Mania, Natural Solutions, and That Darn Structure!

I have continued to try new medications, and it has continued to keep my mental health state very rocky.

My latest foray into a new medication sent me into an anaphylactic reaction which can be fatal if not treated soon enough. I went to the emergency room at two a.m. and was treated early in the onset of anaphylaxis, so I was not in danger.

A reaction like that is frightening at the very least. I recognized it early when I began to lose the ability to swallow and my throat began to tighten. I woke my husband, and we rushed to the hospital.

To my surprise, because of COVID-19, my husband was not allowed in the hospital at all. He had to wait in the car while I was treated. It meant he was able to get some sleep thankfully, and my nurse was kind enough to retrieve him when it was time for me to leave because I was heavily drugged with the medication for my condition and needed to be picked up.

The problem with all these test runs with new medication is I am not getting any therapeutic treatment for my symptoms, so they have continually gotten worse as the months progress. I have cycled up and down in mania for weeks now, and I'm having great difficulty sleeping. As I write this, I have not slept in about twenty-two hours and have no hint of sleepiness. This has been an issue off and on for nearly nine months now, and my husband and I are very concerned about the long-term effects of such a lack of sleep. I have begun to gray in my mid-thirties, and I believe it's due to the lack of sleep. Fortunately, it's covered up by my blue hair dye.

On a more positive note, I've decided to go more natural with my personal care. 

I already use essential oils to supplement my medication and treat symptoms of other issues like my digestive issues post gallbladder removal. My mother is an acupuncturist and prescribes essential oils, so she helps me blend oils to help my mental health issues. They do help a lot, so I am open to exploring more natural solutions to personal care. We unfortunately live two-thousand miles apart, so she is unable to treat me with acupuncture which would be even more effective at treating my mental and physical health.

I developed an allergy to anti-perspirant/deodorant combinations that include aluminum—the kind that are the most common types of deodorants. I've started using Native deodorant that uses natural ingredients, and the fragrances are incredible. I just got a shipment in the mail with Pumpkin Spice fragrance, and it smells good enough to eat. I also got the Apple and Honeysuckle stick, and it smells like an actual apple. I love it so much.

I plan to try Love Beauty and Planet hair care, picking up conditioner today to try it out. It's available at most grocery and superstores. Fortunately, my local superstore carries the formula meant for curly hair. My mother, who is a huge believer in natural body care, uses pure shea butter instead of lotion, so I plan to try that as well. I believe the same store I'll get my hair care at carries small tubs of shea butter, so I'll try it that way before I buy the larger tub my mom recommends.

My very favorite store is Bath & Body Works because I adore their fragrances, but using shea butter will eliminate the need for their body cream. I will miss it, but I can still use the body sprays. My mom is urging me to use essential oils for my daily fragrance, but I adore the artificial ones too much to rely completely upon essential oils.

I have multiple fragrances for seasonal use—spring and summer, fall, the holidays, and winter. Much of it is through the lotions, so I will need to use them up as much as possible to switch to the shea butter. The body creams are very expensive, so my husband will be relieved at my use of only the body sprays. I also have six perfumes along with all my Bath & Body Works. Whew! I need to stop collecting these things!

My writing has mostly halted because of my mental health being on the rocks. I've gotten bits of ideas for rewrites of the books I've already written and typed those up. My main focus has been learning how to tell a compelling story. That darn structure! I'm reading two books by K.M. Weiland—Structuring Your Novel and Outlining Your Novel—that I will review once I've read them in total. They are crammed with excellent information to help me work on structure and outlining. I can't wait to apply what I'm learning.

All in all, my summer has been busy and hectic, not including the state of the United States at the moment with Black Lives Matter, the upcoming election, and COVID-19. 

This year will go down in history for many reasons.

I hope you all are healthy and happy.

Images Credit via freedigitalphotos.net:

"Pillow And Blanket On The Bed" by Feelart

"Beautiful Woman Practice Yoga on River in Nature" by adamr

"Prepare Writing In Coffee Shop" by punsayaporn