“I don’t have a photograph, but you can have my footprints. They’re upstairs in my socks.” ― Groucho Marx NSFW My Secret Obsession I must confess to you, my dear reader, my judge, and jury. I have an obsession. Ahh, see. You caught me in a lie already. I have many obsessions. There, that’s better. […]
Thank you AOA for providing great information on the cycle of violence. M
This is real….
Please encourage any loved ones in this cycle to seek help and support from a domestic violence center or hotline…
Pray….
Love…
Support….
Children are affected deeply…..
~AoA
Sky Sports
Friday 16 November 2018 07:48, UK
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love says some types of masculinity portrayed in the NBA are “outdated” and “dangerous” and stop men from getting help for depression and anxiety.
The five-time All Star has personal experience after he suffered a panic attack during a game last November and realised he needed help and started seeing a therapist.
“I know from experience that this is not easy,” he told Reuters.
“So opening up about it and allowing myself to be vulnerable can affect a lot of people in a positive way and hopefully create some change.”
He said athletes were in a perfect position to break down stigmas associated with men and mental health. “Athletes … are looked at as superhuman so having them open up can have a big impact.”
Love is hoping to spread the message that seeking help is a sign of strength with a web series called “Locker Room Talk” where he interviews athletes like Michael Phelps, Channing Frye and Paul Pierce about their own mental health.
“Michael Phelps being able to speak out about mental health in the way that he does is very powerful”.
Love spoke out about his mental health after San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan said he was suffering from depression.
“Without DeMar DeRozan I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be sitting here as soon as I am today,” Love added.
Great information from Micha Abeles MD.
The post clarifies some of my questions. M
Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are both forms of inflammation of the joints but they are actually very different types of a broader condition called arthritis. There are many forms of arthritis, including gout, but RA and OA are two of the most common, affecting a combined 32 million people in the United States alone. Despite their similarities, the diseases have different causes and symptoms that can vary quite a bit in spite of some overlap.
What Is Osteoarthritis?
OA is a degenerative joint disease affecting the cartilage. Also known as wear-and-tear arthritis, it’s caused by a breakdown in cartilage of the joints that leads to pain and inflammation as bone rubs against bone without the protective cushion of the cartilage. OA may begin in a single joint and get progressively worse. This disease is most common among older adults with 70% of people over 70 showing some evidence…
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Eight months after the end of the Civil War, the 13th amendment is ratified by the required number of states, abolishing slavery in the US. Its passage was secured after intense lobbying by President Abraham Lincoln, whose Emancipation Proclamation had declared slaves free, but their status after the war was still uncertain.
1965
The stop-motion animation special airs on NBC as part of General Electric’s ‘Fantasy Hour.’ Created by Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass and filmed in Japan, the show will become a holiday classic for generations, moving to CBS in 1972.
1993
Schindler’s List hits theaters. Famed director Steven Spielberg recently said that audiences could gain more out of watching his 1993 holocaust movie “Schindler’s List” today more than any other time thanks to the current political climate.
I thank you Mr. President for your service to America, you offered us a strong shoulder to lean on. M
No matter what I do my candles always end in a tunnel. you know the one, wax inches above where the wick is. I found this great article in the December’s Real Simple magazine. I’m anxious to see if my luck with the tunnel issue.
Abigail Cook Stone the founder of Otherland Candle Company says trim the wick to 1/8 inch every time you light the candle. It helps the wax burn slower at a more even pace and avoid soot build up around glass. “A good rule of thumb is to burn your candle an hour for every inch the candle is wide.” says Kristen Pumpfrey, Creative Director of PF Candle Company. So if the candle is two inches wide, two hours should do it. “Blow out candle gently ( to prevent wax splatter” or use a sniffer to extinguish.
You can find the information in Real Simple on page 33 of the December edition
M
Sending wishes of happiness and health on this joyous occasion. I hope you have the pleasure of spending time with family and friends. Breath in the joyous sunshine of this special observance.
Melinda
Thank you Lily for another great post. With a chronic illness we have to remind ourself to move forward but not over do it. It’s a tough balancing act for me.
Hi, friends. In the first installment of this series, I discussed falling, and today’s topic is fatigue. Have you ever felt plagued by chronic exhaustion due to disability, insomnia, stress, etc? Let’s discuss!
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What’s the most stressful part of the holidays? Chances are it’s not the crowds, long to-do lists, or even the financial strain. My clients, friends, and colleagues resoundingly say that dealing with difficult family members and their over-the-top drama is the most stressful part of the holidays.
For most of us, the holiday season means lots of social events – Thanksgiving with your folks, Christmas dinner with your in-laws, the office holiday party, and additional religious gatherings.
It’s a blessing to celebrate when we enjoy each other’s company and treat each other with respect and kindness. On the other hand, it’s draining to spend time with people who exude negative energy, always seem to have a problem or crisis, and demand your attention. Often, overly dramatic people, such as these, want to suck you into their negativity vortex.
When you visit your family, do you feel like you’ve stepped into an episode of The Real Housewives or Big Brother? If so, you know exactly what I mean by overly dramatic behavior – it’s intense, loud, aggressive, childish, inappropriate, or a huge emotional reaction. It frequently includes crying, yelling, gossiping, “emotional dumping”, and acting like everything is a crisis or emergency.
Being around other people’s dramatic behavior is mentally exhausting and anxiety provoking. It can feel like a dark cloud looming over you and shifting a joyful occasion to one of upset and negativity. Sometimes you can almost feel it in the air; you can sense when others are amped up or on high alert (especially if you’re an empath or highly sensitive person), which is why it’s so draining to be around other people’s drama.
Dramatic behavior is attention-seeking behavior and when we react and get drawn into it, we’re rewarding this behavior and sending the message that it’s an effective way to get our attention. Drama tends to build on itself, pulling people in and becoming contagious. It’s hard work to protect yourself from the natural instinct to react.
Here’s how to create an invisible bubble around yourself to keep other people’s drama out of your physical and mental space.
Remembering that you can’t make people behave differently is always the first line of defense. When you interact with people with this in mind, you’re less likely to give unwanted advice, engage in arguments, or be disappointed that Aunt Mary is once again having a fit before the turkey’s even on the table.
Spend some time reflecting on when drama has occurred and who has caused it in the past. Often there are patterns and repeat offenders and recognizing when you’re most vulnerable can help you prepare and create a plan to use the following strategies when you’ll need them the most.
The key to dealing with drama-makers is to stay calm and not feed into it. They are looking for you to react — and react in a big way. They truly want you to drop everything and focus on them. Your goal is to let the drama wash over you like a wave, but not pull you under. Deep breathing, grounding exercises, mantras, and other anxiety-reducing strategies can help.
Sometimes you need to put some space between you and the drama. Plan to take some breaks: go for a walk, play with the kids, or volunteer to run to the store to buy more whipped cream. I assure you that it’s perfectly reasonable to retreat to the bedroom (or even the bathroom) for 15 minutes so you can regroup.
The drama isn’t about you – no matter what anyone says. Another helpful thing to keep in mind is your drama-loving relative is projecting their issues, traumas, and insecurities onto you. Yes, it’s hard to not take things personally if you’re used to being blamed and singled out as the problem. Try thinking about what your relative’s behavior reflects about him or her instead of what it means about you.
This is a 12-step saying that means focus on yourself and don’t get overly concerned about what others are doing. You shouldn’t take responsibility for solving other people’s problems (chances are you can’t anyway). However, when you think you can or should intervene, you’ll get sucked into other people’s drama. Even though it’s hard to sit by and watch other people in pain, don’t make it your job to fix or change the situation. If someone tries to draw you in, you can even say, “I’m working on staying in my own lane.”
Your dramatic relative probably lacks boundaries, which means you’re going to need super clear and consistent boundaries yourself. They feel entitled to highjack conversations, make demands, and think everyone’s plans should revolve around them. It’s your job to draw a line and let them know what’s acceptable behavior and what you’re willing to do. Don’t compromise your health, emotional well-being, or ability to enjoy the holiday in order to satisfy their unreasonable demands.
Whenever possible, enlist support. This can be another family member who would also like to remain drama-free. Or it can be a friend who’s willing to debrief with you or lighten your load so you can fit in some extra self-care before the big day.
This year, I created a new digital workbook to support you in dealing with family drama and holiday stress. It focuses on developing individualized coping strategies so you can go into the holidays with a new sense of confidence and a toolbox of new skills for coping with difficult family members.
I hope these tips will help you protect yourself from whatever toxic drama tries to intrude on the peace and enjoyment of your holiday season.
With gratitude,
Sharon
©2018 Sharon Martin, LCSW. All rights reserved.
Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash.com
Sharon Martin is an emotional wellness speaker, writer, and licensed psychotherapist. Her San Jose based practice specializes in helping over-stressed, high achieving adults and teens learn to embrace their imperfections and grow happiness. Her personal journey of overcoming perfectionism and people-pleasing traits, inspired her passion for this work. Sharon is the author of Setting Boundaries Without Guilt: A Workbook to Move You From Doormat to Empowerment. Sharon also enjoys teaching blogging and writing classes for therapists. You can find her on Twitter, instagram, and her website.
Thank you for sharing in depth details of your first visit to a Neuropathic doctor. Have a great day.
So I visited the ND ( Naturopathic Doctor ) a week ago. It was “different” for lack of better words. I wouldn’t say it was a bad experience. It was just different and new to me. I found it odd, I guess. But I am also very interested in this technique. I guess this would constitute a paradigm shift for me. It’s like my usual way of thinking about medical science is being replaced by alternative ways of healing. I am learning that healing the body is not only through an avenue of medicine. Rather I am learning that there are natural ways to heal through diet, exercise and healthier natural alternatives. I have learned that running to an MD is not always the best answer. Unfortunately, I have learned this quite a few times in my life experiences. So with this new way of looking at health and healing…
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Thank you sharing the detailed information un this often misunderstood illness. Have a great day. M
October is Dysautonomia Awareness month. I wanted to do a post to raise awareness so I thought I’d share with you all five fast facts about Dysautonomia.
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Special Thanks to Pushed by Pain
Listen… I am not in pain because I am depressed. I am depressed because I am pain. It is not difficult to understand.
A short update on my tumble-down stair’s, I would say it was a Perfect 10! HaHa! My diagnosis after two days of appointments, broken right elbow, shattered left wrist and left orbital bone fracture. When the Orbital bone flexed it took in muscle with it, reason for my crazy eyeball pain. It could work itself out and it’s the lowest of priorities.
The left wrist was an hour surgery, sounds crazy with all the veins in the area. I have a t-plate drilled on for support, luckily today’s technology is flexible vs metal.
My right arm is the only “functioning” arm. I get to write you! A huge shout out to everyone for the get well notes, hugs and prayers, your words have kept my mood up and looking forward.
You’ll see less of me for a while but know I’m reading. Have a great weekend.
M
Guest Writer for Invisibly Me
Today I wanted to share a great guest post to illustrate some of the psychological treatment options available when it comes to depression. Please kindly note that any opinions expressed are of that of the writer, not necessarily myself. Depression is a common problem characterized by a worsening of your emotional state, how you think […]
via [ Guest Post ] What Depression Treatments Are Available to Me? — Invisibly Me
I had a burst of energy Saturday, thinking of all I could get done. The priority is prepping for new store opening. Instead of surrounding myself in luxury I fell down the stairs.
Eight stairs exactly. I landed on head and neck with the rest of my body pinning me down. Breaking my neck was the first thought, how do I get out of this and not move my neck.
What about my back. I can’t recall getting up. It’s scary when some thing happens and you’re alone, no one hears your tears.
A broken left orbital bone, nose, shattered wrist and arm, battered to pieces everywhere else. I am totally blessed, no broken neck or back. God sent the message my husband needed to hear, I can no longer live in a two-story house.
Have a great evening,
M :)
Hi Cindy! Enjoying the colors of the rainbow.
Is really so pretty!
The historic old pubs are lovely,
and fun to explore,
on a good, old-fashioned Irish pub-crawl.
You are guaranteed to make friends because the people are warm, friendly, and often just a tad tipsy!
Dublin is a vibrant, colorful city,
justifiably proud,
of its artistic and literary history.
I am still home at The Holler, but it’s cheers to you from beautiful Dublin~
This video always makes me smile! I love watching people dance to their own beat.
The multiple quotes are to keep me focused on how anger get’s in the way of every move we make, every person we talk to, how we love. My health is spiraling and I’m getting mixed messages from doctor’s. Big Surprise for my Chronically Ill followers. I know many of you understand and my thoughts are with you.
We all carry anger, no matter how small, it can feel magnified towards other’s. M
Really? Yesterday morning I awoke to a text message from my sister Sherry who also lives with bipolar disorder. She wrote, “I hate bipolar illness.” It didn’t take long for my wheels to start to turn. Of course you hate this illness. I hate bipolar too. I don’t like how it interrupted my life and […]
via No one wants to have a mental illness — Shedding Light on Mental Health
Thank you Cindy for allowing me to reblog. Have a great rights. Melinda
Hi, friends. I have a disability called Friedreich’s Ataxia. FARA–Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance–is an organization of doctors, patients, scientists, pharmaceutical companies, patients’ friends and family, etc. that works to advocate, raise money, and search for treatments and a cure for FA. This is my fifth year attending the annual conference in Philadelphia. [Cover Photo Credit: […]
via FARA Philadelphia Symposium 2018–Pics & Reflections — Retrospective Lily
Welcome back to Wellness Wednesday everyone! This week I’d like to talk about increasing our chances of staying well during cold and flu season. Okay, I can hear you groaning already….. I know we’ve heard it all before, but the reports I’ve seen on the news have been that 80,000 people died from flu or […]
via [Wellness Wednesday] 10 Things You Can Do To Stay Well Through Cold And Flu Season — Reclaiming HOPE
I thought about you, how awesome you are, how you help me even on your worst days. Thank you for offering support, the kindest comments and honesty. You’ve made a positive impact on my life and attitude. Thank you for following me, sharing your life, sharing your story, most importantly growing together.
M
Google + closing down. Please the detailed info on how to detach yourself from Google. M
If you’ve watched daytime television you’ve heard every get rich quick scheme, start your own business and make $3,000 this month………I’m getting off track. I enjoy making money! I keep it simple by making money on purchases I’m already making. There are tons of apps that do coupons, check prices and anything imaginable if you want to be a SUPER SHOPPER.
I use two apps, Ebates.com and Honey.com. Both are installed in my browser and recognize when I shop at one of their partners. An Ebates.com pop-up ask you to activate by clicking and it shows % on sale received on purchase.
Ebates.com is my long-term favorite, it’s easy and they partner with all the places I shop. To date I’ve earned approximately $600. Ebates.com pays out every quarter for your previous purchases. The big money days are when their partners offer double percent back and 10% days make me very happy. Small sales add up over the year.
Honey.com works based on finding coupon codes for your purchase. It runs thru a long list of coupon codes to see if one applies. You’ll see a pop up that says there are coupons codes. You click and it does it trick. I have not used Honey.com very long but received free shipping on several purchases.
If you are a Prime Member at Amazon.com you have a world of free goodies offered movies, bookes…..on and on. I rely on Amazon.com since I don’t drive and Prime Members get two-day free shipping.
The best discovery I’ve made is the Amazon Prime Member Card. It’s a credit card that can only be used at Amazon.com, it’s offered with no fees. You receive 5% back on every purchase you make on Amazon.com. WOW!!!!!
To give my husband down time on weekends, we get our groceries delivered. Prime Members get free delivery. The amount of time saved has surprised him, the money has brought a smile to my face. The grocery section is Amazon Fresh, they have thousands of products including fresh bread.
Another up side to the delivery Amazon Fresh uses frozen bottled water to keep items cold. Each week we receive 6-8 bottles of water free.
If you really want to save money, work all the coupon apps and be a Super Shopper. You have to be organized to handle that many coupons and will need lots of extra storage space.
Happy Shopping!
M
I’ve struggled with a deep depression since the start of the year, comedy provides relief and Robin Williams always makes me smile. I know he understood and helped many people have open conversations about their depression. This video is a forgotten treasure, it’s the first time Robin went on The Tonight Show. I hope your day is filled with sunshine. M
A GREAT message midweek, I sure needed it. Have a great afternoon.
Anyone on the Lyme or MS hamster wheel must read her post. So many bloggers can relate to her frustration.
What is Lyme disease? If you are anything like I was. You know little about the disease other than it is usually spread by the bite of a tick.
What is Multiple Sclerosis? The name means Several scars. When most people think of multiple Sclerosis they think of people who are wheelchair bound. Possibly, you are visiting this page in hopes of sorting out some of the confusion surrounding both diseases which mimic each other. I am NOT an expert by no means but in having symptoms and being tested over the past few months I have spent countless hours researching and learning as much as I can. Here is what I know to date…..
Let’s start with Lyme disease. Lyme disease is more commonly transmitted by the bite of a tick, but some say it can be transmitted by other insects and animals such as mosquitos, spiders, mice etc…
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lookingforthelight.blog 