Taking Ownership Of Yourself

Today is an exciting day for all the buckeye fans as Oregon vs Ohio State this evening at 8:30 pm.  We will be watching the game and when Ohio State wins the whole state might just shake. The excitement has been brewing, and today as I get dressed I'll be dressed to cheer on the team.  My husband left for work wearing his Ohio State tie.  Even Laney has an Ohio State sweater.  We are ready for some fun.  Go Bucks!!!

I spent last week cleaning up Christmas decorations and hibernating after five inches of snow fell and we went into the deep freeze.  Today we have a thin layer of ice and possibly some more freezing rain coming.  There are a lot of people complaining about seasonal depression.  I have learned some things over the last couple years that have helped me combat those blues.  I had my Vitamin D level checked  two years ago as I explained to my doctor that I had seasonal depression.  My level was almost zero and they checked it twice.  I was put on vitamin D3 at high doses and rechecked after a year.  The levels had come up and now I am on maintenance doses.  It did help and some of my aches and pains went away.  Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in the north due to our winters and lack of being in the sunshine.  We also wear a lot of sunscreen which blocks absorption of sun.  Yes we need sunshine to produce Vitamin D.  I would not recommend anyone taking supplements without having levels checked.  Your doctor can help you determine how much supplement to take.  Also wear your sunscreen as directed to prevent melanoma.

I don't like new year resolutions as we tend to state them and not follow through.  I have more success in setting small goals to achieve.  I have been studying the last three years about the effect of stress on the body.  It can cause great distress in the whole mind body relationship.  My studies have been under the direction of a therapist and medical professionals that practice integrated medicine.

It has taken a lot of patience and work to get the stress under control and understand how my body reacts to stress.   Our body is made to react to stress, but sometimes we get stuck with an overload of stress and it can damage your body.  Sadly, I have some damage from prolonged stress, but I am learning how to reduce the stress.  I am learning how to take care of my body and claim ownership of my health.  I am also educating my family about a stress reducing lifestyle and eating healthy.

Stress overload in the body can come from work, trauma, life threatening illnesses, or any situation that causes the autonomic nervous system to kick in and produce cortisol and adrenaline.  It becomes a serious problem when we can't release that adrenaline and the cortisol levels remain high. Sometimes we need to figure out what the stresses are and start taking steps to reduce them.   My own stress was being triggered by thoughts of a stressful childhood and the traumatic death of my mother.  We learn how to handle stress when we are children.  If we are nurtured and made to feel safe as a child we usually will be able to handles some stress appropriately as we become adults.  I had a stressful childhood and I now understand how triggers from childhood were being stimulated from events happening in my adult life.  Certain events caused my body to overproduce that cortisol.  Unfortunately we can not live in a bubble or avoid all the triggers, but we can reduce the triggers by developing healthy relationships with people that except us and care about us.  It is important to be able to talk to a therapist, family and friends about things that are bothering you.  My friends have become an important part of my life.

So, my husband and I have learned a lot about stress and the effect on the body.
We have gradually made changes in our lifestyle to reduce our stress.  We have to work on it everyday, but some changes have now become good habits.
Sometimes you have to fall in a hole to start making changes to heal the mind and body.  Feeling bad everyday is our bodies way of telling us something is wrong.  Finding health care professionals to help you understand your body is my advice to a healthier and happier life.  You have to take ownership of yourself and learn about how your body functions.

I am willing to talk in following days about what stress did to my body.  I may be able to help others from suffering as long as I did.  Stay tuned to new adventures.

I am signing off  today happy and feeling good.   Watch out Oregon, because here comes the Bucks!!

Life is beautiful!!

Elizabeth:)