Archive for the ‘psychiatry’ Category
My Love-Hate Relationship with an Anxious Brain
Posted by: HSP Woman on: June 1, 2007
From the history of panic timetable I posted earlier, it’s apparent many people believe the cause of a particular mental disorder can be elucidated if a drug eliminates symptoms.
I have to admit, I also was seduced by this concept.
In the late eighties, while in college, I had dreams of being the scientist who discovered the [...]
Brief History of Panic (and Benzos)
Posted by: HSP Woman on: May 27, 2007
I found this information on a wonderful web site which lists in chronological order high points (and low points) regarding the history of panic, anxiety, and depression. It even cites references.
I thought I’d share with you some of the more benzo-relevant dates.
I guess I am really naive, but I never realized the extent of [...]
The Healing Power of Energy Medicine and Shamanism
Posted by: HSP Woman on: April 27, 2007
One of my Life Coaches, Elaine, is also a shaman.
Q: What is shamanism?
A: Shamanism is primarily a set of spiritual techniques… in which the shaman travels out-of-body to Other Worlds in order to diagnose, heal, learn the causes of and solutions to problems, guide souls, etc.
Q: Is shamanism a religion?
A: No. Shamanism is neither a [...]
The Hormone-Mood Link
Posted by: HSP Woman on: April 16, 2007
I have a theory. I believe a lot of my so-called “mental illness” has been the result of hormones gone wild (or hormones just “gone”). Science has proven the adrenal, ovarian, and thyroid hormones work together to influence women’s moods, libido, energy level, weight gain, quality of sleep… the list is really endless. Being [...]
I Remember…
Posted by: HSP Woman on: April 14, 2007
Memories of Detox…
I remember listening to horror stories told by other patients.
There was one man who had served in the Persian Gulf during the first war, Desert Storm. He’d sit around the smoking tables and brag about killing Iraqis in cold blood. He told us about flying jets drunk. Luckily, he [...]
Coming Clean
Posted by: HSP Woman on: April 10, 2007
I’ve been trying to recall all the medications I have been prescribed for anxiety and depression. (I’m sure I’ve forgotten some…)
Today, 18 years later, I take only one medication, Valium, and I am nearly off of it.
Funny thing is that I never had any symptom relief (other than complete numbing) while being poly-drugged. Now, [...]
Two Months, One Day, and Four Hours Later
Posted by: HSP Woman on: April 5, 2007
Graduation Day:
One week out of graduate school I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands.
I had finished my oral exams, taken my finals, written all my papers, and successfully had jumped through all the hoops required to graduate with honors. Brava! I was ready to face the Real World.
Or, [...]
Thinking Outside the Box
Posted by: HSP Woman on: March 30, 2007
Thinking outside the box is a cliché or catchphrase used to refer to looking at a problem from a new perspective without preconceptions, sometimes called a process of lateral thought… (Wikipedia).
I had my first huge panic attack one month after turning 21. That was 18 years ago.
This blog is about my struggle to break [...]
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