Luanne Bowser, Author at Living and Learning with CFS

Using Light Therapy For Depression? How It Really Works

Picture the first rays of sunlight gently kissing the earth at dawn. The mere sight invokes a sense of warmth and vitality, filling our hearts with joy and optimism. Unfortunately, this absence might be a tad more challenging for some people.
As the seasons change, so can our emotional landscape. Many people experience a specific type of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during the colder, darker months.
It’s as if the sun takes a break, and the lack of natural light can plunge individuals into a deep emotional abyss. That’s where the …

Mental Health

The Relationship Between Smoking and Mental Illness

According to a study by the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bargain E-Juice says Americans with various mental illnesses are more likely to smoke than regular people by 70 percent. Aside from this, with vaping being a new trend, more people could actually be at risk.
As a result, psychologists are hard at work trying to understand this situation and help their patients to quit. Some of the severe illnesses that have been linked to tobacco usage include heart disease and lung cancer.
However, further complicating the situation is that people who are suffering from …

Mental Health

Morning Depression: Definition and Treatment

Morning depression is common among people with major or severe depressive disorder. The severe symptoms of morning depression are more prominent in the evening or afternoon, including anger, frustration, extreme sadness, and fatigue.
Moreover, morning depression is best known as a daily variation of depression symptoms or daily mood variation. Before, morning depression was considered as the clinical diagnosis itself, but today, experts believe it as part of depressive symptoms.
Causes
A study in 2013 revealed that most people who suffer from depression have disturbances in circadian rhythms which is known to be the …

Mental Health

Are Depression and Fatigue Connected?

How are they linked?
CFS and depression are conditions that can lead to extreme tiredness, even after having a good rest. For some people, it is possible to carry both disorders simultaneously, and both conditions can be mistakenly identified as some symptoms are similar.
A person who has depression can feel anxious, hopeless, or sad for long periods. Problems with sleep are also common among people with depression, with some having either no sleep or having too much.
Meanwhile, CFS or chronic fatigue syndrome is a medical condition in which a person experiences extreme tiredness without any known cause. In some cases…

Care and Support

Life Lessons from Mother-in-Law: Living with CFS

Having your mother-in-law around gives you an unpleasant feeling as the days of being with her can lead to misery and interruptions with your normal days, especially when you have CFS. But this is not the case when you experienced living with your mother-in-law for years.
It is never easy to have your mother-in-law around while dealing with the debilitating symptoms of CFS. Here are some points that might help you to cope with both:
Some Perks When You Live With Your Mother-in-law
When a friend asks you to accompany her to sell something in your neighborhood, and you’re not in your normal state, you can answer with…

Care and Support

Effective Strategies to Cope with CFS

Everyday Healing is a book written by Janette Hillis-Jaffe, a health consultant. The book is all about habits on how to cope with CFS effectively. In her book, she also shared her battle against CFS from 2002- 2008.
She experienced being bedridden accompanied by debilitating symptoms like fatigue, intense pain, intermittent bronchitis, and vertigo. She went to different doctors to have a precise diagnosis, but the most accurate one is chronic fatigue syndrome.
For Janette, living with CFS and its symptoms is difficult, but the challenging parts are forgetting how to live normally and dealing with people who do not understand …

Care and Support

Diet Regimen to Lessen Chronic Fatigue Periods

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a weakening condition that can severely impact your life. But some treatments can be delivered to lessen its symptoms, as mentioned earlier.
Diet can have a potential effect on combating CFS, according to experts. However, most people who suffer from this condition have little knowledge of the specific diet they should take. Hence, you should pay attention to the foods that can alleviate symptoms and those that can worsen CFS to make sure you are ingesting the right food.
Below are some lifestyle changes you should try:
Stay Hydrated
It is essential to drink plenty of water even if …