How do I get information about Medications

Posted on February 15, 2014 by JmaC

How can I get information about medications?

Many mental health consumers, as well as concerned family and friends, seek information to help them better understand the benefits of prescribed medications, potential side effects, and to help them in talking with their doctor about such matters.
Mental Health America encourages consumers to talk with their doctor regarding any medication-related questions or concerns and to inform him or her about all the medications being taken so that negative drug interactions can be avoided.
In addition to talking with their doctor, many consumers and their family members want to consult other information sources.

Medication Decisions
When you’re feeling overwhelmed or confused, it’s understandable that you might want to let others make medication decisions for you. But it’s becoming clearer to researchers, providers and mental health consumers themselves that being actively involved in your treatment can make a real difference in your recovery. Talking honestly with your doctor is a big part of that process. If you discuss your concerns and learn about your options, you are much more likely to come up with a plan that works well for you and for the life you want to create.
The following tips can help you decide about taking a medication:
•Get information. Ask your provider how the medication is supposed to help with your specific concerns. Also find out about any possible side effects. You might consider taking notes, since it can be hard to remember a lot of information, especially when you aren’t feeling well. You also might ask a friend or relative to go with you for emotional support and to help keep track of important information. Use MHA’s Antipsychotic Medication Checklist to help with such discussions.
•Talk with others with similar experiences. Self-help groups and peer specialists-people with mental health conditions who are trained to help-can provide great first-hand information. Local Mental Health America affiliate offices, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder are good sources for this kind of support. Remember that every person is different, but you can learn from the experiences of others.
•Think about your priorities and goals. Is relief from symptoms extremely important? If not, maybe you’re willing to live with some symptoms to avoid side effects. What are your main life goals? How might medication help?
•Sometimes the only way to know if a medication is right for you is to try it. You may find that it helps you feel much better. If not, you can decide to stop later.

What should I ask about the medications that are prescribed for me?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that you ask the following questions:
•What is the name of the medication and what is it supposed to do?
•How and when do I take it, and when do I stop taking it?
•What foods, drinks or other medications should I avoid while taking this medication?
•Should it be taken with food or on an empty stomach?
•Is it safe to drink alcohol while on this medication?
•What are the side effects, and what should I do if they occur?
•Is a Patient Package Insert for the medication available?

How can I tell if my medication is working?
Some people get relief from their symptoms immediately, others after a few days or weeks; for others, it may take even longer. After a short time on the medication, it’s important to share with your doctor or therapist how you are doing with the treatment. Together, you may need to find the right amount of medicine or combination of medicines.
It’s especially important to tell your doctor about any side effects you’re having from the medication. You may be able to make some changes in dosage or the time of day you take the medication to lessen or get rid of the side effects. There are also newer medications that have fewer side effects than older drugs, making it easier for people to stay on them. If after an extended period of time on a medication you are still not experiencing progress, you may need to talk with your doctor about trying another medication. Consult your doctor before making any changes in your medication.
How long you take medication really depends on your particular needs. Some people are able to discontinue medication when their symptoms have fully subsided and they have reached their treatment goals. Others may need to remain on medication for longer periods of time as part of a long-term recovery plan.

To talk with a knowledgeable professional, you can consult the following resources:
•Your local pharmacist is a valuable resource to answer medication-related questions. Pharmacies are required to provide written information about prescriptions they are dispensing.
•Pharmaceutical companies have staff that can respond to questions from the general public. View pharmaceutical company medical information telephone numbers below.
•In addition, many states have Drug Information Centers operated by area hospitals

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Affirmations How To

Posted on February 15, 2014 by JmaC

But what makes powerful affirmations powerful? In my opinion it’s the addition of EFT that makes the affirmations powerful. (EFT is short for Emotional Freedom Techniques)

Why don’t affirmations always work?

Some people don’t find affirmations much use. This is because we often get a little voice in our head telling us we don’t believe what we’ve just said in an affirmation. Gary Craig, the founder of EFT calls them ‘tail-enders’. These are very useful because they are the key to overcoming.

What are Emotional Freedom Techniques?

We can overcome the negative obstacles by tapping on meridian end points on the face and body whilst getting in touch with the problem we have.
Negative thoughts and feelings are outward signs that the energy in the body is blocked somewhere. Our body has energy channels, called meridians, which were charted by the ancient Chinese and used in Chinese medicine. EFT uses this knowledge of the meridian end points as does acupuncture. However, EFT utilises tapping pressure on the points instead of needles. (If you have not come across Emotional Freedom Techniques before, then check out this page for an explanation and chart of the tapping points.)

Using the Set Up Statement

So, if you know EFT or have just read the free manual, then you know that most times EFT is used it starts with a set-up statement.
This acknowledges that you love and accept yourself even with the problem (that you’re addressing with EFT). But some people just cannot bring themselves to say those words because they don’t believe them to be true. So you may want to adapt the set-up to something you can believe in. A client of mine says: “I’m willing to love and accept myself”.

Tap on the Tail-enders

You can tap away the negative thoughts and feelings of those tail-enders that come to mind when you say an affirmation. This helps us when we’re thinking about how to be happy. Just listen for the ‘Yes Buts.”
Here is a sample affirmation that may have a tail-ender for you. “I love myself”. The tail-ender, that little voice in your head, may be saying “That’s totally untrue! I don’t even like myself.”
So, you can ‘tap on’ the fact that you don’t love yourself. “Even though I really don’t love myself I’m open to the possibility of doing so one day.” And then at each tapping point you can us the phrase “I don’t love myself”, or “I hate myself” or whatever feels true for you.

Need Some Help With EFT?

It’s not always easy to do the tapping on your own for yourself. Heck even good EFT practitioners have regular sessions with others! So if you want some help, find out the options here.

Tap in those powerful affirmations

When I want to work specifically on loving myself (and yes, I’m still a work in progress), I sometimes say the whole set-up statement at each tapping point. This emphasises and ‘taps in’ the ‘loving and accepting oneself’ part of the equation.
So lets get back to those powerful affirmations. Well, actually, I think you can use any affirmations you feel are right for you, but use EFT along with them. However, it’s important to make sure they are written in the correct way. Check out the page on writing affirmations if you’re not sure.

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The Key to Becoming more Optimistic

Posted on February 15, 2014 by JmaC

Optimism isn’t rose-colored glasses, unicorns or eyes-and-ears-closed denial. It isn’t merriment every minute of the day, or utter delight on most days. And it isn’t a trait only some of us are blessed with while others are doomed to a deep, undying pessimism.Optimism actually can be learned. And it actually helps us be more resilient. Optimism helps us bounce back when we’re facing trials and tribulations and stress strikes.
Optimism keeps us well. “Doctors, rank optimism right up in line next to exercise and good nutrition when it comes to good health-building behaviors.”

So what is optimism exactly? Optimism is “a flexible mindset and focused action.”
Optimists persevere, persist and problem-solve. “They are willing to shift, adapt, change their goal if necessary, but they keep going.”
Thought process, is key in fueling optimism.
For instance, how often does a molehill become a mountain in your life?

Challenging Pessimistic Thoughts
When I was in high school, getting a few incorrect answers on a test only confirmed my incompetency. Snoozing and scrambling to get ready meant the entire day’s productivity was scrapped. Being tired in a class corroborated that I was never going to make a good life anyway.
It’s these pessimistic thoughts that can truly derail our days, and paralyze action. Getting a handle on these negative ruminations is important.

That’s because the path to being more optimistic is actually paved with less pessimistic thoughts. “Building optimism is not a matter of thinking more optimistically, it’s a matter of thinking less pessimistically.”
“Pessimistic thoughts tend to cluster in sweeping generalizations that imply long-term troubles as opposed to temporary circumstances. The car stalling is downright annoying, and probably cuss-worthy, but it doesn’t mean you’ll end up living alone on a school bus with thirty-two cats.”
Pay attention to your thoughts and the words you use to talk to yourself. Do they tend to be pessimistic? Sweeping negative generalizations? Mean-spirited self-judgments? Mostly doom and gloom?

Once you can identify these thoughts, examine them. Interrogate them. Ask yourself these questions:
•“What is the problem or setback that’s got me freaked?
•What do I believe about that situation?
•Are those reactions, thoughts and beliefs true? Really?”
And when things don’t go your way or you make mistakes, forget the absolutes and sweeping generalizations. Avoid using words like “always” and “never.”

Remember that “Difficult things don’t have to signify a downward spiral that will limit your life,”
Look at situations from all angles and perspectives. There’s never just one side. While a divorce can be devastating and trigger feelings of regret and guilt, it also can trigger “feelings of relief and excitement around your newfound independence and opportunity.”
“Reframing allows you to see the situation from all sides, and then you can focus on the one that feels more helpful, more optimistic.”
Optimism is empowering. When difficult moments arise, optimism reminds us that we can still move forward. “Grounded optimism is about recognizing the difficulties, believing things can get better, and then making them so.”

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Favorite Quotes

Posted on February 15, 2014 by JmaC

Maxwell Maltz Quotes
If you make friends with yourself you will never be alone.

Close scrutiny will show that most “crisis situations” are opportunities to either advance, or stay where you are.

Times will change for the better when you change.

Accept yourself as you are. Otherwise you will never see opportunity. You will not feel free to move toward it; you will feel you are not deserving.

For imagination sets the goal picture which our automatic mechanism works on. We act, or fail to act, not because of will, as is so commonly believed, but because of imagination.

Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your hand-break on.

Man maintains his balance, poise, and sense of security only as he is moving forward.

Often the difference between a successful man and a failure is not one’s better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk, and to act.

Realizing that our actions, feelings and behavior are the result of our own images and beliefs gives us the level that psychology has always needed for changing personality.

Remember you will not always win. Some days, the most resourceful individual will taste defeat. But there is, in this case, always tomorrow – after you have done your best to achieve success today.

Self-image sets the boundaries of individual accomplishment.

Self-improvement is the name of the game, and your primary objective is to strengthen yourself, not to destroy an opponent.

Take the trouble to stop and think of the other person’s feelings, his viewpoints, his desires and needs. Think more of what the other fellow wants, and how he must feel.

To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out the new behavior.

We are built to conquer environment, solve problems, achieve goals, and we find no real satisfaction or happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve.

We must have courage to bet on our ideas, to take the calculated risk, and to act. Everyday living requires courage if life is to be effective and bring happiness.

You make mistakes. Mistakes don’t make you.

You may live in an imperfect world but the frontiers are not closed and the doors are not all shut.

What is opportunity, and when does it knock? It never knocks. You can wait a whole lifetime, listening, hoping, and you will hear no knocking. None at all. You are opportunity, and you must knock on the door leading to your destiny. You prepare yourself to recognize opportunity, to pursue and seize opportunity as you develop the strength of your personality, and build a self-image with which you are able to live / with your self-respect alive and growing.

One of the reasons it has seemed so difficult for a person to change his habits, his personality, or his way of life, has been that heretofore nearly all efforts at change have been directed to the circumference of the self, so to speak, rather than to the center.

When you see a thing clearly in your mind, your creative “success mechanism” within you takes over and does the job much better than you could do it by conscious effort or “willpower.”

Study the situation thoroughly, go over in your imagination the various courses of action possible to you and the consequences which can and may follow from each course. Pick out the course which gives the most promise and go ahead.

People who say that life is not worthwhile are really saying that they themselves have no personal goals which are worthwhile. Get yourself a goal worth working for. Better still, get yourself a project. Always have something ahead of you to ”look forward to” to work for and hope for.

We are injured and hurt emotionally, Not so much by other people or what they say and don’t say, But by our own attitude and our own response.

Stand up to crises. Don’t let them throw you! Fight to stay calm… even surmount the crisis completely and turn it into an opportunity.

Refuse to renounce your self-image. No matter what happens, you must keep your good opinion of yourself. No matter what happens, you must hold your past successes in your imagination, ready for showing in the motion picture screen of your mind.

No matter what happens, no matter what you lose, no matter what failures you must endure, you must keep faith in yourself. Then you can stand up to crises, with calm and courage, refusing to buckle; then you will not fall through the floor.

You will be able to support yourself.

Thus man of all creatures is more than a creature, he is also a creator. Man alone can direct his success mechanism by the use of imagination, or imaging ability.

Begin to imagine what the desirable outcome would be like. Go over these mental pictures and delineate details and refinements. Play them over and over to yourself.

It is an old psychological axiom that constant exposure to the object of fear immunizes against the fear.
This is where you will win the battle / in the playhouse of your mind.
You can do only one thing at a time. I simply tackle one problem and concentrate all efforts on what I am doing at the moment.

You are embarking on the greatest adventure of your life — to improve your self-image, to create more meaning in your life and in the lives of others. This is your responsibility. Accept it, now!
Our self-image and our habits tend to go together. Change one and you will automatically change the other.

An idea accepted as true from any source can be every bit as powerful as hypnosis.
Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal.

Failure feelings – fear, anxiety, lack of self-confidence – do not spring from some heavenly oracle. They are not written in the stars. They are not holy gospel. Nor are they intimations of a set and decided fate which means that failure is decreed and decided. They originate from your own mind.

Happiness isn’t something that happens to you. It is you yourself do and determine upon.

I may be a mistake maker, but I’m also a mistake breaker.

You are not your mistakes

You are not your failures.

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Bipolar Serenity Prayer

Posted on February 15, 2014 by JmaC

BIPOLAR SERENITY PRAYER”

God- Life is about more than me. There is a meaning and design to the world independent of what I think or feel. The first (and maybe biggest) trap of bipolar is to convince you that “it” is all about you and the measure of how things are is how you feel. “Life is not about what I can or cannot control, thank goodness, because so much of this is beyond my control.” There is a “higher power.” There is someone to turn to when I feel all alone and powerless and all feels loss. grant me the serenity-“Grant”- that means it is a gift.

It is not something I earn or create. Serenity is not something that I accomplish. It is something I accept. And again it means giving up my need to control. “If every time I say control I could change it to manage or influence my life would be so much better.” Serenity is a focus on here and now. It is not being angry or sad about things gone wrong, or anxious about things yet to go wrong. Serenity is about taking things as they come. To accept the things I cannot change-acceptance is such a major part of dealing with this. So much time is needlessly worrying about “what I got”, and not enough about “what I do with it.” Control is a focus on what I got. Management is a focus on what I do with it. A first rule of walls- “No matter how much you bang your head on them it doesn’t create a door to walk through.” the courage to change the things I can..

To live with bipolar means to be scared. There is a good reason some people call it a “terminal disease.” Positive steps are sometimes so small that they don’t always even seem a step. There are enough wounds and scars that you can’t help but worry sometimes about what is next. “And sometimes it so hard and so tiring and seems so impossible you just don’t want to try. Giving up seems to make such good sense.”

And the wisdom to know the difference-The beginning of all is to know. “Knowledge is necessity.” A big part of knowing what to do is knowing what you got. Another major part of wisdom is staying focused. Looking. Not assuming that because something feels so it doesn’t make it so. Wisdom also means realizing when you are not being so smart. The smartest thing is to be able to see our foolishness quick enough not to wreck. It is important to realize that these things don’t just happen sequentially. It isn’t just do this first and this second and so on. Each one feeds into the other and the other feeds into it. Serenity helps give you courage, but courage increases your serenity. Wisdom helps to develop both, but each of them also increases wisdom. It is a net in effect. The serenity prayer in a real way is a safety net to keep you from drowning in the high waters of bipolar.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
Amen

unknown source

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A Lesson in Life

Posted on February 15, 2014 by JmaC

http://www.bipolar4lifesupport.co

A Lesson in Life:
Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, if they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. If someone hurts you, betrays you , or breaks you heart, forgive them. For they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to who you open your heart to. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them. Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it.

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What is Happiness

Posted on February 15, 2014 by JmaC

WHAT IS HAPPINESS:

Hmm, no doubt about it, that’s a tricky one.
what is happiness – smiles stackedWhen you want to discover how to be happy, it makes sense to first figure out the answer to the question “what is happiness?”.
Having a clear understanding of what is happiness makes it much easier to achieve it.
Also, knowing what the end result looks like means that when you get there, well, you know that you’ve got there!
The answer to that question is not so obvious, obviously. 😉 It’s probably why you’re reading this page.

Definition of Happiness

Let’s take a look at a few potential answers and some of the issues surrounding the idea and the reality of what is happiness.
We can get a sense of the broad range of answers to the question of what is happiness by looking at what dictionaries and encyclopedias give as their definition of happiness. Wikipedia, that venerable goldmine of online information, claims happiness to be “a state of mind or feeling such as contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy.”
On the other hand, Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary offers three definitions of happiness, one being “good luck; good fortune; prosperity.” Quite different? I think so. The first one is talking about an inner state, the second is talking about something entirely outside of ourselves.

Authentic Happiness

So if the dictionaries of the world are offering multiple answers, which one is right? Which answer is talking about authentic happiness?
Well, I take it to mean that we get to choose the answer that will give us the best chance of success if we were to take it onboard as our target in life. The answer that gives us control over our own happiness. And as much as we like to think so sometimes, we can’t truly control anything except ourselves.
So there’s a distinction between happiness that’s from the inner, and happiness that’s from the outer (if there really can be such a thing).

Happiness or Pleasure?

There’s another issue of difference too: happiness verses pleasure. There is some debate over the meanings of these words, but for the purposes of this website, happiness is a state of being that we’re striving to make permanent, and pleasure is a temporary sensation or feeling.
I think a lot of people, in their quest to find out how to be happy, mistake pleasure for happiness. There’s nothing wrong with pleasure …as long as you can recognize that it isn’t happiness. You can’t simply string a bunch of pleasurable experiences together and expect to find happiness. (Shame!)

Levels of Happiness

Happiness as a near-constant state of being is what we’re after here, but I would argue that even that kind of happiness isn’t just one kind. There are different levels of happiness, and it’s possible to move between them from hour to hour, day to day, and month to month. In fact, I think it’s the different levels of happiness that keep us on our toes and makes life interesting. Who says being happy all the time has to be boring?!
So to help us answer our question, “what is happiness?” and find our own personal definition of happiness, it helps to think about the levels of happiness we have experienced. First, we can think about the emotions we have when we think we are happy. We can identify feelings that range from contentment to a buzzing excitement; from a peaceful to joyful; from merriment to bliss.

Learned Optimism

It’s fairly well understood that positive people are generally happier than people who tend to see things negatively. The thing is, you don’t always know when you’re being negative. Learned optimism can help. Optimism and pessimism are not just about whether you see the glass half-empty or half-full. It’s what you believe about the causes of positive and negative events in your life.
Do you believe that you passed that test because you studied hard or because you’re clever? The first belief is that a positive event was caused by something that’s temporary or not intrinsic to you. The second focuses the cause of the positive event on your innate qualities.
While each “cause” could actually be true, even at the same time, studies show that believing the second one makes you a happier person overall. The opposite would be true if we were talking about a negative event. It’s possible to change your thought habits and learn to practice optimism, which is one route on the journey of how to be happy.
A final thought to ponder: is happiness an art? Or a science?
There is no wrong answer. 🙂

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Bits and Pieces

Posted on February 15, 2014 by JmaC

*Bits & Pieces*
There isn’t much left in this world that offers much yet doesn’t cost a cent. The hug, freely given and recieved, is an exchange between two people expressing shared thoughts and emotions. It costs nothing in the currency of the world nut its returns are many.

1.) It can be used at anytime and is fully refundable.
2.) It can express emotions running the full range from sympathy or despair to happiness or elatation.
3.) It can say “Hello” or “Good-bye” with warmth.
4.) It can tell a friend in trouble, “I really care, can I help?”
5.) It can tell a sick person “I’m here for you please share my stength.”
6.)It has no unpleasant side effects.
7.) It generates good will and elevates self esteem.
8.) It offers comfort and consolation in a warm non-invasive way.
9.) It can simply be a gesture to say “I love you” or “will you be my friend.”
10.)It makes both parties feel cared about and accepted as they are……..!
So Give someone a HUG today!!!!

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Words can start a fire in someone’s Soul

Posted on February 15, 2014 by JmaC

I think that meditative and inspiring thoughts and words have the power to start a fire in a person’s life.
It can alter the way we see ourselves.

It can change the way we see the world.

It dares us to break free from the safe strategies of the cautious mind; it calls to us, like the wild geese.

It is a magical art, and always has been — a making of language spells designed to open our eyes, open our doors and welcome us into a bigger world, one of possibilities we may never have dared to dream of.

I’ve found that the best way to reconnect with how beautiful life can be is to give something away. It doesn’t have to be anything material.

It can be a compliment, a smile, or a positive intention or thought for someone else.

Sometimes the greatest gift you can give is sincerely giving your presence

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Journey to Success “quotations of Excellence

Posted on February 15, 2014 by JmaC

“Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinary Well”
Anybody who accepts mediocrity-in school, on the job, in life-is a person who compromises, and when the leader
compromises, the whole organization compromises.
Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.
Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.
Always do your best! What you plant now, you will harvest later.
I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day.
Do that little more, which is worth all the rest.

“To do the right thing, at the right time, in the right way;
to do some things better than they were ever done before;
to eliminate errors; to know both sides of the question; to be courteous;
to be an example; to work for the love of work; to anticipate requirements;
to develop resources; to master circumstances; to act from reason rather than rule;
to be satisfied with nothing short of perfection!”

Make it a life-rule to give your best to whatever passes through your hands. Stamp it with your “man-womanhood.”
Good enough never is.
If something is exceptionally well-done it has embedded in its very existence the aim of lifting the common denominator
rather than catering to it.
If you plan your best you can win.
The real contest is always between what you’ve done and what your capable of doing.
You measure yourself against yourself and nobody else.
Excellence is rarely found, more rarely valued.

“It is those who have this imperative demand for the best in their natures, and who will
accept nothing short of it, that holds the banners of progress, that set the standards, the ideals,
for others!”

One of the most essential things you need to do for yourself is to choose a goal that is important to you.
Perfection does not exist-you can always do better and you can always grow.
Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more.
The quality of expectations determines the quality of our actions.
You have to create a track record of breaking your own mold, or at least
other people’s idea of that mold.

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