Are you on OVERLOAD?

16 January, 2012 by Leave a Comment



As usual, our pastor, Perry, was speaking directly to me this morning…in more ways than one.


I am, as we all are, on overload. I was strangely thankful that I didn’t get to sit beside David this morning in our service because my side would be bruised from all of the elbowing. My toes, however, are flat from Perry stepping all over them.

But as I listened to Perry preach this morning, I was amazed that every point he made from a biblical perspective directly corresponds to the blog series I’ve been posting on “Tips to a Happier You in 2012.”  I’ve attached a link to his sermon here so you can watch it if you’d like, but I’m going to give you the main points he made, and then show you how it’s not only destructive to us spiritually, but also emotionally and physically.


Perry’s sermon on OVERLOAD


Overload = Demands exceed Resources

Solution: Margin

Margin = Space between our Load and our Limits

Here are areas where we all need margin: 

1. Emotional Life 

I have no peace! I have no quiet! I have no rest! And trouble keeps coming! Job 3:26 (GW)

How many of us always feel stressed out or at a high level of frustration? Everything is okay as long as our day goes according to plan, but if one thing goes wrong, we lose it. There are so many things that play with our emotions, but we shouldn’t let them. We must determine the things, activities, and people in our life that are the most important and give our emotional energy to them. There are many conditions in life that we can control, and many that we cannot control. Those that we can control may deserve some of our emotional energy, but those we cannot control, we need to give over to God. We all know what the Bible says about worry; so don’t waste your emotional energy there. 

Now, what happens physically when we are stressed emotionally? Our cortisol level increases (the hormone that sends our body into “fight or flight” mode) and our serotonin level decreases (the hormone that keeps us happy…the Prozac hormone). So, being overloaded emotionally contributes to depression, anxiety, and insomnia. 

Increased cortisol = frustration, stress, and insomnia
and
Increased cortisol = decreased serotonin = depression

2. Physical Energy

Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in trouble; my eyes are tired from so much crying; I am completely worn out. Psalm 31:9 (GNT)

It sounds crazy, I know, but exercise will give you more energy. Have you ever lain around in your pajamas til noon and then you’re exhausted all day? I’ve done it enough for everyone. No matter how bad I sleep or how tired I feel when I wake up, I always have more energy if I get up in the morning and get out of the house. 

Exhaustion can seem like a viscous cycle. When you’re tired and sleep in, thinking that will help, you are just useless all day. Then, when you try to go to bed, you can’t sleep, because you didn’t do anything all day! I will explain further in an upcoming blog post, but in a nutshell, here’s why exercise is important: When you begin exercising, your body releases cortisol (the “fight or flight” hormone) because it perceives the exercise as stress. As you build up your endurance, it takes a much greater intensity of exercise (stress) to release the cortisol. 

Decreased cortisol = less stress = better sleep = increased serotonin = happy

3. Time

I had no time to care for myself. Song of Solomon 1:6 (GNT)

We must prioritize our time. When Perry asked the question, “What do you need more of?” The first answer shouted out was “time.” The amount of hours in a day is one thing that no one can change. Instead of get more time, we must spend our time wisely. We have to decide what is important to us and spend our time there. I can’t comment on time without bringing in the whole social media thing, but believe me; I’m stepping on my own toes there! 

Doing things with our time that brings us pleasure has been proven to increase serotonin levels. Playing music or knitting…doing things with our hands and repetitive actions with our brains…increases serotonin levels. Completing something gives us a sense of accomplishment which also increases…you guessed it…our serotonin levels. 


4. Finances

He who loves money shall never have enough. The foolishness of thinking that wealth brings happiness! The more you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income. So what is the advantage of wealth–except perhaps to watch it as it runs through your fingers! Ecclesiastes 5:10 (TLB)

Wealth does not bring happiness. I can personally attest to that one. When I was so sick and depressed, our business was doing great and we even built a dream house. But happiness did not truly come until God showed me His infinite mercy and grace, and I realized that He is in control. 

Physically, money can affect your brain in several ways, though somewhat indirectly. When we strive so hard to make lots of money, we are usually stressed, and we end up buying more stuff to take care of.

stress = increased cortisol = decreased serotonin = depression

In another respect, however, we can use money to our advantage…by giving it away. It has been proven that doing things for other people has a direct effect our brains by increasing our serotonin level. 


Overload is not a good thing. God gives us much instruction and warning in His word that shows us exactly that. We must create wider margins so we are not in danger of overload, and therefore are not a step away from endangering ourselves to depression, anxiety, and insomnia. 

I hope you are enjoying my blog series “Tips to a Happier You in 2012.” If you are, be sure and sign up to have your prescriptions delivered to your inbox so you don’t miss any!
From my heart,
Celeste

 

Filed Under: Handling Stress, How to be Happy, Living with Purpose, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Understanding the “Why” Behind Depression

12 January, 2012 by 2 Comments


     During the process of writing my “Tips to a Happier You” series, I’ve thought about how I felt in the midst of my depression. Would I have been receptive to small, practical tips to help my depression? I can tell you the answer is no. There are just some lessons we have to learn the hard way. If I could have put some of these things into practice, I’m sure I would not have had to endure the hell I went through…oh if I’d only listened to some of the instruction given to me! But honestly, I let myself fall into the “I need it NOW” trap.
 
I let myself get wrapped up in the desire for immediate gratification. I wanted a magic pill to solve all of my problems. And let me tell you, there are drug companies that advertise their drugs on television and promise to do just that. Just like any advertising, they tell you all the benefits and none of the risks. They tell you how good the drug is going to make you feel, but they neglect to tell you all of the risks associated with taking it. Sure they mention some of the more common side effects, but only after they have you totally hooked on the awesomeness of their miracle drug. And when they do list any side effects, it comes through your television  mimicking the voice of the teacher in Charlie Brown, and it’s in the last three seconds of the commercial. 
     Okay, now that I’ve bashed antidepressants, let me say this: There is a real need for antidepressants, and they are appropriate under the right circumstances.
I just don’t believe they need to be the first choice treatment. 
Often when someone is placed on an antidepressant, it is situational. They have become depressed as a result of some event in their life. Sadness is a natural first response to any type of trauma we might experience. We become self-absorbed. We tend to think “poor me.” The next step we take is critical, and is dependent on the condition of our brain. The person 
who will end up depressed doesn’t have the ability to think, “What do I do from here?” 
     Here’s why (sorry, I’m about to get a little “sciency” on you): We have a part of our brain called the pre-frontal cortex. It is the part of our brain that reacts to trauma. If there is enough serotonin in our brain to activate the pre-frontal cortex, we will be sad, but will be able to recover from the trauma and look forward. If our brain is low on serotonin, our pre-frontal cortex is essentially dead and that’s when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a physical abnormality, and it’s why people cannot typically “will” themselves out of depression. 
     Whether you are on an antidepressant or not, the tips I am giving here can be incorporated into your lifestyle. All of these tips are small, practical habits you can incorporate into your life and will benefit you whether you’re on an antidepressant or not. Once you have a few in place and are feeling better, you very well might be able to slowly come off of the antidepressant. You certainly don’t have incorporate all of these tips, just whichever ones strike your fancy! 

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Filed Under: Beating Depression, How to be Happy, Making Changes, Managing Prescription Drugs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

America on Drugs

4 August, 2011 by 3 Comments

Bear with me here guys, this is a long post, and this comes from years of being a pharmacist and the personal experience of being a patient…but for anyone on an antidepressant or other “brain” drug, you need to read this:


Your Brain on Drugs…no, I won’t be showing you a picture of a fried egg, though I must say it’s a great analogy! We know street drugs fry your brain, that’s a no-brainer! (Sorry =o)
I’m talking about prescription drugs…and not just the “controlled” ones. I’m talking about all of the psychotropic drugs prescribed in the United States today. As a pharmacist, it has made me crazy to see this huge increase in my years in this industry. As a patient, I fell right into the trap. Let me give you just a few statistics from reputable sources to put it in perspective for you…


A study was done by the American Medical Association from 1988 to 1994, during which time the visits to a physician for depression increased from 10.99 million in 1988 to 20.43 million in 1994. Visits for stimulant drugs increased from .57 million to 2.86 million. In a much more recent study, the Centers for Disease Control the percentage of people who use five or more prescriptions drugs increased by 70% in the last 10 years. It’s obvious to me that this increase is largely due to the increase in psychotropic prescription visits. 


Our society is in danger. Real danger. Christians and non-Christians alike. Many physicians  are prescribing narcotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and other miscellaneous psychotropic drugs like candy, and do not realize the true danger they are putting their patients in. Different doctors and different pharmacies lead the way to missed information and drug interactions. Doctors cannot possibly keep up with all of the drug interactions possible between the thousands of prescription drugs on the market today. Even as a pharmacist, I ended up with a potentially life threatening drug interaction that my doctor(s) and pharmacist missed. I had not been working in pharmacy during the time Cymbalta was approved and put on pharmacy shelves, and due to an interaction with my migraine prescription medication, I ended up in a state for 24 hours where I did not know what was real and what wasn’t. I didn’t know if this world was real, or if I was dead or alive. At one point, I did not know David was my husband. Marlee was laying next to me in the bed and I actually asked David if she was dead. It was the scariest night of my entire life. I know this sounds crazy, and even when I was in the midst of it I felt sure that I would wake up in a straight jacket staring at four white walls!  


When my reality began to become more clear, due to my pharmacy training I knew what happened. I immediately began researching the medications I had taken, and quickly discovered I’d experienced serotonin syndrome. Now I must say should have known the possibility of this interaction, but in this case, my brain was, well, sick. Seizures, migraine, depression, and medication did not leave me in the mind to catch these things…my doctor and pharmacist should have caught it. I know that when my prescription was filled, the pharmacist was required to manually override a drug interaction possibility, which means they just overrode it by habit, without really looking, or just neglected to mention it. Last summer,in a total of approximately eight days working as a relief pharmacist, I called doctors on four separate occasions to warn them of this exact same interaction. All four times the prescriptions were changed. 


This incident is just one of millions that happen daily. While there are definitely patients that require psychotropic drug therapy, these drugs are widely overused. I’m not sure why doctors feel so much more comfortable prescribing these drugs now than in the past, but where therapy was once first course of treatment, doctors now tend to give the drug first, to “dial things down” before therapy is started. Once the patient gets the prescription, they do not want to follow up with expensive therapy. Our society of immediate gratification and prescription drug advertising on every venue possible lead us to the “quick fix.” After all, “Depression Hurts, Cymbalta can help.” Right? 


Due to the depression I experienced during my years of seizures, my doctors kept trying to get me to take an antidepressant. I finally conceded and began taking Cymbalta. If I wasn’t miserable before, I sure was then! After about a month on the Cymbalta, I felt horrible and was still depressed, so I decided I would wean off of it. Ha! Now that was a joke. The “non-addictive, harmless” antidepressant was everything but. I know you have all seen the commercial for Cymbalta, but in my research I stumbled across a youtube video that really makes the point.  It is a little on the extreme side, but only a little. 


Depression hurts, Cymbalta hurts more


Before I conclude, let me just say this…there is certainly a need and a place for antidepressants. We have just come to rely on the quick fix of drugs way too much. If you happen to be on Cymbalta and doing well, Yay! For me, many of the side effects of Cymbalta were front and center. As patients, we have just become too trusting:


First,we trust our doctors to know everything we need to know. No one can know everything. 


Second, we expect our pharmacists not to be too busy to counsel us every aspect of the drug, but they can’t control the 15 people waiting on prescriptions at once (and I can assure you, the chain pharmacies push the limit on the number of prescriptions allowed per pharmacist), nor can they control the hurry we are in to get out of the pharmacy.


Third, we trust the FDA not to put anything on the market that could harm us. It is sad we cannot depend on our government to keep our best interests at heart, but unfortunately, the almighty dollar often takes priority.


And yet, we are not trusting enough in God. We don’t believe and trust that God is all that we need. I know I used the verse on this prescription in another post, but it says so much. When God created the earth, and created man to inhabit the earth, he gave us everything we’d ever need. With so much emphasis placed on the synthetic psychotropic drugs available today, we lose our focus. We need to think simply and eternally at the same time. More talking, more prayer, more God. Put God at the head of your medical team, and let him lead you in the very best way to restore your mind…for eternity. 


From my heart, 
Celeste

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Filed Under: Beating Depression, God's Pharmacy, Living in Faith, Managing Prescription Drugs, Overcoming Addiction Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,