I really apologize for posting this, but...I hate life.

[miaminightmare]

Sending some hamster hugs your way! Hope things get better for you.

[FairreLilette]

1 hour ago, ErukaVonD said:

First of all ~~ We don't know each other but catch this for me ya

 noww :3

My advice is going to be a liiittle bit different than anyone else's. It's perfectly fine to love yourself and loving your company and being your own best person in the world.

BUT

~~ there's always some but's in everything. I believe in duality. Everything in nature comes in two. Light and dark, good and bad, sadness and happiness, lovers (regardless of any genders or stereotypes) everything comes in two. I've read somewhere some time ago that each one of us has as least 6 identical beings scattered somewhere in the far corners of this beautiful earth. My quest is to find all 6. lol so far I have found one and out of all the places it had to be right here, in SL, after a long journey through depression and self harm. 

Therapists don't work for me, inspirational quotes don't work either, healthy lifestyle, working out, nada. All it takes is a "Morning" from my favorite person in the world and all my demons just go quiet. Is that a bit obsessive, yes it is. But I have tried all those alternatives along the years, been to the most "qualified and expensive" specialists mom could find. They all looked at me as an experiment, as a lab rat. Instead of treating me, they were torturing me - without wanting to.

I am a pagan in any worlds. My roots run deep. Not the wicca/self titled/tumblr witch type. I just know things and I remember things and they aren't exactly pretty things and no meds on this earth will take them away. And I can't lose them either. I would lose myself. I need the occasional depression to remind myself how to be happy. You cannot protect yourself from sadness without also protecting yourself from happiness as well.

BUT everything comes in two. Find that second better half of yours to do the protecting for you. Or let them find you. Or let life guide you to them or to your tribe. Don't love yourself alone - you're gonna miss out on just HOW MUCH the right half or the right tribe can love you. 

Everything comes in TWO. If you have come into existence there is a mandatory universal law that your +1(or more) is out there. And the Universe can't do anything but abide by that law, I promise you. :3 

We're all connected in the way that some described as a "puzzle". I happen to have that blessing or curse of feeling that "puzzle" that we are every single day of my life. But I have my hiraeth (meaning the one true home in celtic) to do the protecting, the loving and the taking care of me. As do I for him. 

Everything comes in two. Find your tribe or let it find you. Do not be alone, do not seek "professional" help, don't follow the stream IF it doesn't feel right for you. Go in a park and stick your tongue out at children and watch them light up like a Christmas tree :p, hug a tree - fall asleep under it too, let it guide your dreams, throw pebbles in a lake, dance naked on a beach with whomever feels right. Look for rawness and watch the depression become an option and not a prison. 

You are your own universe, your own god, your own guide or what have you. The power of manifestation is beyond our wildest of dreams. Manifest your wishes.

~~and when all else fails eat Tacos :DD tacos never disappoint. 

*mew* 

I love a lot of what you wrote here but I can tell you that Seasonal Depression...not even a mate can cure it.  

And, on the flip side....I am the happiest I've ever been being single now.  I can do what I want, when I want and I love it sooooooooo much!  I don't want another relationship except for friends.  I have lots of friends now.   But, it needs to be understood, I was married to an extremely controlling and irrationally jealous person who hated every friend I tried to have. 

With Seasonal Depression, it needs a lot of patience to understand it...exercise is the best remedy.  I know I have lived it for decades.  And, once the engergy level is up, many who experience this begin to be productive again and find joy in the simple things again.  

Edited November 7, 2019 by FairreLilette

[MayaSmit]

On 11/6/2019 at 1:08 PM, MrsSeren said:

You are not alone in how you feel however no  one fits the neat little boxes society tries to make us; personally I rather be just me and I'm sure your the best you can be too! *gives soft hugs and shares chocolate stash*

Lol. Read that as *gives soft hugs and shares chocolate starfish*. I was like "whaaaaaa....THAT'S not how you comfort someone".

😂

[Bree Giffen]

Gopi, not sure what your situation is but I hope it improves. You seem like a good person from all your forum posts. The internet is a great place for finding people with similar interests and points of view. You can try to form connections that way and move it real life. 👍

[Ceka Cianci]

When Life's a drag and you're under the weather,

Click play, Then Shake your tail feather..

 

Good music always helps me..Hope it helps you too..

Edited November 7, 2019 by Ceka Cianci

[Madelaine McMasters]

Riffing off both Lindal and Ceka...

 

[MrsSeren]

7 hours ago, MayaSmit said:

Lol. Read that as *gives soft hugs and shares chocolate starfish*. I was like "whaaaaaa....THAT'S not how you comfort someone".

😂

*passes you my glasses* I thinks ya needs them!  LOL

[LittleMe Jewell]

On 11/5/2019 at 11:15 PM, Gopi Passiflora said:

Not Second Life. Just...life in general. Right now, I'm just trying to vent out my anger....

I'm so different from other people. I feel like my beliefs and ideas don't fit in with the rest of society.

I know some of you will say kind words, and I really appreciate it and thank you for that, but nobody really knows how I feel....

Hats off for having the courage to say what so many of us think and feel.

[Lindal Kidd]

I ****L O V E**** OK Go, and I think This Too Shall Pass is the best music video they've ever done.  Here is another one that I like.  I still haven't figured out how they did some of the shots...there appears to be gravity affecting some objects/people, but not all of them.

 

[Yhishara Cerise]

On 11/5/2019 at 11:15 PM, Gopi Passiflora said:

Not Second Life. Just...life in general. Right now, I'm just trying to vent out my anger....

I'm so different from other people. I feel like my beliefs and ideas don't fit in with the rest of society.

I know some of you will say kind words, and I really appreciate it and thank you for that, but nobody really knows how I feel....

You're absolutely right.   No one knows exactly how you feel.   So it is ironic then that I am going to say that you are not alone.   You are just experiencing it for different reasons known only to you due to your own unique set of circumstances.  

If you truly have no one, and no one really cares about you, then it is actually liberating.  You are then, at that point, free to do what you will with your life, as you have no one left to impress or gain the approval of.  You can just be "you" doing the things you are interested in without having to live according to arbitrary life rules created by someone else. 

I think at the end of your life you will look back and say how interesting it all was compared to the person that had always followed the rules, fit in, and by doing so rendered themselves another faceless person that was just like everyone else. 

[Ajay McDowwll]

On 11/6/2019 at 1:15 AM, Gopi Passiflora said:

Not Second Life. Just...life in general. Right now, I'm just trying to vent out my anger....

I'm so different from other people. I feel like my beliefs and ideas don't fit in with the rest of society.

I know some of you will say kind words, and I really appreciate it and thank you for that, but nobody really knows how I feel....

I'm not going to insult you by saying I know how you feel.  You're you, and I'm nowhere near inside your brain.  I will say that I've felt my own version of this myself, and you're not alone in feeling like an outsider.

It's taken nearly half a century for me to realize that it's totally okay for me to just be... me.  I don't have to live my life exactly as my parents did to be happy.  I don't have to fit my parents' version of successful.  I don't have to hold the same ideals as everyone in my community.  It's okay for me to not fit in... and that's huge.

I was brought up to believe my job was to be like everyone else, to only stand out in terms of excellence (be it behavior, academics, performance, etc.), and to never draw attention to myself by taking up too much space -- too much physical space, too much aural space, too much emotional space.  Basically just sit down, look cute, and perform on cue.

After years of therapy and blessed, blessed medication, I'm able to let go.  I'm able to live and just be happy being me.  Is everyone going to like me?  Nope.  Is everyone going to get me?  Nope.  But enough people do both of those things that I'm fine with it... most days.  When the other kind of days get to be more in number than the good ones, I check in with my doctor and we assess the situation.

I'm currently mid med-change.  It's a beast dealing with the chemistry alterations, but I look forward to seeing what effects this one has on me.  I figure if I need to live a medicated life, I'm going to entertain it as an observational study with a sample size of n=1

You're okay.  You're you, and that's the most important thing in the world.  I'm glad this thread has helped ❤️

Edited November 8, 2019 by Ajay McDowwll
words and spelling are hard

[Madelaine McMasters]

15 hours ago, Lindal Kidd said:

I ****L O V E**** OK Go, and I think This Too Shall Pass is the best music video they've ever done.  Here is another one that I like.  I still haven't figured out how they did some of the shots...there appears to be gravity affecting some objects/people, but not all of them.

I adore OK Go. Not only to they make compelling music videos, but they're genuinely caring folks and they're so very curious.

Mercede's Benz commissioned Damian Kulash to make a public art installation for SXSW this year. Here it is...

This also seems like the perfect thread for Damian's "Stress Inversion Transformer". I invite all of you to imagine yourselves stomping and screaming in it. And, because I can't resist, imagine I'm in there with you... and Gopi.

Edited November 8, 2019 by Madelaine McMasters

[Seicher Rae]

On 11/6/2019 at 1:15 AM, Gopi Passiflora said:

Not Second Life. Just...life in general. Right now, I'm just trying to vent out my anger....

I'm so different from other people. I feel like my beliefs and ideas don't fit in with the rest of society.

I know some of you will say kind words, and I really appreciate it and thank you for that, but nobody really knows how I feel....

Lots of people know how you feel, but the reasons are your very own. Lots of people are frustrated, angry, alienated, depressed... some because of physiological reasons, some because of situational reasons, some due to a mixture of both (which is me). 

I don't know you, so I can't really speak to your situation. I can speak to mine. If it were me writing that I hate life, I would be having suicidal ideation (SI) at the time. Those words are loaded trigger words for me. (I'm not saying that title triggered SI thoughts for me; I'm not that fragile.) If it were me, I would get annoyed at happy platitudes such as: Things are bound to get better..., when life hands you lemons make..., dance it off..., act as if... Those all would make me feel more alienated. I know from my own SI that the stupid 1-800 number  (in the U.S.A.) everyone always spouts is useless and does more harm than good (I have multiple experiences with them, and feel confident to make that statement), then again, we're all different so it IS worth the initial effort to call, even if it pi**es you off more.

What would work for me? Doing what you did, to vent steam. Glossing over the platitudes and seeing how many people cared enough to respond, seeing how many people do understand the depression, anger, alienation, etc. and who are still here. Talking to a trusted someone in RL, if they exist (and I realize they don't always, again from personal experience, I have next to zero RL social support). Getting in to see a professional (again, if available). Using the anger you said you were venting to say, "You know what? Screw you world. This is me! I'm here, deal with it!" Use that anger, it isn't always a bad thing. It can propel you to look for people you do connect with, or channel the energy into something creative, or ... however it expresses in you in a non-harmful way.

Also know that as a rule we all kinda suck at being fortune tellers. When I project how "things are going to be" in the future, I'm always wrong, for both good and ill. There is NO WAY I could have predicted where I am currently in RL (physically, financially, geographically...) even five years ago. Somehow, that is comforting to me, to know that I haven't got a clue...

You truly are not alone.

PS. This is important and also I know from all too real personal experience. Be careful where you share this venting. You chose a good place here because it is moderated and the true psychopaths won't get to comment freely. Know your audience inworld, in RL and online, because there are safe places to vent and be honest, and some places where you will be the target of s**t. 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Seicher Rae
to add the PS

[Selene Gregoire]

35 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said:

Lots of people know how you feel, but the reasons are your very own. Lots of people are frustrated, angry, alienated, depressed... some because of physiological reasons, some because of situational reasons, some due to a mixture of both (which is me). 

I don't know you, so I can't really speak to your situation. I can speak to mine. If it were me writing that I hate life, I would be having suicidal ideation (SI) at the time. Those words are loaded trigger words for me. (I'm not saying that title triggered SI thoughts for me; I'm not that fragile.) If it were me, I would get annoyed at happy platitudes such as: Things are bound to get better..., when life hands you lemons make..., dance it off..., act as if... Those all would make me feel more alienated. I know from my own SI that the stupid 1-800 number  (in the U.S.A.) everyone always spouts is useless and does more harm than good (I have multiple experiences with them, and feel confident to make that statement), then again, we're all different so it IS worth the initial effort to call, even if it pi**es you off more.

What would work for me? Doing what you did, to vent steam. Glossing over the platitudes and seeing how many people cared enough to respond, seeing how many people do understand the depression, anger, alienation, etc. and who are still here. Talking to a trusted someone in RL, if they exist (and I realize they don't always, again from personal experience, I have next to zero RL social support). Getting in to see a professional (again, if available). Using the anger you said you were venting to say, "You know what? Screw you world. This is me! I'm here, deal with it!" Use that anger, it isn't always a bad thing. It can propel you to look for people you do connect with, or channel the energy into something creative, or ... however it expresses in you in a non-harmful way.

Also know that as a rule we all kinda suck at being fortune tellers. When I project how "things are going to be" in the future, I'm always wrong, for both good and ill. There is NO WAY I could have predicted where I am currently in RL (physically, financially, geographically...) even five years ago. Somehow, that is comforting to me, to know that I haven't got a clue...

You truly are not alone.

PS. This is important and also I know from all too real personal experience. Be careful where you share this venting. You chose a good place here because it is moderated and the true psychopaths won't get to comment freely. Know your audience inworld, in RL and online, because there are safe places to vent and be honest, and some places where you will be the target of s**t. 

Nailed it.

[Beth Macbain]

21 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said:

If it were me, I would get annoyed at happy platitudes such as: Things are bound to get better..., when life hands you lemons make..., dance it off..., act as if... Those all would make me feel more alienated.

This is so important. For some of us, these things do nothing to help, and in fact, make it worse because we can't shake it off, or just pull up our big girl panties, etc., etc. Being told to do all those things just makes us feel even more broken because we question why others can do that, but we can't. I know people mean well when they offer those platitudes, but please try to refrain. It invalidates the magnitude and seriousness of what we're feeling in that moment. It trivializes the darkness that's surrounding us. 

24 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said:

PS. This is important and also I know from all too real personal experience. Be careful where you share this venting. You chose a good place here because it is moderated and the true psychopaths won't get to comment freely. Know your audience inworld, in RL and online, because there are safe places to vent and be honest, and some places where you will be the target of s**t. 

Amen. I'm so proud of the way everyone here has responded to this thread, especially since I made the mistake of having a mini-break-down here a couple weeks ago and someone came along and basically told me to shove it, and keep it off the forums. Thankfully, there were another 20 voices of help and encouragement for that one voice of ignorance. 

I can't stress this enough - if you are flailing and trying to find something to grab hold of, speak out wherever and however you feel comfortable. This is a relatively safe place because it is moderated, but some people can sneak in through the cracks and say something awful, so yes, be careful. But do speak out, firstly because I can pretty much guarantee that there will be at least one person who reaches out and grabs hold of your hand to give you an anchor, and sometimes that's all we need to keep us safe for a minute until we can find our own inner reserve of strength, and secondly because there is no weakness is opening up about the rough stuff. I do believe it helps to just let it all out sometimes, and it also may give someone else who is reading your words the courage to speak up and reach out to someone as well. 

We're not alone, and conversations like this show us that others experience their own form of this dark hell that is just as horrific. Others may not understand our specific feelings or situations, but they understand the helplessness - and often know just the right thing to say to provide just that inkling of help (or hope) we need in that moment. 

Also remember that if you're here, and posting, that means you're surviving. I hear people often say they are a victim of a mental illness, or suffering from a mental illness. While both of those are true, you're also surviving a mental illness with every single breath, and that is something to be proud of. 

[FairreLilette]

I just wanted to say that Seasonal Depression is not a mental illness in and of itself.  It is a real chemical imbalance in the brain that occurs due to the lessening of light and it is dreadful.  Like a pattern, it happens to me every year...the Winter being the most difficult.  So, it's not imagined.  Because in Spring and Summer it goes away.   The OP says they have Seasonal Depression if you read through the thread.  

What helped me survive it was probably working on Ebay part time.  I was an antiques and collectibles dealer prior to Ebay in the 1990's and thought Ebay was going to kill my business.  Then, one day, I decided to check out Ebay for myself; joined and became very successful at it.  So, in the Winter months, I was very occupied with Ebay which helped a lot.  

However, just getting out in the sunlight helps greatly as does walking in the sunlight.  Even in Southern California we can get weeks of gray skies and rain and no sun...so prior to those months occurring...get whatever sunshine you can now to work up some energy and get a few things lined up for the dark gray weeks so you'll have something to be productive with and to take your mind off the gloomy months.  

When it rains, since I can't go out and walk, I just march in place and pump my arms up and down and this increases my energy.  We are made out of energy so it really helps to exercise.  Exercise increases our endorphins as I wrote earlier in the thread but also increases our serotonin levels.   In people with Seasonal Depression, the serotonin seems to dip or disappear dramatically and causes depression and sadness during "the gloomy and dark months".  Sunny Southern California is a myth.  It is not always sunny here.  Far from it.  We can have weeks of gray skies, fog, rain.

I could win the lottery and still have Seasonal Depression.  Light and exercise and being productive is what helps me the most to get through it.  

 

 

[Seicher Rae]

9 minutes ago, FairreLilette said:

I just wanted to say that Seasonal Depression is not a mental illness in and of itself.  It is a real chemical imbalance in the brain that occurs due to the lessening of light and it is dreadful.  Like a pattern, it happens to me every year...the Winter being the most difficult.  So, it's not imagined.  Because in Spring and Summer it goes away.   The OP says they have Seasonal Depression if you read through the thread.  

 

I generally hate being pedantic, and try to avoid it, but... Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) IS a type of depression. It is a mood disorder and therefore listed along with other mental illnesses. Some people with SAD are treated with medication, along with light therapy and talk therapy. "Real" mental "illness" also has a chemical imbalance. And yes, I also have SAD, and it kicked into gear when I moved to New England. I started using light therapy in addition to other therapies. It has helped somewhat. "Real" mental "illness" is also not imagined.

[FairreLilette]

7 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said:

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) IS a type of depression. It is a mood disorder and therefore listed along with other mental illnesses. Some people with SAD are treated with medication, along with light therapy and talk therapy. 

I disagree that it's a mental illness though...but I do agree, however, that many depressions are related to a chemical imbalance in the brain.  Some depressions are due to loss and are situational, such as losing a loved one or a job or a home for some examples.  

However, I know this is not a mental illness nor do I agree with the medication part because those cause a lot of suicidal thoughts and I cannot agree that anti-depressants are safe because I believe they increase suicidal ideation...I've experienced it first hand with my sister never suicidal, then on anti-depressants and then suicidal and then the same happened with her husband who became depressed because his wife was depressed so he was put on anti-depressants and became suicidal though was never suicidal before.   It was an absolute nightmare.  

I know it's not a mental illness because I could practically hibernate in the Winter.  I can't wake up.  I can just sleep and sleep and sleep and it's because of a lack of sunlight.  This is an illness...not a mental illness.   I used to say to myself "what am I a bear?  All I want to do is sleep."  This is occurring in the Winter months mostly where I am near hibernating....just sleeping and still exhausted.  It was so bizzare...I used to think I was like a bear or something and I didn't know what to do.  Then, I was diagnosed with it by a doctor and he explained it to me.  And, I never said real mental illness is imaged either.  

But, I disagree with the copy and paste I quoted by you up above....especially the medication part.  None of us should be going the medication route because it is dangerous and only a doctor and an individual can decided about anti-depressant medication.  There are other ways to increase your serotonin levels other than medication (anti-depressives).   Even just having light on in your house when it's all gray skies can help as does getting your energy level up by exercise and then doing something productive really helps a lot.

[Seicher Rae]

14 minutes ago, FairreLilette said:

I disagree that it's a mental illness though...but I do agree, however, that many depressions are related to a chemical imbalance in the brain.  Some depressions are due to loss and are situational, such as losing a loved one or a job or a home for some examples.  

However, I know this is not a mental illness nor do I agree with the medication part because those cause a lot of suicidal thoughts and I cannot agree that anti-depressants are safe because I believe they increase suicidal ideation...I've experienced it first hand with my sister never suicidal, then on anti-depressants and then suicidal and then the same happened with her husband who became depressed because his wife was depressed so he was put on anti-depressants and became suicidal though was never suicidal before.   It was an absolute nightmare.  

I know it's not a mental illness because I could practically hibernate in the Winter.  I can't wake up.  I can just sleep and sleep and sleep and it's because of a lack of sunlight.  This is an illness...not a mental illness.   I used to say to myself "what am I a bear?  All I want to do is sleep."  This is occurring in the Winter months mostly where I am near hibernating....just sleeping and still exhausted.  It was so bizzare...I used to think I was like a bear or something and I didn't know what to do.  Then, I was diagnosed with it by a doctor and he explained it to me.  And, I never said real mental illness is imaged either.  

But, I disagree with the copy and paste I quoted by you up above....especially the medication part.  None of us should be going the medication route because it is dangerous and only a doctor and an individual can decided about anti-depressant medication.  There are other ways to increase your serotonin levels other than medication (anti-depressives).   Even just having light on in your house when it's all gray skies can help as does getting your energy level up by exercise and then doing something productive really helps a lot.

I'm sorry, but you are being anecdotal. You may disagree, but you then are also disagreeing with the established mental health profession. SAD is no longer listed as a separate and discrete diagnostic entity, but is classified as a type of depression in the DSM (U.S.A). It is treated as such. No one said that it should only be treated with medication, only that it can be. Also, of course such medication is prescribed by a qualified person. YOU did just say that "None of us should be going the medication route..." and THAT is a dangerous opinion.  You seem to have a problem that SAD is a type of depression and that depressions are types of mental illness. I'm guessing you don't like the stigma. That's something a lot of people fight. Here's an authoritative link on SAD, you can disagree with it. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/seasonal-affective-disorder/index.shtml

[FairreLilette]

45 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said:

You may disagree, but you then are also disagreeing with the established mental health profession. SAD is no longer listed as a separate and discrete diagnostic entity, but is classified as a type of depression in the DSM (U.S.A). It is treated as such. 

Yes, I'm not going to agree with the textbook diagnosis or treatment - listed below.  Because first of all, that is all FDA approved things that generate a lot of money:  Medications (money) although very dangerous; Talk (psychologist - also a lot of money); special lights that are very expensive.  The FDA is very corrupt and that is about all I would like to say about the FDA.  Because, it is ludicrous, imo, to not even mention exercise as a treatment.  And why isn't exercise mentioned?  Exercise is free.  You can do it yourself for little to no money.  I even have small weights I pump.  I think people have more of an aversion to exercise and fight the truth about exercise.   And, that's about all I need to say about it.   But, even though exercise is free...it is the best thing anyone can do for themselves.

 I believe Seasonal Depression is physiological due to less light in the Winter months because I know I am a human being and it is not a mental illness causing me to practically hibernate where I think I am like a bear and I know humans don't hibernate...and the pattern keeps repeating but only in the Winter months.    

To me, a mental illness is saying to your kids "you are a disgrace... or you will amount to nothing....etc."  

This is the generic textbook junk I hate below about Season Depression:   (The light therapy is very expensive lights you have to buy.) 

 

1 hour ago, Seicher Rae said:

Some people with SAD are treated with medication, along with light therapy and talk therapy.

To the OP or others with this...I just wanted to add that there are terrific videos on YouTube for working out with weights that you can do from your computer for like 12 to 15 minutes a day.  There are female and male videos on YouTube.  Exercise can make a world of difference in your life.  I know, and I know it's amazing.  

Edited November 9, 2019 by FairreLilette

[Seicher Rae]

7 minutes ago, FairreLilette said:

To me, a mental illness is saying to your kids "you are a disgrace... or you will amount to nothing....etc."  

Wow. That's incredibly uninformed, hateful and offensive. On the other hand it is good you flat out stated your ignorance, because it lets me (and others) know who we're dealing with here and her level of knowledge and her belief system.

To add your stated ignorance, you were kind enough to let us know that your opinion is not based on the "textbooks" but on your own expertise for everyone else.

Don't scare people from getting the actual lights that help. Just turning on any old lamp will not help. The therapeutic light boxes can be had from about $25 at Amazon, Wal-Mart and other places and last a long time. 

I'm glad that you found something that works for you. You are not the universal truth, however, and others may actually be helped by what the experts who work with this disorder have to say.

[Talligurl]

You dont fit in, its hard i get it, but ask yourself this. Do you want to be one of them? Then be thankful you are not.

[Selene Gregoire]

If someone else can spot any mention of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in this study, please point it out to me, because I sure haven't seen it in this or any other study I've read over the years regarding Seasonal Affective Disorder. Thankfully, I no longer suffer from it to the extent I once did when I was young. It's more of a Spring Fever kind of thing now. The only time of year that 72 degrees F feels warm to me. 

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfred_Lewy/publication/16614070_Seasonal_Affective-Disorder_-_a_Description_of_the_Syndrome_and_Preliminary_Findings_with_Light_Therapy/links/5570f58a08ae2f213c223b40.pdf

 

Excerpt from the Spring Fever article:

Quote

The biological clock, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), sits in mammals' hypothalamus. It monitors light through a pathway to the retina and conveys information about day length to the pineal gland. This pea-size gland, tucked at the base of the cerebrum, controls the secretion of melatonin, dubbed the sleep hormone because it is only released in the dark or in dim light. The duration of melatonin release changes with nocturnal length, which is longest during winter. And it has been thought that our increased energy in the spring months is somehow linked to the decreased duration of melatonin production, due to shorter nights.

I've always slept better in the winter than I do in warmer weather. The above quote is why. Sometimes I wish we could skip summer and go from spring to fall. 

[Tari Landar]

Super long, feel free to skip, no TLDR;

 

I am going to say one more thing, and then I am going to shut up about this topic, because I know me, and I know I will get very, very heated if I don't...and the reason I am saying anything at all is for the same reason, it will eat me up if I don't say something....

 

It is beyond dangerous to tell others *precisely how they should deal with their own illnesses. This also includes mental illnesses, of which there are a LOT. What works for one, may not work for all, hence why there are no specific blanket treatments for most things. Hell, even infections don't have a one size fits all treatment plan. Medication works, IF, it is right for that person, that situation, that, whatever. Saying it doesn't, because it didn't work for you, didn't work for people you know, because you don't like it, because you don't agree with it...is dangerous.

Cancer isn't treated the same in all people. I can say with absolute confidence that if everyone listened to the naysayers when it comes to cancer treatments, we'd have a lot less people on this planet. I may not agree that others' treatment methods would work for me, but I cannot, I absolutely CANNOT agree that no one should take that route. That is dangerous, and it is very demeaning. I can say this with confidence because I had cancer as a child, and I went through different treatment options, I still deal with some of the after effects of such, and I had a lot of naysayers all around me..even in the medical field. What worked for me, likely won't work for countless others, just as what worked for them, didn't work for me. That doesn't make ANY of those methods ineffective, it makes them situationally dependent. It's a slap in the face to tell me "this treatment should never be used". I know it's a slap in the face to me, because it is the slap I was dealt for years dealing with my own treatment, my own remission, my own..everything. I'd be dead if I or my parents listened to everyone who spoke with authority on what would and would not work. Please do not ever negate another's treatment plan, and definitely do not ever speak on it with any amount of authority. Even if you ARE an oncologist, therapist, doctor, nurse, whatever the hell...you're not omnipotent, and you don't get to tell people what does and does not work for all with any amount of authority. Because...it just might/might not work, and then where will that person be? They'll be left feeling like they're the defective one because someone spoke about it with authority-who's really just talking out their ass. 

It's really disheartening to be told you're going down the wrong treatment path, it doesn't even matter who's saying it, it's a crushing blow, and it serves absolutely no purpose to do so in this manner, except perhaps to make the person doing it feel better about themselves (which takes me back to the last sentence of the last paragraph...it's important). Telling people there are other options, other paths without speaking on authority about the path they're currently on...that's helpful. Telling them they're flat out doing it wrong because you said so...no, that's not helpful, it's hurtful., and pretty damn dangerous. When dealing with mental illnesses, especially, this can be even more damaging than physical illnesses, because so much more of the human brain, and body, is likely affected. They often don't work in tandem, sometimes work against one another, and having outside forces furthering that divide is something that I have personally never once seen work (that's anecdotal, it may work, I suppose, but I've never seen it work, never experienced it work, never read about it working, never seen evidence that it can...but there is always the possibility that it has, or would, so I don't negate that). Telling people not to medicate because medication is the devil, is dangerous. That's as dangerous as the idiots that thought we could pray my cancer away (no, not my family, before anyone thinks that, lol), or take herbs alone, or use ..I won't get into that, there's a lot of weird treatments out there...and that it would absolutely, without fail, always work.  It's as harmful as simply ignoring that we have a multitude of options for treatment...for damn good reason. We have them, because not everything works for everyone, every body, every illness.

Negating one method entirely because it wasn't effective for you (someone you know, blah blah), is stupid, hurtful, arrogant, and a slue of other words I could use but will piss people off, so I won't. It's something I, personally, take issue with, because I've dealt with it time and time again.  For me, personally, I like to use laughter for a lot of things, it's why I always recommend things that I think might make someone smile, laugh, maybe have a few good minutes. I find it the best way, most of the time, for me to go forth and try and deal with something head on, because it gives me a positive outlook from the get go. It's not a cure, it doesn't fix pretty much anything on its own, but it's an effective tool in my personal arsenal. I never tell people "this is how you fix it". I say "this is what works for me", "might I recommend", "this is what I do", "maybe you could/should try", because maybe, just maybe, the person I'm saying it to might need that, or maybe he/she needs to to the exact opposite, they need to be mad, they need to cry, they need to vent at that very moment. That doesn't make their method any less effective than mine. Different strokes and all that jazz, being what they are. Sometimes, that's also the route I need to take, I need to be mad, I need ot vent, I need to cry, I need to be angry, because I need that release. Then I can press forward when I'm ready to. A lot of the time, laughter helps me get to that point, even if my next step is the polar opposite and results in my getting mad, screaming, crying, venting, punching a damn wall...whatever. That's my method, it's no less valid than your method, and your method is no less valid than my method. I don't like people that speak on such things  with authority, because you can't possibly be that damn smart, if you were, you wouldn't have to deal with the very issue you're trying to help someone else deal with, lol. No one on this planet is all knowing, absolutely no one. We only know what we know, and what we come to know., we don't know anything else. 

 

I get told all the time many ways I can slow my vision loss. I don't typically mind, even though I know they probably won't work (simply because of why I have it, really, it's a complicated issue and a bit odd at the same time, far from typical). I do mind when people say "you NEED to do this, because only THIS works". Nope, it does not, and you can't possibly know that it will. Share your anecdotes with me, share your research, share your opinion...absolutely, but don't tell me what does and doesn't work for all. The same goes for ALL other illnesses, issues, whatever you want to call them. Share your ideas, share your opinions, share your experiences, share what has and hasn't worked for you, someone you know, whatever have you..but don't tell me my way is flat wrong, don't tell me your way is flat right. That's going to piss me off, and I am fairly certain, I'm not alone. No one gets out of here alive, and it's really hard sometimes oto figure out why you're doing poorly when others around you are not.  It's good to hear others say, type, what is or has worked for them, things they do, things they've tried, it can be helpful even in process of elimination. It's not nice to be told "you're doing it all wrong because I said so, and here's why". You don't friggen know me, you can't possibly know my methods are wrong...even if I'm not successful (at this very moment, or at all), that doesn't mean the method is wrong, it may just mean it's not right at that moment, for that issue, or even for me. It's not to be completely discarded just because you say so, though(or even because I say so)

[Truestar Mokeev]

The only thing I have to add is to say how amazed I am at all of the comments from this community to the OP.

Love and poetry so much of it…and to the OP thanks for posting.  You helped me/us.