Annie

@Kazman I just stumbled upon this myself recently. I had some blood tests done almost 2 years post partum because I felt physically and mentally exhausted and wanted to know why and it turned out my B12 levels were completely down the drain so I got myself a supplement and started treatment yesterday. I am sure it'll help my overall mood and energy levels which tend to go down towards the afternoon. I've read somewhere you should find out when your levels go down and take your supplement about 6 hours before but I don't know if there's anything to it.

@Kazman Changes in your diet alone won't cut it. Everyone reacts different to certain foods so one can't generalize. Therefore I'd suggest you start a food-skin-diary. After a little while you'll find out what triggers worse skin. Of course change in your diet and your environment might help but understand that skin problems are always related to the gut and the psyche. You might have noticed your skin conditions worsen when stressed? Mood (and therefore stress levels) might be affected by a deficiency of vitamins for example B12 which is produced naturally in your gut but if your gut doesn't work properly you might have a deficiency. And taking some probiotics as well can't possibly do any harm. Try to eliminate other toxins from your day to day life: try using only cotton clothes and bed sheets instead of "plastic", check that your creams and lotions don't contain perfume, perhaps cut back on "regular" soap and use something milder instead, don't use dryer sheets, etc. will also help your skin.

@Gladius Yes it is difficult to deal with the psychological stuff but it is crucial that you understand and try to solve your issues. Of course it won't happen over night but awareness is key, everything else will follow. @Hotdog The thing with fruit and veg is also there could be a problem with pesticides being used on them. Of course they're bad for you in general anyway but one could react worse to a certain fruit or veg not because of the type of fruit but because of the pesticides it's been sprayed with. Buying organic won't guarantee anything in my opinion but I suppose it's the better option. Mood (and therefore stress levels) might be affected by a deficiency of vitamins for example B12 which is produced naturally in your gut but if your gut doesn't work properly you might have a deficiency. And taking some probiotics as well can't possibly do any harm. Trying to eliminate other toxins from your day to day life: try using only cotton clothes and bed sheets instead of "plastic", check that your creams and lotions don't contain perfume, perhaps cut back on "regular" soap and use something milder instead, don't use dryer sheets, etc. will also help your skin.

@Gladius I've been having skin problems (eczema and psoriasis) for well over 30 years. I've tried pretty much everything and I can't say I can cure it but treat it effectively. Of course not one shoe fits all so you will have to try different things and see what works for you. Conventional medicine has done nothing for me so I've switched to the alternative stuff. I use homoeopathy and potions. Food and your environment DO affect your skin and so do emotions, I can guarantee you that. My holistic doctor (who's the first one to actually help me instead of just sending me away with cortisone) told me skin problems always have to do with the gut and the psyche. You say you had issues. Explore them and deal with your traumas/issues. It's a stony road but it is worth it. If you're up to this read about early childhood traumas/emotional neglect and how you can heal ("Running on empty" is a good one). Read about "Psychosomatic Energetics" and about "New Germanic Medicine". Perhaps the information provided there can help you a bit to get a clearer view of what's causing your problems. It helped me. Good luck!

Over years and years I've had to deal with low libido (having sex about 3 or 4 times a month) until a couple of months ago I had severe back pain and after my back was "cracked" and all my vertebrae were where they belong again (I do not know how long they were out for) my libido increased a lot (now having sex 3 or 4 times a week). How does this make sense?!

Anyone knows anything about vitamin supplementation? What do you supplement and which doses? I am particularly interested in information about B12. Thank you!

Yes, that is true. What dose are you taking? I take 1000IU daily to maintain my good levels.

I'm not saying it doesn't make sense, I am simply wondering how it makes sense.

Being sexually assaulted was the most unpleasant experience but I learned from it nevertheless. It took many years but I eventually overcame the fears it caused me. Moving to a different country. A third world country where the entire culture is different from what you're used to. I will never forget the first time a small child came begging to me. I experienced a lot of friendship and belonging. Something I miss dearly (I moved back "home" after 5 years). Childbirth (twice). The first time was extremely exciting and nothing but amazing, the second time things didn't go so smooth and there was a point in which I thought I wouldn't make it and die on the operating table and never see my children again. I have never been so afraid in my life. Understanding and learning from my early childhood traumas.

I absolutely agree with @pluto In my opinion children are filled with all the potential in the world. They are human beings in its purest form. There are certain things (already in utero) you can do to help maintain as much of this "purity" as possible. @Debil You say your child is 2.5 years old. My smallest one is the same age. My eldest is 5 and he's quite "aware" for his age and extremely eager to know, well, everything. Of course parenting is hard work, trying to teach your children how the world works (and I'm not talking about easily explainable things like why it rains). At that age they basically just observe what you do, soon they will begin acting like you so the best thing is to lead by example. But don't forget that not only the child can learn from you but you can learn from the child as well. What I find most fascinating about parenting is the wonderful gift of hands-on seeing the world through the eyes of a child. Adults tend to complicate life too much, try to rationalize, reason, over-explain. Children see the simplicity, the beauty of the world. That, to me, is like enlightenment. Of course it is important you talk to her, put her feelings into words, teach her to express herself so she doesn't feel misunderstood and let her feel anything she says is important. But don't only focus on the spoken things, focus on the non-verbal communication at least just as much. Everything else will follow. @Leo Gura Have you ever heard of Jean Liedloff's "Continuum concept"? (Highly recommended read, not only to parents) I am a firm believer of forming an inseparable bond with your children from the moment of conception and avoiding as much trauma as possible is the basis of everything else.

@Radical Honesty I don't see how it could have possibly been a placebo effect. Let me give you a simple example: my then 2 year old would get motion sick and vomit in the car EVERY time I drove more than 10 minutes (regardless if there were lots of curves or a straight line). I was recommended a homoeopathic remedy to help this. I was sceptical it would work but I tried it anyway because there are no side effects (the only thing that could happen is that there is no effect on the patient at all) and it was beginning to be really annoying and of course the child wasn't having a good time either. So I gave him the remedy an hour before we'd drive and surprise surprise it worked. No more vomiting. I thought it was a coincidence, pure luck so next time I didn't give him anything. He vomited again. Then I gave him the remedy again next time and he didn't vomit anymore. I tried this on and off several times but the results were always the same. Do you think the drops are 100% water only with nothing at all in them at all?! What's your take on herbal medicines? Whatever it is that is curing me IS curing me and in the end that's the only thing that matters (to me) because after more than 30 years of this horror (because the actual bad skin is still better than the psychological mess you have to go through at times as a result of the bad skin) I am just glad I can finally try to lead a "normal" life. And as my doc said: skin problems are always related to the gut and the psyche. So it's not just the remedies that are helping me but also the attempt of overcoming traumas, etc.

Perhaps I'll find answers in this part of the forum... I'm thinking about being treated with psychosomatic energetics. Does anyone have experience? Does it really work? Thank you.

@Radical Honesty If you are so convinced this doesn't work (have you ever tried it yourself?!) let me ask you again: if it's all bogus to you, how do you explain that homoeopathic treatments work on children who can't possibly have a placebo-effect because they don't even know what they're taking and what it's for but it works. I very well know how powerful the mind is and I have never underestimated it, trust me. Speaking of which: have you ever heard anything about "Germanic new medicine"? What's your take on that? You mentioned "more effective treatments". What would that be for example? And what do you think about psychosomatic energetics (because that was my original question)?

@Radical Honesty If I give those "sugar pills" to children who don't even know what they're taking and what it's for and it works how do you explain that?! I know the theory behind homoeopathy sounds weird but it works, I've seen and experienced it countless times already. (By the way I'm not taking the treatment via "sugar pills" but in drops, they contain no sugar at all.) But I am not trying to convince anyone about this. I know it works. I have been plagued with severe eczema and psoriasis all my life. I'm 34 so I have had many years to consult different doctors in different countries. And they all told me the same which is basically there's not much to do about this but try to keep it under control. Of course with the help of cortisone. Surely the symptoms would vanish for a while but as soon as I stopped the prescribed treatment the eczema came back again - 10 times worse than before. Over the years my skin has actually gotten thinner in the most affected and most treated areas. I have tried certain diets which were anything but pleasant (for example as an 8 year old I was on a two year long diet which strictly forbade me to consume any sugar at all, it's loads of fun for a child... with no noticeable results by the way), I have tried different creams and ointments, I have tried pretty much anything you can think of. And now for the first time I have tried to go absolutely alternative and away from "mainstream pharma" and surprise surprise something positive is happening. I haven't had any itchiness since about a week after I began this treatment and I haven't experienced anything like that since. My skin has never looked and felt this good ever. For the first time in my life I feel "normal". This physical treatment in combination with a psychological "unmessing" in my head and understanding where past traumas were caused, understanding them and being able to forgive certain people involved is doing wonders to me.

@Radical Honesty I am absolutely convinced homoeopathy works. Perhaps your argument could be valid on an adult but I can see it work on my (and other) children of different ages as well as pets. That is evidence enough for me. Which type of other treatments are you referring to? I don't know where you are located but I don't think homoeopathy is expensive at all. I live in Germany and it's quite affordable. And a huge plus is that it has no side effects.

@renegade_bee Sorry for the late reply... I took probiotics and different types of fungus (in homoeopathic form) By the way, I started treatment 3 weeks ago and I can notice a change happening.

@J. M. Wigglesworth aura reading, chakra evaluation. I went in to see the doc because of skin problems and he told me it's due to issues related to the gut and the psyche. I already treated the gut (with amazing results by the way) and now I'm doing the mental stuff. Apparently my third eye chakra is out of whack and now I'm supposed to take some drops (and meditate on a personal mantra daily) over the course of 5 months. I haven't started that treatment yet (still waiting for the meds to arrive) so I'm very curious about all this.

I'm thinking about being treated with psychosomatic energetics. Does anyone have experience? Does it really work? Thank you.

My hubby has this new colleague who's apparently quite interested in him. First they met privately to play guitar. I wasn't happy about it but didn't say anything. Then he invited her over so our kids (she's a single mom, 14 years younger than my hubby) could have a playdate and I could meet her. For different reasons I wasn't particularly fond of her (we simply have very different personalities and I have certain ways of thinking she doesn't share but that's fine, however doesn't make me want to hang out with her, plus I believe her child is - as stupid as this may sound - bad influence for my kids) but didn't say anything either. Then one day my littlest one handed me a piece of paper he pulled from his dad's work-bag. On it was a silly little drawing and a note which basically meant to say she has a crush on him. A couple of days later I found a picture of her as well. I asked him wtf and he tried to downplay it, knowing I'd be upset about this, saying she probably meant it as a "thank you" for some advice he'd given her. He kept on insisting he isn't interested in her at all, and I guess I believe him. I simply dislike the fact that she's trying to make a move on my hubby and the fact that I am so damn insecure about this because I gotta be honest here: my marriage isn't perfect. At all. So I don't have this secure feeling like "to hell with this bitches intentions, our marriage is great and nothing can even shake it". I really seriously don't think my hubby is interested in her but I don't like the fact that he's interested in spending time with her because she is his friend as he called it. He said I can't tell him who to hang out with and it's true but I can tell him who I don't want him to hang out with either and I also said if he ever visits her at her house ever again I'll file for divorce. I understand deep down that the problem here isn't her but my insecurities and I don't know how to handle this.

@davidpuralocura I know the ultimatum sounds silly and maybe it is but I really meant it. He is anything but insecure, trust me on that one. He is probably the most confident person I have ever met. About the bad influence, well, to some extent I agree with you but the kind of environment that other child comes from and the behavior it displays are nothing I want anywhere around. It's the kind of people I want to stay away from, not get even closer to. I know I can't avoid everything or everyone but if I am presented with the choice I will go for the one I deem as most positive for my children's "normal" development. I understand and accept the personality, hell it would be awful if everybody would always like and agree about the same things. She can be however she wants to, as long as she stays away from my life in every way. But again, if I can chose to stay away from people who bring negativity (and this has nothing to do with her hitting on my husband) then that is what I will do. I mean why would I deliberately surround myself (and my children for this matter) with "toxic" people?! If I don't like someone, for whatever reason, I better stay away and that is also what I am asking from my partner: to keep this person out of private life 100%.

@kurt Your words sounded a bit harsh to me at first but I thank you for them in all seriousness wholeheartedly because on second thought perhaps you are right, at least partially.

So my husband is this "health-nut" who is all about good nutrition, takes supplements, does sports, etc. which is fine, don't get me wrong. However, in my opinion, he takes things a bit far and he wants changes in our household which aren't that easy. I always considered us eating healthy already but for him nothing is ever good enough. He's all about reading labels and so on, also fine but he goes completely bonkers over me if I happened to purchase something that doesn't pass his "quality test". He gets really mad if I buy bread (spelt only). I don't buy junk and try to purchase only organic! I have two small children and one of them is an incredibly picky eater. My hubby used to work as a chef and has a lot of know-how but I am not a great cook but I want to improve. For some time he used to cook our meals and the kids simply wouldn't like it. Does anyone have ideas for really healthy dishes which children could like? Thank you!

Read "The better baby book"! Relax and enjoy every second! In my opinion a must-read for expecting parents is "The continuum concept" by Jean Liedloff.

@Fitness Model Glad to hear that at least every other aspect of your relationship is fine. Specially for your daughters sake. But he needs to understand that he is causing the problems, not you. You alone can't fix it, it takes two to do that. You mentioned earlier you're located in Germany, so am I by the way. Are you both German? Perhaps its a cultural thing that his way of thinking is so weird?! Although on second thought I think his behaviour is off in pretty much any culture. You are his wife, the mother of his child, he should worship you on every level. If he was turned on by your supreme horniness then tell him that his behaviour is a huge turnoff and that this horniness will return if he puts some effort in this too.

@Fitness Model I believe the problem here is definitely not you here but only his attitude. Your husband clearly has some intimacy issues. Perhaps he choses those positions so he doesn't have to look at you. Forgive me for making this assumption but perhaps he is fantasizing about having sex with someone else because why else would he avoid getting intimate with you? Does he only care about reaching his orgasm quickly or do you have sessions that last a few hours? Does he treat you well when you're having sex?