HealthBee

Many women feel guilty when they take a break for themselves, but according to Cardiologist Marianne Legato, and author of “Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget” that may be a dangerous thing.
“If you never have any time except reactive time — things you must do for others — you don’t have a sense of control. You are interrupted all the time. Your brain has trouble resting even during sleep. Such chronic exhaustion increases the release of stress hormones, and your blood sugar rises.” If this is your normal state, then the physical consequences increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and memory problems. If that’s not enough to scare you into taking some time for yourself, consider this: The hormonal effects of always being on edge help deposit fat right around your waist.

Many women believe that taking time for yourself is a selfish thing to do.  In fact, the opposite is true:  if you are not at your peak, you cannot take care of others.  I think new moms are especially prone not to take me time.  They believe ‘the baby’ takes precedence over all of their lives, and they must bow to their every whim.  But the thing is, that is exhausting, and if you are exhausted, you cannot be a good mom.

On an airplane, parents are taught to put the mask on themselves first then to place the mask on their kids.  This is because if they have trouble getting the mask on their children, both the parent and the child could die because neither got their mask on properly.  I believe this applies to life as well:  you have to take care of yourself firs
Taking time for yourself needs to be just that:  a few hours where you are not interrupted or wondering when the children are going to need something next.  It needs to be something you do completely for yourself.  Going grocery shopping away from the kids does not count…’me time’ must be something you like to do and you do only for yourself.

Think about taking a class you’ve always wanted to take, or taking time out to read a book you’ve always wanted to read, or even just sleeping in.

Turn off the cell phone, and inform everyone that you are not to be disturbed, and then follow through with that:  do not allow anyone to disturb you.  The best way to do this is to get away from the kids and husband and go somewhere else.  Don’t take the baby with you, just go somewhere and unwind.

First a note: depression is not a disease with just one or a few factors that cause it. Many things can be the cause of it and to say that depression is caused ONLY by a hormone imbalance or ONLY by negative thinking or ONLY because depression runs in your family is false information. However, a hormone imbalance can be one of many potential causes of depression. This article outlines some of the more common hormone imbalances that may be contributing to an individual’s depression.

Also, before doing anything, if you experience any of these symptoms, go to a doctor and get your hormones tested to see if a hormone imbalance could be the issue.

Blown Adrenals or Adrenal Fatigue, AKA Cortisol Deficiency
When we are under stress for prolonged periods of time, it is not uncommon to have a cortisol deficiency, sometimes called “Blown Adrenals”. While this does not directly cause depression, the feeling of always being exhausted all the time can certainly lead to depression. It is something to look at, at least.

Some of the symptoms of Cortisol Deficiency are:

• Debilitating fatigue
• Unstable blood sugar — You need to eat NOW, or you’ll pass out.
• Foggy thinking
• Low blood pressure
• Excessively dry skin
• Brown spots on face

Alternate ADD/ADHD Treatment
I took a class about ADHD for adults, and my instructor, who was also a licensed therapist told me about brainwave music engineered and created by Dr. Jeffrey D. Thompson. His claim is that his music ‘entrains’ the brain to certain frequencies, thus making you more sleepy, more productive, or more relaxed depending on the brainwave induced. My instructor highly recommended this brainwave music for us who suffered from Adult ADHD. I imagine it would also work for children with ADHD as well. I tried it simply because I didn’t want to pop another pill.

What is Brainwave Music?

First, to understand brainwave music, you need to understand what a brainwave is. Brainwaves are electromagnetic wave forms produced by electrical and chemical activity of the brain. These waves can be measured by sensitive electronic equipment and are measured in cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz). By measuring people’s brainwaves while they are in different states, that is while they are sleeping, meditating, or actively thinking, it is possible to link various types of brainwave frequencies to different states of mind.

There are four basic brainwave frequencies: Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta.

Beta waves, at 13 - 30 Herz, are associated with normal waking states. When our brain is in this state of mind, we are computing, organizing and being productive. In moments of stress or anxiety, our Beta waves are increased so we can manage situations and solve immediate issues.

Alpha waves, at 7 - 13 Herz, indicate an alert state with a quiet mind. This is the state of mind one gets while practicing meditation, yoga, or tai chi. We may experience focused concentration or still inner calm.

Theta Waves, at 3 - 7 Herz, are associated with a mind state attuned to visualization, imagery or daydreaming. These waves are also produced during deep meditation or daydreaming, and also are produced when we are in the “Rapid Eye Movement” or REM sleep that occurs when we are dreaming.

Delta Waves, at 0.1 - 3 Herz, indicate the deepest levels of physical relaxation. Usually, subjects are in Delta frequency when they are in deep, dreamless sleep. Its presence is usually indicative of physical rejuvenation and healing.

Entraining the Brain

Just like a tuning fork, our brains tend to take on the same frequencies that are around us. This is what Dr. Jeffrey Thompson calls “entraining.” This is just like a tuning fork: when two tuning forks of the same pitch are placed side by side and one is struck, the other will begin to vibrate as well. The first tuning fork ‘entrains’ the second one.

The theory goes that by knowing what sounds are of certain frequencies, it is possible to make music using these sounds to entrain the brain to whatever frequency you’d like. So, if you have trouble sleeping, you can listen to the Delta music — the music of deep relaxation and sleep — and have an easier time getting to sleep. Or, as in my case, when I need to concentrate on something or meditate, pop in the I pop in Alpha music to make it easier to concentrate.

How does all this relate to ADHD?

Simple. According to my instructor, most people with ADHD tend to be in the Theta brainwave state a lot of the time. That is, for some reason, it is easier for someone with ADHD to go into a Theta brainwave state of mind. This is why, it seems that people with ADHD seem to be only half there: if you are daydreaming, you’re in your own little world. And, you tend to do things that make sense in your own little world, but seem impulsive to someone else. So, my class instructor suggested we listen to the Alpha music in order to be in an alert state with a clear mind.

I went as a skeptic, but wanted to try anything that wasn’t popping a pill. I was surprised. I do find that if I listen to the alpha music when I work, I am more productive. And, if I need to do deep meditation, I listen to Delta music. (Although, unlike many others who swear by Delta to get to sleep, for some reason, I do not fall asleep with Delta music.)

For more information on the study of Brainwave Music, you can visit the web site for the Center for Neuroacoustic Research at: http://neuroacoustic.com/. Or, if you just want to buy the Music and try it for yourself, they are for sale at Amazon.

Here’s a link to Dr. Jeffrey Thompson’s music at Amazon: BrainWave Music

My personal favorite CD is Awakened Mind System.