Stress & Anxiety, Hosted by Brenda

pops out in our weakest spots. Sometimes my back will "go out". Or my heart palpitations get worse. Or congestion. Or what have you.

I wonder if it depends not just on where your body is weakest but what TYPE of stress you are under? I think some people think so.

And I keep trying to tell myself that it isn't the situation but rather how I feel about it, what I tell myself about it, that causes the stress.

Example: One thing that stresses me out a lot is running late for an appointment or something. My mother really emphasized that I must be home on time and I must call, etc. as I was growing up. If I didn't comply satisfactorily, I got into heaps of trouble. And you wouldn't want to make my mother mad. ;) So I still find myself stressing when I am caught in traffic or somehow messed up and am going to be late. It is one reason why I have a cell phone. So this way, I can at least call. Sometimes it might be a doctor appointment that I am rushing to and I get behind every slow moving driver in the world! Even if I get there on time, it could be an hour or more before I am seen by the doctor. So I ask myself why I even worried and stressed. Just sitting in a doctor's office for any length of time can stress me out. Then he says, "Mrs. Elliott, your blood pressure seems a bit high". Well, duh! LOL

Hi Brenda!

Thanks fortheexcellentarticle!

Best,

Ed

This is just a stress discussion not associated with any lessons. So I don't know what lessons you are having difficulty with.

Shows to go ya, not to get "head" up about those things. LOL

Well, neat that they are rotating. I think it is an excellent idea.

But thanks for letting me know; otherwise I would have missed it. I don't go to the front page that much.

Enjoy your 4th.

Brenda

A lot of us has found a much expanded life since we learned how to surf the Internet. Perhaps yours will be just the "shove" she needs.

BTW, I had a blast at my high school reunion in 1999. The best ever! I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoyed mine.

I was single at the time though. LOL!!!

Even though your friend hasn't had bad depression problems for many years now, knowing more about what she might have gone through helps you understand that and I would think helps the relationship you have with her.

Back when she and I both were having children, post partum depression was not as understood nor treated as it is today. I am glad they have help for that now. :)

I want to hear about how the class reunion and personal reunion went when you return. :)

Hugs,

Brenda

I like that slogan: KISS

Keep It Simple Stupid (Or you can use the word Sugar or Sweetie as some have rather than the word Stupid)

Anyway you do it, the message, is not to complicate your life further.

Gratitude and finding something funny to laugh about can relieve stress and help you shift your perspective.

It is hard to be negative when you are laughing or feeling grateful for what you DO have. Appreciation raises your spirits quite a bit.

You might start out taking just a few minutes, say, like 10 or 15 until you can grab more. The kinder you are to yourself and acknowledge that you too deserve some TLC (tender loving care) the better you will be with others.

I still say there is a difference between being selfishness and treating yourself with loving kindness.

A little shift in the way the mind perceives changes the way things appear to be.

Attitude adjustment. ;) (wink)

Have a great day.

Brenda

Sounds like stress reaction to me too. Have you been to a doctor to have a physical to make sure there are no other contribution factors? Also you may need a temporary medication to help with some of the symptoms until you can effectively work out your problems and relieve yourself of some of the stress.

Funny how something can go on and on and suddenly, you stand there asking yourself, "How did I get here?" or "How did this happen?"

There is no way of knowing the specifics of your own unique situation but in general feeling like you are always giving, giving, giving will deplete your energy quickly; cause anger and resentment to rise; will start affecting your sleep, your appetite, and your entire well being. Not to mention how you in turn might allow that spill over into the job or you family or friends causing distress there, putting your employment into jeopardy, straining a marriage, or even taking it out on children or spouse or whomever you live with.

Whatever is right for you doesn't have to mean that you cannot find a solution that works for you and the others you care about or who are your responsibility as well. It does not have to be one or the other.

Truly loving yourself is essential if you are going to love others. But loving one's self does not mean hurting others or shirking your responsibilities. Or at least it doesn't have to.

Some people think if you love your self you are being selfish. Being selfish is NOT loving yourself. There is a big difference.

Getting a check up might be a good place to start. If you can avail yourself to counseling (if you can find a good therapist and can afford it) would be helpful. But if you cannot do this, read some good books on stress or anything that you are lead to read that sounds like it addresses some of your issues. Work on making some time for yourself even if it is only a small amount.

Attitude also can be your worst enemy or your best help mate. The more angry you get, the more the problem seems to get worse.
A positive attitude that you can work this out without creating a worse mess would help. :)

General answers or suggestions won't address your unique situation but I hope it may help some.

Please let me know how things go.

Brenda

You ladies did a really great job on the 5-year celebration for ThirdAge!

Well done!

I think you are wise to try to find out all you can. It helps to understand.

Good luck with all of that.

Hope everything works out well.

:)

There can be a number of causes for depression. But the ones most successfully treated employ the use of: 1) medication if needed which would include trying to get a balance in hormonal levels or taking care of chemical imbalances and treating underlying diseases; 2) psychotherapy; 3) support groups.

How do I know this? I have had training and have worked in these areas before. I used to work on a unit in a hospital that treated such problems and substance abuse as well.

I am sure if you or she put in the word depression or related terms, the Internet would provide through search engines all sorts of information and probably some discussion groups.

One source: http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/PatientResAllCateg/Depression?O...

This source will also have links to discussion groups.

For example this link: http://www2.health-center.com/db/PageReq?SessionI=

Yes "Expect a Miracle" is something a very wonderful and good friend of mine named Patt often posts in her messages. :)

Thanks Patt! :)

Brenda

You have made my day just telling me this.

It just re-confirms my belief that letting go of the should's, ought's, and stuff that we get so upset or angry over is best for our health.

It has nothing or little to do with whether or not a person is "justified" in their anger or hurt. Sometimes we may be correct in our assessments but that and whole bunch of anger, anxiety, hurt and so forth can get you pretty sick. And is that worth it? Nah!

The graphic is so cute Denise. Smart mice. They can spell your name. LOL