to changes in reporting of cases to the agency, rather than a true decline in child abuse, the researchers said. The findings from the new study "highlight the challenge of using a single source of data to track a complex problem such as child physical abuse," the researchers said. The hospital data show that there was an increase in the percentage of children who died from abuse-related injuries, from 0.25 deaths per 100,000 children in 1997, to 0.36 deaths 100,000 children in 2009. The average length of hospital stays for children with abusive injuries did not change over time, the study also found. The findings underscore the need to develop prevention programs to reduce death and disability from child abuse. These programs should include strategies to help parents and caregivers respond in nonviolent ways to the stresses of caring for young children, the researchers said. The study is published today (Oct. 1) in the journal Pediatrics. Pass it on: There has been a slight increase in serious injuries resulting from child abuse in the United States. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily on Twitter @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+. Read More @ Source 
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| Hot Flashes in 11-Year-Old Linked to Herbal Medicine Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:00 AM PDT
An 11-year old girl in Italy experienced hot flashes after taking a commonly used herbal medicine, according to a new report. The herb, called saw palmetto or Serenoa repens, is most commonly used to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate in adult men, but has also been used to treat baldness. The girl had been taking daily doses of an oral supplement containing saw palmetto to treat a condition called telogen effluvium, a common cause of hair loss in children. During the second month of treatment, the girl experienced hot flashes several times a day for many days, according to the researchers at the University of Messina in Italy who evaluated her case. Because of her symptoms, the girl stopped taking the supplement, and her hot flashes went away. Shortly afterward, the girl had her first period. Her periods were abnormal, with heavy bleeding that lasted 15 days, the researchers said. These abnormal periods continued for about a year. Saw palmetto is known to decrease estrogen levels in the body, and so a relationship between the herb's use and hot flashes is plausible, the researchers said. The supplement is generally thought to be safe, and when people do experience side effects, the symptoms are usually mild. However, most studies on the herb's safety have been conducted in adult men, the researchers said. Little information exists concerning side effects in women or children. The researchers said they can't say for certain that the young girl's hot flashes were indeed caused by taking saw palmetto. However, she was not taking any other medications, did not have any known hormonal disorders, and her symptoms stopped when the supplement was discontinued — all signs that point to the herb as the culprit, they said. The researchers called for more research into the herb's effects on young people. Although generally used by adult men, saw palmetto is available in health food stores, the researchers said, so anyone can buy and use it. The report is published today (Oct. 1) in the journal Pediatrics. Pass it on: An herbal supplement may have caused hot flashes in a young girl in Italy. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+. Read More @ Source 
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| HPV Vaccine Safe, But May Raise Risk of Fainting & Infections Posted: 02 Oct 2012 10:00 AM PDT
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is generally safe, but may increase the risk of fainting and skin infections shortly after vaccination, a new study finds. The study included nearly 200,000 girls who received at least one dose of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine, known as Gardasil, which is marketed by Merck & Co. and protects against four strains of HPV. Researchers found that fainting was six times more likely to occur on the day of vaccination, compared with a period many months after vaccination — there were 24 cases of fainting per 1,000 people on the day of vaccination, compared with an average of four cases per 1,000 people during a time period months after vaccination. And skin infections were nearly twice as likely to occur within two weeks of vaccination compared with many months after vaccination. There were 3.5 cases of skin infections per 1,000 people during the two weeks after vaccination, compared with 2.2 cases per 1,000 people during the comparison time period, the researchers said. Because these side effects were somewhat expected, and the study did not find any new safety concerns, the findings "support the general safety of routine vaccination," the researchers said. HPV viruses are sexually transmitted viruses that usually cause no symptoms, but persistent infections can lead to cervical cancer. Gardasil was approved in 2006, after studies showed it was safe for use in females ages 9 to 26. But because studies conducted before a vaccine's approval are usually too small to detect rare side effects, researchers have continued to monitor the safety of the HPV vaccine. In the new study, Nicola Klein, of Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center in Oakland, Calif., and colleagues analyzed information from about 189,600 girls and young women, who received a total of 350,000 doses of the HPV vaccine between 2006 and 2008. The researchers calculated the annual rate of each side effect they observed. The researchers determined how likely participants were to be hospitalized or visit the emergency room for certain conditions in the 60 days after the vaccination, compared with a period many months after vaccination. Injections in general are known to be linked with fainting, and so this result "is not unexpected," the researchers said. There is evidence to suggest some of the skin infections seen in the study were actually reactions at the injection site, but the researchers did not have enough information to confirm this. Unlike some earlier studies, the new study did not find an increased risk of blood clots linked with the vaccine. The researchers made sure to rule out side effects that were due to conditions the patients already had. Ongoing studies of HPV are still needed to examine the risk of side effects, the researchers said. They noted that future studies should attempt to rule out effects that could be caused by pre-existing conditions. The study was funded by Merck, and is published today (Oct. 1) in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Pass it on: The HPV vaccine is linked to an increased risk of fainting and skin infections. Follow Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner, or MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+. Read More @ Source 
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| Buddhist monks promote inner peace Posted: 02 Oct 2012 09:00 AM PDT
"It was fabulous, especially the final evening where the monks performed their famous chanting," said event organiser Amanda Brightwell. The monks closed the two-day workshop with their famous Mantra Magic Chant where they use ancient Tibetan mantras to harmonise and create a soothing, meditation tone. Other events at the workshop included classes on meditation and dealing with depression as well as symbolic craft activities for children. The monks … Read the original article » Read More @ Source
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| Posted: 02 Oct 2012 08:00 AM PDT While some Western Zen Buddhisms pooh-pooh karma and rebirth, the Buddha saw perhaps the greatest danger for sentient beings was getting ensnared in the cycle of rebirths (samsara) by their craving.
With consciousness (vijñâna/viññâna) is bound fast by desire and attachment to the corporeal body (this consciousness is called nikanti viññâna) it is also the surviving factor after the individual dies. It can re-enter womb (garbha) after womb (D. iii. 147), which is the condition of samsara. If consciousness is not transcended, no escape from samsara is possible.
Whatever habitual tendencies and karmic formations (sankhârâ) consciousness bears, by transcending consciousness with the realization of pure Mind, we have put an end to samsara. This, as the reader can see, is not at all stressed in modern Buddhism because Western Zen Buddhisms do not believe in reincarnation or that consciousness is reborn which means they actually do not believe in Buddhism. 
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| Mindfulness meditation as a way to heal and cope with cancer Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:00 AM PDT  The Healthy Boomer by Peggy Edwards and Miroslava Lhotsky. Mindfulness meditation, the practice of clearing the mind through deep breathing exercises, is becoming an increasingly widespread part of healing and coping with cancer. Dr. Miroslava Lhotsky, one of the facilitators of Mindfulness Meditation Toronto, is a physician who spent years delivering bad news to women whose mammograms had revealed breast cancer. "You can imagine the kind of adrenaline that flows in their body … Read the original article » Read More @ Source
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| Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 10/2/2012 Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT  "A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering." ~The Buddha       Read More @ Source 
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| New SARS-Like Virus: Who Should Get Tested? Posted: 02 Oct 2012 05:00 AM PDT
Health officials made recommendations for who should be tested for a new SARS-like virus that was first identified last month. People should be tested for the virus if they have a respiratory infection (which may include fever or cough), have recently traveled to Qatar or Saudi Arabia, are suspected to have pneumonia or a similar condition, and if their current illness cannot be explained by other infections that typically cause pneumonia, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The new virus, which belongs to the same family as the one that causes SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome), has been confirmed in two people worldwide: a 49-year-old man from Qatar who recently traveled to Saudi Arabia, and a 60-year old man from Saudi Arabia who died from his condition. WHO made the new recommendations to "ensure an appropriate and effective identification and investigation of patients who may be infected with the virus, without overburdening health care systems with unnecessary testing," the organization said. People should also be tested if they become ill after contact with a person who was known to have the virus, WHO said. So far, the new illness does not appear to spread from person to person, according to WHO. In 2003, an outbreak of SARS sickened about 8,000 people worldwide, killing nearly 800, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pass it on: People who have traveled to Qatar or Saudi Arabia and who have a respiratory infection that cannot be explained by common causes should be tested for a new SARS-like virus. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+. Read More @ Source 
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| 5 Body Postures That May Actually Boost Your Self-Esteem Posted: 02 Oct 2012 04:00 AM PDT  Wisdom tells us that the body is not worth as much as our inner being. However, it is our body that bridges the world into our soul. It is the means that nurtures our being not only by what our environment shows us. It is also affected by the way we choose to move and act our bodies. A study by the Ohio State University found that our posture can also affect how we think about ourselves. Try to be aware of your body posture in different environments:
Kellogg School of Management described these helpful postures as those that open up the body and take up space. It was reported that these positions activate a sense of power and produces behavioral changes in a person regardless of his role in an organization. Here are 5 body postures that will fire up your confidence and performance.
Start raising your self-esteem by the movements of your body. Shake a leg, come out of your shell and set yourself free!
Do you have a bucket list? Here are 101 things to do before you die. Includes a tutorial on how you can create your bucket list too!  Read More @ Source 
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| "No-self" isn't a spiritual goal -- it's what we already are Posted: 01 Oct 2012 10:00 PM PDT Many religions and spiritual traditions venerate selflessness, ego-loss, transcending individuality. Here's the problem with that notion, according to both Buddhist philosophy and neuroscientific evidence: There's no such thing as a "self." So getting rid of one not only is impossible, but the belief that we have such a thing that needs to be done away with, or markedly reduced, perpetuates the delusion -- in much the same way that an obsessive attempt to rid one's garden of fairies feeds this fantasy by all the attention given to it. Another aspect to this problem is the widespread belief in an enduring soul or true self which only becomes apparent when a supposed false self fades away. For example, lots of people believe in the oft-heard adage, "we have thoughts and feelings, but we aren't those thoughts and feelings." Which implies that we are something more permanent than the passing show of experiences in our psyche. However, it's more accurate to say, "we aren't our thoughts and feelings, but we also aren't anything else." This is the Buddhist and neuroscientific view of psychological reality. No-self is what we always have been from birth, are now, and will be until we die. Understanding this -- or at least seriously considering that it is true -- is key to understanding what it means to be "spiritual." For many years, over three decades, I believed that my spiritual goal was to become self-realized, which would open the door to god-realization. In other words, the whole atman/brahman, soul/spirit, drop/ocean thing. But countless (almost) hours of daily meditation, combined with just living life in an eyes wide open as much as possible attitude, have brought me to a different way of seeing with spirituality is all about. I don't claim to fully grasp the following classic Buddhist verses. However, in the past I found the first much more reasonable. Now, the second resonates with me. Here's an excerpt from Mark Epstein's book, "Thoughts Without a Thinker," where he describes some Buddhist seventh-century happenings. The foremost disciple, Shen-hsiu, who was expecting to assume the role of the master, presented the following. The body is the Bodhi tree, A perfectly acceptable resonse, Shen-hsiu's verse made a virtue of the empty and reflecting mind, a recurrent motif in Buddhist literature. But the clear mirror, like the true self, too easily becomes an object of veneration. Such a view merely replaces the concrete self with a more rarefied version that is then thought to be even more real than the original. An illiterate kitchen boy, Hui-neng, grasped the imperfection of Shen-hsiu's response and presented the following alternative: The Bodhi is not a tree, ...Hui-neng avoided the common misconception of liberation as a mind emptied of its contents or a body emptied of its emotions. The mind, or self, that we conceive of does not exist in the way we imagine, said Hui-neng; if all things are empty, to what can we cling? If the mind itself is already empty, why should it have to be cleansed? If the emotions are empty, why do they have to be eliminated? Again, spiritual seekers are faced with some clear (though not always easy to discern) alternatives. Having been a "wipe the mirror" meditation-guy for many, many years, I realize how difficult it is for people who've embraced a self-realization path to recognize the validity of another way. I urge you, though, to open yourself to the notion that you are not a self. Nor a soul. Nor a drop of the divine ocean. You're as empty of intrinsic being as anything or anyone else in this vast, mysterious cosmos. Here's some more quotes from Epstein's book that I like a lot. They're well worth pondering. For both sexes, something similar can seem the only option in spiritual circles: the need to see some one as embodying the idealized qualities of the awakened compassionate mind can be very strong. The wish, in this case, is (again) for some object, person, or place to completely represent the sought-after qualities of mind. Meditators with this misunderstanding are vulnerable to a kind of eroticized attachment to teachers, gurus, or other intimates toward whom they direct their desire to be released into abandon. More often than not, they also remain masochistically entwined with these figures to whom they are trying to surrender. ...This approach implies that the ego, while important developmentally, can in some sense be transcended or left behind. Here we run into an unfortunate mix of vocabulary. Yet listen to the Dalai Lama on this point: Selflessness is not a case of something that existed in the past becoming nonexistent. Rather, this sort of "self" is something that never did exist. What is needed is to identify as nonexistent something that always was nonexistent. It is not ego, in the Freudian sense, that is the actual target of Buddhist insight, it is, rather, the self-concept, the representational component of the ego, the actual internal experience of one's self that is targeted. The point is that the entire ego is not transcended; the self-representation is revealed as lacking concrete existence. It is not the case of something real being eliminated, but of the essential groundlessness being realized for what it has always been. Meditators who have trouble grasping this difficult point often feel under pressure to disavow critical aspects of their being that are identified with the unwholesome "ego." Most commonly, sexuality, aggression, critical thinking, or even the active use of the first person pronoun I are relinquished, the general idea being that to give these things up or let these things go is to achieve egolessness. Meditators set up aspects of the self as the enemy and then attempt to distance themselves from them. The problem is that the qualities that are identified as unwholesome are actually empowered by the attempts to repudiate them. ...Rather than adopting an attitude of nonjudgmental awareness, these meditators are so concerned with letting it (their unwholesome feelings) go that they never have the experience of the insubstantiality of their own feelings. They remain identified with them through the action of disavowal. In a similar way, those with this misunderstanding of selflessness tend to overvalue the idea of the "empty mind" free of thoughts. In this case, thought itself is identified with ego, and such persons seem to be cultivating a kind of intellectual vacuity in which the absence of critical thought is seen as an ultimate achievement. ...Contrary to this way of thinking, conceptual thought does not disappear as a result of meditative insight. Only the belief in the ego's solidity is lost. 
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Lachlan Thompson, Daily Examiner: It was a weekend to reflect and seek inner peace for the parents and children involved in a two-day workshop with the Gyuto Tibetan Meditation monks in Yamba at the weekend.
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