Friday, December 16, 2011

When life gets in the way, get back to Natural!


November and December are all about family and love and all that other crap !
I'm sure this sounds extremely selfish or snarkey or what have you. But for the fair part of my life these two months have traditionally been known as a difficult time. For our family, in the last 8-10 years it has become, "What the hell is ganna happen this year?".
I'm stepping aside from the usual blog of " How to's ". To spout off some personal philosophy, so get ready!
I spent a fair part of my teenage years with depression, like a numerous amount of teenagers.
My parents sent me to therapy , I ran the gambit of anti-depressants. All of which failed , they only made me into a walking drone of a person, made me sick, or just made my symptoms worse with added psychosis.
Until my parents had started reading about something called St.Johns Wort. If your not familiar with it. St. Johns Wort is a beautiful yellow flowering plant, that is used for treating depression. It has very FEW side effects ( makes you photo sensitive-you tan/burn easy and or light is just brighter to your eyes, and if you are pregnant it can cause uterine cramping which could lead to a miscarriage). BUT when used properly it is a WONDERFUL herbal antidepressant! So at the age of 16 I started taking it.
I happen to have a Dr who was very comfortable with the use of herbal/homeopathic meds, which helped a lot!
I'm comfortable enough to know when I need it and when I don't. Right now is one of those times of year when I just naturally start up my SJW. I'm also prone to having seasonal affect disorder, Minnesota winters=Seasonal affect Disorder.
A few years ago I had my gall bladder removed, and didn't realise that my depression came back with a vengeance. What some people don't realise is that when your body suffers a trauma such as surgery, your depression can come back. I know.. weird!
After I recognised what was happening I started seeing a therapist again who actually happened to be a homeopathic therapist. She suggested that I try using Flower Essences because of my successful history with SJW.
Copied from FES
What are Flower Essences:
Flower essences are herbal infusions or decoctions, made from the flowering part
of the plant, which uniquely address emotional and mental aspects of wellness.
The first 38 flower remedies were formulated by a British physician, Dr. Edward
Bach, in the 1930's, although new remedies from other plant species are now
available.
How do flower essences work?

To understand how flower essences work requires a
recognition that the human being is more than a physical body, but also
incorporates a "body" of life energy, a "body" of sensitivity and feelings, and
a spiritual essence or Self. Flower essences are energetic imprints of the life
force of plants which interact with these subtle bodies of the human being, and
evoke specific qualities within us. We can say that they work in a similar way
to inspirational music or art, which carry meaning through the vehicle of sound
or light, while the flower essences work through the medium of water.
Modern physics has known for nearly a century that matter
and consciousness are intertwined. However, medical science still generally
works with a nineteenth century model of the human being as a mechanism in a
world of machines. We expect that in the coming century medical science will
develop ways of studying the impact of consciousness on health, and we will
learn more about the ways in which flower essences work. However, empirical
research, which consists of the collection of case studies and practitioner
reports, will remain the primary source of knowledge about how flower essences
work.
So now you have a little bit of a better understanding of the stuff I use to keep me Rock'n and Roll'n!
I've tried to be as natural when it comes to my med's. All with the exception of my A.D.D.
So far I've yet to find much that can replace Ritalin, Its what works. I've had a few Dr's try to switch me to something that was a non stimulant but why fix something that isn't broke?
In the last year or so I have change quite a bit of how I eat (Good fats- avocados,coconut oil,lots of eggs) and I've noticed that I don't need as large of a dose of my A.D.D. meds. Here's a clue... your brain is made of fat... your brain needs fat to function. Our society has become afraid of fat because they think it will make them fat. SUGAR makes you fat, it messes with your insulin levels and if it isn't burned off quickly (which it is designed for). It gets stored as yep.. you guessed it Fat!
I'm not a super uber eat all organic type, because we cant afford it. But we try to get as much farmers market meats during the spring and summer. We grow quite a bit of our own veggies during the spring and summer too. Nothing is better then walking in the back yard and just eating straight out of the garden.... Little dirt wont hurt you !