Envy
 

I am feeling a bit philosophical this evening.

I want your views on 'envy'. Twice recently I have been told 'I envy you' when discussing my accommodation. I feel very uncomfortable on hearing it. I think they were trying to congratulate me, but 'envy' is not an emotion I have experienced and I cannot appreciate why some people do.

Envy - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
"painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage ".

The 'resentful' aspect is what causes me disquiet. I feel sure that they don't resent my home comforts, but their improper use of 'envy' conveyed that they did.

It was only when I felt uncomfortable about the use of the word, that I searched back in my memories to realise that I can honestly say I have never felt 'envy'.

I want them to say they are happy that I am more comfortable now, not that they resent me being so.

Please don't misuse the word - it is an expression of a negative emotion, which, if you feel it, is best not expressed.

If you think I am just polishing my halo, I don't mind you saying so - ;)

Re: Envy
 

I think it is easy to over think the emotions that might be expressed by using one word rather than another.
I could very easily say that I envy my sisters home and her living environment - she lives in Australia, but there would be absolutely no resentment on my part.
I am glad she has a very good life style.
Sometimes words might have very 'black and white' meanings as far as the dictionary is concerned, but common usage may make the meaning less well defined.

I'm sure the people who used this term didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, and would probably be upset if they knew this was how you had taken their comment.
You are reacting emotionally too.... And only you can change that

That is my take on it Margaret. I am very pleased that you are comfortable in your home.
It is somewhere that you spend all your time, so it needs to be a happy place for you.

Re: Envy
 

Well fortunately envy is something that has never bothered me, I neither envy, nor feel envious of anyone or anything, sometimes wish I had better health, hey but don't we all

Re: Envy
 

Isn't wishing a 'sort' of envy...you may not express it as envy....and it is more general. By that I mean, you don't direct it at a particular person, but it is still something that you would like to have...that you can see other people have, and perhaps give it very little thought or value.

It is all a matter of semantics.....or splitting hairs.
In the end, what someone else thinks or feels has no bearing on your life, unless of course you give it more credence and more importance than it deserves.

That is why I find this topic from Margaret(who seems totally at ease with her life, and in control of her emotions, psyche...whatever you want to call it) more than a little surprising....interesting too, but definitely surprising.

Re: Envy
 

My life is no 'bed of roses' - I struggle to breathe most of the time - I don't feel human until I have been awake for 3 hours.
My home comforts just make it easier to bear - my way of 'looking on the bright side', and 'accentuating the positive'.
I blame this philosophical phase on a short course of high strength oral steroids - I have seen what it is like to be bi-polar.:D

Re: Envy
 

Margaret, I know your life isn't easy....and my post was not a criticism of you in any way.
There is nothing wrong with being philosophical - heaven knows over the last months I have gone down that route too, but navel gazing is just that, and there is always the possibility that when we do a post mortem on what someone has said we read into it far too much...lots of people are too dumb to put hidden agendas into what they say.

Enjoy what you have now....this is a new chapter and I hope that in such surroundings your health improves so imperceptibly that you do not realise it is happening......it is good to remember that you have a past, but we all have to live in the present.
NOW who's being philosophical:D:D:D ?

Re: Envy
 

I'm Jealous of anyone that has never known envy.

Re: Envy
 

Yes they certainly whip up the old brain. I have been on them for a few months now and things have settled down but it isn't easy at first. As you say, bipolar here we come.

Maybe your new home is driving you in directions you never envisaged. You seem settled there which is good. And well done for being honest about it all with yourself.

Re: Envy
 

Steroids are bad news - long term use gave my mother osteoporosis and cataracts.
I was prescribed weak strength inhaled steroids in July but I got dizzy spells ( and other nasty side effects due to a reaction to the aerosol propellant).
So now I can only take steroids orally which is the most damaging way.

I have a 5 day course always on hand for when breathing gets really laborious. I avoid them otherwise.

Their effect on the brain has strange results -
Ever since I read up on Zen philosophy and the teachings of Erchart Tolle, I have learned how to control my dreams and abolished nightmares.

During today's 2 hour midday nap I dreamt that I had an infestation of black widow spiders in my kitchen - that'll 'larn me' not to get smug :D

Re: Envy
 

It's just a turn of phrase, although they've used the word "envy" I don't see them meaning it in the actual dictionary context. It's merely a colloquialism quite often trotted out in conversation so I wouldn't get overly fussed about it if I where you. :)

Sleeping Doggies & all that Mags. ;)

Re: Envy
 

I've been on oral steroids for over 25 years very much by necessity, have also had steroid inhalers too, as you said Margaret there are many side effects from steroids osteoporosis being one of them, but the alternative would have been a very early death, at the moment I'm on 15mg per day maintenance dose, but if need be can increase to 50mg, to combat infection, for a short period of time. Needless to say being on so much medication I monitor everything very carefully and to ensure there is no interaction with any new meds that can be introduce, but hell so long as it keeps me alive who cares

Re: Envy
 

I have just completed 5 days at 30mg per day.
It is reassuring to know that it wasn't a maximum dose.

I might try a low level 'maintenance' dose for a few days more if I feel the need today.

Knowing what you take gives me that confidence - after all you are surviving it ;)

Re: Envy
 

When you feel like this, make a cup of hot chocolate; add four or five ounces of Fireball; spark up a couple of big, fat, doobies; and relax. The feeling will go away.;)

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...w-1HMx8pmLisng

Oh ... and ignore dictionaries ... unless you are confronted by something like "syzygy":confused:

Re: Envy
 

Wow you two... I'm only on 10mg/day and thought that was plenty - still gives scope for a lot more!

Re: Envy
 

Ha Richard did get it once in the spelling round of a pub quiz and didn't even make an attempt! Just looked it up, didn't realise it has so many meanings and references - that's Wikipedia for you...

Re: Envy
 

Maybe a better turn of phrase Margaret would have been to say in that instance "they are pleased for you"
I think that has a far more positive meaning.
Envy certainly should be seen as a negative in the majority of cases.

Re: Envy
 

That would have been better ... altho' "envy" is in common use, it does smack of "covet", which, as Kevin would inform us if he were around, is a no-no ... especially when it comes to my neighbour's dishy wife;) ... not to mention his '73 Caprice convertible.:D

Re: Envy
 

The thing is I wouldn't survive without Margaret, I'm now classed as steroid dependent and have been for many years. The body creates its own steroids but some people don't produce enough, sadly I'm in that category

Re: Envy
 

Pray tell us more ... hadn't realized you two were that close;)

Re: Envy
 

out of context Eric:p

Re: Envy
 

I'll bet MargaretR is pleased to know that!

Re: Envy
 

John, it was out of context, but it created a very...shall we say...interesting mental picture for me...and it made me smile. (and I hope you will both see that as a good thing...no malice whatsoever intended).

Re: Envy
 

I hope this isn't regarded as thread wandering - the mental state I was in when I started it was due to medication.

I now add -

These steroids are bad news !
Last night, 30 hours after my last 30mg dose I started withdrawl symptoms (body aching, dizziness and mild nausea), took a reduced dose of 10mg, went to bed and slept from 7pm til 2am.
My nightime websearching reveals that, even after a short 5 day spell of high dosage, I will need to 'taper' off them

How to Taper the Dosage of Prednisone | eHow

Re: Envy
 

Must disagree most strongly with this - I was put put on Prednisone some 8 weeks or so ago when suffering from Polymialgia - heavy first dose of 60mg did not agree but when dosage was split to 30mg morning and night everything was fine and the joint pains had cleared up completely within 48 hours, reduced dosage to 20mg and then 10mg, at all times no side effects on the reduced dosage and now on 7.5 mg twice a day, which will continue until end of December. Prednisone has worked fantastically well for me.
You should not rubbish a medication in general just because it does not agree with you.
The only complaint I have is that now I cannot participate in any competitive sports - I wish:D

Envy
 

It's not addictive at all, I've been taking it every day for the last 35 years, I can give up anytime I wish, but I'll fight anyone that says I should do.

Re: Envy
 

We are all unique individuals and there are many medications that may have wonderfully liberating effects for some people.....but it still has to be recognised that one size doesn't fit all.
My daughter has required intermittent use of steroids to combat side effects of medication she is taking.....she has a terrible time when she is on them.....cannot sleep, sometimes feels high(but not pleasantly so) and can have hallucinations.
So Barrie, I am glad your experience has been so positive, but not everyone is affected in such a positive way.

Re: Envy
 

It's important when coming off steroids to taper the dose and not try the cold turkey approach. This is stressed most strongly in the product information leaflet for patients.
I have had exactly the same experiences as Nicola, Margaret, but I have to say I rather enjoyed the highs. Most people don't, I think but then I always thought I was a bit odd...

Re: Envy
 

Exactly what I am saying - one should not say that any medication is bad news just because it does not suit that one individual.

Re: Envy
 

Barrie...I didn't read it that way.......you said you 'disagreed most strongly', because you had had good effects.....my point was, that many people do not have the same results and will get the nasty side effects...but that isn't to say that these drugs should not be tried to see what results individuals have with them....and in some situations there really is no alternative other than to put up with the side effects or suffer the unwanted consequences of vital medication.

With the long term use of steroids there is also the possibilty of steroid induced diabetes(because it is a gluco-corticoid), and osteoporosis....these drugs can also mask the presence of infection in the body.

So yes, they are useful, but they have their 'downsides'.

Re: Envy
 

Never go cold Turkey on steroids Margaret, if I were to come of steroids altogether it would take me 6 months, and using 1mg tabs to a great extent dropping 1mg a day, sadly that will never happen now My maintenance dose is now 15mg a day it was 5mg until my last stay in the Royal

Re: Envy
 

Your so right Margaret, I remember when I was put on Prozac, I only took one tablet and I was crawling up the wall, they changed it to dothiopin which I've been on now for 25 years

Envy
 

So, it made your legs even better than normal?

Next thing you'll be saying you were hanging from the ceiling?
Only a house fly can do that.

Re: Envy
 

obviously you've never had a reverse effect of a prescribed drug;)

Envy
 

Hey, like the lottery thread, some things I don't shout about, unlike others...

Re: Envy
 

I had another doc home visit a few weeks back and was instructed on 'tapering'off the oral steroid. By new year I will be off them completely but will still take inhaled steroids twice daily.

I have resurrected this thread, and even though it wavers from the original topic, I consider it important that persons on steroids should be aware that the NHS osteporosis prevention prescription may be causing a problem which is correctable.

As osteoporosis prevention, I was prescribed a lozenge to be taken twice daily which contains calcium, sucrose, a couple of artificial E number flavourings, vit D and magnesium.The amount of magnesium is not mentioned so must be very small.

Calcium and magnesium work together and need to be equally balanced. The result was - I had symptoms of magnesium deficiency - two sleepless nights of leg cramps.

I stopped taking the prescribed chalk and sugar pills:rolleyes: and found myself a more balanced combination of the essentials that didn't have E numbers and sugar.

Unfortunately my delicate bowels couldn't cope with the recommended daily dose of magnesium and I had diarrhoea and griping pains for two days (magnesium is Epsom salts).

At a reduced dose I am OK, and since I get calcium from my daily intake of butter and cheese I felt as though I may need a little extra magnesium to maintain that balance. I found it in 'Ancient Minerals Magnesium Lotion' which is a skin moisturiser whereby magnesium gets absorbed through the skin.

My experience and knowledge about vitamin and mineral supplements seems better than the NHS people, who consider that chalk and sugar pills would be enough:rolleyes:

If you are taking them and get muscle cramps - you now know what to do - hope this helps