I'm Not Crazy . . . I'm Allergic! Blog Tour

***I am pleased to introduce you to author and fellow Rave Reviews Book Club member, Sherilyn Powers. Sherilyn is the author of I'm Not Crazy . . . I'm Allergic! Interesting title, right? On today's blog tour stop, Sherilyn answers the question: Is depression an atypical allergic reaction?***

Is Depression an Atypical Allergic Reaction?

When I started talking to people about what I first thought were atypical reactions to foods or environmental substances, I was surprised. I figured for sure they would laugh or think me crazy. 

What I discovered is that they not only believed me but had some wild stories to share too. Once I was able to explain what a reaction does in the body, people were actually able to see the reason for their own "weird" reactions and began to feel a little more in control.

Breaking reactions down into the body’s physiological responses help people to understand most of the strangeness. They can see the science behind what is going on in their bodies. This can even work with some doctors. Not all, but enough that I was eventually able to get the care I needed to help me get beyond the allergies (and thankfully there are more of those doctors out there all the time!)

In my book "I'm Not Crazy... I'm Allergic!" and the workshops I do, I go deeper into the chemical processes the brain and body go through when it feels it has found something bad for it and goes into red alert mode.  But in short, having the brain in red alert can cause a host of unexpected reactions from excessive sweating to brain fog, panic attacks to hives, and depression to seizures. But our bodies don’t differentiate different types of stress. Physical or mental, it is all the same.  This is why it is difficult for people to connect mental reactions to allergies. I like to use a comparison between panic attack, excitement and anaphylaxis to demonstrate how this is possible. 

Everyone has at one time or another had a panic attack of some sort. You leave a store, get into your car and can't find your cell phone. What happens? Your heart beats faster and harder, your pulse rate increases, your respirations increase, you feel anxious, your brain goes into hyperdrive and you... panic. 

But what about when you check your lottery ticket and you start matching the numbers one by one? You match the first two or three and then... Your heart beats faster and harder, your pulse rate increases, your respirations increase, you feel excited, your brain goes into hyperdrive and you ... freak out with excitement. The only thing different between the two is the way you perceive the physical symptoms and what you feel the outcome is. One is panic and one is happy. Those are mental judgements, nothing is different physically.

When someone goes into anaphylaxis, the exact same thing happens physically as in both the previous scenarios. All three of those reactions are a physical response by the body to whatever it perceives as a stress. The body doesn't differentiate between "good" stress and "bad" stress or even anaphylaxis, it just knows that something is happening and it needs to react. Doubt they are the same? Don't some people have heart attacks after receiving bad news and some after good news? No, not all. But not all people die from anaphylaxis either, even without medical intervention. There are degrees of reaction and predisposition and a myriad of other factors involved. 

So, we are all different in our reactions to the situations we encounter, and our bodies react differently to foods and environmental stimuli as well. Not only with different intensity, but with a variety of reactions. Knowing this helps to pinpoint what can possibly be affecting us. Maybe a small amount of eggs or dairy just causes a bit of psoriasis, but if we have a greater amount we can suffer from inflammation in our entire body, fatigue and muscle pain. More than that perhaps can lead to worse symptoms such as depression, panic attacks or even seizures or anaphylaxis. If you miss connecting what first caused your psoriasis you could be all the way to depression or having seizures before you realize there is a problem. 

Even though I talk about atypical reactions, when you break it down, there is nothing atypical about them at all. They are all our bodies’ normal reactions. Unfortunately, what we know as “typical” allergic reactions are sneezing, itchy eyes and hives and if we don’t exhibit those, we feel we are free from allergies. For some people, nothing could be further from the truth!

About Sherilyn: Sherilyn Powers has been a writer all her life. She has written and published poetry, completed several fiction novels and published blogs and articles. 

Sherilyn has been a facilitator and presenter for company VPs and CEOs, office staff and field workers on a variety of health topics and safety presentations. She has been interested in health and body work for many years, starting with family members' with ADHD and mental illness, up to and including her own health challenges with Celiac disease and allergies. 

Helping others to learn has always been a part of life for Sherilyn. She has now decided to make her love of helping other learn a full-time commitment and has continued her speaking internationally in the UK, Denver and Seattle doing workshops on her book, I'm Not Crazy... I'm Allergic!

You can purchase I'm Not Crazy . . . I'm Allergic on Amazon.

Connect with Sherilyn via Facebook, LinkedIn, and twitter. Don't forget to visit her website!

Facebook:  ​https://www.facebook.com/imnotcrazyimallergic

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherilyn-powers-83337253

Twitter: @SPowersINCIA

Website:  http://imnotcrazyimallergic.com

This tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com.