Posts tagged with "therapy"

Victoria Justice attends Artha Holi Festival "Throwing of The Color" via 360 Magazine.

Victoria Justice × ARTHA Holi Festival

The 2nd annual event of the ARTHA Holi Festival Throwing of The Color, thrown by Artha Wellness Sanctuary celebrates the Indian Holiday, Holi, is a celebration of life and love marked by the throwing of color.

Hosted by Karan Khanna and Priyanka Khanna, Co-Founders of Artha Wellness Sanctuary and El Cristiano Tequila, the day welcomed guests including actress Victoria Justice, Kyra Lizama and Will Moncada from Love Island as well as Mackenzie Dipman, Dr. Raj Kanodia, TV host Madison Brodsky, Actress Cristiana Daia, influencers such as model Hannah Linderman, music artist Vince Rossi and influencer Sergio Farias, actress Carolina Bonetti, actress Grace Rolek, plus many more. 

DJs included Casey Kiss, Vika Shevi, Oliver Marshak, Visual Giant, and DJ Stellar. Guests at the all day annual festival of color celebrating love and life enjoyed El Cristiano Tequila speciality cocktails with their award-winning Silver tequila, Essentia Water, DAH! Lassi India-Style Yogurt Smoothie, Passion Tree Hard Seltzer, Chiki Chiki Boom Boom, Mountain Smokes CBD, and Caliwater cactus water plus catering by Bollywood Bites. 

The all-white dress code event kicked off on Saturday, March 11th in the Burbank Hills at 1pm at Castaway Gardens and went until 11pm under the stars. The Artha family celebrated the arrival of Spring, end of Winter, and the blossoming of Love. In true Holi spirit, the day included traditional Indian dancing featuring Dhol players, music, a sunset sound bath hosted by Artha, delicious food and the throwing of the colors.

Artha offers day passes and services by membership for $169 a month as well as add-on services ranging from massage to cryotherapy facials. Offerings include meditation, yoga, float tank therapy, cryotherapy, infrared sauna, and many more services. They are located in West Hollywood, with Studio City soon to open. 

Victoria Justice attends Artha Holi Festival "Throwing of The Color" via 360 Magazine.
Victoria Justice attends Artha Holi Festival Throwing of The Color via 360 MAGAZINE.

Photo Credit: Kevin Wong

Growing heart illustration

MENTAL HEALTH – DR. ALEX ALVARDO

Even though we have made great progress in bringing people into therapy during the pandemic, there is still a huge stigma about therapy – that it doesn’t work. In order to really change this perception, we must do more upfront work to make sure people are being matched correctly to qualified therapists and psychologists who can care for, and treat, that person’s individualized needs. To achieve this successfully requires more than a simple Internet search or app signup.

One of the biggest missteps someone can make when searching for a therapist is blindly accepting the most convenient option. This could come in the form of a quick Internet search (just because something pops up in the No. 1 position on Google does not mean it is the best option for you); or taking a referral from a friend or family member (just because a therapist is right for someone else, does not mean it is the best match for you). Additionally, skipping the therapist interview step, and rushing to the hiring step (or signing up on a mental health app), can make you feel committed or trapped with a therapist that was never the right match for you in the first place. It is true that the year 2020 will likely be known as one of the most stressful years in our time, and the first time that many Americans sought out a therapist. While this is a good thing and shows progress for improving mental health, we now face a lesser-talked about “second pandemic” of mental health issues – of which includes finding the right therapist – that could affect our future perception of mental health and our willingness to seek help.

Compounding this problem is the anxiety, financial stress, politics, substance abuse, isolation, job worries, relationship problems, health concerns and other issues that have intensified since the start of the pandemic, which has overwhelmed therapists with new patients, many of whom go on a waiting list or get referred out to less qualified resources. Mental health professionals are not immune from the stress of the pandemic either, often citing burnout and fatigue from heavy patient loads, while also struggling to handle their own stress at home.

All of these factors contribute to a more complicated and challenging mental health environment that requires increased navigation and guidance from the mental health industry to make sure that those seeking help are receiving evidence-based therapies from qualified professionals who have the bandwidth to invest in the client for the long run. To improve first-time encounters with therapy, I developed a free online matchmaking platform at Thriving Center of Psychology that vets and validates licensed professionals, then matches them to individuals seeking help, based on the person’s specific therapy needs and the professional’s area of expertise and therapy process.

To begin the process of finding the right therapist is simple. Start by filling out a 3-minute questionnaire that helps uncover the style of therapist that may be the best fit for your specific situation and preferred type. Questions cover everything from therapy approach to gender and ethnicity, including what specialty of a therapist are you seeking? Are you looking for a goal-oriented or reflective therapist? Do you want your therapist to have a holistic approach (including recommending yoga, meditation, and journaling)? and so on.

This filter then quickly matches individuals seeking help to a vetted database of qualified therapists who are licensed to work in the state in which the person lives. I developed this therapist matchmaking platform because so many friends and family members would ask me for therapist referrals. What I came to realize was that when people finally decide they should find a mental health therapist, they are often faced with a huge hurdle: finding a qualified therapist. Finding a therapist is not easy, especially if you are not a professional in the mental health industry and do not know all the right questions to ask. Mistakes can be easily made as many people either skip or rush through the research and interview step of finding a therapist.

If it is a person’s first time in therapy and it is a bad experience, it is most likely they will never return to it.
Once you find your therapist match, you should still interview 2-3 therapists before
committing to a paid session with anyone. Face-to-face office visits or video sessions
are ideal. During the interview, be sure to check the therapist’s credentials with state government sites, and have a clear understanding of his or her treatment style, therapy process and verify whether or not that therapy approach is evidence-based as defined by the American Psychological Association. Also, ask the therapist if he or she has ever treated anyone with similar concerns to yours. This will give you a clearer picture on the therapist’s treatment approach. It is important in this initial interview with the therapist, that you do not do all the talking.

You can share at a high level about what is going on (like, I’m grieving from the death of my mother), but do not get into the
details. Let the therapist do the majority of the talking so you can get a really good feel for his or her compatibility to you and your needs. Additionally, make sure that the therapist you select is licensed to work in your state. The increased popularity of virtual sessions since the start of the pandemic has opened many more options for people
seeking counseling, but if you go the virtual route, you still need to make sure the therapist is licensed to work in the state in which you reside. Ultimately, to live a truly fulfilled life, remember that it is just as important to place a high
priority on your mental health as it is for your physical health. You deserve the chance to unlock your true potential and live the life you have always dreamed of so do not let anything get in the way of your mental health, which is part of your overall health.

Start with the research step and find the therapist that is the best match for your specific needs – then the rest of the journey will be less stressful from there.

Dr. Alex Alvarado 

Absent Father Illustration by Reb Czukoski for use by 360 Magazine

Five Ways Kids Hurt When Dad’s Not Around

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, around 22 million children have a parent who does not live in the household. That equals 26.5% of all children. Most often, it’s the father who is absent from the home, and may even be absent from the child’s life. People underestimate the impact that not having Dad around has on the well-being of children, and ultimately on society as a whole.

“More than any other project or cause that society needs to work on, we must work with passion and urgency to eliminate the systemic barriers to single-father involvement in the lives of our children,” said Dr. Joel N. Myers, founder of Dads’ Resource Center. “We must make the time to educate our neighbors about the overwhelming evidence – backed up by thousands of years of anecdotal evidence and numerous studies over recent decades that shows children develop much better when both of their parents are actively involved in their lives.”

Dr. Myers is on a mission to help shed light on the fact that there is a serious problem when it comes to child custody. The default of most courts is to simply give primary custody of the child to the mother, leaving the father pushed to the side and receiving very little time with his children. They often go from being a large part of the child’s life to seeing them on a limited basis as the court allows.

Children who do not get much involvement with their father are impacted in numerous ways, including in these five:

1. Being less physically healthy. Fewer children who are raised in nuclear families are considered to be in poor health. Research published in The Linacre Quarterly showed that 12% of children raised in a nuclear family were considered in poor health, compared to 22% of children of a single parent.

2. Having less social-emotional development. Research published in the Annual Review of Sociology finds that there is strong evidence that father absence negatively impacts a child’s social-emotional development.

3. Having less of a relationship with extended family. Divorce tends to lead to children having less of a relationship with the extended family of the noncustodial parent (i.e., grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins). The child also loses many family traditions and celebrations.

4. Experiencing more financial instability. According to research published in the journal The Linacre Quarterly, custodial mothers lose up to 50% of their household income and are more likely to receive public assistance. The median income of divorced mothers is only 47% of married-couple households. Children living with just their mother are more likely to be in poverty.

5. Learning how to be a father. Children who grow up with an absent father tend to repeat the pattern, according to research published in the journal Parenting Science and Practice. The quality of the relationship and involvement a child has with their father tends to be passed down across generations.

“Mothers and fathers give different but equally important things to their children,” added Jeff Steiner, executive director of the Dads’ Resource Center. “Children need both their parents to be fully engaged as they are growing up to have the best chance of being successful in life. But, far too often the system unnecessarily prevents fathers from being able to do so.”

Dads’ Resource Center issued a report on the impact of dads not being involved in their children’s lives. The report, titled DRC NLSY97 Analysis Executive Summary, warned that children who do not grow up with their father in their household:

  • Are less likely to graduate from high school or graduate from college.
  • Are less likely to vote, donate to a charity or volunteer their time.
  • Are more likely to have been convicted of a crime, use hard drugs, and smoke.
  • Are more likely to have intercourse before the age of 17and to need mental health treatment.
  • Make less money per year as an adult and more much likely to use government welfare programs.

Dads’ Resource Center was started by Dr. Myers, a father of eight and the founder and CEO of AccuWeather. The mission is to help combat the issues associated with children growing up without their fathers in the home. At its heart, the center is a child advocacy organization that aims to ensure that each child has the appropriate involvement and contributions from both parents.

Dads’ Resource Center has been established to benefit children of separated or divorced parents by advocating the importance of fathers having adequate opportunities to fulfill their role of fatherhood. The group helps get information regarding the issues out to the public and works with fathers to help make improvements.

The Best Ways to Have Family Fun During a Lockdown

By: Marie Miguel

It hasn’t been easy trying to navigate everything during the pandemic. The tragic loss of life has been difficult for many families around the world. It’s also been hard adjusting to not being able to go out and do things that you normally like to do. If you’re raising kids, then you might feel as if you’re going stir crazy being stuck inside together with your family. 

The kids want to be able to do something fun, but you’re going through another lockdown. What are your best options to keep everyone occupied and happy? Keep reading to learn about the best ways to have family fun during a lockdown. This might give you a few good ideas that will make your time spent together at home a lot more entertaining. 

Play Board Games

Have you sat down as a family to play a board game recently? This is a tried and true family activity that has helped many families bond over the years. There are a wide variety of different board games out there that you can try out. You just need to find one that the entire family can enjoy and understand. 

If you have younger children, then you might wish to pick a board game that is a bit on the easier side. If you’re playing with older kids, then you might be fine playing more complex games such as Trivial Pursuit. Whether you’re going to play Monopoly together or if you want to have a rousing game of Scrabble, it’ll be a good time. It’s a fun way to pass the time that you should take advantage of. 

Play Video Games

What if your kids aren’t quite so into old-school board games? You could always try sitting down to play video games with them. Even if you don’t play a lot of video games, it’ll be fun to interact with your kids. There are all sorts of good family-friendly titles that you can choose from. The Nintendo Switch is a particularly good console choice if you’re looking for games that will be fun for kids (and adults) of all ages. 

You can start a little family rivalry in Mario Kart. Or you can work together to try to solve puzzles in games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There are hundreds of games that you could choose to play, but the important thing is to enjoy your time with your kids. Games can be magical because they can help you to escape when you need to the most. 

Arts & Crafts

Sitting down and doing arts & crafts with your kids could also be a good time. Sometimes it’s nice to just take it easy and try to create something artistic as a family. There are all sorts of little art projects you could take on if you’re so inclined. Create decorations for various holidays or help to teach your kids how to paint. 

Many have rediscovered their love of art during the pandemic. This could be a good weekend activity that you can enjoy with your significant other and your kids. You’ll simply need to ensure that you have the materials for whatever art project you’re interested in. You’ll be able to admire the results of your work when you’re finished, too. 

Listen to Music

What about just relaxing in the living room as a family and listening to music? Yes, sometimes it’s hard to agree on what to listen to when everyone in the family has different tastes in music. However, it can still be fun to share your favorites with your family. Some families have decided to let each kid pick one record, and they will sit down to listen to all of them on a special music day each weekend. 

Another idea is to share your love of music by teaching your kids how to play instruments. If you’re a musician, then this could be a good time. Of course, your kids will need to be interested in music or it might not be so fun for them. Music is powerful, and it can help you have a great time even when you’re stuck inside during a lockdown. 

Watch Family-Friendly Shows

Most families will spend copious amounts of time watching shows on Netflix or Disney Plus during the pandemic. Your family might wind up being no different. That doesn’t mean that watching some great shows with your family won’t be a valuable experience. You can enjoy movies and all sorts of other entertainment media together. 

With so much great content to watch, it’ll be easy to find a new movie to enjoy with your family each weekend. Make some popcorn and sit down in the living room to watch something together. It gives you something to look forward to as a family. Turning it into a fun occasion with snacks and mood lighting should be a good time. 

Cook Together

Have you thought about cooking together? Depending on how you feel about cooking, this might sound like a great idea or a terrible one. Cooking can be a lot of fun when you approach things with the proper attitude. It can also be valuable to teach your kids how to cook early on in life. 

You can make simple dishes together, and the kids will enjoy it. If you want to make things really easy, you can have kids help you with baking. When you’re making cookies it’ll be easy to let the kids cut out the cookie shapes with cookie cutters. Family cooking time could become a staple in your household even once the lockdown is finished. 

Remember That You’re Never Alone

Remember that you’re never alone when you’re starting to feel depressed or anxious. These are trying times, and you can reach out if you feel like you need help. BetterHelp has some awesome resources on parenting, which can help you get through difficult times. Whether you need parenting advice or if you just need to talk to someone about the stress that you’re experiencing, BetterHelp can assist you in the process of putting things into perspective. 

Don’t hesitate to contact an online therapist if you’re feeling uneasy about things in life. Online therapy has helped many people to work through significant problems. It’s easy to talk to a therapist from the comfort of home, and it’s great that this therapy option is so affordable. Look into things today if you’ve been having a tough time and would like to start feeling better. 

Image via Kelly K Public Relations for 360 Magazine

Sara Elaziz’s Sculptery

Sara Elaziz and her company SCULPTERY, is an undisputed must visit to all celebrities

Sara Elaziz and her company SCULPTERY, which launched back in 2017 is now an undisputed must visit to all celebrities; and for good reason!

Elaziz launched her brand after a self-journey, immersing herself into wellness research. During that journey she was re-introduced to lymphatic drainage, revisiting the importance of it as part of anyone’s journey. After much research, she signed up for private training obtaining 15+ certifications from the best in the world. That’s when she knew that she needed to convince the market that lymphatic massages were not only a necessity but could also help transform the body into that hourglass figure we all lust for.

Renting a room in a clinic in Beverly hills, Elaziz went into business on her own. It started slow, but before long, influencers, and celebrities such as Jordyn Sparks, Blac Chyna, Saweetie, Alycia Bella, Raja Kumari, Stassie, Lucy Hale to name a few, soon found her, and the SCULPTERY Business was born. As business continued to boom, and thanks to her long-time celebrity clients singing her praises on all social platforms, the brand began to expand, releasing take home kits for quick at home touch ups and has now even added masterclasses throughout the US. 

Therefore, if you are looking to drain your lymphatic post-surgery, or just want to get snatched – Trust us, SCULPTERY is a must for any wellness regime

Follow SCULPTERY via Instagram and Facebook.

Cannabis illustration by Rita Azar for use by 360 magazine

Best CBD Gummies For Anxiety

Best CBD Gummies For Anxiety: Top Brands In 2021

Anxiety is a major issue in society affecting the various calibers of individuals without being bias. Most persons neglect it alongside other mental illnesses. However, this has led to the search for other non-conventional forms of therapy because the normal medications sometimes carry undesirable side effects. More so, the inconveniences associated with the normal diagnosis and management are very disheartening. This is where CBD products come in, they are relatively new in the market but have immediately become a go-to option for issues like sleep disorders, pains, anxiety, inflammation, arthritis, and many others. The different CBD products all have a unique function to help you live a better and more appreciable life. Hence, this article is about the best CBD Gummies for anxiety currently in the market, the top brands, and all you need to know before you buy these products.

Top 5 CBD Gummies Brands for Anxiety

Our Consideration for Choosing The Best CBD Gummies for Anxiety

It is quite evident that many brands are pitching the same product for the treatment of anxiety. Given that development, we came up with some criteria that enabled us to select the top five brands that provide CBD Gummies for anxiety. It is interesting to note that this selection was purely objective and not intentionally in favor of any specific brands. The criteria for selection are as follows:

Hemp source

It is expedient that when you want to buy CBD Gummies, whether, in person or online, you check for any information on the hemp plant that they used. This is because many brands are using poorly grown and adulterated versions of the plant, which may end up giving you poor-quality products with unverified constituents. The brands selected in this article are well-known brands that use the right plant.

Third-party lab reports

Any legitimate brand is not usually afraid of third-party testing since they have a genuine product. Thus, testing a product using an independent laboratory is a crucial step for selecting a brand for the Best CBD Gummies for anxiety. The result of the third-party testing should be consistent with those on the brand’s site.

Quality of the ingredient

We made sure to pick only brands with the best quality ingredients. Almost all the brands out there will promise you that they have the best compositions, but only a few meet up the task. We have chosen brands with the highest concentrations of CBD, lowest of concentration (and of course standard proof concentration) of THC. As well as small amounts of preservatives and other secondary ingredients that will give the product a nice taste and flavoring, but do not reduce the effect of the main ingredient.

Strength of the product

Since it is from a high-quality hemp plant and the best materials available, it is a no-brainer that these products would perform their functions to the fullest. Have in mind that these companies received vetting so their products are the best when it comes to CBD Gummies used for anxiety treatment or management.

Brand transparency

The brands we have selected make use of the right materials and so they got nothing to hide. More so, their customer reviews will also confirm what we have said about them. We made sure that each of the brands we picked had a high trust rating. So, you have nothing to fear. You just sit back and look through them all, and then pick any that feels just right for you.

5 Best CBD Gummies for Anxiety Available in 2021

1. Fab CBD Chews: Best Overall

Fab CBD is a relatively new company founded in 2017 in Colorado. They deal with various forms of nutritional products, health products, topical skin care products, and pet products. Their goal is to offer medical assistance to people in a more convenient manner. Their farmers grow hemp, the key ingredients for sourcing CBD for the edible products, without using chemicals and pesticides. Every time, this company channels its profits to the Make-A-Wish Foundation as a way of giving back to society.

Hemp source

As a matter of principle, they get all their products from their farms in Colorado. They also extract CBD and other components of the plant using a unique non-toxic extraction method that separates the CBD, terpenes, and flavonoids from the rest of the plant. Mind you, they grow their products in areas where hemp farming is legal.

Lab results

With series of in-house lab tests and third-party tests conducted, this firm is always bringing quality, fully tested products that are safe to use to the market. They use Proverde laboratories to test their products.

Ingredients

Fab CBD has completely organic ingredients which are all high-quality versions of themselves. They keep all ingredients in favorable conditions before and after use, and mixing proportions of the various ingredients are of the accepted standard.

Strength

Fab directs a significant amount of mental and physical efforts toward their production and, hence, obtain an output that is the gold standard in every factor of comparison.

Brand reputation

Many official and popular sites have endorsed Fab CBD as a trusted brand for CBD products, especially CBD Gummies. This is because it offers one of the highest quality CBD products in the market. It is popular for carrying out third-party lab testing, of which the results are always very impressive. They have wonderful customer service and have been rated five stars by hundreds of customers.

Price to performance

Fab CBD Chews comes at affordable prices and also offers nice discounts when purchased in large quantities. They offer a 30-day guarantee on their products and shipping charges are gotten based on the weight and height of the products. They only ship within the United States but offer free shipping for orders that are more than US$99.

Verdict

From the information detailed above, Fab CBD has its head straight on giving customers the best CBD Gummies for anxiety. So, if you are interested in buying some CBD Gummies. Fab is a good place to start.

2. Joy Organics Gummies – Best Lab Testing

Someone who knows and had experienced the naturally occurring beneficial effects of CBD and wants to share with anyone she comes in contact with established this brand in 2018. After CBD products changed her life, she decided to enter the industry only to find that getting these products in their high-quality form has been very difficult for customers. The main goal of Joy Organics is to produce standard CBD products and then make these products available for everyone at a much-subsidized rate.

Hemp source

According to Joy Organics, hemp plants are not equal and, as such, their CBD compositions are not the same. Being a member of the United States Hemp Roundtable, Joy Organics prepare their products with only the best hemp plant available. This is not just because they want to satisfy their customers, but also because they want to set an exemplary standard for other brands to follow.

Lab results

Joy Organics partners with only the best in the industry. The farmers and the extractors all have quality experience and training, and then, there is the state of the start labs that test all their products to confirm how genuine they are. They have well-documented lab results with each product’s lot number. With this lot number, you access the lab result of your product online anytime. Again, they also make use of third-party lab testing at ISO-certified labs, just to be sure that their products meet the standard mark.

Ingredients

The main ingredient for CBD gummies is the hemp plant, with other secondary ingredients for taste and coloring. Joy Organics tries to make the gummies as THC-free as possible and has sometimes gotten to 0.0% THC presence.

Strength

Joy organics have a high level of sustainability which does not only end in growing, formulating, and bottling, but also in shipping and other aspects of branding.

Brand reputation

Since they belong in the United States Hemp Roundtable, they know them nationwide to deliver outstanding CBD Gummies that work very effectively. Also, they assist their customers in searching for products and quantities that would be suitable for what they have in mind.

Price to performance

Joy organics has numerous content sizes to offer such as the 10mg container, which has a total of 30 gummies and comes in several flavors like the strawberry and green apple flavors. These Premium CBD gummies help in taking the edge off, unwinding without losing focus, it also tackles stress.

Verdict

If you are a newbie in the CBD Gummies for anxiety industry, either as a retailer or a consumer, then you should consider starting with a reliable brand like Joy Organics Gummies. 

3. Premium Jane – Best Formulators

Premium Jane is one of the top CBD brands in the market. That is to say, they are among the brands that are giving CBD products the good name they have been getting recently. They are keen on making sure that all who come in contact with it feel the natural benefits of CBD products such as CBD gummies and CBD oil.

Hemp source

Their CBD comes from hemp plants grown in Kentucky, in the United States. There are different qualities of hemp, and this means that different qualities of CBD exist. Premium Jane makes their CBD Gummies with the highest quality hemp available.

Lab results

In-house lab results and third-party lab results are correlating with each other and are also of the standard values. All products of Premium Jane have been tested and certified by ISO professionals to be completely safe to use with modifications aimed at reducing the side effects that come along with the intake of hemp products.

Ingredients

As with other CBD Gummies for anxiety, Premium Jane is made with CBD also known as cannabidiol, which is one of the derivatives of the hemp plant alongside other flavoring substances like strawberry, mango berry, lime, etc. During the extraction, they usually remove some unwanted derivatives of the plant-like THC, known to cause side effects. They do this so that you will enjoy all the benefits without the repercussions. Also, the gummies do not contain any solvents, pesticides, or bad chemicals.

Strength

As stated earlier, the Premium Jane brand concentrates on making better versions of CBD Gummies for anxiety so users can relax while on the go. They derive pleasure from the knowledge that you are fully satisfied with what you get from your previous order.

Brand reputation

Most of their customers always write back to affirm the quality and benefits of their CBD products.

Price to performance

Premium Jane has many flavors under CBD gummies for anxiety. Some of these products include:

  • 750mg CBD Gummies (25mg CBD per Gummy), which goes for about $55.00
  • 1500mg Strawberry CBD Gummies (25mg CBD per Gummy), which goes for about $90.00
  • 1500mg Lime CBD Gummies (25mg CBD per Gummy), which also goes for about $90.00
  • 1500mg Mango Berry CBD Gummies (25mg CBD per Gummy).

Verdict

For Premium Jane to be in our Top 5 list, it means that they have done exceedingly well based on the criteria we listed above and, as such, we can recommend that you try their products and see if they soothe you.

4. PlusCBD – Best Broad Spectrum

PlusCBD is a wellness company to improve the health of everyone on the planet, with the use of medicinal plants like CBD. Being among one the first CBD brands across the country, they are basically in charge of making sure that the benefits of CBD are known all over the planet. They have the widest production selection available and belong to several trade organizations where they receive the most recent updates from the international market.

Hemp source

The Hemp plant that Plus CBD uses to make PlusCBD Gummies for anxiety is from natural planting in the presence of natural sunlight soil and water. Their hemp contains other smaller terpenes and cannabinoids which contribute to the health benefits it provides in general. Hemp also contains other substances such as fatty acids that usually stimulate the body to produce its endocannabinoids.

Lab results

All the results obtained from the lab are third-party tested while a Certified ISO quality assurance agency also tests the product quality and packaging. Again, they have their quality assurance and quality control firm that does the internal clearance before they send them to the independent labs. They also carry out clinical testing to improve the efficacy of the products.

Ingredients

It contains the main ingredient which is cannabidiol. It also contains other beneficial lower quantity derivatives of the hemp plant in addition to the flavoring agents and taste agents. Generally, their products derive from non-GMO plants raised from EU-certified hemp seeds, no gluten, and artificial sweeteners like organic tapioca syrup, organic cane sugar, organic seaweed extract, and citric acid.

Strength

PlusCBD helps in masking the awkward feeling of taking the normal hemp derivative, by making use of organic sweeteners and flavors. They have a strong testing and quality assurance facility, as well as endowed market and product educators that give you first-hand and most recent information.

Brand reputation

As one of the first CBD companies, they have a reputation of maintenance because those who are new to CBD products may use them alone as the yardstick to judge every other CBD brand and as such, failure to meet the expectation will be defaming the rising CBD name.

Price to performance

The different products have their different prices and secondary specific functions.

The PlusCBD Sleep gummies are available for $29.99 and help in circadian rhythm control, sleeplessness, and other disorders. It comes with CBD, magnolia bark extract, and lemon balm.

The PlusCBD Calm Gummies also go for the same price but have their direction towards easing tension, soothe irritability, and contribute to a greater sense of contentment. Its secondary ingredients include L-Theanine, a compound found in green tea, and another called 5-HTP, a precursor of serotonin.

Verdict

Before the fake brands and firms came along, PlusCBD gave and is still giving customers a chance at easily obtaining top-quality CBD gummies which sort anxiety and other disorders. We have chosen them because their data checks out, you should choose them too.

5. cbdMD – Most Popular

cbdMD, as with other brands of popular CBDs, is vested solely in making sure that the world comes to know about CBD and its numerous benefits. They create awareness and educate the society of the positive effects of CBD, and then further make CBD products easily accessible to all who need them. They provide options for individuals that want to be different through experiencing the good effects of CBD.

Hemp source

The CBD of cbdMD comes from a high-quality hemp plant, from which other beneficial constituents derive.

Lab results

Lab results from cbdMD indicate no traces of THC in all their products. This is good news because you get all of the benefits without any of the adverse effects. Again, they use a standardized formula that enables them to get a constant high level of CBD and terpenes during the extraction. Then, they go ahead to blend them, in a manner that would potentiate its effects. They use certified NSF labs for manufacturing and production, and then the results of each finished batch are posted online.

Ingredients

According to them, their products usually come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee because they try to make each of the products the main function with the extra added advantage.

Strength

Their strength includes industrial innovation, great customer services, selection of highest quality products, as well as educating the public on all issues about CBD.

Brand reputation

They are popular for double-checking and triple-checking all details of a product before its release to the world. cbdMD tries to be as transparent as possible, showing everyone what is being done at every step in their production. It is due to this that they listed them on New York Stock Exchange.

Price to performance

cbdMD offers free shipping on all domestic orders. They can also ship products to military bases and United States territories. If you make use of FedEx, then they can ship to the FedEx pick-up location closest to you.

Some CBD Gummies products offered by cbdMD include the 300mg-30 Count CBD Gummies, which contain 10mg CDB per gummy and goes for about $29.99. There is also the 750mg-30 count CBD Gummies having 25mg CBD in each content and sold for about $59.99. Other concentrations and products are also available.

Verdict

Well, if you want to look at cbdMD from an objective point of view, you find that you are in a safe place that gives you premium quality CBD products, and that is why they are on our list of top 5 brands for the best CBD gummies for anxiety in 2021.

What Really Is Anxiety All About?

Anxiety disorder is the most common mental issue in the United States, affecting more than 40 million people that are 18 or older. It is normal to feel anxious, but when it begins to disrupt your normal activities and functioning, it becomes an issue. Another difficulty associated with anxiety is seeking help. Many persons that are having anxiety and its disorder do not like going for the proper treatment and this, sometimes, maybe due to discrimination and things alike. A combination of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and medication may be effective in the management of anxiety. However, close observations show that lots of persons used CBD products to relieve their anxiety symptoms. Well, if you are using it, why not enjoy it. This is where CBD Gummies come in. You enjoy yourself while relieving your anxiety symptoms.

Key Facts that Make CBD Gummies Exceptionally Good for Anxiety Relief

CBD Gummies and all other CBD products come from the hemp plant and, as such, possess some level of relaxation and anti-anxiety properties. They perform this function through the regulation of the endocannabinoid system (EDS), which is a vital system as it aids in the control of the central nervous system, hormones, inflammatory responses, reproductive functions, to mention but a few. Also, CBD Gummies helps with anxiety attacks by lowering its magnitute, which it does by reducing the normal stress levels to the barest minimum. Again, unlike many other products where you need to take for months before feeling the effect, CBD Gummies have a relatively quick response time.

CBD Gummies, which is short form Cannabidiol Gummies, come from their parent plant – Cannabis sativa also known as the Hemp plant. To clarify, CBD is completely safe to use and does not cause any change to your personality and mental state. Despite what you may have heard about the plant being psychoactive, experts have revealed that the cause of the abnormal reaction is from a different constituent of the hemp plant entirely, a substance known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Many studies have attributed the individual psychoactive changes to be due to the THC and, therefore, most CBD products are THC free or just contain a very minute amount of it.

According to research conducted in the past, CBD works well in the treatment and management of different forms of pain and discomfort. However, some of the current studies focus on finding out the complete mechanism of action by which CBD plays its fantastic role and if this effect can be beneficial to other body systems.

Before now, you may have heard of gummies that are like sweet and edible candy seen everywhere and every day. CBD Gummies are gummies with known concentrations of CBD (Cannabidiol) and known derivatives of the hemp plant. CBD is incorporated into gummies to enable you to enjoy the benefits associated with CBD, and at the same time, the sweetness of a candy. They describe it as the perfect calming candy to help you through any form of stress and anxiety.

Here’s What Science Has to Say

It is no longer news that the hemp plant has many properties ranging from relaxing to pain amelioration. CBD is simply one of the compounds that are responsible for these effects. They extracted CBDs from the parent plant and made them into forms that are more appreciating to the eye and more edible, while still conveying the original effects of the hemp plant.

How To Take CBD Gummies for Anxiety

Due to variations in the individual body systems, the amount of CBD Gummies consumed also varies from one person to another. The normal advice, especially for a new user, is to start low, maybe with a 10mg gummy, and then check how you feel afterward (both the benefits and the discomfort). Then, you can decide to up the concentration or increase the frequency of the previous concentration. Basically, you increase the number until you attain your desired effects. The effects of a single gummy usually last for about 6 to 8 hours so you can factor that into your criteria for choosing a dose. Although, how it lasts usually depends on the consumer’s metabolism, strength, etc.

Key Health Benefits of CBD

CBD is hailed as a miracle cure because it has numerous benefits which range from physical, to emotional and then psychological. The good thing about CBD is that it makes the effect last longer, that seems wonderful, doesn’t it. The benefits of CBD include:

Side Effects

Basically, CBD Gummies is a safe product since it rarely causes a reaction. However, it is possible to encounter some minor side effects like gastrointestinal problems and drowsiness after taking it, but, as stated earlier, the chances of encountering these effects are very slim. Again, it is possible to react to the secondary ingredients of CBD gummies like the sugar, color, and flavors normally used to improve the taste and appearance of the gummies. If you encounter any severe symptoms, it is advisable to seek medical assistance. 

The Legality of CBD Gummies

CBD Gummies are as legal as any other CBD product. That is to say, CBD gummies are very legal. Since they are all derivatives of the hemp plant (which is also legal according to the 2018 Farm Bill). However, it is only legal if it contains 0.3% or less as its THC concentration by dry weight. Again, the law guiding CBD is a federal law, so you have to check your state for any state-placed prohibition or ban. Remember, the law is not in favor of any CBD product having more than 0.3% of THC, which means if you purchase them, you do that at your own risk. 

Here’s How to Order CBD Gummies

All the brands for CBD Gummies listed in this article have an online platform where you can order CBD Gummies for anxiety from the comfort of your house. Do not hesitate to order the product now. If you have any reservations, you can contact the market and product educators to give you additional information.

Final Thoughts

Lets’ say you need something to help you manage pain and anxiety and you don’t want to use the conventional medications since they also have their side effects and irregularities, CBD gummies are always at your disposal. Although there are diverse brands of CBD Gummies for anxiety in the market, we have selected the Best 5 CBD Gummies brands that are likely to give you what you want and more. You can start from our best overall and work your way down till you get to the exact brand and concentration that gives you the best results.

BriaR Breathe Fire Cover Art from Nick Ponisi for use by 360 Magazine

BriaR Releases Single and Video – Breathe Fire

Rising singer, lyricist, and performer BriaR has released her debut autobiographical single “Breathe Fire” along with its intergalactic, trance-inducing music video. The first single off of her debut EP Finding BriaR out this fall. Stream “Breathe Fire” here. Press here to watch the music video. The track details BriaR reminiscing about leaving a message on her lovers answering machine, revealing her deepest secrets and expressing her fear of being misunderstood. Finding BriaR is the debut EP from the multi-talented newcomer who grew up in a family of artists, musicians and entertainers, an ambitious musical hybrid that coins a brand-new genre – psychedelic soul – combining R&B, hip-hop and dance with art-rock, punk and hooky pop. BriaR’s breathy vocals are at once sensuous and intimate, creating a vibe that seduces our ears, while stimulating the body’s instincts to get up and move.

“The song came about during the pandemic. I was going through a tough time and I felt as though I wasn’t being heard. I created ‘Breathe Fire,’ an autobiographical record, explaining who I am and what I can bring to the table,” shares BriaR. “Although the record contains personal lyrics, I still wanted this to be a groovy track that makes you want to dance, hence the bass heavy record in the background.”

The daughter of legendary rapper Mack 10 (also known as part of Westside Connection alongside Ice Cube and WC) who also has a stepmom in T-Boz of TLC, BriaR can dream big because she comes from a family that has turned their own ambitions into reality. Growing up in the environment she did helped mold BriaR’s eclectic musical tastes, which incorporate not only the vintage old-school gangsta rap – but also New Wave (“Alanis Morrissette was a big influence in middle school”), grunge (Nirvana), punk (Green Day), pop (Gwen Stefani and No Doubt), rock (Fleetwood Mac), R&B (Michael and Janet Jackson, Aaliyah was “a big influence,” Beyonce, Shakira, TLC).

BriaR wrote the lyrics for the songs on the EP, recording them at home with her younger brother, rapper District 21, very much in the style of personal favorites like Billie Eilish and Finneas or, as she notes, fellow Calabasas residents Willow and Jaden Smith. “I have been obsessed with music since I was two years old,” she says of her upbringing around Topanga and Calabasas. “I remember Ice Cube coming to the house and me wanting to sing for him on the little karaoke machine my dad bought. For my brother and I, there was no other option. This is who we are.”

With Finding BriaR rolling out its five individual tracks this fall, BriaR is ready for the next step of her rise to stardom. “Recording this was like my therapy and it still is my therapy,” says BriaR. “The EP is about discovering the different sides of this individual. These songs helped me realize everything I want.”

Follow BriaR:

Instagram / Tiktok / YouTube / Spotify / Apple Music

Britney Spears illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

Britney Spears Breaks Her Silence

“I Just Want My Life Back” 

Britney Spears Breaks Her Silence 

By: Heather Skovlund-Reibsamen 

Conservator 

con·ser·va·tor | noun 

  • a person responsible for the repair and preservation of works of art, buildings, or other things of cultural or environmental interest.

Britney Spears. We have heard her name countless times over the years in regard to her career, however, more recently regarding her conservatorship. A conservatorship is a legal arrangement that gives a court-appointed individual, known as the conservator, the power to handle the financial and/or personal affairs of another adult who has been deemed incapacitated.

In this case, James Parnell Spears is Britney’s father and conservator. Mr. Spears was appointed conservator in 2008 after Ms. Spears was taken to the hospital twice by ambulance for involuntary psychiatric evaluations in the midst of a series of public struggles and concerns around her mental health. 

The recent documentary on Britney Spears on Hulu, “The New York Times Presents Framing Britney Spears”, gives a lot of insight into how the conservatorship first came into play. Ms. Spears was failed from the very beginning, unfortunately. She had one request over the conservatorship- for her father not to be the head of it. She was adamant that he was not in charge of herself or her finances. She did not want her father making the decisions on her medical care and treatment as well as her finances.  

Essentially, Britney’s entire life was about to be dictated by people other than herself, against her will. The conservatorship enabled them to control who could and could not visit Britney and retained security guards for her twenty-four hours a day. They had the power to access her medical records and communicate with her doctors. They could take control of her house and even cancel her credit cards. They could make television deals and recordings for her and were able to be overly involved with her finances. In addition to the conservatorship, Spears had also lost the ability to see her two children, whom she shares with ex-husband Kevin Federline. A few weeks after the temporary conservatorship started, she was able to regain some visitation rights.  

On October 28, 2008, the conservatorship over Britney was made permanent. That was thirteen years ago. Thirteen. Since the conservatorship was placed over Britney, she has gone on to release albums, go on tour, and even held a Las Vegas Residency at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Britney claims that her father had her put on lithium against her will and forced her to keep an IUD in so that she would not have more children. Which leads us to this question: Why is she still under the conservatorship if she is able to work and perform to the absolute best of her ability? A conservatorship is for someone unable to make those decisions for themselves along with not being able to provide for themselves. Britney Spears has shown the entire world over and over again that she is able to function and run her own shows quite successfully.  

If you take a moment and look through Ms. Spears’ Instagram account, you will catch a glimpse of the real Britney. She is a breath of fresh air that is full of life and love, but held back by so many things out of her control. She’s a forty-year-old victim in a conservatorship that is no longer needed. Social media users have taken the internet by storm with the hashtags of #freebritney and you quite literally see it everywhere. There are millions of supporters that have followed her journey and are hoping their voices are heard as well as Britney’s to ensure her freedom.  

Additionally, Jaime Spears has been living off of Britney for the last 13 years. Ms. Spears says “Considering my family has lived off my conservatorship for 13 years, I won’t be surprised if one of them has something to say… I just don’t like feeling like I work for the people who I pay.” According to Forbes, Ms. Spears has paid her father a monthly salary, provided office space, and given him a cut of her celebrity. Jaime Spears was paid at least $5 million before taxes since 2008. Britney also has to pay the entirety of the legal fees for both herself and her conservators. Her father has also made money off of her residencies and tours, which you can read more about here.

More recently, there was a hearing where a twenty-four-minute statement against the conservatorship was aired. You can hear the audio here. Ms. Spears met virtually with Los Angeles probate judge Brenda Penny claiming she wants to sue her family and that she has been “abused” by a previous therapist, among other multiple accusations. 

Additionally, Samy Dwek has also shared an opinion on the matter:

WHOOPS, THEY DID IT AGAIN! FATHER’S CONSERVATORSHIP CONTINUES FOR BRITTANY SPEARS – AND IT SHOULDN’T

By Samy Dwek, Founder and CEO, The Family Office Doctor and White Knight Consulting

I would address something that’s been a major press story – the guardianship of Britney Spears.

In California, they use the word “conservator” – someone who looks after the affairs of a person, such as their finances, or after them as a person, their estate, their properties. In Florida, we use the word “guardianship” of the person or of the property.

For the last 10 years, Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, has been her conservator, her guardian, overseeing both her finances and her personal property, her career, et cetera. Following some very public issues, the court ruled that Bessemer Trust can come in to look after her financial affairs. I think is a very sound decision, based on the father’s background. Bessemer probably has a lot better experience in managing money.

However, the father retains the power as a guardian of the person, looking after her estate and her personal affairs, her personal care, medication, et cetera, which remains a point of contention.

I have to agree with Brittany Spears that her father should be replaced. Let me be very clear that if I were to have someone look after me, I would prefer there to be a person who is impartial, not a family member who has potentially an axe to grind, especially when my bank account would have $60 million in it, and someone who is not trained in these matters.

As parents, we care for our kids, but it’s a very different thing to deal with when the child has some kind of mental trauma or health issues. At that point, I think bringing in a professional who is an expert guardian and does this for a living would probably make more sense.

And I think there’s a lot more to play out here because I believe that Brittany was not aware of the fact that she can cancel the guardianship. She could actually ask for an end to the conservatorship. I think that would be a bit of a drawn-out process that would involve psychiatrists and others to prove that she has the mental capacity to take control of her life. And that would be something that would need to be proven to these practitioners and then presented to the court.

Given the opportunity, I would push for the implementation of a professional guardian whilst these issues are ironed out. Not all parents are good parents, hence we have CPS. A trained professional under the supervision of the courts is a more prudent solution.  

LINK TO LEAKED HQ AUDIO 

LIGHTLY EDITED TRANSCRIPT FROM AUDIO:

SPEARS: I just got a new phone, and I have a lot to say, so bear with me. Basically, a lot has happened since two years ago, the last time – I wrote this all down – the last time I was in court.  

I will be honest with you. I haven’t been back to court in a long time, because I don’t think I was heard on any level when I came to court the last time. I brought four sheets of paper in my hands and wrote in length what I had been through the last four months before I came there. The people who did that to me should not be able to walk away so easily. I’ll recap. I was on tour in 2018. I was forced to do… My management said if I don’t do this tour, I will have to find an attorney –  

JUDGE: Ms. Spears, I hate to interrupt you, but my court reporter is taking down what you’re saying, so you have to speak a little more slowly.  

SPEARS: Oh, of course. Yes. Okay. The people who did this to me should not be able to walk away so easily. To recap: I was on tour in 2018. I was forced to do… My management said if I don’t do this tour, I will have to find an attorney, and by contract, my own management could sue me if I didn’t follow through with the tour. He handed me a sheet of paper as I got off stage in Vegas and said I had to sign it. It was very threatening and scary. And with the conservatorship, I couldn’t even get my own attorney. So out of fear, I went ahead, and I did the tour.  

When I came off that tour, a new show in Las Vegas was supposed to take place. I started rehearsing early, but it was hard because I’d been doing Vegas for four years and I needed a break in between. But no, I was told this is the timeline and this is how it’s going to go. I rehearsed four days a week. Half of the time in the studio and a half of the other time in a Westlake studio. I was basically directing most of the show. I actually did most of the choreography, meaning I taught my dancers my new choreography myself. I take everything I do very seriously. There’s tons of video with me at rehearsals. I wasn’t good – I was great. I led a room of sixteen dancers in rehearsal.  

It’s funny to hear my managers’ side of the story. They all said I wasn’t participating in rehearsals, and I never agreed to take my medication – which my medication is only taken in the mornings, never at rehearsal. They don’t see even see me. So why are they even claiming that? When I said no to one dance move into rehearsals, it was as if I planted a huge bomb somewhere. And I said no, I don’t want to do it this way.  

After that, my management, my dancers and my assistant of the new people that were supposed to do the new show all went into a room, shut the door and didn’t come out for at least forty-five minutes. Ma’am, I’m not here to be anyone’s slave. I can say no to a dance move. I was told by my at-the-time therapist, Dr. Benson – who died – that my manager called him and then that moment and told him I wasn’t cooperating or following the guidelines in rehearsals. And he also said I wasn’t taking my medication, which is so dumb, because I’ve had the same lady every morning for the past eight years give me my same medication. And I’m nowhere near these stupid people. It made no sense at all.  

There was a week period where they were nice to me, and I told them I don’t want to do the – they were nice to me, they said if I don’t want to do the new Vegas show, I don’t have to because I was getting really nervous. They said I could wait. It was like lifting literally two hundred pounds off of me when they said I don’t have to do the show anymore, because it was really really hard on myself, and it was too much. I couldn’t take it anymore. 

So, I remember telling my assistant, but y’know what I feel weird if I say no, I feel like they’re gonna come back and be mean to me or punish me or something. Three days later, after I said no to Vegas, my therapist sat me down in a room and said he had a million phone calls about how I was not cooperating in rehearsals, and I haven’t been taking my medication. All this was false. He immediately, the next day, put me on lithium out of nowhere. He took me off my normal meds I’ve been on for five years. And lithium is a very, very strong and completely different medication compared to what I was used to. You can go mentally impaired if you take too much, if you stay on it longer than five months. But he put me on that, and I felt drunk. I really couldn’t even take up for myself. I couldn’t even have a conversation with my mom or dad really about anything. I told him I was scared, and my doctor had me on six different nurses with this new medication, come to my home, stay with me to monitor me on this new medication, which I never wanted to be on to begin with. There were six different nurses in my home, and they wouldn’t let me get in my car to go anywhere for a month. 

Not only did my family not do a goddamn thing, my dad was all for it. Anything that happened to me had to be approved by my dad. And my dad acted like he didn’t know that I was told I had to be tested over the Christmas holidays before they sent me away, when my kids went home to Louisiana. He was the one who approved all of it. My whole family did nothing. 

Over the two-week holiday, a lady came into my home for four hours a day, sat me down and did a psych test on me. It took forever. But I was told I had to. Then after, I got a phone call from my dad, basically saying I’d failed the test or whatever, whatever. “I’m sorry, Britney, you have to listen to your doctors. They’re planning to send you to a small home in Beverly Hills to do a small rehab program that we’re going to make up for you. You’re going to pay $60,000 a month for this.” I cried on the phone for an hour, and he loved every minute of it.  

The control he had over someone as powerful as me – he loved the control to hurt his own daughter 100,000%. He loved it. I packed my bags and went to that place. I worked seven days a week, no days off, which in California, the only similar thing to this is called sex trafficking. Making anyone work against their will, taking all f their possessions away – credit card, cash, phone, passport – and placing them in a home where they work with the people who live with them. They all lived in the house with me, the nurses, the 24-7 security. There was one chef that came there and cooked for me daily during the weekdays. They watched me change every day – naked – morning, noon and night. My body – I had no privacy door for my room. I have eight vials of blook a week.  

If I didn’t do any of my meetings and work from eight to six at night, which is ten hours a day, seven days a week, no days off, I wouldn’t be able to see my kids or my boyfriend. I never had a say in my schedule. They always told me I had to do this. And Ma’am, I will tell you, sitting in a chair for ten hours a day, seven days a week, it ain’t fun… and especially when you can’t walk out the front door.  

And that’s why I’m telling you this again two years later, after I’ve lied and told the whole world” I’m okay and I’m happy.” It’s a lie. I thought I just maybe if I said enough maybe I might become happy, because I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized. You know, fake it till you make it. But now I’m telling you the truth, okay? I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m so angry it’s insane. And I’m depressed. I cry every day.  

And the reason I’m telling you this is because I don’t think how the state of California can have all this written in the court documents from the time I showed up and do absolutely nothing — just hire, with my money, another person and keep my dad on board. Ma’am, my dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship and my management who played a huge role in punishing me when I said no — ma’am, they should be in jail. Their cruel tactics working for Miley Cyrus as she smokes on joints onstage at the VMAs — nothing is ever done to this generation for doing wrong things. 

But my precious body, who has worked for my dad for the past fucking 13 years, trying to be so good and pretty. So perfect. When he works me so hard. When I do everything, I’m told and the state of California allowed my father — ignorant father — to take his own daughter, who only has a role with me if I work with him, they’ve set back the whole course and allowed him to do that to me. That’s given these people I’ve worked for way too much control. They also threaten me and said, If I don’t go, then I have to go to court. And it will be more embarrassing to me if the judge publicly makes the evidence we have. 

You have to go. I was advised for my image; I need to go ahead and just go and get it over with. They said that to me. I don’t even drink alcohol — I should drink alcohol, considering what they put my heart through. Also, the Bridges facility they sent me to, none of the kids — I was doing this program for four months, so the last two months I went to a Bridges facility. None of the kids there did the program. They never showed up for any of them. You didn’t have to do anything if you didn’t want to. How come they always made me go? How come I was always threatened by my dad and anybody that participated in this conservatorship? If I don’t do this, what they tell me to enslave me to do, they’re gonna punish me. 

The last time I spoke to you by just keeping the conservatorship going, and also keeping my dad in the loop, made me feel like I was dead — like I didn’t matter, like nothing had been done to me, like you thought I was lying or something. I’m telling you again, because I’m not lying. I want to feel heard. And I’m telling you this again, so maybe you can understand the depth and the degree and the damage that they did to me back then. 

I want changes, and I want changes going forward. I deserve changes. I was told I have to sit down and be evaluated, again, if I want to end the conservatorship. Ma’am, I didn’t know I could petition the conservatorship to end it. I’m sorry for my ignorance, but I honestly didn’t know that. But honestly, but I don’t think I owe anyone to be evaluated. I’ve done more than enough. I don’t feel like I should even be in room with anyone to offend me by trying to question my capacity of intelligence, whether I need to be in this stupid conservatorship or not. I’ve done more than enough. 

I don’t owe these people anything — especially me, the one that has roofed and fed tons of people on tour on the road. It’s embarrassing and demoralizing what I’ve been through. And that’s the main reason I’ve never said it openly. And mainly, I didn’t want to say it openly, because I honestly don’t think anyone would believe me. To be honest with you, the Paris Hilton story on what they did to her to that that school, I didn’t believe any of it. I’m sorry. I’m an outsider, and I’ll just be honest. I didn’t believe it. 

And maybe I’m wrong, and that’s why I didn’t want to say any of this to anybody, to the public, because I thought people would make fun of me or laugh at me and say, “She’s lying, she’s got everything, she’s Britney Spears.” 

I’m not lying. I just want my life back. And it’s been 13 years. And it’s enough. It’s been a long time since I’ve owned my money. And it’s my wish and my dream for all of this to end without being tested. Again, it makes no sense whatsoever for the State of California to sit back and literally watch me with their own two eyes, make a living for so many people, and pay so many people, trucks and buses on the road with me and be told, I’m not good enough. But I’m great at what I do. And I allow these people to control what I do, ma’am. And it’s enough. It makes no sense at all. 

Now, going forward, I’m not willing to meet or see anyone. I’ve met with enough people against my will. I’m done. All I want is to own my money, for this to end, and my boyfriend to drive me in his fucking car. 

And I would honestly like to sue my family, to be totally honest with you. I also would like to be able to share my story with the world, and what they did to me, instead of it being a hush-hush secret to benefit all of them. I want to be able to be heard on what they did to me by making me keep this in for so long, it is not good for my heart. I’ve been so angry, and I cry every day. It concerns me, I’m told I’m not allowed to expose the people who did this to me. 

For my sanity, I need you to the judge to approve me to do an interview where I can be heard on what they did to me. And actually, I have the right to use my voice and take up for myself. My attorney says I can’t. It’s not good. I can’t let the public know anything they did to me and by not saying anything, is saying it’s OK. 

It’s not OK. Actually, I don’t want an interview — I’d much rather just have an open call to you for the press to hear, which I didn’t know today we’re doing, so thank you. Instead of having an interview, honestly, I need that to get it off my heart, the anger and all of it that’s been happening. 

It’s not fair they’re telling me lies about me openly. Even my family, they do interviews to anyone they want on news stations. My own family doing interviews and talking about the situation and making me feel so stupid. And I can’t say one thing. And my own people say I can’t say anything. 

It’s been two years. I want a recorded call to you actually, we’re doing this now — which I didn’t know that we’re doing this. My lawyer, Sam (Ingham), has been very scared for me to go forward because he’s saying if I speak up, I’m being overworked in that facility of that rehab place, that rehab place will sue me. He told me I should keep it to myself. I would personally like to — actually, I’ve grown with a personal relationship with Sam, my lawyer, I’ve been talking to him like three times a week now, we’ve kind of built a relationship but I haven’t really had the opportunity by my own self to actually handpick my own lawyer by myself. And I would like to be able to do that. 

The main reason why I’m here is because I want to end the conservatorship without having to be evaluated. I’ve done a lot of research, ma’am. And there’s a lot of judges who do end conservatorships for people without them having to be evaluated all the time. The only times they don’t is if a concerned family member says something’s wrong with this person. 

And considering my family has lived off my conservatorship for 13 years, I won’t be surprised if one of them has something to say going forward, and say, “We don’t think this should end, we have to help her.” Especially if I get my fair turn exposing what they did to me. 

Also, I want to speak to you about my obligations, which, I personally don’t think at the very moment I owe anybody anything. I have three meetings a week I have to attend no matter what. I just don’t like feeling like I work for the people whom I pay. I don’t like being told I have to, no matter what, even if I’m sick. Jodi, the conservator, says I have to see my Coach Ken even when I’m sick. I would like to do one meeting a week with a therapist. I’ve never before, even before they sent me to that place, had two therapy sessions. I had a doctor and then a therapy person. What I’ve been forced to do illegal in my life. I shouldn’t be told I have to be available three times a week to these people I don’t know. 

I’m talking to you today because I feel again, yes, even Jodi is starting to kind of take it too far with me. They have me going to therapy twice a week and a psychiatrist. I’ve never in the past – wait, they had me going, yeah, twice a week and Dr. Gold, so that’s three times a week. I’ve never in the past had to see a therapist more than once a week. It takes too much out of me going to this man I don’t know. 

Number one, I’m scared of people. I don’t trust people with what I’ve been through. And the clever setup of being in Westlake, one of the most exposed places in Westlake, which, yesterday, paparazzi showed me coming out of the place literally crying in therapy. It’s embarrassing, and it’s demoralizing. I deserve privacy when I go and have therapy, either at my home, like I’ve done for eight years. They’ve always come to my home. Or when Dr. Benson — the man that died — I went to a place similar to what I went to in Westlake which was very exposed and really bad. Okay, so where was I? It was like, it was identical to Dr. Benson, who illegally, yes 100% abused me by the treatment he gave me, to be totally honest with you, I was so — 

JUDGE: Ms. Spears, excuse me for interrupting you, but my reporter says if you could just slow it down a little bit, because she’s trying to make sure she gets everything that you’re saying. 

SPEARS: OK, cool… And to be totally honest with you, when [Dr. Benson] passed away, I got on my knees and thanked God. In other words, my team is pushing it with me again. I have trapped phobias being in small rooms because of the trauma, locking me up for four months in that place. It’s not okay for them to send me — sorry, I’m going fast — to that small room like that twice a week with another new therapist that I pay that I never even approved. I don’t like it. I don’t want to do that. And I haven’t done anything wrong to deserve this treatment. 

It’s not okay to force me to do anything I don’t want to do. By law, Jodi and this so-called team should honestly – I should be able to sue them for threatening me and saying if I don’t go and do these meetings twice a week, we can’t let you have your money and go to Maui on your vacations. You have to do what you’re told for this program and then you will be able to go. But it was a very clever thing, one of the most exposed places in Westlake, knowing I have the hot topic of the conservatorship, that over five paparazzies are going to show up and get me crying coming out of that place. I begged them to make sure that they did this at my home, so I would have privacy. I deserve privacy. 

The conservatorship, from the beginning, once you see someone, whoever it is, in the conservatorship making money, making them money, and myself money and working – that whole statement right there, the conservatorship should end. I shouldn’t be in a conservatorship if I can work and provide money and work for myself and pay other people — it makes no sense. The laws need to change. What state allows people to own another person’s money and account and threaten them and saying, “You can’t spend your money unless you do what we want you to do.” And I’m paying them. 

Ma’am, I’ve worked since I was 17 years old. You have to understand how thin that is for me every morning I get up to know I can’t go somewhere unless I meet people, I don’t know every week in an office identical to the one where the therapist was very abusive to me. I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive, and that we can sit here all day and say oh, conservatorships are here to help people. But ma’am, there is a thousand conservatorships that are abusive as well. 

I don’t feel like I can live a full life. I don’t owe them to go see a man I don’t know and share him my problems. I don’t even believe in therapy. I always think you take it to God. I want to end the conservatorship without being evaluated. In the meantime, I want this therapist once a week. I just want him to come to my home. I’m not willing to go to Westlake and be embarrassed by all these scummy paparazzi laughing at my face while I’m crying, coming out and taking my pictures as all these white nice dinners, where people drinking wine at restaurants, watching these places. They set me up by sending me to the most exposed places, and I told them I didn’t want to go there because I knew paparazzi would show up there.

They only gave me two options for therapists. And I’m not sure how you make your decisions, ma’am. But this is the only chance for me to talk to you for a while. I need your help, so if you can just kind of let me know where your head is. I don’t really honestly know what to say but my requests are just to end the conservatorship without being evaluated. I want to petition basically to end the conservatorship. But I don’t want to be evaluated and be sat in a room with people four hours a day, like they did me before. And they made it even worse for me after that happened. 

I’m honestly new with this. And I’m doing research on all these things. I do know common sense and the method that things can end – for people, it has ended without them being evaluated. So, I just want you to take that in consideration. 

It also took a year, during COVID, to get me any self-care methods. She said there were no services available. She’s lying, ma’am. My mom went to the spot twice in Louisiana during COVID. For a year, I didn’t have my nails done — no hairstyling and no massages, no acupuncture. Nothing for a year. I saw the maids in my home each week with their nails done different each time. She made me feel like my dad does. Very similar, her behavior and my dad, but just a different dynamic. 

The team wants me to work and stay home instead of having longer vacations. They are used to me sort of doing a weekly routine for them. And I’m over it. I don’t feel like I owe them anything at this point. They need to be reminded they actually work for me. 

I was supposed to be able to — I have a friend that I used to do AA meetings with. I did AA for two years. I did three meetings a week. I’ve met a bunch of women there. And I’m not able to see my friends that live eight minutes away from me, which I find extremely strange. 

I feel like they’re making me feel like I live in a rehab program. This is my home. I’d like for my boyfriend to be able to drive me in his car. And I want to meet with a therapist once a week, not twice a week. And I want him to come to my home. Because I actually know I do need a little therapy. (Laughing.) 

I would like to progressively move forward, and I want to have the real deal, I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told right now in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby, I have a (IUD) inside of myself right now, so I don’t get pregnant. I wanted to take the (IUD) out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have children – any more children. So basically, this conservatorship is doing me waaay more harm than good. 

I deserve to have a life. I’ve worked my whole life. I deserve to have a two-to-three-year break and just, you know, do what I want to do. But I do feel like there is a crutch here. And I feel open and I’m okay to talk to you today about it. But I wish I could stay with you on the phone forever, because when I get off the phone with you, all of a sudden all I hear all these no’s — no, no, no. And then all of a sudden, I get I feel ganged up on and I feel bullied, and I feel left out and alone. And I’m tired of feeling alone. I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does, by having a child, a family, any of those things, and more so. 

And that’s all I wanted to say to you. And thank you so much for letting me speak to you today. 

JUDGE: Ms. Spears, you’re quite welcome. And also, I just want to tell you that I certainly am sensitive to everything that you said and how you’re feeling, and I know that it took a lot of courage for you to say everything you have to say today, and I want to let you know that the court does appreciate your coming on the line and sharing how you’re feeling. 

For Women Under Conservatorship, Forced Birth Control Is Routine

In June, Britney Spears spoke publicly for the first time about her conservatorship. She told a Los Angeles judge she has been forced to perform, forced to take medication she did not want, and, perhaps most shocking to the general public, forced to use contraception. Last night, Spears reiterated many of the claims she made in June, adding that in addition to major abuses like being forced into a residential psychiatric facility, she was subjected to a number of petty ones.

Journalist Sara Luterman, who focuses on disability politics, reports that a lot of people were shocked by the allegations that Britney Spears is being forced to wear an IUD. After looking into how common the practice is for other people under guardianship, she’s not going to lie: It’s bleak.

For Women Under Conservatorship, Forced Birth Control Is Routine

No one with knowledge of conservatorship Luterman interviewed was surprised by any of Spears’s allegations, including the ones around reproductive choice. Advocates say forced birth control and sterilization are still routine in the United States for women under conservatorship. Tom Stenson—the deputy legal director of Disability Rights Oregon, a federally funded protection agency—said he has never seen a case involving a man’s family seeking birth control or sterilization of a son. “I’m sure somewhere out there, there’s somebody trying to get their son or brother with a disability sterilized. But I’ve had a number of these cases arise, and they are, in my experience and so far, all women.”

Read the full article here

by Warner Records for use by 360 MAGAZINE

ANNE-MARIE × NIALL HORAN

ANNE-MARIE & NIALL HORAN RELEASE THEIR NEW SINGLE OUR SONG

Anne-Marie and Niall Horan team up for nostalgic new single Our Song. Directed by Michael Holyk, the video is loosely inspired by Bonnie & Clyde as it trails friends, Anne-Marie and Niall, as they hastily flee their town in search for new beginnings. Additionally, Anne-Marie has announced her highly-anticipated new album Therapy, which will be released on July 23.

Therapy is the follow-up to her multi-platinum 2018 debut, Speak Your Mind, which was the UK’s biggest-selling debut release of that year and spawned two global anthems – 2002, written by Ed Sheeran, and the Marshmello collaboration FRIENDS, which reached #2 on the U.S. Top 40 Radio Charts. Therapy is a collection of songs that embody Anne-Marie’s characterful artistry, self-effacing attitude, and beautiful honesty.  Anne-Marie wrote Therapy with Max Martin (Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift), Kamille (Little Mix, Mabel), TMS (Dua Lipa, Lewis Capaldi), Blake Slatkin (The Kid Laroi, 24kGoldn), Plested (Lewis Capaldi), MNEK, Raye, Nathan Dawe and Ed Sheeran.  The album will include Our Song, along with previous released tracks Don’t Play with KSI and Digital Farm Animals and the Nathan Dawe and MoStack collaboration Way Too Long.

Of the album, Anne-Marie explains, “Ugh, it feels so good to announce my new album, Therapy! Music is a source of healing for everyone, and music is therapy itself, right? I hadn’t realized until we were hit by the pandemic just how much I needed music. I need to perform. I need to write. My lyrics are my open diary to you all and writing this album has helped me focus and understand my feelings. I needed this album!  As well as seeking therapy from writing and music in general, I’ve also been on a journey of seeing a psychiatrist this past year and it has changed my life. I’ve always tried to be as open as I can with my fans about my own journey and through seeing a professional, I’ve been able to start combatting and understand the anxieties my brain has dealt me over the years. I am learning, and I am progressing. This album helped me get to that place too and it encapsulates lots of feelings and emotions, whether it’s tracks that focus on my own ride, or the ones that I just loved making, and I hope you can lose yourself in it. I made this for you and me.”

About Anne-Marie

She has become one of the globe’s most successful pop stars since her breakthrough in 2016. Anne-Marie has over 5 billion streams to her name, a platinum debut album alongside five Top 10 UK singles and two Billboard Hot 100 hits.  She has garnered dozens of award nominations, sold out her global headline tour and supported Ed Sheeran in stadiums everywhere.  In 2020, alongside charitable work and recording, Anne-Marie released her first-ever documentary titled ‘How To Be Anne-Marie’ exclusively with YouTube. She hasn’t slowed down in 2021, her January release Don’t Play with KSI and Digital Farm Animals spent twelve weeks inside the Top 10 of the UK’s Official Singles Chart and is the biggest UK song of 2021 so far by a female artist, she collaborated with Nathan Dawe and MoStack on the feel-good Way Too Long and made her debut as the new, and winning, judge on The Voice UK.

Therapy out on all platforms July 23

Preorder HERE

Why More Young People Are Turning to Online Therapy

Therapy can help with a huge range of mental health complaints from stress and anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and more. There are many reasons to consider therapy, and with the internet now creating new avenues for accessing mental health treatment, it’s no surprise that online therapy has become a popular choice for young people who are seeking mental health support. Due to the COVID19 crisis, online therapy has become an even more popular option over the past year in order to help ensure that people who need additional support for their mental health and wellbeing are able to access it safely when needed. So, why is online therapy becoming a more popular option?

Added Convenience:

Online therapy is usually done from home, meaning that the client has the additional convenience of getting therapy from the comfort of their own place without having to go and visit the therapist at their office. This can be a better option for people who have busy lives or commitments like kids that might be difficult for them to work around when they get professional help. Online therapy can be done from your kitchen or living room, meaning that there’s no need to rush after finishing work for the day or find a sitter for your kids while you go for your appointment. 

Find a Suitable Therapist:

For people who live in remote areas where the choice of therapists available is not always the best, online therapy can be an ideal alternative. Online therapy offers more choice to people who live in remote or rural areas where there are limited mental health resources available to them in the local area. It provides clients with the option of finding a therapist that might be a better fit for them without being confined to the local area only or faced with the need to travel long distances to visit a therapist on a regular basis. 

More Accessible:

Another reason why online therapy is becoming more popular among young people is that it provides more access to these services for people who have physical limitations. People who are housebound or disabled might find it difficult or even impossible to go out and visit a therapist in person, while online therapy can be done from wherever is most comfortable for them. 

Less Overwhelming:

Going to therapy can be a huge step to take for somebody who has been struggling with mental health issues that they struggle to talk about. Often, the internet makes getting therapy easier and more accessible for people in this situation who might feel comfortable talking about physical health issues with family and friends but will struggle to open up about their mental health. Since online therapy can be done from home, or another environment that the client is comfortable and familiar with, it can be easier for clients to overcome the stigma that has long been attached to mental health issues and feel more comfortable asking for help. 

Familiarity:

Today, young people have been born into a world where the internet is used for pretty much anything. From applying for jobs to online grocery shopping, many young people are used to tapping into their phones or laptops when they want to get something done, so it’s no surprise that getting online therapy tends to come naturally to them. In a world where a lot of communication with friends and family is done online and there are more online services than ever before available, it makes sense that young people who are used to this way of doing things would prefer to get mental health support online too. 

What to Consider When Choosing an Online Therapist:

There are several apps that have made finding an online therapist easier, and many therapists that will typically practice from an office or their own home have also started offering online services, many as a result of the COVID19 pandemic. If you are considering online therapy as an option for yourself, there are several things to consider before you start including:

  • The type of therapy that you want – do some research into different types of therapy such as CBT, DBT, and holistic therapy to find one that seems suitable for you. If you are not sure, a good therapist can help by talking through your options and providing you with more information on what might be suitable. 
  • Insurance coverage: Bear in mind that many states don’t allow out-of-state therapists when it comes to insurance coverage, so check the location of the online therapist before you begin since they will need to be licensed in your home state. 
  • Therapist experience: It is important to choose a therapist that is experienced in and knowledgeable about the specific issue that you are looking to get help with. 

Today, online therapy has become a popular and viable way for people to access mental health services more easily and from the comfort and safety of their own home.