How to Become an Effective Self-Help User

"Know Yourself" That's what the big guy said way back when? Was it Aristotle, Plato or Socrates? Anyhow, that's the essence of what this article is about.

You are a "self-help" seeker and user. You want resources to advance yourself in your life, to feel better, stronger and more successful. You're not satisfied with how things are. And you're not complacent about it. You're motivated. Therefore, you've come to the right place.

We're going to take you through this guide to instruct you on a few matters that relate directly to your goal of having the best self-help resources at your disposal. No more trial and error. This is it. We're going to get focussed.

OK, be sure you've read our article on "Assessing Your Self-Help Needs," (also available here at Ezine Articles) especially the part that distinguishes between "categories of distress" and "categories of achievement." These are arbitrary definitions. We use them to help our readers differentiate between "goals to be achieved" vs "problems to be solved. This ensures that we are all on the same page.

Let's identify a few symptom problems under categories of distress. We start with the big ones and work our way down.

Top of the list in Problems to be Solved (categories of distress) is Anxiety. Always your number 1 source of pain and stress. Anxiety permeates everything, affects your sleep, how you feel about yourself and your circumstances in the World.

- Do you have Confidence?

- Do you feel Effective?

- Are you feeling Lost or Unsure of Yourself?

These questions take us back to anxiety, the root symptom underlying all of our Stress.

You see, if we have anxiety as a problem, then Stress Managememt is a possible solution. We see that Stress is experienced as Anxiety first. It becomes Stress after occupying space within us for any length of time. That is, it is something we experience and live with everyday, and it now colors our way of viewing the world.

MOVING ON!

Another big one, in the disabling symptom category is Depression. This is the second most common symptom in the whole arsenal of disabling categories. It's amazing how many people are depressed today. Well, walk into any bookstore and count how many books are devoted to Depression.

When I travel and wander through Airport bookstores I see more books on Depression and Anti-Depressant Medication than any other subject. And this is supposed to be the Age of Super Abundance!

Why is Depression so common? And why is it so difficult to overcome? Well, the stress of "acquiring more" and "making it" is behind this. Yes, some stress is necessary, even desired, to bring out our best performance in work or other activities.

But being overwhelmed by Stress is all too common today. Therefore, Anxiety and Depression walk hand in hand with those of us geared to the SuperAbundant lifestyle. Depression is the most commonly diagnosed "mental condition" today. And where there's Depression, there's Anxiety. The pharmaceutical industry makes a Fortune off these two categories alone.

Yes, Depression and Anxiety are interlinked. They are part of each other and show up whenever "Stress" is the assessed root problem.

We can now see why Stress, under categories of distress, as also so prevalent in the language and experience of our current culture. Stress dominates our Era.

From the pressure to succeed and to raise our kids perfectly, to the global effect of "The War on Terrorism" we are all subject to Stress. Some would argue that our government leaders like it that way. We are easier to control and motivate toward a particular end. But I digress. "What would the USA be without a "War to fight?"

MOVING ON...

We are learning now that Categories of Distress are Global. Anxiety, Depression and Stress occupy our minds and thoughts daily. They are a top priority in our consciousness and underly all our Major Illnesses, including Cancer.

Getting happy is about getting Healthy in the plural sense of all parts of our lives.

Anxiety - Stress - Depressive States - Universal Tragedies!

What else can we feel when 200 Spaniards are killed by terrorist bombs on their way to work one morning? When everyday, another U.S. soldier or two are killed while involved in some action around the World.

Every day there is Stress - Kids, Jobs, Debt, Bad News, and so on... There's plenty of stress to go around.

Back to Our Topic . . .

Categories of Distress

Anxiety, Depression, Stress - The Top Three! All other symptom categories derive from these 3.

Where can you find Relief?

"The Self-Help Advisor" Website, among others, has lists of great resources for the above-mentioned categories. There are also Coach resources on the net, books of course, and many other sources of help. Your community likely provides every kind of resource available. Assess yourself first. Do a thorough review of your strengths and weaknesses, browse our Links Page at The Self-Help Advisor to find resources and solutions to these problems.

And READ! The more you know, the better off you are. Ultimately you have to be responsible for your life. What you learn can't hurt you, and likely will help.

Maurice Turmel has a PHD in Counseling Psychology and was a practicing therapist for nearly 25 years. Self-Help issues are dealt with regularly in his monthly Ezine "The Self-Help Advisor." Dr. Turmel likes to use parable stories to illustrate important points. He has authored 3 books and is also a performing songwriter. He can be reached through his Website at: http://www.mauriceturmel.com

---

Testy Horses and the Art of Speed Waiting

"What are you waiting for?" said Nelson, looking at me... Read More

Heres How Tiger, Oprah, And Spielberg Stay Motivated

I want to share with you a powerful principle that... Read More

Ending Procrastination

Perseverance is about as important to achievement as gasoline is... Read More

Hey CyberJunkie, Clean that Booger off Your Nose!

Well....., I got some good news and I got some... Read More

Were Good at the Things We Like

Read that again. It doesn't say "We like the things... Read More

Cure Your Burnout!

Do you ever get those Sunday night blues? Dreading the... Read More

Understanding What Motivates People to Take Action

So I wanted to buy a car. It was a... Read More

Around The World On $80

Jules Vernes adventure story, Around the World in 80 Days,... Read More

Why are You Living?

It was 4,O'Clock in the morning, my regular time to... Read More

Hurry Up And Procrastinate

I've been meaning to write this column, but I keep... Read More

Are Millionaires and PhDs Really Smarter? The Answer May Surprise You!

I've had a vast array of job experiences. While in... Read More

The Magic of Success is Actually a Law Set in Motion. Finding it is Quite Simple

Building Energy Around your Investment!For a century or more men... Read More

Storytelling - The Great Motivator of People

In a data-driven world, facts and figures are the order... Read More

Mindfulness and Birthdays: Surprising Moments

The first week of May is a big birthday time... Read More

Self Confidence : The Importance of Will-Power

The importance of will-power is recognized by most men, yet... Read More

Motivation and Change: Creating Your Daily Success Program

I get some of my best ideas for my column... Read More

Know your Mission

One passage states "If you want to defeat them, distract... Read More

Boost Your Bottom Line by Asking Powerful Questions

"He who asks questions cannot avoid the answers." -African ProverbPowerful... Read More

A Burning Desire

"Mommy, he's doing it again." I yelled as I came... Read More

Trust the ?System? ? It Works!

The "System" ? the overall structure and organization of this... Read More

The Art Of Using Effectively A Motivational Quote

--Choose a motivational quote related to your goal. Don't have... Read More

Life Is About Taking

"Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow... Read More

Its Not Enough

Whatever you are doing in your life at the present... Read More

Who Do You Need To Become To Make It Happen For You?

'We cannot become what we need to be remaining what... Read More

Why Bother About Your Life?

Have you failed to create the life you want, because... Read More

This Emotion Is As Helpful As Ali-Baba And His Forty Thieves!

Are you afraid of your own best ideas? Do you... Read More

Rules To Live Life By

How often have we heard ourselves complaining about how unlucky... Read More

Motivation: 7 More Musings on Motivation

1. "If you have faith the size of a mustard... Read More

5 Fun & Easy Ways to Get Out of the Rut

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel less... Read More

The Missing Piece

Have you ever tried putting a puzzle together, only to... Read More

Motivation: 3 Keys to Lasting Change

David Bowie once sang, "Ch-ch-changes, tryin' to face the strain."There... Read More

Whats Stopping You?

We're all familiar with the cycle:We want new, but resist... Read More

Learn to Do What Winners Do But Others Will Not

If you want to be a winner you have to... Read More