A--
they died. We haven't had any RAIN!
Hello,
world. Yes, I'm still alive. I've been meaning to
get back to this, but haven't seemed to find the motivation,
discipline, et al. March through May were pretty rough, and I
had to fight the desire to curl into a ball in my bed and not get
out. Then early June I calmed down, only to have a cluster kick
in the last weekend of the month. Still dealing with fallout
there. I stopped posting for many reasons, among them time
management and then...... movement becomes difficult once
entropy kicks in.
So
what's new? Many things. To start I'll tell you that the
sun and summer heat have done a number on me, but I'm still going.
God bless a/c and all the people who make it possible.
----
transition---- can't think of a good segue. Sorry :p
I
try to come up with witty titles to my blogs, the better to get your
attention, my dears. For some reason this song title came to
mind. Quickly followed by the smart ass response. And
then, I was trying to figure out a way link the title to a blog post.
And then a lot of ways to use the metaphor kicked in.
ACK.
gotta pick just one, or else I'll never get off the computer.
So,
let's return to the original statement. We haven't had any
RAIN! Too much rain sometimes gets me down, but usually that's
not the case. I really love rain. The sights, the smells,
the sounds. The sound of rain relaxes me, and I rarely sleep
better than when a storm rages outside. Feeling the power of
nature around me, connecting me to the energies of the planet, all
the while knowing I'm safe in my bed.
MMMMMMM
:D Some people don't care for storms. So long as
I'm not driving in them, I'm good. It's rare for a storm to
make me nervous, at least on my own behalf.
The
hot, dry summer has been rough. On animals, on crops. I
don't anticipate it getting much better, most of the country is in a
drought. And of course, on people.
Many
people with MI are particularly sensitive to sun and heat, requiring
us to take extra precautions. Many of us are overweight for
one, often as a direct result of psychiatric medication. Larger
bodies tend to have more trouble with heat. Our medications are
often photosensitive, making us more sensitive to sun exposure.
And our medications also make us more susceptible to
heat.
Summer
sun, heat, medicine, heat, weight gain, sun .... a lovely set
of circumstances that circle and reinforce each other. And
while we are hardly the only medical population to face these
challenges, it is a reality often overlooked by the 'average'
individual. Many acquaintances treat me as though I'm
paranoid, fearful, and/or a hypochondriac due to how I regard summer
sun and heat. I wear sun screen and hat. I rarely wear
shorts outside to limit exposure. I carry a sun umbrella, and
even have a sun-shawl. * But I KNOW from experience, that if I
get too hot for too long, I get hypomanic. In a way that I
can't control, for days at a time. I can't overcome it without
extra medication.
And
when I get manic, I get myself into trouble. BIG time. I'll
regale you with those stories another time. So far now, keep
cool and be safe. And please recognize, that sometimes a
person's 'heat induced' frustration may be more serious than you
know. Try to encourage them to be cool, while you hang on to
yours.
Blessings!
PP
*there
is now sun-protective fabric available. Some companies make
clothes, with built in SPF of anywhere from 30 to 60. You can
also buy the fabric online and make your own.
