#you spend so much time chronically ill and mentally ill and disabled and traumatized

[hellyeahsickaf]

It's pretty fucked up living in an environment where your 'best years' are spent trying to survive. Then it feels like it's too late but it's not like you can do those things anyway, can't get into trouble in any way you can look back on fondly, can't fuck around the same way you maybe could have if you'd been able to. Can't say it's great spending that time sick or mentally ill or surviving trauma.

And people try to cheer you up by saying shit like "eh that shit sucks anyway, it was a waste of time" or "It wasn't all that". Like if you feel that way about that part of your life that's fine. Maybe it would've sucked for me too but at least I'd have lived it to be able to say "being a silly goose in my teens and early 20s was kinda mid". I lived it, maybe it was disappointing or great or in between. I can't imagine it being worse than what I ended up with instead

anyway i love u "losers" and "boring" people in ur teens and 20s i love you anxious people i love you autists i love you disabled people i love you chronically ill people i love you immunocompromised people i love you people who can't go out and do stereotypical teen/20s activities and i love you people who don't want to. forever!!!

[thedreadvampy]

talking to my mum last night and getting fucked up about the degree of trauma my grandparents' generation faced and how. unwilling and ill-equipped the care system is for the obvious fact that there's a huge incidence of PTSD and complex lifelong mental health issues in those generations

grannie was 17 when she became a nurse and she was working immediately in London at the height of the Blitz. her first day she saw blown apart children and had to comfort their parents. she was almost hit by a rocket cycling home.

grandpa spent the whole war in labour camps before being trapped behind the Iron Curtain in the ruins of Dresden, almost dead from starvation from the camp, for another 3 years before making it back to Blackpool to find out his parents had died in his absence.

granny got radiation sickness at 13 from being put under an X-ray with no protection and forgotten about for hours; she lost all her hair and developed chronic pain and health problems. after years of severe physical, emotional and sexual abuse from her family and the men around her, she got engaged to an American pilot who was shot down and killed in the last month of the war. her former boyfriend came back a dissociative shell of his pre-war self and she ended up trying to raise three small children on her own, with her family at the other end of the country and her husband often having violent flashbacks and outbursts of rage. she was suicidal and had violent psychotic breaks and got institutionalised and medicated on and off her entire adult life.

like. it isn't just the war. people born in the early-mid 20th century, especially women, have been subject to so much sexual trauma, domestic and social violence, bigotry, and grief on grief on grief.

with my granny, it's entirely understandable that she was 'mad'. when I knew her, she was on heavy daily dosage of lithium - she stopped because it was destroying her gut after 30 years and she became violently aggressive, vindictive, scared, psychotic, paranoid, frequently delusional and extremely abusive. She was terrified of doctors because of her repeated experiences with medical abuse, she was furious with everyone around her, she coldly hated her husband and seemed actively happy when he died, and the thing is all of that makes perfect sense because she was profoundly and repeatedly traumatised for at least the first 50-60 years of her life.

but the thing that worries and answers me is that the elder care system and the mental health system are completely unwilling to engage with the fact that many many many old people have severe pre-existing mental health conditions. after all, how many of us have PTSD or psychotic episodes or bipolar or BPD or special care needs related to autism or OCD or ADHD or whatever? those don't just Cease To Exist after a certain age. and our parents and our grandparents grew up in times with much less support for mental health and much less awareness of trauma. granny's early traumas were familial but she was institutionalised repeatedly and treated appallingly throughout her life and that's in itself traumatic.

when granny was 82 and she stopped taking her lithium, she was frail, ill and a danger to herself and others.

they put her on a dementia ward when she was sectioned because she was Old, and Old Mad People Are Demented. but she didn't have dementia! she had chronic PTSD and paranoid delusions but she knew who, where and when she was and she was perfectly sharp, she just wasn't coping. when we went to visit her she'd say furiously 'they think I'm like the other people in here but I'm not, I'm not losing my marbles, I've always been this way'

none of us got any support looking after her while she was in hospital or after she left the inpatient ward - nobody checked in on grandpa while she was in hospital or on weekend release, and after she was released Dad looked after her single-handed while trying to deal with his dad's death. (she may have murdered grandpa while on weekend release, or he may have died of heart failure - either way when she went off the rails after 20 years stable, he gave up on life and I me and my sibling (for the record we were 10 when she left hospital) listening to her trying to continue unpicking her past trauma was I think the most therapy she got after she left.

she couldn't go into a regular elder care home because she was too unstable, she needed specialist mental health care and she sometimes needed to be constrained for her own safety and that of other people. residential mental health care facilities weren't equipped to deal with her needs as a woman in her 80s. she couldn't go into dementia care, which is about the only residential care available for old people with serious mental health needs, because she didn't have dementia and it would have been utterly inappropriate and harmful for her and the other residents. she lived to 93 and for the last 11 years of her life it was up to Dad and us to look after her in her home because there was simply nowhere else for her to go.

and what really fucks me up is that she wasn't past help. a lot of people thought she was but when she left hospital she was trying really hard to continue therapy on her own without a therapist, she drew and wrote about her life and memories and she used to sit opposite me and open up in a way I now utterly recognise as trauma therapy, she would try to find ways to talk about what had hurt her and state into the middle distance for tens of minutes trying to get it together enough to continue. she wanted to do the work. but the only people there for her were her son who was shellshocked from losing his dad and traumatised from effectively losing his mum again and who was spending all his energy just trying to get through work and home and get her physical needs met, and a couple of preteen children who had the will but not the capacity to help. we were barely holding ourselves together (mum drove granny places but mostly her capacity was being spent being about the only support Dad or us could get) and we just couldn't meet the work of a trained therapist. and eventually she gave up on getting better and got angrier and more bitter and more abusive to everyone. but she wanted to feel better. she wanted to deal with her shit. but there was no support.

and there must be thousands of people like her. older people with lifelong trauma and mental health issues who are too mentally ill for elder support and too old for mental health support. and the MH system doesn't think they're worth the resource cost because after all they're old, they'll die soon. but where are they meant to go? and how much harm does unsupported home care do to the person in need of care and to the people carrying for them? it just multiplies trauma down the generations. you can't just expect mental illness to only affect the young when the old have been just as traumatised and you can't treat them as separate issues when old people need carers who are qualified to deal with both their age and their mental health issues.

like yes many people develop late life mental health issues like Alzheimers and dementia, just as many people become disabled for the first time by age. but a lot of people are disabled or mentally ill for decades before they reach anything approaching elderly, and those things don't suddenly go away and don't have the same support needs as late-life issues.

idk. I'm very angry. if there was recognition of the need to support older people with lifelong trauma then my grandpa wouldn't have died hopeless and unsupported, my granny might have got her life back and got some healing after 80 years of living in fear, my dad wouldn't have had his own mental breakdown and slide into paranoia and conspiracy theory, and me and my siblings wouldn't have lost our whole adolescence trying to shore up two badly neglected adults' catastrophic mental health while under constant fire.

literally a ten minute weekly phone call with grandpa while granny was in hospital and weekly follow-up talk therapy for her after she was discharged could have made so much difference but nobody fucking cared. because she was Old. she was in the hospital because she was a danger to the people around her and they discharged her for the weekend as a trial run and her husband died suddenly while she was in the house and she seemed totally unbothered and they still. let her out for good two weeks later with no followup care or therapeutic follow-up and no support or advice for Dad on looking after her. they started talk therapy in hospital and then dropped her abruptly and left her raw and cracked open without any way to put herself back together. and she isn't unique it's just. Careless. and so destructive.

[angelicjadamv]

The story so far

One month after graduating high school in 2015 I was finally able to move away from my family. I was 18 and moved to California for college. Fortunately one of the scholarships I earned was accompanied by a summer program that started in the middle of the summer before fall semester. Shortly after settling in a safe, stable environment for the first time in my life I started to get better. A lot better at first. Then life happened, as it does, and 18 years of repressed trauma and abuse broke me. My nervous breakdown ruined my fall semester, I couldn't go to classes or take exams or function as a student anymore. Until this point, being an exceptional student was all I had and basically how I survived. My safe and stable environment now was dependant on maintaining a certain GPA, among other requirements I could no longer meet. I failed one of my main courses because I had a 0 on 2 exams, including the final. When I went home I was put on antipsychotics. Returning to campus for the 2016 spring semester, I attempted to seek more therapy. I wasn't successful in finding a good therapist (for me, therapy is a personal thing. Just because someone isn't a good therapist for me doesn't necessarily mean they are a bad therapist). I did continue to see my 2 psychiatrists (emergency and regular) often as they attempted to adjust my medication to find something that work. My agoraphobia worsened, I stopped sleeping, I could barely eat, I was manic one moment and dissociative the next, SH and suicidal ideation worsened. I was a burden to my friends and loved ones. I made it through this because I had a beautiful support system that I will forever be grateful for, but I ended up taking a leave of absence academically for my second semester, earning no credits and putting my scholarships at further jeopardy. I was allowed to stay on campus because it was clear I was dangerously unstable with no safe environment to return to and because I had incredible advocates looking out for me. I had realized that I wasn't going to get better in time to salvage my academic career and my life, and was mostly clueless as to how I would survive. I had had an internship in my field since I started college, but I earned basically no money. STEM internships aren't really made to be livable for undergrads, so I had mostly been working for experience in a field I would no longer be able to progress in. Bummer. My physical health had taken a huge dive for all of 2016. I basically always knew I was chronically ill, but I had been abused and gaslit my entire life to believe and act like I was fine, I was just a weak baby, I didn't know what real pain or suffering was, seizures were to be ignored, no I didn't have migraines or pinched nerves (um hello SCOLIOSIS), etc etc. And 2016 was the year my body finally started to break, so I knew "regular" jobs weren't going to be a viable option for me, at least not for long.

And thus I became a survival SW. I stayed in college for a final semester, because I didn't want to miss my friends, I loved my campus and didn't know where else to live, I still needed a lot of campus resources. I also kept my internship as long as I could, because I knew I would miss it for the rest of my life. I didn't really go to classes, again, because as much as a desperately wanted to and as much as my advisors moved heaven and earth to try to make it work for me, I couldn't handle it. I was finally able to find 2 great therapists who I started seeing regularly who actually knew how to diagnose and treat me, one at school and one outside. This is also when I met Daddy (Jace) online. After talking for what is probably a stupidly short time, we fell in love and started dating. This is honestly my first real relationship and time actually catching genuine feelings for someone, something that I hadn't thought I was capable of. Despite being happier than I had ever been in so many ways, my mental and physical health was still steadily declining. My migraines and pain were getting worse, I hadn't been able to eat normally in months and relied entirely on medication to eat or sleep at all. Many people recommended mmj at this point in my life, but I was afraid of how it would interact with my other meds. I only smoked occasionally at parties at this point (because no way was I spending my super duper limited money on weed). I wonder if medicating with something that actually worked well for me, like weed, would have allowed me to finish college. Oh well I guess. Because of my inability to attend classes, I had to take another leave for the fall semester 2016. I worked at a strip club briefly, but my health couldn't handle it for long.

I didn't want to go home for the first winter break in 2015, but campus closed and I had nowhere else to go. It was turbulent. When summer 2016 came, I still didn't go home despite having no place to stay. Until a month or so later, it was revealed to me a relative had terminal cancer. I had to go home again. It was worse than turbulent. When winter 2016 came, my relative was in much worse condition. They only had a few months left, and this was probably my last chance to say goodbye. This visit was by far the most traumatic, and more because of my parents than watching a loved one die. At least Jace was able to come meet me for the first time in person. He also got to meet my relative before they passed 🖤

Freshly fucked up by family, I retuned to California at the beginning of 2017. I was mostly taking a break from SW because of my health and was working vanilla jobs as I could (so not much). I had a pretty decent job that I was really good at and had been promoted, but then my relative passed. I started losing consciousness again ( I had many seizures and fainting spells in my childhood and during high school) and had to quit my job. the funeral was in spring 2017, I flew to Jersey to be with Daddy for a few days and then he drove me several states over for the memorial. That was the last time I saw my family. I wanted to transition to online/content creating, but I had no tech knowledge or equipment (even my phone was a potato). In high school I wasn't allowed to have a smartphone, most social media other than what was heavily monitored (and still had 0 experience with platforms sw is popular on besides Tumblr I guess), I didn't really know much about cameras. Way too sheltered and broken to feel like I could start anything. I was now seeing my outside, or I guess regular and only, therapist twice a week and doing treatments that while working for me were insanely (literally) hard. I had been able to get an apartment with roommates at a super discount in return for taking care of their crazy dog, which was a win win for me (he was a good boi just crazy from a bad past and had the worst separation anxiety). The agreement was that I would live with them until the lease was up in September, and then we would reevaluate the situation. Then they both got promoted at their mega corporation jobs. And after their wedding found a really gorgeous apartment in a much fancier part of the city, and paid to break our lease early in June leaving me homeless. I had been fired from my last 2 jobs (probably for being disabled because California is at will employment but who knows I might have been fired from the nanny job because the husband wanted to fuck me). I had no money or anywhere to go. All of my friends were almost as broke as me, so while I had offers to couchsurf at a few of their places they had other roommates who would have been pissed and in a few months they would be going back to school anyways. Daddy and I had been trying to save up to move in together for months, but he was going to move to California. We didn't have any money for that, so instead he asked me to move in with him in New Jersey. Leaving meant I lost my health insurance and my therapist. It was supposed to be much more temporary and we were supposed to move back to California much sooner than we were able to. I try not to be mad at those roommates because being angry doesn't change anything, but it really sucked.

Moving in with Daddy meant we could start our blog! And I was super happy at first, the happiest I could ever remember. But the years had been too hard and my health started to get worse than ever before. Without treatment and so traumatized, my brain and body were constantly at war. I would wake with splitting migraines, throwing up, my chronic pain became completely unmanageable. I started to need weed all the time because it was the only thing that stopped my cyclical vomiting episodes and kept me out of the hospital. My antipsychotics and other meds had been high-key fucking me up (probably shouldn't have been on them in the first place, thank you doctor who also ignored my seizures even when I had one in front of you) and were almost impossible to come off of because the withdrawals. (Seriously, kicking xanax was easier for me than my antipsychotics.) I'm not anti medication or anything, I just know the ones I was on were not good for me anymore. I'd actually like to be on something again, I just need a doctor who actually understands PTSD and DID.

My health continued to be shit for most of 2018, with several ER visits for severe dehydration from vomiting for days on end. We started to make videos and do snapchat and online sessions to be able to make ends meet. Despite being in the worst situation and thus everything being a trizillion times harder, we really loved (and still love 😇) doing SW and creating content. Our fans and clients have been there in some of our darkest moments, just being lovely or pulling through for us when we needed it most. During 2018 and 2019 I became actively suicidal for the first time since I was 13. I struggled with self harm again. I have gotten worse than I ever thought possible. But I wouldn't have made it at all if it wasn't for SW, this community and our supporters.

At the beginning of 2020 we were finally able to move back to California. Obviously, the pandemic severely disrupted many of our plans, especially regarding my recovery. Despite things being delayed or shifted, we are in a much better place currently. I have what I need to get better and I can build a support system again. I will get better.

Talking about things is hard for me. Being open and honest is hard for me. For 18 years I was trained and abused to not be sad or show negative feelings, or talk about upsetting things, and it has been killing me slowly my entire life. I genuinely don't want pity or to make others feel bad, but I do want to give you the chance to get to know me. I don't always talk about things so much. But I'm trying to get better at it.

[mouseyfox]

[Video description] A white woman with dark brown hair down to her chin and black horn rim glasses sits in front of a cream wall with a string of mint drying behind her. She is holding a pillow with a geometric design as she turns on her phone's video camera.

[sigh] Hi, my name is Krystal. I am a disabled queer woman and I am here to have a talk with you today about what it's like being disabled in the United States and trying to keep a job. 

[Transcript Below]

So [sighs] there's some major issues with how we as US citizens and people in general, um, deal with disability and how it relates to the job force and how [thoughtful pause] we are treated as employees. Now the Equal Opportunities, um, Equal Employment Opportunities Act, um, was a major step forward as were similar things such as the, you know, Disability Rights movement, and the Americans with Disabilites Act, and even, you know, the Affordable Care Act. Those have all had positive effects on the Disabled Community as a whole, but there's a lot more that needs to be done. Now, disabilities are not just physical. They can be emotional, or psychological, and they can also be intellectual. That means you could see someone with a wheelchair, or a missing limb, or someone who has Parkinson's Disease, or someone who has dyslexia, or someone who has PTSD, someone who's missing an eye, someone who's deaf, blind, the list goes on, honestly.

For me personally I have been disabled for ohhh well over fifteen years at this point. I have experienced over fifteen years of abuse in my life which has triggered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, um, DID, um, Anxiety Disorders, Major Reoccurring Depression, I have Trichotillomania, Excoriation Disorder, I also have physical disabilities as well. I have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. I also have Chronic Pain and Fatigue, I have hips that don't sit right, and a back that doesn't like sitting straight, and I also have migraines that have gotten to the point where I'm having about a migraine every week or so even with medication. I'm going in for more treatment options with a neurologist to figure out why they're happening. Now, I am a person who would benefit greatly from things like Universal Healthcare, and uh Universal Basic Income because at the end of the day I am a queer woman who is disabled and who is supporting a partner who is totally disabled as much as I can, and even just saying that could cost him his benefits, and that is heinous. We are not married, if disabled people marry and they have benefits they can loose them entirely, legally, within the US as it is today. I have a Bachelor's degree I got from the University of Louisville this spring during COVID and while I am very happy that I have finally achieved something ten years in the making for a lot of reasons it was horrible on my health both mental and physical.

As a student who is independent and was relying entirely on loans aside from very few scholarships that did in no way cover the full cost of tuition. I worked [sigh] a full time job while being a full time student at a call center uh who violated my rights as a disabled person in a number of ways and when I eventually left that job and applied for full time disability benefits, which I was denied, by the way, uhm, [the call center] lied to the SSI department, and said that I had never once filed accomodation letters to them, which is very untrue as I had spoken with an HR Director on multiple occassions, I had emailed them, I had spoken to them on the phone, I had one on ones with supervisors about how the job was affecting my physical health, as well as my emotional and mental health and how it was worsening my disabilities.

I had applied for short term disability, which is something that in the United States, is only offered by certain employers and is something that you have to pay into. There is no short term disability department with the SSI. There is no way for an American citizen currently as it stands to have short term disability to get some of the medical issues under control in the US unless you have already paid into a pool.

Now, some of you might be wondering what about FMLA, the Family Medical Leave Act? I applied for that, and they really don't like you using that for short term disability unless if it's something that was happened at the job or outside. For example, if you undergo an amputation, you might be someone who would qualify for FMLA. But, for me, a person who was just dealing with further issues with my chronic disorders that are never going to go away, um, at this point my issues are so deeply imbeded that I will have to be on medication for the rest of my life to handle my disorders and as with many people, as I age, I am as likely to get more disabilities on top of everything else.

The way that our economy, the way that our healthcare works right now we don't accomodate or help or you know just give disabled people a way to live and work without highly unfair and horrible ways of treating them. I have been gaslit by employers. I have, uh, very highly insinuated that I was lying about issues with my health just so I could go home and "be lazy", or I've been told or implied by coworkers that I was lying about my disabilities and there are all sorts of negative public stigma about people who lie about disorders so they can like get benefits. And, honestly, here's a news flash for you, it's virtually impossible to get full time SSI benefits if you're lying. I have friends who have disorders that can kill them before they turn fifty who are considered not disabled enough to qualify for SSI benefits. And these are people who are dealing with horrible diseases that will kill them or just make it really impossible for them to ever work. Like, physically, mentally, some education, uhm, or not education, intellectual disorders there's no way they're going to be able to hold a full time steady job and you know with the way that our economy works part time jobs don't cut it.

Most people are working two to three jobs because our minimum wage isn't high enough. And if you're disabled you spend so much money on taking care of yourself, and spending days at home, and that's just part of being disabled. I don't like calling off of work. I don't like being drug into my supervisor's office to get you know reprimanded for constantly having to call in or leave early. I don't like inconveniencing my coworkers either because I know that makes it harder on them, but you know what's also harder on them? If I decide to power through a day even when I'm feeling like garbage, and I make more mistakes, I will get less things done, I'll be worse off with my customer interactions, and there are days where I have worked through on ten, twelve, even thirteen hour shifts as a disabled person, and it has absolutely wrecked my health.

I have been working for ten years and I've been a caretaker for even longer, and my ability to perform at a full time job has drastically diminished in just ten years of trying to support myself in the way our current economy works and I've worked in a variety of different jobs. I've done physical labor jobs, I've worked in factories, I've worked in call centers, I've been a barista, I've been a cashier, I have been a bourbon steward, I have worked in healthcare in a variety of fields, and I have worked in library science which is what I'm hoping to get for a- for my- my education goal is I want to be a librarian. I want to be someone who helps people with research and reference work, and helps with their community. I love being engaged with my community. I love helping people. I like going to work. I do genuinely enjoy going to work! But when I have to keep working to a point that would make even a- you know someone who's not disabled overly worked and wreck their health... What do you think that does to those of us who have disabilities? Huh? Cause I can promise you it's a lot worse than you initially think. And the accomodations that they offer at most jobs are a fucking joke. They really are.

Most jobs aren't even accomodating for people in wheelchairs, for people with physical disabilities, and not to mention people who have hearing problems, or who are blind, and don't get me started on psychological problems. We could have an entire separate discussion on that one because the way that workplace cultures work and the way with microaggressions with racism, and all sorts of other factors like homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, yes that counts, okay, because a lot of disabled people are just big, and you know what a lot of them are also really skinny, because their medical problem might be tied into that in ways that you can't understand either without a medical degree, or without being disabled yourself and having to do research.

Because at the end of the day the people who are most educated about their own disabilities are often the disabled person themselves. Yes doctors are very educated. Yes they know a lot. But you know who also knows a lot about the disorder, the person who's fucking experiencing it. I have friends who have been dismissed by doctors for years. Whose illnesses and issues have been completely mishandled and not at all treated by doctors because they wouldn't fucking listen to their patients. Okay. And, that's not something that we should be proud about as a country.

The way that we treat disabled people is horrible, and that's not even considering the problem with eugenics in this country because there are a number of people who are very interested in the fact of created designer babies, or aborting [disabled] babies, or you know, just throwing disabled people away until they die in a corner so you don't have to think about them. And that's a historical problem with this country and it hasn't gone away. We haven't fixed it. And it's something we need to work on.

But you know what? We're never going to be able to address those harder issues until we address the fact that working and having to hold multiple jobs to live for abled people that's inexcusable. It's even worse when you're disabled.

I can't tell you the number of times I have been almost homeless because my job had fired me because I had to call in too often, or I just had to leave a job because it was horribly wrecking my health. I have played yo-yo with all of my jobs for the past three years after I tried filing for disability, and you know what? They told me no. They told me I'm too young. I can't possibly have the disorders that I have or I'm just not disabled enough.

And you know what? You can be disabled at any age. And that possibility only increases the older that you get.  Because the older you get your systems start failing and you will be disabled at one point in your life. Period. Everyone will experience disability before they die in some way shape or form. So when we talk about disability rights it's not just about me. It's not just about friends of mine who are being killed by our healthcare system, and by our government, and by our economy, every single day. It's also about you. So when I ask you to give a fuck about disabled people and work and listen  to what we're asking you to do this is about you too. Because one day you're going to be in our position, and you know what? It sucks. And no one should have to deal with this.

[Emotional Pause] We need healthcare reform. We need it. Very badly. And when I say that it goes from everything to my own father who has been insulin rationing, and dealing with completely ludicrous insulin prices since before I was born.

It goes to my mother, you know, whose liver shut down because of black mold in a church my father preached at. I watched her slowly die for a year because she refused to go to the hospital because if she did, and she got the care that could have saved her, it would have killed my father because we wouldn't have been able to afford his insulin.

You know, and I'm not the only person, who's had situations like this, there are elderly people all over our nation who are dealing with similar issues all day. There are people who are disabled, there are families of disabled people, who are working to support people. There- Did you know that it's actually illegal for disabled people to marry and keep their benefits? Did you? Because I have a pertner who is disabled and even just saying that could rob him of his benefits.

That's not including issues with disability and, you know, being queer. Because being queer complicates everything. You know I don't say that because it's fun and I get "all the social benefits it brings" as Rosalarian would say because you know what? There really aren't any.

I'm queer because I'm queer. I'm disabled because my body is a pain in the ass, and because I've gone through things that no one ever should have had to go through and it has completely wrecked my mental health.

And I've gotten so much better than I used to be! I used to be so much worse off and put up with stuff that was absolutely wrecking my mental health and physical health because your mental health does a lot of stuff with your physical health that you might not be aware of. [Cat sneezes]

The United States as a nation is literally working itself to death, and that doesn't just affect able bodied people. It affects disabled people a lot worse. And you know what, I like working, but I like living a lot better. [Turns off video]

[rebelwheelssoapbox]

#DoctorsAreDickheads vs #PatientsAreDickheads : Social Media & The Consequence Of Language

#DoctorsAreDickheads is a classic example of #'s that uses language that could (for some) imply that all people in a particular group (in this case Doctors), are this one thing, (in this case dickheads.)

However, the truth is, hashtags of this nature, whether it's in regard to sex, race, sexuality, gender, disability etc., created by people in a marginalized community impacted by the oppression in question, is rarely actually intending to say that all people in this group are the same.

“Oh my god. It's like [Not All] Men. In 2018, people are still Not Alling” commented one Twitter user, responding to how some doctors were taking offense to the trending #DoctorsAreDickheads hashtag, and replying with “hey, not all doctors”.

[photo of a statue doing placing their head in their hand] Those who have plenty of social media experience dealing with these hashtags, know what the hashtags are implying (and what they're not) but to a less experienced person, because the language is not #SomeDoctorsAreDickheads or #WhenDoctorsAreDickheads (as an example), one could easily argue that it's just not realistic to expect all people to get it.

In communication, one can achieve one of two goals. One can either tell “the other side” to go to hell, or they can try to start a conversation and exchange of ideas. It is important to note that, these kinds of hashtags, are not created with the intention of having a nice conversation between the two groups. To be clear, they are not created with the intention of having a conversation with the “other group” at all. They are created (sometimes in a moment of frustration) so that the oppressed demographic in question can get together, compare notes and let each other know, you are not alone. Hashtags of this nature can be very healing for the marginalized demographic in question, thus making them incredibly important.

[image of two cat hugging / cuddling and thus being adorable]

And while I agree it is not realistic to expect people to always get it, it is also not realistic to expect the marginalized demographic to be super mindful of their choice of language, so not to offend (what is often referred to as) “fragility” of the other side. While perhaps ideally (since this is done in a very public forum) there would be an awareness of language, it is not fair to put that on the marginalized group of people, who are already dealing with the toll of trauma & oppression.

So what does one do when you find yourself coming across a hashtag of this nature, and you start to feel that knee jerk defensive reaction rising up within you? Well, what not to do is start a response hashtag, such as the destructive and highly egoic #PatientsAreDickheads .

[image of a doctor looking up at the viewer while folding a chart in his hands]

One could argue that if patients can start a hashtag venting their feelings, with little regard to the consequence of language then why can't doctors do the same? Technically, doctors can (and some did) but that statement, implies that both groups (in this case, the patient/doctor dynamic) are on equal footing in regard to privilege and power, when that is simply not the case. In the end, the demographic who has more authority (in this case, doctors) should be the ones to make it easier for patients (in general but particularly in this situation), that often experience medical based oppression (and/or ableism), regardless if the doctors (in this case) are the ones directly contributing to the oppression.

And while some doctors took offense to the hashtag, responding with the knee jerk reaction of “not all doctors!”, citing the toll of high student loans, long hours and working within a system that leads to #DoctorBurnOut (which I do not doubt is a thing), it was the doctors who used the hashtag as an opportunity to really listen and educate themselves regarding patient experiences and the problems that need to be tackled in their field, that got it right.

Dr. Philip Lee @drphiliplee1 and Dr Clomoween @SezClom are examples of two doctors who got it. Photo of Dr. Philip Lee wearing doctor scrubs and looking at the camera No one is negating the struggles of being a doctor, but this does not excuse the incredibly harmful treatment of patients. Furthermore, a doctor chooses to be a doctor. A patient has no choice.

In the end, this isn't some petty hashtag because patients don't like their doctors choice of facial hair (if applicable) or even just about doctors being late (which actually isn't petty to complain about, as that is highly annoying). Below are just a handful of stories being shared (including some of my own.)

[image of Alexandra who is wearing a black top, black eyeliner and has dark hair] I was sent to an inpatient psychiatric facility because I was told that my chronic pain and POTS symptoms were due to an “undiagnosed mental illness” #DoctorsAreDickheads - @AlexandraJurani

After being 3 hours late, the neurologists asks me questions. Age, height etc then inquires re: my marital status. "I'm Single." "You've never been married?" "No." "You've NEVER been married?" "No..." "Ever see a psychiatrist?" #DoctorsAreDickheads - @RebelwheelsNYC

once a doctor told me that my depression would be cured if I just stopped talking about feminism #DoctorsAreDickheads -@emilyhoven

[image of Eman who has curly hair, is wearing a gray top and is smiling at the camera] #DoctorsAreDickheads I emailed my old Rheumatologist to tell him I'd no longer be seeing him since he didn't believe me about the pressure/pain in the left side of my torso (which turned out to be a bleeding ulcer that I was in ICU for 6 days)- @Eman_Rimawi

I can't even count the times I heard #Psychosomatic & that I was just doing this for attn. Yes, I have nothing better to do with my life than to be sick & get attn from you dr, who I so thoroughly enjoy spending time w/. (p.s. had brain cyst and spine damage) #DoctorsAreDickheads - @RebelwheelsNYC 

I have too many #DoctorsAreDickheads stories to share and it's too traumatic to even start. Point being, it's not rare and the effects last forever. Listen to all who are sharing here. It may hurt to hear this, but it hurts more to experience it. - @GilmerHealthLaw

My mobility was to where I could barely get around my apt. I ask my neurologist for a motorized wheelchair referral & she says "Oh, you don't want a wheelchair, do you?" (as if wc = bad thing) No, I prefer to be trapped in my own home for the rest of my life. #DoctorsAreDickheads - @RebelwheelsNYC

[image of Asher who is wearing retro cat eye glasses. the photo is B&W.]

I spent 20 years with both chronic and acute pain. My right hip and shoulder dislocate on a daily basis. I have a dozen comorbidities. I was told it was my weight, anxiety or all in my head. It was undiagnosed Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. #DoctorsAreDickheads - @Asher_Wolf

Lastly from @crippledscholar who (along with @stevieboebi ) is being credited as started the now trending hashtag conversation, wrote

kinda want to see #DoctorsAreDickheads trending with stories of medical gaslighting and abuse.

because in the end, these stories are not rare or a fluke.

[image of Kim who wears retro eyeglasses, dark lipstick and short hair. the photo is B&W] 

[image of Stevie who had brown and purple hair. They are wearing an open black furry coat and are looking right at the camera]

(Author’s Note: There was an abundance of tweets and stories to choose from, many powerful stories that did not make it into this article. However, by the time I wrote this article, the top tweets were not stories as much as responding to the backlash. Personally, I lacked the spoons to go through all of them, so I chose the ones that were the easiest to find.)

[americanpetco]

How Can Emotional Support Animal Make Your Life Better

Trauma support

They're doing serious work, and those dependent upon their help should be handled with compassion and respect. There are many misleading facts about what an emotional support animal (ESA) really is and how a fluffy friend can help somebody with mental illnesses. Honestly, there's much more to this treatment practice than red garments and airline limitations, and — in a nation where nearly 20 percent of the people has a mental disorder — it's imperative to understand.

The clinical definition of an emotional support animal is any animal that provides help to its partner in defeating or dealing with a specific feebleness. 

This distinguishes ESAs from distinct forms of support animals. ESAs are not trained to offer special assistance to their owner to help accommodate a feebleness, which crucially differentiates an ESA from a service dog guarded by the Americans with Disabilities Act. These animals perform fundamentally distinct roles in assisting their owners' health.

Over 18 percent of the adult community in the United States has anxiety, and around 7 percent are experiencing depression. It's utterly impossible to tell what someone with a diagnosis seems like, so with this in mind and understanding all the mental wellness benefits, it’s crucial to define the work of ESAs.

Here are five ways in which emotional support animals genuinely help people:

Less anxiety

Simply petting an animal can build a relaxation rejoinder and elevate mood. People who find themselves tensing up or they are fearful in public places often have these feelings lessened in the presence of their dog or cat (as well as the other animal types mentioned earlier).

When someone has had an inordinately stressful time at work, returning to the fellowship of a loving pet can contribute much-needed calmness and subconscious reassurance. They further promote the self-confidence of a mentally unfit person by heightening their mood and energy levels.

Trauma support

Pets can render comfort to people dealing with challenging situations, including those who have undergone the unusual type of trauma. Many of us experience periods of complex and life-threatening shock in the course of our lives. Whether during military duty, as a violation victim, economic distress, divorce, or separation from a family member, post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) is an inevitable part of daily life for numerous.

Similar to the effects of PTSD, chronic unhappiness can paralyze someone to a position where they just don't want to leave the residence, work, or communicate with other people.

People use complex medicines for handling these symptoms, which influences them negatively sometimes. ESAs are often demonstrated to be a natural and healthful way to administer health benefits.

These personalities often do very well in an emotional support animal company and go concerning their lives without feeling like they're below the clouds of grief, fear, and worry.

Fewer feelings of loneliness

Animals can provide fellowship, which is especially crucial for people who live solely and experience signs of depression and stress. People have become extraordinarily private and separate now. Long past is the age when we knew all of our next-door-neighbor, their children's names, and wherever they hid the key to their front doorway. We no longer leave our doors unhitched (for a good reason).

We have, in several ways, become a community of rigidly secluded individuals whose only commonality is attending the same "evening news." But owning an Emotional Support Animal in your life signifies you always have a friend nearby — someone you adore and who loves you in return.

Benefits of Traveling and Housing Accommodations

Some national laws give special legal privileges to the psychologically or emotionally challenged people and their ESA. FHA permitted them to stay in housing accommodations without spending any additional fees. Moreover, it is the legal obligation of the landowner to provide decent housing amenities.

Air Carrier Access Act also permits the person to travel easily with his ESA within the nation. For this, people only need to have a confirmed ESA letter and notify the airline 48 hours ago before checking in. These animals help to clear individuals' anxiety on the airplane.

Do you know, it is possible to schedule a session with a therapist for an ESA letter online. It is vital to ensure that you are going by a well-known website that will provide you a lawful letter. 

[pjstafford]

Last Saturday night I was at a David Duchovny concert in Vancouver.  The concert venue was at the Imperial - a great venue- but in a neighborhood that the Urban Dictionary says is the worst neighborhood in all of Canada and some homeless advocacy groups argue  is the poorest neighborhood in all of North America.  Many of us at the concert had traveled to Vancouver from across the globe and there was some fear and trepidation which I over heard from other concert goers about this neighborhood. I had worked as a homeless advocate and have been on the board of a homeless shelter in the 90′s in Albuquerque.  I want to share my viewpoints of my experience in the worst neighborhood in Canada from an X-File frame of view because what brought me to Vancouver on October 14 was, of course, to see David Duchovny in Vancouver where the X-files was and is being filmed during a week-end which included 1013 Friday.  How does homelessness and the X-file find a theme together?  That is outlined in the link to the video above.  

I guess one way to set the mood is to say that my friend and I were only spending a week-end in Vancouver, but many other David Duchovny fans had been in Vancouver a week and had been to many famous filming sites.  My friend and I were staying at a Ramada fairly near the venue.  We drove through the area at first looking for parking before deciding that the valet parking at the Ramada was the best choice.  As we drove by I said- looking at the homeless and the city streets and remembering the video above- “oh, my God, this is the neighborhood they shot “Home Again” in.”  I realize, of course, the complete insensitivity to the plight of homelessness to see it in such focused X-file terms, but it was my frame of mind at the time.  My friend and I did in fact look for the filming sites of “Home Again” as we walked around the neighborhood, but because it is from the last season which we have not yet seen hundreds of times (only dozens) we were unable to locate exact locations.  We did watch the episode again back in Seattle the night before I flew home.  

On Saturday morning we decided to walk to the Ovaltine Restaurant (the filming location of a scene in Jose Chung) and to go by the venue.  We found ourselves walking down what I now realize is the area considered the worst two blocks in at least Canada and possibly North America.  The poverty was clear- people living in tents on the street a few blocks away from some fine, upscale and beautiful neighborhoods.  We then went to the Ovaltine Restaurant, the venue, back to the hotel for an hour of two, back to the venue to stand in line (starting at noon), walked back through the neighborhood to gastown for a bite to eat and back to the venue to stand in line again, before taking a cab back to the hotel after the concert.  

I want to state fairly clearly that there was not one time I felt scared or fearful (although I would not walk back to the hotel in the evening because I am not foolish) and the only time I was asked for money was after leaving the venue after the concert.  As we walked down the blocks at 9 a.m on a Saturday morning, we were greeted with “Good morning Ladies” and comments that our coffee cups were pink.  When our way was blocked and I said “excuse me” people moved out of the way politely.  There was nothing unpleasant about that walk except for being confronted with the fact that poverty exists and people (human beings) live in horrific conditions day in and day out.  

As we stood in line for 6 hours to see a concert, there was an need on an occasion to use a restroom.  The coffee shop sometimes let you and sometimes said that it was just for customers so my friend and I started using the community center on the corner which was truly more of a homeless center.  Again, I was greeted, offered water and shown the restroom.  My friend found blood in one of the restrooms so we climbed the stairs to use one on the other floor.  There were food being served, there were disposable containers for needles, there were signs telling people where to go if they were overdosing.  People were being afforded respect and dignity.  I was impressed.  

Here are some statistics from “Addressing Homelessness in Metro Vancouver” a white paper published in February 2017.  

An estimated 80% of homeless people suffer a chronic health issue (45% suffer two or more health conditions concurrently)15 b. 44% of sheltered and 55% of unsheltered homeless have an addiction (2014)16 c. 33% of sheltered and 36% of unsheltered homeless suffer mental illness (2014)10 d. 30% of sheltered and 27% of unsheltered homeless have a physical disability (2014)1

As we stood in line several neighborhood people talked to us.  We actually had sandwiches we did not want to eat, but couldn’t find any person that wanted the sandwiches.  Again most neighborhood people were polite, courteous and curious about why so many of us were waiting in line in front of a concert venue 6 hours before the doors opened.  I laughed on and off for hours at a woman who said “what are you protesting?”  I told my friend that we were the laziest protesters ever - no signs, no marching, no chanting- worst protest ever.  At one point a women who appeared to be suffering from withdrawal of some time fell.  Other people in line offered her assistance but she could not focus on them enough to accept their help.  She was in her own world.  After a few minutes when I witnessed her getting her shaking under control and her checking her legs to see if she was hurt, i went up to her.  From her perspective I was a big brown blob walking up to her and I startled her.  I told her that when she was ready I was willing to help and she desperately reached for my hands.  I helped her up and she grasped a tree until she was ready to stand and walk on her own.  I offered her food.  She did not want it.  She never asked for money.  Never threatened me.  

The next morning I woke up thinking of that episode “Home again” and the point of the episode.  I wondered how many of us X-Files fans might have thought back to that episode that night having experienced these and other moments.  The point - people are not trash.  They are not disposable.  They are not to be discarded.  I can walk away from that neighborhood and I can avoid the similar downtown areas in Albuquerque, but the people and the problem still exist.  From my experience in Albuquerque I know the underlying issues of homelessness - mental health issues, substance abuse, traumatic brain injuries, lack of literacy, lack of job skills, disenfranchisement from society, family and friends having giving up on them.  I know that veterans make up a large percentage of our homeless population in America, I know that senior citizen homeless numbers rose drastically in 2008 and subsequent years when retirement savings were loss and, like Vancouver, native people are a higher percentage in the homeless population than in the general population.  We can look to our educational systems, our prisons systems, our health care services (especially for the mentally ill), our foster care systems and juvenile care systems and to our economy.  The reality is a whole lot of us who go through our lives as hard working, normal citizens are closer to homelessness than we would like to admit.  In the past year I had to borrow money from friends and move into a friends home because of unemployment and I actually consider myself a fairly successful human.  We are all just humans doing the best we can in our life with what we have.  Nothing could remind us more of that than having spent so much time in that area around people who despite their issues were polite and courteous to us. 

I know our fan groups are a socially conscious and caring group of people who donate to all kinds of causes - let David Duchovny issue a post asking people to donate to charities on his birthday and beautiful things happen.  The proceeds from this concert went to hurricane victim.  This is a fan group which organizes volunteer and donation events for charities in honor of Gillian Anderson’s and Scully’s birthday.  The holiday season is ahead of us .  I am especially asking something of every one who attended that concert and interacted that night with a person who lives on the street in the worst neighborhood of North America.  If you fall into this category, than this holiday season in honor of “Home Again” and the X-files they do something in your communities to alleviate the effects of homelessness, reduce the possibility of someone becoming homeless or end some of the underlying causes of homelessness - take blankets or socks to a shelter, donate to a literacy program, call your legislators and demand better services for addiction treatment.   Buy subways cards and pass them out whenever you see someone with a sign saying hungry.  

At the very least, the next time you are in a situation where you are going to interact with homeless individuals (perhaps because of a David Duchovny concert), please treat people with respect and kindness.  People are not trash.  They are not disposable.  I was reminded of this last Saturday.  

[garden-of-succulents]

I was busy this weekend with a lot of work stuff, during which I had a couple related discussions with coworkers, friends, and mental health colleagues about safe spaces, about how people with different personalities or issues or mental health needs interact, and it reminded me of issues we’ve had in fandom, both among fans and when discussing the work we’re fannish about. I thought it might be worth introducing a concept into the discussion.

Something I only learned about as an adult when I got into disability advocacy was the concept of conflicting access needs. That is, disabled people may need certain accommodations to make a space accessible to them, like wheelchair ramps or braille signage; and sometimes those needs directly conflict in a way that is nobody’s fault and doesn’t mean anybody’s needs are invalid and evil. 

(Essay content notes: Trauma, mental illness, illustrative examples from a domestic violence shelter including abuse and suicide attempts. And also some examples that are a little less blameless and “nobody’s fault”)

For example, a person with poor vision may need bright lighting so they can see and read, while another person with chronic migraines or sensory processing issues may need low lighting to avoid headaches or overstimulation. These are both legitimate access needs, but they mean you probably cannot make the same space accessible to the same people at the same time. These are issues that need to be solved with a lot of thought and extra dedication of resources, and there’s nowhere near a standardized guide of responses to these situations.

Conflicting access needs come up all the time in the mental health field. For example, some people have strong emotions and need to be able to express them without judgment or restriction to be healthy; others have high levels of anxiety and extreme negative reactions to emotions expressed loudly or forcefully.  

Content warning: domestic violence, trauma, child harm: When I worked in a women’s shelter, one issue that came up a lot had to do with children: Women and children would arrive freshly traumatized and settle into a new, scary space with different rules and strange people. The children would often panic if they lost sight of their mother and want her near all the time. At the same time, their mothers needed time and space to process the trauma they’d been through and tell staff about what they’d been through.  Letting children sit in on their mothers’ interviews with staff, where they talked about the abuse they’d experienced, would be extremely harmful to the children--it substantially raises their risk of PTSD to see the adult they rely on to make the world safe break down and become overwhelmed with fear or grief, much less to hear about the things that had been done to her. We had to expend a lot of time, effort, and staffing hours to making sure that both mothers and children got what they needed--that there were a lot of staff on hand to soothe, distract, and play with children while their mothers were busy dealing with their own trauma, as well as counsellors and advocates available to help their mothers. End specific content warning

The more experience I get, the more I think it’s impossible for any one space or environment to meet everybody’s access needs at the same time. What some people experience as safety threatens others. Some people need to fall apart, and others need not to see someone falling apart in front of them. And unlike the shelter, friendships and social groups don’t have staff who are hired to put their own needs on hold for an eight-hour stretch; everyone involved has needs to look out for. (And actually, that’s not even true; as staff, our employer was non-negotiable about our need not to be physically threatened and prohibited us from working with clients who threatened violence against us. But we stretched ourselves thin ignoring our other needs--to sit down, to cry, to wait for the shaking to pass, to complain, to get angry, to go out for a snack or a smoke--when we had clients to take care of.)

(Relatedly, my experience with mental illness and mentally ill people is why I don’t believe in “safe spaces”: It is absolutely worthwhile to make a space safer, to remove a lot of obvious triggers and distressing material. But the more traumatized the group you are working with, the more elusive safety is because people carry their trauma around with them: they can’t be safe in their own heads and bodies. A lot of traumatized people constantly revisit and rehash what hurt them. To promise a “safe space” to many people is to make a false promise that will inevitably prove false and disappoint them. Therefore my view of what makes “safer spaces” work has changed a lot, away from restricting the kind of content on display, and towards empowering people to use tools to help themselves feel safe and in control. To saying, “Feel free to leave if you need to take time to yourself” or “Just put your hand up like this if you want us to leave you alone” or “here is how to keep this kind of content appearing on your screen”.)

These are issues I hardly got any training in and I’ve been in the mental health field for almost a decade. They’re discussions that feel like we’re breaking new ground in every time I have them with people with twenty years of experience. These are discussions that are hard find any clear, firm, 100% correct answer. Often the answer is “more resources”--more people, more empathy, more time, more thoughtfulness, more knowledge--and that’s a shitty answer when we’re in a situation where everyone is stressed, upset, at the end of their rope, in pain, and already doing the best they can.

These are tough issues.

I’m mentally ill and neurodivergent; I have mentally ill and neurodivergent friends. And it is so easy for us to hurt each other. My Autistic friend has an anxious week and has to stop spending all her energy on reading subtle social signals to finish her thesis; I’m depressed and socially anxious and feel the loss of her attention and lack of response to the small feelers I send out to see if she still likes me; when she finds out I’ve been sitting on my insecurity all week, she feels like a horrible friend.  We’re not necessarily bad, nor wrong, but we hurt each other all the same. And the reason we can still stay friends is because we can talk things through and find ways to give each other what we need.

Content warning: domestic violence, abuse, suicide: On the other hand, sometimes you can’t negotiate that gap and stay together afterwards. At the shelter, a lot of women who’d just left their abusive partner would come into the counselling office carrying their cell phones, saying, “He says he’ll kill himself if I don’t come back. He’s tried it before and I believe him. I think I should go.” Sometimes this is a bluff, an abuser’s tactic to get control back--and sometimes they’re not. But in those cases the women thought that their partner’s pain and distress--which were sometimes very real--meant they should put themselves back in danger. We had to remind them that their partner’s need for someone to help them deal was not actually greater than their need to stay safe and alive.  More than once, I helped a woman call 911 or the local Mobile Mental Health Unit to alert them to a person at high risk of suicide--because as much as she loved him and wanted him to be safe, she and I could look at the facts and know that her going back wouldn’t really help him, and would definitely harm her. End specific content warning

It matters a lot to me to try to have these discussions, tell these sorts of stories. A lot of my fiction is an attempt to complicate the bland, romanticized stories about mental health I got my information from when I was a teenager, that left me unprepared to handle these conflicts.

There isn’t an easy answer, not “more kindness” or “more boundaries” or “help others” or “look out for yourself”. The easiest answer I have is, “This is hard.” Caring about other people is an active struggle; being a good person isn’t a state, it’s a series of trade-offs and the best decisions you can make at the time.

Short, easy answers--”This is right, the alternative is wrong,” or “Fuck them” or “Only this is important”--may keep you safe or help you get through in the short term, but they also have their own costs. They’re coping mechanisms, not ultimate truths.

[quintinefowler-blog]

Nutrition and Supplements for Anxiety

We all have fears and worries but when they begin to dominate our life and our behavior, and become the focal point in which everything revolves, that's anxiety.

Many factors can contribute; trauma, chemical sensitivity, caffeine, heredity, drugs, alcohol, lifestyle choices.

If you cannot change the situation that is the focus of anxiety, try to determine a way of trying to change your way of handling the problem.

Relaxation of the mind and body and stress reduction are key.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is often vague and undirected, a sinking feeling that something terrible is about to happen. Unlike concrete fears (of illness or losing a job, for example), anxiety often stems from what used to be called borrowed trouble.

Anxious people imagine worst-case scenarios and spend lots of time dreading things that may never happen. For persistent anxiety, seek professional counseling. But natural remedies can help tremendously.

Anxiety disorders are possibly the most common and frequently occurring disorders of the mind/body. They include a group of conditions that share extreme anxiety as the principal disturbance of mood or emotional tone.

Anxiety, which may be understood as the pathological counterpart of normal fear, is manifest by disturbances of mood, as well as of thinking, behavior and physiological activity.

Included in this category are panic disorder (with or without a history of agoraphobia) , agoraphobia (with or without a history of panic disorder), generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsiv e disorders, acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder .

Anxiety disorders are ubiquitous across human cultures. The longitudinal course of these disorders is characterized by relatively early ages of onset, chronicity, relapsing or recurrent illness and periods of disability.

Panic disorder and agoraphobia are particularly associated with suicidal tendencies.

Nutritional Considerations

Add protein and carbohydrates to your diet: Incorporate protein into your diet. Protein helps to keep sugar levels stable. You can find protein in nuts, yogurt, beans, fish, chicken, tofu and lentils. Consider eating low glycemic carbohydrates such as brown rice and yams.

Seek out foods that are high in Omega-3 (fish oil/flaxseed oil): This oil has been shown in many studies, to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and reduce plaque buildup in your blood.

By reducing your bad cholesterol, you are helping your body to fight off stress and relieve anxiety, tension and even prevent heart disease! Fish/Flaxseed that are high in Omega-3 are excellent ways to help your blood stream. They are two of the greatest hormone regulators, as well.

Folic Acid: Folic Acid (required for energy production) is considered brain food. The brain needs it to work properly. It helps to prevent anxiety and fatigue. Folic acid works best when combined with vitamin C, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Much research has indicated that a deficiency of folic acid may include depression, insomnia, anorexia, forgetfulness, hyperirritability, apathy, fatigue and anxiety.

You can find Folic Acid in the following foods: Whole grain breads -Fortified cereals -Dried peas- Dried beans -Leafy vegetables- Fruit. Most multivitamin complexes contain folic acid.

GABA: GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) is an amino acid help reduce anxiety, allows rational decision making, promotes restful sleep and enhances workout recovery. It has also been shown to have similar effects as the benzodiazepine drugs.

You will also feel more relaxed and notice that you are sleeping better. The recommended dose for GABA is 700-750 mg – 3 times daily – talk to a medical professional about using GABA.

Inosistol: has been shown in studies to have a positive effect in the calming of the symptoms of panic attacks and obsessive-compulsiv e disorder. Taking up to 4 grams daily – 3 times-a-day has shown to be beneficial.

Magnesium: The supplement magnesium has been found to aid in the management of anxiety symptoms. Taking 200-300 mg of magnesium 2 to 3 times daily has been shown to help.

Selenium: Selenium, an important antioxidant, is a trace mineral found in soil and food. It protects neurotransmitters. Deficiency in selenium has shown to have a negative impact on mood. It also helps to reduce bad cholesterol and keep the heart healthy.

You can get much of your selenium from dietary sources such as: Alfalfa, fennel seed, ginseng, butter, garlic, liver, Brazil nuts, shellfish and other fishes. You can find it in sunflower seeds, yarrow, wheat germ and Brewer's yeast.

Vitamin B1: Vitamin B1 is also known as “thiamine.” In many studies, B1 has shown to have positive effects on the nervous system and mental well being. Vitamin B1 is found in peas, soybeans, fortified breads, cereals, pasta, fish, pork, whole grains and dried beans.

Prolonged intake of large amounts of alcohol depletes your body's supply of vitamin B1. Vitamin B3: (in the form niacinamide) has been tested in lab animals and seems to work in animals in the way that benzodiazepines such as Valium® have. *

Vitamin B6: Lack of Vitamin B6 has been known to cause anxiety and depression. The formation of certain brain chemicals from amino acids requires this vitamin. It affects the nervous system.

The recommended Dietary Allowances for adults (25+ years) is 2.0 for men and 1.6 for women. The best sources of vitamin B6 are meats (particularly organ meats such as liver), whole grains and wheat germ.

Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is needed for energy, brain function and a healthy nervous system. It helps to combat depression, stabilize PMS and helps to protect against anemia and it may help fight cancer. The best food sources of Vitamin B12 are liver, kidney, oily fish, beef, pork lamb, cheese, eggs and milk.

Zinc: and essential mineral, has been found to have positive effects on the nervous system as well as helping to produce a calming effect. Most multivitamins contain zinc. Food sources for zinc are Oysters, meat, poultry, nuts, beans and dairy products.

What You Should Avoid:

What you don't eat may be even more important than what you do eat. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugar, because they tend to worsen anxiety. If you can't avoid them, then at least cut down.

Avoid Caffeine: Caffeine is something many people in America and Europe are used to bringing in their daily lives. Though many studies have shown that this addictive stimulant can help produce symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and the like. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, many sodas and even certain medications.

Always ask your doctor about a medication before using it. Also, ask the doctor if there is an alternative medication if your medicine contains caffeine.

Reduce Processed and Refined Foods: Processed food can rob your food of nutrients and vitamins that your body needs to fight off stress and promote good health. Try to buy whole foods, unprocessed foods and try and stay away from “instant” foods, preservatives, artificial flavors, saturated fat and MSG.

Reduce Sugar Intake:  Too much sugar can rob our body of essential nutrients. Yet don't be so fast as to replace the sugar with Stevia the natural sweetener from the Stevia plant. Artificial sweetener can also cause anxiety as well as other health concerns.

Reduce Alcohol Intake: In small amounts, alcohol can be good for your heart but too much alcohol is not a good thing for your body and too large of an intake increases your body's need for extra vitamins.

The body has a harder time using oxygen. As a result, you can become more sensitive to stress – which in turn can cause anxiety reactions. It can also cause depression.

The Effects of Alcohol on Anxiety:  How does alcohol contribute to Anxiety Disorders? Research has shown that alcohol ín high doses has numerous health hazards.

As well as many other things, ít can: increase your need for extra vitamins due to disturbed eating patterns interfere with the body's ability to use oxygen, to process food & absorb vitamins.

This results in high alcohol consumption making you more sensitive to stress.

Chronic abuse of alcohol ís often associated with depression-like symptoms, which can reduce the ability to solve problems, which ín turn can lead to anxiety.

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to poor work performance, relationship difficulties & financial difficulties. This can produce stressors that worsen anxiety.

Help Anxiety and Depression Naturally!

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[clubofinfo]

Expert: Cognitive dissonance in Psychology The psychological tension that occurs when one holds mutually exclusive beliefs or attitudes and that often motivates people to modify their thoughts or behaviors in order to reduce the tension. Anxiety that results from simultaneously holding contradictory or incompatible attitudes, beliefs, or the like, as when one likes a person but disapproves of one of his or her habits. Motivated Ignorance in Politics Motivated ignorance can be simply defined as when people don’t want to know the facts. While ignorance is defined as a lack of knowledge, education or understanding; motivated ignorance is when others choose not to educate themselves out of fear. Example of Motivated Ignorance with Trump’s  Base If you’re looking for an explanation for why Trump’s support is so solid among his base — and why it will remain so stubbornly high — read this piece by the Associated Press, where the reporters asked Trump supporters how they’re handling the wave of scandal. “I tuned it out,” Michele Velardi, a 44-year-old in Staten Island, told the AP of the recent news. “I didn’t want to be depressed. I don’t want to feel that he’s not doing what he said, so I just choose to not listen.” This line is extremely revealing. It shows a psychological tendency we’re all susceptible to. That tendency is called “motivated ignorance,” and it’s an extremely powerful force in American politics. It’s also one of the keys to understanding why political discourse can be so irrational. The reality of this motivated ignorance in this country is it is deep running, the very foundation of how American “democracy” runs — how we as a collective have allowed for the casino, predatory, shock doctrine capitalism to pervade every waking second and sleeping nanosecond. It’s the cognitive dissonance at looking at the old apple pie, in this case, where our collective taxes (those of the 85 percent, not those from the One Percent and their Little Eichmann hit men and hit women 14 percent who steal, hide, launder, offshore, dodge and deny their fair share of the bill to keep America running) go to support the Oligarchs, the Kochs-Bloombergs-BlackRock Capitals-Zuckerbergs- et al. Seriously, look at the simplistic things listed above – 59 percent of the budget is for military, which in my mind is just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to the actual toll we pay for militarism and Empire. Put in International Affairs at 2 percent, Transportation at 3 percent, Energy/Environment at 2 percent, hell, Science at 3, Education at 5 percent, and Health at 5, and then Veterans’ Benefits — 7%. Truly, how many of those sectors support adventurism, playing the world’s cop, or our thuggery and invasive rogue statesmanship (sic)? How much of the budget is in line for supporting the grifters that are American corporations, profiteers preened by lobbyists, what Matt Taibbi calls – Griftopia and Vampire Squids from his 2010 book, Griftopia: Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America? How much of what we do-think-consume-buy-sell-hope for-believe in-educate-govern is tied to this rancid desire to control markets, control destinies, control geo-political zones, control futures? Can we divorce anything in this society – Hollywood, food, medicine, urban planning, banking, science, technology, etc. – from the very foundation of uber alles zieg heil capitalism, above anything else? Never. Ironies and contradictions and counter-intuitive thinking abound in this wasteland of capital and profits and vast piles of wealth controlled by a smaller and smaller slice of the population. Daily, now that I am back off the dole and working as a social worker for homeless veterans, the Make America Great aging and down and out veterans are floundering minute by minute to find stability. That’s health, housing, any safety net or blanket. Veterans and the VA and the pressures of a tri-county arena in the Portland, OR, market, where apartments of any affordable nature are few and far in between. Disgusting rents, disgusting digs. I work at a temporary shelter for vets, of all ages, all genders, families, and their companion dogs. Housed temporarily, and my job is connecting them to services, scrounging for resources, helping them navigate towers of bureaucratic paperwork. Here’s what one fellow I met at the VA hospital told me: Yeah, they never prepare you for coming back into civilian life. Truth be told, brother, the entire experience being in the Army, or military, is trauma inducting. Shit, doesn’t matter if you end up in one of the war zones. Think, man, I am a black man, and you think the military is one cakewalk? It’s white supremacist, no two ways about it. They don’t prepare you for the shock, first, of the shit they put you through in the Army. Daily, it’s hazing, humiliation. Daily, it’s one ordeal, man, after another. I don’t think someone who hasn’t been in understands that. We come out traumatized. We all come out with service connected trauma. Hands down, that’s one hundred percent disability. Forget about the hearing loss, the smashed discs in the back, the exposure to chemicals, the constant stress they put you through. I wasn’t prepared for this life, man, coming out of Iraq. I am hands down messed up, not prepared for anything, and dealing with what I went through in the Army, come on, it’s one hundred percent disabled. Hobbled by the mind games, the razing, the constant bullshit of the systems. You think as a black man, really, that it wasn’t like at times being in the Klan, or around these racists? You either hate brown people in the Middle East, or you are one of them. ISIS, Taliban, Al Qaeda. Every day it was a constant racist shit-show with Obama in as their and my commander in chief. Imagine that shit. Now, these young guys and gals have that freak show of a Trump and his Aryan Brotherhood , and how’s that transformation going to look like for brothers and sisters leaving after three, five, seven years? What shit have they prepared us for coming back into civilian life with all those emotional and psychological batterings? This is one fellow I ran into a VA clinic, not even one of my clients. He somehow pegged me as Marxist, anti-authority, and he let go the floodgates. You can’t make these things up anymore as a traveler, as a writer who is incognito as a social worker. Look at the pie above for aid to the Veterans, and see what the shit show pays out for the walking wounded, the chronically ill, the near insane, and the mentally deranged. Think about how much communities spend on housing, safety nets for the poor – the working poor, the children of this warped nation? Nothing, little, but the toll, and intended consequences, oh, what a toll. Daily reminders of the stench of the racism of this country come to me as I navigate systems of penury, systems of poverty, the entire mess of the indebtedness, years of back child support, unimaginable fees to be paid to University of Phoenix, the Trump Universities of the system of deceit and destruction. These conversations are pretty deep daily, as the men and women of the military are housed in temporary quarters, looking for ways to find housing. These are people with three or four or a few more years in the military, and they have no pensions, and in reality, after the service, many of them have kicked about, aimless, broken, working class hard, somehow broken from the line of logic that “serving your country means your country will serve you.” Homeless, people, and that’s rotten teeth, rotten criminal records, rotten credit, rotten evictions, rotten bills, and a system that barely puts a few dollars worth of food stamps a month in their hands. The walking wounded, and the wandering poor. Each day another one hits the road, finds abandonment his or her only option, and it’s another day they have without social safety nets. There are dozens of cases each day, how these young and not-so-young end up in an emergency shelter for veterans. Many are hammered  by huge changes in their relationships; i.e., divorce. That SEE — significant emotional event — spirals mostly men, but many women, into hitting the road and losing a home. As if the entire ranch is predicated on that 2000 or 3000 square foot home. Garage full of stuff. Children, pets, and, well, one thing leads to another, and, bam, the person — veteran — is couch surfing, living in their cars, and, bam, something gets them into a criminal justice situation or medical intervention. For years, the spiraling, homeless, but with a job, and, then, another SEE — death of a buddy, war buddy, or, their PTSD and other ailments start shivering the soul. Booze and drugs, pain pills and meth. Whatever it is, these former soldiers — many of whom went into the military with baggage — come out with some mean and deep scars. One fellow was working security at a fancy hotel. Had a dog as a service animal. Kicked out of apartment that did not recognize the doctor’s orders for a dog. Then, this former Marine is living in the hotel, and his dog is in a shelter. He rents a car, gets the dog, and sleeps in the vehicle and ends up working, still, with the dog in the car and people walking her for a few bucks. Cold snap, snow in downtown Portland, and the fellow is at the wheel, with the engine on, parked, so the heater will work. He had a few drinks, a few bottles empty in the car, but he never drove the vehicle plastered. Now, he faces $5000 or more in court costs, rehab costs, license suspensions, towing bill, rent-a-car clean up of $500 since the soldier never had a chance to clean it up. He ends up in the shelter where I work. Bam, I find him a free dog crate, and the dog is freed from the pound, and the soldier is in a shared room with a dog companion and another homeless roommate who actually loves the dog. Story after story, scenario after scenario. Veterans who served five years, or Vietnam Vets who had two tours in Vietnam, saw killing, and sucked in the beast of Agent Orange, Phosphorus and all the diseases and molds of Indochina. One fellow spent three stints in prison. What, 28 years total. Veteran who ended up in his native Portland during the days of the West Coast CIA Cocaine Infusion Gary Webb and others wrote about. The crack cocaine was rampant in Portland, LA, San Diego, other locales. Coke and PTSD from military and war, and the combination turns into crime for money to support a dime a day or eight-ball. Aged 62, and 16 years in prison for the last crime and here he is my client, working to find something, housing, a job, and he wants to keep pursuing some music career — electronic stuff, with all the software, licks, keyboards. Hell, he knew the drummer from the Yellow Jackets who did work for lots of people, including Michael Jackson. Now how easy is that for a veteran, now in a shelter, sharing a room with another fellow, to get out of the institutionalized way of thinking? Prison mind. Hell, this African-American is the exact person the Yellow Bellied Trump and dictator of Philippines and Singapore Sadists and Chinese think drug users are good for — the firing squad. Really, make no bones about it, Vietnam Navy veteran, using the cocaine of the Contras and Reagan Years, Colonel Ollie North and Colonel McFarland, all those blasted neocons and Israel-firsters essentially pushing drugs into Compton and Portland, and he is now the perfect model for electrocution. Because a drug user is always a drug money holder who is always a drug dealer willing to move more stuff than personal use can suffice in order to pay for rent and buy food. Imagine the stories about Trump in New York City? Imagine how much white powder was stuffed up noses in his hotels, hell, maybe in his own suites and bathrooms, golden toilet lids for lines of coke to be inhaled with crystal pipettes. Studio 51, Trump’s parties at the Playboy Mansion, Trump the Playboy with Jeffrey Epstein, with known drug users, dealers, all those boozers, and, well, anyone owning a casino is in the business of dealing the most lethal drugs of them all — booze and smokes. Pall Malls and Jack Daniels. Story after story I absorb. Wounded warrior after traumatized veteran. An army of none, an air force for bombing, a navy for nihilism, a marine corps for murder. So, Trump-Clinton-Obama-Bush-Reagan-Every-Member of Congress and the Senate voting for more war, more murder, well, who are the dealers really, dealers of death to not only the enemy in name (people of color) but dealers of death to their own people? Politicians, Economic Hitmen, Bankers, and Judges? Hmm. And my work at this shelter is so-so under the radar of those Trump-Clinton-Obama-Bush-Reagan-Every-Member of Congress and the Senate-and-Corporate Leaders who vote-vote for more prisons, missile launchers, satellites of death, drones of destruction, mountain heaps of bullets and rifles, stealth bombers and endless logistical crap that feeds, clothes, houses, warms, cools, placates the soldiers. Not a tear dropped for homeless veterans, because under the calculus of Trump and Accompanying Neoliberals, these “scum-bags” as they call them are in their own self-imposed dire straights one hundred percent because of all THEIR wrong choices. Some choice: A thousand a month in benefits from social security with a few service connected claims, and a 185 square foot room with two burner stove-top. Smaller than a prison cell, and these old men and old women end up living their last few years cramped in, single occupancy rooms, and somehow, we call that a success story. If only the masters of the world, the Fortune 1000, and the Cadet Bone Spurs Trump, and his entourage of freaks and freakish family and extended clan could really get something under their manicured nails. Imagine, this draft dodger, Trump, who vilified John McCain, joking at his POW status. Imagine, this president (sic) forgetting the name of the soldier recently killed as he attempted to talk to the widow. Imagine, this unreality TV show blob, planning 50 million dollar arms parade. Imagine, all his cabinet, spending $19,000 here for a new office table, $50 thousand there for first-class flights, trips to Europe, with family in tow. Imagine, this fellow, Teflon, imagine, weak knees and golfer’s belly, commanding the men and women in uniform, pushing more war toys onto the commanders, all the graft of the multiple military lords of war, in the civilian world. To the editor: Cadet Bone Spurs claims he would have run into Stoneman Douglas High School unarmed if he had been on the scene of the recent shooting there. Apparently, he is braver now than he was during the Vietnam era when he secured five deferments. I would like to call on him to immediately fly to the scene of the next school shooting and put his new-found bravery into action. Come on, Bone Spurs, show us what you’re made of! Mark Ward Then imagine the 40,000 veterans who are deemed homeless by some measures (I believe more than that number are without housing). Imagine the broken VA system, all the vets that don’t get mental health support, all the callous and corrupt officials and medical experts who just push patient after patient back into the cold of night, the drizzle of Portland in the dead of winter. Oh, there are homeless social workers, man, living in Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, and You Name It Rah-Rah America. Working daily to help homeless veterans in some non-profit (poverty-wage poverty pimping entity) in Seattle, and the fellows have to kip inside their cars, or find shelters to wash up for a new day’s work. And we are now in March Madness, post-Oscars, ready for the new 2018 Line Up of Trucks and Cars, and we give a shit about some black actors in the wrinkle of time or black panther, when the entire mess of America is a hall of mirrors, broken, shards, reflections of the horror show that is capital – money hoarders, the launderers, the developers, that Chamber of Death called the Chamber of Commerce. The reverberating stupidity of anyone supporting anything that resembles a politician is a daily reminder of how many millions upon millions of Americans who are my enemy, the grease (suet) that oils the death trains of capitalism. Daily, the discussions I have are telling, sometimes revealing. More and more people are broken children, and their hard ways, after hitting 70 or 75, are softened by their very own time in a shelter, and on the streets. Listening to the stories of pain, of all those broken people, the families that are the enemy, and the pounding chronic physical and psychological illnesses that now define America, the underclass, or even the 80 Percenters, those of us precarious, struggling to make ends meet. Grown men who saw and breathed the Agent Orange fogs, who still call people Gooks, who ended up broken and flailed by war, and then facing the truth, the inability to make it in the American Fun House of Nightmares, which were not the Dreams of Children growing up playing baseball and running track. I had one fellow recently who said he had grown hardened, calloused, after decades driving trucks, hard labor. He said that life breeds entire armies of hardened and severe thinkers. But my guy has seen the light, heard the stories of people in this shelter with lives unimaginable, as youth, pounded by parents, the rapes, the drugs, the abject poverty, and then signing up for the military, that economic draft we call it. Living in the thrushes or old warehouses. Some after awarded purple hearts and bronze stars for valor, living in old container boxes, in tents near highway ramps. Who would have thought that 9th grade baseball game, seventh inning, hot dogs, popcorn, the Dr. Pepper and cheerleaders and verdant fields and all those supports with advertising logos in left field, who would have thought that was miasma, a dream, some lost memory? Then they genuflect to the antithesis of duty to country (Trump), the exact opposite of sacrificing for country, the entire Trump regime. America, the façade, the revolving paper poster and tinsel all glued on, all bullshit, memories falsified by Hollywood and Madison Avenue. Who would have thought a Marxist atheist like myself would be salving the mental and spiritual wounds of the walking wounded, the warriors, some, and the others who just did their time in the grinder called US military? The trauma is inflicted and is infectious, and we go home, social workers, never satisfied with the work we did, and our phones are turned on 24-7, and we want the ones that can survive to do that and more, and some vets, yeah, they have some money coming in, but they are broken, ending up in a shelter, and we hold their hearts, solve their issues, and we go home, poor, not wanting anything in return, but for another veteran to be housed. Six years after the Great Recession began, the number of homeless families with children remains stubbornly high. And the number of low-income households with unmet needs for housing assistance—especially families with children—has soared. Funding cuts under sequestration threaten to halt progress against homelessness and worsen the shortage of affordable housing. This unprecedented reduction in federal rental assistance primarily affects low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and working families with children who are currently on waiting lists for assistance. The voucher cuts also mean that many fewer families that are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness will have access to vouchers. On top of this are the reductions in federal food aid to the poor, once called food stamps and now the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Four out of five of these recipients have gross incomes below the poverty line, about $23,500 for a family of four. As many as 4 million more would be dropped from the program under cuts proposed by House Republicans. Homeless children, or those threatened with homelessness, are among the most heart rending victims of this assault by Republicans on housing and nutrition for the poor. They go hand in hand. Homeless children suffer much more from obesity and other diet-related ailments than other children. — Barbara Sard, the vice president for housing policy at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities http://clubof.info/

[jakehglover]

The Healing Power of Nature

By Dr. Mercola

For most people in the U.S., life is easier than it was 50 years ago. Automation, transportation, communication and information are much more sophisticated now than they were then. At the touch of a button or the sound of your voice, nearly anything considered imperative for survival is available, instantly. But there are plenty who will tell you that, in comparison, life today isn't better; it's simply faster.

Behavioral scientists of every stripe are becoming more vocal in the observation that at the same rate that efficiency has been increased, something else has been lost.

More than a few people will say they experience a vague feeling of unease and even anxiety with anything too far removed from their creature comforts. Florence Williams, author of "The Nature Fix," contends that part of the angst stems from a disconnectedness from nature. People often choose what's familiar and nature has become a foreign commodity.

A century ago, and even half that, people had a much greater opportunity to explore nature, or at least be outdoors more often and for longer periods than they do today. Then, people shopped in stores instead of online.

For many people under the age of 30, you'll notice a certain unwillingness to detach from the "familiar" known as technology (or at least cell service). After-school activities once involved outdoor recreation with others, rather than engaging in solitary bouts of online isolation.

Williams observes that one of the symptoms of "mass generational amnesia enabled by urbanization and digital creep" is that kids in both the U.S. and the U.K. spend about half the time outdoors that their parents did a few generations ago. Today, even out of school, about seven hours of kids' days are spent head down, staring at a screen.

Where We've Come From and Where We're Going

As a result of what she termed our "epidemic dislocation from the outdoors," Williams listed problems like vitamin D deficiency, obesity, depression, loneliness and anxiety. But there are other, unforeseen and increasingly common consequences, according to MinnPost's Earth Journal:

"These include the disorders mentioned above and a wide range of others — mostly mental but some physiological — with roots in the particular stresses of the modern, high-pressure, ever-accelerating lifestyle, which is pursued largely indoors and may be especially problematic for the youngest among us."1

It's hard to believe that so few health authorities have been able to project where the fascination with technology in its many forms would take society as a whole. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with technology; the bigger problem is that so few people realize what it's replacing. But if you've never had something, it's hard to know what you're missing. Our collective myopic drive to succeed and sometimes just survive can blur our focus.

We've become, C.S. Lewis noted, "like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."2 Exacerbating the problem is that with every high school graduating class, we're that much further away from what our parents, grandparents and generations before us knew — that nature, the essence of the living world and the wonders it holds — may be far more crucial for our physical, spiritual and emotional survival than we realize.

Modern Life: The Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Toll

Williams noted a link between what's become an almost absent drive to connect with nature and the onset of the aforementioned chronic ailments (and unfortunately, that's just the short list). She asserts that while most of us are busy making the proverbial mud pies:

"We don't experience natural environments enough to realize how restored they can make us feel, nor are we aware that studies also show they make us healthier, more creative, more empathetic and more apt to engage with the world and with each other. Nature, it turns out, is good for civilization."3

Put another way, the ease and comfort generally recognized as a residual of "success" has come with a price, but unless individuals, families, towns and whatever entity "management" represents see the trend for what it is and do something to slow the leak, it will only get worse.

For some among us who've experienced some of the worst of what the world can throw at them, such as combat veterans who may or may not exhibit visible injuries, the power of nature is being used as one of the most restorative therapies — far better than drugs and, in some cases, more effective than counseling.

An Idaho-based nonprofit group called Higher Ground4 offers veterans suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) opportunities to experience "therapeutic adventure," believing the sensory elements of nature can reduce trauma. But the scientific explanations are imprecise. Williams quoted Stacy Bare, one of Higher Ground's coordinators:

"I think we all believe in the power and mystery of the great outdoors, but these are difficult things to quantify by science. Is it difficult to do a double-blind control study in nature? Very. I don't think we have to hit that standard, but we have to have a more systematic approach to how we evaluate the effects of the outdoors."5

How Can Nature Fix What's Broken?

Rather than going on about the detriments of modern life on the human psyche, suffice it to say that all over the world, the disconnect between modern life and the great outdoors hasn't gone unnoticed. In some areas, researchers, naturalists and city planners are remedying the shortfalls in novel ways, Williams observed, such as in:

Scotland, where poor people in Glasgow slums have been studied in regard to the harm suffered as a result of their disconnect from nature.

Japan, a therapeutic practice called "forest bathing" is designed to reduce stress, increase immunity and even help manage diabetes.6 One study explains how being in or viewing plants, flowers, urban green spaces and natural wooden materials helps people relax, lower heart rates and blood pressure.7 Even in the U.S., forest bathing clubs have popped up, including in areas such as San Francisco, where members convene to slowly make their way through forests and indulge fully in the natural world.8

Finland, showing that parks designed to arouse visitors' connection to the natural world with ancient woodland settings helps arouse intense encounters called metsänpeitto, which means "covered by the forest."

Singapore, which has the third-highest population density in the world, is being upscaled by urban planners to create a green infrastructure using green walls and vertical gardens, some of which produce food.

Sweden, where a unique therapy "nature-based rehabilitation" garden in an all-weather, glass greenhouse was made available for patients disabled by work-related stress. The nature-based rehabilitation program affects the outcome with regard to return to work one year after.9

There are even volatile compounds called phytoncides released from trees10 that have been shown to reduce stress hormones and anxiety while improving blood pressure and immunity, according to Dr. Eva Selhub, a lecturer in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a clinical associate of the Massachusetts General Hospital.11

The Healing Power of Gardens, Even in Hospitals

Embracing nature is therapeutic in ways that can't be explained. Scientific American cites a 1984 study conducted by environmental psychologist Roger Ulrich,12 the first to use scientific measurements to show how powerful something as seemingly innocuous as a hospital garden can be in speeding patients' healing time, no matter the illness:

"Ulrich and his team reviewed the medical records of people recovering from gallbladder surgery at a suburban Pennsylvania hospital. All other things being equal, patients with bedside windows looking out on leafy trees healed, on average, a day faster, needed significantly less pain medication and had fewer postsurgical complications than patients who instead saw a brick wall."13

Whereas most physicians saw the noisy, smelly, notoriously distressing "disorienting mazes" as an unfortunate and unalterable reality in most hospitals prior to the study, Ulrich's research was deemed groundbreaking. Since then, it's been proven that even a few minutes of viewing trees, flowers and water can improve patients physiologically.

In fact, garden views and garden-like alcoves strategically placed throughout hospital settings were shown to reduce anger, anxiety and pain and help patients, visitors and hospital employees relax.

Improvements were noted in peoples' blood pressure, muscle tension, heart and electrical brain activity. Also, according to Scientific American,14 research shows that incorporating a design with hospital patients in mind calls for a number of factors to help bring the "healing" into garden settings:

Keeping it green, ensuring that layered landscapes including shade trees, flowers and shrubs at various heights take up 70 percent of the space, with 30 percent as concrete walkways and plazas.

Keep it real, as "Abstract sculptures do not soothe people who are sick or worried."

Easy accessibility, with easy-to-open doors, and being located in close proximity to patients.

Engaging multiple senses so that garden elements can be not just viewed but touched, smelled and heard, but in the background and not too overwhelming.

Navigable walkways that wheelchairs and people accompanied by IV poles can walk though comfortably, with paving seams no further than one-eighth of an inch apart to prevent tripping.

The Science of Grounding: Getting Down to Earth

When your skin comes into contact with the Earth, such as when you walk barefoot through a lush meadow or on a sandy beach, there's more to the experience than just a sense of relaxation and well-being. It's a scientific study in the way your body is wired to be electrical.

Research is emerging in some of the most surprising places, indicating that there's more to "earthing" or "grounding" than meets the eye. Because the Earth carries an electron-rich, negative charge, it provides a powerful and abundant supply of antioxidant electrons that effectively zap free radicals.

When your bare feet come into contact with the ground, you absorb large amounts of negative electrons through your soles that's sufficient enough to maintain your body at the same negatively charged electrical potential as the Earth. In this way, your contact with nature is more than emotional or spiritual, although it can be those things; coming into close physical contact with the Earth — the essence of nature — is also physiological. It brings healing in ways that are quantifiable.

How to Go 'Earthing' for Health Benefits

James Oschman, an expert in the field of energy medicine, with a bachelor's degree in biophysics and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, observed that grounding is especially beneficial for fighting inflammation, which is at the root of nearly every disease and disorder. Oschman and his colleagues listed a number of ways grounding imparts dramatic health advantages, including:

Improved sleep

More rapid wound healing

Reduced stress

Reduced pain

Reduced blood viscosity

Maybe your schedule somehow makes it impossible to take a three-week vacation to the Bahamas, or even a one-week excursion to the nearest mountains or wooded areas, but if you value your health and the health of your family, you should give nature a better chance at being a part of your lifestyle.

An hour after work, a half-hour during lunch time, a day off or weekends spent in close contact with trees, flowers, flowing water and the sound of birds will lead to improvements in your psyche, your attitude and your overall health that may surprise you. In addition, Selhub recommends being mindful when you're in nature and bringing more nature into your life by:15

"Go[ing] crazy with the plants," adding them to your office, home or anywhere you spend a lot of time

Finding a room with a view of nature whenever possible, and when it's not, adding photos of nature to your space

Considering a meditation retreat that involves spending time in nature, which has been found to be "moderately to largely effective in reducing depression, anxiety, stress and in ameliorating the quality of life of participants"16

Combining your workouts with nature by doing them outdoors; exercising in the woods, for instance, decreases fatigue and increases positive mental thoughts and feelings of invigoration compared to exercising on a treadmill17

Connecting with nature via your diet. "Think about bringing nature into your body, especially if you can't get out into nature on a regular basis. Eat foods that are naturally available on this earth … Even better, plant your own vegetables if you can — you'll get the combined benefits of eating healthy, spending time in nature, and getting some exercise."18

You can also try starting a journal to track how you feel when you start and make a concerted effort to get in touch with nature. You may find yourself recording improvements that go far beyond the physical, positively influencing your work environment, relationships and above all, inner peace.

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/01/25/healing-power-of-nature.aspx

[sherristockman]

The Healing Power of Nature Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola For most people in the U.S., life is easier than it was 50 years ago. Automation, transportation, communication and information are much more sophisticated now than they were then. At the touch of a button or the sound of your voice, nearly anything considered imperative for survival is available, instantly. But there are plenty who will tell you that, in comparison, life today isn't better; it's simply faster. Behavioral scientists of every stripe are becoming more vocal in the observation that at the same rate that efficiency has been increased, something else has been lost. More than a few people will say they experience a vague feeling of unease and even anxiety with anything too far removed from their creature comforts. Florence Williams, author of "The Nature Fix," contends that part of the angst stems from a disconnectedness from nature. People often choose what's familiar and nature has become a foreign commodity. A century ago, and even half that, people had a much greater opportunity to explore nature, or at least be outdoors more often and for longer periods than they do today. Then, people shopped in stores instead of online. For many people under the age of 30, you'll notice a certain unwillingness to detach from the "familiar" known as technology (or at least cell service). After-school activities once involved outdoor recreation with others, rather than engaging in solitary bouts of online isolation. Williams observes that one of the symptoms of "mass generational amnesia enabled by urbanization and digital creep" is that kids in both the U.S. and the U.K. spend about half the time outdoors that their parents did a few generations ago. Today, even out of school, about seven hours of kids' days are spent head down, staring at a screen. Where We've Come From and Where We're Going As a result of what she termed our "epidemic dislocation from the outdoors," Williams listed problems like vitamin D deficiency, obesity, depression, loneliness and anxiety. But there are other, unforeseen and increasingly common consequences, according to MinnPost's Earth Journal: "These include the disorders mentioned above and a wide range of others — mostly mental but some physiological — with roots in the particular stresses of the modern, high-pressure, ever-accelerating lifestyle, which is pursued largely indoors and may be especially problematic for the youngest among us."1 It's hard to believe that so few health authorities have been able to project where the fascination with technology in its many forms would take society as a whole. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with technology; the bigger problem is that so few people realize what it's replacing. But if you've never had something, it's hard to know what you're missing. Our collective myopic drive to succeed and sometimes just survive can blur our focus. We've become, C.S. Lewis noted, "like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."2 Exacerbating the problem is that with every high school graduating class, we're that much further away from what our parents, grandparents and generations before us knew — that nature, the essence of the living world and the wonders it holds — may be far more crucial for our physical, spiritual and emotional survival than we realize. Modern Life: The Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Toll Williams noted a link between what's become an almost absent drive to connect with nature and the onset of the aforementioned chronic ailments (and unfortunately, that's just the short list). She asserts that while most of us are busy making the proverbial mud pies: "We don't experience natural environments enough to realize how restored they can make us feel, nor are we aware that studies also show they make us healthier, more creative, more empathetic and more apt to engage with the world and with each other. Nature, it turns out, is good for civilization."3 Put another way, the ease and comfort generally recognized as a residual of "success" has come with a price, but unless individuals, families, towns and whatever entity "management" represents see the trend for what it is and do something to slow the leak, it will only get worse. For some among us who've experienced some of the worst of what the world can throw at them, such as combat veterans who may or may not exhibit visible injuries, the power of nature is being used as one of the most restorative therapies — far better than drugs and, in some cases, more effective than counseling. An Idaho-based nonprofit group called Higher Ground4 offers veterans suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) opportunities to experience "therapeutic adventure," believing the sensory elements of nature can reduce trauma. But the scientific explanations are imprecise. Williams quoted Stacy Bare, one of Higher Ground's coordinators: "I think we all believe in the power and mystery of the great outdoors, but these are difficult things to quantify by science. Is it difficult to do a double-blind control study in nature? Very. I don't think we have to hit that standard, but we have to have a more systematic approach to how we evaluate the effects of the outdoors."5 How Can Nature Fix What's Broken? Rather than going on about the detriments of modern life on the human psyche, suffice it to say that all over the world, the disconnect between modern life and the great outdoors hasn't gone unnoticed. In some areas, researchers, naturalists and city planners are remedying the shortfalls in novel ways, Williams observed, such as in: Scotland, where poor people in Glasgow slums have been studied in regard to the harm suffered as a result of their disconnect from nature. Japan, a therapeutic practice called "forest bathing" is designed to reduce stress, increase immunity and even help manage diabetes.6 One study explains how being in or viewing plants, flowers, urban green spaces and natural wooden materials helps people relax, lower heart rates and blood pressure.7 Even in the U.S., forest bathing clubs have popped up, including in areas such as San Francisco, where members convene to slowly make their way through forests and indulge fully in the natural world.8 Finland, showing that parks designed to arouse visitors' connection to the natural world with ancient woodland settings helps arouse intense encounters called metsänpeitto, which means "covered by the forest." Singapore, which has the third-highest population density in the world, is being upscaled by urban planners to create a green infrastructure using green walls and vertical gardens, some of which produce food. Sweden, where a unique therapy "nature-based rehabilitation" garden in an all-weather, glass greenhouse was made available for patients disabled by work-related stress. The nature-based rehabilitation program affects the outcome with regard to return to work one year after.9 There are even volatile compounds called phytoncides released from trees10 that have been shown to reduce stress hormones and anxiety while improving blood pressure and immunity, according to Dr. Eva Selhub, a lecturer in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a clinical associate of the Massachusetts General Hospital.11 The Healing Power of Gardens, Even in Hospitals Embracing nature is therapeutic in ways that can't be explained. Scientific American cites a 1984 study conducted by environmental psychologist Roger Ulrich,12 the first to use scientific measurements to show how powerful something as seemingly innocuous as a hospital garden can be in speeding patients' healing time, no matter the illness: "Ulrich and his team reviewed the medical records of people recovering from gallbladder surgery at a suburban Pennsylvania hospital. All other things being equal, patients with bedside windows looking out on leafy trees healed, on average, a day faster, needed significantly less pain medication and had fewer postsurgical complications than patients who instead saw a brick wall."13 Whereas most physicians saw the noisy, smelly, notoriously distressing "disorienting mazes" as an unfortunate and unalterable reality in most hospitals prior to the study, Ulrich's research was deemed groundbreaking. Since then, it's been proven that even a few minutes of viewing trees, flowers and water can improve patients physiologically. In fact, garden views and garden-like alcoves strategically placed throughout hospital settings were shown to reduce anger, anxiety and pain and help patients, visitors and hospital employees relax. Improvements were noted in peoples' blood pressure, muscle tension, heart and electrical brain activity. Also, according to Scientific American,14 research shows that incorporating a design with hospital patients in mind calls for a number of factors to help bring the "healing" into garden settings: Keeping it green, ensuring that layered landscapes including shade trees, flowers and shrubs at various heights take up 70 percent of the space, with 30 percent as concrete walkways and plazas. Keep it real, as "Abstract sculptures do not soothe people who are sick or worried." Easy accessibility, with easy-to-open doors, and being located in close proximity to patients. Engaging multiple senses so that garden elements can be not just viewed but touched, smelled and heard, but in the background and not too overwhelming. Navigable walkways that wheelchairs and people accompanied by IV poles can walk though comfortably, with paving seams no further than one-eighth of an inch apart to prevent tripping. The Science of Grounding: Getting Down to Earth When your skin comes into contact with the Earth, such as when you walk barefoot through a lush meadow or on a sandy beach, there's more to the experience than just a sense of relaxation and well-being. It's a scientific study in the way your body is wired to be electrical. Research is emerging in some of the most surprising places, indicating that there's more to "earthing" or "grounding" than meets the eye. Because the Earth carries an electron-rich, negative charge, it provides a powerful and abundant supply of antioxidant electrons that effectively zap free radicals. When your bare feet come into contact with the ground, you absorb large amounts of negative electrons through your soles that's sufficient enough to maintain your body at the same negatively charged electrical potential as the Earth. In this way, your contact with nature is more than emotional or spiritual, although it can be those things; coming into close physical contact with the Earth — the essence of nature — is also physiological. It brings healing in ways that are quantifiable. How to Go 'Earthing' for Health Benefits James Oschman, an expert in the field of energy medicine, with a bachelor's degree in biophysics and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, observed that grounding is especially beneficial for fighting inflammation, which is at the root of nearly every disease and disorder. Oschman and his colleagues listed a number of ways grounding imparts dramatic health advantages, including: Improved sleep More rapid wound healing Reduced stress Reduced pain Reduced blood viscosity Maybe your schedule somehow makes it impossible to take a three-week vacation to the Bahamas, or even a one-week excursion to the nearest mountains or wooded areas, but if you value your health and the health of your family, you should give nature a better chance at being a part of your lifestyle. An hour after work, a half-hour during lunch time, a day off or weekends spent in close contact with trees, flowers, flowing water and the sound of birds will lead to improvements in your psyche, your attitude and your overall health that may surprise you. In addition, Selhub recommends being mindful when you're in nature and bringing more nature into your life by:15 "Go[ing] crazy with the plants," adding them to your office, home or anywhere you spend a lot of time Finding a room with a view of nature whenever possible, and when it's not, adding photos of nature to your space Considering a meditation retreat that involves spending time in nature, which has been found to be "moderately to largely effective in reducing depression, anxiety, stress and in ameliorating the quality of life of participants"16 Combining your workouts with nature by doing them outdoors; exercising in the woods, for instance, decreases fatigue and increases positive mental thoughts and feelings of invigoration compared to exercising on a treadmill17 Connecting with nature via your diet. "Think about bringing nature into your body, especially if you can't get out into nature on a regular basis. Eat foods that are naturally available on this earth … Even better, plant your own vegetables if you can — you'll get the combined benefits of eating healthy, spending time in nature, and getting some exercise."18 You can also try starting a journal to track how you feel when you start and make a concerted effort to get in touch with nature. You may find yourself recording improvements that go far beyond the physical, positively influencing your work environment, relationships and above all, inner peace.

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Nutrition and Supplements for Anxiety

We all have fears and worries but when they begin to dominate our life and our behavior, and become the focal point in which everything revolves, that’s anxiety.

Many factors can contribute; trauma, chemical sensitivity, caffeine, heredity, drugs, alcohol, lifestyle choices.

If you cannot change the situation that is the focus of anxiety, try to determine a way of trying to change your way of handling the problem.

Relaxation of the mind and body and stress reduction are key.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is often vague and undirected, a sinking feeling that something terrible is about to happen. Unlike concrete fears (of illness or losing a job, for example), anxiety often stems from what used to be called borrowed trouble.

Anxious people imagine worst-case scenarios and spend lots of time dreading things that may never happen. For persistent anxiety, seek professional counseling. But natural remedies can help tremendously.

Anxiety disorders are possibly the most common and frequently occurring disorders of the mind/body. They include a group of conditions that share extreme anxiety as the principal disturbance of mood or emotional tone.

Anxiety, which may be understood as the pathological counterpart of normal fear, is manifest by disturbances of mood, as well as of thinking, behavior and physiological activity.

Included in this category are panic disorder (with or without a history of agoraphobia) , agoraphobia (with or without a history of panic disorder), generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsiv e disorders, acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder .

Anxiety disorders are ubiquitous across human cultures. The longitudinal course of these disorders is characterized by relatively early ages of onset, chronicity, relapsing or recurrent illness and periods of disability.

Panic disorder and agoraphobia are particularly associated with suicidal tendencies.

Nutritional Considerations

Add protein and carbohydrates to your diet: Incorporate protein into your diet. Protein helps to keep sugar levels stable. You can find protein in nuts, yogurt, beans, fish, chicken, tofu and lentils. Consider eating low glycemic carbohydrates such as brown rice and yams.

Seek out foods that are high in Omega-3 (fish oil/flaxseed oil): This oil has been shown in many studies, to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and reduce plaque buildup in your blood.

By reducing your bad cholesterol, you are helping your body to fight off stress and relieve anxiety, tension and even prevent heart disease! Fish/Flaxseed that are high in Omega-3 are excellent ways to help your blood stream. They are two of the greatest hormone regulators, as well.

Folic Acid: Folic Acid (required for energy production) is considered brain food. The brain needs it to work properly. It helps to prevent anxiety and fatigue. Folic acid works best when combined with vitamin C, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Much research has indicated that a deficiency of folic acid may include depression, insomnia, anorexia, forgetfulness, hyperirritability, apathy, fatigue and anxiety.

You can find Folic Acid in the following foods: Whole grain breads -Fortified cereals -Dried peas- Dried beans -Leafy vegetables- Fruit. Most multivitamin complexes contain folic acid.

GABA: GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) is an amino acid help reduce anxiety, allows rational decision making, promotes restful sleep and enhances workout recovery. It has also been shown to have similar effects as the benzodiazepine drugs.

You will also feel more relaxed and notice that you are sleeping better. The recommended dose for GABA is 700-750 mg – 3 times daily – talk to a medical professional about using GABA.

Inosistol: has been shown in studies to have a positive effect in the calming of the symptoms of panic attacks and obsessive-compulsiv e disorder. Taking up to 4 grams daily – 3 times-a-day has shown to be beneficial.

Magnesium: The supplement magnesium has been found to aid in the management of anxiety symptoms. Taking 200-300 mg of magnesium 2 to 3 times daily has been shown to help.

Selenium: Selenium, an important antioxidant, is a trace mineral found in soil and food. It protects neurotransmitters. Deficiency in selenium has shown to have a negative impact on mood. It also helps to reduce bad cholesterol and keep the heart healthy.

You can get much of your selenium from dietary sources such as: Alfalfa, fennel seed, ginseng, butter, garlic, liver, Brazil nuts, shellfish and other fishes. You can find it in sunflower seeds, yarrow, wheat germ and Brewer’s yeast.

Vitamin B1: Vitamin B1 is also known as “thiamine.” In many studies, B1 has shown to have positive effects on the nervous system and mental well being. Vitamin B1 is found in peas, soybeans, fortified breads, cereals, pasta, fish, pork, whole grains and dried beans.

Prolonged intake of large amounts of alcohol depletes your body’s supply of vitamin B1. Vitamin B3: (in the form niacinamide) has been tested in lab animals and seems to work in animals in the way that benzodiazepines such as Valium® have. *

Vitamin B6: Lack of Vitamin B6 has been known to cause anxiety and depression. The formation of certain brain chemicals from amino acids requires this vitamin. It affects the nervous system.

The recommended Dietary Allowances for adults (25+ years) is 2.0 for men and 1.6 for women. The best sources of vitamin B6 are meats (particularly organ meats such as liver), whole grains and wheat germ.

Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is needed for energy, brain function and a healthy nervous system. It helps to combat depression, stabilize PMS and helps to protect against anemia and it may help fight cancer. The best food sources of Vitamin B12 are liver, kidney, oily fish, beef, pork lamb, cheese, eggs and milk.

Zinc: and essential mineral, has been found to have positive effects on the nervous system as well as helping to produce a calming effect. Most multivitamins contain zinc. Food sources for zinc are Oysters, meat, poultry, nuts, beans and dairy products.

What You Should Avoid:

What you don’t eat may be even more important than what you do eat. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugar, because they tend to worsen anxiety. If you can’t avoid them, then at least cut down.

Avoid Caffeine: Caffeine is something many people in America and Europe are used to bringing in their daily lives. Though many studies have shown that this addictive stimulant can help produce symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and the like. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, many sodas and even certain medications.

Always ask your doctor about a medication before using it. Also, ask the doctor if there is an alternative medication if your medicine contains caffeine.

Reduce Processed and Refined Foods: Processed food can rob your food of nutrients and vitamins that your body needs to fight off stress and promote good health. Try to buy whole foods, unprocessed foods and try and stay away from “instant” foods, preservatives, artificial flavors, saturated fat and MSG.

Reduce Sugar Intake:  Too much sugar can rob our body of essential nutrients. Yet don’t be so fast as to replace the sugar with Stevia the natural sweetener from the Stevia plant. Artificial sweetener can also cause anxiety as well as other health concerns.

Reduce Alcohol Intake: In small amounts, alcohol can be good for your heart but too much alcohol is not a good thing for your body and too large of an intake increases your body’s need for extra vitamins.

The body has a harder time using oxygen. As a result, you can become more sensitive to stress – which in turn can cause anxiety reactions. It can also cause depression.

The Effects of Alcohol on Anxiety:  How does alcohol contribute to Anxiety Disorders? Research has shown that alcohol ín high doses has numerous health hazards.

As well as many other things, ít can: increase your need for extra vitamins due to disturbed eating patterns interfere with the body’s ability to use oxygen, to process food & absorb vitamins.

This results in high alcohol consumption making you more sensitive to stress.

Chronic abuse of alcohol ís often associated with depression-like symptoms, which can reduce the ability to solve problems, which ín turn can lead to anxiety.

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to poor work performance, relationship difficulties & financial difficulties. This can produce stressors that worsen anxiety.

Help Anxiety and Depression Naturally!

MindSoothe is a specially formulated herbal remedy that has been successfully used in the treatment of Depression, Insomnia, OCD, SAD, Panic Disorder, and Anxiety.

Being natural, with no artificial preservatives, MindSoothe is safe for adults and children (also see MindSoothe Jr. for children), is non-addictive and has NO SIDE EFFECTS.

It has become the formula of choice by thousands of satisfied customers around the world for treating depression, insomnia, anxiety, ODD and more.

MindSoothe is pharmaceutically manufactured to the highest standards and was formulated by our team of experts in natural medicine.

Learn more about MindSoothe now. Why do we promote this?

Save

[Read More ...] http://www.natural-holistic-health.com/nutrition-and-supplements-for-anxiety/

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How to Conquer the Challenges Of Life

New Post has been published on https://myupdatesystems.com/how-to-conquer-the-challenges-of-life/

How to Conquer the Challenges Of Life

All of us face both minor and major challenges in life. How we deal with those life challenges resolves how we experience life- as a struggle to survive or as an enduring voyage in growth and accomplishment. While facing all these life challenges, we come across a range of phase which is not always bright and cheerful for us. Among all these phases, there are some which make us feel dejected, upset and helpless. It’s then that those lovely words of inspiration and encouragement strike our mind and boost us to overcome those hard life challenges. Inspiration and encouragement that we get from our loved ones during this time works as a tonic and inspires us like an angel to move ahead with life. Inspiration, encouragement, and support provide a nurturing environment that can help you discover sign post during transformation time when all your foundations go bust.

Life challenges can shake you to your very core. Any event or incident can change the whole pattern of your life and your entire future plan. It’s at this time that we face life challenges. Life challenges can be of any kind. It can be mental, physical, family issues, marital life and also recovery period. Among mental challenges of life, depression is a quite common. Every individual goes through this life challenge once in his lifetime. Depression may be caused due to any kind of deficiency in life. This may include stagnation in job area, an upsetting career, failure in exams, complicated and disheartening love life, infidelity in marital life and also various family issues. These are the challenges observed in depression. Tiredness, mood swings, difficulty in coping with life and hopelessness are some significant symptoms of depression. Every individual is unique in his way and so the remedy is not the same for all. Depression is a real and an evidently serious problem avoidance of which can lead to destruction. The only remedies to cure depression are firstly you have to accept it. You can’t turn away your face from it. Secondly, you need to realize that there is no shame in going through depression. If you bury it within you with the thought that what people might think then you will surely end up hurting yourself as well as your loved ones. Thirdly, always get it clear that you are not alone. You have all your closed ones who will lend a helping hand in this phase of your life and will also help you come out of it. Last but not the least; seek help from people when you realize that you are in the depression. There are pastors, counselors, psychiatrists who would offer guidance and will also assist you with some subjects and apprehensions that life can fetch. Above all these, there is a supernatural power that works as your biggest strength at times of your depression, he is our Almighty. Offer devotion to him if you cannot confide anyone and you will notice a striking difference in your mind and soul shortly. Those of you who act as a source of inspiration and encouragement for any of your closed ones suffering from depression, apart from being with them or sharing their grief you can always inspire them by sending e-cards based on inspiration and encouragement to fight these life challenges and make them feel stronger and related. There are various gifts which are meant for a source of inspiration and encouragement and thereby boost up the person undergoing depression to fight back.

Another big syndrome of life challenges is the disability. Disability refers to social effects of physical, emotional or mental mutilation. A person who is suffering from the disability cannot perform his day to day life functions or neither has the ability to communicate. There are three kinds of disabilities: physical, mental and developmental disabilities. Among physical disabilities, there can be mobility impairment, visual impairment, hearing impairment, chronic disease, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. Mental disabilities include learning disability, phobia, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and neurosis. Some of the developmental disabilities are Down syndrome, hyperactivity, and autism. Alcoholism, drug abuse, and senility are some other disabilities. Certain places of recovery are being established to take the victims of various disabilities out of these malicious syndromes. Through strong advocacy, consumer and family organizations have gained a sound status in mental health research, legislation and service delivery. Medication alone or in combination with psychotherapy has proved to be an evidently effective treatment for a number of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. Home is the best place for recovery of such life challenges. It offers stability and a chance to be a part of a community. And for those who suffer from severe mental illness, home is a place where the person can live with dignity and move towards recovery with those priceless inspirations and encouragements offered by family.

Old age problems occur due to a drastic change in four different stages of life. It is one more powerful life challenge that humans have to bear with. Biological, physiological, emotional and functional are four different stages where a human being experiences a massive change after stepping into old age. Biological changes occur in the structure and functions of human body, physiological aging is concerned with individual and behavioral changes, emotional aging describes changes in one’s attitude and lifestyle and functional changes occur due to the comparison stroked between two individuals of the same age group. This entire crisis in old age brings a massive transformation in a person’s mind as well as in heart which as a result affects one’s actions. A perfect recovery from these old age crisis is love and nourishment. When an individual reaches his or her old age, he or she should be treated like a baby by the respected families. Elderly people often go through a lot of mental hazards and even various insecurities of life. At that time, they seek a secured life along with love and care from family, especially offspring. Besides, a handful of some really good and authentic old age homes have been set up for those who are destined to solitude in old age. These old age homes cater to them with all their necessary requirements and also provide them an amusing time with fun and mirth. The biggest inspiration and encouragement for them during this life challenges is the inspiration from their closed ones. If you have any elder people at your place who is suffering from any kind of insecurity or any other crisis then you can inspire or encourage them by gifting them some inspirational gifts and also e-cards which will speak your kind and will reach your loved one’s heart without even saying anything. Old age is also a very significant life challenge and if not taken proper care, it might lead to a drastic emotional breakdown. Adequate love and care coupled with a quantity of inspiration and encouragement are relatively pampering for these oldies and if at times you can bequeath some token of inspiration and encouragement to them like any inspirational or encouraging souvenir, it will be an additional glee for them.

Midlife crisis is something that happens to many of us at some point during our lives. It is usually observed at the age of forty or even some time after twenty. This is a very upsetting life challenge and might cause people to seek psychotherapy or counseling or to make radical lifestyle changes that can be very detrimental and are regretted later. When a person goes through a Midlife crisis, there are certain feelings that he or she experiences. A victim of Midlife crisis often feels discontented with the life that has been their biggest source of happiness all these years, gets bored with people who have always acquired a unique place of interest in their life, an urge to explore life and set out for a new venture, interrogating life and also experiencing a feeling of ambiguity about the decisions made years before and lastly feeling lost as to where their life is heading. If you do understand the process of mid-life transition, it can make it much easier to navigate your way through it. Male and female Midlife crisis can put a marriage into danger and might lead to divorce. You can have assorted feelings in a Midlife crisis. You might be in an emotional turmoil without being able to define what you actually want; you can also feel bored of a long time commitment which you want to get rid off, you might also feel like having a change of profession or all this might happen otherwise. You might wish to improve your life, relationships, develop new interests and also create something new on your own. The only way to recover from this kind of life challenges is firstly you have to be realistic and honest with yourself. Try to know your mind deeming all those important beliefs that you holds, try to analyze if they are relevant enough for you to ponder on, write down the reasons you think is responsible for all your views and lastly seek their legitimacy and importance in your future life. If you have any of your closed ones enduring Midlife crisis, apart from all these introspective measures, you can tranquilize their mind by spending some quality time with them trying to sort our their puzzles of mind, take them out to some of their favorite places, gift them with something inspirational and encouraging among which inspirational and encouragement ecards work wonder as they speak those verses which your mouth cannot convey. Inspiration and encouragement from closed ones are very necessary and it is the best medication a victim of such a terrifying life challenge like Midlife crisis can have.

Inspiration and encouragement are such a medicine for life challenges that will make your world a place of peace and positive thoughts where you can have your own refuge from the stress and strife of the daily grind. Inspiration and encouragement keep your spirit uplifted when you feel the need to refresh your perspective. Life without life challenges is a faded life. All of us come across all these challenges in life, suffer and then with proper medication, inspiration and encouragement succeed in healing it up. Explore the most significant challenges of life and also know how to heal them with the help of various therapies and inspiring tools provided in this section.

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New Post has been published on Vin Zite

New Post has been published on https://vinzite.com/how-to-conquer-the-challenges-of-life/

How to Conquer the Challenges Of Life

All of us face both minor and major challenges in life. How we deal with those life challenges resolves how we experience life- as a struggle to survive or as an enduring voyage in growth and accomplishment. While facing all these life challenges, we come across a range of phase which is not always bright and cheerful for us. Among all these phases, there are some which make us feel dejected, upset and helpless. It’s then that those lovely words of inspiration and encouragement strike our mind and boost us to overcome those hard life challenges. Inspiration and encouragement that we get from our loved ones during this time works as a tonic and inspires us like an angel to move ahead with life. Inspiration, encouragement, and support provide a nurturing environment that can help you discover sign post during transformation time when all your foundations go bust.

Life challenges can shake you to your very core. Any event or incident can change the whole pattern of your life and your entire future plan. It’s during this time that we face life challenges. Life challenges can be of any kind. It can be mental, physical, family issues, marital life and also recovery period. Among mental challenges of life, depression is a quite common. Every individual goes through this life challenge once in his lifetime. Depression may be caused due to any kind of deficiency in life. This may include stagnation in job area, an upsetting career, failure in exams, complicated and disheartening love life, infidelity in marital life and also various family issues. These are the challenges observed in depression. Tiredness, mood swings, difficulty in coping with life and hopelessness are some significant symptoms of depression. Every individual is unique in his way and so the remedy is not the same for all. Depression is a real and an evidently serious problem avoidance of which can lead to destruction. The only remedies to cure depression are firstly you have to accept it. You can’t turn away your face from it. Secondly, you need to realize that there is no shame in going through depression. If you bury it within you with the thought that what people might think then you will surely end up hurting yourself as well as your loved ones. Thirdly, always get it clear that you are not alone. You have all your closed ones who will lend a helping hand in this phase of your life and will also help you come out of it. Last but not the least; seek help from people when you realize that you are in the depression. There are pastors, counselors, psychiatrists who would offer guidance and will also assist you with some subjects and apprehensions that life can fetch. Above all these, there is a supernatural power that works as your biggest strength at times of your depression, he is our Almighty. Offer devotion to him if you cannot confide anyone and you will notice a striking difference in your mind and soul shortly. Those of you who act as a source of inspiration and encouragement for any of your closed ones suffering from depression, apart from being with them or sharing their grief you can always inspire them by sending e-cards based on inspiration and encouragement to fight these life challenges and make them feel stronger and related. There are various gifts which are meant for a source of inspiration and encouragement and thereby boost up the person undergoing depression to fight back.

Another big syndrome of life challenges is the disability. Disability refers to social effects of physical, emotional or mental mutilation. A person who is suffering from the disability cannot perform his day to day life functions or neither has the ability to communicate. There are three kinds of disabilities: physical, mental and developmental disabilities. Among physical disabilities, there can be mobility impairment, visual impairment, hearing impairment, chronic disease, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. Mental disabilities include learning disability, phobia, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and neurosis. Some of the developmental disabilities are Down syndrome, hyperactivity, and autism. Alcoholism, drug abuse, and senility are some other disabilities. Certain places of recovery are being established to take the victims of various disabilities out of these malicious syndromes. Through strong advocacy, consumer and family organizations have gained a sound status in mental health research, legislation and service delivery. Medication alone or in combination with psychotherapy has proved to be an evidently effective treatment for a number of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. Home is the best place for recovery of such life challenges. It offers stability and a chance to be a part of a community. And for those who suffer from severe mental illness, home is a place where the person can live with dignity and move towards recovery with those priceless inspirations and encouragements offered by family.

Old age problems occur due to a drastic change in four different stages of life. It is one more powerful life challenge that humans have to bear with. Biological, physiological, emotional and functional are four different stages where a human being experiences a massive change after stepping into old age. Biological changes occur in the structure and functions of human body, physiological aging is concerned with individual and behavioral changes, emotional aging describes changes in one’s attitude and lifestyle and functional changes occur due to the comparison stroked between two individuals of the same age group. This entire crisis in old age brings a massive transformation in a person’s mind as well as in heart which as a result affects one’s actions. A perfect recovery from these old age crisis is love and nourishment. When an individual reaches his or her old age, he or she should be treated like a baby by the respected families. Elderly people often go through a lot of mental hazards and even various insecurities of life. At that time, they seek a secured life along with love and care from family, especially offspring. Besides, a handful of some really good and authentic old age homes have been set up for those who are destined to solitude in old age. These old age homes cater to them with all their necessary requirements and also provide them an amusing time with fun and mirth. The biggest inspiration and encouragement for them during this life challenges is the inspiration from their closed ones. If you have any elder people at your place who is suffering from any kind of insecurity or any other crisis then you can inspire or encourage them by gifting them some inspirational gifts and also e-cards which will speak your kind and will reach your loved one’s heart without even saying anything. Old age is also a very significant life challenge and if not taken proper care, it might lead to a drastic emotional breakdown. Adequate love and care coupled with a quantity of inspiration and encouragement are relatively pampering for these oldies and if at times you can bequeath some token of inspiration and encouragement to them like any inspirational or encouraging souvenir, it will be an additional glee for them.

Midlife crisis is something that happens to many of us at some point during our lives. It is usually observed at the age of forty or even some time after twenty. This is a very upsetting life challenge and might cause people to seek psychotherapy or counseling or to make radical lifestyle changes that can be very detrimental and are regretted later. When a person goes through a Midlife crisis, there are certain feelings that he or she experiences. A victim of Midlife crisis often feels discontented with the life that has been their biggest source of happiness all these years, gets bored with people who have always acquired a unique place of interest in their life, an urge to explore life and set out for a new venture, interrogating life and also experiencing a feeling of ambiguity about the decisions made years before and lastly feeling lost as to where their life is heading. If you do understand the process of mid-life transition, it can make it much easier to navigate your way through it. Male and female Midlife crisis can put a marriage into danger and might lead to divorce. You can have assorted feelings in a Midlife crisis. You might be in an emotional turmoil without being able to define what you actually want; you can also feel bored of a long time commitment which you want to get rid off, you might also feel like having a change of profession or all this might happen otherwise. You might wish to improve your life, relationships, develop new interests and also create something new on your own. The only way to recover from this kind of life challenges is firstly you have to be realistic and honest with yourself. Try to know your mind deeming all those important beliefs that you holds, try to analyze if they are relevant enough for you to ponder on, write down the reasons you think is responsible for all your views and lastly seek their legitimacy and importance in your future life. If you have any of your closed ones enduring Midlife crisis, apart from all these introspective measures, you can tranquilize their mind by spending some quality time with them trying to sort our their puzzles of mind, take them out to some of their favorite places, gift them with something inspirational and encouraging among which inspirational and encouragement ecards work wonder as they speak those verses which your mouth cannot convey. Inspiration and encouragement from closed ones are very necessary and it is the best medication a victim of such a terrifying life challenge like Midlife crisis can have.

Inspiration and encouragement are such a medicine for life challenges that will make your world a place of peace and positive thoughts where you can have your own refuge from the stress and strife of the daily grind. Inspiration and encouragement keep your spirit uplifted when you feel the need to refresh your perspective. Life without life challenges is a faded life. All of us come across all these challenges in life, suffer and then with proper medication, inspiration and encouragement succeed in healing it up. Explore the most significant challenges of life and also know how to heal them with the help of various therapies and inspiring tools provided in this section.

[disabilitythinking]

Disability & Food: Results and Conclusions

120 people completed my online Disability & Food survey. That's a pretty good number, and the final results look pretty much the same as they have looked all along, which suggests they aren't just random. I don't know that I have any stunning conclusions, but let's see the results and explore what they might mean.

Question 1 "How often do you have the following kinds of meals?"

Results:

Home prepared and cooked (strongly weighted) Cooked and prepared by someone else Frozen dinners Home delivery or take-out Eating out at restaurants School, college, or workplace cafeteria Meal kits by mail Meals provided in a residential facility

Respondent comments:

Home prepared once & ate for a few days like lasagna- often

Eat what's ready: fruit, chips, etc. Also try to cook batch like soup, stew, etc that'll last for days. I forget to eat & cooking for 1 when can only eat 1/2 cup at a time takes more energy & pain than it's worth.

I live alone.

Medical Formula, by mail

I work at a restaurant and very often scrounge from food orders that were messed up or good that is made specifically for the crew to eat. Plus I get an employee discount. But then there are days when I am too tired mentally/physically or in too much pain to expend energy making something myself. I really need to invest in a good delivery service. Recently I've invested in a business that will send you meal cups in the mail (like 24 at a time) and you just need to add water. I got them thru Amazon. I know I spend too much money on eating out but it often simplifies things, as well as cleanup.

My partner does the cooking now that my physical health has deteriorated further.

The majority of what I eat is probably "snack" food. My condition uses up a lot of salt, so I eat a lot of salty potato chips and gatorade. Otherwise it's stuff I can either open up and eat directly (cheese sticks, canned olives, jerky, etc) or stuff that requires a quick zap in the microwave (pre-cooked sausages, gluten-free corn dogs, leftovers from a restaurant, etc)

I am celiac, so I prepare most of my own food so that I do not get gluten-ed.

I frequently eat shelf-stable food that doesn't need to be refrigerated because I know that sometimes I won't be able to leave my room. So I stock up on things like granola bars and beef jerky a lot of the time.

What I can and can't eat, and thus how my food must be processed and prepared, is a huge part of my disability. I eat "frozen dinners" and packets of things I can heat in the microwave, but they all have to be prepared in my home from scratch, a few exceptions of specific brands of things in cans or boxes.

Only recently started cooking at home so much -- started treatment for my undiagnosed ADHD in November at age 45. Now I can more easily plan to cook and get the right items purchased in advance, and make time to prepare it. I've wasted a lot of emotions and food over the years on good intentions and poor implementation.

Refrigerated, microwaveable meals Microwaveable boxed pantry meals

i mostly eat food that i get from the grocery store and that comes out of the package edible... like bread. or fruit. everything else, i cannot prepare

I get the majority of my groceries via grocery delivery service. I assumed that counts as home delivery but wasn't sure. That being said, while I do my own cooking, my mobility tends to dictate how elaborate my meal will be. Not that my meals are really that elaborate lol but how much spoon / labor will be involved. For an example, my kitchen is not fully wheelchair accessible, and so if I want to reach certain cabinets etc., I need to be able to get up out of my chair. So there are times, I just don't have access to certain foods in my kitchen and will eat whatever I can reach. For this reason, I very very rarely use the stove. Me and the oven are BFFs though lol

Thoughts:

I was surprised to see home preparation and cooking pretty far in the lead. I guess I assumed that disabled people would be less likely to do their own home cooking than most.

If you look a little deeper, you see that even though home cooking came out on top, only 40% say they do it all or most of the time, and most respondents seem to rely on a roughly even mix of home cooking, cooking done by someone else, frozen dinners, and delivery / take-out.

Several respondents note in their comments that they rely heavily on home cooking because of very specific dietary needs related to their disabilities. This is a wrinkle that I had not anticipated at all, probably because I have never had any health or allergy-related food restrictions myself. Nor am I a vegetarian. In fact, I've only recently started to think much at all about the quality or healthiness of my diet. I'm not sure if that's a privilege or a liability.

One thing that promoted me to set up this survey is the recent popularity ... at least in the media I consume ... of home delivered meal kit subscriptions, like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh. So, it's interesting that this option got the next to lowest score of the 8 options I offered. Maybe it's the high cost. For me, it's because the recipes all sound too fancy and hipster for my tastes. In all of the ads I've heard for these services, I have never yet heard a described recipe that sounded appetizing to me. Besides, they sound convenient, but probably still require a lot of labor before you can actually chow down.

Q2 Sources: "How often do you get your food from the following?"

Supermarkets (very strongly weighted) Someone else shops for you Delivery from online shopping sites Neighborhood markets or farmer's markets Convenience stores Delivery from local stores

Respondent comments:

I V fluids via medical supply

I interpreted 'online shopping sites' to include online supermarket ordering and delivery.

Where your questions only go down to almost never it's actually never which you haven't got

Protein powder online. Shopping is usually once a month. Buy to last. Maybe occasional trip out. Shopping is painful.

I shop for my own groceries.

Due to coordination, vision limitations I cannot use the apps/smartphone/do financial transactions on smartphone or computer, which prevents me from shopping online and most delivery places. I often go hungry as a result.

Grow my own food - very often

Local non chain shops, butcher, fishmonger , greengrocer ( fruit, veg & healthy groceries e.g.. GF products, ) good quality and locally grown organic produce etc quality breads, sheep/goat yoghurt etc.

The only money I have for buying groceries is my food stamps, so I'm very limited in where I can buy food. If I eat out it's always my partner paying.

I am celiac, so I prepare most of my own food so that I do not get gluten-ed.

Staff take him shopping

I live in a city with multiple food coops. I shop there most often, but no one store carries all the foods I need in a week. Food shopping involves stops at two to four stores a trip. I do not drive and public transport is inaccessible to me. I need rides for all of this.

Thoughts:

Supermarket shopping comes out on top, by a very wide margin. Again, that surprises me. I probably should have added a question or two about transportation and geography though. Most people consider supermarkets the best and most economical place to get groceries, but I wonder how many disabled people can't use them easily because they live in places without supermarkets and lack transportation to get to them.

The next two most heavily weighted categories ... someone shopping for you and takeout / delivery ... both rely on others, and probably also can be done without leaving home. These are the kinds of options that one would expect to be popular among disabled people. But again, they're not as heavily relied upon as one might conventionally predict.

Respondent comments bring up diet restrictions here, too, but also limited income and physical inaccessibility as factors that shape and restrict how people get their food supplies.

Q3 Disabilities: "Which category(s) best describe your type of disability? (check any that apply)"

97 with physical disabilities 51 with mental health disabilities 31 with sensory disabilities 20 with other cited disabilities 19 with cognitive disabilities 15 with learning disabilities

Respondent comments:

developmental disorder

Language

Severe food, environmental (including inhalant) allergies--often requiring hospitalization

Autism

Autism (unsure where to put that)

Eyes fatigue easily, and after many years of difficulty and little help due to invisibility of my disability (which is TBI) I am exhausted and don't h ave energy for interacting with others, constantly teaching, explaining etc. since no one understands.

chronic illness

In addition to mobility disability, have medical conditions affecting diet

hearing loss, food allergies

health disability, autistic

Autism, then not listed above- 1 of my kids is autistic, one has Down syndrome, both have anaphylactic food allergies, I have a medical concern that requires me to eat a totally different diet than my partner and kids

Visual

Autistic with sensory sensitivities, IBS, Coeliac, Lactose intolerant, Hypothyroidism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Cancer survivor surviving radical surgery, heavy duty chemo, radiotherapies, Restless legs Syndrome, insomnia, and more, GAD

Food allergies play a major role in my eating/shopping habits

not sure where autism goes in here. also chronic illnesses

Chronic pain/traumatic brain injury

Autistic, and irritable Bowel Syndrome and PCOS. Not a fun combo.

Chronic illness- asthma

Medical conditions

Type 1 diabetes

Thoughts:

I probably should have included a few more disability types, since there is a lot of overlap and ambiguity among these very broad, generic categories ... particularly mental health, cognitive, and learning disabilities. I also wish I had added a chronic illness category for people with conditions that more readily fall into that category.

On the other hand, I think allowing people to choose more than one category means we get a pretty good picture of who is responding, and the vast majority of respondents had some kind of physical disabilities, sometimes along with others.

So?

Those are the survey results, in detail and summary. But what about my shopping and eating habits?

I do most of my grocery shopping online with delivery by mail. I order once a month. I've only been doing this for about 4 months though. Before that, I shopped at a supermarket about once a month, and picked up things at convenience stores here and there. Even though I drive, my shopping was definitely too irregular, physically difficult, and unnecessarily expensive.

Before I started grocery shopping online, my biggest problem was getting fresh fruit and vegetables, buying household supplies in bulk, and getting anything large or heavy ... like big bottles of milk, juice, or soda, or big bags of sugar (for my twice daily tea).

I eat frozen dinners about half the time. A quarter of the time I eat take-out, and another quarter is conventional home cooking.

Speaking of fruit ... and the mini-controversy last year about whether selling pre-cut or packaged fruit is wasteful or accessible ... I do buy pre-cut fruit and bagged salad, as well as large boxes of single-serve fruit cups.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/07/469521879/pre-peeled-oranges-what-some-call-lazy-others-call-a-lifesaver

I often think about these new meal kits by mail services, but I never seriously consider them because they are expensive. And anyway, their big selling point seems to be that you don't have to worry about ingredients or portion sizes. I used to have that kind of problem, but at this point I know pretty much what I will and won't actually prepare and eat. For me it's not hard to figure out. But for others it might be more of a thing.

Conclusions:

I don't really have any, except for this:

If I had unlimited power and resources to make one radical change in American society, I sometimes think I would institute free public breakfast buffets. Two things make me think about this:

TV shows about the British upper class, where everyone just comes to the dining room in the morning and the servants have laid out a full range of breakfast foods on a big sideboard.

Motel chains that offer free breakfast.

My life would improve enormously if I could easily got to a big breakfast buffet every morning and just dish up a plate of whatever looked good. You could do the same thing with lunches or dinners, but for me, breakfast is the thing. I love breakfast food, but it tends to be labor intensive, and my body is at its worst in the morning. It's the time I need good food the most, and am least equipped to prepare it.

What new kinds of food or shopping services would improve your life and independence? What changes have you made in this area that have made a difference in your life? Are these strictly matters of individual planning and innovation, or are there larger-scale systemic changes that would be both feasible and helpful to disabled people?

Share more of your comments below! And thanks for helping with this survey!