Mental Health Training

Sometimes, life can feel a little bit like you're just trying to survive. If you come home from work every day feeling tired and listless only to lie on the couch and if you are constantly stressed and aggravated while you're at work… then what is it that you're living for?

The problem is rest. Many of us work so that we can rest.

But then when we do get a chance to rest, we don't feel very rewarded because ultimately rest normally just means staring at the TV.

That's hardly rewarding!

So what do you do instead? How do you make yourself 'come alive again'? Simple: you re-engage with your passions.

We All Had Dreams

All of us have dreams and passions. At some point, these dreams and ambitions are what put you on the path you're on now.

Perhaps your aim was to work that job just long enough to earn the money you need to fund your dream.

Or perhaps you're working because you found a partner you loved and you were willing to postpone your ambitions for them.

Neither of these attitudes are wrong but if you have lost sight of why you started putting in the time and work in the first place, then something has gone wrong. If you've lost a reason to work, then you will just be listless and cruising through life.

So what do you do?

You reignite those passions and you chase after them again!

Ask yourself:

why is it that you do what you do? Where do you see yourself in the future? What are your beliefs and your values? What were the things that gave you direction when you were a young teenager? And how can you get yourself back on track?

The problem is that many of us feel that our passions are 'silly' or maybe they're 'childish' or they're irresponsible.

Thus we end up just burying them for more respectable aims like 'being area manager'.

But who said that being area manager of a staple company was more respectable than being an activist or an artist?

The point is that you don't have to give up your job or your responsibilities. You just have to keep the burning passion alive so that you're pursuing it when you can.

When you do this and you remember the 'why', then life will have meaning and direction again.

   Myth #1: Depression is a normal part of ageing

·        Although depression is not a normal situation for the elderly, it is quite common.  It affects roughly 20% of the elderly population, a rate twice as high as the general population (10%). 

·        There are many elderly not affected by depression. Those who tend to be unaffected have some of the following characteristics:

•   Social supports in place

•   They are involved in activities and hobbies, primarily when retirement occurs

•   No previous history, and no family history of depression

•   They continue to feel they serve a purpose in life

•   They have less severe medical conditions

     Myth #2: The elderly cannot benefit from treatment of depression

·        When identified, treatment can be very useful in the elderly. The key is identification.

·        Just like in younger people, treatment often involves antidepressants. These medications can take a bit longer to take effect in the elderly, but they do work. As well, cognitive-behavioural approaches and counselling can help.   Increasing social supports and getting daily exercise are also important aspects of getting better. 

     Myth #3: There is no risk of suicide in the depressed elderly

·        Unfortunately, suicide is one of the most deadly complications of depression in all age groups. However, it is particularly of concern in the elderly. 

·        Statistics illustrate that in 2004, in the United States, 11 out of 100,000 depressed people in the general population committed suicide. However, that number rose to 14.3 out of 100,000 for people over the age of 65. This number grew to 49.8 out of 100,000 for white men over the age of 85 years old!

·        Elderly men are most at risk of suicide. Men always tend to use more lethal methods, resulting in a completed suicide. 

Myth #4: Depression means dementia is just around the corner

·        Studies have shown that there is a link between depression and dementia, with more people with depression going on to develop dementia. However, it does not mean that everyone has this fate! In other words, just because someone has depression, does not mean that he will necessarily go on to develop dementia too. However, to complicate matters, depression and dementia can co-exist in the elderly.

·        At this point in time, there is no clear evidence that suggests that depression causes dementia. It has, however, been noted that increased bouts of depression increase the likelihood of developing dementia. 

·        Although the symptoms of depression and dementia may look alike on the surface (memory problems, decreased motivation, etc.), they still require discernment in order that the best treatment can take place. Always see a physician who can rule out what is happening. 

In summary, four myths about depression in the elderly have been outlined above. Depression is very prominent in the elderly. No matter what the age, it is always essential for depression to be identified so that proper treatment can take place and then real living can resume. 

So many thoughts run through our minds every day. We don't notice many of them, but we often engage in mental dialogues with our inner voice.

We talk to ourselves mentally. Our self-talk can be positive or negative, and which one you let dominate your mind can affect you in many ways. 

Positive self-talk is, of course, the best form to develop. It's not dismissing the negative facts, but it helps us to focus on the good that could happen instead.

Negative self-talk, meanwhile, is when you focus on the bad side of what's happening or when you fear for the worst to come. You tend to interpret and anticipate things negatively.

Negative self-talk can have detrimental effects on you, while positive self-talk can bring beneficial changes in your life. Here's an illustration of the differences between positive and negative self-talk:

Confidence

Do you tell yourself that you're hopeless? Not good enough?

A failure? Clumsy?

That's negative self-talk. Every time you make a mistake, you dwell on it too much, and you lose your will to try again. It undermines your confidence. 

Why does humility get such a bad rap?

Too often, we put down the idea of someone humble, simply because we think of them as weak.

After all, if you had any real accomplishments, or were worth knowing, you'd tell us...right?

What's so amazing about humble people is just how much more confident and even competent they are. It takes a strong person to back off and let their actions speak louder than their words. Only someone with a great deal of confidence can keep quiet about their achievements. It's the weak who have to puff themselves up to appear strong.

With these thoughts in mind, being humble sounds pretty impressive. Now add this thought: it's actually good for your mental health to be humble. Here's how:

There's Less Anxiety About the End

Not everyone likes to be aware of their own mortality. Humble people find death to be not quite so scary.

Frequently they are quite good at keeping this in perspective, making them much calmer when the time comes to 'shuffle off this mortal coil.'

They Have Better Willpower

Why is it when you're obsessed with yourself you can't quite get enough of anything? Somehow the ability to put others first also means you're better able to put their needs first over yours.

This has the odd effect of making humble people better at exercising self-control, a trait proven by multiple studies.

You Perform Better Cognitively

Here's another area where various studies have proven a lot of benefits to being humble.

Both in academic and work performance, humble people do better across the board than people who aren't humble. While no one seems quite sure why this is, the data doesn't lie. Humble people just think better.

Humble People are More Tolerant

When you're not so concerned with yourself, you start to let go of the idea that anyone owes you anything. In fact, it becomes quite clear you're not above anyone else.

This means humble people tend to be more at peace in their own minds and experience less prejudice across the board.

They Experience More Love

Kind of going hand in hand with the last item, those who are tolerant and more at peace with others, display more love toward their partners, leading to better, more loving relationships.

It might even be argued humble people are simply better at love as they seem to experience more solid relationships, which last longer.

Depression isn’t a rare disorder. The World Health Organization has found that approximately 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression.

Depression affects all areas of the brain, from making decisions and planning future actions to organizing thoughts and memory. 

Scientists have been looking at the connection between depression and memory in hopes of improving treatments and understanding the deep connections between our mind, mood, and memory.  

There could be many contributing factors to why memory is affected by depression including the overtaking negative thoughts, lack of concentration, serotonin levels, and mood. 

Overtaking Negative Thoughts: 

Negative thoughts are very common for those suffering from depression.

These thoughts are hard to get rid of, as they are intrusive and overwhelming.

The Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas recently conducted a study that showed that depressive thoughts are maintained for longer periods of time in people suffering from a depressed mood. 

These thoughts can persist to the point that they restrict a person’s ability to maintain a train of thought. 

Are you emotionally healthy?

Emotional health problems can ruin your life quality, affect your physical and mental health and cause stress which is responsible for 75 to 90 percent of all doctor visits.

Learn how to improve your emotional health to boost wellness in all areas of your life and self.

You see the word mindfulness used so often nowadays, but do you know what it means?

It might be helpful to think about what it doesn’t mean for a moment. Mindfulness is not:

·       Sitting on a meditation cushion for hours

·       Being perfect

·       Having all the answers

But it is easy. You are living a mindful life shouldn’t feel burdensome or like yet another task to add to your list.

Put most simply, and we can say that mindfulness is paying attention to what’s happening in the present, to what you’re doing, to your environment. It’s the opposite of multitasking.

You don’t have to schedule mindfulness or study it in a group. You can practice mindfulness right now.

Mindfulness is a process that keeps you focused on. It sounds easy, but it’s human for our monkey minds to get distracted. Instead of focusing on the present, the monkey mind leaps about, brooding over events from the past or worrying about the future. 

A mindful approach treats the primate mind kindly, and gently brings the attention back into the present.

Mindfulness is not a fashionable social media slogan.

Studies have shown that incorporating mindfulness into your life has tangible benefits:

·       Decreased stress and improved capacity to cope with adversity

·       Lowered anxiety and depression

·       Increased clarity, attention, and brain function

·       Increased immune system functioning

·       Lowered blood pressure and heart rate

·       Improved general well-being

Mindfulness can also improve relationships as you become less reactive to situations and more resilient.

You can start to incorporate mindfulness into your life right now. It needs no equipment, studying, or unique ability. You don’t need to change or get fit.

You already have everything you need to be present. You only need gentle encouragement to keep bringing your attention back to what is happening right now.

To begin with setting aside a little time to explore what mindfulness means for you.

1.    Find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. Leave your smartphone and computer in another room.

2.    Sit comfortably and start to observe the current moment.

3.    Let thoughts, anxieties, and judgments pass by, like a cloud floating by you.

4.    Where is your mind now?

5.    Return your attention to the present.

6.    Be kind to yourself and don’t worry if your mind wanders. Gently bring it back.

Use this gentle practice to build space into your life, to slow down your reactions, to break down conditioned responses.

Mindfulness allows you to be more thoughtful in dealing with what is right in front of you, right now. 

The idea of self-reliance is a broad one and one that covers many different concepts.

Everyone has a slightly different idea of what constitutes self-reliance and there are many different types of self-reliance that apply more in different situations.

You can be self-reliant in that you don't need the accolades of other people, you can be self-reliant in that you are able to do things on your own without becoming lonely or bored and you can be self-reliant in as much as you're able to solve problems without help.

Self-reliance is none of these things and all of these things and as such, none of us are probably truly self-reliant though most of us strive to be more so in various areas of life.

Read on and we'll look at some of the different ways in which you can be self-reliant and some of the forms it takes.

Independence

Independence means being able to do things on your own, without needing the encouragement or the company of others. This means that you do things because you want to do them, without necessarily needing an escort or even someone to share that time with.

This is a valuable trait because it means your options aren't limited by what other people are willing to do with you.

Many people struggle with independence and feel the need to be constantly with friends or to spend all their time with a partner. If you do this too much you can eventually end up losing your own identity.

Sometimes the cause of your anger can be staring you right in the face. As much as you hate to admit it you are not happy with your current state of affairs and it is time to make changes. 

Living with huge amounts of anger is not healthy and can lead to a variety of mental and physical issues.

This can include stress, heart attacks, anxiety and depression. Which of course, can affect all members of your family too. 

Are you and your spouse having issues? This is often a root cause of anger in couples.

If you find that you tend to fight or argue at night when discussing almost any issue, then try moving your discussion times to the morning. 

If problems are just not getting resolved then it may be time to face the fact that your relationship just isn’t working anymore.

Maybe you need a change of environment or it could be time to put an end to the relationship. Living in a bad relationship is not healthy for any of the parties involved. 

Your anger may stem from having a huge mortgage. It may be better to think about moving and downsizing to a smaller home. Or moving to a different location where housing prices are cheaper. 

You may hate the fact that some of the things your children are doing are making you boil! For example their messy rooms may drive you mad every time you walk by them. Instead of letting it get to you try closing the door so you don’t see the mess.

You don’t really want to explode on your kids do you? 

Other lifestyle issues that can increase your anger level is that of job related stress. You work all day and then know you have to come home to a busy house at night.

The minute you walk through the front door your kids bombard you with requests and then there is a dinner waiting to be cooked. 

Try this solution, tell your kids that the first 10 minutes when you come home is yours. You are not to be bothered unless it is for a total emergency.

This 10 minutes allows you to get your thoughts in order, make a tea and just regroup after the stresses of work. 

Take a look at your lifestyle and see if you can identify what is triggering your anger. Then look for ways to simplify it, can you get help with making dinner or is it time to sell your home and move to a new location?