Mental health drive to help gay people

Published Date: 31 August 2009

A NEW mental health programme for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people will aim to help tackle high levels of depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide and attempted suicide.

The LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing in Edinburgh's Howe Street says prejudice and discrimination contribute to a rate of mental ill-health among the LGBT community three or four times that of the mainstream population.

Its autumn Mind Matters programme will include sessions on issues such as self-harm, support for carers, domestic abuse, safe alcohol use and parenting.

All the events are free of charge. For further information, contact the centre on 0131 523 1100, visit www.lgbthealth.org.uk or e-mail admin@lgbthealth.ord.uk

The full article contains 124 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.

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• Last Updated: 31 August 2009 9:42 AM
• Source: Edinburgh Evening News
• Location: Edinburgh

Negative Self Talk - What Is It

Ponder the following quote:

“If you had a friend who talked to you like you sometimes talk to yourself, would you continue to hang around with that person?”

~Rob Bremer




Entwined with SH, depression and other mental health issues is negative self talk.

This self-critical voice works by...
Emphasizing past failures.
Ignoring anything good that happens.
Setting impossible standards of perfection.
Assuming others' thoughts about you are negative.
Calling you names.

Negative self-talk is usually a mixture of half-truths, poor logic, and distortions of reality, or an unbalanced focus on a problem, that perpetuates negative emotions, such as pessimism, guilt, fear, anxiety as well as self-sabotaging behaviors. It often occurs when in times of emotional turmoil, or when we are going through stress or a personal transition. For some of us, it has become our daily inner dialogue.

There are many ways to free ourselves from negative self-talk. For some, the best step may be to work with a good therapist or counselor. Others may just need to pay attention to the negative self-talk and use some of the suggestions provided here. Support groups (in person or online) may also be beneficial.

So how do we stop negative self-talk?
Step 1. Become aware of it.
Step 2. Find out where the negative self-talk originated.
Step 3. Acknowledge the pay-offs.
Step 4. Take conscious steps to stop the negative self-talk.

Its these four steps I want to go deeper into in later posts. How do we turn it around? In fact, an astonishing 45,000 – 51,000 thoughts go through our heads on an average day. Many of these thoughts are harmless, such as “I must remember to pick up my clothes at the cleaners” . When you keep repeating the negative messages to yourself, you create a limiting belief that goes on to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So just for this week lets start being aware of what we are saying ...

Depression 101

One of the hardest things in dealing with depression, for me, is guilt. With people who don't understand, family, Dr's. friends. Even friends who 'understand' lose patience.

To make an appointment and keep it, to go to the supermarket, to others is a simple task and when I cant do these things my mind goes into overdrive. I question why I cant do such simple tasks, why I have let people down again.

I avoid phones, the door as it will just be someone wanting more than I can't deliver, conversation, coffee. What others take for normal is so out of my depth with the my mind is fogged.

My sister rang last night (accidentally picked it up), no big deal, good Friday. 'Did i want to go to church then have dinner at hers' No, can't, busy, work, evasions etc....

Next question... 'are you drinking again' (instant frown tone in her voice)

Here leads to self medication.. fancy term for getting drunk or stoned. For trying to balance emotions, depression, voices, doubts, prescribed medication with whatever will shut off your mind. So that becomes the primary concern for everyone. Its easier to deal with addiction than depression. I don't want to let people down, seems to go with the territory though. Then each plays on your mind till it seems insurmountable. My husband, children, friends.....

My husband came, 'Dont do this to the children again' ... more guilt.. Like I have a choice & each barb he so accurately throws keeps me here. My daughter says symathetically, 'just walk the dogs mum' each tiny guilt grows like a heap of bricks.

No one understands how much it takes to just sit in the sun when your so bone achingly tired.

To want to live life but have no idea how to reconnect, to have so many, yet still be alone ...till you lose the will to.

You just want to be left alone...

I have been diagnosed with chronic depression for two years...This spiral took 3 weeks ... I dont know how to get back to reality

What Depression Feels Like

The following is a description of how I feel when I'm going through a depressed period. It is not how I feel most of the time.

Useless: When I get depressed, I feel useless. I have this feeling that everything I've ever done is worthless, and that anything I'll ever do will be equally worthless. I feel like nothing I do matters. When I do try to accomplish something, I feel like it isn't good enough no matter how hard I work on it. Even worse, I feel like everybody is aware of my failure, and I feel incredibly guilty for being a failure. I look at my lazy housekeeping and feel like a failure as a homemaker. I mentally replay all of the mistakes I've made with my kids, and I feel like a failure as a mother. I look at my body and feel like a failure as a wife because I'm not as attractive as I'd like to be. My self-esteem plummets, and I feel like a burden on my poor husband.

Tired: When I get depressed, I'm too tired to do anything. Everything feels like an overwhelming task, even getting dressed or brushing my teeth. If somebody tries to convince me to do anything, I feel guilty for not wanting to comply and resentful at the idea that they would ask me to do anything when I'm feeling so tired. Along with my physical fatigue I feel mentally fatigued. I have to force myself to do everything I do.

Irrational: When I get depressed, I have a hard time thinking. Problem solving is difficult, even for little things like adding two numbers or figuring out which tool to use to complete a task. I react to situation emotionally rather than logically, so I end up making mistakes I regret. I lose my temper with my kids and pets when they don't follow the family rules, and I start yelling at them rather than logically disciplining them. In extreme cases of depression, I may even think about running away or suicide even though I don't plan on doing either.

Unsocial: When I get depressed, I don't want to socialize even though I realize that it probably would be good for me to get around other people and lift my spirits.

Stuck: When I get depressed, I feel like I'm trapped, stuck in this pit of worthlessness. While I'm trapped, I feel like life is passing me by. I sometimes think that things will never get better.

Source

Wordless Wednesday

She's back!

Hey everyone,

Im back after 8 weeks. . . not sure how healthy I am but I want to try and write through it, so will start working on my blog again . . .

Sorry about the delay in writing . . .

may take me a week or so to get up to speed but I'll do my best to get around and visit after that... Ive missed whats happening and saying Hi, hope your all safe and healthy...

Love to all

My Week

This week, I absolutely refuse to slump into a full blown 'God I hate my life" depression. I can feel it sneaking up, like black fog. I may not be able to control it, but I think I can take steps to minimise the impact. Just pushing myself to a shower and work is a 3hr exercise in 'why bother'

Each day Im going to try to do something for myself. Not spend money (which just gives a flash of satisfaction and leaves me broke) but just do something small, see something unique, 'enjoy' being with others (this one is hard for me, as like a turtle I just retreat) eat something nice.

It may be a futile gesture but Im giving anything a go. Ive been here before and the alternatives suck. If you have any ideas that work for you let me know ... So that is the cunning plan for now.

Just For You

Despite (or because of) the credit crisis, the war in Iraq, people passing, what he/she did or didn't say, relationships ending, the world tilting on it's axis, it being "that time of the day/month/year/life", the normal run-of-the-mill-stress-of-life ...

Just stop for a moment.

Breathe.

Breathe again.

Have a hug.
Give yourself one if there is no-one else around.
Take this one.

Post Secret

Fridays Readers Story

Tranquilium (anonymous) said...

Dear Abbey,

I am currently sixteen, nearly seventeen. Up until somewhat recently, I'd been self-harming in various different ways since I was seven years old. It started out as bruising, slamming my arms in drawers, punching myself, etc. ("banging" as it's most commonly referred to. or, more specifically, "wrist-banging." That began due to loss of family members, and bulling in school. I remember thinking that "there must be something wrong with me, nobody wants to be around me." I was trying to fix myself through beating myself up. That went on for awhile.

When I was eleven, I began cutting, as my depression worsened and there were many more deaths and painful events happening in my life as well. Then, two weeks after my thirteenth birthday - my older sister died. I blamed myself for a very long time.

Later on, the same year (I was thirteen) I began burning myself. with lighters, cigarettes, whatever I could get a hold of. (salt and ice was always a favorite of mine as well)

Things just escalated from there. I attempted suicide 8 times before being hospitalized. then 9 times before I was finally sent to a long term psychiatric hospital for six months. That was May of '07 through November of '07.

The time at that hospital (Havenwyck RTC) was a HUGE turning point in my life. I've made an amazing recovery, and while I'm still dealing with severe anxiety, my depression is under control, as are my other issues that aren't entirely related to this specific topic.

If you or anybody, want any details or information on stopping self-harm, getting help, or just.. needing any advice. Anyone can email me at tranquilium@live.com
Or you can go to my website and leave me a message - I'll get back to you. :)

~ You're truely,
Tranquilium

Time Out.

Im sorry everyone, for August, Sept I crashed physically and emotionally. I have no idea what the catalyst was but the result was the same. Im not 100% yet but Im trying to get things back on track.

Its probably been the hardest period of my life since the time after my sons father died. I pretty well withdrew from life, trying desperately to keep going and to not harm myself. The fact that I didnt is a positive, I know it is, but at the moment I find it difficult to see positives, I can see them but not feel them if that makes sense.

My concentration is still shot, I find it hard to focus on tasks, Im having periods of being hyper but not manic. So thats where I am at. I havnt been visiting other blogs but I will. I came close to wiping my blogs but a dear friend stopped that (Ta Mix) however I lost the address on this one, so I will get around and let others know the new one.

Psychotherapy & Dealing With Teen Depression

Psychotherapy plays an important part in the treatment of a depressed teenager. For those parents who may think that being in a slump is something that their teen can just shrug off, here is where you may be mistaken. The despair and prevailing sadness that a teenager may experience from depression is a serious matter. If a parent were to simply wait for his or her teen to shrug it off, that parent could be waiting for nothing.

The important issue to remember here is that when a teen is suffering from depression this may not be the only problem he or she is faced with. In fact, a crucial problem that any depressed person may face is suicidal tendency. This is precisely why active help and steps in treatment of the disorder are vital.

Getting to the root of a teen’s depression

When a depressed teen is undergoing psychotherapy, the issues which lie behind his or her disorder are being addressed. A psychotherapist may want to talk with him or her about his or her feelings in different situations. By getting to the root of a teen’s depression the likelihood of it resulting in suicide is greatly reduced, if not eliminated. It is vital for a depressed teen to be in psychotherapy because it gives him or her a chance to air out the negative feelings he or she may be keeping inside.

This gives the therapist a chance to correct any misconceptions that the patient may have about him or herself, or life in general. Instead of leaving these misconceptions to brew negativity within your teen, he or she gets a chance to release them.

Talk therapy

Talk. Talk itself can be a very therapeutic activity. By having your troubled teen speak with a psychotherapist you are also engaging him/her in an activity where you are sure that he/she will not be isolating him/herself. When dealing with a disorder such as depression, any activity that can keep the patient from isolation or loneliness can be helpful.

Once the issues behind your teenager’s depression are addressed in psychotherapy, he or she may face a smoother road to recovery. Without the therapy, you are not certain that your troubled teen’s issues are being dealt with or just tucked away inside by your teenager.

Taking that first step to recovery

At first it may be scary for you and your teen to seek professional help, but it is an empowering step to take. By acknowledging that he or she has a problem and getting help, he or she is taking his or her first step to recovery.

[Link:Troubled Teens Info]

Teen Depression

During the teen years not only does it become difficult to understand what behavior is then teen just being a teenager but it also becomes difficult to decide if the teen is depressed. One of the easiest ways to decide if these mood changes are depression is to take a look at how long these symptoms have been present with the teen, how severe the issue is and how different your teen is acting compared to his usual self.

This is a stage in life when you can expect to see several different changes and growing pains because of all of the challenges that face your teen such as school, activities, fitting in with peers and so much more. Here are several other signs that will help you and your teen be able to see what signs and changes are depression and what is just normal growing up.

· Your teen might be angry, irritable or hostile for long periods of time or often.
· You may notice that your teen is often sad or has feelings of hopelessness.
· Depression might cause frequent crying episodes.
· Depression will also cause your teen to withdraw not only from family but also from his friends.
· Watch for a loss of interest in the activities that might have been enjoyable prior to the depression.
· Your teen might experience a change in both sleeping and eating habits. Either in excess or not enough.
· There may be obvious restlessness or your teen might be easily agitated.
· A lack of energy or fatigue might be evident.
· The teen might have difficulty concentrating along with a lack of both motivation and enthusiasm.
· There might also be thoughts of suicide, death or causing physical harm to themselves.

If you notice any of these signs in your teen in is time to seek professional help. Call your family doctor right away if you notice any of the signs lasting for long periods of time.

[Link:Depression Hurts]

Animal Assisted Therapy

Pets & Mental Health.

"In today's highly specialized and complex society, modern Man comes into contact with more people in one day than our ancestors did in a lifetime. It has become necessary to speed up the process of attachments, and it is more difficult to develop meaningful relationships....Loneliness is not knowing others: it is not being known by others....Dogs permit their owners to be themselves so that they can risk self-disclosure and form attachments."
--- Judy Harris

Animals in a home may serve as a talisman against loneliness and depression. They may add a sense of safety and protection. They may encourage physical activity and social interaction with one's neighbors. They can be outlets of hobbies and opportunities for club interests. They may be the substitutes for children absent. The responsibilities and daily rituals of care may provide a touchstone of reality. They may divert one's cares and troubles. They are socially-acceptable conversation pieces and opportunities for touching.

There is greater "plasticity" in pet/human relationships than in most human/human relationships: rules regulating roles in parental, sibling, marital and friendship relationships are more socially structured and codified.

Pets may serve as a "clock," providing a sense of order and a daily ritual for people. Pets may give us a realistic, naturalistic touchstone, a baseline of animal behavior against which we can sometimes compare our own troubles and put our own lives into perspective:

Pets have frequently been described as non-threatening and non-judgmental companions. "The unambivalent nature of the exchange of affection between people and animals differs from exchanges with close family members and other relatives. Pets are a source of comfort that can be scheduled on demand of the owner, in almost any quantity, without bargaining or supplication," argued researchers Aaron Katcher and Erika Friedmann.

"Perhaps the most important health-related aspect of the human-animal relationship is play," said Robert Fagen of the University of Pennsylvania. "Animals that play are healthier and frequently live longer than those that don't. I would be willing to bet that interacting with an animal makes a person more sensitive in relationships with other human.

The presence of pets in a household seems to contribute to the development of children's trust and self-esteem. Pets have also been observed to contribute to the development of ego strength in people in institutions.

Source: Animal Therapy.Net

Image: Abbey & Chelsea

Black

How do you describe depression to someone who has no concept, people close try to understand, nod their heads in the right place but have no concept really.

Depression is not blue nor sad...depression is like functioning in a world when your body is floating in honey or glue ... when the smallest thing, most normal things, getting out of bed, showering ... are so far off your radar they may as well be Mount Kosciusko...

Ive watched storms, from a headland, watched them out at sea, build up, black ... slowly rolling towards land... depression is like that, you can feel it coming and do little ... till your engulfed in black.

Depression is noise sensitive, sensory overload, voices of others too loud... too much input, deafening ... you retreating inside, hide, your own inner voice monotone, one track, negative, black but you hear little else. Confusion, but familiarity...

Food has no taste, no purpose, depression feeds itself ... endless weeping, no energy, not just tired but bone achingly worn... Breathing is meaningless, life is meaningless as you turn on yourself.

I releated to this picture very much.

Image: depression by ~echok

Who Is Likely To Engage In Self-injurious Behavior?

Both males and females engage in self-injurious behavior. Self-harm often begins in early adolescence, peaks between the ages of 18 and 24, and decreases as the person enters the 30s and 40s. There are, however, cases of self-harm occurring in much younger children and continuing into middle age.

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable as they face many difficult and inherently stressful developmental challenges. The body undergoes profound change during adolescence. It is a time of physiological and psychological turbulence and uncertainty. Faced with abrupt and embarrassing changes, teens can feel a loss of control of their bodies. For many adolescents, experiencing a sense of alienation from their own bodies becomes a powerful catalyst for and predictor of self-injurious behavior. In addition, teenagers struggle with the need for peer acceptance, shifting peer allegiances, a greater desire for autonomy and control and complicated decisions and conflicts that demand resolution.

Within this overwhelming context, adolescents are at even greater risk when their parents are physically or emotionally unavailable to them. In some families, there may be unhealthy communication, parental alcoholism, untreated mental illness, financial stress, domestic violence and parental neglect or pro-longed absences. Teens are unable to negotiate these challenges, process their feelings and articulate their needs without the guidance, support and feedback of a nurturing caretaker. They simply do not have the required coping skills to manage on their own, and they discover that self-injurious behavior is one way to deal with life.

Teenagers who have undiagnosed and untreated depression and anxiety are more likely to engage in self-harming behaviors as a way to self-soothe and self-medicate. Teens who struggle with low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness are equally at risk. Adolescents with dissociative disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse problems and eating disorders are at increased risk to cut or burn. One of the greatest risk factors is a history of physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Trauma survivors learn to internalize their rage and dissociate or "check out" to escape pain. In addition, they have had their perpetrators model a blatant disregard for the safety and well being of their bodies. This combination of experiences almost inevitably sets the stage for some form of self-destructive behavior.

Taken from *PRP Online

*Performance Resource Press

Fridays Readers Story

Ben said...
To be 100% honest, my reason for beginning to burn (which progressed to cutting) wasn't what I've read about on most "help" sites. The reason I started was because I wanted to actually feel pain for the first time and be able to control it. It doesn't bring out a sense of enjoyment like the average family man would have while spending time with his family, but it makes me feel good as I do it and after I do it.

I don't want to sound like someone who is overly compulsive about hurting themselves because that is not the case. I started about a month ago and I think about doing it everyday with two knives and a set of matches sitting on my desk. I'm not sure if I want to stop because I'm not sure if it is a huge problem or not, but I do feel differently about my self-esteem since I started.

The more I burn the more I feel that I am isolating myself. I planned on trying to start a relationship with someone that I know but as i started my self-image shot so far into the toilet that I basically pushed her away and then felt lonely and at a total loss of confidence that she isn't talking to me much anymore. Again, to be completely honest, I'm not even sure why I'm leaving a comment on this site that I found within the last 5 minutes.

Well to get to the point, I'm not sure if I should stop or not because it does 2 things for me: 1. it makes me feel fearless (to a lesser extent) and 2. it is (i think) making me isolate myself from everyone around me. Diagnosed as clinically depressed over a year ago, I have even failed to show, or even talk to my shrink about these things. I'm unsure if what I'm feeling is something that everyone goes through and although my issues don't seem as hard to deal with as some others who has had the courage to share but I do feel it is worth either seeking help for or being told that my reason for burning/cutting is sufficient and that this phase will end soon enough.

There is more to my story if you are interested because I would love to talk to someone who is interested in an unconcerned (parent-like) way.

My email is bensjamin_@hotmail.com
November 30, 2007

Image:Alone by ~bluedicius

Website

Kate’s Blog

on Mental Health, Parenting & Wellness Education

Kate McLaughlin speaks and writes about all things mental health.
Her personal experience and positive attitude combine with current research, facts, and proven strategies to encourage those affected by mental illness, inform the unaware, and eradicate the stigma that surrounds diseases of the brain.

Kate is a member of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Mental Health America.

Kate has a good article on 10 Myths concerning teen depression that I will feature at a later date

Negative Self Talk - What Is It

Ponder the following quote:

“If you had a friend who talked to you like you sometimes talk to yourself, would you continue to hang around with that person?”

~Rob Bremer




Entwined with SH, depression and other mental health issues is negative self talk.

This self-critical voice works by...
Emphasizing past failures.
Ignoring anything good that happens.
Setting impossible standards of perfection.
Assuming others' thoughts about you are negative.
Calling you names.

Negative self-talk is usually a mixture of half-truths, poor logic, and distortions of reality, or an unbalanced focus on a problem, that perpetuates negative emotions, such as pessimism, guilt, fear, anxiety as well as self-sabotaging behaviors. It often occurs when in times of emotional turmoil, or when we are going through stress or a personal transition. For some of us, it has become our daily inner dialogue.

There are many ways to free ourselves from negative self-talk. For some, the best step may be to work with a good therapist or counselor. Others may just need to pay attention to the negative self-talk and use some of the suggestions provided here. Support groups (in person or online) may also be beneficial.

So how do we stop negative self-talk?
Step 1. Become aware of it.
Step 2. Find out where the negative self-talk originated.
Step 3. Acknowledge the pay-offs.
Step 4. Take conscious steps to stop the negative self-talk.

Its these four steps I want to go deeper into in later posts. How do we turn it around? In fact, an astonishing 45,000 – 51,000 thoughts go through our heads on an average day. Many of these thoughts are harmless, such as “I must remember to pick up my clothes at the cleaners” . When you keep repeating the negative messages to yourself, you create a limiting belief that goes on to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So just for this week lets start being aware of what we are saying ...