The Perennial Sam

Since I’ve been back at the apartment, getting out hasn’t been as easy as it was at my parents’.  I’m still focusing on being active and getting sunlight as a start towards meeting the requirements of the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change.  I have managed to be somewhat active, although not on the level I would like to be.  This past weekend I helped my mother-in-law weed the gardens all around her house.  Monday I went to the driving range and mini putt with my fiance.  Got some sunshine into me.

I would really like to have a membership to a small gym, where I could go and workout 3-5 times a week.  Before I had several surgeries starting in Fall 2006 I had been training to join the reserve military forces for a few months.  I had a personal trainer and went to the gym (walking distance from where I lived) 4-6 times a week.  It helped that everyone I worked with played varsity sports or was active in some capacity.  Even though we didn’t workout together we would talk about changes to our routines, diets, and comment on each other’s progress.  I know some people who prefer to go to the gym with a buddy but I always found taking someone else along with me to be distracting.  It may have been different had I gone with a male friend - most of my female friends enjoy cardio more than resistance training and didn’t want to balance the two.  One exception I found was my sister - she was able to lift more than me, did a comparable amount of cardio and we took about the same amount of time.  The reason I no longer belong to a gym is because I can’t afford it, which will change at some point.  However… 

Today I came across an interesting fitness blog, The Best Never Rest.  Written by Richie, who has been a personal trainer for several years, there is a wealth of information on bodyweight exercises here - exercises that use your own weight as resistance.  This is a good thing for those of us who want to be active but can’t afford to buy a gym membership or costly equipment, or maybe just can’t make it to the gym.  The two most recent posts focus on plyometric training.  

I am going to work on doing some exercises everyday, that I can do without equipment, to start moving towards the exercise requirements described in the TLC.  Every little bit counts.       

I first got a copy of Moods Magazine through my psychologist at school.  He knew the woman who was putting the magazine together and had gotten some of the early issues to distribute to the students he dealt with. 

Moods is dedicated to helping not only people with mood disorders, but those with “comorbid illnesses (such as addictions, anxiety, eating disorders and borderline personality disorder),” as described in their About Us section.   It is also meant to help the family and friends of those suffering from these problems, as well as being distributed in some workplaces. 

The driving force behind this magazine’s development and continuing success is Publisher and Editorial Director Rebecca DiFilippo.  For many years this talented lady ran a graphic design and film imaging business before her own clinical depression forced her to choose another path.  Using her existing skills she was able to build Moods Magazine from the ground up, in hopes of educating others about and attacking the stigma against these issues. 

Moods is now a well-established publication that is released quarterly and can be purchased at Chapters if you don’t have a subscription.  Generally the cover story features a celebrity who has struggled to overcome a mental health issue of their own.  Inside you will find several regular features including Ask the Pharmacist, Ask Ron Ellis (a former Maple Leaf hockey player) and Your Stories, where people like you and me relate their personal experiences.   

It is possible to subscribe to Moods from both Canada and the USA.  In Canada a one year’s subscription to the printed magazine is $19.24.  For a year of the digital copy it will cost you $15.  Or, if you’d like to have both, the combined price is $21.  I personally enjoy the hard copy because it is not only nice to hold something tangible in your hand, but to also be able to pass it along to a friend who may benefit from it.

 You can visit Moods Magazine online at www.moodsmag.com.

Some people have the ability to pursue a career with little to no personal relevance to them.  Maybe they find enough fulfillment in the rest of their life that this is not a critical issue.  Or maybe they’re just very easy-going.  At any rate I am not one of these people.  My last job wasn’t exactly challenging or meaningful, but I cared about the people I worked with and this made going to work something I looked forward to.

 One thing I have discussed with my psychologist is finding a career that not only feels important and meaningful to me, but will be something that I can keep up with when I normally wouldn’t go out.  Eventually I’m hoping to have a space where I can do artwork and set up my art supplies where I don’t need to put them away every night.  Or move a painting that’s half dry because someone else needs the space.  I’d like to write and illustrate my own books - children’s books and [maybe] fantasy novels for young adults/grownups. (more…)

So far I have not had a positive relationship with any of the meds I’ve been prescribed for depression.  I realize they are of help to some people, I just haven’t experienced much success so far.  Recently I began searching for alternative forms of treatment…something more natural, less invasive and hopefully more helpful.

Last week someone recommended that I check out a site regarding Therapeutic Lifestyle Change, run by several professors at the University of Kansas.  This person would like to remain nameless but I have a great deal of respect for them and when they told me that this was something they would try if they were my age (mid-twenties), I thought I had better check this out. 

The Therapeutic Lifestyle Change is designed to integrate more healthy day-to-day practices into your life.  Even if you do not suffer from mental health issues, I can imagine doing any or all of the things it suggests would benefit a person.  Conveniently the acronym TLC is appropriate to the nature of the program - it guides you to take better care of yourself.  Comprised of six major components - regular exercise, light exposure, Omega 3 supplements, sleep mindfulness, social supports and anti-rumination strategies - following the tenets set out by TLC are sure to create positive change in your life even if it’s not a cure-all for mental health issues.  (more…)

For Better or For Worse is my favourite comic strip and I have read it every day since about grade 6.  I used to read it in the paper and now I read it online.  It is one of those things that is so ingrained in my behaviour that I manage to do it even when I feel down in the dumps.

For Better or For Worse follows the activities of the Patterson family - parents John and Elly and their three children.  One of their kids, Elizabeth, happens to be a year older than me and I have followed her closely throughout the last few years.  Lynn Johnston, the author and illustrator of the comic, does a good job of maintaining a sense of “real time” in her work.  Elizabeth went through things in highschool and university that I experienced, or knew someone who was experiencing, at roughly the same time.  

 In recent years I have found another reason to visit the FBorFW website - Lynn Johnston and her staff run a studio that remains fun while being productive.  She and her associates share information on the processes that are undergone in developing the comic and getting it to publication.  There are features on how to become a comic strip writer and illustrator.  What sort of research does Lynn do before starting a new storyline?  She even discusses some of her first jobs and displays some of her early drawings.  It is great to see someone who has been successful and wants to share that success with others. 

Ms. Johnston has experienced health problems in the last several years but has not let that stop her from continuing her work.  Here you can read how she has chosen to continue writing while making more time to care for herself.  Someday I hope to be as prolific a writer as she. 

Today is the 37th Disability Blog Carnival, being held by cripchick!  I submitted my first post from this blog to be part of a “blog carnival” - a gathering of blog posts from a variety of authors with a common theme.  I’ve already been through most of the other entries and there is some wonderful reading here! 

Being a part of a community is a great way to lessen feelings of isolation.  It is also a road to empowerment.  Each of the writers included in the blog carnival has a unique take on life as a disabled person.  This time around, the carnival’s theme is Identity.  One thing that many of the posts have in common is a wish to be accepted as an individual and not as an object of sympathy.  When you visit the blog of one of the participants, I suggest leaving a comment so they realize that someone read and enjoyed their work.  Thank you for reading!

I’ll write on practically anything.  I’ve been making a list for the last two days on an envelope I found beside my fiance’s keyboard.  On this envelope is a list of topics I hope to cover here in the next while. 

A few nights ago I was awake in the wee hours of the morning (not unusual for me) and decided to check out an online class I’ve been hearing about lately - offerred on Oprah’s website (link to the classroom) by she and author Eckhart Tolle.  In case you haven’t heard of this project, Tolle’s book, A New Earth:  Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, is being read by people from all over the world, and for the past several weeks Tolle and Oprah have been exploring the book’s meaning, chapter by chapter, by webcast each Monday night at 8pm EST.  I believe this began at the beginning of March and may have ended this week - BUT you can still watch and listen to the series online. 

As an aside:  I often hear a lot of negative comments about Oprah’s show and although I don’t watch it daily, I do appreciate the woman’s efforts to do good in the world, even if they don’t always turn out as planned.  Now, heading back to my subject…  (more…)

Psychology Today is a site that I often come across when I search in the Depression section of Today.com.  Here the articles range from new scientific findings to excerpts from blogs and interviews with people who suffer from mental illness.  Virtually anything, really.  If you’re interested in knowing what’s going on in the world of psychology, here’s the place to look.  There are many contributing authors, so you should be able to find something that catches your attention.

One article that I enjoyed today was entitled Second Nature by Kathleen McGowan.  The author suggests that nurture can win in the nature vs. nurture argument, and that individuals who are prone to more negative thinking can develop the personality traits of an optimistic person.     

I have been trying to find more resources that it would advantageous for my readers to access.  At the moment, the difficulty I’m having is with the ads on this page, which have nothing to do with my topic, and other bloggers are reluctant to link to me.  So for now, I will keep adding sites of a more general nature, that are not the personal site of one person in particular.

Psychology Today is the companion site to the magazine by the same name and can be found at www.psychologytoday.com.

Up until recently, my main creative outlet was through artwork.  Most of the people I know in person are aware of this because I tend to doodle indescrimanently on whatever I have in front of me.  Several months ago I heard about a program called Touched by Fire for fine artists suffering from mood disorders.    

This program was designed in memory of a female artist who suffered with severe bipolar disorder during her lifetime.  Touched by Fire is comprised of two elements:  an online gallery where artists can display their work all year long, and a week long show every year where visitors can see some of the pieces in person.  Unless otherwise noted by the artist, each piece of artwork is offered for sale on the website, at a price chosen by the artist.  (more…)

Ever wondered how other people are dealing with their mood disorder?  DepNet.ca not only offers articles on depression and related disorders but also includes a blog area where members can maintain a journal about their progress and experiences. 

Besides offering support to those diagnosed with a mental health issue, this site also features articles geared towards the family and friends of those affected. 

Sammy Like:  I strongly suggest visiting this site if you are interested in belonging to an online diary community where you can talk openly about your experiences.  I found that for many years I neglected the online journals I had, feeling that I couldn’t really write about the events of my day-to-day life.  This is a community where you can feel free to blog about your “off” days and not have to worry about what anyone will think.  You can also compare and ask questions about the experiences of others. 

This site is user-friendly:  Layman’s terms are generally used in most of the articles, and the site design is straight-forward; you’ll find what you’re looking for. 

Sammy No-Like:  Nothing wrong with this site; however, if you are looking for an exhaustive resource containing medical definitions and updates on recent research done in this area, you would do better to find an online medical journal.  Also, there are no links to outside sites listed under “Books and Links.”

Overall, The Sam approves.

You can visit DepNet at:  www.depnet.ca