Ideas to Celebrate New Years Eve WITHOUT Alcohol

If you have a loved one with disabilities, alcohol is a BIG no-no because of the medications they are on. I don't drink period for my personal reasons. But for people with disabilities, it would be hard not too if there is alcohol being passed around. It could actually kill a person with a disability to drink alcohol depending on their medications. So as it is New Year's Eve day in my part of the world 😊 I am going to share a couple of really great non- alcohol ideas to celebrate ringing in the New Year. 

1. Eat 12 grapes at midnight

The practice of eating 12 grapes at midnight is common among Spanish-speaking people and countries, according to History.com. The grapes symbolize the hope the person has for the new year and each of its 12 months, and in some cases, people even create 12 wishes, one for each grape, as they devour them. As stated by Food Republic, in Spain, the grapes are eaten as quickly as possible in order to bring good luck, adding an element of superstition to the tradition. 

2. Make New Year's bags

This can be an especially enjoyable option for families with kids, but it could even be great for adult parties too. Disney Family says you can have lots of fun by creating New Year's bags that are meant to be opened each hour and contain a different activity. Happy Home Fairy states you can fill the bags with many different items like:

- A new movie to watch

- Puzzles 

- Activity sheets 

- Candy 

Essentially, you can fill them with whatever you think your group of friends or family will enjoy. Just don't forget to make an 11:55 PM bag that contains noisemakers and confetti.

I hope you enjoyed these different non-alcohol ideas and ways to ring in the New Year! As always, feel free to email me at barbgadway@live.com. I am sharing one non-alcoholic drink option also 😊See you all again on January the second!

Non-Alcoholic Orange Slush Punch

Ingredients

Gluten free

∙ Serves 15

Produce

• 1 packet Jell-o cherry, flavored

Baking & Spices

• 2 cups Sugar

Drinks

• 3 liters Ginger ale
• 8 cups Orange juice

Desserts

• 1 packet Jell-o, flavored orange

Liquids

• 5 cups Water

Be a Blessing- Happy New Years Eve and New Years!

I trust in You, O Lord . . . . My times are in Your hand. —Psalm 31:14-15

I don’t know what your family does to bring in the new year, but it’s celebrated in many different ways around the world.

In Japan, people dress in new clothes and decorate their houses with bamboo and pine branches—symbols of long life.

In Scotland, groups of friends or families get together for dinner at a host’s house and exchange gifts soon after midnight.

In Greece, the children leave shoes by the fireplace, hoping St. Basil will fill them with gifts.

The times and seasons and years, including this new year, are in God’s hand (Psalm 31:15). As Christians, we have nothing to fear, for God’s goodness is great (v.19). We can walk with Christ each day and join the psalmist in saying, “As for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God’ ” (v.14).

A New Year's Prayer

Lord, You make all things new
You bring hope alive in our hearts 
And cause our Spirits to be born again.

Thank you for this new year
For all the potential it holds.
Come and kindle in us 
A mighty flame
So that in our time, many will see the wonders of God
And live forever to praise Your glorious name.

Amen

Today dear friends, I encourage you to thank God for the year that has passed and ask Him to use us to accomplish His will in our troubled, suffering world in the year ahead. Today I wish you all a very happy New Year's Eve or New Years Day depending on where you are in this big beautiful world! May the New Year bring you much happiness, blessings, and prosperity! 😊❤ See you all again on January the second!

What are the causes for Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Blessings dear friends! Today I am going to focus on the causes for Dissociative Identity Disorder or Multiple Personality Disorder. I hope that this information I am sharing today helps to enlighten and inform you as it has me on this disorder. Please feel free to email me at barbgadway@live.com anytime. 😊⛄

What Causes Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)?

The causes of dissociative identity disorder appear to be complex. People with dissociative identity disorder tend to have personal histories of recurring, overpowering, severe and often life-threatening traumas such as physical or sexual abuse before the age of nine; which is thought to be a key developmental age. The cause of dissociative identity disorder may also be extreme neglect or emotional abuse even if no overt physical or sexual abuse occurred. DID may also be related to a natural disaster, such as war. According to WebMD, findings indicate that parents who are frightening and unpredictable tend to raise children who experience dissociation.

Richard Kluft, an expert in dissociative identity disorder, suggests that DID is caused by four factors:

1. Individuals have an innate potential to dissociate that is reflected in the fact that they are easy to hypnotize (have a high hypnotizability rating).
2. Traumatic experiences in early childhood may disturb personality development, leading to greater potential for dividedness in mental or emotional areas.
3. Individuals may be denied the chance to spontaneously recover because of continued emotional and/or social deprivation.
4. Final presentation is shaped by mental or emotional and external factors, including social influences.

https://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/did-causes/

Please click on the link above for more great information!

Symptoms

The following criteria must be met for an individual to be diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder:

• The individual experiences two or more distinct identities or personality states (each with its own enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self). Some cultures describe this as an experience of possession.
• The disruption in identity involves a change in sense of self, sense of agency, and changes in behavior, consciousness, memory, perception, cognition, and motor function.
• Frequent gaps are found in memories of personal history, including people, places, and events, for both the distant and recent past. These recurrent gaps are not consistent with ordinary forgetting.
• These symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. 

Particular identities may emerge in specific circumstances. Transitions from one identity to another are often triggered by psychosocial stress. In the possession-form cases of dissociative identity disorder, alternate identities are visibly obvious to people around the individual. In non-possession-form cases, most individuals do not overtly display their change in identity for long periods of time. 

Causes

Why some people develop DID is not entirely understood, but they frequently report having experienced severe physical and sexual abuse, particularly during childhood. Among those with the DID in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, approximately 90 percent report experiencing childhood abuse. 

The disorder may first manifest at any age. Individuals with DID may have post-traumatic symptoms (nightmares, flashbacks, and startle responses) or post-traumatic stress disorder. Several studies suggest that DID is more common among close biological relatives of persons who also have the disorder than in the general population. As this once rarely reported disorder has grown more common, the diagnosis has become controversial. Some believe that because DID patients are highly suggestible, their symptoms are at least partly iatrogenic—that is, prompted by their therapists' probing. Brain imaging studies, however, have corroborated identity transitions.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder

Please click on the above link and find out more great information!

I hope this information has helped you today in some way and informed you more on this disorder. I have a child with mental health disabilities and some family members choose to treat him as if he has leprosy or ignore he exists. I focus on all mental health aspects to help STOP people from mistreating those who have a mental health disorder. Instead of ignoring the person who has mental health issues, I hope to educate to have people, instead, reach out to them. Hope you are all having a wonderful day and you are all staying warm and toasty. HUGS!!!! ❤

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Be a Blessing - Get Strength by Serving Others

Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. —Matthew 20:26

No one wants to be weak, so we find ways to appear strong. Some of us use the force of our emotions to manipulate people. Others use the force of personality to control people, and some use intellect to intimidate. Although these create an illusion of strength, they are signs of weakness.

When we are truly strong, we have the courage to admit our limitations and to acknowledge our dependence on God. As a result, true strength often looks a lot like weakness. When the apostle Paul prayed that an affliction would be taken from him, God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul responded with these troubling words: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (v.10).

Toward the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, some of His disciples were striving for positions of prominence. Jesus used their argument as an opportunity to teach them that in His kingdom things are different: greatness comes when we willingly assume positions of weakness (Matt. 20:26).

This is a hard truth. I prefer the illusion of strength to the reality of weakness. But God wants us to realize that true strength comes when we stop trying to control people and start serving them instead.

Today my precious dears I encourage you to always remember that our Good Shepherd will direct our paths and keeps us in His mercy, strength, and love. May we declare our dependence on Him. May we ask him for help when we need help in stopping controlling others and ask Him to help us remain humble in His strength by instead serving others. Today, Be a Blessing- Get Strength by Serving Others! 👱💜

Has a loved one or yourself been diagnosed with a Dissociative Disorder and you are not sure what all that entails...... I am going to share a couple websites and excerpts from them that hopefully will shed a little light on what exactly Dissociative Disorder is.  As always, feel free to email me at babgadway@live.com anytime.  HUGS!!!!! 😊❤

Dissociative disorders are characterized by an involuntary escape from reality characterized by a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness and memory. People from all age groups and racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds can experience a dissociative disorder.

Its estimated that 2% of people experience dissociative disorders, with women being more likely than men to be diagnosed. Almost half of adults in the United States experience at least one depersonalization/derealization episode in their lives, with only 2% meeting the full criteria for chronic episodes.

The symptoms of a dissociative disorder usually first develop as a response to a traumatic event, such as abuse or military combat, to keep those memories under control. Stressful situations can worsen symptoms and cause problems with functioning in everyday activities. However, the symptoms a person experiences will depend on the type of dissociative disorder that a person has.

Treatment for dissociative disorders often involves psychotherapy and medication. Though finding an effective treatment plan can be difficult, many people are able to live healthy and productive lives.

Symptoms

Symptoms and signs of dissociative disorders include:

• Significant memory loss of specific times, people and events
• Out-of-body experiences, such as feeling as though you are watching a movie of yourself
• Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide
• A sense of detachment from your emotions, or emotional numbness
• A lack of a sense of self-identity

The symptoms of dissociative disorders depend on the type of disorder that has been diagnosed. There are three types of dissociative disorders defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM):

• Dissociative Amnesia. The main symptom is difficulty remembering important information about one’s self. Dissociative amnesia may surround a particular event, such as combat or abuse, or more rarely, information about identity and life history. The onset for an amnesic episode is usually sudden, and an episode can last minutes, hours, days, or, rarely, months or years. There is no average for age onset or percentage, and a person may experience multiple episodes throughout her life.
• Depersonalization disorder. This disorder involves ongoing feelings of detachment from actions, feelings, thoughts and sensations as if they are watching a movie (depersonalization). Sometimes other people and things may feel like people and things in the world around them are unreal (derealization). A person may experience depersonalization, derealization or both. Symptoms can last just a matter of moments or return at times over the years. The average onset age is 16, although depersonalization episodes can start anywhere from early to mid childhood. Less than 20% of people with this disorder start experiencing episodes after the age of 20.
• Dissociative identity disorder. Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, this disorder is characterized by alternating between multiple identities. A person may feel like one or more voices are trying to take control in their head. Often these identities may have unique names, characteristics, mannerisms and voices. People with DID will experience gaps in memory of every day events, personal information and trauma. Women are more likely to be diagnosed, as they more frequently present with acute dissociative symptoms. Men are more likely to deny symptoms and trauma histories, and commonly exhibit more violent behavior, rather than amnesia or fugue states. This can lead to elevated false negative diagnosis.

https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Dissociative-Disorders

This site above has a lot of great information! Feel free to check it out!

What Are Dissociative Disorders?

Dissociative disorders involve problems with memory, identity, emotion, perception, behavior and sense of self. Dissociative symptoms can potentially disrupt every area of mental functioning.

Examples of dissociative symptoms include the experience of detachment or feeling as if one is outside one’s body, and loss of memory or amnesia. Dissociative disorders are frequently associated with previous experience of trauma.

There are three types of dissociative disorders:

• Dissociative identity disorder
• Dissociative amnesia
• Depersonalization/derealization disorder

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/dissociative-disorders/what-are-dissociative-disorders
This site above also has great information! Please feel free to check it out!

I hope and pray that this information has helped to shed some light on what Dissociative Disorder is.  Blessings and Much Love to you all!!!😊❤

Be a Blessing- Truly Care For Others!

To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. Job 12:13

After Job had lost everything, he had friends with answers but little understanding. Zophar told him all he needed to do was live wholeheartedly for God. Then “life will be brighter than noonday,” he said (11:17). That counsel wasn’t well received, and Job responded with scathing sarcasm: “Wisdom will die with you!” (12:2). He knew the dissatisfying taste of textbook answers to real-world problems.

It’s easy to be critical of Job’s friends for their failure to see the big picture. But how often are we too quick with answers to questions we don’t truly understand? People do want answers. But more than that, they want to know we hear and understand. They want to know we care.

We too can serve as caretakers to the weak and weary. Whether we’re teachers coaxing quiet students to open up, workers coming alongside a struggling co-worker, prisoners looking out for new arrivals, or parents showing attention to their children, we have ways to honor God by helping others.

As we seek to serve those in need, may the grace of God that reached us in our need move us to reach out to others in theirs.

Father, help us to be a friend first before we offer advice to others. Thank You for the privilege of sharing our hearts with You in prayer. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit so that we will never be alone. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!

Today my precious friends, I encourage you to that

when we “value others above [ourselves],” we demonstrate Christlike humility. We mirror Jesus, who came not “to be served, but to serve”. When we take “the very nature of a servant” , we have the mindset of Jesus.

As we interact with others today, let’s not look on our own interests alone but also “to the interests of the others”. Be a Blessing- Truly Care for Others. 😊❤

Bipolar Disorder Myths and Facts

Blessings dear friends! Today, I am going to share some great information I found on the myths and facts of Bipolar Disorder. I hope this information helps you understand about Bipolar Disorder better. Please feel free to click on and check out any of the links I share. I share an excerpt from the links but there is so much great information on them. 😊 Feel free to email me anytime at barbgadway@live.com. Have a Blessed day! ❤

https://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/features/8-myths-about-bipolar-disorder#1

Bipolar Myth No. 1: Bipolar disorder is a rare condition.

Not so, according to statistics and research. In a given year, bipolar disorder affects about 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population 18 and older, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Estimates for children and teens vary widely, partly because there is debate about the criteria for diagnosis, say Thomas E. Smith, MD, a research scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.

But the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation estimates that at least three quarters of a million American children and teens may suffer from bipolar disorder, although many are not diagnosed. A recent study by researchers from Columbia University and elsewhere showed the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is up dramatically in children and teens and is also on the rise in adults.

When the researchers looked at the number of office visits with a bipolar disorder diagnosis in 1994-1995 and 2002-2003 in the U.S., they found that the number of office-based visits increased 40-fold for children and nearly doubled for adults from the first time period to the second.

Bipolar Myth No. 2: Bipolar disorder is just another name for mood swings.

Not so. The mood swings associated with bipolar disorder are very different than those of people without the condition, says Matthew Rudorfer, MD, associate director of treatment research in the division of services and intervention research at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md.

{ Please click on the website link I shared above and check out all the great information from this site} 

http://www.whiteswanfoundation.org/article/bipolar-disorder-myths-and-facts/

Myth: Bipolar disorder is just another name for mood swings.

Fact: Mood swings are typical change in mood when one is upset, angry, irritable, or feeling less motivated. They last for a short period of time. But the mood swings associated with bipolar disorder are very different and extreme, and can affect every aspect of a person's life and activities.

Myth: Bipolar disorder is a rare condition.

Fact: Bipolar disorder is not a rare mental disorder. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics and research, about sixty million people worldwide are affected with bipolar disorder and in India, around three percent of the population is affected with bipolar disorder.

Myth: Medication is the only treatment for bipolar disorder.

Fact: Medication is required to control the symptoms of bipolar disorder, but it is not the only treatment. Doctors also emphasize on the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, avoiding drugs and alcohol, cultivating good sleeping habits, exercising and coping with stress in combination with the prescribed medication.

{ Please click on the website link I shared above and check out all the great information from this site} 

I hope that you found the information in either of these websites beneficial and helpful to your understanding of Bipolar Disorder. Here is the link to a PDF that has some great information also  http://www.dbsalliance.org/pdfs/mythsfinal.pdf    HUGS!!!!!😊⛄ 

Be a Blessing- Forgive, Forget, Move Past!

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34

Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith, with our Savior extending forgiveness even when He was dying on the cross. Jesus loved those who had nailed Him there, uttering a prayer asking His Father to forgive them. He didn’t hang on to bitterness or anger, but showed grace and love to those who had wronged Him.

This is a fitting time to consider before the Lord any people we might need to forgive as we follow Jesus’s example in extending His love to those who hurt us. When we ask God through His Spirit to help us forgive, He will come to our aid—even if we take what we think is a long time to forgive. When we do, we are freed from the prison of unforgiveness.

 When God says He ‘will never again remember their sins’ or that ‘He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west’ (Psalm 103:12), He means He no longer holds our sins against us. He remembers what we have done, and His forgiveness is the richer for it.

Lord Jesus Christ, through Your grace and power as You dwell in me, help me to forgive, that Your love will set me free. Amen.

Today my beloved friends I encourage you to remember that “Forgiveness requires that we remember and release. We can’t forgive what we forget.” I know it is really hard to do. I have been in your shoes, trust me! I have just chosen to forgive and forget and move on past. The more I harbored on what they have done to hurt me the more bitter I became. For myself, I had to choose to forgive and forget and move past or the bitterness would consume me. Today dears, as hard as it is, I encourage you too to Be a Blessing and Forgive those that have wronged you and Forget and Move Past it. HUGS!!!!!!👱💜

Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

Blessings dear friends! I hope and pray that you are all doing well today! Today I am sharing 2 links with some great information on the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. Please feel free to check them both out and hopefully, it will help you to understand what is going on with a loved one or even yourself that have been given a diagnosis of this disorder. As always feel free to e-mail me anytime at barbgadway@live.com. HUGS!!!! 😊❤

https://www.healthline.com/health/could-it-be-bipolar-signs-to-look-for

What are the warning signs of bipolar disorder?7 signs of mania

Mania can cause other symptoms as well, but seven of the key signs of this phase of bipolar disorder are:

1. feeling overly happy or “high” for long periods of time
2. having a decreased need for sleep
3. talking very fast, often with racing thoughts
4. feeling extremely restless or impulsive
5. becoming easily distracted
6. having overconfidence in your abilities
7. engaging in risky behavior, such as having impulsive sex, gambling with life savings, or going on big spending sprees

7 signs of depression

Like mania, depression can cause other symptoms as well, but here are seven of the key signs of depression from bipolar disorder:

1. feeling sad or hopeless for long periods of time
2. withdrawing from friends and family
3. losing interest in activities that you once enjoyed
4. having a significant change in appetite
5. feeling severe fatigue or lack of energy
6. having problems with memory, concentration, and decision making
7. thinking about or attempting suicide, or having a preoccupation with death

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder-in-children-and-teens/index.shtml

Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens

Children and teens having a manic episode may:

• Feel very happy or act silly in a way that’s unusual for them and for other people their age
• Have a very short temper
• Talk really fast about a lot of different things
• Have trouble sleeping but not feel tired
• Have trouble staying focused
• Talk and think about sex more often
• Do risky things

Children and teens having a depressive episode may:

• Feel very sad
• Complain about pain a lot, such as stomachaches and headaches
• Sleep too little or too much
• Feel guilty and worthless
• Eat too little or too much
• Have little energy and no interest in fun activities
• Think about death or suicide
  

I hope that you found some information on either of these sites that helped you in some way. God bless and have a wonderful rest of your day today! 😊❤