Speaking with Your Children About Mental Health

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Although conversations surrounding mental health may be tough and uncomfortable, we also know how important they are. Opening the conversation surrounding mental health can help a child feel supported, heard, and comfortable if they have questions, concerns, or just genuine curiosity. Even if mental illness has not affected your child or family personally, having the discussion about the importance of mental health and what to do if things become overwhelming can be a contributing factor in raising a mentally healthy and empathetic child. 

The best way to start these types of conversations is to start simply. This may look like introducing books, movies, or shows that discuss mental health, how to take care of oneself, or how to be a good friend. Some helpful resources in assisting in talking with your child about mental health can include: the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Child Welfare Information Gateway websites, the books “I’m Sick” by Taylor Nicole, “Wishing Wellness” by Lisa Anne Clarke, or “Mama’s Waves” or “Daddy’s Waves” by Chandra Ghose Ippen. Websites and books are a great way to introduce mental awareness to children in a safe and monitored environment. 

Furthermore, remembering that one conversation does not usually cover the topic of mental health to its fullest extent. Making sure to maintain an open and continuing conversation with your children is key in fostering a supportive and healthy environment surrounding mental health. 

Resources:

https://psychcentral.com/health/parent-central-how-to-talk-with-your-kid-about-mental-illness#takeaway

Best Ways to Deal with Anxiety

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Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions. Despite anxiety being our body’s natural response to stress, it can also cause individuals to feel consumed by fear, worry, and uncertainty if they are not addressed and supported through helpful methods. 

One of the most helpful methods of managing anxiety is recognizing your triggers. A few common triggers for anxiety may include: large crowds, talking in front of others, meeting new people, starting a new job, taking a test, etc. 

Here are 5 ways to help deal with anxiety:

  1. Question your thought patterns. Negative thoughts are common in anxiety, however, challenging these thoughts and replacing them with more positive and supportive thinking may help take the edge off anxious feelings. 
  2. Practice deep breathing. One of the most common breathing patterns is called ‘square breathing.’ This is where you breathe in for 4 counts and out for 4 counts for a total of 3-5 minutes. This helps slow your heart rate and trigger your brain to calm down. 
  3. Getting active. Using our bodies to distract our minds is a very helpful tool. Exercise releases chemicals in our brain that help us release stress and feel calmer. 
  4. Write down your thoughts. Sometimes writing down what is causing anxiety can make the thoughts less daunting and severe. This may also assist in you finding patterns to anxious thoughts to be better able to combat them in the future. 
  5. Seek out support through therapy. CBT therapy is a great way to help combat different ways of thinking regarding anxiety- causing situations. A therapist can help you develop ways to change negative thought patterns and behaviors. 

Resource:

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-cope-with-anxiety#anxiety-red-flags

How Establishing a Healthy Relationship with Yourself Improves Mental Health

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I believe it is safe to say that we have all seen or read articles about the benefits of building healthy relationships with others, however, what are the benefits of building a healthy relationship with ourselves? A relationship with oneself is arguably the most important relationship one can have, so how can we foster this and how can it improve our mental health?

Having a good relationship with yourself not only improves your own insight, understanding, and acceptance of yourself, but it can also improve your relationships with others. Of course, this is easier said than done, and many may wonder what a healthy relationship with oneself may look like. According to Julie Hanks (LCSW), “a healthy self-relationship is the ability to value yourself as a person and embrace your strengths and weaknesses.”

Here are six ways in which you can build a healthier relationship with yourself:

  1. Care for your needs. This may look as simple as caring for your basic physical needs (eating healthily, sleeping well, exercising, etc). 
  2. Recognize that joy is important. Prioritizing things that you enjoy and allowing yourself to indulge in them. 
  3. Focus on your inner world. This may include being aware of your own processes and how you “tick.” Examples are considering the WHY behind your behaviors, thoughts, feelings, and actions. 
  4. Make time for yourself. This may be difficult for some, but even taking 10 minutes every day to yourself can do so much!
  5. Meditate. Meditation can allow ourselves to feel peace and get through stressors. 
  6. Be the best friend you’ve always wanted. In times where we may think badly of ourselves, think about what you might say to your best friend or family member. 

Resource:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/6-ways-you-can-have-a-healthy-relationship-with-yourself#6

Family Involvement in Substance Use Treatment

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If you have a loved one that has struggled with drug or alcohol addiction, you know that the entire family is deeply affected. Families often live in fear of death or serious injury. There are legal issues and financial strains. There are mental health implications. There is relational conflict and family structure changes. Because of the toll addiction takes on each family member, it is important that the whole family seek treatment. A good recovery program will offer counseling to the whole family and the process should include the family, whenever possible. The family can be involved at every stage of recovery. Here are some ways that family members can get involved:

  • Intervention or initiating treatment
  • Treatment planning
  • Family therapy
  • Individual therapy
  • Educational groups/workshops
  • Support groups such as Al-anon, Alateen, Narc-anon 
  • Monitor symptoms to assist in relapse prevention planning and recovery maintenance
  • Give reminders and help with the organizational side of treatment
  • Provide alternatives to old substance using patterns, events and triggers
  • Involvement in recovery community and advocacy for those impacted by addiction

Seeking treatment together, shows the person with the substance use disorder that they have support and love from their family. Support systems are an integral part of a successful recovery journey, and individuals with family commitment have higher rates of long-term recovery. Here are some important reminders for families during the recovery journey:

  • Don’t lecture or get angry, be encouraging and optimistic
  • Be a safe person to talk to
  • If the loved one is in your home, don’t have drugs or alcohol there
  • Get educated about addiction and understand the recovery process
  • Be involved in treatment and the aftercare process 
  • Provide accountability and reinforcement 

The Benefits of Family Involvement in Recovery – JourneyPure At The River (journeypureriver.com)

How to involve the family in the treatment and recovery process (serenitylane.org)

Positives of Incorporating Fitness into Mental Health Practices

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As many of us have probably heard before, physical activity can greatly improve and be a positive support for mental health. This is not just a cliché saying. Research has revealed that physical activity can reduce, and maybe even ward off, depression, anxiety, and other psychological ailments. 

Exercise has been shown to have profound effects on brain structure, especially in regions most affected by depression (smithsonianmag.com). Other benefits may also include better focus, a sense of accomplishment, social stimulation, and more. Furthermore, a study done by Hovland in 2016 showcased that exercise was on par with antidepressant drugs in terms of effectiveness against depression. 

Also, exercise promotes a healthier body through cardiovascular health, which in turn, enhances mental health and clarity. Many studies show the correlation between physical health and mental health, so the saying, “healthy body, healthy mind” may actually have truth behind it!

Resources:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-exercise-boosts-the-brain-and-improves-mental-health-180979511/

Decreasing Stigma of Suicide

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What is the stigma behind suicide? Here are a few marked differences in stigmas:

-Stigma: “A Mark that denotes a shameful quality in the individual so marked, or a quality that is considered to be shameful in a certain individual”

-Social Stigma: “Prejudicial attitudes and discriminating behavior directed towards individuals with mental health problems as a result of the psychiatric label they have been given”

-Self Stigma: “Internalizing by the mental health sufferer of their perceptions of discrimination”

(seattleu.edu)

Examples of suicide stigmas – remember that each of these are harmful:

-Asking someone about suicide may plant the idea in their minds (false)

-Suicidal people are fully intent on dying (false)

-Everyone who dies by suicide is depressed (false)

(seattleu.edu)

Stigma can come from many areas of life including family, media, teachers, peers, and more. The reasoning behind why stigma can be so damaging is that it does not promote healthy recovery, it can negatively affect treatment outcomes, and it can negatively affect the perception of self and others. Stigma can be rooted internally and externally, and if not broken or addressed, may cause harm.

How to combat suicide stigma:

-Accept differences in others

-Don’t rely on stereotypes

-Offer a safe space to talk  

Resources:

https://www.seattleu.edu/wellness/mental/stigma/

Importance of cultural competence in MH treatment

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Receiving culturally competent mental health care is not only important, but often critical for many individuals (especially POC communities). However, what is cultural competency?

Cultural competency means that, as a provider, one is able to interact effectively with people of different cultures, by incorporating their unique beliefs, behaviors, and needs into their diagnosis and treatment plans (fountainhouse.org). Cultural competency goes beyond understanding other’s culture, race, and ethnicity. It goes as far as acknowledging one’s own bias and how this may affect other’s mental health through issues of stigma, generalization, discrimination, and more. 

In order for the therapeutic relationship to thrive, a person must feel comfortable and understood by their mental health professional. This includes feelings of acceptance, advocacy, and genuine care and interest. When this is given in the therapeutic relationship, it can significantly improve treatment outcomes and client care. 

Mental health must, and should, be tailored to the individual with their identity, culture, and experiences taken into account. 

Resources:

https://www.fountainhouse.org/news/why-is-cultural-competence-important-in-mental-health-care

https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions

Creating a Healthy Routine and How to Stick to it

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Work, paying bills, cleaning, cooking, shopping, exercising, getting enough sleep, and taking care of children are just some of the things millions of Americans do each day and it is easy to be overwhelmed. It can feel impossible to get everything done, let alone take care of yourself – especially if you’re already struggling with a mental health concern like depression or anxiety. By creating routines, we organize our days in such a way that taking care of tasks and ourselves becomes a pattern that makes it easier to get things done without having to think hard about them.

Tips for Success

Create the routine that is right for you. 

We don’t all have the same schedules or responsibilities and some of us struggle with certain parts of daily life more than others. All healthy routines should include eating a nutrition-rich diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep, but no two routines will be exactly the same. In fact, your routine may not even be exactly the same every day.

Start small.

Changing up your day-to-day routine all at once probably won’t end up with lasting results. Pick one small thing each week to work on. It could be adding something new and positive, or cutting out a bad habit. Small changes add up.

Add to your existing habits.

You probably already have some habits worked into your routine, like drinking a cup of coffee in the morning. Try adding new habits to existing ones. For instance, if you want to read more, you could set aside ten minutes to read while you have your coffee (instead of drinking it on your drive to work).

Plan ahead.

When life gets hectic, you may be tempted to skip out on the new parts of your daily routine. By doing things like prepping meals ahead of time, picking out an out the night before work, or having an alternate home workout option for the days you can’t make it to the gym, you help set yourself up for success even when you’re hurried. Make time for things you enjoy. Even if it’

Make time for things you enjoy.

Even if it’s just 15 minutes a day, set aside time to do something you nd fun or relaxing—it will release chemical messengers in your body that are good for your physical and mental health.

Reward yourself for small victories. 

Set goals and celebrate when you reach them. Have you added exercise to your weekly routine and worked out every day as planned for the last couple weeks? Treat yourself! Watch a movie you’ve been wanting to see or try out that new video game.

Don’t beat yourself up. 

Making life changes can be hard and you might forget to do something that is new to your routine every once in a while. You don’t have to be perfect, just try to do better the next day

Resources:

https://www.northshore.org/healthy-you/how-to-start-a-new-routine-and-stick-to-it/

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/psychological-benefits-of-routine

Importance of Friendship for Mental Health

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Friendships can have a major impact on your health and well-being, but it’s not always easy to build or maintain them. Read below to understand the importance of friendships in your life and what you can do to develop and nurture new ones.

Benefits of Friendships:

-Increase your sense of belonging and purpose

-Boost your happiness and reduce your stress

-Improve your self-confidence and self-worth

-Help you cope with traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss, or deaths

-Encourage you to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise

-Help put your problems in context to develop a stronger sense of meaning and direction

-Increase feelings of security and help protect against stress

-Ease the emotional impact of difficulties and offer new ideas about tackling them

Friends also play a significant role in promoting your overall health. Adults with strong social support are lower risk of many medical conditions. These include depression, high blood pressure, and obesity. However, keep in mind that although friendship can be a powerful way to support you through all the ups and downs of your life, it’s not a substitute for mental health treatment. If you have emotional experiences that affect your ability to function, consider talking to a licensed mental health professional.

Resources:

https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/social-support.aspx

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/psychological-benefits-of-friendship

Categories of Self-Care

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Self-care is a wonderful way to promote mental wellness and a healthier relationship with oneself. Self-care can mean many different things, and may look different for everyone. There are eight different categories of self-care: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, personal, environmental, financial, and work/school/caregiving. (Willowstone.org, 2022)

Examples of each category of self-care include:

Physical

-sleep or rest

-stretching, walking, or exercise that feels good

-keeping medical appointments

-eating healthy

-getting fresh air

Emotional

-journaling or talking it out

-stress management 

-making art

-listening to music 

-self-compassion

-counseling

Social

-time with others

-healthy boundaries 

-balancing alone and social time

-positive social media

-asking for help

Spiritual

-connections

-prayer or meditation

-reflection

-nature

Personal

-listening to yourself

-hobbies

-treating yourself

-trying something new

-getting to know yourself

Environmental

-safety

-stability and security

-cleaning and organizing

-comfy space

Financial

-money management/budgeting

-savings

-seeking help if needed

-“fun” money

-paying bills

Work/School/Caregiving

-time management

-feeling productive and valued

-learning and developing skills

-break time

References

https://www.willowstone.org/news/8-types-of-self-care