Stress

I found a great article on how stress is effecting the health of people across the nation on Gather today.  It is written by one of the doctors from the Harvard Medical School, if you would like to look at the full report you can find it here.

On of the things mentioned is:

"People are now feeling stress because of the difficult economic picture in this country. Home foreclosures and unemployment, higher gasoline and food prices, and disappearing job security can all make us feel stressed."

I have definitely felt the stress associated with higher gas and food prices.  I recently stopped teaching full time to stay at home with our new baby and the reduced income along with the rising costs can lead to a lot of stress.  I’ve been coping by finding work from home but the article has a few other ideas on how to reduce stress, some of which I’ve heard before.  I figure you can never get good advice often enough so I’ll share some of my favorites from the article.

"Find time to exercise regularly.

Eat a balanced, healthy diet. Avoid reaching for sugary snacks or fatty fast food.

Limit your alcohol use, and don’t take illicit drugs. Drugs and alcohol can prevent you from dealing with stressful problems directly.

Get a good night’s sleep.

Consider learning some relaxation techniques. There are many of these, and most are easy to learn. Take breaks when you are at work.

Seek professional help if you feel overwhelmed by the stresses in your life. Stress-management counseling is often very helpful."

Exercising regularly is a great idea and I was doing pretty well with it till everything got hectic again.  Guess that’s when I need it most but am getting it least. Probably about the same for everyone out there.  Eating well…not so much.  Another thing for me to stress about!  Yay! one I actually manage to accomplish.  I don’t drink or do drugs so that isn’t making my stress worse.  I’m sure I will feel less stressed when the baby is sleeping through the night instead of through the day ;)  Relaxation techniques I’ve been trying to do.  I’ve started putting in a weekly meditation inspiring video and using it throughout the week.  Must say, those nature sounds and rainstorms do relax me.  Professional help.  This is actually something I’ve done before and it is very effective.  Unfortunately, I don’t really have the time to go anymore.

Writing this post has made me realize that I must start to make myself a priority.  All of the things that are good for reducing stress I say I don’t have time for which leads to more stress.  My motto for this blog is "relax so you can focus" by relaxing I partially meant reducing daily stress.  Looks like I need to take my own advice! 

How do you reduce your daily stress to help you lead a more enjoyable and productive life?

Rainbow Photo Credit:  Nicholas T. from Flickr, Creative Commons License

Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed

May is mental health month.  The focus this year is how connections can help your mental health.  Mental Health America gives us more information on this.

"Mental Health Month was created more than 50 years ago to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of mental wellness for all.  This year’s theme is focused on an essential component of maintaining and protecting mental health and wellness: social connectedness. The tagline for this year’s observance is “Get Connected.” There are many ways of creating connections that support mental health…"

The first suggestions they have is to get connected with friends and family, and get connected to your community.  There are several ways you can create a closer connection between family and friends that can help you maintain good mental health.  Finding ways to make connections in your community can be more difficult, but ultimately very rewarding.

Connect with Family and Friends.

• Have a family game night.
• Spend one night a week, or a month, turning of the electronics in the house and playing board games.  This allows you to have face to face interaction with your family without any of the usual distractions.
• Eat dinner with your family.
• Too often families sit down to dinner separately or while watching TV or in a vehicle.  By taking time to sit down and enjoy a meal together you can reconnect with one another
• Write a family chain letter.
• Write a letter that is sent to each family member one at a time with each person adding a little to the letter.  By the time the letter gets back to you you will have news from all members of the family.
• Go out for a friends night.
• Leave the family at home and go out to eat or to a movie or over to a friends house and reconnect.  Hanging out is not just for the kiddies

Connect with your Community

• Use mom and pop shops.
• Don’t always go to the big box stores where it is impossible to make a personal connection.  Check out the locally owned restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores, and other businesses.  Many times these can be found in the ‘historic’ district.  They might be a little more expensive (but not always) but you will usually get great customer service with a friendly personal touch.  The local businesses in my hometown get to know their customers and make an effort to let me know if something comes in they think I’ll be interested in.
• Go to the park.
• Most communities have parks.  You can go there and meet people from the area.  If there is a children’s area you can take your child and meet parents with children of the same age.
• Visit local churches.
• If you don’t have a church family this is a great way to meet and become involved in the community.  You could try a different church each week. 
• Get involved in helping others.
• If there is a local soup kitchen, shelter, food bank, or other community outreach program you could opt to volunteer your time.  You could help your neighbors and get to know others who are interested in giving back to the community at the same time. 

Personal connections can make the difference between a mild bump in your emotional well being and a full on wreck.  I believe this is why the focus for mental health month this year is on making and keeping those connections. 

What ways have you found to make connections with friends, family, and community?  Have you found these types of connections to be useful during a difficult period of your life?

I was reading the news today when I found out that researchers have finally affirmed what I have always believed: Too many choices deplete mental acuity.  I have always had trouble staying focused when I have to make too many decisions and since I usually have to make lots of decisions like when to wake up, what to eat, what clothes to put on, what to write, I now know why I almost always have trouble focusing.  I say this only partly in jest.  I do know that when I was teaching it was much easier for me to stay on task and not get distracted if I had planned everything out the day before.  Making all of those everyday decisions early made it much easier for me to handle anything unexpected without totally losing my focus. 

I find that is also the case in my home life.  When I have too much going on at work I have trouble remember what it is I’m supposed to do when I get home.  Wash clothes?  Sure I know that needs to be done, but if I’ve had an eventful (read decision making) day then I get home and zone out and completely forget what it was that I needed to do….what was it again?  Oh, right.  Laundry.

The scientists who completed the study duplicated it in different settings including a shopping mall after shoppers had made decisions about what to buy.  The moral there?  Even if it is happy decisions it can still affect your mental acuity.  This is where I come up with too much mental stimulation being a bad thing, if that mental stimulation is in the form of decision making.  If you know you are going to need to focus on a specific day try to make all decisions for that day the previous day.  Big presentation?  The night before lay out your clothes and accessories.  Get your breakfast and lunch items together or else decide what you are going to do for breakfast and lunch.  Make sure kids/husband/wife have all of their items picked out for the next day.  Do absolutely everything you can early so that all of your focus will be on your important task. 

Have you noticed you have trouble focusing if you’ve had to make too many decisions?  Do you find planning out each day the night before makes your day run more smoothly? Does it increase your ability to focus?

Photo Credit:   Timothy Lloyd from Flickr, Creative Commons License

May 4th-10th is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week and tomorrow, May 8th is Children’s Depression Awareness Day.  I thought this would be an excellent time to talk about the subject of children’s mental health.  Many adults don’t realize that their children can suffer from almost any of the mental illnesses that adults can suffer from.  According to the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health one in fife teenagers suffers from clinical depression.  It can be difficult for teens to articulate their feelings and it can be almost impossible for parents to differentiate between normal teen moodiness and depression.  The following are symptoms that can indicate depression when they last for more than two weeks:

~Poor school performance (cutting classes/school, not completing school work or maintaining grades)
~Withdrawal from friends & activities (dropping out of sports/hobbies, wanting to be alone most of the time)
~Sadness and hopelessness (not enjoying everyday pleasures)
~Lack of enthusiasm, energy or motivation
~Anger and rage
~Overreaction to criticism (difficulty getting along with others)
~Feelings of being unable to satisfy ideals
~Poor self-esteem or guilt
~Indecision, lack of concentration or forgetfulness
~Restlessness and agitation
~Changes in eating or sleeping patterns (weight or appetite changes-gain or loss)
~Substance abuse
~Problems with authority
~Suicidal thoughts or actions

*source

If you think your child is suffering from depression or has other mental health problems you should consider talking to your child’s guidance counselor at school or a licensed mental health professional. You can find more information on children’s mental health issues here.  If you are looking for referrals you can go to one of the websites below.

• www.aamft.org
• www.psych.org
• www.helping.apa.org
• www.naswdc.org

Do you have a child that is suffering from a mental health problem?  What have you done to help your child?  What resources have you found that have helped you?

Today is the last day of Counseling awareness month.  Many people could benefit from counseling but think there is a stigma associated with seeing a therapist.   Counseling Awareness month is.. 

…"a time to celebrate the practice of professional counseling, advance the needs of the individuals served by counselors, and promote the helping roles of counselors in all settings. It is a time to promote the professional and ethical standards that lead to competence and take pride in the good work that counselors accomplish each day."  ~Counseling.org

At one point in my life I thought counseling was a waste of time and that no counselor had any sense at all.  As I have grown older, however, I’ve decided that a good counselor is one of the best ways to spend your health care dollars.  Stress and repressed trauma can make you and everyone around you miserable.  A counselor can help you work through issues that are affecting your life and possibly even your physical well being.  Stress can cause any number of physical ailments such as increased blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, a suppressed immune system, and an increase or decrease in appetite. 

There are several online resources if you are looking for more information about counseling or if you want to find a counselor or mental health professional.

• http://family.samhsa.gov/talk/counseling.aspx ~ this site gives you information to help you decide if counseling is right for you

• http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/default.asp ~ this is the National Mental Health Information Center and it has a variety of great information including a way to look up different counselors

• http://www.aamft.org/ ~ this is the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy it has some excellent information and a way to locate family therapists.

• http://www.psych.org/ ~ this is the American psychiatric Association. The difference between psychiatrists and therapists, counselors, or psychologists, is that a psychiatrist can prescribe medication.

• http://apahelpcenter.org/ ~ this is the American Psychological Association excellent articles on a variety of issues.

Have you thought about seeing a counselor? If you have entered into counseling did it help? Would you recommend counseling to other people?

Alcohol addiction is a serious problem that effects families all over the country.  April is   Alcohol Awareness Month.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a great website with information about alcohol and drug, you can visit the site here.

Warning Signs of Alcohol Abuse
If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, you may have a problem with alcohol:

• Do you drink alone when you feel angry or sad?
• Does your drinking ever make you late for work?
• Does your drinking worry your family?
• Do you ever drink after telling yourself you won’t?
• Do you ever forget what you did while drinking?
• Do you get headaches or have a hangover after drinking?

For more information on how to cut down on your drinking, you can go here.  I have seen alcohol ruin many lives from taking parents away from children, to children who drink and drive and don’t survive.  If you think you have a drinking problem I encourage you to seek help.  One nationally recognized groups that can help with recovery is Alcoholics Anonymous.

Have you suffered from alcoholism either as the one with the addiction or because someone you loved was addicted?  What did you do?

blah blah blah

Alcohol Photo Credit: joshstaiger from Flickr, Creative Commons License

Depression is so difficult to deal with especially when you know you can do what you want to in life but just can’t bring yourself to do it because of your symptoms. You don’t understand why you are sad, unmotivated, agitated and feeling like you have a ton of weight holding you down.

Don’t worry, you are not alone!

Millions of people around the world suffer from depression and the statistics are rising. More people are seeking help for their symptoms and finally helping themselves feel better so they can get back on track to a happy and successful life.

One of the first steps you need to make in seeking help from this debilitating illness is finding out if you do have depression or if there is some medical cause for how you feel. I find it helpful to bring a list to my doctor so I don’t forget to mention any symptoms I am having for my problem. This way, I know I have given the doctor the most accurate information for her to make a correct diagnosis.

Sometimes it can be hard to think of all your symptoms at once, in this case, review the list below of common symptoms of depression, and write down the ones that apply to you.

· Insomnia

· Oversleeping

· Changes in appetite

· Lack of concentration

· Loss of pleasure in activities you used to find pleasure in

· Intense sadness

· Spontaneous crying

· Emotional sensitivity

· Lack of focus

· Decrease in hygiene and caring for yourself

· Feeling hopeless and helpless

· Restless

· Feeling down on yourself, worthless or guilty for not being able to do certain things

· Physical symptoms such as aches and pains, headaches, stomach problems

As I said, you will need to discuss all of your symptoms with the doctor so he or she will be able to diagnosis you accurately. Many of the symptoms of depression can be due to a medical problem so its best to receive a physical exam.

Furthermore, if you are feeling hopeless, helpless, and worthless and have contemplated suicide, CALL SOMEONE IMMEDIATELY. Ending your life is not the answer; you need to receive help for your symptoms so you can start living the life you want. Depression can be devastating but there is help!

Support can do wonders when you are feeling like this and even when you are on antidepressant medication. It helps to know there are so many other people in the world experiencing the same thing you have to deal with on a daily basis. Since you have read this far, why not jot down some of your symptoms in the comments section here? Let’s support each other in this fight against depression, you don’t have to go it alone!

If you have a question about depression, leave it in the comments because others may be wondering the same thing!

As parents, we never want to think about our son or daughter suffering through a mental disorder. However, we need to face the fact there may be something going on besides the initial concern he or she is being lazy. Find out the signs of depression so you can support and encourage your child to get some help.

People who are predisposed to depression will usually start to experience symptoms in their early 20s. Even though many children do experienced symptoms much earlier, the average start to feel depressed after graduating high school. One of the reasons for this is because many children go off to college or start working, which we all know is stressful and the stress sets off the disorder. The next thing you know, your son or daughter who had straight As in high school might not go to class, starts receiving failing grades and may eventually drop out or starts missing work and gets fired.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression

Your son or daughter may be depressed if he or she experiences these symptoms:

· Sleeping too much

· Insomnia

· Change in appetite

· Not taking care of hygiene

· Decreased pleasure in activities

· Feeling hopeless and helpless

· Feeling sluggish or loss of energy

· Lacks concentration, motivation and focus

· Feeling worthless and guilty

· Cries or gets angry easily

· Feeling physically sick such as aches, pains, stomach problems, and headaches

Feeling depressed is no way to live life. It’s important that we help those who are showing their first signs of depression. You can start by talking with your son or daughter to see how he or she is feeling and then mention seeing a doctor. He or she may need help with calling for the appointment and getting there because the lack of motivation and feelings of helpless might be too much to deal with when trying to get treatment. With help from you, your son or daughter may be able to get some antidepressant medication, which will help reduce some of the symptoms so he or she can start living a productive life.

Please share any stories about your family member who is experiencing depression so others can learn what to do during this very scary and difficult time…

When you pregnant a lot of attention is paid to your physical health by your doctor, friends, and family. What I needed was help with my emotional and mental health. I worried about everything that was happening and that was going to happen. There were things I had questions about that I’d never heard anyone talking about and I certainly didn’t want to bring up. The following books helped me feel calmer and more prepared.

So That’s What They’re For by Janet Tamaro
This is an absolute must read if you want to breastfeed. Even if you are only mildly interested I would still recommend it. In addition to being filled with great advice there are also pictures. The pictures are great to refer to when you are trying to figure out which nursing position is best for you and your baby. After all just being told to use the football hold is quite different than being able to look and see what the position is supposed to look like. Also included are additional resources such as websites, other books, and organizations that can help you in your quest for breastfeeding information. This book is the reason I have had so little trouble breastfeeding

Pregnancy Sucks by Joanne Kimes
I usually read in bed at night and this book made me laugh so hard I would wake my husband. Kimes tells it exactly like it really is even the scary or embarrassing parts and she does it with a sense of humor. The book is broken down by the month so I’d read a chapter a month, usually all at once as soon as I hit that month. It made me feel so much better that I wasn’t alone in what I was feeling.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting
This is probably the gold standard and the book most mothers read. It is full of helpful information and is also broken down by month. I found this book to be most helpful when I was looking for a clinical answer to a question and would look here before calling my OB.

I know that nothing can take the place of a doctor. But if you are like me you might not have time, or may just not want to ask the doctor everything you are wondering about. If that is the case these books are a great resource.
What books did you find helpful when you were pregnant?

Submitted by: Robin Langford

Support groups are essential when you are going through a difficult time in your life. Support groups can help you find comfort in knowing you are not alone in dealing with mental health issues. You can find others who understand and find help for problems you are having. Isn’t it time you found yourself some people who know what it’s like?

Finding support groups is not difficult. Here are some ways you can find support.

• Newspapers

Check your local newspapers in the classifieds section or local section. Many organizations or groups of people will post an ad to get some new members to join.

• Doctor/Counselor

If you see a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, call him or her and ask if they have a listing of support groups in your area. They usually have these resources available.

• Mental Health Services

Call your local mental health services department and ask to speak to some about resources. The receptionist will probably give you a resource to call to find out this information.

• Social Services

Social Services usually have information about community events, programs and support groups because many of the people they serve have a mental illness.

• Internet

You can find just about anything on the Internet. Search for support groups on community sites.

Finding Support Groups Online

If you are shy or you don’t have access to transportation to get to a group, you can still get the same type of support online. There are many communities and forums available for many different mental health disorders. Check out these support groups!

http://www.support4hope.com/

Support 4 Hope is a great site with chat and forums for people with Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Schizophrenia, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

http://www.google.com/Top/Health/Support_Groups/Mental_Health/

Google has a directory of different support groups online.

Support through Blogs

Many people with mental illness have started blogs talking about their experiences. Commenting on these blogs is just like participating in forums because there are many people who usually join in on the discussion. Try to find some blogs on the mental health disorder you have or try starting one yourself.

Find support here and let us know how you like your support group. Let us know how it has helped you and how you found yours!