There are going to be a lot of tips, suggestions and survival posts about dealing with mental health problems the holidays. I don't normally do it because everyday to me is a struggle. Some days it is very minor. Other days, it is a big deal. And then there is navigating life problems during a time of enforced hypocritical joy and happiness. The episode is about acknowledging the feelings. It is looking at what we can do even if there isn't anything we can do about the triggering situation. Yes,...
Nov 30, 2021•7 min•Ep. 268
Last time I gave a very brief description of misdiagnosis and an example or two. This is a follow-up to last week’s pebble in the road. If you have a health, medical phobia or descriptions of medical conditions make you anxious, you might want to skip this episode. If you have cardiophobia, stop, do not go on, this is not the episode for you. Honestly, I got overwhelmed with the number of similarities between mental and physical health issues. Talk about information overload. So I thought about ...
Nov 17, 2021•13 min•Ep. 267
This is a quick pebble in the road about misdiagnosis. Ran out of time and have too much to talk about to do a half ass job. So think of this is just a short introduction to the topic of misdiagnosis. Misdiagnosis can mean a couple of things. Like having a physical health problem but your doctor thinks it is an anxiety condition. Or you are treated for a physical problem and it really is an anxiety condition. Or you hit the trifecta of having a physical problem and you also have an anxiety condi...
Nov 10, 2021•4 min•Ep. 266
This is the podcast sharing the medical, behavioral health, meditation/relaxation and x=the unknown treatment options for those of us on the anxiety condition or disorder spectrum. Everything is a story. If you listen to enough marketing people, the story is what makes the sale. Craft a good story and then herd them doggies down the sales funnel to rake in the dollars. That concept isn’t necessarily wrong but it is being seriously corrupted by the venal passions of the money obsessed. Everything...
Nov 03, 2021•9 min•Ep. 265
Hi folks, this is a pebble in the road about finding helpful aids for a better sleep. Being the anxious folks that we are, sleep is not always obtainable or consistent. Especially if you are living the chaotic life. So there is this product called a Sleep Pod by a company called Hug Sleep. (I think, there may have been a name change) Oh, by the way this is not a sponsored or promotion product. Really more of my opinion about product that claims to help people sleep. How to describe this thing. T...
Oct 27, 2021•5 min•Ep. 264
I don't know if you have experienced this but either people are telling you that you are overthinking, underthinking or not thinking in the right way. There are reams of books about how to think the "right" way. Especially if you have an anxiety condition. And I know the depression folks catch double hell on it too. And let's not forget that freak flag that get's waived when someone expresses and opinion as fact and then when you try to educate or provide sources they accuse you of not having cr...
Oct 20, 2021•11 min•Ep. 263
There is a study reported by the medical journal The Lancet about the increase in levels of anxiety and depression during the pandemic. The first sentence in the report got me thinking. Mental disorders are among the leading causes of the global health-related burden I have to look up the meaning of burden because I've never thought of my anxiety as a burden. A thorn, a pain in the ass, or at best, this thing that I have but not a burden. It has two meanings. a load, typically a heavy one. Or th...
Oct 13, 2021•10 min•Ep. 262
There are thinking people on the planet and that gives me some hope. I recently learned about turning a pot pie upside down on a plate or bowl. This is some genius level thinking that I aspire, to but will never have it the way I want it. Because the gravy part will seep down to the back of the lid or the top of the pot pie. Then, depending on how fast or slow you eat it, you got gravy and a crunchy lid. It is also a willingness to see something differently. F--k the absolutes. Ok we need a few ...
Oct 05, 2021•7 min•Ep. 261
This is just a quick pebble in the road about what happens to your brain if you drink booze to chill out or control your symptoms. Just a head's up, I did complete the longer version of the Serotonin episode. Has a bit more details and more context.
Sep 28, 2021•3 min•Ep. 260
Well, I did manage to get it down from 20 minutes to about 12 minutes. Essentially the same but with more about specific foods you can eat, more resources and just a touch less snark. Resources Mentioned: San Diego Union Tribune article about men ignoring their mental health issues . The Dana Foundation is a non-profit that provides information about the brain and brain health for kids and adults. Has a good explanation of Neurotransmitters . The Hormone Health Network is a website connected to ...
Sep 26, 2021•12 min
I was reading an article that said I should eat pineapple to increase my serotonin level. I also seen other articles about kiwis, avocados and other foods. In those articles you might find something about serotonin ability to calm you down. Or to help with anxiety. Or depression. This one got me a little twitchy. Because the article mentioned the pineapple should be inside of a sugar cake of delight. This is like a person pointing to the ice cubes inside an alcoholic drink. And trying to convinc...
Sep 21, 2021•5 min•Ep. 259
This episode was inspired by my real life experiences. Of which I have a bunch of them. So, so many of them. One of the things that I've learned it to not to be dragged down into a spiral. I still have negative thoughts but I don't have to hug and kiss up on them. 97.4% of the time, it is just a thought. It isn't a measurement of my worth. I am still in the remembering that thinking error are not me stage. There are all kinds of thinking errors that can affect you mood or ways of your thinking e...
Sep 14, 2021•9 min•Ep. 258
Grounding is a way to help you calm down. To get a grip on whatever caused your symptoms flare up. Meditation beads could be a way for you to have a tactile or touch means of centering yourself. You can use it to remember an affirmation, incorporate it into your breathing practice, or to remember that you are not defined by a random thought. You are a person in the here and now. There are all sorts of meditation bracelets in the marketplace. There always has been. The Catholic rosary, Mala beads...
Sep 07, 2021•10 min•Ep. 257
In this week's episode is a look at some of the reasons why we need to look at taking medication. What is the reason? Number one has to be symptom management and control. Them SOB's have made me do things I'd never thought I'd do. Pour water on my head in a parking lot? Yep. And don't think that won't get folks attention. It will. Being clear about taking or not taking medication is a process of education. You have to learn what the medication is, what it does for you, what effect it could have ...
Aug 31, 2021•5 min•Ep. 256
This is the sixth year of the podcast. Nothing like I envisioned it would be. The podcast was inspired by a lot of things. Many years ago, I went searching for a podcast to help me understand what was going on. I found one but the gentleman was ending the show because the anxiety of creating and producing was too much for him. I found others that were created by doctors using medical language I didn’t understand. Or ones selling books, cassettes for treatment. Or really pushing medication as the...
Aug 25, 2021•10 min•Ep. 255
I'm still in vacation mode until September. One of the things I hoped I’ve emphasized in the podcast is that you should have a medical evaluation and diagnosis from a health care professional. The symptoms for anxiety are very similar to other physical health conditions. Having a medical examination would help to take some of the load off your shoulders. That is the topic of the show. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-...
Aug 05, 2021•8 min•Ep. 253
An iceberg belief is a self-limited thought. And one of the strange things about it is that some of those self-limiting thoughts can come from your family, broadcast and social media or your culture. Anxiety and anxiety symptoms can amp up or bring to the surface some of those embedded thoughts. Those thoughts can pop up as you watch a video. A car racing down the street. A song that brings up a memory. Or it is 1:57pm and you got a way to go before the end of the day. You are whipping on yourse...
Jul 08, 2021•9 min•Ep. 252
Still in vacation mode but have plenty to talk about. Part of today's episode deals with digital and health literacy. Well, truthfully I try to sneak it in whenever I can. Digital Literacy is "is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills." Health Literacy is "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and serv...
Jun 24, 2021•12 min•Ep. 251
So many people do not accept that athletes and entertainers are real people with issues. Being an athlete or rich person does not exempt you from being human. You have to deal with like depression, anxiety or being an introvert being in the public realm. Broke or rich, having an anxiety disorder is rough. Depression is also no joke. But both are treatable. And I truly want to do an episode or two about the American Medical Association and their roll or lack of it when it comes to recognizing the...
Jun 08, 2021•8 min•Ep. 250
In this episode, a quick look at what is self-calming and self-medication. Words are tricky. In this context, I’m speaking about a psychological concept of self-medication to seek relief from emotional or mental health symptoms. There is another meaning of the term about the necessity of self-treatment when you do not have access or can't afford healthcare services. That isn’t the topic of this episode. I've touched on that aspect in other episodes but that requires a deep dive for another time....
May 31, 2021•10 min•Ep. 249
The short answer is no. It is a medical condition. It can be treated 99.5 times out of a 100. But many people do not know that they have an anxiety disorder or seek treatment. Some of the reasons for this is what they are being told in certain houses of faith. The good news is that is slowly changing. More faith based institutions are working with mental health professionals. There are practitioners that have both spiritual and mental health license credentials. This episode lightly touches on s...
May 21, 2021•13 min•Ep. 248
Medication is one, but not the only treatment option when it comes to anxiety. In this episode, a description of what Benzodiazepines Medication are, some of the names and resources to check out. In housekeeping news, thank you all that have stuck with me. I found out that the new software and microphone I was using had a distortion. I couldn't hear it on my side but I was checking an episode on a podcasting app and oooh, not what I intended. If you didn't hear the distortion, I'm glad. If you d...
May 14, 2021•9 min•Ep. 247
They say it is Mental Health Awareness Month 2021. It is also National Barbeque Month, and so many more affinity items and groups. It is the things that we pay attention to that can define us. Or not. There is a New York Times article about research being conducted about talk therapy and MDMA for sever PTSD cases. Much more testing need to occur but it seems promising. There will folks that will be thrilled about this news. And others that will thump up on some book that proves the end it near. ...
May 07, 2021•8 min•Ep. 246
In the episode, I mentioned that your symptoms are not the enemy. They ain’t your friend either. Symptoms are a way for your brain and body to communicate with you. Your symptoms do not use words. They do not do that noun conjunction verb. They are good at telling you there is a problem. They are lousy at telling you why there is a problem. They try. They really do. Like if you really don't like riding in elevators your body will tense up. Could be because work will be hectic. Could be that you ...
Apr 30, 2021•7 min•Ep. 245
If your symptoms or your condition plays havoc with your ability to function you have a problem. It does help to know. Truth is, It doesn't matter how it got started. How you are going to handle it or get it treated is your decision. In this episode, a look at some but not all of the causes of an anxiety disorder. Knowing what you have can take the stink out of it. Just a heads up, there is a ADAA.org free webinar on How to Overcome COVID Re-entry Anxiety. Just because you got vaxed doesn’t mean...
Apr 21, 2021•9 min•Ep. 244
I truly don't know what to say. There needs to be some healing infusions and I don't have any. But I can say many of us are trying not to be overwhelmed or discouraged by hate based carbon units. It is hard. But we can do it. Are ancestors taught us that and we have to hold on waiting for our time to make changes. Not to wait on them. Make them. In this episode, a few words about why the podcast exist and in App that Attack, a few words on Apollo Neuro. If you need support contact the National S...
Apr 15, 2021•14 min•Ep. 243
I had wanted to do a show about writing anxiety. Then I got hit with a wave of brain fog. Pea soup thick. Three full days of trying to think around and over it. No can do. I can find items for the show. I knew what I wanted to talk about. I just couldn't put the words together. So this is a pebble in the road with a book recommendation. Dr. Brewer has self-declared he was a traveler on the road. He has the medical chops and it is a different approach to treatment.
Apr 07, 2021•6 min•Ep. 242
I generally don't talk about famous people unless they self-declare their illness or there is a compelling reason. Not in a million years did I think that I would have something to say about Ernest Hemingway. I knew he was a writer. I knew that he seem to love adventure and liked the ladies both within and outside of the bonds of matrimony. And that he was thought of as a manly man. So when I heard that there was going to be yet another documentary about Hemingway, I couldn't drum up any reason ...
Mar 30, 2021•13 min•Ep. 241
You can find ways to deal with your symptoms. For some of us, there is medication. It isn't for everybody. Or you may choose to use a coping skill or relaxation technique. it isn't for everybody. What is important to know is that you have choices on how you want to handle your symptoms. In this episode, a look at some of my process and a few resources to check and hopefully use to make yourself more comfortable. You don't have to suffer. If you need support contact the National Suicide Preventio...
Mar 25, 2021•10 min•Ep. 240
One of the great things about WandaVision is that there was a shared communal place for joy, life and grief. Now the comic book nerd in me is huffing and puffing about conflating three different story arcs in the series. I normally don't like it but WandaVision gets a special dispensation for just how well it can be done. This episode is about grief. Anxiety can be a dance partner with it or make it presence know. But grief is a powerful thing. Do not disrespect when it walks into the room. Have...
Mar 16, 2021•6 min•Ep. 239
