Directory of health resources for healthcare professionals.

Many yoga classes end with a full-body relaxation, sometimes with guided visualization. You can learn the details of how to do that in a class or another book, but here I do want to give you the basic position. It is a wonderful way to relax because it allows your spine to be in a neutral position, and frees it from the usual direction of gravitational pull. In this position you can also release tension in muscles in every area of the body. This makes it a good choice before and after any workout or for a 5-minute “time-out” in the middle of a day.Lie flat on the floor without a pillow. Extend your legs so they do not touch each other at any point, and place your arms slightly away from your body, resting your hands beside your hips, palms up. If this makes your lower back uncomfortable, bend one knee at a time and place your feet flat on the floor, slightly wider than hip distance apart, and lean your knees against each other. Stay for at least 5 minutes. Relax and feel your breath go in and out of all parts of your body. Focus on the breath and let the body reap the benefits—don’t focus on the body parts or try moving them, but follow the breath. This is an ideal time to practice the “relaxation response”, or any other meditative or visualization technique that calms and centers you.*128\228\2*

“Holly was a shy and attractive 16-year-old high school student, who was reluctant to discuss her appearance concerns because she was so embarrassed. With encouragement, she finally did. “I think my problems first began with shyness,” she said. “I felt very self-conscious and uncomfortable being around other people. But then, a few years ago, I started worrying about how I looked. First, it was my body shape. I thought my shoulders and hips were too broad and my waist was too small. Then I got a terrible haircut, and I started worrying about my hair—that it’s ugly and never looks right. It’s a real rat’s nest.”Holly thought about these perceived defects for several hours a day, and frequently checked them in mirrors and windows. “I get down on myself about it, because I shouldn’t be so concerned with my appearance,” she said. “It’s selfish and shallow.” Holly spent at least $40 a week on haircuts, permanents, and hair products—money she really couldn’t afford to spend. She wore loose-fitting clothes  to cover her body. Although she loved to swim, she avoided it because she was so self-conscious about how she looked. “Because I look so bad, I feel I don’t fit in anywhere,” she said. “I’m avoiding my friends, and I hardly ever go to parties.”As these stories illustrate, BDD occurs in adolescents and even young children. Many adults with BDD have surprisingly vivid memories of their early symptoms. A woman whose symptoms began at age 4, for example, clearly remembered hating her “stubby” fingers and insisting on wearing mittens at her fourth birthday party. Another woman had clear memories of hiding behind her mother’s skirt at the playground and refusing to go to nursery school because she looked so ugly. And another told me, “At the age of five I looked in the a mirror and said, ‘I’m ugly.’ To hide my ugly face, I wore sunglasses to kindergarten.”We don’t really know how common BDD is in children and adolescents, because so little research has been done. A study of 208 adolescents in a psychiatric hospital inpatient unit found that 7% had definite or probable BDD. Another study found that 2.3% of 566 high school students had BDD. This latter percentage was obtained with an unvalidated self-report questionnaire rather than an in-person interview, so it’s unclear how accurate it is. However, most people with BDD—about 70%—develop it before age 18. So it’s important to be aware that BDD can occur in this age group. It’s also important to realize that not all appearance concerns in adolescents are normal or simply a passing “phase”—sometimes they’re BDD.*153\204\8*

You are living at a time that emphasizes healthful life-styles more than ever. You can enjoy many social and health benefits by eating right, getting enough exercise, and taking care of your body. There has been substantial publicity and education regarding risk factors. Few people can claim that they have not heard reliable information about the health concerns related to smoking, high cholesterol, and lack of exercise. In fact, some risky behaviors, such as smoking, are now frowned on by many people and are no longer considered  acceptable.  There  has never been more support available to help you change harmful habits.Understanding Your RiskSome risk factors, including high blood cholesterol levels, high blood sugar levels (diabetes), and high blood pressure, can be detected only with tests done during a medical checkup. You may wonder how often you should have a general medical evaluation. Most doctors agree that you should have a checkup every 3 to 5 years until age 40 if you are apparently healthy. During your 40s you should see your doctor four times, and during the decade of your 50s you should have five general examinations. After age 60, annual examinations are advisable.One of the main purposes of checkups is to identify risk factors or early evidence of disease of the heart and other organs so that they can be counteracted early. Of course, if your doctor finds a problem, you may need more frequent examinations.Some risk factors are obvious without a medical examination, including smoking, excess weight, and a sedentary life-style. You may find it easier to deal with these risk factors with help from your doctor.*225\252\8*