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You guys know I love when thing happen organically. Something wonderful happened today that gave me hope!

Covid has had the worse triggering effect on people. Social media, conservative news, sometimes just the news in general. We have Covid. We had the election which was totally nuts. Then the capital riot. Now we have Covid Delta. We have vaccinations. The list goes on!

I don’t want to rehash the past. To be able to cope with this crazy world and alternate reality early on I identified being triggered as the big issue. I found folks I needed to help me deal with this and thru some hard work was able to not be triggered (for the most part). In order for me to do the work as a psych nurse and be part of the team at Treasure Coast I had to take care of myself.

This is where I landed. I honestly don’t care what people believe because there is no arguing with them.

The psychiatric community has really disappointed me because they are not really talking about this. No one is. We just get up and go to work and follow what ever protocol we have to follow. We (healthcare workers) do what we can to make the best of a bad situation.

I also run a bunch of local newsgroups that encompasses the Treasure Coast. Some are quiet! Some are quite active and a lot of triggering goes on. My friend Dawn and I have done a great job managing but sometimes I just turn off the comments.

Last night i approved this in one of our groups.

This is what happened! Not only was it a great post but the most wonderful thing happened. A lot of people didn’t read the post so they were totally triggered. Right behind them was another group of members who kindly told them to re-read the post. People did and most laughed. People were being kind and working together which is really all I want in my world.

When you laugh you raise your endorphins!

The psychologist Daniel Goleman refers to “amygdala hijack,” an intense emotional reaction that’s dramatically disproportionate to the situation. When a person has been triggered, their emotions take over, and they see the world through a distorted lens. Being triggered and understanding how to control that is imperative. Not just with this but with everything.

Wouldn’t you rather be happy?

Here is a good article!

Amygdala Hijack: When Emotion Takes Over

You can google there are loads of good articles! My best advice is to find something that resonates with you and use it to decrease your triggering reaction. Please don’t make me write about the negative effect of stress on your body! Please! Google it like a grown up!

When I’m stressed out I crank up the radio! Nothin like a little Blue Oyster Cult (better than prozac!) Give it a try!

The biggest thank you to Tommy Trail Jr. You healed our group! You gave me faith!

Lastly, I think a mandatory vacation sounds like a swell idea!

DOC VS GLOCKS: TAKE A BREATH!

I’m going make a request of all of you and especially of all the doctors out there. If someone goes off in your office take a breath. I’m not asking you to sit in a corner and om. One breath. Maybe two. Maybe three.

Shallow breathing causes anxiety. Deep breathing causes relaxation.

If that doesn’t work take this into a private place and sing it.

I guarantee when your done you will feel better. Guaranteed or your money back.

While your calming yourself down think about what your dealing with. Your dealing with people who feel that they are being harassed. What do you do? Make it worse.

I’m referring to the original mess when the pediatrician in Ocala was trying to council a mother on guns and she went off with the question. This is where it all went wrong. I remember getting upset with my pediatrician when my son was young when he told me my son was allergic to my dog and I needed to get rid of my dog. I didn’t. He was allergic to the bird btw and cats.  I didn’t go off on him. I just ignored him. Of course, we all know now the thinking on that has changed.

You have the right to disagree with your doctor and he has the right to disagree with you. I know it frustrating. But the issue here is the “going off” behavoir.  I understand! Last year when I sitting in the hospital after getting my gall bladder out I had a a parade of doctors yelling at me. (except for my surgeon he was awesome and when it’s time for my appendix to go I want him!).

I have suggested to some of my workmates when I wrote my “How to meditate” program that it was the Doctors and the doctors offices that needed it. This makes my clients laugh which is also a great way to calm down.

One you take that first deep breath it gets easier every day until the day comes that you take that one breath and all the upsetness goes away.

I think if everyone just went to their corners and took a breath this ridiculous law would have never happened.

After you’ve take your deep breath. Tell that person in the nicest doctor voice you have. (Think George Clooney on ER).  (Really channel that inner George Clooney awesome tv pediatrician)

Say this.

“I hear you!”

Then take another breath and offer that person a private place to calm themselves down and in fact offer that deep breath to them.

If you have a mother that is going off on you don’t get mad. How much sleep has she had? Has she been eating? What’s going in her life? Is she usually rationale? You have no idea at this point what her coping skills are and what she has been going thru. We all have bad days. Even you the doctor channeling George Clooney on ER.

Make it a better day.

http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/meditation/meditation-for-you/meditation-for-doctors

“Dr. Devi Shetty, a famous cardiac surgeon in Bangalore (whom I once happened to meet on a visit to India). He told me something very interesting which I’d like to share with you. He said that while a doctor’s body needs to endure long hours of standing to perform an operation, his mind has to be equally or more fit to endure the stressful long hours. This is when he let me in on his secret: meditation.

Dr. Shetty also said that a surgeon getting into pressure and anxiety does not help the patient and so meditation helps keep the mind calm and relaxed so that we are able to support the patient in turn. I was quite touched by his words and immediately felt the need to write to you and share this.”

Let’s make it a better day for all and be a little kinder to our fellow travelers. Yes this means you the doctor and you the patient and even you the NRA.

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Healthcare workers: Listen don’t judge

As a nurse,   I  get to interact with all kinds of patients. Many who make a full time job of going to the doctors. those who hate going to the doctors, those who go and don’t listen, those who go and follow all instructions to a t.
As a patient. I’m a bad patient. Not really really bad. I just have a lot of disagreements with what is the right path. And honestly I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to be talked to – i want to have a conversation.

My first  trip to the hospital in 33  years had to do with a nasty gallbladder. All kinds of health care practitioners marched into my room in the er and even my sister remarked “well you won’t be eating that food anymore.”

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