Monday, August 1, 2016

The Key of Simplicity

     I remember taking a psychology class and feeling like every mental illness had some attribute I could sign off on. In reality, I think I just wanted to add more to my personal resume of character, and seem more interesting. Of course, I was also young and immature. No one really wants to be bipolar; it’s a terrible illness and I was ignorant in thinking that talking all time meant I was manic. I was just a bubbly teenager.

     However, many of us are quick to think the worst when either we read or hear about some ailment, or we start to have strange conditions outside of our normal body or mind feelings.  Yes, sometimes there is something seriously wrong, but more often than not we ate something that didn’t agree with us, our body changed and became indifferent or intolerant, or we’re just tired and overwhelmed and that stress is causing physical discomfort. Sometimes it’s just a simple problem with a “simple” fix.

     Below are some ailments I’ve had that weren’t all that easy to configure, but when I did, the answers were surprisingly simple.


Overactive bladder:

     For a long stretch of time, I seriously contemplated falling asleep on the toilet with a pillow against the wall. I was waking up anywhere from 8 to 15 times a night just to pee. Doctors tested me for an array of ailments: cancer, diabetes, infection. They couldn’t find anything wrong, and I was told it most likely all in my head.

     Upon hearing that, I decided meditation would help. And to be honest, it mostly aided in me accepting my situation instead of solving it. Hence, I was like calm but steady rain-cloud in Seattle, with no drought in sight.

     So I explored other solutions. I ate raisins, I took vitamin supplements, I elevated my legs. Eventually I came across information that certain foods have acid which causes an overactive bladder. So I started taking Prelief with my food. After a few days, my bladder was finally back to normal. I also experienced less abdominal pain. 


Abdominal pain:

     When my dad’s appendix burst, I was terrified. It was the first time I had ever heard him cry, and I remember feeling a heaviness claw at me in the room he was stationed in. I will forever remember this. I will also forever assume my appendix is about to rupture whenever I have abdominal pain. However, after two trips to the hospital I’ve come to believing that the abdominal area has many other conditions that can cause pain.

     The most recent trip I was told I had an ovarian cyst rupture. Just hearing the word made me cringe. Hearing that something has ruptured inside your body doesn’t exactly elicit a sense of calmness. However, the doctor told me that ovarian cysts are very common to form and most women will experience at least one rupturing in their lifetime. This made me feel less crazy, but momentarily annoyed at the wonders of being a woman.

     Other even simpler causes of abdominal pain I’ve noticed have stemmed largely from my diet or a sore back. In these cases, it typically only last a few hours and if I drink some dandelion root tea or incorporate some yoga in my day, I notice the problem ceases more quickly. It’s also really critical to stay hydrated. Think about a river for a minute. Now picture a swamp. Which looks (and smells) nicer? If you’re like me, it’s the river. Now think of your insides. Wouldn’t it be better to have enough water to encourage everything to flow naturally than for everything to become heavy and immobile? Another reason to stay hydrated is to prevent headaches. 


Headaches:

     As a massage therapist, a lot of my clients will explain they have frequent headaches. While I do believe checking in with your doctor can be beneficial, I also think it’s important to hold yourself accountable. A lot of times, neck/shoulder pain, being dehydrated, and stress can also accumulate to one or more awful headaches.

     Neck and shoulder pain are common in today’s society. We’re so distracted by our computers and smartphones, we don’t realize how our bodies are positioned until our muscles scream at us. One easy way to fix this is to take a break and roll your shoulders back and forth and then separately rotate your neck from side to side. Another easy fix is to stand when using your computer, making sure it’s at an appropriate height for personal comfort. That way, your neck isn’t straining and you’re standing, which we’ve been hearing is healthier to do anyways! Double kudos!
Photo taken by Daniel Nilsson

     To bring that to triple kudos, sip on some water. According to www.thorzt.com, dehydration causes the brain to lose water and then shrink, which encourages pulling on neighboring pain receptors. There is also thought that the blood vessels connecting and going through the brain will constrict with dehydration. This decreases oxygen to the brain and can affect a person’s mental capabilities. These actions can inadvertently result in a debilitating headache.

     So next time, before you subconsciously pop an Advil, take a minute, get some water, maybe close your eyes and take some deep breathes. Decrease your stress, which could also be another culprit of an achy head.



      In my opinion, stressors are like condiments. While it’s okay to have some stress in your life, in order to ‘ketchup’ on your goals so you can ‘relish’ in your accomplishments, you don’t want to overdo it. Having too many condiments on one food item is like having too many stressors on your 1mind: it just becomes unrecognizable gunk. So check in with yourself. Some people benefit from making lists, or scheduling time just for themselves.

     I learned this the hard way, but doing too much only results in personal pain and social setbacks. It’s better to be really good at a few things that you can really devote time and energy to, than to be okay at a lot of things which will consequently not matter when you miss important meetings or deadlines.
And then that stress will only cause more problems.

      Ultimately, stress can heighten an issue. The approach you take to your body in discomfort is critical to not only the treatment, but most importantly the outcome of your condition. For myself, I’ve found a lot of the time if I’m anxious about my body reacting weirdly, I’m much more worried it’s something fatal or life-changing.

     If however, I take the time to evaluate and reflect back on prior activities such as eating something different, or exercising more than normal, or not sleeping well, I’m much calmer when I consider that maybe my body just needs to rest and catch up. I’m not discouraging medical advice. I think it’s critical to consider a visit to the hospital if your conditions cannot be explained or you’re really freaked out. Obviously that’s nothing to be ashamed of, even if it’s just really painful gas. However, based my own hypochondriac actions, I know that sometimes simple is better, and far less expensive.