What a gorgeous voice, what a sweet personality and flirting with Heidi Klum like a master! Hahaha, loved, loved, loved it!

Wow! This is fascinating! Stem cells are cells that have not differentiated and are capable of becoming any other cell in our body. They studied all the tissues and cells of this incredibly healthy and once the oldest woman on earth. What did they see? Stem cells become old and die and then seemingly we die. Hmmm, should be saving our stem cells for our later years? Perhaps, but according to this article, it will only work for our blood, for regenerating blood cells, not other organs.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25458-blood-of-worlds-oldest-woman-hints-at-limits-of-life/?utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=SOC&utm_campaign=hoot&cmpid=SOC%7CNSNS%7C2016-GLOBAL-hootDeath is the one certainty in life – a pioneering analysis of blood from one of the world’s oldest and healthiest women has given clues to why it happens.
Born in 1890, Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper was at one point the oldest woman in the world. She was also remarkable for her health, with crystal-clear cognition until she was close to death, and a blood circulatory system free of disease. When she died in 2005, she bequeathed her body to science, with the full support of her living relatives that any outcomes of scientific analysis – as well as her name – be made public.
Researchers have now examined her blood and other tissues to see how they were affected by age.
What they found suggests, as we could perhaps expect, that our lifespan might ultimately be limited by the capacity for stem cells to keep replenishing tissues day in day out. Once the stem cells reach a state of exhaustion that imposes a limit on their own lifespan, they themselves gradually die out and steadily diminish the body’s capacity to keep regenerating vital tissues and cells, such as blood.
Two Little Cells

In van Andel-Schipper’s case, it seemed that in the twilight of her life, about two-thirds of the white blood cells remaining in her body at death originated from just two stem cells, implying that most or all of the blood stem cells she started life with had already burned out and died.

“Is there a limit to the number of stem cell divisions, and does that imply that there’s a limit to human life?” asks Henne Holstege of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, who headed the research team. “Or can you get round that by replenishment with cells saved from earlier in your life?” she says.
The other evidence for the stem cell fatigue came from observations that van Andel-Schipper’s white blood cells had drastically worn-down telomeres – the protective tips on chromosomes that burn down like wicks each time a cell divides. On average, the telomeres on the white blood cells were 17 times shorter than those on brain cells, which hardly replicate at all throughout life.
The team could establish the number of white blood cell-generating stem cells by studying the pattern of mutations found within the blood cells. The pattern was so similar in all cells that the researchers could conclude that they all came from one of two closely related “mother” stem cells.
Point of exhaustion
“It’s estimated that we’re born with around 20,000 blood stem cells, and at any one time, around 1000 are simultaneously active to replenish blood,” says Holstege. During life, the number of active stem cells shrinks, she says, and their telomeres shorten to the point at which they die – a point called stem-cell exhaustion.

Holstege says the other remarkable finding was that the mutations within the blood cells were harmless – all resulted from mistaken replication of DNA during van Andel-Schipper’s life as the “mother” blood stem cells multiplied to provide clones from which blood was repeatedly replenished.
She says this is the first time patterns of lifetime “somatic” mutations have been studied in such an old and such a healthy person. The absence of mutations posing dangers of disease and cancer suggest that van Andel-Schipper had a superior system for repairing or aborting cells with dangerous mutations.
Opportunity in mutation
The study is novel because it is the first to investigate the accumulation of somatic mutations within the tissues of an old individual, says Chris Tyler-Smith of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, UK. “This contrasts to the germ-line mutations [present at birth] measured in previous studies,” he says.

“When there is mutation, there’s an opportunity for selection and some somatic mutations lead to cancer,” says Tyler-Smith. “Now we see the range of somatic mutations in normal, non-cancerous tissues like blood, so we can start to think about the health consequences.”
Tantalisingly, Holstege says the results raise the possibility of rejuvenating ageing bodies with injections of stem cells saved from birth or early life. These stem cells would be substantially free of mutations and have full-length telomeres. “If I took a sample now and gave it back to myself when I’m older, I would have long telomeres again – although it might only be possible with blood, not other tissues,” she says.
Next, Holstege hopes to hunt for clues to genes that protect against Alzheimer’s disease by comparing van Andel-Schipper’s genome to that of people who succumb abnormally early to the disease.

All You Need Is Love And Gun Control!

No matter how much hate is in someone’s heart, no matter how disturbed they are and how much they want to do violence, UNLESS guns and machine guns are available, how can they do anything? Could this man named Mateen have killed 49 people if he had not been able to stride into a gun store and purchase a machine gun? The answer is NO!

Despite being on an FBI list for terrorists, despite beating his wife for not doing the laundry, despite his coworker reporting him for hate speech and violent thoughts, he could walk into a store and legally purchase a weapon! Incredible! Why? Because the NRA made sure that even a person on a list as a suspected terrorist is able to purchase guns.

Read the article below to see how much more common gun deaths are in the US as compared to other civilized Western countries. Why? Lack of gun control because of the NRA lobby. This needs to change, here and now!

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/upshot/compare-these-gun-death-rates-the-us-is-in-a-different-world.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=span-abc-region&region=span-abc-region&WT.nav=span-abc-region&_r=0

“Gun homicides are a common cause of death in the United States, killing about as many people as car crashes (not counting van, truck, motorcycle or bus accidents). Some cases command our attention more than others, of course. Counting mass shootings that make headlines and the thousands of Americans murdered one or a few at a time, gunshot homicides totaled 11,961 in 2014, according to the F.B.I.

This level of violence makes the United States an extreme outlier when measured against the experience of other advanced countries.”

This little tiger cub was screaming till I put my arms around her!

I didn’t ask to be abandoned, I didn’t ask for abandonment issues, but I do accept the challenge of overcoming them. I’ve been reading extensively and trying to put all that I learn into practice. Below are a few of the extremely positive passages in some of the webpages and websites I’ve been reading. I have been trying to get over these issues since the beginning of this year and I do believe I’ve made great strides. Before January of this year, I wasn’t even aware that I had abandonment issues and that I could be re-triggered. But now I know, and knowledge is power. I have always stood tall and strong even though I’ve been through some pretty hellish things. I have never given up and I do not intend to give up now 🙂 With my customary strength and persistence, I am sure I will overcome these abandonment issues and their re-triggering. As I said, since I realized this is something that is happening in January, I have made progress. I don’t react or get re-triggered as much I did when I was unaware that it was happening. Now even if I do get re-triggered, it is for a short time and recovery back to my normal self is quicker. I firmly believe that total recovery is not only possible, but forthcoming. So dear readers, if you are suffering from this issue as well, I wish you and myself all the luck and send you and myself all the positive thoughts I am able to send. Godspeed and good luck, dear readers.

11)The power is within you to turn this experience into an opportunity for profound positive personal growth. Vow to benefit from abandonment rather than be diminished by it. The abandonment recovery program helps you find greater life and love than before. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-anderson/how-i-survived-abandonmen_b_6598014.html

A therapist will help overcome fears of abandonment by changing the emotional reaction associated with abandonment. This can help the person separate the past from present day and work toward correcting their negative and false beliefs. It also helps the person by teaching him or her to develop more positive and realistic reactions to events in his or her life.

True healing from abandonment occurs when a person who has fears of abandonment leans that the fear is in the past and cannot control the present-day relationships providing he or she maintains healthy perspectives about life. 

Because of a lack of validation and security as a child, the abandonment issues grow. However, by addressing these feelings, it is possible to break the cycle. http://www.bandbacktogether.com/abandonment-resources/

A therapist or counselor can often help a person learn to separate fears of the past from the reality of the present. It may be possible for individuals to achieve cognitive transformation through this process and thus develop more positive reactions and realistic expectations for their lives. When individuals are able to recognize their fears are rooted in the past, they can often begin to develop the ability to minimize the way fear controls their emotional responses to current relationships and events and achieve healing from past experiences. 

Many types of therapy, from eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to dialectical behavior therapy, can address abandonment issues. Psychotherapy for abandonment often focuses on helping a person address and tend, in a self-compassionate way, to the parts of the self holding on to the memories and feelings associated with abandonment trauma. This form of self-exploration might include distinguishing the vulnerable, helpless child of the past from the stronger, more capable adult. Simply pursuing treatment with an attentive, empathic therapist can often help soothe a person’s abandonment fears.

Abandonment issues can be overwhelming, but individuals challenged by these fears can frequently learn to manage them in ways that are healthy and productive. Methods of addressing and overcoming abandonment issues might include:

• Exploring ways to care for the self
• Developing the ability to access a safe and calm “center” when fears threaten one’s sense of safety or security
• Learning to successfully communicate needs in intimate relationships
• Building a sense of trust in others

http://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/abandonment

I got these pictures from a brilliant post I read from Rosiesmrtiepants: https://rosiesmrtiepants.wordpress.com/2016/06/08/the-very-real-possibility-of-happiness-contentment-almost-joy-and-semi-stability/

So much wisdom and strength in these simple pictures. They inspired me and reminded me that I am strong and continue to grow and change, despite setbacks. I am truly hopeful that I learn and change and daily become a better version of me, that’s pretty incredible! And letting go is the way to freedom and peace of mind.

You could be re-triggered, things may look bleak in your re-triggered state, then it goes away, and you realize that you over reacted due to the triggered emotions. You use your strength to get back up, you use your experience to help you grow and learn how to stay calm and peaceful. Every time it happens, the intensity of the negative emotions is less and less severe, until one day, it doesn’t happen anymore. You are free of those old emotions that sabotage your life and happiness and peace. Your strength pulls you through, your intellect and logic save you and your hope lets you go on. And letting go of negative emotions, of anything that disturbs your peace allows you to live in happiness, peace and normalcy! Yes, it happens, it really does! Sometimes it happens so quickly that you are surprised by it, but it’s the knowing that the re-triggering has happened, it’s the knowing that saves you.

So, just know you are strong and be proud of your strength as you grow, have a hopeful mindset, and let go. Brilliant advice if you want to be happy, I am taking it 🙂

Wow, if this really works, it may be the answer to so many of our prayers. I am definitely going to talk to my doctor about it and see if I can try it! Anxiety, depression, how wonderful would it be to alleviate those. I just hope that the Serotonin it helps your brain produce doesn’t push you into the manic phase. Lets see how people react to it, and also what my doctor and therapist have to say about it. But really, if this works, it would be so fantastic! Fingers crossed!

http://www.fisherwallace.com/

The Fisher Wallace Stimulator® is cleared by the FDA for the treatment of depression and anxiety. During each 20-minute treatment session (once or twice a day), the device stimulates the brain to produce serotonin and other neurochemicals required for healthy mood, without causing the side effects of medication. Patients may use the device with or without medication, but should not reduce their current medication without first speaking to their doctor.

How It Works

Treat Symptoms with Advanced Technology

Designed collaboratively by world-class engineers and doctors, the Fisher Wallace Stimulator® uses patented waveforms to gently stimulate the brain to produce serotonin and other neurochemicals responsible for healthy mood and sleep. Unlike antidepressant medication that inhibits neuronal receptors from absorbing serotonin, the Fisher Wallace Stimulator® enables the brain to produce serotonin naturally while improving the brain’s ability to regulate the limbic system. Proven in multiple published studies, the device is cleared by the FDA to treat depression, anxiety and insomnia, as well as chronic pain (such as fibromyalgia) when used on the body. Watch the video to learn how easy it is to use.

How to Purchase a Device

Step 1	Find Out if You Qualify to Use the DeviceAnswer a few simple questions on purchase-authorization.com.
Step 2	Obtain Medical Authorization (required)Go to purchase-authorization.com to obtain same-day authorization, or have your provider fax or email a prescription or completed authorization form to Fisher Wallace.
Step 3	Buy a Device and Try It for 30 Days$100 Discount for Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran and First Responder Families.

Free 30-Day Trial – Just Pay for Shipping

Select during checkout and use PayPal Credit to buy a device – no payments are due for the first six months. You may return the device for a 100% refund within 30 days of receipt (excluding shipping).

Recent Media Coverage

Medical Advisory Board

Robert Cancro
M.D.

Lauri Liskin
M.D.

Stephen N. Xenakis
M.D.

Frank M. Ochberg
M.D.

Ronald Podell
M.D.

Kelly Brogan
M.D.

Bruce Johnson
M.D.

Sandlin Lowe
M.D.

Yes, I am!

~ I started my blog, this bipolar1blog, less than two years ago, on  August 3rd, 2014.

~ And it has been chosen as one of the best bipolar blogs by Healthline.com in 2015.

~ It has been chosen as one of the best bipolar blogs by Healthline.com in 2016.

~ After sending in one of my poems, I was invited to blog for HuffPost by Ariana Huffington herself! (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samina-raza/) I have 13 posts on HuffPost now!

~ And now after Muffy Walker, the founder of International Bipolar Foundation (ibpf.org) asked me to blog for them, my first post appeared there today! All my posts on ibpf will be listed here: http://ibpf.org/tags/samina-raza

Oh, we lament, and cry, and feel anxious and hopeless because of our illnesses enough.

BUT today, I’m leaving that all behind and like my friend Dyane said, I’m simply going to soak it all in!

I am very proud of myself, that what I created is good. I write with confidence, after all it is something with which I am very familiar. I never second guess myself here, on bipolar1blog. I am proud that the “world” even seems to appreciate what I am doing here! 

I have gotten a few comments to the effect of “I was having suicidal thoughts, but after reading what you wrote, I changed my mind” !!! Now that is ENORMOUS! That is the most gratifying thing ever, that you may actually have helped save someone’s life!

Also, I’ve had a few comments that said they absolutely loved my blog, one to the effect of “You have one of the best mental health blogs I’ve seen, period.” !! Pretty amazing, I am proud and humbled and happy that my blog is making a difference, and it is appreciated!

I’m just going to sit here for a while and just luxuriate, bask, glory in, delight in, revel in (yes I looked at thesaurus.com) and then I’m going to do my happy Snoopy dance 

Thank you dear readers, for reading, commenting, and offering support and love when I needed it, and allowing me to do the same for you.

With Love and Peace,

Samina.

Profile: http://ibpf.org/blog/samina-raza

______________________________

First Post: http://ibpf.org/blog/you-are-not-your-symptoms-take-care

Dear Readers,

Ok, having been the “victim” of past emotions, I am trying to form a strategy and a way out of feeling triggered and feeling these intense yet inappropriate emotions. A strategy of coming back to my normal, calm and peaceful self. I thought I’d write it out so if this is happening to other people, they can be helped through my experience. Because one of the main purposes of writing this blog is not only to help myself, but also help others experiencing the same thing 🙂

The first thing is to realize you’ve been triggered. At first I simply didn’t believe this was happening to me, and then I thought it wouldn’t happen to me anymore. Actually I hoped it would not, but… it has happened again… so now, well read on, please.

Then breathe, breathe, and breathe some more, because the feelings that are triggered are quite intense and unpleasant, you may feel like you have no control over the emotions of fear, dread, panic, etc. that are coming up. So breathe deeply and calm down.

Realize these emotions being unearthed due to a totally innocuous present event are really NOT due to that event, but due to past feelings from deep inside of you, so separate the past feelings from the present event.

Perhaps distance yourself till you calm down. That is, take a time out to calm yourself and regain composure, for as long as it takes.

The best thing is that now you know what’s going on so you can deal with it in a logical, unemotional way. “Whenever something negative happens to you, there is a deep lesson concealed within it.”~ Eckhart Tolle

It is quite surreal to think that this can happen to you, but realizing that it is happening and understanding these emotions are a way to heal from them.

Know that the past event that happened years and years ago is not happening anymore, you do not have to react the way you did years and years ago. You can take a totally different and more constructive path and react not at all or react in a constructive and understanding way.

Realize that whatever or whomever may have triggered you, they are not to blame. They (the people or events) are simply things that happen on a normal day and in a normal time. The reaction you are having is due totally to your past. No one is to blame here. However, these things are to be understood in order to be responded to in a normal, unemotional way.

Its awful the way this thing makes you feel, weak, stupid, like you are over reacting for no reason, like people will think you’re a freak. It feels like you’ve tripped and fallen over nothing at all. It’s not fair, but you have been through something that can be triggered, now the thing to do is to gain understanding of it so that your reactions are no longer a reflex or extreme and you feel you are in control of your emotions.

Talking to your therapist, if you have one, and hopefully you do have one, is a great thing to do. Your therapist who knows you well will be of the utmost help in dealing with these unwanted emotions and reactions.

Persistence, patience and understanding, all of these will help anyone get over this.

We can’t change the past and remove the incidents that caused us pain, but we can change how we continue to react to the past. We can react with understanding that yes our past affects us, but we can also decide not to over react by this simple recognition.

Showing love to our “Inner child” or, worded differently but essentially the same thing, as Pema Chödrön says: Showing love to our fear, and counseling, and breathing exercises and educating ourselves about triggers and how the brain works is a multi pronged approach that is sure to make things better for us.

With love and peace,

Samina.

I just made a Bipolar1Blog Reddit account. 🙂 Hope it sends some traffic my way. Never had a Reddit account before, apparently it’s a site for hardcore internet users, I’m finding my way around it. It’s not as user friendly as WordPress, but here I am,  lets see if it adds numbers to my stats.