Mental Health - Escape From A World Of Insanity

Far too often the pressures of daily life get the best of folks down and sometimes we react in crazy ways or worse. With the economic situation in this country and much of the rest of the world, just trying to make a living can really weigh on average people who are struggling with the day to day task of putting food on the table and keeping the bills paid each week. The unemployment rate is very high, fuel prices have driven up the cost of almost everything and some employers are cutting worker's wages and benefits, all of which has put a financial strain on most households. Each of us needs some kind of release to help cope with difficult times - something to take our minds off of the daily grind. It can be something simple and inexpensive as long as it is something that can provide a measure of mental relief and renewal. Whatever it may be for you, find and make use of a good release from a world of insanity. The following is a personal example of temporary escape from the pressure of everyday life:

Trying To Preserve My Sanity

Today is November 7, 2011 and I'm sitting in a rundown old house near Nebo, Illinois. A group of five deer hunters, including myself, are in Pike County enjoying the early part of a week of bow hunting. This is the first opportunity in all my 53 years to have the privilege of a hunt like this where there are deer of the quality that this beautiful part of the country holds. It is warm and raining at this moment and as I look out the window of this old house, a pheasant is walking down the edge of the gravel road just 40 feet from the house. That's right – a pheasant! Where it came from is anybody's guess. Better hunting weather is predicted toward the middle of the week and hopefully that will prove to be accurate because the rut is getting underway and the bucks are chasing does persistently.

This hunt is the realization of a dream from as far back as my memory will take me and the other guys are a really good bunch to be able to share this experience with. Even more than the realization of a dream, this is also a therapeutic experience as well. My time spent in the woods or on the water does wonders for my sanity. The pressures and disappointments of life can sometimes become a suffocating burden, but when I'm twenty feet up in a tree or on a creek so far away from a highway that man made sounds are few or nonexistent those problems can be put on the back burner. This morning some of us were excited to see a monster buck chasing a huge doe. She was so big that we were looking for antlers. A sighting such as this causes us to look forward to the rest of the week's hunt with heightened anticipation - a buck like that is exactly what we hope to get within bow range before week's end.

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

At 6 A.M. we are sitting in our home away from home as the rain pours from the sky and the forecast calls for rain and thunderstorms all day – not very safe conditions for sitting in a tree stand. Four of us are sitting in the living room as one of the guys plays the guitar. The other guy is still in bed. We are thinking of going to find a diner to get some hot breakfast. Weather conditions are supposed to be better for deer hunting starting tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to that. In the meantime though, it is quite enjoyable to sit and listen to the music and sing along once in a while. Hunting has not been great for the first couple of days, but the experience of being in Pike County, the "Golden Triangle" as it sometimes is referred to, is something that I'll remember and treasure for the rest of my life. Just to see the incredible size of the deer in this area leaves me in awe. These created wonders are a testimony of the amazing power and wisdom of the master Designer.

"The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters."

Thursday, November 10, 2011

The weather was considerably better for hunting today in Pike County Illinois which made for a more enjoyable day. All the guys in our group saw deer this afternoon. Things seem to be looking up for our chances of taking some good bucks. There is nothing more beautiful and relaxing than the deer woods cloaked in fall colors with deer moving calmly about. The peaceful solitude of sitting high in a tree watching and hearing nothing but the sights and sounds of nature helps keep me sane. This afternoon a half grown fawn came in and browsed a while and then laid down and took a nap for half an hour just 30 yards from the tree I'd climbed. I named the little buck after my precious little grandson. Tomorrow mornings weather forecast gives promise of another good day in the woods and so with much anticipation we sit and talk about where each of us will hunt at daybreak.

We've finished eating our supper and as we sit around the living room of this old dilapidated house that has been home for six days now, we are enjoying the sounds of music. Three of the guys are pretty good with a guitar and there's a little bit of singing as well, though that part is not so great. This week of hunting and the company of some really good guys has been an experience that will be treasured for the rest of my life. Even so, the old saying "there's no place like home" is certainly true and I'm really missing my family and especially my sweet little grandson. He's two and one half and is the light of my life. How can a little boy capture the heart of a 53 year old man so completely? One of the most precious sounds I've ever heard is that sweet child calling me "Poppy". It's really going to be great to see that boy again in a couple of days.

For now we are getting ready to settle into bed and get some much needed rest before rising at 4:00 A.M. and heading back to the woods. Tomorrow is the last full day of this week's dream hunt and hopefully we can all be successful and make this an absolutely fulfilling experience for each of us.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Today was the last day of our Pike County hunt. This morning we got out of bed at 4:00 A.M. as we have all week long but this morning there was a sense of sadness that our hunt is coming to an end. Yet there was also a feeling of relief and anticipation that we are going to go back home to be with the ones we love. I have missed my little grandson more than words can express and can't wait to pick him up and kiss his cheek and hear him say "Poppy".

We are leaving Illinois with the same number of deer that we came with. The weather early this week was not good for deer hunting but improved late in the week. Two of the guys got shots but missed. Such is the world of bow hunting for deer! This morning we hunted until 9:00 A.M. and then packed up to head home. I saw three shooter bucks this morning but all of them came through about 100 yards away. One of them was the quality of buck I came to Illinois hoping to see. He was huge and he was hot on the trail of a doe but she led him up and over the hillside and out of my sight. The other two were not quite as nice but were nice enough that I'd have taken one of them if possible. Two of the other guys saw shooter bucks this morning as well but also didn't have a chance to shoot. So we are heading home with no deer but with rich experiences to store away in our memory banks. One day I hope to be blessed with another opportunity to go on a hunt where the big bucks roam and maybe finally have the dream encounter of a lifetime with a 180 class deer. For now, though, I'll cherish this experience in another part of the creation and look forward to new opportunities to spend time in the woods. It is experiences such as the past week that help me keep my sanity. The pressures and disappointments that come with everyday life in this world seem to fade into the distance when I'm in the woods or on a creek somewhere. Everyone needs to find something such as this that takes them away from their problems and the weight of everyday life.

Experiences With Chiropractors, Pain and DJD

Back and neck pain have been a part of my life from a very early age even as far back as my late teens. The pain has been very difficult to deal with at times as the back pain occasionally renders me almost completely incapacitated and the neck pain quite often results in excruciating, blinding headaches. Through the accumulated help of various medical doctors and chiropractors, I've learned some ways to help to deal with the pain and even to lessen the frequency and severity of pain. Ideally, as anyone who suffers with pain on a regular basis would agree, the goal is to eliminate pain altogether but that is not always possible.

Beginning in my early to mid twenties, I began regular visits to a chiropractor and experienced significant relief between appointments. Appointments during the following 12 to 14 years were not at set intervals but were on an as needed basis. The chiropractor that had been seeing me during that period of time practiced manipulation of the spine through means of "popping" the spine and by about age 38 my neck pain had become so severe and consistent that I could no longer tolerate having my neck "popped". At the urging of a friend, I went to visit a chiropractor that used pressure point manipulation techniques that have a similarity to acupuncture. This type of treatment has proven helpful and has allowed me to cope with the pain into my early 50's.

This is not to suggest that chiropractic treatments alone have provided relief, but rather that these treatments combined with other means of dealing with the pain have helped with the severity and frequency of pain. Back and neck exercises that involve stretching and strengthening techniques have been a great help and I've done these regularly for over 17 years. Anyone with access to the internet can do a search for back and neck exercises to learn more about the different exercises that are helpful in this area. At about age 40, an orthopedic doctor diagnosed me with Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) and prescribed physical therapy. The therapist taught me some new exercises that have also been a help in my daily struggle to deal with pain. Learning the benefits of using heat and ice as needed has also provided an additional way to help deal with the pain. Another form of therapy that has proven beneficial is the use of an inversion table. The one that I have is made by Teeter Hang Ups and has given a great deal of relief through the decompression of the spine that it provides. Fortunately, surgery has not been recommended to this point and that is a step that is best avoided as long as possible because it seems so many have surgeries that do not provide relief and often increase pain rather than relieve it.  

As suggested by the title, the purpose of this publication is very simply to try to help people in everyday life deal with health and fitness issues as they pertain to folks just trying to stay healthy enough to work and do the things they enjoy. It is not nor is it meant to be professional advice – that will be left to doctors, chiropractors and therapists. The purpose is simply to share some ideas that have worked to help me cope with some physical issues and hopefully they will help others as well. My search for relief from pain as a result of DJD will not end as long as the pain exists and other practical ideas for dealing with or eliminating pain caused by this disease would be welcomed. As with many things, what works for one may not work as well for another. May we all discover the road to better health and fitness!

What Weight Loss Ideas Really Work?

Every day we are bombarded from all sides with people touting this weight loss program and that weight loss idea. It is quite obvious from all this rhetoric about losing weight that many people are looking for ways to slim down. An internet search for weight loss programs and ideas will literally pull up millions of results – my search showed 184,000,000. That averages out to close to one weight loss idea for every two people living in the US. Sure, there are probably a lot of duplicate results in that search, but it still gives us an indication of the multitude of ideas that are being pushed as solutions to personal weight issues among Americans. It seems we are obsessed with losing weight and maybe rightfully so, given the escalating percentage of Americans who are significantly over their idea weight according to the so-called experts in this field.

So if you are among those of us who could stand to lose a few, or maybe quite a few pounds, what do you do? Who do you believe? What really works? The answer may very well be that what works for some may not work for others. That would help to explain the glut of weight loss ideas that are thrown at us from every form of media. Personally, I've found from experience that the one thing that will work for everyone is just simply don't eat – anything! Oh, this was not an intentional experiment, but when I had my tonsils taken out at age 47, I just couldn't eat for about ten days – 20 pounds gone just like that! I'm not recommending that as a means of losing weight, just saying it absolutely will work.

Reasonably, the best solution for those trying to lose those extra pounds is going to be to incorporate a program that combines eating better foods with smaller servings and increased exercise. There is no question that if we take in more calories than our bodies burn, we are going to gain pounds and inches. That's just the way it is! Excess body fat is not just an issue of appearance, but can also lead to other serious health problems when a person gets well beyond their ideal weight. Anyone who wishes to learn how to eat better and exercise to lose weight can find help on the internet or in books and magazines dedicated to those subjects. Surely there are weight loss ideas out there that will work for most everyone. It's just a matter of finding the right fit for each one's individual needs. Possibly the real issue for many will simply be making the determination that "I'm going to start and stick with it"!

How many times have you seen a weight loss program that talks of how many pounds their participants have lost and then the fine print says that the results are not typical? Would you be interested in a program that claims their results are typical?

If so, check this out!

Muscle building workouts for skinny guys!

What young man hasn't had thoughts of working out and putting on more muscle; thoughts of getting stronger? How many have spent hours working out at home or in a gym somewhere and really never achieved the desired results? Strength training programs and muscle building workouts take significant effort, dedication and persistence to get the results you are seeking. The problem so many encounter is that no matter how much effort is put into the workouts, these guys often just seem to kind of "spin their wheels" and end up getting discouraged and then quit. Wouldn't it be great if these "hardgainers" and "skinny guys" could learn a secret to help gain muscle? Wouldn't it be great if there was someone who could offer muscle gaining secrets for an average young man who is trying to get the body of his dreams?

There actually are programs now that are designed to help regular folks build muscle, even a young man who doesn't have the time or resources to follow a professional body builder's regiment. What is needed for someone who has always found it difficult to build muscle is a guide that helps eliminate the ways that don't work and teach the correct way to workout. Nutritional instruction may be needed as well, because no amount of strength training is going to produce the desired results if the muscles are not getting the fuel they require to grow. You need muscle building foods to see increase in muscle mass.

Could you use some help with your workout?  For no nonsense muscle building instruction, GO HERE!