Tag: happy

Out of Harm’s Way

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Autism: Which children can respond to oxytocin treatment?

Where do you find your source of strength? For example, my three year old cousin finds his strength within his older brother, Trucker, and of course his favorite show, Bubble Guppies. These two things not only make him smile, but he longs for them when he is scared or sad. This sounds like the regular toddler, but Ryder is different. He has autism. Ryder’s case is pretty common for children with autism because he still cannot speak and everything that a normal baby learned came to him at a much later time. Unlike nap time and playing at regular preschools he has to go to a different school, one where he has one-on-one learning that can help him tremendously in his development.

It just so happens Ted Radios episode of  “Overcoming” special guest Temple Gradin also has autism. She talks about how since she was young, her parents knew she didn’t act and interact with others as a normal little girl did. Since then she went to many doctors appointments and met with many neurologists, who all told her she had brain damage. This ailment caused her to not fit in with others or have many friends which later led to depression. Even though this diagnosis was cruel to her as a child it eventually led to Mrs. Temple’s greatest life achievement, cattle-processing facilities all over America. She states that if she wasn’t faced with the challenges that came along with autism the she would have never succeeded in and would never of pushed herself as much as she had to. 

Not only is Mrs.Temple Grandin a miracle but she is hope, hope for other autistic kids, and hope for Ryder. Her struggles with autism allowed her to dig deep to find her inner strength and once she did, she realized that she could use her disability to solve problems that others couldn’t. 

As a child with disabilities Ryder’s parents are prepared to be there for him when times get tough as he grows up, such as times that Mrs. Gradin experienced during her childhood. Because they know this world is cruel, especially to those that are different.  All of this goes to show that Ryder and other children with disabilities that have been “different” from the day they were born, will have to continue to find sources of strength through their friends and family in order to bring a smile to their face during hard times, no matter what is thrown at them.

So no matter who or what has you down, find that one thing whether it is your brother, your favorite TV show, or even science to pull you out of the deep end. I challenge you to allow it to help you overcome and give you the strength you need to get over the obstacle. Because you are strong and loved and you can do anything you put your mind too!

The Fear of Death

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Hidden Brain – Scott MacBride/Getty Images

Death, it surrounds us, it could be waiting for us at our next destination, whether it is a car wreck, a stroke, or a nasty fall, we tend to try not to think of it or push it to the back of our minds, but it is something that is unavoidable, something that our lives all eventually come too. 

I know that pretty much everyone comes across the thought of death every now and then, but what many people mainly fear is that of the unknown, the uncertainty of what happens or is to come next. A Lot of people question, “What comes after death?”, but no one knows for sure. Being a Christian myself, I believe that their is a place for me reserved up in the sky and that my life will continue on up there. Others think apart from that in many ways. 

The uncertainty of it is what racks peoples nerves, they can think and dream of what is to come but they never truly know for sure because it is an unknown event. 

Sheldon Solomon describes “thanatophobia” in the podcast, “We’re All Going To Die! How Fear of Death Drives our Behavior”, as the fear of dying, act of dying, and what happens after death. His drive to become a psychologist began when he was as young as four years old, when his grandmother passed away. This was the first time he has ever been faced with the word “death”. As he grew up his own mortality became his biggest fear and he was afraid of things that could cause him or his loved ones harm, so he shied away from those events. Which caused him great depression and lack of love and happiness within his family and personal relationships. This fear was keeping him away from everything he loved, once he has children he realized what he had been missing out on. Once he came out of this depression he researched and confided in other physicians that were educated on the topic. 

One of his close friends Ernest Becker wrote a best selling book, The Denial of Death, it has many brilliant answers to the “why” of human existence. Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie – man’s refusal to acknowledge his fear of mortality. Becker and Solomon have worked together and come to many conclusions of the human population and one is simply that we are the only ones that can control our fears. 

As we all know no one can escape the harsh word – death. But, people need to realize that once you focus on death that is when your life will actually come to an end. Once you let it take over your thoughts and actions is when your fear comes to life. People need to live their lives in order to remain happy, in control, and to feel worthy of the life they are living. The thoughts of death can shape our actions in good ways, such as keeping us safe from activities that might harm us, but even though death has many frightening aspects behind what can happen, we can not let it control our lives.