Re: Cortisol

November 2, 2006

Hi ,

Take more of the inositol I used to take it when i felt like everything was getting to much. Glitter used to take a lot of it she worked out some doses that worked for her. I just threw a couple of them down my neck lol in the car park of the health food shop when i first got them .You might be able to find those posts I think it was discussed about 2-3 years ago .Try looking up in the archives inositol maybe some of the posts will come up.I hear you i hated the heart pounding and the shakes and not being able to breath, mind running riot.

Hugs Ros

November 2, 2006

" I felt a lot of frustration and rage building up

inside me, maybe because I was hoping that a day of rest would help

tame the cortisol a bit. "

Dear ,

I really think we need to wipe the word " Cortisol " out of your

memory box!

I am not saying it is in your mind, it isn't , it is real, but if

you keep thinking about it, it will just make it worse.

You said about frustration and rage building up inside of

you...........even though you then said you managed to let the

feelings go, I think they will have already increased your cortisol

by being felt in the first place. Does that make sense?

I know you find this really tough, and we all wish we could wave

magic wands and take these things away, but we can't , all we can do

is minimise them and find ways to cope.

I didn't like to read kids wrestling and throwing projectiles about,

it is not a calm environment for them to learn in , nor is it good

for you. What kind of a school is it? It sounds like a zoo!

Keep doing what you have been , do the Tai Chi, do the meditation,

maybe even try Yoga or TM, nice slow strolls will help, soft music,

but make sure you don't destroy all this good by watching the TV or

having arguments etc.

I hope this helps you a bit, I do know you find this hard, but

sometimes it is better to Thank God that the " only " problem you have

is high cortisol!

Just some rambling thoughts!

Love x

November 2, 2006

Just wonder: howdo do you " let feelings go " ? What happens next? How

about " feeling the feelings " ? Aren't they natural body responses to

life?

ikam

>

> I know I posted about this recently, but I'm struggling rather a

lot

> and would welcome some help.

>

> Yesterday was my day off work. I rested. In the evening before bed

I

> did an hour of resting/meditation/tai chi.

>

> I woke at 4 a.m. with my heart pounding, which always happens. This

> time, however, I felt a lot of frustration and rage building up

> inside me, maybe because I was hoping that a day of rest would help

> tame the cortisol a bit. I was hoping the inositol would help too.

>

> I remembered what people said here about not letting my emotions

take

> control of me, so I managed to let those feelings go. I lay in bed

> and meditated a while, which helped calm me down. Eventually I

would

> have been able to go back to sleep, if it hadn't been time to get

up,

> LOL.

>

> I didn't expect inositol to be a magic bullet, but I was hoping it

> would ease things somewhat. The high cortisol is having an effect

on

> my life in many ways which I won't list here. If there's anything

> else I could try taking, or if I should give the inositol more time

> to have an effect, then I would greatly appreciate some advice.

>

> Many thanks,

> .

>

November 2, 2006

>

> Just wonder: howdo do you " let feelings go " ? What happens next? How

> about " feeling the feelings " ? Aren't they natural body responses to

> life?

Well, in this case I was able to choose how to see the situation,

which dictated my response to it. I felt fed up with all the problems

I'm having thanks to the drug withdrawal and was full of impotent

rage. That isn't good for me, and it made the problem worse at the

time. Normally when I wake with my heart pounding, I accept it, take

some Cherry Plum, and manage to get back to sleep eventually.

When I first joined the list I was told that I let my emotions

control my head too much of the time. I still make that mistake a

lot. Of course it's natural to feel, but we can choose what to make

of those feelings and how to respond.

Where would everyone on these lists be if all they did was complain

about how lousy they feel, LOL. Gosh, come to think of it, I do a lot

of that. The more I work on focusing on the positive and accepting

that which I cannot control, the better I am, though I have a long

way to go there.

There are some really good role models here: people who have

suffered, people who are still suffering, but who are at peace with

themselves and their lives. They are amazing.

Don't use me as an example, I've still got a lot of bad habits to

break, but hopefully in time I'll be a bit wiser myself.

.

November 2, 2006

>

> Just wonder: howdo do you " let feelings go " ? What happens next? How

> about " feeling the feelings " ? Aren't they natural body responses to

> life?

> ikam

>

***Ikam, I think was saying she felt frustrated and angry because

for her the cortisol problem is affecting her and its makes her mad,

when she said that she was able to let these feelings go, this is

great, because she is accepting that the cortisol prob will occur and

by allowing her frustration to dissolve she isn't adding more fuel to

the fire. , correct me here if I am wrong, but I think this is

what you meant?

Ikam, noone is saying don't feel feelings, they are natural, it is how

we respond to them that we need to work on.

Does this make sense???

I know what I am trying to say , but I am not sure I am being very

clear?

x

November 2, 2006

That was 1000mg 3 times a day, not 3000. I'll try more. If it helps,

I'll have to get my parents in Denver to send me a massive amount of

this powder.

I'll have a hunt through the archives here. Thanks again Ros

.

November 3, 2006

,

your problem is just oposite to mine- that is why it was difficult

for me to understand what you meant. I would say I am learning my

feelings, as I was always controling them...I find real pleassure in

having feelings, just " feeling them " , even without names...I don't

want to control them anymore...For me feeling angry means I am

eventually connected to myself. I did not feel angry before. I would

instead have impulses to cut, suicide thoughts or would draw bloody

images...When my heart is beating fast, sometimes during the night I

try to find what I really feel- it could be something between

anxiety and excitement. Previously I always thought it was the sign

of anxiety. I have found it fascinating that I can feel other

things...Not just fear...

I see you work very hard on being able to have choice over emotions.

I am working on increasing them in my life...So I FEEL...and I know

I am ALIVE...I was not...

ikam

> >

> > Just wonder: howdo do you " let feelings go " ? What happens next?

How

> > about " feeling the feelings " ? Aren't they natural body responses

to

> > life?

>

> Well, in this case I was able to choose how to see the situation,

> which dictated my response to it. I felt fed up with all the

problems

> I'm having thanks to the drug withdrawal and was full of impotent

> rage. That isn't good for me, and it made the problem worse at the

> time. Normally when I wake with my heart pounding, I accept it,

take

> some Cherry Plum, and manage to get back to sleep eventually.

>

> When I first joined the list I was told that I let my emotions

> control my head too much of the time. I still make that mistake a

> lot. Of course it's natural to feel, but we can choose what to

make

> of those feelings and how to respond.

>

> Where would everyone on these lists be if all they did was

complain

> about how lousy they feel, LOL. Gosh, come to think of it, I do a

lot

> of that. The more I work on focusing on the positive and accepting

> that which I cannot control, the better I am, though I have a long

> way to go there.

>

> There are some really good role models here: people who have

> suffered, people who are still suffering, but who are at peace

with

> themselves and their lives. They are amazing.

>

> Don't use me as an example, I've still got a lot of bad habits to

> break, but hopefully in time I'll be a bit wiser myself.

>

> .

>

November 3, 2006

,

it makes sense. I mean " the way how we respond to feelings " ...My

response to my feelings used to be different that 's- I used to

cut them off, feel nothing. I see she is dealing with a different

matter...

ikam

> >

> > Just wonder: howdo do you " let feelings go " ? What happens next?

How

> > about " feeling the feelings " ? Aren't they natural body responses

to

> > life?

> > ikam

> >

>

> ***Ikam, I think was saying she felt frustrated and angry

because

> for her the cortisol problem is affecting her and its makes her

mad,

> when she said that she was able to let these feelings go, this is

> great, because she is accepting that the cortisol prob will occur

and

> by allowing her frustration to dissolve she isn't adding more fuel

to

> the fire. , correct me here if I am wrong, but I think this

is

> what you meant?

>

> Ikam, noone is saying don't feel feelings, they are natural, it is

how

> we respond to them that we need to work on.

>

> Does this make sense???

>

> I know what I am trying to say , but I am not sure I am being very

> clear?

>

> x

>

November 3, 2006

I FEEL...and I know

> I am ALIVE...I was not...

That's wonderful, Ikam! Try to hold on to that thought at times when

you are not feeling so well.

I don't know if I would describe my problem as being opposite to

yours though. Much of my adult life, I have been trying to get in

touch with my feelings, trying to learn how to feel them and enjoy

them rather than suppress them. I've made some progress from where I

was as a child but there's a long way to go. In my parents' house the

only emotion generally displayed -- by my father -- was anger. I

clammed up and it's caused no end of problems for me.

Right now I can feel all kinds of negative stuff -- anger,

frustration, despair. The problems with the drug have blunted

everything else. I don't think I can blame the drug 100% though.

There are things I need to try to sort out in my life too, somehow.

It's such a big big task.

Thanks for this chat Ikam

.

November 4, 2006

Ikam, I'm so glad to hear you are experiencing such positive change!I want to comment on a couple of things you said.You said you used to suppress your feelings and they would emerge in self-injury or bloody visualization. You describe this as an effect of PTSD. Interestingly, it is also a very common effect of SSRI drugs. Many people on these drugs will report feeling derealized or depersonalized, unable to feel anything at all. They also report compulsions to cut or harm themselves in some way. Persistent suicidal ideation is also common. Mainstream mental health professionals will address these symptoms as if they are rooted in emotional issues, but when the drugs are withdrawn these symptoms go away.

A history of trauma can also result in these kinds of symptoms. I think it's important, though, to be aware of all possible origins of the symptoms. Otherwise, they will not be properly treated. I should emphasize here that psychotropic drugs are never an appropriate treatment for PTSD.

So many of us have been diagnosed with one mental illness after another, all based on symptoms caused by drug after drug. This is why I think it's important to make the connection clear. We are not mentally ill. We have been affected by the drugs.

You also mentioned a connection between PTSD and low cortisol (in a different post). Keep in mind that any discussion about PTSD and cortisol in a mainstream mental health treatment setting is based on observation of people who have taken these drugs. Psychotropic drugs seriously dysregulate cortisol. We see that with our members every day. This means that valid conclusions cannot be drawn unless the effects of the drugs are taken into account. I am not trying to downplay the effects of trauma. Clearly, trauma can have profound effects on people. However, people who manifest trauma symptoms are almost invariably given these drugs....and from that point on, it becomes impossible to determine what is causing the symptoms, as new symptoms manifest and the " illness " continues to develop.

Ikam, it is wonderful to hear you sounding so good, so positive, so uplifted. Your hard work is really paying off. I can only imagine that things will continue to improve for you. Congratulations!Warm regards,

Kimmoderator