bipolar, college, Columbia, holistic, photography all in one post: phew!

Last night was kind of odd. I should have listened to my body and went to bed when I was actually tired. But, instead, I kept myself awake by staying on Facebook, drinking THREE glasses of orange juice, reading random blogs on blogger.com, and making a run to Hy-Vee at 2:30 a.m. for Mac N Cheese. :( Sometimes my manic depressive behavior gets the best of me.
I guess I will talk about that some.. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I have Bipolar 1, which is a mental disorder characterized by extreme ups and downs. I have experienced depression so bad I can't get out of bed for days. I have experienced mania so bad that I hallucinate and become extremely violent. I have been on several different anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, mood stabilizer, and sleep aid medicines.
In December, 2009, I made the personal decision to go off all medication and live my life as holistically as possible. I have been using a lot of aromatherapy and essential oil techniques (lavender has been a lifesaver), better eating habits, exercise, and meditation. I have noticed SUCH a noticeable difference in myself! I have never felt as good as I do now. I have become a little "radical" in some people's opinion, but it works for me. I have eliminated virtually anything that could negatively affect my body or mood. I do not take ANY medication (aspirin, medicines listed above, cough syrup, etc.) I have several alternative healing books, and I base all of my health decisions off of these. I have chosen to not use any deodorants due mainly to aluminum found in it. I do not use any shampoos, soaps, etc. that are not completely organic and naturally occurring.
Like I said, I feel fabulous. Some people think it is all mental, and whether it is or not makes no difference to me. These decisions are the only thing that have helped me deal with the life/situations I have been given. I can finally say that I am happy. The life I live is full of love and was meant just for me. My husband is fully supporting all of the decisions I make and has joined me in all of them, as well. He is such a fabulous person. (Mason Hoffman)(Holiday-X) :)
His blog site is: http://holiday-x.blogspot.com/

A lot of big changes are happening for me that I know are just going to add to this happiness and love I have been feeling. In a leeetle over 3 weeks, Mason and I are moving to Columbia, MO which I am completely psyched about! Columbia is one of my favorite places that I have ever been to. It's a really funky, alternative town with so much more to offer than Kirksville, where I live now, and have lived the entire 20 years of my life. So, this is the first time I have ever moved away from my family, which I am a little worried about, but it is only an hour and a half away, so I know it will be okay. Mason and I are also transferring to new schools there! Right now, we both go to Truman State University, as Communication Disorders majors. Truman is a pretty small University, at least compared to MU which is where I am transferring to. Like I said, I am currently majoring in Communication Disorders. At MU, I am switching my major to Special Education, and plan on still getting my Masters in Communication Disorders. Mason is transferring to Columbia College and is switching his major to English with a concentration in writing. :)
I am VERY excited and VERY nervous. I hope more than anything that I can make friends.

Last night I started reading 'The Red Tent' by Anita Diamant. I'm only on page 15, but I am really excited about this book. I have heard a lot of good things about it, and I just feel really drawn to read it. Have you ever read this book? What did you think of it?

Well, thank you so much for listening to me ramble. I'm really excited about starting this blog. It feels really nice to "let it all out". :)

Oh! I also just submitted my final body of work for my Creative Photography class. You can view my pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/37457758@N04/sets/72157623868649405/
Let me know what you think, but be gentle! This is my first time taking and developing my own photos!

So much love to you,
Carli