The hand is an amazing part of our body, we may not notice it but we are very dependent of our hands in doing almost everything every day, even the simplest thing like touching our hair. The hand is also a way of expressing our emotions, the way we touch and feel through the hand is something astonishing. The hands do not only keep our deepest emotions but our memorable memories as well.

The hand meditation is way of meditating that focuses on this one amazing part of our body, the hand. No it’s not all about physical touch of the hand but more on the memories you have with it, the emotional side of it.

How to do the Hand Meditation

Hand meditation step 1

The hand meditation should be done in a group of four or more. Each one should get comfortable in a chair, with both feet firmly on the ground and closing the eyes. Rest the hands in the lap with palms up. Notice your breathing, you don’t need to change it just notice the pattern of the breath coming in and going out. Relax any tension in your body as you breathe.

Hand Meditation step 2

Start to become aware of the air at your fingertips, between your fingers, on the palm of your hand. Familiarize yourself with the strength and maturity of your hands. Remember the most unforgettable hands that you ever touched and known, your father’s, your mother’s, your grandparents, a friend or a lover. Imagine the hands of a new born baby the softness, the perfection, the delicacy. Once you had the same hands.

Hand Meditation step 3

Reflect on the things that your hands have done since that time, you learned most of the important things in life through your hands, turning yourself over, crawling and creeping, walking, balancing, learning to hold something for the first time, feeding yourself, washing and bathing, dressing yourself, and tying your shoe laces for the first time, all these things at one point of time in your life were your greatest accomplishments.

Think of your hands when they were the tools of your learning in many activities, what about the time when you first learned to write your name, when it was there to help out others, remember all the work they have done, the tiredness and aching they have known, the cold and the heat, the soreness and the bruises. Remember the helping hand you gave for others who needed comfort, the tears they wiped away may it have been your own or another’s.

Think about the special mystery of the hands of a person we love. The hands of those that touched yours, a doctor’s, a nurse’s, a dentist, and those hands we never forget.

Hand meditation step 4

Then, place your right hand slowly and gently over your heart. Press it firmly against it and feel the most mysterious of all human sounds, your heartbeat, a rhythm that flows of life and love. Press more firmly for a moment and then release the hand holding it just a fraction away from your heart, experience the warmth between your hand and your heart. Then lower your hand to your lap very carefully as if your heart was with it.

Think of all the hands that have left their imprint on yours, they can never be erased. The hand has its own memory and it will last forever.

Hand meditation step 5

Now, without opening the eyes, extend your hands on either side of you and find another hand. Hold it, explore it, sense its history and mystery, let your hand speak to it and let it listen to the other. Express your gratitude to this hand stretched out to you.

Hand meditation step 6

With eyes still closed, slowly release your hands and bring them back to your lap. Feel the presence of that hand lingering upon yours. The print is there forever.

Hand meditation step 7

When you are ready, open your eyes. Share thoughts and feelings of this experience around you.

Meditation is the primary means of cultivating the inner peace and happiness that we all long for. Inner peace and happiness are found to be resident parts of our inner nature when we are able to take away the barriers in our nervous system from the purifying influences of yoga practices. Inner stillness is the essence of enlightenment, and how do we nurture this in ourselves? - Through deep meditation.

Samyama is a deep meditation practice that takes advantage of resident inner stillness (silence). The practice of Samyama develops in us that sense of “seeing stillness in action and action in stillness.” In this state, our desires become expressions of our inner silence and find fulfillment in ways we could not have expected.

With samyama, once the meditation time is up, rest follows for about a minute or two and transitions into samyama. The state begins with an easy state of not thinking, just resting in silence. If thoughts come, they are just let go without entertaining them. In samyama practice, mantra (sound) is not entertained either, not favoring anything but being easy in silence. The starting point for samyama is silence. The only requirement for doing samyama practice is having some inner silence. Most people achieve this after a few months of daily deep meditation.

Deep meditation however is often mistakenly assumed with having to sit perfectly erect in legs intertwined uncomfortably and washing all thoughts from the minds, or having a complete one-pointed concentration. This is simply not so. Deep meditation for different people may vary, and each of them may have their own ways and practices of meditating, but whatever way or practice they have chosen, the aim will always be more or less the same, achieving inner peace and happiness.

For some people, deep meditation is simply about “not doing”. They just get themselves deeply relaxed, the body lying down comfortably on the back, listening to beautiful, flowing music and just letting go. They form a perfect state of mind for more traditional meditation, such as prayer or just enjoying the wonderful energy coursing through the body.

Deep meditation practices give us insight into both the fundamental nature of our being. It allows us to experience emotions and thoughts with great clarity and balance. The mind is freed from conditioned patterns of self-centeredness, negativity and confusion, and the heart is opened to deeper wisdom and compassion. We begin to recognize and know each moment as practice for growth toward wholeness and harmony. We discover a place in ourselves which is already whole and always in harmony, and we learn to live from a clearer center and reach into the inner part of us that results to completeness and happiness.

Tired of paying for a gym membership that you are too embarrassed to use? Think about buying home fitness equipment. This will help you get into shape and will allow you to do so in the privacy of your own home. Don’t make simple mistakes when buying your first piece of equipment. Remember that the more features the equipment has, the more expensive it will be. You will not use many of the features, and sometimes could even become afraid of the features. What you need to be looking into instead of electronical features is the durability. You want a durable quiet machine when purchasing fitness equipment.

Of course your gym membership can be useful to have to try out the equipment you are thinking of purchasing. Even if a piece of equipment is out of your price range, try it out to see if it has a feature you do or do not want.

Avoid complicated machines. The easier to use the more you will want to use it. Research the fitness equipment you are interested in online and don’t be afraid to ask questions or even get some helpful suggestions.

Paying for a “traditional” gym is expensive and time consuming in terms of driving time and gas; In terms of waiting in line for machine; In terms of monthly dues; And getting jerked around by shady employees! People sign up for gyms with good intentions, but they never go! An hour and a half or even two hours is the typical amount of time you need to drive to the gym, wait for the equipment, do the exercises, and drive home. Not to mention take a shower! However, with a home gym, it's always there, ready to use and always open. When it's there, you'll use it. Plus, you get all the exercises you'd find at a regular gym and more with a home gym! Now, it's no secret you're not in the best shape of your life, but a home gym can change that! And in just 6 short weeks, guaranteed! Just take a look at these specs…

* Over 65 exercises!
* 210 pounds of Resistance
* Lat tower with angled lat bar
* Upper & lower pulley/squat station
* Leg extension/leg curl attachment
* Compact size for smaller workout spaces
* Triple function hand-grip/ankle cuffs
* Multiple cable positions for custom workouts
* Reinforced "X"-shaped base for maximum stability
* 6-week Fitness Results Guaranteed!
* 7-year limited warranty on materials and workmanship

If you are over 30 years old and are not strength training, you are burning up to 700 fewer calories each month! And let's face it, you're not getting any younger. But with a home gym, men lost an average of 27.95 pounds of fat in only 6 weeks! These people didn't workout every day either. They worked out three times a week for only about 20-30 minutes. Let's Recap…

* Spare yourself the irritation of putting up with beef-headed fools and gym personnel
* Lose that “excess baggage”
* Exercise without worrying about lines
* Work out conveniently in the comfort of your own home
* Increase the value of your home to potential tenants

Meditation is a very important aspect of our lives. We spend all day in a stressful environment. We seldom take the time to stop and release much negative energy that we are holding onto. When we hold onto this stress and negativity, it has an effect on our physical bodies, which can lead to disease. Many people may focus on diet and nutrition when it comes to health, however we cannot forget about stress and its role in total health.

When we take a moment out of our day to meditation, we will unload the weight that we had to take on during the day. Being an elementary school teacher, you can imagine the type of stress I have to deal with on a daily basis. I like you may have a stressful job, if I don’t meditate and use the exercises to release, or mentally detox, I am setting myself up for a heart attack or other ailment. My father and brother both died of heart attacks at young ages, I know that they both were under a great deal of stress at that time, which could have contributed to their deaths.

We live in a hectic and uncertain world, with violence and chaos surrounding us every minute of the day. We are getting busier and busier and being bombarded with commercialism and adverts from every angle. Just like many of us I have been looking for a way to break the constant information overload to help give my mind a chance to relax and after many years of studying and test trying the art of meditation by many of the great religions like Budhism I have found a simple six step formula that helps me to unleash the inner peace that really wishes to come out.

Step 1 - Find a cool quiet place

The first step in unleashing your inner peace is to find somewhere that will allow you to feel safe whilst meditating and undisturbed. Some of the sorts of places you might consider are sitting on the ground in the garden, near a river, or if you are like me and bound to the city, simply sitting in your lounge room will suffice. There are though a few key things that you must consider -

# There should be little traffic noise

There is Nothing worse than to just start meditating to hear the sound of the air brakes on a truck going off or an ambulance or police car going past.

# Be Free From Distractions

When you first start meditating you will find it maybe difficult to get started but with a little practice, and that is the fun part, you will find over time that you will get better at it but in the early stages a little distraction from your children or noise can make it very difficult.

# You Must Feel Safe

With todays society being the way that it is, you must have a sense of well being before starting your meditation. If you have a sense of insecurity you will find that it is very difficult to release your anxieties and most importantly your thoughts.

# Be Comfortable

Most meditation periods usually will last around 20 minutes. When you first start off you may find that it takes a good 10 minutes to get to a point of being relaxed so make sure that you sit on a comfortable surface before starting the meditation process. I am a great believer in sitting on the floor however if you find it difficult to sit upright for any period of time, simply sit against the wall. Doing this can also help you with your sense of feeling safe. If you find it more comfortable sitting in a chair, try your meditation that way. I do not recommend sitting on a couch simply because you run the risk that you may fall asleep and whilst that is great before going to bed, it is not recommended as the outcome to the meditation process.

Step 2 - Use a Light Incense

Depending on where you are, you may find that a light incense will help you break through the barriers when you first start meditating. If you are like me and are constantly on the rush and stressed, when you first stop you might find that it is really difficult to focus on your meditation because of the buzz running through your blood so using a light incense like lavendar can certainly help.

You can purchase incense from any number of stores like chinese food stores, oriental food stores or even some of the mystics stores and there are certainly many places on the web where you can purchase a light incense. Be warned though that it is illegal in some countries to buy incense via mail order and more so only buy from a reputable dealer as you never know what you could be importing.

Step 3 - Put some quiet music on

The saying, "Music Soothes the Savage Beast" is never a more truer statement then when trying to find your inner world of peace. Playing some quiet music will certainly help soothe the buzz you have after a hard day but be very cautious on the type of music you choose. You need to ensure you choose music that will slow you down rather than increase your heart rate.

Many meditation gurus will recommend music like flowing water, a rushing stream or the sounds of the great outdoors, which will all certainly be suitable for this process but what I find the most useful is music from the Baroque period.

The music from this period has particular elements that make it suitable and more conjucent to helping you find that inner peace. Baroque music is built on 60 beats per minute, which funnily enough is the same as what our hearts should be doing. What some research has shown is that listening to music that has 60 beats per minute actually increases the alpha waves that cause calmness on both the left and right side of the brain. The outcome of this is that you will becom calm and relax, similar to if you whistled a tune. Research has also shown that this "alpha state" can help in your learning process, creativity and more importantly becoming more calm.

Step 4 - Focus on Your Breathing. Breath In and Out

Now that we have the elements we need to meditate, it is now time for you to try . My preferred way to sit when I meditate is to cross my legs and to place my hands on my knees with my open palms up. If you can not cross your legs simply sit with your legs layed out flat. If you are sitting in a chair, simply spread your leg apart a little and place your hands on your knees.

The next step in the path towards peaces is to close your eyes and to breath in deeply and then slowly exhail the air. You need to consistently repeat this process but whilst you are doing this, there are a few important things to remember. When you first start to meditate you will find that as you relax, the things that bothered you during the day will start to resurface and come to the forefront of your mind and we need to stop this during your meditation period because if you do not, you can end up being more stressed then when you started. Whilst you are breathing, simply look into the depths of the darkness and clear you mind.

If you are finding it difficult to let go, try this technique. Whilst breathing in slowly, concentrate in your minds eye on the number one and focus on the number as you exhail. Then as you take your second breath, change the number one to a number two and then focus on the number two and maintain that focus as you exhail. With each new breath, focus on the next number. However, if at any time your focus gets away from you and you start thinking about making dinner or what you are going to do tomorrow, then simply restart from the number one. You will find that after a while using this process will really help you to maintain that focus and start to bring out that inner peace a lot quicker.

If you are having difficulty sleeping I find that using the counting process and the breathing process really helps a lot. Once again it does take time to master the technique but the more you practice the better you will get at it.

Step 5 - Clear Your Mind

Once you have mastered the process of breathing and getting into a relaxed state, the next stage is to clear your mind. This can take a little bit of work and will take a while to conquer but when you do conquer it, you will really no what inner peace is. To clear your mind, you will simply not think of anything but just exhist. The key to clearing your mind is to focus on the space around you (whilst your eyes are closed) without thinking about a thing.

When you do this, an overwhelming sense of peace will come over your. You will find that the endorphins will give you a tingling feeling through out your body and you will be extremely calm. You will find as time goes on that you can in fact turn the tingling on at your own will but that comes with practice.

Step 6 - Feel the Rush of Peace

The Budhists talk of meditating to reach enlightenment and whilst it can take a life time or two to achieve that, I can certainly say that when you do get to that point where you have let go of your surroundings and you are at peace its certainly feels like a whole new world. At the very least, not being stressed and feeling that constant buzz caused by the pressures of our day-to-day lives, will certainly give you a new definition of normal.

When you feel that your time for meditation is over, slowly allow your mind to start to think. You will find that its actually a lot easier than you think. Then slowly open your eyes and become more aware of your surroundings. Give yourself a good five minutes before you rush to get up but when you do, you should feel a sense of calm and peace around your body, mind and soul.

Do you meditate?

Yes? No?

Allow me to do this once: Meditation is the most important thing you can do to improve your life.

Honestly, if you are looking for one thing that will make you sleep better, stress less, feel better and live better; this is it.

And guess what?

You don’t have to be an advanced yogi to be able to benefit.

Yes, there are varying levels of meditation and only you can determine which level you will experience.

But not meditating because you believe you need to be experienced or highly spiritual is not a good enough excuse.

That’s like saying ,“There are cars in the world and I know a lot of people use them

but I am not a Formula 1 driver and therefore I will never be able to drive a car”

Sounds silly, doesn’t it?

Who said we needed to excel at something before we can do it?

Ask any professional and they’ll tell you that they weren’t 100% confident the first time, but every time they did it, it became a little easier and felt more comfortable until eventually they became excellent at what they were doing.

Same goes for meditation.

Meditation is simply focusing on one thing rather than allowing our thoughts to run free. It means allowing our minds and bodies to be still and then focusing on more important things rather than the day-to-day madness in our minds.

When you meditate, you become calm, can focus more clearly, feel 100% less stressed and bogged down with the trivialities of the physical world.

Not to mention the peace you feel towards other people and yourself.

Now, when you start meditating there are certain things you need to know:

1. You need to sit up straight.

The energy cannot flow at its optimum when you are hunched. You can sit with your back against a wall, a couch, a bed- anything that keeps your spine straight from top to bottom.

2.Do not lie down.

We associate this with sleeping and tiredness will only serve as a distraction.

3. Ground yourself afterwards.

When you meditate, your energy flows and expands. If you do not ground yourself before you get up, you will feel light-headed and disconnected.

There are many ways to ground but I do 2 things:

In your mind’s eye imagine roots growing out from the floor and “rooting” you to the spot. Secondly, I rub my palms together for about 10 seconds, then taking a deep breath in, I place my palms over my eyes, and then exhale slowly.

Ideally, I combine the two.

Sometimes you will become interrupted during a session and might not have time to do the above.

Simply walk over to a tap. Place your fingertips together with your palms apart. Run water through the gap in your hands. This grounds immediately.

Stamping your feet also grounds efficiently.

How to start?

Just as there are many models of cars, so there are many ways to meditate.

Try this one first and see how you feel:

Sit comfortably somewhere where you will not be disturbed for 5 minutes. Have your hands palms up in your lap.

Now place your right hand in your left and allow the thumbs to touch.

This completes the circuit and will allow energy to move more efficiently.

Close your eyes.

Take a slow deep breath in- allowing the air to fill your stomach, your ribcage and the area behind the collarbones.

Exhale slowly for a count of 10, allowing all the stale air to be released.

Continue to count to 10 on your inhalation and exhalation.

Allow the breath to be comfortable and never feel strained.

If 10 is a strain, try 8 or 9 until you can comfortably stretch to 10.

Remember, anything that tenses muscles, makes the body work and counteracts what you are trying to do.

Be gentle with yourself.

Repeat this for the duration of your meditation. Focus on your breath and the counting. Nothing else. If any thoughts come in, just allow them to sail right on by.

You have more than enough time in the other 23 hours and 55 minutes to think of them.

When you have had enough, ground yourself and open your eyes.

Once you have reached the point of relaxation and focus it is a very very nice place to be.

Sometimes I have to force myself to open my eyes because I can sit in that blissful state for ages.

This state can sometimes be quite emotional- do not worry. It is usually a state of true happiness mixed with tears arising from us recognising our higher self.

When you have done this a few times and gotten used to the idea and sensations, there are many exercises to try. Not every thing works for everyone.

Electro-Cure is a drug delivery system that takes existing medication into the cell where it does its work by interfering with the DNA of the virus to prevent it from replicating and spreading.

A blood test will show positive because of the antibodies. A polymerase cell response/reaction ( P.C.R ) which tracks DNA in the body will confirm if the virus is gone because after ten treatments or more there should be no viral DNA left.

The Electro-Cure Machine is a vehicle which induces atoms of medication into the body - The machine itself has no side effects. Any medication used by you, probably Acyclovir or Famcyclovir may have side effects - ask your doctor. The Electro-Cure machine cuts the dosage to ± 1/1000 of oral dose - which means longterm saving! Speak to your doctor.

Remember that it is the medication curing you, but a large percentage of the active ingredient in tablets are destroyed by gastric acids and injected drugs still have to circulate through the liver and are destroyed there...

Electro-Cure picks up the acyclovir and carries it in a stream of ions directly thourgh the body so that, instead of circulating through the bloodstream, it goes directly into the cells where it inteferes with the virus....Electro-Cure turns medication into 'Super Medication'.

This machine is a simple design machine. Nothing new nor a miracle. Advanced technology have enabled us to, for the first time, to administer any drug ( medicine ) in cream form which cannot be administered orraly ( electronically ), through the cells and bypasses the bloodstream to the infected area without an operation or injection with simple physics medicine particles are mixed with the electrons of a minute electrical current ( direct current - harmless ) which are sent through the whole body to reach the infected area of the body, via two "pads" which are placed on the wrists of both hands. One positive and the other negative. With the attraction of opposites (+/-) the medicine/drug then gets transported through the whole body where it then attacks the infected area. This machine transforms ordinary drug/medicine into a "superdrug" with some effect as an introvanious injection, yet without pain assosiated with an injection. Thereby the name: Electronic Needleless Injection Pain Free. Don't let the size of the machine fool you of the advanced technology incorporated in it and its effectiveness. ( May your health and lifestyle change immediately after using this tool of technology ). Warning: Sefety in pregnancy has not been established. Histador given transdermally to young children could cause rapid heart beat ( Tachycardia ) Consult your doctor if unsure.

Conditions to be Treated

Migrane:

Place Amethocaine Cream mixed with Mer-bentyl Syrup on RED electrode and Methyl Salicylate on the BLACK electrode. Attach to wrists. Treat until pain disappears.

Fibrositis:

In this condition the pain is usually most in­tense approx. 3 cm below the nipple. Apply Amethocaine Cream and Merbentyl Syrup as a mixture on the RED electrode on this spot and Methyl Salicylate on the BLACK electrode on the bottom end of shoulder blade. Treat for 1 hour or until pain disappears.

Sprains and Gout:

Use mixture of Anethaine Cream and Mer­bentyl Syrup on the RED electrode and Methyl Salicylate on the BLACK electrode. Place elec­trodes on each side of affected limb or joint with the Red electrode on the most painfull side. Treat for 1 hour and repeat if necessary.

Coxsackie Viruses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6:

After obtaining your blood results do 10 daily treatments of 30 minutes using Acyclovir Cream on both electrodes. At the end of that time test your blood again, if not negative then repeat treatment.

Herpes 1 and 2 ( Oral and Genital ):

Use Acyclovir Cream on both electrodes, place one slightly off-centre on the lumber spine, the other as high on the neck as possible. Treat for half hour daily for 10 days then do blood test. If not negative repeat treatment.

Urticaria ( Nettle Rash, Itchy Bumps ):

Use Histador Cream on RED electrode no cream on BLACK electrode. Wristto wrist. Treat for 30 minutes. CAUTION: Histttdor applied through the machine can cause rapid heart beat (Tachycardia) in patientss under 12 years old.

Insect Bites and Stings:

Treat as for Urticaria. Observe caution in young children!

Asthma ( Allergic type ):

Place a ½ a pea sized amount of Difenhydramine HcL (Histador) on the RED electrode and attach to wrist. Treat for half hour daily. Do not cut down on your present medication without consulting your doctor! For adults only.

Colds and Flu:

Place Acyclovir Cream and Histador Cream on both electrodes. Treat for one hour. If symptoms are still present the following day, repeat treatment. Attach to both wrists. ( Adults Only )

Acne:

Use Acyclovir Cream on both electrodes and attach to both wrists, treat for 1 hour daily until skin is clear.

Thrush:

Apply Clotrimazole ( Canesten Cream ) to both electrodes and treat for half hour daily. At the same time apply Savlon ½ teaspoon to ½ litre water to affected area.

Do you have constant back pain and don't know how to relieve it? Well, try a Tens Unit. I have constant back pain, and I do the ice pack for twenty minutes and then a heating pad for twenty minutes. At times that is all I need, but if it doesn't help I use a Tens Unit, especially when I have a pinched nerve or my back is just hurting from over doing it.

TENS stand for Transcutaneous Electrical Never Stimulation. The TENS unit sends electrical pulses through the skin to the nerves that are hurting.

I use my TENS unit on pinched nerves and also for herniated disk. It helps. It is simple to hook up and turn on to the strength of the electrical pulses you want. The unit comes with lead wires and patches you stick to your back. You place the patch on the area that is bothering you and hook the electrodes to the patches, and then plug the lead wires into the unit. You can adjust the strength you want.

I feel a TENS unit is more effective that taking pain medicine. You can put the unit on as long as you want and it won't harm you. Just remember the battery will run out, so keep a well charged one on hand. I have run my unit two days on one battery.

The unit is great for sore muscles too. After a good workout, a hot shower, and then the TENS unit, I feel like a new person. This unit is not recommended for children and will not help on central organs.

Be careful when wearing your unit, the wires hang out and they can get caught on something and pull the wires out of your unit or pull the patches off your back. Make sure you turn the unit off before you take the patches off or to rearrange them. If you don't you can get shocked.

So if you have constant backache and don't know what to do about it, ask your doctor about the TENS unit. Most insurance companies will cover most or all of the expense of one.

What are your responsibilities as a patient -- to ensure a better doctor-patient relationship?

First, become a well-informed consumer. Make sure your doctor has experience diagnosing and treating CFS. In the final analysis, the person in charge of your care is not your doctor. It's you. If you believe your current doctor does not have much experience in the treating CFS, do some research. Join a CFS support group and ask other patients for recommendations. Shop carefully for your physician and any other experts involved in your care.

Determine up front what your treatments will cost. It may seem a little “cheap” to ask your doctor about his or her charges but you need to know what your costs will be, especially if you do not have insurance or if you have high copays. If you feel the costs are too high, don't be afraid to comparison shop other doctors. After all, it's your money.

If your insurance does require copays, be sure to understand what these will be.

You should also put together a list of your medications and go over it with your pharmacist. Don't be afraid to comparison shop for your drugs, either. Again, if there are copays required, be sure you know what these will be.

If you feel you need extra time with your doctor for a specific appointment, request the time in advance and be prepared to pay for the extra time.

If you can't make an appointment – barring an emergency -- call and cancel at least 24 hours in advance.

If it's your first visit with a new doctor, bring a complete list of your symptoms and concerns. Also, make a list of questions – so you won't forget something important. But don't come with 15 or 20 questions. Keep your list to those questions which are really important. You can ask more questions at your next appointment. Also, bring a complete list of any medications or supplements you are taking.

Be sure to file all the records from any doctor you have seen. Organize them so that you can find the information easily as you will most likely need to access it for reference at some point.

When you want information about your treatment, prognosis or medications, ask clear, specific questions. Listen carefully to the answers and take notes. Be sure you understand the answers. Information that seems clear and understandable at the time, may be difficult to remember later. So, you might want to bring someone with you to take notes and help remember or clarify information.

It is your body and your illness. Don't be afraid to be assertive about your needs and concerns. If you have a complaint about your care or about the way you're being treated, tell your doctor in a straightforward manner. Don't just complain. Make direct, reasonable requests. Treat your relationship with your doctor as an adult-to-adult relationship and not as a parent-to-child relationship.

Remember that medicine is both a science and an art and that your treatment plan is based on both objective and subjective information. Don't be disappointed if your doctor does not have some single therapy or medication that will quickly make you feel better. Be realistic and do not expect miracles. You have is a complex, long-term illness for which there is no fast or easy answer.

Finally, always be honest with your doctor. Don't say you're feeling better just to please your doctor if you really aren't feeling better. On the other hand, if you're pleased with your treatment and your prognosis, be sure to let your doctor know. He or she is human and will appreciate hearing that you are pleased with your care.