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Hodgkin's Disease, often referred to as Hodgkin's Lymphoma, is a malignancy that starts in lymphatic tissue and may move into other parts of the body including the testes, lung, and bone marrow. Other lymphomas are classified as Non-Hodgkin's and occur more frequently than Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Hodgkin's Lymphoma is differentiated for the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells in the area of malignancy. This cell, and other forms of it, are specific to Hodgkin's Disease. Because of the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells, cancer cells in Hodgkin's disease look different under a microscope than cells of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and other cancers. Reed-Sternberg cells are believed to be a form of malignant B-lymphocyte. Normal B- lymphocytes are the cells that make antibodies that help fight infections.
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) appears to be a factor in about 40-50% of Hodgkin's patients. Other recent studies also show that Interleukin-13, a natural cytokine in the body, may be produced rapidly by malignant Hodgkin's cells. The cause of Hodgkin's disease has not yet been found and is currently being researched.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

More than 2 million American adults, or about 1 percent of the population age 18 and older in any given year, have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life. It is often not recognized as an illness, and people may suffer for years before it is properly diagnosed and treated. Like diabetes or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed throughout a person's life.

Using the principles of Rational Effectiveness Training to achieve a satisfying and productive life.

The twelve principles outlined below are the heart of the book GoodStress: The life that can be yours by Wayne Froggatt (Harper Collins, Auckland, 1997). They will help you achieve success at stress management in two ways. First, they will help you counter the self-defeating beliefs that create distress. Second, they will help you overcome a number of common blocks to using the practical strategies that are a standard part of stress management training.

Most people want to be happy. They would like to feel good, avoid pain, and achieve their goals. For many, though, happiness seems to be an elusive dream. In fact, it appears that we humans are much better at disturbing and defeating ourselves! Instead of feeling good, we are more likely to worry, feel guilty and get depressed. We put ourselves down and feel shy, hurt or self-pitying. We get jealous, angry, hostile and bitter or suffer anxiety, tension and panic.

On top of feeling bad, we often act in self-destructive ways. Some strive to be perfect in everything they do. Many mess up relationships. Others worry about disapproval and let people use them as doormats. Still others compulsively gamble, smoke and overspend - or abuse alcohol, drugs and food. Some even try to end it all.

The strange thing is, most of this pain is avoidable! We don’t have to do it to ourselves. Humans can, believe it or not, learn how to choose how they feel and behave.

Anger is one of the most difficult emotions for human beings to change. Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), which focuses on the underlying belief system that creates dysfunctional emotions and behaviours, is able to help people move from hostile, destructive rage to a more constructive type of anger, and maintain their change in the long term.

This article has been taken from the book GoodStress: The life that can be yours by Wayne Froggatt (HarperCollins Publishers, Auckland, 1997). 'Rational Effectiveness Training' refers to the methodology developed by Dr. Dominic DiMattia, which is described in more detail earlier in GoodStress.

We will begin by studying a type of stress that is particularly associated with work. We will then select several of the practical strategies described in Part Three of GoodStress to see how they apply to the workplace (though of course all the strategies apply to that context). After that, we will briefly review some of the many ways in which rational effectiveness training can be used in the workplace. Finally, we will see how the twelve rational principles can help workers and organisations not just to cope, but to become more effective.

Clinical Depression is so widespread that it has been called ‘the common cold of psychiatry’. One in every five woman in New Zealand will develop a depressive disorder at some stage during their lifetime – a lifetime prevalence of 19.4% for females, compared with 10% for males (Wells et al, 1989). Between 20%-25% of people with a major depressive disorder are likely to contemplate or attempt suicide. (The Core Debater, Feb 1995)

In the mid-1950’s Dr. Albert Ellis, a clinical psychologist trained in psychoanalysis, became disillusioned with the slow progress of his clients. He observed that they tended to get better when they changed their ways of thinking about themselves, their problems, and the world. Ellis reasoned that therapy would progress faster if the focus was directly on the client’s beliefs, and thus was born the method now known as Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy.

REBT was originally called ‘Rational Therapy’, soon changed to ‘Rational-Emotive Therapy’ and again in the early 1990’s to ‘Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy’. REBT is one of a number of ‘cognitive-behavioural’ therapies, which, although developed separately, have many similarities – such as Cognitive Therapy (CT), developed by Psychiatrist Aaron Beck in the 1960’s. REBT and CT together form the basis of the family of psychotherapies known as ‘Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy’. Over the past half-century, REBT has developed significantly, and continues to change.