Faces

Is everyone unhappy? I was people watching in Wal Mart recently and noticed no one looked happy. Or contented. Some faces were tired, some strained, some stressed, many looked worried. A lot of people were obviously impatient, in a hurry.
The worst faces looked numb. Blank. Like they weren't feeling anything. Hopeless.
Ok. I know that's only one store. But there were a lot of people there - and no laughter, no smiles.

At this store, we have a greeter who always says" have fun" as we get our carts. It doesn't look like anyone does.

I wonder if all those people hate shopping or just don't like WalMart. Do they morph into cheerful, relaxed people when they escape the most famous 'box store'? Or do they carry that discontented aura home along with their purchases, and live with it always?

I should mention that this store is in a fairly decent area. Most people own their own homes, there isn't much crime, the parking lot is full of new or not very old cars. We are supposed to be the lucky ones, living the American Dream.

What do you think? Have you noticed this? Do you feel the stress while shopping or do you enjoy the WalMart experience?

I'm back and just fine

I have fibromyalgia and had a flare up. I used Magnesium and a homeopathic remedy called Muscular Tissue I - works like a charm and very quickly. As I understand it, this remedy delivers oxygen to the muscles, which is in short supply with Fibro and causes the pain, numbness, etc. I was actually fine the next day but had a serious power outage - then went on to some other problems I had to deal with. Life is never boring. Aggravating, but never boring.

No Posts For Awhile

I'm having a lot of trouble (and pain ) with my hand and wrist, unfortunately it looks like I will not be able to post for awhile. Be back when I can.
Gilly

Herbs For Your Winter Kitchen

One way to brighten our spirits during the long winter is to grow herbs in our kitchen. There are a lot to choose from, but Chives are one of my favorites. It's super easy to grow and doesn't require any special care. This one will grow where the light isn't ideal. At least it does for me. It's a great addition to stews, salads, soups, or fish. The mild, oniony flavor also makes it a perfect garnish for pototoes and souffles.

Mint is another favorite, easy to grow herb that doesn't require a lot of light. Great for adding as a garnish, with your vegatables, lamb, or making your own tea. The minty smell is refreshing and in the depths of winter doubly enjoyable.
Mints like a lot of water but don't let them stand in it. Keep the saucer under your pot dry.

In my opinion, herbs on the windowsill make a kitchen feel homey and cozy. It will also make you feel like a gourmet cook and will impress your friends.

Feel like sharing? A small sprig put into water will quickly grow roots and then can be planted to become gifts for your friends.

Anxiety! Panic! Depression! Helping Yourself Part 4

If you have a nervous disorder it's hard to know where to turn to for help. What I found was that I needed to learn ways to help myself. This post is about things that helped me - and other people - to feel better.
The first important thing I learned was that taking my mind off my symptoms of anxiety or panic was a huge help. When concentrating on something that I enjoyed, I felt better, and the symptoms were diminished, or non existent, at least for awhile.

Taking up a new hobby was a huge help for me. You need to be involved in something you enjoy. Learning about something new, working on something new, shopping for supplies for your new hobby, reading about it, thinking about it; this replaces the time spent fearing a possible panic attack or constantly monitoring your anxiety symptoms. It's also great for depression. I found that hours could go by when working on a craft project without a hint of anxiety or panic. I also didn't feel depressed.

Movies were, and continue to be, helpful also. I have never had a Panic Attack while watching a good movie. My anxiety levels go way down, too.

Relaxation is vital. Try Meditation, or relaxation tapes. Read. Listen to a soothing tape of the ocean while reading. Watching a fish tank has been proven to lower your blood pressure. Why? Because it is relaxing. Sitting before a fire will relax you, too.

Try Reiki! A Reiki treatment is very relaxing and not too expensive. You can get distance treatments at Ebay for $20 or less. Easy! All you have to do is make the appointment for the specified time and lie down in the privacy of your own home. The practioner connects with you no matter how far away you live. Yes, it really works.
You might consider getting an attunement after a few treatments. This can also be done through the internet and can cost $15 or less. There is nothing to study, just a small manual to read, and the attunement won't really be any different than a treatment is. After the attunement, you can not only give yourself treatments to relax daily, you will be also able to give hands on treatments to others. You will be considered a practioner. You won't, however, be able to give long distance treatments.
My first Reiki teacher told me that she had suffered from anxiety and panic disorders and that focusing on Reiki saved her.

Exercise! This helps a lot as it releases endorphins in your brain that make you feel good. Walking, jogging, going to the gym, using a treadmill, taking up Yoga - whatever appeals to you.

Try to include as many of these things into your life as possible; the more you can do for yourself the better you will feel.
Was this article helpful to you? Please comment.

Anxiety! Panic! Depression! Part 3 Helping Yourself

As I said yesterday, there are a lot of things available to help you recover. One of those things is Homeopathy. It has been around for almost 200 years so it has stood the test of time.
Homeopathy means:
A safe and effective system of medicine with no side effects, that assists the body's efforts to heal itself physically, mentally and emotionally.

What I like about this is, it is so safe. There are no interactions with any drugs you may be taking! Isn't that incredible? You also can't overdose with it; no more worrying that you might have accidently double dosed. When you are in a state of panic, very high anxiety, or very depressed it is easy to get confused and do that. I have. Or thought I had, which was enough to bring on a major panic attack and worrying for hours that I was going to die.

Another frightening thing about taking pharmaceutical medicines for these conditions ,was having to take things that are addictive, and strong enough that they want you to be monitored with regular check ups. The anti depressants that they give you have a lot of side effects and most people find that they don't help enough. Getting off them, if you find they aren't helping or you can't tolerate the side effects is Hell. I'll have more to say on that later, along with some links that will give you current important information you should have before making any decision to take the popular remedies from doctors.

Another point I want to make is that these prescriptions for the so popular Xanax and Anti Depressants are not cheap. Even with good health insurance they are fairly expensive. I was paying $30 a month for Xanax some years ago and I'm sure it is more now. If you don't have insurance it was $100 a month. At least. A lot of people simply can't afford that. Most homepathic remedies are $7.95 for a bottle of 500 tablets. Quite a difference.

Last but not least; homeopathic remedies do not leave you feeling as if you are drugged. No 'medicine head' double vision, grogginess, being unable to drive, etc. In fact, you will not feel as if you took anything at all, except that you will feel better, in a natural, gentle way.

The 2 most readily available homeopathic remedies are to be found in large drugstores, health food stores, and, of course, Wal Mart.

• Nerve Tonic


• Calms Forte

These are under $5 at Wal Mart and you get less pills . * The Nerve Tonic is 32 caplets. It is supposed to be taken before each meal and at bedtime. This was my introduction to Homeopathy and a lifesaver. Thanks to my husband who found them. It might not stop a panic attack in it's tracks but it will gradually soothe your nervous system. Most people find it helps a lot and you can take this with Magnesium and Vitamins. The more things you can do to help yourself, the faster you will feel better. *Calms Forte is 100 tablets and is sold as a sleep aid. Insomnia is very common with nerve problems. It is also used, and I am reading this from the box, as a relaxant, 1 or 2 tablets with water 3 times a day. The Calms Forte is probably stronger.It also helps anxiety and panic syndromes if you get a good nights sleep. It gives your system time to relax and heal.

Homeopathy also has quite a few different remedies for anxiety, and depression but you can only find them in a large health food store - if you're lucky - or online - or through a Homeopathic doctor. The health food store might be willing to order them for you if they don't carry them. I don't have a Homeopathic doctor in my area and the health food store isn't nearby so I order online and will give a link to my online store at the end of this article.

I occasionally use :

• Anxiety - Luyties #320


• Anxiety/Depression #304

1-800 Homeopathy Find Homeopathic Remedies Search: Anxiety

1-800 Homeopathy Find Homeopathic Remedies L304 - Anxiety/Depression #304

The link to the following didn't work so I just pasted this:

from Cathleen Henning Fenton - I've never been against the use of medications to treat panic disorder, although I do believe they should be part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes therapy. It's frustrating, though, to hear from so many people who, not only are not being helped by their medications, but also are experiencing frustrating side effects. Although I continue to believe that the right drug can help a person with panic disorder get better, I'm not sure how many "right drugs" are out there. And with a couple of new reports that have come out (below), I can't say that I trust the motivations of the major drug companies anymore.

Not All Antidepressant Studies Published

That concludes the things you can take information. Next will be things you can do.

Anxiety! Panic! Depression! Part 2

The first thing you need to know about helping yourself to get better is to stay away from caffeine! Your nervous system is already over stimulated and caffeine will increase the stimulation, raising your anxiety levels and actually causing panic attacks.
Caffeine means coffee, tea, soda,and chocolate.
Sugar is another enemy of anxiety and panic. It, too, over stimulates your nervous system.
Most people put sugar in their coffe or tea. Chocolate and soda both have lots of sugar . Soda has TWELVE spoons of sugar in each can! That's a Panic Attack waiting to happen!! We also have to remember that a LOT of things have sugar in them! Cake, pie, ice cream, pudding, that innocent looking jello, etc. Watch what you eat, it could be loaded with sugar. I know how hard it is to give up such things. It was almost impossible for me. So, I came up with alternatives.

• Decaf Coffee
• Sugar free, non chocolate, desserts & snacks
• Herbal Teas
• Water

It can take some getting used to but it's worth it and it isn't forever. I am now able to eat regular desserts, half caffeine coffee, (the regular coffee drinkers don't notice the difference) and an occasional soda. I no longer care much for soda. I prefer water.

There are lots of things that helped me and I'm sure they can help you too. I thought I would start with the quickest, easiest ones.

• Magnesium - good for depression and anxiety
• Lavender - good for depression and anxiety
• Chamomile Tea - good for anxiety
• Vitamin B6 - creates serotonin - good for depression and anxiety

All of these things will calm you somewhat and that helps you to avoid panic attacks. It can take some time; there is no magic pill that will instantly do away with panic or depression. Getting better is a process not an event. I recommend using all of the above. Some important warnings!Magnesium and Vitamin B6 are to be taken with CAUTION! Do not exceed the dosage given on the bottle!! You CAN overdo a good thing with these. With the B6 start with 50 mg once a day. Do NOT go over 100 mg a day. EVER! Too little of these two things can can cause you trouble but too much can make you sick! Magnesium is usually 400 mg seperated into 3 pills which you take : one pill at a time, three times a day, with meals.

Both, along with Chamomile tea are available at drugstores and supermarkets, as well as WalMart. A few dollars each. Lavender might be found at health food stores or online.

That's it for today, much more tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Anxiety! Panic! Depression!

I've struggled with all three for most of my life, and so have an incredible number of other people. Not everyone has all of these, but a lot of us do. There is no cure for any of these conditions, but they can be controlled. You can get to the point that you don't feel that you have a problem with any of these anymore. That's the good news. The bad news is that they can, and usually do, come back. I was repeatedly told that "they were just lurking around the corner waiting for a chance to reappear". Unfortunately, I've found that to be true. High stress situations, pregnancy, or menopause, can start the whole nightmare again. So can not taking care of yourself.

What causes Anxiety Disorder, Panic Attacks, or Depression to appear in your life? There is not a simple answer to this. One thing that they have found is that it usually runs in families. If any of your older family members have had a nervous breakdown, episodes with depression, anxiety, or seemed to be given to hysteria (probably panic) you are at risk. These conditions are passed on genetically.

Severe and prolonged stress can also cause it. With or without the genetic pre-dispositon.

I have also noticed that most of the people with these illnesses have had unhappy lives -usually, but not always, starting in their childhood.

There is a lot of talk about Serotonin. Some doctors are saying that the Serotonin levels in the brains of people with anxiety, panic, or depression, are lower than in people without these problems.

There is also a lot of talk about the Adrenal glands. Once they are subjected to a great deal of stress they can become depleted and cause trouble.

One other thing I have noticed is that highly sensitive people seem more prone to develop any, or all, of these conditions.

None of them can be controlled by will power. There are a lot of people who think you should just 'get a grip' on yourself. That you are weak, and lacking backbone. I even had a friend of many, many years ask me why I just didn't use will power? I did and it doesn't work.

Once we get to the point that we have Anxiety Disorder, Panic Attacks, and/or Depression; our nervous system is a mess, and we need a lot more than will power to help ourselves.

Fortunately, there are many things that we can do that will help us to feel better.

Tomorrow I will get into that and in the meantime I would appreciate some feedback. If you have any methods that work for you please let me know. If you are interested in learning more about this please tell me, so that I am encouraged to go on. If you are suffering with any of these conditions say so, please. I want to help.

You may leave comments anonomously or email me at: http://www.discoverydiva@gmail.com/