 In my healing journey I’ve done my best to reduce harm from the products I use, the food I eat, and the environments I spend time in. Unfortunately, we live in a really toxic world. In the United States, there are so many ingredients in food and personal care products that are illegal in other countries. I’ve had many a panic attack stressing over what type of cleaning products I need or if my clothes are poisoning me or if I’m eating the right diet. At the end of the day, we can only do the best we can. Living non-toxically is expensive and time-consuming.
0 Comments
45 months steroid free and I'm never going back. I've been MIA due to depression and some major life transitions, but I'm back! Thanks for baring with me y'all!
26 months, y'all! Where has the time gone? When I think of how far I've come, all I can say is, thank you, GOD! It's been a long journey, and I still have a long way to go, but I'm grateful for the progress thus far. To get me to the next level, I decided to start seeing a nutritionist to help with my leaky gut issues. I also finally got rid of that staph infection that was causing the painful cysts. You can see from the pictures below that winter really did a number on my skin, but I'm hoping that getting some concrete answers about my gut health will lead to lasting improvement.
19 months y'all! I can't believe it, but I'm grateful that I'm no longer waking up with my eyes swollen shut, my face flaking off and my skin oozing. I've been monitoring my time on social media for my mental health and have been more diligent about my diet, yoga and breathing exercises. Winter definitely has my skin feeling dryer than usual, but overall I feel good. Check out the update for more details!
It's month 15 and emotional healing, less stress and surprisingly being unemployed has really contributed to my overall healing. With theatre not being a career option at the moment, I've been able to take a step back and assess what I ultimately want for my life. This time of reflection has shown me that to maintain balance and optimal health, there are certain spaces that I won't be returning to when my field opens back up.
 I have officially been going through topical steroid withdrawal for a whole year. What?!? I have more energy, my skin is healing, and I've finally learned to find peace within the storm, which has been such a blessing during this time. I've been feeling guilty about being so okay in the midst of a global pandemic, but then I remembered how long I haven't been okay. As I see peers, colleagues and family struggle with anxiety, depression and cabin fever, I wonder why I’m taking this colossal transition the entire world is going through with such ease. The short answer is topical steroid withdrawal prepared me for COVID-19.
I have officially been going through topical steroid withdrawal for a whole year. What?!? I have more energy, my skin is clearing up, and I've finally learned to find peace within the storm, which has been such a blessing during this time. I can honestly say that going through topical steroid withdrawal has given me so many tools to evaluate and process my emotions in a healthy way so that I'm able to deal with anything that's thrown my way. I wasn't expecting a global pandemic, but here we are. I share some of what I've learned in the update, as well as how my health has progressed since the last update. Scroll down for some progression pics. Much love and until next time friends!
 I started writing this months before this COVID-19 crisis, and while I do want to address what’s going on in the world and how I’ve been boosting my immune system and staying sane, I thought it was important to get this post up first. Adrenal fatigue is a huge obstacle during topical steroid withdrawal, and I want to share the raw truth about my experience so you won’t feel as crazy as I have this past year, or at the very least know that you’re not alone. As I sit here having mountains of trouble focusing on writing about my experience with adrenal fatigue and Topical Steroid Withdrawal, I wonder as I have millions of times before, am I being lazy or is my inability to focus a symptom of the illness I’ve been fighting for the past 5 plus years? That question could be the slogan of my 2019. Do I need a break or am I not working hard enough? Am I tired or do I just not feel like working? Is it me or is it me?
I can't believe it's been eleven months friends. Topical steroid withdrawal take two has been kicking my butt, but the good news is I'm sleeping again, I have more energy, and my skin has been clearing up. I still have inflammation in all the same spots, but my skin has been smoother, less dry, and sometimes less itchy. I've also started taking Vitamin D which I think has been a huge help. Check out the update video below for all the deets. I've also added some pictures so you can see the progress and improvement of my skin.
 So about a week and a half ago I saw that For Women Who Roar (a dope platform you should check out) was accepting submissions to be published in their next print. The prompt was to write a letter to your younger self. I hopped on it, but unfortunately wasn't able to finish my letter in time to submit, because, life. Even so, I'm posting my letter here, because one thing I try to accomplish with this blog is being someone I wish I had around when I was younger. I'm still working through some childhood insecurities, to be quite honest, but this letter really helped me put things into perspective and honestly, is great advice for my present self, too. Thank you to For Women Who Roar for this amazing idea. I encourage you to write a letter to your younger yourself! It's a great exercise in seeing how far you've come and also how you can be kinder to yourself as you continue to grow and evolve. Check out my letter below!
|
I'm Lauren, aka Just Du Pree, and I want to thank you for reading. This is a space where I share my very personal journey healing from eczema and topical steroid withdrawal (among other things), life lessons I've learned along the way, and occasionally the thoughts of an awkward Black girl (no Issa Rae). I'm a performer and filmmaker, so if you feel so inclined, pop over here to see what goes on in my mind on the regular. If you like what you see, you can stay up to date with my work here. Much love, friends!
Archives
February 2023
|