Encourage Mental Health

  Break-up letter to 2020 Dear 2020,   You taught me…   We had some good times…   I will forever appreciate…   But now it’s time to say good-bye.   I’m leaving behind…   I look forward to…   I have hope for…   This new year will bring more memories, friendships, insights, obstacles, and opportunities for growth. I will begin this next chapter with more wisdom and resilience than the last.   Sincerely,

  Mental Health Schedule   Day Morning Afternoon Night Monday       Tuesday       Wednesday       Thursday       Friday       Saturday       Sunday       Try to fill in each space with a self-care strategy or coping skill! They could be as simple as deep breathing for one minute to longer like taking a walk outside. Always remember to forgive yourself if you don't fill in every box. Suggestions from The Mighty community Stretching and deep breathing Spending time with a pet Pray Have a cup of tea Listen to music Reflecting and journaling D...

Coping with Therapy Downtime       In my own treatment and in working with individuals and families, I have experience with Therapy Downtime. Whether someone is between sessions, switching therapists, or even waiting for their very first appointment, this lapse or anticipation can cause its own anxiety or stress. What can we do in this in-between to manage symptoms, keep progressing with recovery, or ask for help? These are some resources and strategies to try during Therapy Downtime. 1. One thing we’ve learned through this pandemic is how much can be done virtually. While a lot of support and therapeutic groups had already existed virtually, organizations and professionals have been motivated or mandated to provide groups online or by phone. This means someone in North Dakota could access a support group normally offered in California. In addition, local therapeutic groups can be held on Zoom rather than in an office. What a great opportunity to show off your cute p...

  Nature and Wellness “A walk in the woods walks the soul back home.” -Mary Davis “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” -Lao Tzu “Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.” -George Eliot Created during the Mental Health Reset on 8/23/2020 Calming scenes in nature: First snow of the season, watching birds and bunnies eating flowers, fall foliage, hummingbirds in the garden, pumpkin patches, rocks near the stream, Christmas trees, seeing the deer or foxes, leaves falling, the smell of rain, the sound of waves, cornfields, cows in a pasture, palm trees, smell of pine and sage, looking at beautiful buildings, the beach, Pacific Ocean, slight breeze on a calm day, the sound of snow packing down when you step on it, waterfalls, sunrises, sunsets, lakes and rivers   How we can incorporate nature into our everyday lives: Have a pet Herb garden Watering your garden Deep breathing House plants (or fake pl...

  Inspire Yourself Created during the Mental Health Reset on The Mighty August 16, 2020   Words: Hope, faith, believe, enthusiasm, strength, strong, persevere, courage, mighty, support, tenacity, future, learn, improve, kindness, appreciation, grateful, love, peace, breathe, humor, laugh, encourage, leap, brave, resilience, family, present, fierce, try, compassion, blessing   Affirmations: I am strong, I am enough, I can get through this, this too shall pass, I am worthy and deserving, You are someone else’s reason to smile, It’s okay to ask for help, I am unique, I am hopeful, It’s okay, I am entitled to a few mistakes, Let go and let God, I am allowed to cry, You can change someone’s life, Be a friend, I’ve got this!   Quotes: Allie “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” Unknown Kathy “I am brave, I am bruised, this is me” from The Greatest Showman Benita “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”...

Support and Support Systems As discussed on the Mental Health Reset on The Mighty   What qualities do you look for in a supporter? Examples: empathetic, reliable, caring, trustworthy, a good listener, fun, understanding, calm, energetic   Who do you consider a support in your life?   Who considers you a support?   How do you support yourself (self-care and independence)?   How can you build your support system?         Allie Curtis   encouragementalhealth.blogspot.com                              allisonquinn92@gmail.com

When I became sick at 21-years-old, my confidence took a nose-dive. As I began to recover, I regained my confidence slowly. Writing was the first medium I used to talk about mental health through social media and blogging. In work and other projects, I started to use public speaking to talk about my experiences and discuss mental illness and stigma. I felt calm and comfortable with writing and talking to individuals and groups face-to-face. However, I knew that I was missing out on some popular ways to connect and build a community. . . dun dun dun. . . vlogging and live streaming. No matter how comfortable I felt sharing my story or talking to large groups of people, I felt very intimidated if I was being filmed. When I get nervous, I trip over words, lose my train of thought, and become besties with the word "like." My perception of awkwardness was holding me back. When COVID-19 provided me with more free time than I could've imagined, I wondered if it was finally time ...

     I was getting ready to attend a peaceful march to support Black Lives Matter and honor the memories of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Like so many times where I have wanted to participate in group activism, my mental health disorder left me anxiety-stricken and unable to calm myself enough to attend. I felt a deep guilt. I reached out to my disability community on The Mighty to brainstorm ways to support the cause, and I realized that if we can do nothing else, we can take time to study systemic racism through the perspective of historically marginalized people.        As a social work student, I have spent a lot of time (and money) studying social justice and human rights. I thank Fordham University for facilitating uncomfortable, but necessary, conversations about privilege and power. We cannot begin to unpack injustice without reflecting on our own privilege and perspectives. My privilege as a white, middle class, heteros...

Published on The Mighty; please check it out! https://themighty.com/2020/05/letter-to-parents-adults-with-mental-illness/

     For hundreds of years (not exaggerating, research the history of mental illness treatment, it's awful), people have held a negative and dangerous opinion on mental illness. These years of stereotyping and discrimination are heavily ingrained in society and have been reinforced in the media and entertainment. Recently, more and more has been discussed about stigma, the harmful judgments and perceptions about mental illness. People are sharing their personal experiences and the public is beginning to believe that mental illness does not equate to violent, unmotivated, or unstable. This change in the conversation about psychiatric issues gives me hope.      However, self-stigma is rarely discussed but can be just as destructive. Self-stigma refers to how people with mental illness negatively judge themselves. As much as I advocate about ending stigma, I have stigmatized myself at different points during my battle with mental illness. When things are tough...

     I sat down at my laptop for my regular medication appointment. I knew this appointment was going to be different, and not just because this was my first time having a doctor’s appointment over Zoom. Today, I had to talk.       My medication appointments normally played out as:           “How’s it been going since we last spoke?”           “Great! Work, grad school, new house, pictures of dogs, etc…”           “That’s awesome! How are your anxiety and OCD symptoms? Any changes? Any challenges?”           “Nope! Feeling great. Gotta get back to work though.” I’d been on the same medication and dosage for over 3 years and had “graduated” to only seeing my Nurse Practitioner once every three months. After prior years of misdiagnoses and exhausting medication changes, I was proud of my stability and use of coping skills.   ...