skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Approach the altar and cross your arms upon your chest. Light the candles of life and death and take a moment to gaze into the mirror through the veil, seeing yourself as a being both of flesh and of spirit. Dipping your fingers into the chalice of water, touch them to your forehead, your lips, and your chest. As you do this, say:
"I anoint my forehead, that I may open my mind.
I anoint my lips, that I may loosen my tongue.
I anoint my chest, that I may open my heart."
The first step opens you mentally and psychically to a deeper experience of this threshold state. The second step opens you so you may better communicate across the veil. The third step opens you emotionally and energetically to the spirits and the forces they represent. Spreading your arms wide, picture the edges of the gate glowing softly around you. Reach out mentally to any spirits that may be gathering nearby. Silently invite them to attend you. Out loud, declare the following:
"Standing on the threshold between darkness and light, I open myself to the mysteries of death and transformation. Gather round, ye spirits, and whisper to me the secret names. Open the path before me and show me the way."
Close your eyes and allow your awareness to spread beyond the limits of your body. Listen carefully with both your physical and internal ears for any contact or messages. After a few moments, close yourself so you can exit the threshold state and return to the demands of your ordinary life. To close yourself, touch your forehead, lips and heart again, saying:
"The door is closed, but I carry it within. If a lesson presents itself to me, may it open again, so I may see and, seeing, learn."
Snuff the candles and return to your normal affairs.
Source: http://lilith-dark-moon.blogspot.com
Imagine Thomas Jefferson wanting to stay anonymous when the U.S. was founded. What if he chose to only talk with those who agreed with him instead of drawing attention to himself and risked his livelihood by becoming a figurehead of the revolutionary effort? What would the United States look like today without the ability to point to Jefferson and his ideas?
That is the very problem plaguing Christians in who fight in the war of worldviews. The Barna organization reports that the influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives has become largely invisible. It's not that there is no influence, it's simply that no one realizes how much Christianity matters to society. Christians are buying the lie that they should keep their faith as a private matter, and it weakens the moral and spiritual principles upon which our society runs.
In this short clip, listen in as I note the threat to our modern way of life when Christians become invisible in culture.
REFERENCES
Image courtesy Leo Reynolds and licenced via the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
Tags: creating keys for remembrance icarus the myth winter solstice warrior women invocation of diana more on ancient hebrew steps to turn around
Jean-Francois Revel is a major French thinker, who is relatively unknown in the English-speaking world, but has written a number of His last book, La Grande Parade: Essai sur la survie de ll'utopie socialiste, has now been translated into English under the title: Last Exit to Utopia: The Survival of Socialism in a Post-Soviet Era. Writing in a country where the Soviet-controlled Communist Party actually won seats and posed a serious threat, although it never was able to seize total power, Revel writes with a realism born of experience with actual socialism that eludes many idealistic Americans.
Here is Revel on ideology:
(Note: he is using the word "libleralism" in its classic 19th century sense of free enterprise, individual liberty, limited government etc., not in its late 20th century meaning of socialism lite. The only classical liberals in America today are known as conservatives because the center has shifted leftward.)
"A perennial misapprehension distorts virtually all discussions about the competing merits of socialism and liberalism: Socialists like to imagine that liberalism is an ideology. Reared on ideology themselves, they cannot imagine that any other form of intellectual activity exists, so they constantly detect in others the same propensity toward abstract and moralistic systematizing by which they themselves are possessed. Socialists are convinced that opposing doctrines are an inverted imitation of their own, and that these opposing doctrines are an inverted imitation of their own, and that these opposing doctrines must be promising absolute perfection, albeit by a different route. And liberals, reflexively complaint as always, have too frequently accepted this grossly mistaken view of their own position.
If a liberal asserts, 'In practice, the market seems to be a less inefficient means of allocating resources than top-down, planned distribution,' a socialist will immediately shoot back, 'The market is not a solution to every problem.' Of course not. Who ever maintained such an absurdity? But since socialism was conceived in the delusion of being able to resolve every problem, its partisans project the same ambition onto their opponents. Fortunately, not everyone shares their megalomania. Liberals have never aimed to build a perfect society. They are content to compare the various types of societies that exist or have existed, and to draw appropriate conclusions from studying those that have functioned the least badly...
Liberalism has never been an ideology, by which I mean a theory based on a priori concepts; nor is it an unchanging dogma divorced from the course of events and outcomes. It is merely a set of observations on facts. The general ideas derived from these observations do ot constitute a global doctrine aspiring to comprehensiveness, but rather a series of interpretive hypotheses concerning real world events. Adam Smith, when he undertook to write The Wealth of Nations, noticed that some countries were richer than others. He attempted to locate in their economic arrangements the features and practices that could account for such disparities, with the practical goal of being able to recommend prudent policies...
As an a priori construction, formulated without regard to facts or ethics, ideology is distinct from science and philosophy on the one hand, and from religion and ethics on the other. Ideology is not science - which it pretends to be. Science accepts the results of the experiments it devises, whereas ideology systematically rejects empirical evidence. It is not moral philosophy - which it claims to have a monopoly on, while striving furiously to destroy the source and necessary condition of morality: the free will of the individual. the basis of morality is respect for the person, whereas ideology invariably tramples on the person wherever it reigns. Ideology is not religion - to which it is often, and mistakenly, compared; for religion draws its meaning from faith in a transcendent reality, while ideology aims to perfect the world here below.
Ideology - that malignant invention of the human spirit's dark side, an invention which has cost us dearly - has the singular property of causing zealots to project the structural features of their own mentality onto others. Ideologues cannot imagine that an objection to their abstract systems could come from any source other than a competing system.
All ideologies are aberrations. A sound and rational ideology cannot exist... The confrontation between socialism and liberalism is not a confrontation of ideologies. Liberalism is not upside-down socialism; it it not a totalizing ideology governed by intellectual rules equivalent to those it criticizes." If Revel is right in his argument here, several points follow.
First, it is no wonder that socialists cannot understand capitalism. They make capitalism into their devil because they misinterpret it as if it were an ideology.
Second, capitalism and liberalism are scientific and socialism is irrational.
Third, Christianity has nothing whatsoever to learn from socialism - not its earthly Utopianism, not its critique of capitalism, not its worship of economic equality, not its materialism - nothing.
Fourth, if socialism is an ideology and an ideology is a totalizing dogma, then socialism is incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which shatters all such totalizing dogmas.
Fifth, if socialism destroys the free will of the individual, as Revel claims, then socialism is an attack on the dignity of man created in the image of God and therefore fundamentally anti-humanistic.
I think Revel's description of socialism as an ideology and his definition of ideology ring true to the historical implementation of socialism in the 20th century. Therefore, I believe the above implications are valid. I will have more quotations from Revel in coming days. It is taking me some time to read and digest his book, which I highly recommend.
Tags: mel fabregas from verit www eitheror the greek gods and goddesses list thou shalt not tempt fertility gods and goddesses fruit juice fruit and vegetable diet end of mayan calendar 2012
"B A P T I S M"
BAPTISM: means To Place Into, or On; For The Purpose Of Identification
It is a surprise to many people, including Christians, to learn that the word "BAPTISM" does not mean to immerse into water! Of course there is a "water baptism" in the Bible, but the word "BAPTISM" does not mean to place into water. "Water Baptism" is only one (1) of twelve (12) different baptisms spoken of in the Scriptures. Years of tradition have taught most people to think of "water" every time they read the word "baptism" in their Bible. This has caused great confusion.
Just a simple examination of the usage of the term "BAPTISM" in the Bible will teach us NOT to think of water as part of the meaning of the word, but to substitute the meaning "PLACE INTO" or "PLACE ON." The context in each case will determine what it is that someone or something is being placed into.
We do not have the space to look into all twelve (12) different usages of the term, but we will look at five (5) of them. There are three (3) "BAPTISMS" found in just one verse, Matthew 3:11, which says:
"I INDEED BAPTIZE YOU WITH WATER UNTO REPENTANCE: BUT HE THAT COMETH AFTER ME IS MIGHTIER THAN I, WHOSE SHOES I AM NOT WORTH TO BEAR: HE SHALL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH FIRE."
BAPTISM #1
"WATER BAPTISM"
(John Baptized with water)
John the Baptist placed people into water or, as some may prefer it said, John placed water on people. Either way John's Baptism was a "water baptism." Its purpose was to identify the believing remnant of Israel with their Messiah - Jesus Christ. (By the way, the reason Jesus Christ was water baptized was for the same reason, only in reverse.) According to John 1:31, Jesus Christ was identified to Israel, and Israel to Him, through water baptism. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus Christ who announced to Israel His coming and prepared them to be received by their King through the cleansing of water baptism. This is why John announced that one greater-with a greater baptism-was coming.
BAPTISM #2
"BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT"
The greater person John was speaking of was the Lord Jesus Christ. According to the testimony of John, when Christ came He would have a greater baptism. John baptized with water, but Jesus Christ will baptize with the Holy Spirit. This was a reference to the Day of Pentecost which took place after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ back into heaven - see Acts 1:5-8 and Acts 2:1-5. From heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ "Poured Out" or placed His Spirit on that believing remnant of Israel, just as John promised and as was predicted in Joel 2:28-32.
BAPTISM #3
"BAPTISM WITH FIRE"
John not only introduced and identified the believing remnant of Israel to Jesus Christ, he also warned unrepenting and unbelieving Israel that Jesus Christ would have two (2) baptisms when he came. Believing Israel would be baptized with the Holy Spirit, which is the imparting of Life. Unbelieving Israel would be baptized with fire. This "baptism of fire" is the judgement of the fires of hell, according to Matthew 3:12. This will take place when Jesus Christ shall place unbelievers into the fires of hell. Thank the Lord, Jesus Christ has saved us who believe from that baptism!
Already in this one verse we have seen three (3) different types of BAPTISM; baptism with water, baptism with the Holy Spirit, and even baptism with fire. Notice only one involved water!
Let this be a lesson to you. Do not think of "water" every time you read the word "baptism." Let the Bible tell you what the baptism is into. Then be sure to believe what the Bible says and not what some men will say the Bible means.
BAPTISM #4
"BAPTISM INTO DEATH"
For the fourth (4th) baptism, see Mark 10:38,39,45. In this passage a baptism yet laid ahead for the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the future for James and John as well.
When our Lord spoke of a baptism that he was facing, he was speaking of his death on the Cross. He was placed on the cross for the purpose of having our sins placed on him. And, by identifying Himself with our sins, He paid for them in His death. Jesus Christ was baptized into our death. This is also spoken of in Luke 12:50 and again in I Peter 3:21. It is called:
"THE BAPTISM THAT NOW SAVES"!
In the case of James and John this baptism speaks of their martyr's death. Jesus Christ prophesied and history has recorded that both James and John were placed into death preaching the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. They died for the sake of others - so that others may hear the gospel and be saved. This is the baptism that Paul was speaking about in I Corinthians 15:29.
BAPTISM #5
"BAPTISM INTO CHRIST"
The fifth (5th) and final BAPTISM we shall look at is a baptism which is taught exclusively by the Apostle Paul in his epistles. It is the fact that the Apostle Paul mentions water baptism only one time in all of his epistles. This one time is found in I Corinthians 1:13-17. As water baptism continued into the New Gentile age, it brought confusion and division (just as it is doing in the churches today). Paul's solution was simple: stop water baptizing! But how could he decide to stop? Didn't Jesus Christ command him to baptize? No! After Paul thanked God and he didn't baptize more than he did, he states in verse 17:
"FOR CHRIST SENT ME NOT TO BAPTIZE BUT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL: NOT WITH WISDOM OF WORDS, LEST THE CROSS OF CHRIST SHOULD BE MADE OF NONE EFFECT."
Paul was the Apostle of a new age of God's grace. His message and ministry to the Gentiles was distinctly different from the message and ministry of the Twelve Apostles to Israel. Water baptism belonged to the message God had for the nation of Israel. However, there is a baptism taught by the Apostle that is for this age. Be careful to notice it is not water baptism. Paul writes in I Corinthians 12:13.
"FOR BY ONE SPIRIT ARE ALL BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY, WHETHER WE BE JEWS OR GENTILES, WHETHER WE BE BOND OR FREE; AND HAVE BEEN ALL MADE TO DRINK INTO ONE SPIRIT."
The baptism that the Apostle Paul taught was a baptism into Christ. This baptism is the placing of the Believer (today) into the Body of Christ. It is important for you to realize that in I Corinthians 12:13 (just quoted), the baptizer is not a minister but God the Holy Spirit. From this verse, we can also see that the Holy Spirit does not place the believer into water but into Christ! Here again, we need to remember to believe what the Bible say, and not what men say the Bible means.
This "Baptism I into Christ" is the baptism that identifies the Believer with the saving work of the Cross. Romans 6:3-5 teaches this baptism so clearly. The moment I trusted in Jesus Christ as my Savior, the Holy Spirit of God placed me into Christ's death (the cross where my sins were paid for) and into His burial (the payment is complete) and into Christ's resurrection (where I now have a new life in Christ). Since this "baptism" is the work of the Holy Spirit, some have properly termed this "Spiritual Baptism." Without a doubt it is this baptism that Paul teaches throughout his epistles as seen in Romans 6:3-5, I Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 4:5, and Colossians 2:10-13.
Our baptism into Christ is the basis for our forgiveness of sins. This is the real baptism that supersedes any ritual baptism previously taught. It is the reality of all that God has accomplished in my behalf through Jesus Christ!
To protect the truth of this baptism, God instructs us in Ephesians 4:1-6 to:
"KEEP (GUARD) THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT..."
We guard this unity by holding to, and defending His sevenfold unity:
"THERE IS ONE BODY, AND ONE SPIRIT, EVEN AS YE ARE CALLED IN ONE HOPE OF YOUR CALLING; ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, ONE GOD, AND FATHER OF ALL, WHO IS ABOVE ALL, AND THROUGH ALL, AND IN YOU ALL."
According to this verse, there is only one (1) baptism today for the Believer which we are to hold and guard. This baptism is not water baptism. It is the BAPTISM BY THE SPIRIT INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST. It is the work of the Holy Spirit Himself which has created a spiritual unity all of the Believers today, in Christ. Anyone who is still water baptizing is causing confusion and division by practicing a baptism which we have not been told to continue doing in the church epistles; and by believing in at least two baptisms for today, when the Scriptures tell us to keep the unity of the Spirit by holding to His one baptism.
Putting it all together, this is what we see. John the Baptist offered the nation of Israel forgiveness of their sins through water baptism. Those of the nation who received the baptism with the Holy Kingdom and will be raised to go into the Kingdom which was promised to them and was being proclaimed by Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry. But the baptism of fire did not come as John said it would. The judgement of the baptism of fire has been postponed along with the offer of the Kingdom promised to Israel. In the meantime, God has raised up the Apostle Paul with a message of grace which goes out today to both the rejecting Jew and to Gentiles concerning an equal opportunity they have been given (through Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection) to be saved, justified, and forgiven. Upon believing this message, God the Holy Spirit is baptizing these Believers into the Body of Christ. And "IN CHRIST" we have life, and hope, and an inheritance.
Israel was offered life, and hope, and inheritance according to the promises of God in the Old Testament. But we who are saved today were never promised these things. Yet they have been given to us by GRACE.
PRACTICAL POINT:
If I have been made part of the Body of Christ through the baptism by the Spirit at the moment I believed the gospel; and if it were yet possible that I could lose my salvation and end up in hell, then part of the Body of Christ would be in hell.
This is not possible. I am secure in Christ because God the Holy Spirit put me there. I did not put myself there. Therefore I cannot take myself out. And since it is the Holy Spirit who also seals me in Christ, I am His forever!
II Timothy 2:11-13 teaches exactly this:
"IT IS A FAITHFUL SAYING: FOR IF WE BE DEAD WITH HIM, WE SHALL ALSO LIVE WITH HIM"
This is the guarantee we have from the Scriptures based upon Believers baptism by the Spirit into Christ's death, burial, resurrection. The verses continue:
"IF WE SUFFER, WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM: IF WE DENY HIM, HE ALSO WILL DENY US:"
This verse promises us a reward of reigning with Jesus Christ if we are faithful to suffer for Him now. The second half of the verse warns that if we choose not to faithfully suffer for Jesus Christ in this life, then He will deny us the reward of a reigning position with Him in heaven. It does not mean He will deny us heaven because the previous verse has already guaranteed that "WE SHALL LIVE WITH HIM," and the following verse explains why:
"IF WE BELIEVE NOT, YET HE ABIDETH FAITHFUL: HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF."
If in our lifetime we depart from the faith-become unfaithful-even to the point of denying that we believe in Jesus Christ, the verse says, "YET HE (CHRIST) ABIDETH FAITHFUL." We may be unfaithful to Him, but He will remain faithful to us and keep His word by giving us eternal life anyway. The verse explains why He would do this: "HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF." The believer is part of the Body of Christ and therefore cannot end up in hell. Jesus Christ will not allow it.
Does this security in Jesus Christ teach that we can now go out and live in sin? No, actually the Scriptures teach the opposite. This security in Jesus Christ will teach us not to live in sin. If you will keep reading all of Romans chapters 6,7, and 8, you will find out our baptism into Jesus Christ has freed us from the power of sin, so that we are no longer a slave to sin. No longer must sin reign in our lives. When sin raises it's ugly head, and we give in to it's temptation, we are forgiven for Christ's sake. But at the same time, the power to put away sin, and to go on living for the Lord, comes through KNOWING you are set free in Christ Jesus. Do as Romans 6:11 instructs - RECKON YOURSELF DEAD TO SIN AND ALIVE UNTO GOD!
If you learn anything at all from this book, let it be this: you are hopeless and helpless in yourself to be good enough or to do anything that could please God enough to give you eternal life. However, because of what Jesus Christ has done for you on the Cross, God in his grace is free to receive you when your faith rests in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. By trusting only in the blood of Jesus Christ for your Salvation, God is free to give you eternal life, declaring you righteous because he see you "IN CHRIST." (Philippians 3:9)
"AND BE FOUND IN HIM (CHRIST) NOT HAVING MINE OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH IS OF THE LAW, BUT THAT WHICH IS THROUGH THE FAITH OF CHRIST, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF GOD BY FAITH."
Tags: protesting protest wiccan spells for spring solstice national organization for women helping women amulets and talisman magic spell for luck nearer to my god than thee answer email
BOOK: AFRICAN DOLLS FOR PLAY AND FOR MAGIC BY ESTHER DAGAN
African Dolls across the continent are created for young girls to play with and as a charm to insure fertility in women. Their shape and costume vary according to region and custom. Frequently dolls are handed down from mother to daughter. Western dolls are popular in Africa and are often dressed with traditional garb.
When the concept of "doll" is considered in the context of African culture, they are usually not children's playthings, but rather objects that are laden with ritual and religious associations within the community. African dolls are used to teach, and entertain, they are Supernatural intermediaries, and they are manipulated for ritual purposes. Each of these dolls are unique because they are hand made and are traditionally handed down through generations.
Buy Esther Dagan's book: African Dolls For Play And For Magic
Tags: imbolc 1 2 febrero back to basics wh gemini moon sagitarius virgo moon scorpio t francis of assisi and jesu dark ritual template pathways of the runes
I received a large order of my supplies from a friend of mine and it has taken me a LOT longer than I originally thought it would. The problem is that the hand-made soaps, while FANTASTIC products, take much longer to make than the magical oils. First I have to melt the base, then blend the oils into the base, then pour the base into the molds and let it cool, then the next day I have to pop the soaps out of the molds and bag them up for delivery.
I only have so many molds, so I can make about 6 bars a day. This is far too slow. I need to purchase some more molds so that I can make these faster, or just stop offering them.
I'm also pondering the possibility of offering magical powders for sale. Powders are really traditional in hoodoo, and while many western magicians don't really know how to use them, they usually get very excited when I explain how they can be applied.
You can sprinkle them in someone's tracks to affect them. You can roll candles in them to add their effect to the spell. You can put a pinch of the powders inside of mojo bags for added power. You can use them in bottle spells to affect someone either positively or negatively. You can blow them in the direction of the person you seek to affect.
They are so very versatile and useful, if only more people knew how to use them.
Tags: egypt goddess bast daily meditation my poppet waxing half moon voodoo bbq new orlean white magic spells chants
This article explains the increased problems that occur when a child develops OCD tendencies it emphasis on the impact to family life and the devastating effects it has on a child's ability to have a happy upbringing. The warning signs of OCD can be confusing for some parents, detailed below are a few tips to help you pick up on them.
NLP4Kids are helping children who are suffering with a number of different mental health issues such as Anxiety, Depression, Low Self-Esteem and OCD. We work with schools to help with Exam Stress and Confidence Building.
Megan felt miserable. She and her family had relocated in the middle of the school year to another city. She was missing her friends and changes were difficult for her. It seemed the problems began one morning when she was getting ready for school.
While washing her hair, she thought she had swallowed some of the shampoo. She wondered if it was toxic. She worried she'd get sick and die. She rinsed her mouth incessantly until she felt safe.
"Is it poisonous?" she would ask her mom, every day before taking a shower. Her mom would reassure her that it was harmless.
But Megan wasn't satisfied with the answer. She couldn't take a chance and took safety measures each time. Soon, her worries increased and transferred to other things like soap and toothpaste. Smells of certain products also became threatening to her. She avoided places, situations, people, and products that could cause her harm. Megan was unhappy, and her parents felt lost.
Many children are anxious for different reasons, and parents need to be aware of the difference between OCD and other mental and emotional challenges. When children wash, rinse, clean, check, repeat, fix, order, count, or show other outward manifestations of OCD, parents can easily determine the problem is probably OCD. However, children may experience violent, religious, sexual, and neutral obsessions that may accompany some outward but also internal compulsions. Parents may have more difficulty identifying the compulsions and thus recognizing the problem as OCD.
Maintaining a close relationship and open communication with your children can help you discover what they are thinking. Children afflicted with OCD may become irritable, demanding and bossy. They may ask you to do certain behaviors to ease their anxiety. Children may ask questions not necessarily for information purposes but to feel comforted and reassured. They may stay away from situations, places, and people they didn't avoid previously. When you begin to feel overwhelmed by your child's troublesome behavior, you know something is amiss.
Getting the right information can be the first step toward recovery. Find out your family's mental health history. OCD is a physiological and behavioral illness. It's also a genetic predisposition. You may discover ancestors and relatives who have suffered from OCD or similar illnesses. Then you can help your child realize OCD is heritable and is no one's fault. This will help normalize the challenge.
OCD can be triggered by a stressful or traumatic experience. Puberty itself can be stressful enough that it could trigger OCD. Read reputable
* OBSESSIONS. These are intrusive thoughts that won't leave the person's mind. One thought will lead to another and another. OCD sufferers find it difficult to redirect their attention away from these thoughts.
* FEELINGS. Feelings are intense and will vary according to the person's target obsession. Most people will experience anxiety but guilt, depression, anger, frustration, and other feelings may ensue.
* COMPULSIONS. Compulsions are whatever the person will do to get relief from the obsessions and feelings. The compulsions can be either behavioral or mental. Sometimes when individuals don't receive treatment soon enough, their compulsions may become as automatic as their obsessions.
* RELIEF. Relief is obtained by doing the compulsions and is what every OCD sufferer wishes for. Unfortunately, it will only be temporary until the next trigger appears. Unbeknownst to the individual, the false sense of improvement and relief is actually reinforcing the OCD cycle.
Megan's triggers were various products and substances that she suspected were poisonous. Her obsessions were the thoughts about what would happen if she were to inhale or swallow those products. She was afraid to get sick and die, so she felt anxious about it. Some of her compulsions were: rinsing incessantly, checking with her mom and obtaining reassurance she wouldn't get sick and die. Avoiding products and situations that would possibly harm her was a compulsion as well.
You and your child need to remember that OCD is an illness like other illnesses that children and adults have. Talk about children who suffer from diabetes or asthma. They experience difficulties but learn how to cope. For instance, children who have asthma can still play sports. They get used to bringing their inhalers along. Children with diabetes learn certain skills and routines to manage their sugar levels. Likewise children who are challenged by OCD can learn new skills to deal with it and move on with their lives. Remind your child that people who have asthma or diabetes are not embarrassed or ashamed of their illness and neither should your child be.
Telling your child to "just stop it" won't work, and you know this already. Criticism, overcorrecting and overreacting trigger more anxiety and frustration not only in your child but everyone else in the family - including you. Insensitivity will backfire, but accommodating your child's OCD demands will be exhausting as well.
There is a fine balance and practicing reflective listening can decrease negative responses. Difficult situations go more smoothly when parents practice those skills. Parents can let their children know they care. Say something like, "I know you are having a really hard time! If I had those thoughts and worries, I'd probably feel the same way. Would you like to talk about it?"
It's easier said than done. When your children want to involve you in their rituals, validating their feelings certainly won't solve their anxiety, but they'll know you understand. It will also delay the compulsions even it is just a few seconds or minutes.
Give your child hope: "We will be going to see someone who will help us learn how to deal with this challenge." Your children need to know there are solutions. Let them know they'll be learning skills to deal with OCD.
Sometimes parents hope their child's behavior is just a temporary situation. When your child's "current self" is no longer her "typical self," consult with your pediatrician. Watch for the following symptoms: easily crying or irritated; declining grades; appetite changes; hopelessness; worthlessness; sleeping difficulties; increased periods of extreme anxiety; social conflicts or isolation; tardiness; concentration difficulties; underachieving; and inability to make decisions.
Find a specialist who is trained to treat OCD by implementing cognitive-behavioral therapy that includes Exposure and Response Prevention. Multiple studies have proven CBT to be the most effective treatment. When it comes to treating pediatric OCD, research also indicates that CBT with the focus on parents and family involvement provide positive outcomes. Visit the International OCD Foundation to locate a therapist specialized in treating OCD.
It is difficult to see one's child suffer, but know that there is hope. You and your child can learn the skills needed to keep OCD at bay. Learn how to manage it, and the entire family can enjoy life again.
By
Annabella Hagen
psychcentral.com
NLP4Kids is an education franchise based in the UK that provides child counselling with child therapists who specialise in using NLP for Kids, a proactive alternative to conventional child psychology and children's mental health. If you are looking for family therapist to help with bipolar disorder in children, ADHD in children, depression in children, teenage depression or OCD in children, or if you wish to book a workshop to help your overcome panic attacks in children or anger management for children, call 0203 6677294 or email info@NLP4Kids.org
Find out more about our franchising opportunities here:
Tags: name of the laughing buddha bee or wasp sting dog christ episcopal church southeastern episcopal churche time consciousness witches rede chivalry almsgiving what ought christians christian understanding of grace
