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The post 21 Days of Motivation to Help You Lose Weight appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>In my most recent Psych Central Blog post, I discuss 21 different activities that have helped me get my move-on. As someone with bipolar 1, I have always struggled with motivation. Somedays, I hardly have the motivation to get out of bed, take a shower, take my medicine or text a friend.
It is difficult to explain. But the anti-motivation reminds me of a gigantic magnetic force holding me back from the activities I want, love or need to do.
The astounding truth is there is proof walking, for instance for a sustained period of time can help someone with a mental disorder.
I have always enjoyed ‘activity’ from the time I was a little girl with my first bicycle. Even when I am struggling with motivation, I know deep down that exercising is imperative for strong mental health. I pray this article detailing 21 different ways to motivate you to move, will inspire you to achieve
https://blogs.psychcentral.com/discoveries/2019/01/21-days-of-motivation-to-help-you-lose-weight/
Have fun moving!
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The post Bipolar Disorder Warriors and the Weapons They Use in Battle appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>“I fight for my health every day in a way most people don’t understand. I’m not lazy. I’m a warrior.” – HealthyPlace.com
If you have bipolar disorder or any other affliction you can consider yourself a warrior. Type in the Comments section the diagnosis of an ailment, physical or mental affliction that you battle every day.
You might have a speech impediment, cancer, Tourettes Syndrome, anxiety, Lou Gehrig’s Disease or any of the numerous monsters I didn’t mention, you are a warrior. You become a force to be reckoned with the moment you say “(insert your illness)” will not get the best of me”! Of all the mental and physical ailments we have in this world, no matter your story, these monsters are extremely difficult to overcome. And just getting out of bed, taking one step at a time, breathing in and out, YOU ARE A WARRIOR.
Preparing for Battle
Speaking as one of the brave Bipolar Disorder Warriors, I know if I go into battle, I must be prepared. As a warrior, I need the right weapons in order to pull myself out of the pit of despair when I am depressed; keep the argument with my boss from growing into a full-blown manic episode; or letting my proper sleep hygiene disappear among the stars.
In this blog post, I am going to introduce the number one weapon I use as a Bipolar Disorder Warrior. That weapon is prayer.
Bipolar Disorder Warriors and Prayer
The Power of Prayer
“Suffering provides the gym equipment on which my faith can be exercised.” – Joni Eareckson Tada
If you are a Christian, there are several weapons that you could use in the midst of the battle. Remember the Armor of God? My favorite weapon I like to go to, over and over and over again, is prayer. Some of my most challenging fights have been won with the battle implement prayer. Prayer taught me just how much I didn’t know about anything and especially just how much I am unfit for the battle. Prayer directs me to the Source of Power. That is why I pray to the One who knows everything and is Most Powerful, too.
I have been a Christian longer than I have had bipolar disorder. When I received the bipolar diagnosis 11 years after the symptoms surfaced, I had no idea how to respond as a Christian. Even though there is a history of mental illness on both sides of my family, that subject was never brought up at birthday parties or during the giving of gifts at Christmas. But that didn’t matter due to the fact the Christian exposure I received at church as a child, once maybe three times or more a week, actually helped me when I was in compromising situations or when I have suicidal ideations.
Bipolar Disorder Warriors who Pray
Believing I am a Mental Health Warrior
I do not always believe I measure up as a Bipolar Disorder Warrior. I bet some of you think that way, too.
In the midst of the roller coaster of moods, OCD, ADHD, and severe anxiety, I always expect for the warrior feeling to show up. And of course I should expect to feel like a warrior. God made me. He knitted me together in my mother’s womb. He knows the number of hairs on my head. And those statements above are facts from the Bible, let yourself believe.
Sometimes the belief in my prayers is likened to a direct line (without any busy signals) to the Creator of the Universe. Other times, because I am human, I feel all I will get are busy signals or the voicemail. I know from years of seeing God work that He will give me an answer in due time. Whether it is yes, no, maybe, wait awhile, God will answer us in His perfect timing.
When God turns me around to stand in front of His holy mirror, I see myself as He sees me. Standing in front of God’s mirror, I feel immersed in all of God’s power and strength. I also feel loved. There are no personal judgements glaring at me. I feel peace like none other before. When I see myself the way God sees me, I become that warrior, yes, even the warrior with bipolar 1 including psychotic features, one who will walk tall and shout loudly to share God’s love for a mentally ill middle-aged woman.
At that point is when I know I am ready to face any problem inside my head or out. The Bible says when I am weak, God is strong. He will fight for me. God will give me whatever signals I need to make prayer the first thing I reach for when the challenges begin!
What is the first thing you reach for when in the middle of a challenge mentally or physically? Write your answers in the Comments section below.
Warriors Praying
Call to Action
Share about a time when you felt like a Warrior. How does it feel to be a Warrior? How do you conjure up those warrior feelings when the going gets tough? Put your answers in the comment section below or email me at [email protected].
Going Furtherhttps://lifeconquering.org/anxiety-2/
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/faith-in-life/prayer/prayer
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/
Life Conquering and Psych Central (Mental Health Discoveries)
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The post Mental illness guns ruin lives. Do you agree? Link to opinion letter included. appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>I will encourage you to look out for the following when you read the short letter:
- mental illness myths;
- gun myths;
- does the author have a firm grasp of the Second Amendment;
- did the author of the letter present, truthfully, both sides?
- what did she leave out?
I would love to hear from my mental health advocates their opinions on the contents of this letter. The author of the opinion letter made some pretty harsh comments concerning mental illness guns and the world we live in. Please use the comments section to share your thoughts. Or you may email me at [email protected].
mental illness guns ruin lives
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The post How do you deal with a bipolar brain that is made of Laffy Taffy? appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Well, this morning has been successful in one way and a total failure in another in bipolar land. I was able to type a draft last night for Blasting News where I am a contributing author. I just got an email indicating that my article I submitted is being published. Ya-hooo!
On the flip side I just tried to edit a blog I also drafted last night and get it read for publishing today. I can’t tell if I have two different topics or just one or five. It feels as if I am walking through a corridor of Laffy Taffy. I just feel like this blog is all sticky and I am unable to fight through the bands of taffy in order to see clearly.
A day I didn’t see coming
Have you ever had a day like that? Hmmm. It happens to all of us. We feel inadequate at our job because we feel like we have just forgotten the entire manual on their job. While waiting tables you break almost every coffee cup you touch. The copier is jammed every time you go to use it. You just now noticed you have a coffee stain in a very prominent place on your suit. And the meeting you are chairing is set for five minutes from now.
Life happens, doesn’t it? On these days I usually can’t get a topic to write about. My words do not flow. And if I were to look at the main ideas coming from my head down my arms to my fingers to type onto the laptop, it would look like a game of Pick-up Sticks. Just ideas going all over the place, intersecting in bizzare places.
On these days, I want to give up. At least that is what I used to do. I gave up. I too a nap. I chatted on social media. I did everything except address the problem. Now I want to F.I.G.H.T.! No more wimping out. I am resolved not to let this mental illness get the best of me.
Just now as I write this blog about fighting against the battles of life, I am sleepy from staying up later than usual. I would like to take a nap. However, I know all the work that needs to be done will swirl around in my brain, keeping me from sleep.
Stay in the game
As you go about your day, whether you have a mental illness or have a flat tire on the side of the road, FIGHT to stay in the game. Don’t check out! You have a lot to learn from yourself today. But if you you don’t fight, that is okay too. There is always tomorrow.
A Call To Action
If you have a success story or a failure story where you learned to FIGHT and as a result learned something from it, please email. I would love to read the story as well as the lesson learned. [email protected]
Going Further
http://www.pendulum.org/bpcoping.htm
22 Mindfulness Exercises, Techniques & Activities For Adults (+ PDF’s)
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The post Ultra-rapid cycling bipolar – a day in the life appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>This constant back and forth on the mood spectrum is where you get the rollercoaster ride. I hate it. With my flavor of bipolar, I am prone to the ups and downs of the disorder more frequently than some. That is where ultra-rapid cycling comes in.
Ultra-rapid cycling – depression
For instance a typical day might look like me struggling to get out of bed. Trying to decide if I am going to exercise. If I can just work out for at least 10 minutes, I will count it as a victory. Although, the other day I spent only 5 minutes exercising. Although the time was short, it was much better than going back to sleep on the couch.
Continuing in the depressed side of the bipolar, I will struggle through writing projects during that morning. It is as if my brain is set in concrete. I stare into space. I stare at the computer screen. I cannot focus on any one task. Sometimes I give in and go to sleep.
ultra-rapid cycling bipolar
I look at my calendar and see that I have an appointment that afternoon. Nope. That is getting canceled. It does not matter if it is a therapy session, doctor’s appointment or coffee with a friend, if I am feeling afraid to go out of the house, I won’t. Some days, since I work from home, I never leave the house.
Ultra-rapid cycling – mania
Then in the middle of the afternoon, I will feel like “Wonder Writer” with the advent of a manic high. Ideas will piece together and not be discombobulated. I will be able to edit previous works. And that conclusion on the article I have been working on the last two days finally gets wrapped up.
ultra-rapid cycling bipolar
As the night wears on, I will get spikes in the mania and dips of hypermania. I spend the evening chatting away at 90 mph or I write like there’s no tomorrow.
What will tomorrow bring
I can never really plan for sure what my mood is going to be the next day. What I have realized over the years, is that individual moods do not stay around for very long. One of the reasons I started this Life Conquering ministry to mentally ill individuals is that I want them to know there is someone like me out there who understands what they are going through. My support group is very small and is mainly friends. Friends who know what I am going through from their own experiences. Or friends who are really good at being empathetic and not try to give me prefabricated advice. On some days, it is just me and God.
I also have mixed episodes where you experience both mania and depression at the same time. It is a horrible sensation. Almost as if you are the tug-of-war rope and you are being split in half. I remember when I first realized I was having a mixed episode. It was creepy. Whenever I cannot make up my mind, I know I am probably in a mixed episode. For instance, I need to work on an article for Blasting News. At the same time, I need to write a blog and do some research. I glance at all three and I have no idea which to start with. It takes me some time to figure it out and when I do, I might change it.
I can imagine you guessed the next wonderful mood experience that I have quite often. Yep. I have ultra-rapid cycling episodes occurring at the same time as a mixed episodes. Can you image how that might feel?
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is an United States-based suicide prevention network of 161 crisis centers that provides a 24/7, toll-free hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.Wikipedia
Call 1-800-273-8255
Available 24 hours everyday
References
I have shared with you some websites that might be of interest to you on this subject.
https://natashatracy.com/bipolar-disorder/dealing-rapid-cycling-bipolar-moods-everyday-life/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8833685
Bipolar Disorder Symptoms – Are You Missing the Subtle Signs?
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The post Mental Illness Blogging appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>If you are on this blog, Life Conquering.org you are a mental illness follower. To be a follower on this blog, all you need to do is have a mental illness or support someone with a mental illness or you can be an individual who is interested in learning more about mental illlness. Whoever you are, I appreciate you being a part of this effort to take the mission of Life Conquering out into the world. The mission is to encourage those who have a mental illness as well as educate those who don’t thereby tearing down the walls of stigma. Thank you for being with us on this ride.
Follow Me
If you are not yet a follower, be sure to click on the button. We would love to have you. Welcome.
Mental Illness Blogging
Getting Published on Mental Illness and other topics
Well, it has been nearly a month since I posted an actual blog on mental illness. I have been busy writing articles and getting them published. I shared them with you on this blog. It was a mix of mental illness topics as well as sports, lifestyle and news. I hope you enjoyed them. Just like everybody else, I have a lot to do on my plate. That is good for me. However, I want to be better at producing regular blogs, too.
I recently published another article on The Mighty. A big thanks to a high school friend who gave me the information. Here is the link:
How the ‘Send Silence Packing’ Exhibit Is Raising Suicide Awareness on College Campuses
Please share with your friends the lifeconquering.org website as well as the following social media sites:
https://www.facebook.com/lifeconquering/
Twitter @ life conquering
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LifeConquering
https://www.pinterest.com/lifeconquering/
My email: [email protected]
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The post Articles published by Blasting News! – Hillary Clinton demands teaching a nationwide mental illness curriculum appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Education and mental illness – two subjects I know very well. Please visit the article and share it with people you know. Also, visit Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and my website.
https://www.facebook.com/lifeconquering/
https://twitter.com/lifeconquering
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LifeConquering
https://lifeconquering.org/…
mental iIlness curriculum
Work and Stress
This used to be the way of life for me. Consequently I gained a lot of extra weight.
http://us.blastingnews.com/lifestyle/2017/11/stress-triggers-obesity-in-women-002170707.html
work and stress
Therapy Dogs and Their Role in Mental Illness
I have two dogs and they help me out all the time with my bipolar.
therapy dogs
Even the Army is taking notice of Mental Illnesses
The Army waivers the ban on mental illnesses of recruits.
mental illness waiver
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The post Mental Illness: Making a Decision, Heads or Tails appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Do you have a mental illness? You could have anxiety or schizophrenia or any number of the other mental illnesses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. When the feeling strikes that you have a decision to make with no idea what to do, it can be a scary thing. Your mental illness has formed a shroud over your head. You feel temporarily paralyzed.
For instance, anxiety disengages the part of the brain that is imperative to decision making. “Schizophrenia patients with prominent positive symptoms were unable to integrate cognitive and emotional components of decision making which may contribute to their inability to generate adaptive behaviours in social and individual environments.” (1) And we must not forget, bipolar disorder. With the various and numerous mood swings, they make it extremely difficult to nail down a decision. This is especially the case during manic episodes.
mental illness
Symptoms of the inability to make a decision
- Brain fog;
- Paralyzed;
- Unable to conjure up basic problem solving skills;
- The world does not turn to black and white. Everything is a muted gray so it makes it even more difficult to make a decision;
- Your brain is sawed in half;
- Your brain is asleep;
- Stressed;
- Feel wrong making any decision or no decision;
- Overwhelmed;
- A heavy weight on you;
- Cannot function;
- Distracted;
- Annoyed; and
- Emotional.
How to overcome
- Make a list – When I need to make a big decision, I have been told to make a list ever since I was a teenager. Whenever I had a big decision to make like where to go to college, I got out a piece of paper and filled that paper until the lists were exhausted. Taking the time out of the very emotional experience of making a decision, helps to clear our minds, relax us, breathe and see the big picture.
- Cool down the emotions – Like I said before, being mentally ill and trying to make a decision is very emotional. Make a list of the emotions you would feel making each decision. Go to a quiet place and close your eyes. Feel the emotions drain out of you onto the floor. Relax. Once you relax, you can look at the situation in a different light and make a sound decision.
- Sleep on it – You probably heard someone say to “sleep on it”. My husband and I have done this with big purchases like a vehicle or a home. It is as if all the chemicals in your head got together and made a decision for you. Then, the next morning you feel confident in your decision.
- Tell the truth – This has happened to me lots of times where I get caught up in trying to make the decision and I lie to myself. Yes! All these previous suggestions can help you distinguish between the truth and a lie.
- Take your time – Some decisions can take a couple minutes, hours or days to make. If you have the time, take every second. Make your list, sleep on it. It will help you make a clearer choice.
- Talk it out – Find someone in your life whom you trust and has a history of making good decisions. Go talk to them. Take your pros and cons list. Discuss these items and hear what he or she has to say. Remember, their answer does not have to agree with yours in the end.
Call to Action
Share this information with a friend who has mental illness or share it with a friend who you know needs help making decisions.
mental illness
Comments
Tell me how you make your decisions in the comments below. Or you may email me at [email protected].
References
Going Further
https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/02/03/do-you-have-difficulty-making-decisions/
http://www.heysigmund.com/anxiety-interferes-decision-making-stop-intruding/
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The post Conquering the Real Demon of Mental Illness: Stigma appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
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Barista
Roughly 1 in 5 adults in the United States or 43.8 million or 18.5% of the population will experience a mental illness in a given year. That is a HUGE number. You can only assume that mental illness and mental illness stigma is everywhere you go. The Starbucks barista fixing your latte; the nurse at your doctor’s office checking your pulse; the mechanic at the auto shop who worked on your brakes; your co-worker down the hall with the cute red handbag; your child’s teacher who stays later after school every day; the elected official in your town who saved the tax payers money; the clerk at the grocery store ringing up your groceries; or your daughter’s boyfriend who just pulled into the driveway.
These same people mentioned above have children, spouses, careers, like/dislikes, bills, dreams. These same people feel stigma and also think of suicide. Suicide in America is the 10th leading cause of death. People usually do not just wake up one morning out of the blue and flippantly say, “I am going to kill myself”. Highly unlikely. These thoughts have been going on for a long time. Life holds no punches back for the mentally ill. Divorce still shatters homes; death brings a family together or pulls them apart; making ends meet every month is hard for them, too. But the one thing different between you and me, is stigma.
Death
Across society, there are still people who think the symptoms of psychopathy are threatening and must be uncomfortable to them. These attitudes toward real people who have real medical illnesses of the brain must stop!
Mental illness stigma = brain drain
There are actually two different types of stigma: social stigma and perceived stigma or self-stigma. Social stigma is the prejudicial and discrimination toward people with mental illnesses. This happens as a result of the psychiatric label placed on them. The latter two stigmas come from the perception of discrimination by the person with the mental illness.
One of the most common beliefs concerning people with mental health issues is they are dangerous such as an alcoholic or someone with schizophrenia. Another misnomer is some mental disorders are self-inflicted like eating disorders and substance abuse. Also, people believed that the mentally ill were difficult to talk to.
Substance Abuse
All kinds of people carry stigmatizing beliefs regarding people who have mentally ill problems. This is regardless if the “normal person” has a relative or a close friend with mental health issues.
So who throws the bucket of stigma on the mentally ill person? Family members, psychiatrists, teachers or peers (to name a few). The mentally ill person often experiences accusations, distrust, avoidance, pity and gossip. They also lost friendships and experienced social rejection.
Where did we dig up these stigmas?
People often think others who have a mental illness are “different”, they have misguided views; however, neither of these are based in fact. The early beliefs of demon possession were usually explanations for the mental illnesses symptoms for some communities.
Fast forward to today. We realize people with a mental illness is different from those of physical disorders. This implies that someone with depression is different from a “normally” functioning individual. Also, the medical model requires a diagnosis which implies a label. This further perpetuates the idea that mentally ill people cannot function in society and may be violent.
Eight ways to fight stigma against the mentally ill
- Speak openly about mental health.
- Empower yourself by educating yourself and others about mental illness.
- Watch your language.
- Encourage equality.
- Show empathy and compassion.
- Stop the criminalization of the mentally ill.
- Stand up for the way people with mental illnesses are portrayed in the media.
- See the person, not the illness.
Seeing the person – not the illness.
Call to Action
Put in the comments section which way you are going to help fight mental illness. You may also email me too at [email protected].
Friend me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifeconquering
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lifeconquering
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Going Further/References
https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/why-we-worry/201308/mental-health-stigma
https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/October-2015/9-Ways-to-Fight-Mental-Health-Stigma
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The post Mental Illness: Living with the Reality of Triggers appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Real Life Scenario
I had a very costly trigger today. It began last night when I took a Post-It note and wrote down the seven things I wanted to do the next day. It is 1:05 p.m. EST “the next day” and I have gotten three things accomplished. Some people would say that it is almost 50%, why not pat yourself on the back. The reason is five of the things on the list should have been taken care of before I met my husband for lunch at noon. The last two items need a little more time to complete.
So, “what happened?” You ask. This morning, instead of exercising at 6:15 a.m., I fell asleep. The structure of my morning began to crumble. I slept on the couch until around 8:00 a.m. when it was almost time to get ready to take my husband to work. When I came back home, I felt depressed from being unproductive and unmotivated to do anything, so I slept some more and stared some more.
Mental Illness Triggers
Mental Illness Triggers
For me to go from being productive to staring out the window in a comatose state can be triggered by anything. I think my trigger was not feeling the security of structure.
Maybe for someone with PTSD, a trigger could be flashbacks and nightmares. These could easily trigger major anxiety and panic attacks.
I know for my good friend who has depression, a trigger could be downtime at work where she has nothing to do. With the inbox on empty, emotions of loneliness and boredom might kick in.
My friend from group therapy has schizophrenia (by the way, he is one of the nicest guys I have ever met). His trigger could be a mean co-worker that sets off an avalanche of anxiety and paranoia.
Sometimes, get this, there are NO triggers! You just feel like shit!
Comments
Please use the space below to leave your comments. You might not even have a mental illness but know your triggers that frustrate you or make you angry or yell at a family member. Please share your thoughts.
Going Further
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_schizophrenia
http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/depression-triggers#1
https://www.verywell.com/ptsd-triggers-and-coping-strategies-2797557
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