Hello Everyone!
I am hoping to get some input from others on this post. I am currently struggling to deal with my own bipolar disorder and my parents' failing health has now been thrown into the mix. I'm an only child so all the work falls on me. Both of my parents have severe illnesses. My father still works but he's slowing failing due to Multiple Scerlosis. My mother has had several heart attacks and is now battling breast cancer. Both are in their mid 60s living in their own home.
I have my own small low-income apartment, but I spend most days at my folks place, even sleeping there some weeks on an air mattress. While my mother still had drains in from her mastectomy I was in charge of cleaning them and emptying them. Those are now out, but I still have a lot to keep up with.
I have to now do my folks laundry because my mother cant carry it up and down the stairs any longer. With their old machines this takes a full day. Then another day I spend cleaning their house top to bottom, another day taking my mother to get her groceries, and other days I'm mowing and doing yard work. I also fix most dinners. My crock pot has been a god-send.
The problem is my folks are only going to get worse, and how am I supposed to have a life of my own? I'm the only child and I'm stuck. I can't move away because they need me, but my bipolar is getting worse.
My anxiety had risen and my anger has risen. Its flowing into my other relationships. I don't know what to do. I am on disability and cannot afford to bring in outside help. My folks cant afford to bring in any help either. All of us are over our heads in debt.
I tried finding resources for bipolar adults dealing with aging parents and I couldn't find anything. All the general articles I find say take time for yourself, don't look for thanks because you probably wont get it, know your limitations, and find others to help. I have no one else to turn to. I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm going to be stuck here until both my parents die doing everything for them.
Are any of you dealing with some of the same issues?
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Indigo Adults
Hello Everyone! I recently ran across the discussion of Indigo Adults in a forum and I was intrigued. I've looked around the web and haven't been able to find what I deem reliable sources about Indigo Adults, however several sites pointed in the same direction so I'll share them here. Just some food for thought. Do you think you're an Indigo Adult?
The term indigo generation is somewhat of a blanket term that refers to the increased amount of the color indigo present in new babies Auras. Around 30 years ago some babies were exhibiting this phenomena and the number has steadily increased until now where every new baby is an Indigo. Although all indigo babies have this increased amount of indigo in their auras they can vary widely in other ways. The majority of Indigo’s are simply reincarnations of the same group of beings who have always made up the human race. It is not that the Indigo’s are different beings but simply that they are incarnating some energies which were not being incarnated in normal people 30 years ago or more.
One of the most renowned researchers of the New Age phenomena is Ms. Lori Johnson, who worked on the Indigo generation almost scientifically and divided it into five categories according to the date of birth of children.
Source
Happy Thursday!
The term indigo generation is somewhat of a blanket term that refers to the increased amount of the color indigo present in new babies Auras. Around 30 years ago some babies were exhibiting this phenomena and the number has steadily increased until now where every new baby is an Indigo. Although all indigo babies have this increased amount of indigo in their auras they can vary widely in other ways. The majority of Indigo’s are simply reincarnations of the same group of beings who have always made up the human race. It is not that the Indigo’s are different beings but simply that they are incarnating some energies which were not being incarnated in normal people 30 years ago or more.
The grounding of energies that is
being carried out by the Indigo Generation has effects on all of humanity.
Spiritual awakening is now far easier than it has been for over 12000 years and
it is due to the grounding of these new energies. Any person who is not a part
of the Indigo Generation can actually become a part of it through the work of
Inner Alchemy. By clearing the astral layers and incarnating the light body
anyone can incarnate more of the Indigo energy and can even find connections
with various beings throughout the universe and begin acting as a grounding rod
for inter-dimensional forces.
In general the Indigo energy is
one of heightened awareness or more accurately it gives one the possibility of
heightened awareness. It also contains a feeling of personal power, grandeur and
you could say of purity. Because of these characteristics it can bring a feeling
of being royal or of extreme importance, being special. These characteristics
are of the energy itself and so when a certain personality is imbued with these
feelings it can have very different effects. As you can imagine when some people
feel this within themselves they may become arrogant while others may
disassociate from it completely and remain with very low self esteem. As with
all energies and consciousness that is incarnated by an individual, depending on
their early life experiences and past life traumas the energies are often either
disconnected or grossly overemphasized. The other possibility is a balanced ego
which integrates the various energies with a loose and fluid
structure.
As said the Indigo energy
is one of heightened awareness and as such it does contain feelings of being
very special, pure, grand and powerful but it has no arrogance whatsoever. The
Indigo energy in its pure form has 100% love and respect for all other beings
and knows that everything in existence is just as special as itself. This is a
huge difference and should not be overlooked. Just because a child is an Indigo
does not make it a teacher or even spiritually important. Essentially the only
benefit of Indigo energy is that it makes it far easier to look at yourself with
higher awareness and to conduct the true work of inner alchemy. Without the
Indigo energy it would be much harder if not impossible for anyone to awaken to
higher consciousness and to incarnate more of themselves. The Indigo child
described above, if introduced to spiritual practices would certainly excel and
would destroy the ego quickly to incarnate its higher consciousness.
One of the most renowned researchers of the New Age phenomena is Ms. Lori Johnson, who worked on the Indigo generation almost scientifically and divided it into five categories according to the date of birth of children.
Alpha Generation
The first generation, which was called Alpha, includes children born in the period from 1958 to 1968. Their aura was dark blue and green with purple shades and was under the influence of the metallic beige protecting them from external attacks and excessive early showing of indigo potential. Since early childhood, the Alpha had a feeling of being different, as if they did not belong to their place, country or parents. The reasons for this difference were always vague and never found a satisfactory explanation. The period of awakening of the Alpha generation is from 1986 until 1996.Beta generation
They are people born in the period between 1968 and 1978. The colors of their aura are blue – green – purple, but no longer the color of the metal shield. The period of their awakening coincides, roughly the period from 1996 to 2006. A typical feature of both generations, Alpha and Beta, is that they look much younger than they actually are.Gamma Generation
It is the third generation of children indigo, born from 1978 to 1988. This is the first generation with the minimum protective shield. It is usually purple with markings of ocher or crystal color. The period of intellectual awakening of these children coincides with the period between 2006 and 2016.Delta Generation
These children are born from 1988 to 1998. One of the characteristics of the fourth generation is the pure indigo color of the aura. This generation is too sensitive and needs plenty of help. These people are overactive and quite extrovert. They like to show to the world who they really are and often do it with great self-confidence. In their environment they want blue and purple colors, and really enjoy slow music. They avoid crowded places and anything that causes nervousness. Delta generation has usually very difficult teenage years. Many of these kids think that something is wrong with them, they may mess with drugs or have suicidal tendencies. The best remedy for them is the Nature, and it is good to spend there as much time as possible. The period of maturation and spiritual awakening of delta generation coincides with the period from 2016 until 2026.Omega generation
Children born from 1998 to 2008 belong to the so-called Omega indigo generation. Supposedly this is the last “pure” indigo generation. Children born in the Delta and Omega period, are also called Crystal Children because of a particularly bright, crystal color in their aura. These children are particularly vulnerable to various dermatology problems, allergies and diseases (especially to those of upper respiratory tract due to high environmental pollution). Also a large proportion of them is characterized as autistic or suffers from the Asperger syndrome. Autism in children is a way of self protection from attack and neurosis of the outside world. This generation will experience the “Dark Night of Awakening” from 2026 until 2036.The Awakening of Indigo
For each indigo generation the process of awakening begins around the age of 28-29 years and lasts about 7.5 years. The “Dark Night of Awakening” is a period that can be particularly difficult because it is the final return of an indigo person to his mission in this life. This period is full of different problems and various difficult challenges. In the mature age (37 – 39), begins the recovery and prosperity of mental abilities. Until then, the person had enough time to finally learn to trust his psychic powers without being startled or trying to share his experiences with others. These internal experiences may include: having a clear insight, direction and possible internal communication with the spiritual world; identification of thoughts, feelings and intentions of others; understanding the parallel levels of reality; a true insight into the nature of time.Source
Happy Thursday!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Bipolar Diet - Does Organic Matter?
Hello everyone! I recently saw an episode of Dr. Oz where he explained how potatoes absorb the pesticides used on them, which we then in turn eat. He said something like a regular potato has eight times more pesticides than an organic potato. Ever since I watched this episode I have begun to purchase organic produce and canned goods. There are so many factors to consider when evaluating your diet, but this seemed like a sound choice. The groceries do cost more, but I figure my health is worth it.
I've found some studies that suggest pesticides used on our food supply do end up in our bodies causing neurodegenerative diseases including bipolar.
In the first study focuses on pesticides causing Parkinson’s Disease. However, it explains in the brain the dopamine transporter (DAT) is responsible for the reuptake of dopamine into presynaptic neurons, which terminates dopamine neurotransmission and thus plays a central role in the spatial and temporal buffering of released dopamine and its recycling. Human genetic variability in DAT, the gene encoding DAT has been associated with disorders and behaviors thought to be influenced by dopamine signaling such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorders, and smoking cessation. DAT gene deletion in the mouse results in hyperactivity, and when tyrosine hydroxylase is also inhibited, these animals show physical behaviors (e.g., akinesia, rigidity, tremor) that phenotypically resemble the motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. Source
The second study explains the dopamine transporter (DAT) is the site of action of stimulants, and variations in the human DAT gene (DAT1) have been associated with susceptibility to several psychiatric disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder. Source
And a third study showed prevalence rates and the risk of having Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and suicide were significantly higher in districts with greater pesticide use as compared to those with lower pesticide use. The multivariate analyses showed that the population living in areas with high pesticide use had an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and suicide attempts and that males living in these areas had increased risks for polyneuropathies, affective disorders and suicide attempts. In conclusion, this study supports and extends previous findings and provides an indication that environmental exposure to pesticides may affect the human health by increasing the incidence of certain neurological disorders at the level of the general population. Source
So do we need to eat organic everything? Not according to Dr. Oz. There are some simple rules to follow when deciding what to purchase:
1. When the skin is thin. Fruits and vegetables with a thin skin that is difficult to remove or that you typically eat should definitely be organic. They have high levels of pesticides even after washing. Produce with thicker skins has a better barrier to pesticides, and when you throw the peel in the trash, the chemicals go with it. But be sure to give all fruits and veggies a good scrub down before eating or peeling them, because cutting them can bring any chemicals on the skin into the flesh.
Go Organic: Apples, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, pears, nectarines, peppers, celery, potatoes, and carrots
Save Your Cash: Avocados, eggplants, pineapples, bananas, corn, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, sweet peas, oranges, grapefruit, and squash
2. Go green with leafy greens. Can you imagine scrubbing every leaf of a head of romaine lettuce? It's too difficult with leafy greens to make sure you remove all of the chemicals, and greens are particularly susceptible to pests, so they are often grown with high levels of pesticides. Fortunately, other vegetables, such as broccoli, either don't retain pesticides very well or don't need a lot to begin with, so it's okay to go with conventionally grown varieties.
Go Organic: All lettuces and greens such as kale, collards, mustard, swiss chard, and spinach
Save Your Cash: Broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, cauliflower, eggplant, melons, and sweet potatoes
3. Milk it! Although much of the hormones and antibiotics used in conventional milk production are washed out before we drink it, the process isn't perfect and some make it through. Plus, there is evidence that organic milk has higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which help keep our hearts healthy. But be wary when you see fish touted as organic. Fish grow in the ocean, where it's impossible to know what (if any) pesticides they've encountered, so the USDA has no guidelines for certifying organic seafood.
Go Organic: Milk, yogurt, and cheese
Save Your Cash: Fish and other seafood
Source
I often shop at Meijer's and they do offer some organic choices. I know they offer organic berries and potatoes. They also have a canned line of food, Meijer Organics, which I use. Here are some interesting facts about Meijer's healthy options:
Meijer Organics
Introduced to the shelves in 2007, currently Meijer carries over 200 Meijer Organics products. These Meijer products have at least 95% or more organic ingredients while maintaining good flavor and taste. They must also be certified by the USDA. Meijer certified organic foods are derived using no antibiotics, growth hormones, conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.
Meijer Naturals
Meijer Naturals products are minimally processed and follow these guidelines:
Meijer has teamed up with over 65 local growers and farmers in the five states where we live to provide you with the highest quality fresh produce. Unlike many other retailers, Meijer builds relationships directly with local farmers and inspects product quality before it hits our store shelves. Keep it close to home and get the best produce fresh from the family farm to the family table. There are many benefits to buying home grown including:
Meijer Ecowise is a brand that provides environmentally friendly products to individuals who want to make the earth a cleaner, healthier place for their family and future generations.
Meijer Ecowise products:
Have a great Wednesday! Hump Day!
I've found some studies that suggest pesticides used on our food supply do end up in our bodies causing neurodegenerative diseases including bipolar.
In the first study focuses on pesticides causing Parkinson’s Disease. However, it explains in the brain the dopamine transporter (DAT) is responsible for the reuptake of dopamine into presynaptic neurons, which terminates dopamine neurotransmission and thus plays a central role in the spatial and temporal buffering of released dopamine and its recycling. Human genetic variability in DAT, the gene encoding DAT has been associated with disorders and behaviors thought to be influenced by dopamine signaling such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorders, and smoking cessation. DAT gene deletion in the mouse results in hyperactivity, and when tyrosine hydroxylase is also inhibited, these animals show physical behaviors (e.g., akinesia, rigidity, tremor) that phenotypically resemble the motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. Source
The second study explains the dopamine transporter (DAT) is the site of action of stimulants, and variations in the human DAT gene (DAT1) have been associated with susceptibility to several psychiatric disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder. Source
And a third study showed prevalence rates and the risk of having Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and suicide were significantly higher in districts with greater pesticide use as compared to those with lower pesticide use. The multivariate analyses showed that the population living in areas with high pesticide use had an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and suicide attempts and that males living in these areas had increased risks for polyneuropathies, affective disorders and suicide attempts. In conclusion, this study supports and extends previous findings and provides an indication that environmental exposure to pesticides may affect the human health by increasing the incidence of certain neurological disorders at the level of the general population. Source
So do we need to eat organic everything? Not according to Dr. Oz. There are some simple rules to follow when deciding what to purchase:
1. When the skin is thin. Fruits and vegetables with a thin skin that is difficult to remove or that you typically eat should definitely be organic. They have high levels of pesticides even after washing. Produce with thicker skins has a better barrier to pesticides, and when you throw the peel in the trash, the chemicals go with it. But be sure to give all fruits and veggies a good scrub down before eating or peeling them, because cutting them can bring any chemicals on the skin into the flesh.
Go Organic: Apples, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, pears, nectarines, peppers, celery, potatoes, and carrots
Save Your Cash: Avocados, eggplants, pineapples, bananas, corn, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, sweet peas, oranges, grapefruit, and squash
2. Go green with leafy greens. Can you imagine scrubbing every leaf of a head of romaine lettuce? It's too difficult with leafy greens to make sure you remove all of the chemicals, and greens are particularly susceptible to pests, so they are often grown with high levels of pesticides. Fortunately, other vegetables, such as broccoli, either don't retain pesticides very well or don't need a lot to begin with, so it's okay to go with conventionally grown varieties.
Go Organic: All lettuces and greens such as kale, collards, mustard, swiss chard, and spinach
Save Your Cash: Broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, cauliflower, eggplant, melons, and sweet potatoes
3. Milk it! Although much of the hormones and antibiotics used in conventional milk production are washed out before we drink it, the process isn't perfect and some make it through. Plus, there is evidence that organic milk has higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which help keep our hearts healthy. But be wary when you see fish touted as organic. Fish grow in the ocean, where it's impossible to know what (if any) pesticides they've encountered, so the USDA has no guidelines for certifying organic seafood.
Go Organic: Milk, yogurt, and cheese
Save Your Cash: Fish and other seafood
Source
I often shop at Meijer's and they do offer some organic choices. I know they offer organic berries and potatoes. They also have a canned line of food, Meijer Organics, which I use. Here are some interesting facts about Meijer's healthy options:
Meijer Organics
Introduced to the shelves in 2007, currently Meijer carries over 200 Meijer Organics products. These Meijer products have at least 95% or more organic ingredients while maintaining good flavor and taste. They must also be certified by the USDA. Meijer certified organic foods are derived using no antibiotics, growth hormones, conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.
Meijer Naturals
Meijer Naturals products are minimally processed and follow these guidelines:
- No Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)
- No high fructose corn syrup, refined sugars, or artificial sweeteners
- No hydrogenated oils or trans fats
- No refined flours or milled grains
- No artificial food colorings, flavorings or preservatives
Meijer has teamed up with over 65 local growers and farmers in the five states where we live to provide you with the highest quality fresh produce. Unlike many other retailers, Meijer builds relationships directly with local farmers and inspects product quality before it hits our store shelves. Keep it close to home and get the best produce fresh from the family farm to the family table. There are many benefits to buying home grown including:
- Supports your local economy.
- Contributes to a Sustainable Environment: Home grown produce travels fewer miles, resulting in lower emissions from transportation.
- Home grown is often less expensive, adding to your financial bottom line!
- You get the freshest, best tasting and most nutritious produce available.
Meijer Ecowise is a brand that provides environmentally friendly products to individuals who want to make the earth a cleaner, healthier place for their family and future generations.
Meijer Ecowise products:
- Are nontoxic
- Involve no animal testing or animal-derived ingredients
- Feature recyclable packaging
- Shipped domestically within the U.S. and Canada
- Products that are better for our environment
- Effective items that meet most needs
- Quality equal to or better than national brand at a lower price
Have a great Wednesday! Hump Day!
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