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[S271]Self Esteem Teenage Girls

by Dr. Linda Miles, Dr.

On the other hand, fake, superficial smiles reveal a smiling mouth only, there is no twinkle and not a wrinkle. Looking at many of the photos in today's magazines where the models often reveal fake smiles with sad eyes. BUT, this is not what teen girls notice. They focus on the perfect figure, airbrushed skin, hair and slick image. Then, unfortunately, they want to emulate that MYTH of happiness.

Dr. Linda Miles has spent over thirty years as a psychotherapist dealing with such issues. In addition she has discussed this subject numerous times on national radio and television. She has a passion for helping girls and women “de-program the myths” of our beauty queen culture.

She herself, as a teenager, bought into fake personalities at Leon High in Tallahassee, Florida. Faye Dunnaway writes, in her autobiography, about her trauma at the same school, where your worth was based upon your looks and money. Ironically both Faye Dunnaway and Dr. Miles were "popular" and won beauty contests, yet they both knew they were faking happiness.

Dr. Miles dedicates her work to her 12 year old grand-daughter, Merritt, in hopes she can help her keep smiling from the inside-out, because, according to long-term research based only upon yearbook pictures, teen-age girls with Duchienne smiles grew up to have more fulfilling lives, better jobs, happier families and more successful marriages.

Dr. Miles 8 keys for teenage girls to help improve self-esteem include:

1. LIVE PASSIONATELY AND NOT FOR PASSION: Mother Theresa wrote our best protection is a joyful heart. Ironically, research shows that teen-age girls laugh more around boys than with one another. Too many girls buy the “Cinderella fairytale” that they need the perfect Prince to be happy.

2. WAKE UP WITHOUT MAKE-UP: Girls need help to ask the questions and find the answers to- Who am I? and Why am I here? They need help and understanding as they discover their gifts and talents, and learn to share them with the world. While adolescence forces pull them toward following peers, they need help to learn how to be their own leader who follows their internal values.

A young girl of 17 was recently arrested in North Carolina for armed robbery and murder, because she helped her boyfriend rob a convenience store. Violence is increasing for girls as they are influenced by peers and media images. We can provide the tools and guidance to help them wake up from feeling worthless; a state that prevents purposeful leadership and integrity.

3. STOP THE WORTHLESS DANCE: Girls decide they are worthless for many reasons, some are - comparison games, childhood traumas such as sexual abuse, the cultural beauty queen trance, or abandonment. Many young women that Dr. Miles has worked with decided they were worthless when their fathers left the family, their mothers were overly critical, they had a more beautiful sister, etc. It is important to re-trace when each girl first decided she was worthless and work on healing that lie. They need to see how they made this decision and why they developed false selves and made that real.

4. WHATS THE BRAIN GOT TO DO WITH IT? There are huge changes in the adolescent brain as information it does not need is pruned and other connections are strengthened. The brain does not fully mature until we are in our twenties leaving teens with too much acceleration and not enough brakes!

A Duke neuroscientist once shared with Dr Miles that although he was a tall adult he still thought of himself as short because he had been so short in middle school. Girls who liked themselves in elementary school often develop a false shell against the middle school assault on the developing brain. They need help to focus their brains in the direction of their purpose and dreams. To accomplish this Dr. Miles uses many techniques from journaling, self-hypnosis and affirmations.

5. DO NOT DESPISE, VISUALIZE: Dr. Miles has young women visualize their ideal life. Using a practice of meditation to relax and connect with the inner self to affirm what each girl wants, she has the girl focus on development of neural pathways toward high self-esteem. The unconscious mind is filled with negative thoughts. Many girls have few models of confident women who live with a higher purpose. A famous neuroscientist once observed, "In the brain practice makes perfect."

6. SWEET INSPIRATION: Since the brain does not fully mature until age 23, teens are drawn to high levels of stimulation, yet lack the experience to deal with life situations. We need classes like Life 101 or Relationships 101! Instead, we spend more time teaching our children how to drive a car than how to have healthy relationships and lives!

Maya Angelo should be required reading as a role model who talks about her mistakes and how she grew. She has a wonderful story about getting fired at 16 and how her Mother explained "fired "was just a word and she needed to get back out there.

7. PRACTICE THE PRESENT: Dr. Miles has girls ask themselves what is real in the present moment. She recalls wasting hours wishing she was having a good hair day! The fact is that her hair was not going to change unless she cut it off during Home Economics.

Self-esteem is a construct built on the absurd...I SHOULD be thin, have straight hair, green eyes, blah, blah, blah. Girls need to be helped to deal with, What is, and NOT, What if. Dr. Miles writes in her book, The New Marriage, Transcending the Happily Ever After Myth, about her near death experience at age 52. She felt peace and self-acceptance as she KNEW the only thing that mattered about her life was how much she had loved.

8. LOVE THE SPIRITUAL AND IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO DESPISE THE EARTHLY: Young girls need to develop a spiritual practice to focus them on the forces greater than themselves. Readings, prayer, meditation can be done alone or shared.

The bowel is the vast intestine in a individual's body, which is every so often christened the colon. The jumbo intestines are one of the greatest organs in a human's body, and they move the waste materials into the bowel. The bowel then stores all the unabsorbed food products, which display been turned into waste, until the time that the body cannot hold it anymore. It is then expelled through a bowel movement from the anus. A bowel movement happens at the time that the anus is too jammed to hold anymore.
Diarrhoea is characterized by watery, runny and loose stools that happen more than three instances in any given day. Diarrhoea is common, and greater of the time it goes away on its own. Though, it can cause problems if untreated for a long period of time, especially in children and the elderly. Myriads accounts cause diarrhoea to occur, these as food intolerances, bacterial and viral infections and reactions to a new medicine. Although diarrhoea mostly goes away on its own, the utmost thing to do to treat it is to up the intake of fluids, as dehydration is a leading problem of diarrhoea. Some medicines can help those with prolonged diarrhoea, as well, but should be recommended antecedent by a doctor.
Incontinence is a common occurrence for millions of folk, and is the condition of experiencing a loss of bladder control which results in the leaking of urine. There are numerous justifications that one may suffer from this condition. Temporary incontinence can occur after childbirth, because of a certain medication being taken, a urinary tract infection or because of having limited mobility resulting from an accident or injury. Chronic incontinence could occur from a birth defect, a brain injury, vaginal prolapse or other pelvic or bladder weaknesses. Incontinence can be controlled by medication or surgery in severe cases, or by practicing muscle control exercises.
Another to some extent common problem is known as IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome. IBS is characterized as cramping and pains in the stomach, flatulence, and diarrhoea. It is still somewhat unknown as to the groundings for IBS. Doctors recommend that steps be taken to prevent the condition, these as the use of fibre supplements, as well as watching the types of food and drinks that are consumed which may cause a reaction. Carbonated drinks should also be avoided in those who suffer from IBS. There are also diarrhoea medications, which might help settle the pain of irritable bowel syndrome. Those who suffer from this condition frequently should speak to their doctor about the foremost course of action.
Colonic irrigation is a form of an enema, and is a more natural remedy for bowel and abdominal problems. Those who display a colonic irrigation present their bowel flushed out by water, which is done in disparate degrees of temperature, in diverse amounts, and by dissimilar pressures. Some patients opt for the use of not only water, but certain herbs and coffees to be added to the irrigation process. Sessions may last up to one hour, but the practice is praised by many as eliminating toxins from the body and improving the overall health of the patient.
A being's bowel is an important integral of the body. Numerous bowel problems could happen over a being's lifetime, these as diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, and incontinence. Taking care of the bowel and flushing it out regularly could keep a human healthy and satisfied, and keep the bowel running smoothly. Any problems that become too severe should be discussed with a doctor to pinpoint the choice remedy for the individual.

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Both Dr. Linda Miles & Timika Markess are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Dr. Linda Miles has sinced written about articles on various topics from Self Esteem. . Dr. Linda Miles's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.

Timika Markess has sinced written about articles on various topics from Self Esteem, Cure Anxiety and Self Esteem. Timika Markess has written articles about ,. Timika Markess's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.