Altruistic and Poor

     I am poor, but full of altruism. Altruistic is a fancy name
for a person who is giving. I am poor. I know I am poor, but
there are those around me who are poorer and my heart goes
out to them. Sometimes, I can give something and other times
I cannot.
   Typically, my giving is simple. A hat for a homeless man
who has a head injury. Or, a towel for a pillow. Most of the
time, I cannot give. But when I do give, it is usually something
I can either live without or buy again cheaply. And I know it
will be used, especially if it is just collecting dust.
    I have shared my food with others. Giving them some of my
dinner or giving them something to cook for dinner. I dare not
give too much, for surely there are those who can play it like
a game. Oh, don't feel sorry for me, my income only determines
my peer group. If I made more money, my benefits would be
affected. I would then have more money, and yet less.
    Yes, I have been homeless before, yet not quite homeless
because I still had an income. I have paid my debts and there
are those so far in debt, I eclipse them as debt free. Well, there
is one bill, but I cannot pay it. It is medical and should have
been billed to my insurance. It is not my fault.
    But, you are only as poor as you can handle. And, if you
have an altruistic nature? Good for you, and better for the
others. Remember, there are those who may be even poorer
than you. Something to think about.

Vocabulary ABC's

Emotions


   

Priorities

     We all deal with priorities. Using calendars, notes to self,
and lists of things to do. We have schedules for taking our
medicine, doctor visits, and social appearances.
     Sometimes, you might have to juggle appointments in order
to accommodate everything on your to do list. But, it is important
to make you a priority sometimes. Do something fun. Like, going
to the Zoo or Museums. Or take a walk around town, or just the
block.
     Going shopping can be stressful, especially if you don't have
a list. But, if you plan ahead, plan something in there for some
me time, like a bubble bath with candles or a favorite tv show.
Something just for you. Pamper yourself.
     I go to school for me. I enjoy it. But, I still need to manage
my time. Between studying for more than one class, I juggle
assignments and tests. I plan for them. I keep a calendar and I
use notes to myself too. It is a process, but once you start keeping
appointments and deadlines in a calendar, it gets easier to plan
me time. Even having coffee with a friend can become me time.
Give it a try? You might be surprised at how full a schedule you
end up with.

Vocabulary ABC's                             TedTalks on Listening

Emotions
    
    

Diagnosis Is All About Behavior

     It is a case of misunderstanding. When you are diagnosed
with a mental illness, it feels like a criticism of your intelligence and brain. What few understand, is that to be diagnosed as mentally ill, the doctors use your behavior and communication dialog to diagnose you.
     With the new DSM5, there are revised categories, with revised symptoms. In a previous entry, I thought homosexuality is no longer diagnosed as a mental illness, but I was wrong. It is now classified as Gender Dysphoria. There are also parameters for about 10 personality disorders. There are only two for bipolar when there used to be three. So, not much has changed after all.
     To get back on track about behavior, there is still no one-test way of diagnosing a mental illness. The doctors and staff still base their findings on how you behave and what your dialog is like. They also use cues that are present in conversation to categorize you. Another sad part about being diagnosed with a mental illness, is that the diagnosis is for life, so the patient needs to learn how to express concerns to their treatment team, for the best possible outcome for all included.
     On a tangent, before HIPPA, my grandmother and mother would call my psychiatrist and tell stories that biased my treatment. Even though they are gone now, they wouldn't be allowed to do that today. Treatment is private and the staff that work in mental health keep confidentiality practices. Only those you approve of can voice their concerns and even then, most of the time the ones that you approve of can face an uphill battle to be connected to an individual treatment. It is an issue of the privacy of the patient, not the concerns of the family.
     But, diagnosis is all about behavior. The DNA testing available to the mentally ill now, screens for 25 different medicines, to see if you can tolerate the medicine. But, still no DNA testing for diagnostic purposes alone. Yet, the medical field is getting close to such testing. Unfortunately, the testing is not available to the general public yet, probably due to the costs involved.
    

Vocabulary ABC's

Emotions