Science is limited to those things that can be proven by using the scientific method of direct observation, controlled environments, and repeatable results. In the mental health field, these areas are confined primarily to psychology and psychotropic pharmaceutical drugs, psychoactive herbs and dietary supplements, and exercise and fitness.

Several of these things have only been discovered recently. For instance, the "runners high" has long been discussed by psychologists. But no one really understood why this was – until they started looking into the way epinephrine affects the brain. It turned out that similar chemicals were released with physical activity, and running was a very effective way of releasing positive brain chemicals.

In diet, medical psychology has found that we truly are what we eat. Heavy meals are not just calorie heavy – they make our thought processes more ponderous and bulky as well, slowing us down. This is because of the way the nutrients in our bloodstream affect the processing of the brain. Diabetics get sluggish when their sugar is out of balance; in the same way, all of us suffer effects to a greater or smaller degree when we eat the wrong foods. A graphic demonstration of this was shown in the movie Super size Me, when Morgan Spurlock, the self-inflicted victim, found that eating high-calorie, high-fat, high-sugar fast food for every meal made him depressed, tired, and irritable.

But we can take in things that are good for us, too. One of the most exciting things in psychopharmacology right now is the rediscovery of old herbal remedies. Country doctors and wise women for years gave St. John's wort to women suffering from depression, particularly postpartum depression. Today, we know that St. John's worth is so effective in combating depressive symptoms that most psychotropic drugs have a contraindication against using it with the drug.

Depression and lethargy, two of the most common psychological complaints, are most often caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and body. Even when caused by external occurrences like a death of a loved one, depression is chemical in nature. Serotonin in particular is decreased in the brain with depression of any type, and most drugs that act on depression use a variety of methods to increase the level of serotonin. Some are called uptake inhibitors, which mean they prevent serotonin from leaving the parts of the brain it acts upon, while others encourage the synthesis of serotonin in the brain.

The more we find out about the brain, the more critical serotonin levels seem to be to the healthy activity of the mind. Many of the nonmedical interventions that improve mood, like exercise and light therapy, actually increase the level of serotonin and associated chemicals in the brain.

As far back as Aristotle, philosophers and thinkers were questioning the workings of the human mind. The word "psychology" was coined in 1590 by a German scholastic philosopher interested in the religious aspects of the human mind. And in 1672, De Anima Brutorum, by Thomas Willis, discussed psychology as a medical discipline. But it was not until 1879 that a psychologist, the German Wilhelm Wundt, first hung out his shingle.

Wundt started a psychology laboratory at the University of Germany in Leipzig, publishing Principles of Psychology eleven years later, a book that laid the foundations of psychology. Researchers from all over the world started working with this new science, notably Ivan Pavlov, famous for his studies of classical and operant conditioning. But Sigmund Freud began the lucrative and sometimes helpful practice of psychoanalysis.

Freud was interested in resolving mental distress and alleviating psychopathology. Though he is often discounted today as a sex-obsessed and flawed scientist, his clinical work in psychology and his mainstream work both shaped psychology as we know it today.

Freud's intuitive methods gave way to behaviourism in the 20th century, in which the possibilities of conditioning humans through many different means (including advertising) was examined and often implemented. It became clearer over the years that behaviorism, once touted by B.F. Skinner and other researchers as the sum total explanation of human behavior, was deeply flawed. It did not explain, for instance, the development by humans of creative language, or for that matter art and creativity.

Meanwhile, medical treatments for the human mind were developing as well. As science and scientific methods advanced, it became more and more clear that if one could fix the chemistry of the brain, one could better repair the mind. But with the complexity and delicacy of the nervous system, it's difficult to find just the right fix for it. And with more work being done on genetics and how proteins are formed in the nervous system, it is also growing clearer that adding chemicals to the brain can sometimes just make an already-broken function worse in the long run.

The human mind can be studied in relation to:

• Its physiology and biology: neurophysiology, cognitive neuroscience (this is the branch that uses a lot of MRI brain scanning to detect areas of activity)
• The nature of thought: cognitive psychology, perception, cognitivism
• The development of the human mind throughout life: developmental and educational psychology
• Human social behavior and interaction: social psychology, community psychology, personality psychology, social cognition

Health psychology is a different take on psychology. Instead of studying the human psyche clinically, health psychology looks at the way healthy eating, a positive (or negative) doctor-patient relationship, knowledge of health information, and beliefs about illness affect a patient's recovery.

All these fields are interested in the recovery of the individual's body or mind, through analysis, medication, or diet and exercise. In many cases, these interventions work. In others, they don't. Some patients simply don't have the funds to pay for psychological intervention. Others have disorders that psychology does not yet understand well.

And still others are left unsatisfied by psychology. By focusing on itself as a science, psychology may have done itself a disservice: it has largely ignored the spiritual aspect of the human mind. Faith is treated as a biological peculiarity, and people who have overcome every obstacle to achieve greatness are totally unexplainable.

Psychology is not the answer to everything. For the person who seeks to make himself or herself whole, there are many other options.

More doctors and psychologists are growing aware of the power of psychoactive herbs and dietary supplements for the treatment of psychological disorders. These herbal remedies are sometimes not well researched because drug companies, where most drug research is funded, cannot patent an herb. Nevertheless, there is some genuine truth to the idea that herbs can be used to cure a variety of psychological complaints, from depression to fatigue.

Just because herbs are natural, those taking them often assume they are safe. This is not true. Nightshade and belladonna are also natural, but poisonous in large doses. Curare is a natural paralytic used in some pharmaceutical anesthetics, but in relatively small amounts can prove deadly. Never think that herbs are completely safe. They are not. If you're under the care of a doctor, always inform him or her about the herbs and dietary supplements you are taking, and bring the medication bottle with you to your appointment.

Treat herbal medications and dietary supplements with the same respect you would show prescription medication. Don't ever take them like candy, as the side effects can be serious and sometimes even deadly. Since they're not regulated by the FDA in the same manner as drugs, you also should not depend on the package recommended dosage, but rather talk to a doctor who works with herbal medications or do your own research into it. Included below are some recommended dosages for common herbal remedies, but these are broad guidelines at best.

Saint John's Wort

St. John's wort has been used for over 2,000 years as an antidepressant. In the 1980s, scientists discovered that it really does work as well as many prescription antidepressants, specifically the MAO inhibitors or tricyclics. The effects can be compared to Prozac.

St. John's wort is usually indicated for in cases of mild to moderate depression; severe depression should be under the care of a doctor (this herb may work on severe depression as well, but has not been studied enough to count on it). In addition, there is significant evidence that St. John's wort works on seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the depression caused by a lack of sunlight during the long winter months.

The biggest problem with St. John's wort is that the benefits can take from two to three months to develop. There is a chance that it will irritate sensitive skin, and that taking it will cause you to develop a degree of sun sensitivity; if you have fair skin, you should take precautions. It should never be taken with other antidepressants, AIDS medications, or cyclosporine. You should consult a doctor for the proper dosage.

Kava-Kava

Kava, or kava-kava, is a plant that grows in the South Pacific. It's been used for centuries by Polynesians as a social drug similar in effect to beer. What it actually does, though, is induce calming effects similar to diazepam (Valium) without the negative side effects like lethargy, sedation, and addiction.

Kava-kava has been shown to be effective in all kinds of social phobias, from agoraphobia to shyness. Anxiety and stress disorders may also be reduced by use of kava-kava. But kava-kava is not for long-term use; if after a few months of using it you still feel you need help with these symptoms, you should speak with a doctor.

Kava-kava taken in large doses causes intoxication similar to alcohol, and if taken over a long period of time can cause a scaly skin disorder. It should not be taken by people with Parkinson's disease and similar coordination-impairing disorders, or by anyone taking sedatives or antidepressants. It should never be taken concurrently with alcohol. Standard dosage is 300 mg of extract, taken in divided doses over the day.

Lavender

Lavender is prized for its odor. Aromatherapists believe, with some clinical evidence, that lavender rubbed into the skin or used to perfume the air can help calm anxiety, reduce insomnia, and even reduce depression. It can also be taken internally in the form of a tea or in lavender lemonade.

Sam-E

S-adenosyl methionine, or SAM-e, is a natural component of cell enzymes and may fight depression, liver disease, and osteoarthritis. It seems to act by making it easier for the body to create essential nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. SAM-e is a relatively expensive dietary supplement, with the recommended dosage costing about a dollar per day, but many people swear by it.

Side effects include a chance of gastrointestinal distress. People with a history of bipolar disorder should take SAM-E with caution, as it can cause manic symptoms in those prone to them. If you purchase SAM-E, check the expiration date on the bottle; SAM-E is relatively unstable and will degrade if kept on the shelf too long. Therapeutic dosage generally ranges from 800mg to 1600mg per day.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s have long been touted for their benefits to the heart; they have also been shown to have an effect on bipolar disorder and depression; it may also be effective in treating borderline personality disorder and migraine. Unfortunately, it's very hard to know whose study to follow, as some say lower doses are better and others say that high doses are better. It could be a disruption of the balance of omega-6 fatty acid, another critical fatty acid. If you think you could benefit, you should speak with a professional nutritionist for advice on how you can balance your omega acids with supplements.

In general, doses between one and two grams per day are optimal. Those who have a problem with or history of bleeding disorders and hemorrhagic stroke should avoid omega-3. Diabetics should speak with a doctor before taking these supplements. It may also reduce immune system responses.

Vitamin B

Because the vitamin B series is critical in cell growth and division, it has a wide variety of benefits. They have also been shown to combat stress, depression, and cardiovascular disease. Though most people get adequate vitamin B in their diets, it's surprisingly easy to get a vitamin B deficiency; they are excreted daily through urine, and must be replenished every day. This means if you're on a crash diet or a diet that removes an entire type of food from your diet (Atkins, for instance), you should probably supplement your vitamin B levels A good vitamin B multivitamin should take care of all your needs.

Light Therapy

Related to herbal remedies is light therapy. Full-spectrum light, similar to sunlight in its composition, has been shown effective when combating Seasonal Affective Disorder, as well as encouraging the skin to produce vitamin D, which may have some positive mood effects. Light is not well studied for its effect on overall health except for the damage sunlight can cause to skin not adapted to it, but researchers are starting to look at other benefits sunlight and full-spectrum light give.

It's almost a truism today that running makes runners feel good, to the point that many experience a "runner's high." This euphoric feeling is related to the release of endorphins, which act as painkillers and mood elevators; chemically, endorphins are related to opiates. It is not surprising that runners become addicted.

But exercise releases other brain chemicals as well, including serotonin and adrenalin. By exercising to an optimal level, you can improve your mood in the most natural way possible: by releasing natural chemicals in your brain.

Get Going

It can be hard to move when you're depressed. You're tired, you don't want to be bothered, and you certainly don't feel motivated. But what you don't want – exercise – is in actuality one of the best possible treatments. Exercise, even without the brain chemicals released, will increase your sense of control over yourself and your self esteem. It can help distract you from problems, and give you a physical outlet for frustrations. The simple improvement of your health and body that follow a regular schedule of exercise makes you feel better physically, which will make you feel better mentally, and you'll sleep more soundly when you've had a good workout.

You can get moving by starting slowly, just trying a walk around the block if that seems like a task. Do just a little more each day, until you start to feel like doing more than walking. Try to find an exercise that you enjoy, and do it regularly. If you can exercise with a friend or a group, just being social will help pull your mood up even more. And the sunshine and fresh air from exercising outside will benefit you as well.

The optimal level is at least 30 minutes of exercise each day for three to five days per week. If you can't manage that, then work toward that goal while starting slowly, preferably with a short period of exercise several days per week.

How Does It Work?

We know that exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins work positively on the neurotransmitters that improve mood. Besides helping boost endorphins and other positive brain chemicals, exercise can reduce cortisol, a stress-inducing hormone. The increase in body temperature secondary to exercise has a calming effect on the mind. The solid workouts can help you sleep better and release tension in muscles.

Overall, these changes improve a wide variety of mental symptoms from sadness and fatigue to anger, stress, and irritability, all related to depression. Besides endorphins, exercise releases serotonin, a brain chemical that influences sleep and wake cycles, libido, appetite and nausea, and mood. If you have a stressful job, exercise can burn off the adrenalin that you have accumulated over the day.

Exercise also improves cardiovascular health. We have known for a long time that stress and cardiovascular help are interrelated in ways we don't completely understand, and that if you can improve your cardiovascular health, your mood will probably improve as well.
A sedentary lifestyle has been strongly linked with depression as well.

Overall, research has indicated that regular exercise is just as good a treatment for mild or moderate depression as medication is. Concurrently, a sedentary lifestyle increases your risk of depression.

Medical intervention is by no means the only way to improve your mood and mental functioning. For centuries, prayer was used as a way to calm the soul and soothe the mind. Astrology, dream interpretation, and palmistry have been around since the time of the Egyptians

Why do these very unscientific methods seem to work so well? There are as many explanations as there are researchers studying them. One thing could be the need for control over one's life and fate. By using a variety of methods to try to see where you're headed, you may be able to take charge of your life. Whether or not there is a metaphysical component to these methods, they do give you an insight to yourself and your life, and can be valuable in showing you where you need to change things and take control.

Regardless of how it happens, it's undeniable that skilled practitioners of several of these methods, notably palmistry and tarot, are trained not only to read the instruments of their trade but also to read the person having the reading done. Palmistry includes a number of observations of the hands that mainstream health practitioners also use. And tarot includes many elements of psychoanalytic and Jungian psychology.

But there are things that are unexplainable in this way as well; an astrological natal chart, even though it does of necessity speak in generalities, often describe the subject of it surprisingly well. And in that description, the individual can find strengths to capitalize on and weaknesses to eliminate.

Prayer has recently been scientifically examined; in a 2003 controlled experiment, congregations praying in Canada had an effect on South Korean women trying to get pregnant through in-vitro fertilization, even though neither group knew the other and the women in South Korea didn't even know they were being prayed for. This remarkable occurrence has given many scientists something to think about.

Astrology involves using the positions of celestial bodies, primarily stars and planets, to understand, interpret and organize information about the world, reality, and human life. In both the Oriental and Western traditions, astrology has had a strong following since the dawn of history and probably earlier. Most of the great construction projects from the earliest civilizations – Stonehenge, the Pyramids, and hundreds of mound burials – were planned according to astrological designs.

Astrology is believed to reveal the past, present, and future by observing and interpreting the positions of celestial bodies. This can be an individual's own fate, or the fate of a nation, the fall of a city or the violent destruction of a continent. The ancient astrologers believed that the movements of the heavens were reflected on the earth. An ancient Hermetic maxim states, "As above, so below."

Today, astrology in the West is used in two basic manners: using a natal or birth chart to identify your life path, and to publish personal horoscopes. Newspaper horoscopes are related to the personal horoscope, but because they tend to be much generalized are not the best method to use to understand yourself; they are truly for entertainment purposes only!

Astrology, astronomy, mathematics, and physics all rose from the same source in the ancient world, and as a result astrology when applied properly is surprisingly mathematical. It uses principles of geometry and arithmetic to determine positioning of celestial bodies relative to one another and to the individual in question. After the math is done, the interpretation of the astrological chart is generally up to the astrologer, which leaves a great deal of leeway.

Astrologers are of two camps as to what their readings mean. Some believe that the quitrent, the person who is asking questions, is able to use the chart to answer questions about him and to find the means to cause significant things to happen in his life. An example would be a natal chart that talks about an untapped talent of the quitrents – a musical ability, for instance, that the quitrent has kept hidden from the world or has never explored. Through expressing himself through that ability, the quitrent might be able to bring about change in himself and his life.

Other astrologers truly believe that our lives are primarily predestined. They may be right. But for the purpose of using astrology to improve one's life, it's probably better overall to choose to disbelieve in predestination.

Throughout this site, you'll find a common theme: the true key to helping yourself is self-understanding. Astrology is no different.

Having a natal chart (a large astrological reading based on your precise date, time, and place of birth) done is a good first step. It's better to use an astrologer you meet in person to do your chart, and it's also better to use one who does not depend entirely upon a computer program to create and interpret the chart. With this tool in hand, you can go through and determine how closely your personality -- both the surface parts and the hidden parts – match the chart. You will undoubtedly be surprised.

Discuss this with your astrologer; that's part of what you have hired him or her for. Ask them for advice, based on your chart, for what they think you should pay attention to. Chances are very good that they'll turn the question back on you.

You can use daily personalized horoscopes for guidance through your life as well. Often, a good horoscope will warn you of an upcoming problem, or trigger the thought in your mind that you need to get ready for something coming up. Ideally, using astrology will help you tap a part of yourself that you may not normally use – your intuition.

Never use astrology as a substitute for seeking medical help for things like depression, suicidal ideation, or any mental problems that interfere with your daily life. But similarly, if you find that astrology helps you, never let a doctor tell you to stop using it. Any medicine that helps is a good thing.

Runes, I-Ching, and Tarot are tools used in the attempt to divine meaning from the past and present, and to predict the future. Whether divination to predict the future works or not, these tools can be used to help you better understand yourself, and to make better decisions about what you are doing now and how you can move toward a more fulfilling and successful future.

For all of these divination tools, most professional readers agree that they do not directly forecast the future. Instead, they hint at the things you need to pay attention to, particularly things you're not paying adequate attention to right now. By looking at your life in a new way, you give yourself fresh options, or open up previously obscure ones.

Runes

Runes are based on an ancient Germanic alphabet that was used for writing, but also for magic and divination. Runes as they are used today in divination consist of each letter of the Runic alphabet carved into a stone. The querent reaches into a bag containing the 24 stones and gives one random stone at a time to the reader, who arranges them in a pattern to read the answer to the querent's question. Alternately, the reader may reach into the bag, grab random stones, and "cast" or toss them down randomly in front of himself.

From this, the caster can read the position of the stones, the patterns in which they fall, and the letters on the stones to determine an answer for the querent.

I-Ching

I-Ching is based on a book of Chinese philosophy that may be one of the oldest written texts in the world. The name translates very roughly to "Book of Changes," but the word is complex and can also refer to easy, simple, regular, or persistent.

The book is structured in an 8x8 matrix of sixty-four hexagrams. These sixty-four items represent the state and dynamic relationship of the eight elements recognized by the Chinese, each represented by a series of three straight and broken or unbroken lines (a "trigram"). An example of an I-Ching trigram is on the flag of South Korea, where the four sets of lines surrounding the central t'ai chi symbol in the center represent the four primary elements.

Divination is accomplished by random selection of numbers that correspond with the hexagrams, taken together giving the reader a specific line in the I-Ching to meditate on to gain guidance.

Tarot

Tarot is reputed to come from Gypsy fortunetellers, who claim to have gained their knowledge from ancient Egypt. Regardless of its origin, it came to light in Renaissance Italy, where it became a craze both as a fortunetelling tool and as a game. Our modern deck of cards is a modified version of the original Tarot.

Today's Tarot is composed of a 22-card Major Arcana deck and a 56-card Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana is analogous to regular playing cards with an additional court card – the Knight – for each suit. The Major Arcana, on the other hand, are unique and intended to reflect major influences on the querent.

In a reading, Tarot cards are shuffled and laid out in one of several patterns. The reader determines the meaning of each individual card, and then looks at their meanings taken in relation to one another and their position in the layout.

Divination is not a good thing to use by itself, but it is an excellent way to get yourself to look at aspects of your life that it's easier to ignore. Divination is not fortunetelling. It is guidance.

If you choose to use divination to help guide your life, you should be aware of the different options available to you. You don't have to stick with one, but whichever divinatory tool you use should be comfortable and make sense to you. Generally, this means selecting one that corresponds to the culture in which you grew up, but this is not necessarily true.

Once you have had a reading done, you should meditate about it before making any decisions. That is the true value of a divinatory reading. It makes you think in a different way. And by thinking differently, you can see alternatives that you could not see before.

Palmistry, or palm-reading, is a form of divination that is more closely associated with Gypsies than any other. It was also historically practiced by Indian mystics. You can see a reflection of this in the modern practice of henna-painting, in which designs are drawn on the palms and feet of young women in countries from India to Morocco. In Morocco especially, this form of henna painting is a type of magic, using special symbols on the hands and feet to keep out evil spirits.

From this, it is not hard to see why mystics saw the natural lines on the palm, base, and backs of the hands as having mystical meaning.

Theories of Palmistry

Palm readers focus first on the shapes of the hands – square hands being those of a practical, earth-oriented person, and longer tapered hands being those of a more delicate and artistic person. The fingernails have special significance, as do the positioning of the fingers on the hand and their relative length.

Only after looking at all these aspects does the palm reader look at the lines and mounds of the hand. Contrary to what most people think, palmistry does not focus on the lines themselves so much as the lines' relationship with one another and with the mounts and valleys of the hand. Each finger has a mount at the base: Jupiter, Saturn, Apollo, and Mercury, from the index to pinky finger. Below these, continuing around, are the Upper Mars, Luna (at the corner of the hand away from the thumb), Lower Mars at the base of the thumb, and Venus just above it. The lines that cut across the hands are (top) the head line and (bottom) the heart line. The one that more or less wraps around the thumb is the life line and an optional line from the base of the palm straight up is the fate line.

By examining these lines and their relations to one another and the mounts, as well as a wide variety of secondary lines, a palm reader can determine quite a lot about you.

Common Sense: The Secret Weapon

But by far the most important tool of the palm reader is his or her common sense. A good palm reader can tell a great deal about you by body language and other things. Do you have a firm or limp handshake? Is there a pale spot around your left ring finger, or your left wrist, from a ring or wristwatch?

Many of the palm reader's observations about your hands and fingernails are also used by doctors and nurses to detect specific medical problems. Ridged fingernails are a sign of poor diet and may indicate an eating disorder. Blotchy hands indicate a certain type of anemia, and bluish fingernails indicate a low level of oxygen in the blood, either from anemia or from a pulmonary condition.

All these clues put together make a palm reader a formidably intuitive person. If you go to a palm reader, listen carefully to what they say. Ask why they say it.

You might be surprised at the insights you can gain to yourself.

The study of the chakra came into vogue in the West sometime during the 1960s, imported from India. Chakras are seven centers of power along the central axis of the body that correspond with the colors of the spectrum:

• Muladhara – in the sex organs, red, associated with survival and security, element: earth
• Svadhisthana – in the kidneys, orange, associated with emotion and creativity, element: water
• Manipura – in the intestines, yellow, associated with mental function and power, element: fire
• Anahata – in the heart, green (sometimes pink), associated with love and compassion, element: air
• Vishuddi – the famous throat chakra, blue, associated with speech and self-expression, element: life
• Ajna – in the eyes, indigo, associated with intuition, element: time
• Shagasrara – at the top of the head, white or violet, associated with one's connection to the divine, element: space

Interestingly, the traditional positions of the seven basic chakras also correspond with the placement of the most important of the adrenal glands.

Using the Chakras

Chi, or ki, energy is supposed to flow upward through the chakras to exit the top of the head. When we are stressed, one or more of the chakras may become blocked. A classic example of this is the block of the throat chakra, common in women; this is generally shown by her inability to express herself. By using meditation, and focusing on the chi energy going up through the chakra to exit properly, she may unblock her chakra, and thus also free herself to speak.

But how do you know a chakra is blocked? Sometimes a spiritual guide can tell you by talking about how you feel, or by using a form of touch therapy. Another way is through some types of Kirlian photography. Kirlian photography takes a picture of the human aura, and can also capture an image of the chakras. A chakra that does not glow properly when photographed is the one that is blocked.

Many believers in the power of chakras think that the chakras may be the key to determining what in your body is broken, and thus improving overall health. It's far more likely that chakras work for mental problems. If you have a problem expressing yourself emotionally, for instance, you may have a blockage in the heart chakra. If you are suicidal or have a problem with sexual function, the blockage may be in the base chakra.

Chakras are a useful tool, and are a great technique for meditation, which carries its own healing power. But you should never use chakras or any beliefs about them in place of the help of a doctor or other medical professional.

In today's confusing world, it is common to seek help outside oneself to understand the world and yourself. This was the genesis of the self-help book, with everything good and bad that entails.

The problem with self-help books is not that they are bad. It is that many of them are good, but some of them are bad, and the bad ones are good at masquerading as good ones. How can you tell the difference?.

Judging Self-Help Books

Use some simple rules when you're looking for a book to help you help yourself. What are you looking for specifically: help to defeat an addiction? To overcome longstanding resentment of your parents? To figure out why you wake up sometimes crying? Each of these problems requires a different sort of book.

Never buy a self-help book that offers an easy answer. There are no easy answers, only hard ones that are reached primarily by looking inside yourself and poking at the things you don't like. A good self-help book will give you a structure with which you can do that.

Most use steps. The classic is the 12-step program, which takes you along a baby-step route to self-understanding and self-actualization. Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Successful People is this sort of book, giving you seven simple habits to cultivate in yourself one at a time.

The ones to be wary of are the ones that use cool new trends to identify themselves. For instance, many use the phrase "The Last Self-Help Book You'll Ever Need." Really? Then why are there so many thousands of others? Others talk about "empowerment" and "victimhood." Reject these.

The self-help industry is built at least in part on the theory that people will always think they need help. The first thing many self-help books do is ask you a series of questions that almost anyone will answer "yes" to: "do you sometimes resent your parents? Does life stress you out, confuse you, make you want to hide? Then we can help!"

Instead, look for self-help books that address what your specific real problem is: achieving success, dealing with relationships, quitting smoking. Look also for the ones that come from professionals with real credentials. Dr. Laura Schlessinger, for instance, is a doctor of physiology, not psychology. Dr. Phil is a degreed psychologist, but currently does not have a license to practice because he failed to complete counseling for an alleged sexual affair with a patient.

Skip the celebrities, and look for real doctors and therapists: the ones that can list foundations you've heard of in their bios, or can direct you to organizations they work with currently. These are the people with a proven track record, and are the ones that will write books that can help you.

Self-Help and New Age?

It may seem odd that self-help is lumped in with the new age portion instead of the scientific one, but the fact is, there's not necessarily any scientific proof that self-help books will help you out. They may. Then again, they might not.

Just like new age techniques, the effectiveness of a self-help book depends largely on your own motivation and abilities. Are you ready to make changes in your life, with guidance? Can you stick to a plan? If so, then any technique you choose to help yourself is likely to help. Just choose the one you're most comfortable with.

Psychoanalysis- A method developed by Sigmund Freud involving the asking of probing questions about the patient's childhood, dreams and nightmares, and other very personal things to attempt to understand the underlying psychosis, or psychological problem.

Psychotropic- A drug that affects the mind or mental processes

Psychoactive- A drug that affects the mind or mental processes – same as psychotropic

Dietary supplement- A pill, capsule, tablet, etc. that is intended to supplement the diet with missing vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, metabolite, concentrate, or other dietary substance. They are regulated much more loosely than drugs.

Epinephrine- a neurotransmitter that acts as a stimulant in the brain, keeping more serotonin active than would otherwise be present.

Psychopharmacology- The study of psychotropic drugs

Serotonin- A neurotransmitter, 5-hydroxytryptamine, that is involved in many different aspects of the brain, such as mood, appetite, sleep, and sexuality. Its importance has only begun to be understood recently.

Behaviorism- A psychological field that focuses on changing the patient's behaviors without worrying about the underlying causes of behaviors. Behaviorism is the diametric opposite of psychoanalysis as a psychological treatment.

Paralytic- A drug or substance that paralyzes the muscles, generally by numbing or damaging the nerves. An overdose of a paralytic can lead to death by suffocation as the lungs cease working.

Agoraphobia- Fear of the outdoors, of crowds, or of uncontrolled social situations. Agoraphobics sometimes become shut-ins because they are afraid to leave their homes.

Euphoric- A feeling of great well-being or elation

Cortisol- A hormone that is produced in reaction to stress, cortisol increases blood pressure and blood sugar and reduces the body's resistance to infection. It's involved in the fight-or-flight reaction and is used up in exercise, but if your body is under stress for a long period of time, unused cortisol can damage the heart and other organs and leave you susceptible to disease.

Hermetic- A magical tradition involving the use of secret or hidden philosophies and ceremonies. Many alchemists considered themselves to be hermetic.

Predestination- A belief that your path in life is preordained. One who believes in predestination may not be motivated to change his or her life because if everything is predestined, then it's going to happen anyway.

Self-Actualization- Self-actualization is the apex of human psychological development, and involves the drive to make something of one's unique abilities and gifts.

Physiology- The study of the biological, mechanical, and chemical functions of a living being.

How do I know a psychic is on the level?

It's mostly gut instinct, unfortunately. Psychics don't need to have a degree or a certification to state that they are psychics; they only have to convince you. The questions to ask yourself are: am I comfortable with this person? Does he or she seem to ask the right questions? Is the advice I'm given useful?

Beyond that, you're on your own. The best way to find a psychic is through word of mouth; if your best friend gushes about her psychic, then that's the one to go to. You can also go to psychic fairs, held periodically in most large cities today, where several psychics who usually have years of experience gather together to meet new clients and sell their services.

How do I know that I can trust the therapist I'm with?

Like finding a good psychic, it's all in how you feel about the therapist. He or she should have a degree in therapy, clinical social work, or clinical psychology. In general, the first visit with a therapist should cover every aspect of your life, from your childhood to your alcohol-use habits.

Always ask a therapist about anything that is bothering you. If at any time you become dissatisfied with your therapist or feel that he or she is doing you no good, it's time to find a new one.

Does prayer really work?

It can. And it certainly seems to have an effect on you if you are faithful to your deity. Prayer is something that science does not understand, and may never understand. In part, it's your belief that God can make you better, help you out, or improve your life. And in part, as in the prayer experiment cited earlier, it seems that there is an actual effect that we simply can't explain, at least in some cases.

At the very least, prayer cannot hurt. If you believe in God, you should certainly pray with all your might for the things you need, and in particular spiritual and mental peace.