Abstain From Fear

Pharmacotherapy

March 22nd, 2022

Did you take your meds today?

That’s it. That’s the post. Go take your pills.

Kidding!

Let’s talk medication.

I’ve been aware of medication for mental illness since I was quite young. Mental illness is prevalent in my family. I am no exception. Throughout my life, medication for my mental illness has been, at times, helpful and others, not so much.

The thing with meds is getting them right. The right dose, the right time of day, right combinations, etc. That itself is enough to make you go off the rails.

Changing meds is hard. But I think it’s important to hang in there and be sure to communicate how your are feeling to your healthcare team. Medication is and can be extremely helpful if taken correctly, life changing even!

I’m sure you have read posts pushing toxic positivity. It’s all the rage these days. Just choose to be happy, right?! No!

This isn’t the case for people with mental illness. You can’t just choose to feel a certain way if you have chemical imbalances in your brain. Just like you wouldn’t tell a cancer patient to think about getting better and magically somehow, they will.

Listen, there isn’t anything morally wrong with trying to manifest a positive outcome. But taking care of your mental health first is paramount. Spiritual Bypass is a real thing. Some people skip straight to the “feel good stuff” without putting in the work necessary to actually get to that point.

It’s okay to take your meds (under the supervision of a physician you are comfortable with) and it’s okay to take the steps needed in order to heal.

I hope this post finds you well. If you are feeling depressed, talk to someone and get help.

If you or someone you know are having thoughts of suicide call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 in the USA.

-Kylie
The Art of Doing Nothing

March 15th, 2022

Resting isn’t easy for some.

It can take alot of mental space to practice doing nothing.

Especially when you feel you could be doing something “more productive”. It is important to remember that taking a rest day(s) is OKAY!

You are allowed to take time to do absolutely nothing.

Occasionally when I sit to rest, I find myself thinking about what I could be doing, or what I should do next. Most of the time the task I’m thinking of isn’t in the “resting” category.

And so the battle begins.

Should I get up and do the thing so then I can rest? Or should I attempt to ignore said thing and continue nothing. Now I’ve thought of the thing so it’s obsessive material.

Most of the time the first wins. Only now I’m stuck in a cycle, because while doing the thing I found another thing that needs to be done. Exhausting.

I get stuck in other cycles too. Cleaning up one mess and another is being made. Over and over again. Until I say to myself why even bother.

This is why doing nothing is an art. It takes practice, time to perfect, and strangely enough, discipline.

Take time for yourself today!

-Kylie
Dream Interpretation

March 10th, 2022

According to google, dream interpretation is the process of assigning meaning to one’s dreams.

My husband and I normally discuss our dreams. Especially if the dream is having lingering effects. I absolutely loathe when dreams feel so real. Waking up with strong emotions from dreams is so frustrating. Like “hello brain, calm down!” None of that was real!

There are many different scientific studies on what dreams are and when they occur. Most dreams happen in REM sleep. During this time your muscles are paralyzed so that you don’t play out your dreams. Very interesting.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I would always have a dream that involved a large, white snake. Spiritualists say dreaming of snakes is meant to be about fertility. So who knows if dreams really do mean something.

I’ve had several people in my life who had dreams that came true. That itself is also very cool.

Every time I have a vivid dream that sticks with me through the day, I always end up “googling” what it could mean. I try to be careful tho not to give myself any extra anxiety. There are many spiritual explanations on the internet too. So really a dream could mean anything or nothing! I try not to obsess over it.

Another interesting thing about dreams is that lots of people have reported having the same dreams. Common dreams that I’m familiar with are, loosing teeth, receiving or losing money, being pregnant, falling from a high place, and most annoyingly, infidelity.

There is a whole rabbit hole of dream interpretations out there!

Comment your most interesting reoccurring or common dream!

-Kylie

Pharmacotherapy

The Art of Doing Nothing

Dream Interpretation