“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/

My Anxiety diminished by Prayer

Life Conquering and Psych Central (Mental Health Discoveries)

The post Bipolar Disorder Warriors and the Weapons They Use in Battle appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

rare depression symptoms

Experiencing depression

From my wedding in 2006 to the following December 2007, I was in the biggest depression of my life.  At that time, I was a completely different person.  I am still battling depression but not like that year.  Those months leading up to my first psychiatrist appointment were brutally painful.  Here I had just spent a decade in mania that was so powerful that I do not remember suffering any depression.

I laid around the house during that year of depression, unable to do anything.  My job as a middle school teacher wore me down something awful to the point that I was useless at home to my husband and my dogs.  Cooking was like caring a small fire in your hand while climbing Mt. Everest.  Laundry was akin to being swallowed whole by a big fish.  The effort to bring work home from school was practically futile since nothing would get done.

Need to be willing to learn

In order for me to know that what I was undergoing was depression, I needed to learn.  I spoke with professionals.  Read a ton of books and on the internet. I wrote down what I was feeling every day and got feedback from family and friends.

depression symptoms

 11 rare depression symptoms

1. Anger and irritability

Many men will display their depression in crankiness, grouchiness or anger.  So what?  Everybody gets angry.  True.  The intensity the depressed person experiences and reacts to are far more intense and lasts longer than any person without a mental illness.

2. Sleeping patterns change

Sleeping too little, too much.  Broken sleep.  Restless sleep.  Difficulty sleeping.  Going back to bed after a partner leaves for work.

depression symptoms

3. Forgetfulness and trouble concentrating

I can completely relate!  That is me all the time!   If it is a thought and can be forgotten, it will be forgotten by the person who is depressed.

Likewise with concentration.

4. Beating yourself up

Their defect self-talk is all negative.  Doubt.  Lack of self-confidence.

5. Drinking and drugs

“Drowning your sorrows.”  The drugs and drinking could become a habit that once was not there or an uptick in the regular abuse.

6. Feeling numb

Inability to feel affectionate or grieve a loss.  When my Granny passed away, I was numb and had no feeling at all.  Ironically enough, I was unable to grieve because I was depressed.

7. Trouble starting your internal engine and getting started

Difficulty getting out of bed, going to work, starting on projects, cleaning, exercising or getting the kids ready for going to church.

8. Changes in eating

Eating too much or not at all.  Bingeing and purging.  Barely eating.

9. Not showing up

Disappearance from people and regular hangouts, is a sign of problems.

10. Anxiety

Unnecessary worrying.

11. Passive thoughts of dying

There is a difference between regular thoughts on dying and abnormal thoughts.  That difference is the abnormal thoughts are thought all the time.  Like an obsession.

depression symptoms

Comments

If you have a comment to make or to add to this blog, write your comment in the section labeled as such below.  You can also email me if you want to keep your comments private.

[email protected]

References

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/prevention/medical-conditions/11-little-known-signs-of-depression

https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/20180219nchsdepression.html

Life Conquering and Psych Central (Mental Health Discoveries)

The post 11 rarely known signs of depression appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

ADHD Symptoms

ADHD is a tough disorder to deal with as a kid as well as an adult.  If you are an adult with ADHD who has been recently diagnosed, you need to find a therapist ASAP.  See the link above to obtain more information.

This mental illness is not the same for everybody who has it.  However, there are some symptoms which overlap and mirror other symptoms.  Here is an abbreviated list of the symptoms you may encounter.  If you are not touched by the disorder yourself, here are some signs so you may help a loved one or a friend.

• Unable to concentrate
• Unable to pay attention
• Difficulty getting organized
• Inability to plan
• Difficulty solving problems
• Inability to control your own emotions

ADHD – organized

I HATE ADHD!

I had no idea I had ADHD until my psychologist brought it up.  Apparently the complaints I had like: unable to plan; lack of concentration; paying attention; and the inability to solve problems were sure signs of this disorder; as well as not capable of reading a book or watch TV.  I was a walking advertisement for Adult ADHD.

For me, concentrating is one of the hardest skills to do with this mental illness.  The lack of concentration crept up on me when I worked  desk jobs and now as a writer.  The inability to pay attention has many similarities to that of concentrating.  It does not matter the activity.  I can talk on the phone, work on the computer or talk to someone face to face, I go space cadet or fall asleep.

The importance of a therapist

Adults with ADHD find it extremely difficult to stay awake, alert, sufficiently aroused and activated to continue their concentration when things are not interesting or no immediate excitement or payoff.  This in turns causes them not to pay attention.  Having these brain issues that might slow you down at home or at work, your therapist will be able to give you coping skills to compensate for the loss of focus or concentration and the inability to stay organized.  In order to find a therapist near you, go to the link above, and take a look around on their website for information.

ADHD – alertness

Organization

The difficulty to organize is liken to climbing Mt. Everest with a goat on your back. It can be done, you just have to work above and beyond to achieve your goals.  Try to see your therapist as your trainer/coach for the climb.  He or she will give you ideas to respond when the ADHD gets out of control or tries to take over.

When I was a teacher to middle school students, I was the Queen of Organization.  Nobody could beat me in the organization relay race among the teachers and staff.  Toward the end of my career, though, as a teacher I started losing that organization relay race as the ADHD grew and developed in my brain..

ADHD

Where do you turn?

Like I said at the beginning, having ADHD is really, really hard.  Many times family and friends cannot understand or grapple with the ADHD you are experiencing.  If you have a mental illness, such as ADHD you need professional help  With my mental illness, I try to go to Jesus first for help and comfort.  He sticks closer than a brother.  He will never leave me nor forsake me.  If he doesn’t take the symptom away, He will walk with me through it, never letting go of my hand.

You could also go to your therapist  If you need help finding a local therapist, go to the link at the top of this page.  Sometimes when my ADHD ramps up, I believe it is time to see my psychiatrist and let him adjust my meds.

Comments

Please post comments in the section below or email me at: [email protected].  I would love to know what your experiences have been with Adult ADHD.  And how you were able to cope.

References

“Taking Charge of Adult ADHD” by Russell A. Barkley, PhD with Christine M. Benton

Going Further

https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-adults#1

https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/10-symptoms-adult-adhd#1

https://www.additudemag.com/adult-test-for-add-adhd/

Life Conquering and Psych Central (Mental Health Discoveries)

The post ADHD in Adults – How do I find a therapist near me? appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

Do you have stress at your job? Are you beginning a new job?  Trying to find some work friends to hang out with at lunch? Not even two weeks go by and still no work friends while the work stress mounts.  And your boss announces he will be gone from the office for the next two days.  He expects everything completed when he gets back.  Sweat pools on my desk from the stress..

work stress

My life and stress go hand-in-hand

From the beginning of my life in school through my first “real” jobs, stress for me has been as constant as Big Ben is for England.  Whether it was female co-workers being snooty and pretending I did not exist.  Or the boss passing me over for the year-end bonus.  The stress to eat and socialize at forced work functions.  And the stress of not knowing something for your job.

What do you do about it?

My whole working life has been covered in stress. When you feel the heart burn and stomach aches, you need to find ways to survive at work until quitting time. When I was working a desk job in a law office or teaching middle school, I was beyond stressed. I had to discover ways to slow my beating heart or I was going to die way before my time was finished here on earth.

work stress

One fact still remains: stress is everywhere.  You might spin your guts out in spin class at the gym.  Or, hit the laces off the baseball into outer space.  You might drink like a fish at the bar.  But the stress will be back in the morning.  Stress does not have to reduce you to a pile of tissues on the floor.  Below are some coping skills I actually used while working a desk job to decrease the stress I was experiencing.

1. Visit another cube-mate

A co-worker’s cube was in another part of the building. When I got stressed out about something with my job, I would walk over to his cube. We would talk about work, his son, life in general and he would always make me laugh. Taking that simple break, gave me a reprieve from the pressure of my job.  It was there when I came back; however spending a few minutes with my friend gave me a “second wind” in order to get through the day.

2. Breathe deeply with your eyes closed

Sometimes I would sit at my desk, close my eyes and breathe deep and cleansing breaths. This stress relieving activity is for the stressed-out employee chained to their desk or to others who have  more freedom.  Sometimes I got so relax that I almost fell asleep.

3. Drink plenty of water

I try to make water my main beverage throughout the day.  When I worked a desk job, I brought a large insulated cup with me to work. I know when the brain gets dehydrated the lack of fluids in the body can cause muscle cramps and you may feel faint. You certainly do not want to feel sick at work!  If you don’t have a cup, walk to the water fountain.

work stress

4. Self-hypnosis

If you do not know how to hypnotize yourself, it is easy to learn. When I got mega stressed out, my mind would begin to race, I was unable to concentrate and I got anxious. I closed my eyes, went to a safe place and let myself relax. The stress never went away.  But, I felt better because my mind was clearer and the physical effects of the stress lessened.

5. Walk out to your car

When work’s demands engulfed me, a walk out to the car on any day was the perfect shot in the arm.  Sometimes I would take a nap, while in the car.  Sometimes I would stare at the sky, be amazed by nature or watch the traffic go by.

Comment

What do you do when you get stressed out? In the comment section below, write out the strategies you use while at work. You can email me, too at [email protected].  I will share these strategies with the community.

Going Further

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/work-stress.aspx

http://www.positivityblog.com/how-to-deal-with-stress/

https://lifeconquering.org/panic-attack/

The post Stress and how to Diminish the Symptoms at the Workplace appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

At school, your palms sweated when the teacher called you to give an answer in front of the class; your heart was pounding like a drum in your chest as you were walking up to the girl you wanted to ask out; your throat choked up when you had a feeling the teacher might accuse you of cheating on the mid-term exam; or a stomach ache just before your first presentation at the science fare.

The Objective

To realize how anxiety will keep you from your prize if you do not stop it.

It does not matter how old you are; rich or poor; what color your skin is; or what language you speak.  Good ‘ole anxiety does not discriminate.  Think of it this way,

1. You want to go to the dance Friday night.
2. You have no date.
3. What are you going to do?
4. The girl and the dance are ultimately the prize you are seeking.
5. Then anxiety kicks in and tries to steal away your prize.
6. How?
7. Simple, anxiety makes you so afraid that you can’t speak, you have a stomach ache, your face is flushed, your palms are sweaty, and you get “cold feet”.
8. If you want to own that prize, you have to fight off negative self-talk, loneliness, uncertainty, fear of failure and the list goes on.

All the colors of anxiety

A problem with your hands

The bridge between marching season in high school and regular band during my freshman year of high school, was like nothing I had experienced.  After marching band was over, I switched from percussion to clarinet.  No big deal, right?  Wrong.

There was only one senior in the entire band…and she played clarinet.  This meant she automatically would be first chair clarinet until a challenge.  This is where we choose a “seat” in our individual sections.  The people challenging and being challenged would have the same music selected before hand to play for that seat.

We had a substitute band teacher at that time. She set up a chair challenge.  The point of the challenge was to perform for the seat you wanted.  Of course I went for it!  I was never last chair, second during a concert maybe, but majority of the time, I was first.  I found my prize!  Now where is the anxiety?

Clarinet

On the day of the challenge, I tried not to think about it.  I had practiced my fingers off and was ready.

The challenge was in front of the entire band.  I played first since I was the challenger.  A chance to sit in the most covetous sea in the clarinet section!  I wiped my sweaty hands onto my jeans before picking up my instrument.  It felt as if something supernatural happened after I began the music selection.  I closed my eyes or was in a trance and let my fingers do the playing.  I did not remember even one note I played.

When it was her turn, she simply choked.  I did feel horrible for her.  I knew then like I know now, she was an extremely talented clarinet player in high school.  Anxiety must have made her fingers feel like lead weights.  At the same time, anxiety propelled me forward.

Winning against anxiety

Your fight might be in the rugby team, track, football team, swim team, chess club, physics club, third period French or any myriad of opportunities to push against anxiety and win.  If I flaked and did not challenge her, I would never known what I was capable of.  Anxiety is tough, but focusing on the prize and not the fear, makes everything work out.

Claim your Prize

Going Further

Recommendations on Anxiety Books for Children whom have Anxiety Problems

Do You have a Backbone or a Wishbone?

Anxiety Fools Your Brain to Direct Your Actions and Thoughts

https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#1

The post Anxiety as a teenager can keep you from your prize appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

I would like to introduce you to  guest blogger and friend, Shane Thomas, M.A., who discusses being mentally healthy with his college students on a regular basis.  What makes Shane an expert on being mentally healthy?  He is the Director of the Advising Center for Exploratory Students (ACES) at Indiana University Southeast in Southern Indian.  In this role, Shane helps students find their true fit in a major and explore career options. When not working with students on time management, study skills, and their academic goals, he is writing songs, playing music and traveling throughout the United States.

Be Mentally Healthy While Becoming Mentally Healthy

By Shane Thomas, M.A.

As an academic advisor, I hear firsthand from students the stress that can occur when trying to adjust to college life. Beginning your academic career can be a difficult experience.  In this article, I will offer some strategies to help students become mentally healthy while in college.

One of the best ways to launch your stress management plan is to become aware of the pressure. You can do this by simply paying attention to the three areas below. Start by noticing the following:

Stress

Be aware of the stress around you:

• Know the situations that make you stressed.
• Are there certain places that make you stressed? If so, where are they?
• Do you become stressed if you are around certain people? If yes, identify them.
• Do certain subjects that you are trying to learn cause stress? List them.

Symptoms can be both physiological and behavioral when it comes to stress. Become aware of the various ways how stress can present itself.

Physiological symptoms:

• Short, rapid breathing
• Muscle tension
• Perspiration

When it comes to stress, typically the behavioral symptoms come to mind.

Behavioral symptoms:

• Irritable and not pleasant to be around.
• People can sometimes start using alcohol and/or drugs to try to cope with the stress they encounter
• If your family and friends have noticed a negative change in your behavior and habits then you could be stressed.

Having an awareness of these changes and symptoms can start you on the way to being able to be mentally healthy while in college.

Stress Management Planning

Once you develop the habit of noticing the symptoms and situations of stress, you can learn to manage them. As a college student you have the challenge of trying to balance being a student with working, having time for a social life and for yourself. Let’s look at each one of these aspects of your life and learn how to maximize them in order to be mentally healthy.

As we go through each of these areas, it is important to keep in mind that you want to plan and prioritize. This will increase the chances of you thriving in each!

Student

We will start with your role as a student first. If you are enrolled in college, your studies should be a top priority. You can lessen the probability of stress as it relates to your academics by incorporating some of these tips.

Class Work Stress

• Plan your classes in a way that best fits your sleep patterns and when you are mentally at your peak. If you are not a morning person then strongly reconsider signing up for afternoon classes.
• A good formula to remember is for every credit hour you are enrolled in, you will want to plan 2-3 hours for homework, studying and working on group projects, etc.

For example if you are a full time college student that is enrolled in 15 credit hours then you will want to plan 2-3 hours for those classes. Therefore 15 x 2-3= 30-45 hours total for the week to make sure you budget enough time to succeed in the classroom.

• Visit your institution’s financial aid office to see what options you may have to reduce the financial stress of college.
• Prioritize your classes. Know which courses will require more energy and work. A key to having a nice course schedule that doesn’t overwhelm yourself is to balance out hard classes with ones that come fairly easy to you and that you are interested in.

Now that we have made being a college student a top priority, let’s look at fitting in your professional obligations.

Work

• Most college students have to and should earn income because it is important. Through work, you can potentially learn new skills, make friends and build your professional network that can benefit you for years to come. However, the vital item to remember is resist the temptation to work too much. If you are a full time college student which is typically 12 or more credit hours per semester, then try to work no more than 20 hours per week.

Working as a college studemt

• Once you plan on working 20 hours or less a week, then make it a priority to find employment that will work around your class schedule.
• Ideally find a job that interests you and that you can gain valuable experience. You can also put the knowledge you gained on your resume. It is never too early to get skills in a field that interests you!

Social

Just as important as making time to succeed in the classroom and work, you need a social life. Human beings are social creatures that require connection with others. Here are strategies to help you devise and maintain a healthy social life. Building a healthy social life has a direct correlation to optimal mental health.

• Plan enough time to spend time with those that have your best interest at heart. Having a strong support system that you can trust is imperative. These include family members, friends, mentors or even pets. Have people in your life that you care about and that care about you.
• Get involved – but not too much! You might hear from people that work at colleges encouraging you to get involved and for good reason. Extra-curricular involvement has numerous benefits. You can make friends, hold leadership positions, build your resume and it offers opportunities to give back. However, many college students take on too much and over-commit It is highly recommended to put quality over quantity. Join 2-3 organizations and clubs that you really want to commit to and make those a priority and excel at them. However, do not get too involved so much that you neglect your academics and your grade point average suffers.

Personal

Last but certainly not least is finding time for yourself. “Me time” is synonymous with being mentally healthy. Let’s look at some ways to make the most out of our personal time.

Me Time

• Make sure you take care of yourself and your health. If you don’t look after yourself then you won’t be in good shape to thrive academically, professionally, or socially. Unfortunately, many students try to take care of everyone but themselves. Therefore plan to get 30 minutes or more of physical activity at least 5 days a week if not daily. Also get plenty of sleep and rest that is free from distractions. Make nutritious food choices.
• Prioritize time for things that you enjoy doing. This could be watching Netflix, traveling, or cooking. It doesn’t matter what the activity.  What does matter is that you like engaging in them.
• Besides getting adequate activity, nutrition and sleep, make sure you have enough quiet time to de-stress and reflect. The contemplation, relaxation and deep breathing that results from activities such as mediation, yoga, and tai chi have been shown to improve mental health.

There you have it. A blueprint for you to be mentally healthy during your college years. To summarize, be aware of the things that can elevate your stress. Then when stressful situations arise and they will, be aware of both the physical and behavioral symptoms of stress. Next, plan your life in a way that allows you to optimally balance being a student with having a productive, fulfilling professional and social life, while still allowing time for yourself. Finally, prioritize the things that you need to do in each of these areas along with things that are important to you and bring you enjoyment.

College Graduate

College can be one of the biggest transitions you will ever make in your life. And stress can sometimes accompany transitions. However, college can also be some of those most memorable times of your life. Your college years can be one of tremendous growth and a time when you become your own person and find your way in life. Hopefully some of the tips in this article cannot only help you survive but thrive mentally while you are on the road to become a college graduate.

IUS image via https://www.ius.edu/

Contacting Shane Thomas

Below are the links where you can find Shane Thomas, M.A. on the internet.

Website: https://www.shanethomasmusic.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNWSy2Yt8vj6Z8Pgp64okjw

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shanesmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanethomasmusician/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanethomasmusician/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/share?app=110&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shanethomasmusic.com%2F

RSS: https://www.shanethomasmusic.com/feed/

Email: https://www.specificfeeds.com/shanethomasmusic

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B0014OOIUO?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Shane%20Thomas&index=digital-music&search-type=ss

Going Further

Ways to Reduce Stress

About Amy Pierce Romine

I am a content and freelance writer, published writer, award-winning blogger, public speaker, copy editor and social media consultant.   Life Conquering Blog for Mental Health was chosen to be one of the “Top 100 Bipolar Blogs”.  Please visit my award-winning blog at the address below.

 https://blog.feedspot.com/bipolar_disorder_blogs/. 

Check us out on the web and become a Follower while you are there.

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LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-pierce-romine-a22153147/

FOLLOW. LIKE. SHARE.

https://lifeconquering.org/

mental health blog

The post Guest Blogger, Shane Thomas, M.A., on Becoming Mentally Healthy 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)

Bipolar Roller Coaster: Nineteen Jobs since College

Anxiety-Provoking Staplers in the Den of Work Life

The post How do you deal with a bipolar brain that is made of Laffy Taffy? appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

Thanksgiving

This may sound like your typical wallflower.  It has more impactful consequences than just someone who is shy.  Joyable brings up a scary statistic.  38% of our social anxiety sufferers will use alcohol to make it through holiday parties.

The young adults of our society who suffer with this sort of anxiety rely on social media to get through a holiday party as discussed by Fortune.  When these adults go to holiday parties, they say their crutch is their smartphone.

Stress relievers for social anxiety

This holiday season, we are looking at a breathing technique known as square breathing.  No matter what your stress level, you might be able to benefit from this very easy exercise to help get your breathing under control.

Let me introduce you to square breathing

When you feel the social anxiety rise up and begin to get out of control at a holiday party, do the following:

1. In your surroundings, find something square. A TV, a coffee table, a door, a fence, a billboard, sidewalk, a picture frame, a present, a serving dish, etc.
2. Start your eyes at the top left corner of your square and move horizontally to the right while inhaling.
3. Make sure your movements are slow along with your breath.
4. Once you are at the upper right corner, move your eyes down while exhaling.
5. Breathe in from bottom corner right to left.
6. Next breathe out from the bottom left to top right.
7. Continue doing this exercise, slowing down your breath.
8. You can repeat several rounds or two-five minutes.
9. You can start it over again if you feel the stress is coming back.
10. You can even move your eyes in the opposite direction.

Anxiety

This can help obviously with social anxiety as well as any anxiety that has its hold on you.  If you use this technique to bring you peace and calm during a stressful holiday situation, email me at [email protected] or send me a message on Facebook or Twitter and let me know your experience.

Reference

“Relieve Stress – 20 Quick Techniques” by Katrin Schubert, M.D.

http://fortune.com/2015/12/22/social-anxiety-joyable/

https://joyable.com/blog/joyable-holiday-survey-2015/

Going further

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relievers/art-20047257

http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot

Effects of Anxiety

Fighting off Anxiety around Every Corner in Bipolar

The post Social anxiety stress reliever for the holidays appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

The depression statistics I have for 2017 shows the seriousness of the illness.  Depression is underdiagnosed.  Often times, the mental illness is not treated at all.  There are over 300 million depressed people in the world.  The number of people with common mental disorders globally like depression is rising.

Depression

Alternative to depression

I believe that in many ways, we have so much more to learn about depression.  Depression just happens to be the number one cause of death by a mental illness.  In this post, I want to offer you an alternative to depression and give you hope.  Now, I am not saying you will be free and clear of your depression.  You will be better able to cope.

Paralyzing, bondage

When I have been in the valley of bipolar depression and surrounded on all sides by hills of anxiety and fear, I become practically paralyzed.  I do not know what to do or to say to free myself from this bondage.  My default is to stare out the window for an indefinite amount of time, lose all sense of time and reality, unaware of the things around me.

Help

The valleys are as deep as they are wide and the hills are as tall as they are long.  In the valley of depression, under the shadow of the hills of anxiety and fear, I must look for help, in order to survive.  I must remember that the God of the universe is my help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).  I tell you today, I can call out to Him and He will help me.  Honestly, He will not leave me alone in the valley of depression.

Depression

I have learned many lessons through my experiences with bipolar depression.  One lesson is that my faith in God goes a long way in getting me through the valleys and seeing past the mountains.  In Matthew 17:20, we read Jesus saying to his disciples “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”

I know I could do that, if I just had enough faith that God will move the mountain.  However, that is okay.  He knows and understands.  So, I lean on my Savior.  I lean on Jesus like I do for every other thing in my life.  Paying the bills.  Finding a job.  A sick child.  An overworked father.  The threat to turn off the heat.

The weight and power of depression

When bipolar depression hits me like a ton of bricks and it feels like I am moving through mud, it is difficult to do this thing called life on my own.  It takes an enormous amount of faith on my part to be able to trust Him to carry me through every minute of every day.  And not to take back the control.

There is no way without the help of the Almighty God that I can be a wife, go to work, take care of my dogs, let alone take care of myself.  Some days I cannot even get out of bed or take a shower.  Those things are sometimes my mountains that tower over me.  Life gets that hard.  However, over time I have grown in my faith in God and those mountains quake and move during those dark hours.

Faith

Move

Our Savior says to tell that mountain “move” and it will move.  When was the last time you mustered up a little bit of faith of your own?  All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed and you can make your mountains move.

Realize this, you are not moving the mountain by yourself, God is moving the mountain.  Just the same, you are not curing your depression, God is walking you through your mental illness.  Having a mustard-size faith in God, the Maker of heaven and earth can cause your mountains to move and fall at your feet.

References

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs369/en/

https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers

Call to action

Do you have depression?  You may not believe in the God that I have been talking about.  He actually may sound different than the One you have heard of.  Find some quiet time and spend it talking, yes just talking, regular language.  Listen with your heart.  If you would like to share, leave a comment below or email me at [email protected].

Going Further

Depression – Mental Health America Online Quiz

Helping Someone with Depression

How to Cope with Depression

The post Depression Valleys Light Up with Faith appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.

It is no secret that prayer is very important to me in managing my bipolar.  Anxiety washes over me like a tsunami, I pray to God.  Anger reaches its boiling point and I reach out to the Prince of Peace.  Depression drags me deep into the valley, I look to Jesus to be my Shepherd through the dark.

I am really good with those prayers that are spoken in the heat of the battle.  What happens is my prayer life ends up being a one-way conversation with God.  There is absolutely no problem with this way of praying.  However, I try to incorporate different types of prayers in my day in order to grow closer to Him.

The Two-Way Prayer

But what about having a two-way conversation with God? This is where you do less talking and more listening.

Two-Way Prayer Ideas

• You can read a chapter from the Bible. Do not know where to start in the Bible? Ask God to reveal to you what He wants to show you during your time together.
• You can pray for other people. Make a list of people that you would like to pray for. While it may be difficult to pray for everybody each and every day, you can divide up the week so you can pray for different people on different days of the week.
• Listen to worship music.

Pick a time during the day that you are most alert and focused. Also, you need to find a location that is free from distractions.

More Ideas to Come

These are just a few of my favorite ways to have a two-way conversation with Jesus.

Email Me

Email me at [email protected] and describe your prayer life and any ways that you use to help you pray..

Going Further

https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/scripture-engagement/praying-scripture/home

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