| My friend is in a panic. She thinks she’s going bald. The lady who does her hair isn’t putting these fears to rest. I think the stylist’s exact words were something like, “Good God! You’ve got to do something about this.” But my friend doesn’t know what to do. She’s tried tons of different hair products, literally buying into the notion that cost equals effectiveness with a shampoo called Caviar. The price tag matches the name. Still, her hair falls out.   Â
She’s discouraged and I feel badly for her so I looked up alopecia (hair loss) on the internet. Common causes of the condition are stress, hormonal imbalances, diet, hypothyroidism and autoimmune illnesses. My friend’s diet is extremely balanced. She stays away from fat and sugar, eats plenty of good protein, fruits and vegetables. At 46, there could be hormonal issues and, like the rest of us, she’s definitely under stress.Â
Women today have more on them than ever before–pressure to produce at work, to produce the magic wand that makes the paycheck stretch the length of the Alaskan Pipeline, to keep up with the kids, making sure they don’t self destruct in cyberspace or on crystal meth. This same friend has an unbelievable amount of her time allocated for sleuth work because her 12 year old daughter is becoming more and more enmeshed in a group of girls who are, what used to be called, bad news.
Once again, the first order of business should probably be to simplify as much as possible. In most families I know, the monkeys run the zoo. The kids rule the parents and not the other way around. I’m not throwing stones because it happened here too. Hindsight is a terrific vantage point, almost a place of omnipotence but not quite. Next, everyone in the household should be created equal when it comes to contributing. And every adult deserves a fair share of the say in how finances and other situations are handled. If one person is oppressed, nerves can be compromised to the point of physical and serious emotional illness.
Sometimes it might be a good idea to turn off the television and read a book. This friend of mine is tormented by propaganda created to sell advertising spots. She watches news shows that have her eliminating and adding foods and products so fast that there’s no time for the threatened or promised effects to manifest. The information pours out of the tv and into our brains rapidfire and we turn into landmine dodgers without even realizing it. We’re anxious and tense, squeezing the last drop out of our money so we can have or avoid whatever was brought up on the Today Show this morning. Tomorrow, there’s something else to worry about because the Today Show needs to sell ad spots. And that’s the truth.
So, if your hair’s falling out or your stomach is in knots, your head wants to explode or any number of perplexing physical maladies are affecting your sense of well being, just stop and breathe. Get quiet and away from the chatter coming at you from all directions. Tell the kids they can be the boss when they pay the mortgage. Turn off the phone, the tv and anything else that brings more bad news from the outside. Work when you have to and rest when you want to. Spend as little as possible. I keep saying it’s amazing how little we NEED to spend. Take a vitamin every day, not a hundred. Read up on your symptoms and, of course, seek medical advice.
Don’t let people push you. To thine own self be true. Take your life back and your body will most likely follow.
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