Tag: Resources

Life Quirks & Resources: Knowledgeable? or Expert?

AlterXpressions2 Comments

Why two categories?

This post shares as star about my not wanting to be an “expert” and a resource link to one of my favorites podcasts about herbalism. This husband and wife team work together to educate and inform people about herbalism as a business and a lifestyle through their podcast. They also teach classes (online and in person) and run clinics in their neighborhood.

I found them through an aromatherapy podcast interview and found their perspective about herbalism and community refreshing. But most important, I really loved their podcasts about “how to not be a guru” and “smoking herbs”. Both of those podcasts resonated with me, my values, and my future career choices so much that I wrote to them and asked to share their podcasts here with you.

Why don’t you want to be considered an expert?

Simple. I do not consider myself and expert on this topic or any topic to be honest. Yes, I am smart. Yes I am knowledgeable about the topics here and others too.

But I don’t have all the answers. My methods will not work for everyone. What I share here is not meant to be diagnosis, treatment, or solutions to problems. I am not going to ever, on purpose, tell you what to do or how to do it. I offer options and information that can turn into education, knowledge, or self-study through my guests curiosity.

There are many people with more knowledge, wisdom, experience, and expertise than me out in the world with the credentials to provide diagnosis, treatment, solutions, etc. These people are the experts who can tell you what to do.

I am one of few people who are willing to openly discuss topics like this. Unfortunately, not many others are willing to do the same. That will change some day.

The questions are:

  • Who are they?
  • Where do we find them?
  • Will these people share knowledge?
  • And what do we look for?

But for now, it’s up to us to be honest and authentic in sharing our experiences in a safe and positive way that helps us and others heal.

AlterXpressions

Make sense?

Who is the husband and wife herbalist team you mentioned above?

*I am not being paid or compensated in any way to promote CommonWealth Center for Holistic Herbalism here*

The CommonWealth Center for Holistic Herbalism is owned and run by Katja Swift and Ryn Midura. They call themselves holistic herbalists and educators on the podcast and use the audio platform to share their knowledge and experiences about how herbs can be used in every day life.

With all transparency, I will also tell you that I hope to take their online and in person classes in the future. Learning herbalism has been a long-time dream and exchanging email with Katja has only increased my excitement. Now to find the time and money….

First Podcast share is: How to Not Be A Guru

This relates to my “rant” about being an expert.

podcast link in case WordPress does not let me share the audio directly

Second Podcast share is: Herbal Smoking Blends & Herbs To Quit Smoking

This relates to coping strategies and coping challenges I and guests here on the blog have with regards to smoking

podcast link in case WordPress does not let me share the audio directly

Maybe this will help you; maybe it won’t. But I hope you give them a chance if you are interested in learning more about how herbs can help you.

As for me, maybe the first podcast will help you understand why I prefer not to be considered an expert with all the answers. It’s almost like putting me on a pedestal – something I don’t like and wrote about here – and feels really uncomfortable because I have been put on pedestals and then knocked down hard with my reputation and livelihood in tatters.

Never would I want that for an of my guests to feel that way about me here. Nor do I want to make others feel that way on purpose. It’s not a fun or good experience in any way.

So if you are looking for an expert to give you all the answers, this is not the place for you.

If you are looking for a place to ask questions and get honest answers (including “I don’t know”), welcome to the site and explore at your own pace.

Thanks for reading

Write to me on to the Contact & Connect form.

Resources: RehabCenter.net

AlterXpressions
https://www.rehabcenter.net/inpatient-rehab-centers/

*Caveat 1 – I do not receive compensation for writing Resource Posts and am not promoting any of the services or products on this website*

*Caveat 2 – This review is for informational purposes only*

One of the employees from DrugRehab.com shared RehabCenter.net as resource referral back in March. I promised to review the information and share the resource here on the blog and add it to the Resources page. You can find the link at the end of the first section in the spreadsheet. I wrote back and promised to feature this resource in a post and add  the website to my resources page by the end of April 2019.

Life got in  the way – final exams, work, a rash that’s finally going away, etc. – so I have not been able to update the Resource page and write this post until today.

Here is what I like about this site:

  • Free 1-800 number with a promise of confidentiality to anyone who calls looking for help
  • A directory with multiple treatment centers in all 50 states
  • Supportive, compassionate (from their site) professionals willing to help callers find a treatment center and/or program tailored to their specific circumstances – within reason
  • States on their home page: “most insurances accepted” with the logos of many common medical insurance providers displayed in the same section
  • Well organized, easy to navigate website and menu
  • Articles and links to information about specific topics: treatment programs/organizations; drug addiction (types, etc.), alcohol treatment  (types, etc.), resources, and contact information
  • Discusses and provides information about how addiction affects physical, emotional, and spiritual health and how to address those effects
  • Provides information about the connection between addiction and mental health issues and offers assistance with mental health issues too

If you want to learn more about RehabCenter.net, please visit their About Us page.

If you want to learn more about DrugRehab.com, you can find my here and here.

If you have a resource referral you’d like to share, please fill out this contact form.

Thanks for reading.

Resources: Aromatherapy for Anxiety Class

AlterXpressions2 Comments
Aromahead Institute. www.aromahead.com
borrowed from the Aromahead Institute’s home page on 24March2019

Disclosure 1: I am a happy, engaged, biased student at the Aromahead Institute and have completed 5 different aromatherapy courses there so far. 

Disclosure 2: I am not getting paid to share this information or promote the class described below.

Background

As you’ve read in past posts, I am taking classes to become a certified aromatherapist. All of my classes are online at the Aromahead Institute School of Essential Oil Studies. Essential oils and aromatherapy has helped me a lot with my anxiety and related pain management issues, so I wanted to share this learning opportunity with you too.

Webinar Class Details

Andrea Butje is the head instructor and will be teaching a live webinar about how certain essential oils are scientifically proven to help reduce anxiety and stress on March 28, 2019 for $30.

The webinar is on Thursday, March 28th at 1 PM Eastern USA, and is $30.

On the webinar, I’ll teach you about three essential oil components that have been researched and proven to calm the nervous system.

I’ll also teach you about three essential oils that contain these components.

And three recipes for using these essential oils to keep your heart, mind, and nervous system calm.

That’s 3 components, 3 essential oils, and 3 recipes.

These recipes are simple to make, and convenient to use throughout your day.

I will also include some bonus lessons for you—a FOURTH essential oil that can inspire real peace in your heart, and an easy method for making your own vanilla-infused jojoba.

~from the March 20, 2019 email newsletter by Andrea Butje

Andrea gave me permission to share  this newsletter information and link with you. If you are interested in learning more about aromatherapy and can’t afford this class, you can always try the free class here instead. This class served as my introduction and convinced me to continue learning through the school.

Unfortunately for me, I won’t be able to attend this seminar. Life is too busy with work, recovery, and case studies for my certification class right now. But I intend to take this webinar class  the next time it’s offered.

Happy blending and hope you get some relief if you take the class.

Thanks for  reading.

 

Resources: Alcohol Treatment & Addiction website

AlterXpressions

Disclaimer 1: This post is not an advertisement. It is a review of the organizations’ website and available resources that could be helpful to guests. 

Disclaimer 2: Please use your own judgement (after reviewing the information) to decide on any next steps. 

Last month a coordinator from AlcoholTreatment.net reached out via the contact form asking if I would add their organization to my resources page.  With September being a bit hectic, I didn’t get a chance to update the resources page until today.

Since I also realize that many of my guests go straight to the blog without visiting any of the other pages, I’ve added the link to my resources page to this post.

 

Resources AlcoholTreatment.net
Click here to visit the website

Why I decided to add this organization

  • User friendly website with all of the most relevant information available by clicking links or images on the home page
  • A dedicated blog and Resources section about addiction, recovery, mental health, and other related issues set up in a format that is easy to navigate and easy to read
  • Marketing Statement of Ethics – rare in many organizations – that clearly states this organization’s mission statement, values, goals, and how they handle private and/or proprietary client information
  • Transparency about financial options (it’s listed right on  the home page)
  • Resources to help with addiction recovery if this organization is not a good fit now

Related resources & posts

Another organization that helps with addiction recovery and mental health treatment programs is DrugRehab.org. I’ve written a couple posts about this organization as their representatives have contacted me about being a resource in the past.

Resources DrugRehab.org
Click here to visit  the website

What I like most about DrugRehab.org are:

  • They are a non-profit organization whose goal is to connect callers with appropriate recovery programs and resources throughout the USA
  • Their articles are well-written, frequently updated, and easy to read
  • You can find out more here

Thanks to both organizations for reaching out and sharing their resources with Untangled Connections and the blog’s guests.

Thanks for reading

Resources: Quiet Revolution Newsletter Discusses NeuroDiversity

AlterXpressions

Okay, so what is neurodiversity, and why would you put it here?

In my words:  An individual’s brain is thinking, responding, feeling, acting, or functioning differently than the cultural norm.  Examples from the article: ADHD, HSP (highly sensitive person), Asperger’s syndrome.

I put it here because trauma survivors and people with mental illness think, act, feel, and react differently than the rest of society.  Some of the difference is biochemical and part of DNA.  Other parts of the difference come from developmental and physiological changes based on experience.  The rest are learned behaviors in the form of coping techniques/strategies and survival skills.

The last group can sometimes be changed or removed or adapted to current circumstances, but the first two not so much.  This article celebrates differences and promotes acceptance, so it belongs here.

Article Information

You can find the whole article here.  FYI, this article is an essay on the Quiet Revolution website.  While one goal is to empower introverts, another is to find ways for introverts and extraverts to live and work harmoniously.  So please don’t think the website is not for you if you are an ambivert or extravert.

A few interesting quotes from the article linked above:

About Depression

“Unfortunately, it took me a long time to find a workaround, so in the meantime came undiagnosed, debilitating depression and anxiety for years, which often accompanies those who unknowingly mask neuroatypicalities while trying to cope and survive. I can’t say what triggered the depression exactly, but it felt like a slow, creeping fog that thickened more intensely over the years. Finding the right therapist and a helpful medication finally made the skies clear,” – Jenara Nerenberg

About Neurodiversity

“Now, I’m 33, and they’re calling these neuroatypicalities ADHD or HSP (Highly Sensitive Personality) or even Asperger’s. Shows such as Invisibilia give us the language of Synesthesia and Empaths. And I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re all somewhere along this continuum, this spectrum of personalities, with diverse traits. This is the beauty of what we call neurodiversity.” – Jenara Nerenberg

Being authentic self

“Re-joining the jungle like Mr. Tiger means embracing the beauty of my inner nature and sharing that with others. And I’ve found that others who observe me start to feel and act the same, freed up by letting go of some of our cultural conditioning.” – Jenara Nerenberg

Thanks for reading.