I was in India in 1993 to help manage a community for orphans and blind children on behalf of a German charity. During the monsoon season, the week of the big Hyderabad earthquake, I took an all-day train ride almost all the way across the subcontinent (from Bombay through Hyderabad to Rajamundri) to visit an obscure town near the Bay of Bengal. In the train compartment with me were several Indian businessmen and a physician, and we had plenty of time to talk as the countryside flew by from sunrise to sunset.

Curious about how they viewed our children diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), I asked, “Are you familiar with those types of people who seem to crave stimulation, yet have a hard time staying with any one focus for a period of time? They may hop from career to career and sometimes even from relationship to relationship, never seeming to settle into one job or into a life with one person â���� but the whole time they remain incredibly creative and inventive.”

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It’s been said that laughter is medicine for the soul. Researchers have now proven that this is not just a saying but the actual truth.

Laughter therapy has been shown to help people who are ill or facing tough physical challenges.

It’s true that our mood affects our health. Stress, feeling down, anxiety and depression can all lead to ill health in many ways. By contrast, laughter can help ease many medical conditions.

When we laugh our muscles relax and we release endorphins into our system. These endorphins (or happy hormones) make us feel good and relieve stress from our bodies. By relieving our bodies of stress and pent-up anxiety, we help boost our immunity and fight off a host of illnesses and conditions.

Did you know that optimists have been shown to live healthier lives? It’s true, and laughter is of course related to being an optimist. By being a person who always looks at the bright side of things and manages to laugh even when things get tough, you stand a chance of a longer, healthier life. Not to mention an improved quality of life as well.

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Clinical depression is radically different from a passing feeling of sadness. It is a phase of low mood that lasts for more than three to four weeks at a stretch. Typical symptoms of depression are social withdrawal, insomnia, change in appetite, weight gain or loss, extreme pessimism and a feeling of worthlessness.

Passing phases of sadness can potentially lead to clinical depression if not attended to. It is imperative that you arm yourself with some protection to avoid such a situation. Some simple procedures including natural remedies for depression can prove very helpful in boosting energy levels and avoiding depressive moods.

According to the ancient Indian therapy Ayurveda, disease is caused by an imbalance of the three aspects. These aspects are the basis of the healthy functioning of a body. They are vata (wind), kapha (phlegm) and pitta (heat). Depression occurs when this imbalance is accompanied by â��œlack of awareness of one ‘s deeper, inner Self.â�

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With the pressures of society coming down heavily on our children, anxiety and mood disorders have become extremely prevalent. Though the term �

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The most difficult part of grief over the death of a pet is that probably no one except you understands your grief. Somehow or the other, the death of an animal is hard for people to compare with the death of a human being. It is only you and your family who understand how close a companion the pet had been. Grief on the death of a pet is normal and the extent largely depends upon your bond with the pet. Children are especially fond of pets and it affects them the most.

How the child is affected by the death of a pet also depends on the age of the child. Up to a certain age, children are unable to understand the permanency of death. They are likely to keep asking questions about the absence of their loved pet when they do not see him around. It is only after they are explained that they realize that the pet is gone forever. Managing pet grief in children is all about explaining irreversibility of death if the child is old enough or simply by hugging and holding just as you would when the child is disturbed due to another reason.

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