Health and Wellness

Mamas at work: Syleena Johnson on suffering from unbearable insecurity disorder

Published

2 months ago

September 27, 2024

Antoni Tyus

Syleena Johnson is in an excellent place right away.

The singer and tv personality has released a brand new album that pays tribute to her journey and the lifetime of her father, late blues legend and Hall of Famer Syl Johnson, which she says can be her last. He is on tour promoting his work and feels good, especially mentally.

However, it takes work. Just a few years ago, like many individuals, Johnson felt the strong impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. She lost her job on a TV One talk show, her ability to go on stage and her confidence that the whole lot can be OK. The anxiety she was accustomed to had reached an awesome peak. And when she finally managed to deal along with her problems with a specialist, they told her that her stress and fear levels were more serious than she thought.

“Not having the means to survive, so to speak, was extremely traumatic,” he tells ESSENCE. “I used to be in therapy sessions and I talked loads about a number of the things that I used to be feeling and going through, but what we didn’t speak about was just that it was because of the pandemic itself. We’ve talked about this from the very starting, from the traumas that I experienced as a baby because of bullying and never only being bullied by kids at school, but additionally being bullied by men, being bullied by relations. Because mental abuse is a type of abuse. Losing money and being within the music industry and the best way you might be treated within the music industry is crazy. That’s a variety of rejection. So the constant thought that you’re going to get something is constant. All this increases the sensation of insecurity in a single’s life.

Unexpectedly, she was diagnosed with: Unacceptable disruption of uncertainty. A 2004 study described it as “the tendency to react negatively at the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral levels to uncertain situations and events.”

Fear of the unknown is common for many individuals, but for Johnson it became debilitating. It would creep into on a regular basis life and even affect her ability to perform.

“I’m really afraid to go outside because I think there will be too many bugs,” she recalls. Such a bit shit. I don’t need to go on stage. They won’t like this show. I just couldn’t stand the uncertainty. And so the whole lot has all the time been on this spirit. Even positive moments have became these sorts of incidents. And this is de facto dangerous since it manifests itself in your life. It is basically a type of negative pondering.”

And they weren’t just thoughts. Her anxiety manifested itself in physical symptoms. The extreme fear became panic attacks, possibly hives, and “sometimes it was tears.” Her fears were even deepened by motherhood.

“My youngest son has autism. This alone puts me in a difficult situation because I don’t know what my child’s quality of life will be like. And there’s nothing I can do about it,’ says Johnson, who has two teenage boys. “And I live in that reality every day.”

She adds: “When you could have a baby with special needs, you are always in fight or flight mode or always worrying if my child goes to be OK. And simply quality of life. So I feel it creates an unbearable uncertainty disorder.

Mamas at work: Syleena Johnson on unbearable insecurity disorder and its impact on her mental health and motherhood

Antoni Tyus

But once Johnson was given a reputation for her behavior, she could begin to work on countering these negative, debilitating thoughts.

Thanks to this, I can control myself,” he says. “It requires positive affirmations and a change in mindset. You must always validate yourself and develop a habit. And it’s worthwhile to have a variety of positive self-talk. You must surround yourself with individuals who understand your diagnosis, take it seriously, and might communicate with you and behave around you in a roundabout way.

These practices had a huge effect on bringing peace to Johnson. It focuses not only on positive pondering, but additionally on realistic pondering. She has learned, within the midst of uncertainty, to take care of things as they arise, one at a time. She calls it doing things with “meticulous precision,” and that features parenting.

Now that I’m in therapy, it’s all about being meticulously precise, which implies narrowing down what is going on on. Don’t look at it as a variety of pressure all at once. You cannot take on the whole lot. It’s unimaginable,” he says. “So with extreme precision: step by step. Day by day, situation by situation, step by step. There is no plan. You just have to slow everything down. When things come fast, you have to slow down and deal with what’s happening. The truth is that we cannot control everything in the world. You just can’t. And you can’t achieve everything when everyone wants you to achieve it. It’s that simple.”

This way of acting also helped her to look deeper into herself. There is not any such thing as pleasing people for those who resolve to take things one at a time.

“That way you put yourself first. These people can handle it. They’ll be fine. You also have to think that on the other side they may also be struggling with unbearable uncertainty and anxiety, which is why they put the burden on you to get something,” he says. “You can only give people what you could have right away. You cannot give them more since you haven’t got it. And once we try to do that on a regular basis, we find yourself feeling empty.

He adds: “But it’s really a really detailed decision. You just must decelerate life. You must decelerate and accept that you just are slowing down.

This practice, together with prioritizing other ways of self-care equivalent to exercising at the gym, attending church and fellowship, spending time together with your circle of friends, taking walks in nature, and sometimes spending the day in your pajamas, catching up on TV, is the whole lot affects her mental health. No more hives. No more panic attacks. No more extreme fear.

“I just try to make those moments happen as often as possible because I still have to deal with a certain level of anxiety,” Johnson notes. “You cannot run away from it. Trials and suffering are all the time present. There’s nothing you’ll be able to do about it, but you’ll be able to create instances in your life where you’ll be able to take care of it, where you’ll be able to have control over it. You cannot let it control you because it should, but it surely’s all about the way you take care of it and who you might be in it.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com

Health and Wellness

Ant stings can be painful. Here’s how to avoid getting stung this summer (and what to do if it happens)

Published

5 hours ago

November 22, 2024

IAM

The starting of summer is just a couple of days away, and plenty of of us will be looking forward to long, sunny days spent on the beach, by the pool, camping or having a picnic within the park.

Insects love summer too. Most of them right then grow and feed. However, this shared appreciation of the season can sometimes lead to conflict.

Insects have long been preyed upon by many species, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and other insects. Accordingly, quite a lot of defense mechanisms have evolved – perhaps none more familiar to humans than the sting.

Many ants have a stinger on their rear end which they use to deliver venom. It will not be the sting itself that causes pain, but relatively venom. Ant venom accommodates a mix of various chemicals, a few of which have evolved specifically to manipulate the nerve endings in our skin to cause pain.

Let’s take a have a look at the several ant stings chances are you’ll experience this summer in Australia and how to respond.

Bull ants

Bull ants (also often called bulldog ants, jumper ants, or jumper ants) are large for an ant. Some species can grow to length 4 centimeters. They are easily identified by their large eyes, long mandibles (jaws), and aggressive nature.

Their sting is immediate, hot, sharp and unambiguous, similar to that of a honey bee. The intense pain will only last a couple of minutes before being replaced by redness and swelling across the sting site.

There are many differing kinds of bull ants in Australia.
Sam Robinson

Green-headed ants

Green-headed ants are also called green ants (but not to be confused with green ants). green tree ants northern Australia, which do not sting). Green-headed ants are common and love our lawns.

About Length 6 millimetersthey’re much smaller than bull ants. They can be recognized by their shiny green-purple exoskeleton.

Green-headed ants are frequently less aggressive than bull ants, but they can still deliver a big sting. The pain from a green ant sting can construct up step by step and cause intense, sticky pain.

Fire ants

Fire ants (or imported red fire ants) are native to South America. They were detected first in Brisbane in 2001it probably moved in containers and has since spread across south-east Queensland.

Fire ants are reddish brown and black and range in size from Length 2–6 millimeters.

You will almost certainly encounter fire ants of their nests, which appear like a pile of loose dirt. A hearth ant nest has no obvious entrance, which is way to distinguish it from other similar ant nests.

Disturbing a hearth ant nest will awaken an offended mass of a whole bunch of ants and expose you to being stung.

The initial pain from a single sting seems like an intense, hot itch, although it can be controlled. However, fire ant stings rarely occur in the only digits. One ant can sting multiple times, and plenty of ants can sting one person, which can lead to a whole bunch of stings. A hearth ant sting can cause pus-filled ulcers and scarring in the next days.

If you reside in an area where fire ants are present, it’s price taking a couple of minutes to learn how to do this recognize and report their.

Electric ants

Electric ants is one other nasty random import, coming from Central and South America. Currently limited to Cairns and surroundingsthese are tiny (1.5 millimeters long) yellow ants.

Like fire ants, these ants are frequently defensive, so lots of them will sting without delay. Their sting is more painful than you’ll expect from such a tiny creature. I compare it to being showered with red, hot sparks.

If you think that you see electric ants, please report it Biosecurity in Queensland.

Australian ants should not the worst

You may be surprised to hear that Australian ants don’t even make it to the rostrum when it comes to essentially the most painful ant stings. The winners include: harvester ants (North and South America), which cause severe, sticky pain, comparable to a drill slowly rotating in a muscle – for up to 12 hours.

The gold medal goes to the sting of the South and Central American bullet ant, which has been described How:

Pure, intense, sensible pain. It’s like walking on burning charcoal with a 3-inch nail stuck in your heel.

How to avoid getting stung (and what to do if you do)

Fortunately, the answer is frequently quite simple. Look around before you sit on the bottom or unfolded a picnic blanket, avoiding places where you see ant nests or a lot of foraging ants.

The selection of footwear might also be necessary. In my experience, most stings occur on the feet of those wearing thongs.

If you get stung, generally the situation will improve by itself. The pain often subsides after a couple of minutes (sometimes slightly longer within the case of a green ant sting). The redness, swelling and itching that sometimes follows may last for several days.

In the meantime, if mandatory, ice pack it will help with the pain. If it’s particularly bad, a topical numbing cream containing lidocaine may provide temporary relief. You can get it over-the-counter at a pharmacy.

A small proportion of individuals may experience an allergic response to ant stings. In very severe cases this may include respiratory problems or ingestion. If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms after an ant sting, you need to seek urgent medical attention.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com

Health and Wellness

Health matters: WNBA star Napheesa Collier on her commitment to women’s reproductive health

Published

11 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Minnesota lynx

Napheesa Collier will not be only a WNBA superstar for the Minnesota Lynx and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, but additionally the mother of her daughter Mila and an advocate for women’s reproductive health rights.

It recently decided to partner with Opill®, the primary and only every day contraceptive pill available over-the-counter within the United States. This breakthrough represents a major step forward in women’s health care by providing a convenient and accessible contraceptive option. With Opill, women not need to visit health care facilities for prescriptions, making it easier than ever to take control of their reproductive health.

The collaboration relies on Opill®’s long-standing partnership with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). “One of the reasons Opill® partnered with the WNBA is the great passion of players who use their platform to support causes they believe in,” said Leila Bahbah, leading women’s health brand at Perrigo within the US. “Napheesa exudes this passion, and together we plan to educate and empower people to take control of their reproductive health.”

Collier advocates for girls and says she is willing to have conversations, even in the event that they are difficult. “I just truly believe in everything they do at Opill®. I believe it’s important to talk to people who may become pregnant and to women about the reproductive health and contraceptive options available to them,” Collier tells ESSENCE.

He continues: “I want people to know that if they want contraception, Opill® is a great option. It is the first over-the-counter drug approved by the FDA. It is inexpensive, available. You don’t need a prescription to get it. I think that’s a key thing in today’s climate.”

Collier notes that within the off-season, he tries to travel to various colleges to talk to students about their reproductive freedoms. “Talking about this topic is essential to remove the stigma as it should not be considered a shameful topic or something that should not be discussed openly. My mother was a nurse, so it was casual to talk about it in our house, and I want to pass it on to other people too, so I’m very excited about it,” she says.

In the present political climate, many ladies with daughters are concerned about their future and reproductive health. Collier, included. “Especially because I am the mother of a young girl, it is very important to me to be able to raise her in an atmosphere where she knows her reproductive rights and health, that she has access to affordable health care and contraception if she wants it and that she can ask me these questions and have open conversations.”

Collier continues: “It’s back to education. Again, I think it’s harmful that we can’t have open conversations about birth control and other issues that are usually taboo. I think it’s harmful. I think this does a lot of harm to women. It hurts. This is harmful to our society. Being able to talk about these issues and empowering women to learn about their rights and bodies creates a safer and healthier society.”

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com

Health and Wellness

Yes, despite what you’ve heard on TikTok, you still need to use sunscreen

Published

12 hours ago

November 21, 2024

IAM

Summer is nearly here. But as an alternative of using sunscreen, some TikTokers just do that encouraging followers throw it away and forgo sunscreen.

They argue that it’s healthier to forgo sunscreen to get the complete advantages of the sun.

Here’s what the science really says.

How does sunscreen work?

Due to the acute UV environment in Australia, most individuals with pale to olive skin or other risk aspects for skin cancer must accomplish that protect yourself. Applying sunscreen is a key approach to protecting areas that aren’t easily covered by clothing.

Sunscreens work by absorbing or scattering UV rays before they reach the skin and damage DNA or supporting structures corresponding to collagen.

In this photo I (Katie) apply sunscreen only to the appropriate side of my face. Sunscreens absorb and scatter UV light (right side), although it can’t be seen with the naked eye (left side). The photo on the appropriate also shows where sun spots (dark spots) accumulate on my skin and where I do not care to apply sunscreen evenly – under the attention, on the cheek and completely missing the ear.
The creator provided/UQ

When UV molecules hit DNA, the surplus energy can damage our DNA. This damage might be repaired, but when the cell divides before the error is repaired, it causes a mutation that may lead to skin cancer.

The energy of the UV particle (photon) causes the DNA strands to break and reconnect incorrectly. This causes a tumor within the DNA strand, which makes accurate copying difficult and might introduce mutations.
NASA/David Herring

The most typical skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Melanoma is less common but most definitely spreads throughout the body; this process known as metastasis.

Two against three At least the Australians will one skin cancer during their lives they usually reconcile 80% all cancers in Australia.

About 99% of skin cancers in Australia are attributable to overexposure to UV radiation.

Excessive exposure to UV radiation also affects the looks of the skin. UVA rays are able to penetrate deep into the skin, where they break down supporting structures corresponding to elastin and collagen.

This causes signs premature agingcorresponding to deep wrinkles, brown or white spots and broken capillaries.

Sunscreen may also help prevent skin cancer

Consistently used sunscreen reduces the danger of skin cancer and slows skin aging.

In Queensland studyparticipants either used sunscreen day by day for nearly five years or continued their usual use.

After five years, the danger of squamous cell cancer was reduced within the day by day group 40% compared to the second group.

Ten years later, the danger of developing invasive melanoma was reduced within the group of individuals taking the drug day by day 73%

Do sunscreens block the health-promoting properties of sunlight?

The answer is a little more complicated and involves a personalised risk-benefit trade-off.

First, the excellent news: spending time within the sun has many health advantages don’t rely under the influence of UV radiation and aren’t affected by the use of sunscreens.

A woman applies sunscreen — Sunscreens only filter out UV rays, not all light.
Ron Lach/Pexels

Sunscreens only filter UV rays, not visible light or infrared light (which we feel as heat). Importantly, a number of the advantages of sunlight are obtained through Eyes.

Visible light improves mood and regulates and possibly reduces circadian rhythm (which influences the sleep-wake cycle). myopia (myopia) in children.

Infrared light is being researched as a treatment for several conditions skin, neurological, psychiatric AND autoimmune disorders.

So what is the good thing about exposing your skin to UV radiation?

Sun exposure produces vitamin D, which is crucial for healthy bones and muscles.

Vitamin D deficiency is surprisingly common amongst Australians, peaking in Victoria at 49% in winter and lowest in Queensland at 6% in summer.

Fortunately, individuals who deal with sun protection can avoid vitamin D deficiency taking a complement.

Skin exposure to UV radiation could have advantages independent of vitamin D production, but these haven’t been proven. It may reduce the danger of autoimmune diseases corresponding to multiple sclerosis or cause the discharge of a chemical that may lower blood pressure. However, there aren’t enough details about these advantages to say whether sunscreen can be an issue.

What does this mean for you?

Exposure of the skin to UV radiation may provide some advantages that could be blunted by sunscreens. This determines whether it’s value giving up these advantages to avoid skin cancer how susceptible you have skin cancer.

If you have pale skin or other aspects that increase your risk of skin cancer, try to use sunscreen day by day on all days when the forecast UV index reaches 3.

If you have darker skin that rarely or never burns, you might want to skip using sunscreen on daily basis – although you’ll still need protection when you’re outdoors for prolonged periods of time.

For now, the balance of evidence suggests that it is healthier for people susceptible to skin cancer to proceed using sunscreen, supplementing with vitamin D as needed.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com