November 2020 Newsletter - Issue #4 |
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The Man Behind The Upstairs Battle Hi, my name is Ben Romberg, a mental health advocate and someone who lives with depression and anxiety. For many years I fought my mental illness alone, without any support, therapy, or medication. As I got older, I became worn down by the stress of everyday life. I knew I had to do something. In late 2017, I made the decision to try medication for the first time. As I like to tell people, I have not looked back since that time. Now, having the support, therapy, and medication I need, I am able to finally move forward with life. I feel that my newfound work as a mental health advocate, and hopefully future speaker, is my way of giving back to the mental health community. No one should feel alone in their journey and no one should feel stigmatized because of having a mental illness. Whether you have been recently diagnosed or have had so many relapses that you have lost count, you are worth it. You don't have to fight the everyday battle alone. You Are Not Alone. Together, We Are Stronger! -Ben Photo Credit: William Forsman/Med City Beat Ben's Personal Story |
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To My Readers and Supporters The pandemic continues to drag on, longer than I suspect many of us thought it would. Back when this all started in March, I thought by mid to late summer that I would be returning to a sense of normalcy. Yet, here we are, nearing the end of November. Even though I don't know how each of you have dealt with this difficult year as individuals, I want to give you a virtual hug. Take a deep breath. Know that whatever personal mental health struggles you are dealing with and/or family issues, you are doing the best you can. No one has a manual for dealing with a pandemic. Cut yourself some slack. This year, for many of us, Thanksgiving will look different. Maybe that's a good thing for some of you. If you're close with family and/or friends and can't be with them, please remember to reach out and connect. Generally speaking, people are more lonely this time of year. 2020 has expanded that loneliness since March, so it's extra critical to hone in on that. Not all is bad, though. It sounds like we have some promising vaccination trials in the works. Hopefully these can be produced in mass by spring of next year. As we get into the holiday season and the snow begins to fly, it's important that we think about things we are thankful for. Create a list, take a photo, draw, or personally thank someone who's been there for you and/or continues to do so. With that in mind, please check out my recent blog on the difference between kindness vs niceness. It's important that we understand the difference. I'm all about resiliency, and it's an important component of it. Alright, lets dig into the November newsletter! |
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November 11th was Veteran's Day Every year, we take a day to honor those who have and are currently serving our country. Originally known as “Armistice Day” on November 11th, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I, it became a national holiday in 1938. In 1954, President Eisenhower officially changed the name to Veteran's Day. | | |
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This months mental illnesses are PTSD and Anxiety |
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PTSD - (Post traumatic stress disorder) Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may start within one month of a traumatic event, but sometimes symptoms may not appear until years after the event. You don't necessarily have to have had a traumatic experience to be diagnosed with PTSD. Learn more here. |
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Anxiety Occasional anxiety is an expected part of life. You might feel anxious when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. Learn more here. |
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“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”
—John F. Kennedy
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Thanksgiving - Have we always gotten the bird? Read about the history below. | | |
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Psychedelics Are Fueling a Mental Health Revolution Once deemed dangerous and illegal, psychedelic compounds have been rediscovered by the scientific, medical and psychiatric communities as research reveals their capacity to help patients with a range of maladies. With investors beginning to flood this new market with capital, will Big Pharma join in, or try to squash a nascent revolution of the mind? * Informational Purpose Only
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"I Found My Brave" by Nicki Bender Nicki Bender is a stay at home mom who quickly became a victim of the stigma associated with mental illness. She was incorrectly diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder during her senior year of high school, and it wasn’t until 17 years later when she was diagnosed correctly with PTSD and DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). Nicki’s mission is to spread awareness about the truth of mental health, focusing on the misrepresentation of Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Recovery. Nicki performs her original song in the This Is My Brave Washington D.C. show in 2017. "Recovery is not an event but it is an ongoing process."–Nicki Bender | | |
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Thanksgiving Factoids Did you know? 'Jingle Bells', a popular Christmas song, was actually meant for Thanksgiving. Say what? Learn about it here. By the numbers 1621- Year of the first Thanksgiving celebration Oct. 3, 1863 - President Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday Now the "skinny" or "not so skinny": 8,100,000,000 (8.1 billion) - the number of calories consumed by Americans each Thanksgiving The average person alone consumes 3-4.5K calories 10 hours, 33 mins - the average time it take the average male to burn 4.5k calories 100,000 (100K) - the number of questions asked by the Butterball Turkey hotline each November and December ...and so many more numbers. Click for more "Thanksgiving by the numbers 2019". |
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"Anxiety for me came out of nowhere and hit me like a ton of bricks." "I was by this point underweight. I told him what had been happening and how I felt and he said "but you look so good, you look like a supermodel" again I was apparently being ungrateful for the ‘gift’ I'd been given." Read about Bianca's story on crippling anxiety, the stigma she faced, and her now difficulty with trust here. |
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Giving back during a pandemic: 7 tips for giving back during the holidays. | | |
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Checklist for Winterizing Your Home Outside of your home: - Clear out your gutters. Remove any debris, branches, or acorns.
- Buy a snow shovel, and keep it inside your home or garage. You never know when the snow will pile up so high you can’t make it to the shed.
- Install a storm door.
- Install storm windows, too.
- Caulk any cracks around the outside of your windows and doors.
- Paint a fresh coat of sealing paint on your deck to protect it from winter weather.
- Put your outdoor furniture in storage. (Need a hand? Use Dolly to get that furniture inside!)
- Speaking of bringing things inside…roll your grill inside (or at least put your propane tank somewhere away from the elements).
- Wrap any immobile outdoor furniture in tarps and hold down with bungee cords.
- If you live in a high-moisture area, scrape any moss or excess vegetation off your roof to avoid buildup in the wetter months.
- Close any outdoor vents that may have been opened in the summertime.
- Disconnect your garden hoses and any sprinklers. Store them for the winter and make sure your spouts are shut all the way off.
- If you have a sprinkler system, turn it off for the season.
- Put stakes around the edge of your driveway if you plan on getting it plowed in the winter.
- …And put up stakes for other important fixtures in your yard that may get buried in snow and become a tripping hazard.
- Check the areas around any downspouts to make sure they’re clear of rocks and debris.
Inside your home: - Insulate pipes that run through your attic and other non-heated areas (you’ll want to do this on any outdoor pipes, too).
- Set up draft guards on any doors that go outside.
- Seal off your fireplace (unless you plan to use it during the winter).
- Check for cracks near the indoor frames of windows or doors. If you see them, caulk them just as you would outside.
- Set up a digital thermostat that automatically reduces the heat when you’re out of the house and warms it back up when you get home.
- Check your garage and attic for any leaks. Better to find them now before it starts getting icy!
- Check the temperature on your hot water tank and make sure it’s not exceeding its maximum.
- Find the direction switch on your ceiling fans and turn them counter-clockwise. This will redirect warm air down instead of moving cold air throughout the room.
- Check your dryer vent to make sure it’s not clogged up, and if it is, get it professionally cleaned.
- Replace the filter in your furnace (and check on any other filters around the house).
- Open the vents for your heating system.
- Get your heavy blankets and winter sheets out of storage (get help from Dolly if you need some muscle and a truck). Give them a good wash with hot water to clear off any built-up dust or pollen.
- Change the batteries on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
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Updates & Thoughts There hasn't been a whole lot of change in my life since the last newsletter went out. It has been mostly status quo. Hazel, our sweet little Bernedoodle continues to slowly recover from her broken leg. She had surgery last week to remove her plate. We have been dealing with an aggressive infection in her leg. We will or I should say, should know in a week or so if the infection is gone. Hazel has been on so many sedatives and narcotics, poor girl. Despite the constant pivoting for her, she's maintained her wonderful personality. The couple of volunteer opportunities with NAMI fell through for this month. It was a logistical issue. I was disappointed initially, but realized that it's important to remember, that things often don't go as planned. On a positive note, I have caught up on Zoom with several of my volunteer peer support specialists the last couple of weeks and we have been able to share some laughs. Having that release has been wonderful! I also met some new members who had just went through the program that I did back in May. I look forward in the future to hopefully meet these individuals in person. There was the crazy election that's somehow, still ongoing. I decided recently to limit a source of constant stress in my life, which was Facebook. I decided to deactivate my accounts for the remainder of the year. The constant Covid news that popped up, plus heated conversations at times, isn't good for my mental health. One of the reasons for leaving Facebook for now is that I'm going to be starting a CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) program through Mayo Clinic next week. I want to get my head in a better place and so far I feel that my stress has went down a bit. I'm excited and hopeful to be trying new therapy. I better confirm (Haha), but I believe I'm scheduled to do my first podcast next Friday with a local therapy company. I don't recall if I've mentioned it or not, but there's an entrepreneurial non-profit locally that helps those who are already entrepreneurs or those contemplating starting a business. I'm planning to partake in an 8 week course called, "The Basics of Entrepreneurship", starting in January. I spoke with their executive director earlier this week to decide if it was a solid course of action to take. I have no idea where this will take me, but I'm excited to get assistance in honing in a concept for a storytelling platform. I've really been trying to stay in an "attitude of gratitude" mindset as this crazy ass year wraps up. That will be my focus for December. Just a reminder, that all my post/blog updates can be found on my website or viewed on my Instagram page, which is under the same name. Instagram is gentler on my psyche than Facebook! I plan to send out the December newsletter 2-4 days before Christmas Eve, so if you wish to contribute something, let me know by the middle of the month. With that said, Happy belated or Happy Thanksgiving, depending on when you are celebrating! - Ben |
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