Category: mental health and well-being

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals. My blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental illness. Thank you!

Hello, all!

I may be a little loopy with today’s post, because I received my second dose of vaccine – Moderna – today. Well, no more loopy than usual LOL. So, please bear with me.

Anyway, I wanted to delve a little into stress, which is such a LENGTHY topic, and we could be here for days talking about it . But I do believe that stress can give way to all sorts of mental problems and unwellness. I know that when I am stressed, my mind can certainly play tricks on me, as the rap song suggests. I am not necessarily talking paranoia, but I do believe that when one is stressed, all sorts of thoughts can enter your mind. Depending on what the stress is or the root cause – i.e. perhaps you have lost your job – well, certainly from that the following thoughts can occur:

1. Will I be thrown out of my house or apartment?
2. Will I be able to find another job?
3. Will I go hungry?
4. Will I be living in the streets, i.e. will I be homeless?
5. What will people THINK of me now that I have no job?
6. Will I be able to support myself? My family?

And so on and so forth. Gosh, I don’t know about you, but I got stressed just THINKING about all of that!!! PHEW!!!

You are thinking – and/or obsessing – about whatever the situation is that is causing the stress. You are thinking about it over and over AND over again, ad nauseum to the point of your body feeling that tension, your mind racing. Gosh, your mind can be something else, can’t it? It can certainly be a tricky little bugger.

What I would like to know is how do you handle YOUR stress? I admit I sometimes go for the unhealthier habits, such as pouring myself a drink or my personal favorite — FOOD!!!! I am trying, however, to shift to meditation or music or simply sitting quietly. Not the easiest when the THOUGHT of that cheeseburger is so damn tempting!!

Oy! But sometimes I just sleep, and I think that is okay to “sleep on it.” I am not suggesting staying in bed all day, but I have found that if I just take a nap or go to bed, I am a bit clearer on what to do and how to handle the situation. Again, that is what works for me.

What works for YOU?

And let’s go there. I know that people turn to drugs, sex, alcohol, pornography, the less healthy choices. There is NO JUDGMENT HERE! This life is NOT EASY, as we all know by now. But let’s face it, stress is a “normal” part of life, darn it. Stress to pay the bills. Stress to do your job. Hell, stress to KEEP YOUR JOB. Stress to get through this damn pandemic. Stress to — well, you get the picture.

But we do not have to let it win!!!!

Now. Stop. Let’s all breathe. Breathing deeply, as I am learning, is one to halt everything in that moment and just focus on that. This can be a great way to refocus and calm down. Try it. Tell me what you think.

That’s it for today’s post. I hope you found some value from it. By all means, please comment and tell me your thoughts. Until the next time!

Take care and be mentally well!

Greetings to all of you! Welcome to the official launch of my blog! I am truly excited over this next journey in my life. Over the last couple of years I have tossed around the idea of starting a blog, and now it has come to fruition.

The premise of my blog is to delve into and discuss issues related to mental imbalance or mental illness. But it does not have to always be just that. I want this to be a safe space to discuss any issues that may be troubling you or things that are on your mind. Or to simply talk. The topics can be serious, not-so-serious or just plain silly. As a matter of fact, I may delve into my unusual dreams or astrology or just my life, as examples. The only thing I ask is that you be respectful in your comments towards me or anyone else who chooses to comment. Disrespectful, derogatory, homophobic or racist comments WILL NOT be tolerated and will be promptly deleted.

Now on with the show – so to speak. Mental illness or mental unwellness, which is how I sometimes refer to it, has become a stigma in this country, and it does not have to be. And I am well aware that people have suffered greatly during this pandemic, with no true end in sight. Things are looking brighter with the advent of the vaccines, but we still need to be extremely careful and vigilant. (I, myself, contracted the virus back in January and at first didn’t know I had it until I was tested after my ex-roommate revealed he had it!! It was about two weeks of sheer agony of constant headaches, fever, and overall fatigue. There were days that I could not even drag myself out of bed. And when I did, I couldn’t even sit up for very long before I was crawling back into the bed. But I digress.) This pandemic has cost all of us a great deal, and I know those who were suffering from mental unwellness before, no doubt suffered even more — and are still suffering — at this time.

This can be an open platform to discuss how this pandemic has affected you mentally or in other ways. Have things gotten worse for you during this time? Have they actually gotten better?? I want to know. And again, this is just an example of what we can dive into on here.

So, with that being said, again welcome to my blog! I do hope each and every one of you will find value in this! Let’s face it: We are all in this together!

All the best,

Derek!

Hello all of you groovy people!

So, I am wayyyy behind in providing an update on my experience with the herbal supplement GABA. As a reminder, GABA or gamma aminobutyric acid, is a natural amino acid that works as a neurotransmitter in your brain. And neurotransmitters act as chemical messengers. GABA acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter because it blocks or inhibits certain brain signals and decreases activity in your nervous system. In other words, it is supposed to act as a calming agent and reduce stress and anxiety and even suppress recurring thoughts, which is my problem, which is why I decided to try it.

However, I really don’t see much of a difference in my case. Now, that is NOT to say that it doesn’t work for others. I also meditate and do affirmations to try and help with my particular problem. I have decided to go off of GABA just to see if I can tell a difference. It also produces a weird effect on me. I feel tingly and like I’m out of breath when I take it. They say you should take it with food, which I do, but I still feel the side effects. Again, I just want to go on record to say that I do not believe it is working well for me. However, it may work well for you.

I am citing my source about GABA from the link below. Please click on it and read the information for yourself. And no, I am not selling or endorsing the product. Neither will I receive any sort of compensation for you clicking on it. 🙂

https://www.healthline.com/health/gamma-aminobutyric-acid

Now onto the good news:

MY ROOMMATE HAS MOVED OUT!!!! Turns out he was a meth addict. I didn’t know that until I moved in with him two years ago, which shocked me. But he said he was in treatment and going to meetings. But then the pandemic happened, he lost his job, and for him it just went downhill. (And for me, too, because he was here all the time, and I work from home!!!!) It was annoying to have him here ALL THE TIME. I am an early riser. So, I had to wait a certain time before turning on the hall light, because Sleeping Beauty would sleep until noon or later. Sometimes all day and night, which turns out was the meth. He had gone back on it apparently last year after the pandemic started, he informed me, which prompted him to leave and check himself into a sober-assisted living facility. I am all for someone getting help, especially if you are dealing with demons so strong you need to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope. But he had to leave, because I cannot and will not tolerate such behavior.

I have known for a long time that I am not a roommate person. I just cannot stand having someone around me in my personal space. I cannot deal with someone else’s idiosyncrasies. Mine are bad enough. So, this is for the best. The only reason I moved in with him was I needed a place to live. And the money. The expenses are cheaper, of course, with a roommate. But now I have decided to go back on my own for my own peace of mind. I have lived alone off and on through the years, and it was HEAVEN! Just me, myself and I!!! And I look forward to this new chapter and journey in my life!

Okay, until the next time, everybody!

Hello, my friends! AND HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!!! The site is coming along! For those who have been following me and my little journey, THANK YOU! If you are interested, you will be able to browse products on my site and see if you find value in what you see. I really, really think you will. You will soon be able to find things that can help you on your own particular journey having to do with mental wellness, whether you are battling any sort of addiction, depression, recurring thoughts, anxiety, anger management – ANYTHING that you feel has held you down.

And if you just simply wish to talk – or “rap” like we did in the 70s. No. Not the musical term, but there is nothing wrong with that too — as long as it is from the 80s/90s! LOL

Anyway, pretty soon I will have NO ROOMMATE! He is moving out at the end of the month, which will help my mental wellbeing TREMENDOUSLY!! It has been a joy and a pleasure and downright ecstasy not having him here! Having no roommate DEFINITELY works for me. Besides, he is dealing with some demons of his own. So, it is really good that he is leaving.

Also, my children’s book – The Band Bully has been selling! And I will be doing more promotion on that, as well.

Bullying is an epidemic of its own in this country. I was bullied as a child, and it really can do serious damage to one’s mental wellbeing. You can suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression and a host of other problems. I am sure many of you reading this have been the victim of bullying at some point. And the sad thing is, there are adults who engage in some form of bullying.

Enough on that, because I will be talking more in depth on the subject.

But in the meantime, stay well my friends! And until the next time!

So, hello my friends! Welcome to March! This is just a quick post to let you know about a few things that have happened this month so far:

1. My book is FINALLY published! It is entitled “The Band Bully.” It is on Amazon, and please see the link below:

2. My roommate is moving out!! Yes!!!!! This is one of the best things for my mental health, and I am quite happy this is happening. Because from now on out, I will NOT have a roommate! I will be living on my own as I should have been doing for the past 35 years!!!

More later on … Take care!

Hi friends! Today is Friday, February 12, 2021. Day 329 of this pandemic. Or I should be more specific – day 329 of being shutdown and in isolation. 329 days of this BLEEP! I must be honest and say that I am beyond sick and tired of this. Not being able to safely go to places other than the grocery store is a real bitch! And when I learned I couldn’t even go to the library (duh! totally forgot that that would be considered nonessential), that is when I realized just how sick of this whole thing I truly am!!! And it doesn’t help to be stuck with a roommate who has been unemployed for nearly year either. Yeah. I said it. And I know that now parents are stuck in the house with their children ALL DAY. And spouses and significant others are stuck together ALL DAY. So, I am sure others of you are feeling exactly what I am feeling. When will this EVER end???? A lot of people are now saying that 2022 we will be free of this mess. And as the topic suggests, we are going to talk about maintaining our sanity during this rather unusual time in our lifetime.

I want to start off by saying that I am not minimizing the suffering and, especially, the deaths that have resulted from this pandemic. I am in my own way being selfish, because for me this pandemic is an inconvenience, as for a lot of us. Again, people have lost their LIVES, their jobs, incomes, houses, etc. So, me being inconvenienced is NOTHING compared to that. So, my heart definitely goes out to those who are REALLY suffering.

But let’s talk about how can we ALL cope. What are we doing to keep ourselves from going completely crazy from this? Well, I try to keep my spirits lifted through meditation, LOTS of music, and yes television. But I am also blogging, of course. I am an actor/writer, and writing definitely has been keeping me busy. And sane. Though I am not acting on the stage or in film at the moment, I do still have my job, where I do get to act. And so, believe it or not, my job is keeping me sane. I can honestly say that my current job is one of the best, if not THE best job I have EVER had!!! We are remote, which is FABULOUS! And I get to see and work with people I actually love and respect and enjoy being around, something I RARELY found on previous jobs. And I know that I am indeed lucky and blessed in that regard.

But back to coping mechanisms. Breaking it down.

Meditation:

I have actually been starting my day off with meditation and affirmations for YEARS now. And it really and truly has made a difference in my life. I feel clearer and more focused and upbeat and positive. Do I still have the intrusive thoughts? Absolutely. But I feel that I can reframe them a bit better. Meditation is different for everyone. I actually have a whole routine I do EVERY morning where I do affirmations, focus on money, positivity, mindfulness, gratitude and I even do Wonder Woman spins. LOLOL Truth! Meditation can be prayer, thankfulness, or just simply sitting (or lying down) quietly. Whatever works for you.

Music:

Oh my GODDESS! Whatever would I do without music??? Music is universal, and we NEED music! I start EVERY morning off with music, as well. And yes, when I am doing my routine. I feel that it REALLY pumps me up and gets me in the mood and ready for the day. I even listen to music when I do my other job, which also happens to be remote. Music is so uplifting, so positive, and energetic. And if you have read my “about me” page, then you know that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE 70s and 80s music!!!!! It just sets the tone for my day!

Television:

So, yes. We are all doing it/have done it – Ye Olde Binge watching. I have gone through “Cobra Kai,” “Nurse Ratched,” “Golden Girls” SEVERAL times, The Three Stooges, old soap operas, and I am still watching “This Is Us” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (CHRISTOPHER MELONI IS RETURNING TO SPIN OFF TO HIS OWN SHOW – ORGANIZED CRIME!!!! YES!!) Anyway, I know there are those that would advise to not do this ALL THE TIME, but I am not going to say that. I am not saying DO watch TV all day long if you have that chance. But I will say that television is a great escape. I would suggest putting some limits to it and do other things, like listen to music, exercise, write, garden, or do other hobbies.

Which brings me to blogging and writing:

I made the decision to start blogging back in November of 2020, and I have not regretted it. When I heard that I could (possibly) make money doing something I love, which happens to be writing, I was like – well, let me give this a chance. And this isn’t the only reason I am doing this. I do hope to help others like myself who suffer from some sort of mental “unwellness, ” as I like to call it. Putting my ideas to paper – or in this case, the computer — has been very therapeutic for me. I have always enjoyed writing, ever since I was a child. Creating, crafting and putting things together. I am writing my own soap opera, too. And I am proud to say that I am up to Season 2, Episode 9. And I think before the pandemic, I was still in the middle of Season 1. So, I have definitely made a LOT of progress. So, I have been busy during this pandemic.

Plus, my children’s book is about ready to be thrust upon the world. FINALLY! After FIVE years of working on it!!! Goodness! I know my illustrator will be happy when it is out there LOLOL

These are just some of the things I do to maintain my sanity. (because, again, my roommate has been unemployed for nearly a YEAR! And he is not helping my sanity by being here. All. The. Time.) 🙂

Oh yes, I must give honorable mention to exercise. I do exercise, though I don’t think it helps me maintain my sanity. But I know that it works wonders for others, which is fantastic. I love to dance and lift my little barbells for my exercise.

Another honorable mention must go to cooking and baking. This is something that I have picked up during the pandemic. It is a good thing I am not (too) overweight! LOL

In summation. do what is best and healthy for you. And no, no one is going to judge you for eating, drinking, or overindulging from time to time. I would suggest, perhaps, looking at alternatives from time to time just to maintain overall health and wellness. That’s all. Because I definitely have a cocktail from time to time. I am human. I am honest. And I am being transparent when I say that. And one could even say that I have DEFINITELY “made love” to my food LOL

Anyway, thanks to all who are reading this! Be safe, healthy and stay well during this trying time! All the best!!!

Hi friends! I am actually back with another post. Three days in a row is a record for me, but I LOVE IT!!!

As promised, I was going to tell the recent dream where my father tried to murder me. Yes, you heard right. Murder. Me. And it wasn’t the first time that I have dreamt he has tried to kill me or I have tried to kill him. And again, these are JUST DREAMS. To be honest, mostly I have dreamt that I am trying to kill him.

So, let’s back up a bit. You are probably asking – ‘now WHY are you dreaming or have dreamt that you have tried to kill your father and vice versa?’ Well, to be honest, it is because me and my father have NEVER gotten along. To say that we have been at war with each other ALL MY LIFE is an understatement. And I am 53 years YOUNG! HA! One could say that our relationship has gotten “better.” And in a lot of ways, I suppose it has. But he still has a way of pushing my buttons and vice versa. I learned a long time ago not to be on the phone with him no more than 15 minutes just to ensure that an argument will not start. As a matter of fact, I have made it a point to not call or talk to him at all. You heard me right. I let him call me. If I call him, it is on his birthday or holiday time. Also, when I visit my family there in D.C., I tread carefully with him. We can go almost a week without a fight, but the last time I was there, which was Christmas 2019, the very last day I was there we got into it. And I even tried to walk away! Actually, literally maybe an hour before I left, we got into a rather vicious fight, with him “stepping” towards me like he was going to hit me. Well, needless to say I just stood there, which I think angered him even more. LOL

So, that is a bit of the background. Now on to the dream.

I don’t remember WHERE we were, but I want to say it was our old apartment from WAY back in the day, the apartment I lived in with them when we lived together as a family. (Again, my grandparents and aunt in North Carolina raised me.) I lived with my parents from about 1968 to 1972, when I went to live with my grandparents and aunt. So, I have not lived with them since 1972, just a return every summer as I was growing up and holidays now.

But I digress. In the dream, it was just me and my father in the apartment alone. I walk up the long stairway, turn to the right, and there is the apartment. I walk through the door, and he is waiting for me. With a knife. He comes at me with said knife, and I am able to telekinetically throw him across the room and disarm him. But then he suddenly has a gun, which he quickly fires. However, I am able to clasp my arms in front of me and deflect the bullets. (I learned that trick in an episode of Wonder Woman from the 70s, where she taught it to the girl from Islandia, and I have used it in my dreams ever since. Not. Kidding. LOL) Yes, I have all kinds of special powers in my dreams. If only it was real.

But I deflect the bullets. Now, it is my turn to go after him. I throw him around the room repeatedly. And I am not sure, but I think I ended up killing HIM. But I think you get the overall gist of the dream.

So, let’s tie in some mental health here. Now, let me explain that for some reason lately, I have been having dreams where I have been fighting with my immediate family members: My father, my aunt, and even my mother, whom I have NEVER really argued with. But that dream was more comical and silly than anything. However, my aunt and my father -OMG! WORLD WAR III!!! The fights I have had with the two of them. My aunt and I do NOT fight anymore. As a matter of fact, thankfully, it has been at least THREE decades since we have fought. Maybe a little longer. But when I lived there in Wadesboro with her growing up, it was awful. So, yeah I haven’t fought with her since my 20s. I must say she has truly mellowed over time. As a matter of fact, I am going to admit that there were times as a kid when I really HATED her. And my grandmother. And my grandfather. The household I grew up in was toxic. VERY toxic. So, many secrets. So, many lies. So, much anger and hate. And then add my father to the mix. Well, he was raised by the same people I was raised with. So, that would explain a lot of it.

I think some of that residual anger must still be there buried deep down, which actually surprises me considering I forgave my grandmother and my aunt a LONG time ago. And to an extent even my father and grandfather. I don’t know if it is coming up now because of the pandemic and we are all, for the most part, still isolated. I honestly do not feel any resentment to my aunt and my grandmother. As a matter of fact, I still miss my grandmother who has been dead since 1998!

My father and grandfather, well, that is a different story LOL I know I am still a little angry with them both. Not as bad as it used to be, but I know it is there. And sometimes I have dreams about my family where there is no fighting or anger or no one trying to kill each other.

I mean, was all the anger with my family resolved completely? Will I still always feel this way? Better yet, will I continue to dream about it? Because consciously, I don’t feel angry with my father, grandfather, aunt or grandmother. (I will have to leave my mother and brother out of this, because we don’t fight. Or rather I have never felt resentment towards them.) So, there is SUBconsciously. Maybe I still do. Something to ponder. Maybe even something to continue to work through …

Anyway, thank you my friends! Stay tuned for another post coming up. In the meantime, take care of yourselves!