Hmm?!? So what is one thing that we definitely all have in common? STRESS. Stress in small doses can be helpful. It teaches us to perform under pressure and often motivates us to do our best. Yet if you are running in stress mode more often than not your mind and body will pay the price. When you are upset or feeling threatened your body goes into defense mode which automatic causes your body to go into a fight or flight. With everything going on in our lives now a days please look out for the signs. There are cognitive symptoms such as memory problems, inability to concentrate, poor judgment, anxious or racing thoughts and constant worry. There are physical symptoms such as aches and pains, diarrhea or constipation, nausea and or dizziness, loss of sex drive and more frequent colds. You may also have behavioral symptoms like eating more or less, increase in nervous symptoms such as nail biting or pacing, using alcohol, cigarettes or drugs to relax, sleeping too much or not enough, procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities and isolating yourself from others. There are also emotional symptoms such as feeling overwhelmed, moodiness, irritability or short temper, agitation or an inability to relax, a sense of loneliness or isolation and depression or general unhappiness. The more of these signs you have the closer you are to stress overload. Excessive stress can cause problems sleeping, digestive problems, body pain, skin conditions such as eczema, depression, heart disease and autoimmune disease. Although everyone handles stress differently it is important to realize the signs and take action to minimize your stress level because your life depends on it. If you are feeling stressed try some of the following; listen to music, call a friend, eat right, talk yourself through the situation, laugh the situation off, deep breathing (Yoga is great for this), enjoy a glass of tea, be mindful of the situation (Meditation or Tai chi), get some rest/relax or exercise even if it’s only for a minute. Refocusing your energy and staying positive no matter the situation is very important.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
LGBT support
Ok so I’d like to share a positive message that is very close to my heart! We all have differences, fears and struggles! I am hoping that in taking a few moments to take a look at even one of these video’s it might change one person’s negative views.
You are probably asking yourself what being lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender has to do with healthcare. Well, as I see it our own self-worth greatly ties into our physical health; our mental health. In reading articles on the internet I came across a number of questions that I found interesting. Please take into considerations some of these questions while you take a minute to look at the video attachments. Is Homosexuality A Mental Disorder? Does Stigma Still Exist About Homosexuality? What Do the Parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender experience? How would this effect your mental health?
Self-image is not permanently fixed. Part of our self-image is dynamic and changing. We can learn to develop a healthier and more accurate view of ourselves, thus changing the distortions in the mirror. Self-image change is a process occurring over a lifetime. A healthy self-image starts with learning to accept and love ourselves. It also means being accepted and loved by others and able to accept others no matter our differences.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Healthcare cuts
OK! So even if you do not find healthcare interesting, you should definitely be paying attention to what is happening. Currently the government is making some very significant cuts that with most definitely affect us all. The government is looking to cut $53 billion dollars from healthcare alone this year. This is up from 2001 where the average was $19 billion.
Dear Government,
How are these cuts going to help us? They aren’t! People are not going to go to the Dr. where they may have been treated early enough to avoid a costly hospital visit. You want to cut state run dementia units all together. Where are these people to go? SNF, AFH? Oh wait they are all closing their secure units so that they can open Medicare units to stay afloat due to the earlier cuts this year. In addition many are on the verge of shutting down because they are unable to treat the patients they currently have with the amount of money they are bringing in. Mental health, Who cares? Let me Thank you Obama for bringing our troops home, but let’s not take into account the number of vets that will now be coming home from oversees needing psych services or our existing population in need of mental health services. I’m curious what Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford feels about these cuts. Oh wait! I have an idea. Why do our government leaders not abide by the same rules and regulations the rest of us do? Then and maybe then we will see true reform.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
A little about me! ~
OK! So here we go! About me?!? My name is Jennifer Coggins. I was born and raised in West Seattle. I was the last baby to be born at West Seattle General Hospital.
Ok, well in saying that it brings up one of my favorite stories, my birth. The year was 1974. It was a snowy January day and my mom was excited to have brought a new couch home in contemplation of the many days that would be spent enjoying it with family. This is where the story begins. In an attempt to keep it short…here we go! My mother’s water broke all over the new couch. Any other 9 month pregnant women would have freaked out, but my mother proceeded to go get towels and cleaning solution to try to save the new purchase. My father on the other hand freaked out. My mother remained calm and told him that he could call the Dr., but she was not ready to go to the hospital. She had previously taken a break to cook my father so after cleaning the couch she proceeded to go back to cooking. (Oh! My poor dad! I can just see him! LOL!) When dinner was done she proceeded to give it to my father who wolfed it down in 5 minutes. While my father was eating dinner my mom proceeded to pack her bag for the hospital and then proceeded to wash the dishes. Lord knows you can’t leave the dishes in the sink. After much prompting my mother finally agreed to go to the hospital which happens to be 5 blocks North & 3 blocks east of their house. Well, after making it up the street my father realized when my mother was not answering his questions that he had left her in the driveway in the snow. After going back to get her with the neighbors laughing in their window they headed for the hospital. Like the typical man my father got lost on the way to the hospital and did not want to listen to my mom. Luckily they finally made it to the hospital where my father proceeded to park in the ER where he left the car running and both car doors open, screaming into the hospital that his wife was having a baby. Like they had never had that happen before, huh? After being informed that the area was only for ambulances they persuasion my father to move his car. In the meantime my grandparents who at the time lived in Vancouver, BC jumped in the car. As my Papa said “I was not going to miss my first grandbaby.” Needless to say on the way down his breaks went out, but he wasn’t going to miss my birth so he used the E-break the majority of his way here.
The hospital at the time was on its way to shutting down so they actually tried to turn my mother away to another hospital, but in checking her realized that she would probably not make it anywhere else.
My aunt who was a very severe alcoholic at the time showed up at the hospital to see “her niece”. She was so intoxicated that the hospital staff could not figure out if her niece was the one giving birth or the baby. She was police escorted from the hospital.
The moral of the story…West Seattle General Hospital closed after my birth. It is now Navos; a mental health facility. Guess I know full circle where I’m going to end up! LOL! ~
In saying all that I am currently working healthcare and love it. The days are usually long and often stressful, but knowing that I might be making a small dent in the world makes me happy. I have gone back to school to get my psych degree and am looking to possible get my Administrators license following that. That is why I have chosen to do my blog about healthcare issues. Some issue will be serious and hopefully somewhat educational while others I hope you will find funny yet enlightening. ~
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