I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday, and I hope to see you soon.
Melinda
Lyme Resources To Help Figure Out Your Next Move
One of the most important things a person with Lyme disease needs is clear, concise information.
Here’s a list of useful resources to get you going in the right direction.
LymeDisease.org is one of the foremost Lyme patient advocacy organizations in the United States. We provide a wealth of information on our website–about ticks, Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Special features include:
Symptom Checklist: Patients can answer a series of questions, print out the filled-in form and take it to their doctor. The printout describes basic facts, explains the two standards of care for Lyme disease, and endorses the ILADS guidelines. It’s a way to help your doctor help you.
Physician Directory: Find a Lyme-literate practitioner near you.
Our blogs keep the Lyme community up to date on news, analysis, and opinion.
Social media. We spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Our free weekly email newsletters keep you informed on Lyme-related developments. Click here to sign up.
US National Lyme Online Support Group: Information and emotional support for people dealing with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
MyLymeData patient registry: This big data research project allows patients to privately pool information about their Lyme disease experiences. So far, more than 17,000 people have enrolled in the project, providing millions of data points on Lyme disease demographics, tick bites, diagnosis, symptoms, lab tests, co-infections, treatment and quality of life. Add your Lyme data to MyLymeData to help find a cure for Lyme disease.
Children and Lyme disease
Basic info about children with Lyme disease
Gestational Lyme disease LymeHope, a Canadian Lyme advocacy organization, has taken a particular interest in the issue of mother-to-fetus Lyme transmission.
LymeAid4Kids–Financial assistance for Lyme treatment for those under age 21.
Lymelight Foundation–financial assistance for Lyme treatment for children and young adults through age 25.
LivLyme Foundation–Financial grants for children with Lyme disease (under 21).
Mothers Against Lyme–Advocacy and education about congenital and childhood Lyme
Video: Lyme Disease & Pregnancy: State of the Science & Opportunities for Research
Book: When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide by Sandra Berenbaum and Dorothy Kupcha Leland.
Book: Brain Inflamed: Uncovering the Hidden Causes of Anxiety, Depression, and other Mood Disorders in Adolescents and Teens by Dr. Kenneth Bock.
Book: Protecting Your Child From the Child Protection System, by Beth Alison Maloney
Book: Finding Resilience: A Teen’s Journey Through Lyme Disease, by Rachel Leland and Dorothy Kupcha Leland.
Article: Healthy Mom Best Prescription for Healthy Baby (The Lyme Times) (PDF)
Wrightslaw.com–Website with information about Special Education law.
PANS/PANDAS
ASPIRE: The Alliance to Solve PANS and Immune Related Encephalopathies
New England PANS/PANDAS Association
Three books by Beth Alison Maloney: Saving Sammy, Childhood Interrupted: The Complete Guide to PANDAS and PANS, and Protecting Your Child from the Child Protection system (The author of these books is the mother of a child who healed from PANDAS. She is an attorney/advocate for the recognition and treatment of PANS/PANDAS, and advises parents about legal issues related to PANS/PANDAS and other complex medical conditions.)
Ticks
How to protect yourself from ticks
Find the repellent that’s right for you (EPA website)
Help! I’ve gotten a tick bite. Now what?
TickEncounter Resource Center—University of Rhode Island
Tick testing. There are various places to get ticks tested. Here are several: IGeneX, TickCheck, Ticknology, Tick Report
MilTICK—free tick testing and identification service available for ticks removed from Department of Defense (DoD) personnel and their dependents.
Mast cell activation syndrome and food-related issues
MCAS, when your immune system goes haywire
The agony of mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS)
Healing from mast cell activation syndrome
What to eat when you’re allergic to everything?
Severe weather can worsen mast cell activation syndrome
Alpha-gal syndrome
There is growing evidence that certain types of tick bites can trigger alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) a life-threatening allergy to red meat and meat-related products.
Alpha-gal syndrome–symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Other Lyme-related symptoms & issues
Lyme disease can affect the heart in complicated ways
Lyme disease and cognitive impairments
Gastrointestinal manifestations of Lyme
Psychiatric manifestations of Lyme
Medical marijuana and Lyme disease
The dreaded Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction
How Lyme disease can affect your vision
12 ways you can help yourself manage chronic pain
Morgellons
The Charles E. Holman Morgellons Disease Foundation
Morgellons: The legitimization of a disease (book review)
Skin Deep: The Battle Over Morgellons (documentary film)
Treating Lyme disease with disulfiram
What is disulfiram and why does it spark excitement in Lyme community?
Treating psychiatric Lyme symptoms with disulfiram
Co-infections
The Lyme Times Special Issue on Co-infections (PDF)
About Lyme disease co-infections
Mold
Dealing with Lyme disease and mold illness at the same time
Mold Testing Guide (How to test your home for mold)
Your guide to mold in your home
Are you unknowingly ingesting toxic mold?
How to donate blood and tissue for Lyme research
Lyme and pets
Basic information about Lyme and pets
Parasite prevalence maps Educational website includes a US map down to the county level, showing where dogs have tested positive for Lyme, anaplasmosis, erhlichiosis and other diseases. Also, information about protecting your pet from tick-borne diseases.
Companion Animal Parasite Council website has comprehensive information about how to protect your pets from ticks and other parasites.
Books (Treatment, healing modalities, family life)
Brain Inflamed: Uncovering the Hidden Causes of Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mood Disorders in Adolescents and Teens, by Dr. Kenneth Bock
CHRONIC: The Hidden Cause of the Autoimmune Pandemic and How to Get Healthy Again, by Dr. Steven Phillips and Dana Parish
Conquering Lyme Disease: Science Bridges the Great Divide, by Brian A. Fallon, MD, and Jennifer Sotsky, MD
The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery, by Ross Douthat. The New York Times columnist delves into his personal years-long battle with chronic Lyme disease.
Finding Resilience: A Teen’s Journey Through Lyme Disease, by Rachel Leland and Dorothy Kupcha Leland. Based on the journal Rachel kept during the worst years of her illness, with additional insights from her mother, Dorothy.
How can I get better? An Action Plan for Treating Resistant Lyme and Chronic Disease, by Dr. Richard Horowitz
The Lyme Diet, by Dr. Nicola McFadzean. What to eat while healing from Lyme.
Recovery from Lyme Disease: The Integrative Medicine Guide to Diagnosing and Treating Tick-Borne Illness, by Dr. Daniel Kinderlehrer.
TOXIC: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Chronic Environmental Illness, by Dr. Neil Nathan.
When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide by Sandra Berenbaum and Dorothy Kupcha Leland.
Why Can’t I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease, by Dr. Richard Horowitz.
Books (History, Policy, and Science)
Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons, by Kris Newby
Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic, by Pamela Weintraub.
Lyme: The First Epidemic of Climate Change, by Mary Beth Pfeiffer.
Film and Video
I’m Not Crazy, I’m sick, Lyme documentary, available on various streaming services.
The Quiet Epidemic, documentary film about chronic Lyme disease, available on various streaming services.
Under Our Skin, award-winning Lyme documentary film.
Under Our Skin 2: Emergence (sequel)
The Red Ring, documentary takes a global look at Lyme disease.
Your Labs Are Normal, feature film based on real-life experiences.
Financial assistance
LymeTAP.com–Lyme Testing Access Program. Financial assistance for Lyme diagnostic testing.
Needymeds.com–Clearing house for information about various kinds of financial assistance for obtaining medication.
Lymelight Foundation–financial assistance for Lyme treatment for children and young adults through age 25.
Lyme Treatment Foundation–financial assistance for Lyme treatment. No age restrictions.
LivLyme Foundation–Financial grants for children with Lyme disease.
LymeAid4Kids—grants for young Lyme patients (up to age 21).
Partner in Lyme—grants for Lyme treatment for residents of Connecticut.
Applying for Social Security benefits for Lyme disease
Outside of the United States
ALCE Asociación de Lyme Crónico España (Spain)
Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation
LymeHope (Canada)
LYRI (Mexico)
Lyme Disease Action (UK)
Lyme Disease Association of Australia
Karl McManus Foundation (Australia)
Association Luxembourgeoise Borréliose de Lyme (Luxembourg)
Onlyme-aktion.org (Germany)
Lymevereniging (Netherlands)
TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, LymeDisease.org’s Vice-president and Director of Communications. She is co-author of When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org .
Melinda
Book Review For Finding My Right Mind By Vanessa Potter
Maddie Dunne-Kirby from Wellbeck Publishing Group gifted me a copy of Finding My Right Mind, One Woman’s Experiment To Put Meditation To The Test by Vanessa Potter for an honest review.
My Thoughts
Gobsmacked is the only word I can say about Finding My Right Mind. I believe that’s a British saying, please correct me if I’m mistaken. Vanessa’s story is like a brick to the head in the very best way. She’s smart, funny, and realistic about the cards she’s dealt.
You can find Vanessa Potter’s book Finding My Right Mind at Amazon.co.uk
The true story of an ordinary woman who went to extraordinary lengths to discover whether meditating could change her life. Insightful, funny, and informative, Vanessa road-tests 10 techniques from mindfulness to psychedelics, and still manages to pick the kids up!
What would you do if you woke up one day blind and paralyzed? This is where Vanessa finds herself, she’s married with children and at the height of her career. What Vanessa does next is nothing short of a miracle. Using her knowledge of meditation she teaches her body to remember feelings, such as the feel of sand in your toes. With sheer grit, she uses 10 techniques to build the life she wants to live. Finding My Right Mind is a must-read for everyone, she an inspiration and will have you examine your life as you live it today. You will find Vanessa’s book inspirational, and fascinating, and looking forward to turning the page. She shows us what the mind can truly do.
This is a must-read story. I’m glad you are enjoying the book reviews, keep your comments coming. I have six books lined up to read so stay tuned.
Wellbeck Publishing Group
Wellbeck Publishing Group is an exciting, fast-growing independent publisher based in London, dedicated to publishing only the very best and most commercial books spanning a number of genres and categories, from leading authors and well-known brands to debut talent. We live for books that entertain, excite and enhance the lives of readers around the world
From building our boutique fiction and narrative non-fiction lists to shaping our world-renowned illustrated reference, gift and children’s titles, our aim is to be a market-leader in every category in which we publish. Our books and products come to life for adults, children, and families in 30 languages in more than 60 countries around the world, selling through a variety of traditional and non-traditional channels. We are constantly looking for new ways to deliver our exceptional content and new ideas to inspire readers and listeners everywhere.
Melinda
Repost
5 Things I Didn’t Know About Taking Mood Stabilizers
Written by Sally Buchanan-Hagen
Mood stabilizers help keep my bipolar symptoms in check, but they still affect some areas of my life in unexpected ways.
In a previous blog, ‘6 Things I Didn’t Realize About Taking Antipsychotics’, I wrote about some of the impacts that taking antipsychotics can have on your life. But I don’t just take antipsychotics for my <a href=”http://DON’T GIVE UP, MARY! I have had so many bad days, weeks, months, and years even, but when you stick it out, things always get better–sometimes much better than you ever imagined. I encourage you to contact the SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE at 1-800-273-8255. They also have an online chat here: http://chat.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx. I’ve been in that space before, Mary, and it gets better. I PROMISE! Depression tricks us into believing the world is better off without us, but I PROMISE YOU, THE WORLD IS BETTER OFF WITH YOU IN IT! Please stay…and please stay in touch. bipolar disorder. I also take mood stabilizers. I have been taking mood stabilizers since my diagnosis, but it took two years to get the combination right.
I now take two different mood stabilizers and am happy to say that I am euthymic. Although I experience few side effects from mood stabilizers, taking these medications still impacts some areas of my life.
In a previous blog, 6 Things I Didn’t Realize About Taking Antipsychotics, I wrote about how antipsychotic medications have affected my life. But antipsychotics aren’t the only medications I take for bipolar disorder — I also take mood stabilizers.
It’s worth noting that while mood stabilizer is a commonly used term among clinicians, it’s not an official classification of medication. For bipolar disorder, this category typically includes anticonvulsants and lithium.
1. Tremors
In the beginning, the tremors caused by my mood stabilizer really bothered me. I was on such a high dose of one particular medication that I had to choose between managing my maniaor dealing with wild tremors. It was frustrating, but at the time, the higher dose was necessary to keep my symptoms in check.
I remember being a student nurse on my mental health placement and meeting a young man my age who was on the same mood stabilizer. His tremors were so severe that they made daily tasks — eating, brushing his teeth, writing, brushing his hair, and even getting dressed — incredibly difficult. It took him so much effort just to do things most of us take for granted.
I had no idea then that, just a few years later, I would be struggling with the same challenges — while also trying to write a thesis and work as a nurse in the emergency department. The tremors exhausted me, and I was embarrassed by them. What was hardest was that I couldn’t play the piano or cello, something I truly love. On top of that, the constant tremors felt like a visible reminder that I had bipolar disorder.
Every time my dose was lowered, I would become elevated. During a particularly severe manic episode, I was prescribed an additional mood stabilizer. That second medication, combined with my original one, finally helped keep my mania at bay. More importantly, it allowed me to reduce the dose of my first mood stabilizer without destabilizing my mood. As a result, my tremors are now very mild.
It’s important to point out that the tremors caused by mood stabilizers are different from tardive dyskinesia, a potential side effect of antipsychotics. While both involve involuntary movements, they have different causes and feel distinct from one another.
2. Thirst
Need I say more? Mood stabilizers make you really thirsty. As I mentioned in my previous post, antipsychotics can cause a very dry mouth. Combine that with the thirst from mood stabilizers, and it’s not exactly a pleasant experience.
3. Regular Blood Tests
Some mood stabilizers can make you toxic if they’re over the therapeutic range. To measure this, routine blood tests need to be taken as the level of medication shows up in the blood. I don’t know how many blood tests I’ve had since commencing mood stabilizers, but there have been lots.
When first starting on mood stabilizers, blood tests have to be done very frequently while the dose is titrated up to a therapeutic range.
When I’ve been hospitalized for mania, I would get a blood test every morning. Once the optimal dose has been established for the individual, the blood tests become less frequent, but levels still have to be monitored. I usually get blood work done every two months, but if my dose changes, testing ramps up again.
When that happens, my Saturday morning routine begins with a trip to the local pathology clinic and for a blood test. Fortunately, I don’t mind needles, but I can see how this could be a real challenge for someone who does.
4. Fluctuating Blood Levels
Sometimes, the levels of mood stabilizers in my blood fluctuate. I can always tell when they get too high: I struggle to concentrate, I feel weak, my tremors worsen, and I experience nausea, dizziness, and hot-and-cold flushes.
The first time this happened, I had no idea what was happening to me. I was studying in the university library and seriously considered asking a colleague to take me to the hospital. I didn’t — but looking back, I probably should have. It happened a few more times before I finally made the connection that my medication levels might be too high. Blood tests confirmed it, and my psychiatrist adjusted my dose.
Now, it doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s always when I’m dehydrated — which makes sense since dehydration can increase blood levels. Because of this, I have to be extra careful when exercising or on hot days. If my levels spike, it can completely wipe me out for a day or two.
5. Minimal Side Effects
Aside from toxicity — which is extremely serious and requires immediate medical attention — I’ve been surprised at how few side effects I experience from mood stabilizers, especially compared to antipsychotics.
When my tremors were at their worst, I wouldn’t have said this, and I know not everyone has the same experience. But of the three types of medication I take for bipolar, mood stabilizers are the ones I prefer. I owe my quality of life and mentally healthy mind to them.
Sally lives in Victoria, Australia. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder two years ago when she was 22, however she has been dealing with extreme moods since she was 14. When she experienced her first episode of depression, she was too embarrassed to get help even though she knew that something was wrong. Throughout high school she battled depression after depression, each one getting worse. At university she continued to have depressive episodes and when she wasn’t depressed she was extremely happy, incredibly driven and unusually energetic. Everyone thought this was her normal mood, herself included and so the elevated times went unnoticed. The turning point was in her final year of university when she was referred to the university counsellor. She was diagnosed with depression but after many failed treatments she saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with type II bipolar disorder. However that quickly turned into a diagnosis of type I bipolar disorder after a psychotic manic episode. She is currently completing her honours degree in nursing and works as a nurse in the emergency department. She blogs for The International Bipolar Foundation and has written for several publications. She also volunteers for a mental health organization where she delivers presentations about mood disorders to high school students. Although relatively new to this world, she is passionate about mental health promotion and thoroughly enjoys writing about mental health.
Melinda
Reference:
Good Times On The Highway To Hell Part 7
Time has passed and the stories with my brother are becoming less and less, we aren’t children anymore, you can read about my antics instead.
My stepfather was Luthern and he demanded we go to Vacation Bible School. The only bible I owned was given to me by my mother when I was five years old. One at the end of class the teacher put a star in the back. I was so shocked, I don’t know what I did to deserve it but it felt so good the next day I drew my own start next to hers.
I was not musically inclined when it came to singing but I wanted to be in the Middle School plays so bad. The music teacher took pity on me and cast me among the three main dancers. The dress code was dainty white socks which my mother would not buy so I showed up in tube socks. She was kind and found a place in the back row so I could participate. I lost my desire after that.
In high school I carried my camera everywhere I went. One weekend the KKK was marching near we hung out. I went over and took a few photos. My friends were completely freaked out but I wasn’t their target.
Granny was such a rigid do-it-the-book type of personality. One day shortly after getting my license we went shopping and the parking to was very small. I am backing out a tap the car behind me, Granny was a cool cucumber. She said to get out and see if there’s any damage, if not get back in the car and drive home.
At the end of our block was a wooded area that had a creek. We would sneak down there and have the time of our lives. At the deeper end, the kids before us installed a thick rope so you could swing out to the deep end. One of the great features was that those before us carved out a slide out the side of the hill above the creek. It was dry and you had to learn when to lift your but because there was a tree stump.
I was not allowed to drive my car unless it was to school, work, or to take Granny shopping. My friend picked me up and had me drop her off at her boyfriend’s and she would get the car later. I was so nervous that Granny would wake up in the night and see her car which would put me in big trouble. Her car didn’t have power steering and it was a beast to drive.
The way that Rosanna and I became friends was because I was dating her ex-boyfriend. He made some comment trying to make me jealous and I took the bait. I stood outside her classroom and when she arrived I punched her in the eye knocking out her contact. She followed me after school to see if she could drive me home, sure, what discovered about my boyfriend was unbelievable. Needless to say, I broke up the same day.
I was married at 18 years old, and the wedding dress and the whole nine yards. It was August 1st in Texas which means it was sweltering hot. His father had given the Priest extra money to turn on the air conditioner earlier and take the temperature down. I guess that’s too much to ask in August, if you’re not a Catholic you may not appreciate that during the ceremony you spend a lot of time leaning in front of the altar and I still had my veil down. Suddenly I felt dizzy and thought I would fall over, sure enough, I was going down and my soon-to-be husband walked me over to the first row of seats. I was so dignified, I threw my veil away from my face and begged for water. The Priest comes over with a gold chalice full of water and I suddenly feel guilty, I thought only Prest and Pope could drink from them. We finished the ceremony and we had so many laughs after because the whole thing was recorded.
When I met my husband he had a 55-gallon saltwater fish tank. We eventually added some fish and I had my favorite fish, a Puffer Fish. One night I was messing around and decided to try to hand-feed Puffy, David kept saying don’t put your hand in the water or he will bite you. That’s exactly what happened, I freaked took my hand out of the tank, and threw him on the floor. By now he is distressed and puffed out to full potential. David got him in the net but he couldn’t come until have chilled, then he swam out. I didn’t try that one again.
Melinda
April Awareness Months
April includes many important topics that need more awareness. The complete list is available by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.
Earth Month
Alcohol Awareness Month
Autism Acceptance Month
National Cancer Control Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Month
National Counseling Awareness Month
National Minority Health Month
National Parkinson’s Awareness Month
Paralyzed Veterans Across America Month
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
Stress Awareness Month
Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
Melinda
Reference:
https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/april-awareness-days-months
Daily Quote
Melinda
LGBTQ-Community Resources In America
LGBTQ+ Community
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs: A coalition of programs that document and advocate for victims of anti-LGBT and anti-HIV/AIDS violence/harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault, police misconduct and other forms of victimization. Site has a list of local anti-violence programs and publications. Hotline: 212.714.1141
- The Trevor Project: Help and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth. Hotline: 866.488.7386
- GLBT National Hotline: Call center that refers to over 15,000 resources across the country that support LGBTQ individuals. Hotline: 888.THE.GLNH (843.4564) pen pals, weekly LQB and T chatrooms for youth
- Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling: Directory of LGBT-friendly mental health specialists across the United States. Specialists listed are verified members of AGLBTIC, a division of the American Counseling Association.
- FORGE (For Ourselves: Reworking Gender Expression): Home to the Transgender Sexual Violence Project. Provides services and publishes research for transgender persons experiencing violence and their loved ones.
- Arrowpassage.com
- Compass Recovery
- Concise Recovery
LGBTQ+ Therapist Directories
- AGLP: The Association of LGBTQ+ Psychiatrists has been advocating on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community for more than 40 years. You can search for a psychiatrist in your area using the organization’s Referrals page, even filtering the results by gender identity and race.
- The Gay Therapy Center is a community of highly qualified LGBTQ+ therapists. You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation, which will help match you with a therapist for individual or couples counseling, either in office or online.
- The National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network is committed to “advancing healing justice by transforming mental health for queer and trans POC,” according to its website. The mental health directory allows you to search for a practitioner in your area.
- Pride Counseling is an online therapy tool for the LGBTQ+ community. Fill out a survey, and you’ll be matched with a licensed therapist, whom you can communicate with via phone, video, and messaging.
- Inclusive Therapists helps connect marginalized communities with culturally competent care. Search for a therapist near you – filtering by specialty, insurances accepted, and more – or complete a form to be matched with a therapist based on your needs.
LGBTQ+ Mental Health Information and Support
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness summarizes the unique challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community and provides a list of resources, as well as a step-by-step guide for finding the right therapist.
- The LGBT National Help Center offers free and confidential peer support for LGBTQ+ youth, including hotlines, chat rooms, and a database of local resources.
- The Human Rights Campaign has a list of mental health resources for queer and trans BIPOC, including questions to ask when trying to find an identity-affirming therapist.
- The Trevor Project is the “world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people,” according to its website. Counselors are available 24/7, and you can also make connections using TrevorSpace, an online international community for LGBTQ+ young people ages 13-24.
- The National Center For Transgender Equality advocates for policies that signal a deeper understanding and acceptance of trans folks. The organization offers a number of resources, including information on how to access health care and simple ways to take action.
- Trans Lifeline offers emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis. All operators are trans or nonbinary, and law enforcement or emergency services will only be called at your request.
To see the complete list of resources click here.
Melinda
Friday Quote
Thank you for joining me for this week’s Friday Quote.
Melinda
#Weekend Music Share-Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler – Undo It_Walk This Way
This is such a fun video. I love Aerosmith and he is so talented. Let’s dance!
It’s the weekend!!!!!!
I’m glad you joined me for another edition of Weekend Music Share this week.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
How Can You Maintain Your Mental Health When You Have A Stressful Job?
If you have a stressful job, you might find that your mental health is taking quite a beating every now and then. The good news is that there are things that you can do to maintain your mental health even when you have a stressful job so that you don’t find yourself so close to burnout all of the time. Now, you might think this isn’t possible, but we can assure you it is. In this article, we’ll be talking about some of the ways you can succeed in doing this, so keep reading if you would like to find out more.
Ensure You Have A Job You Like
First, it helps if you ensure you have a job you like. If you’re constantly trying to manage your mental health but you’re stuck in a job that you hate, then this is going to make things harder. Stress can be handled, but the fact that you hate your job on top of this is going to make everything worse, and it’s going to make it more difficult to come out of the other side.
So, the first thing you should do is move into a job that you like. Even if you’re out there locking down mortgage protection leads, as long as you like it, you’re going to have a much better chance of maintaining your mental health in the long term. This will reduce the amount of stress that you feel already, as you will be happier in what you are doing!
Learn Some Calming Techniques
Another thing that we recommend is that you learn some calming techniques. You want to look into things like breathing exercises so that you can step away from the situation when things start to become overwhelming. When this happens, it helps if you remind yourself of the things that make you happy, think about them, and bring some calm into your life. Stress can only be combated by calm, anything else is going to make it worse.
It might even be worth speaking to someone about how you are feeling as they may have some more suggestions on what you can do.
Don’t Stress Yourself Out Too Much
Last but not least, we know that it’s hard, but try not to stress yourself out too much. There’s a difference between working hard and spreading yourself too thin. Our recommendation is to find someone that you can look up to in your industry like Paul Ognibene in real estate development and look into their path to success. If you can plan out a course of action on how to get to where you want to be, you may find yourself becoming less stressed and more focused.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you can do to maintain your mental health when you have a stressful job. You can keep a hold on your mental health without having to give up your job, helping you to live the best life possible! We wish you the very best of luck with this and hope that you see success in trying out these things.
This is a collaborative post.
Melinda
Repost
Mental Health Resources In America
Mental Health Resources
Addiction Rehab Treatment.com/mental-health/depression/
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
International Bipolar Foundation
National Institute of Mental Health
National SuicidePreventionLifeline.org
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Press 1, Veterans Crisis Line USA
Press 2, Se Habla Español
LifeLine Chat
CrisisTextLine.org
Text 741-741
Facebook.com/CrisisTextLine
TheTrevorProject.org (LGBTQ Youth)
1-866-488-7386 (24/7/365)
TrevorChat (7 days/week from 3PM–10PM ET / noon–3PM PT)
TrevorText — text START to 678-678 (Mon–Fri, 3PM–10PM ET / noon–3PM PT)
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRFoundation.org): Awards grants for scientific research. Keep up to date on latest research
International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF.org): Bipolar research. Care and support resources for individuals and caregivers. Erase stigma through education.
MentalHealth.gov: US government mental health resources and information.
MentalHealthAmerica.net (MHA): Address needs of those living with mental illness. Promote mental health.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI.org): Build better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH.nih.gov): Federal agency for research on mental disorders.
NeedyMeds.org: 1-800-503-6897. Educates and empowers those seeking affordable healthcare.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA.gov): Reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.
To see the complete list of resources click here.
Melinda
Addiction Resources In America
Addiction Resources
Local Non Profit Addiction Treatment Directory
Addiction Center.com Find Rehab Clinics In Your Area
Recovery.Org Find Addiction Treatment Near You
Rehab Centers Nation Wide (Insurance Specific)
Help Guide.org – Addiction Information
Drug Abuse Resources for Parents
SMART Recovery.Org – Self Management and Recovery Training
To see the complete list of resources check out Organizations That Can Help.
Melinda
Wordless Wednesday-Christmas Catus?
I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.
I have only heard of Thanksgiving and Christmas Catus but mine is starting to bud and have flowers in March. The flowers are beautiful but it’s so confusing why it’s blooming now.
Melinda
Researchers: Parents can help their children to face anxiety
KSAT.COM
Jared Hoehing, ProducerPublished:
Behavioral science expert gives some ways to help your child beat separation anxiety
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – According to the National Institutes of Health, the numbers of kids and adolescents struggling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions have been steadily on the rise. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which teaches the child coping skills, and medication may help. But for some kids and their families, there is little relief. Now, researchers are studying a new method that helps parents help their children.
Bedtime for some families can become a struggle. But when the goodnight routine for Nicole Murphy’s son began to stretch for up to three hours, she knew she needed help with his separation anxiety.
“His little mind was always racing nonstop. So, it was kind of hard for him to shut that off, I think,” Nicole explained.
Eli Lebowitz, Ph.D., Psychologist, Yale School of Medicine Child Study Center, and his colleagues, developed a method of training parents to support anxious children. It’s called SPACE, or supportive parenting for anxious childhood emotions. Parents go through training to help their child face anxiety. Lebowitz says the first step is to show support and not downplay what their child is feeling.
“I get it. This is really hard, but I know you can handle it,” shared Dr. Lebowitz.
Lebowitz said parents also learn to help their children by not accommodating them. For example, a parent who would limit visitors for a child who gets anxious around strangers, or speaks for a child who gets nervous speaking, learns not to take those steps. In a study of 124 kids and their parents, the Yale researchers examined whether SPACE intervention was effective in treating children’s anxiety.
“Even though the children never met directly with the therapist and all the work was done through the parents, we found that SPACE was just as effective as CBT in treating childhood anxiety disorders,” stated Dr. Lebowitz.
The Murphy’s used the techniques learned through SPACE to coach their son through bedtime. Within a few weeks, he was falling asleep in 30 minutes.
“For us, it was like life-changing, honestly,” smiled Nicole.
Melinda
Repost
Elder Care Resources In America
Elder Care
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA)
- Eldercare Locator
- AgingCare
- National Caregivers Library
- NextAvenue
- Administration for Community Living (ACL)
- Next Step in Care
- Caring.com
- Caregiver Action Network (CAN)
- Ageless Alliance: United Against Elder Abuse
- Commission on Law and Aging, American Bar Association
- Minnesota Elder Justice Center
- National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-term Care (formerly NCCNHR)
- Splaine Consulting
- retireguide.com/medicare/
For a complete list of resources visit Organizations That Can Help.
Melinda
Blogger Highlight-Taking Each Day Free
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series. I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week, we highlight Taking Each Day Free. Liz’s writing is inspiring, and will leave you wanting more.
Taking Each Day Free
My name is Liz and I have been blogging a good number of years, whether its using the WordPress or Blogger platform.
I decided to write this blog, to share some of my life journeys.
Taking each day as it comes is the only way I can tackle life and it has been this way for some time. Each day I am free to do as I please. I have no one to answer to, but myself. So hence the title of this blog, “Taking Each Day Free.”
Liz has had a long and difficult journey to getting a cochlear implant.
For my cochlear implant, everything is under the tag “My-Cochlear-Implant-Journey. At the moment, I don’t have my CT scan results. So until I have those, I don’t know if it will still be happening. It all depends on my CT scan results.
I have added the link below for my tag link:
https://takingeachdayfree.wordpress.com/tag/my-cochlear-implant-journey/
Questions I asked Liz
M. How has blogging changed your life?
L. I have been blogging for much longer than the years, writing my current blog. But it’s always served the same purpose:
• Being therapeutic
For keeping in touch with friends near and far.
M. What is your favorite post and why?
L. My favourite post is a hard one to pick. But I think my favourite post is one I wrote this year, “What makes you feel good?” This one is my favourite post because it serves as a reminder to me what things I need to keep doing that make me feel good both physically and mentally, along with my other physical exercises I do that I have mentioned in other posts.
https://takingeachdayfree.wordpress.com/2025/02/12/what-makes-you-feel-good/
Be sure to stop by Liz’s blog, say hello and enjoy reading her archives.
Melinda
Book Review *The Smart Girl’s Handbook by Scarlett V Clark
Welbeck Publishing Group kindly gifted me The Smart Girl’s Handbook by Scarlett V Clark for review. Scarlett V Clark was 19 when she started her passion project which is now the UK’s largest Women’s Empowerment organization. Scarlett states she is just a girl who decided to go for it. Go for it she did! Today she helps millions of women overcome life’s obstacles which allows them to live to their full potential.
Blurb
Giving women the tools they need to shine in the modern world, become their fearless and authentic self, and design the life and career that fills them with joy. The Smart Girls Handbook brings together inspiration, game-changing ideas, and empowering words from women around the world who have been through it all.
Scarlett V Clark is a speaker and the award-winning founder and CEO of Smart Girl Tribe, the UK’s number one female empowerment community. She is available to provide extracts and top tip features such as:
• How my toxic relationship became the catalyst to my success
• 6 stress busters to stop feeling anxious
• ‘You grow through what you go through’: embracing failure
• How to silence your inner ‘mean girl’
My Thoughts
The Smart Girl Handbook is for women who are tired of being told what dress size they should be, tired of the negativity surrounding them today, including from other women, and for women who want to be their authentic selves. Life happens, and it’s not always pretty, but with a backbone, determination, and the guidance of The Smart Girl’s Handbook, you can come through unscathed, just slightly bruised but not battered.
Learn not to fall into the traps set out there to trip you up. Life around us is very negative, with news outlets, social media, and even toxic friends. You must learn to rise above the negativity, and Scarlett helps you silence your inner mean girl. The Smart Girl Handbook is all the questions you wish you could have asked when you were younger but had no one or place to turn for the answers.
I encourage every woman to buy Scarlett’s book, The Smart Girl’s Handbook. Maybe even share one with a friend. This is not your average self-help book that has been regurgitated over and over. She’s witty, original, and honest about the problem and how to get the answers. She’s not sharing pie-in-the-sky stories; this is her life, dissected and laid out for you to learn from. I think The Smart Girl book is an excellent primer for moms to help their daughters navigate the rough waters ahead.
Website: www.smartgirltribe.com
Facebook: Smart Girl Tribe
Instagram: @smartgirltribe
Podcast: ‘The Smart Girl Tribe Podcast’ is available on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, and anywhere you can find podcasts.
Kind words Scarlett sent to me
Hi Melinda,
I am the author of The Smart Girls Handbook and I have to be honest, I cried when I read your review, it’s the first one that came in and you nailed the precise mission I wanted the reader to get out of the book. It would be brilliant to connect further but on launch day (March 4th) I’d love to invite you to share a review on Amazon knowing how inspiring you found it! I really think you could help mothers and other women in purchasing it. My entire business has been built on the idea of women fundamentally deserve more from the media and are fully deserving of living a beautiful life full of confidence, ambition and self-worth. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, Scarlett X CEO/FOUNDER
WelBeck Publishing Group
We are Welbeck Publishing Group – a globally recognised, independent publisher based in London. Our mission is to deliver talent-driven publishing with leading authors and brands worldwide. Our books and products span a variety of categories including, fiction, non-fiction and stationery and gift. We are renowned for our innovative ideas, production values, and developing long-lasting content.
Welbeck’s amazing product comes to life for adults, children, and families in over 30 languages in more than 60 countries around the world. We have collaborated with many of the world’s leading institutions and licensors including – Disney, Universal, Paramount, HBO, Queen Productions, FIFA, International Mensa, Roald Dahl Literary Estate, the Science, Natural History and Imperial War Museums, and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Melinda
Repost from 2021
Are You Worried About These Hidden Dangers Facing Your Kids?
As a parent, you are probably constantly worried about your kids, and that’s completely normal. You need to make sure that you feel as though your kids are safe both in and out of the home. That’s easier said than done, particularly when you consider how many dangers could impact your kids every day. So, what dangers are we thinking about here? Let’s explore some of the possibilities.
Car Trouble
It’s easy to forget how dangerous cars actually are. After all, you’re hurtling down a highway in a metal tin at about 70. Does that sound safe to you? While technology has evolved considerably to make cars safer, a lot can still go wrong. This is why it’s important to check your car regularly and recognize the signs that it might need a repair. Companies like Elite Automotive will be able to make sure that you can easily fix your car on a budget and ensure that it is safe for the road. You can also think about updating your vehicle to a newer model. When you purchase a later car, you can take advantage of driver-assist tech, the least advanced form of autonomous technology.
Water Woes
You probably don’t think too much about the water coming out of your tap. However, it could be hiding dangers that you haven’t considered. Research has found that most modern water supplies contain incredibly high levels of fluoride. This is the substance that is used in toothpaste, and it’s also used by water companies to clean it. The problem is that fluoride has been found to cause health issues when consumed. It has been linked to everything from brain tumors to cognitive decline. This is why you might want to consider investing in a water filter. The benefit of a water filter is that you can remove all the dangerous chemicals even if the water looks completely normal.
Stranger Danger
Finally, if there’s one worry that trumps all others for parents, it’s certainly the concern about strangers. You only have to read the news to know that the world isn’t safe for kids. There are a lot of people out there who should be considered a threat. To keep your kids safe, you might want to consider using trackers, particularly when they are playing outside independently. Trackers can be very discreet these days and look like accessories that kids wear all the time. These smart devices can even tell you when your child has left a location that you deem to be safe, and you are immediately alerted that they are in trouble. You will immediately be able to contact the authorities.
We hope this helps you understand some of the dangers that you need to be aware of as a parent. You mustn’t overlook these issues, as they can put your kids in serious jeopardy. However, if you take preemptive action, you can guarantee that these problems won’t be plaguing your mind any longer.
This is a collaborative Post
Melinda
Repost
#Weekend Music Share-Jim Croce – Bad Bad, Leroy Brown by Jim Croce
It’s the weekend!!!!!!
I’m glad you joined me for another edition of Weekend Music Share this week.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
Friday Quote
Thank you for joining me for this week’s Friday Quote.
Melinda
How to Encourage A Healthy Lifestyle For Your Kids
Every parent wants their kids to live a healthy and happy life, but they cannot expect their kids to understand all of this themselves. They are not the ones buying the food or paying for clubs and activities, which is why it’s so important for parents to know how to encourage a healthy lifestyle. If you want to ensure your kids grow up big and strong, consider these tips.
Make Health Living Accessible
Your kids will not be able to live a healthy lifestyle if you don’t make healthy living accessible. Filling the home with candies and fatty foods will not do anyone any favors, so it’s worth buying whole foods that are good for their development and mental well-being to ensure they get into good habits early. It can be challenging to change children’s habits as they grow older if they haven’t been exposed to fruits and vegetables already, so establishing this kind of diet early can make a world of difference.
Lead By Example
Similarly, parents need to lead by example. It’s not enough to push healthy foods or habits onto your kids if you don’t do the same, especially as they will look to you as an example. Besides this, you should also avoid common food mistakes that force kids to eat things they might not like, as this will only promote a negative association and could even impact their trust as they won’t feel comfortable eating what you serve them in case you’ve hidden other foods inside.
Encourage Sports and Activities
Healthy living is about what they eat and how they spend their time. Kids naturally need (and want) to burn off energy, so channeling this through sports and activities is an excellent way to introduce them to sports they may play for the rest of their lives. However, while you might want your child to be the next big football star, remember they might not share your interests. Instead, let them explore different sports to find one they love.
Create A Healthy Environment
A healthy home is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle, so understanding how to create this environment is essential. Keeping the space clean and tidy is vital, as is cultivating a positive and supportive environment. Let your kids feel comfortable sharing their stories and feelings, and ask about their day to ensure they can see the value in being open and honest about their lives rather than trying to hide things from you.
Familiarize Them With Doctors
Many kids can be scared of a doctor or dentist, but they need to understand how important regular healthcare and checkups are. You can help them by familiarizing them with medical professionals so they feel at ease. Besides typical doctors, treatment from physiotherapists, opticians, and chiropractic care are also important and can help your kids treat and overcome a variety of potential health issues as they grow up.
Healthy Living
Healthy living can seem tricky for many parents, especially if they don’t have the time to put together lavish meals or cannot afford to buy their kids the newest sports gear. Still, these tips can make it easier for you to establish a healthy base that teaches your kids all they need to know about a healthy lifestyle.
This is a collaborative post.
Melinda
Repost
#Wordless Wednesday: Nature’s Beauty
Thank you for joining me for Wordless Wednesday. I hope to see you soon.
Repost from 2019
Book Review For The Joy Of Being Selfish By Michelle Elman
I was kindly gifted The Joy of Selfish by Michelle Elman from WelBeck Publishing Group for an honest review. The book was released earlier this month, and the timing is perfect. This is a must-read for everyone.
When I saw the press release for the book, I knew this book was going to be a great seller. Most people know that taking care of themselves is important, but they don’t consider it critical to their health. Well, it is. If you keep putting yourself behind others and the daily tasks you have, you’ll never get around to yourself. You have to plan and prioritize, and most importantly, you have to buy in 100%.
It doesn’t matter if you’re chronically ill, a mother of five, just retired, or a college student; you need this book. It’s never too late to set boundaries for your life and create the life you want and envision.
About the Author
Michelle Elman is a five-board accredited life coach, award-winning activist, author, and podcaster. In 2020, she was named one of the Top 50 most inspirational women in the UK and is respected globally for her work as a body positivity influencer, best known for her ‘Scarred not Scared’ campaign.
Michelle has over 300k followers across Instagram and Tik Tok and has been a guest on media outlets, including Sky News, Channel 5 News, Loose Women, and BBC Radio London. She’s written for publications including HuffPost, Grazia, Metro, and Stylist. Recently, she coached Emily Atack on her series ‘Adulting’ and appeared on Geordie OGs to discuss online bullying and its impact on mental health. She was also featured in the BBC3 documentary Being East Asian, which aired earlier this year. Michelle’s podcast, In All Honesty, is available on Acast. Her first book, Am I Ugly?, was published in 2018.
Blurb
The Joy of Being Selfish redefines selfishness as a positive act, allowing us to love ourselves and those around us authentically without apology. It explores the different types of boundaries, offers tips on how to start setting them, and helps with the quilt of felt after boundaries are put into place.
Learn how to deal with her being disliked, common responses to boundaries, dealing with invitations, block/mute/delete-how to limit information, learning to express yourself-and most importantly using you inane power to start a new life.
My Thoughts
The idea of taking care of ourselves is being selfish is outdated and ridiculous. If we do nothing but give until we are depleted, who is going to take care of us, let alone our loved ones? I can’t agree with Michelle more on this message. Self-care is not selfish, and if it is, then get selfish.
In 2015, Michelle was a Life Coach at Crossroads in the direction of her career focus. She decided to see a Business Coach. Little did she know this chance meeting would make her future very clear, and she set out on a mission to accomplish her new goals.
The Joy of Selfish is a tool for anyone who needs guidance in setting boundaries. dealing with guilt and self-sabotage, and help with dealing with the outside influences that try to throw you off track.
The Joy of Selfish is a book for everyone, every age, every gender. We can’t be our best selves for others if we don’t take care of ourselves first.
WelBeck Publishing Group
We are Welbeck Publishing Group – a globally recognized, independent publisher based in London. Our mission is to deliver talent-driven publishing with leading authors and brands worldwide. Our books and products span a variety of categories, including fiction, non-fiction, stationery, and gifts. We are renowned for our innovative ideas, production values, and long-lasting content.
Welbeck’s amazing product comes to life for adults, children, and families in over 30 languages in more than 60 countries around the world. We have collaborated with many of the world’s leading institutions and licensors including – Disney, Universal, Paramount, HBO, Queen Productions, FIFA, International Mensa, Roald Dahl Literary Estate, the Science, Natural History and Imperial War Museums, and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Melinda Sandor
Repost from 2021
When Lyme patients must fight to be believed by doctors
By Nancy Dougherty
llness invalidation by medical professionals—sometimes called “gaslighting”—is an underappreciated and understudied problem in Lyme disease.
Many Lyme disease patients complain not only of fighting to recover their health but also of fighting to be believed by health care practitioners.
Expecting to receive understanding and proficient care from medical professionals, many instead experience having their persistent debilitating symptoms dismissed, minimized, disbelieved and/or psychologized.
How common is the occurrence of medical gaslighting in Lyme disease? Is illness invalidation by medical professionals related to disease severity? Are there specific constituencies who are being affected more than others?
These are some of the questions that a team of researchers led by Alison Rebman, MPH, Assistant Professor in Medicine and Director for Clinical and Epidemiological Research at the Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine, set out to identify and quantify in a cohort of well-characterized Lyme disease patients.
Invalidating encounters
The Johns Hopkins study, published in August 2024 in Scientific Reports, finds that invalidating encounters with medical professionals are common for post-treatment Lyme disease (PTLD) patients, particularly women and younger patients, and also are linked to higher illness severity.
Lyme disease is the most common tick and vector-borne disease in the US with about 500,000 new cases per year. Lyme infections are expanding geographically, and acute and chronic cases are on the rise in the US and Eurasia. Lyme infection-associated chronic illness affects around 2 million Americans and can be difficult to properly diagnose and effectively treat.
A Lyme infection can affect multiple body systems including musculoskeletal, neurologic, and cardiovascular. Patients with early diagnosis and appropriate treatment usually get better. However, about 10-20% of patients even when treated promptly with standard of care antibiotics do not return to health and are functionally impaired by persistent musculoskeletal pain, crushing fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction, known in the research setting as post-treatment Lyme disease (PTLD).
Patients frequently refer to this as “chronic Lyme.” Misdiagnosis and delayed treatments further increase the risk for PTLD as well as for more broadly defined community-based Lyme infection-associated chronic illness or “chronic Lyme.”
Women and younger patients
In the Johns Hopkins study, 49% of the PTLD patients reported a lack of understanding and 29% experienced discounting from medical professionals. Additionally, women and younger patients were at higher risk for experiencing more invalidation than men or older age patients.
The study found, “Before their initial diagnosis of Lyme disease, approximately half (51.3%) had first been told that their symptoms represented another illness or condition. This high rate is consistent with the hypothesis that diagnosis and treatment delays, and possibly exposure to inappropriate treatment, may be risk factors for PTLD.”
Women more often received alternative diagnoses (such as another contested illness like fibromyalgia or ME/CFS and/or a psychological illness) which in turn correlated with more discounting and lack of understanding. PTLD patients who reported the highest levels of illness invalidation were discovered to have greater symptom severity, lower quality of life, and less trust in physicians.
The pervasiveness of Lyme disease illness invalidation and the consequential negative effects on illness burden and health outcomes are not broadly known by medical professionals.
Improved physician education is needed to help engender more patient-centered paradigms that incorporate the patient illness experience and better recognize how that experience may impact the healing process.
National Academies look at IACI
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) has helped validate infection- associated chronic illnesses as being significant public health problems that need greater national attention, a coordinated strategy, and considerably more federal resources.
NASEM held its first national workshop on infection-associated chronic illnesses (IACI) in June 2023 to explore overlapping symptoms and biologic pathways for IACIs including Lyme disease, long COVID, ME/CFS, MS, and others.
In July 2024, a follow-up NASEM meeting focused specifically on Lyme infection-associated chronic Illness. Both forums discussed the importance of listening to and incorporating patients’ illness experience perspectives into improving diagnostic and treatment approaches. For example, patient-driven data such as MyLymeData can be leveraged to improve research and clinical care. It is vital to listen to patients especially when diagnostics are problematic, treatments are inadequate, and the science is contested or evolving.
Building upon insights and collaborative momentum from the NASEM IACI meetings, a coalition of advocates (patient, scientific and medical) are now calling for the creation of a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) office to help strengthen and coordinate research across infection-associated chronic conditions and illnesses including Lyme infection-associated chronic illness, Long COVID, ME/CFS, PANS/PANDAS, POTS/dysautonomia and others.
Listening to patients will be key to advancing solutions, reducing invalidating patient-practitioner encounters, and improving health outcomes.
Nancy Dougherty is an education and communications consultant for the Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center. Other research investigations at the Center include Pilot Treatment Trials and the SLICE Studies.
Melinda
Debunking Common Misconceptions About Sleep By Guest Blogger Damon Ashworth Psychology
Damon has exciting posts that always make me stop and think. Be sure to stop by and say hello.
Melinda
How Can You Measure Stress?
Excessive stress is associated with health complications. Are there ways to accurately measure stress levels?
Although stress is a natural and inevitable part of life, many people feel that they’re experiencing excessive stress levels.
However, there’s no objective way to define “excessive stress.” Many people find it hard to express or quantify their stress.
There are a few methods for measuring stress. These look at certain biomarkers — in other words, physiological responses — to assess how your body responds to stress.
How can you measure stress?
There are two components of stress:
- Stress triggers: the factors that cause stress
- Stress response: how you respond to stress triggers on an emotional, biological, or cognitive level
When we talk about measuring stress, we tend to be talking about measuring triggers or responses. Measuring stress triggers can include taking stock of the major life changes you’ve been under.
However, everybody responds to triggers differently. Events that might be very stressful for one person can be easily manageable for the other.
The following ways to measure stress look specifically at measuring your stress response. These methods of measuring stress look at your body’s physiological responses. They record stress biomarkers such as your heart rate and brainwaves to assess how stress affects your body.
Heart rate variability (HRV)
Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis is a common way to measure stress. It involves recording the variation in time between consecutive heartbeats. In other words, it doesn’t just look at how fast your heart is beating, but how the time period between heartbeats changes.
HRV is controlled by your autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS includes your sympathetic nervous system — responsible for fight-or-flight response — and your parasympathetic nervous system, which takes charge when you’re relaxed.
When you’re chronically in fight-or-flight mode, your ANS is unbalanced. This imbalance can show up in your HRV. HRV is lower when you’re in fight-or-flight mode and higher when you’re in a calm state. High HRV is associated with stress resilience and improved cardiovascular health.
A healthcare professional can check your HRV via an electrocardiogram. Personal wearables, such as chest strap monitors, can also measure HRV.
Brainwaves
Electroencephalography (EEG) measures brainwaves. Research suggests that brainwaves can be an accurate way to measure stress response.
In particular, a 2020 study found that alpha asymmetry — an imbalance in alpha brainwave activity on different sides of the brain — could be a potential biomarker for stress.
Mental health practitioners who use neurofeedback can measure brainwaves and train the brain with positive feedback when the EEG finds that treatment goals are being met.
Hormonal testing
Two hormones associated with stress are adrenalin and cortisol.
When you’re stressed, your body will produce adrenalin to give you energy to handle your stressor. It’s a part of the fight-or-flight response, and it’s why you might feel restless when anxious.
In times of stress, your body also produces cortisol, which assists with the fight-or-flight response. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland.
Cortisol is also involved in regulating:
- blood sugar
- inflammation
- metabolism
Your cortisol naturally ebbs and flows during the day. Neither cortisol nor adrenalin is “bad,” but when cortisol is chronically high, it can harm your health. For instance, it can lead to the following:
- acne
- difficulty concentrating
- fatigue
- headache
- high blood pressure
- irritability
- mood problems
- muscle weakness
- weight gain
Lab tests can assess your cortisol levels via urine or blood samples. You can purchase home cortisol testing kits, which usually involve testing cortisol through urine.
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a questionnaire that was developed in 1983. It’s used to assess the amount of stress that you feel you’re under.
Unlike the above-mentioned methods of measuring stress, this tool relies on your own perception of your stress. The questions don’t focus on the events you’re currently experiencing, but your emotional and mental state.
It could be helpful to use the PSS to check in with yourself. It’s available in PDF format.
What are stress trackers?
There are at-home devices that claim to track stress. Usually, these devices track stress by measuring your heart rate and heart rate variability. Many fitness trackers, including smartwatches and chest strap monitors, have stress analysis features.
Are wearable stress trackers accurate? It’s not easy to say. There’s a lack of research into whether these are accurate. However, because these trackers only use one variable — typically your heart — they don’t give a complete picture of your body’s stress response.
What are “normal” stress levels?
Stress is a part of life, and it’s natural to feel stressed from time to time. However, excess stress can be harmful to your health.
When is stress considered excessive? There’s no objective answer to this question. However, if you’re experiencing physical symptoms of stress, or if you feel unable to relax, it may be an indication that you should speak with a healthcare professional.
Similarly, if you feel like you can’t cope or feel overwhelmed most of the time, you might benefit from speaking with a doctor or a therapist.
Symptoms of unhealthy stress levels
The symptoms of high stress levels can vary from person to person.
The symptoms can include:
- acne
- anxiety
- chronic pain
- depression
- difficulty with sleep
- digestive issues
- fatigue
- frequent illness
- headaches
- irritability
- abdominal pain
- weight gain
Although these issues can be caused by other factors, it’s worth speaking with a doctor or a therapist if you believe that stress is causing physical or emotional symptoms.
Tips for managing stress
There are a number of ways to manage stress in a healthy way.
- Try exercise: Find a form of exercise or movement that you enjoy. Yoga, in particular, is associated with stress reduction, but other forms of exercise can also be helpful.
- Practice deep breathing exercises: Research from 2018 suggests deep breathing can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, putting you in a relaxed state.
- Limit screen time: Excessive screen time can harm your mental and emotional health, according to 2018 research. Try to find breaks throughout the day to walk away from your screens.
- Spend time with others: Research from 2020 suggests that spending time with others can help you feel less lonely and stressed. If you don’t have loved ones nearby, join classes, religious services, or meetup groups to get a regular dose of human interaction.
- Try meditating regularly: Research shows that meditation can lower stress and improve overall well-being. If you’re not sure where to start, try a guided meditation.
- Spend time in nature: Being in nature can reduce stress and improve your emotional state, according to 2020 research. Try walking in a local park or natural space, taking up an outdoor sport, or simply eating a meal outside every day.
- Find support: If a particular stressor feels difficult to cope with, consider joining a relevant support group. For example, if you were recently bereaved, a grief support group might help you process your emotions.
If you’re often stressed, you might find it helpful to speak with a therapist. Anybody can benefit from quality therapy — it can help you build resilience to stress and process stressful events in a supportive environment. If the cost therapy is a concern for you, consider other affordable therapy options.
Let’s recap
Stress is a natural part of everyday life. Numerous methods of measuring stress, such as heart rate variability analysis and hormonal testing, could help you find out whether you’re excessively stressed.
However, you don’t need to measure your stress levels in order to justify reaching out for help. If you feel that you could benefit from handling stress better, consider speaking with a therapist or using stress management techniques to improve your well-being.
Melinda
Reference:
https://www.healthline.com/health/stress/stress-measurement?utm_term=roundup&utm_source=Sailthru%20Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=fibro&utm_content=2025-03-04&apid=36735751&rvid=7f053d6ecf820dccd09e4914833cbd49bdfe95bb517404ee9b41601767d1bace#ways-to-manage-stress
Blogger Highlight-Awakening Wonders
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series. I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week, we highlight Awakening Wonders. Mary is a fellow Texan, where everything is bigger. HAHA. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying. Mary is multi-talented, from her smooth writing to her photography and other creative endeavors. I look forward to each post; she leaves me with a feeling of warmth.
Awakening Wonders
Since early childhood I have had an obsession with the creative process, which always took me on new, enchanted pathways. As a result, there were some stumbles and tumbles along the way, but I always managed to land on my feet! I grew up in southern Minnesota with the magnificent countryside as my creative playground. As a results, I was free to wander, ponder, and dream.
Questions I Asked Mary
M. What are your favorite types of posts?
M. I enjoy posts that are uplifting and positive based while inspiring a reader to have a better day! And I connected to your blog with that in mind!!
M. When you left corporate life behind, what was your goal?
M. Well, I didn’t retire, I just rewired and am enjoying the good life!
My favorite post from 2024
Legacy of Love . . .
The post reminisces while looking at old photos of family members and our memories of them. It reminded me of my grandparents and the love we share.
Be sure to stop by, tell Mary hello, and read through her archives. You’ll be glad you did.
Melinda
13 Examples of Narcotic Drugs and Medications
Although many narcotic drugs and medications have similar effects or characteristics, each substance is unique. Here are some common examples.
From codeine to heroin, there are many narcotic substances. Some have medical uses and are available by prescription, while others do not.
The term “narcotic” originally referred to any substance that relieved pain and dulled the senses. Some people use the term to refer to all drugs — particularly illegal drugs — but it technically refers to opioids only.
Today, “opioid” is the preferred term, in part due to the connotations the term narcotic has.
Common opioid and opiate prescription medications
Opiates are naturally occurring compounds. Opioids include naturally occurring compounds as well as semi-synthetic and synthetic compounds. Opiates are a subcategory of opioids.
Clinicians often prescribe opioid and opiate medications:
Opioid and opiate medications can cause many side effects, including:
The higher the dose, the more potent the medication.
Some of the most common opioid and opiate medications include:
- Codeine: One of the most commonly used drugs worldwide, codeine is used to treat chronic pain. Doctors often prescribe it to people living with cancer and people with back pain, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and headache.
- Oxycodone: This medication may be used for acute or chronic pain.
- Hydrocodone: This semi-synthetic opioid is typically used to treat severe pain and, in some cases, coughs.
- Oxymorphone: A highly potent opioid, oxymorphone is used to help manage severe pain.
- Morphine: This medication is used to manage pain in people with moderate or severe acute or chronic pain, particularly in cancer treatment and palliative care.
- Fentanyl: A synthetic opioid, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.
- Hydromorphone: This medication is used to help manage moderate to severe acute pain and severe chronic pain. It’s very potent and has a high potential for misuse, so it’s usually only prescribed when other treatments have been unsuccessful.
- Tramadol: This medication is used to treat moderate to severe pain, but it has a high potential for misuse. Doctors usually only prescribe it to manage pain when other treatments have been unsuccessful.
- Methadone: A synthetic opioid, methadone is often used to treat substance use disorders.
What to do if your clinician prescribes a controlled substance
Your doctor or other healthcare professional may recommend a controlled substance to help treat an underlying health condition, like anxiety or insomnia.
They’ll work with you to determine the appropriate dose for your needs and advise you on any side effects or risks associated with use.
Different regions have different laws around prescription medication and other controlled substances. Familiarize yourself with the laws in your area to ensure you’re properly storing your medication.
Other common opioid and opiate substances
Some opioid and opiate substances aren’t prescribed by clinicians. They’re typically used for their pleasurable effects and have a high potential for dependence and misuse.
Common examples include:
- Opium: This naturally occurring substance is derived from the opium poppy. It creates many different opioids, including heroin, codeine, and morphine. It’s a Schedule II controlled substance in the United States.
- Heroin: Made from morphine, heroin often takes the form of white or brown powder or a sticky black substance. It’s a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States.
- Lean: This is a liquid mixture of cough syrup containing codeine and soda. It’s also known as “purple drank” or “sizzurp.”
- Carfentanil: Veterinarians use this medication to tranquilize large animals, like elephants and rhinoceroses. It’s a Schedule II controlled substance in the United States.
Common opioid and opiate prescription medications
Opiates are naturally occurring compounds. Opioids include naturally occurring compounds as well as semi-synthetic and synthetic compounds. Opiates are a subcategory of opioids.
Clinicians often prescribe opioid and opiate medications:
Opioid and opiate medications can cause many side effects, including:
The higher the dose, the more potent the medication.
Some of the most common opioid and opiate medications include:
- Codeine: One of the most commonly used drugs worldwide, codeine is used to treat chronic pain. Doctors often prescribe it to people living with cancer and people with back pain, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and headache.
- Oxycodone: This medication may be used for acute or chronic pain.
- Hydrocodone: This semi-synthetic opioid is typically used to treat severe pain and, in some cases, coughs.
- Oxymorphone: A highly potent opioid, oxymorphone is used to help manage severe pain.
- Morphine: This medication is used to manage pain in people with moderate or severe acute or chronic pain, particularly in cancer treatment and palliative care.
- Fentanyl: A synthetic opioid, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.
- Hydromorphone: This medication is used to help manage moderate to severe acute pain and severe chronic pain. It’s very potent and has a high potential for misuse, so it’s usually only prescribed when other treatments have been unsuccessful.
- Tramadol: This medication is used to treat moderate to severe pain, but it has a high potential for misuse. Doctors usually only prescribe it to manage pain when other treatments have been unsuccessful.
- Methadone: A synthetic opioid, methadone is often used to treat substance use disorders.
What to do if your clinician prescribes a controlled substance
Your doctor or other healthcare professional may recommend a controlled substance to help treat an underlying health condition, like anxiety or insomnia.
They’ll work with you to determine the appropriate dose for your needs and advise you on any side effects or risks associated with use.
Different regions have different laws around prescription medication and other controlled substances. Familiarize yourself with the laws in your area to ensure you’re properly storing your medication.
Other common opioid and opiate substances
Some opioid and opiate substances aren’t prescribed by clinicians. They’re typically used for their pleasurable effects and have a high potential for dependence and misuse.
Common examples include:
- Opium: This naturally occurring substance is derived from the opium poppy. It creates many different opioids, including heroin, codeine, and morphine. It’s a Schedule II controlled substance in the United States.
- Heroin: Made from morphine, heroin often takes the form of white or brown powder or a sticky black substance. It’s a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States.
- Lean: This is a liquid mixture of cough syrup containing codeine and soda. It’s also known as “purple drank” or “sizzurp.”
- Carfentanil: Veterinarians use this medication to tranquilize large animals, like elephants and rhinoceroses. It’s a Schedule II controlled substance in the United States.
Understanding the potential for tolerance, dependence, and addiction
With substances like opioids, there’s always the potential for tolerance, dependence, and addiction. Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they’re not the same.
When you develop a tolerance to a substance, it becomes less effective. In time, you’ll need a higher dose to get the same effects.
When you develop a dependence, your body begins to rely on the substance to function. It’s not related to the dosage needed to feel the substance’s effects.
Caffeine, for example, can cause physical dependence. Some people develop a headache, have difficulty concentrating, or experience fatigue if they go more than a day or so without coffee or other sources of caffeine.
Addiction, in contrast, is a chronic dysfunction of the brain system involving memory, motivation, and reward. When it’s related to drugs, it’s sometimes referred to as a substance use disorder. It can be managed with treatment.
You can develop an addiction to a wide range of things, from over-the-counter substances — including caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol — to controlled substances.
Different substances have different thresholds for tolerance, dependence, and addiction.
Heroin, for example, has a high potential for addiction. People who use the substance often develop a tolerance, requiring a higher dose or more frequent use to produce the same effect.
Harm reduction and safer substance use
Harm reduction refers to various strategies implemented to reduce the negative consequences associated with drug use. Safer substance use refers to using substances in a way that minimizes harm.
This might include not using a substance while alone or having a trusted friend or loved one check in on you.
Understanding the effects of different substances, using only one substance at a time, and staying hydrated can also reduce your risk of harm.
Where to learn more or find support
If you’d like to learn more, many organizations can help. And likewise, if you’re looking for support for yourself or somebody else, there are places you can go.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers free resources and treatment referrals. You can call the 24/7 helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357) to learn more.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse provides information and research on substances and substance use, including opioids.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse for TeenagersTrusted Source provides information and research for teenagers and young adults about substance use disorders.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source offers information and support around opioid use.
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) offers support and meetings for people who experience substance misuse.
Adam England lives in the United Kingdom, and his work has appeared in a number of national and international publications. When he’s not working, he’s probably listening to live music.
Melinda
Reference:
Let’s Celebrate International Women’s Day
Melinda
Looking for the Light 