TMJ and stress

A big factor in developing TMJ is stress which can cause you to clench or grind your teeth.  You may not even be aware of it.   Stress and jaw pain often go together as you may not even be aware that you are even tensing your jaw.

I am writing to you about this as I have been grinding my teeth during the day unconsciously until I made myself pay attention to it.   I probably am grinding my teeth during the night as well as I wake up often with a sore jaw.  This is harder to treat as you can imagine as grinding and clenching puts pressure on the jaw joint and the subsequent swelling can press on the nerves in that area.

Here are my symptoms but you may have these or others as it does vary between people:

• Pain in all of my teeth
• Teeth grinding
• Teeth clenching
• Headaches
• Sinus pain
• Pain behind my eyes
• Cracking sounds when I open my mouth or eat

I even went to the dentist believing I must have a hole in one of my teeth but was told they were OK and it seems this is quite common.  The best thing you can do is to reduce that stress, get your teeth checked to see they align properly, look at your posture, improve on it if you need to.  Also do some exercises for TMJ which are made especially to help this condition and in particular those overworked muscles and to reduce the tension in your jaw.

TMJ and stress do go together but you don’t have to suffer now you know why you are having jaw pain.  Stop it in its tracks, but just be warned it wont happen overnight but with diligence you can overcome it.  Relax your jaw whenever you are aware you are clenching it.  Believe me once you start to do this you will be amazed how many times you actually have to do it during a given day. Jaw pain can make you life miserable so do what I did and get it sorted starting today.

If you need help overcoming stress and jaw pain then you can get it at TMJ No More.  Sandra Carter is the expert for this condition and she gets results as well as offering private counseling to help you along.  It wont cost you a fortune either so if you think you cant do it alone get her help.

When I am talking about  SHYNESS here in this post I am referring to someone with social phobia.  Saying you are shy seems to be more generally accepted than saying you feel anxious in social situations or to admit you may suffer from social anxiety disorder.

Do you remember a time when you were not shy?  I do!  I remember myself as an outgoing child and my mother backs that up.  What happened then to me?  I think that my thinking changed in very small ways over a long time.  I started off on the positive road and slowly my course changed, and one day I came to a fork where I took a more negative one.  I didn’t realize until I took the turn.

Small positive changes over a long time can also make a difference in your shyness.  Make these changes, now positive ones, and see the big difference it can make in your life.

Changing our thoughts isn’t that difficult but it takes practice.  If you decide to do nothing then nothing will change in your life. Shyness sometimes leads us to let others control our lives and make our decisions.  Take back the control and have a better holiday period.

Don’t hide away, do something social that you think you can manage like having a Christmas drink with friends or colleagues, call a friend on the telephone, accept an invitation to share dinner with friends, get the kids in the car and admire the Christmas lights around the neighborhood or wish a total stranger Merry Christmas.

We hide our shyness and pretend not be be shy but if you start in small ways you will be amazed how easy it becomes in time with practice.  If you need help though with these suggestions then I recommend THE SOCIAL STRATEGIES, an online program which has helped so many people to live normal lives again.

Vitamin B Complex

Every part of this complex vitamin has it’s own exclusive purpose but it is when they work together as the Vitamin B Complex that it offers important maintenance for the body to remain healthy. The B vitamin complex contains B vitamins which are water-soluble and it is important that enough of these vitamins are consumed on a daily basis. The body cannot store water soluble vitamins such as this one and this leads to a frequent intake being required.

The B complex vitamins are extremely beneficial for a number of conditions and may be necessary in extra amounts at certain times in a persons life. Many individuals suffer from anxiety and stress at one time or another and research has found that the B complex vitamin can be advantageous in helping alleviate the symptoms. If a person has been unwell the B complex vitamin can also be very valuable in aiding the recovery process and can help ease general tiredness and sluggishness.

There are a number of herbs that can be combined with Vitamin B Complex for anxiety relief.  These include Valarian Root, Passion Flower and St Johns Wort which all help with relaxation which can reduce stress levels.

AMAZON.COM has also a product called STRESS B-Complex which will be able to fulfill your needs to reduce stress and give you anxiety help.  Check it out for yourself and I would love to hear back from you with your own personal results.

Reprinted with permission by Chato B. Stewart from http://www.mentalhealthhumor.com

Panic Away

The course is based on cognitive behavioral techniques which in my opinion is the best method to conquer panic.  Barry being a former sufferer has developed this One Move Technique which doesn’t involve baking any medications, is a natural one which is one of the things I like most about it and is written in simple language I can understand.

The One Move that he teaches helps you identify when a panic attack is coming on and then he teaches you how to stop it.  It is not a complicated technique and is easily learned and put into practice.

On disadvantage I can see to the program is that to master the One Move you will have to experience a few panic attacks as you learn more as you put into practice the technique so it’s not an instant fix.  This may sound frightening at first but you have all the information to apply now so you find your confidence building and your ability to stop the panic attacks for good.

This digital course is not for everyone as some people need to seek professional help like a therapist but for the rest of us, I think this course is really a solution to many types of anxiety such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety and those who suffer from panic attacks.

Panic Away has a 8 week money back guarantee so if you suffer from panic and anxiety why not try it now, you have nothing to lose except the anxiety you currently have.   It’s your chance to get off the prescription drugs and take back control of your life.   It’s worth it to live your life fully again, I should know.

I love the ocean and the waves are so relaxing.  Sitting on the sand watching the tide come in and go out is what I use to center my thoughts for stress relief and as also as a meditation technique.

You don’t have to go anywhere though to get the same results if you have a relaxation tape with ocean sounds,  a nice cool breeze and a sun lounge to lie in but experiencing the real thing now and then is fabulous I must admit.

Pick a vacation location where life moves at a slower pace.  Relax and don’t crowd too many activities into a day.  Read that book you bought ages ago but never had the time to before.

Get some good quality sleep.  Go to bed early and get up late.  Have a nap in the afternoon if possible.  Lay in a sun lounge (in the shade) and have 40 winks.

Walk along the beach, swim in the ocean or hotel pool.  Nothing makes you sleep better than exercise during the day.  Don’t forget that you are aiming to reduce stress in your life.

OK I can hear you saying you can’t afford a vacation.  If so then why not do it all in your mind.  I often will walk along the beach in my mind.  Take a day to do nothing but rest, revive and reduce your stress.  You are worth it!

I had recently finished a job and was starting another and in between we were having a few days break at the coast.  The time just beforehand had been stressful but I was now looking forward to the new job starting.  A few days break away was what I needed.

I didn’t realize how stressed I really was until we got to our destination.  I thought at first I was a little car sick but after a few hours I knew that it really was anxiety.  Maybe all that stress that was built up just needed to release.  I didn’t want it to ruin my weekend.

I got out my iPod that has some great binaural beat relaxation music on it and got myself in a nice, warm, comfortable position, closed my eyes and turned it on.  I did feel a little better by the end so I played one of the tracks again.  Now I really felt the benefit and I was able to go out that night not fearing that I would have a panic attack.  If you ever have had a panic attack you will realize exactly how I felt when I had the control back.

Relaxation music and especially ones that have binaural beats really work for me in an emergency and I was so glad that I had taken my iPod that weekend and I know it will be the first thing I pack in the future.

I am fortunate that I have learned slow breathing techniques which assists the relaxation process and combined with the music I know that I can bring my stress levels down fairly quickly.  I know I will have to make sure that I include other relaxation methods in my daily life and not neglect my nerves in the future or it will happen again and I don’t want that.

The weekend could have been ruined for me but instead I had a lovely break by the sea before starting another stressful experience of starting a new job.  Oh the music I have downloaded is  Slow Down and Relax which is 20 minutes and Manifestation (for positive thinking) which is 30 minutes and of course I have the 10 minute sample.

Smoking is a habit that almost always begins in youth, usually before age 16 so these teens had their first interview when they were 16 years of age and again when they became 22 years old. Those who smoked at least 20 cigarettes daily were 16 times more likely to suffer regular anxiety attacks and panic and more than 5 times as likely to suffer from some form of personality disorder.

We have often heard that smoking will calm the nerves. However, as was indicated above, smoking seems to have the opposite effect. This research data was done on 688 teens between 1985 and 1986 and again between 1991 and 1993. When these young people were interviewed as teenagers, 39 of them were smoking at least 20 cigarettes daily and 44 of them had anxiety attacks. There seems to be a definite correlation between smoking and anxiety.

After taking such factors into consideration such as alcohol and drug use and temperament, researchers found that those young people who were smoking at least 20 cigarettes or more daily increased their chances by seven times to develop agoraphobia during their early adulthood. They were also more than 5 times as likely to suffer from General Anxiety Disorder and almost 16 times as likely to suffer from anxiety attacks.  These facts show that there is a strong link between smoking and anxiety and mental health.

If you smoke and want to give it up for good then I recommend this great CD set by Dr Jane Mataai Smith called  The Easy Way to Stop Smoking & Be Forever Smoke Free w/ Self Hypnosis and Subliminal Suggestion 2CDs. Also effective to many has been Nicorette Gum. For your general and mental health you need to start today, not tomorrow. If you smoke, make it your New Year’s resolution to give it up this year.

dark feelings

How do I know I have anxiety?

You may be showing the signs of anxiety if the feelings or behaviors below affect your everyday life:

• Worrying about everything

• Feeling negative

• Feeling restless or irritable

• Find it hard to do everyday activities like work and study

• Lack of concentration

• Difficulty sleeping and/or relaxing

• Avoidance behavior

• Physical symptoms like heart palpitations

• Irrational thinking

• Have muscle pain

If you experience more than a few of these then you should consult a medical practitioner to be assessed professionally. Don’t avoid seeking help if you do have these signs of anxiety. Don’t wait until you get worse . Avoidance is also a sign that you are not handling the anxiety.

There are many forms of relaxation that are often recommended to prevent or reduce anxiety and panic attacks which may include meditation, yoga or breathing exercises but trying to relax while you are stressing is very difficult.  It is also not easy to control your heartbeat but the good news is that we are all capable of learning to control our breathing.

Breathing control is the best way to both prevent and stop a panic attack. If it sneaks up on you then the controlling your breathing will stop it in its tracks or at the least reduce its severity.  Slow breathing and not just deep breathing for some time each day will help prevent attacks by reducing general levels of anxiety.  I do this before I go to sleep and it has the benefit of helping me get to sleep as well.

The point of breath control is to inhale and exhale gently and slowly in a controlled way, relaxing yourself as you breath. Breath in the calm and breath out the stress and anxiety.  It takes a little practice but its worth the effort.  It is one of the best methods I use to control anxiety building up.

Breath Control is very effective on its own but it can be more enjoyable when combined with music.  Slow breathing with music offers a unique and highly effective way to to reach that calm state and stay there longer.