#I’m not saying don’t try their sleep hygiene guidelines first

[onlythebravest]

i hate it when they talk about insomnia and sleep problems in general on tv. yes it’s great that it’s talked about so ppl don’t feel alone yes their tips and guidelines on how to make things better work for a lot of ppl etc etc. but their sleep hygiene guidelines don’t work for everyone and for us they don’t work for get judged for not implementing them and gets told that it’s our own fault we struggle falling alders because we don’t follow the guidelines. like I’ve been taught about sleep hygiene and no screens and relax and all that shit for years and years and years. they don’t work on me. it’s not like I’m sitting here thinking ‘you know what? i’m gonna ignore these tips and tricks I’ve learned and that really help me in favor of laying awake for three hours every night’ like come on. I wouldn’t ignore them if they were working, I’d happily use them. but the fact is that they make things worse. laying in bed playing games on my phone is actually helping me fall asleep, it helps my mind focus on something and not go off on it’s own. it actually helps me fall asleep quicker than not playing games. so no, me playing games on my phone when I’m trying to sleep is not why I have sleep issues

[rinstudiesthings]

Creating a Routine When You Don't Have Any Daily Structure

So I know that when I have appointments or classes to hold me accountable, I create a daily/weekly routine in order to help myself get everything done. It works every time and I get things done. However, the moment I don't have classes anymore, when I don't have to do anything.... I don't do anything. I can't get anything done unless I'm told I have to.

This has endlessly frustrated me, because I want to be able to accomplish something on my own terms. I also run out of energy (or "spoons") easily since I have to work around adhd, chronic pain, and other issues.

So what's the solution? How do you become productive on your own terms when you're stuck with executive function issues and addicted to short term satisfaction?

A routine.

I used to hate them, because I could never actually stick to them. I found them boring and a waste of time. But there's a way to do it right.

A Five Step Process to Creating a Proper Routine

1. Sit down and plan it out.

With this, get a piece of paper and a pen or create a document on the computer you can print out. (I know handwriting hurts a lot with carpal tunnel/arthritis). Firstly, we need to be realistic with how much you can get done in a day. How many things can you do comfortably without pushing yourself too hard. Remember, you're doing this during a rest period, meaning you don't want to burn out. If that means it's 5 things such as wake up, shower, dress, cook/eat, and one other thing you want to do, then plan for that. For me, I already know I have enough energy in the day to do all of my daily hygiene and needs and have energy to do more things. So this is my outline:

A. Get ready

B. Write at least one sentence in novel

C. Spend one hour studying target language

D. Clean room

E. Spend time reading/knitting

F. Allow time to meditate or journal mood

And that's my goals for a regular rest day.

2. Prioritize every daily goal

You may end up with other things you have to do during a rest day. That doesn't mean you push yourself to do all of those goals on top of whatever else you have to do. It means that you have to let something else fall by the wayside for a day.

Pick and choose what you find crucial to do in a day, and what you're okay with allowing to skip during a busy day. Then, list it by priority. For me, it looks like this:

A. Get ready

B. Clean room

C. Spend time reading/knitting

D. Allow time to meditate or journal mood

E. Spend one hour studying target language

F. Write at least one sentence in novel

I know that if I was busy during a portion of the day, I'm going to want to prioritize tasks that help center and relax me rather than mentally and physically draining ones. I also care about cleanliness and feeling ready to face the day, so the first two are non-negotiable to me.

3. Organize yourself accordingly

What I mean by this, is that you have to execute this correctly to push yourself to actually do it. This means putting that list somewhere you will struggle to ignore it, and if you have adhd like me, I recommend changing it's position once a week, or it will begin to fade into the background and you will forget about it.

This also means organizing supplies for any hobby or task you will be tackling. I recommend keeping these supplies in a nice stack, pile, or box/jar (that's see through) if you have adhd or somewhere easily accessible if you have chronic pain. For me, I keep trays in the area where that task usually takes place so I can see it, and it doesn't physically drain me to get it.

Lastly, this means recognizing what is getting in your way. What is your biggest time waster? For me, it's a mix of tiktok, ao3, and YouTube. But they all have one thing in common. The internet, and my phone/laptop. I open my phone every morning and waste an hour on tiktok because I wake up in pain and freezing. I open my laptop at lunch and waste time watching YouTube while eating, and before I know it, it's 6 pm! You have to identify what wastes your time and how you are going to minimize that issue. In fact, this was so hard for me that my next step is about how to help combat this.

4. Set reminders/alarms

Setting a phone alarm might seem counter productive to staying off of your phone, but it actually really helps. As someone with adhd, I struggle to stop and start doing tasks. I have to start a new task at the right time (ex. 2:00, 3:15, 4:30) usually at 15 minute or half hour intervals and if I miss it, I procrastinate until the next "correct" interval. This is DUMB but I can't stop my brain from thinking this way so I have to accommodate for that.

So, here's what I do.

Let's say my plan is to stop being on the computer at 2:00 pm everyday. This is realistic for me since I wake up at 10:00 and eat around 12:30. I will then set an alarm for 1:50 pm, because that will warn me that in 10 minutes, I have to change tasks, so I can prepare myself for it. I set another alarm for 1:57, just to help myself stay reminded and give myself time to properly wrap up whatever I was doing online. Set my last alarm for 2:00 pm and make sure to close the laptop as soon as I hear the alarm, before dismissing it.

I'm now free to change mindsets to whatever priority I have next on my list, so I make sure to clean my area, and set up for the next task, such as language learning.

These alarms can be really helpful to help you keep track of time, it forces you to ground yourself in the present moment and make sure you can't lose track of time. However, I understand that people with sensory processing issues may not like a harsh alarm sound, or anything loud.

The alarm can be a pleasant sound that will get your attention as well. I like birds chirping or Chopin as an alarm sound.

5. Be forgiving

You won't immediately make this work. You won't just magically wake up and perfect this routine and become super productive. This is a guideline to help make it easier to begin.

There are plenty of other tips and tricks to help focus and get things done, but this is to help create a Routine. This will work best if you wake up and go to bed at relatively the same time everyday. Which for people with adhd, that can be difficult. If you want more tips on sleep and adhd let me know, or send me an ask.

Don't be angry and give up if it doesn't go perfectly. Just keep trying. Don't expect perfection, expect mediocrity. Mediocrity is fine, or really, great in a routine. It's supposed to be a little flexible, you're supposed to fuck it up sometimes. A guideline doesn't understand exactly how you feel that day, how tired you are, or how stressed you are. Be nice to yourself and just give it a try!

Good luck!!

[isolctions]

so let’s talk abt xantara. (and maybe plot abt it too.)

so xantara is an alien. as u all can see.

specifically, she is a 50 foot tall, pink colored alien who originates from the andromeda galaxy, and they have a wide array of abilities — offensive, defensive, and everything in between. some of xantara’s include shape shifting, matter shifting, DNA replication, telekinesis, mind reading / altering, astral projection, just to name a few. and they come from a long line of aliens that are known to protect a few galaxies in the cosmos. xantara covers the milky way, also known for earth & all of its’ other inhabitants.

xantara is very old. light years old. eons old. like, old as the goddamn sun. and to think they’re actually someone else’s offspring. but they don’t appear to be as old as they actually are in a physical sense, and xantara happens to present as feminine in most galaxies. they could present as anything and anyone they wanted to, but they prefer their characteristics the way that they are. they don’t really understand or care abt pronouns, so u can call them whatever u want.

elaborating on the whole protector of galaxies thing, xantara’s name literally means the protector of earth. and guess what they do? gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss babe. well, they try not to gaslight but the other two are valid. along with the rest of their “family”, xantara has watched over the milky way galaxy for some eons and even saw to the creation of a few planets, with neptune being their personal favorite. they protect the galaxy from imminent danger (don’t ask about the fucking dinosaurs, their sibling was in charge of earth that day thank you!) and other life forms who aren’t as kind as theirs. specifically, the planet munching ones. lots of devastation involved when things of that nature. and paperwork and headaches.

xantara frequents earth regularly and has settled there for about as long as civilization and the first humans took place. longer than the creator and their children, who sort of play by the guidelines of xantara’s people bc they were here first & provoking their ire really isn’t wise. (and yes, xantara is #team ilyssa.) when on earth, their appearance and primary location can change on a whim, but she prefers to be where people are & likes to settle in bustling cities as an easier hiding place. aside from protecting, xantara also has their own confectionary shop where candies and fudges and baked goods are made and sold to the public. perhaps with some enhancing flavors as well. so if ur muse wants a big sexy boss, xantara’s hiring.

and while i’m half assing it, lets get to as much physiology & abilities as possible, shall we?

xantara’s true skin can range from pink to cyan. depends on whether she’s a threat or not. you’ll know when she is.

xantara has a few traits of self-sustenance. they have no real need for sleep or hygiene, has an entirely different diet than human beings do and must maintain that via the moon / very specific types of pollen produced by very specific plants that you can’t exactly find anywhere other than apple’s plant nursery. and while xantara can consume human food without dying or anything like that, it just makes it difficult to maintain her human-passing appearance.

and speaking of human passing appearances, i feel like xantara always looks...off. especially if you look at them for too long. like, their skin doesn’t look like real skin — no pores, no wrinkles, no funny marks. just smooth. like a sim, kind of. her eyes don’t have distinct pupils, it’s all iris in there baby. the inside of her mouth? purple. kind of glowy. she always looks too awake. doesn’t really blink bc she doesn’t have a need to. not to say that they don’t have any ‘imperfections’ or anything, they just literally look comparable to a sim. the only time she genuinely looks ‘real’ is if she’s replicated something’s DNA to pass off as them.

on the offensive, she can weaponize her body. i won’t get into it too much, but k/imimaro. if u know, u know.

on the defensive? she’s always wearing gloves. bc she has a habit of producing and emitting toxic spores if threatened or spooked. they’re more contained when gloved, so even though xantara has heightened / completely otherworldly senses, don’t sneak up on them.

yea like i said i half ass’d this like 3 hours ago & spent 2 hours alone rebuilding an icon folder so let’s see if raja can maintain the number one defending champ title of supernatural bitch writer!

[should-be-sleeping]

Your hair is soooo long! What shampoo/condition do you use?

For the most part healthy hair is more internal than external, though obviously there are external factors that can damage your hair (heat, over-brushing, bleaching, etc.) so you want to be mindful of those things, there isn’t much you can do externally to actually create healthy hair. A lot of people think to have long hair you need calcium but calcium actually does very little for your hair, what you really need to make sure you’re getting enough of is iron and protein! Though don’t skip out on calcium just because it won’t help your hair, it still helps your bones and like, you know, you actually need those.That said! (Read more.)(RIP mobile users)

The average adult man requires 8mg of iron per day and 56 grams of protein, while the average woman requires 19mg of iron per day and 45 grams of protein. If you are a man who menstruates, you should follow the higher iron needs as the reason this extra iron is needed is specifically due to menstruation. Likewise, if you are a woman who does not have a period, you can follow the lower iron requirements. You never want to exceed 40mg of iron in a 24 hour period as too much iron is toxic (a bowl of cereal has 10-20 mg of iron, for reference).Of course these are just guidelines, you’ll want to talk to a doctor or nutritionist or at least find a reliable online calculator to figure out your precise daily needs depending on your height, weight, and level of activity. People who are more active will need more protein, for example. They’ll also need more water than the standard 8 glasses a day. If you want healthy hair you have to have a healthy everything else first (chronic illnesses aside obv). I’m not saying you need to diet or lose any weight, you just need to get all your nutrition even if it’s from a multivitamin! Your hair is, compared to everything else, very unimportant to your survival – so if you are lacking nutrients, your body will pull from there first.(When I was at my poorest eating nothing but instant ramen I would always make sure a multivitamin was in my budget to compensate for my inadequate diet. It’s really important even when finances won’t allow for proper care of yourself otherwise.)So, good nutrition aside, what else can you do? A gentle shampoo is good (to avoid stripping your scalp and drying and breaking your hair), as is a moisturizing conditioner to prevent breakage. None of these products will “repair” your hair. Claims otherwise are false, so don’t invest a ton of money in these products. Your better off spending that money on better food. What serums and oils and conditioners do is coat the hair and give the appearance of repair (smoothness). If your hair has already been damaged, or grew out damaged, they can’t fix it. Once your hair has grown out of your scalp, there is no “repairing” it.How do you avoid damage if you’ve got healthy hair growing or further damage if your hair’s damaged already? Avoid things that will damage it! Cutting these things out is actually pretty simple, though may require some planning around. Like if I want Best Hair, I need to wash it 2 days prior to the event I want Best Hair for.What do I avoid in particular?I never brush it while it is wet or damp. Not ever. When I do brush it I start at the bottom and slowly work my way up to the scalp, dealing with tangles individually. No matter how healthy your hair grows or how well you take care of it, you will get split ends eventually, especially if your hair is long. Deal with them asap. You can do this yourself with a very, very sharp pair of scissors by braiding your hair and then snipping off any hair the “pokes out” of the braid. You can also just go to a hair dresser but I have neither time or funds for that nonsense.You can also use a T-shirt to dry it post-wash (less pulling than a traditional towel) and a satin pillow case to prevent breakage even further but I find neither necessary. However if your hair is already dry or damaged, you may need to go the extra mile while waiting for healthier hair to grow in.I never use heat on my hair, heat is super terrible for it, style be damned. I let it air dry, despite how long that takes (16 hours for me, rip). I don’t curl or flat iron it unless it’s a very special occasion and I really think it’ll make the Look. Even then if I want it curled I put in rollers and sleep with them in rather than use heat. Heat should be like a last resort in a fashion emergency of some kind not a daily occurrence.Lots of people blow dry their hair once or twice a day and wonder why it’s frizzy, like. :/Speaking of waiting on it to dry – I do not over wash it. American culture has people bathing up to 2x per day, this is WAY too much. Not only does this fuck up your hair but it also causes dry skin and triggers to a lot of inflammatory skin diseases. WHO actually recommends, unless needed because you got specifically dirty or excessively sweaty, that you only shower 4 times per week max. And only wash your hair 2 of those times. So if you’re washing your hair daily, stop! You’re doing way more harm than good.Take it easy with your hygiene. Over grooming is just as bad as under grooming and actually causes a lot of the problems you’re trying to avoid by getting clean to begin with (eczema, acne, frizzy hair, dandruff, etc.). Everything in moderation includes hygiene, y’all.What do I use specifically?I usually use an oil-based shampoo/conditioner balm like L'Oreal Hair Expertise EverPure 6-in-1 Cleansing Balm on my scalp down to where my hair reaches my shoulders. Unless you somehow got them dirty, don’t wash the ends ever. Rinsing the shampoo out is enough to effectively clean the length of your hair. LUSH has a ton of great shampoos though if you have a little more to spend. After my hair’s clean, while it is still damp, I apply just a bit of Argan oil (brand and price really doesn’t matter so long as it’s actually Argan oil, don’t get gouged because it’s trendy now) to the ends and work it through/up with my fingers. That’s it. No styling products. I wrap it in a towel for like 3 minutes while I get dressed, just because it turns into a whip when wet, and then go about my day letting it dry on its own time.And this is how my hair is 4 feet long again (cut it in 2001 right to the scalp from 4′, and again in 2008ish – the only 2x I’ve ever cut my hair). If you have any specific hair problems, like dandruff or lots of curls, you may need to alter these tips to suit your specific needs through experimentation. Very curly hair is a whole different beast.

[asfeedin]

The Coronavirus Economy: How a master dog trainer to influential Londoners is handling business during the pandemic

Subscribe to Fortune’s Outbreak newsletter for a daily roundup of stories on the coronavirus and its impact on global business.

Clear spring skies, warm weather, and blooming fields of daffodils and bluebells would—in any other year—see James Hearle taking packs of London’s poshest pooches to the countryside for their ideal day out. He is after all known as the dog man for London’s elite.

A sequence of personal crises made him reevaluate corporate life with the U.K.’s major retailers, retrain as a master trainer at the U.K.’s Guild of Dog Trainers, and make the lifestyle change that finally led to the founding of his exclusive doggy day care, Dogs and Kisses, in 2009. “It’s a lifestyle I’ve taken on to be able to surround myself with my nine dogs and work from my home and bring as many dogs into my life as I can,” he says.

Over the past 11 years, Dogs and Kisses has developed into an exclusive monthly membership club—famous for its monthslong waiting list of dogs looking to join the best friends of powerful CEOs, heads of financial institutions, and celebrities. And all of whom live in London’s wealthiest Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Dogs and Kisses members would usually have a chauffeured pickup in the morning for their run of countryside fields, chasing rabbits, lounging in a hydrotherapy pool and sun-beds in the garden, and curling up to rest in a glamorous country kitchen, before returning home. But this spring has changed everything for the U.K. pet care industry, and businesses like Dogs and Kisses, as man’s best friends enter their second month under coronavirus lockdown.

Over the past 11 years, Dogs and Kisses has developed into an exclusive monthly membership club—famous for its monthslong waiting list of dogs looking to join the best friends of powerful CEOs, heads of financial institutions, and celebrities.

James Hearle

Fortune spoke with Hearle for a new series, The Coronavirus Economy, to ask about how COVID-19 has affected his business, his finances, his personal life, as well as his view of the future. The following Q&A has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

Fortune: What did normal life look like for you, and Dogs and Kisses, before the March lockdown?

Hearle: I run the business out of my home with my nine dogs, and we always have dogs boarding with us in the house as well. One of my staff lives with me, and she has three dogs, and in total I usually have up to seven staff members who work with me every day. All kinds of people love dogs. We serve CEOs, heads of financial institutions, actors, and pop stars. We also have people who send their dogs to us who don’t necessarily work. They have nannies for their children and housekeepers, but their dog wants a day out, which is great. That’s where we come in and service clientele who are elite but diverse.

Before the lockdown, most of my time was spent liaising with clients. I was also managing schedules, bookings, pickup and drop-offs for the dogs in day care and boarding, staff rosters, administration. I would also try to personally exercise some of our members. And then, I’d take personal time to exercise my two horses as well. On average, I was working around 16 hours; and with a house full of staff, resident dogs, and our day-care members. It’s usually so busy here from the time I wake up, I’ve never had a regular holiday like Christmas or Easter, or even the time to wake up to a lovely cup of coffee and just chill out.

When the pandemic hit, how did your life change?

We didn’t really notice much of a difference at first. We put in social distancing measures, and we were following guidelines from wearing gloves to go to each home for pickups to sanitizers in our vehicles, cleaning the dog beds everyday. When Boris Johnson announced the U.K. lockdown and closed all nonessential businesses, a lot of our clients contacted us minutes after the speech was over, panicked, declaring they were leaving London, and wouldn’t need our services at this time. Our bookings fell, and we had to close our doors for day care immediately. It’s the first time we’ve ever had to do this. I was absolutely petrified. We managed to persuade the owners of three dogs to let them indefinitely board with us in the countryside. They were originally going to put them on private jets and take them to other countries.

We live quite hand to mouth, and our margin isn’t much. Our rent’s astronomical, our overheads are sky-high. I tried to keep as many staff as I could, but I genuinely could not. I furloughed them as soon as the government announced its aid package for furloughed staff so they could keep getting paid. So it turns out I’m busier in this lockdown than I ever was before. Between my remaining staff member and myself, we are now doing the work that was done by seven people. I am doing all the manual labor, taking care of the dogs, maintaining our hygiene standards, business administration, and at the end of the day, I’ve also got to now personally care for the two horses that we have.

You have a high-end client base and a monthly fee model. Has that helped cash flows?

It’s been a mixed bag of people and their response to the crisis. A lot of people, even those running cash-rich businesses, are really scared and clinging to their money, especially with the uncertainty of how long this pandemic and a lockdown is going to last. Since we do a monthly fee, we would have, of course, ensured fees were not taken for no service. We had planned to credit unused days or allocate them to boarding when our day care was allowed to open back up again.

These fees are critical to our cash flows, in order to survive and be able to operate at the end of this. Some clients—including the head of a rather famous fashion company—threatened to pull their dog’s membership completely if the monthly model continued. Others who have fled to their second homes in the countryside, insist on paying us the monthly fee, which I think is so nice.

James Hearle founded his exclusive doggy day care, Dogs and Kisses, in 2009.

James Hearle

How are you holding up in the pandemic, personally?

I am so stressed on a daily basis that I am only sleeping about four hours every night and trying to figure out what bills I am going to allocate the tiny amount of money that is coming in to. I have my furloughed staff texting me daily, worrying whether they will have a job when they come back. I keep telling them, of course they are. I am worried because of the uncertainty of everything.

While before, my time was spent in huge part on the administration of the business, and about four or five hours with the dogs, it is now literally all day and night, every day. But this strange situation has also really reminded me about the core of the business, and I am looking at life in a different light. Walking every dog myself has been refreshing. I’m noticing issues in the business that slipped throughout the cracks, like extraordinarily high phone bills or astronomical waste of cleaning products. This is quite the opportunity to get a clear focus, identify unnecessary expenses, and economize.

I’m trying to embrace and make the most of it, because it is probably the only time ever this is going to happen in my lifetime. But social distancing has been the really hard part. While I live and breathe dogs, I work from home, we are boarding dogs all the time, my staff is usually around all day as well, and friends usually don’t appreciate 15 dogs creating havoc on visits. So I would visit friends quite a few times in the week, just to relax. But now, with it being quieter, I am learning to just relax in my own home.

Since the pandemic hit, I even thought about going back to my corporate job in retail. But I always wanted lots of dogs, and now that I have nine of my own, I can’t really get out of this business. Cost-wise, it would be unsustainable to go back to a corporate job, and I cannot get rid of my animals. This job doesn’t make you rich; it’s a lifestyle choice really, rather than a career.

When this is over, what do you think it will mean for a business like yours?

My fear is that a lot of companies with big offices have learnt that they can save money, because it has been proven that their employees can be productive at home. I am worried if we manage to survive and return after the lockdown, our day-care service will drop off as people work from home more permanently. But on the flip side, a lot of people who don’t stay with their dogs every day are probably now finding that their dogs are bouncing off the wall, with all the lockdown restrictions, and spending a serious amount of time with them.

The majority of my clients have reassured me that as soon as everything is back to normal, they’ll be back. Their dogs are bored and restless as there is nowhere for them to run and exercise. A few clients—like ones who own large hotels and restaurants—may be worse hit than most. Some who are my bread-and-butter clients have reduced their salaries to nothing to save their businesses and may take more time to recover. They’ll come back when they can.

I was never interested in multiple branches or franchising, even in the good times, since the standards I provide would be hard to replicate without a personal touch. So I am contemplating a pivot for the business to be centered more around boarding and back to my core skill as a master dog trainer. That’s what made us special when we started off, and it has almost got lost. I would need a rather big marketing push for that, and at this point, there is not enough money in the bank to seriously plan for that pivot. But I unless I can get more dogs to board with us now, as a business, we probably won’t survive past the middle of June.

More coronavirus coverage from Fortune:

—This famed economist doesn’t think we’re headed for another Great Recession —South Korea has the most comprehensive coronavirus data. What it’s taught us so far —10 questions about the 2020 election during the coronavirus pandemic, answered —6 steps to sustainably flatten the coronavirus curve —How hackers are exploiting the coronavirus—and how to protect yourself —Hong Kong launches a surveillance operation to track suspected coronavirus patients —Listen to Leadership Next, a Fortune podcast examining the evolving role of CEOs —WATCH: The race is on to create a coronavirus antiviral drug and vaccine

Subscribe to Fortune’s Outbreak newsletter for a daily roundup of stories on the coronavirus and its impact on global business.

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[umassdonahueinstitute]

Worldwide check-ins from Civic Initiative alumni during the COVID-19 epidemic (part 1)

Mike Hannahan, director of the UMass Civic Initiative, asked alumni last week about how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting them and what they were doing to take care of themselves during this unprecedented time across the world. Here are there responses, categorized by country.

The responses are to two questions: How has the coronavirus changed your life? How are you taking care of yourself?

###

Italy

Locked at home under "house arrest" on my own. No contagion, at least no symptoms. Family split, I am in Lombardy, the most dangerous place in the world, sister in Lisbon, parents in Taranto. E-teaching is a nightmare, always working in front of the computer.

Going out every 2/3 weeks to buy food, wearing gloves. No face mask, I can't find them anywhere, putting a scarf on my nose and mouth, like a far West outlaw man.

Argentina

Today we are in a complete quarantine, we cannot go out, unless we go to the market or the pharmacy. We have to be in our homes, not going to work or we could go to prison. It's complicated but it's a sacrifice for a good cause.

We cannot complain if we are at home with food and internet. It's hard but not impossible, it could be worst.  We don't have to forget that is the only way we could help to stop the virus. Just stay at home. We are not being asked to go to war, to risk our lives, we are being asked just to stay with our family. Call your friends if you miss them, call your boyfriend, but do not minimize what you could cause if you go out of your house.

 Turkey

Materially not much, I and my family are in good health, but mentally I am devastated by this development. As a professor of international relations, I observe very extraordinary/unusual developments and cases in my country and the world at large. I ask and wonder about many consequences of this coronavirus problem, which I call it as humanity's ontological war against the virus and the nature in general. In this respect we in Turkey also have extraordinary measures and policies: schools and universities are closed; distance learning started first time; travel, meeting, entertainment, even shops and many other places are restricted or closed. In short, our life is getting miserable and scary like in the "American horror films"! 

The first and the most important thing is that I and my family isolated ourselves from society and even our larger family connections, locked into home except for shopping. But, thanks to classical and social media such as Twitter, we are strongly engaged with the external world, learning things about and sharing my views with the world. Consequently, we are living in a strange world in many ways: coronavirus threatens us, but we struggle against, definitely defeat it. 

 Hungary

I am distancing... It is a state of emergency from March 12th in Hungary. The borders are closed for foreigners. More and more of the clothing, furniture and similar stores are closing, except for pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations and tobacco shops. People can still go to work (if they are not in home office). My university switched to remote learning. However, we don't have clear rules for distance learning. So, I basically preparing informative slides with helping docs and video lectures in Camtasia (6-10 minutes each).

I was like a person in the joke: on the first day, I found a woman on my couch. (It turned out that she's my wife. She is nice.) More seriously, I am working from home. Luckily my wife, too. Our kid's kindergarten is closed since Monday (16th). So we are together. Since it is not mandatory yet to be in our homes, I try to take a walk every day. If I see somebody then I go to the other side of the street. We are cooking every day and in general, we try to have a daily schedule. The life is pretty much the same as it was in Yugoslavia/Serbia during the NATO bombing in 1999. A daily schedule could help a lot to get back in normal when this 'shutdown' is over.

 Pakistan

You may know, I am Resident of Internal Medicine leading to specialty now at HMC Peshawar, one of the prime teaching hospital, at the capital city of our province Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. I am actively involved in the health policy and advocacy for doctors’ rights as well. Currently, I represent the Provincial Doctors Association Khyber Pukhtunkhwa as official spokesperson and Member Executive council.

I am part of Corona (COVID-19) Combat Team of my hospital and Provincial policy board. The aim of both of the above is to contain the disease and treat the already affected ones. I was very instrumental in the process of devising a policy and now to accomplish what has been planned to combat this highly infective and deadly virus. In short, I am among the few to face and fight this pandemic in the front lines. 

How am I taking care of myself? The answer to the above question is simple, our government doesn't have many resources. The PPE's (Personal Protection Equipment) are missing. There are a very limited number of masks, goggles and protective gowns available. Most doctors are working without any protection. One of our doctors just died today at Gilgit, Dr. Osama. Our President of Association is isolated in quarantine as he dealt a patient suspected case of the virus with a positive travel history of China which later on come out to be a positive case after PCR testing. Many doctors are exposed due to the non-availability of PPEs. Yesterday, I did a press conference and demanded the Provincial government to provide PPEs to all the health staff working in the ERs and OPD clinics.

 Australia

I'm currently living in Sydney, Australia. One month ago I started to work as a Program Coordinator at Generation Australia, a non-for- profit that trains unemployed people to get jobs. Since last week all trainings were switched to on-line learning. So I work from home and all the students study from home. Apart from that, Australia has closed its borders for all people who are not Australians. So if I go out even to see my family back in Argentia, I won't be able to get in again anytime soon. That would mean losing my job. 

I wash my hands very frequently and try to avoid crowded places and taking public transport.

 Pakistan

The coronavirus is turning out to be surprising us with a new challenge every day. The government is saying numbers increasing day by day. For a person who has to work to earn, the uncertainty and now the lockdown is making her/him thinking how s/he will be managing things for the future. The lockdown is said to be for 10 to 14 days, but experts are suggesting that it can be prolonged to months and even for a year. The biggest challenge we are facing is uncertainty, no one knows what to expect and what to plan for the coming days which surely can be predicted as very challenging.

I personally am looking into and following the guidelines shared by the WHO, which starts from regular handwashing, not touching face and avoiding public places as much as possible. I am looking forward to social distancing, self-isolating myself and with my family until the situation becomes normal again.

 India

I as teacher and responsible citizen was always telling in classrooms and talks outside for years maintain personal hygiene...keep ur surroundings clean...wash hands whenever u have to eat anything...but most of the people in India doesn’t bother unless some epidemic breaks out. After that, its life as usual...spitting, urinating, keeping surroundings unclean are common sights on the roads here... No government can do anything if people in that society doesn’t have self-health discipline. I as warden and vice-principal saw that 1000 students under my control are asked to vacate hostels 2 days back and come back on 31st March. Told the students not to join weddings and festival gatherings...warned them not come with some virus when they return to campus later this month

As I am a sportsman too, maintain the utmost health discipline from the beginning. I must thank my parents for this. Alternate days tennis...mask when I go out...wash hands as frequently as possible as water is a scarce resource in our country.

 England

I am in London as I moved here 2 years ago but as you know all my family and friends in Turkey hence, it was a very hard decision for me to choice staying here...It has changed my life a lot already. My husband and I are working from home now. We tried to stay at home as much as we can even before the government advice. I am still frustrated with Boris for his very late decision to close schools, bars, pubs ext. I am a face-to-face major gift fundraiser, therefore, now we need to find out new ways how my role can evolve with the current situation.

In terms of taking care of myself, as I said we go out only for a walk or market shopping. Thank God, we are healthy and due to at-home physical activities, having enough sleep and ext. I feel good physically. However, it is challenging to keep sane and calm mentally.

I am terrified to get a coronavirus as NHS is not capable of taking care of any patients and we are expected to get well at home. Also, I am very concerned for my family and friends since the rates in Turkey is also increasing rapidly. At last, having thought of losing them and not being able to see them again is killing me, that's my biggest fear at this moment. Other than that I am fine writing my dissertation, working, cooking, painting at home to keep myself busy.

 Iraq

We registered more than 200 cases with 17 deaths and the spread is getting serious in our country, so there was a curfew forced by the government so we are staying home and that was so boring at first. I used to go out like every day and this is a big challenge for me to stay home. We have to adhere to our own benefit and the bright side is we are spending much more time with our families, so it won't be worse than catching the infection.

Some measures I'm taking to protect myself and family is by encouraging them to stay home, using some chemicals to fumigate the house, and when I go out for necessities I use good protection with face mask and gloves and using alcohol frequently.

My final word is to encourage everyone to stay home and enjoy what's in your houses, you will be surprised with the things you can do in your place.

 Finland

Finland is in lockdown since 18 March 2020. I am in self-quarantine since 14 March after arriving from a one week trip to Belarus back to Finland that day. I live with my husband in Joensuu, Eastern Finland where epidemics have not hit as yet. However, we are moving to our new flat in Helsinki 30 March which is now a stressful and exiting situations in the present circumstances.

In Finland there is a strong suggestion to stay at home and reduce all social contacts. So, we live quietly and go for walks with our dog twice a day. Shops are open normally and in Finland the globally exceptional emergency supply work supports the trustworthy situation with foodstuff and pharmacies in such time of crisis (we are proud for that!).

My daughters are students and staying in their homes in Helsinki region. High Schools and universities are closed down and all people who can do distance work. So, all kinds of challenges and solutions for distance work and supporting those alone at home without face-to-face contacts are important at the moment.

The present lockdown is issued till 13 April. In Finland first death due to Corona took place yesterday. We have 500 reported Corona cases at the moment. The most serious concern is about those over 70 years old.

 Cameroon

Although there is no nationwide lockdown, we are advised to stay at home, and to go out only if it is compulsiry. We had  a very busy first semester. I reduce academic activities.

May God make us safe.

 Pakistan

Watching the death toll rising around the globe has made me realize, how even at the peak of technology and billions of dollars at our disposal. To fight mother nature head-on is something we cannot do in one day.  The virus is spreading exponentially in our country and it is sad that only a few hundred thousand are taking it seriously, while millions are making fun of it. This has made me take on another challenge which is to teach and aware people of the dangers of this virus. As our majority of the population is Muslim, we live our religion, so I am trying to relate the awareness with the Islamic concepts. Hopefully, by teaching through social media will benefit some and creates a chain reaction.

This is a global crisis and must be tackled with everything a human can do.

Be safe everyone, be helpful and empathetic.

 Pakistan

Indeed this pandemic is a colossal test for the self and our collective character. Amidst the gloom of rising Covid-19, it’s understandable that every single person on this earth can be affected by it. It has a multidimensional impact at individual, national and international levels. This epidemic has changed my thinking patterns and make me more conscious of the philosophy of life. It is affecting my personal, professional and academic life. Actually, I was busy in the data collection of my postgraduate thesis; but unfortunately, I have to stop it. No doubt, it’s a challenge for “humanity”, the current situation is depressing and alarming but the indomitable human nature can deal with it. At the individual level, I am trying to isolate myself and my family; also, I am following all the authentic instructions by international(WHO) and national agencies(NIH) because, “health is wealth”. As a responsible community we should have to take serious precautions about this natural call. This is the crucial time to reflect back critically on ‘ourselves’ (self-purification) by evaluating the purpose and meaning of life. Hopefully, we will defeat this health war wisely, the required input from every policy stakeholder can act like a safety-chain for the entire human community. However-in proceeding years-it is clearly evident that there will be a neo-social   change in transnationalism and the domestic policy arena. 

 Indonesia

This global pandemic has certainly changed my daily routine. My workplace has been conducted work from home regulation to protect the employer from the events. My works have been much in their field, where I need to work with stakeholders and community, but this situation changed our plan. Though it is hard to still conduct some work with the community since we prevent to do face to face activity, but this moment we gave a try in initiating an online platform. In how we teach people to occupy current technology. There are still many challenges as it might not effectively work with a community who were never exposed or experienced any technology. At this moment, I learn about the technology gap as well.

On the other hand, this global pandemic also got me to learn about such a complex system in dealing with a global pandemic. I learn to see the gap in the socio-economic class dynamics in the ocommunity. Moreover, to see the systematic failure in addressing the issue. It has never been this concerning to see the vulnerable groups (elders, disabled people, women, low-income family, etc.) would be the ones who got the most severe impact of this event. As a civic society, we might be so aware about this issue, but we don’t have much ‘power’ to create such a significant change in dealing with this virus. But, I see the crucial courage to push people in power through advocacy to take such an important action and commitment to make sure that everyone could be treated fairly during this emerging situation.

I am trying to have healthy lifestyle. I consume more vegetables, fruits and a balanced diet. I do regular workouts. Reading and listening to music for my free time. And I am trying to focus on my works too. It is a bit overwhelming to keep reading the news and update, sometimes it has been too complicated and frustrating. In this very uncertain situation, it is good to balance what I need to know and when to stop scrolling Twitter.

 Pakistan

I was at my university when I got to know about the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our class finished before its usual time and we were asked to leave our class room quickly. When I came out of the room, we were informed that the university was closed for 15 days because of the coronavirus outbreak that has infected several people across Pakistan. It was very shocking for me because I was living my usual life. I was unaware of the occurrence of such an unexpected deadly virus causing a huge loss to humanity. We were overloaded with assignments, case studies, readings etc. I did not know anything about the pandemic at all or its horrendous effects on other countries. When I googled Covid-19, I felt so dreadful looking at its adverse effects in China, Italy, Iran and other countries.  The most frightening part was how it spreads fast among people and now most of the world was suffering from it. The unsympathetic, horrific coronavirus changed my life as it brought so much uncertainty, confusion and worry with itself.  Realizing that the virus has no vaccine or cure until now makes me so anxious and nervous. I spent last week constantly dreading about the future of the humanity. I am concerned about all the countries where so many people are illiterate and they are not aware of the seriousness of coronavirus and how lethal it could be to humans. I feel as if my life has become immobile. Amidst the chaotic situation, I cannot think about my future plans, dreams or goals. As a working woman, I used to work 8 hours as an English language instructor in a college and I would take post-graduate classes in the evening. Now, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, I am practicing self-isolation which made my life so dormant and passive. I miss my colleagues and friends. We cannot hang out like usual anymore. The news channels constantly update us about the rising number of coronavirus patients and how the situation is getting worst throughout the world.  Mostly countries despite trying their best are experiencing worst circumstances. The situation is strange, stagnant, desperate and hopeless but realizing how China successfully came out of it gave me hope.  Nowadays, I am focusing on how I can spread awareness regarding the coronavirus technologically. I am sharing and spreading coronavirus precautionary videos, voice messages, photos, text messages with people and groups. I miss my life before the coronavirus outbreak but I am concentrating on how I can help people amid the pandemic. My life and concerns have totally changed during the coronavirus outbreak. I have started focusing on the need of the hour which is to follow all the safety measures and to provide support to people through spreading awareness about safety measures and guiding them to be compassionate during this challenging time.  I am trying my best to act as a responsible citizen and human in order to contribute my share in controlling the coronavirus outbreak.

I keep on washing my hands after every 20 to 30 minutes. I am more conscious and attentive when I go out for doing some inevitable tasks. Initially, I used hand sanitizer frequently but they got finished in the market which was troublesome. I ordered gloves for myself and now I use gloves whenever I go out. Furthermore, I have been using a mask for pollution and seasonal allergy so wearing a mask during the pandemic is not something tough for me. I started practicing self-isolation the day I got to know about precautionary measures which all of us have to take during the COVID-19 pandemic.   Self-isolation which was boring at first as I used to be out till evening before the COVID-19 pandemic for work and evening classes. Now I spend most of my time reading, watching movies, playing indoor games, article writing, praying and working on my assignments. These activities keep me busy and I do not feel pessimistic or gloomy due to this sudden lifestyle change which was greatly depressing for me at the start. I am trying my best to act with complete responsibility as it does not only concern my life but many others too. We all have to try to break the chain in order to stop the spread of coronavirus. If we follow the precautionary measures, we can win this fight against this global pandemic. The restraint that we practice during this chaotic pandemic will help in restoring human life as it was before the coronavirus outbreak.  

 Iraqi Kurdistan

My city and all Kurdistan is under lockdown now. Because of the nature of my work, I am still allowed to go to work at my hospital, but pretty much almost all other non-essential businesses are closed. I hope this doesn't become the new normal.  

I try to not go out and stay at home unless I really have to. At work, we take the necessary measures. All the doctors, nurses and hospital staff have to use personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves.

 Argentina 

The quarantine has affected us all at a personal level, but the economic effect is also very significant. Work opportunities are more scarce and the near future seems complicated in that sense.  Although what worries me most is how this will affect the people who depend on the informal economy.  Governments from all over the world have to develop policies to support marginalized groups in this context. It is easy to shelter in place if you can fill your fridge, it is more difficult if you can't.

Besides following the publicly known instructions, I am also wearing a mask when I go buy groceries. Some say it protects you better from the virus and some say it doesn't, but everybody agrees on the fact that it is good for not spreading it. You never know how it will affect you or even if you have it without showing symptoms yet. 

Ecuador

How has the coronavirus changed your life? Well, the university closes all installations and send students and professors to home. So, right now I am working at home and trying to fulfill all my duties until the beginning of the next semester. Besides by an order of the authorities, remain at home is compulsory and one just can go out to obtain supplies and medicines.

Since last Thursday I remain at home.

 Australia

A few minor things such as football season being suspended, travel bans, pubs and cafes being closed, and limited availability in supermarkets of some things such as rice, pasta etc. Major disruption has involved the University of Tasmania stopping all face-to-face teaching (tutes and lectures) and lecturers transitioning to fully online teaching. Things will change in Tasmania when either a government decision to close schools is made, or schools make the decision independent of government.

I’m socially isolating and following advice about hygiene. I’m still going for a bike ride when I can to keep myself healthy

South Africa

COVID-19 has redefined my pattern of social interactions among peers. It has placed restrictions on my movement and keeps me at home and my desk. Unnecessary visits discarded and concentrate more on my research. Nevertheless, it has created an atmosphere of fear and panic. It is a time that has drawn me closer to God and sharing the gospel with friends. I explore the social media platforms to encourage people to put their trust in God in the face of a raging pandemic.

I take care of myself by improving personal hygiene and maintaining my food habits. I keep social distance having restricted my movements and contacts with people.

 Ethiopia

I am deeply saddened by the death and suffering of thousands of people across the world. Here in my country, Ethiopia, the spread of the virus, according to official figures, is limited to a handful of people who contracted it while abroad. There is no report of domestic transmission so far. Nevertheless, schools are closed for two weeks (we are now into the second week) and classes are suspended for university students. As university instructors, we are supposed to help students study while at home but the problem is that we do not have the necessary preparations to do that. Though the spread of the virus is very limited the global situation is hitting the country very hard. The country is very dependent on exports and imports in the countries seriously affected by the virus. So, there is a shortage of important supplies such as sanitizers, alcohol, face masks and food items. So, people are turning to traditional ways of preventing epidemics. In fact, as we are yet to suffer from the spread of the virus, we are going to see the real reaction of the people in the immediate future.  Our thoughts are with those who are suffering from the virus.

[summitbehavioralhealth123]

5 Tips to Recovering a Good Night Sleep http://ift.tt/2uNHPFI

Paul Lavella with Summit Behavioral Health Shares – tips to help you sleep

Waking up refreshed after a good night sleep is priceless. If you’re in early recovery, you know (more than anyone else) exactly what I mean. Maybe a mother to a newborn child also knows the struggle, but I think we’d agree – it’s different. Your body is still recharging from a rough run and one of the best ways we rally is through rest. Sleep not only restores physical energy but also helps with regulating our emotions and sharpens our critical thinking, amongst other things.

“Nice to know, but I can’t get to sleep,” you might be saying.

Don’t worry, we’ve got some thoughts for that. Here are some quick tidbits that tend to lead into a better relationship with your bed so you can learn how to sleep better and faster. Disclaimer: As with most things in life, consistency is key!

Lay Off the Caffeine

  Don’t hate me. Seriously though. One of the first things a physician or clinician is going to ask a person who has trouble with sleep is about caffeine intake. So I’m betting you’ve heard this before, but it’s true. Just think about your general intake of routinely caffeinated products: coffee, energy drinks, tea, energy drinks, soda, energy drinks… Hey, no angels here! I’m drinking a cup of English Breakfast tea while I’m writing this. I’m not trying to say that caffeine is a bad thing, but keep in mind, it will contribute to sleep disturbances.

How long does caffeine affect the body? Experts say that although nearly all caffeine is absorbed in the body within 45 minutes of consumption, it effects can last 4-6 hours (2). Best bet – anything over 4 caffeinated beverages daily may be adding more sheep to your counting queue (and a 20oz Red Bull counts as 2). If you’re looking to conk out by midnight, the last call is 6 PM.

 Get Your Energy Out

Physical activity is essential! Not only is it good to get active and get some endorphins going, but it is a very simple way to help along your physical recovery and use up your body’s energy so that it’s ready for rest. Kind of like feeding two birds with one seed…

Think about your body as an energy generator. It’s self-powered and you fuel it intentionally with food, and indirectly with anxiety, anger, and other strong emotions. (Yes, emotions are energy – but that’s a whole other topic) If you’re not doing anything with that energy by the time you’re looking to sign off for the night, your body may not physically be ready to be still. Insert restless nights here.

Sleep.org advises exercise for good sleep at night, however, cautions to keep rigorous routines to earlier hours in the day as evening workout routines might contribute to a restless night (3). So say yes to sweat, just not right before bedtime.

Get outdoors, get your steps in, have an impromptu dance party in your living room for all I care, just do something. If your energy is being used, your body will crave a reset.

 Make Your Bedroom a Snooze Only Zone

The unconscious brain does many things that we’re not aware of and one of them is making associations. An association is when we make mental connections between one thing, person, or concept and another. Sleep Hygiene Tip: Make the brain to associate your bedroom with sleep. To help secure this connection, it would be best for you to limit activity in it to the essentials.

Harvard researchers will tell you, the bedroom should be treated as a space of rest and relaxation (3). If you’re lounging around there most of the day, your brain won’t be associating it with sleep. It will be associating your bedroom with everything else you do and will likely result in long periods of thinking – not sleep.

If your living space makes following this tip unlikely, then try dedicating your bed itself as a sacred place of rest. Put in an arm chair for lounging and other activities.

Set a “Ready for Bed” Routine

We are nothing if not creatures of habit. Again, another fun brain fact. Similar to the previous tip, you can train your brain to not only associate your bedroom with sleep but also prepare it by establishing a routine so that it knows rest is coming up on the evening routine checklist.

Everyone has something that works for them. Maybe this is when you journal, sit for a few minutes to meditate, or stretch and do some breathing exercises. The folks over at Harvard also note “Physically and psychologically stressful activities can cause the body to secrete the stress hormone cortisol, which is associated with increasing alertness. If you tend to take your problems to bed, try writing them down—and then putting them aside.” (3).

Limit Your Screen Time at Night

In the world of Netflix, Hulu, and binge-watching random YouTube videos, we could all benefit from putting the technology away for a bit. If you’re having sleep problems, try being screen free (including your phone) for at least one hour before bedtime.

Interesting fact contributed by HuffPost writer Dr. Laurie Hollman, too much light from device screens will interrupt the brain’s production of melatonin, a naturally occurring chemical responsible for bringing on sleep (4). So scientifically speaking, you may be contributing to your own problems.

Give yourself a break from your tech. Your brain won’t be so stimulated and you just might pick up that book sitting on your night stand, talk to your roommate, or play with your pets before getting in some shut-eye.

Never hurts to try. Play around with these tips for two weeks and see how it goes! Give us your feedback and spread the word.

About the Author: Paul Lavella Jr. MA, LPC, LCADC, ACS

Paul shares, “Wellness Based Counseling is a concept very dear to my heart. At the root of it, the counseling relationship is not solely focused on “the problem,” rather how you go about life’s journey in a way that leads you toward feeling and being well. Counseling is not about pathology; it’s about learning what’s not working and figuring out what will.

I am dually Licensed in the State of New Jersey as a Professional Counselor and a Clinical Alcohol & Drug Counselor with ten years of professional experience working with adolescents, adults, and families. As an Approved Clinical Supervisor, I also provide supervision for those seeking licensure for counseling or addiction counseling.”

Embarking on a journey towards wellness and recovery is perhaps the bravest and most inspiring thing a person can do. At Summit Behavioral Health we are here for you every step of the way.

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July 21, 2017 at 04:38AM

[ashlemonadechronicles]

Chapter 3, ‘I Love Myself When I’m Laughing’: I Was Diagnosed With Depression...Now What?

On the eve of my 20th birthday, I was so naive. Innocently optimistic but...naive.

It’s the night of January 5, 2011, and I’m in bed watching the clock ticking closer to midnight. My last few moments as a teenager, I did what I always did as a kid: daydream about my twenties.

Had you asked me then, I’d thought it’ll be living in a big city as a writer for a magazine, living in a dope Brownstone apartment, hanging out with the girls and dating more beautiful than I could handle. Sounds familiar? Yeah, I’m clearly a Living Single fan but I imagined it to be the time of my life. I was an introverted yet imaginative little kid who loved to write and watch fictional characters on my TV screen. 

I’m six months away from turning 27 and there’s no sitcom life of a girl running off to New York City after college where she finds love and refuge in her sister-girl friendships with the Regines, Maxines and Synclairs. No girl, you’re slapped dead within the lines of ambition and fear with a dash of financial hangups, but who’s keeping track? 

I heard Iyanla Vanzant say in person that  “The life you want is on the other side of the labor pains it takes to birth it.” You learn a lot about yourself in the midst of your pain and struggle, mainly, how did I get myself in this? 

“You have depression.”

I sat in the exam room, quietly absorbing those words. “You have depression.” I look at my doctor and say, “It’s good to hear someone else say it out loud.” It confirms everything I’ve felt for the past two years, suffering in silence. One night after leaving my aunt’s house, I unexpectedly exploded into tears in front of her. Outside on the street, it streamed out and the harder I tried to force it to stop, it didn’t. 

I told her everything. How I’m not happy where I am in my life, how I feel like a failure, how empty I felt. She hugged me, prayed on the spot and watched me drive off. I felt relieved but guilty that I completely unloaded on her. 

It all started in 2013 when I was nearing the end of college and I was in a state of panic. I believe that my depression started then but I would say I was simply sad. I was but this sadness had scary depths and lingered to the point that I became reclusive. What the hell was I going to do? I was terrified of being where I am now. I felt like I was sleep walking and started to close off. I gained so much weight that I was tipping the scales at 190 pounds - the heaviest I’d had been - and was wearing a size 16. I was wearing my mother’s old clothes, which concerned her as she watched me try on pair after pair of jeans I’ve outgrown. 

Once I got my degree in December 2014, I applied for hundreds of job in journalism and after two internships, nothing. Every job interview I did, I was passed over. One job I wanted that I didn’t get, as I read yet another rejection email, I burst into tears in my car. 

One of my favorite podcasts, The Friend Zone with Dustin, Hey Fran Hey and Assante, with their intentions around “mental health, mental wealth, and mental hygiene.” “Just To Get By” about personal vices we use as placeholders were right on time. 

Food became a vice, as I gained back the weight I lost in 2015 and stopped working out. The more savory, the better. The sweeter, gooey and decadent, I inhaled. And sometimes alcohol. When Fran said that her vice was sleeping, that when things in her life aren’t right she’ll literally sleep it away, I felt as if she read my reality out loud for all to here.

This was me. 

I did the same. Sleeping pacified me and temporarily took me away from reality. I loved sleeping and now I realized how bad I had gotten. It just felt good to be out of it. 

P.S. Don’t judge, but that’s what depression does and there’s no such thing as snapping out of it. And worst of all is when someone says, “What do you have to be so depressed about?”

Me to you:

Signs of Depression: read here and know why.  

When I woke up, I was still living with my parents, working a measly part-time minimum wage job in a small town with a bachelor's degree and thousands of dollars in debt from student loans. I’m not saying I’m too good to struggle. I believe it sculpts your and strengthens your armor but aspects of it made me question my gift, myself and if I could make it. 

My dark and twistiness started to eclipse my pure enthusiasm. I felt complacent and suffocated within the realms of pleasing others by following the guidelines of just working a job to make it. 

I am a writer. It’s my first love and has been since I was 3 when I scribbled on every piece of paper in site. I wrote short stories and books that I’d staple together and color to make vibrant. Writing and I are like air to lungs, without it I can’t function. It’s all I want to do for the rest of my life and depression made me want to stop writing. So for a while, I did and I hated myself. I felt like Cristina Yang of Grey’s Anatomy after a gunman held a pistol to her head in the middle of surgery. The trauma of it was so severe that she couldn’t even step into an OR to do what she loves, what give her excitement and fulfillment: sugrery. Without that she felt she was losing a grasp of herself. 

I have mild depression. It’s not severe but it’s on the spectrum and enough to impact me. I started to go back to church and got saved to help me, and it has, but I still find myself slipping backward. The introverted me doesn’t want me to hit “post” and share this struggle that I haven’t shared with my family and friends but as a writer, closing the words off within me is literally likened to volunteered suffocation. I’m doing this for me, not for instant gratification. 

I’m giving myself permission to be open, to feel the air flow through the cracks. To feel the sliver of sun meet my curious and cautious eye. 

I have depression. I live in my head where my thoughts are always in motion and some happen to cluster. I hope whoever reads this and they’re suffering silently when no one is looking, fortunately, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, there’s so many of us in the midst of depression who are aware of their “crap” and trying to “get over their crap.”

There is truly a difference but we have to take a step, no matter how small, to get ourselves back.

Moral of the story: 

P.S. How awesome is Cristina Yang? 

[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

Ask D'Mine: Chasing Zebras in Diabetes

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Ask D'Mine: Chasing Zebras in Diabetes

Got questions about life with diabetes? So do we! That's why we offer our weekly diabetes advice column, Ask D'Mine, hosted by our snarky diabetes expert Wil Dubois, a veteran type 1 and diabetes author.

This week, Wil is taking on a query about what seems to be false blood sugar lows... or are they? Do fainting spells with diabetes always point to hypoglycemia?

Got your own questions? Email us at AskDMine@diabetesmine.com

Jess, type 1 from Utah, writes: I have an employee who has had type 1 for 10 years. In fact, we have both had type 1 for almost the same amount of time. So we definitely understand each other. She has had these fainting spells. In fact, she passed out on her first day of work. Rather eventful day. Anyway, when she gets faint, she turns ashen grey, gets super confused and uncoordinated and weak. I haven’t had her hit the ground again since the first day, but it’s been close, trying to get her to a chair fast enough.

We check her blood sugar every time this happens because your first assumption is a low. She usually has tested before it happens, we test during and then check again after. I really can’t find any consistent numbers that I can correlate and say Aha! That’s the cause. She has been anywhere from 105-400 when this happens. Now, everyone wants to point fingers at her control being less than perfect. She tests at least five times a day. She uses an insulin pump and she stays pretty on top of it. Her blood sugars do swing and she does her best to chase them. She’s a stressed-out student who is working her way through college.

So I ran across information that extended hyperglycemia can cause a type of neuropathy that affects the heart. But medical people usually say it’s probably not the "Zebra" (exotic diagnosis). She doesn’t seem to have any other complications up to this point. At least, none that have been recognized. But still, what do you think? Could it be the Zebra?

Wil@Ask D’Mine answers: For readers who’ve only seen zebras at the zoo, let me give you some background. In medical school, budding young docs are taught that if they’re walking in the woods in Vermont and hear hoof beats, it’s probably not a zebra. It’s a way of reminding them that while anything is possible, the most likely is, well, the most likely. So if their first thought is that their patient’s symptoms match pseudomyxoma peritonei, they should probably rethink their diagnosis, as pseudomyxoma peritonei is one of the rarest diseases in the world.

In general, I think that the Zebra lesson is a good one for doctors, especially new ones with more knowledge than experience. It helps avoid wasted time barking up empty trees. It’s probably even better advice for average citizens now that we all live in the Age of Google. For instance, if I noticed that my waistline was gradually expanding, I was having tummy aches, and my appetite was down, Uncle Google might lead me to believe I had pseudomyxoma peritonei, as those are some of its symptoms.

Of course they’re also the symptoms of eating bad corn dogs and two hundred thousand other things, including Zebraititus Hypochondriasis, all of which are more likely than pseudomyxoma peritonei.

OK, I made that last one up. There’s no such thing as Zebraititus.

So I can’t fault the docs for looking to low blood sugar as the cause of a young T1’s fainting spells. It’s the most likely cause. Still, the hoof beats in the Vermont forest could be a Zebra. Maybe a circus train derailed, freeing all the animals. Maybe misguided eco terrorists freed one from a zoo. After all, just because pseudomyxoma peritonei is one of the rarest diseases on the planet doesn’t mean people don’t get it. They do.

For years I had a zebra Xing sign above the door of my clinic office. It was a way of thumbing my nose at medical tradition and a reminder to keep an open mind at all times. I know that Zebras happen. I’ve seen it personally.

But even working under a zebra crossing sign, I’d still look to blood sugar as the key to your young employee’s woes. It sure seems to fit the bill, if not all the evidence. So the first thing I’d troubleshoot before I went zebra hunting is her meter. Is the meter working correctly? Is it giving us good, reliable data? There are a lot of crap meters out there and health insurance plans are forcing more and more PWDs into using these shady pieces of gear.

And it’s worth noting that many of the poorer meters give the least accurate info in the low blood sugar range.

So my first advice to you is to expand your struggling college student’s employee benefit plan to include one really good meter and 100 strips to go with it. Look at it as a potential investment in increased productivity. Let’s not rule out the most likely cause until we’re really sure it’s not the issue. Keep in mind that none of us have a universal lights-out point. Each and every hypo affects each and every one of us differently. Some of the contributing factors are the speed of the blood sugar drop, the amount of active insulin in the blood, the type, nature, volume, and timing of the most recent meal, and the baseline average blood sugar of the PWD. That list doesn’t even include stress, sleep hygiene, illness, and a million other factors. My point being, don’t assume someone has to be at 35 mg/dL to pass out.

But if the tree I’m barking up turns out empty, before I looked at heart neuropathy, I’d look to a different place in the bloodstream, and that’s volume and pressure. Why? Well if the hoof beats weren’t from a white-tailed deer (common in Vermont), the next most likely hoof beater in the Vermont woods is a moose.

Low blood pressure is a common trigger of syncope—a Zerbra-esque word for a temporary loss of consciousness. It happens when the blood pressure drops low enough that the brain doesn’t get quite enough oxygen. Why would that happen in a young, healthy-ish person?

I can think of two common causes. Is she on the “recommended” ACE inhibitor that all D-folk are supposed to take if they need it or not? It’s the standard of care: All of us sugar-impaired people take this med, as it can shield our kidneys from the ravages of elevated sugars. But they are blood-pressure lowering meds. If her dose is just a little too high, it might trigger syncope from time to time.

The other common cause of syncope, which can exist hand-in-hand with the ACE inhibitor, is dehydration. Does she drink lots of water? And, hey, coffee doesn’t count. Ingesting large amounts of caffeine can have a diuretic effect, mildly dehydrating the body and lowering the blood pressure. As a struggling, working college student, I imagine your girl might be a caffeine addict.

But if that’s not it either, well, what about your Zebra? The neuropathy of the heart? Could that be the cause? Yes, but… Well, I’ll get back to the “but” in a second. This type of neuropathy is called cardiac autonomic neuropathy. And you are correct that it can trigger fainting.

So why am I so quick to rule out something that seems to fit the bill?

Because I don’t think she’s had diabetes long enough to get this “side effect.” She’s only had diabetes 10 years and you told me that’s she’s “pretty on top of it.” Even in poorly controlled type 1 diabetes, ten years is the earliest you’d see any long-term complication pop up, and the autonomic neuropathies aren’t typically in that first wave.

It takes a lot of high glucose over a long time to create that kind of damage.

So to answer your question, just like a zebra could be in the Vermont woods, she could have this side effect earlier than most people get it.

But my money is on it being the deer. Or the moose.

This is not a medical advice column. We are PWDs freely and openly sharing the wisdom of our collected experiences — our been-there-done-that knowledge from the trenches. But we are not MDs, RNs, NPs, PAs, CDEs, or partridges in pear trees. Bottom line: we are only a small part of your total prescription. You still need the professional advice, treatment, and care of a licensed medical professional.

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

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