the-life-and-thoughts-of-me

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

There is a new website! No more content will be posted here; it will all be posted there. Go and check it out! cdrom.me

Most of the material here will make its way over to that site eventually, and over time I will decommission this blog.

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Debrief and reflection

Scenario:

I was sitting at the bus stop waiting for a bus and looked over my shoulder to see a group of people hanging out near the public toilets, I kept observing as I had a feeling there was something up which is when I saw a man lying on the ground. I ran up and asked if they needed a hand and that I had my advanced first aid. They cleared the way, I checked the airways for blockages as he looked blue and listened for breathing - he let out a few breaths but not much more so I moved him out of the recovery position and put the mask on him and provided CPR, a few seconds later the paramedics arrived so I handed it over to them, they administered a medication which I presume was naloxone and he didn’t respond but he started getting colour back in him once they used the defribillator. They took him off to hospital and the police asked for the details of myself and the first responders then dismissed us.

Strengths:

I appeared confident and was able to control the scene effectively

Weaknesses:

I fumbled with the cpr mask the first responders provided and may have accidentally used the exposed side after removing it to provide compressions.

I also had trouble providing effective cpr - I had trouble counting the compressions while counting the tempo.

The partner who was conscious was difficult to talk to and came across with a level of “light aggression” (not aggressive as such but impolite), they clearly didn’t want to talk which made it hard to run MHFA checks. I did manage to ask if they wanted a number of someone they could talk to but they stated quite abruptly that they didn’t want to talk to anyone. This was probably not how they meant to respond but was probably a response to trauma.

Safety planning:

I will access testing for blood borne diseases as soon as possible.

I will debrief with my “volunteer work” supervisor when they get back to work.

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Lies & Truth - The fitness industry, Protein, Weight Loss and the truth of the matter

So, do you need to consume additional protein or not? If so what type (there are so many: Soy, Whey, Casein, Egg, Pea, Hemp*, Rice, etc, etc.)? When do I need to consume it? Do I need multiple types of protein? Do I need more protein if I’m a vegan/vegetarian trying to build muscle?

IF you are a professional athlete, bodybuilder or are not in the “GENERAL POPULATION” (i.e. you have special dietary requirements) THIS ARTICLE DOESN’T APPLY TO YOU (Necessarily) - SPEAK TO A QUALIFIED DIETITIAN AND DOCTORS WHO SPECIALISE IN THE AREA APPROPRIATE TO YOU!

Now - To everyone else, I’ll say this straight up: YOU DO NOT NEED PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS OR EXTRA PROTEIN IF YOU ARE BUILDING MUSCLE!!! (I’ll explain why and give my sources in a second). 

Firstly some biochemistry lessons

Biochemistry of protein 101:

Ok so when we consume protein, in food, a shake, pills, however - It goes into our stomach, here it is broken down into smaller molecules called amino acids (and they get broken down into other stuff but we won't go there). Yes different proteins contain different numbers of amino acids so some are better, blah, blah, blah but here's the kicker, if you are consuming mixed protein (protein from various sources - eggs, meat, dairy, certain fruit and vegetables, rice and non-animal products (for you vegans) - You will get a decent combination and so you will get all the amino acids you need. 

Image 1 - see sources list - Protein breaks down into amino acids

Now to answer the question of when do I eat protein to have the best effect - the answer is if you are eating protein for breakfast, lunch and dinner (possibly snacks too) - IT DOESN’T MATTER WHEN! The Fitness Industry like to put a lot of hype around protein “you need to consume this much to gain muscle and you have to consume whey and casein at different times along with amino acids to make sure you maintain muscle...” NO! No you don’t your body isn’t some simplistic machine where what you put in is digested and goes STRAIGHT to the muscles. You digest food, the raw materials are stored, then when the body needs them it’ll use them (plus if you’re eating it all day you’ll almost always have protein digesting).  

They also like to say that you have to consume MORE protein than the average person to build muscle (For an example of this see source 1) - This is a lie! 

The Dieticians Association of Australia (DAA) states that you don’t need more protein to gain muscle (source 2) - “In Australia, most people eat plenty of protein so we don’t need to supplement the diet with any extra.Some people use protein supplements in an effort to build muscle. The best way to build muscle is to do exercise that uses muscle strength. Although muscle is made of protein, the preferred fuel for working muscles is carbohydrate. Having more protein than our body needs doesn’t mean we store it for later. In fact, any protein we don’t need will be excreted by the body. So there’s no need to go overboard with adding in extra protein foods.“  - This ALSO Puts to rest the whole “carbs are bad” fad/campaign/whatever - CARBS CAN BE YOUR FRIENDS - IN FACT - “It is important that any diet you follow provides all nutrients, and doesn’t cut out whole food groups”

Now - Vegans/Vegetarians - If YOU are trying to build muscle, check this out, you don’t need to abandon your dietary choice! 

The DAA states “Protein can come from animal or plant foods such as:

Meat, chicken, fish

Eggs

Nuts and seeds

Dried beans and lentils

Dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese

Soy products”

Now, Let’s look at that list, vegans and vegetarians don’t eat the first item, BUT vegetarians can eat eggs, vegans and vegetarians can eat the 3rd and 5th items, vegetarians can eat the 6th set of items and both vegans and vegetarians can eat Soy products. SO vegans and vegetarians still have a HUGE range of protein sources PLEASE JUST MAKE SURE YOU CONSUME A RANGE OF PROTEIN PRODUCTS AND NOT JUST ONE OR TWO AS THIS CAN CAUSE YOU TO BECOME DEFICIENT IN CERTAIN AMINO ACIDS - Source 3

SO in summary - if you eat healthy, you don’t need the various protein and amino acid supplements that the fitness industry push. While we’re here, I’ll also say, there's NO QUICK WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT! IF YOU TAKE DIET PILLS, “THERMAL BURNERS” (Chemicals that raise your BMR by increasing your core temperature), APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS, etc.  Just remember that when you come off them, unless you are exercising and your diet is clean you WILL put the weight back on quickly! Also if you buy outside Australia some of the chemicals can be extremely dangerous and in clinical studies almost NONE of the currently prescribed diet pills, natural diet formulations or other supplements made much of a dent in the test subjects weight in the short term. In some cases there have been imported chemicals used in diet pills which have literally boiled people from the inside out until they died - DNP is one such example: “...Maurice Tainter and Windsor Cutting at Stanford University [studied] the effects of DNP and in 1933 they reported that metabolism was stimulated by 50% in patients taking the chemical. Fat and carbohydrate stores were broken down leading to weight loss of up to 1.5kg per week without dietary restriction. Although they saw the potential of DNP treatment for weight loss, they warned of the unknown dangers of prolonged use and the potential for fatal overheating with high doses. ... as more patients took DNP and for longer periods, many side effects were reported including skin lesions and an epidemic of “dinitrophenol cataracts”. Some deaths occurred including one man who overdosed and “literally cooked to death” with a temperature of 43.3C.” - Source 4

DNP - Image 2

A quick lesson on Nutritionists vs Dietitians - Nutritionists have diplomas or degrees in Nutrition and can only provide you with information that has been put out by the dieticians association or government agencies, they CANNOT LEGALLY Prescribe a specific diet to you! Dieticians have a DEGREE in DIETETICS - They can prescribe a specific diet AND provide specific information to you which the association cannot

Sources:

Image 1 - https://www.celiackidsconnection.org/protein-amino-acids/

Image 2 - https://www.theguardian.com/science/the-h-word/2014/feb/06/dnp-deadly-weight-loss-drug-science-history#img-1

Source 1 - https://www.womenshealth.com.au/everything-you-need-to-know-about-protein-powder

Source 2 - https://daa.asn.au/smart-eating-for-you/smart-eating-fast-facts/nourishing-nutrients/all-about-protein-in-your-diet/ Source 3 - https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/199/4/protein-and-vegetarian-diets

Source 4 - https://www.theguardian.com/science/the-h-word/2014/feb/06/dnp-deadly-weight-loss-drug-science-history

*No Hemp protein will not get you high - Yes it’s legal

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Part 1 of The story of how I got from there to here

Foreword:

Nothing written in this series is done so for the sake of complaining, self pity, to blame others or to present a bad image of anyone. It is all written in order to present a brief summary of my journey.

So my life started out as being pretty disrupted early on (through no one’s fault really). One of my parents were severely unwell and was in and out of our lives quite a lot, then there was the trauma caused by their psychotic episodes (including one where they threatened to break my legs (over the phone)). I also had issues with the rest of my family (who hasn’t), I always got the feeling much of my family didn’t believe in or understand mental illness. Although most of them seem more understanding these days.

However, I (naturally) don’t want to talk ill of my family, I consider myself to take a stance that is I describe with the phrase: “live and let live” and I try to keep conflict to a minimum.

The other major issue for me was school. In primary school I was heavily bullied (mostly indirectly) through exclusion and verbal bullying. I also don’t believe I had the emotional skills to really understand this wasn’t a normal experience (what kid does at that age though) and I don’t remember a lot about primary school in any case (though I have been told this could be the result of my complex PTSD).

High school was probably worse, as I was excluded in the same way but also betrayed by close friends, physically assaulted, verbally harassed and even sexually assaulted at a few stages (some of the few times I ever actually lost my control enough to the point I was able to hit anyone). I eventually left because the school didn’t do much to solve the issue of bullying (they just suspended the perpetrators, although to be fair, I don’t believe there’s much else they could do at that point). Though most of those people who I’ve had contact with have matured since then and many have mellowed out. I suspect most of my school life I was affected by mental illness but hadn’t been diagnosed till later.

It wasn’t until I got to TAFE where someone I knew through a friend suggested I go to Headspace (I had heard of the service previously and I believe even emailed eHeadspace at one point but had never gathered the nerve to step into the centre), Prior to this I don’t think I’d even thought that I needed to seek professional help (there’s nothing wrong with me, right??).

So I ended up walking down to Headspace, I went up and while my heart was pounding faster than I’d ever experienced, I spoke to their receptionist. They informed me usually I’d need an appointment but one of their social workers saw and assessed me at that point and referred me to the GP stating they thought I had depression and anxiety. I agreed (after all I didn’t know anything about mental health, they were the expert).

I continued seeing that social worker while seeing the GP at headspace. As time went on I saw a psychologist who I did CBT with for a few years (probably some aspects of ACT as well). Eventually I was also put on SSRIs (Lexapro/Escitalopram) to complement the therapy as I was becoming suicidal and was having borderline paranoid thought patterns (I did not enjoy the medication one bit, I yawned and felt like vomiting constantly, was numbed out, couldn’t sleep at night and felt like my brain would melt due to the exhaustion I felt during the day). During this point I moved out of home and I dropped my TAFE course as I couldn’t manage it with my mental illness at the time and with where I was at, at that point.

To be continued in the next article. Part 2.

Some abbreviations:

SSRIs = Serotonin reuptake inhibitors

CBT = cognitive behavioural therapy

ACT = Acceptance and commitment therapy

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Quick thought...

So I was thinking, and I realised... One of the hardest parts of the Save-a-mate program when doing the workshops is remembering that we’re trying to keep things simple. I’ve noticed that A LOT of what is said is often incorrect when looking at it from an academic standpoint. This sets me off a fair bit and I need to just remind myself that, yes, technically it’s incorrect when you begin to get really technical and in depth. However, it isn’t completely incorrect and actually may be more suitable because of its simplicity, after all, this course is supposed to be able to be understood by people with no education or exposure to Alcohol and other drugs; With its main purpose being to provide the knowledge and skills to stay safe while partying. Just a thought I had which I thought was interesting.

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

My current top 5 shows to binge watch

If you are looking for some tv shows to binge watch on Netflix here’s my top 5 list. 1. Lucifer - Prepare for 3 seasons of dark humour, sex (and drug) jokes and drama. Lucifer, tired of ruling over hell, comes to earth to enjoy himself and ends up giving out favours for a price to be named later. He ends up following leads after a client of his is killed and ends up becoming a police consultant.. The rest as they say is history. Also Lucifer (Tom Ellis) and Detective Decker (Lauren German) are very easy on the eyes, while Lucifer’s cluelessness and sense of humour are also quite hilarious.

2. Brooklyn nine-nine - A show that is full of laughs, is light hearted and family friendly. The show revolves around the Brooklyn nine-nine detective squad as they solve crimes. It especially focuses on Detective Jake Peralta, Detective Amy Santiago and their relationship as it develops from a rivalry onwards.

3. Rick and Morty - If you’ve watched this and thought the two protagonists seems very similar to the two protagonists back to the future you’d be right. Rick and Morty were initially created as a parody of back to the future. Be prepared for a funny show full of philosophical messages. A strange and unique mix of light heartedness and heaviness. Check it out and see if you like it, most people do. 4. Happy! - Disgraced Detective turned hitman Nick Sax spends his life drinking and killing for money. That is until one day he survives a heart attack and starts seeing a little blue unicorn that no one else can see. Does he have a mental illness or brain damage? no. It turns out Nick has a daughter he knows nothing about and this unicorn is her imaginary friend who has come to find Nick after she was kidnapped. The entire show revolves around this plot and is very, very dark. Lots of violence and blood mixed with some aspects you’d usually only see in children’s shows. I thoroughly enjoy it, check it out.

5. The Chilling adventures of Sabrina - if you remember “Sabrina the teenage witch”, this is the darker remake. Sabrina Spellman is meant to sign up to unquestioningly serve Lucifer (”the dark lord”) in exchange she’ll be granted powers such as an extremely long life & magical gifts. This doesn’t sit well with her though and she starts on a crusade to take down “the dark lord” by learning magic in anticipation of a final battle to “conjure, bind and banish” Lucifer. 

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Recovery Position

Qualification

At the time of writing this, I am trained in Advanced first aid, CPR & provide basic emergency life support (HLTAID001, HLTAID002, HLTAID003 & HLTAID006) in Australia (if anyone wants to personally verify my qualifications, I have included a link to my certification with a verification QR code (not that it’s TOO important - MOST (not all) first aid is common sense)).  My Certification

I have included a link to the St. John’s guide on the recovery position but thought I’d run through it step by step as I have noticed there is some information that can be helpful to have which isn’t included in the usual training (but is demonstrated). Some people I have helped train in the Recovery position have needed minor guidance in learning some of the steps in order to find the right positioning.

Disclaimer:

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR BEING CERTIFIED IN FIRST AID AND THAT A CERTIFIED FIRST AIDER OR QUALIFIED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WILL HAVE MORE AUTHORITY THAN MYSELF OR YOU (UNLESS YOU ARE EQUALLY OR MORE QUALIFIED BY A QUALIFIED TRAINER). 

THIS IS ALSO NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR ADVICE FROM A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL AND IS ONLY GENERAL INFORMATION.

DRSABCD:

When learning first aid this is the acronym used to remember proper protocol - remember if assisting somebody your safety is paramount and comes first. If you’re incapacitated you are unable to help others and then there will be multiple people who could all die depending on the situation. Any information provided from a legal standpoint is what I was taught in my courses in NSW, Australia. ALWAYS USE GLOVES IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE AND IF DOING CPR USE A BARRIER MASK IF THAT IS AVAILABLE.

D - Check for danger, in a party situation this could include things like violent people, needles & syringes, body fluids or glass. Outside party situations this could also include fire, live wires, traffic, flood water. If there is danger protect yourself first, if you can safely move the person, only do so if absolutely necessary to your own and their safety. Always keep their dignity in mind (keep them covered where possible).  R - Check for Response - Ask if they can hear you (make sure you use a loud voice), kick their foot (not violently but not too softly), then squeeze their shoulders (The fleshy part in between the shoulder joint and the collarbone) while asking if they can hear you, if there’s still no response grab their hand and ask them to squeeze it (some unconscious people can squeeze gently, even if they can't respond verbally). Continue regardless if there is a response or not. If they respond, are conscious and aware and are over 18, make sure you get their consent for any further treatment. If they are under 18 and there is no adult present you *can* assume permission (it’s usually nice to explain what you are doing and why though).  S - Send for help - If there is a bystander have them call emergency services while you continue first aid, if not, call emergency services yourself, having them on loudspeaker or using earphones with a microphone while you continue may help as you can keep working while talking to them, they can also provide more specific information regarding appropriate treatment for that specific case. Once help arrives emergency services are the top authority, if they stay on the phone with you the operator has more authority than you but less than the paramedics/police.

A useful app which may help is called “Emergency Plus” - this app will call emergency services for you and provides your GPS coordinates which can help you, help them, locate you. It’s a free application.

A - check their airways, using pistol grip (the thumb and pointing finger in the shape of an “L” or a finger gun), grasp the lower jaw and gently open their mouth, look for any blockages in the throat, remove any blockages, you can use their fingers for this if necessary and can help prevent getting your fingers bitten if they wake up suddenly or have a seizure.

B - Check for breathing, put your hand on the chest and an ear near the nose/mouth, listen and feel for breathing if they are not breathing...

C - Check for a pulse (circulation), DO NOT USE YOUR THUMB (it has its own pulse), on the neck or wrist look for a pulse. Continue with CPR if there is no pulse. See the next section for how to do this. If there is no defibrillator or you can’t get to it/there is no one to get it, just continue CPR - CPR is your top priority. If they awaken or are awake cease CPR but don’t leave them, you can sit them up to provide sips of water if needed (don’t give them the bottle and don't let them drink large amounts, just sips!) - IF THEY ARE IN SHOCK DO NOT GIVE ANY LIQUIDS AND KEEP THEM WARM AS THEIR ORGANS ARE STARTING TO SHUT DOWN AND THEY CAN DROWN FROM TAKING IN LIQUIDS. YOU CAN MOISTEN THE LIPS.  If they need to lie down or are unconscious but have a pulse and are breathing put them in the recovery position.

D - Defribillation - if there is a defibrillator available cut through their shirt - if the patient is wearing a bra cut this off as well (underwire in bras conduct electricity and can cause burns). Take out the defibrillator and follow instructions. Stand back until it tells you to commence CPR, in part this is so it doesn't detect your heart beat and in part so you don't get shocked. First aid defribillators are pretty foolproof and almost impossible to use wrongly. Apparently the newer ones will also tell you when the patient are beyond saving and when to stop administering CPR. If you use a defibrillator don’t remove the electrode patches, just wait until the device says that it’s safe to continue administering CPR and when it says stand clear and press the button, do so. 

CPR

If there is no barrier mask available, and you don’t feel comfortable, you are NOT required to do the breaths. If you choose not to do the breaths just keep doing compressions until help arrives.

This is how CPR is done:

Position your hands on the centre of the chest (the sternum) with your fingers either interlocked or one hand over the other, lock your elbows and push down using your shoulders with momentum from your body. Don’t use your arms to push as you will tire out MUCH faster and won't have the strength needed to continue administering CPR. 

IF administering breaths:

do 30 compressions at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute 

I have an app on my apple watch and iPhone  which counts beats per minute as I have a hard time concentrating on counting and keeping a set speed, this is useful if it won't take too more than a second start and is absolutely necessary. For me I can tell my watch to start the app verbally, which means I can start CPR then have the app open and hit start without stopping.

The ideal situation however is to have someone count the number of compressions and tell you when you hit 30 while you count the tempo (in this case I aim for 120bpm which means you should finish 30 compressions in 2 seconds).

Once 30 compressions are done, pinch the nose of the patient and take a breath, then breathe into their mouth (preferably through a CPR barrier mask) to prevent spread of disease. Do this twice then return to step 1.

If you have someone else, swap every few cycles to lessen fatigue

Keep repeating until help arrives, you are physically incapable of continuing or they become conscious.

Recovery Position

If they are unconscious but have a pulse and are breathing put them into the recovery position, this will keep their airways clear, especially if they vomit as it’ll just leak out of the mouth rather than going into the lungs.

This is hard to explain without pictures so check out the St John’s website (which also has videos) and I will include my own notes below: 

Website

Make sure they are on their back

Take the right arm and position their hand on their left shoulder

Put their right knee up at a 90 degree angle to their body with the foot on the ground.

Position one hand on the right shoulder and one on the right knee (that should be in the air), DO NOT put your hand on the thigh or backside as it could lead to issues with legal problems (if they find out, are particularly PC and/or feel violated by being touched inappropriately, this can happen if your hand slips (e.g. if you had one on the leg instead of the knee and you slip down to their backside or thigh)) and it won't be as easy to finish the procedure (the next step utilises gravity and momentum to help move them, this especially helps if they are a bigger/heavier person). 

Push so that they roll onto their side. 

Push the knee that is on top so that the leg is in front of the lower leg (this prevents them from rolling further).

Make sure their head is on top of their shoulder and hand, using pistol grip make sure the head is tilted towards the chest slightly and the mouth is open (this allows any vomit, saliva or blood (e.g. if they have minor bleeding in the mouth) to fall out).

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

BACtrack Skyn - Accurate & affordable BAC testing for consumers

So, while looking into devices I can use to track and analyse my lifestyle and improve my health I came across this new device - BACtrack Skyn! Currently it’s estimated (by the creators) that on its release it will cost around 100 USD.

What is BACtrack Skyn?

Basically it's a device that you wear which tracks your Blood Alcohol Content.

It can be worn as a standalone device or on an Apple Watch band. It also syncs with Apple’s HealthKit automatically which makes it very useful if you want to keep track of your BAC for future analysis (chuck it on, leave it and it records data automatically, then just charge it overnight and repeat).

You can also access the data if you’ve been drinking to check where you’re at to help you make better decisions. For example it can help to answer some of the following:

Am I under the legal limit to drive? 

How drunk am I? 

What are the risks of consuming more alcohol with the medication or drugs I’m using (and should I stop at this point)? 

How will using more alcohol effect me (if I’m currently at a certain BAC I may have these effects (e.g. mild euphoria) while if I have a higher BAC I may begin to get other effects) 

one major example is a certain range of BAC has been shown to provide more euphoric effects and pain relief to some extent while a higher BAC may give higher risk of being depressive (a risk of this is it could lead to suicidality) or passing out (If you pass out you could include asphyxiation (from aspirating (inhaling) on vomit) and after a certain range you can theoretically fall into a coma or pass out and die of alcohol poisoning.) - which reminds me, if you’ve been drinking and plan to go to sleep it’s probably best to place yourself in the recovery position in bed to help limit risk of choking in your sleep. (see source 1.4 for information on how to do this)

See source 1 for an easy to read chart about different BAC levels and associated signs & symptoms

How often and how much do I drink? (A medical professional could also use the data to interpret if the amount could indicate an addiction/dependance problem or if your drinking is contributing to or exacerbating a health condition).

How it works

It uses Transdermal Alcohol Detection (TAD) to track how much alcohol is seeping through the skin then uses an algorithm to calculate the equivalent in reading on a breathalyser and records that data on your phone. Looks like it hasn't been released yet, and I'm still doing my own research on how accurate it is but it's looking VERY promising. TAD can work because when you drink after the alcohol is metabolised small amounts seep through the skin, this can be detected by the device’s sensor in the same way that a BrAC (Breath Alcohol Content) detector picks up alcohol vapour in your breath (which gets there when the blood containing alcohol goes to the lungs to release Carbon Dioxide and pick up fresh Oxygen).

Accuracy and qualification

The prototype has also been endorsed by a number of US health and Law enforcement agencies at the moment and has recently won first place in the NIAAA’s Wearable Alcohol Biosensor Challenge (check out their article here). A number of academic research articles I've read say that TAC (transdermal alcohol content) measurement tends to be slightly less accurate than the current law enforcement breathalysers (and obviously less accurate than a blood test) and takes around an hour for the alcohol to start seeping through the skin. However all reports I’ve read say the accuracy of TAC technology is close enough in accuracy that it's an acceptable trade off considering the cheaper price tag. However this doesn’t necessarily mean that this device will be just as accurate, there is little information about the device itself, so I had to resort to checking the accuracy of the general method of TAC testing. Also keep in mind that BACtrack is a well known and respected brand in the area of alcohol testing, especially in the US.

Considering most of the law enforcement level breathalysers cost several hundreds of dollars which makes them inaccessible to the consumer, this looks like it could be an amazing and affordable product that could potentially protect lives, advance medical possibilities (especially among people who drink a lot - which is quite a large number people in Australia, considering our drinking culture) and could also help people make better personal decisions. Another cool piece of technology that I think warrants a mention is a tattoo ink which contains a chemical to encourage sweating while one has alcohol in the system and detects BAC (the sweating is used to help obtain more Alcohol (which is contained in the sweat) to provide a more accurate reading).

Accuracy (continued)

I will be continuing to investigate the published information regarding this device specifically and will publish what I find. If you want to use it for healthcare applications then keep in mind that on the consumer level, accuracy is less important than trends (so long as a similar level of accuracy is used to take each data point). This is why devices like blood pressure monitors (while highly accurate) can afford to have some leeway regarding accuracy, because the doctors are more interested in the trend than in the actual results (if you go to the doctor and say you’re concerned about one or two high blood pressure results but the trend is healthy they’ll usually say not to worry too much about it as testing biological function is has a large number of variables that effect it). 

sources:

A list of sources about BAC levels and the effects

From South Australia’s Health Department - not too in depth and very simple, also very reliable due to the fact it’s from a government run health department

From the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) - Another government institute, this one is from the US. Far more in depth than 1.1. However it’s very easy for most laypeople to understand, also includes a chart which is easy to read and good for people who want a quick reference list. They also provide harm reduction information. 

From Stanford University’s Office of Alcohol Policy and Education - this page provides some VERY useful information and actually takes the person’s weight into consideration when providing information on their BAC matrix, provide a LOT more information regarding harm reduction, still suitable for laypeople. 

Information on the Recovery Position from the British Red Cross -  I will make another post specifically on DRSABCD and the recovery position.

BACtrack’s website

NIAAA’s article on their recent challenge for biosensor creation for the purpose of testing BAC

Article relating to source 3 from the US department of Health & Human Services

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Ex-relationships, demons, and complex PTSD

Foreword:

The information contained in this article is not published to be petty or to call into question anyone’s actions. Rather it is produced because it is my experience and what I did go through and am still going through.

Warning: This article contains content discussing alcohol, mental  illness & suicide

So, over 2016 I was with someone who claimed to have multiple chronic health conditions. Now at the time I believed them and their symptoms. However now I wonder if any of it was real. When we broke it off, I was also accused of physical abuse. Now there was no evidence and they claimed I was drunk, however, I’ve never been known to be violent when drunk or sober (and I’m not a huge drinker). There was also an incident where she had a neighbour come up and ask me to leave, despite not asking me to leave or giving me any indication they wanted me to leave. Now, those claims haunted me for all of 2017, despite my therapist who I was with for years & my social worker who I had been with longer all told me there was NO WAY they’d believe that and assured me that my ex was quite toxic. Other friends who knew both of us also assured me that the claims were “Bulls**t”. However the claims still haunted me and caused me to call into question who I was as a person, “was I going crazy?”, was I this terrible, evil person? It truly tore me apart and I almost couldn't live with myself. Even considering and attempting suicide a number of times (Some of those attempts were also partly caused by a pain issue which took a year to get surgery to resolve). I started drinking at the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017 to cope with the pain of the relationship ending and with the thoughts that ruthlessly invaded my mind, like the malevolent demons they are (mostly the thoughts though). This got so bad that my GP actually told me there was serious damage to my liver (not irreversible at this stage), I was drinking a bottle of vodka every few days and often blacked out on the bathroom floor. I have also compared my experience to withdrawing from opiates and benzos simultaneously. I couldn’t leave the garage except to sit under a warm shower, I had a tv and bed set up in there and shook in terror when I left. I even managed to have panic attacks a few times and when I slept there I had nightmares (still do occasionally). To top it off I always woke up drenched in sweat no matter how cold it was and I always felt cold. I felt hopeless and like nothing would ever get better and could hardly keep food down. When I started TAFE I quit drinking cold turkey, simply because I couldn’t turn up to TAFE drunk, also because I had something to keep me busy, your demons can’t attack you if you are always thinking about something else (though this isn’t a good way to go either, because you can’t switch off and inevitably burn out). Now, in 2018, those thoughts have subsided partly, however they still haunt me from time to time. I also live with complex PTSD as a result of this relationship, I get invasive memories and am always hypervigilant (some call this “high anxiety, and it causes you to not be able to sit still, it causes you to ALWAYS be switched on, to the point you can’t have down time where you just sit and relax, running helps to some extent, it also means you’re constantly exhausted and always looking out for “danger”), occasionally I’ll get “emotional flashbacks” (reliving a traumatic event where you mostly feel emotions that aren’t a result of current surroundings but that come up as a result of feeling like that event is happening again). I also get periods where I dissociate and become numb, I also feel very robotic, the worst of which, I’ve felt like I was outside my body and was walking around in a dream while I was actually dead. In my experience cPTSD also causes you to feel very alienated and disconnected from others no matter how close you are to people. I may have done some absolutely stupid shit in that relationship and didn’t navigate things as well as I could have but NOBODY deserves this. Some of my friends are still friends with my ex and while I genuinely want to be happy for them, I also somewhat feel betrayed and I also get concerned for them because I know how manipulative my ex is. I often wonder, do I cut off these friends, do I warn them? (I mean they knew her when I was with her so surely they’re aware). It’s a difficult situation to navigate and I want to do what’s best by everyone. 

Support lines in Australia:

If you require assistance call:

Beyondblue - 1300 22 4636            You can also chat with them online - https://www.beyondblue.org.au Lifeline - 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au Emergency services - 000 Community Mental Health - 1800 011 511  Suicide call back service - 1300 659 467 -https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au 

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

My guide to exam survival

1. Work hard all semester prior to exams then sit the exam and realise whatever happens from that point on, happens - you’ve done your best - trust yourself.

2. Study hard then give yourself a 1 or 2 days off just before the exams, take it easy on these days and don’t drink alcohol or take Non-prescribed drugs in these 2 days. This gives your mind time to absorb the content on a subconscious level. To continue on this topic, if during exams you get stuck, read the question a few more times then continue, often you’ll come up with the answer when you aren’t thinking about it.

3. Eat well (but not so much that you feel overly full) and hydrate before exams, make sure you use the bathroom before going in.

4. Be there an hour before the exam, this gives you plenty of time for unexpected delays.

5. Know where the exam is being held before the day, actually go and visit the location (walk right up to the door), to make SURE you know where it is and how to get there.

6. Take a clear, cool, bottle of water in with you.

7. Make sure your exam supplies are packed separately as far in advance as possible, if using a calculator, make sure it’s approved AND replace the battery the day before and test it.

8. If you need exam modifications, make sure they’re applied for as far in advance as possible, check in with the worker who submitted the request at least 1-2 weeks before the exam to ensure they have been approved and arranged. This also gives you time to fix things if there is an issue with your request.

9. Try not to second guess your answers, unless you are 100% certain that answer is wrong(and make sure you don’t leave anything blank when you leave).

10. After exams - make sure you burn off any adrenaline, go for a run, work out or destroy something (if destroying something, make sure it’s something bought specifically for this purpose or something you will never use - e.g. a phonebook or a bunch of $1 plates from an op shop).

11. Keep your immune system strong for a while after exams (I like to protect myself for at least a week after and 4 weeks before; to be sure the one week afterwards IS overkill, a few days is all you really need) as it will be weaker than usual after and just before exams.

12. Celebrate!

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Took a few hours of work, but I just finished making this - used images from a few "Creative Commons" sources, meshed them together, added some effects, did some manual editing and this is the result! Enjoy!

Edit: looking at it here, I've noticed some of the text may take a LITTLE more effort to read but I was unable to get much better. In any case I'm 99% happy with this so it's staying like this... at least for now haha.

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

A dreaded phone call

Trigger warning: Death

So, I was debating whether to bother making any announcements or not and have decided that I’m going to not post anything major around the contents of this post, however, ONE of the MAJOR reasons behind me beginning this blog was to tell my story to help others who may see parts of their situation in my story. So I have decided that while I’m not going to post on other major platforms, I AM going to post this here.

So I got the call this afternoon that our dog who lived with my father had died, his name was Stitch (yes, like the movie, we got him not long after seeing that movie). Stitch was one of my best friends, always listening and being there for me throughout the years (and I went through some MAJOR shit storms with him, I even talked to him when I couldn’t vent to anyone else) and I hadn’t seen him heaps recently.

  So, anyway, I’m out and about, I get this call from someone who had seen him FAR less recently than I had. Then my brother and father called and broke the news. I held it together for as long as I could, so as not to detract from the event I was at (which was one of my best friend’s events) and made it home without breaking down in public.

Even though I’d already heard about it, I was very grateful my brother and dad took the time to call me about it, even though my brother didn’t say much (we don’t really speak a lot but we’re there for each other), he confirmed the news and we went on separately - However when I got the call from Dad, he confirmed the news but actually told me what happened, apparently either him or my brother got home and found him, from what I understand the vet believed his old age combined with the heat got the better of him. This was out of the ordinary for dad (at least in my opinion) as he’s very quiet and we don’t talk a lot; In any case I absolutely appreciated it, probably more than I’ve appreciated anything.

At this stage, I’m not sure how I’m going to handle it as I dont think it’s fully hit me yet but it’s beginning to and I’m feeling absolutely shit. It feels like a section of my soul was torn out and I’ve dealt with a lot of trauma and painful situations extremely well but there’s only been one or 2 that were *this* painful (or more painful). For some reason I have a feeling it will REALLY hit home around christmas... 

Rest in peace buddy, I’ll love you forever and always... 

One lesson others can draw from this - if you are providing bad news to someone at least have the courtesy to do it properly and explain what happened and why. Also, remember, life can change at any second for better or worse - I was going about a normal (but boiling hot) day, and never expected this. I thought I’d get to see him next time I was home but apparently not... 

P.S. I have purposely NOT put this on my facebook page, I’m happy for anyone to read it and/or learn from it. However I do not want to unnecessarily publicise it. Especially because I always find it hard to deal with condolences or social structure based stuff... Ya’ll know what I’m trying to say...

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Shout out to 97.3 FM...

So I was interviewed today at an event I attended and I just wanted to give a shout out to Jess and 97.3FM because even though I haven’t heard the interview yet, I was extremely impressed with her professionalism, how polite and patient she was (despite the fact I feel like I asked way too many questions 😂). Good Job and thank you to both 97.3 FM as the employer/radio station and to Jess! Keep up the good work!

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Lessons from 2018 so far

Lesson 1: you can achieve anything you set your mind to

Lesson 2: If things are overwhelming don’t be afraid to reach out

Lesson 3: break things down. Got a job that seems like too much? Break it down into smaller jobs. Use a to do list, they’re helpful.

Lesson 4: if you can’t do anything big, try and accomplish one small thing

Lesson 5: you are the biggest critic of yourself! Give yourself a break.

Lesson 6: Give yourself love!

Lesson 7: some things will take time, it’s ok to have a period of “waiting” (I.e. a period of time where you don’t accomplish anything because you need to wait for things to happen).

Lesson 8: You NEED a crew - a few close friends you can share EVERYTHING with, who will always have your back and will always tell you the truth even if it hurts!

For example: One of my crew basically says to me (paraphrased) “You really need to stop spending so recklessly - put it into Raiz and grow that cash!” (Raiz is a microinvesting app).

Now that DID hurt my ego, but it also made me stop and think about what I was doing and made me start modifying my budget. It was what I NEEDED to hear at the time!

Which leads to ...

Lesson 9: They say that your closest circle of people are who you’ll become! So if you want to better yourself have at least a few people who challenge you and have qualities you want to develop (even if they make you uncomfortable due to your ego hurting)! This doesn’t mean you have to ditch your friends but be on the look out for mentors and people you want to imitate then hang out with them and do life with them. These people will change as you develop and you’ll replace them with others (though you may stay friends, that position will be assigned to someone else to progress yourself).

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Mental Health Professions & Interactions with Religious Professions

I was thinking about How mental health professions interact with spiritual professions and made some posts on facebook. Here’s what I stated, I think it’s quite accurate. Provide your thoughts and let me know if you’d like to see any further information provided on this topic. I’ll do another post outlining the different religious professions and mental health professions and the differences in another post. I shared and commented on a post on facebook: “For those who read and believe various books of faith (e.g. the bible or the Qur'an), they contain lots of answers about faith and life. The experts in these areas are great to consult but they aren’t therapists.I see it as, for people at baseline, the scripture of choice may have almost all the answers you want and with an “expert” (e.g. a pastor), you may not have many questions that can’t be answered.However, as someone who is off the baseline with mental health variation, this can still be helpful but these people (and myself included) need an expert in psychology (and/or medicine) to get us back to the baseline before consulting the scripture and it’s “expert” http://culturalsavage.com/personal/mental-illness/pastor-not-therapist/ “ I also added these comments: “To anyone ... reading, I'm not meaning to aim this at any specific religious or spiritual tradition. Any specific reference to a religion or spiritual belief can be substituted with another.I agree with the fact that people below the baseline can find help within scriptures, at least with milder mental health variation. I think, however, that the experts in that field should always be consulted regardless. I also don't believe in using counsellors or other mental health workers who claim they are *insert religion* counsellors (or other profession), this isn't because I have anything against mental health workers following a religious persuasion but because I see them as unnecessary (and potentially damaging). This is because: 1) The code of ethics for social workers, psychologists and a majority of other fields of professionals that work within mental health dictate that they must remain neutral and objective as much as possible (as part of that they can't project their religious beliefs anyway and that's part of making sure they don't persuade the client). They must also respect existing beliefs of the client and work within that belief structure. Therefore having, for example, a "christian counsellor", breaches this ethical code.  2) The field of mental health rests on understanding how the mind works (appropriate to the patients ability) and through that knowledge, assisting the client to better themselves. Religion may or may not help with this but a therapist is not (usually) trained in religion, just like a religious leader is not trained (deeply) in therapy. They should be kept separate but allowed to work together if necessary. 3) Most, if not all, professions in this area are trained to work with spiritual and religious leaders (within the confines of confidentiality laws and permissions provided by the client). 4) Many people with mental health variation which is of a stronger severity than mild (e.g. moderate or severe), are in a very vulnerable place (even some who are listed as mild are vulnerable) and if any spiritual changes are to be made in the person it needs to be done carefully as those changes can be overly accepted in a time of vulnerability which would not have been accepted usually. The other issue is that those beliefs can be accepted but misinterpreted (e.g. someone with moderate to severe depression may accept the doctrine of sin but feel overly guilty or may believe they are in a particularly damaged and unable to be saved (even if this is against christian doctrine); someone with schizophrenia may end up accepting the doctrine and believe they have been gifted as a prophet (without adequate guidance and treatment); someone with bipolar may get overly frustrated with themselves and others. All of which may set off unhelpful behaviours). Ministers are usually trained to recognise and work within this confine, appropriately therapists are not (relating to the spiritual aspect). Where as therapists and doctors are trained to treat the mental health aspect.Stating that religious leaders can do the job of therapists and vice versa or claiming they should have integrated skill sets (e.g. a christian counsellor) is like saying a psychologist should be able to do the work of an exercise physiologist and vice versa or a psychologist should be able to administer medication (as an integrated skill) and a GP should be able to provide in depth therapy (as an integrated skill). Also I'm not saying they can't work well together just that in-depth spiritual training and therapy need to be kept to separate practitioners as they are different skill sets. It's fine to integrate some of each on a shallow level but they definitely shouldn't be practicing with a skill set other than what they know in-depth.

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

This is a big, giant list of Youtube tutorials that will teach you all the basic life skills you need to know in order to be a functional adult. There are a lot of important skills that aren’t included in this list, but this should be enough of a basic guide to get you started and prevent you from making a total mess of yourself. Happy adulting! Household Skills:

How to unclog a toilet without a plunger

How to fix a blown fuse

How to fix a leaky faucet 

How to clean soap scum from your tub and shower

How to escape from a house fire

How to make a budget and stick to it

How to sharpen a knife

How to clean a self-cleaning oven

How to clean red wine stains from carpet

How to clean blood stains from fabric

How to clean grease stains from fabric

How to do a load of laundry

How to iron your clothes

How to test your smoke detectors

Cooking Skills:

How to tell if produce is ripe

How to know if food is expired 

How to properly sanitize a kitchen

How to cook an egg

How to make rice

How to make pasta

How to put out a kitchen grease fire safely

How to use a gas stove

How to use a convection oven

How to cook meat safely

How to use a stand mixer

How to use kitchen knives properly

How to make mashed potatoes

How to make grilled cheese sandwiches 

Health Skills:

How to stop bleeding

How to treat a burn 

How to do CPR (on an adult)

How to do CPR (on a child)

How to do CPR (on a baby)

How to help someone who is choking

How to save yourself if you are choking alone

How to read a nutrition label

How to treat frostbite

How to recognize when someone is having a stroke

How to maintain a healthy sleep schedule

Mental Health Skills:

How to calm down during a panic attack

How to help someone who is suicidal 

How to meditate 

How to stop self-harming

How to recognize problem drinking

How to choose a therapist

How to deal with disappointment

How to cope with grief

How to raise your self-esteem

Relationship and Social Skills:

How to apologize

How to cope with a breakup 

How to accept criticism 

How to deal with bullying 

How to argue in a healthy way

How to ask someone out

How to break up with someone

How to recognize an abusive relationship

How to rekindle a damaged friendship

How to speak in public

Job Hunting Skills:

How to tie a tie

How to write a resume

How to write a cover letter

How to dress for a job interview (for women/femmes)

How to dress for a job interview (for men/masculines)

How to properly shake hands

How to nail a job interview

Other Skills:

How to sew on a button 

How to hammer a nail

How to change your oil

How to put gas in your car

How to jump-start a car

How to pick a good password

How to back up your files

How to write a cheque

[the-life-and-thoughts-of-me]

Open letter to Chester Bennington of Linkin Park

Warning:

This post will be a letter to Chester which means it will deal with suicide.

—————————————————————

Dear Chester,

I’m so sorry that you suffered the way you did. I know life was tough dealing with your demons, dealing with the flashbacks and memories of abuse, dealing with the drug and alcohol issues that come with that, the depression, anxiety and the range of issues that this presents. I also know that when you passed it was the anniversary of Chris Cornell’s suicide, who was a close friend to you, the pain this brought would not have been easy at all.

I would never have chosen to let you die and if I could I would have helped in any way possible.

I never met you and don't know you personally but your art changed my life. When my friend introduced me to your music my life changed.

I dealt with bullying, neglect, borderline abuse and as a result I have developed complex PTSD, depression & anxiety.

No two people experience mental illness in the same way but I can truly say, these demons are hard to cope with. Your art, your music has helped me survive so many hard times, when I had given up your music helped me pull through. I have cried with your music, I have broken down to it & I have been built up by it. 

I have had a few attempts myself, I am glad I never succeeded now because life is amazing for me. Suicide is too final and life can turn around and surprise you at any second, though, I realise depression makes this unbelievable. 

You were a light in the world, you saved my life, and I’d dare say many other’s lives. There’s still a hole in my heart (and likely many others), which will never be filled. We love you and we miss you.

Though I wish you were still alive I am glad you found peace finally, rest in peace brother. I hope we meet one day, on the other side.

Your fan and friend,

Corey de Bruin