Social connections when energy runs low

Most people take socializing for granted, but socializing actually requires a great deal of energy.  When chronic illness is present, energy is low and it is critical that people choose daily activities thoughtfully and with intention.  No one knows this better than someone with fibromyalgia.  Every activity throughout the day must be carefully weighed for priority and necessity.  Socializing may seem to be low in priority so it may tend to take the back burner, but that may be a mistake.  The mind/body connection cannot be dissected from one another and we need to regularly care for both to ensure our health on every level.  Depression and anxiety are common with fibromyalgia so attending to emotional health is so critical and yet it seems that we frequently neglect our brain's needs.  The brain's complexity makes this task even more difficult, because there are needs to be met on many different levels.  Top that with being a highly sensitive person and the task becomes daunting.

We are a gregarious people and social connections are critical for our emotional health and our general well being.  Connecting socially may not be possible face-to-face every day, but setting time aside for socializing is key in managing the depression and anxiety that frequently accompanies fibromyalgia.  I make it a point to connect with someone every day.  There are days when I don't have the energy to connect with others, but social media has made that easier and less energy draining than connecting face-to-face.  On facebook I have rekindled friendships with people I haven't seen in 44 years and facebook doesn't zap energy like face-to-face encounters do.  Same thing with Twitter except it's even less taxing because the messages are so brief.  I hadn't spent much time on facebook or Twitter, but I am now learning their benefits and it has been a positive experience.  I can interact with people and not feel the energy being sucked out of me.  That leaves me with energy to spare for other necessities.

Currently I have been experiencing some stressful events in my life and that naturally takes its toll on my body and tends to put me in a flare.  Bad news.  I inherently know this and have made intentional decisions regarding my emotional health, which also makes my body feel better.  That single act of intentionality saves my mind and my body from traumatic and stressful events.  This may seem to be a no brainer, but I am amazed when I see other people that don't seem to understand the critical nature of this connection between mind and body.  This is an amazing phenomenon!  The other positive element for me is that I have had fun learning new things and my brain gets exercise at the same time.  That is good for my body too!  When my brain is happy, my body is happy too.  The problem with learning new things is that it takes a great deal of energy.  But for me, it is well worth the energy it drains.  I just have to use small amounts of energy and be aware of how much I'm going to need to get through the day and not sabotage myself for the next day too.

So when you find yourself feeling lonely and blue, text a friend, meet a new friend on facebook -- just communicate with someone outside of your immediate environment.  This simple 10 minute act will change your perspective on life and re-energize your mind and body.  May you meet each day with intention, purpose, priority, understanding and awareness of the energy stores that are available to you.  Blessings!

Psychobiotics and the dark chocolate connection . . .

There has been a fair amount of interest regarding neurotransmitters in the medical community, but treatment for depleted neurotransmitters has remained a mystery.  Nutritional supplements have been the first line of treatment with dubious results and psychoactive medications have been prescribed for decades with little to no benefit.  Neurotransmitters are those chemical messengers in our body that modulate all the functions of our body and mind.  The table below provides a brief explanation of common neurotransmitters and their function.

It is interesting to note that many people with fibromyalgia have depleted neurotransmitters, which may be responsible for some of the symptoms that decrease quality of life.  But renewed hope may be just around the corner.

It seems that the human body is teeming with beneficial microbes that are critical for our physical and emotional health.  There are approximately 15 trillion cells in our bodies and 100 trillion bacteria.  Amazing, huh?  These bacteria are essential to digestion, metabolism, immunity and our psychological health, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.  These bacteria act as messengers that orchestrate our body's function and wellbeing.  So the question is "How do we ensure these essential and beneficial bacteria remain healthy and functioning properly?"  As it turns out, probiotics rarely make it past our stomach and its acid environment.  According to Davidson in "The Psychobiotic Revolution" (Davidson, Jordan.  Psychology Today, April 2014, pg. 40), "It's long been known that the stress system is intimately involved in depression.  People suffering from major depression frequently have elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, released in response to stress.  In a recent study, a probiotic cocktail of Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum was found to reduce cortisol levels."  In addition, "many physiological and psychological processes associated with depression can be traced to a deficiency in the neurotransmitter GABA.  Lack of GABA in the brain may bring on the negative ruminations long linked with depression."  Researchers have determined that gut microbes secrete GABA, which include Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum organsisms.  It is interesting to note that dark chocolate increases numbers in both of these bacterial families.  The polyphenols in the chocolate act as a prebiotic and enhance the growth of benefical gut bacteria.  Now that's the best news I have heard in the last 20 years.  I not only drink red wine for health benefits but I am also eating 2 squares of dark chocolate every day.  The specific strain of Lactobacillus reuteri that is found in yogurt or as a supplement works to improve mood, appearance and general health by increasing levels of oxytocin.  Oxytocin is that hormone that gives you a feeling of wellbeing when you cuddle, hug, or have sex.  There are also active yogurt ingredients that reduce anxiety and fear.

We are on the cusp of gaining more knowledge regarding the best way to ensure the health of our body's microbial community that will ensure the health of our body and mind.  Meanwhile, I intend to eat Greek yogurt and dark chocolate every day so my microbes don't go hungry.  Blessings to you and your microbes; may you live happily ever after!

A gut reaction . . .

From Psychology Today, Nov 2011

Have you ever noticed the gut rules?   The gut is our second brain and from my perspective my gut demands so much attention that it is coming in first place as a brain goes.  Psychology Today published an article in November 2011 titled "Your Backup Brain" by Dan Hurley.  This article can be accessed at http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201110/your-backup-brain.  This article discusses the enteric nervous system being a mind-body connection that is considered to be a branch of the autonomic nervous system, which actively communicates with the brain in our head.  The gut "sends signals north to the brain that directly affect feelings of sadness or stress, even influence memory, learning, and decision-making.  It relies on, and in many cases manufactures more than 30 neurotransmitters, including serotonin, that are identical to those in the brain.  What's more, tinkering with the second brain in our gut has lately been shown to be a potent tool for achieving relief from major depression."  (Psychology Today, Nov 2011)  The gut actually affects our emotions and that's why we feed it comfort food.  Food influences our mood and behavior.  The bacteria in the gut actually communicate with the brain in our head so when we are stressed our gut influences us to eat high fat foods.  "From birth on, there is constant cross talk between gut bacteria and the brain.  During infancy, that communication plays a significant role in shaping how the brain is wired.  It affects not only anxiety but also memory, creating changes in both the amygdala, the brain's center regulator of fear, and the hippocampus, the region deep in the brain that is essential for memory and learning."  (Psychology Today, Nov 2011)  That may be where the fibro fog and other cognitive difficulties related to fibromyalgia come from.

When considering that bit of information it is no wonder we have so many issues with fibromyalgia when our gut is messed up and not functioning as it should.  No wonder the neurotransmitters are in short supply and our nutrition isn't what it should be.  Our gut has an awesome responsibility to nourish our bodies and keep us in tip top shape, so if the gut isn't working well then we aren't working well.  My gut is to the point that it rebels no matter what I put in it and it can't take too much food at one time.  My day actually revolves around taking good care of my gut.  My gut is overloaded with sensory information and it sends me signals that something isn't right and other alarms that are disporportionate to the situation at hand.  That's when my first brain takes over and serious self-talk calms the storm that is brewing.

 Fibromyalgia is such a complex disorder and that complicates treatment, because one medication to treat one symptom can interact with another medication.  For example, I take Reglan to get my gut working better, which interacts with ropinirol for the Willis-Ekbom Disease symptoms.  The two don't mix well and Reglan counteracts ropinirol so my symptoms are worsened.  Fibromyalgia isn't a simple problem to manage.

So as I fight this war, I take good care of my gut because when push comes to shove the gut rules!  I think I'll eat some comfort food tonight . . .   Blessings to you and your second brain.

A wildfire called fibromyalgia

California wildfire near Los Angeles

California is in the worst drought conditions in 150 years.  Instead of rain the weather is sunny, in the 80's with Santa Ana winds blowing and gusting to 70 miles per hour in the southern part of the state.  As a result a wildfire burns acre after acre of timber fuel that hasn't seen fire in 40 years.  Australia is in mid-summer and wildfire burns there too.  In dry, arid regions it doesn't take much for a spark to become a wildfire that ravages the land and destroys homes.

One of 70 wildfires burning in Australia

The wildfires made me think about the insidious onset of fibromyalgia and how quickly those early symptoms turned into an illness out of control.  When did it really start?  I can trace fibromyalgia back to my 20's when random symptoms began to appear, which seemed completely unrelated.  The Restless Legs Syndrome, the IBS, unexplained exhaustion, slow recovery from exercise . . .    I wonder when that early spark was set before the fibromyalgia wildfire began that has ravaged my body and threatened to rob me of my life.  There was no doubt about when this illness became a wildfire that was completely out of control.  Symptom management has succeeded in maybe 30% containment, but what will fan the flames in the future?  That is when the fear and anxiety set in.  Will this wildfire be completely out of control again?  How long can I fight?  Do I have enough endurance?  Can I fight against depression?

I wanted to join some friends for a fun, 3-day trip to Tucson for a bead and jewelry show, but I realized that I don't have enough fortitude or physical resources to be able to do that.  I have to use the energy I have to fight this wildfire called fibromyalgia.  I feel cheated, because after all my friends that will be going without me are 10 years older than me.  So why can't I do this???!

There is one thing I do know.  If I don't stay at home and fight this fibromyalgia wildfire it will no longer be contained and then I will be facing a flare.  So it's time to regroup, get my priorities straight and be satisfied with my 30% containment.  I need to focus on what I can do and not what I can't.  After all, that is what everyone must do so I'm not alone.  Everyone has limitations in one way or another.  Hmmmmm.  I wonder what would happen if I set a backfire.  What would that look like anyway??  Maybe I should call in some firemen!  Ha!  Blessings to you as you fight this wildfire called fibromyalgia.

Anxiety . . . controlling a silent beast

Anxiety is a beast that is ever present in people's lives.  Anxiety is the energy that helps people perform on stage or give a speech.  It is the nagging anxiety that makes us pay our bills or complete other tasks such as taking a test.  There is a fine line between performing well and having "run away" anxiety that impairs performance or prevents us from completing tasks.  Excessively heightened anxiety can be a crippling force that leads to inability to make decisions and results in mental paralysis.  Anxiety in low doses is beneficial, but when this beast threatens to run our lives it is time to regain control.

As people age anxiety can become more problematic.  This is also true with chronic illness and fibromyalgia.  In addition to fibromyalgia, many of us have other chronic illnesses and are aging too.  Life challenges just keeping piling on top of one another.  Luckily we have tools in our tool chest that can help to keep anxiety corraled where it belongs so that it serves a useful function rather than becoming a destructive force.

Within us we have three components of ourselves that seek to govern our behavior: the child, the parent and the adult.  Each has an important role in our daily lives and each must be balanced with one another.  The fear and anxiety that becomes unmanageable lies within the realm of the child.  That child needs a comforting parent and an adult that is in charge to provide stability to a fearful and anxious child.  Whenever I feel anxious about a coming event or activity that will require physical energy that I may not have or emotional events that will require emotional energy, I look to my parent and adult to take charge.  As anxiety begins to well up my adult tells me it will be alright and my parent tells me that I am safe.  That simple act of self-talk gets that anxiety back under control.  I allow the adult to take over to do the planning and I look to the parent to set boundaries and limits for me so I am better able to balance activity and rest.  This is a simplistic view of this complex interaction that operates within our minds, but it works.  The adult part knows how to ask for help and keep anxiety within tolerable levels when I need it; that leaves the playful child carefree to have a good time.

Positive self-talk is a powerful tool that we carry with us every day.  When anxiety begins to well up inside, call upon your parent and adult to provide solice, safety and action that your child is unable to handle.  Tell yourself that you are going to be okay.  For some people this self-talk takes the form of a prayer, and that higher power or God provides the solice and safety that is sought.  Give yourself permission to rest when you need it and to delegate tasks to others that will give you help.  Balance in your life is important in every aspect.  I use self-talk every day to help me keep my life balanced and to cope with the challenges I face each day.  That simple act allows me to feel more carefree, safe and able to find humor in each day so I can enjoy my inner child to its fullest.  Blessings to you as you keep that fun loving inner child safe within you!

Change is inevitable . . . fear and anxiety are optional

If there is anything I know for sure it's the reality that change is inevitable.  We live in a dynamic world that keeps changing at an ever faster pace.  Our own bodies are dynamic and change throughout the day; some of those changes are visible as decades go by.  We also feel the change in our bodies, especially when a chronic illness comes knocking.  As people age there is a tendency to feel more vulnerable, which is frequently expressed with fear, anxiety and depression.  People that suffer from a chronic illness are also prone to developing fear, anxiety and depression, and people with fibromyalgia are no exception.  Living with those feelings of vulnerability and the accompanying fears are difficult to cope with every day and can be debilitating.

I have experienced these emotions throughout the decades of my life during times of significant change.  Those times gave me an opportunity to examine my own perceptions about the events that had immersed me in a dark and scary place.  But I have learned that if I don't like a situation I have three choices:  I can either accept the situation as it is, I can alter or change my participation in the situation or I can change my perception of the situation.  That is the only control I have in the whole world; control over myself.

When I think of all the changes in my life it is apparent to me that many of those changes orignally presented themselves as a larger than life negative challenge.  Most of the life challenges and changes