Your Brain and Its health

From the Web:
Your brain is the command and control center of your body. If you want a healthy body, the first place to ALWAYS start is by having a healthy brain.

9 Things that Enhance Our Brain

1. Positive Social Connections — the people you spend time with determine your health and longevity.
2. New Learning — when you stop learning your brain disconnects.
3. Diet — we either consume the nutrients that help us or the toxins that harm us, the SAD is associated with heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, ADD/ADHD, Alzheimer’s. Food is medicine or poison.
4. Sleep — essential for blood flow to the brain, without sleep there are very serious consequences.
5. Physical Exercise — acts like a natural wonder drug for the brain
6. Healthy Anxiety — for inspiration to change
7. Meditation/Prayer — calms stress, chronic stress restricts blood flow to the brain which lowers brain function and prematurely ages the brain
8. ANT Killing — don’t believe every stupid thought you have
9. Gratitude — write down 3 things you are grateful for every day and within 3 weeks you’ll notice significant difference in your level of happiness, this is the best anti-depressant

Medication Dip

In the search to find the right med combination, I am frequently dealing with inadequate levels of the drugs that would slow down the rampant anxiety that I seem to have most of the time. This morning is not so bad and I can create which produces serotonin and that stabilizes me. That is the saving grace of creation, that it does produce directly the one chemical that I need, serotonin, Right now I am going up on Luvox and down on anafranil. Here are to other drugs that I am on right now:    

• Risperdal at .5 mg two times a day, morning and night.
• Wellbutrin at 300 mg once a day, morning
• Luvox, eventually a 150 once a day
• Anafranil at 25 mg once in the morning
• Claritin at 10 mg 
• Singular at 10 mg

So since the hospital visit late 2011 I have been on six different meds and am still trying to find the right  combination. I really do not think that one is available for me and this condition. But at least I am getting some relief from the above combination. I can tell, besides the anxiety and depression when the drugs are working. Dreams are different and my lower jaw is more relaxed and I am more alert.

This morning I feel like writing. I am writing a novel along the lines of an Indiana Jones plot. It is a good mental exercise and creative as well. It is the easiest way to get serotonin in the brain quickly.
Then there is sculpture. I have a bent with caricatures and I love to see them in the 3D versions in my head. So to anyone searching to manage the depression or anxiety that you are having, try being creative and lessen up on that critical eye you might have and enjoy what ever you can create whether cooking, photography, writing, sculpture. It doesn't matter the quality of the product that you create, it is the process of creating that matters. Do not be critical of what you create, it is the process of creating that is the medicine here.                  

Stress, Self Esteem, Trust

In order to stabilize myself and run my life I have to realize that things are as stressful as I permit them to be. I can dwell on them, repeating them in my mind and I get more and more depressed. Toxic thoughts cause stress and are hard to control unless one deliberately replaces the negative thoughts with the positive. A favorite bible passage usually works. The Lord will perfect all that concerns me (Psalm 138:8). Fill your mind with it. Every negative thought must be fought. Refuse to dwell on the situation and the situation diminishes.
Another way to handle stress is to have a quiet time with God. In times past work and it's rewards were more important than God. Family time was left unattended to. Yes,  run run run, and all for the promise of what, a paycheck ? Yes we all do it. We are to have balance as well.  I did it for all the regular reasons, house,car, food (lol). Dread of being  unemployed, etc.
God says develop a relationship with Him and He will provide--for everything.  That is what the quite time with Him is for.
Being creative is another way to stop stress. One must take that time to create. Cook, paint,  write, sculpt.  Any creative thing. It is as important as eating correctly.
Exercise, each day. It eliminates toxins, oxygenates the brain. I couldn't get any benefit from it for the longest time because I had no energy from eating the wrong foods all the time.  Allergic reaction to foods and the increased inflammation  from that caused and still causes fatigue.
God has given me the message that I am to take care of my physical health first and right next to that, not below it, my closeness to Him. If I do this and not worry about anything else He will provide and I will proser.
Self esteem is related to stress in that the amount of things that I get done, the higher my self esteem sores. But the more I get done the more tasks I  take on.   Pushing myself to do more causes more stress.    Catch 22. That is what I am working on constantly. Why do I have to obtain self love from working myself to death. Knowing that I am alright with out the always run run attitude is the answer. God says that I am more than all of this. He loves me and has a plan just for me, and He will put the plan in place at the time of His choosing.
Trust is another component in the mixture. Trust God to do what He says He will do.  He will protect you, loves you, wants only good for you. After prayer, discussion with friends, you must trust yourself, your vision, and when God answers you, trust that answer.

Constipation causing several problems

In fighting depression I have learned that I have to detox. This time last year I started using suppositories to make my bowls move. This making my bowls move was important to releasing the toxins in the system and did indeed help. However my system got used to having this help and has ceased to have the urge to move the bowls on its own.
Now upon reviewing the actions of my system over the past few years, I have noticed that I have been very constipated in the past, even with eating correct foods. This probably is contributing to the depression. So I have contacted Dr. F to address the nutritional supplements and diet changes need. I am already exercising more, and have been.
During the past week I have been having dental problems. Initially I was told that the crowns I had put in my mouth one year ago were being rejected. In researching further I have taken a systematic view of my body. I entered the terms bleeding or swollen gums and constipation in the same search. Finally after a few searches I hit on it. The dental problems, which came on suddenly, could indeed be connected to the constipation.
The overall level of my constipation is high now. The depression increased as the indigestion, constipation and gurgling in the stomach and dental problems increased.
Increasing magnesium produced liquid squirts only, no solid bowls. But at least some toxins in the liquid were released.
Toxins must be released. Through working the muscles to push toxins into the blood stream, or the breath, sweating, hydrating and urination, all these release toxins.

nicktimeflyer.com

cafepress.com/bubbledreams

thesilhouetteshop.yolasite.com

Saw Rivera Again

My new setting is 1.50 every 2.5 hours. I have much more enery and have dropped the paxil all together. We will see what happens. I still have body aches and pains. Some migraines. I started my diet on the first of Jan. The  VNS implant helps the cravings to the point that I can go with out food almost all day. I am on slimfast (milk based, which I am allergic to and did not know at the time- editor) and salads at this point. Still do not exercise that much. But if I did maybe the body aches would go away.

Bad Downturn

On the 27,28,29th of November I had a bad downturn. After weeks of dental problems, then a cold that got centered in my ears I had the anxiety and depression that is usual in this kinda attack. It seems that this attack lasts about 72 hours.
Perhaps better diet, more exercise, and more sessions with the massage pillow will help slow the frequency of the attacks.
I have constant floaters now. Have for months.

Dreams

I am having a dream life that I have never had before. Just weird stuff, some nightmares, some just working stuff out. But so many of them. And I am sleeping throughout the night now.
I am very happy at work, singing along with the nearby music, even dancing to it. I have never been this happy, consistently. Migraines are still here. The silent ones, with the floaters. The visual stuff seems worse in the mornings. No big splitting headaches.
I want to exercise all the time, to move my limbs in time with nearby music. To sing to it. It is joyous.

nicktimeflyer.com

cafepress.com/bubbledreams

thesilhouetteshop.yolasite.com

Support and response for request for prayer

Donna,
Thank you for your support. Yes it is hard. I have tried every thing I know of. My sugar is borderline at last check, before I lost some weight. I still battle with cravings, but I have re-added exercise to the regimen. When I get moving about I am better mentally. I have done the vitamin route, the Omega 3 route, am on thyroid med and cholesterol path. I have kept what works. Eating fresh veggies and fruit every day. I admit I am addicted to caffeine, but I can do without if necessary.
John suffers from migraines when stressed. Mine are every day at this point. Some days worse that others. I am on the most amount of drugs that I have ever been on. The depression is lifting at this time, how ever this has happen sixteen times before. The meds last a few weeks sometimes a few months then they stop working, and on to another one. I am on a 32 hour week at work, any more and I get sick with anxiety and depression attacks. As it is with a low grade migraine almost every day something needs to be done that is more permanent .
Yes I intend to call you.
Thanks for the prayers too.
Janet


Janet,
I am sorry to hear of the troubles you are having. I know it must be very hard. Give me a call when you get a chance. You know depression is common with diabetes too. My brother Michael struggled for years and years. I am off next week Nov. 19, all schools are out. You like to be well educated about an illness like I do, nothing is ever the same after surgery. I just had surgery on my right hand Nov 5 for a trigger thumb. I tried 4 alternatives before that. Have you tried vitamin and mineral therapy and chiropractic adjustments?Tri Vita has a gluco balance to cut carb cravings and balance blood sugar. I am taking many of the vitamins and 3 diabetic medicines and am getting better control now with my last A1C test. 18009917116. M. and I will be praying for you. Please give me a call after 5 one day when you get a
chance.

nicktimeflyer.com

cafepress.com/bubbledreams

thesilhouetteshop.yolasite.com

Family's Reaction

I had hoped that of all the people in my circle that would understand my plight would be my brother, John. I love and respect him and honor the fact that more than likely he will always be there for me. He has steadily maintained that if I just eat right, exercise, and pray and learn to balance stress that everything would be OK. To a certain extent I can see his point. I have been doing that very thing for the last six months and over the years that this has affected me I,  have tried all sorts of combinations of food, meditation, medications, prayer, exercise and psychotherapies that I could afford. I am by no means perfect in following all these programs either when they are combined or separate. But, I'm going through yet another down turn at this time.
I just would like to point out if I had a viewable handicap instead of a deficient brain that it would be socially inexcusable to ask me to carry on as if everything is normal. This treatment of "just buck up","hunker down", or any such advice is frustratingly constant. I guess because I am not lying under covers and crying constantly (which did happen about three years ago) that I can cope with life, and I better well stop my quest for living a higher quality of life. Ah, that is the quest, the quality of life, the feeling of a happy memory that can be recalled at any time, an ability that most people have. It is the difference between living the life that God intended, or existing as a shell. A shell pumped full of drugs.

nicktimeflyer.com

cafepress.com/bubbledreams

thesilhouetteshop.yolasite.com