A few months ago, I read a book called You, Happier by Dr. Daniel Amen. It was one of the most influential books I’ve ever read. It inspired me to change my diet (well, resume my diet), journal with an emphasis on the “positive” (and less on daily annoyances), and not be afraid to take time for myself. Now I’m in the middle of another one of Dr. Amen’s books, The End of Mental Illness. It’s research for my upcoming project, Is This the Best We Can Do? but, like You, Happier, it has also inspired me to take a look at my own life.
Dr. Amen purports there are four circles: biological, psychological, spiritual, and social. Today we’ll be talking about the biological circle. Here are five ways I have improved my biological circle (and five ways you can too):
1. Gave up alcohol. There is going to be an entire blog post about this on the Fourth of July because that is my sobriety date. Yes, I have been sober seven whole years. This means I have never ordered a drink at a bar or gotten wasted at my 21st birthday party or done tequila shots at a bachelorette party. And if I’m true to myself and my values, it means I never will. And sometimes, if I’m honest, that is a hard thing to accept. It tastes a little like missing out. But missing out on what? Hangovers? Bad decisions? As a writer, it is my job to live and observe. Can I really do that accurately when I’m impaired by alcohol?
2. Gave up marijuana. I just want to clarify that I never smoked a lot of marijuana in the first place. I also have not touched marijuana in seven years. Even though many of my friends smoke pot (and some do it very frequently), I have vowed to never engage in that habit again. I think most people underestimate the dangers of marijuana. There are many studies that show it leads to psychosis, especially in adolescents or developing brains. It’s a very unpopular opinion but I also feel like marijuana sabotages ambition. I’ve dated enough potheads to know it gets old real fast. The lying around, eating too much food (“the munchies”), and not doing anything productive. Not very attractive.
3. Cut down on sugar. My parents were on my case about this whole ‘too much sugar in my coffee’ thing. I have to admit they have a point. Sugar is responsible for a lot of health hazards, not to mention the reason I can’t shake these last twenty pounds. And it culminated with a real scare when I was rushed to the ER with a potential case of diabetes. All I could hear in my head were my parents insisting this whole thing was because I had put too much sugar in my coffee (they never said that out loud, but I internalized it somehow). Anyway, it was a wake-up call. When I go out I try to get my iced tea unsweetened (it’s honestly more refreshing that way. But I will never drink my coffee black because that’s just not human).
4. Cut down on caffeine. Okay, so this is definitely a “goal in progress”. Caffeine is not good for people with bipolar disorder. It can incite mania. It’s also not healthy for anyone not to sleep and caffeine has led me by the hand to many sleepless nights. I still drink coffee but I don’t have three Monsters a day like I did when I was in college (I know, I know….how am I still alive?). It really isn’t all that fun being the only one up at 3 am and 3 am is the time I’m most likely to be stupid or say something I regret. If you want good mental and physical health, you’ll stick to a consistent sleep schedule and not give yourself a heart attack.
5. Joined Weight Watchers. I’ve talked a lot about cutting stuff out. But joining Weight Watchers helped me lose about thirty pounds, mostly because of the support. Psychiatric medications had caused me to gain a significant amount of weight. I had always been skinny, but I ballooned under Risperdal, Lithium, Seroquel, Depakote, and several others. It was with the help of Weight Watchers that I was able to get that under control.
These are some things you can do if you want to get in better shape, feel less lethargic (caffeine crashes are notorious), or have more energy (sugar rushes do you no favors). I’m really glad I’m on the path to taking better care of my body. I have a long way to go. I have dreams of cutting down on this medication I’m on. But for now, I’m doing the best I can.
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