Mental Health

Why You Should Apply Some Stoicism To Your Life

In other words; We can't be in control over what happens but we can be in control over how we approach things. We can take control over our own minds; our thoughts, emotions and actions and be the captain steering the boat in different waters and weather. You'll have to distance yourself from your thoughts and emotions and embrace life as it happens with calmness. This is how you'll achieve peace of mind. A strong sense of self awareness is needed for this to be possible.

The name stoicism comes from the stoa Poikile the decorated public colonnade where the philosophers gathered for discussion. 

The Stoics thought that (practical) ethics was the most important component of their philosophy: it was about how to live one’s life in the best possible way.


To be honest, it's just a few years since I heard of this philosophy(even though I've been living this mindset my whole life) and boy every time I think of psychology and how to deal with our own minds and the world around us I think why the fuck didn't I learn anything about this in school. So frustrating, and still is not taught.
Well, I've been and am a firm believer in and follower of this mindset since as long as I can remember with an exception of a few years in my teens but since the age of 19 I have been extremely conscious about how I treat my mind and body, myself and others. To say it as cliché as always, I am my house which I can not escape so I better be gentle. Really, I have to treat it well or else I'll suffer like crazy and life is too short to do that.

Stoicism has just a few central teachings. It sets out to remind us of how unpredictable the world can be. How brief our moment of life is. How to be steadfast, calm, strong, and in control of yourself not matter what happens. And finally, that the source of our dissatisfaction lies in our impulsive dependency on our reflexive senses rather than logic.

So, the stoics try to deal with the world as it is, while pursuing self improvement trough four cardinal virtues:


Wisdom:
Practical wisdom is the ability to navigate complex situations in a logical informed and calme manner.

Courage:
Face daily challenges with clarity and integrity.

Justice
Treating others with fairness even when they have done wrong.

Temper:
The expertise of self restraint and moderation in all aspects of life.

If this doesn't sound like a great philosophy to live life by I'm not sure which planet you're on. Then it is definitely YOU who need to implement this pattern to your daily habits. Too many people these days suffer more from their mind than what reality tells them. Life is all about perspective and if you do not realise it, good luck. Perhaps you'll figure out on your death bed but then its too late. If you are one of those who take life seriously, are easily tempered and blame others for your misfortune and misery its time to start rewire your mind. Life is way better being happy and content every minute every day, always. Embrace what happens with gratitude, meaning, purpose and love, and you'll end up with a peaceful mind.

It’s a tool that we can use to become better in our craft, better friends and better people.

Logotheraphy is also worth taking notice of, its based on stoic principles and is a concept framed by Viktor Frankel who survived a concentration camp.  Logotherapy is a term derived from the words “logos,” a Greek word that translates as “meaning,” and therapy, which is defined as treatment of a condition, illness, or neurosis. It teaches that you can find meaning in every situation you're in, even the most miserable ones. The theory is founded on the belief that human nature is motivated by the search for a life purpose.

Read the famous lettes from Seneca here
The most famous one: Shortness of Life you can find here.
Check out the video below for a brief introduction made by TED.

Tim Ferriss is such a fan and brag about it whenever he gets the chance, which is great. He spreads the word. He also have made a list of great Stoicism resources. Check it out here.

How to apply it by Tim Ferriss

Why I Am Vegan

Lots of people become vegan because they feel sorry for the animals. Me? Because I cherish my body too much and want to stay well and live as long as I possibly can (next to caring for the planet and animals of course)
I didn't even consider going vegan, it just happened. Due to allergies and stomach problems I was forced to change my eating habits 8 years ago. Animal milk, gluten and sugar had to leave my diet. To begin with it was such a struggle, cause I was used to eat yoghurt, lots of cheese and bread. Yes that typical Norwegian way of eating. But after a few weeks I started to get to know my body, I got this connection I never experienced, it started to tell me what it needed and what I should stay away from. Before I had just eaten everything and thought that feeling bloated and sick was how it was supposed to be. Like just 10 years ago the ignorance when it came to food was super high, its even lots of ignorance today but then.. gluten allergy? Milk allergi? Wtf is that? My dad, which is a doctor, didn't even believe that I could be intolerant to gluten and milk, that was too alien info for him. But what started to happen was that my body start telling me that all animal products wasn't good for me, I started to eat plant based and felt sick just if I ate some pieces of dead animals. I felt heavy, tired, foggy and my digestion became worse every time. So why should I continue eating it when health was not optimal? And the less I started eating it the better I felt both mentally and physically. I had energy, strength and clearity like never before, how come I hadn't done this yeaaars ago? I actually to be honest had abstinence for three weeks when I quit animal products, which I thought was crazy. How can something be healthy when I crave it like a drug? It did not at all feel good, and had me thinking even more about how this must be just a big joke forced upon us by society and big brands wanting to earn money. Yes, people argue that we always have been eating that, but as hunters we were never were able to catch a prey every day and eat in such huge amounts that we do today, perhaps we got met every once in a while but several times a day, no. And we had no choice but to eat it because there were not much else but now, we can access all of the worlds options of food just 500 meters a way to the closest grocery store. We can get all the vitamins and minerals we need from countless food items. Plants, fruits, nuts in abundance. Why should we then stick to meat who doesn't feed us with all the essentials of vitamins and minerals we need? Doesn't make sense. We live in a time of luxury, with a preventive pharmacy next door. Lets just start in that end of the circle right? Not actually eat meat and then having to go to the "real" business pharmacy to get drugs??

The environmental benefits of being vegan means a lot to me as well. Not only is it bad for our health but also for our planet. How come we do it? Such a fucked up species just thinking about ourselves in the moment. 

The movie "What the health" give us an accurate picture on whats going on, you should definitely watch it and perhaps consider being of service to yourself and the world?

Why not leave a legacy, make an impact and stay well? What the Health is the best documentary on this topic so far and leading scientists within this field are featured. Watch trailer below.

But first of all you should watch this, more than worth 15 min of your time.

Let me know what you think?

Are We Too Dumb To Smile?

At least David Shrigley is having a blast.

How do you feel when someone smile at you or when you hear someone laughing? 

Good? Yes? 

Do you ever get this instant sensation of happiness? Yes?  I do.

Think about it, how often do you smile? How many times a day do you smile to a stranger or to the people you surround yourself with at work? How about your friends? Family? And most important, to yourself, either in the mirror or when you take a selfie? 
Can you even recall when the last time was and what made it happen?

Simply seeing someone smiling a delight arise within me, not only for a few seconds but for minutes. Seeing people smile or laugh from afar or even just by watching someone on a screen elevates my level of joy and fills my face with a grin immediately. It’s the best thing I know. Smiling feels like a shot of love entering my blood vessels going straight to my brain. If I get a smile from a stranger I can think about that smile until I fall asleep that night.

Science confirms the reason of our awe when smiling with a study showing that 1 smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2000 bars of chocolate. The same study found that smiling is as stimulating as receiving up to 16 000 pounds in cash. 25K a smile. Well, that’s insane. 

And it get me thinking, when this is the effect smiling has upon us, how come I do not see smiles more frequently throughout a day? 

Research shows that kids laugh and smile 300 times or more a day. But statistics shows that the average adult only smile 20 times. Now I understand why the most of us feel happier when around kids. Even I who loves smiling may find myself smiling only between 5-40 times a day. Thats hilarious. Embarrassing. Really.

How come we don't smile more often when we are aware of the fact that it has a huge effect on us and the people around us?

Hell yeah.

It’s so simple, so easy. You can either fake it or real it. Fake or real. It doesn't matter which one you pick. The real one might look better outwards, but still, you get the same results according to research. 

Lets dig into some more detailed benefits before we start reflecting on why we aren’t doing it

  • Smiling makes you healthier. What happens when you smile is that the feel-good neurotransmitters dopamine, endorphins and serotonin are being released. This relaxes your body and reduces stress, it lowers your heart rate and blood pressure and it affects your sleep to the better. The endorphins act as a natural pain reliever and the serotonin which is released serves as an anti-depressant/mood lifter. Many of today's pharmaceutical anti-depressants also influence the levels of serotonin in your brain. 
     
  • It improves your immune system. It has been reported that when you’re smiling, the body releases more white blood cells than it usually does. And the prime purpose of white blood cells are to protect the body against both infectious diseases and foreign invaders. So, smiling more often actually makes your body more immune to diseases and hence makes you healthier.
     
  • It also make you look good in other peoples eyes. A recent study at Penns university found that when you smile you don’t only appear to be more likable and courteous but you actually appear to be more competent. 
     
  • Smiling also helps to generate more positive emotions within. The best thing is that when you smile, your brain is aware of the activity and keeps track of it. The more you smile, the more effective you are at breaking the brains tendency to think negatively. And for us when we look better and sleep better we feel better.
     
  • Smiling is contagious. Not only are you balsaming your body and soul but you also nurture others with the glory of your joy. It’s an amazing gift to give someone, you brighten up someone's day immensely. There is no better way to serve someone. 

So there you go, want a more happy and relaxed mind and body? Simply, just smile.

Here comes the golden thought, what the h.. is wrong with us since we only smile 20 times a day?

Do we just wake up one day and decide to stop smiling and laughing? 

I don’t think so.

Are we consciously trying not to smile or laugh?

I don’t think that’s the case either.

Perhaps we got so soar in our mouth muscles of smiling from our early adulthood that we basically can’t do it no more?

Nahh.

Are we afraid of looking silly when we smile? Are we afraid of smiling somewhere it's not appropriate to smile?

Don’t think that is how it is for most of us either. But, I think we are onto something...

It’s a subconscious habit that definitely has something to do with our culture, our society, our norms. Not smiling has become the standard way, a part of our body language, basically since to be able to smile more than 20 times we have to force ourselves consciously to remember to smile.

A real tragicomedy.

It cuts so deep in the structure of our society. School and adulthood educate us on how to be a zombie and we agree. We accept siting in our tight, unfresh classroom, being talked too, not encouraged to ask questions or to use creativity. We are just told to sit down, listen and do as we are told. We all wave and say good bye curiosity and flow state, our new mantra.

How come we ended up lost in thoughts and imprisoned by our emotions?

When I was 19 I figured out that I had to turn this bad habit around and force myself to smile more often everyday. But still, up to this day, I forget about it and have to remind myself over and over again. It’s only when I’m in an environment with others who do smile that I don’t have to consciously think about it. Than it becomes all natural suddenly I’m a part of this contagious choir of broad smiles.

So you can choose not to let your subconsciousness control you by becoming aware of that this is the force driving you. So, rebell and react differently. Take back control. It's not easy, but its definitely possible. What I do to get my grin going is to listen to podcasts that I know will make me smile and laugh out loud. I always try to smile to myself in the mirror and I always laugh a bit longer when I actually catch myself laughing.

Here is a list for you on how to remember to smile more often (yes we are so dumb that we need someone to make a list for us on how to remember how to smile..)

  • Write SMILE with big letters on your mirror, reminding you to smile to yourself whenever you look in the mirror
     
  • Have a person smiling big time on your computer screen or as wallpaper on your phone
     
  • Start smiling to everyone; strangers, colleagues, friends, family, and yourself. and everyone will start smiling at you and a healthy circle starts developing.
     
  • Laugh at peoples jokes no matter if they are bad or noe, just use any opportunity you got to either laugh or smile, and consciously keep laughing or smiling for as long as you can, push the limits
     
  • Listen to podcasts, sound clips or video clips that you know will make you smile everyday. Play it over and over again, throughout the day
     
  • Seek joyful places, hang around kids, kindergarten, preschool etc, and other places where you’ll find people smiling and laughing
     
  • Play more, fail more, run around like a kid
     
  • Laugh inside, and smile outside when seeing miserable, grumpy, ungrateful people

What you definitely should start with is to start observing yourself, your physical behavior and mental pattern. As I'm pointing out earlier and will continue to point out on all my following posts is that you can manipulate yourself. You can manipulate yourself to the better and to the worse. Your ego loves to level your happiness down, but you can keep raising the level of joy acting consciously. Take a 3rd perspective look on yourself. As a surveillance camera analyzing whats going on, this way you can catch yourself and change your behavior quite easily and efficiently. Start implementing smiling and laughing this way.  

I've also got one challenge for you, I dare you (myself included) to smile to at least 3 strangers everyday starting now. I’d love to hear how it goes, I’d love to hear if you noticed any change, if it made you feel better or gain any new friends or strengthen your relationships with people at work etc.

I’m rarely being smiled at when walking on the street, if so solely by elder people. even when I smile at people, they dont smile back. Crazy, right..  But now, I'll be waiting for yours.

Help set the new standard, be the example the world needs.

Good luck!

How Come We Do Not Learn In School What Being A Human Is All About?

Why is it so that we don't have a subject in school focusing on the human mind, body and how we interact with society, today?

Why is it so that we shall grow up and enter adult life without knowing anything about the house in which we live 24/7 and are incapable of escaping from?

Why is it so that we go to school for a major part of our life but we don't learn about who we are, why we behave the way we do, what our feelings, emotions and sensations is all about, why we think the way we do, how our environment, behavior, thought patterns and early childhood experiences affects our present moment and future?

Why don't we learn to interact with each other in best possible ways so that we can skip conflicts due to misunderstanding in our communication? 

Why don't we learn that everyone has a unique point of view because of how they grew up, with whom, where, culture and different experiences and language?

Why don't we learn that 80% of physical human communication is body language, and that even the pitch of our voice make the person immediately judge us or put us in a box?

Why don't we learn to see the world from a openhearted and non judgmental perspective?


Why don't we learn that neither of what we think nor feel is real, that most of it is formed by society? And that we don't have to agree?

Why don't we learn
 to be the observer of our own minds, to take a step back and perceive ourself like we're in a movie, observing what we think, how we speak and behave in all situations?

Why don't we learn to manipulate ourselves to the better, when we know that smiling, physical contact, exercising, eating healthy, body posture it all affects how we feel inside? Why don't we learn to manipulate ourself happy when its absolutely possible?

Why don't we learn to keep playing, smiling and laughing as much as we did as children?

Why don't we learn that by serving others, lifting others up we lift ourselves too? 

Why do we have to be occupied by unnecessary stress, anxiety and internal mess, when we don't have to?

If we learned all this in school wouldn't that free up our time, clear our mental space and give us energy to learn, focus and actually perceive learning as fun?
Wouldn't we perform better, when in peace, at ease and contentment with ourselves? 
Doesn't this foster curiosity and creativity for futher learning?

Why is it so that we are not to be taught this unless we seek it ourselves?

Do we really have to be trapped in other peoples or our own dogma?

And most important of all, why don't we learn to love ourselves?

Why Don't We Create the Subject "How To Be Human" and Make it Mandatory in School, ASAP

mind.art

Why? Cause we can't continue neither reading nor writing about these kinds of situations in the media (a girl being spit in the face by her teacher) plus live next to people suffering because of lack of knowledge what the human mind is all about. 

If it is something that can make me truly furious it's this, shortage in comprehension regarding mental health. So many people suffer from different mental illnesses yet there still is too much ignorance out walking.

After my observations of close friends which is diagnosed this just worsen it all. The absence of love and understanding from their surrounding fils the affected person up with shame and anxiety. And in most of the cases it just tear things further apart instead of brick by brick restoring it back together. Boom the person, relatives and other relationships are trapped in this mess for a long time, maybe even forever.

If you ask me, the education of psychology, psychiatry and the human mind in general should start in an early age, already in kindergarten and follow throughout elementary school. The subject could for instance be called “How to be human” and should be at least once a week. As highly prioritized as any other subject. Meditation, empathy, mindfullness, cognitive learning, how to build better relationships etc, all these tools to get to know yourself, your body and others better. To widen our perspective of the world and society and how everything functions and fits together.

When employees up until this day working hands on with humans ends up spitting children in the face because of little understanding of what mental health really is all about, then something is wrong. 
Get rid of prejudice, shame and ignorance,  ASAP.

All though, I think the future is bright, we evolve too slow. It shouldn’t be taboo no more, but it demands science to join forces with school and the masses. 

Psychosis, A General Overview

Hard Core Mental Illness, Science infused with a few Thoughts.

Art Piece By Justin Bower

Not only is psychosis hard core mental illness but it’s probably the worst mental state your body can ever access. It’s the most damaging thing for your brain tissue, one of the most terrifying things people in your life can experience and the most dangerous for yourself and your surroundings.
Your wealth and overall health can be totally destroyed and it can be confusing and scary as hell. And at last, it’s completely invisible to the eye, which makes it extremely difficult for everyone to make sense of.

About 3 out of 100 people will experience a psychotic outbreak at some point in their lives and its most likely to happen in late teens, early 20s, or late 20s especially for men. What happens and how can vary from person to person. It can even vary from time to time, if one person gets it several times. 

It might be a bit scary to watch from afar but just visualize the person having gotten a virus on his brain, or have cancer in the brain or the flu in the brain. Something like that. He is not possessed by the devil, so no shame.

But, what exactly is psychosis?

Well, even scientist can't seem to fully figure it out. Some theories are out there but we literally have no clue. If you search the web you'll find different explanations but mostly of symptoms. According to our go-to online encyclopedia, wikipedia, the definition of psychosis is:

"A severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality"

So, when you lose touch with whats real and see, hear, or believe things that aren’t real, that indeed we call psychosis.
Psychosis is a symptom, not an illness per se, and its caused by a mental or physical illness, drug abuse, extreme stress or trauma.  When in psychosis it’s normal to have at least one of the following conditions.

An Interesting fact is that the psychotic person may not always find these experiences distressing. It is even possible to stay in work and function at a high level in life even if one has these experiences.

But, let’s dig deeper into what these symptoms really means;

Hallucinations

Hallucinations is when you see, hear or feel things which are not actually there, like

  • Seeing things which other people do not see

  • Feeling someone touching you who is not there

  • Smelling things which other people cannot

  • Hearing voices

Delusions

These are beliefs that are not true according to our society and may seem irrational to others. Such as

  • you are being followed by secret agents or members of the public

  • people are out to get you or trying to kill you. Strangers, friends or family members

  • something has been planted in your brain to monitor your thoughts

  • you have special powers, are on a special mission or in some cases that you are a God or Jesus

Motor disturbances / Catatonia

Catatonia is a state of neurogenic motor immobility and behavioral abnormality.
Characterized by a cluster of signs and symptoms including mutism, stupor/immobility, staring, posturing, negativism, withdrawal, rigidity, and autonomic abnormalities.
Either excessive abnormal movements or frozen in a posture for a long time is normal.

Thought Disorder

Thought disorder describes an underlying disturbance to conscious thought and is classified largely by its effects on speech and writing. Specific thought disorders include derailmentpoverty of speechtangentialityillogicalityperseverationneologism, and thought blocking. The affected person shows loosening of associations and in severe form speech becomes incomprehensible and it is known as "word salad"

Cognitive Experiences

Cognitive experiences are ones that relate to mental action; such as learning, thinking, remembering and functioning. Such as

  • being unable to sustain attention

  • memory problems

  • unable to take on information

  • poor decision making

  • trouble interpreting social cues of others

All this might sound awful, am I right?

Well, you know what, for many people these experiences in psychosis is actually heaven (and hell at the same time), and once you’re out of it, life as a normal person will appear dull and completely pointless. The constant attacks and explosions of thoughts and colors, meanings, purpose, discussions and other fun experiences have vanished and now it all seems grey and monoton. This can lead the person to actually wishing to go back to that state or else get super depressed by the lack of circus. 
To make sense of it it is as if you’re on drugs. High, ecstatic and full of life and ideas. Its either a good trip or a bad one. You see, the same neurotransmitters and endorphins are being produced in the brain and body. Your brain is on max, running wild, there are several theater scenes and characters talking all playing in your head at the same time. Your brain goes so fast that its no wonder it burns itself up(which is almost what happens) For those of us who have never tried drugs the closest is to become mental ill yourself or else there is no way to understand. Or lets try this, do you remember a time where you were more scared than ever before or in complete adrenaline rush feeling that you were going crazy? Multiple that with 1000 and thats how it feels.

Early signs
The development of a psychosis might flourish from these things but sometimes psychosis also can appear out of the blue for any reason.

  • Withdrawal, isolation

  • Loss of motivation, purpose

  • Sleep problems, or change in sleep pattern

  • Stop doing activities that one has found enjoyable before (hobbies, sports etc..)

  • Depression

  • Anxiety, ie scared of leaving the house, panic attacks

  • Is extremely interested in one specific topic all of a sudden

  • Indifferent or showing strange emotional instability

  • Not interested in cleaning their house, clothes, body etc

  • Reacting weird when something happens, ie laugh when someone is sad


What’s the reason and why?

There are many reason one can get it. Mental and physical conditions may cause it and also use of drugs.
Here are some typical examples

Physical conditions

  • Too little sleep ( many precent can be psychotic after just one sleepless night.)

  • Extreme stress

  • Parkinson

  • Dementia

  • Brain tumor

Mental Illness

  • Bipolar

  • Schizophrenia

  • Trauma

  • Anorexia


But really, how easy is it to grasp for others?

Psychosis needs to be spotted by others in able to give the person treatment, as the person has no clue himself of whats going on. Since mental illness is not for the visible eye it can be extremely difficult to spot if you have no knowledge of it. Many psychotic people can be enormously talented in covering themselves up. Seriously they could win the olympic games of masquerading themselves if that was an option that existed.
They know there is something about them which is not normal for other people and they are fully aware that revealing their "secret" might end in something bad happening to them. They have not a single clue about their own illness, they believe they’re perfectly well and nothing at all is out of order, in fact they feel they are on top of the world.
They may have a clean and perfect shiny appearance and even look way better than and outshine most people. And also, they can function in society completely normal under their own surveillance.. and rules.

Anyways, if someone you know is suddenly behaving a bit different than normal, like withdrawing or shows reduced interest in social activities or other activities that used to be enjoyable to the person, and shows suspicion that might be a sign, or suddenly if he/she starts to use a lot of money and live on the extravagant side of life, or just starts to talk and talk, move to much and nothing really makes sense as a whole.. That might be some signs.. or if the person start move his/her body in an unfamiliar way and continues to do that, or just have a difficult time finding words and putting them together and a normal way...Or just is extremely scared or not afraid at all. A sign is also if the person shifts mood in a matter of seconds and continues to do so. Or shows no emotions at all (such as facial expression and gestures) or have trouble interpreting social cues of others.

All this is in a way symptoms, but seriously, some times you need to dig deep to actually understand if something goes on. You perhaps also can see it in their eyes, if something is slightly different than earlier, that you can't seem to find the normal glance, then you're also into something.
If the person is convinced of being stalked by the police or government, then you know there is something weird happening, if this actually is just a normal citizen.
Or if the person actually believes that he/she is Jesus, God, Buddha, Allah, Elvis Presley or someone great in history.
Also remember to look at psychosis and mental illness just the same as physical illness. Think of the person as having the flu, on the brain or has cancer, brain tumor or simply is lying in the street bleeding, hit by a car or something. Its just that you lose the mental contact with the person who makes it a bit more scarier and confusing.

What physically is going on ?

Science tells us that dopamine, a chemical in the brain, is involved in psychosis. Dopamine is one of the neurotransmitters that helps to control the flow of information in the brain. If you turn on the tap of dopamine, the brain will want to take in more and more information. With psychosis, researchers says that the tap of dopamine is turned on too high, which leads to a constant rush of information that overwhelms the brain thus the medications that are most often used to treat psychosis help to control the amount of dopamine in the brain.

Why is being in psychosis harmful for the body?

Science showes when in psychosis you are under a lot of stress, and when you are high in stress, the amygdala in the brain gets over active, which results in it producing more white blood cells which makes you more prone to cardiovascular disease. Other health risks related to stress is obesity, headaches, depression, gastrointestinal problems, alzheimer's disease, accelerated aging and so on.

What do do if someone you know gets it? How to figure it out?

There is no point in trying to talk to the person about it because an absolutely clear sign of psychosis is that the person lack disease insights.
It can even worsen the situation cause the person might end up avoiding you or running away, even run out of the country with no traces left behind is a typical case.
If you're suspicious call the persons doctor, or the police or the hospital. Or some relatives first to see if they know what is happening. Do not be scared to do so. Remember you are doing your friend a favor. Not making him turn into a dement vegetable for the rest of his life, which will happen if the person doesn't get treatment. And you go not want the person to get dementia an early age, with no reverse opportunities? do you?

What to do if you find out that you have it? 

Well, most definitely you won't. Most people in psychosis believe they are perfectly normal, indeed they are not just normal they are unique beings with superpowers very often.

Recovery and treatment

I’ts important to get treatment as soon as possible.
What happens if you have it over a long period and many times or don’t get treated?
Well your brain pretty much eats itself up and it turns into dementia. And then, there is no way back. You end up as a vegetable which you now have to be for the rest of your life. And that, thats a sad story. For everyone involved. That my friends, are why you need to help out as.

Medication and a good therapist is needed, the therapist should be a safe anchor and give the patient their fullest attention with understanding and empathy, most importantly respect. Remember, the person affected is in complete chaos and frustration and have no idea who he is or what the world is or nothing. Completely in panic and confusion, and shame. They are so embarrassed of what they've experienced. This is a normal human being who need all the respect in the world, more than others. If not, the uncertainty and insecurity will follow and the process back to a normal life and society will be even longer.
I believe that love, compassion and being seen can help the process immensely. Some people say that one can never fully recover but that its possible to get better and have an ok meaningful life symptom free. But that is also up to the person to understand that it will probably be a handicap for the rest of its life so there is a need to understand how to avoid triggers. Good routines, sleeping enough, eating right, exercise, no stress and having loved ones near is medicine. But I guess, one should consider using medicine for sometime until all this is well established cause going of the meds can pull you right back if you are not prepared and learn to observe your thoughts mind and analyze whats happening and take action. You need to get to know yourself, that might be hard but if not, stress, lack of control, challenging situations happening abruptly will knock you right back.

Wrap Up

Psychosis is not fun. One will learn immensely either as a friend, dependent or as the one who experiences it but I dont recommend to use that as a way to grow as a person. Because, if you first get there, maybe you'll never get well. If you are super curious drugs could be used, but I dont recommend that either cause it might put you in a case that you'll end up like that for a long time. You know, drugs messes with your brain chemicals and you never know if you have the right genes for making things worse.

An interesting fact is that many great people throughout history has been suffering from mental illness and some even has reached psychosis to top it off. Apparently there is a fine line between genius and madness because they share the same genes, scientists have found.
A good story is when Van Gogh cut his ear off, that probably happened in psychosis, why else should he cut his ear of? Just for publicity and fame? No don't think that was the reason. 

Anyway final say, reach out for help if you see someone you care about shows sign of this! And show loads of respect and love. Maybe you'll be the savior that makes the whole situation a bit better. Or maybe even save his or her life.

 

If you randomly happen to understand Norwegian this is a easy graspable documentary to watch to learn more :

https://tv.nrk.no/serie/stemmene-i-hodet/KMTE30001114/sesong-1/episode-1


 

 

Goodbye 2016, You Weird and Difficult Year.

Drawing by Moi. Just to point out the exhaustion I felt.

Is it just me or was 2016 a big hassle for us all?

Well, 2016 is going down in the history books as a strange, confusing and troubled year.
I've come across a lot of people later this year, both good friends and new acquaintances that telling me that they've experienced difficulties this year, more than usual. On personal levels, relationships, jobs, anything.
Not only individuals have been facing difficulties, our civilization in general, industries and countries have been challenged. What topped it all was the unexpected win of Donald Trump in the U.S election. A climate sceptic and bully is now in one of the most important positions in the world. How is that even possible?

Also earlier this year came the Brexit vote shock, taking Britain out of the European Union. Again, whats happening? 

Ill mention a few other things.

  • The endless carnage in the Middle East and consequent refugee crisis has been all over the news for the whole year and now the, until now, disastrous climax in Aleppo.
     
  • Terror attacks from the ISIS have become more frequent in unpredictable places. TheNice attack, Brussels, Germany etc.
     
  • The worst ever mass shooting on American soil in Orlando.
     
  • The rich got richer. The Panama Papers leak pulled back the curtains on schemes by the wealthy to hide their funds in shell companies.
     
  • Diseases claimed more lives. The deadly Zika virus spread outwards from LatinAmerica and into the U.S.
     
  • There was also a growing evidence and warnings in 2016 that we are entering a post-antibiotic era where medicines will no longer work. And millions and millions of people will now die from what was once easy treatable diseases.
     
  • 2016 was also the hottest year on the planet for a very very long time.
     
  • It was also a difficult year in music with deaths of ionic artists like Prince Prince, George Michael, Leonard Cohen and David Bowie.

    Well, to also be realistic a lot of positive things have been happening too, bringing a lot of happiness to us all.
     
  • Future technology has taken the world with storm. AI (artificial intelligence) VR, nanotech, biotech etc. which will solve a lot of the things regarding health, wealth, productivity etc.
     
  • Science crossed into new frontiers. Doctors announced the birth of the first healthy three-parent baby created with DNA from three separate people. Elon Musk outlined his plan to populate Mars. We are one step closer to longevity, researcher have found out that its possible to reverse aging in mice. Also Mark Zuckerberg revealed that he is working towards a diseasless world, putting 3 billion dollars into research.
     
  • On practically every single measure, the globe today is much healthier, richer and happier than it was even half a century ago.
     
  • Veganism has become a trend in the western world.
     
  • And last but not least; The production of these amazing TV shows
    - Westworld
    - Game of Thrones
    - Skam

2016 showed us that we all need to step up.
Despite us living in the Age of Compassion, 2016 was a kick telling us that we're totally going in the wrong direction and we need to change. We all need to think new and look elsewhere for answers. Maybe it will spark creativity and some good will come out of this. I believe it will. 

And me on my end, personally, I could write a book about 2016.

(Feel free to skip this part if you like.) 

It was such a heavy year. Terrible. Full of surprises and loaded with negativity. Worst of all; it never, never ended.
2016 was such a hassle that I now believe in Zodiac foreseeing after reading about what it said about my 2016 path. At least the Chinese one. I came across that for snakes(Chinese astrology) 2016 had 1 out of 5 stars in overall luck and guess what, it couldn't be more accurate. Love life, wealth and health was all going down as low as ever. And it went on for so long that I was starting to believe that this might be the destiny of my life. My head got darker and darker and more and more foggy, my body posture just screamed exhaustion and I wasn't up for anything with anyone. Just leave me alone, folks. 
My stomach ached and all I wished for was to go to sleep and not wake up. Ever. Being close to and taking care of a severe mentally ill person demanded a lot, which was mainly what 2016 was consisting about.

Surprisingly, one day early December I went to bed with my laptop and a big smile totally took over, my wish had in a way come true. Facebook had declared me DEAD . For once the future looked bright.
I was smiling from ear to ear like: "oh wow maybe I actually am dead now? Maybe I just died? Facebook says it and Facebook IS society? Isn't it? No? Facebook knows everything and everyone. It has to be right. No? Please, let it be? So Maybe I'm not existing in the "real world" no more after all.
Hmm I still see the same things in my room and the bed and computer feel the same.. I wonder how that happened since I noticed nothing. But maybe all that stress with just living in this society and exist in a human way is taken away? Fuck I so do not hope this is a joke. I understood that it had to be some kind of flaw in the programming but seriously I was praying for it not be the case. Let me be dead. Just let me drift away. Help me out here, anyone, something. "
Well the next day I wasn't dead anymore. It was a flaw in the system. Even Mark Zuckerberg had been declared dead. "In memories of"... Damn it. Maybe I should turn religious asap so God will help me out on time next time then. Anyhow, I guess it's a reason I didn't drop dead then.

All of a sudden a shift happened in late December and I started believing that I could actually leave that struggle behind while entering 2017. My energy came back, my mind started to declutter and I actually felt pretty good about everything despite it being winter and all. I couldn't and still almost can't... believe it.

One amazing thing happened in 2016 that probably was the thing giving me the 1 star. So, for the sake of that star I should mention it. I got to know some amazing people. Best friends for life, truly magic and inspiring and intelligent people. So lucky, I now have faith in humanity again. Or I mean, in Norwegians. I can actually live here! I also have to mention that I got this cool project rolling with a few friends of mine that it seems like it actually starts taking shape in 2017.

While scrolling down on the Zodiac page a big relief stroke me - 2017 has 3 out of 5. Seriously a giant leap up the latter. Thanks Universe, or whatever is outside the universe or whatever it is existence comes from. Just wanna thank something.

And, guess what, early 2017 things have fallen in place. I see a path I want to walk in life. I see my goals for 2017 and for the next five and ten years. My life. It feels so... Good! A clear vision has appeared and it's like tons of kilos just fell of my back. So relieving. So I guess that it all just lead up to that.

Going through all this luckily didn't make me lose all of my sanity. I kept my gratitude glasses on as usual. And I actually think it was a beautiful year. Full of teachings and lessons. Full of caring, loving and helping a person in desperate need. I learned a lot about psychology and human behavior in general.  And let me say that, nothing makes me grow more than them deep valleys. Growth for me is purpose. I actually had a meaningful and giving year. Isn't it a meaning to be alive we all are looking for? Meaning makes life rich and filled with content? Well at least it to me. 
Best of all its from the lowest point it only can go upwards. Anyone with me? 2017!
 

Chapter of 2016 closed - Check

Chapter of 2017 opened and started approaching my goals - Check