Can a Stretch a Day Keep the Crazies at Bay? #TrickOrTreatment

Welcome to  Trick or Treatment! The series where I test out cliche, wellness trends to see if they will make my mental illness journey less of a fucking mess. You can read the previous #TT on meditation right HERE if you’re new to my blog or missed my last installment. This particular Trick or Treatment is part of my experience at Wellness Week LA; a health/lifestyle event from June 3rd-June 10th, 2018. Ticket holders are matched with various fitness, nutritional, and self-care activities in the city, depending on their interests. If you'd like more information on WWLA, or the business I mention below, click their names for more!

On Wednesday I chronicled my experience at Stretch Pro, a studio specifically designed for athletes and pain-sufferers alike to come and get their muscles worked in the name of feeling better in your body. 

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If you want to experience the benefits of yoga and a massage, minus the price tag, stretching is your new mom. True story: I'm terrified of group yoga since I'm super slow at keeping up with all the movements. I also needed something a little more intense than just a back rub to an Enya playlist. Cue: stretching; the cheaper version of visiting a physical therapist. JK, don't replace this with physical therapy if you need it, but it was equally as enjoyable for me.

Tbh, I was worried I had to be a walking Quest bar to feel welcomed here. I even flat-ironed my fucking hair like I was trying to get past airport security frisk-free. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me. God bless the girl at the front desk and her ultra-casual, vintage GAP sweatshirt, though. Her welcoming demeanor was very much like, "Don't worry, Dominique. I know you only had an Equinox membership for the chilled towels, and that's okay." Thankfully, the stretch sesh was worth conquering my anxiety. Aside from the fact that the woman stretching my neck, back, and shoulders basically cured my three-year-long stiff neck problem, I felt the physical manifestations of my stress get flexed out of my being from the SEEDS OF MY SOUL. TL;DR - a firm yes.  

Verdict: So! Has my bipolar disorder been successfully taffy-pulled out of my system? Obvi, not but I would still call this a treatment for general physical pains stemming from anxiousness and stress. I'm a bit lethargic today and canceled my WWLA fitness class at Sandbox Fitness, but I'm not sure if that's due to the stretching or being weighed down by my overall hatred for fitness. Regardless, StretchPro was worth it, and I'd pay $40 for 25 minutes of that again. Of course, I have to clarify; this would be a grand *supplement* to your existing health plan. Not about to go off-brand and throw my meds into the ocean anytime soon.

Stay tuned for my next #WellnessWeekLA-themed Trick or Treatment: An infrared sauna session! I’ll be sweating my nips off in a wooden box in an attempt to reach mental bliss. Most likely I'll probably be in there trying to take selfies. You can also follow my WWLA experience on my Instagram story right HERE. 

Have any of you tried stretching as a form of self-care? Do you think this could be a suitable replacement for yoga since I'm literally the only person who seems to be terrible at it? Message me or leave a comment and help an anxious blogger out. xo 

*Just FYI - my attendance at Wellness Week LA is sponsored. They were kind enough to give me a ticket at my request so that I could share my experiences with you. Huge thank you to WWLA!

Therapy Thursday # 17: How to Feel Like Your Life Is Not a Boundless Hell Hole

TOPIC: Gratitude Journals 

WHEN TO USE: When you feel like your life is a spiraling centrifuge of disappointment. When you feel like you have nothing good going on or nothing to live for. 

HOW TO USE (With Examples): Super simple. Before you go to bed, when you wake up, or whenever tickles your tahini, write down at least three things you are grateful for. It can be big or small, general or relative to your day. For example, tonight I would write down, 'I am grateful for my boyfriend, my hair, and the energy I have to blog tonight.' 

WHY IT'S LEGIT: By paying attentions to all the good things you have in your life, you will begin to shift your focus from the negative aspects of your life to the positive. A way to see the glass half full again. 

ABOUT THERAPY THURSDAY: Join me every Thursday on my Instagram story (@domjoellehaikel) as I share with you a new tip/trick I learned in therapy over the years. If you can't catch the segment in time, look out for written recaps like these or on my saved Instagram stories. 

Hay! I'm not a therapist, so please read my disclaimer HERE.

Trick or Treatment: I Drank This Magic Xanax Tea For a Week and Mental Illness Is Officially Cancelled

It's that time again! Sure, my blog is called Take Your Pills, but I know damn well that meds are not the only way to deal with mental illness. I'm always looking for different shit I can put in, on, or around my body to supplement my medicated journey, which is why I started #TrickOrTreatment. In case you missed the first one (you can go back and read it here), this segment aims to test out various alternatives to western medicine and traditional therapy. This time around, I drank valerian root tea, specifically "Nighty Night" by Traditional Medicinals, for six days to see what would happen. Not #spon but you can check it out right here. Valerian in tincture form was recommended to me by an old therapist, years ago, as a natural alternative to Xanax. You can read more about the herb here because, shocker, I'm not a naturopath and trying to explain its scientific workings myself would be comical. Anyhoo, I basically used to lap it out of the dropper like a sun-shriveled gerbil, and it didn't do shit. Fast forward to now -the tea was a totally different story.  Check out that infographic below to read what went down. 

The tribe has spoken. I'd have to call this a treatment ONLY if you don't plan on driving, operating heavy machinery, or being productive after you've sipped. Also, be sure you're in a spot where it's okay to possibly fall asleep, because, in addition to easing your anxiety, that may happen. That said, this might work for you as a sleep aid too if you couldn't already tell by my results (and the literal name of the tea). On the days that I didn't have anxiety, the tea just put me to sleep. On the day with my big attack, it actually calmed me down. For the record, I had my anti-anxiety meds (I take Lorazepam) on standby because I was SURE this tea was some bullshit. I didn't even need to take them. On the last day, I was shocked that this tea brought me to a level of chilldom that somehow allowed me not to become reactive to my boyfriend when he was in a snippy mood. That is never the case with me but apparently the old Dominique couldn't come to the phone right then and that's just fucking fine. I'm not about to throw out my Lorazepam, but I'm def keeping the tea around to use when I don't feel like taking a pill during a panic attack. 

If you decide to try this, let me know how it works! AND - if this doesn't work for you, or if you aren't able to try this, DONT GIVE  UP. There is a treatment out there for you. Keep searching. Keep working with your doctors. As someone who took years to find the right combo of meds and supplements, you WILL get there. xo

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DISCLAIMER: Hi! In case you couldn’t tell from my epic reporting, these aren’t real science experiments because I’m not a real scientist. I couldn’t even tell you how to convert Celcius to Fahrenheit, and like honestly who is Kelvin and why is he here? Please note - DO NOT perform any of the above practices without consulting a doctor FIRST. Unconventional treatment methods such as the one above have NOT been evaluated by the FDA which means they are NOT regulated. That said, unregulated alternative methods of treatment could result in serious health problems, dangerous interactions with your medication(s) and/or body, unwanted side-effects, and even death. Words in these posts should NOT be used as medical advice, and any questions you may have should be directed to a medical professional. Thank you for using your common sense you intelligent person, you!