Mental & Emotional Health

Every once in a while I start browsing Amazon.com just to see what new books are out there. Ya’ll know that I’m always reading and since I love to shop, why not browse books! I thought I’d list some of the books that caught my eye today that you all might be interested in as well! I’m very tempted to actually but these books, but am going to hold off and see if I can’t use BookMooch to get some of them instead! Free books are the best!

(more…)

300: a great movie. I enjoyed it. *nods*

300: the year the year the city of Split is built.

300: how many more hits I need in September to break my March record! Pass the word on, people!

I’m in a funk today. I’m overwhelmed, stressed out, not laughing, and just not myself. *le sigh*

I think it’s because of the major change in my life lately but I’m not sure it’s 100% that. I haven’t seen MamaDee in almost two weeks and I miss her. I am going to see her on Sunday, but still that’s been too long. School has me stressed out, I’ve had a lot of random little things to do this week and have had some snafus pop up with regards to school. I am thinking about finding a part-time job on top of everything, but with this week being SO stressful, I don’t know if that’s a smart idea!

mental & emotional health, blog hits, raising traffic, Portland State University, college, education, friends

Today was the first day of school. It was a little overwhelming time-wise on top of being brand new everywhere else. I have class on Mondays from 11:30am-6:30pm with a two-hour break in between the 2nd and 3rd class. Today I couldn’t be as productive as I wanted because a) I didn’t actually have two hours, and b) I couldn’t get online because I didn’t get all my stuff taken care of like I thought I would. Tomorrow I have a one-hour break (10-11am) and am going to try to get my student ID made as well as my ODIN (email) account secured. This will help me with future time management issues I may have. I’m really sure you all care to know what I’m doing on my “lunch” break tomorrow. *shakes her head* Sometimes I wonder about my own self.

It’s 9pm and I’m only future-posting by 11 hours. That’s rare for me. I wanted to use my two hour break to get some posts ready for the rest of the week, but that didn’t happen. I now write for two 451Press blogs, and while I am thoroughly enjoying it, time management wasn’t something I had to worry about before school started. I could write at work, I could write at home in the afternoon/evenings and I could get everything done and still have plenty of time. Learning about 451Press’ new payout schedule today (fellow 451 writers, isn’t it exciting?)

Tonight I had to get home (traffic in downtown Portland at 6:30pm is not fun) and then take care of a financial issue (just writing a letter) and then I had to do homework! Homework! For the first time in a year (I did take a class last fall, but it’s been THREE years since I had to write a paper!) I had homework. I’m spending tomorrow evening away from the house and so I wouldn’t have had time to write it then, so I tackled it tonight.

So, I need to re-learn how to manage my own time. I’ve been successful in the past with it, and hope that eventually I’ll slide back into an old routine, but today it’s been quite overwhelming. Eventually I’ll find a place to sit for two hours during my breaks and either do homework or future-post. Hopefully. Maybe.

After I write my other article tonight I’m hoping to do a little time-management “research” to see if I can’t find some great (and some silly, perhaps!) pieces of advice for the rest of you struggling to find enough hours in your day to get everything done!

[tags]mental & emotional health, 451 press, eating disorder talk, life as a Christian woman, depression talk online, time management, Portland State University, education, school, back to school, writing[tags]

So, as of this week I’ve been off Prozac for five months. I feel incredible. I still have rough days, but overall, have learned to manage my anxiety and depression with healthy habits and life-changes. I haven’t sunk into a hole and avoided everyone (unless you can count work as a hole) and I haven’t ignored my friends because of a funk. I’m pretty impressed with myself actually.

School starts on Monday and I’m really looking forward to the changes that is going to bring. I am going to be enveloped in books and class and studying and pens and tests and crazy Freshmen and it’s all going to be new, but still very familiar.

It used to be that I had a hard time making friends, but I’ve learned that it’s not so hard, and it’s not impossible for me. It’s been interesting to me to look back on the friendships that I’ve made in the past five months and see how they differ from friendships of five years ago. I keep myself and my previous struggles relatively quiet and to myself, until I think a person is “ready” to hear about them.

Yesterday I spent the day with a good friend at the beach, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We laughed so hard my stomach hurt more than a dozen times, we sang along badly to all sorts of music and it was worth the gas and the drive-time. I am proud to see myself as this changed woman, and I feel good about the way my life has been altered. My favorite thing to hear lately has been; “I don’t even recognize you!” because I know I haven’t physically changed - they’re seeing what I’m feeling.

mental & emotional health, personal, change, depression, anxiety

I’ve been tagged by Neel so now I get to have a mid-week me on Monday! It’ll be a Monday-Meme day or something!
-Pass your friends a note by leaving a comment.
-Visit them by hitting their site.
-Show them love with a link to their entry.

So here goes: Seven Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About Me
1. Most of my in-person/in-real-life/see-everyday friends don’t know about this blog. Some of them don’t know that I deal with so many mental illness issues and because I work really hard to keep myself 100% put together in front of them 100% of the time, so I don’t want all of them seeing the real me. Yes, this means that you, my faithful blog readers, get to see the real me.

2. I detest being called by diminutive names by people who I’m not close to. I’m okay with nicknames from my friends, from my family, and even if I’m close to a guy I’m dating, but I hate being called “sweetheart” by the grocery store clerk. I’m not her sweetheart and I never will be; I don’t call you honey-buns, you don’t need to demean me and call me sweetheart! (I’ve been told I’d never cut it in the South because of this!)

3. The sound of ocean waves puts me in a melancholy & contemplative mood. I love the ocean, I love the water, I love the salt, I love the sand, I love the fact that I’m standing on the edge of a continent when I’m at the ocean, and it always makes me think. I didn’t see the ocean for the first time until I was 12 (I played on glaciers in AK when I lived there, but didn’t count that as the ocean) and ever since then I’ve been entranced by the feelings the ocean gives me. The ocean makes me want to write. Even just writing about the ocean makes me want to write.

4. A year ago I lived with such strong social anxiety I couldn’t make friends. I couldn’t keep friends because I wouldn’t leave the house to hang out with them, I wouldn’t call them back, I wouldn’t even write them back with emails because I was that anxious about making the “right” impression on people. I have grown so much in the past year that I have no problem making new friends, calling people back, attending concerts (I saw Willie Nelson on Saturday night and that was AMAZING!) and thoroughly enjoying myself while I do so.

5. I love to cook, but hate cooking for only myself. I make mean chicken or ground turkey enchiladas and I’ve never had anyone complain about them. I love to bake (especially sourdough and banana bread) and take pride in people complimenting my culinary abilities. Because I don’t like to cook for myself, I don’t cook hardly enough anymore though. Eating the same thing day after day can drive me crazy so leftovers (which I do love) aren’t always fun for myself. I need to learn to FREEZE stuff and then just reheat it a week later when I’m ready for it again.

6. Vacuuming is my absolute favorite chore. There is something relaxing about the back and forth motion of the electric sucking machine. Everyone I tell this to stares at me funny and I always laugh. I hate to clean the bathroom* (don’t really know why) but I do love to suck dirt from the carpets with my trusty Shark!

7. I think I have a mineral deficiency. I have recently realized that I am starting to bruise really easily, and have been doing research as to why. One of the things that came up may be that I am eating too many almonds. Almonds apparently have some of the same properties as aspirin and I’ve been eating a lot of them, so that may be part of it. I could also be lacking in Vitamin C (which might very well be the case, too). I’m going to continue doing my research and see what happens.

Now I’m supposed to tag some other people so I’m picking four people I know regularly read me!
1. Amanda at Depression Talk
2. Mad at Mad Haiku (do it in Haiku form and you’ll be even more of my hero!)
3. Mallory at Mallory In The Middle
4. Just Me at Master of Irony (when you have time, sweetheart! *giggles*)

mental and emotional health, meme, 7 things about me, personal, nicknames, pet peeves, grocery shopping, ocean, sounds, waves, writing, melancholy, contemplative, social anxiety, making friends, keeping friends, growing, learning, healing, cooking, recipes, leftovers, mineral deficiency, vitamin C, vitamin K iron, anemia

*that bathroom is NOT mine!

Everyone likes to take tests, right? No, very few people like to take tests … but what happens when they’re tests that will tell you all about yourself? I did a bit of searching and found some mental health tests that can give you some insight into yourself. I have taken each of these tests to be sure that they are accurate. *nods* Mucho scientific research occurs on my couch!

Are you addicted to the internet? - “You are an average on-line user. You may surf the Web a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage.” I think I would have to agree with that. I spend a lot of time on my computer & online, but I get paid to do what I’m spending my time here doing.

Self test for Alcoholism - I answered yes to a few of these questions, but never more than three in each section, which can indicate a certain stage of alcoholism. If you’re at all concerned you may be an alcoholic, please take some time to call the Alcohol Hotline at 1-800-331-2900. It is both free and confidential.

Adult ADD/ADHD Test - “Dr. Amen suggests: “More than 20 items with a score of three or more indicates a strong tendency toward ADD. Items 1, 6, and 7 are essential to make the diagnosis.” I do not have adult ADD/ADHD and I didn’t think I would.

Screening for Anxiety - “The above answer(s) are anxiety symptoms that might be part of an Anxiety Disorder. It is advised to seek a psychiatric consultation.” I knew that. : )

Depression Screening Test - “Your answers show the presence of prominent depressive symptoms. It is advised to seek a psychiatric consultation.” I knew that, too!

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Test “You probably do not have clinically significant obsessions.” and “You probably do not have clinically significant compulsions.” Yup, that’s what I assumed. I’m anal about things, but I don’t significantly obsess about anything.

The Termperment Discovery Test “Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there’s a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly–they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.” This one is rather long, but it’s obviously true for me. If you want to check out ANY of these tests, this would be the one that you should check out!

Screening for Personality Disorders “Based on the above answer(s), your personality traits might be associated with following personality type(s): Obsessive Personality.” I wouldn’t have thought this, but the more that I read about it, the more I am able to agree.

Health Tests has quite the list of different tests including: the anger test, lifestyle test and even a sleep hygiene test!

mental and emotional health, quizzes, tests, surveys, anxiety, alcoholism, depression, personality disorders, anger tests, lifestyle tests, sleep hygiene tests

I grew up in a pretty small town. There were 20,000 people and most of them were conservative, white, blue collar workers. In this town, you either were a nerd, a jock, or a stoner. (I got to be in the “nerd” category, and still don’t mind that!) There wasn’t much to do in this town (two bowling alleys and, after my Sophomore year of high school, a roller skating rink. I mostly hung out with my friends at their houses doing random things that were “nerdy.” I didn’t think much of it until I moved away to college.

In college, I joined (approximately) 39,999 other people in a larger town, with people of all different races, ethnicities, educational backgrounds, financial situations, sexualities, and whatnot. I was blown away by these new people, and made friends quickly and felt comfortable with everyone. During my junior year at school I took a women’s studies class (that I loved) about violence against women. My professor was from Minnesota and one day mentioned that this college wasn’t very diverse. It got me thinking; I came from a little town and this new town was diverse. Professor came from a huge town and this new town was not diverse. Interesting how that works out.

The whole point of this post was that I spent my weekend with a family who absolutely understands tolerance. Mr.Cee is gay. He came out of the closet in his early high school years (in the little town of 20,000) and then moved to an even smaller town. He made friends, his family continued to love him, and nothing was too shocking for them. Mr.Cee moved to New York City where, while doing IV drugs, he contracted HIV. His family, rather than shunning him, have rallied around him and continued to show their love & support towards him. Mr.Cee started a treatment for Hepatitis C a few weeks ago and his medication has made him pretty sick and makes him feel worn out as well. He came to town for a family party, and watching his family surround him with love, even though they haven’t seen him in years, was really cool.

I feel like I lost my train of thought a million times during this post. I may address this again when I have more thoughts actually put together. Enjoy your Tuesday!!

mental and emotional health, tolerance, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, family, Roseburg, Oregon State University

Today I turn 25. At 1:50pm, 25 years ago, my mom (naturally) gave birth to me. Kinda scary to think about. Anyway, happy birthday to me … I’m officially 1/2-way to fifty.

My parents drove up to take me to dinner (and give me boxes and tape and a present!) and mom asked me at one point if I felt old … and I don’t, but I feel weird. “I’m 25 and divorced.” Neither of my parents had much to say about that … I think it made them uncomfortable, but we moved on shortly thereafter. This morning I woke up early and spent a little while thinking about the things that I’ve done in the past 25 years that have made me incredibly proud; I don’t have much material on my mind for REAL mental and emotional health, but concentrating on my OWN mental and emotional health, I thought I’d list some of the things I’m more proud of from the past 25 years.

~I learned to read at an exceptionally early age. I was barely 4 when I read books aloud to strangers. My dad took me to jobsites with him and I impressed teachers by “reading” to them. They assumed that I was going to make up the stories and then I actually read the book to them. I read all the time still; I love to read.

~I wrote a story that was published when I was in 3rd grade. It was a HORRIBLE story about a horse who had trouble walking. I named the horse Sarah. Psychologically there is probably something strange about that. “Readers dream, dreamers write.” I both dream and write … this is a pretty cool thing to me.

~I joined the Talented and Gifted program in 4th grade. I was a smart kid. I still feel like a smart kid most days. (I stayed in TAG until they disbanded it in 8th grade.)

~I started my own business in the 6th grade, selling and teaching about owl pellets. My friend Brandi and I made good money doing this. We collected the owl pellets from her grandpa’s barn, sold them for a dollar a piece (school science catalogs sold them for $4 a piece) and our elementary school principal drove us to other schools to give presentations and teach younger kids about owls and mice. It’s gross, but we made money and teachers thought we were super-cool.

~In 8th grade, I was the top English student in my “neighborhood.” Our grade was split into two neighborhoods (I was in the gold one, and the other was the blue one) and I got to be the top English student. I got a pretty plaque and my parents were invited to a ceremony and I won an award and all that stuff. I still have the plaque and am STILL proud of this.

~In 10th grade I was accepted into the GAPP (German-American Partnership Program) by my high school German teacher. My family hosted an exchange student (Britta) and then six months later I spent 5 weeks in Germany. I loved this time and learned much about myself. I was 16 (my gosh, this doesn’t feel like it was a DECADE ago!) and had an amazing time!

~I graduated high school. I was in the top 10.15%. I was ONE person off of being in the top 10% of my graduating class and actually felt awful having to sit with the “regular” people. That sounds horribly pretentious, but all my friends were in the first row … and I was way back with the H’s. : ( I survived and I know that it was only a numbers game, but still. I graduated high school!

~I got accepted to the only college I applied to; Oregon State University. Looking back I feel DUMB for only applying to ONE school since I was such a good student in high school (and very, very active!). Who knows where I could have gone if I had decided to be brave and GO somewhere!

~In college I was continually on the Dean’s List and honor roll. I was invited to join honor societies (and I think I joined one … LOL … I can’t really remember) even though I barely passed Chemistry. I got one B in my major (German) in four years and am incredibly proud of such a high college major GPA.

~After my divorce, I have survived and THRIVED. I am a happy, strong, capable woman, and I have learned more about myself in the past 11 months than I had in the previous 11 years. I am incredibly proud of myself for these things.

So, yeah, I’ve done plenty of things to be proud of in the past 25 years. I have no regrets and wouldn’t change a thing … otherwise I wouldn’t be who I am. As a birthday present to me; leave me a comment and tell me why you’re proud of yourself!

mental and emotional health, birthdays, getting older, pride, reading, learning to read, writing, getting published, TAG, talented and gifted program, starting your own business, entrepeneur, owl pellets, dissection, English, awards, GAPP, German-American Partnership Program, Germany, exchange students, high school, graduation, top 10%, college acceptance, Oregon State University, Dean’s List, honor roll, German, divorce, thriving, regrets

It’s always nice to feature other blogs, and so I thought I’d take this Thursday to do just that. I read a lot of blogs on a lot of different subjects. Here are some mental and emotional health blogs that I think you should check out!

Master of Irony - “My life is a study in things that shouldn’t be. A master’s degree, an exciting career path ahead, a little detour to threats of psych wards and nasty meds, mental illness, and a career as a mentally ill (mental) health professional.” She has become a dear friend of mine who I think of often. If you’re going to add one blog to your blogroll this year, add hers.

Depression Talk Online - a fellow 451Press writer addresses depression

Tidal Moods - a bipolar law student writes about his life and bipolar news

Moon Moods - “An on-line diary of a manic depressive, Bipolar I who is coming to terms with such a diagnosis. And other mentally unrelated crap that goes on in her life. Warning: author is prone to rants about issues that don’t really matter.”

Wild Abandon - “I’m Bipolar. Damn.” She makes me laugh.

Bipolar Daily - “I’ve got BiPolar Disorder. Type One. Which means that besides spending much of my life in a depressed state, I’ve been known to hit manic highs resulting in psychosis. The first time I embarked on one of these adventures I was hospitalised within 3 days and diagnosed as Paranoid Schizophrenic (probably because I was convinced that I was the Second Messiah, come to rescue the world from Evil). That conviction was only ended 3 months later with 6 sessions of ECT (alias, shock treatment).”

The Mass Defective - “I’m the mother of a teenage daughter that I love dearly. Currently on disability because the government & pretty much everyone else agrees I’m too screwy in the head to be out in the work force. With this blog I’m here to give a glimpse into the life and mind of a woman whose fragile sense of self and stability has been shattered by Borderline Personality Disorder, and one or more of the following…Major Depression, Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar II (depends on which psychiatrist or therapist you ask). Trapped within the dark, surreal realm of mental illness, desperately searching for an escape. Welcome to my world.”

Emerald888 - “I’ve been noticing a few things and I think they are positive effects from the Cymbalta… I’ve noticed that I’m not miserable being alone with my thoughts. I’ve realized my brain never shuts up and I have gotten used to listening to it now. Sometimes (like when I’m trying to go to sleep and my brain won’t shut up) I can sit for hours and just think. I don’t feel bored or bothered by it!”

The Polar Blog - “Random thoughts of a Borderline with a love of Polar Bears.”

Been Broken - “one man and ‘mental illness’ - an occasional diary ”

Dr. Deb - “Current issues and articles that impact the human psyche presented here.”

Anxiety Insights - news blog filled with anxiety and depression insights

If you have a mental health blog that you’d like added to my list, let me know and I’ll get you up here!

Machine Means Ends to Sleepless Nights - A device worn on the head could in squeeze the benefit of eight hours’ sleep into just two or three hours. Scientists in the US used a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to induce slow waves - indicative of the deepest phase of sleep and essential for learning ability and mood, in a group of sleeping volunteers. (This story is just for Mad … who has no other name but Mad. I’ve never seen him mad … so it’s all kinda weird to me. /randomness)

The face, not the body, attracts a mate - Body builders and gym buffs, look away now. It appears that the opposite sex is much more interested in your face than your bulging biceps or elegant figure, especially if you’re a man. At least that’s the upshot of the first study to assess how much faces and bodies contribute to someone’s overall attractiveness.

Gut Almighty! - Intuitions, or gut feelings, are sudden, strong judgments whose origin we can’t immediately explain. Although they seem to emerge from an obscure inner force, they actually begin with a perception of something outside—a facial expression, a tone of voice, a visual inconsistency so fleeting you’re not even aware you noticed.

A Frown or A Smile? Children With Autism Can’t Discern - When we have a conversation with someone, we not only hear what they say, we see what they say. Eyes can smolder or twinkle. Gazes can be direct or shifty. “Reading” these facial expressions gives context and meaning to the words we hear. In a report presented May 5 at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Seatlle, researchers from UCLA explained that children with autism can’t do this. They hear and they see, of course, but the areas of the brain that normally respond to such visual cues simply do not respond.

mental and emotional health, sleep, transcranial magnetic stimulation, University of Wisconsin, attraction, body building, working out, attractiveness, University of Western Australia, Psychology Today, intuition, gut feelings, inner force, The Second Brain, Columbia University, Brazilian School of Business and Public Administration, autism, facial expressions, International Meeting for Autism Research, UCLA, visual cues, children

The DailyOM wrote a nice article on saving energy that spoke to me. It reminds me a lot of how I feel after being around large groups.

“Being a sensitive person in this world can sometimes feel very draining due to the fact that we are very receptive to the energy of the people and environment around us. Still, we want to be part of situations that involve small or large groups of people, and we would like to do it without becoming overwhelmed or exhausted. With a few simple strategies we can entertain at home and socialize in the world without running the risk of losing ourselves in someone else’s energy or giving our energy away. All this takes is a little time and practice, and the result-being part of social events without ending up depleted-is well worth the effort.

The whole purpose of this self-care ritual is to help keep yourself strong energetically when you are in a situation that could potentially be draining. For example, if you are having a party, you might take some time to prepare beforehand. Just as you spend time cleaning your home and preparing food, it is essential to prepare your inner home for the event. This can be as simple as taking a mindful walk or a cleansing bath, or engaging in any other activity that gives you energy. You can even just sit alone for a set period of time, tuning in to your energy and connecting to yourself so that you are less easily carried away by the energy outside of yourself. You may employ a mantra such as “I am centered and safe in the home of myself.” You can also charge a crystal or gemstone or any piece of jewelry with protective energy and wear it or carry it with you. This can be helpful during the event when just seeing it or touching it can remind you that you are centered and safe.

Keep in mind that it is always acceptable to excuse yourself for a bathroom break or to step outside for a moment. This can give you the time and space you need to check in with yourself and correct any energetic imbalances you detect. Whether you are at home or out in the world, taking care of yourself in this way enables you to keep your energy strong, even as you open yourself to others.”

mental and emotional health, energy levels, recharging, emotional recharging, socializing, relaxing

mental and emotional health, alcohol, alcoholism, alcohol abuse, American Academy of Neurology 2007 Annual Meeting, genetics, calorie restriction, Salk Institute, PHA-4, Foxa, Louisiana State University, mental health, Margaret Trudeau, Pierre Trudeau, CBC Newsworld, medical checkups, persuasion, arguing, Thank You For Arguing, Jay Heinrichs, Three Rivers Press, book reviews, how to fight, conflict, education, interpersonal dealings, negotiating strategies, negotiation skills, phantom pregnancy, pseudocyesis, pregnancy, news

So, I read 70+ blogs a day. Yes, over SEVENTY. It’s insane … I know it … but I like it so bugger off. It’s good for inspiring me to write. It’s bad, however, for intimidating my writing habit. I don’t feel as though I’m worthy of the public reading what I write about; even though I’ve been writing here for months, have a solid following and my traffic is increasing (THANK YOU!!). I’ve completed two novels for NaNoWriMo and no one has seen either of them because I’m so scared. I’ve been writing since I was 4-years-old. I have a “Writers Dream, Dreamers Write” shirt from 2nd grade. I was 7 the first time I was published, 9 the second time, and was published multiple more times in junior high and the first three years of high school. That fourth year of high school ruined my desire to continue being published.

Mrs. D was an awful AP/CC English/Writing (four college classes crammed into one year of high school!) who ruined my senior year. She tore my writing apart. She didn’t like me, because I spoke up. I argued with her opinions (did you know that Beloved by Toni Morrison is all about sex? EVERYTHING in it? Yeah, I didn’t either, so I told her that … and she didn’t agree) so she didn’t like me. Those who agreed with her opinions got A’s in the class, their papers weren’t destroyed and they were continually praised by her. I managed to graduate with four college A’s in this class because I worked my ass off “revising” my papers so that they agreed with her and created a situation where I wrote what I want first - and therefore got my opinion out - but then revised it to her criteria so she HAD to give me a good grade. I hated the class because of her.

I stopped writing because I felt like whatever I had to say was going to come back to me covered in red pencil (she used a red pencil instead of a pen … weird now that I think about it), so I just didn’t try. National Novel Writing Month encouraged me to just write … to get 50,000 words out in 30 days. I did it two years in a row, and never showed anyone what I did. (Unfortunately I didn’t do it last November because I just couldn’t get words out.) I write daily in a journal but it seems to just be fluff. Then I read entries in those 70+ blogs, and then I really feel like things are fluff. Lately I’ve been struggling with this more & more, and I don’t really know what I want to do. Do I try and write meaningful stuff, or do I just let things sit as they fall? I don’t even know where to start if I do want to write some meaningful entries.

For those of you around here who write, how do you allow the good stuff to come out?

mental and emotional health, writing, AP/CC English, high school, bad teachers

Antidepressants to Get U.S. Warning on Suicide Risks - The Food and Drug Administration asked the makers of 36 antidepressants to extend an existing precaution for children and adolescents to cover people ages 18 to 24 when they first use the drugs, the agency said in a statement today. Wyeth, Eli Lilly & Co. and other drugmakers must revise their labels within 30 days.

Analysis: Gulf War vets’ brains shrink - “We found that two regions of the brain had significant shrinking compared with other soldiers who have lower levels of symptoms,” Roberta White, chairman of environmental health at the Boston University School of Public Health, said at the 59th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston.

Alzheimer’s reversed in mice - In a new study, mice bioengineered to mimic the fading memory of Alzheimer’s patients got their memories restored - either by being placed in stimulating environments or by receiving a drug most commonly used to fight cancer.

Bipolar disorder harder to diagnose in children - In the new study, researchers found that adults whose first bipolar symptoms arose in childhood typically waited years for a diagnosis — and far longer than those whose symptoms began in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Hormones may ward off dementia in women - New research suggests that hormone therapy taken soon after menopause may help protect against dementia, even though it raises the risk of mental decline in women who do not take the drugs until they are older.

Perfectionists more stressed by social pressure - In a study of 50 middle-aged men, those who measured highest on tests of perfectionism also secreted more of the stress hormone cortisol while undergoing a stressful public speaking task, Dr. Petra H. Wirtz of the University of Zurich in Switzerland and colleagues found.

Migraines can boost teen suicide risk - They said young teens with migraines, a debilitating kind of headache, are also at higher risk for other psychiatric disorders, such as depression and panic disorder.*

Migraines may be tied to brain damage - People with migraines also may be suffering from some brain damage as brain cells swell and become starved of oxygen — a finding that may help explain why migraine sufferers have a higher risk of stroke, researchers reported on Sunday.**

*I connected with this news story personally as I’ve lived all my life with migraines and ended up with depression and a panic disorder as well. Interesting.

**Does this mean I can use the handicapped parking places? I may be brain damaged! I shouldn’t jokoe about stuff like this though. Shame on me!

mental and emotional health, news, antidepressants, suicide, teen suicide, FDA, Wyeth, Eli Lilly & Company, suicide warning, Gulf War, veterans, Boston University School of Public Health, American Academy of Neurology, brain shrinking, Alzheimer’s, bioengineered mice, bipolar disorder, children’s bipolar disorder, hormones, dementia, menopause, perfectionists, perfectionism, stress, University of Zurich, cortisol, migraines, psychiatric disorders, depression, panic disorder, brain damage

First; I passed the site on to my mom; so I must say “HIIIIIIIII Mutti! Ich bin lustig!”

There are endless amounts of ways to save money if you look for it. I spent a little time at the Federal Trade Commission website reading their 66 Ways to Save Money. The FTC gives you tips on how to save money on everything including car rentals, gasoline, credit cards, major appliances, heating your home, grocery shopping and even funeral arrangements. If you need to save money on it, the FTC probably has a tip for you.

Scholarships Around the US gives us 118 Ways to Save Money in College as well. They give you tips on managing your money in a bank, how to get the best bang for your buck when it comes to drinking alcohol, buying your textbooks, eating on $0.12 (Ramen noodles!), using a school discount to buy a new computer, buying and legally sharing music and DVDs, where to grocery, birthday, and even Christmas shopping!

There are many bargain shopping places you can find online to do your shopping:
EBay
Overstock
Smart Bargains
DealCatcher, catching deals so you don’t have to
Pricegrabber will find the cheapest price for you!
BizRate shopping searches
CouponMountain will give you coupons on thousands of items
Ultimate Coupons will, too!
CouponChief

Save Money on Heating Costs
Easy Ways to Save Money on Gas and Save Money on Car Expenses
Saving Money on Home Expenses
How to Save Money on Your Credit Card and Saving At Your Bank

Lending Tree offers many ways to save your dollars!
7 Tips from MSN on how to save or make some money.

Here are some easy tips on how to save some money quickly!
1. Cut out the soda, juice & flavored drinks and drink more water!
2. Go over your grocery list. Try buying more off-brands. Most are exactly the same as their more expensive counterparts.
3. Buy clothes and shoes from the clearance racks and buy them off-season.
4. Get movies from the library instead of renting them.
5. Same with books, borrow instead of buy. We usually only read them once anyway. If you have to buy a book, buy it used!
6. Go on a picnic instead of going to the restaurant.
7. Toss all your change in a “piggy bank” of some kind and let it accumulate for a few months or longer.
8. If you have all the movie channels, cut them down a bit. Most of the movies rotate through anyway.
9. Do your laundry at night. The rates are cheaper.
10. Give your clothes an extra spin as it costs less to run a washer than the dryer.
11. Ask your credit card companies for a lower interest rate. Sometimes rather than lose a good customer, they will grant your wish!
12. Buy your holiday decorations AFTER the holiday. You can save up to 75% or more.
13. Turn down your heat a couple degrees more at night and throw on an extra blanket.
14. Clean behind your refrigerator at least once a year to get out all the dust and dirt that can cost you more money.
15. Save empty bread bags and grocery bags instead of buying box after box of storage bags.
16. Keep your car tuned and your tires properly inflated to save money on gas.
17. Buy inexpensive fabric for cloth napkins, doilies, etc. You don’t need to use disposable ones, either.
18. Be creative when it comes to decorating. Use sheets to make curtains. Use an old quilt as a cozy wall-hanging. Create an artful display with family photos.
19. Save the new, convenient plastic coffee cans with handles. Paint them, decorate them and use them for organizers for kids art supplies, your CDs, pens & pencils, food envelopes, recipes, craft supplies, etc.
20. Turn unused stuff into money. If you have a gift you haven’t used or that shirt you bought and never wore, take them back to the store. You might not get full price, but some is better than none.
21. Use petroleum jelly to remove make-up. It is much more economical then beauty products made for removing make-up. (I don’t recommend this as petroleum jelly isn’t the best for your skin. Use an generic Oil of Olay instead!)
22. Hydrogen peroxide can be used to kill germs in cuts and sores rather then expensive antibiotic medicines.
23. Make windowsill or container gardens and grow herbs and fresh vegetables.
24. Instead of a night on the town, send the kids to Grandma’s and have a romantic night at home.
25. Make and STICK TO a budget! (Remember my previous days posts?)

Do you have favorite sites that you shop at to save yourself money? What are your favorite money-saving tips?