Tuning into the Invisible Stuff - working through the research

One of my first 'Inspirational Quote' Pins

While at least 1 in 4 suffer from some kind of mental health condition and the number of children included in the statistics increases annually what can we do, not necessarily to reduce the statistics, to deal with this modern epidemic.

Whilst looking for information on pseudo seizures I came across a video of Dr Andrew Weil of Big Think Mentor and serendipity brought it back to me again today through Finer Minds, so I thought I should share with you all. 

Dr Andrew Weil

This film is only 4 minutes long and in such a short time raises so many questions - is depression a product of the 21st century? and are we really using our children as guinea pigs?  If we don't know what effects anti depressant drugs have on developing minds - are we doing more harm than good?  

I strongly believe that anti depressants have a place in the whole recovery/coping process.  There have been times where functioning on a day to day basis would not have happened without them. But I believe even more strongly that there has to be a change in the way we manage our mental health.  With a major emphasis on managing and taking responsibility.  

I read a great post by Beth Beulow recently it builds on the premise that we should "view and hold others as whole, capable and responsible."   Because that is what we all are. 

When you suffer from a mental illness like depression it's like a loss of control, a loss of reality and it can scare the bejeesus out of you.  The old 'fight or flight principle' jumps in and we rush for cover and welcome the protection and support of those around us.  You lose faith in yourself and rely on the wisdom of others.  Unfortunately that protection, support and wisdom can so easily take over, our inner light switches off and we are now following someone else's light.  Now this may all seem a bit airy fairy and out there but bear with me.

I believe that depression, stress, anxiety are our body's way of telling us that  something is out of sinc.  Life is not the way we want it to be.  Duh, there never seems to be enough hours in the day, money in the bank - life is what it is, that's life - is it ever the way we want it to be?  I'm talking more about   that something inside that tells you, sometimes just once, but mainly over and over that you are not living "your life".

Does depression breed depression?  As the first episode highlights an imbalance with our values bringing with it the dependence on others, the reliance on their take on values and situations.  This dependence pretty soon dulls the line between our authentic values and theirs and in many ways can enhance our challenges, distancing us even further from our path.  Others decide that we should not be stressed, that we don't need responsibility, no added hassle when in reality those may be the very things that we need.  We need to feel challenged, to feel responsibility - and yes, stress can be a good thing.

It is key that whilst acknowledging help is good and we do not have to cope alone we can take responsibility for and manage our daily coping processes.  For if that management and responsibility are taken away for too long our skills and confidence may be eroded completely.  It's like we've embarked on a vicious cycle and I for one am ready to jump off.

I want to manage my life, I want to have responsibility - I am not broken, in fact, having been there and back and forth again, I could be an invaluable asset.

 I make no secret of my ongoing battle with depression and a very quick skim over the statistics would suggest that in doing so I'm shooting myself in the foot, apparently only 4 in 10 employers would employ someone with a mental health condition in comparison to the 62% that would employ someone with a physical disability.  This could go a long way to explaining why so many of us move toward self employment.

But is that only feeding the problem further?  Perhaps our job should be to educate, actually to show that mental health issues are not only the norm but an awareness of what could be.

If there is a reason for everything I'm hoping the time has come to embrace the reason and make a difference.

It's taken a while but I have found my reason and my difference and I hope that I can help in some way to help others find theirs.  I'm ready to be what I am.

Using what I've got:  Pins I've already collected and skills I forgot I had.

To find the positives I recommend you have a look at: Kind Over Matter; Roots of She; Lissa Rankin - there are so many responsibilitarians out there.

Are you ready to join?
Have a responsible week.
Namaste

Catherine
xxx

Wednesday is for ...

Wishcasting on WHENsday

Just because I'm re-organising doesn't mean everything has to change.  I like the idea of Wednesday Wishcasting and so popping over to Jamie Ridler studios on a Wednesday for now is a keeper. Albeit Jamie seems to be short, or late on wishes today.

I'd already chosen my wish for this week without a prompt - I found it via the OCG project with an edited version of Bob Perks 'I wish you enough'

From TheOCGProject

I am learning daily about the beauty of enough, and wish everyone enough. This past year my son has been suffering from, what we now know to be, pseudo seizures.  They are scary enough to watch and I can only try to imagine how scary it is on the other side of them.  We had a really good day at the beginning of last week where he got up, and went for a walk round the park before going to school.  I had been giving some thought to defining happy - and that was 'enough'.  My hopes and wants have scaled back tremendously over this past year.  To have some happy, healthy, quality time with family - that is ENOUGH - in fact it felt almost overwhelmingly more so.

May all your wishes be cast into the world and bring back ENOUGH.

Catherine

xxx

Tuesday is for Tuning In

To the “Invisible Stuff”

Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.

Found via Google Images

There are few phrases more frustrating than “I can understand how  frustrating this may seem”.  Feel the double whammy of the slap in the face when closely followed by “these tests have come back negative so we can rule out serious illness a, b, and c”.  In the meantime life has been on hold for the best (or worst) part of a year or more as it would seem every life threatening illness has been eliminated.  And still the pain and suffering continues.  I don't say this to look for sympathy I say it to emphasise the futility of dealing with physical conditions with a psychological base.

 Given a name for our condition 'pseudo seizures', but no guide to treatment, I finally done what I had avoided for so long - I googled it.  

Found on Meme Generator

There was a whole minefield of information, some disturbing, some completely negative and pitiful and some positive and helpful.

One of the best pieces I viewed was on You Tube by a girl named Laura, who has been very brave in sharing her experiences.

Via Laura's Mental Health Channel

Is it just me, or is there an overwhelming need to put a label on things?  Rather than actually dealing with symptoms and getting on with some healing, labelling seems to be key.  One of the pieces I read focused mainly 

on naming the condition and whether or not names were suitable.

Personally I believe that 'Pseudo Seizures' is a misnomer as there is nothing 'pseudo' (artificial or false) about these episodes. 

One thing that rang alarm bells throughout my look around the net was the length of time it seemed to take to figure out what the underlying symptoms really were  - yet this does not seem to be a complete unknown.

It is a sad reflection of modern life that more and more people suffer these 'invisible' conditions and they seem to be hitting them younger and younger.      Not wanting to seem like an old twat but I think the pic I seen recently on facebook sums up the whole information overload.

Via Scottish and Proud

I believe that the more we talk about the 'invisible', unexplained and misunderstood workings of the human mind the more we will come to understand it and perhaps be able to focus on treatment rather than labels.

Apologies if this seemed like a bit of a ramble.  Sometimes it helps to put a whole load of 'stuff' out there to find some clarity.  Hopefully in tuning in on the coming Tuesdays things will become clearer and life simpler.

Here's to a mindful and peaceful week

Catherine

xxx