Heard it on the Podcast - The GreenMan Cruise

 

25-AUG-2022

Hey there! This is Cindy, and in case you missed it, Modern Musings and my travel agency, Crafty Neighbor Travel, have partnered with Arthur Graye, owner of The GreenMan Studios to present a GreenMan Holistic cruise. We are very excited about this collaboration and we hope you'll consider joining us for a fun and exciting metaphysical cruise. If you'd like more details, click the link below to go to the cruise website, and don't forget to come out to the GreenMan Holistic Faire this weekend!

👉👉Get More Info About the Cruise👈👈

The GreenMan Holistic Faire

Sponsored by Events @ Sneaky Petes

August 27th & 28th

11:00 AM-6PM

Sneaky Petes

2 Eagle Point Road

Lewisville, Tx 75077

And don't forget to visit 

The GreenMan Studios

771 East Southlake Blvd Suite 130

SOUTHLAKE, Texas 76092

(214) 631-9917

arthurgraye@thegreenmanstudios.com

To Medicate or Not to Medicate: A Crisis of Conscience

This week on the podcast, Amber shared with us her history of suffering from migraines, as well as her desire to manage them holistically, without the use of prescription medications. I have many of the same sentiments about medications and usually forgo the use of Tylenol, NSAIDs, or other pain relievers whenever I can. I’d much prefer to sleep off a headache than to keep working and hope that some kind of pill will make it go away. Likewise, for an upset stomach, mild indigestion, bowel irregularities, the common cold, or any other slight discomfort. I just don’t like putting chemicals that have names I can’t pronounce into my body. I didn’t even take multi-vitamins.

Then I developed breast cancer and diabetes and I suddenly found myself staring at a regime of 20-30 pills a day of vitamins, supplements, and prescription drugs to fight off a host of ills, side-effects of the treatments, and side-effects of the side-effects. It can be overwhelming.

One of the medications I found myself on was a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) commonly known as Effexor (venlafaxine). It’s an antidepressant, but was originally prescribed to help with my post-menopausal hot flashes that were exacerbated by the nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor, Arimidex (anastrozole), that I was taking for the breast cancer. After just a couple of weeks of taking the SSRI, I suddenly realized I was not as depressed as I had been. It was like a little black cloud had lifted off my head, and I could finally see and feel the sun. I was so grateful.

Fast-forward six years, and I am still taking that SSRI, even though I finished my 5-year round of the cancer meds back in January. In fact, the antidepressant helped me so much that I had begun to fear the doctors would take it away once my cancer treatment was finished. Then January rolled around, I went off the cancer meds, my children went back to their respective homes after the holidays were over, I had gained back some of my hard-fought weight loss, and our dear friend Koy passed away. I felt a little bit of the depression returning and mentioned it to my doctor. She promptly doubled my dose.

I’m not sure when I first noticed the issues, but I started experiencing heart palpitations (skipped beats, extra hard beats, irregular rhythms, and even rapid pulse rate). They started coming more often, then every day, and finally I was having them most of the time. They left me exhausted, struggling to breathe (even though there was no constriction), and more than a little bit freaked out. I went back to my doctor, and she sent me to a cardiologist, who performed a nuclear stress test and then fitted me with a heart monitor I had to wear 24/7 for 30 days. My sister died in a hospital after open-heart surgery at the age of 50 due to a failed heart valve. My dad had died 9 months prior due to COPD and a host of complications from a previous heart attack. You can imagine the horrors spinning around in my head.

I’m not sure how long it took, but I eventually came to the realization that my heart palpitations had started around the time of the increased dosage of the antidepressant, and that the symptoms I was experiencing were actually anxiety attacks brought on by stress, and sometimes by nothing at all. I asked my doctor, and she agreed I could cut the dose in half, which meant going back to the original dosage that had worked so well for me. Within a week, the worst of the palpitations were nothing but a memory, and I was left with only the pre-ventricular contractions (PVCs) that I’ve had all my life. I was feeling like myself again.

I’ve known many other people who’ve had negative reactions to antidepressants, particularly the SSRI Prozac. In some people, it has caused mania, and withdrawal from it can be very tricky and drawn out because the rebound effect can cause extreme reactions in otherwise normal, healthy people. It’s one reason why I worry whenever someone tells me they are on Prozac instead of one of the milder SSRIs. So, after a lengthy phone conversation with a family member who often advocates against medication for mental upset, I received in the mail Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drus, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by Robert Whitaker.

I’m not ashamed to admit that when I opened that package, I was skeptical. Even though just six years earlier, I had been one of those people who didn’t want to take medications, I am also a believer that sometimes medications are the only option (like for my cancer and diabetes). Still, I look at medications as a short-term treatment most of the time. I feel like it is a tool you use to fix something that is broken, and then, when it’s fixed, you put the tool away and move on. I didn’t really want to read this book, but I respect my family member enough to listen to what she had to say (she’s a smart cookie!), and I figured that going into it with that healthy dose of skepticism might help me find some flaws in Whitaker’s theories. Sure enough, they did, but I also discovered that some of what he was saying was alarmingly plausible – that mental health incidents might be transitory and treatable with good psychotherapy, and that the medications we are using to treat things like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression might be the very thing that is making us more depressed. That the drugs doctors prescribe to treat neuroses are causing Americans to become trapped in a cycle of worsening episodes, hospitalizations, and increasing dosages.

Right now, I am only about a third of the way through this book, but it already has me rethinking some of my medications (all of my medications!) and wondering whether I should make some changes in my life. I’m no longer reading it as a skeptic, but rather, looking at it with fresh eyes, wondering what horrible truths might be revealed in the next chapter. I’m not saying I’m ready to give up my antidepressant, but it is definitely worth a thorough discussion with both my therapist and my primary care physician. I’ll share more about it here on the blog when I finish it.

What about you? Do you depend on neuroleptic mood stabilizers? Have you ever tried to wean yourself off them? How did it make you feel? I’d love to discuss it with you further over on the MMC Chat group, or in the comments below.

Holistic Approaches to Managing Migraines

This week on the podcast, we are talking about migraines and what a migraine is. There are a lot of misconceptions about migraines, especially from people who have never suffered migraines regarding chronic ones like I have. There is also a considerable difference between migraines and regular headaches. Symptoms of a migraine can include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and extreme sensitivity to lights and sounds.

I have suffered from migraines most of my life. I’ve been told by friends and family to “just take some medicine and get over it” or that “a migraine is not an excuse to call into work.” When I have a high-intensity migraine, I can’t get out of bed. Occasionally, that is due to severe nausea and dizziness, but often it is because the pain in my head is so intense that I can’t see, move, or function because nothing can get rid of the pain. Believe me, I have tried it all. There have been many times in my life when my migraines were so intense that I ended up in the hospital. By the time I was in my mid-twenties, I was taking eight large over-the-counter pills to relieve the migraines. I decided I needed to start seeing a neurologist. My neurologist did a nerve test on me and determined that every headache I suffered was a migraine.

For years, I was poked, prodded, and experimented on to come up with the right treatment plan, and I can tell you that there is no perfect plan, especially since I prefer a holistic approach over taking medication. What is a holistic approach? Holistic medicine is a “form of healing that considers the whole person -- body, mind, spirit, and emotions -- in the quest for optimal health and wellness” according to Dr, Melina Ratini, WebMD medical reviewer. In my experience, holistic approaches do not alleviate migraines immediately. If you are looking for that, you will have to take medication that may or may not work (medication doesn’t really work on me anymore). Holistic approaches focus more on preventative measures that over time ease the intensity of migraines. 

Things I do to manage my migraines:

• I know my triggers. Migraines are peculiar There are many triggers out there that cause people to have migraines. When you are first getting treatment, one of the most important things you can do is understand your triggers and categorize your migraines. One way you can do this is to keep a migraine journal and a migraine calendar. My doctor had me categorize my migraines by intensity on a scale of one to five on a calendar and keep a journal about how I felt and what I was doing at the time of my attack. I took my calendar a step further and assigned a number to the types of migraines that I had since every headache I suffered was a migraine. Nowadays there are apps available to keep track of your migraines, but I prefer pen and paper:

• Category 1: Just a slight hurt that went away without me having to take any medication. Since I wanted to limit my medication after years of taking too much medication, I tracked the time it took to eliminate the pain.

• Category 2: Still a slight, dull pain that lasted for maybe a day and was gone by the next morning.

• Category 3: This was a stronger pain that lasted more than a day and came with other symptoms such as light sensitivity. In the early days, if this migraine went on too long, I felt like I had to take medication, but now, I don’t take medication for this category.

• Category 4: I call this category a “puke migraine” which is a step worse than a 3 because nausea, dizziness, and vomiting are usually involved, accompanied by an aura. Usually, the only relief I have from this type of migraine (aside from vomiting) is taking medication accompanied by laying in a cold, dark room with a rag over my eyes. Also, a cold-water bottle behind my head helps as well.

• Category 5: I call this the “screaming migraine” which encompasses my whole body. I usually can’t move or get out of bed and the end usually results in me having to go to the hospital to end the pain. I call it a screaming migraine because the pain is so intense, that all I can do is scream in pain. Sometimes medication and rest will relieve this migraine, but not always. These types of migraines will often last for days as well.

• Manage my mental health. In previous blogs, I have talked about therapy and counseling, and how it has helped me since my divorce. One of the major causes of migraines is stress. One way to balance stress in your life is to take care of your mental health. It all goes back to self-care, which is something we talk a lot about on the podcast.

• Head massages. Years ago, when my migraines were out of control, I ended up in the hospital more times than I could count. One of the doctors I met on my many adventures to control my migraines showed me how to massage my head to break up the tension. Head massages also promote stress relief and hair growth. A quick fix is to crack my knuckles on my skull where it hurts the worst, and it usually eases my ache.

• Aromatherapy. This is another great relief for migraines unless one of your migraine triggers are certain smells. Aromatherapy is especially beneficial when you are getting a head massage. One of the major essential oils that benefit migraines is lavender oil, and you can use it in other ways besides massaging it on your head, such as spraying lavender oil on your pillow or wearing essential oil jewelry. My favorite essential oil jewelry maker is Texas Girl Treasures. I wear an essential oil citrine necklace made by her for positive vibes and migraine relief. All I do is put a drop of lavender oil on the necklace.

• Stimulating Pressure Points. Another way to manage migraines and relieve stress is the stimulation of pressure points in your body. Pressure points that can relieve migraines are located on your ears, hands, feet, forehead, neck, and shoulders. A favorite pressure point of mine that I can activate myself (you need strong hands to use most of these pressure points properly) is called “Union Valley” which is located at the base of your thumb and forefingers. When my head is hurting, I can squeeze this pressure point and find immediate relief.

• Drinking Water. Water is life, and a nutritionist once told me that a lot of the body’s problems can be attributed to dehydration. Aside from migraine relief, other benefits of drinking water include constipation relief, joint relief, increase in energy levels, and aiding in weight loss. 

• Keeping a regular schedule. We talk about planning and scheduling on our podcast. Keeping a regular schedule is another part of stress relief and self-care. Having a routine helps relieve my stress, especially if I eat and sleep on a regular schedule. Sleep changes are a contributing factor for migraines, and there are many benefits to keeping a regular sleep schedule. Science suggests that adults should get seven to nine hours a night, which is about right for me. If I get more than nine hours, I am tired. If I get less than seven hours, I am tired. 

• Extremely dark sunglasses. A specific trigger that I have is light sensitivity. When I leave the house during the day, I must wear extremely dark sunglasses. Another type of sunglasses that migraine sufferers can use is polarized glasses made specifically for migraine sufferers.

Are holistic approaches for everyone? No. Most holistic approaches are not FDA-approved, and they are what you make of them. They are not a quick and easy approach, but something that you develop over time and effort to better yourself physically and spiritually. They also require a great deal of openness and belief. 

I want to hear from our readers. Do you suffer from migraines? Do you prefer a holistic approach to medication? Please, comment below on any tips and tricks you have for migraine relief.

Hocus Pocus or Bogus... You Decide

Hi everyone, Christen here. Earlier this week on the blog and yesterday on the podcast we discussed bargain shopping where we touched on common household items and quality vs price. I wanted to chat about something a little different today. I'm still discussing shopping, but I want to dive a little deeper.

I was at a holistic-wellness fair over the past weekend, which showcased many booths offering crystals, lotions, art, oracle cards, and jewelry. I noticed that many vendors are offering items made from resin too. Resin is a versatile material, it comes in a clear liquid state and can be poured into molds to create an innumerable amount of goods in varying shapes and colors. The neat thing about it is that you can put things in it, like glitter, color, charms, and even printed images. After many hours, the resin sets into a hard plastic. I have seen resin items cropping up in the metaphysical shops around town, too. Sometimes they are in the form of a “polished stone” but most of the items I have noticed were in a pyramid shape, typically two to three inches in height. I always wondered how and why those stores were “getting away” with selling resin and hoped that buyers were aware that they were paying for plastic-like material, albeit very beautiful. I hope that people are not buying them thinking they are actual stones or crystals! I wanted to know more about these pyramids I kept seeing everywhere! 

I will admit I almost bought one when I was at the fair; it really spoke to the sci-fi girl in me. The resin pyramid had a base of small crystals and suspended in the middle was a perfectly polished crystal or mineral, that looked like a planet hovering over a disc with a metallic or engraved Metatron's Cube. It was very beautiful, but I knew it was resin, and I did not know what the purpose was, so as I had done in the past, I moved on to look at other products. Later in the day though, I came to yet another booth with these pyramids for sale. This vendor actually took a moment to explain what it was! She asked if I had heard of Orgonite. I explained that I had seen the pyramids, but had no clue!
She informed me that Orgonite is a special substance of organic material (the resin is supposed to be organic) that is combined with metals and crystals. The combination creates a tower that “attracts negative energies”. So the curiosity in me has not put this subject down ever since. I wanted to know who coined the term “Orgonite”, and what the scientific evidence was behind it. Keep in mind, I took geology in college, and never heard of Orgonite, so I was already looking at this lady with one eyebrow raised in disbelief. I am a believer in many things that are unseen by the eye, but I am not a blind believer; I need more facts. My findings so far have been all over the place, so I will just bullet point it out rather than regurgitate word for word what I have researched so far.

• Orgone is labeled as pseudoscience and fringe medicine and science (according to Wikipedia).
• It is a term created by Wilhelm Reich, an Austrian Psychoanalysis from the 1930’s
• Orgone is esoteric energy, life energy, spiritual energy; it can be more commonly called Chi/Qi, vibe, vibration, aura, light, or simply just energy, to name a few.
• Wilhelm Reich created an Orgone Accumulator that was a large wooden box which had specific layers to it. The subject would sit inside and the energy around and within would (in theory) be transmuted.
• Orgonite reportedly absorbs negative Orgone energy flow (DOR - Deadly Orgone Radiation) and transmutes it into POR (Positive Orgone) and releases it back into the atmosphere.
• DOR is said to be harmful to your mind and body.
• Resin is an electrical insulation material - remember I said it was versatile!
• Resin is not plastic, although it is similar, it can actually be made from vegetable oils. Here is a cool site where you can get all your questions answered about resin. 
• The resin pyramids are called Orgonite or Orgone Accumulators because they follow the same principle as Wilhelm Reich’s original Orgone Accumulator.
• According to some, a proper Orgonite, or Orgone Accumulator will have a resin outer shell, a quartz stone, metal shavings and/or a metal coil. These parts aid the mechanics of the device.

So what did I learn? I learned a lot about resin, that's for sure, I legit thought it was plastic! I also learned that there is a whole subtopic within holistic health that I did not know was even there. Let's call it a can of worms that I opened, which I now cannot shut. I will continue my research into Orgonite, as I am intrigued. The more I read about the concept, the research that has been done, and the theories behind them, the more interested I am. I believe that there is a lot in our world that is yet to be seen, and although I am skeptical, I am also open to the possibilities. I believe in the human aura, and always have, and I am also a firm believer that what you believe in is your reality. So if you believe that the Orgonite pyramid is cleansing the energy around you, then by all means it must be. What’s to say that it isn’t, it is only considered pseudoscience now because no one has been able to actually provide strong evidence either way. We all know that trees convert carbon dioxide, even though we cannot see the process happening. I‘m not against owning an Orgonite pyramid now. Actually, I am more inclined to purchase one now that I have done some research. I mean, what’s the harm in trying it, right? I was actually just thinking that it would be nice to have one on my desk.

I keep the motto “Quality over Quantity” in my foremind when it comes to shopping for my altar or my homeopathic and holistic uses. The main reason is that unnatural substances are not as powerful, or do not have the same effect, and of course, I also appreciate the hand crafted aspect of things, especially when it comes to metaphysical products. I could go on about sourcing, ethics etc., but let's circle back to that another time. To ensure that you are buying something hand-crafted I encourage you to ask the vendors where they acquire their products and materials. Ask if their products are hand crafted, manufactured etc., and if they are handcrafted, who made them. Oftentimes, vendors at booth fairs fall into one of the two categories: artisans selling their hand crafted items, and stores, who are selling their stock of mass produced items and consignment all mixed together.

I might be over generalizing on many things, and if I glazed over something or misinterpreted the science, I apologize. This was a lot to wrap my mind around. If I mentioned something incorrectly, please let me know in the comments! I would love to know if you have used or own an Orgonite product and what you believe! Do you think it is Hocus Pocus or Bogus?