Mental Health Tool Kit

I can imagine you thinking, "what on earth" is this lady talking about?"
Visions of hammers and nails going through your mind.
Does she expect us to do woodwork?


Please stay with me as this blog can assist anyone.
Regardless of whether you have a mental illness or not, most of us have days when we feel down.
We might not necessarily be depressed but just don't feel ourselves.
When counseling people, part of what we work towards is not only getting them better but also to help them return to a place where they were before they got unwell, a place of mental and emotional equilibrium.
We also work on improving their self esteem and feeling good about themselves.
This can be achieved with goal setting but it is also important to have a wellness plan to stay well and prevent a relapse.
Another important thing to consider is that building our self esteem needs to come from within ourselves. It is lovely when someone else gives you a compliment or makes you feel good about yourself but unfortunately we can not rely on this happening all the time.


Often months after someone has become well, they will come back and say that they think they are having a relapse. In so many cases this is not what is happening but they had stopped following their plan that we had made during therapy and prior to closing them from our service.


So you ask, what has this to do with a tool kit?
A mental health "tool kit" is a list of things that you identify that have helped you in the past or that you think may help you in the future.
When we feel down we often forget about the things we enjoy that make us feel good.
We also do this when we get busy with life, for many people treating themselves by having some "you" time is forsaken for your family or job.
With a mental health tool kit, you get out where you have made your kit and do one of the activities.


Examples of this are:
- talking to someone you trust
- meditation, you can find many good, free ones on YouTube
- exercise that you enjoy or try something new like a yoga class or aqua aerobics
- put on your favorite upbeat music and dance
- go for a cup of coffee with a friend
- treat yourself to a manicure, facial, hair treatment or cut, there are may recipes on the internet for making your own hair treatment, facial products using what is in your house already or fruit, oats etc.
- pack a picnic and take it to a park or the beach
- go shopping at a second hand store if you can afford it, even just browsing can be fun
- play with a pet
- do something you used to enjoy like gardening
- if you have bath, use it
- read that book you got for Christmas or join your local library and borrow one.
- do that crossword in the newspaper you have been meaning to do
- watch a comedy on television or hire a funny movie, humor is very therapeutic
- star gaze
The list is endless and you decide what to put on it.
I encourage you to do one thing a day for yourself that is easy and free like read that book, one thing a week that may require a bit more effort like cook dinner and eat outside with candlelight and one thing a month that is a treat like going to a movie or out for dinner.
Doing one of your activities will usually make you feel better, please try it and I would love to know how you go and what helps you.


If this idea does not lift your mood, please visit my website and contact me, I can help you.
http://www.valkeenalifecoachaustralia.com/life-coaching-and-counselling.html

WHY DO WE STILL HAVE A STIGMA REGARDING MENTAL ILLNESS?

I chose to address this topic as it is something that I am very passionate about and it saddens and sometimes even angers me that this still occurs.




We have the internet now.
We have many health resources for mental health, many promotions like mental health week, R U OK, we have education regarding mental health, we have social media platforms and people and organizations promoting mental health, we have celebrities opening up about their own struggles with mental health and more, yet many people are (or choose to be) ignorant around this topic.


Scarily it is also not just the general public.


I am ashamed to say that I often hear medical and nursing staff openly put down mental health workers, student nurses that have resented a placement in a mental health facility telling me they want to do "real" nursing.....
Seriously? Do they really think that nobody that ever comes in with a broken arm may have a mental illness?
Ironically they are on the phone begging for assistance as soon as they realize they do have a patient or client with a mental illness.




One of the saddest and frustrating things to have experienced, is getting a call from an Emergency Department with the opening words "One of yours is here..."
How dare they judge someone by their history?
Sometimes they have not even been an open client with our mental health team as are well and are being managed by their local doctor.
What is even more scary is that they may have come in for a physical problem and have not even been asked why they have presented let alone had any of their vital signs checked.




Please do not let this scare you as there are many excellent, informed and caring staff and we are all working on changing these attitudes and educating these people.
(Trust me a few have left a few burning ears when I have had my say to them) but we need to be aware that this stigma still exists and the only way to change is it, is for ALL of us to learn as much as we can about mental illness, educate others, share with others and stand up to those who put people with mental health issues down.


I know it is not easy and some people will just not want to know, however there are many that will be open to learning about mental illness and hopefully themselves go on to promote understanding for their contacts.




Why is there still such a stigma?
These are my personal beliefs only, you do not have to agree but in my opinion a lot of it stems from fear.
A large part of the blame for this stems from television shows, movies and media reporting.
The days of "One flew over the Cuckoos' nest" are long gone.




I think it also depends on what type of mental illness we are referring to.
It seems to be okay and "socially acceptable" to suffer from depression or anxiety as every second person you meet nowadays either has one of these diagnosis or knows someone that does and in many places it is "trendy" or "cool" to have your own "therapist" or "life coach" but if you dare mention the "S" word (schizophrenia) or "MD" (Manic depression) now called bipolar affective disorder, then people run for the hills.




So why is this? Why are people so scared or weary of anyone diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder?
People automatically think that anyone who suffers from these is, "crazy", "dangerous", "untreatable".
Yes when they are unwell and not on treatment they can be unpredictable but what about all the people that use substances and/or alcohol.
Just go to an emergency department any day of the week and see what ICE does to some users.
Those people take drugs by choice. Someone diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder did not choose that and I can assure you that most would not wish it on their worst enemy.




So what is schizophrenia?
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/schizophrenia




What is bipolar affective disorder?
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/bipolar-disorder


(I have chosen the above links as the Better Health Channel provides easy to understand information.)




Conclusion and suggestions.
Please do not continue to put up with the fear and ignorance that exists in our society.
Challenge people, ask them why they have negative views and encourage them to educate themselves, or if you feel comfortable do so yourself.
Do not be afraid of people who have a mental illness, it is a lonely place to be and most would appreciate just a simple hello and a chat.
Educate yourself online by reading information regarding mental illness, get involved in chat groups, social media groups, share your findings and support others.
If you see a tweet from someone with a mental illness, a simple comment like how brave they are sharing, wishing them all the best or similar can mean so much.
YOU can make a difference starting today!


For more information about helping people with a mental illness or if you suffer from one yourself then please visit my website.
http://www.valkeenalifecoachaustralia.com/

 

The power of Music to heal.

MUSIC

The power of Music to heal.


We all know that music can affect our moods but have you ever wondered how? Some music makes you sad, some calms you, some makes you happy and feel good. Music and its benefits have been extensively researched and some of the results have been ground breaking. Music not only helps with our mental health but also with many physical ailments and life in general. One of the greatest things about it is the effect it can have on managing stress.

A very interesting study by Japanese scientists found that listening to sad music can actually trigger positive emotions. They explained that sadness prompted by art is not the same kind of sadness that results from a tragic event. Indeed, the sadness prompted by art can actually feel quite nice.
"If we suffer from unpleasant emotion evoked through daily life, sad music might be helpful to alleviate negative emotion," the scientists wrote. (The Huffington Post, June 2016)


How does music affect us?
The effect of music in healing is classified as either receptive, when we listen to music or active, when we make our own music.
Listening to music increases the neurotransmitter dopamine. This is the brain’s “motivation molecule” and an integral part of the pleasure-reward system. (12) It’s the same brain chemical responsible for the feel-good states obtained from eating chocolate, orgasm, and runner’s high. Playing music with others or enjoying live music stimulates the brain hormone oxytocin. (13) Oxytocin has been called the “trust molecule” and the “moral molecule” since it helps us bond with and trust others. (14) There’s evidence that the oxytocin bump experienced by music lovers can make them more generous and trustworthy. (15) (Be Brain Fit).

What ailments or situations can music help with?
Music can help with depression, anxiety, headaches, reduce stress prior to surgery and stressful events, calm babies, settle people in aged care facilities, mental health centers, reduce pain, reduce high blood pressure, slow your breathing down, slow your pulse.
Many years ago I was an aerobics instructor and did studies with my clients to evaluate if certain tracks used to cool down brought their pulse rate down quicker.
The interesting outcome with the music that we tried that decreased their heart rates the fastest was music from the television series, Twin Peaks, link below
.
Music can also increase creativity, distract us, calm us.
When I worked in operating theatres many surgeons played music, usually classical as it helped them relax and concentrate and is believed to also help the patient even whilst they are unconscious and also aids in a quicker recovery time.
Music also helps us solve problems, is a great aid to meditation and can help us deal with past hurts.
This list just covers some of the benefits and future research I am sure, will continue to discover more.
At present there are a lot of studies regarding how music can help people with dementia, those that have had strokes, how it can benefit children with autism just to mention a few.


So what music should you listen to when you need to reduce stress?
Below are some suggestions, however of course music preferences are an individual choice.

The Smiths - I Know It's Over
Bowling For Soup - Girl All The Bad Guys Want
REM - Everybody Hurts
The Cure - Pictures Of You
Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up
Blur - This Is A Low
The Beatles - Good Day Sunshine
(BBC News}


The Huffington Post in 2013 asked their Facebook fans and these were some of the most popular songs:


What a Wonderful World, by Nat King Cole
Sailing by Christopher Cross.
John Mayer, any
Twisting the night away by Sam Cooke
Who am I, by Casting Crowns
I will rejoice, by Mylon LeFevre and Broken Heart
Sinatra. Just about anything.
Landslide, by Stevie Nicks
La Vien Rose, (Life Through Rosé-Colored Glasses), Edith Piaf.
Glitter, by Pink,
Wish you were here, by Pink Floyd
Watermark, by Enya, (A personal favorite of mine)


As mentioned above from Twin Peaks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhJo7aljnQg


I would love to hear your feedback regarding music that does or has helped you and how so we can share it with others and try your suggestions for ourselves.

If you would like to know about how I can help you with managing depression, anxiety or other mental health problems and stress please visit my website.
http://www.valkeenalifecoachaustralia.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html




Posted by Reeanne Keena at 03:13

St John's wort, the facts regarding the use of it for depression.

St John's Wort, the facts regarding the use of it for depression.
 

ST JOHN'S WORT Botanical Name: Hypericum perforatum

‘St John’s Wort’ is a perennial herb that is sometimes used by people to treat depression.
St John’s Wort has many other common names throughout the world, including Tipton’s Weed, Rosin Rose, Goat Weed, Chase Devil, or Klamath Weed.
The name ‘St John’s Wort’ may be used to refer to any species of the genus Hypericum.
It has been used for centuries throughout the world to treat depression and studies have also been done to see if it has any benefit on other conditions such as anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and seasonal affective disorder. It has also been used to try to help with insomnia, pre-menstrual tension, symptoms of menopause and even eczema.


There have been many conflicting studies regarding the benefit of ‘St John's Wort’ for depression but the overall consensus in the medical field is that it can benefit mild depression but should never be used with those suffering from mild to severe depression. It should also never be combined with an antidepressant.

The general public also needs to be aware that it can also interact with many other medications.


It has not been shown to be effective for any other illnesses or ailments mentioned above as there is no solid evidence available for any benefit.


MEDICATIONS THAT IT CAN INTERACT WITH:
- antidepressants
- birth control medication
- blood thinners
- digoxin
- medication for HIV - medication for cancer
- dilantin
- cyclosporine
- narcotics
Please note these are only the main drugs it can interact with. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before trying it. It must never be given to children or be used by women that are pregnant or breast feeding.


SIDE EFFECTS OF ‘ST JOHN’S WORT’:
St. John's Wort’ is LIKELY TO BE SAFE when taken by mouth for up to 12 weeks.
Some evidence suggests it can be used safely for over one year.
It can cause some side effects such as trouble sleeping, vivid dreams, restlessness, anxiety, irritability, stomach upset, fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, headache, skin rash, diarrhoea, and tingling.
Take ‘St. John's Wort’ in the morning or lower the dose if it seems to be causing sleep problems.
St. John's Wort is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth in large doses.
When taken by mouth in large doses, it might cause severe reactions to sun exposure. Wear sun block outside, especially if you are light-skinned.



SUMMARY
‘St John's Wort’ may help people with mild depression but you need to seek advice from your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any other medications.
Depression must be taken seriously.
If your level of depression is medium or higher, then please seek medical advice as soon as possible.


If you have any thoughts of harming yourself or others then call your local doctor, counselling service and/or your local emergency number for the ambulance.



If you would like to know how I can help you manage depression or other mental illnesses then please visit my website: http://www.valkeenalifecoachaustralia.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html



REFERENCE:
WEB MD, e.g.  http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-329-ST+JOHN'S+WORT.aspx?activeIngredientId=329&activeIngredientName=ST.+JOHN'S+WORT&source=2&tabno