North Star {Crochet Mermaid Blanket}

36 Comments On “North Star {Crochet Mermaid Blanket}”

1. Maureen
   November 8, 2018 at 8:06 am

   I do believe th the mind and body are connected. I would not call it a depression or anxiety and addiction. The negative perception of both of those illnesses is already very bad. Depression and anxiety or neurobiological illness and should be treated as such, with both medication, meditation, exercise and therapy.
   But saying that there are addictions really puts the onus on the individual that suffers from them in a very negative light.

   • Melody
     November 8, 2018 at 8:28 am

     Oh gosh I certainly don’t mean it in a negative light. I just mean to say that there’s a biological addiction to chemicals in our body, which we can’t control. Having knowledge about bodily processes and what they’re doing, gives us keys to approaching in different ways. I’m certainly not trying to place blame or make it a bad thing….just to say that our bodies have a “mind” of their own, and we’re often not even in control <3

2. Lynda
   November 8, 2018 at 9:03 am

   I just want to say thank you for this. Cognitive behavioral therapy is what helps me the most, and that is what you have just described. If I fix my negative thoughts, my body responds and vice verse. Plus, it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

   • Melody
     November 8, 2018 at 11:17 am

     Definitely not alone!! Gosh this stuff is a lot of work, commitment, and a great challenge. Thanks for your comment – it’s so great to hear that you’ve had a similar experience through the CBT 🙂

3. Michelle A
   November 8, 2018 at 10:38 am

   Frustration comes to mind first without sitting and thinking about it. Regularly I’m more frustrated by how what comes easy to me (data entry for example) seems to be so hard for others. Or how following directions as your supposed to vs. how you want to do it to get to the end result (sometimes steps HAVE to be followed strictly).

   • Melody
     November 8, 2018 at 11:21 am

     Interesting!! I know the frustration feeling myself really well too. Thanks for commenting!

4. Claudia
   November 8, 2018 at 10:47 am

   Plus, it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

   Just that quote from the previous comment expresses how what you’re doing in writing your thoughts on depression, etc. can be helpful to so many. Thank you for doing this. And to top it off, you give us a present of your patterns. Nice.

   • Melody
     November 8, 2018 at 11:21 am

     Ah! Thanks! These encouraging words are so nice to read 🙂

5. Rae
   November 8, 2018 at 10:55 am

   “Are you addicted to an emotional state? Do you experience repetitive thoughts regularly?” I understand what you are saying. A negative mindset can have a negative effect on the body. What is also true is that the health and well being (or lack of ) of the body has an effect on the mind. Both need to be in health in order for us to function correctly. I’ve been able to keep my mind upbeat by choosing a healthy diet. I always know when I haven’t be eating healthy foods by the down beat thoughts and emotions that I experience. It really is a well choreographed dance with the mind and body.

   • Melody
     November 8, 2018 at 11:16 am

     Super interesting! I’ve also found a lot of benefit in eating better…I’ll talk about that a bit later on in the month. Thanks for commenting!

6. Lucille
   November 8, 2018 at 12:03 pm

   I agree that anxiety and depression do become a vicious circle. I often feel overwhelmed over everything I have to do so that I can feel comfortable doing things I like to do. I’m retired, and except for a day or two a week spending time with my precious grandkids, I pretty much have control over my time. But, I sit at my computer or the table reading the newspaper instead of getting going. By the end of the day, I accomplish practically nothing save a load of laundry and a little dusting. Then I feel guilty about having wasted the day. I’ve suffered from anxiety and the depression that results from it for years. I went to a psychologist and a psychiatrist for over 10 years. I’m on medication and those 10 years of counseling have taught me to enjoy the moment, feel total joy when I’m with my family and to have a attitude of gratitude. However, the only thing I haven’t learned is how to give myself a break. A psychiatrist told me I should try to treat myself as I do my friends–I need to become my own best friend! I’ve enjoyed your posts and hope you have many more good days than sad days! God bless you. PS: After writing this, I actually feel better than I did earlier! Thank you for sharing. There are a lot of us out there that just need to voice our feelings without being criticized.

   • Melody
     November 8, 2018 at 12:52 pm

     I know this feeling exactly! It is a weird and vicious circle. Love your words of advice in here too! Thank you for sharing 🙂

7. Cynthia Winfrey
   November 8, 2018 at 12:34 pm

   I would say that my daily repetitive thought is sometimes getting that feeling like I’m talking to the wall so to speak when it comes to getting my older kids that live with me to help with the housework on their days off of work and school as I have back and arthritis problems so I find myself just doing it as I get tired of repeating to ask for help even though it takes me longer to do everything than it used to but I’ve learned that if it doesn’t get done then I don’t worry about it. The only emotion that I say addicted to sometimes is feeling frustrated over not being able to things done or do activities like I used before I had these health issues so I have learned to adjust and do what I can in the course of a day as I feel that my health is more important than worry about what is and isn’t getting done.

   • Melody
     November 8, 2018 at 12:53 pm

     Love that you’re putting your health first! You are so right – sometimes it takes adjusting our standards. I’ve had to really cut back on the things I expect of myself…it was hard at first but has been ultimately a nicer way to live 🙂

8. Becky D
   November 8, 2018 at 12:57 pm

   Thank you so much for bringing light on the issue of depression. So many of us are clinically depressed and I agree with everything you have posted! I do agree with the mind/body connection. I believe that the health and well being of the body definitely corresponds with the well being of the mind. I have rheumatoid arthritis and when my body is hurting, my mood is down. But when I am feeling well, my mood tends to be happier and my day seems to go much better.

   • Melody
     November 8, 2018 at 1:18 pm

     Thanks so much for commenting 🙂 It’s so interesting to see so much confirmation on these things.

9. Linda
   November 8, 2018 at 1:05 pm

   Hi Melody, Thank you for the freebies, love your patterns. I’m glad you’re listening to Dr. Joe Dispenza, I was going to suggest him. I totally agree with what you said on the addiction thing, it was just misunderstood in the comment by Maureen. Our body can be addicted to feeling a certain way without our mind even knowing it. Can I assume you are a Hay House junkie too? I love Louise Hay, Kriss Carr, Esther Hicks & Abraham, Dr. Christianne Northrup and the list goes on and on for me.
   Depression has been a huge part of my life, don’t remember my 30’s due to medications. I went off them when I was 40 and decided to try and find a different route for dealing with this. Food Matters and Hungry for Change were eye openers for me (Food Matters TV), I am a firm believer in we are what we eat. Food Matters has also released a third documentary called Transcendence which is free for viewing until the 11th of November. I highly recommend it.
   Unfortunately having to make drastic changes in my diet has isolated me further than I already was. But I finally feel healthy and more capable of handling my down days. EFT / tapping (Nick Ortner and the Tapping Solution) has helped me tremendously, to be able to change those patterns of thought easily and quickly has been wonderful. *****
   I don’t share my depression or thoughts with those around me, they don’t want to hear it, they’ve actually said that, I deal with it on my own. It has only shown me that I don’t have any true friends and that’s fine. I’ve had my fill of the superficial crap that I live around. I get outside daily, I head to the mountains a couple times a month and I do what makes me happy and I don’t give a rat’s ass what others think. I am so grateful for Hay House and what Louise Hay has built. There is no quick fix that fits everyone, find what works for you and try to find joy every day.
   I think it was in Food Matters, the first documentary, one of the doctors mentioned that taking Niacin / Vitamin B3, 1000+ mg per day works for depression. With NO side effects. He also mentioned that eating 2 handfuls of cashews a day was the same as taking a dose of prozac (I got really suicidal on that one!). I can’t recommend watching those documentaries enough! Big Hug!

   • Melody
     November 8, 2018 at 1:17 pm

     Wow thank you so much for this comment!! I’m a huge reader and love getting new leads on good people to follow. I’ve done a bit of the tapping stuff, but am new to most of the other names you listed. I’ll check them out! I’m happily surprised to hear about the cashews as I’ve been including a green smoothie in my morning routine for about 2 months….and it includes a handful of cashews! YES! I super appreciate all these suggestions and am sending love and hugs to you <3

10. Linda
    November 8, 2018 at 1:45 pm

    The key to EFT is feeling that emotion you want to change, REALLY feeling it, and then tapping until you can feel it change. I used to feel incredibly alone, it took 45 minutes of tapping on that, and I no longer feel it. It’s weird, nothing has changed, it’s still me and my parrots, but I no longer feel it. It’s been well over 2 years since that shift, I look for it sometimes and it’s still gone.
    If you need tapping scripts, I did at first, go to Nick Ortner’s site or his sister Jessica Ortner also has some great ones. Both are on FB as well.
    Mike Dooley is also another fave, love his book Choose Them Wisely – Thoughts Become Things. And Dr. Bruce Lipton his book Biology of Belief was a huge game changer for me. Love and Hugs back.

11. DianeB
    November 8, 2018 at 3:16 pm

    thank you

12. Lesley
    November 9, 2018 at 7:10 am

    This part of your blog really hit home for me. It is so true that negative thoughts and emotions can send you on a downward spiral. Even more of a problem is the ability to then find things to reinforce the negative thoughts. This self fulfilling prophecy is something I am guilty of, and it not helpful when trying to climb out of a dark place. Good luck to everyone who has experienced this xx

13. Diane
    November 9, 2018 at 7:31 am

    I have struggled with fear and anxiety all my life, From separation anxiety to agoraphobia. When I was in my 20’s I realized that after I came out of my shell it was about self esteem and new experiences. After I started having kids it was both the self esteem and hormones. I thought I was going crazy, until I went to a psychologist that really knew what he was doing put me on medicine and at the same time I went on the pill. So I do not know which one helped but within a week I was “normal”. 6 glorious years of no fear, just being me. However, in that time I went to work. The job was not the problem it was the co workers, they were mean, I mean horrible. I went home to 4 kids and financial problems with little help. Yes I had a husband but little help with the kids and forget talking about our problems, he wanted to shut it all out and did. So my focus was the kids. If they needed something it was up to me. In fact eventually I had to get kids to school, no bus, before work, on lunch go pick them up, take them to the sitters and race back to work then most days go pick them up by a certain time or else, get them home, feed them, home work, fighting, bath time, get them to bed mostly by myself. After 6 years I got an ulcer then after that anxiety hit. So I started panic attacks while driving. I went back to the drs. I tried a few medicines that helped enough so I could drive in a certain area but slowly that got smaller, stress at work picked up, finances were still horrible and kids. I drove with panic attacks and no driving the same route over and over never helped. I pushed thru and it was horrible, I had kids in the car and had to get them places and we are lucky to be alive. In 2005 after horrible mental abuse at work I had it, I bought the house I am in now and like anything in my life it never went right. Never. I broke, I quit work. I thought now I can enjoy life and my kids now in high school. Shall we all laugh now. I tried to get out in my new area and my panic soared. My kids did not need me and we fought putting more stress on me. If my teenager did something wrong it was me yelling and punishing them. I was the bad guy but I felt I still had to parent so they grew up loving and caring and would have good lives. That just put me in the house. Agoraphobia, my mom had it, I got it. I am on medicine for depression and anxiety. It controls some of the constant thinking. But can I get out no, fear keeps me in, have I tried, yes, I get so far and it starts, I push and it gets worse, then the next time I am fine, then it happens again.

    Thus, do I think mind and body need to be in sync yes. Is it easy no. Does anyone know how to get them there, no. I have tried therapy but all I do is talk about the week and pay. No money means no money. So there fix is drive the same path until I can do it without panic, we know that does not work. I saw someone who believed while on medication to try vitamins, every level of vitamin is so low, how do I stay alive, but again money and I took them until all gone and nothing. Yes better eating and exercise will help but I am older, tired, have horrible allergies now and will it help, maybe my brain power, maybe energy but as for this world of hate and no help for financial I just don’t know because they don’t let up. They really don’t want to help, they are mean and life, my kids all come to play. I hate being alone. I am almost alone now. My 3 boys never come here,call or well nothing.

    Positive thinking well I tried it but life has this way of sneaking in, like I am just 1 payment 30 days late on mortgage and this mortgage company wont help, more stress and well pressure. Unbelievable. No help from anyone else because I am only 1 payment behind and that is not enough for help but they can take your house. But hey I have….I have…. my granddaughter for now.

    There has to be a medical reason so many have anxiety now, something they have not found, making people go thru the fear in hopes it will correct itself can not be it. Eating right and excerising helps sure but is not the fix. Relying on this world to become peaceful and nice again will not happen. So what????

    Anyone have suggestions????

    • Melody
      November 9, 2018 at 7:47 am

      It certainly all is an ongoing struggle. The best I think we can do is to band together in support and to take it one day at a time. Sending love to you <3

14. Lesley
    November 9, 2018 at 7:32 am

    Just gave this a go and it is fab, thank you for sharing x

15. Jane Garwood
    November 9, 2018 at 10:06 am

    Being aware is half (or possibly more) of being able work toward wellness. A huge thank you to you for being selfless in working to bring more awareness to this illness and to help lessen the stigma. We need more people to realize that depression and PTSD are genuine illnesses. They are daily struggles for the people who have them. If we as a society would concentrate on treatment of mental health instead of other stupid things – we’d have less societal problems.

16. Amber Schultz
    November 9, 2018 at 11:28 am

    Thank you for telling us about what your going through. I often fell like im stuck in a rut emotionally.

17. Joan
    November 9, 2018 at 11:55 am

    I always like to keep my emotional thoughts and look upon the good of being, but at times this can be tricky due to nasty persons with running mouths-badness and can at times ruin the good emotions-thoughts but this is where I draw the line and erase these types, these bad types can be out-tricked with niceness!

18. Kathryn
    November 11, 2018 at 2:51 pm

    Thank you so much for this topic. Here in the Northeast our days have gotten so short – we go to work in the dark and come home the same. I find myself too down to even knit. Thank you for sharing.

    • Melody
      November 12, 2018 at 5:57 am

      Sending love and hugs! This is surely a challenging time of year.

19. Alli
    November 14, 2018 at 10:49 am

    I don’t think I’m addicted to a mood I just think my body is pre set to meh…

    Could be as I’ve grown up or medication but now I’m mostly meh about pretty much everything.

    • Melody
      November 15, 2018 at 6:30 am

      Interesting!

20. LissandraMia
    November 15, 2018 at 11:30 pm

    Interesting idea. I could see where it works or how it functions in some circumstances…

21. MARILYN J SPANGLER
    November 22, 2018 at 11:47 pm

    I’m 70. Maybe that’s why I have thought this, too. I’m ahead of you. I think you are right.

22. Cindy
    December 23, 2018 at 4:45 am

    First year without my mom I’ve always struggled with depression but this year is so much worse. Thanks for this conversation.

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