by Lena Britnell | August, 2018 | Mental Health, Strengths, Uncategorized
When I first heard about Positive Psychology and character strengths it was from the most unlikely of sources. A positive psychologist (I forget who) was quoted in a glossy magazine spread about body image as saying something (I forget what) about overcoming anxiety by choosing to find happiness instead. Full disclosure, my first reaction was to roll my eyes and laugh out loud and have the following rapid-fire train of thought: ’There is a positive psychology (scoff)?! What’s the point of that?! Some more experts telling us to choose not to be sad but to somehow ‘be happy’ instead (huff and another eye roll)?!’ I was my anxiety At this point, I had spent a decade in therapy and on medication for anxiety and depression. During this time, I was alternately encouraged to try and look on the bright side, be more optimistic, lower my expectations or just generally pull my socks up because life wasn’t so bad, was it?! Trying to take this approach to dealing with my mental health had very little to do with what I was good at or enjoyed doing (my personal strengths) and over the years caused me considerably more anxiety rather than less. I have dealt with generalised anxiety disorder and a lovely if complicated combination of additional symptoms pointing to major depressive disorder and a form of obsessive compulsive disorder (known as Pure O) for most of my life. Being a high achiever, a perfectionist and (learned) extrovert it took a combination of life circumstances, genetics, bad choices, whatever, to produce a series of breakdowns in my twenties and thirties which...
by Amanda Gould | April, 2018 | Health, Mental Health
When facing challenges in life, whether it is physical, emotional or mental, we have one of three options: let our response push us backward, stand us still or propel us forward. Only one of these options exemplifies resilience, growth mindset, and optimism, which are key ingredients to living a fulfilling life. At the beginning of February I developed a rare autoimmune disorder called reactive arthritis. It has presented many challenges, yet I have remained mostly positive throughout the process. I believe my gratitude practice that began long before the health challenges arrived has propelled me forward in this season and for that I am very thankful. Whether we have allowed our pain to push us backward, stand us still or propel us forward it is important for us to seek healing outside of the conventional sense of the word. To propel us forward in our challenges, I believe the following four tips will help us heal: Help from others Excitement for life Aligning our beings with our truth Love. Lots and lots of love Help From Others The importance of community seems to be magnified when we face challenges in life, as the support we do or do not receive impacts our ability to propel ourselves forward. If you do not feel supported in your time of need, seek out help. Communicate your needs to your community before falling into the negative self-talk that says no one is there for you. If you do feel supported, ensure you express your gratitude for the support that you are receiving as often as you can. To note, our help may come...
by Bryony Shaw | September, 2017 | Bryony Shaw, Health, Mental Health
Walking is one of my favourite ways to spend my time and it is something that is free and easily available to most of us. Whether it is walking out from my front door or walking in a national park, the effect it has on me is always positive. I find my mood becomes lighter and usually ten minutes into a walk my thoughts have changed their focus and my attention is held by the things I am passing. It’s a great way to see the world, on foot, in close contact with your surroundings. Health Benefits Humans are designed to walk, it is our natural state and our body and mind protest when we are unable to do so, contributing to some of the health epidemics many societies are currently experiencing such as obesity, diabetes and a rise in mental health disorders. Not surprisingly there are many well documented physical health benefits associated with walking including weight loss, improved sleep and reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. Walking also has a positive effect on our mental health, improving mood, reducing stress and reducing the likelihood of depression. It has a calming effect and restores our cognitive and emotional reserves. Social Benefits Walking also helps to bring people together. When walking with others we have the chance to slowly get to know them. This is aided by the interest found along the walk; sharing the sight of a pedigree dog, stopping to wonder over an unusual flower, admiring a view or commenting on the way our body feels after a steep ascent. This helps to increase our social...
by Katie Small | September, 2017 | Mental Health
Think about it for a minute… Think about it for a minute. When we are physically ill our whole bodies tell us to stop. To rest, to sleep to recuperate to allow our bodies time to recover from the illness, whatever that may be. Psychologists often call this sickness behaviour. It is an adaptive response to being ill. However, people who suffer from depression also experience sickness behaviour and their bodies adapt in the same way as people who are physically ill. Both feel lousy. Our bodies react in the same way I read an article recently in the Guardian about the idea that depression could actually be more like an allergic reaction than a mental health disorder. The article explored the idea that there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that depression is actually much more a physical illness than a mental one. Scientists have found that inflamation in the immune system alerts the body to fight an infection/illness. So, in simple terms, when we are physically ill our immune system becomes inflamed – this inflamation being the catalyst to make our body react to the illness and fight it. However, similarly when clinically depressed individuals experience a depressed episode they too have been found to have inflamation in the immune system – our bodies react in the exact same way. Our diet matters A study found that when healthy individuals are given a drug which increases the inflamation in the immune system they become depressed and anxious and show the same sickness behaviours as we do when we are physically ill. Interestingly, it isn’t just...
by Steve Emery | September, 2017 | Mental Health, Steve Emery
The Question What if money was spent on mental health and not mental illness? I pondered this question whilst studying happiness and work done by Carol Ryff and Corey Keyes. The work centres around how we live our lives and touches on the phrase of Psychological wellbeing. According to Keyes the optimal state is that of Flourishing whereby we live a life full of purpose and meaning. According to Keyes Mental Health is every bit as much about our Positive state of mind as it is our negative. However, when we talk about mental health we generally talk about mental illnesses much of which is related to anxiety and depression. Mental illness has reached such a proportion that the UK government is talking about spending close to £1BN to tackle this issue especially when it comes to mental health issues in children and adolescents. Whilst this recognition and subsequent funding is most welcome, there is a certain irony in that much of the mental illness this money will help to tackle has actually been caused by the system that successive governments have implemented and supported. What are the root causes of mental illness? I recently heard a talk by Martin Seligman in which he made the point that we currently live in a society that is safer, has more opportunities, and more abundance than we have ever had. But at the same time, we live in a society dominated by fear, judgement and shame. This starts almost from the moment we are born. We are told if we don’t perform well in schools tests our future will be bleak....
by Katie Small | May, 2017 | Mental Health
Placebos have always intrigued me. A placebo is a fake pill and has no theraputic effect on the person presecribed the tablets. Placebos are usually used in drug trials to find out whether a new drug is effective by giving one group the new drug and the ‘control group’ the placebo and measuring the effects. The placebo effect is described as any effect, positive or negative, the placebo has had on the participants. Even today many doctors routinely use placebos. You see, the thing is, when you go to the doctor most of us expect the doctor to make us better, to provide us with the right medicine to cure us from our suffering, whatever that may be. However, studies have shown that when the doctor shows confidence and is warm and attentive to their patient’s, placebo response actually increases, therefore maybe the doctor’s interaction with the patient has a bigger part to play in our recovery from illness they we, or they, fully realise. Research in this area has shown us that when we take a tablet and believe that the tablet will make us better we inevitably get better, highlighting the unfathonable power of our minds. This also supports the reason why optimists respond better to placebo treatment. Now, you would imagine there would need to be a degree of deception involved in order that the placebo has some effect on a patient. Afterall, if you knew the placebo was a ‘fake drug’ then there would be no opportunity to trick the mind, surely? Wrong Placebos without Deception was a study published in 2010 by Ted Kaptchuk...
