Category Archives: Obstacles

Sunday Thoughts

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It is late Sunday afternoon, and the weekend will be ending too soon☹, but I do hope you have been able to enjoy the weekend as much as possible. For reasons that I am unaware of, I had low energy this weekend. I tried doing as little as possible, so I would be ready for the workweek beginning tomorrow. Of course, I did a few loads of laundry because it had to be done. I had every intention of finishing a blog post that I have been working on for a few days, but I was unable to finish it yet. However, I do promise that I will get this post done soon because it is an important topic to me. I will give you a little information about what I am writing about, as this was inspired by my cousin, whom I am not close to all, but the post will be about family dynamics.

How do you recover from a long week, and the changes with the weather? I know the weather always causes me issues, which I blame on Multiple Sclerosis. I do not like the warmer weather and the temperatures have already been too high for me and it is not even summer yet! How crazy is it when the temperatures have already reached the HIGH 80s? This tends to worry me about what to expect for summertime. There are many things I do not understand about Multiple Sclerosis, but one of many is why changes in the weather cause so many problems. I mean, one would think living with an incurable illness that is also unpredictable would be enough of a punishment, but of course, not because then the weather wreaks havoc on my body!

The good news is that next week, in the United States, we are going to have a 3-day weekend! I am thrilled to be able to have three days off work because I need this, and I am sure many others do as well! Please do not get me wrong, I do enjoy my job, and even though I will end up saying three days off was not enough, I am looking forward to the days off! I think it would be amazing if we could work four ten-hour days every week and get three days off😊! I think it would provide a better work-life balance. I say this, but I also think it would be better to have animals run the country because they are fair and loyal. Animals care about and love others more than most humans do, so I think it would make for a better world. Heck, my cats would do much better than any president we have ever had!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope your weekend has been amazing, and that you have enjoyed what I have shared today. I would love to read your comments, and I will respond as quickly as I can. Of course, I am not feeling myself right now, but I will still do my best. I know the weekend was short, but I hope you are ready for the new week to begin tomorrow. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

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Rainy Sunday

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Hello Sunday and the last day of the weekend☹, y’all! I knew it was going to be a rainy day, but what I did not know was how much my legs were going to hurt today. Of course, we lost an hour of sleep due to what I believe is the last time we will have to time change, but my cats were unaware of this and started to wake me up SUPER early. The older cat started walking all over my legs at 6:30 AM and it hurt more than normal. I think today is going to have to be a lazy day and I will not be doing anything strenuous. How are you planning to spend your day? What do you think of time change?

This is not something any of us should be thinking about because we do have the rest of the day before the workweek begins. Of course, I am always thinking ahead of time and am already planning my day tomorrow because it will involve dealing with the Gilenya nonsense again! I am hoping that things will go better with the MS medication tomorrow because I cannot deal with any more stress involved with this situation. I do think I am going to start today to try to find out if there are any other good neurologists where I live.

Do you enjoy rainy days? Honestly, I would much prefer to have rainy days when I am not working because it is an excuse to not do anything! Rain always increases my pain level. On the pain scale, my normal pain level hovers around a 4, but when it is raining it pushes up to around a 9. While I write this post, my pain level seems to be well past a 10. Unfortunately, there is nothing that helps the pain, so I just have to deal with it and not let it get me down.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing day. Is there anything that you can do to relieve your pain when it gets out of control? I am looking forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Let It Go Friday

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I am so happy to finally be able to say, HAPPY Friday, y’all! I hope you have had a good week and your weekend is filled with nothing, but joy and relaxation! When our weeks start to feel longer and we look forward to Friday on Monday morning, the weekend should be spent only doing what we want. I have been feeling a little more fatigued lately, which I assume has something to do with the weather being unpredictable and frustrating. It seems like Mother Nature cannot decide if it is going to be spring, summer, or winter like it should be. I did take a short break from the paper I am writing for the competition but need to get back to it and I hope to do that this weekend!

I always think that Friday being the end of the week, is a good time to let go of any negativity caused by the week. There is NO use for us to carry negative emotions into a weekend that is already too short. People often know how to push our buttons and stir up negativity, but sometimes the best thing to do is to walk away to avoid saying anything you might regret. I think the quote I am sharing today is one of the best pieces of advice anyone could get or give. A long time ago, my husband told me his grandfather would tell him, to keep his mouth shut and his eyes open. This has always stayed in my mind because it was the BEST advice, so when I came across this quote, I had to share it!

What does your weekend have in store for you or are you just going to take it easy? Honestly, I think after a long week, taking it easy and having nothing planned sounds perfect. The medication I must take to keep my Multiple Sclerosis at bay is very costly, if it were not for the Gilenya-Go-Program. I have been dealing with them for over a month and think I finally got things handled yesterday. They claimed they did not receive the fax I sent them last month, so I sent the paperwork via UPS mail, which can take a long time. They finally received my paperwork but said they did not have the information from my doctor. Of course, I was frantic and sent my doctor an email and they “claimed” they would get it faxed. We will see!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed what I have shared and the quote resonates with you. I look forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as I can. I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing weekend! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Sunday Thoughts

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Happy Sunday, y’all! I hope you have been able to enjoy your weekend😊! It is so amazing how short the weekends are, but how quickly the months pass by. It feels like January just began and yet we are more than halfway through the month. Were you able to do anything you wanted to over the weekend? Honestly, I have tried spending the weekend doing nothing. Unfortunately, I have been experiencing the VERY unwelcome. MS Hug again. I am not sure why this MS Hug was not made aware of social distancing because it has gotten WAY too close for me. I have always been uncomfortable when people get too close to me because I appreciate my personal space. I know that it will pass, but it is not passing soon enough. A heating pad helps some and no number of tears make will it go away any faster☹.

Even though things did not go the way I would have hoped the first time I tried, I am considering doing another writing competition. The difference in the one I am thinking about doing is I have a choice to either do a personal essay or I can do an article based on something I have researched. I have always enjoyed researching and think this would be an exciting adventure. The bad part about trying this is that I have always questioned my abilities and never thought that I was good enough. Of course, I also think that if I do not at least try I will always wonder what could have been. Do any of you have any advice or suggestions?

For most people, Sunday is a day to rest and prepare for the week ahead of us. Normally, I try getting laundry done today and anything else I was not able to do during the week. Today, where I live is rainy with a slight chill in the air, but I will still finish the one load of laundry I did not get done yet and relax with the cats on the couch. I am also going to think about writing ideas for the competition that I may or may not participate in. Who am I kidding? I do fully plan to do the competition because if I do not, I will always wonder what might have happened.

What do you think about change? Do you think that in 2023, the world should be more accepting of others and the way they choose to live THEIR lives? Do you think we should have evolved much more than many have? I am not trying to push my views onto anyone else, but I do not think anything should trouble our lives unless it negatively affects our daily lives. It does not affect my life if two people get married out of love, even if they are of the same sex. Another thing that does not affect my daily life is transgender. The United States is SUPPOSED to be a free country and unless we have been lied to for decades, we can all live our lives the way we want, which means we are allowed to love who we love, be whoever we want to be, follow the religion we want and read the bible associated with that religion, and anything else as long as it does not harm another person!

Do you think that our governments tell us the truth? Would it be so hard to believe that we are not being told the truth about things in this world? Why are many of us not being treated fairly and able to have healthcare that is the best for us, which would be free or at least a lot more affordable? Why do so many have to suffer from an illness we are told there is no cure for? Would it be so hard to believe that there are cures for many of the diseases in the world, but only for an extremely HIGH amount? I do believe anything is possible!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed what I have shared and that you are having a good weekend. I know some of what I have written can be a little controversial and some of you may disagree with me, which is completely within your rights. I would love the chance to read your comments and I will respond as quickly as possible! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Toxicity in The United States

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The United States has been suffering from mass levels of toxicity for decades. Unfortunately, there have been and continue to be numerous issues that are engulfing most of us living in the United States. These toxic behaviors and thoughts are seeping into the rest of the world daily. The catastrophic events and issues Americans have faced end up being shown on the news for the entire world to view, which is shameful and a complete disgrace. It is tragic as an American to know about the devastations we are enduring, mostly due to those with bad intentions that are full of anger and hatred. Sadly, many have become desensitized, and the pain others are experiencing does not cause them any distress☹.

One issue that appears much worst in the United States than in any other country is gun violence. In other countries, when there was one case of gun violence, the country took the proper measures and banned guns for everyone. In the United States, you are unable to watch the news or read articles on any news outlets without seeing about shootings with or without casualties. There have been numerous school shootings in the United States and this needs to stop. Children and teens should never have easy access to a gun of any kind. If a parent or another adult in the household chooses to have a gun, they should take necessary safety measures.

Many Americans seem to believe because it is the 2nd Amendment is the right to bear arms that everyone deserves to own a gun, but there need to be more laws that are followed. We do not have to be in war times with each other or anyone else. There also needs to be more education involved regarding the purchase of a gun and gun ownership. An individual who has mental health issues and is a threat to themselves or others or has a criminal record should not be able to own a weapon, which I know is already a law, but it needs to be enforced much better. I do know of at least one person that has a criminal record of violence and the person was able to not only purchase a gun but was also given a concealed weapon permit.

Another major issue that seems to be much worst in the United States is the opioid crisis. I have wondered why this seems to be the case and what I have discovered was not too surprising. The people that are to blame for this crisis are the greedy pharmaceutical companies pushing the dangerous and addictive medications, the doctors who are overprescribing these drugs, and the drug dealers who are selling fentanyl. Of course, many people are suffering from chronic pain due to illnesses or are gravely ill due to cancer. Unfortunately, some are addicts and careless. The overdose death rate in the United States is twice as much as in any other country in the world. Preventable opioid deaths are occurring among individuals between the age of 25 to 54. The overdose deaths of those older than 55 are increasing rapidly. The drug dealers that are pushing the extremely deadly drug fentanyl are out of control which has been the cause of 80% of the overdose deaths in 2022.

A very controversial issue in the United States is abortion. This was a legal action for women for almost 50 years. I am not saying that I am pro or against abortion, but I am pro-freedom. This includes for a woman to have the freedom to decide what she does with her own body. You can probably say that I am pro-choice! If a woman gets pregnant after unprotected and consensual sex and can admit she does not have the means to provide for a child or she is raped and decides she cannot carry her rapist’s child, it is her body and her choice to terminate the pregnancy. If the United States wants to continue saying we are a free country, then a woman should be free to her body. Doctors and the government should not be in control of a woman’s body in a free country!

Mental health has been a critical issue in the United States for many decades. There is a very negative stigma that surrounds mental health causing people to feel shame and afraid to try getting help. Even when a person decides they want help, there are limited resources for them to do so. Once they can locate a facility that offers the help they desperately need, the wait list is so long, and the expenses are too high causing them to give up. We need more places to be readily available and affordable to help those who are suffering silently from mental health issues. We need to find ways to remove the negative stigma and be more open to anyone with mental instabilities. This could be a solution that may prevent mass shootings and suicide.

The United States is the only developed country that does not offer free healthcare, but instead, the cost is on a steady and consistent rise. The increase in the cost of healthcare in 2022 was 6% and is expected to increase another 5%. This is ludicrous and unacceptable! The United States is the wealthiest country in the world by a long shot. With this fact, why can healthcare not be a free right for everyone? So many people cannot afford healthcare in America and therefore are left to suffer from ailments and diseases. Even those with expensive healthcare still nearly can go bankrupt due to all the other costs. In a country with outlandish wealth, no human being should ever have to suffer from illness or disease without affordable healthcare.

In my entire 41 years in the world, I have only lived in the United States. I have lived in the northern and southern states, so I do not know if equality is an issue in other countries but do know it is a major issue in the United States. People are judged and treated differently based on where they are from, the color of their skin, religious beliefs, political following, and who they love. None of this makes sense to me and never will. We are all human beings and while I do have my strong views on certain things, I do not judge or think negatively about how others view things or how they live their lives. I only judge and feel a certain way about others based on how they treat other people. I wish everyone from sea to shining sea could learn ways to express love and acceptance more because hate is only going to destroy the planet, we are sharing.

As broken as the country and system appear, there must still be hope for it to be better. The good and honest men that fought for this country many years ago should not have risked their lives in vain. Mine and my husband’s late Grandfathers were a couple of these amazing, strong, and kindhearted men who fought for this country. Their risks along with countless others should be remembered and we should be doing better for people like them and stop the evil hatred the world is conflicted with. Hatred and misery will never do anything positive for anyone, but they will damage the people we love.

Thank you for visiting my site today. Even though what I have shared was emotional and safe, I do hope you found it interesting. I am aware not everyone is going to agree with every word of this post, but this is how I feel about things in the country I live in, and it breaks my heart. I wish the world could be filled with love and compassion, but I do not have any control over how others behave and can only control myself. We do not have to agree with our family or friends, but we need to be respectful of their feelings. I am looking forward to reading your comments and will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes! 

Always, Alyssa

The adjustments

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Over the past couple of weeks, there have been numerous changes to the weather. While I am thrilled the temperatures have cooled, the changes have caused havoc on my body. The hot weather I had to deal with all summer long was miserable and I could not wait for fall to arrive😊! Now that the fall weather is here, it is taking me a longer time than I would have anticipated adjusting. I know I can adjust to cooler temperatures because I love hoodies and snuggling up in a warm blanket😊! The issue is the constant fluctuation. If only it could just remain constant, I would be able to adjust and not be in unbearable pain!

Last week felt like an incredibly long week that I did not believe was ever going to end. Monday always seems like the busiest and most aggravating day of the entire week, but they all ran together and were just as frustrating. Working from home has many amazing attributes, but it also makes me feel like I am always at work because my work laptop seems to sit there and mock me. Yes, I do understand a laptop cannot really mock someone, but it does constantly remind me about work and what has gone all during the week.

The good thing about my job is, I truly do appreciate my team and my supervisor. One of my teammates always knows how to make me laugh and my supervisor appears to think highly of me, and I trust that she will have my back if I ever need support. I do believe this is uncommon in the United States because it has been a LONG time since I had a supervisor that is supportive and caring. Living with Multiple Sclerosis and dealing with the challenges is not easy, so having a supportive team at work is helpful and makes the week not as bad as it could be.

I am thankful the weekend has finally arrived, and I do not have anything that is a must do. I was even able to sleep in this morning, which is VERY uncommon. Two of my cats did start trying to wake me up earlier, but I was able to ward them off because I was not ready to move yet and was WAY too cold! This morning the issues I have been having with my feet and ankles were much worse, which I assume was due to be EXTREMELY cold. It is amazing what a heating pad can do to help with my issues with MS.

After a long week, what do you feel is the best way to recuperate? Are you doing anything fun this weekend or are you planning to just rest up in preparation for next week? I have a book that I need to read because I feel like it is going to help me with a challenging issue I will be dealing with soon. I think it is best to over-prepare when you know something seems like it is going to be impossible to handle. Even in the most challenging situations in life, there should always be hope, right? Right now, I need all the hope and preparation I can have because things are going to be hard in the coming weeks.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed and found meaning in what I have shared today. If anyone has any advice for ways to deal with an impossible situation, I would love to know! I hope you have a great and safe weekend doing what YOU want and not what others think you should do. I am really looking forward to reading your comments and will respond as quickly as possible. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes! 

Always, Alyssa

Human Rights

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Abortion has been a controversial issue for decades and long before anyone had heard about Roe. Since June 24, 2022, when Roe vs Wade was overturned, abortion has become an even more heated topic. The views and beliefs of people around the world are plentiful and remain extremely controversial. I understand some of these views fall in line with religious beliefs, which is their right and no one can alter their beliefs. Row vs Wade was a ruling made almost 50 years ago in January of 1973, during a time before things were more progressive. In the past, nearly 50 years have we progressed at all? Are we trying to evolve or are we only consistently devolving?

I am very aware that there will be numerous people that are going to disagree with my thoughts, but I am going to share them anyway. This issue has caused me a lot of frustration and anger, and this post has taken me over a week to finish. First, let me start by saying that I do not agree with using abortion as a form of birth control. There are risks a woman may experience from having an abortion, which may include pain and cramping, plus some intense mental health struggles, and social and financial burdens. There is already a negative stigma surrounding abortion, so I do not believe any woman is going to choose to have an abortion if it is not truly necessary.

People do need to be responsible and practice safe sex, but unforeseen things can happen. When a woman decides for whatever reason that she wants to have an abortion, there are safe ways to have this procedure completed. According to the World Health Organization, about 45% of all abortions are unsafe of which 97% occur in developing countries. Unfortunately, unsafe abortions are a leading avoidable cause of maternal deaths. If women lose the ability to get a safe abortion where the dangers decrease, the problem will be more unsafe abortions and an increased number of women dying unnecessarily.

Another HUGE problem I have with banning abortions is it is taking away a woman’s right to decide what she can do with HER body. The United States “claims” to be a “free” country”, right? Please explain how taking away a woman’s right to her body is freedom because this does not sound like what I consider freedom.

If a woman is raped, how can anyone force her to keep her rapist’s baby? That baby will be a constant reminder of the worst day in her life, which is NOT fair. If a woman gets pregnant and can be mature enough to admit that she does not have the means to provide a safe and happy life for that child, WHY should she be forced to? She was trying to put that child’s needs first and not bring it into a world where it would not have what it needs to flourish.

Please take a look at the states that have already banned abortion. Do you see a common denominator to these states? The first two states to put an abortion ban were Indiana and West Virginia. I am not surprised about Indiana, but I have been to West Virginia and have seen what people are like there, so I am shocked they were the 2nd state to ban abortion. I do not mean to bring politics into this as that is another hot topic and causes more arguments, but most of the states that have banned abortion are Republican leading with the voting poles. This is not an opinion, but a fact!

Regardless of an individual’s political or religious ideology, what gives anyone the right to tell a woman what she can or cannot do with HER body? In a “free” country, how can a government dictate law for a human body? Why should a woman that is raped be forced to carry her rapist’s baby for nine months? I have heard the argument that she can give the baby up for adoption, but nine months is a long time to carry a baby and endure childbirth all because a man did not listen to the simple two letters word “NO”.

Again, I understand that many people reading this post will have opposite views that I do and that is your right. I am not trying to take anyone’s rights away from them, like so many states are doing to women. Like I have already said, I do not think abortion should be used as a form of birth control, but that is not my right to decide for another woman, it is hers and hers ONLY! I believe in a woman’s right to decide if she can take care of another human life and if she knows she can’t, I do not think she should be forced to. More than anything else, I do not think any woman should be told she must carry her rapist’s baby because this was no fault of hers.

I am sorry if this post has offended anyone but am not sorry for the way I see things. I am not sorry that I think a woman is the only person that can decide what happens to her body. I am not sorry that I do not agree a woman should never have to carry a baby from rape or incest. I am not sorry that I do not agree with what is going on in the United States. I am not sorry that I view freedom differently than some do. I am not sorry that I feel a woman has the right to decide!

Thank you for visiting my site today. Although I do know many will disagree with everything I stated, I do hope it provides you with an understanding as to why I view things the way I do. When I find something extremely disturbing and when something upset me, I feel the need to write about it because it helps me to accept things and let the anger go. I hope you are having a nice and safe weekend. I do encourage you to leave a comment and I will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes. 

Always, Alyssa

Thoughts out of the blue

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Out of the blue and for no reason at all, I started thinking about a life-altering event I went through. This is not something I dwell on because I have very little control over it and it would be a waste of time to overthink it. It has been more than 20 years since I heard my doctor tell me that I had Multiple Sclerosis. I was still so young, very ignorant of what this meant for my life, and fears of how many challenges I would be forced to endure. Of course, I did hear the words the doctor spoke to me on the day he broke the news to me, but it took me a while to accept what he said to me. I tried my best to fight him and tell him he was wrong, but that was fighting a battle I had no chance of winning. After several months, I chose to accept it, but also to never surrender because I do believe in the power of the mind and that positive thoughts produce positive outcomes.

All those years ago, I was terrified that I would not be able to live a normal life. Nowadays, I wonder what is normal because for me it is constant pain and frustration with a disease without a cure. I feared that I would lose the ability to walk and take care of myself, which would have been extremely hard for me because I am a very independent person and never want to rely on anyone for anything. It has been approximately 20 ½ years, 7,488 days, 179,703 hours, and 10,782,180 minutes (give or take) and I am still here. I am walking and taking care of myself and my husband, and my three cats. There have been many obstacles through the years, but I have always remained determined to not allow this illness to defeat me.

Over all the years, I have learned more than I ever wanted to about Multiple Sclerosis and as crazy as this sounds, it has taught me a lot. I have learned how to discover a strength that I never imagined having. I have learned how being determined can help me to survive the most challenging situations. I now understand how powerful resilience is and the many ways it can help us to persevere, even when we feel like hope is lost. I have learned just how a positive mind can make a HUGE difference in our daily life.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that I do not dwell on things I have little control over. I do understand that even though I have little control over Multiple Sclerosis, I can control how much I allow it to bring me down and to feel helpless. I do have control over my mind, and I can tell myself that I am stronger than this unpredictable illness. Most importantly, I can remind myself that I did nothing to cause this illness to continue to plague my life. I will continue to keep the promise I made to my late grandfather shortly after I was diagnosed to continue to fight the battle until I win the war against Multiple Sclerosis.

Unfortunately, we all have something we must live with, and we all have a choice in how we approach things. I am thankful the doctor caught the Multiple Sclerosis early because if he did not, I can only imagine how much worst things would be for me today. I will always have a special place in my heart for my first Neurologist and his Nurse Practitioner because they were an amazing team that never lost hope in me. I am thankful that I have learned to not feel any shame because of what I live with.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed what I have shared today and that in some way, it resonates with you and helps you to understand your strength. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and remaining as safe as possible. I am looking forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as possible. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Irritating Sounds!

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Each person has unique qualities that set them apart from everyone else. These qualities are not something negative or to be ashamed of, but they can create challenges for the person to handle. Since I was a young child there have been certain sounds that I found extremely irritating, which I thought made me strange. It is not loud noises, but small noises such as people chewing gum, chips, popcorn, ice, or anything else that crunches. I remember a time being in the car with my mother or anywhere else when people were chewing gum and it caused an intense feeling of pure and utter irritation. Are there any sounds that you find irritating?

There is a rare disorder known as misophonia that affects about 20% of the population. Scientists suggest that one in five people suffer from this disorder to some degree and less than 1% experience extreme symptoms. This disorder can trigger emotional or physiological reactions to sounds. Of course, those that do not suffer from this view the reactions as an unreasonable and illogical response to sounds that can range from anger and annoyance to panic with a need to flee.

Those that live with misophonia have explained they are triggered by oral sounds, such as the noise a person makes when they eat, breathe, or chew anything. Other sounds people have found to be irritating can include the tapping on a keyboard, table, or steering wheel, or the sound of windshield wipers or blinkers. Some have said small repetitive motions are the cause, such as someone fidgeting or wiggling their foot.

Those with misophonia have said they respond to visual stimuli accompanied by sounds and have an intense reaction to repetitive motions. It has been suggested by researchers that those with this disorder have issues with the way their brains filter sounds and one feature of “misophonia sounds” would be their repetitive noises, which exacerbates other auditory processing issues.

Misophonia appears to range from mild to severe. Many have reported various physiologic and emotional responses. Mild responses can cause people to feel anxious, uncomfortable, disgusted, or have the desire to flee the situation. The more severe response may include rage, anger, hatred, panic, fear, and or emotional distress. 

Doctors are unsure what causes this condition but have stated it is not an issue with the person’s ears. They do believe it may be related to the way sounds affect the brain and trigger an automatic response in the body. The onset is not known, but symptoms have been reported to begin between the age of 9 and 13 and last a lifetime. This is more common in girls and comes on quickly and does not appear to be related to any specific event.

A recent breakthrough study discovered that misophonia is a brain-based disorder. Researchers have referred to a disruption in the connectivity in parts of the brain that processes both sound stimulation and the fight/flight response. This is said to involve parts of the brain that code the importance of sound. 

If this is something any of you deal with, I am sorry because I know how incredibly frustrating it can be. There have been times I had to cover my ears to avoid the annoying sounds because it causes me massive amounts of frustration and anger. It was so hard to deal with when I worked in an office setting because many people loved chewing gum and that is one of the most annoying sounds in the world. Thankfully, I am not working in an office setting, so I do not deal with this anymore, but my husband does love chewing ice and tries to say it is soft ice. It is NOT soft ice! If this is something you must live with, how do you handle it without losing your mind?

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope what I have shared is something you do not live with, but if you do, please know you are not alone. I am looking forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as I can. I hope your weekend has started pleasantly and you enjoy these two days! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

~How to deal with manipulative people~

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What does manipulation mean to you? The Webster’s Dictionary shows manipulation to mean a few different things, but for this post, it means, “to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means, especially to one’s advantage”. To your knowledge, has anyone in your life ever tried to manipulate you? If so, how did this make you feel and how did you handle it?

Unfortunately, manipulative people can be found anywhere. These people can be family, friends, co-workers, or even new people in your life. They are not always easy to detect because they can easily lie and deceive you. Although they are skillful in their deceptive and treacherous behaviors, they are careless and selfish with only their benefits in mind. 

Manipulative people know how to find your weaknesses, use them against you, and convince you to do what will benefit their interests. Some may attempt using positive tactics, such as disingenuous compliments and artificial closeness, but they typically use negative means like silent treatment, criticism, and emotional abuse. 

The feelings felt when being manipulated are unpleasant, to say the least. This can easily leave a person feeling sad, disappointed, hurt, and even betrayed. If you have even been on the receiving end of manipulation, please let this be a lesson and never treat another person in this way.

**Please note, I am not a psychologist, mental health professional, or medical professional in any way, but the following tips are what I discovered through research and I hope they will help you end manipulative people before they can hurt and deceive you**

Remember, NO means NO:

Learn how to say “NO” in a firm, calm, and diplomatic way. There is no need to add anything else to the conversation. When we offer any reason, it can just provide ammo for the person to use to get through your defenses and force you to say “yes”. Initially, the manipulative person may become irritated and persistently try to convince you of something other than what you have already stated. Do not allow their determination or pushy behavior to change your mind. Continue to say “NO” and they will eventually give up. 

Do not apologize automatically:

Manipulative people are skillful at turning the tables to make everything be your fault, even when in your heart you know it was not. These types of people are always the victim. Of course, we are all human and it may seem easier to apologize to keep the peace and end the conversation, but this will just provide them with more control. Stand your ground and know manipulative people will never take responsibility for their actions.

Do not react:

Although it is not easy, the more you defend yourself or explain your reasons, the farther you fall into their web of control. Manipulative people know the way you think and will take advantage of it. They will create drama and chaos and the more emotional you become, the calmer they will feel. They want to make you seem like the crazy one and they are sane. No matter how many accusations and criticisms they throw at you, try to walk away and simply say, “I am sorry you feel that way”.

Establish clear boundaries:

Manipulative people are drawn to and prey on people pleasers because their boundaries are often weaker. Boundaries are important in all relationships as lines are clearly drawn. If there is a manipulative person in your life that continues to cross even one of your boundaries, know when it is time to walk away and not engage further. Define ahead of time what the consequences are when the person continues to disrespect you and your boundaries.

Take time to make decisions:

Often a manipulative person will be forceful and demand an answer right away. Try to never cave into their pressure because it only gives them more control. Take as much time as you need to provide them with an answer.

Keep your distance: 

The best and most challenging thing to do is to cut these manipulative people out of your life because they will try to make you feel guilty. Sometimes ignoring the person is easier because they are unaware of what is going on.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope the information in this post will help you deal with a manipulative person in your life or at least prepare you to handle on if you ever are forced to. Life is not easy, and we always need to do what is best for us because it is our life! If you have dealt with this type of person before, I am interested to read about it and how you handled it or knew it was happening. I will respond to all comments as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa