Archive for May, 2009

Sharon Samraj asked:


Most of us suffer from mental health problems, though in varying degrees. Although mental ill-health affects so many people, there is still no proper definition as to what mental health problems are and what methods are needed to recover. It is reported that at least 1 in 10 young people and around 1 in 4 adults experience mental health problem at some time in their lives. Mental health can mean a wide range of symptoms and disorders - like depression, anxiety, self-harm, violent tendencies, schizophrenia and various types of mania. The mental health problems can develop at any time in one’s life and each person’s experience can be unique and can last from several weeks to even a lifetime.

People suffering from mental ill-health will think, feel or behave abnormally. This can be confusing not only for them but can affect their relationships, their work or education, and their social life. Having a mental health problem can create difficulties for all family members, friends, and the people they interact with. Mental health problems are usually caused by a variety of factors including breakdown in a relationship, death of a family member or a close friend, bullying, abuse, divorce, separation from parents or loved ones, stress born of a person’s current situation. Mental health can happen suddenly without prior indications or get built up over time.

When people first begin to experience mental health difficulties they may not be able to fathom what is happening. In several instances, people tend to deny that anything is wrong with them or even suppress information. Their reasons for doing this could be embarrassment, a sense of shame or fear of other people’s reactions. There is no denying the fact that mental health results in social stigma. Please remember that there is a lot of support available to help people recover from mental health problems - in terms of counseling, therapy, medication and treatment in hospital. Different treatments are recommended for different types of mental illnesses. With the right support, the majority of people with mental health problems will surely recover.

Mental health saps your energy, hope, ambition and drive, sometimes making it difficult to do even the normal day-to-day activities. Although overcoming depression may not be quick or easy, it certainly is not impossible. Feeling completely better may take time, but you can get there if you make positive choices for yourself each day and draw on the support of your loved ones. Recovering from depression calls for positive action but taking action when you’re depressed is hard. Some simple things you need to do are physical exercise, eating right food and rating regularly, sleeping at least for six hours, going out for walks in open areas, interacting with loved ones, avoiding loneliness, refusing to think negatively etc. . You probably already know that these things will help you overcome depression but following these rules are not easy when you are depressed. This is the Catch-22 situation of depression recovery. The symptoms of depression such as fatigue, despondency, incoherent thinking, and low self-esteem make it difficult to take the necessary steps to recovery. A realistic recovery plan therefore involves taking responsibility for the choices and changes you do have control over and avoiding the things you cannot control.

All forms of mental illnesses are treatable if the patient receives competent professional care. Psychologists are among the licensed and highly trained mental health providers with years of experience studying depression and helping patients recover from it. Unfortunately, there is some social stigma associated with seeking help for emotional and mental health problems as feelings of depression often are viewed as a sign of weakness rather than as a signal that something is out of balance. Persons suffering from mental health who do not seek help suffer needlessly. Unexpressed feelings and concerns accompanied by a sense of isolation can worsen mental health. The importance of obtaining timely professional health care is the need of the only answer for mental maladies.

Chung Leong Yu asked:


There is no magical gizmos or high tech gadgets to help you get your abdominal muscle. You have to exercise to flatten stomach and get a lean, defined six-pack. Your dream of getting a sexy body with flat and trim abs is within your reach! Sculpt up with lower abdomen exercise and get rid of those love handles with exercise. Here is how!

Stomach Muscle Exercise

A good abdominal workout program requires high intensity muscular overload and an increase in intensity progressively. Stomach exercise must be performed carefully so that the lower back is supported properly.

Stomach exercise can help build the entire abdomen region because the upper and lower abdominals are not separated and are connected. Of course, there are some stomach exercises that can help build and strengthen specifically the lower and upper abdominal muscles.

Abdominal exercises can help you also gain strong stomach muscles and back muscles. This can reduce the likelihood of back pains and provide protection against injury by efficient response to stress.

Lets have a deeper look into the muscles in the abdominal area. The Rectus abdominals is the muscle that stretches down the stomach from your ribs to the hips. The external and internal oblique run down the sides of the waist and their job is to rotate the torso and assist the abdominals during curling and twisting movements.

Stomach exercises are needed to tone or harden the muscles in that area. Not only that, the layer of body fat that is covering the abs must be burn off and this could be only done with proper eating plan. Try to increase your protein intake and limit your carbohydrates, eating a low carbohydrate diet is said to be one way of tackling flabby abs along with a sensible abs exercise routine, strength training and cardio exercise.

Stomach exercise

Stomach exercise must be followed religiously and is all about frequency rather than intensity. No exercise must be continued if it leads to pain or extreme discomfort. The best stomach exercise program can also help you achieve a flat and tight stomach. Many an abs exercise can be performed on the floor. Like any other muscles, the abdominal muscles will react to resistance training like bicep curls and crunches.

A simple pelvic tilt performed while sitting in a chair can strengthen your abdominal muscles and help support the back.

Best Stomach Exercises

Crunch

Lay on your back and knees bent, lift your shoulders off the floor. The emphasis is on moving the ribs towards the hips.

Reverse Curl

Lay on your back, bend your knees towards the chest. Keep the hips on the floor. Contract your abdominal muscles at the same time. Your lower abdominal exercise program must include reverse curls.

Leg raise

Single leg raise involves raising one leg from the floor. The double leg raise involves raising both legs from the floor at the same time and this works as an abdominal muscle exercise. Lying leg raises are ideal lower abdominal exercise

Abs exercise with the ball

The stability ball is an effective training device for the abs and lower back. Due to the curve of the exercise ball, the lower abdominal muscles get trained better on account of the greater range of motion.

Bicycle

It was ranked the best abdominal exercise by the American Council on Exercise. When performed with the abs muscles pulled, this exercise does great things for you.

Plank

For this exercise program, you need to position yourself for a pushup and hold the pose. Ensure that your body is in one long, straight line from head to toes.

Captains chair

This abs exercise involves standing on a gym chair and gripping the handholds. Press your back against the head pad and slowly lift your knees towards your chest. The back must remain straight.

Postnatal stomach exercise

A lot of women just cannot wait to get back in shape after childbirth. But before they can participate in any postnatal weight loss exercise program, they have to consult their doctor first.

Pelvic tilts and simple abs contractions are an ideal way to start on a postnatal lower abdomen exercise program. Combined with Kegels exercise, you can get your pelvic floor muscles back in shape. Isometric contractions can even be practiced with the baby on your stomach. Stick to a steady lower abs exercise program and watch the flabby skin harden.

Stomach exercise to flatten stomach

Getting a lean defined six-pack abs is a dream for most of us. Millions of dollars are spent yearly in the process of achieving a flat stomach and trim waistline. There are many gadgets that are sold to those seeking an exercise program getting the stomach fat down.

The first step towards a lean waist and flat stomach is to remove the fat that sits on the abs. A combination of cardiovascular exercise program coupled with a low fat diet aimed at preventing fat can do wonders. Stomach exercise program would include the following:

Forward flexion exercises such as sit-ups and crunches.

Rotational exercises such as trunk rotations and standing twists

Stomach Exercise for love handle

Love handles are a misnomer, as all women would love to shun them. Love handles are the ugly fat belts around the waist. This lump of flesh starts at the side of the bra-line and extends all the way down the back. Aerobic exercise aimed at this region can help you shed those love handles. Exercise for love handles involve exercising the oblique muscles to tighten up the sides of the waist. Abs crunches could also do the same.

Here is an easy stomach exercise for the oblique that you can do at home.

Sit upright with a stick across the back of your shoulders. Twist from side to side. Side bends also work wonders on love handles. Keep at it and watch these muscles firm into place.

Donovan Baldwin asked:


Sure, we know we need to exercise for health, but what are the real reasons to exercise?

Well, the list can be very long, but here are a few items you may wish to consider.

Exercise will help with fat loss: Notice, I did NOT say, “weight loss”. You see, while weight can be a general indicator of health and fitness, it isn’t a perfect indicator. People have different body types, for example, and a physically fit, attractive, and perfectly healthy person can weigh more than what the charts say they should. It isn’t necessarily what you weigh that’s as important as what that weight is comprised of. After all, at his peak of health and fitness, Arnold Schwarzenegger was “overweight” but had a very low level of fat on his body.

While some fat in and on the body is necessary to health and proper functioning of various systems within the body, it is excess fat which becomes the villain and which must be gotten rid of. You exercise to do a lot of good things for your body, and to burn fat is one of them.

YOU have heard that exercise burns calories, but, when done properly, it will also burn fat. Burning calories is important because excess calories is where fat comes from, and when we burn the calories through physical activity, they do not have a chance to be stored as fat.

People who are overweight are more likely to be susceptible to a wide range of health difficulties.

Exercise can help prevent disease: It has been demonstated through many studies that participating in regular physical activity can help prevevent the occurence of many diseases and degenerative conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and depression.

These studies also show that a lack of exercise is often a contributing risk factor in many of these diseases and conditions. Sometimes, the effect of exercise is indirect but still of importance. As mentioned above, exercising to lose weight is a common goal, but often, a direct effect of losing weight is improved health in many areas.

Exercise helps improve overall health: Well, if regular exercise, combined with healthy eating and living practices, can help combat disease and degenerative conditions, isn’t that a pretty big deal? If, in addition to that, a regular program of physical activity can indirectly produce positive health effects as well, such as in the discussion on exercise and weight loss above, isn’t that even better? What more do you need to say about the subject?

Of course, those are some great points, but when you consider the overall positive effects of exercise on the immune system, the muscular system, the bones, the cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary systems, you can see that the value of regular moderate exercise can be even greater than originally anticipated. The person who exercises regularly CAN, in most cases, expect a more effective immune system to combat ill-health in many forms, stronger bones (an effect that can carry over into the senior years), a stronger, healthier heart and lungs, which, in turn, will make life easier and healthier.

Oh yes, don’t forget the stronger muscles which will be available to carry that healthy body around!

Exercise can improve your mental state: You may have heard of “runner’s high”, that euphoric feeling that those who exercise regularly become familiar with. It’s not just a state of mind! It is actually a result of the active body manufacturing, releasing, and/or activating “feel good” chemicals. Not only will the body and brain be exposed to natural, internal products such as endorphins and seratonin DURING the exercise period, but levels will commonly remain elevated in the regular exerciser.

Exercise to relieve depression has long been a standard in the arsenal of phychological health. Exercise and stress (which can be involved in a myriad of health problems) is a much studied area, and the verdict is in. Exercise can help improve not only depression and stress, but can even elevate the ability of the brain to function as it goes about its daily tasks, including regulating the processes of the body, and as it attempts to solve problems, learn new tasks, and make sense of the vast amount of data the moder person is exposed to.

While on the subject of how you feel, let’s touch briefly on “how you feel about yourself”.

When you take positive steps to improve yourself, you feel better…and better about yourself. As your body becomes leaner, trimmer, more effective, you feel better…and better about yourself. As you become stronger, healthier, and more full of the joy of living, you feel better…and better about yourself. Feelings such as these cannot help but be radiated out towards those around you, and be reflected back at you, making you feel better…and better about yourself!

Having said all that, it comes as no surprise that….

Exercise improves your ability to function socially: Not only will you feel better, look better, be healthier, and have a better self image and improved self confidence, but you will actually be better able to perform socially. Whether you want to learn to do ballroom dancing, ice skating, or simply stand face-to-face with someone who once would have overwhelmed you with THEIR presence, you will be better able to stand your ground. You will know that you are better prepared mentally and physically to meet the rigors of life, love (and sex), work, and play…and enjoy it!

Exercise does not have to be hard…at least at first. It is something that you get more out of the more you put in. However, at first, if you have not been exercising, any small change to get started is literally a step in the right direction. Oh, eventually you will probably need some good shoes, a set of barbells, a yoga mat, or a professional fitness trainer, but at the start, you will just need the knowledge of what regular exercise can do for you, and the willingness to get started and stay with it.

Maybe the reasons to exercise I have outlined above will help.

Nicholas Tan asked:


It is only natural, most people want to look their best, and exercising their stomach muscles is usually a huge part of most fitness programs. If so much time and energy is going to be focused on this muscle group, it is a good idea to know what the best stomach exercises are. There are many resources available for finding the best stomach exercises, and plenty of people to say what they consider the best, so how can a person decide for themselves which truly are the best exercises for working their stomach muscles?

First of all it is important to note that the best stomach exercises are those that a person is willing to do. No matter how effective the exercise is, if a person isn’t going to do them consistently the exercise will not benefit that particular individual. It is also important to note that the best stomach exercises do not necessarily require equipment to perform them, although some machines and equipment may work quite well for some people.

When a person decides on a fitness program that includes stomach exercises, it is best to include stomach exercises that work the different parts of the stomach. If a person simply concentrates on one area of their stomach, there workout will not be as effective. The best stomach exercises, combine working the oblique, which are the side muscles, the lower abdominals, the mid section and also the upper section.

Some of the most popular stomach exercises are crunches. These are a very effective exercise and very convenient since they can be performed anywhere without any equipment. The next stomach exercise that is also very popular and goes along with the basic crunch is the side crunch, which works out the oblique.

Some people consider the best stomach exercises to be included in a Pilate’s workout. The reason for this is because in Pilates, the whole focus is on the core of the body which is the abdominal, or stomach muscles. Every movement in a Pilate’s workout will work the stomach muscles either directly or indirectly.  These exercises can be found on the internet, either the exercise itself or video’s that can be purchased.

Another good exercise that some fitness experts considers to be one of the best stomach exercises involves laying flat on your stomach, leg straight and then raising your body up using your arms as your hands are clasped together and keeping your body straight as if doing a pushup. Hold this position as long as you can stand. This is an excellent movement to strengthen the whole stomach.

Remember again though that just because one person may consider a specific exercise to be the best stomach exercise that does not necessarily mean it is the best for everyone. Each person’s body is different and will respond differently to certain movements. Any one serious about working on the abdominal muscles will find it most helpful to try several different stomach exercises and then determine which one they can both feel and see results with. If one exercise is simply too hard to do correctly, or does not feel like it has done anything for the muscle group worked, that exercise is clearly not the best and the person should find what works best for them.

Oliver Hetzel asked:


Most people tend to make the same mistakes when selecting exercises to lose thigh fat. Very often, for example, people pick exercises they do not like, or even hate. It is also wrong to select exercises which fail to sufficiently stimulate the metabolic rate. Additionally, exercises are often performed the wrong way.

They pick exercises they do not like

When choosing an exercise to lose thigh fat it is important to pick one that suits you. Otherwise it is likely that you will quickly experience a lack of motivation. Inform yourself about the different options of performing an effective workout before you start. Here are some excellent exercises to lose thigh fat: Power Walking, jumping on a mini-trampoline, Incline Walking, Jogging, Squats or Swimming. Now that you have picked an exercise you like, it is important to consider the following point.

They pick exercises which do not stimulate the metabolic rate

In order to lose thigh fat you have to pick an exercise which increases your metabolic rate. Some exercises are better suited for this purpose, others less. A very common mistake people make when they want lose thigh fat is to only perform exercises for the thighs, e.g. with an elastic band. Such exercises do not sufficiently stimulate your metabolic rate. Therefore you should pick an aerobic exercise like the above-mentioned, or exercises like Squats with short pauses between the sets. Once you know the importance of your metabolic rate, you will be able to avoid the many people make, which is illustrated in the next paragraph.

They perform the exercises the wrong way

Your metabolic rate, as I have already mentioned, constitutes a key factor in the process of loosing thigh fat. A common mistake is to perform the exercises with a too low level of intensity. In order to stimulate your metabolic rate in an adequate way it is necessary to perform the exercises with an average level of intensity at a stretch. To boost your metabolic rate you should perform for a minimum time of 30 minutes without pausing. When you do strength training or a workout like Squats you should keep the pauses short. Pauses of 30 to 60 seconds are ideal. You do not need to perform with a high level of intensity, an average level of intensity is entirely sufficient for the purpose of loosing thigh fat.

Now that we have discussed the most common mistakes when picking exercises in order to lose thigh fat, you probably see things in a new light. Avoid picking exercises you do not like, exercises which do not stimulate your metabolic rate and avoid performing exercises the wrong way. Keep this in mind and you will be able to pick the right exercises to lose thigh fat.

Janet Sommers asked:


You want to lose weight. Nowadays, there’s hardly anyone left who doesn’t have any interest in weight loss. Whether to cure or avoid obesity and other weight-related illnesses or to look good, more and more people are trying out diets that are designed for losing weight.

When you’re on a diet, you normally have to go by with only one type or kind of food and stick to one strict diet. The usual diets that are being practiced these days are often just simply a low-carb diet or a low-protein diet, never both. The problem with following just one diet or concentrating on only one type of food is that you can never be sure whether it will work for you. Not all body types are the same, so while a pure low-carb or low-protein diet may work for others, it might only cause your body more digestive problems.

That’s where Diets 4 Idiots come into the picture. This kind of diet embraces the best features of tried and tested diets out there. This means that you won’t have to focus on curbing only your carb or protein intake - you can do both effectively and safely. Moreover, you can have the luxury of eating all types of food - from fruits and vegetables to lean meats - and can switch to low-fat alternatives for your mayonnaise, cheese, and milk needs.

The secret of the Diets 4 Idiots’ success is attributed to the food diversity promoted by the diet. Because different diets are incorporated into the diet proper, your body won’t have to feel that it is undergoing a diet regimen and thus, it will allow you to lose weight without resistance and without adjusting to the diet in order to cope. This is important because normally, when you follow a diet, your body fine-tunes itself to adapt to the diet changes and puts the diet to futility. This mechanism won’t happen when you engage in the Diets 4 Idiots program because the diet tricks the body with the variety of food you can eat in the menu.

The Diets 4 Idiots’ menu consists of the basic healthy foods that all diets advocate. It tells you to eat fruits and vegetables, and allows you to eat lean protein in the form of tuna, chicken, and lean ground turkey, so you can continue having great-tasting sandwiches - with wheat bread and low-fat mayonnaise, of course. You can also eat mixed nuts. For your dairy needs, you can have low-fat milk (you don’t have to say goodbye to milkshakes and other yummy deserts) and cottage cheese. You’re also allowed to eat carbs in healthy amounts, so you can still enjoy a mean pasta dish and bread.

During the first few days of the Diets 4 Idiots, you’re required to take in 2,500 calories in a day. Afterwards, the calories should drop to 1,000. Your body will respond positively in that it will welcome the decrease in calorie intake without losing strength and stamina. Try the Diets 4 Idiots today and enjoy weight loss in a matter of days.

Janet Sommers asked:


The Idiot Proof Diet, also known as the Fat Loss 4 Idiots, is making waves in the world of diet-obsessed people and diet-related programs and methods. This diet is different from all the other diets you’ve heard of or tried out for yourself because instead of focusing on just one diet trend, it incorporates and makes use of the best features of all the other diets in the market today. You’ve probably encountered several positive reviews about this kind of diet but still want more information before you download Idiot Proof Diet instantly. Read on to get the information you want.

Many people are asking what this diversity in food choices that the Idiot Proof Diet is accommodating can do to help them achieve weight loss. In essence, what makes this diet work more effectively than the rest of the diet bunch? It’s really simple - if you understand how your body works, that is.

The Idiot Proof Diet works to trick your body into believing that it’s not on any diet. Normally, when you go on a diet, you tend to immediately take in lesser calories than what your body has been accustomed to. This abrupt change can make your body easily detect the shift in calorie content, and it will adjust to this change by burning off lesser calories. So the end result is that you maintain your weight, not keep it off. That’s why you have to download Idiot Proof Diet instantly - it’s the answer you’ve been waiting for.

With the Idiot Proof Diet, your body won’t know you’re on a diet because you’re required to strictly take in 2,500 calories in the first few days, and then gradually decrease this amount to 1,000 calories. Your body won’t detect a thing and won’t work to prevent weight loss. The diet will only boost your body’s metabolism.

The foods in the Idiot Proof Diet are not entirely new as far as diet methods are concerned. It still follows the age-old adage of keeping things in medium proportions, including food. Your main menu consists of fruits, vegetables, and your choice of protein and carbohydrates sources. If you download Idiot Proof Diet instantly, you could learn the other foods included in the menu.

Unlike other diets, the Idiot Proof Diet does not entirely shun carbs because it realizes the importance of carbs as your body’s primary source of energy - you need carbs to work, to be active when you’re on the go. Besides, having a low-carb diet is hard to maintain, what with its usual strict rules and discriminating menu. The Idiot Proof Diet allows you to take in the carbs that you need to last the day. You also won’t have to say goodbye to milk, cheese, and mayo - you can find low-fat substitutes for them.

Now that you know the secrets of the Idiot Proof Diet, you’re probably itching to download Idiot Proof Diet instantly. With the increasing popularity of the Idiot Proof Diet, there are now several websites that promote it to the public and make a living out of it. That means that you can find a copy to download of the Idiot Proof Diet handbook. Download Idiot Proof Diet instantly and get started on a new, safe and effective diet.

Eddie Lomax asked:


Aerobic exercise is normally the first thing that comes to mind when people think about burning fat. While most people dread the thought of endless, boring hours working in the aerobic heart rate zone, it is normally what people turn to to lose fat. But the good news is, combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is the best for burning fat.

But before I tell you why combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is better than aerobic exercise alone, lets talk about what “aerobic” and “anaerobic” means.

Aerobic means in the presence of oxygen. Any activity performed at a low to moderate intensity for more than 90 seconds, allowing oxygen to release energy through metabolism, is called an aerobic activity.

The benefits of aerobic activity are…

Increased Cardiovascular Function

Decrease in Body Fat

But prolonged aerobic exercise has its negatives…

Decreased Muscle Mass

Decreased Strength

Decreased Power

Decreased Speed

Decreased Anaerobic Capacity

You should start realizing why combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is a better option.

Anaerobic means in the absence of oxygen. Any activity performed at a medium to high intensity for less than 2 minutes, where energy is derived without oxygen, is usually called an anaerobic activity.

The benefits of anaerobic activity are…

Increased Cardiovascular Function

Decrease in Body Fat

Increased Muscle Mass

Improved Strength

Improved Power

Improved Speed

Increased Aerobic Capacity

And the negatives of anaerobic activity are…

Anaerobic activity requires an aerobic foundation

As you can plainly see, anaerobic activity is the better choice. And you might be asking, “Why do you say combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is best? Why not just do anaerobic exercise?”

Combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is necessary because it is impossible to exercise at the high intensity level of anaerobic exercise for the entire workout. Even if you try to work at such a high intensity, you eventually become fatigue and drift back into the aerobic zone. So, while it is possible to exercise in the aerobic zone for the entire workout, it is impossible to exercise exclusively at an anaerobic pace.

This is why combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is a must for an optimal fat loss workout!

Here is the bad news. Most people that want to lose fat and build a muscular body ARE combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise. They are just combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise all WRONG!

The sad fact is, most workouts claiming to burn fat by combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise are doing “bodybuilding” style weight training followed by an aerobic activity. And unless you plan to spend hours a day in the gym (like bodybuilders do), then you won’t get the results they do.

Think of it this way. There should be two “types” of exercise you perform… resistance training and energy system training. And when you are combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise, it is not just in the energy system training portion. You should be intelligently combining aerobic and anaerobic activity during the entire workout.

So, combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is key to your fat loss success. But how you combine the two is even more important, If you’ve been combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise with bodybuilding weight training followed by aerobic exercise and failed to get the fat loss results you wanted… you’re not alone.

Combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is not enough… you need to combine both to get maximum fat loss results.

Samson Omotosho, PhD, APRN/PMHN asked:


There is a lot of prospect in community-based mental health careers both in the state of Maryland and all over the country. This is because for years now, there has been a lot of emphasis on prevention and reduction of inpatient hospitalization for all illnesses, including mental illness. This might primarily have been intended for cost control, it has also facilitated quality and access. The second reason why career prospects in community mental health are many is that there is currently a severe shortage of mental health workers in all sectors. The 2007 Maryland Mental Health Workforce White Paper revealed that the number and complexity of mental health problems experienced by children and their families have increased over the past decade. It further said, “At least one in five children and youth, or 20%, experience a mental health disorder. The crisis of mental health in the United States is such that 75-80% of youth with mental health diagnoses receive no services, and services received are often inadequate”. Thirdly, there is inadequate diversity among the few mental health workforce. For example, 28% of Maryland population is of ethnic minority but only 12% of mental workforce is of ethnic minorities. Furthermore, there is an acute shortage of African American males in mental health workforce.

 1. Outpatient Mental Health Clinics (OMHC)

Outpatient mental health clinics provide therapy, counseling, medication management, social skills teaching, and case management services to individuals with severe and chronic mental health problems. Career prospects available in OMHC include:

Therapists and Counselors: New regulations require therapists and counselors in OMHC to have a minimum of a Masters degree and a license (such as LGSW, LCSW, LCSW-C, LGPC, LCPC, RNC, APRN/PMHN) in nursing, social work, psychology, counseling, or psychiatric rehabilitation. Also, an RN without a Masters degree but with an RNC from ANCC can be employed as a therapist. Salaries are very attractive.

2. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs (PRP)

PRP programs are an extension of the services provided to the patient in the OMHC. A PRP may stand alone or be an additional service to an OMHC. The purpose of PRP is to promote the rehabilitation, integration and improved quality of life for the patient at home, school, work and community. It aims at helping the patient to function at his or her optimum best in life. The counseling can be done at the Program office (onsite) or at the patient’s home (offsite). PRP counseling could be about a wide range of topics, including anger management skills, social skills, assertiveness skills, medication compliance, coping with symptoms, managing peer pressure, taking a bus, determining bus route, drug and alcohol, gang prevention, sex education, STD education, accessing community resources such as food stamps, affordable housing, bus pass, ID card, driver’s license, job search, preparing for job interview, keeping a job, improving attention in school, completing homework and school projects, respect of authority, etc.     

Even though a mere one-year work experience in a mental health setting or having an AA degree qualifies one to be a PRP counselor, PRP programs prefer to employ persons with a BS degree in any health or mental health related field such as nursing, social work, counseling, psychology and rehabilitation. PRP counselors are usually paid $14 or more per counseling session. Each client receives 2 to 8 counseling sessions per month.

3. Expanded School-Based Mental Health (ESBMH)

In addition to the school clinic, some schools also have an ESBMH clinic. A therapist assigned from an OMHC manages each of such clinics. Apart from providing therapy to troubled kids sent to the therapist’s office from the class or principal’s office, the therapist also serve as a resource person to the school staff regarding particular children, issues or topics related to mental health. 

4. Crisis Response Programs (BCRI, BCARS)

Mental health professionals are also needed in crisis centers where services are provided for anyone in mental health crisis. The two main centers in Baltimore are Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc. (BCRI) and Baltimore Child and Adolescent Response System (BCARS). For employment inquiries, please call 410-433-5255. There are positions that do not need a Masters degree.

BCARS website provides the following information about what they do: 

BCARS is a mobile crisis response service that provides emergency contact with mental health professionals throughout the city. Dedicated crisis clinicians staff the program as part of a continuum of clinical care provided by the Catholic Charities.  The Johns Hopkins Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry provide psychiatric consultations to the program.  BCARS assists children and families facing psychiatric and psychosocial crises by providing hospital diversion and immediate intervention and respite. For information or assistance, please call the BCARS hotline (410) 752-2272. It is available 24-7. 

BCRI web site provided the following information: about what they do:

HOTLINE: The telephone crisis “hotline” (410-752-2272) is available 24 hours a day and is staffed by trained counselors who have the ability to provide information and referral to the network of human services in the Baltimore metropolitan area. The counselors also provide supportive counseling, dispatch emergency assistance and link callers with more intensive BCRI services.  In FY 2004 – 34,852 and FY 2005 – 30,257 calls were received on the Hotline.

MOBILE CRISIS TEAMS: Mobile crisis teams are comprised of mental health professionals including psychiatrists, social workers and nurses who can be dispatched to community locations to provide immediate assessment, intervention and treatment. Teams operate from 7:00am till midnight seven days per week. Currently the teams average over 2000 responses per year.

IN HOME SUPPORT: Persons experiencing a mental health crisis can often be maintained in the community through regular visits from the BCRI mobile crisis teams. An average of 350 people a year is cared for in this manner.

RESIDENTIAL CRISIS BEDS: Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc. operates 18 psychiatric crisis beds. Crisis beds are not new to Maryland. However, since its inception, BCRI has operated with an average length of stay of 4.5 days compared with the historical statewide average of 16.5 days.

PUBLIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING: BCRI provide public and professional education and training on a wide range of mental health related topics including: suicide prevention, crisis intervention, mental illness, and stigma.  Training has also been provided to members of the Baltimore City Police Negotiation Team, over 3,000 patrol officers, Housing Police and Sheriff’s officers. Through special grants and contracts, BCRI has provided training to Baltimore City Public School teachers and guidance counselors, clergy, 911 operators, shelter care staff and others.  Public education is also provided via a cable television program called “Mental Health Matters”.  This program provides practical information regarding mental health issues and community resources.  BCRI has also offered professional training conferences, workshops and symposia.

ADDICTIONS SERVICES: In response to the growing need for addictions treatment services BCRI has expanded and now provides a 10-day residential detoxification program for chemically addicted and dually diagnosed persons.  There are currently 16 beds operated for this purpose.

5. Group Homes

Direct care staff and counselors are needed in group homes to manage, care and support the residents in the areas of activities of daily living, behavior management, life progress, and community living. Employment preference is usually given to individuals who have a degree related to health or mental health. Salary rates are very attractive. New regulations now mandate each group home especially for children to be managed by a Program Administrator (PA) who must possess at least a BS degree in any field but preferably in a health or mental health related field. Program Administrators are very well paid, depending on their education and experience and the size and intensity of the group home. 

6. Private Practice

There are a lot of prospects for licensed mental health professionals with at least a Masters degree to establish their own private practice. The practice could be in the area of clinical, research, educational, or consultancy.

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Managing Stress is as much a physical issue as it is a psychological concern. To boost the benefits of counseling, experts of stress management and therapists keep advising their clients to get busy in any exercise training program. People who are suffering from extreme stress mostly complain of weakness, sluggishness in going about daily work and also feel that they are unable to perform to the fullest.

Let us assume that you are determined to go through a stress management exercise program, how do we begin then? If you have not been active for a long time and have been leading a sedentic life, the best way to start is by walking. It can become quite enjoyable for sure when you take pleasure in small things like noticing surroundings - the green plants around, the chirping birds, the different types of buildings, the people around etc.Walking briskly can be a good exercise and eventually you will start to feel better and less stressed.

While starting on a stress management exercising program, keep in mind that exercise trains but too much of it can strain. This means that you should work at a comfortable pace and level. If you overburden yourself, there are chances that you will get more stressed than before. You should exercise at a level and frequency that you enjoy and become healthier rather than causing harm to yourself. Have fun while running and enjoy every movement of your body without any strain .

You don’t need to be a professional runner to achieve the beneficial effects of stress management program. In fact, researchers have proved that any physical exercise of moderate nature 30-40 minutes daily gives many health benefits. By moderate, we mean exercises like cycling, gardening, brisk walking and performing household chores.

Since physical exercise requires good concentration, you will have no time to think about your problems. This will slowly rid you off the stress eventually. This is called a type of selective awareness.

Strenuous exercise can provide even better results and benefits. To obtain cardiovascular benefits from strenuous exercises, the heart rate should be raised to 60%-80% level.

For example, if your age is 30 years, your target heart rate should be 190 beats/minute. You should adapt your self to your training program so that heart rate during exercise is between 60%-80% of 190 beats/minute or in other words between 114-152 beats/minute.

For the desired results of the training program, you should exercise 20-30 minutes for 3-4 days every week. Since cardio respiratory endurance decreases after 48 hrs, you must ensure that you exercise at least three days in a week. You can schedule your exercise in your daily routine in a manner comfortable to you. This way, you will approach it like a commitment that has to be kept and will be more than ready to exercise rather than finding excuses to exercise when you get time and putting it off continuously for a later date.

Managing stress through training can benefit everyone. People who go through such program are able to relieve stress through exercise even if they have problems like physical disability, shortage of time or low level of fitness. To assess and properly find out how your body is responding to specific types of exercises, learn to listen to the body. The following are the signs of over exhaustion and give you signals to cut down on your exercise routine.

- Muscle and joint Soreness

- Feeling of heavy in arms and legs

- Not able to relax

- Continuously feeling tired

- Bad appetite

- Under weight

- Problem such as Constipation and diarrhea

- Repeatedly getting injured

American College for Sports Medicine advices that testing should be done before starting any exercise program. They suggest that for healthy people below 45 years, and people below 35 years with some health risk factors but negligible symptoms of disease, a stress test is not mandatory. However, those over 45 years and showing some symptoms of diseases (cardiac, metabolic, pulmonary) and those actually having one of these types of diseases must be given a stress test before they start managing stress through training program.