That's how it happens. At first you chase happiness; then you crave it.

You are not alone. It happens. One of the understated truths – moments when madness overtakes everything you learned at the university or out on the streets, and you realize you're human – fallible or even gullible after all. You knew the ground was shaky, the territory uncharted, but you opted in anyway, knowing the journey would be long and the road would be rocky and twisted. You suspected the way would be hard, but you also believed, nothing is impossible. You felt you were smarter than those who failed the test and certainly smarter than any chemical. So what happened?

As you sit in your cubicle or other work space, you seem to have everything you want or need, but it's the feeling of happiness that you chase though you'd never admit it, so you make a quick decision. Next thing you know you're on a journey to some place you wondered about but never visited. That's what it's like when you choose to do drugs. You never know if you'll be caught in the rat trap or if you'll be able to outsmart the ones who created the horrid contraption or join the smart ones who escaped addiction and found the road to ultimate bliss.

At the last minute you waffle but you opt in anyway, betting against the odds that you'll be able to experience the euphoria without a scratch, without tell-tale signs, and worst of all, without so much as a prayer. Even the animals know when to take cover and run, but you insist you are a super human, not some creature guided only by instinct. You are savvy, educated and curious, and one chance at paradise is all you need because your life is relatively dull compared to younger days and to be honest, things haven't turned out as expected. Jobs are hard to find and keep, likewise so are good friends. You don't want friends, anyway, not right now, and the job is monotonous, but it pays the bills. 

You want to try something new, something to excite the imagination or dull the throbbing in your brain that whispers words of failure and suggests you're just not good enough. In a state of self-sabotage, you decide. Suddenly, everything they warned you about is ignored and you find yourself driving to the other side of town with some friend you met a month ago posturing as a network of support. You know it takes time to build such networks, but ignoring the warning signs, you tell yourself this is the way things are.

That's how it starts, this habit of self-delusion. You meet them half-way, for half-the price, the balance paid off otherwise, but much too soon the lifestyle becomes unaffordable yet there's no turning back. It seems so innocent with everyone in the room showing you love and acceptance, making you feel you belong somewhere. But once you're hooked and committed they disappear and you're alone on your own, looking for a way back home. 

That's how it happens. At first you chase happiness; then you crave it. Before you know, it's a matter of how do you stop rather than when do you stop the self-sabotage. You want to tell a loved one but you wonder, would they care? You've heard that the negative thinking and feelings are really the addiction speaking. Finally you recall something you heard before: It's never too late to stop the madness and phone a loved one. Or you could pick up the phone and call 1-800-suicide because that's exactly what this kind of self-sabotage is – slow or sudden suicide.

Incessant negative thoughts are the brain's way of telling you something is wrong.

Depending on factors such as genetics, the physical environment or psycho-social influences during childhood, one's emotional system can become overly sensitive to negativity and easily overwhelmed. When traumatic events occur, those with compromised emotional systems can face challenges greater than their ability to cope. For those with weak emotional systems, one overwhelming event can lead to the onset of emotional disorders like Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder (PTSD) or depression. Although these two emotional disorders are different, they share similar symptoms, they often occur together, and they present the same risk factor: death by suicide due to feelings of hopelessness.

Usually, it's the depression that leads to feelings of hopelessness, but more than 40 percent of the time, PTSD already co-exists with depression, and the two emotional disorders become intertwined. Left untreated, these emotional disorders working together can have devastating effects for individuals and their families. Unfortunately, on average, less than a third of those suffering symptoms of an emotional disorder get proper treatment, and this increases the risk of suicide.

Emotional disorders such as PTSD and depression are highly treatable. Treatment can be provided by a licensed mental health professional or through self-help therapies. Yet, on average, less than a third of those suffering symptoms of an emotional illness get treatment. Unfortunately, emotional illnesses and disorders do not disappear on their own. They require some type of intervention.

The first step to intervention is knowing the symptoms:

• sadness, feelings of emptiness
• incessant negative thoughts that occur constantly
• changes in weight for no apparent reason
• loss of appetite
• thoughts of suicide or attempted suicide
• loss of interest in favorite things
• unexplained aches and pains
• inability to concentrate or poor problem-solving ability
• intense or confusing feelings of hopelessness, irritability, anxiety or guilt
• feeling so tired it affects daily activities
• drinking, drinking more than usual or taking prescribed or non-prescribed drugs. 

Our brain works to keep us feeling safe and contented. When the emotional system becomes overwhelmed, the brain can malfunction and become flooded with incessant, negative thoughts which indicate the existence of an emotional disorder like depression. As depression sets in, bodily functions slow down, making it difficult to perform duties, solve problems, or manage daily affairs. This is the brain's way of telling us, something is wrong.  That's when we need to stop and listen to our thoughts, write down symptoms, and if they persist for more than two weeks, go see a health care professional. Having an emotional disorder is not anyone's fault. In fact, 15-20 percent of the population will suffer an emotional disorder sometime in their lives.

Emotional disorders can be a blessing or a curse, depending on what steps are taken to remove stress factors from our lives and build emotional skills. There are many types of intervention from creative arts or integrative therapies to psychotherapy administered by a licensed mental health professional who will help in determining which practices work best for an individual. 

Negative thinking is the depression talking. It serves as a warning against greater problems to come. Emotional disorders like depression and PTSD are highly treatable disorders. It all begins to listening to thoughts and knowing the symptoms. No one should feel isolated or suffer in silence.

Profitize your life & live as you imagined. Follow these 13 steps to adding value to your personal portfolio.

Profitize Your Life

To profitize your life so that you receive financial rewards--invitations, honorable mentions, gifts or anything that makes you feel valued, you might need to invest in yourself in order to close the gap between your real self and your ideal self. Perhaps you need to invest in improving your image in order to profitize your life. Perhaps, it's a matter of building social awareness or emotional intelligence. Maybe it's a matter of joining the right social circles and learning to market your assets. However, it could be something small and insignificant. Sometimes, it's a matter of appearance, and a brand new car will do. But material things rarely add value that lasts.

To profitize something is to assess its worth and add value with the intent of getting a financial return on your investment or added value with cash options. The return can be spiritual, physical, emotional or any combination of the three. To profitize is to change from a position of loss or break even to one where a net gain becomes available or is received in excess of original cost input. In other words, to profitize is to put money in the bank, knowing one day it will pay off, just like any investment.

It's important to know yourself, know your strengths and weaknesses and know what others consider to be valuable. What good is beauty if you don't know what its worth or fail to use it to your advantage? Rest assured, when you are approached for business or otherwise, your appearance is factored in. Depending on how much value it is to someone else, you increase your value and your power of negotiation.

 Your power of negotiation is determined by your ability to profitize your personal worth. You can increase your value and strengthen what you have to offer in 13 simple ways:

• Respect yourself in personal and business relationships.

• Teach others to respect you based on how you treat yourself.

• Understand what you bring to any bargaining table.

• Be willing to ask for what you think you're worth.

• Be willing to walk away from those do not respect your value.

• Do not mistake assets for value. It's a balance between strengths and weaknesses.

• Don't take pride in things you didn't earn or which might be gone tomorrow.

• Value is a combination of spiritual, emotional and physical attributes that earn your respect and make you stand out in a crowd.

• Create a persona for the person you want to be and become that ideal.

• Invest in yourself, your self-improvement, and your emotional development.

• Save your extra money, rather than whittling it away.

• Learn to manage your emotions and show empathy toward others.

• Have integrity, keep to your word, and practice what you preach.

We keep certain principles in mind in order to insure our financial security but often neglect investing in ourselves enough to strengthen our personal portfolio. Take time to overcome personal limitations and profitize your life, keeping in mind, material things rarely have lasting value.

Read the full article  @LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/profitize-your-life-m-h-johnson…