Archive for the ‘Mental Health’ Category

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03
Sep
2010

A Vital Part of Mental Health

by admin

Help lines are a vital part of the mental health field and provide a service to those most in need of counseling. They’re a link between a person in crisis and those who can help navigate the murky waters while guiding callers to a safer thought process. These lines are manned by personnel with extensive training and who remain calm and level-headed when the voice on the other end is agitated, frightened, unsure or desperate. Often, by the time a caller has reached out to a help line, circumstances have already become overwhelming and sometimes dangerous. It’s critical that those who are there to answer those calls can quickly assess the state of mind and whether or not further steps should be taken to protect not only the caller, but others who might be at risk. Whether or not there are diagnosed mental disorders or conditions, each of us have had those blue moments and feelings of being misunderstood. For many, these moments and thoughts go beyond normal feelings we experience. It’s usually at this point most reach out for help. The availability of help lines are have prevented untold tragedies and those who contribute to the success of these avenues find satisfaction in knowing they’ve played a small role in another’s life simply by listening and providing encouragement and guidance. The anonymity of these lines enable callers to feel safe enough to discuss situations they might not otherwise be able to do in a face to face conversation with friends or family. And, too, many feel as though those around them play a role in the way they’re feeling. Job losses or fears of job loss, divorce, death, children growing up and moving away; these are all triggers that can put the wheels in motion for these feelings of despair. The problem is one out of twelve will develop disorders as a result of attempting to deal with the event. These disorders can be mild or can progress into serious problems that affect one’s quality of life. Not intended to replace traditional counseling, these avenues are meant to provide the caller a bit of reassurance and encouragement to follow through with a few counseling sessions. Still, the professionals who are waiting to hear from callers are educated and experienced and are there because of a sincere desire to help callers. Although still widely used, the traditional three a.m. phone call has a new look. Technologies such as instant messaging, chat programs and even computer cameras have provided even more tools to provide better guidance to callers around the world. And too, with the lack of medical insurance, courtesy of a weak economy and record job losses, a help line is often the only resource available to many. This is presenting a quagmire of sorts since a counselor on the other end of a phone line is hindered by distance from those who are in serious jeopardy of bringing physical harm to themselves or even others. Help lines aren’t intended to replace traditional counseling, but it appears to be doing just that for so many. For more information on counseling, visit http://counselingmicroblog.com and http://helplinemicroblog.com

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31
Aug
2010

Discrimination Against Mental Health Sufferers!

by admin

Ok, Here’s how it goes, right?

I went for a job interview last week but because i have a mental illness i did not get it. It is not me that thinks they were out to get me, but they told me the reason. They said ” Because of your instability at certain times we are unable to employ you”. For blooming out loud, it was only a coffee shop. Not like i am working for the Queen.

I have Bi-Polar along with Depression, Social Anxiety and OCD. Not a great combination i have to say so myself. I have been in Therapy for over a year, on medication which helps no end and have great support from medical professionals and family. The job in the coffee shop was just to get me back on my feet, i am a trained teacher actually, and because of my social anxiety i have been unable to be a teacher. So i thought it would help just to begin with.

Now the thing that annoyed me was yes i am unstable soemtimes, very occassionally now, but the whole point of therapy was to get coping mechanisms for when these times happen. Therapy never cures someone of a mental health illness. It only gives you ways.

I have struggled in the past but i am really good at the moment. Like i can do things like i used to. It’s a great feeling. I no longer worry about material things only that i am well in myself and have a positive attitude. I love life at the moment, it’s great. I know it might sound a bit cheesy but when you have been through hell and back it’s nice to be normal again and be part of society.

Ideally i would love to work with animals as they are my passion. Like in a zoo, kennel, etc. It’s not fantastic but i love them. I have come to realize in life that you need to be happy.

But i just feel that the soon as you mention mental health an employer wont employ you.  I know not every employer is like that and i would just like some opinions to see whether it really is me!

Thank You.

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28
Aug
2010

Mental Health Videos

by admin

Watching short, informative mental health videos can help you understand what is happening to you. It can also give you knowledge so that you know what steps you need to take to feel better.

Sometimes, when you’re suffering from a condition that is causing you stress and anxiety, it can cause confusion as you ’sit on the fence’. You feel like you should do something, but you’re not sure exactly what.

A Video Can Provide That Push

Watching an informative video can provide you with that much-needed push. It can give you enough information and knowledge to help you make a proper decision.

When you are suffering, there is no reason to prolong it when you can actually do something to feel better. Educating yourself about your condition is a very good initial step to take.

You can watch videos on depression, anxiety medications, generalized anxiety disorder as well as menopause. Menopause can cause women to go into depression.

All women have to go through menopause. It affects women in different ways. Some women may not even know it’s started, while others will go through agony, physically and emotionally.

This can also cause them anxiety and even be a trigger for panic attacks. Watching informative videos will help you learn better since you can play them again and because it’s visual, you remember better.

There are also videos pertaining to children. Children are not immune to depression or anxiety. A concerned parent can learn and gain confidence by watching a quality video.

These Videos Are For Everyone

Another point worth mentioning is that these videos don’t have to be for the sufferer. They can be for anyone looking for fast, proper information, or someone who knows of someone who is suffering.

Someone who is suffering will take particular interest in these videos, but due to it’s short length, it’s not an imposition or a ‘chore’ for someone who is not a sufferer.

These mental health videos are only a few minutes long but provide quality information. Sometimes, watching something can be better than reading it. This is true in the case of these video clips.

Hopefully, these mental health videos will provide you or someone that you know with some fast and precise information.

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25
Aug
2010

Mindfulness And Mental Health Improvement

by admin

What’s going on in your head? Until you know, there can be all
sorts of problems. Uncorrectable problems. You can’t fix a
problem that you don’t see, right? That is where mindfulness
comes in. Mindfulness and mental health are intimately connected.

Your mind is busy in there right now, talking about all sorts of
things. It may be telling you that you are tired of your job, or
that you are a victim of circumstance. It may be running through
a list of all the things you need to be doing. It may be saying
all the wrong things, and yet you may hear none of it. You may
just feel a slight anxiety building as your day goes on.

When I first learned how to do basic mindfulness exercises, I
was amazed. I found that whole conversations were going on just
below consciousness. Not only was it interesting to see, but the
most amazing part was that I could now often end feelings of
worry or anxiety. All I had to do was stop and watch my mind
until I found the cause.

Yes, it actually is often that simple. If you forgot to write
down an appointment, for example, it may be bothering you for
hours. As soon as you see that, you write it down and you feel
relaxed again. If an argument is playing and replaying
subconsciously in your mind and stressing you out, often just
bringing it to consciousness will make you laugh and dismiss it.

Mindfulness And Long Term Mental Health

Don’t underestimate the power of short term happiness and good
thoughts to influence the course of your mental health over the
longer term. Resolve anxieties and stresses now, and regularly,
and you’ll be healthier, and you’ll be developing good habits.
Good feelings now lead to good feelings in the future, and
habits are what we need for any long term results.

As for the big problems, mindfulness is a way to see them more
clearly for what they are. As you get better at tuning into your
own subconscious mind, you will start to see patterns. I found,
for example, that my mind was mulling over and worrying about
all the possible choices in decisions that weren’t made. It
caused me endless stress.

Seeing this clearly, finally recognizing how destructive this
habit of indecisiveness was, lead me to change. I started making
decisions more quickly, just to try a new way. I immediately
experienced how stress diminishes once a decision is made. My
habits began to change, and I was getting more done with less
anxiety.

The most basic mindfulness exercise is to just sit quietly and
start paying attention to everything going on in your body and
mind. Of course this can be difficult if you’ve never done it,
and this article isn’t a how-to. This is just to make the case
that it’s worth learning. There is definitely a connection
between mindfulness and mental health.

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22
Aug
2010

Trauma Symptoms Vs. Mental Health Diagnosis

by admin

I recently attended a traumatology conference in Florida. One of the interesting classes that I was able to attend was Trauma Symptoms vs. Mental Health Diagnosis.The young lady that taught this class was exveptional, for that I owe this paper to her. She is an advocate for both children and adults.

When we work with people that have gone through or suffered some sort of trauma, we are quick to give them a diagnosis of depression, acute stress disorder, anxiety, etc and want to medicate them ASAP. She gave an example of a young that found wondering the streets, age 6. Her agency took this young boy, he was checked out, they found a home for him, and became his advocate. The doctor prescribed 6 different medications. Her question to us; was the symptoms he was displaying truly mental illness or symptoms of trauma?

This young woman handed us scenarios and requested that we discuss how would feel as that victim, the feelings the emotions, both short and long term. To my surprise, one of the ladies seated at the table with me had experienced the same traumatic event as the scenario. We would find out later that this same person would be a presenter our conference later on that day.

As I read the scenario to our group, this precious woman began to shake and displayed extreme anxiety. She stated that only a few minor details were different. I want to share some of the details of this event.

She worked in a hospital. She had just finished her shift and was on her way out of the building. She was walking down the steps to the parking garage, young man pulled a knife on her, threatened to kill her if she made a sound. He robbed her and cut her face almost beyond recognition. She shared with us that it took several surgeries to reconstruct her face. She felt as though she had made progress with the emotions and feelings of this event, but we could see it was still affecting her. She kept apologizing to us for her display of emotions. She looked to us at that table for validation that it was okay and she was not “crazy”. She told us that she still has someone to walk her to her car. It was as emotional for us listen, to watch this person relive this traumatic event. Her trauma took place almost 25 years ago.

She shared with us that the counselor she seen saved her life. He stuck with her for the first few months and made himself available to her if needed. How do you think she would have felt if that counselor had said, you will get over this. All you need is medication and everything will be fine. She told us of her well-meainig co-workers kept asking her if she was okay. They kept wanting to hug her everytime they saw her. She said she wasn’t okay and wanted people to leave her alone.

Are we a country that needs to medicate people who have issues that we do not understand? Trauma has been looked at for years, but no one took the time to understand it until recent years. We treat trauma as a mental illness when it is just normal people going through normal feelings and emotions after suffering a trauma. They are never the same, it should only stand to reason there is no way they can. They need to experience those emotions and feelings in order to begin healing.

When someone suffers a trauma or traumatic event, the one thing they need above everything else is to understand why. They may not ever have that question answered, but they need to have someone to listen, to understand, and give them reassurance that life will one day return to some sort of normalcy. Over medicating someone does not assist in this process, neither does being labled. They then suffer two tramatic events, the event itself and being labled as mentally ill.

Little research has been conducted on this subject. IT IS IMPORTANT to know the difference between traumatic symptoms and a mental health diagnosis. We as professionals have the education and/or training. We are the first in line to help someone that is suffering. It is our job to provide the voice for them when they cannot. Lets not be so quick to medicate and hope they will cope. Lets advocate for their mental sanity when they feel they have none.

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