Now for some more Physical and Mental Health Information.

I'm sure that many of you have heard the saying,"Laughter is the best policy", it really is when you think about it. You must have noticed how good if feels to laugh and just let yourself go! Laughter is one of the most natural things that we do. It keeps us in the here and now allowing us to be in the moment, when we do this, we forget about our problems.  Imagine how our physical and mental health would improve if we would give ourselves more time to laugh.

Our ability to laugh, goes back to primitive times when people would greet each other by contorting their faces into smiles accompanied by grunts, snorts and other sounds. Today, it is widely known especially by those who practice holistic medicine, naturopathy and other alternative medical practices, that when we have an optimistic attitude about life, we are less likely to get ill."I believe that if people can get more laughter in their lives, they are a lot better off," says Steve Wilson, MA, CSP, a psychologist and laugh therapist. "They might be healthier too."(1)
Laughing on a regular basis provides an outlet for stress reduction. I know myself that after I've had a good laugh, I feel calmer, less tense and more tranquil. This happens because when we laugh we release our "feel good" endorphins, these are our internal mood enhancing chemicals. Think about this one, studies have shown that couples who laugh together usually stay together.
 

Let's take a look at some of the things that you can do at home or in a group to relieve tension, increase mental clarity and improve your overall mood.
 

• Laughing Meditation: This helps to control minor irritations. Take some deep breaths, then stretch your arms up over your head. Lower arms down to sides. Now smile, start giggling, and build up to a good belly laugh. Do this daily.
• Hasya Yoga: This is usually practiced in a group. It employs deep breathing with exercise and simulated laughter, such as "hearty", "silent", or "dancing" laughter. In response to the leader's laugh, the participants start laughing. At a certain time, they stop, close their eyes and focus on the center of their body. This type of yoga has a very quick relaxing effect, it enhances mental clarity and promotes a sense of well being. As a caution: if you are pregnant, have heart problems, a hernia, prolapsed uterus or hemorrhoids, check with your family practitioner, gynecologist,naturopathic doctor,etc.before embarking on this type of program.

Here are some "inner smile" exercises that you can do in the morning or any other time of the day that you feel nervous, tense,or stressed.

• Sit quietly and comfortably with your spine straight. Inhale deeply and exhale through your nose a few times until you feel relaxed.
• Close your eyes and count backward slowly from 10.  Focus inward, "Smile" with your eyes and feel the surrounding skin begin to relax.
• Imagine the smile sliding down inside your skull, into your throat, then down into your chest.
• Let the smile spread through the rest of your organs,to your genitals and down into the soles of your feet. Notice every part of your body as you become completely relaxed. Remember to breathe normally throughout this meditation.
• Take a few minutes to bask in the glowing sensation. Realize that you are filled with happiness.
• Slowly bring your focus back to your eyes and open them. Take a deep inhale and stretch your arms to the ceiling while stretching your legs out in front of you. Smile with your mouth now.

Try these, just for fun

• Go and see a stand-up comedian with friends, or watch him on the television.
• Rent a funny video that will make you roll over with laughter.
• Get a joke a day desk calender.
• Buy a comic book.
• Find a picture or something in the news that amused you. Hang it up where you can see it.
• Tell a favorite joke.
• Spend time with children.
• Laugh at yourself!!!

Even a smile can impact our health. It causes our brain to release neuropeptides, which are  chemicals that are associated with happiness.





So remember to show those pearly whites often!
1.....(http://women.webmd.com/guide/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter)
2.....Ibid


The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, International Masters Publishers,
     Pittsburgh, PA.
http://women.webmd.com/guide/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter
http://www.cancercenter.com/complementary-alternative-medicine/laughter-therapy.cfm

Since breathing is so important to your physical and mental health, especially during exercise, I decided to devote this blog to it. As we inhale, oxygen goes through our lungs and is absorbed by the bloodstream. We exhale carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. If our breath is shallow, our body is unable to eliminate enough carbon dioxide through the mucous membranes that line our lungs. This causes a disruption of cellular respiration as well as cell metabolism, which in turn causes a decline in mental ability since the brain does not get enough oxygen.  By learning proper breathing methods, you will feel better because you will sleep better, your body's metabolism will increase and you will have a healthier immune system. In addition to this, correct breathing will help to alleviate stress, anxiety, nervousness, and tension.



Let us now take a look at an exercise to enhance your abdominal breathing.

• Lie down on the floor with your calves resting on a chair or stool.
• Place 3 books on your belly over your bellybutton. Breathe deeply and calmly. Feel the weight of the books on your abdomen.
• Remove one book, notice that your stomach feels lighter and your breathing is deeper. Remove each book one by one, pausing in between to notice the feeling you have from deep breathing.
• Finally, place your hands on your abdomen and consciously breath from your belly for a few minutes. You should feel very relaxed.

More Breathing Exercises

• To make you feel more energetic, clasp your hands in front of your abdomen with palms facing up. While inhaling, lift your hands to chest level. Turn your palms down as you exhale while pushing your arms and hands down until they are straight. Leave your hands clasped and inhale as you bring your arms forward and up over your head. Slowly lower your arms as you exhale. Repeat 3 times.
• To relieve stress and tension, place your arms and hands on either side of your body.Breathe in deeply while extending your arms outward and sideways. Lift your arms until your body forms a "Y" shape. Breathe out forcefully and audibly from your mouth while allowing your arms to sink slowly down on either side of your body. Rest for a beat and repeat 3 times.

Breathing exercises for people with heart problems

• Inhale deeply through your nose, then purse your lips and breathe out through your mouth. This helps to enhance relaxation, it lowers blood pressure and helps distribute oxygen through your blood. This particular exercise may be used in conjunction with medical, or alternative treatment for cardiovascular disease.

Breathing Exercises for hyperventilation

• When we are anxious,or tense our breathing becomes quick and shallow. This in turn causes a depletion of carbon dioxide which may lead to hyperventilation. When we hyperventilate we become very nervous and tense because it is a scary feeling not being able to catch our breath. For severe hyperventilation, you should hold a paper bag in front of your mouth and inhale the exhaled air a few times, this increases your carbon dioxide which in turn will make you feel better. Afterward, it is essential that you breathe calmly and slowly while paying attention to your slow exhalation.

• Ujjayi breathing is used during yoga to hold and focus on a posture. Sit cross-legged while inhaling slowly with your mouth closed while constricting the back of your throat making the sound of the ocean waves. Exhale slowly while keeping the back of the throat constricted.
• Kapalabhati breathing has you kneel on your heels keeping a straight back. Take a deep abdominal breath and hold it for a few seconds. Release the breath in slow small bursts from your nostrils until there is no more air. Let your abs fill with air again.
• Abdominal breathing occurs by siting or lying on your back with your hands on your stomach just below the navel. Keeping your hands on your abs pay attention to the rising and falling of your breath. This is also a good way to meditate.
• Rib-cage breathing is when you sit or lie on your back with hands placed on either side of your rib cage. Inhale into your lungs and next into your rib cage. Feel the expansion of your ribs while your chest opens up. Exhale as slowly as you can.
• Complete breathing is accomplished by sitting or lying on your back while exhaling completely. Inhale slowly, filling your abdomen, lungs and then your chest. Exhale very slowly.

1. Stand with feet hip length apart. Bring your palms together in front of your chest.
2. Inhale and slowly raise your arms above your head while gently arching your spine backwards.
3. Exhale and bend forward from your hips. Place your hands on both sides of your feet and bring your chest to your knees.
4. Inhale and stretch your right leg straight behind you into a lunge with your hands on the floor.
5. Exhale and put your left leg next to your right leg in a push up pose. Keep it straight and inhale.
6. Exhale while bending your knees and touching your chin and chest to the floor. Keep your hips raised.
7. Inhale and slide your chest forward as you stretch your legs. Arch your upper back with your elbows tucked close to your sides. Keep your shoulders back.
8. Exhale and curl your toes to the floor, raise your hips to form an inverted "V".
9. Inhale and place your right foot next to your hands and make a lung position on the other side.
10. Exhale and slide your left foot next to the right, then bend forward from your hips.
11. Inhale and roll up slowly from the spine. Extend your arms overhead to stretch your spine.
12. Exhale and return to your original pose, repeat as many times as you like.

A note of caution, Surya Namaskar can be hard on your lower back. If you experience back pain you should consult with your doctor before attempting any of these positions. You may also want to consult with a yoga instructor who can help you modify the poses to fit your particular needs. Finish each workout by going into child's pose which helps to relax and release your back muscles.

1. Yama - correct moral code.
2. Niyama - self-discipline.
3. Asana - postures
4. Pranayama - breathing
5. Pratahara - moving inward toward the self.
6. Dharana - concentration
7. Dhyana - meditation
8. Samadhi - oneness

To get the most benefit from meditation, you should do it daily, the more you practice, the easier it will become. Each practice should be at the same time and in the same place, preferably a comfortable spot where you will not be bothered. Your sessions do not have to be very long, but you need to let go of any stress that you may have and stay focused on relaxation. Then you will be able to achieve inner tranquility. Continue doing the same routine for a few weeks before you begin another type of meditation. There are many classes that you can take with a certified instructor if you are unsure how to begin.

Guided Imagery with meditation, which I told you about in my last blog, is a very effective technique for helping you to calm your nerves. You may want to purchase relaxation tapes with quiet music and colorful stories to take you away from your everyday worries and stress. They will help you to achieve a peaceful state of mind. Other things that may be helpful include concentrating on an object or reciting a mantra.

1. Sit in a comfortable and relaxing position. Focus deeply and concentrate on the flame.
2. Relax and breath quietly and slowly through your nose. For a few minutes, don't think about anything. Watch as your abdomen rises slowly and falls with each breath and notice how the air moves through your whole body. You may want to place one hand on your stomach.
3. Allow your thoughts to wander quietly. Welcome each thought like a good friend, but don't dwell on it. The relaxing light produced from the candle will help you to forget about your daily problems. Any tension that you are feeling will abate as you relax and ease your mind.

• As a daily ritual, perhaps before you get out of bed, visualize your goals enveloped in pink bubbles that float into space. Pretend that they are absorbing the positive energy in the universe that you need to realize your dreams.
• For life changes such as a move, picture yourself in your new home, try to visualize where you will put your furniture, etc, and imagine yourself happy there.
• For relaxation find a comfortable and quiet location, either sit, or lie down. Begin by breathing deeply and go to a place in your mind that gives you total peace and contentment. Next, visualize a bright white light that envelopes and shields you from negative energy.
• For cancer and other illnesses, find a comfortable spot to sit or lie down and close your eyes. Relax and breathe deeply. Put yourself into the part of your body where there is cancer and imagine that the chemotherapy treatments are annihilating the diseased cells. Observe how the immune cells surround the cancer cells and sweep them away. Watch as the tumor shrinks and visualize your complete return to health. For other types of illnesses, modify the process to suit your needs.

1. Create specific goals and break them down into manageable steps. Initiate a method to progress from one step to the next.
2. Envision one of your goals in precise detail, as though it is already a reality. Imagine yourself delighted and successful in achieving this goal.
3. Repeat this activity twice a day for 15-20 minutes. Visualize your dream in fine detail creating a mental picture, like a movie, with you as the main character.
4. Utilize all of your senses to create more focused images. You can do this by thinking about the following things: the aromas that you smell, the flavors that you can taste, the skin and body sensations that you feel, the temperature and weather, as well as  the sounds that you hear.
5. You may want to purchase cassettes, CDs and videos that you can use during your sessions.

Guided Imagery-Stress Management & Over-All Health
Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Cancer Treatment
Cancer Imagery

You are over the pain of diagnosis, and have accepted the fact that your child is autistic. A treatment plan has been set up that you are satisfied with, so, what's next? You need to learn how to live with your little one at home, and keep your sanity. Today I will give you some helpful hints for your mental health and that of your family.

You will have to change your expectations because one of the biggest challenges to overcome is that your child will probably never be on par with his/her peers as far as development and appropriate behavior goes. Nor will he/she become the lawyer that you had hoped, but there are attainable goals, they are just not the ones you had dreamed of. With this in mind, begin with small steps as far as expectations. Be patient because with your help, your child can reach his/her unique potential.

It is important to monitor sensory input since many autistic little ones become agitated by over stimulation. Learn to interpret body language so that you know when your child is becoming overwhelmed. For example, if he/she starts screaming, rocking, holding their ears, etc., a tranquil retreat will help. You can accomplish this very easily by setting up a safety zone or creating a private space for your child where he/she can relax, and feel secure. You may also want to set up  boundaries that your child will comprehend. You can use visual clues like colorful tape to mark the areas that are off limits. If your little one is prone to tantrums you will have to child proof your home so that there are no accidents.

Channel unusual actions into socially acceptable behavior. If your child engages in spinning, climbing on furniture, rocking to and fro, etc., try to turn this around into something that is acceptable, like climbing on a jungle gym, or spinning on a tire swing. Don't take him/her to the grocery store if you know that it will cause discomfort and inappropriate responses.

When you want your child to do something, make sure that you give simple, step by step directions verbally, visually and by offering physical support, as needed. Since autistic children have difficulty understanding facial expressions, body language and voice tone, you need to be very concrete and explicit when offering feedback and directions.

Always reward good behavior with some type of positive reinforcement. Try to "catch your child doing something good". Be aware of his/her strengths and build on them so that you can tap into ways to help them succeed. Allow plenty of time for practice. Give praise when their behavior is appropriate, or when they have learned a new skill, be very specific about what you are complimenting. Find out what they would like for a reward and give it to them when deserved. Pay attention to the positive rather than the negative whenever you can.

Remember that consistency is the key to success while helping your child to learn. Talk to the therapist and try to mimic the techniques that are being used in therapy. Set up a schedule that you will be able to stick to since autistic children thrive in a highly structured environment. Set up a routine with regular times for eating, therapy, school, and bedtime. Avoid schedule changes whenever you can so that your little one feels safe and secure.  If a change in routine is unavoidable, prepare in advance for it.

Since you know your child best, help siblings by teaching them about autism. Once they understand how to relate to each other, life at home will be much easier. Make sure that the family interacts with your autistic little one in such a way as to get a positive response from him/her. By acting in this manner, your autistic child will learn how to relate to others in an acceptable way. Getting along and acting appropriately in the home setting helps build socialization skills for the outside world.

Spend time having fun with your child. There has to be life after therapy and school. You know the old saying,"all work and no play makes Roger a dull person". Think of ways to play together. Most importantly, enjoy your child's company.

Lastly, you have to stop worrying about what others will think or say. They may see autistic behavior as weird, odd, or unruly. It really doesn't matter what they think, you know that you are doing the best that you can. "Normal" behavior is relative anyways.

There is a saying that pain eases with time, so it goes with autism, the early years are the most difficult, as your little one gets older, things will improve. So keep the faith and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Remember to be patient and stay optimistic, things are not hopeless. Your child  has a lifetime to learn and grow. You can help to make it happen.

• Facilitated Communication is a technique used to help a child express feelings by having them to type their inner thoughts on a computer. Studies have shown that the messages typed describe the thoughts of the support provider. Recently there was a news blurb on television about a young autistic girl who could only communicate by typing on her computer. Amazing, isn't it.
• Holding Therapy is a technique in which a child is hugged by his/her parent for long periods of time, even if there is resistance. Proponents of this method believe that it helps to develop a bond between child and parent. Others say that it helps stimulate the brain by allowing the child sense his/her body boundaries. As of yet, there is no scientific evidence to support this.
• Auditory Integration Therapy is a technique in which a child listens to different sounds with the aim of improving language comprehension. Those who advocate this method believe that it helps those with autism receive more balanced sensory information from their surroundings. After scientific testing, this method has proven to be as effective as listening to music. Some parents have stated that they have seen behavior and language gains from this program.
• Dolman/Delcato Method is a program where children are made to crawl and move as they did through every stage of their early development. This is done so that they can learn some of their missed skills. Unfortunately, their is no scientific evidence to support this.

• A food plan that has been successful with some families consists of a gluten-free, casein-free diet. To eliminate these products however, is difficult because gluten (which is a casein-like substance) is found in cereal plants like wheat, oat, rye, and barley and casein is the major protein in milk.
• If you, as a parent would like to place your child on a special diet please consult with your pediatrician, and a nutritionist, before embarking on a program of your own.

• Herbal Mindsoothe Jr. available in capsules for adults or drops for children. This has been proven clinically to help balance serotinin levels and it works in a similar way as the Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors or SSRI's that are made synthetically.
• Pure Calm is an herbal formula which has been specially formulated to calm and soothe children and adults. This remedy comes in a liquid form so you disperse it with a medicine dropper for both children and adults. It may be taken for quick relief of sudden symptoms and is safe to use with most prescription drugs and herbal medicines. Unlike synthetic tranquilizing drugs which can become addictive as individuals build up a tolerance resulting in the need for higher dosages, Pure calm will not cause an addiction.
• Focus ADHD Formula helps to treat those who are hyperactive and can't concentrate. This natural remedy comes in a tincture that you can take with juice or water.
• Bright Spark is for severe cases of ADHD as well as anger management and defiance issues and can be used by itself or in combination with the Focus formula.
• Tantrum Tamer is an effective remedy for children who have extreme temper tantrums, sometimes with no provocation, or for those who become frustrated because they are unable to communicate their needs,etc. This particular formula helps to eliminate and/or reduce these symptoms. Tantrum Tamer has a pleasant taste and most children will take it willingly.

• http://www.autismspot.com/
• http://www.thetole.com/Autism.html
• http://www.theolympian.com/113/story/321945.html
• http://autism-programs.com/
• http://www.patientcenters.com/autism/news/holistic.html
• http://www.feelgoodcounseling.com/autism.htm

• Developmental pediatrician who treats health issues of children with delays and handicaps in development.
• Child psychiatrist is an MD who may aid in the initial diagnosis, provide help with behavioral issues, emotional adjustment and socialization. He/she may also prescribe medication if need be.
• Clinical psychologist is a specialist who understands the effects of developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorders. He/she might give your child psychological and assessment tests which are invaluable aids for treatment. In addition to this, a behavior modification program, as well as a program to teach social skills may be set up by your therapist.
• Educator or Educational Consultant to help set up an effective learning program.
• Occupational therapist who will focus on self-help skills such as teaching your child to dress him/herself, to eat properly, etc. Your little one may also need help with fine motor skills, movement coordination, and sensory integration which can be done in an occupational therapy setting.
• Physical therapist who can help your child to develop muscle strength by improving the use of bones, muscles, joints and nerves as well as motor skills and coordination.
• Speech/language therapist will help improve speech and language skills allowing your child to communicate more effectively.
• Social worker who will provide support as well as understanding, and/or become a case manager to help arrange treatment plans and other services needed.

1. Will the treatment result in harm to my child?
2. How will failure of the treatment affect my child and family?
3. Has the treatment been validated scientifically?
4. Are there specified assessment procedures?
5. How will the treatment be integrated into my child's current program?

1. How successful has the program been for other children?
2. How many children have gone on to placement in a regular school and how have they performed?
3. Do staff members have training and experience in working with children and adolescents with autism?
4. How are activities planned and organized?
5. Are there predictable daily schedules and routines?
6. How much individual attention will my child receive?How is progress measured? Will my child's behavior be closely observed and recorded?
7. Will my child be given tasks and rewards that are personally motivating?
8. Is the environment designed to minimize distractions?
9. Will the program prepare me to continue the therapy at home?
10. What is the cost, time commitment, and location of the program?

A listing of schools for autistic children

Let's take a look at the normal stages a baby goes through.

• Shortly after birth, a  healthy newborn will gaze into your eyes.
• By 5-6 months, your offspring will smile and respond to you by gurgling, cooing and looking into your eyes.
• Babies usually respond to their name by a few months of age.
• After the first year, your baby will be attracted to an object or event that you are looking at. This is known as joint attention. In addition to this, they will shift their gaze from people to toys, or look towards something that you are pointing at. They will also point to things by themselves and show their toys to you.
• A typical baby  of 8-10 months, will mimic you by copying face movements such as sticking out their tongue, or by imitating sounds that you make,etc.
• Babies show emotional responses to others, they may cry if they hear another child crying.
• By age two, little ones pretend to do the same things that you are doing. For instance, they may pretend to change a doll's diapers, or fix their hair,etc.

Here are some of the first signs that indicate something is wrong.  

• There is an absence of eye contact with you.
• Your infant is two months old and doesn't respond to their name when you say it.
• Your baby constantly focuses on an inanimate object in the room, like a ceiling fan.
• You make a loud sound, and your infant doesn't respond by the time he/she is two months old.
• You play with your baby and he/she doesn't respond nor is there a response to their name between 2-4 months.
• Your tyke doesn't react to you with smiles and sounds by 8-9 months.
• Your child doesn't point to objects, gesture or take your hand to locate a toy by 12-16 months.
• Your little one does not say single words by 16 months or two word phrases by 24 months.
• You have noticed a loss of language or social skills at any age.

1. CARS rating scale (Childhood Autism Rating Scale), that was developed by Eric Schipler in the 1970s. In essence it is a 15 point scale that is used by your doctor or mental health therapist to look at your baby's "relationship to people, body use, reaction to change, listening response, and verbal communication." This assessment not only identifies autism in children but it separates them from developmentally handicapped children who do not have this disorder.An effective way to describe behaviors in question would be to make a video of your child.
2. Another screening technique is the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT). This is employed to screen for autism at 18 months of age. Developed in the early 1990s by Simon Baron-Cohen, this assessment consists of a short two part questionnaire; one section for parents and the other for the doctor to fill out.
3. An Autism Screening Questionnaire may also be used which is a forty item scale that has been successfully used with children four years old or older. It evaluates communication skills and social functioning.
4. Last, I would like to mention a screening test that is in development by Wendy Stone at Vanderbilt College for two year olds. It employs one to one observations of behavioral characteristics seen in children.  Three skill areas have been identified as key factors in autism, they are play, motor imitation and joint attention or looking at the same object as their mom or dad.

Stay tuned for my next blog which will tell you about treatment options for autism.


Hair analysis study to diagnose autism.
Autism, Hair Analysis and Mercury

Stay tuned for my next blog which will deal with ways to diagnose autism.

With the subject of autism on the news lately, I have decided to take a short break from mental health issues and let you in on some information that I have found from my research about this troublesome condition. Since there are so many things about autism that I would like to relate, I am going to break my blog up into smaller segments.  I will include the following: history, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment which will be in two parts. Part one will deal with how to work with an assessment team made up of doctors, mental health practitioners, educators, etc. The second part will focus on various methods of treatment. My last blog in this series will talk about how families deal with autism.  Please read on.


By 1943, Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins University, observed 11 children who had withdrawn from contact with humans as early as age one. He felt that these little ones exhibited "an extreme autistic aloneness."  He and Dr. Hans Asperger believed that these infants were born with the syndrome. Thus, more evidence showing that autism did not come from the way parents cared for their baby.


Next up are some of the symptoms that an autistic child may exhibit.

Problems with social interactions

• Your child makes little or no eye contact with other people.
• Your child has problems developing a relationship with others.
• Your little one is not interested in sharing experiences that they have had.
• Your child does not respond to his/her caregiver, siblings, relatives, etc.

There are impairments in communication

• Your child may exhibit impairments in communication and speech.
• Your child has problems expressing himself/herself with speech or gestures.
• Your child has a hard time putting words in sentences, but may repeat what he/she hears, this is called echolalia.
• Your child usually does not begin or continue a conversation.
• Your child does not know how to play pretend, or make-believe.
• Your child may experience extreme sensitivity or lack of sensitivity to sounds and noises.

Repetitive behavior

• Your child may only be interested in playing with a few objects, or participating in a few activities and responding by doing the same things over and over again. He/ she is unable to vary their responses.
• Your child may continuously engage in repetitive routines and become very agitated with changes in their routine.
• Your child may show repetitive movements like rocking back and forth, or waving a hand in front of his/her face.

In addition to these behavioral manifestations.  An autistic child may also exhibit mental health issues such as mood swings, attention deficit disorders, severe tantrums, tics or jerky movements of body parts. It is important to understand that each child is unique, therefore, when diagnosing autism it is crucial to pay attention to their particular symptoms in order to best meet their needs.

Stay tuned for my next blog about the causes of autism.

Reference

If you are worried or frustrated and ready to pull out your hair, while thinking to yourself, "I thought potty training was over," relax, take a deep breath and read on. 

There are many ways to treat secondary bed-wetting.   What is important here, is for you to understand that there may be some emotional issues involved so it would be a good idea for you to speak with a mental health therapist or counselor. He/she will  want to know any pertinent information about your child's history from birth to the present, so that there can be an accurate assessment of the situation. Make sure that you find a psychologist that you are comfortable with.

• Display a chart in a place that is easily accessible to your child, perhaps on the refrigerator.
• Put dates along the top, or anywhere you like and on mornings when he/she is dry add a star, or sticker so that everyone can see it.
•  It is very crucial that all family members, including siblings, give praise by complimenting, hugging, or anything else that you feel is acceptable.
• Many little ones respond well to a point system. Each morning that they are dry they receive a point, after they have accumulated a certain amount, they can be cashed in for some type of treat that appeals to them.
• An older child can keep a record or diary of his/her own, rather than using a chart.

• Limit the amount of fluids consumed after dinner.
• When your child is almost finished urinating have him/her stop the water from coming to a count of 10. This teaches them bladder control.
• Have your tyke lie on the bed and picture getting up in the middle of the night to urinate if their bladder is full.
• Set up a nightly wake up schedule to urinate.
• Use Wet Stop which is an alarm system that is triggered when a few drops of water are registered on a pad, waking up your child so they can use the bathroom.
• Hypnotherapy has also been used for children aged 5 and older, but it is only successful if the child is motivated to stop this behavior. The therapist gives a post-hypnotic suggestion, telling the child to wake up and go to the bathroom when they feel the urge.

Next up, I would like to discuss some alternative medicine techniques such as homeopathic remedies, herbal teas, and other natural healing methods. These options relieve some of the underlying emotional factors causing enuresis.

• Put 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tbsp of St. John's Wort
• Let sit for 10 minutes and strain.
• Give your little one 1 cup a day (not before bedtime), for 3-4 weeks.

Flower Essences can be a very effective remedy.

• Cherry-plum can help a child who is wetting the bed due to stress.
• Combine 4 drops in a glass of water.
• Have your child drink this mixture 4 times a day.

• Give your child 20 drops of  Sweet Sumac tincture 2-3 times a day.
• This product may be purchased at health food stores, some pharmacies, or online.

• Causticum for children who wet the bed as soon as they fall asleep.
• Belladonna for restless sleepers who are bed-wetters.
• Equisetum for adults and children who wet the bed during the night.

• Desmopressin Acetate a promising new drug treatment according to my reference.
• Imipramine HCL is the most prescribed drug for enuresis in children ages 8-12.
• Janimine, Tofranil SK-Pramine for ages 8-12

I will briefly talk about physical causes of bed-wetting.

• Genetic factors, if one parent had enuresis, there is a 45% chance that the child will be a bed-wetter, if both parents suffered from this condition there is a 75% chance of the child inheriting this problem. This happens because there is not enough of an anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) produced during sleep.
• Bladder size may be a cause of bed-wetting.  If the child's bladder is unusually small, he/she may have a problem holding his water and may have to urinate more frequently.
• Obstructive Uropathy or an abnormality in the structure of the ureter may cause your child to wet his/her pants during the day or night. Consequently, the bladder is unable to hold a normal amount of water and makes the child less able to control his/her urine.
• Urinary Tract Infection or UTI if your child is complaining of burning or pain while going to the bathroom.