Short essays exploring healing and recovery as well a number of issues that confront us from time-to-time.

Table of Contents - Select an Item

• Love tree
• Titanic and Mark McGwire
• Wounded angel
• Failure
• Having it all
• Healing a life
• Fear
• Letting go
• Change
• When you feel you can't go on
• Losing perspective
• Co-dependency
• Home Words
• Honoring Both Traditions and New Beginnings
• Nurturing Your Soul During the Holidays
• The Soul of a Scientist
• Reflections from the Rear View Mirror
• Pass It On
• Our Mother's Stories
• An Open letter to the Handless Maiden
• The Last Thanksgiving
• Unanswered Questions: Millennium Madness and Musings
• Letters on Parenting

  • A Mothers Darkness

  • Struggles and Snuggles

  • Another Close Call

  • Mommy Do You Love Me?

  • What Do They Need?

  • What Will You Remember?

  • Appreciating the Gift

  • On Rituals

  • Please Give Me Patience

  • You Can Do It but Can I?

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The above are essays on issues related to recovery, personal growth, parenting and more. You may also want to pay a visit to some of the external links related to self-help listed below.

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein

next:Love tree

Some studies show that ginseng can improve mental functioning, but the science behind the claims is weak.

There are at least eleven different herbs labeled "ginseng". The most commonly used in herbal medicine are Panax ginseng (Asian or Korean ginseng) and Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng). Ginseng powder and extract are prepared from the roots of these perennial herbs. Standardized ginseng extract contains 4% ginsenosides, the primary active components of P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius.

Asian ginseng has been used for many years as a stimulant and a tonic for Qi deficiency, to treat gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhea, vomiting) and respiratory problems, to improve stamina, and to reduce the adverse effects of stress. Small doses are taken daily to ward off physical or mental impairment. Ginseng is widely used in the U.S. to increase energy and vitality, enhance physical performance, increase resistance to stress and improve immune function. Other uses include lowering blood sugar and treating male impotence.

Clinical Trials

A review of randomized, controlled trials evaluating ginseng for a number of uses (enhancement of physical and intellectual performance, stimulation of the immune system, treatment of type 2 diabetes and herpes infection) concluded that efficacy has not been established for any of these indications. Recently, a small study found that American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a meal decreases the post-meal rise in blood glucose in both nondiabetic patients and those with type 2 diabetes.

Adverse Effects

To date, serious adverse effects have not been reported with American ginseng. Side effects reported with Asian ginseng include insomnia, diarrhea and skin eruptions.

There is some evidence that both American and Asian ginseng may lower blood glucose levels. Until more data is available, ginseng products should be used with caution in patients with diabetes because the risk of hypoglycemia may be increased. Individuals with or without diabetes should probably take ginseng with meals. One case report suggests that ginseng may decrease the anticoagulant effect of warfarin (decrease the INR). One small study found no change in the INR, however, when patients stabilized on warfarin were given a two week course of ginseng. Two cases involving a possible interaction with phenelzine have been reported. One patient experienced headache and tremor and another developed mania. Further study is needed to establish the effectiveness of ginseng for any indication.

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Quality & Labeling

Ginseng root varies in quality, with the highest quality being very expensive. Adulteration is common and significant variation can occur between the actual ginseng content in a product and the content stated on the label. In April and May 2000 an independent laboratory, ConsumerLab.com (see Resources inset page 5), evaluated the purity and potency of 22 brands of Asian and American ginseng products. Eight products contained excessive amounts of pesticides, two contained excessive lead, and seven had less than the minimum concentration of ginsenosides (2%). Only 10 products met or exceeded the claimed ginsenoside concentration on their labels.

Source: Rx Consultant newsletter article: Traditional Chinese Medicine The Western Use of Chinese Herbs by Paul C. Wong, PharmD, CGP and Ron Finley, RPh

next: Huperzine A for Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

Article focuses on bipolar teens and school classroom issues, such as should you tell your school about your bipolar condition.

One of the many challenges a teen with bipolar disorder faces is attending school. The ways things are handled vary depending on the school you attend. In a public school, for example, teens are eligible for all sorts of assistance, from having an aide to assist with their ever-changing moods to having their schedules and classes tailored to their emotional needs. Private schools are only required to accommodate teens with bipolar disorder under the Americans with Disabilities Act, in which case the school has to accommodate any physical needs, like medications during school and side effects from such medications. The last kind of school is home schooling, where all accommodations and needs can be met. Teens with bipolar can succeed in any of these schooling environments. This article will focus on living day-to-day in the classroom with bipolar disorder, stable or unstable, what to do if you lose control of your emotions, how to set up a support network and the importance of doing so, along with other important topics.

First, should you tell the school about your bipolar condition? Yes, you should. Generally, this should be done before the school year starts. It is best to contact the guidance counselor, if available, or otherwise a principal, vice principal, or any other member of the administration.You should tell the school about your bipolar disorder and explain to them how it affects you in the classroom. At this discussion you should present any doctors' notes you have in regard to medication during school or accommodations needed due to medication side effects (such as needing access to water and bathrooms). Teachers should be notified before school starts about your bipolar disorder and how to handle things you were to lose control of your emotions (discussed below). Teens with bipolar need a support system or network, whether they are stable or not; these can be set up with the school rather easily. You should meet with your guidance counselor within the first few weeks of school. Talk with the counselor in general about how things are going and discuss any problems you may be having inside or outside of school. Ask if the school has a Student Assistance Program, as you should know who the teachers and staff on the team are. If the school doesn't have a Student Assistance Program, you should make yourself comfortable with teachers and staff. If there is a teacher you feel comfortable in confiding in, you should by all means discuss how you feel or any problems with that person. While with the guidance counselor, you should set up a plan in case emotions go awry in the classroom. An example of this would be if you put your head down on your desk in order to collect your thoughts. You shouldn't be given any trouble from the teacher for this. If you should feel you can longer stay in control of your emotions, you should be allowed to leave the classroom freely. No questions should be asked, as by this time your emotions are already stretched, and anything could set you off emotionally.

A safe spot should be established in the school, generally in the nurse's office. A safe spot is where a teen with bipolar disorder is allowed to go into a meltdown; also, efforts should be made to calm the teen down. The teen should be given the option of calling parents to talk and/or talk with a trusted adult in the building. Once the teen is calmed down, he or she should be given the option of returning to class. When returning to class, it should be at a time when the least amount attention be brought to the teen.

Having a meltdown or episode in class is one of the hardest and embarrassing things that can happen to a teen. Every measure should be taken so that you don't have an episode during class, but rather can leave the room in time without undue attention. However, if you do lose control of emotions during class time, you should quietly leave. If you are questioned by other students, you can just say that you didn't feel good and leave it at that. You should not feel obligated to tell your life story as to what happened, as most people simply won't understand.

These are just some suggestions and ideas for making life in high school easier for teens with bipolar. Some teens make it through high school without being affected much by their bipolar, while for other teens with bipolar disorder, high school may be four very long years. Arranging a good support network and making sure your teachers are aware of needed accommodations will help ease the way.

Important note: The above represents only the author's opinion. Each person must decide what is best for him or her.

next: Late-Life Bipolar Disorder Guidelines and Challenges
~ bipolar disorder library
~ all bipolar disorder articles

It is always striking when a bright, attractive and otherwise accomplished person cannot maintain an intimate relationship. I have seen many people like this in my practice, and one of the first tasks is to figure out why. Most of the time the person appears in my office as the bewildered half of a distressed couple. Their spouse's/partner's complaints are legion: the offending partner doesn't listen, they're in their own world, they have little or no interest in sex, they prefer to be alone, they are unable to intuit or understand emotion. The spouse complains that the marriage consists of two people sharing the same living space, splitting chores.

The person's childhood usually provides clues to the problem. Sometimes, people tell terrible stories of abuse and neglect: in these cases one can easily understand why intimacy is avoided. But other times people depict a non-eventful childhood, devoid of conflict or even moments of common unhappiness. When pressed they remember few specific details positive or negative--and this is the rub. When their full story is revealed, it becomes clear the person dulled the abrasive experience of day to day family life by paying little attention. In doing so, they successfully pushed people away and retreated to the safety of their own inner world and preoccupations. This unconscious strategy reduced conflict and guaranteed their emotional survival.

Very often, such a person's parents never entered their world, except in a negative, critical, controlling, or otherwise unempathic way. Many parents were narcissistic: they were so intent upon maintaining their "voice", they completely overwhelmed their children's. As a result, the child retreated to a smaller, safer place where they could maintain agency and find some private satisfaction. Sheltered in this mini-world, the person experienced little shared pleasure and little disappointment.

As I have described in other essays on this site, often the child's unconscious adaptation to a dysfunctional family interferes with his or her adult relationships. This is certainly true for children who retreat. Because the real self is safely tucked away, the adult must "invent" a different one that will appear as normal as possible and be able to negotiate the day to day interactions of adult life. Invented selves, however, have no interest in true intimacy. Instead, they exist as a kind of interface between the true self and the outside world, carefully monitoring and controlling what is allowed in and out. As a result, passion and empathy have to be manufactured--while the person may take the time in the early/romantic phase of a relationship to "act" this out, many soon tire of the effort. Often partners notice the "wooden" nature of their response or their obliviousness. (A client once told me that her spouse [a software engineer] had sat in another couple's living room reading a book while the hosts were having a rip-roaring fight. She thought he was reading so as not to embarrass the couple. But when she asked him what he thought of the fight, he replied: "What fight?")

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It is not unusual for these people to be particularly accomplished. They channel all of their energy toward a particular pursuit, and away from everything else that is happening around them. Computer related jobs are often ideal for these people, as are other tasks that require solitary focus and tremendous dedication to the exclusion of other life needs and demands. Workaholics often fit this category.

Can people like this be helped? Yes, but often long-term therapy is required. People who have built such walls jump at intellectual explanations of their problems, but this, by itself, does not help much. The relationship with the therapist is critical. Initially, the therapist is as much an outsider as anyone else and the client unconsciously tries to keep it that way. The therapist, using all his or her knowledge and skill, must chip away at the client's protective walls and gradually enter the client's hidden world in an empathic, benevolent way. This is hard work, for the walls are thick and whatever openings the therapist finds are quickly "patched." Ultimately, however, the therapist proves he or she is non-toxic and allowed inside. When this happens, the client discovers a shared world with potential for personal growth and intimacy.

About the author: Dr. Grossman is a clinical psychologist and author of the Voicelessness and Emotional Survival web site.

next: Why Do Some People Choose One Bad Relationship After Another?

A look at complementary treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Nutritional supplements, herbal medicine for Alzheimer's and the Alzheimer's diet.

Some people with Alzheimer's use alternative treatments-such as herbal remedies and natural dietary supplements-- though there is scant scientific evidence of their benefits. If you're considering any alternative treatments or want to advise a friend or loved one with Alzheimer's Disease on alternatives, it's a good idea to discuss your interest with a health care professional.

Here are some non-medication options for helping the patient with Alzheimer's Disease:

Treatment Strategy for Alzheimers

• Identify and address suspected underlying causes of Alzheimers.
• Use of dietary and nutritional strategies to improve cognitive function.
• Use of antioxidants to decrease oxidative damage.

Lifestyle for Alzheimers

• Use the mind: get adequate mental exercise.
• Institute a program of daily exercise which improves overall circulation and well-being.
• Stress management. Learn and utilize better coping skills.
• Avoidance of all known sources of aluminum including aluminum-containing antacids, aluminum-containing anti-perspirants, cooking in aluminum pots and pans, wrapping food with aluminum foil, and non-dairy creamers. Aluminum is also found in baking powder and table salt, as it is added to keep them from becoming lumpy.

Change the mood of the patient's home environment: he lighting in a house or apartment, colors in the decor and level of noise in the immediate living area can have a significant impact on how someone with AD behaves and feels. Researchers have found that certain types of lighting can make some people feel uneasy, while higher noise levels can induce frustration among others.

Create a routine and stay active: constructing a routine for everyday activities-including the basics such as dressing, bathing and cooking-can reduce depression and help keep a person with AD active longer. It may also reduce the chances of wandering because it is more likely the person will follow the daily routine of activities. Alzheimer's experts also recommend patients take up creative and pleasing activities that can bring more happiness into life, such as painting, reading or singing.

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Alzheimers Diet

• Consume a diet rich in antioxidants with an emphasis on whole fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds.
• Regularly consume of cold-water fish to increase essential fatty acid (EFA) levels. EFAs are fatty acids (also known as Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids) which are essential to life, but which cannot be produced in the body and must be taken in through diet.
• A diet rich in magnesium is recommended. Aluminum absorption can be decreased by magnesium, because magnesium competes with aluminum for absorption, not only in the intestines but also at the blood-brain barrier. Focus on unprocessed foods, avoid milk and dairy products, and increase the consumption of vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds - all good sources of magnesium.

Nutritional Supplements for Alzheimers

Following is a comprehensive list of supplements that have been studied in the treatment of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. No person should take all of these supplements. It is essential to consult a physician trained in nutritional and botanical medicine to determine which supplements are most indicated and will be most effective for you, given your individual situation. They must also ascertain safe and effective doses for their use. Further, several of these supplements may interact with medications and should not be taken without medical supervision.

• High potency multiple vitamin and mineral supplement.
• Omega 3 fatty acids. Dietary intake of n-3 fatty acids and weekly consumption of fish may reduce the risk of Alzheimer disease.
• Vitamin E. In a prospective study, dietary vitamin E intake was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's.
• Vitamin C. Vitamin C intake has been shown to decrease risk of AD.
• DHEA. DHEA administration may result in modest improvements in cognition and behavior.
• Taurine. In animal models supplementation increased acetylcholine levels in brain tissue.
• Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC). Effective in improving cognitive performance in patients suffering from Alzheimer's dementia.
• Phosphatidylserine (PS). Low levels of phosphatidylserine in the brain are associated with impaired mental function and depression in the elderly. Supplementation with PS consistently benefits memory, learning, concentration, word choice, and other measurable cognition parameters, as well as mood and the capacity to cope with stress. PS somehow encourages the regrowth of damaged nerve networks.
• Inositol. Supplementation with inositol may produce positive CNS effects in the treatment of AD.
• Thiamine has been shown to potentiate and mimic the effects of acetylcholine in the brain. High dose thiamine supplementation improves mental function in Alzheimer's disease and age-related impaired mental function (senility) without side-effects.
• Vitamin B12. Serum vitamin B12 levels are significantly low, and vitamin B12 deficiency is significantly common in Alzheimer's disease patients. Supplementation of B12 and/or folic acid may result in complete reversal in some patients (with documented low B12 levels), but generally there is little improvement in patients who have had Alzheimer's symptoms for greater than 6 months.
• Zinc. Zinc deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the elderly and has been suggested to be a major factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Zinc supplementation has good benefits in Alzheimer's disease.
• Coenzyme Q 10. Improves mitochondrial energy production.

Botanical (Herbal) Medicine for Alzheimers

• Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE). Improves circulation which can enhance memory and delay onset of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
• Huperzine A. Derived from Hyperzia serrata (Club Moss). Acts as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, possibly more effectively than tacrine. Supplementation produced measurable improvements in memory, cognitive function, and behavioral factors in Alzheimer's patients with no significant side effects.
• Vinpocetine. Derived from Vinca minor (Periwinkle). Enhances brain circulation and oxygen utilization and other neuroprotective and anti-ischemic effects.
• Bacopa monnieri (Water hyssop, Brahmi). Enhances nerve impulse transmission and strengthens memory and cognition.

Supplement Quality Is Important

Nutritional and botanical supplements used in these treatments are intended to have a physiological effect and clinical benefit, i.e., they are effective and your health improves. The quality of nutritional supplements in the general marketplace is suspect. In order to get the maximum benefit to your health, be sure you purchase the highest quality nutritional supplements.

Source: Alzheimer's Association

next: Ginkgo Biloba For Treating Alzheimer's Disease

Chapter 79 of the book Self-Help Stuff That Works

by Adam Khan

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED why your coworkers complain so much? Or why you find fault with people so easily? Or why you watch the news even though it's depressing? Why?

Our species evolved during the Ice Age (the Pleistocene epoch). In the last one or two million years, there have been four glaciations - four times when the ice advanced southward for a hundred thousand years or so, and then receded, changing the climate dramatically again and again. These ice invasions caused the extinction of many animals. But not humans. Our species lived through the harsh and radically-changing weather, famines, floods, fires, plagues, and the threat of deadly carnivorous animals walking around hungry. Lots of people died. Natural selection had a field day.

Let's speculate for a moment. During dangerous times, what kind of human do you suppose would evolve? Would a happy-go-lucky, everything-is-groovy attitude help one survive? I don't think so. Under those conditions, the best survivors would be those who compulsively noticed what was wrong and were constantly on the lookout for possible danger. In other words, conditions would have selected for a critical, negative, worry-wort. A relaxed, easygoing positive thinker probably wouldn't last one winter. Those people who survived are our ancestors, so those traits are built into our brains and hormonal systems. Even yours.

It is completely natural to notice what's wrong, what doesn't work, and what you don't like. It's somewhat unnatural to see what's good, what's going well, and what you like and appreciate. But it's also unnatural to be toilet-trained. It's unnatural to have good manners. It's unnatural to delay gratification. What comes naturally (like being negative) is not necessarily best. It might have been absolutely essential for survival a hundred thousand years ago, but times have changed.

Luckily, we are capable of doing things we don't naturally do - if we know it's in our best interest and if we firmly and definitely make up our minds to do so. One of the greatest talents of our species is that we're capable of doing what we don't naturally do.

 

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You can learn to notice what's going well. It takes a deliberate, conscious effort. It'll probably never come naturally (that is, without thinking about it). No matter how many years you make that conscious effort, whenever you look around, chances are the first thing you'll see is what's wrong. And that's perfectly okay. It's useful to be able to see what needs fixing. But it also helps to notice the good stuff.

Today, deliberately notice something you like about the company you work for and tell somebody. Then take a good look at your coworkers and find something you honestly appreciate about someone and tell that person you appreciate it. Then talk about someone behind her back - talk about what you admire and respect about her. Make this effort a couple of times a day and your relationships will work better. You'll also be in a good mood more often.

Set a goal at the beginning of the day. How many sincere acknowledgments will you give today? Don't make your goal too big - you have work to do too. But create some way of keeping track. For example, you could put five pennies in your left pocket and every time you make a good acknowledgment, move one penny to your right pocket. Try to move all of them that day.

Make a regular practice of this and the atmosphere where you work will change. The people around you will feel more noticed and appreciated and liked. And they will treat you with more appreciation in return. All you need to do is commit some unnatural acts.

Does it bother you that some people where you work complain all the time? Do you wonder what you can do about it? Check this out:
Complaint Compunctions

Would you like to learn more about the fine art of positive thinking? Would you like to behold the power of positive thinking? How about the power of anti-negative thinking? Check this out:
Positive Thinking: The Next Generation

No matter what happens, you can determine your disposition by an act of will. Consider the fact that, no matter what the circumstances,
Maybe it's Good

Dale Carnegie, who wrote the famous book How to Win Friends and Influence People, left a chapter out of his book. Find out what he meant to say but didn't about people you cannot win over:
The Bad Apples

An extremely important thing to keep in mind is that judging people will harm you. Learn here how to prevent yourself from making this all-too-human mistake:
Here Comes the Judge

The art of controlling the meanings you're making is an important skill to master. It will literally determine the quality of your life.
Read more about it in:
Master the Art of Making Meaning

Here's a profound and life-changing way to gain the respect and the trust of others:
As Good As Gold

What if you already knew you ought to change and in what way? And what if that insight has made no difference so far? Here's how to make your insights make a difference:
From Hope to Change

next: The Shortest Distance

Chapter 116 of the book Self-Help Stuff That Works

by Adam Khan

THERE ARE BASICALLY TWO WAYS to talk to your loved ones.

The first is to hide some of your true wants and feelings, either by not expressing them at all or by being so indirect and "nice" that your loved ones don't know for sure how you really feel.

The other way is to be honest about what you want and feel.

The results of these two approaches are drastically different. When you hide what you really want and feel, guess what? You still want and feel those things. Remember that point; it is important. You're afraid to say what you really want and feel because you think you'll be rejected, disapproved of, or disliked. The love might be withdrawn. Saying what you want or feel might start a fight or hurt someone's feelings.

Even though you have all these perfectly good and valid reasons to refrain from speaking up, that doesn't alter the fact that you still feel what you really feel and want what you actually want.

And those wants and feelings will come out, one way or another. Consciously or unconsciously, you'll try to manipulate the other person into doing what you want and your feelings will be expressed, no matter how hard you try to hide them. There are many ways. You can hint, tease, argue about it indirectly, try to make the other person feel guilty for not doing something, "accidentally" make mistakes, and so on. Not to mention that your body language and the subtle expressions on your face give you away. Your wants and feelings come out, even against your will.

The problem with these indirect, nonverbal, and often unconscious ways of communicating your feelings and wants is that they are confusing. And the confusion causes problems in close relationships.

It is difficult to be honest, and it can sometimes cause an upset. But honesty is not confusing. When you are saying what you really want and feel, problems can be worked out and solved. You can't solve a problem when you don't know what it's about.

So that's the choice: Withhold the truth or say it.

 

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Of course, very few people are on either extreme. Every one of us hides our intentions and feelings from our loved-ones now and then, and at other times we're pretty frank. But any effort we make to move ourselves further toward the honest end of the spectrum will improve the quality of our close relationships over time.

If you want to be intimate, speak freely and honestly.

Here's how to create a spirit of willing cooperation in the people you work with and live with.
How to Get What You Want From Others

Being able to express your feelings is an important part of intimate communication. But there are times and places where the ability to mask your feelings is important too.
The Power of a Poker Face

Close friends are probably the most important contributor to your lifetime's happiness and your health.
How to Be Close to Your Friends

If you have hard feelings between you and another person, you ought to read this.
How to Melt Hard Feelings

Is it necessary to criticize people? Is there a way to avoid the pain involved?
Take the Sting Out

Would you like to improve your ability to connect with people? Would you like to be a more complete listener? Check this out.
To Zip or Not to Zip

next: Too Polite?

Learn about different massage techniques and whether massage is helpful for treating depression, anxiety, stress, ADHD in children and other mental health and health conditions.

Before engaging in any complementary medical technique, you should be aware that many of these techniques have not been evaluated in scientific studies. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about whether practitioners are required to be professionally licensed. If you plan to visit a practitioner, it is recommended that you choose one who is licensed by a recognized national organization and who abides by the organization's standards. It is always best to speak with your primary health care provider before starting any new therapeutic technique.

• Background
• Theory
• Evidence
• Unproven Uses
• Potential Dangers
• Summary
• Resources

Background

Massage techniques have been practiced for thousands of years in many cultures. There are references to massage in ancient records of Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Egyptian, Indian, Greek and Roman nations.

Massage spread throughout Europe during the Renaissance. The basis of Swedish massage was developed in the 1800s by Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839) as a combination of massage and gymnastic exercises. George and Charles Taylor, two physicians who had studied in Sweden, introduced massage therapy to the United States in the 1850s. By the early 1930s, massage became a less prominent part of American medicine because of increased focus on the biological sciences. Interest increased in the 1970s, when massage became popular among athletes as a therapy to promote musculoskeletal injury healing and pain reduction, as well as well-being, relaxation, stress relief, sleep enhancement and quality-of-life.

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Many approaches can be classified as massage therapy. Most involve the use of fixed or moving pressure or manipulation of the muscles and connective tissues. Practitioners may use their hands, forearms, elbows or feet with or without lubricants to aid the smoothness of massage strokes. Touch is central to massage and is used by therapists to locate painful or tense areas, to determine how much pressure to apply and to establish a therapeutic relationship with clients.

Swedish massage involves several techniques:

• Effleurage — Superficial stroking in a direction away from the heart or deep stroking toward the heart
• Friction — Deep muscle stimulation using the palm, elbow and forearm
• Petrissage — Kneading in a circular pattern using fingers and thumbs, with the goals of enhancing circulation and stimulating muscle tissue
• Tapotement — Rhythmic movements such as slapping or tapping to stimulate muscles, often used for athletes before competitions
• Vibration — Delivered by the therapist's hands or by an electric vibrator

There are many other massage approaches used throughout the world. Examples include:

• Aromatherapy massage uses essential oils with the goal of enhancing healing and relaxation.
• Bindegewebsmassage focuses on connective tissues between the skin and muscles and is based on the theory that some ailments are caused by imbalances in these tissues.
• Classical massage aims to provide calmness and relaxation and to encourage self-healing and revitalization.
• Craniosacral therapists strive to locate and realign imbalances or blockages that are thought to exist in the soft tissues or fluids of the sacrum, head and spine.
• Deep tissue massage uses slow strokes, friction and direct pressure across the muscles with fingers, thumbs or elbows, often with the goal of improving chronic muscular tension.
• Esalen massage focuses on generating a deep state of relaxation and is often combined with other forms of massage.
• Ice massage has been studied for knee osteoarthritis, exercise-induced muscle damage and labor pain, with inconclusive results.
• Jin Shin Do involves finger pressure to acupoints of the body to release muscular tension or stress.
• Manual lymph drainage uses light, rhythmic strokes with the goals of improving lymphatic flow and reducing edema, inflammation or neuropathy.

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• Myofascial release may be used by physical therapists, chiropractors or massage therapists. This approach involves gentle traction, pressure and body positioning to relax and stretch soft tissues.
• Neuromuscular massage, triggerpoint massage and myotherapy are forms of deep massage administered to specific muscles or nerve points, used to release trigger points or entrapped nerves and to relieve pain.
• On-site or chair massage is administered to the upper body of fully clothed clients.
• Physiotherapy aims at stabilization of the lumbar spine in a flexed posture rather than in lumbar lordosis and at increased overall physical fitness.
• Polarity treatment is based on the concept that rebalancing the body's energy fields with gentle massage can improve health and well-being.
• Reflexology aims to return the body to its natural balance by targeting certain areas on the feet (or ears) believed to correspond with specific body parts or organs.
• Rolfing® structural integration involves deep tissue massage aimed at relieving stress as well as improving mobility, posture, balance, muscle function and efficiency, energy and overall well-being.
• Shiatsu emphasizes finger pressure not only at acupoints but also along the body's meridians. This type of massage can incorporate palm pressure, stretching and other manual techniques.
• Sports massage is similar to Swedish massage but is adapted specifically for athletes.
• St. John's neuromuscular technique may be used for chronic pain conditions that involve the musculoskeletal system.
• The Trager approach involves relearning patterns of movement to improve efficiency and well-being.
• Tibetan massage may be performed on any of several areas of the body, based on the practitioner's judgment of the patient's energy flow (for example, head, neck, vertebra, abdomen, legs).

Many other variations and styles of massage or touch exist, often developed in specific regions of the world.

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Most massage approaches involve the client lying face down on a platform or table with a sheet covering the lower body. Depending on the technique, sessions may last from 15 to 90 minutes. Many clients fall asleep during therapy. Environment is considered integral to massage therapy and often consists of a comfortable, warm, quiet location. Soothing repetitive low-volume music or sounds may be played in the background.

Massage therapy practices may be based in a therapist's home, a private practice office, a hospital, spa, athletic club, hair salon, hotel or airport or outdoors. Some practitioners will travel to a client's home or office. Sports massage may be administered in a gym or locker-room setting.

In the United States, licensure requirements for administering massage therapies vary from state to state. Some practitioners are licensed as nurses, physical therapists, massage therapists or other types of health care professionals. Some have attended extensive programs that grant professional degrees. However, many massage practitioners are not licensed, and national or international organizations have not agreed on standards. The International Therapy Examinations Council offers testing in this area.

It is recommended that patients seeking a massage therapist for medical reasons discuss the choice of massage practitioner with their primary health care provider. References and training history should be checked before starting a therapeutic program.

Theory

There are many theories about how massage may work, although none has been scientifically proven. There is limited research in this area. It is suggested that massage may have local effects on muscles and soft tissues, reduce inflammation, soften or stretch scar tissue, reduce the buildup of lactic acid in muscles, stimulate oxygenation of tissues, break up adhesions, induce muscle fiber relaxation and stimulate healing of connective tissues or damaged muscles. Other proposed effects include immune system enhancement, reduction of blood pressure, central nervous system relaxation and sedation, parasympathetic stimulation, blockage of sensations from nerves that sense pain (the "gate theory"), stimulation of blood and lymphatic circulation, decreases in heart rate, increases in skin temperature, endorphin release, alteration of hormones such as cortisol, stimulation of substance P release, stimulation of somatostatin release, sleep enhancement or removal of blood toxins. Practitioners suggest that Swedish massage may assist the body in delivering nutrients and removing waste products from various tissues.

There is little high-quality research of massage. Scientifically based conclusions about the effectiveness of massage cannot be drawn at this time for any health condition.

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Evidence

Scientists have studied massage for the following health problems:

Anxiety
There are several trials of massage in individuals with anxiety. Studies have focused on patients with cancer, chronic illnesses, headache, dementia, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, anxiety, stress, depression or premenstrual syndrome; before or during medical procedures; and agitation in elderly institutionalized patients. However, most research is not well designed. Better studies are necessary to make a scientifically based recommendation.

Asthma
There is promising initial evidence that massage may improve lung function in children with asthma. Better research is necessary to make a firm conclusion.

Back pain
Several studies in humans report temporary improvements in low back pain with various massage techniques. However, most studies are not well designed. Better-quality research is necessary to make a scientifically based recommendation.

Constipation
A small number of studies report that abdominal massage may be helpful in patients with constipation. Overall, these studies are not well designed or reported. Better-quality research is necessary to make a scientifically based recommendation.

Musculoskeletal conditions/chronic pain
Preliminary research reports that massage may help relieve chronic pain. Soft tissue massage may also improve range of motion and function. Further well-designed study is needed to confirm these results.

Dementia
Several studies have used massage (with or without essential oils) in patients with dementia living in chronic care facilities in order to assess effects on behavior. Early evidence suggests that aromatherapy with essential oils may reduce agitation in patients with dementia, although the effects of massage itself are not clear.

Depression
There is not enough scientific information to conclude if massage is helpful in patients with major depressive disorder, situational mood disorder, critical illness, pregnancy, or postpartum depression (including infant massage).

Fibromyalgia
A small number of studies report that massage may improve pain, depression and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. Additional research is necessary to form a scientifically based recommendation.

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Iliotibial band friction syndrome
There is not enough scientific information to conclude if massage is helpful in patients with iliotibial band friction syndrome, a painful tendonitis of the lower leg that occurs in joggers and other athletes.

Multiple sclerosis
Initial research reports that massage may improve anxiety, depression, self-esteem, body image and social functioning in patients with multiple sclerosis. Benefits on the disease process itself have not been well evaluated. Additional research is necessary to make a firm conclusion.

Infant development, neonatal care
Therapists or mothers sometimes use massage in pre-term infants with the goal of improving infant development and weight gain. Although several studies are reported, it remains unclear if this is a beneficial therapy.

Postoperative recovery
Several massage approaches have been used after surgery with the aim of improving recovery and decreasing pain. Better research is necessary to make a firm conclusion.

Pregnancy and labor
Massage approaches are sometimes used during pregnancy and labor, more commonly in Europe than in the United States. Reduction of pain or anxiety is often the goal. There is not enough research to determine if this is effective or safe. Pregnant women should speak with their health care provider before beginning massage therapy, particularly if massage to the abdominal area is involved.

Premenstrual syndrome
There is not enough scientific information to conclude if massage is helpful in women with premenstrual syndrome or with premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Well-being in cancer patients
Massage techniques are frequently used in patients with cancer, with the goals of improving well-being and reducing anxiety. Although there are many anecdotal reports of benefits, there is not enough reliable scientific evidence to draw a firm conclusion.

Immune function
Preliminary evidence suggests massage therapy may preserve immune function. One randomized study reported that massage treatment maintained immunocompetence in HIV-1-infected children without antiretroviral medication. Another study stated an increase in lymphocytes in women with breast cancer. Further research is needed before a firm conclusion can be made.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Preliminary research suggests massage therapy improves mood and behavior in children with ADHD. Additional evidence is needed before a recommendation can be made.

 

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Unproven Uses

Massage has been suggested for many other uses, based on tradition or on scientific theories. However, these uses have not been thoroughly studied in humans, and there is limited scientific evidence about safety or effectiveness. Some of these suggested uses are for conditions that are potentially life-threatening. Consult with a health care provider before using massage for any use.

Alzheimer's disease Athletic performance Atopic dermatitis Autism Bronchitis Bulimia Burns Cancer Chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic pain Coccygodynia Colitis Confidence building Crohn's disease Cystic fibrosis Diabetes Diabetic neuropathy Diarrhea Diverticulitis Eczema Endorphin release stimulation Enhanced breathing Enhanced circulation Enhanced digestion Enhanced immunity Enhanced lymph flow Exercise-induced muscle damage Exercise-related pain Gastritis Headache Heart rate reduction High blood pressure HIV/AIDS Hormonal imbalances Increased alertness Increased insulin activity at injection sites Increased parasympathetic nervous system activity Inflammation Inflammatory bowel disease

Insomnia Intensive care unit stress Irritable bowel syndrome Joint disorders Leukemia Mastectomy recovery Menstrual cramps Migraine Mother-infant bonding Muscle relaxation Muscle spasm Muscle wasting/weakness Nausea Neurocirculatory asthenia Osteoarthritis Pain Paralysis rehabilitation Postpartum hemorrhage Posture improvement Pressure ulcers Prostatitis Pruritis Recovery from surgery Repetitive strain injury Restless legs syndrome Rheumatoid arthritis Seizure disorder Self-image improvement Sinusitis Skin care Sleep disorders Smoking cessation Sports-related injuries Sprains Strains Temporomandibular joint disorder Tendonitis Ulcerative colitis Weight loss

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Potential Dangers

Reports of adverse effects of massage are rare, although this area is not well studied. Bone fractures, discomfort, skin bruising, swelling of massaged tissues, a case of liver hematoma (internal bruising), cerebrovascular accidents, displacement of a ureteral stent, embolization of a kidney, leg ulcers, nerve damage, posterior interosseous syndrome, pseudoaneurism, pulmonary embolism, ruptured uterus, strangulation of neck, thyrotoxicosis and various pain syndromes have been reported.

Areas of the body where there are fractures, weakened bones from osteoporosis or cancer, open or healing skin wounds, skin infections, recent surgery or blood clots should not be massaged. Individuals with bleeding disorders or low platelet counts or those taking blood-thinning medications (such as heparin or warfarin) should avoid vigorous massage. Allergies or skin irritation can occur with some essential oils used in massage.

Pregnant women should speak with their health care provider before beginning massage therapy, particularly if massage to the abdominal area is involved. In general, touch-based therapies should be used cautiously in people with a history of physical abuse. Massage should not cause pain to the client.

Massage should not be used as a substitute for more proven therapies. Massage has not been evaluated as a method to diagnose medical conditions.

Summary

Various types of massage are used throughout the world for many health conditions. Relief of pain, anxiety, muscle spasm or tension or depression and athletic event preparation are common uses. There is limited reliable scientific evidence in these areas, and it remains unclear if massage is effective for any specific health condition. Massage should not be used as a substitute for more proven therapies, and it is not a diagnostic technique. Massage should be used cautiously in pregnant women and in those at risk of fracture or bleeding.

The information in this monograph was prepared by the professional staff at Natural Standard, based on thorough systematic review of scientific evidence. The material was reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School with final editing approved by Natural Standard.

back to: Alternative Medicine Home ~ Alternative Medicine Treatments

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Resources

1. Natural Standard: An organization that produces scientifically based reviews of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) topics
2. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM): A division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services dedicated to research

Selected Scientific Studies: Massage

Natural Standard reviewed more than 1,070 articles to prepare the professional monograph from which this version was created.

Some of the more recent studies are listed below:

1. Aly H, Moustafa MF, Hassanein SM, et al. Physical activity combined with massage improves bone mineralization in premature infants: a randomized trial. J Perinatol 2004;24(5):305-309.
2. Blanc-Louvry I, Costaglioli B, Boulon C, et al. Does mechanical massage of the abdominal wall after colectomy reduce postoperative pain and shorten the duration of ileus? Results of a randomized study. J Gastrointest Surg 2002;6(1):43-49.
3. Bowles EJ, Griffiths DM, Quirk L, et al. Effects of essential oils and touch on resistance to nursing care procedures and other dementia-related behaviours in a resident care facility. Internat J Aromather 2002;12(1):22-29.
4. Brosseau L, Casimiro L, Milne S, et al. Deep transverse friction massage for treating tendonitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2002;(2):CD003528.
5. Callaghan MJ. The role of massage in the management of the athlete: a review. Br J Sports Med 1993;27(1):28-33.
6. Diego MA, Field T, Sanders C, et al. Massage therapy of moderate and light pressure and vibrator effects on EEG and heart rate. Int J Neurosci 2003;114(1):31-44.
7. Ernst E. The safety of massage therapy. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2003;Sep, 42(9):1101-1106.
8. Epub 2003;May 30. Review. Ernst E. Does post-exercise massage treatment reduce delayed onset muscle soreness? A systematic review. Br J Sports Med 1998;32(3):212-214.

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1. Ernst E. Massage therapy for low back pain: a systematic review. J Pain Symptom Manage 1999;17(1):65-69.
2. Field T, Diego MA, Hernandez-Reif M, et al. Massage therapy effects on depressed pregnant women. J Psychosom Ostet Gynaecol 2004;25(2):115-122.
3. Field T, Henteleff T, Hernandez-Reif M, et al. Children with asthma have improved pulmonary functions after massage therapy. J Pediatr 1998;132(5):854-858.
4. Field T. Massage better than relaxation therapy for fibromyalgia. J Clin Rheumatol 2002;8(2):72-76.
5. Fogel GR, Cunningham PY 3rd, Esses SI. Coccygodynia: evaluation and management. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2004;Jan-Feb, 12(1):49-54.
6. Forchuk C, Baruth P, Prendergast M, et al. Postoperative arm massage: a support for women with lymph node dissection. Cancer Nurs 2004;27(1):25-33.
7. Furlan AD, Brosseau L, Imamura M, et al. Massage for low-back pain: a systematic review within the framework of the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group. Spine 2002;27(17):1896-1910.
8. Gauthier DM. The healing potential of back massage. Online J Knowl Synth Nurs 1999;Jun 17, 6:5.
9. Goffaux-Dogniez C, Vanfraechem-Raway R, Verbanck P. Appraisal of treatment of the trigger points associated with relaxation to treat chronic headache in the adult: relationship with anxiety and stress adaptation strategies. Encephale 2003;Sep-Oct, 29(5):377-390.
10. French. Hasson D, Arnetz B, Jelveus L, Edelstam B. A randomized clinical trial of the treatment effects of massage compared to relaxation tape recordings on diffuse long-term pain. Psychother Psychosom 2004;Jan-Feb, 73(1):17-24.
11. Hernandez-Reif M, Ironson G, Field T, et al. Breast cancer patients have improved immune and neuroendocrine functions following massage therapy. J Psychosom Res 2004;57(1):45-52.
12. Hernandez-Reif M, Martinez A, Field T, et al. Premenstrual symptoms are relieved by massage therapy. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 2000;21(1):9-15.
13. Howatson G, Van Someren KA. Ice massage: effects on exercise-induced muscle damage. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2003;Dec, 43(4):500-505.
14. Khilnani S, Field T, Hernandez-Reif M, et al. Massage therapy improves mood and behavior of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Adolescence 2003;38(152):623-638.
15. Muller-Oelinghausen B, Berg C, Scherer P, et al. [Effects of slow-stroke massage as complementary treatment of depressed hospitalized patients]. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2004;129(24):1363-1368.
16. Moyer CA, Rounds J, Hannum JW. A meta-analysis of massage therapy research. Psychol Bull 2004;130(1):3-18.
17. Piotrowski MM, Paterson C, Mitchinson A, et al. Massage as adjuvant therapy in the management of acute postoperative pain: a preliminary study in men. J Am Coll Surg 2003;197(6):1037-1046.
18. Remington R. Calming music and hand massage with agitated elderly. Nurs Res 2002;Sep-Oct, 51(5):317-323.
19. Shor-Posner G, Miguez MJ, Hernandez-Reif M, et al. Massage therapy in HIV-1 infected Dominican children: a preliminary report on the efficacy of massage therapy to preserve the immune system in children without antiretroviral medication. J Altern Complement Med 2004;10(6):1093-1095.
20. Trotter JF. Hepatic hematoma after deep tissue massage. N Engl J Med 1999;341(26):2019-2020.
21. van den Dolder PA, Roberts DL. A trial into the effectiveness of soft tissue massage in the treatment of shoulder pain. Aust J Physiother 2003;49(3):183-188.
22. Vickers A, Ohlsson A, Lacy JB, et al. Massage for promoting growth and development of preterm and/or low birth-weight infants (Cochrane Review). The Cochrane Library 2002;(2).
23. Walach H, Guthlin C, Konig M. Efficacy of massage therapy in chronic pain: a pragmatic randomized trial. J Altern Complement Med 2003;Dec, 9(6):837-846.
24. Waters BL, Raisler J. Ice massage for the reduction of labor pain. J Midwifery Womens Health 2003;Sep-Oct, 48(5):317-321.
25. Westcombe AM, Gambles MA, Wilkinson SM, et al. Learning the hard way! Setting up an RCT of aromatherapy massage for patients with advanced cancer. Palliat Med 2003;Jun, 17(4):300-307.
26. Wunschmann BW, Sigl T, Ewert T, et al. Physical therapy to treat spinal stenosis. Orthopade 2003;Oct, 32(10):865-868. Review. German.

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Good relationships are at the core of a happy life. If you are dissatisfied with your life, one of the tasks you and your therapist face is to explore the true nature of your relationships (parents, spouse/lover, friends, children, boss, etc.) past and present. The "true nature" is not necessarily what appears on the surface. We often "make" relationships work by adapting ourselves to them. For example, we may learn to ask for as little as possible from a depressed parent, or not to challenge an angry spouse. Over time, these responses become second nature, and we forget that we are being reactive. As a result, we may feel dissatisfied, but we don't know why.

Just as the "true nature" of relationships may not be what appears on the surface, so to, the "true nature" of communication may be disguised. Hidden messages are sent and received in all relationships. Hidden messages are those that are delivered "between the lines," verbally and non-verbally. They can be positive or negative, affirming or destructive. Often, these messages are more powerful than the ones directly spoken.

Let me give you a common example of what I mean by "hidden message." I'm sure you know people who, whenever you present a situation that has been troubling you, respond: "This is what you should do..." and proceed to describe how you should solve your problem. On the surface this advice appears to be a helpful response (and indeed sometimes it is). But there also may be an hidden message. What might the hidden message be from the advice giver? There are a number of possibilities:

1. Look at me---I am so smart!
2. Just do this and stop bothering me; I have troubles of my own.
3. Your situation makes me anxious; if I tell you what you should do, I'll feel less anxious.
4. I love you and I'm trying to be helpful.
5. All or some of the above.

As you can see, communication between two human beings is a complicated affair. While a message may appear to be straight-forward on the surface, underneath it may be constructive, destructive, or both. A skilled therapist is often needed to identify the hidden messages that fly back and forth between two people. This is especially true in couples therapy.

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The hidden messages received as children, both positive and negative, have far reaching and powerful effects. Our sense of self and sometimes even our life goals are strongly influenced by these messages. They are deeply woven into the fabric of who we are and what we want, and they impact the kinds of relationships we choose later in life. How does this happen? Let me give an example.

Consider a child who's parents rarely "heard" or valued what he/she was saying. While the parents were able to repeat their child's words back (and on the surface may have appeared to be empathic), they rarely paused to think about the meaning of those words from the child's perspective and savor his or her unique experience of the world. Perhaps the parent was more interested in sharing their thoughts and feelings because they desperately needed to be heard themselves, or, alternatively, they were too stressed or unhappy to listen. Either way, the hidden message to the child is: "Your 'voice' is not important. " Or, in the most severe circumstances: "You have no voice--you barely exist."

What happens when such a child grows up and looks for adult relationships? Here are two possible scenarios. The first is that the person will chronically be unable to hear what is at the heart of their spouse's/lover's communication--instead they will be chronically focused on being "heard' themselves. The person is "starved" for attention, and there is little to spare for anyone else. Interestingly, such a person may not realize that their needs supersede everyone else's. In fact, they may view everyone else as getting too much and themselves, too little. They may become just like the parent or parents who could not listen (see Voicelessness: Narcissism for more on this type of person.)

Alternatively, a person from this background might constantly seek out lovers who are similar to his/her parents, people who cannot "hear." As a result, the person receives the same message, "your voice is not important," over and over again. Why would a person want to put themselves back in a situation that was so unsatisfying? Two reasons: first, "not being heard" feels familiar. And second, there is a continued wish to make someone who doesn't "hear" hear, someone who doesn't value anyone, value them (see Little Voices and Why Do Some People Choose One Bad Relationship After Another? for more on this type of person.)

Unfortunately, many adults are ruled by hidden messages from childhood. A therapist, skilled in "between-the-lines" communication can expose them and loosen their hold. This is one of the values of psychotherapy.

About the author: Dr. Grossman is a clinical psychologist and author of the Voicelessness and Emotional Survival web site.

next: "Better Communication": The Great Myth of Couples Therapy

Books that offer support and insight into healing, wholeness, personal growth, psychotherapy and more.

"I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little further down our particular path than we have gone ourselves."
-E. M. Forster

For as long as I can remember, I've always loved books -- they have taught, comforted, entertained, and helped to create me. Below is a list of books that I have found to be particularly valuable. By no means is this a complete list. I have loved many books, far too many to include on this page.

Many who have visited this page have recommended books to me and I thank you for sharing your discoveries.Several kind folks (including my wonderful webmaster at 1k.com) have also suggested that I place a link to Amazon in order to make ordering simple for those who'd like to purchase (as well as to recoup some of the expenses of maintaining this website.) Finally, I've heeded their advice (if you were one of those who made the suggestion -thanks for your patience with me.)

If you would like more information about any one of the books listed that has an "order now" link beside it, just click on the link and you'll be able to read reviews and even book samples in some cases. I present to you the following:

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INDEX:

• Aging
• The environment
• For Children and Young Adults
• Health and Healing
• Journaling and Creativity
• Life Styles and Values
• Loss
• For and about Men
• Parenting
• Psychotherapy
• Recovery
• Relationships
• Spirituality
• Transitions
• For and about Women
• Women's Fiction
• Work
• Thought Provoking Fiction

Aging

"Age Happens: The Best Quotes About Growing Older" edited by Bruce Lansky Order Today!

"Aging, Spirituality, and Religion: A Handbook" edited by Melvin Kimble Order Today!

"From Age-Ing to Sage-Ing" by Zalman Shalomi-Schachter Order Today!

"Listening To Midlife: Turning Your Crisis into a Quest" by Mark Gerzon Order Today!

"New Passages: Mapping Your Life Across Time" by Gail Sheehy Order Today!

"The Green Pharmacy : New Discoveries in Herbal Remedies for Common Diseases and Conditions from the World's Foremost Authority on Healing Herbs by James A. Duke

"Women as Elders: Images, Visions and Issues" edited by Marilyn Bell Order Today!

"The Measure of My Days" by Florida Scott-Maxwell Order Today!

"Why We Age : What Science Is Discovering About the Body's Journey Throughout Life" by Steven N. Austad Order Today!

"1003 Great Things About Getting Older" edited by Lisa Birnbach Order Today!

"The Girls with the Grandmmother Faces: A Celebration of Life's Potential for Those Over Fifty-five" by Frances Weaver Order Today!

"The Last Gift of Time: LIfe Beyond Sixty" by Carolyn G. Heilbrun Order Today!

"Be an Outrageous Older Woman" by Ruth Harriet Jacobs Order Today!

For Children and Young Adults

"Glory! To the Flowers by Maggie Steincrohn Davis Order Today!

"A Ring of Endless Light" by Madeleine L' Engle Order Today!

"Baby Alicia is Dying" by Lurlene McDaniel Order Today!

"Charlottes Web" by E.B. White Order Today!

"Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul" by Jack Canfield Order Today!

"Emily of New Moon" by Lucy Maud Montgomery Order Today!

"Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown Order Today!

"Hester in the Wild" by Sandra Boynton (currently out of print)

"Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell Order Today!

"Miss Rumphius" by Barbara Cooney Order Today!

"The Black Stallion" by Walter Farley Order Today!

"The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein Order Today!

"The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett Order Today!

"A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Tasha Tudor Order Today!

Environment

"The Lost Gospel of the Earth: A Call for Renewing Nature, Spirit, and Politics" by Tom Hayden Order Today!

"Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit" by Al Gore Order Today!

"Building the Green Movement" by Rudolph Bahro (out of print)

"Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories of Living Lightly on the Earth" by Bill McKibben Order Today!

"Heaven is Under Our Feet" edited by Don Henley and David Marsh Order Today!

"50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth" by the Earthworks Group (out of print)

"50 Simple Things Your Business Can Do to Save the Earth" by The Earthworks Group Order Today!

"Man and Nature" by George Perkins Marsh (out of print)

"Muddling Toward Frugality" by Warren Johnson (out of print)

"The Green Lifestyle Handbook: 1001 Ways You Can Heal the Earth" edited by Jeremy Rifkin (out of print)

"The Healing Earth: Nature's Medicine For the Troubled Soul" by Philip Sutton Chard (out of print)

"The Power of Place: How our Surroundings Shape our Thoughts, Emotions and Actions" by Winnifred Gallagher Order Today!

"The Wilderness Reader" edited by Frank Bergon

Health and Healing

"A Different Kind of Healing" by Oscar Janiger and Philip Goldberg (out of print)

"Healing into Life and Death" by Stephen Levine Order Today!

"Love, Medicine and Miracles" by Bernie Seigel Order Today!

"Living With Chronic Illness: Days of Patience and Passion" by Cheri Register Order Today!

"Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer" by Kenneth Pelletier Order Today!

"The Insider's Guide to HMO's : How to Navigate the Managed-Care System and Get the Health Care You Deserve" by Alan J. Steinberg, Alan J. Steinberg M. D. Order Today!

"The Mozart Effect : Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind and Unlock the Creative Spirit" by Don Cambell Order Today!

"The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine" by James Dossey Order Today!

"The Complete Medicinal Herbal" by Penelope Ody Order Today!

"You Are Not Your Illness: Seven Principles for Meeting the Challenge" by Linda Noble Topf and Hal Zina Bennett Order Today!

"One Degree Beyond: A Reiki Journey into Energy Medicine" by Janeanne Narrin ) Order Today!

"Sick and Tired of Feeling Sick and Tired: Living with Invisible Chronic Illness" by Paul J. Donoghue and Mary E. Siegel Order Today!

Journaling and Creativity

"Journal to the Self: Twenty-two Paths to Personal Growth" by Kathleen Adams Order Today!

"Pain and Possibility: Writing Your Way Through Personal Crisis" by Gabriele Rico Order Today!

"The Artists' Way: A Spiritual Path To Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron Order Today!

"The Creative Journal: The Art of Finding Yourself" by Lucia Capacchione Order Today!

"The New Diary" by Tristine Rainer Order Today!

"Giving Voice to Myself: A Memory Book for Women" by Peg Streep and Claudia Karabaic Sargent Order Today!

"The Healing Journey: Your Journal of Self-Discovery" by Phil Rich and Stuart Copans Order Today!

"Idea Catcher: An Inspiring Journal for Writers" by Editors of Story Press Order Today!

"A Trail Through Leaves: The Journal as a Path to Place" by Hannah Hinchman Order Today!

Lifestyles and Values

Awakening Earth: Exploring the Evolution of Human Culture and Consciousness by Duane Elgin Order Today!

Phoenix Soul: One Man's Search for Love & Inner Peace by David Essell Order Today!

New Age Directory of Planet Earth: The First International Directory of Body-Mind-Spirit Source Book" by Patti Normady Greenwood and Darrell Thomas Wilson. Order Today!

"A Country Year: Living the Questions" by Sue Hubble Order Today!

"A Return to Love" by Marianne Williamson Order Today!

"A Guide for the Perplexed" by E.F. Schumacher Order Today!

"A Better Place to Live: New Designs for Tomorrow's Communities" by Michael Corbett (out of print)

"Ecology, Community and Life Style" by Arne Naess Order Today!

"Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi Order Today!

"In Search of the Simple Life" by David E. Shi Order Today!

"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Emil Frankl Order Today!

"People and Planet" edited by Tom Woodhouse Order Today!

"The Aquarian Conspiracy" by Marilyn Ferguson Order Today!

"To Have or to Be" by Eric Fromm Order Today!

"Voluntary Simplicity" by Duanne Elgin Order Today!

"What Really Matters: Searching for Wisdom in America" by Tony SchwartzOrder Today!

"Adventures in Simple Living: A Creation-Centered Spirituality" by Rich Hefren (out of print)

"Sustainable America: America's Environment in the 21st Century" edited by Daniel Sitarz Order Today!

"Your Money of Your LIfe" by Joe Domnguez and Vicki Robin Order Today!

"The Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life" by Cecile Andrews Order Today!

"A Place Called Simplicity" by Claire Cloninger Order Today!

"The Good LIfe: Helen and Scott Nearings Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living" by Helen and Scott Nearing Order Today!

Loss

"Swallowed by a Snake: The Gift of the Masculine Side of Healing" by Thomas R. Golden Order Today!

"Chicken Soup for the Soul" by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen Order Today!

"Pathfinders" by Gail Sheehey (out of print)

"A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis Order Today!

"Beyond Endurance: When a Child Dies" by Ronald J Knapp (out of print)

"How to Survive the Loss of a Love" by Colgrove, Bloomfield, and McWilliams Order Today!

"In the Face of Death" by Peter Noll (out of print)

"Necessary Losses" by Judith Viorst Order Today!

"The Mourning Handbook" by Helen Fitzgerald Order Today!

How to Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies by Therese A. Rando Order Today!

For and about Men

"Flying Boy" by John Lee Order Today!

"Fire In the Belly: On Being a Man" by Sam Keen Order Today!

"Learning To Live Without Violence" by Daniel Jay Sonkin Order Today!

The Secret Love of Sons : How We Men Feel About Our Mothers, and Why We Never Tell by Nicholas Weinstock Order Today!

"To Be a Man" by Keith Thompson Order Today!

"Violent No More: Helping Men End Domestic Abuse" by Michael Paymar Order Today!

Parenting

"Discipline Without Shouting or Spanking" by Jerry Wychoff and Barbara Unell Order Today!

"Siblings Without Rivalry" by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish Order Today!

"How to Talk so Kids Cans Learn at Home and in School" by Lisa Nyberg and Rosalyn Anstin Templeton Order Today!

"Siblings Without Rivalry" by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish Order Today!

"All That She Can Be: Helping Your Daughter Maintain Her Self-Esteem" by Carol J. Earle and Carol Colman Order Today!

"Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul" by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hanson Order Today!

"How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids will Talk" by Adele Faber Order Today!

"Celebrating Girls : Nurturing and Empowering Our Daughters" by Virginia Beane Rutter and Virginia Beane Order Today!

"Caring for Your School-Age Child : Ages 5 to 12" by Edward L. Schor Order Today

"Parenting By Heart" by Ron Taffel (out of print)

"Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls" by Mary Bray Pipher Order Today!

"The Centering Book: Awareness Activities for Children, Parents, and Teachers" by Gay Hendricks (out of print)

"The Optimistic Child" by Martin E. Seligman, et al Order Today!

Psychotherapy

"A Guide to Psychotherapy with Gay and Lesbian Clients" edited by John Gonsiorek Order Today!

"Bulimia: A System Approach" by Maria Root (out of print)

"In Search of Solutions: A New Direction in Psychotherapy" by William Hudson O'Hanlon and Michele Weiner-Davis Order Today!

"Healing the Incest Wound: Adult Survivors in Therapy" by Christine Courtois Order Today!

"Healing Voices: Feminist Approaches to Therapy with Women" by Toni Ann Laidlow, Cheryl Malmo, and associates Order Today!

"Homework in Counseling and Psychotherapy" by John L Shelton and Mark Ackermon (out of print)

"Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy" by Irvin D. Yalom Order Today!

"The Invisible Wound: A New Approach to Healing Childhood Sexual Abuse" by Wayne Kritsberg (out of print)

"Awakening the Heart: East/West Approaches to Psychotherapy and the Healing Relationship" edited by John Welwood Order Today!

"Beware the Talking Cure: Psychotherapy May be Hazardous to Your Mental Health" by Terrence W. Campbell Order Today!

"At the Speed of LIfe: A New Approach to Personal Change Through Body-Centered Therapy" by Gail Hendricks and Kathlyn Hendricks Order Today!

Recovery

"An Unquiet Mind" by Kay Redfield Jamison Order Today!

"A Hole in The World: An American Boyhood" by Richard Rhodes (out of print)

"After the Tears: Reclaiming the Personal Losses of Childhood" by Jane Middleton-Moz and Lorie Dwinell (out of stock)

"Broken Boys/ Mending Men: Recovery From Child Sexual Abuse" by Stephen Grubman-Black Order Today!

"Conspiracy of Silence: The Trauma of Incest" by Sandra Butler Order Today!

"Growing Through The Pain: The Incest Survivors Companion" by Catherine Bronson (out of print)

"It Will Never Happen to Me: Children of Alcoholics" by Claudia Black Order Today!

"Legacy of the Heart: The Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood" by Wayne Muller Order Today!

"Making Peace With Your Adult Children" by Shauna Smith Order Today!

"Outgrowing the Pain: A Book for and About Adults Abused as Children" by Eliana Gil Order Today!

"Perfect Daughters" by Robert J. Ackerman Order Today!

"Recovering From Rape" by Linda Ledray Order Today!

"Sexual Exploitation Within Professional Relationships" edited by Glen Gabbard Order Today!

"Strong at the Broken Places" by Linda Sanford (out of print)

"The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse" by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis Order Today!

"The Obsession: Reflections on the Tyranny of Slenderness" by Kim Chernin Order Today!

"The Sexual Healing Journey" by Wendy Maltz Order Today!

"The Woman Inside: From Incest Victim to Survivor" by Patty Derosier Barnes Order Today!

"Trauma and Recovery" by Judith Lewis Herman Order Today!

"Victims No Longer: Men Recovering From Incest" by Mike Lew Order Today!

"When Helping You Is Hurting Me: Escaping The Messiah Trap" by Carmen Renee Berry (out of stock)

Relationships

"Allies In Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child" by Laura Davis Order Today!

"Love and Addiction" by Stanton Peele (out of print)

"Love is a Verb: How to Stop Analyzing Your Relationship and Start Making it Great" by Bill O'Hanlon and Pat Hudson Order Today!

"On Caring" by Milton Mayeroff Order Today!

"The Art of Loving" by Erich Fromm Order Today!

"Women Who Love Too Much" by Robin Norwood Order Today!

"I Love You, Let's Work it Out" by David M. Viscott Order Today!

"10 Steps to a Great Relationship" by Howard J. Rankin Order Today!

Spirituality

"A Worldly Spirituality: The Call to Redeem Life on Earth" by Wesley Granberg-Michaelson (out of print)

"As Above, So Below: Path's to Spiritual Renewal in Daily Life" edited by Ronald S. Miller Order Today!

"Death of a Hero: Birth of a Soul" by John C. Robinson Order Today!

"Fire in the Soul: A New Psychology of Spiritual Optimism" by Joan Borysenko Order Today!

"Hymns to an Unknown God" by Sam Keen Order Today!

"Nourishing The Soul" edited by Anne Simpkinson Order Today!

"Minyan : Ten Principles for Living a Life of Integrity Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro Order Today!

"Soul Food : Stories to Nourish the Spirit and the Heart" edited by Jack Kornfield and Christina Feldman Order Today!

"The Feminine Face of God : The Unfolding of the Sacred in Women" by Patricia Hopkins and Sherry Ruth Anderson Order Today!

"The Four-Fold Way : Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary" by Angeles Arrien Order Today!

"Wrestling with the Prophets: Essays on Creation Spirituality and Everyday Life" by Matthew Fox Order Today!

Transitions

"Pathfinders" by Gail Sheehy (out of print)

"Necessary Losses" by Judith Viorst Order Today!

"Light From Many Lamps" edited by Lillian Eichler Watson Order Today!

"Managing Transitions: Making the most of Change" by William Bridges Order Today!

"The Art of Ritual: A Guide to Creating and Performing Your Rituals for Growth and Change" by Renee Beck Order Today!

For and about Women

"Battered Wives" by Del Martin Order Today!

"Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul" by Jack Canfield Order Today!

"Circle of Stones: Woman's Journey to Herself" by Judith Duerk Order Today!

"Everyday Sacred: A woman's Journey Home" by Sue Bender Order Today!

"Fat is a Feminist Issue" by Susie Orbach Order Today!

"I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America" by Brian Lanker Order Today!

"Storming Heaven's Gate : An Anthology of Spiritual Writings by Women" edited by Amber Coverdale Sumrall and, Patrice Vecchione Order Today!

"The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women" by Naomi Wolf Order Today!

"Transforming Body Image" by Maria Germaine Hutchinson Order Today!

"Getting Free: A Handbook for Women in Abusive Relationships" by Ginny NiCarthy Order Today!

"Women and Madness" by Phyllis Chesler Order Today!

"Women Who Love Too Much" by Robin Norwood Order Today!

Women's Fiction

"Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" by Rebecca Wells Order Today!

"Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café" by Fannie Flag Order Today!

"Reckoning" by May Sarton Order Today!

"She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb Order Today!

"The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver Order Today!

"The Woman's Room" by Marilyn French Order Today!

"The Women of Brewster Place" by Gloria Naylor Order Today!

"The Book of Ruth" by Jane Hamilton Order Today!

"The Boys of My Youth" by Joann Beard Order Today!

Work

"Artful Work: Awakening Joy, Meaning, and Commitment in the Work Place" by Dick Richards Order Today!

"Confessions of an Accidental Businessman" by James A Autry Order Today!

"301 Ways to Have Fun at Work" by Dave Hemsath and Leslie Yerkes Order Today!

"The Soul of a Business: Managing by Profit and Common Good" by Tom Chappell Order Today!

"The Reinvention of Work: A New Vision of Livelihood for our Time " by Matthew Fox Order Today!

"Love and Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership" by James A Autry Order Today!

"Awakening Corporate Soul: Four Paths to Unleash the Power of People at Work" by Eric Klein and John B. Izzo Order Today!

Thought Provoking Fiction

"A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving Order Today!

"Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn Order Today!

"Johnny Got His Gun" by Dalton Trumbo Order Today!

"One" by Richard Bach Order Today!

"The Celistine Prophesy" by John Redfield Order Today!

"The Color Purple" by Alice Walker Order Today!

"The House of the Spirits" by Isabel Alende Order Today!

"The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You" by Dorothy Bryant Order Today!

"The Truth Machine" by James L Halperin Order Today!

"Talk Before Sleeping" by Elizabeth Berg Order Today!

"My Ishmael: A Sequel" by Daniel Quinn Order Today!

"All is Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque Order Today!

"Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach Order Today!

"The Bridge Across Forever" by Richard Bach Order Today!

"The Golden Notebook" by Doris Lessing Order Today!

Audiobooks by Tammie Fowles

"BirthQuake: Journey to Wholeness" Order Today!

"Discovering Meaning" Order Today!

"Embracing the Spirit" Order Today!

"The Mind/Body Dance" Order Today!

A friend asked me why I hadn't listed the BirthQuake series on this page. "Don't you value them?" she queried. I shared with her that I very much valued them because as I wrote BirthQuake, it began to write me. "But it seems somehow wrong to list them here." I explained to my friend. A very special look she gives me from time to time was her only response. So I decided to add them. She has a way of saying so much without a single word.

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