Rare Disease Day 2022 – A look at what rare conditions are, types of rare disease, the importance of awareness & how we can show our colours.
Share Your Beautiful Colours This Rare Disease Day — Invisibly Me
I’ve reviewed several Delta 8 products and found them to be helpful for stress relief and overall quieting of the mind in order to go back to sleep. I have not felt any type of buzz or high from them and feel very comfortable adding them to my nightly routine.
Like CBD, delta-8 (delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol) is just one of more than 100 chemical compounds found in the cannabis sativa plant. Most people are familiar with THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that gives you a euphoric high.
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the production and sale of CBD products (which don’t get you high) on the federal level in the U.S. as long as they contain less than .3% of THC. In theory, this would allow federal legalization of CBD products with delta-8 under those same guidelines, but doctors, like internal medicine specialist Paul Terpeluk, DO, are expressing concerns about delta-8 products because delta-8 is psychoactive and produces same or similar highs as THC.
Another reason for Delta-8’s growing popularity is that, unlike heavily regulated THC, Delta-8 is legal to use in most states. That’s because it’s extracted mostly from hemp-derived CBD, which is legal to farm across the U.S.
But Delta-8 sits in a legal gray area. Hemp’s legality stems from the so-called federal farm bill (the Agriculture and Nutrition Improvement Act of 2018), which removed hemp and its byproducts from the list of controlled substances. The reason: Hemp’s low THC levels (less than 0.3%). The bill doesn’t mention Delta-8 anywhere. Hemp advocates and others who sell it have used this loophole to legally market Delta-8 products, usually with no age restrictions. As a result, it’s now the fastest-growing product from the hemp industry.
Because there’s little oversight or lab testing on what goes into Delta-8 products, chemists and other scientists have safety concerns. Products labeled as Delta-8 may contain impurities, including high levels of THC. As a result, around a dozen states, including New York and Colorado, are beginning to restrict or ban the use of Delta-8.
The key is to find a product that is rated and reviewed. I did several searches for the top 2022 Delta 8 Products and worked from those list. When I go to a new site, I check out the company “About Us” information. Then I see where the product is made and if it’s lab tested. From there it’s truly a guessing game but I look for products that are rated by users and read the reviews. I don’t go by price alone but do know that they aren’t cheap and will be cautious if a price is too low.
To Your Health!
Melinda
References:
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/what-is-delta-8
Melinda
So glad you stopped by today, I look forward to your comments each week.
Melinda
“No matter what your age is today, you are an old person in training.” Ashton Applewhite, author and ageism activist Balance is being able to stand without falling to either side. It should be simple, but many people have difficulty holding this basic stance. The good news is that there are ways you can improve […]
Balancing Act — The River Blogger
Music is ambrosia
Of Music and Life — Explorations in Psychotherapy
Melinda
I have to thank my husband for painting my office! We painted it dark green when I moved in over 20 years ago and I was so ready for a change.
This is where I relax with a good-smelling candle to think and write.
I can’t wait for later this week when the temps drop low enough to use the fireplace!
I hope you have a comfy spot to call your own. I’m very blessed to have an extra bedroom to call mine.
Here’s to relaxing!
Melinda
Melinda
We may not always agree with politics or have voted for the person in the office but I think we can agree we live in the greatest country and having a President of the United States makes all the difference.
Melinda
You’ve probably heard the term or worse yet suffer from Painsomnia yourself. If the term is new to you, here’s the short version. A person experiences insomnia due to pain preventing them from falling asleep or staying asleep.
“Sleep helps our bodies rest and heal, so good-quality sleep is vital for people with chronic illnesses. However, painsomnia can make a good night of sleep feel like a pipe dream. Fortunately, medical researchers are starting to learn more about the condition and how patients can cope.”
I have the type of Painsomnia that keeps me up after waking from pain and makes it impossible to go back to sleep. My sleep medicine has worn off by then and no it’s just pain against sleep, and sleep rarely wins.
I have tried several hacks to help go back to sleep with mixed results. I have an essential oil stick with a Lavander fragrance that’s supposed to relax you but I can’t tell it does any good. The one item that has worked this past week is Delta 8 gummies. I take one right after waking up and they do relieve stress and keep my mind from wondering allowing me to go back to sleep.
I have to point out that I’m living without pain medication right now so it can be a challenge when I have to sleep on my shoulders and hips. No back or stomach sleeping for me.
The MD Anderson Sleep Center recommends that people adopt new habits into their nightly routine. These habits help form the foundation for good sleep hygiene:
If you have trouble sleeping, your healthcare provider may prescribe sleep aids or encourage you to try over-the-counter medications. These drugs can help regulate your circadian rhythm and lull you into slumber. Melatonin supplements help regulate your sleep cycle.9
A study from Cureus journal found that ashwagandha, a medicinal herb, can help people fall and stay asleep.10
Prescription drugs may include benzodiazepines, which are often used to treat anxiety and insomnia. Before you try any new supplements or prescriptions, make sure to consult your healthcare provider.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a treatment that encourages people to rethink and change their behaviors. For people with insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy may help,11
For example, a person without a sleep routine can work with a therapist to start better habits before bed. If anxious thoughts are keeping you up at night, cognitive behavioral techniques can teach you to stop those spiraling thoughts and focus on other, more restful thoughts.
If your painsomnia makes you feel helpless, those worries can make it even harder for you to get sleep. You may blame yourself or blame your body if you’re struggling with painsomnia. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you cope with some of that frustration.
While hypnotherapy is not a proven cure for painsomnia, some researchers have found that hypnosis might improve insomnia.12Hypnotherapy is an alternative medicine where practitioners use hypnosis and the power of suggestion to guide patients through various concerns.
Hypnotherapy is not a replacement for your healthcare provider or your current medications. Some researchers describe hypnotherapy as a sort of placebo. In either case, hypnosis can lull you into deep relaxation. This relaxation may help people with painsomnia fall asleep.
Melinda
Ref:
What Is Love? “Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing, and forgiving. Through good and bad times, it is loyalty. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.” Ann Landers. “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” Emily Bronte. […]
What is Love — Explorations in Psychotherapy
‘Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever’ – Walt Disney Do you ever wish you were younger? Or older? It seems that wherever we are in life we’d quite like to be somewhere else! In our teenage years we often wish we were older, maybe so we can get into that […]
Age is just a number — Happy Healthy Me – a Journey
So glad you stopped by today, I look forward to your comments each week.
Melinda
“smile though your heart is breaking…”
The Many Meanings of a Smile — Explorations in Psychotherapy
I believe mental health and physical health are interrelated, you can’t have one without the other. You can be the healthiest person physically but if your mental state is in disrepair it will impact your physical health at some point.
I’m off balance right now and it spills over, causing me to eat emotionally and body shaming. It’s a vicious cycle. My focus is on rewarding the right behavior and not being too hard on myself when I fall.
“Mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).[1] Mental health includes subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one’s intellectual and emotional potential, among others.[2] From the perspectives of positive psychology or holism, mental health may include an individual’s ability to enjoy life and to create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.[3] Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how one defines “mental health.”
To live our best life we have to live a whole life and that requires tending to all of our health needs. Our mental health may seem a challenge for some because they haven’t learned simple ways to support their mental health. Something as simple as spending 10 minutes clearing your mind can help your clarity and relieve stress.
Taking care of our mental health is an ongoing daily function just as important as eating and physical health. You have to keep feeding the brain in order for it to flourish.
Talking to someone about what’s stressing you out
Take a nap
A hot bath or foot soak
Use a diffuser with essential oils to help relax you
Go for a walk
Get outdoors, nothing feels as good as fresh air
Meditate
Exercise
Yoga
Alternative Medicine, like a massage or acupressure
Do a puzzle
There are thousands of things we can do for our mental health, the biggest problem is we don’t take the time. We don’t put enough emphasis on the importance of daily habits. Our mind needs to be nurtured every day just as a body does.
Melinda
Reference
I sit around some days and wonder if any of my medication actually works. After all, why am I still depressed when I am on anti-depressants? Anti means opposed to or against; therefore, my medication should be fighting against depression. I try to fight the idea that maybe I just need to try another medicine […]
Laziness or Depression – Which one is it today? — The Mental Minute
I remember when as a child my mother would buy a box of Valentine’s cards and we would give them to the kids in our class. In high school, you could buy a card or send a rose to a friend and that was so much fun!
Happy Valentine’s day to all my friends out there and I hope you have a special day. Do something special for yourself!
Melinda
Anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry, or fear that can be mild or severe. For some people, anxiety is so frequent and intense that it disrupts their daily lives. If you’re one of those people, don’t worry – you’re not alone. In this blog post, we will discuss some ways to cope with anxiety when it strikes.
This may be difficult, but it’s important to try to identify what is causing you to feel anxious. For example, is it a specific event or situation? A person? Or is your anxiety more general, such as feeling constantly worried and uneasy? Once you have identified the cause, you can begin to address it.
If your anxiety is caused by a specific situation or person, try to avoid that thing or spend less time around that person. However, if your anxiety is more general, there are still things you can do to help manage it. For example, some people find journaling helpful for identifying the source of their anxiety. Other people find relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation helpful in managing their anxiety symptoms.
Sometimes, just talking about what’s bothering you can make it easier to deal with those feelings. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to someone close to you, there are many resources available for people with mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
Your GP is usually the best place to start if you’re looking for professional help; they will be able to refer you if necessary. In some cases, talking therapies such as counseling may be helpful in managing symptoms of anxiety and other mental health conditions like depression or stress-related disorders (like post-traumatic stress disorder).
This may seem like an impossible task when you’re feeling anxious, but it’s essential to find some time each day to relax and focus on yourself. This could be something as simple as taking a hot bath, reading your favorite book, or spending time in nature.
If you’re finding it difficult to take time for yourself, consider setting aside a specific block of time each day that is just for you. During this time, try not to stress about work or other commitments; simply relax and enjoy whatever activity you have chosen. You could also consider a recovery center if you feel like you need to get away for a while and just focus on yourself and your mental wellbeing.
Caffeine, alcohol, and other stimulants can make symptoms of anxiety worse. So if you’re feeling anxious, try to avoid these things. If you find it challenging to cut out caffeine or alcohol completely, try to reduce your intake at least. This will help to minimize the effects that these substances have on your anxiety levels. Managing anxiety can be difficult, but it is possible. By using some of the techniques we’ve discussed in this blog post, you can begin to take control of your anxiety and start living a happier, more productive life.
In conclusion, there are many ways to cope with anxiety when it strikes. Some people choose not to deal with their anxiety at all, while others prefer specific techniques like breathing exercises or mindfulness meditation. Whatever approach you take, remember that the most important thing is finding what works best for you and your unique situation.
This is a collaborative post.
Melinda
So glad you stopped by today, I look forward to your comments each week.
Melinda
Sleep and I have a bizarre relationship. It takes me forever to fall asleep most days because I simply cannot turn my mind off. Either it’s filled with anxiety-ridden worry-thoughts like Are you SURE you turned off the stove? Or a slew of self-defeating thoughts like What if you aren’t good enough? I would stay […]
Waking up right with good sleep hygiene — The Mental Minute
Bryan Dunst discusses how you can nurture your gifted child.
How to Nurture your Gifted Child — bryandunst
It takes more than eating right and taking medication to stay healthy and be our best selves physically and mentally. Alternative Medicine has been used for thousands of years and if truth be told, since the beginning of time. 
What is Alternative Medicine?
It’s complementary to Traditional Medicine which we are most familiar with. The two can work hand in hand to provide a total health solution. Some forms are Homeopathy, Acupressure, Acupuncture, Natural Medicine, Naturopathy, Ayurveda, Biofield therapy, Bioelectromagnetic therapy, Chiropractic and Reiki.
I don’t buy into all the methods of Alternative Medicine but believe in those I’ve seen results for or studies results. These are my favorite Alternative Medicine hacks to help augment Traditional Medicine which I rely heavily on.
Collagen, Ginseng and Probiotic and Multi-Vitamin
2-3 times per week
You can also book weight loss or quit-smoking hypnosis
Full body and head
Nightly as a part of my bedtime routine
Part of my bedtime routine
Part of my bedtime routine
Melinda
Being a trauma survivor myself, mindfulness has always been integrated into my treatment. Recently I was enrolled into a mindfulness based CBT group where I’ve met like minded people who are struggling with trauma and struggling staying present. So, what is trauma and why is mindfulness so important in regards to it? According to the […]
How Mindfulness Can Help Trauma Survivors — tiny musings
There is no comparison between fresh homemade and dried storebought pasta. Try these two recipes for homemade pasta – one vegan and one with eggs.
Make Fresh Homemade Pasta — Everyday Lillie
‘Walking is a man’s best medicine’ – Hippocrates You’ve no doubt heard that we should all be aiming to walk 10,000 steps every day. But did you know that this figure actually came about from a Japanese advertising slogan, rather than being based on medical science? Honestly – google it!! The important thing is that […]
18 reasons why walking is good for you! — Happy Healthy Me – a Journey
It’s hard to believe that two centuries ago, most people didn’t have access to a garden. The best they could hope for was a park. Today, though, things are different. The majority of people have a garden at the back of their home where they can feel a little closer to nature.
And that’s good news: gardens can work wonders for your mental health. Here’s how:
For some people, just watching seeds they’ve planted grow into full-grown plants can be an extremely edifying experience. You’re doing something that is allowing life to flourish – and that can make you feel great. Spending time in nature to better your mental health is ideal and recommended, which is evident from the Second Nature Utah Reviews. Going to an outdoor therapy retreat can be incredible for your well-being and mental health, which is something you might wish to try if you want to work on yourself.
Do you remember lounging around in summerhouses while you were young, reading a book without a care in the world? If so, you’ll know all about the incredible calming powers of gardens.
Just spending a couple of hours in the garden can be enough to allow the stress to drain from your body. The person who steps back into the house after lounging in the sun is not the one who stepped out of it two hours before.
Because you have more space, you’re much freer to move your body in the garden than you are in the house. In turn, this helps to elevate your mood. Your brain releases a host of feel-good hormones that circulate around your body, changing how you feel.
As modern humans, we’ve largely lost our connection to nature. We’ve forgotten that we’re not just strange aliens who arrived on Earth out of the blue but instead products of this planet. As such, we’re at our best when we’re in nature, enjoying its surroundings.
Sometimes, though, we forget this, particularly if we live in giant modern cities. Our built environment does not resemble nature and can leave us feeling alienated and lost, without really knowing why.
Having a garden helps to reverse this by putting you back in touch with your roots, if only in a small way. Many people report feeling sensations of biophilia when out in nature — the profound sense that “this is where I should be.” This alone can be enough to transform your mental health, reminding you that nature is bigger than it appears on the television screen.
Of course, even gardening comes with risks. Make sure that you don’t spend too long out in the sun to avoid skin damage. Drink plenty of water when outside.
Gardening can lead to a host of bacterial and insect-borne illnesses. These include:
So long as you protect yourself, you should be safe in the garden. Simply spending more time outdoors can work wonders for your mental health, particularly if your job requires you to be in the office all week.
This is a collaborative post.
Melinda
So glad you stopped by today, I look forward to your comments each week.
Melinda
We have one tree out front that lost several limbs due to ice. My husband had to go on the house and pull one larger limb off the roof. It’s beautiful outside of course that’s from the inside in the warmth. Tonight the roads are re-freezing and will be another morning with hundreds of accidents since people won’t stay off the roads.
Be Safe!
Melinda
Addiction whether it be to alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, spending money or food, to name a few, is ultimately a maladaptive behaviour that has emerged in response to an inability to manage deeply rooted fears and anxiety and low self-worth. Unfortunately what starts as a way to soothe our anxiety, numb our pain, make us […]
The Addiction Dilemma — Emma Pay
lookingforthelight.blog 