Category: Mental Health
Caregiver Resources Increasing
Healthy aging can be a difficult topic for caregivers, especially those who are seniors themselves. Fortunately, caregiving resources are increasing. With a combination of in-person and online support, caregivers can get support for the many challenges they face. The Challenges and Rewards of Caregiving – Rush Memorial Hospital The “Home Alone Alliance” Multiple senior-focused organizations, […]
Coping With Unavoidable Stress
When stress pops up in our lives but quickly goes away, it doesn’t usually have any lasting effects. The more often it appears, however, and the longer it lasts, the greater the effect stress has on our physical and mental health. Our body’s stress response is designed to help us fight or flee when threatened. […]
When Will We All Be OK? Stress, Trauma and Covid-19
In a recent survey, the American Psychological Association found that 63% of respondents said their lives had been permanently changed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Not all of these changes are changes for the worse, as 51% of respondents said that their life was merely different, not any better and not any worse. These results […]
Limiting Lethal Means Saves Lives
The crisis that leads to suicide is intensely painful, but often very short-lived. This is one of the reasons it’s important to secure easily accessible suicide means. When someone suffers from suicidal ideation, removing or locking up lethal means (drugs, firearms, etc.) can help save a life. Hopefully, if lethal means are harder to obtain, […]
6 Ways to Give a Caregiver a Break
The life of a caregiver can be very difficult, particularly if they are in a 24/7 caregiving situation. Even if their commitment is only parttime, it can be very hard for them to get some time to themselves. If you’d like to help out, here are a few things you can do to make their […]
Research Shows Gratitude is Healthy
Both research and common sense tell us that people who practice gratitude are happier. As it turns out, they also tend to be healthier. Writing it Down Makes a Difference The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California, Berkeley, offers a free, online, gratitude journal Gratitude Journal | Practice | Greater Good […]
Mental Illness and Holiday Debt
Holiday spending is stressful for everyone. There’s too much to do and not enough time to do it. It’s hard to find just the right gift for everyone on our list. We have to figure out how to pay for it all. The less we earn and the more we buy, the more stressful the […]
Building a Suicide Prevention Safety Plan for Yourself
A suicide prevention safety plan is a written set of instructions that you create for yourself as a contingency plan should you begin to experience thoughts about harming yourself. It will contain a series of gradually escalating steps that you will follow, proceeding from one step to the next, until you are safe. Creating a […]
Self-care for a Suicide Attempt Survivor Caregiver
“If you don’t do things to keep your cup full, you have nothing left to give others.” This seems like a pretty practical and obvious “life lesson”. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to forget when you’re caring for a someone experiencing suicidal ideation. It seems impossible to think of self-care when a loved one is […]
How to Recognize a Phobia
Everyone has felt afraid of something at one point or another. A phobia, however, is very different from normal fear and can be quite difficult to overcome. According to healthline.com, “A phobia is an excessive and irrational fear reaction. If you have a phobia, you may experience a deep sense of dread or panic when […]