Self-Empowerment With Breath-Work

Breathing with Visualization and Meditation Very Helpful for Self-Esteem and More!

Something that can be very helpful to build self-esteem is as follows:

1. Think of something you want to heal, resolve, or change. The more specific the better.  (i.e. rather than, “my anxiety,” it would be “my fear of being seen as incompetent when I do such and such…”)
2. Come up with a symbol, metaphor, or a meaningful word to symbolize your fear. Then find one you want to replace it with—any symbol, word, etc. that is meaningful to you and helps you visualize or feel the desired state you want.
3. Now do the 1^st half of the Collarbone breathing routine (before changing hands) whilst meditating on the negative state you’re letting go.  (For a "how to" do collarbone breathing, see below.)
4. Then do the 2^nd half of the CB breathing whilst meditating on the positive change state you want. I personally like to do 3 sets of CB breathing for this exercise. Your goal is to let go of the negative and bring in the positive, when you feel you are in the desired state, hold on to that and relish it!
5. When you are done, meditate in the positive state with one hand on the back of your neck and one hand on your forehead.  (aka "Tappas Acupressure")
6. Do 2-3 times daily if possible (at least once daily) as you witness the change happen!
7. After each breathing session, think of 4-5 things you can endorse yourself for each time--or at least 7 things for which you are genuinely grateful.

Collarbone Breathing 

          Collarbone Breathing (“CB Breathing”) acts as a reset button to neurologically reorganize the brain.  It is helpful for clumsiness, fatigue while reading, low performance, clumsy gait, chronic procrastination, addictions & cravings, anxiety, OCD.  It is also helpful for ADHD, Learning Disorders, dyslexia, Tourettes Syndrome, schizophrenia, and a multitude of conditions that negatively affect lifestyle.  You can follow these links to learn CB breathing with Dr. Franzi Ng:

Introduction to Collarbone Breathing by Dr. Franzi Ng:

(8:59 min.): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAe1zptu_jc  

Collarbone Breathing Only (1:42 min.):

Collarbone breathing only, Dr. Ng (1:42 min): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb2o3HVvvNA

What's the Truth: Is it Safe for Children and Teens to Take Antidepressants?

These are my notes from Dr. Jacob Hess' article, "Another Hypothesized Contributor to Youth Suicide."  To see the article and related links, go to "www.unthinkable.cc."

WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT ANTIDEPRESSANT USE FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS?

The increased suicide rate is statistically related to the increased rate of antidepressant use.  In Utah, there was an upsurge of teen suicides in that linearly follows the same increase of antidepressant use. 

Many doctors say the rising suicide rate is because the patient isn’t being adequately treated (wrong meds, not followed closely enough…) Nevertheless, consider the following:

In Utah, it was found that "of those with diagnosed mental health problems, 84% were noted to be receiving mental health treatment at the time of death (by suicide)!"

RESEARCH BEHIND THE BLACK BOX WARNINGS

Black Box Warning was put in place because there was ample evidence—thousands of cases-- of suicide linked to antidepressant use—of antidepressants causing suicidality in a significant amount of children and teens.  A significant amount of those patients hadn’t previously had any suicidal ideation or even been depressed.  In other words, it was obviously the antidepressant that was causing suicidal thoughts and behavior.

The researchers found that there was a 2.6 fold increase of suicidal behavior with antidepressant use. In the U.S.A. it was reported to be much smaller, but still a problem--a fishy discrepancy.  Currently, 10% of the U.S. population is on antidepressants, so with the reported suicidal risk related to the BlackBox warning, that amounts to potentially well over 23,000 children and teens at suicidal risk due to newly prescribed antidepressants.  And that's a very low estimate!

MISTAKEN DATA RESULTS IN DECREASE OF ANTIDEPRESSANT USE

After the Black Box issue, there was a down-tick in suicide rate (and there was a decrease in kids taking the SSRIs,) then an uptick (which could’ve been those coming off the SSRIs cold turkey without proper help and information.) But someone watching closely (but not close enough to accurately see the actual timeline) widely touted that the suicide rate had increased—and that information was widely published. People ignored the timeline and hold to that published source still today.

CORRUPT ANTIDEPRESSANT RESEARCH RESULTS

Dr. Hess shows that negative side-effects in antidepressant use for children and teens were systematically filtered out of the research, with hard evidence of pharmaceutical researchers purposely doing that filtering. The hard data in some studies show that over 30% of patients trying antidepressants drop out of the studies (assumably due to negative side-effects.)  The researchers dropped out any they could identify who responded by placebo, and those who had negative side-effects so that the very studies meant to find if antidepressants had negative and dangerous side-effects teased out those who had the negative side-effects! In addition, the researchers decided to only report 10% of the negative side-effects!

So the potential side-effects of antidepressants use (and suicidality) weren’t reported and didn’t even show up in the research—thus throwing off any doctors and patients who would be diligent to read the ill effects found from the studies. (The only way the doctors would’ve had the complete truth is if they had read the thousands of pages from the government reports!)  The doctors trust the medical literature assuming that there isn’t corruption behind it. 

Dr. Hess' conclusion: IT'S CRAZY TO THOSE FAMILIAR WITH THE RESEARCH DATA TO HEAR PEOPLE SAYING THE INCREASE IN SUICIDE RATE IS DUE TO THE LACK OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS USE! OUR YOUTH DESERVE BETTER ANSWERS!!!

Additional Information on troubling side effects of SSRIs use includes: sexual dysfunction, suppression of REM sleep, muscle tics, fatigue, emotional blunting and apathy.  Longterm use: The above side effects plus: memory impairment, problem-solving difficulties, loss of creativity, learning deficiencies (see Anatomy of an Epidemic, pg. 170.)  (FYI: There are even more troubling long-term side effects, including escalating mental illness over time and chronicity of the illness. Check out this site for information on longterm studies: http://unthinkable.cc/long-term-evidence-we-cant-ignore-anymore-anti-depressant-outcomes/      Please study Dr. Nedley and Dr. Hyman's programs!

Check out these Youtubes with Robert Whitaker discussing the longterm effects:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=FY-5npruTGc
This is an interesting article about the subject: https://aeon.co/essays/the-evidence-in-favour-of-antidepressants-is-terribly-flawed
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION ONLY.  SEEK THE ADVICE OF A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL IN YOUR DECISION TO START, CONTINUE, OR DISCONTINUE PRESCRIBED MEDICATION.  DO NOT GO OFF YOUR MEDICATION WITHOUT THE SUPERVISION OF A WELL-TRAINED PHYSICIAN WHO KNOWS HOW TO HELP YOU DO IT SAFELY!

The purpose of this blog is to teach research-based ways to heal from depression and anxiety.  I have personally walked this road, which is why I share.  Blessings!  

What Are Longterm Outcomes of Antidepressant Use?

NEGATIVE SIDE-EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM ANTIDEPRESSANT USE: 

(Potential risks of long-term use of antidepressants)

• ·      Deviation of neurotransmitter function
• ·      Alteration of neural function
• ·      Decrease of serotonin release in presynaptic neurons
• ·      Downregulation of serotonin receptors in postsynaptic neurons
• ·      Chronicity of depression and anxiety
• ·      High-Relapse rates
• ·      Emotional blunting, apathy
• ·      Mania
• ·      Conversion to bipolar disorder or other serious mental illnesses
• ·      Memory impairment (shrinkage of areas of the brain that utilize memory)
• ·      Gastrointestinal & heart troubles (bowel problems, stomach aches, heart impairment)
• ·      Muscular tics, fatigue, tardive dyskinesia
• ·      Sexual dysfunction
• ·      Impacted fetal development
• ·      Suppressed REM sleep
• ·      Learning deficiencies
• ·      Escalating mental illness
• ·      Loss of creativity
• * Possible generational effects (see first link below) 
•    This list continues to grow.....
• There are excellent resources to help an individual learn how to heal from depression and anxiety-related conditions and more.  Please check out Dr. Neil Nedley's Depression and Anxiety Recovery program and/or Dr. Mark Hyman's Broken Brain docuseries and get yourself feeling better than you've ever felt before you consider tapering off medication.  Please check out information on Micronutrients on my other blog for an important possible option and other helpful information: https://depressionhealinginsights.blogspot.com/
• WARNING: IF YOU ARE ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND OTHER RELATED MEDICATIONS DO NOT GO OFF YOUR MEDICATION(S) WITHOUT HELP OF A MEDICAL PROVIDER.

If you have had multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), please understand that you need to be gentle with yourself and work through as much of the trauma as possible with loving help before you start tapering off medication.  If you need to stay on medication PLEASE see the medication as a blessing for now and just do the best you can--and keep searching for answers.  It has been my own experience and the experience of others that through the many other avenues it is possible to heal.

Negative Side-effects of Antidepressants: Sources 

Mad in America.com 

https://www.madinamerica.com/2019/04/effects-antidepressant-exposure-across-generations-interview-dr-vance-trudeau/

Robert Whitaker bio: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/experts/robert-whitaker

Now Antidepressant-Induced Chronic Depression Has a Name: Tardive Dysphoria

New research on why antidepressants may worsen long-term outcomes

By Robert Whitaker

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mad-in-america/201106/now-antidepressant-induced-chronic-depression-has-name-tardive-dysphoria

Antidepressant drugs may not be the best treatment:  

By Robert Whitaker

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/antidepressant-drugs-may-not-be-best-treatment-robert-whitaker-1.2667410

SSRIs in Society:  What Are Their Long-term Effects?

By Robert Whittaker  

https://www.i-p-p-m.de/WHITAKER_-_SSRIs-in-Society.pdf

Long-term Evidence We Can’t Overlook Anymore: Anti-Depressant Outcomes

By Jacob Z Hess (drawing much from the research of Robert Whittaker)

http://unthinkable.cc/long-term-evidence-we-cant-ignore-anymore-anti-depressant-outcomes

Here are some excellent videos that Robert Whittaker has done: 

Long-term Effects of Medication: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY-5npruTGc

Are Anti-depressants Depressogenic Over the Long Term?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEpjyKCPTEE

Negative antidepressant side-effects: More Sources

Buchman, N. S. (2002). Side effects of long-term treatment with fluoxetine. Clinical

Neuropharmacology , 55-57.

Chen, Y. G. (2008). Risk of cerebrovascular events associated with antidepressant use in patients

 with depression: a population-based, nested case-control study. The Annals of

Pharmacotherapy , 177-184.

Cohen, H. G. (2000). Excess risk of myocardial infarction in patients treated with antidepressant

medications: association with use of tricyclic agents. American Journal of Medicine , 2-8.

Hamer, M. B. (2010, August 19). European Heart Journal. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from

Oxford Journals:

http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2010/11/28/eurheartj.ehq438.abstract

Los Angelos Times. (2002, February 20). Los Angelos Times. Retrieved June 11, 2011, from Los

 Angelos Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2002/feb/20/news/mn-28924

Medical News Today. (2011, April 3). Depression News. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from Medical

News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/221088.php

Nedley, N. A. (2014). Depression, the Way Out. Ardmore: Nedley Publishing.

Wu, C. W. (2011). Association of cerebrovascular events with antidepressant use: a case-

crossover study. The American Journal of Psychiatry , 511-521.

Zito, J. E. (2008, September 25). A three-country comparison of psychotropic medication

prevalence in youth. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. Retrieved

May 22, 2011, from PubMed Central:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2569908/

This information is not to be taken as medical advice. Seek help from a medical professional in your medical decisions. 

Short Cut to Self-Esteem

How Can I Feel Self-Worth When Things Like This Happen?

“My classmates are making fun of me and calling me hurtful names—I am what they say I am….” “I didn’t get that job offer, I am a loser.”  "I was a victim of abuse, my life is hopeless."

Using BSFF with the steps below can help us immensely to get out of that dark place!  But if you don’t know BSFF, the steps alone combined with a great deal of prayer can help us overcome.

Helpful Steps to Know Your True Self-Worth:

1. Know that God lives.
2. Know that HE loves you immeasurably, that you have infinite worth, and that you each are His Child!
3. Do not believe anything that conflicts with the above truth!
   1. Rise above the social conscious din, rising above it.
      1. Through prayer, fasting, and asking God to show you your worth.
         1. Pray that all the “baggage” and “debris”, all the events, etc. of poor self-identification be cleared by the subconscious—and move forward into the truth. (Trust in your validity, know your worth is infinite, have confidence in yourself and your amazing capacity as a child of God!  That truth is unchanging!)
      2. Through service—Look for others who may need your assistance and offer it when (when you are well enough to help.) 
      3. Yield to the enticings of the Spirit, becoming as a little child-- submissive, meek, humble, patient, and full of love, and being willing to submit to the Lord's will (Mosiah 3:19). (Clarification: I'm not saying it's the Lord's will that you don't make cheerleader or that you're bullied, or abused, etc.  I believe He would like us to learn from our experiences and learn how to grow from them--and even rise above them.)

1. Do all of these in the highest energy level you can, praising God for the opportunity for growth. (It will be like your head goes up above the clouds or fog and you can see clearly all around.  Suddenly you are realizing your worth, and looking for those who need service, and then you see so many that need your strengths and talents!)
2. It has been my experience that as you do the things listed above, you will begin to see things as they really are!

• Endorse for every effort you make in this area!