Bipolar Support Groups.com blog

http://www.bipolar4lifesupport.co on line support group

•The sooner you come to terms with your diagnosis and work your treatment plan, the sooner you are on the road to getting back your life
•Get enough sleep and watch your stress level
•Be honest with your doctor- the more he/she knows, the more helpful they can be. If you don’t trust your doctor or believe they are the best at what they do, find another doctor
•Find a positive and encouraging peer support group
•Take your medicine. Push past the side effects. And if the side effects are too much, talk to your doctor. Don’t make decisions regarding your medicine without your doctor’s input and approval.
•Don’t do street drugs. They interfere with the prescribed medicine. Yes, even marijuana does. You certainly won’t get better because of them and they will most likely only impede your recovery.
•Know the difference between a feeling and a mood.
•Know the difference between emotional issues verses the symptoms of bipolar.
•You can live a rich life in spite of this disorder or you can become the victim of it. You get to decide.
•Know that you are not alone.

http://www.bipolar4lifesupport.co On line support group grammer is off!!

must admit focusing on one’s self is not an easy thing to do.

I constantly am preaching to Andrew, ( my son ), about the words we say, simple words, really do not, at any age, give that good intention, or impression that we sometimes are trying to show, exhibit, or be. As we age as well it is the “action”(s) that speak louder than the words! Now meaning with that is sometimes there are too many words to define who, and what we are? I think I have to, or know I do “Stop” as I tell him with the “words” and start the Action of what the words mean.

This may not make sense to you, but, what I am getting at is there are so many characteristics in each one of us and within me, I have been for a couple years, maybe longer saying to myself:

“wow, where did that go?”

When I say “where did that go?” I am meaning a part of me, the action in myself, of how, and what I did, I usually dismiss this and say “we all change” but we do really remain “the same.”

I think for myself I have a fight, and battling is really not a strong suit for me, maybe when I was younger, I could debate, good fight, in word, outward, did not matter!

Once were, or what was there, is still just that, there inside of me, and us, if this applies to you? I am talking about character, I always said “nothing is going to hurt nor touch me the way this or that did” that I think was a lie to myself to get me through perhaps whatever it was at the time, I have come to think that how long am I going to think about what “once was” when I can simply, well maybe not so simply, “dig it out” of me!

I use to define myself, the whole me according to how much, or what I was by titling that with my job. Now without a job for 12 years that Anniversary of January the 1st, I feel, and see, that you do not have to per say make money without a title of, or from a job, you, no one is defined that simply, it is all about for me, the matters of my heart. I am very happy to come to this point, finally, with in myself, but at the same time scared as crap about what I am going to have to face in that mirror, and the work I am going to have to do to, let’s just say to “reinvent” myself, yea, that makes sense to me, I like that!

I am using the word “dig” a lot because once a seed within me, has like turned to “roots”, roots spreading inward, and the blossoming of the petals that once were have stopped, just stopped growing. If I dig, I think, I hope, I will find it eventually with all the work, and the exhaustion of digging, and the faith of anything, doesn’t have to be Religious, just faith within ourselves, or me anyways I can be, or have that “characteristic” ( s ) back to the front of my mind!

The weird thing I use to do, to basically not have to deal with any given situation is to lock it away, strange as that sounds it worked for a very, very long time for me, not anymore. Now that can be of a good thing, or bad, it is all up to me!

The basic point is within myself those things I would “miss”, or say “wow, where did that go” is still here. I have to work to get it out, and that all depends upon, just like anything else, how much do I want it, with me everything, and anything has got to come from my heart. I think, if the passion is there for it, along with the drive, anyone can achieve? In fact, I basically have absolutely no drive without the passion in my heart. I wonder if we are all wired in that same way?

Somehow, I don’t understand how, but that somehow within me changed, no bodies to blame, not even myself, but it was as if I got lost per say inside strange enough that can happen. I come to realize all of the time I took to lock away all the negative aspects in my life in any given situation, relationship, and etc… basically in my mind just blew up.

This is what I would do, and say:

“Okay, where did that come from, this won’t hurt me, they are words, they will only affect me if I allow them too,”

Then to take extra precaution to not get hurt, nor let that back into my life, I would unlock the door that lead to the back of my mind, and open a closet is what I called it, and grab a box, and there were, are many, take the lid off, and put that word ( s ) in that box, put the lid back on it, put it back on the shelf, and quickly “Close and Lock that Door!”
Just simply weird I know, but as they say whatever works, right? I am not that sure that still applies with me anyways!

Like I said though, it worked, we all have so many different coping techniques, mechanisms, no matter what the word, they all mean the same, I would rather simplify my words, and use that extra energy to put those words into “Action.”

I am expressing this here like this, because writing has always helped me,

“Get it on paper Jan, get it out, and it won’t hurt as much.”

Well that is a hunk of BS, cause no matter how much I “want” to deny the fact of being a (highly) sensitive woman, because of what I have been through in childhood, that is just not right, it sounds to me as a excuse of sorts, because we all have a story to tell, what we went through, seen, heard, smelt, etc..

The way my father being, or I should say acting the part of a pillar of strength, kind of made me realize that he was not as strong as perceived to be, and that is okay! Since the genetic components come from my father’s side of the family, and not having a good relationship with him, father daughter, I felt a feeling, I have never felt before for him, compassion!
How hard it must have been to hold all of this, like what I am writing back, stifled it! Now I found myself doing the same thing, and I can tell you first hand along with the help of counseling, and medication that my father did not have, for his own reasons, I don’t know, who am I to judge, was, is exhausting!

Heart disease, with high blood pressure as a key risk factor, is the leading cause of death among U.S. women. Younger women who have a heart attack and women without classic symptoms of a heart attack (no chest pain or pressure, for instance) tend to have poorer outcomes and mortality rates than men.

Women are also notably at risk of a heart attack because of the interplay between the female sex hormone estrogen and cholesterol levels. At the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., researchers are looking into key connections between hormonal patterns and untreated high blood pressure, which is known as “hypertension.”

Numerous treatments and therapies already exist to combat hypertension. The most common ones involve lifestyle modifications through exercise and changes in diet, along with medications to lower blood pressure.

To date, treatment plans have been identical for men and women — even though women are more likely than men to die in the first year after a heart attack.

Maybe that’s not good enough anymore, says Carlos Ferrario, MD, professor of general surgery in the Office of Women in Medicine and Science at Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina, and lead researcher of the study “Hemodynamic and Hormonal Patterns of Untreated Essential Hypertension in Men and Women.”

More Vascular Disease in Women

Wake Forest scientists examined variations in men’s and women’s hormones and noted “the varying hemodynamics,” or different forces involved in blood circulation between the sexes. These physiological differences may affect outcome, care and medications, too.

“We can now see a possible reason why [antihypertensive] medications are not as effective in women as they are in men,” says Ferrario. “We’ve known that hypertension is more severe in women than in men over the age of 64, and it’s more likely to be the cause of death among women in that age group.”

Even if men and women with hypertension have the same blood pressure readings, research finds that women’s arteries and other blood vessels are more damaged than men’s. What’s more, the severity of those injuries is clearly associated with the levels of male and female hormones associated with high blood pressure.

The study found an astonishing 30 to 40 percent more vascular disease in women who had the same high blood pressure levels as men.

Blocking the Activity of Dangerous Hormones

The hormone angiotensin II came under special scrutiny in these new studies. It increases blood pressure by constricting blood vessels and also directs the kidneys to retain salt and water.

Doctors found that women already have more of this hormone (angiotensin II) in their bodies, and because men and women are currently prescribed identical doses, women will continue to have higher, more dangerous levels than men will.

“Doctors need to prescribe compounds that block the activity of this hormone,” says Ferrario. “It will probably require higher doses in women than in men.” More research is necessary to determine whether different drugs or dosages of existing drugs become standard for women.

“To date, we have no guidelines and no real rationale for treating men and women differently,” says Ferrario. “We really need to look at existing therapies, look at the prescription drug dosages and treat women more aggressively, or at least differently, than men.”

Next Steps

Although more research is needed, take these common-sense preventive steps:
“Be more active in managing your own care. During post-menopause years, your risk of cardiovascular death is much higher than men’s,” says Ferrario. “Follow your doctor’s advice about exercising more, taking medications as prescribed and monitoring your own blood pressure.”
Women with hypertension should strive to lose weight, use salt sparingly, eat more fruits and vegetables (to boost potassium levels) and closely watch their intake of fats, say experts.

For Caregivers
Convince all your health care practitioners to be more aggressive in their management of hypertension, or high blood pressure, for the females in your life. “A real change is needed in attitudes regarding how to treat women,” says Ferrario.

The consumption of alcohol is a socially accepted past time. From happy hours to family gatherings, it is common for adults who are of age to toss back a few while enjoying the company of their friends, family or peers. However, there is a very dark side to the jovial nature of having a libation, and that is when the volume of alcohol being consumed steadily increases to unhealthy proportions. Here is an inside look at alcoholism, which is a type of sickness that many people are unaware they are affected by.

What Is It?

Alcoholism is a complete dependence on alcohol consumption. In other words, it is an addiction to alcohol. Much like any other drug addiction, a person afflicted by alcoholism will have an uncontrollable desire to constantly consume alcohol. Alcoholism tends to follow alcohol abuse, which is the unhealthy consumption of alcohol. Unhealthy consumption can refer to the sheer volume of alcoholic beverages consumed in one sitting, or the frequency in which alcohol is consumed on a weekly basis.

According to PubMed Health from the United States National Library of Medicine, those who suffer from alcohol abuse are more likely to develop alcoholism under these particular circumstances:
Any male who has 15 or more drinks per week
Any female who has 12 or more drinks per week
Any person who consumes five or more drinks per occasion at least once a week

One alcoholic drink is generally defined by one of the following:
12 ounces of beer
5 ounces of wine
1.5 ounces of liquor

Causes And Risk Factors

There is no specific cause for developing alcoholism. A person can develop this condition overtime, due to various factors in his or her life. Studies have suggested a correlation between alcoholism and genetics. However, an inherited dependency on alcohol can be also explained by constantly being around a parental figure who also suffered from alcoholism. In other words, it is difficult to determine whether alcoholism is, indeed, inherited or just caused by influential factors.

Risk factors for the development for alcoholism include:
Having a parent who suffers from alcoholism
Low self-esteem
Relationship problems
Stress
Depression
Being surrounded by people who suffer from alcoholism or alcohol abuse
Live in an environment where excessive alcohol consumption is not only accepted, but encouraged
Easy access to alcohol
Suffering from hardships, especially economic or emotional hardships

Signs and Symptoms

Common signs of alcoholism include:
High irritability or emotional distress unless alcohol is being consumed
Endangering oneself for the sake of drinking (drunk driving, drinking with a health condition)
Inability to control the consumption of alcohol
Drinking alone
Constantly looking for excuses to consume alcohol
Using alcohol for celebratory purposes (drinking after a good day at work)
Using alcohol to appease a troubling situation (drinking after a bad day at work)
Inability to resist alcohol at the mere sight or smell of it
Hiding the addiction
Becoming violent or emotionally unstable while drinking
Missing work, school or important events because the person is constantly in an inebriated state
Physically and emotionally neglecting oneself
Ignoring physical appearance; lack of personal hygiene

Common symptoms of alcoholism include:
Uncontrollable shakes and tremors, especially around the hands after alcohol has not been consumed for a long period of time
Memory loss
Blacking out
Inability to think clearly
Mood swings
Constantly smelling like alcohol
Anxiety
Insomnia

Many of these symptoms fall under the category of alcohol withdrawal. Any person who is showing significant signs and symptoms of alcoholism needs to seek out professional assistance immediately.

Treatment

While the primary treatment for alcoholism is to stop drinking completely, one may find that the addiction to alcohol is so strong, it is difficult to completely quit drinking without professional assistance. If the alcohol dependency is not too severe, a person can start slowly reducing the amount of alcohol that is consumed on a weekly basis to more moderate levels.

However, those who have been suffering from alcoholism for quite some time may go through quite an ordeal to quit their addiction. Treatment centers and facilities are available to assist with severe cases of alcoholism. Just going without a single drop of alcohol in an addict’s system for 24 hours is enough to cause a severe case of alcohol withdrawal, also known as delirium tremens. This can result in:
Fever
Seizures
Severe confusion and agitation
Hallucination
Loss of bodily function

It is for this reason that professional help is necessary to help someone suffering from alcoholism to slowly wean off of the alcohol. Once that person’s health is stabilized, they may be released from a treatment facility into the care of friends or family members. However, the treatment does not stop there.

Support groups for alcohol recovery and addiction are crucial for preventing a relapse. These programs offer pier support via counselors, mentors and through a group of individuals who have also suffered due to their dependency on alcohol.

Those concerned about themselves or a loved one who is suffering from alcoholism should speak with a doctor or healthcare professional for further assistance.