Mental Health Training

Top 3 Secrets of Ageing Gracefully

Every human on this earth - at least the ones lucky enough to make it - has to face ageing. It can be difficult to do so with grace, but when you age gracefully, you will ultimately be happier. You will enjoy your time more than when you waste it fighting to age. Below are the top three secrets to ageing gracefully.

1.    Reduce Your Stress Levels

People may have told you that stress ages you unnecessarily, and they aren't wrong! Stress can affect everything from your sleeping habits to your digestive system and even your heart! And as you age, these effects multiply. Therefore, it is time to lower the stressors in your life. This will help you avoid damage to your body, and you will also be healthier and happier. You will be more ready to meet ageing with grace.

You can reduce your stress levels by meditating, journaling, and exercising properly every day. It would be best to get 8-9 hours of sleep a night and ensure you are feeding your body nutritious food.

2.    Try Something New

One of the big mistakes people make as they age is they stop trying new things! When you try something you've always wanted to do but never had the chance, this can help you feel rejuvenated and younger.

As you age, moments like this will help you accept the changes happening to your body because they will keep you feeling young on the inside.

So if you’ve ever wanted to skydive, go for it. Want to learn a new form of art? Sign up for that pottery class. There is no time like the present!

3.    Don’t Dwell On The Small Stuff

As you age, there will be many small things that pop up that may annoy you. Can't run as fast as you used to?

That's okay. At least you are staying active. See grey hairs? Well, now you can have that silver look you've always wanted! The point is, life is too short to worry about the small stuff! If you can't focus on anything else, these little thoughts will become obsessive, and you won't age with grace.

Ageing is never easy, but if you follow the above three steps in your life, you may find that ageing with a sense of grace isn't as hard as you thought after all. Just remember to reduce your stress, try new things, and let the small stuff go. 

Depression Explained 

Do you know someone who has depression?

Have you or someone in your family been diagnosed with depression?

Even if we are dealing with depression in ourselves or our families, we may not know what it truly is.

Is it just feeling sad all the time?

Why can't people merely snap out of it? 

Depression is said to be the most widespread mental disorder. It affects women far more than men and is particularly prevalent in teens. 

What Causes Depression?

There are various opinions on what causes depression, and even the role of brain chemicals is disputed. Generally, though, depression can be segregated into two categories: circumstantial and clinical.

Circumstantial depression refers to feelings surrounding an event, such as a death in the family or having to sell one's house and move.

The circumstances that can cause depression are incredibly numerous, from kids having trouble with friends at school to the elderly in a nursing home. Circumstantial depression is also highly individualized.

Clinical depression opposes circumstances, and the sad person may feel more depressed because they can't find a reason for such dreadful feelings. Clinical depression may also baffle those around the patient because they can't understand how a person could be depressed when their life seems to be going fine. This lack of understanding may make the patient's depression worse. 

Treatment approaches differ according to the type of depression the patient is experiencing and the individual's personality and lifestyle. 

Myths covering depression

There are many myths surrounding depression that, when explained, help people better understand the illness. For example:

* Isn't depression just self-pity? - Depressed people may seem to be "wallowing" in their sadness, but it's not wilful self-pity. It's a genuine medical illness; sources point out that it should be treated as such. 

* Medication for depression is overkill and just treats the symptoms - For those on the outside, so to speak, medication can seem like putting a Band-Aid on a massive wound.

But often, medication is what the patient needs to feel good enough to seek help for the underlying dilemma.

* Depression is not a "real" illness - Actually, it is; brain imaging studies have revealed how the actual chemical imbalances occur in the brain of a depressed person.

Even if the cause is circumstantial, it is considered physiological - the chemical imbalance may still be present regardless of the depression's origin. 

Other Factors

Depression can be affected not only by circumstances because genetics, personality, psychology, and biology may also play a role.

Women are far more likely to be diagnosed with depression, indicating possible hormonal factors.

On the other hand, men are more likely to succeed in suicide as a result of depression than women, although more women than men attempt suicide, sources report. 

What is exhibitionism?

Exhibitionism occurs when a man gives way to an urge to expose his genitals to a female stranger or a person with whom he is not in a close relationship. It is an almost solely male disorder and is one of the most familiar forms of sexual deviation.

In a sexual context, exhibitionism is a sexual kink in which the person feels sexual arousal at the idea or reality of being seen naked or engaged in sexual activities by others,” says clinical sexologist Sarah Melancon, in the Cosmopolitan

Merriam-Webster: definition of exhibitionism

1: A perversion in which sexual gratification is obtained from the indecent exposure of one’s genitals (as to a stranger)

2: The act or practice of behaving to attract attention to oneself

What is exhibitionism?

The mental health condition is known as an exhibitionist disorder, which involves deriving, "recurrent and intense sexual arousal" from the exposure of one's genitals to an unsuspecting person.

Anticipation of the exposure usually causes sexual excitement, followed by masturbation, performed during or after the event. Usually, a reac­tion of shock, fright or disgust is needed for the attempt to succeed, and exposure is likely to fail in its objective if the woman shows indifference, amuse­ment or contempt.

About 30% of male sex offenders who are arrested are exhibitionists. They tend to persist in their behaviour. About 20 to 50% are re-arrested.

Female exhibitionism is relatively rare and is allowed outlets in society. It rarely takes a deviant form.

What causes exhibitionism?

Men who practice exhibi­tionism tend not to have a normal sex life and feel the need to assert their masculinity by displaying their manhood, preferably erect, and then eliciting an emotional reaction from the victim. 

Some men turn to exhibitionism due to severe psychological trauma or grief, but this is rare. Persistent exhibitionists nearly always have a personality disorder arising from some form of inadequacy.

It is said that most exhibitionists are married, but their marriage is often troubled. They looked on their wives as mother substitutes and remained abnormally attached to their mothers in child­hood. 

Exhibitionism usually starts during adolescence. The exhibitionist, although sexually infan­tile, may in other respects be a remarkably normal, capable, well-educated and presentable person, often with ostensibly high moral standards.

Such men usually severely lacking in sexual self-confidence and find difficulty achieving sexual satisfaction in the usual acceptable ways.

In some cases, the disor­der arises from brain damage, substance abuse and older men with senile or alcoholic dementia.  Some have severe epilepsy; or abnormal patterns of electrical activity in the brain as measured on an EEG (electroencephalogram), but without seizures.

Some have abnormal hormone levels, and a few are mentally retarded. The great majority, however, do not suffer from any organic disorder. Most exhibitionists adopt a set pattern of exposure, occurring at a particular type of place and often at a specific time of day or night.

Cine­mas and theatre seats are popular, as are parked cars or secluded areas that provide them with cover before the act of exposure. Exhibitionists will frequently choose a particular site, such as one close to a girls’ school.

Exhibitionism is closely related to the other sexual deviations of voyeurism (peeping) and of making obscene phone calls. The same person may practice all three, and all share the features of anticipatory tension and arousal, and all are accompanied by masturbation. In the case of obscene telephone call­ing, masturbation is often completed after the victim has ended the call.

Read the full article at Mental Health Training dot Info

https://mentalhealthtraining.info/mental-health/exhibitionism

All of us feel inferior sometimes, especially when we start comparing ourselves to others.

We may even feel down and melancholy for a few days as a result. However, some individuals feel inferior and inadequate almost all the time. These individuals can be suffering from a severe inferiority complex.

What is an Inferiority Complex?

An inferiority complex is the feeling of inadequacy brought about by various factors, including real and imagined ones. Human emotions can significantly influence a person’s actions and behaviours, often not in their best interest.

Our subconscious thoughts and feelings can often cause our responsive behaviours to circumstances to be disproportionate, either downplaying or overcompensating them.

An individual suffering from an excess of unrealistic inadequacies can develop a dangerous mental and emotional state if left unaddressed.

An inferiority complex negatively impacts the sufferer and those they come in contact with, especially those close to them.

Here are the common signs of an inferiority complex.

1. Continually Finding Fault in Others

It is straightforward for a person with an inferiority complex to find fault in what others do. Instead of focusing on positive results, these individuals can quickly spot, point out, and amplify others’ mistakes.

2. Treating Feedback as Criticism

There is a lack of broad-mindedness, and openness to well-meant, constructive feedback. Any pointed-out differences may be perceived as an attack and responded to with spite.

3. Overly Sensitive About What Others Think

Image matters a lot to those with an inferiority complex. It may not be their fault, but inferior people are susceptible to what others think. They want everything to be perfect, and as this is all but impossible, they are often given to displays of anger.

4. See Compliments Differently

They can struggle with accepting compliments in the spirit they are given. Even if praised, a person suffering from an inferiority complex feels that they are being condescended to, or that the other person is not sincere.

5. Sees Others as Threats

Due to a lack of open-mindedness and trust in others’ intentions, victims of an inferiority complex are easily intimidated by new team members, internal organizational changes, or developments.

6. Displays False Sense of Superiority

This is a common trait for those with an inferiority complex with a lack of experience and knowledge, and their behaviour can be boastful, wilful, and insensitive.

7. Withdraws From Social Events

These suffering show ‘avoidance’ behaviour. They feel more comfortable if they are absent from social gatherings and situations.

8. Always Comparing themselves to Others

There is always someone out there who is better than they are to an inferior person. Self-esteem is very low.

9. Does not Accept failure

They cannot accept failure as a feedback mechanism for self-improvement. They are perfectionists and believe they will be judged for all they do and say. There is always a need to prove themselves.

Here are a few ways to help overcome an inferiority complex.

• Do not compare yourself to other people around you.
• Understand the cause of your depression
• Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
• Let go of your baggage.
• Love yourself.
• Accept failure.

An inferiority complex can be challenging to overcome. The roots of this condition lie deep into the subconscious and have a tremendous effect on behaviour and outlook.

Did you know that successful people deal with adversity? It’s true. If you read the stories or profiles of most successful people, you will be surprised at just how adverse their situations were. They often tell stories for others to learn and used to overcome adversity.

You should read the profiles of successful people. They contain gems of information and can act as a resource for everyone else. The story is one aspect of reading about them. However, how they dealt with the situations is often a source of inspiration. When you become inspired, you increase your chances of dealing with your problems.

Inspiration doesn’t last forever, unfortunately. You need to reinforce the message. If you can, try to set aside time to read one story of a successful person every month. It will help you with your inspiration, and it will feed ideas on how to use their stories to make your life easier or better.

The stories of some people are dated. However, their techniques may be timeless. A perfect example of this is Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. The stories themselves describe people and occupations of days long gone. But, his techniques are as valid today as they were back then.

You can read all about the stories of successful people and get inspired. But, if you don’t take action, it will be of little help to you. At that point, you become nothing more than a dreamer. Having dreams is good, but you need to make sure you take action on those dreams.

Reading the stories of successful people shows that they are just like the rest of us. There isn’t anything superhuman about them that led them to their successes. You will find a common theme among those facing adversity. They had persistent and kept a positive attitude. Those two attributes will take you far when facing any situation.

You can choose to read stories online or find material in your local library. You can also choose to find stories on the internet. Be careful of the resources you find online. Anyone can publish whatever they like and sound convincing on their authority. Make sure you check the resources and keep a critical eye out for people who don’t present qualified information.

When you get in the habit of reading material about successful people, you will shift to a successful mindset yourself. You will have a memory bank of stories to draw inspiration.

Did you know that successful people deal with adversity?

It’s true.

If you read the stories or profiles of most successful people, you will be surprised at just how adverse their situations were. They often tell stories for others to learn and used to overcome adversity.

You should read the profiles of successful people. They contain gems of information and can act as a resource for everyone else. The story is one aspect of reading about them. However, how they dealt with the situations is often a source of inspiration.

When you become inspired, you increase your chances of dealing with your problems.

Inspiration doesn’t last forever, unfortunately. You need to reinforce the message. If you can, try to set aside time to read one story of a successful person every month. It will help you with your inspiration, and it will feed ideas on how to use their stories to make your life easier or better.

The stories of some people are dated. However, their techniques may be timeless. A perfect example of this is Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.

The stories themselves describe people and occupations of days long gone. But, his techniques are as valid today as they were back then.

You can read all about the stories of successful people and get inspired. But, if you don’t take action, it will be of little help to you.

At that point, you become nothing more than a dreamer. Having dreams is good, but you need to make sure you take action on those dreams.

Reading the stories of successful people shows that they are just like the rest of us. There isn’t anything superhuman about them that led them to their successes.

You will find a common theme among those facing adversity.

They had persistent and kept a positive attitude. Those two attributes will take you far when facing any situation.

You can choose to read stories online or find material in your local library. You can also choose to find stories on the internet. Be careful of the resources you find online.

Anyone can publish whatever they like and sound convincing on their authority. Make sure you check the resources and keep a critical eye out for people who don’t present qualified information.

When you get in the habit of reading material about successful people, you will shift to a successful mindset yourself. You will have a memory bank of stories to draw inspiration.

Life isn’t always the way we want it to be. All we have to do is to glance at the headlines to see that we live in very uncertain times.

The job we thought was safe might not be there tomorrow. There’s always some natural disaster somewhere. And people seem to be more cruel than kind.

It’s easy to get caught up in a negative spiral of self-doubt and anxiety. How do you stay hopeful and positive when around you all you see are negative messages and fear?

Be here now

By focusing on the present, you will find it easier to take a step back and act as an observer. By practising mindfulness, you’ll see you can enjoy the simple things in life, no matter how bad things may seem.

All worries and fears of the unknown can melt away if you focus on the present. Look for things in your life for which you're grateful.

Look for ways to exhibit compassion and empathy

Spreading hope needs to start somewhere. Begin with the one person you can control, yourself. By looking for opportunities to pay it forward through random acts of kindness, you then become the impetus for others to do the same.

Your compassionate heart and ability to walk in another’s shoes will be the guide to those around you. And even if it’s not? You’ll have at least changed one heart - your own.

Do something

The person without hope becomes stagnant, preferring to hide from the world. If you find that’s the case with yourself, then it’s time to force yourself into action, even if you don’t feel like it. Get out of the house.

Call a friend and suggest an outing, or go by yourself. Find a green space somewhere because these places have been found to create calm and contentment in those who spend even a few minutes there.

The goal is to find a positive action and embrace it, whatever that might be. Pick up litter, hug a child, do something that makes you feel good inside, and there you will find hope blossoming.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the negativity of the world around you. Only by actively seeking hope will you find it. By practising these three steps regularly, you’ll find yourself able to look forward to each day, no matter what’s going on around you.

One in four adults will struggle with a mental health issue during their lifetime.

At work, those suffering — from clinical conditions or more minor ones — often hide it for fear that they may face discrimination from rivals or even bosses.

Managers are likely to see employees struggle with anxiety, depression, burnout, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Those mental health experiences will differ according to race, economic opportunity, work type/physical environment and many other variables. These stigmas can be and should be defeated. 

When managers understand mental health issues and respond to them, it can make all the difference for an employee professionally and personally.

This involves taking notice, offering a helping hand, and saying, “I’m here, I have your back, you are not alone.”

When your people are struggling, you want them to open up and ask for help. For some people who are struggling with mental health, not talking about it is one of the worst parts.

So by getting people talking about mental health, we can start to break down stereotypes. We can then improve relationships, increase access to support and remove mental health stigma.

The following five strategies can help any manager or organization create a culture that ceases to stigmatize mental illness.

Here are five ways managers can help drive a more empathetic culture:

1. Pay attention to language.
2. Rethink “sick days.
3. Encourage open and honest conversations.
4. Be proactive.

Learn more, visit the Website article

If you don’t get to know the people you are trying to motivate, you won’t motivate them. It is that simple. You can’t apply motivational techniques as if they are a recipe for cooking stew. Besides, even when you cook stew, you often deviate from the recipe.

You need to get at the heart of whom each person is when motivating them. People are different, and you need to consider those differences. Some people are driven using high energy techniques, whereas others like a laid-back and subtle approach.

To learn about others, you need to learn more about what they are like on a personal level. If you have been avoiding participation in after-work activities, you may want to start.

This doesn’t mean you need to do it every time. Your employees need to have time away from the boss on occasion. However, you do want to get to know your workers in a more relaxed and social environment.

It’s not likely that your workers will open up completely when you are attending a social event with them. They will still have their guards up.

You are the boss, after all, and this makes trying to learn about them more challenging. However, as you continue to interact with them outside the work setting, they will naturally open up more.

If you negatively use information about your employees, it is going to backfire on you. If your workers confide in you, and then you turn it against them, you can forget about getting them to open up to you. News will quickly spread that you are not to be trusted.

Therefore, you need to be careful what you do with this information. Sometimes, you will have no choice but to use the information against them. However, don’t take that decision lightly.

Motivating others is about formulating a plan that aligns their needs with yours. When you learn what others are about, you can customize each plan accordingly. Discussing these plans with your co-workers is okay. In fact, it’s great to get their feedback as part of the process. It affects them, so they should know.

You can change plans when you find out about new information or circumstances.

Be willing to make those changes, especially if they are in the best interests of your workers. Listen to what they say and offer to adjust the plans if it makes sense to do so.

They will appreciate you, and you'll find motivating them will take care of itself.

If you have had a difficult time trusting yourself, it may be a sign that you lack confidence. You cannot develop any trust without confidence. Feel secure in your abilities and be strong in your convictions. But, know when you are wrong as well.

The above requires you to develop confidence. That may seem scary to you. However, it’s not as difficult as you think. No one is born with confidence. It is something people learn and develop during their lives. It’s the same for you. Take steps to develop your confidence, and trusting yourself will become easy.

Fear is the biggest detractor from confidence. When you give in to your fears, you will diminish the chances of building up your confidence. That is something that deepens if you don’t handle it quickly. You need to face your fears head-on.

That doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind and be reckless. You should take chances, but only if they won’t put your life or others’ lives in danger. You would not jump out of a plane without a parachute. Don’t make frivolous decisions, either. Confidence is about knowing the difference.

Start out with small tasks that you have been afraid to try in the past. Most outcomes will turn out better than you imagine. If you try to project what will happen, and it is always a negative outcome, you will never make any decisions. Take on those small tasks without thinking too much about what’s going to happen. That will build up your confidence as you’ve never seen before.

You should ask questions when you aren’t sure about the situations you face. Confidence is not about having all the answers. It’s about knowing where to find them and who to rely on with the knowledge that you need. It’s also about pulling the trigger when you have gathered enough information.

Confidence is about taking responsibility for your decisions and your actions. If you believe in what you are doing, you can portray that belief to others affected by your decisions. You will come across as being weak if you start blaming others when your situation doesn’t go as planned. Once this happens, others will lose faith in you. That will cause your confidence to erode, and self-doubt will take over. When you make your decisions, you own them, even if they don’t work out.

When you increase your confidence, you will automatically increase trusting yourself. Then, you can accomplish more than you ever imagined.