Tag Archives: mental illness

Dealing with Anxiety During the Corona Virus Pandemic

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Unprecedented times can sky-rocket anxiety that is already high for those of us with mental illness. Let’s not be too hard on ourselves if we are feeling particularly out of sorts during this craziness. Let’s remind ourselves that it will not last forever and that life will go back to the way it use to be relatively soon. In the mean time, let’s make a plan of ways we can cope with our anxiety and get through each day, moment by moment, knowing that there is no shame in merely doing the best we can no matter what that may look like.

Make sure to get plenty of sleep. Eat healthy. Get exercise. All the usually advice. Take time each day to do something you enjoy. A hobby or special interest. Watch relaxing or funny videos or movies or shows. Read uplifting or positive material. Create a soothing environment in your home with soft lighting, pleasant aromas, de-cluttered rooms, and quiet or calming sounds.

When you are in the midst of an anxiety attack, try the following coping statements, suggested by http://www.healthyplace.com:

  1. I’m going to be all right. My feeling are not always rational.
  2. Anxiety is not dangerous. It’s just uncomfortable.
  3. Right now I have feelings I don’t like. They will be over with soon and I will be fine.
  4. That picture or image in my head is not a healthy or rational picture.
  5. I’ve stopped my negative thoughts before and I’m going to do it again now.
  6. It’s not the first time I feel anxiety. I am going to take some deep breaths and keep on going.

Finally, remember this: “You have survived everything you’ve gone through up to this point. The best day of your life is still yet to come. There are still people you haven’t met and things you haven’t experienced. YOU CAN DO THIS.” (Source unknown)

10 Ways to Lower Stress

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With the holidays bearing down on us I thought this would be a good time to talk about things we could do to lower our stress levels. Here are just several ideas.

  1. Breathe deeply
  2. Exercise
  3. Go for a walk
  4. Smell pleasant aromas
  5. Close your eyes and think of a happy moment
  6. Rub fingers together to take attention away from a negative thought
  7. Be in nature
  8. Call a drama-free person
  9. Drink chamomile tea
  10. Be grateful for life

What are some more ways you use to lower your stress?

Resource: no longer available

10 Common Signs of Depression versus 10 Hidden Signs of Depression

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Depression can present itself in many different ways.  Some common signs of depression include the following.

  1. sadness, loneliness, or emptiness
  2. loss of interest in things normally enjoyed
  3. tiredness and chronic low energy
  4. difficulty thinking clearly, concentrating, making decisions or remembering
  5. feelings of worthlessness and guilt
  6. irritability, frustration or anger
  7. restlessness and agitation
  8. sleep disturbances
  9. change of appetite
  10. recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

There is also something called hidden depression or “functional depression” where the individual with depression may not experience the common signs of depression, but the depression manifests itself it other, less obvious, ways, such as the following.

  1. perfectionism with a constant, critical inner voice
  2. heightened or excessive sense of responsibility
  3. difficulty with accepting and expressing painful emotions
  4. worry or need for control over self and environment
  5. intense focus on tasks, using accomplishments as a way to feel valuable
  6. active concern about the well-being of others, while not allowing anyone into his inner world
  7. discounts or dismisses hurt or abuse from the past, or the present
  8. accompanying mental health issues involving control or escape from anxiety
  9. a strong belief in “counting your blessings” as the foundation of well-being
  10. intimate relationships may be difficult, but are accompanied by professional success.

If you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself lasting more than a few weeks, please talk to your doctor about them.  Depression is a real illness and is not something we can wish away or control by will power alone.  Get the help you need so you can live the life you were meant to have.

Source: rtor.org

4 Areas Affected by Depression

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Depression affects the whole person.  Not just our thoughts, not just our emotions, not just our behavior.  It affects everything, including our physical body as well.

In a nutshell, below is how depression may present itself in these four areas.

  1. THOUGHTS
  • self-criticism
  • impaired memory
  • indecisiveness
  • confusion
  • thoughts of death and suicide

2.  EMOTIONS

  • sadness
  • anxiety
  • guilt
  • anger
  • mood swings
  • irritability

3.  BEHAVIOR

  • withdrawal from others
  • neglect of responsibilities
  • changes in personal appearance

4.  PHYSICAL

  • chronic fatigue
  • lack of energy
  • sleeping too much or too little
  • weight gain or loss
  • loss of motivation
  • substance abuse

If you recognize these symptoms of depression in you or someone you care about, talk to a doctor about it.  There is help for those who suffer from depression.  I am one of those people.  It is not the end of the world.  There is life beyond depression.  It does go away.  Getting through it until it is gone is what you need help with.  I can share my experience with you via my Facebook page here.  Or feel free to comment below.

 

Symptoms and Behaviors of People with Social Anxiety Disorder

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Social anxiety disorder is an anxiety disorder that causes people to be fearful of social situations where they might be embarrassed or judged.  Psychological symptoms include self-consciousness when around other people, excessive worry about upcoming events where interaction will be expected, avoidance of places or events where people gather, and difficultly making friends and maintaining friendships.  Physical symptoms include excessive sweating, difficultly speaking or catching one’s breath, a sensation of flushing, trembling or uncontrollable shaking, and nausea.

There are many behaviors people with social anxiety may do or not do in an attempt to cope with the overwhelming anxiety this disorder produces such as not talking because of being afraid of being judged, not being able to go anywhere alone, staying inside all day, hating when the teacher calls on you in class, avoiding eye contact with others, avoiding eating in front of others, counting money before you pay, not leaving voicemails, not asking for help when you need it, always preparing what to say ahead of time, being worried about running into people you know, going to the bathroom to escape, using a phone or some other crutch to avoid people, dwelling on a small awkward moment for much longer than necessary, never going to any social event without a person that makes you feel comfortable and following said person way too much, worrying about the person beginning to find you obnoxious, and faking an illness to get out of a social event.

Have you done any of these behaviors to deal with social anxiety?  How else do you cope with your social anxiety?  What are some positive ways to cope with social anxiety disorder?

Reference: socialanxietydisorder.net

Signs of Overthinking and What to Do About It

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Thinking about things is good, right? When we have important decisions to make we have to think about them before committing one way or another to ensure we are making the correct decision. We have to weigh the pros and cons, ask others for advice, sleep on it; you know, think about it. After all, thinking is one of the main things that distinguishes us from the rest of the animal kingdom.

Does there come a time, however, when thinking becomes a liability to our well being? I believe there does.

Signs of Overthinking

  • second guessing everything
  • analyzing things to death
  • expecting the worst
  • having insomnia
  • hating to make decisions
  • would rather someone else decide things for you
  • regretting things often
  • have a hard time letting things go
  • taking things personally
  • being a perfectionist
  • criticizing yourself a lot
  • never feeling one hundred percent certain
  • feeling tense
  • feeling like you can’t turn your brain off

What to do if you are overthinking

  • Journal – writing down your thoughts can sometimes take them out of your head and keep them out. It is worth a try.
  • Talk to someone about your thoughts – again the idea is to get the thoughts out of your head. The longer you keep them bottled up, the longer they will just swirl around in there.
  • Use positive distractions – engage in a creative hobby, something that gains your entire focus so you are no longer thinking about anything else except for the task at hand. Sometimes our thoughts just need to be interrupted by action, whether we feel like taking that action or not.

Are you an overthinker? I am. What do you do to deal with it? Leave a comment or message me on my Facebook page here.

References:

8 Ways to Help Someone With an Anxiety Disorder

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Chances are you or someone you know has an anxiety disorder since it is the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting over eighteen percent of the population (reference). But do you know how to help that someone, or better yet tell others how to help you if you are the one who has the anxiety disorder?

Below are eight ways to help someone with an anxiety disorder.

  1. Be predictable. Don’t surprise them. If you say you are going to show up at a certain time, be on time. Don’t change plans at the last minute or bring an unplanned guest to dinner or take them on an impromptu date or a spur of the moment trip. People with anxiety need time to prepare mentally and emotionally, as well as physically, for most events. Give them that time and notification well in advance.
  2. Don’t assume you know what the person needs, ask them. How long do they need to prepare for events? Don’t guess. Ask them. When they are worried or stressed, don’t come up with solutions for them. Ask them what would help them at that moment or in general. If they don’t know then tell them you are there for them when they think of something, which brings us to number 3.
  3. Let the person with the disorder set the pace for recovery. Don’t pressure them to get well quicker than they are able to. Don’t expect fast fixes or for coping skills to work perfectly every time in every instance. Recovery is slow and messy. It is not a straight forward moving process. It is some steps forward and many back and some more forward and back again. Eventually the forward steps out number the backward ones, but it happens over time, not over night.
  4. Speaking of progress, it is best to find something positive in every attempt at progress. Meaning even if the attempt is unsuccessful that time, something positive should still be acknowledged about the attempt so as to encourage subsequent attempts in the future.
  5. Take care of yourself first. Don’t sacrifice your own life wants and needs too often. This will only lead to resentments later on. It will do neither of you any good if you both are ill.
  6. Don’t get emotional when the person with the disorder gets upset or panics. Keep a calm, cool demeanor, talk with a compassionate tone and when all else fails take a time out, telling the person you need to walk away for a moment to gather your thoughts, and come back when you can deal with him or her. If he or she is being irrational, sometimes it is impossible to rationalize with him. It is best just to validate his feelings (because feelings are not right or wrong, they just are) and keep him safe and see number 7.
  7. Encourage them to seek out therapy. You are not a professional. And even if you are, you cannot treat your own friend or family member objectively. Most people with anxiety disorders need some type of professional help.
  8. Finally never ridicule or criticize a person for being anxious or panicky. It is truly a physiological and psychological phenomenon beyond their conscious control in many instances that takes months, if not years, to figure out and overcome.

If you have any questions about anxiety disorders in general or panic disorders or complex PTSD, I have experience with all of them and would be glad to discuss. Leave a comment or contact me via my Facebook page here.

Reference: http://www.HealthyPlace.com

8 Warning Signs You are Mentally and Emotionally Exhausted

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We all have rough days where we are tired, irritable, or anxious. Maybe we didn’t sleep well the night before or we have a big test coming up or deadline at work. Maybe the kids are acting up and your husband forgot your birthday.

Things happen that make us feel bad for a little while, but when these negative emotions last for more than a few weeks or more, you may want to consider talking to your doctor or a professional counselor about it.

Here are eight warning signs you may be mentally and emotionally exhausted:

  1. You are easily irritated. Everything gets on your nerves and just kind of bugs the heck out of you.
  2. You have no motivation to do anything even the things you usually love doing.
  3. You are having anxiety or panic attacks, which include racing heart, rapid breathing, feeling like you’re going to pass out or die, or even less intense – just worrying incessantly about the same things over and over again and are unable to make yourself stop.
  4. You are having trouble sleeping. You either can’t fall asleep, can’t sleep through the night, and/or wake up early in the morning before you have to get up.
  5. You have little patience and lose your temper easily with family, friends and coworkers.
  6. You start crying out of nowhere. Sitting at your desk, taking a shower, driving in the car just minding your own business and all of the sudden you burst into tears.
  7. You feel detached from reality, meaning that you go through your day without really feeling a part of anything or connected to anyone. You feel numb like you are experiencing the world through a fog.
  8. You feel empty. Although at times you feel strong emotions of anger, sadness, and fear, much of the time you actually feel void of any emotion. You feel like an empty vessel floundering in a vast sea of nothingness.

If you can relate to any of these signs, remember that you don’t have to go through this alone. I have been through all eight of these symptoms at one time or another. For me, talking to my doctor about them is the best way to ensure the symptoms do not get out of hand to the point of becoming dangerous to my well-being. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding mental health, depression, bipolar, borderline personality disorder, and anxiety. Contact me via my Facebook page.

Reference: The Minds Journal

Writing Prompt: A Letter to a Stranger

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Prompt: Type an anonymous letter to a stranger detailing what you have learned in life.  Leave a link to your post in the comments to share with others.  Here is my letter:

Dear Stranger,

I suppose I have learned a thing or two over my lifetime thus far.  I’ve learned that most people can’t be trusted but a few can.  I’ve learned that opposite phenomenons are going on all of the time.  For example, people are altruistic because it makes them feel better thus actually making them selfish not altruistic.  And parents hurt their children even though they love them intensely.  And churches lie to their followers while preaching the Truth.  I’ve learned to see the world in these grays, rather than in black and white.  It has been my biggest lesson. 

I’ve also learned that I can not like someone but still care about them.  That I welcome eccentricities, but not insincerity.  That someone’s ability to be open-minded shapes every facet of their being.  And that it is quite rare to change an adult’s mind on his or her core values.

I’ve learned that some people are actually capable of unconditional love.  That sunsets make the most beautiful photographs and children are the most difficult gift I have ever received.  That a clean house, flat stomach, or big bank account doesn’t make a person happy.  And that love and health are two of the most important things in life.  Most of all, I’ve learned that I don’t know much and that I’ve got a lot more to learn.