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Newsletter Vol. #91 Thats How I See It!

 

Welcome to all you new readers of the "That's How I See It!" newsletter. Just over 100 of you fine "Shapes Fitness Centre" people signed up to receive the newsletter and to help me promote my book when it is released.

Thank you to Shapes for your generosity in allowing me to make contact with such fine and generous people as are your members.

Now you people on the other side of town--If you're in the neighbourhood, join me on Wednesday, March 7 at the Shapes Fitness Centre at 1910 Pembina Hwy. (8 am-8 pm). I am still giving away "Free" copies of my new, yet to be released, book, Communication & Relationships. Pick up your copy on Wednesday.


Internet Addiction
 
     There are times when I really despise the Internet!
     I particularly wish it had never been created when I have to deal with a couple that are going through a break up because of a pornography addiction or someone was caught being sexually explicit on a chat line. Sometimes parents bring their teenager in because the kid is so addicted to X-Box and video games that they end up in a fistfight when boundaries are imposed. With adults, what makes treatment even more complex is that half the Internet addicts also have an additional addiction such as alcohol, drugs, smoking or sex.
     Dr. John Ratey, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, said a physical addiction can develop from the chemical reaction in the brain - a "dopamine squirt" - that comes from a rewarding tech experience. "We condition ourselves to need it, and after awhile, it becomes a physical need like any other constant practice. It's worse now because we've got all these devices."
     In China, which has almost 300 million Internet users (mostly teenagers), the government has declared Internet and video games addiction a public health problem.
     In North America, studies have estimated anywhere from 3 to 6 percent of Internet users have a problem. There now exists a "detox' centre for video game and Internet addiction in Fall City, Washington.
     The Internet brings people together and that is great! The problem occurs when usage moves from pleasurable and useful to a psychological/physiological need and your "real-life" relationships begin to suffer. When the computer/cell phone replaces meaningful face-to-face relationships, that certainly is unhealthy and problematic.
     Benny Evangelista, San Francisco Chronicle, has put together a list of questions to ask yourself in reference to Internet addiction:

Do you spend excessive time online or more than you intended?

Do you feel more depressed or lonely the more time you spend online?

Do you have a heightened sense of euphoria while online or using a
computer?

Is it interfering with your job or school performance?

Do family or friends complain about the time and energy you spend
online?

Do you frequently choose spending time online over going out with other
people?
 
Do you hide, lie or become defensive about online activities?

Do you feel depressed, restless, moody or nervous offline and fine again
when online?

Do you spend too much time with online pornography, multiplayer games or gambling sites?

What to do?

Unplug yourself completely from technology for at least a few moments
  each day.

 Keep track of how much you use technology, and moderate overuse.

If needed, seek counselling, self-help or support groups.

Sources: Virtual-Addiction.com; NetAddiction.com; netaddictionrecovery.com; Dr. John Ratey, Harvard Medical School.


Did you know...
New Jersey recently passed the nation's toughest ban on sales of junk food at school cafeterias, vending machine, snack bars, and in-school fund-raisers. That means say good-bye to any item listing sugar as its main ingredient or containing more than 8 g of fat per serving.


Recently, while reading The Divided Mind by John Sarno, I came across a discussion between Alfred Adler and Sigmund Freud on their thoughts concerning psychosomatic disorders. The premise behind psychosomatic disorders is that the brain can actually induce physical changes in the body.

As I have been working with people who have anger, fear, grief, depression and anxiety issues, I found Adler's and Sarno's position on conscious states concerned with physical manifestations most interesting.

Adler states, "the unconscious is nothing other than that which we have been unable to formulate in clear concepts. It is not a matter of concepts hiding away in some unconscious or subconscious recess of our minds, but of parts of our consciousness, the significance of which we have not fully understood."

Sarno, who completely disagrees with Adler states, "the heart of the psychosomatic process is to keep painful and dangerous emotions repressed and hidden in the unconscious, because these are emotions that would wreck havoc were they allowed to become conscious. The unconscious is a domain, a realm that is home to a variety of concepts, thoughts, ideas, feelings, traits, and tendencies. Some are positive, pleasant, and socially acceptable (as opposed to antisocial) and some are negative (e.g., feelings of inferiority). Some are violent, some obscene, some childish (e.g., narcissism and dependency), some dangerous and threatening (e.g., rage) and some are simply too painful and sad to be consciously experienced.

Wordsworth wrote, "the Child is father of the Man" which means that childhood experiences become the timeless, primitive, unconscious mind that operates totally beyond our conscious awareness and continues to influence, and even shape, our adult lives.


Did you know...
Ever wonder what causes snoring? Well apparently when you fall asleep, all the muscles in your body relax, including the throat muscles that normally prop open your airway. Consequently, your body has to work harder to suck enough air through the now narrower tube, causing the pressure inside to drop, which pulls the floppy walls inward and it makes them vibrate-creating the distinctive snoring sounds.


Stupid Things Government Is Doing With Your Money

Quebec uncovered yet another threat to the French language in that province-the rising scourge of the word "hi." Quebec's language police hired a research firm at a cost of $150,000 to dispatch observers into 400 retailers in downtown Montreal in search of language infractions. The report noted a dangerous increase in the use of "bonjour, hi," from one per cent of salutations two years ago, to 13 per cent.

The CBC spent $56,000 to survey its own employees in a sole-sourced contract with Phoenix Strategic Partnership. Surprise, surprise: 80 per cent had a positive impression of the CBC and 70 per cent said the public broadcaster succeeded at "enriching democratic life".

After dissing reports from the auditor general and Parliamentary Budget Office that warned the price of F-35 fighter jets would be far higher than the $16 billion the Harper government promised, the feds shelled out $645,000 for an outside opinion. After paying KPMG to review the defence department numbers, the government finally accepted the price would be $45 billion.


Did you know...
That a serving of watermelon or pink grapefruit a day, could reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer by a whopping 82%. As well, eating daily servings of tomatoes, pumpkin, citrus fruits, and spinach lowers the risk of developing the disease.


IT PAYS TO HAVE GOOD REFLEXES
A man was dining in a fancy restaurant and there was a gorgeous redhead sitting at the next table. He had been checking her out since he sat down, but lacked the nerve to talk to her. Suddenly she sneezed, and her glass eye came flying out of its socket towards the man. He reflexively reached out, grabbed it out of the air, and handed it back.
Oh my, I am so sorry, "the woman said as she popped her eye back in place. "Let me buy your dinner to make it up to you," she said.
They enjoy a wonderful dinner together, and afterwards, they went to the theatre followed by drinks. They talked, they laughed, she shared her deepest dreams and he shared his. She listened. After paying for everything, she asked him if he would like to come to her place for a nightcap and stay for breakfast. They had a wonderful, wonderful time.
The next morning, she cooked a gourmet meal with all the trimmings. The guy was amazed! Everything had been SO incredible! "You know, "he said; "you are the perfect woman. Are you this nice to every guy you meet? "
"No," she replied. "You just happened to catch my eye."


Reader Response

Hi Dan,
I recently read your newsletter #88 and was very interested in the topic of laughter. The information makes sense.
I wondered if that is the reason for including jokes in the newsletter and also if you are aware of laughter clubs in the Winnipeg area.
The newsletters are very good. Please keep them coming. Thanks!
                                                                                                                                John

The only one I know of is Rumors Comedy Club and I don't think this is the same concept as "Laughter Clubs". We'll both keep looking.


Have a great week and get the snow shovel ready!

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