The Most Popular Cold Sore Medicines That Are Available

By Jane Perone

If you are infected with the HSV-1 virus, the virus that causes cold sore outbreaks, you most likely will want to find a cold sore medication that will work for you. Unfortunately, there are very few medications that have been shown to be effective in treating cold sores.

In order to treat the cold sore infection caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1), the FDA has approved many medications.

You will want to consult with your doctor to find the cold sore medication that is right for you. Let's take a look at the different medications your physician may recommend.

If you have repeated outbreaks your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication to help with these occurrences. Although antiviral drugs can not cure cold sores, they certainly can help to curb the symptoms and shorten the duration of outbreaks.

Cold Sore Medication

Many patients also report a decrease in size of the blisters and a reduction in the number of blisters experienced during an outbreak when they are on an antiviral medication.

There are gels and cremes that can be placed directly on the affected area, these formulas usually help to only relieve the pain and discomfort associated with the symptoms.

Once you have contracted the Herpes virus, you will have cold sores for the rest of your life-- because there is no cold sore cure.

You can easily get rid of cold sore symptoms within as little as two days by taking another FDA-approved medication known as Famcyclovir. The key to success in curing cold mouth sores is starting treatment immediately as you feel the cold sore symptoms.

As you can see, if you suffer from cold sore outbreaks, you really do not have a lot of options when it comes to finding a cold sore medication to treat the virus. You will want to work with your doctor to determine if an antiviral medication might help, or if an over the counter option will work.

You most likely will also want to pick up one of the topical over the counter medications to help with the symptoms you will experience during an outbreak.

About the Author:

Watch the reviews about Cold Sore Medication and see how you can get a free trial offer from the official website.

Getting The Most Out Of A Therapist In Downtown Toronto

By Jana Serrano

Everyone suffers with certain issues that can either be serious or something needs minor attention. These can be attended to with the help of a therapist in downtown Toronto. The secret is not to leave these problems too long and ignore them completely. They will become unmanageable and this leads to further problems.

A therapist does not necessarily tell you what to do, but they will simply act as a mentor and push you in one way or another. People with a more serious disorder may need more attention and regular sessions. Some psychologists even allow their patients to have contact in between sessions via email or text messages. This seems to help people who are less expressive.

A lot of therapists work in a private practice, but many will provide assistance in hospitals as well as in schools, day centers as well as drug and alcohol rehabs. There are often programs that they take part in which are organized to suit various patients.

There may be an underlying issue that needs to be solved, and once that is dealt with one can get back to the other thing in your life that is causing you to stress out. However, it may be a slow process because other issues can be intense and need to be dealt with in a specific way. One can't rush this and one also has to put in the work and effort in order to get the most out of the therapy.

You may find there are people that can help with something like panic attacks, for example. This is very common, but can create a great amount of fear for the individual. Someone should not ignore this because it will only become worse. A psychologist who specializes in anxiety will help the patient go from one level to the next in baby steps.

A therapist is simply a guide that is going to push the client in one direction or another. They are not going to do the work for them. For example, in marriage counseling they will be able to see what is going on with the couple by looking at the way they communicate. They won't tell them what to do.

Therapists don't only work in private practices, but some of them prefer hospitals, drug rehabs, day centers as well as schools. There are those which also concentrate on neuroscience and work closely with patients who have had a head injury and need to be counseled, which does take a long time.

It is important for the client to know that they can't start therapy unless they are willing to do so. It is up to them to put in the work and do the effort. The therapist will act as a guide, but they are not going to tell the client what to do, as many people seem to think. This process is slow and it definitely can't be rushed so one has to patient. Having goals is helpful because you can see how far you have come.

About the Author:

Read more about Getting The Most Out Of A Therapist In Downtown Toronto.

Decrypting The Most Appealing Massage Services In Dubai

By Andrea Davidson

There are quite a few things that could compare to having a nice and pleasant massage. This is because it really helps to relax the body after a long time of working and conducting various activities. It therefore requires one to be very particular on the place they seek such services from in a bid to make certain that they get the highest quality outcomes from their effort. When looking for the best massage services in Dubai occupants should get in touch with the various professionals who offer their services in this locality.

The parlor that one gets to is required to be located in a relatively convenient location. This is in an effort to avoid uncalled for delays that are resulted by accessing very faraway places. One should thus make certain that they keenly deliberated upon at all times especially for those with busy schedules.

The professionals who render the attendances are required to be well adept in this line of operations at all times. There are various professionals in this line of operations who operate without the required training. These will always exposed their client top unspeakable risks which could be very negative to their health. For this reason it is of absolutely great benefit to make certain that one only contacts those places with proficient specialists for the finest outcomes.

It is very imperative to get such attendance from legally acknowledged places. This is due to the fact that there are various professionals who conduct their operations when they have not fulfilled the required legal obligations. Such specialists are only interested in making profits without paying their taxes. This is not at all appealing and thus the importance of keenly deliberating upon this matter.

The next issue that should never skip deliberations at any given time is the time taken for the attendance to be accomplished. A prudent client is one who takes their time to compare the speed at which various professionals carry out their various operations. This helps one to settle for the professional who is really fast and efficient in the delivery of their attendance in an effort to save on time.

Hygiene is the other aspect that should always be in the minds of anyone looking for healthy attendances. It should be noted that such activities are of very significant health benefits and should be carried out in a clean and germ free places. This helps in making certain that clients do not contact diseases that could be hardier to them during the whole encounter at the parlor.

The price charged for the services is the other aspect that should be accorded the significance it deserves. One should strive to make certain that the do not spend very much on the same. This is because one could end up in more financial troubles which h is not an appealing result at all.

When searching for the most appealing massage services in Dubai one should access the various specialists in this locality. This allows one to discuss important issues that are imperative in relation to these activities. At the end of the day one gets to settle down for the professionals that the think are best placed to produce pleasant results at the end of the day.

About the Author:

You can visit the website www.dubaimassager.com for more helpful information about Decrypting The Most Appealing Massage Services In Dubai

A Most Memorable Trip The Soviet Union Before the Breakup The Interesting Adventures of A Consultant

Irv Arons

In the summer of 1990, my wife and I were invited to join a People to People Ambassador Tour to visit the Soviet Union. The USSR didn’t break up into its member states until the following year, late 1991. So, we got a look at what turned out to be a huge national facade – a strong military front and a “third world” infrastructure.

I was part of a medical group (medical laser specialists) that visited several hospitals and laser centers (?) within Moscow (Russia), Tbilisi (Soviet Georgia), Kharkov (Ukraine) and in St. Petersburg (again, in Russia). Fortunately, my wife was able to join up with a group of performing artists that were also on an Ambassador tour and, while we (the medical group) were doing our hospital visits, they visited their Soviet  peers,.

For the record, Moscow was bleak, with the exception of our visit to the Kremlin, and the gift shopping – my wife got a beautiful amber necklace from a street vendor for $20, and I came back with a set of matryoshka (nesting) dolls, with Gorbachev on top and Lenin deep inside at the bottom). In contrast, Tbilisi in Soviet Georgia was colorful and hot (90 degrees when we were there). The Ukraine, our next stop, was the food basket of Russia, but because they had few refrigerated trucks, there was no way of moving the food into the cities! Our final stop was St. Petersburg (or Leningrad, whichever you prefer), which was beautiful. It is a land of rivers and bridges – and the Hermitage, the most beautiful museum that we have ever visited!


A brief anecdote – the day before our visit to the Hermitage, one of my colleagues ran out of 35 mm film and I gave him a couple of rolls of the 400 speed film that I was using. The next day, he replaced my rolls with a couple of rolls of 1000 speed film, which enabled me to take some beautiful pictures inside the Hermitage, including of the huge malachite urns and a couple of Rembrandt paintings (one of a man in a red coat - which I believe was a self-portrait, and Moses with his son Isaac on the mount) without needing to use a flash, which was forbidden inside the museum. I have included a few of these photos for your enjoyment – actually, the Rembrandt’s are from the web, as they are much better reproductions than I was able to achieve from my 35mm slides.)

We flew Aeroflot within the USSR – no seat belts, animals on board, and tea service served in cracked cups by heavy-set women with gold teeth! The planes were flown by military pilots, who were the first to get off, and the rear section of the plane was unloaded first to keep the planes balanced!

When we visited, most people worked for the state – and there wasn’t any work! So they would go to their jobs in the morning and, having nothing to do there, would be back on the streets by noon. It just goes to prove that the communist way of doing things didn’t work. There were no goods in the stores, and what we did see was both sparse and of poor quality (paper shoes?). And, long lines everywhere to get tobacco and vodka.

Based on my experiences, I published two articles about my trip; one about the state of healthcare (and lack of lasers) in the USSR, and a second on the state of eyecare in that part of the world. They are technical in nature but illustrate the differences between what the Soviet Union was telling the world and what we actually saw!



Here, for your further enlightenment, are the two articles I wrote about our (the medical groups’) experiences.


The State of Healthcare in the Soviet Union: The Lack of Medical Lasers
This article was published in both Medical Laser Industry Report, October 1990 and Laser Report, December 15, 1990.

Irving J. Arons
Arthur D. Little

During late July 1990, I was privileged to join a delegation of medical laser specialists and other health care professionals, under the auspices of the People to People Ambassador Program, invited to tour the medical community in the Soviet Union. Our group, organized by the American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery, was composed of specialists in gynecology, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, urology, general medicine, and myself, representing the field of ophthalmology. In addition to the ASLMS group, a veterinarian working with lasers, a health care safety specialist, and two medical technical/clinical lab specialists were included in our delegation.

We were able to visit a medical laser research institute in Moscow, and four hospitals, one each in Moscow (Soviet Russia), Tbilisi (Soviet Georgia), Kharkov (Soviet Ukraine), and Leningrad/St. Petersburg (Soviet Russia, again).

Our overall impression was that the facilities and equipment in use were woefully decrepit and/or non-existent or years behind Western standards. However, the medical personnel we met were dedicated professionals.

Of particular note, we found that the hospitals -- even one claimed to be only three years old -- were ill kept and falling apart. The facades were cracked and broken, the hallways and stairwells unswept, and the grounds surrounding the buildings not cared for at all. In counterpoint, we found the patient rooms were clean and staffed with dedicated nurses and doctors doing their best with what they had. This was particularly evident at the Karzigan Childrens Hospital in Moscow. The wards were filled with children with trauma of all kinds, but they were all smiling and very well cared for by an attentive staff of nurses and aides. It was here that we learned that a typical doctor with less than 10 years service earns between 240-260 rubles a month (the equivalent to about $40 at the official exchange rate of 6 rubles to the dollar, and only $20-30 at the black market exchange rate of 10-15 rubles to the dollar), a beginning research worker earns 140-150 rubles per month, and a surgical nurse get about 110 rubles for regular shifts. (In contrast, the bus drivers providing our transportation were paid 400 rubles/month and we were told that street sweepers earned as much as 700 rubles/month!)

The hospital equipment, especially for diagnosis and surgery, was particularly non-existent, and, according to our laboratory clinicians, the clinical laboratory equipment was barely adequate to care for the patients in the wards. But we must emphasize, both the hospital administration and medical staff were dedicated to providing the best care possible to their patients. What they lacked in equipment they more than made up with in numbers and dedication.

As for medical lasers, and new medical treatments using lasers, except for the laser institute in Moscow, the only lasers that the hospitals seemed to have were low powered therapeutic types, basically HeNes and GaAs infrared lasers. The hospital in Leningrad had several CO2 lasers, and claimed to have other surgical equipment, but we only saw therapeutic lasers in operation. We were told that only about 100 of approximately 15,000 hospital-based physicians in Kharkov have access to or use surgical lasers. We would guess that the percentages are not much different in the other 14 Soviet Republics. At the hospitals we visited, the majority of the half dozen lasers they claimed to have -- if they had any -- were either HeNe or GaAs therapy lasers, used to treat open sores, pain, and in one hospital in Tbilisi (Soviet Institute of Clinical & Therapeutical Research), for treating myocardial infarctions by clearing viruses in the blood through intravenous use of a HeNe laser connected to a fiber inserted through an arm vein. The same hospital also used a scanning HeNe laser to alleviate angina chest pain by scanning the laser beam across the patient's chest!

At a trauma hospital in Leningrad (The Ambulatory Institute Hospital), we saw a 40-50 watt CO2 laser in the corner of an operating room, and another upstairs in a storeroom along with the usual HeNe lasers. We saw no evidence of a YAG laser although the laser specialist at this hospital claimed to have just received one, but which he had not yet unpacked. In the same storeroom with the spare CO2 laser, we were told that a small laser sitting on top of packing crates was a new UV laser, apparently solid-state since there was no evidence of any gas bottles or connections for one. (An interesting side note, we observed a burn therapy ward at this hospital, and it was disconcerting to see flypaper strips hanging from the ceiling.)

At the hospital in Kharkov (The Central Regional Hospital), we were told that they had an Ar laser used in ophthalmic treatments (but we did not see it).

The National Research Institute of Laser Surgery in Moscow claimed to be doing considerable research with medical lasers, performing 47,000 laser procedures annually. It is supposedly, one of 52 laser centers in the Soviet Union. We were given a presentation about the clinical research they were doing with five types of high power lasers, mostly CO2 and YAG -- and two prototype free electron lasers, used for PDT studies. The FELs, according to the slides shown us, may be revolutionary, in that they appeared to be about the size of a large sized desk, much smaller than any other FEL I have seen -- and I have seen the Stanford FEL and pictures of others. Attempts to find out more about this laser development were fruitless, however I plan to get back in touch with my contact at the Institute to see if I can possibly learn more about this exciting laser development. (Several weeks after my return to the States, I received a call telling me that a defector from the Moscow Laser Institute wanted me to know that he had built the laser in question and it was not an FEL, but rather an electron beam generator pumping a chemical laser use in their PDT work.) When we asked to see their lasers, we were politely told that they were in another building and couldn't be shown to us. Apparently, the person holding the key to the lab was not available!

According to a profile of the Soviet healthcare community recently published by Medistat, a UK healthcare publication, what we saw in the Soviet Union this summer is typical and not out of line with what others have reported. The Medistat profile stated that the Soviet Union has some 23,000 hospitals with 3.6 million beds, and in addition, some 38,000 polyclinics and other outpatient centers. Capital investment in recent years has concentrated on the construction of new facilities to boost the number of beds, but many of the new facilities have been built at unsuitable sites, and the majority of Soviet hospitals having little in modern equipment with some lacking the basic necessities of adequate sanitary facilities or even heating.

The polyclinic is the main unit in the primary healthcare network, and the first point of contact for most Soviet patients. They serve districts of 50,000 to 60,000 inhabitants and are staffed by doctors responsible for around 2000 patients. In addition to general doctors, each polyclinic has specialists in area such as cardiovascular disease, oncology and renal medicine.

The Soviet Union has the highest number of doctors per capita, with a total of 1.3 million doctors serving a population of 275 million. In addition, there are 3.3 million medical assistants. Women doctors are well represented, accounting for about 70% of all doctors. (We were told the percentage was closer to 50%, at least at the facilities we visited.)

As you know, until recently, all planning was done centrally, and for five years in advance -- the so called Five Year Plan. The most recent healthcare plan was put together in August 1987. That five-year plan attempted to address the chronic underfunding of the healthcare system, calling for new hospitals while neglecting older ones which will now need to undergo drastic major refurbishment. Expenditures for medical equipment had also been limited in the past, with the majority of funds allocated for new buildings. But the new policy included allocation of more resources for the purchase of modern equipment, in particular the polyclinic facilities were to be upgraded with proper diagnostic and treatment services to enable the patients to be treated at the clinic rather than to be referred to local hospitals. According to Medistat, 5.4 million rubles had been allocated for the purchase of new equipment over the two year period 1988-1989.

Discussing the state of the Soviet medical equipment market, Medistat states that the USSR suffers from a chronic shortage of equipment, particularly in the high tech areas such as computerized scanning, ultra-sound, renal equipment, and as we found out, laser treatment devices. Even basic equipment such as electrocardiographs and routine surgical instruments and disposable syringes are in short supply, with the problem being further aggravated by the fact that much of the Soviet produced equipment is sub-standard.

The current five-year plan envisages accelerating development in the medical industry and raising the technological level both within its industry and in its healthcare facilities. We hope that this can be accomplished. It is sorely needed.


In the report above, I discussed the state of healthcare in the USSR as we saw it in 1990. The hospitals and care appeared to be at least thirty years behind similar Western facilities, with a lack of instruments and supplies and crumbling buildings, but with dedicated medical personnel.

At the urging of a friend, I have added a brief piece, taken from Wikipedia, about how the healthcare system in the Soviet Union (and more specifically Russia) has changed since I was there – and from the way it is described below, it really hasn’t!

Healthcare in the Soviet Union and Russia
Source: Wikipedia

Pre-reform health care

Pre-1990s Soviet Russia had a totally socialist model of health care with a centralised, integrated, hierarchically organised with the government providing free health care to all citizens. All health personnel were state employees. Control of communicable diseases had priority over non-communicable ones. On the whole, the Soviet system tended to primary care, and placed much emphasis on specialist and hospital care.

The integrated model achieved considerable success in dealing with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, typhoid fever and typhus. The effectiveness of the model declined with underinvestment. Despite the fact that the quality of care began to decline by the early 1980s,medical care and health outcomes were on par with western standards. Despite a doubling in the number of hospital beds and doctors per capita between 1950 and 1980, the lack of money that had been going into health was patently obvious. Some of the smaller hospitals had no radiology services, and a few had inadequate heating or water. A 1989 survey found that 20% of Russian hospitals did not have piped hot water and 3% did not even have piped cold water. 17% lacked adequate sanitation facilities. Every seventh hospital and polyclinic needed basic reconstruction. Five years after the reforms described below per capita spending on health care was still a meagre US$158 per year (about 8 times less than the average European social models in Spain, the UK and Finland, and 26 times that of the U.S. which spent US$4,187 at that time).

Reform in 1991-1993

The new Russia has changed to a mixed model of health care with private financing and provision running alongside state financing and provision. Article 41 of the 1993 constitution confirmed a citizen's right to healthcare and medical assistance free of charge. This is achieved through compulsory medical insurance (OMS) rather than just tax funding. This and the introduction of new free market providers was intended to promote both efficiency and patient choice. A purchaser-provider split was also expected to help facilitate the restructuring of care, as resources would migrate to where there was greatest demand, reduce the excess capacity in the hospital sector and stimulate the development of primary care. Finally, it was intended that insurance contributions would supplement budget revenues and thus help to maintain adequate levels of healthcare funding.

The OECD reported that unfortunately, none of this has worked out as planned and the reforms have in many respects made the system worse. The population's health has deteriorated on virtually every measure. Though this is by no means all due to the changes in health care structures, the reforms have proven to be woefully indequate at meeting the needs of the nation. Private health care delivery has not managed to make much inroads and public provision of health care still predominates.

The resulting system is overly complex and very inefficient. It has little in common with the model envisaged by the reformers. Although there are more than 300 private insurers and numerous public ones in the market, real competition for patients is rare leaving most patients with little or no effective choice of insurer, and in many places, no choice of health care provider either. The insurance companies have failed to develop as active, informed purchasers of health care services. Most are passive intermediaries, making money by simply channeling funds from regional OMS funds to healthcare providers.

National Projects

In 2006 a national project 'Health' was launched to improve the country's healthcare system through improved funding and healthcare infrastructure. This plan helped equip hospitals and clinics with advanced, high-end equipment and ambulance systems, build new medical centers, as well as launch nation-wide vaccination programs and free health checks. The project has also been working on developing medical technology market through initiatives to blend healthcare and information technology. One of the focuses was made on salary increase of medical staff working in the primary care as well as their wider training programs.

The project was initiated by the Russian President Vladimir Putin and coordinated by the Presidential administration. It was mostly financed by the federal budget. However regional and municipal levels have also contributed a lot to the financing of the program.

Reform in 2011

After Vladimir Putin became president in 2000, there was significant growth in spending for public healthcare and in 2006 it exceed the pre-1991 level in real terms. Also life expectancy increased from 1991-93 levels, infant mortality rate dropped from 18.1 in 1995 to 8.4 in 2008. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced a large-scale health-care reform in 2011 and pledged to allocate more than 300 billion rubles ($10 billion) in the next few years to improve health care in the country. He also said that obligatory medical insurance tax paid by companies for compulsory medical insurance will increase from current 3.1% to 5.1% starting from 2011.[27] Russia, anyhow, maintains several centers of excellence, such as the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Complex, founded in 1988 by Russian eye surgeon Svyatoslav Fyodorov. (See my next writeup,)

Eycare in the Soviet Union

This article was published in Vision Monday in August 1990.

Irving J. Arons
Arthur D. Little

I have just returned from a two week tour of four cities within the Soviet Union.  I had anticipated telling you about the state of eyecare within the USSR, but unfortunately, our visit to the premier Moscow Research Institute of Eye Microsurgery was canceled at the last minute, as we were informed by Dr. Fyodorov that the "Institute will be closed in July for preventative maintenance," and that "your visit at the term (sic) you have stated is inexpedient."  We had originally been invited following my February letter requesting to have our delegation visit the clinic. In fact, in late June we were told that we were welcome to visit the clinic, which was scheduled to shut down in August for holiday.

Apparently, the hotel we stayed at in Moscow, the Kosmos, is part of the Intourist program to provide visitors with eye care at Fyodorov's Moscow clinic.  We found a brochure advertising "Beautiful Eyes for Everybody," and describing how the Moscow Research Institute of Eye Microsurgery "treats 22,000 people annually, restoring or improving vision and removing the need to wear eyeglasses for many."  In addition to RK (radial keratotomy), the clinic claims to do laser treatment of secondary cataract, laser treatment of glaucoma, and laser treatment of "complicated myopia of high degree."  (It must be one of the only facilities with surgical lasers in the USSR, as we visited a laser research institute and three hospitals and saw very few surgical lasers -- mostly therapeutic HeNe and GaAs biostimulation type devices.)

The brochure goes on to state that your pre-operative stay is arranged at the Kosmos, and following the outpatient surgery, your post-operative treatment is done at the hotel by a team of qualified doctors and nurses.  Foreign patients are offered a program of excursions, including theater tickets (the ballet only costs 4 rubles -- the equivalent of 30 cents at the black market exchange rate) and other services offered by Intourist.  Fyodorov hopes to treat 20,000 foreigners a year by 1992.

A recent profile of Fyodorov in Fortune (May 1989) talked about the Fyodorov entrepreneurship, with his clinic being a $75 million a year business, and growing at 30% a year annually.  The clinics have over 5000 employers located at nine treatment centers across the Soviet Union, and include two factories producing eyeglasses and surgical instruments.  (In addition, Dr. Fyodorov recently spent some $12 million outfitting an 11,000 ton "floating eye hospital" called the Floks, which travels from port to port in the Persian Gulf offering RK and other eye surgeries.)

Having missed out on the opportunity to visit with Dr. Fyodorov, I would like to offer some personal observations about eye care in the Soviet Union.  As previously mentioned, our People-to-People delegation of medical laser specialists visited Moscow (Soviet Russia), Tblisi (Soviet Georgia), Kharkov (Soviet Ukraine), and Leningrad (back in Russia).  We saw very few optical shops (none that were open) and only a small number of Soviet citizens wearing eyeglasses!  One ophthalmologist at a central hospital in Kharkov told me that 50% of the people need corrective lenses -- similar to the percentages in the rest of the world -- but we saw very few people wearing lenses.  If 5% of the people in the streets had glasses, that's a lot.  This says that Western technology and entrepreneurship could provide a needed service in the Soviet Union if a way could be found to open (and stock) optical retail shops in the major cities.  However, you must remember that the average citizen only earns about 200 rubles per month (the equivalent of about $350/month at the "official" business exchange rate or about $10-15/month at the black market exchange rate of 10-15 rubles to the dollar).  Therefore, the price of eyewear would have to be low for the average person to be able to afford it -- unless the health care system can be convinced to reimburse or pay for the glasses.  (The government health care system pays Fyodorov's clinic the equivalent of $300 for each RK procedure carried out.)

If a Moscow McDonalds can generate hours long lines for a $5 "Big Mac", why not $20-40 eyeglasses at a Moscow Lenscrafters or a Leningrad Pearle Vision Center?

My Most Recent Take on the Yamas

by Nina

Wisdom by Titian

“Yamas contain essential advice for daily/good living. As they offer a map or guidance that allows us to have enhanced emotional and mental wellbeing and a more fulfilling and meaningful life, yamas serve as the GPS for our lives. Practicing the yamas leads to greater happiness and spiritual fulfillment not only for the individual but also to those around him/her.” —Ram Rao 

After a stint in rehab for alcohol and drug abuse, Evelyn Zak’s sponsor took her to a yoga class (you’ll see more of her story in a separate post that will be coming soon). She wasn’t sure about going, but had decided to do whatever was suggested by people she trusted to keep her from relapsing. That first class led her to regular practice, then more intensive studies, and eventually she trained to be a yoga teacher and yoga therapist. Now she’s been alcohol and drug free for 30 years, and she says that although all the branches of yoga were helpful in keeping her sober, the yama ahimsa (non-violence) was just what the doctor ordered. She explains it this way, “If the concept of ahimsa is that to hurt another being is the same as hurting oneself, then it stands to reason that to hurt oneself is to hurt another being. Anyone who has dealt with addiction, either as a patient or a support person, knows that everyone gets hurt at some level.” 

These days Evelyn works as a yoga therapist and substance abuse counselor, sharing yogic principles with children, seniors, preachers, Rotary clubs, problem gamblers, large groups of lawyers, marathon runners, people with disabilities, eating disorders, and more. She says:

“If I hadn’t absorbed the concept of ahimsa along the way, I don’t believe any of this would have been possible because I wouldn’t have been in a position to learn and absorb and I wouldn’t have cared enough about anyone else to share what I found to be so personally valuable.” 

According to the Yoga Sutras, which defines the eight branches of yoga, the first branch of yoga is the yamas. These are yoga’s guiding principles for how to conduct yourself in all your relationships, within your community, and with the world at large. There are five yamas: non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, and sexual restraint, and non-greed. 

Yama means “restraint” in Sanskrit. There are two different ways you can think about these restraints or “great vows.” The first is as a set of rules to follow. From this perspective, adhering to these moral guidelines is as essential for being a yogi as all the other branches of yoga. For example, Gandhi practiced non-violence (ahimsa) through passive resistance in his political work and vegetarianism in his personal life. 

The second is as a set of practices that can help you cultivate equanimity by reducing the conflict in your life and within yourself. As Georg Feuerstein says, 

“For as long as we pursue a lifestyle that falls short of these moral virtues, our energies are scattered and we continue to harvest the negative repercussions of our actions.” 

From this perspective, following these guidelines will reduce the difficulty (or even just the drama) in your life, which decreases your suffering—as well as that of others—and allow you to experience contentment. Imagine a television soap opera for a moment: what if everyone stopped harming each other, lying, stealing, cheating on their partners, or taking more than their share? 

It’s really up to you to decide how best to make use of these guidelines. Of course it can feel overwhelming to try to commit to scrupulously following a challenging set of moral principles. So B.K.S. Iyengar recommends that you frame the yamas as “positive” practices that you can cultivate in your life. 

“Yama is the cultivation of the positive within us, not merely a suppression of what we consider to be its diabolical opposite. If we consider the nonpractice of yama in this way, we will be doomed, not to encourage the good, but to ricochet between extremes of vice and virtue, which will cause us nothing but pain and which have no beneficial effect on the world. Cultivate the positive, abjure the negative. Little by little, one will arrive.”  

Non-Violence (Ahimsa) 

Ahimsa is considered the most fundamental yama. It includes non-violence in thought as well as action and covers your relationship to all living things. The negative consequences of violent acts are clear in current events and history as well as personal stories. Over and over we observe one act of violence leading to another and then another. So practicing non-violence in your life helps foster both your own inner peace and peace in your community. 

Ahimsa also means “non-harming” so it includes refraining from actions or thoughts that harms another, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally. Practicing non-harming also means refraining harming yourself, as illustrated by Evelyn’s story. And from a positive perspective, practicing non-violence means cultivating compassion for others and kindness toward yourself.

Truthfulness (Satya) 

Truthfulness includes practicing honesty in action, speech, and thought. Lying or misleading others is a form of harm because it violates the trust others have in us. And so many of the conflicts between us, including violence, are the result of keeping secrets and then telling lies to cover them up. So like practicing non-violence, practicing truthfulness helps foster both inner peace and reduces conflicts in your relationships. However, because ahimsa is foremost yama, you always need to consider non-harming when you practice truthfulness. Use compassion when you speak and aim to cause the least harm possible, even remaining silent if necessary. 

Satya also means “real,” “genuine, “ “honest,” and “virtuous.” One meaning for being “real” is that you see the true nature of realty and that you communicate that honestly, rather than clinging to how you wish the world would be or telling people what they want to hear. 

In addition to your conduct with others, practicing truthfulness includes being honest with—and not lying to—yourself.  

Non-Stealing (Asteya) 

Stealing, of course, means taking things that belong to others, including both material things and ideas (such as taking credit for someone else’s work). Of course, stealing is not just wrong on its own but it is a form of harming. It violates the person you steal from, and leads to other types of harm of many other kinds, including lies, violence, betrayal, and so on, in the attempt to cover up the original crime. 

Asteya also means “non-coveting” and “non-desire.” Even if you don’t commit crimes to obtain the objects of your desire, coveting material goods can cause you to overspend, even going into debt, which is not only stressful for you but can be ruinous for your family. Or maybe the desire for material possessions or even just “success” simply means you work at a stressful, unsatisfying job. And in general being in a state of desire for what you don’t have creates a cycle of dissatisfaction, because what you have is never enough and you’re always looking to acquire more. Naturally all these forms of coveting are impediments to your peace of mind.

Practicing asteya means cultivating contentment with what you have and what you don’t have and letting go of these desires.  

Sexual Restraint (Brahmacharya) 

This is a complex topic for our culture. The original meaning in the Yoga Sutras is “chastity,” which means refraining from sex completely. That’s because the yogic path described in the Yoga Sutras was intended for practitioners who were unmarried and separated from the rest of society. So in modern times, for us ordinary “householders,” we consider brahmacarya to be sexual responsibility. For example, B.K.S. Iyengar says that for him practicing brahmacarya meant being faithful to his wife. 

Not practicing sexual restraint is a form of harming. If you are reckless in your sexual conduct, well, we’re back to the soap opera territory with lies, jealousy, pain, and even violence. (I learned this the hard way when I experimented with “free love” back in the 70s.) And, of course, these days we understand the damage that is caused by sexual abuse in all its forms, whether that means sexual harassment or predatory behavior by those in power. 

How you interpret sexual responsibility depends on your personal commitments, your religion if you have one, and the culture in which you live. But we think if you put your mind to it, you’ll know how to practice sexual responsibility in your everyday life.  

Greedlessness (Aparigraha) 

Greedlessness means limiting your possessions to what is truly necessary, and living a life of voluntary simplicity. In yoga philosophy, too many possessions is considered an indulgence that distracts you from spiritual development. And anyone who has known a hoarder understands how having too many possessions sucks up time and energy, and creates fear and anxiety at the thought of losing what has been accumulated. From a positive perspective practicing aparigrapha means cultivating an attitude of generosity toward others, being willing to share both your resources and your time. 

Aparigrapha also means “non-possessiveness,” “non-holding,” “non-indulgence,” “non-acquisitiveness.” And an important aspect of non-holding includes not clinging to thoughts and emotions. Sometimes these negative emotions, such as fear, worry, anxiety grief, anger, rage, and jealousy that cloud your judgment and disturb your equanimity. Practicing aparigrapha means letting go of these emotions rather than allowing them to become obsessions.

Other times these are concepts that give us a sense of security, such as the lives we plan for ourselves or the images we have of who we are. When circumstances change, clinging to these concepts prevents you from living in the present. For example, maybe a marriage you once thought would last forever ends in a divorce, years of striving for success in a certain job or profession ends in failure, or someone close to you dies unexpectedly. Or, maybe you’ve always been the strong one, but now you need to turn to others for help. Practicing aparigrapha means letting go of what once gave you a sense of security and opening up to new opportunities and paths that will take you forward. 

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Getting The Most From Frederick Psychotherapy

By Elaine Guthrie

A lot of people struggle with life and situations that they have deal with. Some of them ignore them, but there is help, like Frederick psychotherapy where therapists are trained and experienced to assist in many different ways. By ignoring a problem, it will only grow and stress will also become a factor in life which can lead to other things.

The issues that are discussed range from something small that is happening at home to a mental disorder that someone was born with, such as borderline personality disorder. A lot of the time people can't cope in the world with certain issues that they are having and a therapist will guide them through with these sessions.

This could be past trauma or abuse which the therapist noticed played a part in their life. This can affect one on day to day basis and one needs to talk about it in order to get back on track. An adult child of an alcoholic, for example will be afraid of authority figures, they will fear close relationships, and they will also lack confidence. The list goes on. A therapist can help with this.

The client must also realize that this is a process and not a quick fix. It does not happen overnight, so one needs to be patient. By doing the work, and often homework which the therapist will give the client, things will go smoothly. One may find that goals are being reached sooner than hoped, and termination could be in place.

There are psychologists that have trained in particular ways and will use methods that help certain clients in the best way possible. This might relate to people who suffer with eating disorders, for example or those who are likely to self harm. These psychologists are trained to use a behavior technique which focuses on the habit.

One must also be aware that this is not going to be something that is a cure which will be fixed overnight. It takes time and patience. One must put in the hours and realize that this is not a simple chat with a friend once a week. It is not about the therapist giving advice. They are there to act as a guide or a mentor and the client should be putting in the work.

Children and teenagers are also counseled, but they are attended to in a slightly different way. There are kids who have autism, attention deficit disorder or learning problems. Many parents think they know a lot with the proper research, but psychologists have had years of training and experience and children will benefit from this.

In Frederick MD, one will find that there are plenty of child psychologists as well. These can be found at schools or you could get a reference and find one at a private practice as well. Children and adolescents are usually resistant to this type of treatment, but they often take time to settle in and get to know the therapist. They also specialize in various departments.

About the Author:

You can find an overview of the benefits you get when you consult a Frederick psychotherapy professional at http://frederickcounselinginc.com right now.