Kelly Martin Speaks
An Inspirational Mental Health and Wellness Blog
Depression

Does 5-HTP Help Depression?

Does 5-HTP Help Depression?

5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan), also known as oxitriptan, is a naturally occurring amino acid and chemical precursor as well as a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin (Wikipedia). In layman’s terms, it helps increase serotonin in the brain, a hormone that influences sleep, digestion, mood, blood clotting, bone density, and sexual function. It isn’t found in any foods, so it’s not something we can just add to our diet.…

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Death and Grief

When the Loss of Loved Ones Impacts Multiple Aspects of Life

When the Loss of Loved Ones Impacts Multiple Aspects of Life

After many years living a more secluded life I met some amazing people in a group I joined locally in 2021. We were all passionate about freedom, highlighting the truth of what was really going on in the world and we were a bunch of misfits coming together for a common cause. We were outcasts from society and it felt like the most wonderful experience of my life so far,…

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Death and Grief

Embracing Shadows: Self-Sabotage as an Unconscious Form of Self-Protection

Embracing Shadows: Self-Sabotage as an Unconscious Form of Self-Protection

I’ll start with my heart. This heart of mine has taken a ride on the rollercoaster this past few years, it’s enjoyed the highs of love, the ferocity of the fight, the lows of heartbreak and loss and the closure of being boxed in. And even though I’ve been writing for at least 16 years now, I feel somewhat rusty, somewhat unable to face the written word and sat here…

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Death and Grief

For Now I Grieve…

For Now I Grieve…

Death is a part of life, something we all must face. Death is a part of nature, in the dying of each season to the next. Death is we exit one doorway and we enter another. So death contains life and the new. Death isn’t final or being stuck in a rut. Death is the end point of one particular part of our journey and the beginning of yet another.…

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Death and Grief

How To Help A Person Grieving

How To Help A Person Grieving

In September 2022 someone I loved deeply passed away after a rapid onslaught with cancer. On May 1st 2023 my best friend who I have been living with for 20 years passed away from sepsis and cancer. Both losses came rapidly, both people I physically cared for near the end of their lives. JUMP TO BULLET POINT LIST OF WHAT TO DO   In June 2023 I came to some…

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Death and Grief

With Pleasure Comes Pain – Is This True?

With Pleasure Comes Pain – Is This True?

It’s interesting how much we hide hidden blocks behind what seem like nothing much at all. We may think we are resisting eating healthily for example or resisting exercising and we just think ‘Oh it’s just because I find it boring’ or ‘I’m just too tired to do any of this’ 2022 was a pretty hard year for me, I fell in love for the first time, it was unrequited,…

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Death and Grief

Why I Found It Hard To Let Go Of My Dream

Why I Found It Hard To Let Go Of My Dream

Sitting here on a humid June afternoon, I feel a furious rage and anger rising inside of me. I have spent a lot of time feeling both a mixture of relief, frustration and deep sadness for a few weeks now. However, now the anger of the grief cycle has arrived. Letting a big dream go after you have worked so hard on it is really hard, even more so when…

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Death and Grief

G is for GRIEF

G is for GRIEF

For those of you who know grief, you will need no explanation, but those who are yet to experience the heart-wrenching grief of losing a loved one to death or separation in some other way may like to follow my journey through grief. My earliest experience of grief due to the death of a loved one took place when I was 16 years old. My nanna died (grandmother) and several…

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Death and Grief

The Long Road Of Grief – And Letting Go – Autumn Moments

The Long Road Of Grief – And Letting Go – Autumn Moments

As some of you may know, I lost my dad to heart disease 11 years ago. Those of you who have lost close loved ones will know that losing someone close is very different from losing a more distant relative, or someone whom we spend less time with. The grief is very different and can have a more long standing impact on a person’s emotional well-being. When my dad passed…

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Death and Grief

A Fear Of Dying

A Fear Of Dying

It is said the fear of dying is behind all fears and it probably is. Yet for ‘me’ it’s not so much a fear of dying but more a fear of not living. I am writing this blog entry to objectify a rather unpleasant series of dreams I had last night. I dream very vividly, write them down and interpret them. This series felt like I needed to get them…

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