Hope

That is the title of this blog that I am writing about. We all need hope. I know I do at different times in my life.  The biggest time in my life was when I was going to court and facing twenty four years. The time came in the trial that it looked not very well for me. The court was on a break for lunch and I knew things did not look well for me. I was so thinking of the trial when I went to buy lunch. There was a girl there that I had knew from earlier in my life but my mind was in a fog and I could not remember her until I went back to the car then I did.
Well I was acquitted of one charge and had a great chance on appeal for the second as the judge denied me the law. It would come out to be a misdemeanor. I kept hope alive and it worked out that time. I still have had bad luck at times in my life although I always keep hope alive that things will turn out for the best and they usually do.  Sometimes it takes time. When we are looking for a quick fix. Although for me hoping for a good turn out for what is bothering me always works out. Always hope for the best.
 I am still walking and do not know if I am losing weight. When I went to the pdoc and they weighed me I had lost a pound. I need to lose more than that. I really do not eat that much so I do not know why I weigh so much. I just have a sandwich for lunch and dinner. It has to be the meds. The only thing I do know is I have to keep up my walking or my weight will return. The grandkids are getting older and I wish I had started my education a lot earlier then I did.  The time I lost getting my education cost me eight years.
I wish I could have been working if I had received my degree in my twenties. I just want to make sure my grandkids do not make the mistakes I did in life.  Even though things are alright I made some bad choices in this life.  Some I would change others I would leave the same.  Throughout a persons life they have to keep hope that things will turn out for the best.  It usually does.

Diet and Exercise

That is the title of this article I am writing about. "Everybody is always talking about losing weight. It is harder then a person thinks. I was able to lose about a little over twenty pounds when I took a vacation and in Boston was doing a lot of walking. I liked how much I was losing and started cutting down on the amount I ate. I also used to drink about six soda's a day.  I cut down to two a day and they are Coke zero or Pepsi max.  I started making my own trail mix for when I did get hungry.  Although that was the last amount of weight that I lost.  I sill try and eat half of every meal unless I go out to eat which is not that often. Losing more has been a struggle. I do not walk half as much as I did in Boston there we walked at least an hour a day.  Here it has been about a half hour a day. All that does is keep me at the same weight I have been at.  If I do not walk I start gaining right away.
I like walking the best.  We do have treadmills where I work although it seems once I start then when I want to use it somebody beats me to it then I just take a walk around the building which is not enough exercise. Although it is best for when it is cold outside. I do not know if the trail mix makes me gain weight or not. I know it did not in the past. I like everybody am always searching for a way to make weight go away. I do know it has something to do with the medication I take that makes it hard to lose the weight.  I used to smoke and eat all I wanted which was not very much when I was younger. I would walk from one side of town to the other.  Although that was not everyday.
I do know one thing though I cannot give up trying.  I just have to find away to lose at least twenty more pounds.  One thing I can do is double my walking.  Keep eating just half a meal. Sooner or later I will lose the weight I want to. I believe quitting alcohol and smoking was easier.  Although if I did not quit smoking I would still be skinny.  Although the smoking was already taking a toll on my health even at thirty five years old.  I would have had to quit sooner or later.  It was easier when did because I had a reason to quit at that time. I would not change that. I hardly ate at that time because of smoking and did I smoke I would have four cigarettes first thing every morning.  I will keep trying to lose weight and if it gets any better I will be sure to let all of you know.

Obesity 4 Times More Likely in Schizophrenia Patients

That is the title of this article that talks about obesity in schizophrenia patients. “The risk for abdominal obesity is more than four times higher in patients with multi-episode schizophrenia compared to the general population, according to new meta-analytic research. These individuals are also at greater risk for other cardio-metabolic problems- such as low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, hypertriglyceridemia and diabetes.”  I already have a stomach.  Which I wish I could get rid of it because I was doing that and it stopped working and I fear I have gained some weight that I lost but not all.  I always get my labs checked when I go to the doctor.  The only thing I ever cared about is the diabetes number.  I go next Monday to check again.  My other numbers are usually ok.

The article says they checked a lot of people for this study.  “For the study, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 136 studies involving 185,606 patients with schizophrenia – 28 of which provided data on nearly 3,900,000 population controls matched for age and gender.  This study is one of the largest ever conducted on people with schizophrenia. The findings reveal that patients with multi-episode schizophrenia were 4.43 times more likely to have abdominal obesity than controls.”  They studied a lot of patients.  People with schizophrenia are more likely to have obesity than the regular society.
The article goes on to say: “Furthermore, the risk for low HDL cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and hypertriglyceridemia were more than doubled, at 2.35, 2.35, and 2.73, respectively.  The risk for diabetes was nearly double in these patients, and the risk for hypertension was increased 1.36 fold. With the exception of diabetes and hypertension, the risk for these conditions in multi-episode schizophrenia patients was also significantly increased versus that for first-episode or drug-naïve patients. Schizophrenia researchers have warned that weight gain occurs in up to 40 percent of patients taking medications called second-generation or atypical antipsychotic medications, which have been found effective in controlling major symptoms of schizophrenia.”  I do not know why it is so hard to lose weight I am doing the same things that I did when I lost twenty pounds so why did it come back.  I do have high blood pressure controlled by my medication. I really cannot remember if the weight came on first or the high blood pressure.  I was sick with something else and it all was happening about the same time gaining weight. Also at that time I had quit smoking.
According to the article: “Given the high rates of metabolic problems, the researchers propose that schizophrenia patients should, at the very least, have their waist circumference measured regularly, and, ideally, also their fasting glucose, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, and hemoglobin A1C levels.  The also suggest routine screening of cardiovascular risk factors at key stages to create a risk profile for patients that takes into account their personal and family history.  This risk profile should afterwards be used as a basis for ongoing monitoring, treatment selection and management, wrote the researchers in World Psychiatry.”  They are all things I always check with my PCP.  I just want to see where I am at so I can make more changes if needed to make sure I am losing and not getting diabetes.
In closing the article says: “Lead researcher Davy Vancampfort, Ph.D., of the University Psychiatric Centre KU Leuven and collegues believe it is important to educate schizophrenia patients and their family members about the increased risk for cardio-metabolic abnormalities and ways to lessen it.  According to the researchers, many schizophrenia patients are either unaware of the need to make appropriate lifestyle changes or do not possess the knowledge and skills to do so.  The findings support guidelines from the World psychiatric Association recommending physical health screenings and monitoring in patients with schizophrenia. And further emphasize the need for patients with schizophrenia and their family members to be educated about the possibility of cardio-metabolic risk.”  I am already thinking about the changes I am going to have to make. It will be good because I want to do it for myself.

Health

I was reading a paragraph   that said people with mental illness die at least 15 to 20 years younger than the rest of the population.  That is down from the last time I wrote on this subject, then it was twenty five years younger than the rest of the population.  The main culprit is the weight gain associated with the side effects from the antipsychotics.  What it leads to is “… higher incidence of illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”  I know when I took moban I gained at least sixty four pounds.  Lately I lost twenty pounds easy.  Then I have gained seven pounds back.  I have been walking although that does not seem to help like it did before.

I had to get back on the treadmill in my building.  I am lucky I have a fitness center where I live and it is open twenty four hours a day. Besides the treadmill I do some weight lifting.  Although these seven are hard to get rid of and stay off so I can lose more.  I want to get to one fifty.  Until I started gaining weight the highest I had been was one forty.  I do not want to go all the way to that weight though.  I am still walking Tuesday through Sunday.  I go on the pretense that I am getting a movie or going grocery shopping.
I can get my daughter to take me grocery shopping although I do not unless I am carrying heavy stuff so I can get some exercise in.  Even if I do the treadmill in the morning, I know how hard it is getting the weight off.  I remember when I could eat anything and not have to worry about gaining weight.   You just have to keep trying after spending time with my grandsons yesterday I want to lose it even more.  Do they have the energy to run and play?  I am also more physically active when they are around.  I know it will take time for me to get where I want.  I will do it that is a goal I will try to keep and not forget about it.
The guy in the paragraph lost weight and is now back surfing.  I have labs done at least every three months to check that I do not have diabetes.  That is another reason I keep walking and exercising I do not want to get it.  I want to continue walking as long as I can in this life.  I need to continue to lead an active life that is the only way I will lose this weight.  You have to keep positive and just know that you can do this obstacle.

Pre-diabetes

I have done a few blogs about diabetes and have become conscious about my Type 2 diabetes in the long run as well.  Well it’s the holiday season and the sugar, and puddings and cakes and moans and groans of not being able to partake of all the sugar and spice begins to take its toll on all my friends and my own mental health as well.  One of the ideas that came across to me from an editorial about the “early warning signs” of diabetes is, could a person have diabetes and not know it.  This is called pre-diabetes and you may not know you are experiencing its physiological stress upon your body.  Pre-diabetes is an impaired glucose tolerance, a health condition without symptoms.  It exists when the glucose levels are high yet still too low to be known as a diabetic diagnosis. Most everyone knows what can happen while having diabetes.  Blindness, heart attack, stroke, these are serious affectations of diabetes.  Having pre-diabetes is certainly present, before someone contracts Type 2 diabetes, and that includes the complications, including depression, anxiety and apathy, which are all mental illnesses, of which a therapist can be seen for. 

 Early Diabetes Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore | Live Better America

Pre-diabetes can be diagnosed and it can be prevented.  Making behavior changes such as choices of food, and changing your physical activity to help lose weight and reduce Type 2 diabetes helps in overcoming pre-diabetes and thereby overcoming the malady.  If you are over 45 years of age, overweight or not physically active, you might find these are a few of the characteristics which may bring about pre-diabetes.

When the holiday season begins, eat fresh, fruits, vegetables, grain, low fat dairy products and lean meats.  Don’t tell yourself “I’ll just have one”, if you’re offered candies, and pies and puddings and cakes, give them to someone else or wrap them up to give away at a later date, and of course it doesn’t hurt to say no.  Exercise can help you with your weight loss, if your ashamed of your weight, run in place with small five or ten pound weights, this can help you, your lungs and heart and build your self esteem as well. 

Written by Donald S.

Being Healthy

This blog is a day late and have not had time to look for topics this week. I am going to write on the things I do to stay health. I do not get colds, because I take vitamin C. I have been taking it since 1989 when I was in the State Hospital. I had to get the doctors order to get it and had to buy myself. I had bronchitis in 2009 and usually get sinus infections at least twice a year. I did not get one this year and I think the reason is that about four to five months ago I stopped taking allergy medicine. I believe they were giving me the sinus infections. I believe I was misdiagnosed with allergy to dust. This week up to today I have been working moving boxes in a very dirty and dusty place and beside a couple of sneezes I have not been sick.
I usually get a sinus infection in October and March. Now that I am not taking the medicine I do not think I will get one anymore. I do not expect to get cold or be sick from now on. I am also doing well at losing weight. I am walking and exercising and losing it slowly. I think it is good that way I do not put it back on. I reached 214lbs and then start losing and was stuck at 207lbs for a long time and then lost and was stuck at 186 and now am at 184lbs and just need 34lbs pounds lost to get to the weight I would like and that is 150lbs.
It feels good to drop two pant sizes and would like to drop one more. I am not losing weight taking anything. I just cut my portion sizes in half and for snacks I make my own trail mix with nuts and craisins. The nuts are expensive, although if I snacked on anything else I would not lose weight. I also do not drink regular pop except at parties and such and I do not like diet so I drink Pepsi max and coke zero. All that has helped me lose weight and keep it off. I can hardly wait to be where I want to be. You can also check us out at http://mhcd.org/blog  

Mental Health and Higher Death Risk

BEFORE I GET INTO The BLOG, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND OUR READERS THAT The RECOVERY BLOG IS MOVING TO A NEW LOCATION: OUR BLOG WILL CONTINUE FROM OUR NEW HOME:  http://www.mhcd.org/blog This article says that is not poor physical health that is to blame for people with mental illness dying earlier. It is because of the mental illness. “A large study of English households finds that people who experience symptoms of psychological distress like anxiety, depression, or even minor mental health problems, have a lower life expectancy than people who do not.” We already know that the life expectancy of someone who has mental illness dies at least twenty five years younger than the rest of the population. This study explains it a little better.
It says: “Since the link remained when they adjusted for lifestyle factors, the researchers say the effect is more likely due to biological changes resulting from psychological distress rather than because people with poor mental health have less healthy lifestyles.” Some people with mental illness are taking care of their bodies and still they have a less chance of living longer. “The Wellcome Trust funded study is expected to trigger more research into how doctors treat people with even mild mental psychological problems.” They are at least going to continue studying this health concern. They have studied this before but not with as many subjects as they did with this study.
The article says: “These associations also remained after we did our best to take into account other factors such as weight, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption and diabetes. Therefore, this increased mortality is not simply due to people with higher levels of psychological distress having poorer health behaviors.” Could it be putting on all that extra weight that comes with the newer antipsychotic medications that causes the distress? “People with minor symptoms of depression or anxiety often don’t seek medical help, and the researchers say their findings could have implications for how these minor mental health issues are treated by the health system.
It could be that treating these minor symptoms could reduce the increased risk of premature death.” It is just minor mental health problems. Still any kind of stress is not good for a person.     These people in the study were followed for an average of eight years. “People with mental health problems are among the most vulnerable in society…” Hopefully they can find a solution to this problem. It may just be working with the health system.JUST A REMINDER THAT THE RECOVERY BLOG IS MOVING TO A NEW ADDRESS: OUR NEW HOME IS: http://mhcd.org/blog

Ordinary Week

Just another ordinary week only two good things happened so far. One I finally reached a goal, I was trying to achieve. It was to reach a weight goal under 200 lbs. I went to the doctor yesterday and when they weighed me I was surprised it was less than 200 lbs. That was a very hard goal for me to achieve. I know if I reached that goal the rest should not be that hard. I believe now all I have to do is keep it off and go lower. I do have a long way to go to achieve the weight I was before I started gaining weight. I know I can do it. It might take awhile but I will do it. I also did go out to dinner yesterday to celebrate at one of my favorite restaurants downtown. I do not go downtown as much, since I moved to my new apartment a year ago. The food was great even though I did not finish the whole plate. Second thing that happened today was I went to Social Services, because they told me that was the only way to get off Medicaid. I talked to someone and they told me they would send a letter when my case was closed. I received a call an hour later and she told me my case was already closed. I wish they would have sent a letter so I did not have to take the day off. Although it is good to be finished finally with Social Security, and Medicaid even though it took time. I will cook to celebrate this last victory.

Health

I am writing another blog on health again, although I think you will find this one a little different than the other blogs. Health is still very much in the news. There is one article titled “Is our obsession with weight misguided.” In this article the author says “being overweight or obese does not put people at significant health risk.” You are probably saying how this could be. Well she goes on to say “Rather, factors like fitness, activity, nutrient intake, weight cycling, or socioeconomic status are far more important in determining disease risk.” It is not your size that puts you at risk. What the article does say is that you cannot just sit in front of a TV and eat junk food. I do not eat that much junk food at all. Although I am trying to not just be a couch potato. With spring coming I am finding myself wanting to go out and take a walk around the pond in my apartment complex. To get some daylight and meet people that also lives there. All I see now is the people who live close to me. My apartment complex is very large. There a lot of people who live there to meet. With spring coming the swimming will start again. That is also good exercise - like work, walking and meeting people. It also takes your mind off problems. It makes them easier to solve. The important thing about this article is not how big you are but how fit you are. Do not just sit around but get out an exercise.

Healthy Recovery

I am writing about being healthy and not necessarily losing weight. Both would be great to achieve. Medication makes you gain weight, and that does include Psych medication as well as other medication. What if a person takes more than one kind of medication than it can be a double whammy. In the online article “10 ways to manage your weight on Psych meds.” One of the paragraphs is about eating slowly. I live alone so when I eat and the grandkids are not there. I usually eat very fast. Which is not a good idea, because they say it takes 20 minutes for your brain to tell you your stomach is full. I always use just pieces of articles I read, and not everything they say literally. The other paragraph of this article is do not try to be perfect. Some days you will have a not healthy snack or not exercise. Do not get upset. You do not have to do it vigorously everyday. Another thing I noticed when I exercise before supper is that I am not as hungry. That helped me to cut down on the portions I eat. I even started eating less at lunch. Articles I read say that the best weight to lose is between .5 to 2lbs a week. If you lose that little the more likely the weight will stay off. Although even if you do not lose weight, it is better to just be healthy. Taking care of your heart and not getting diabetes is the right thing to do. Beyond Meds says it is hard to lose weight from medication. Do not blame yourself if you cannot lose it. Just stay healthy in a way that is good for you.