Bahá`í/Self change.

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Expert: - 7/30/2009


Question
Im not a bahai ist but i have had paranoia panic attacks hypocondria bad dreams bad temper for a while now. without too many of bahis
religios veiws how may i change myself for the better.

Answer

Ron Price at age 60 in
As a person who experiences paranoia and has panic attacks, hypocondria, bad dreams as well as a bad temper, you have a range of problems that really require professional help. To put this another way, I would advise you seek the help of a doctor, a psychologist and/or a psychiatrist.  Prayer and meditation, reading of Baha'i writings and those of other Faiths, yoga and various religious disiplines while potentially helpful and useful, need to be combined with the help of those whose professional skills and training--their job--it is to deal with these kinds of illnesses.  In this way, I would hope you can, as you say, change yourself for the better.-Ron Price, Tasmania

Ron Price

Expertise

I have been a Baha`i for 52 years and been associated with this new world religion for nearly 60. I have written several books on the Baha`i Faith and have two websites: an old one of 450,000 words or 6 books at 75,000 words per book and a new one with access with to several million words spread at hundreds of sites across the world wide web. This website is entitled: Pioneering Over Four/Five Epochs. Any expertise I possess is based on more than half a century of what I trust is, on what I know to be, a maturing experience. This expertise is also based on the training of my mind by means of many avenues in life one of which is academic. My qualifications include: a B.A., a B.Ed., a M.A.(Qual. Thesis) and 4 party completed Graduate Diplomas. You can view my resume at Linkedin or just google RonPrice. The internet has more than 2000, yes 2000, Ron Prices and so make sure you have the right one. The Baha'i writings emphasize that Baha'is should strive to possess: a well-trained mind, establish some recognized ability in the eyes of others and, over time, cultivate a mature experience in community life. They should also attempt to exemplify, to the best of their capacity, some degree of selfless devotion and unquestioned loyalty to the Cause with which they have identified, namely, the Baha'i Faith. One can but try. _______________________________________________________________________________ I am 67 years of age. I was a teacher and tutor, lecturer and adult educator, taxi-driver and ice-cream salesman over a 40 year period(1965-2005), among many other jobs. I am now a poet and publisher, writer and author, editor and journalist. I have been married for 44 years and have three grown-up children ages: 45, 41 and 34(in 2011)--and three step-grandchildren ages: 1, 17 and 15(in 2011). I bring to my role here a background an experience of family and employment life that is relevant to the kind of questions likely to be asked at this site.

Experience

1. EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL-ROLES: 1943-2011 1999-2011-Writer & Editor; Poet & Publisher; Journalist & Independent Scholar. Retired Teacher & Lecturer, Tutor & Adult Educator, Ice-Cream Salesman and Taxi-Driver. Lived in George Town Tasmania for this period of time. 2002-2005-Program Presenter, City Park Radio, Launceston 1999-2004-Tutor and/or President: George Town School for Seniors Inc 1988-1999 -Lecturer in General Studies and Human Services West Australian Department of Training 1986-1987 -Acting Lecturer in Management Studies and Co-ordinator of Further Education Unit at Hedland College in South Hedland, WA. 1982-1985 -Adult Educator, Open College of Tafe, Katherine, NT 1981 -Maintenance Scheduler, Renison Bell, Zeehan, Tasmania 1980-Unemployed: Bi-Polar Disability 1979 -Editor, External Studies Unit, Tasmanian CAE; Youth Worker, Resource Centre Association, Launceston; Lecturer in Organizational Behaviour, Tasmanian CAE; Radio Journalist ABC, Launceston 1976-1978 -Lecturer in Social Sciences & Humanities, Ballarat CAE, Ballarat 1975 - Lecturer in Behavioural Studies, Whitehorse Technical College, Box Hill, Victoria 1974 -Senior Tutor in Education Studies, Tasmanian CAE, Launceston 1972-1973 -High School Teacher, South Australian Education Department 1971 Primary School Teacher, Whyalla SA, Australia 1969-1971 Primary School Teacher, Prince Edward County Board of Education, Picton, Ontario, Canada 1969 Systems Analyst, Bad Boy Co. Ltd., Toronto Ontario 1967-68 -Community Teacher, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Frobisher Bay, NWT, Canada 1959-67 -Summer jobs from grade 9 to end of university 1949-1967 - Attended 2 primary schools, 2 high schools and 2 universities in Canada: McMaster Uni:1963-1966, Windsor T’s College: 1966/7. 1944-1963 -Childhood(1944-57) and adolescence(1957-63) in and around Hamilton Ontario.

Organizations
CLUBS, ASSOCIATIONS AND FORMAL GROUPS TO WHICH I HAVE BELONGED DURING MY 65 YEARS: * solo guitarist at an aged-care facility in my home town in Tasmania: 2008-2011 * Member of a singing group in George Town, Tasmania : 2001-2005. * Public Speaking Assessor, Rostrum, Katherine, NT : 1984/6 * Member of the Lions Club, Zeehan Tasmania : 1981/2 * Member of fitness centres in Melbourne(1975-6), Ballarat(1977-78),Perth(1989-99) and Launceston(1999-2003) * Member of baseball and hockey teams in Burlington : 1953-1962 * Member of the Baha’i Faith : 1959-2009 * I have been a member of many groups during the more than 50 year period 1959-2011, the age of 15 to 67. I was associated with or worked as a volunteer in: (a) The George Town School for Seniors, (b) City Park Radio in Launceston and (c) several other clubs and associations like: (I) Cubs, (II) formal discussion groups in educational institutions as a student and (III) unnumbered groups as a teacher.

Publications
2. PUBLICATIONS: 2.1 Articles and Reviews: Journals/Websites 1.*Essays, Interviews and Articles on the Internet at: 1.1 The Baha'i Academic Resource Library jonah@winterswebsorks.com. has several hundred items posted there, 2002-2006; and at 1.2 An estimated 2000 other sites containing several million words, 2001-2006. 2. * "A History of the Baha'i Faith in the Northern Territory: 1947-1997," Northern Lights, 32 Instalments, 2000-2003. 3. * Periodic Articles in "Newsletters," Regional Teaching Committees of the NSA of the Baha'is of Australia Inc., 1971-2001. 4. * Periodic Articles/Letters, Baha'i Canada and The Australian Baha'i Bulletin now The Australian Baha’i: 1971-2006. 5. * "Memorials of the Faithful," Baha'i Studies Review, September 2001. 6. * "Review of Two Chapbooks: The Poetry of Tony Lee," Arts Dialogue, June 2001. 7. * "Asia and the Lost Poems: The Poetry of Anthony Lee," Art 'n Soul, a Website for Poets and Poetry, January 2000. 8. * "The Passionate Artist," Australian Baha'i Studies, Vol.2, 2000. 9. * "Memorials of the Faithful," Australian Baha'i Studies, Vol.1, No.2, 1999, p.102 and uplifting words.org, 2005-6. 10. * "Poetry of Ron Price: An Overview," ABS Newsletter, No.38, September 1997. 11. * "Thomas a Kempis, Taherzadeh and the Day of Judgement," Forum, Vol.3, No 1, 1994, pp.1-3. 12. * "Forward", An Introduction to Occasions of Grace: Poems and Portrayals, Roger White, George Ronald, Oxford, 1993. 13. * "The Inner Life and the Environment", a paper presented at Murdoch University at the Baha’i Studies Conference in April 1990 and published in The Environment: Our Common Heritage, Monograph No.5, 1994, pp.118-131. 14. * "The History of a Dream: A Tribute to Persistence", Office of Tafe Publication in Western Australia, 1988, pp.5-6. 15. * "Response", Dialogue, Vol.2, No.1, 1986, pp.3-4. 16. many more--a list to long to include here.

Education/Credentials
1.1 Academic Qualifications * Bachelor of Arts(Sociology) McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada 1966 *B. Ed.(Primary School Training) Windsor Teachers’ College Windsor Ontario Canada 1967 * MA(Qualifying Thesis) University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia 1988 1.2 Professional Qualifications * Post Graduate Diploma in Education Windsor University Windsor Ontario Canada 1967 * Certificate of Integrated Studies Education Department of Ontario Toronto Ontario Canada 1970 1.3 Further Studies(Qualifications Incomplete) * Advanced Diploma in Education University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia 1973 -comparative education unit * Master of Educational Administration University of New England Armadale NSW 1975 to 1978 -comparative education, organization theory and practice, educational administration, open education and history of education units * Diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations Tasmanian College of Advanced Education Launceston Tasmania 1980 -organizational behaviour-3 units * Graduate Diploma in Multicultural Education Armadale College of Advanced Education Armadale NSW 1983 -language and society unit; presented paper at residential school. * Graduate Diploma in Religious Education South Australian College of Advanced Education Adelaide South Australia 1984 to 1986 -Religious symbols and symbolism, sociology of education, the Bible as literature, moral education, Islam and principles of religious education units. ------------- That's all folks!

Awards and Honors
AWARDS, PRIZES AND FORMAL RECOGNITIONS: ----------------- 1. I won the most valuable player in the Midget Baseball League in Burlington Ontario in 1958. 2. I won a trophy for the most home runs hit in 1958 and was picked to play for the Burlington All-Stars for four years running: 1958-1962. 3. In the last decade I have received several forms of recognition at various internet sites where I post: poems, essays and comments of many kinds.

Past/Present Clients
People who come to this site and ask questions of me need to keep in mind that, in many ways, the whole notion of an expert on the Baha'i Faith is not a concept that is part of the Baha'i Faith. The Baha'i community has no theologians, no clergy, no individuals who can claim to be voices of authority. An elected institution at the global level has such an authority. It is .....

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