Bipolar Debunked: 4 Common Myths About Bipolar Disorder

1. Bipolar disorder is when you are happy one moment and sad the next.

FALSE
Everyone has mood changes depending on what’s happening in their lives, their hormones, and what’s going on around them. But bipolar disorder is very different to regular mood changes.

With bipolar disorder your moods are much more extreme. People with bipolar disorder can experience moods that range from severe highs and severe lows, and how they’re feeling doesn’t necessarily make sense in the context of what’s going on around them. The moods people experience when they have bipolar disorder can be really disruptive and can make it really hard to function in day to day life.

When you are experiencing a high or low mood with bipolar disorder, one specific mood extreme can last for weeks or months. 

2. Alcohol and drugs can cause bipolar disorder.

FALSE
Drugs and alcohol do not cause bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is caused by a combination of things, including your genes, and it can be brought on by stress, certain brain chemicals or your environment. However, significant use of alcohol and other drugs may trigger symptoms of the disorder or worsen existing symptoms.

People with bipolar disorder are more likely to engage in risky behaviour like drinking heavily or taking drugs. It’s also been known for people with bipolar disorder to self-medicate and try and regulate their extreme moods using drugs or alcohol.

3. Medication fixes bipolar disorder.

FALSE
Medication is usually a large part of a successful treatment plan for bipolar disorder, so people are always advised to work with a doctor to manage bipolar symptoms.

However, management of bipolar disorder is much more successful in the longer term when medication isn’t the only course of treatment. Different strategies that are used to manage bipolar disorder include psychological treatment, and a bunch of different self-help strategies. All of these, however, should only be tried with the ok of your doctor. 

4. Mania is fun.

FALSE
When someone experiences an extremely high mood with bipolar disorder it’s known as a manic episode. People can sometimes feel really happy when they are experiencing a high, they tend to have a lot of energy, can think quickly and get lots of things done...sounds good so far. However, people can also become out of control, feel very anxious and get very frustrated and angry. They can become really reckless without realising it, engage in dangerous behaviour and take huge risks, so it’s important to watch out for someone with bipolar disorder if you think they may be experiencing a high. Encourage them to visit their doctor and get some help immediately if you think they might be unsafe or at serious risk.

Happiness is a Needle and Thread Away!

 “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” is a frequently quoted aphorism that has resonated with many over the ages. The next time you have an inclination towards idleness, rather than host the devil with his tools - figuratively speaking - give knitting a try. Hands that are busy knitting, research has shown, might be the workshop for positive thoughts. Turns out it is possible to knit yourself into a better state of mind! 

Clinical psychologist Ann Futterman-Collier who runs the Well Being Lab at Northern Arizona University, is studying what Arizona Public Radio stations KNAU call "Textile Therapy” — the emotional benefits of knitting, as well as crocheting, weaving and quilting.  "People basically have a vacation from their problems," she tells KNAU. "They can forget about what’s bothering them, and they get into something in the moment that energizes them, that leads to the repair in mood." Futterman-Collier studied 60 women suffering from various levels of stress. She had them either work with textiles, write or meditate. During their respective activities, the women kept track of their moods. And for good measure, Futterman-Collier also took saliva samples, monitored their heart rates to determine their stress levels and measured their inflammation. She then compared the stress-reducing results of each of the three activities.  "Textile handcraft making was associated with the greatest mood repair, increases in positive, decreases in negative mood," she tells KNAU. "People who were given the task to make something actually had less of an inflammatory response in the face of a ‘stressor’."

Futterman-Collier’s conclusion jibes with other research on the benefits of handcrafting hobbies. In January, Yahoo Makers looked at three similar projects:

• Betsan Corkhill, a licensed physiotherapist and founder of Stitchlinks.com, published a report of knitting’s health benefits, which she says includes curbing anxiety attacks. “You are using up an awful lot of brain capacity to perform a coordinated series of movements,” she said. “The more capacity you take up by being involved in a complex task, the less capacity you have for bad thoughts.”
• A very small (38 participants) study in the Eat Weight Disorders journal found knitting had positive effects on women suffering from eating disorders.
• A study in the OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health journal cited the benefits of knitting in blocking negative thoughts, calming oneself through repetitive motions, and providing opportunities to socialize in knitting groups and social circles.

As for her own textile therapy study, Futterman-Collier tells KNAU: “People basically have a vacation from their problems. They can forget about what’s bothering them, and they get into something in the moment that energizes them, that leads to the repair in mood.” 

Great Workplaces For Your Mental Health in 2015

Generally speaking, A workplace wellness program is one encompassing the creation of a “culture of health” within the workplace. Presently, adopting such a policy or initiative has become an indispensable strategy for the modern business and many employers are fast recognizing the value of having a healthy workplace, human as well as financial. workplace health programs improve productivity, increase employee satisfaction, demonstrate concern for employees, and improve morale in the workplace. From allowing  pets to playing soothing classical music at the office, below are companies that have been recognized by the American Psychological Association for their efforts to promote corporate well-being

 Beehive PR has 13 employees who represent clients like Verizon and the University of Minnesota’s academic medical center. CEO Lisa Hannum offers her team a range of wellness benefits, including 

- a life coach named Mary Anne O’Brien. Hannum uses O’Brien’s services herself. She installed both a gym and a quiet room in Beehive’s offices and she meditates in the quiet room for 20-30 minutes a day, starting at 7am. When she started her meditation practice three years ago she would text O’Brien every day and receive a supportive message in return, like “Being kind to yourself radiates out and touches others.” Another practice Hannum adopted from O’Brien: burning a candle in her office all day long. “The illumination and the light is a visual cue to me to stay focused on what matters,” she says. She also keeps a small chalkboard on her office door where she signals colleagues that she’s in the middle of a “power hour,” an intense 50-minute work session that ends with a 10-minute break. Other employee perks intended to boost wellness: anyone can work from home or a remote location as long as they meet clients’ needs, and to stave off burnout Hannum doesn’t want staffers working more than 45 hours a week. On summer Fridays the office closes at noon. Beehive also provides Mac Powerbooks, gifts its employees tablets and picks up $50 per month in mobile phone charges.

The firm makes a big deal of employee birthdays. On Brian Israel’s 40^th, his cubicle was decorated with NCAA and March madness paraphernalia and he got $40 worth of tickets to his favorite team, the Gonzaga Bulldogs.b“All of these things create a workplace that is both very supportive of our team, with a high level of engagement and accountability,” says Hannum.

LaSalle Network, The Chicago-based staffing and recruiting agency with 110 employees has taken some dramatic steps to help employees in distress, including supporting staffers who have gone through Alcoholics Anonymous giving them time off to attend meetings. In one instance, the parents of an alcoholic employee asked CEO Tom Gimbel to help them stage an intervention, arranging for the employee to leave the office and go to a location off-site. It worked and the employee has been sober since, though he moved on from LaSalle after two years. Gimbel arranges incentive trips for everyone who works at LaSalle, including receptionists. This year he took the whole firm to Miami and South Beach from a Friday morning to Sunday during the fourth quarter, covering all expenses including chartered fishing boats. For two years he took staffers for a weekend in Las Vegas. The firm also celebrates what it calls “rebirthdays” for each employee, marking the anniversary they joined the firm with 100 balloons, catered food, speeches and a happy hour. “I want to give people experiences they wouldn’t have otherwise,” he says.

Beach Cities Health District, a preventive care health agency with 100 employees, in Redondo Beach, CA. The organization offers fitness classes, subsidized personal training sessions and an onsite fitness center. Employees can work flexible hours where they put in longer days and get a three-day weekend every other week. One of the most unusual perks: Both children and dogs are welcome in the office. New mothers can bring in portable cribs and have their babies at their side while several employees bring their dogs every day, including Ozzie, a poodle mix belonging to Carrie Anne Blevins, the manager of Beach Cities’ childhood obesity program. Another unusual if more serious perk: the company gives a yearly seminar on end-of-life planning.

Hilltop Community Resources, a community services nonprofit in Grand Junction, CO, that offers everything from pre-natal counseling to assisted living centers for seniors, has wellness programs for employees that include a full-time nurse on staff and a wellness coordinator. The company’s health insurance is self-funded, so it has a policy that requires employees to see a general practitioner before going to a specialist, to cut down on unnecessary, expensive tests. One major perk for employees: If they see an in-network therapist or nutrition counselor, the co-pay is only $10 a session. The organization also sponsors wellness challenges, like a three-month-long weight-loss competition with CEO Mike Stahl, who lost 16 pounds and beat out his staffers. To promote work-life balance, Hilltop gives staffers who have been at the organization for 10 years a 30-day paid sabbatical.

Ask your employer if they offer a wellness or health promotion program. If not, suggest implementing one at your office! 

Article courtesy of Forbes.com

The 4 As of Stress Management

While unchecked stress is undeniably damaging, you have more control over your stress levels than you might think. Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that only compound the problem. You might drink too much to unwind at the end of a stressful day, fill up on comfort food, zone out in front of the TV or computer for hours, use pills to relax, or relieve stress by lashing out at other people. However, there are many healthier ways to cope with stress and its symptoms.

Learn how to manage stress

You may feel like the stress in your life is out of your control, but you can always control the way you respond. Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. Stress management involves changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you can’t, taking care of yourself, and making time for rest and relaxation.

Remember the four As: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.

• Avoid unnecessary stress. Not all stress can be avoided, but by learning how to say no, distinguishing between “shoulds” and “musts” on your to-do list, and steering clear of people or situations that stress you out, you can eliminate many daily stressors.
• Alter the situation. If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Be more assertive and deal with problems head on. Instead of bottling up your feelings and increasing your stress, respectfully let others know about your concerns. Or be more willing to compromise and try meeting others halfway on an issue.
• Adapt to the stressor. When you can’t change the stressor, try changing yourself. Reframe problems or focus on the positive things in your life. If a task at work has you stressed, focus on the aspects of your job you do enjoy. And always look at the big picture: is this really something worth getting upset about?
• Accept the things you can’t change. There will always be stressors in life that you can’t do anything about. Learn to accept the inevitable rather than rail against a situation and making it even more stressful. Look for the upside in a situation—even the most stressful circumstances can be an opportunity for learning or personal growth. Learn to accept that no one, including you, is ever perfect.

You can also better cope with the symptoms of stress by strengthening your physical health.

• Set aside relaxation time. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the stress response.
• Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.
• Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress. Start your day with a healthy breakfast, reduce your caffeine and sugar intake, and cut back on alcohol and nicotine.
• Get plenty of sleep. Feeling tired can increase stress by causing you to think irrationally. Keep your cool by gettingood night’s sleep.

Once you’ve mastered these core skills you’ll have the confidence to face stressful challenges, knowing that you’ll always be able to rapidly bring yourself back into balance.

On This Day In Psychology: Leopold Szondi

Born on this day is hungarian psychiatrist Léopold Szondi. He is known for the psychological tool that bears his name: The Szondi test.  The aim of the test was to explore the deepest repressed impulses of a person on the basis of sympathy or aversion caused by the specific photos of patients withmental disorders. The test is based on the general notion that the characteristics that bother us in others are those that caused aversion to ourselves at an early stage of our life and that’s why we repress them.

Szondi Test

The Szondi test is a psychological test similar to the Rorschach test. The Szondi test asks people to view 48 photographs of different mental patients and pick out those they feel the most in common with. Unbeknownst to the test subjects, all the people in the photographs have displayed sadistic natures in one way or another. Szondi further placed the photographs into four categories; manic-depressive, homosexual and sadistic, epileptic and hysterical, and paranoid and catatonic. Modern psychology no longer uses the Szondi test as much as other psychological tools due to the apparent weak analysis behind the theory.

Leopold Szondi speculated that people would either be attracted or repulsed by the photographs they were witnessing based on their own personalities. He also postulated that their reactions to the photographs would change and shift based on their mood, and as such the test would have to be retaken a number of times. To gather a better picture of the patient, Szondi suggested that his family history be analyzed as well. This would allow the analyst to see what disorders the family may have suffered from, and how their lives were lived in terms of love, marriage and occupation choices.

It is thought that humans have motivations and responses that are unconscious to them and the Szondi test is supposed to uncover some of these tendencies. The test is not without its detractors, with some claiming that it is not reliable because it is based on the subjective judgment of the person administering the test. Even though the method is in doubt, the tests are still quite widely employed as a means of unlocking the inner workings of people with mental and emotional problems. It is thought that by keeping the projective test ambiguous, the subject is able to talk more freely about issues that resonate on a deeper level.

Sigmund Freud's reaction

With the publication of his theory of choice Szondi presented a new scientific paradigm, which should herald development of a new discipline in depth psychology: the fate analysis. In 1937 the 44 year old researcher from Budapest sent his “Analysis of Marriages” to Sigmund Freud. In his written answer, Freud conceded, though skeptical and with distance as to the subject, some influence although marginal to Szondi's arguments.

Fascinated Thomas Mann

Thomas Mann author of “Die Buddenbrooks” and Nobel Prize Winner,was fascinated by Szondi's  thoughts about man as “gene-being” whose destiny begins long before procreation and birth. Infact, he wrote to Szondi on the 23rd of October 1953 from his home in Erlenbach-Zurich:

Dear Dr Szondi,

By sending me your “Schicksalsanalyse” (fate analysis) you made an important gift to me for which I send you my best thanks. The book has been on my mind quite a while and shall still be so. Some items seem surprisingly familiar - just as does suggest the recollection of Schopenhauer's essay “Über die scheinbare Absichtlichkeit im Schicksal des Einzelnen” (On the apparent intention in the fate of the individual). The theory about “Elternwahl” (choice of the parents), figurative as it may be, and at the beginning of our life „even before the copulation of the sexual cells”, the genotropic thinking seems to me to lead over to Schopenhauer's Metaphysica, a philosophy of the “will” to one-self. You know: to save freedom, guilt and merit, Schopenhauer transfers them from operari to esse. Men's actions, he suggests, follow strict determinations, “but it could have been different”. Man with his fate therefore is also what he has chosen to be. Doesn't it come very near to a “genetic schedule”? I cannot enter further into the profound and sharp witted thoughts of the book in pros and cons. It's refused to me. Take these lines as a brief sign of my sympathy!

Yours very devoted                                                                   Thomas Mann

Football and Mental Well-being

Though not a keen follower of matters football, it was quite refreshing to see Danny Welbeck celebrating scoring for Arsenal against former club Manchester United when the two met in an epic showdown at the old trafford on Monday. The reactions from the fans after the 2nd goal were even wilder. You see, Arsenal has not defeated Man United in over 8 years. 

It is interesting to note the level of importance, priority and emphasis diehards have put on Football. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. All in all, the extent to which some will go in the name of the "beautiful game" is  reason to be concerned. Local arsenal fans have had the reputation for suicidal tendencies on losing to Man Utd spurring ridicule on social media. A win for the gunners meant there would be no victims that day - Not very far fetched if you ask me!  Football only has a positive effects when it is kept in perspective. An over-reliance on or obsession can limit the development of other interests and have a negative impact on relationships and may divert attention away from other family responsibilities.

Football might have an even more beneficial impact on mental health if more fans took to the field, as exercise is known to have a positive effect on our mental well-being. Football and indeed any obsessive sport can have a major impact on mental health. It is thought to affect emotions, relationships, identity and self-esteem. Studies show one in four fans consider football was one of the most important things in their lives. Here's why:

Escape

When time is at a premium for most people, leisure activity and entertainment fulfils the psychological need to escape from the stresses and strains of life and go into another world for a period of time. The time set aside for football is often sacrosanct and provides an opportunity to play.

Anticipation

It has been suggested that the attraction of sports events over other forms of entertainment is the combination of comfort in ritual with unpredictable outcome. People can look forward to the comfort of the familiar with the thrill of the unknown.

Basking in reflected glory

When your team does well, it prompts feelings of happiness, well-being and collective euphoria. Fans ‘bask in reflected glory’ (BIRG). It has been suggested that ‘BIRGing’ improves mood both in   individuals and in communities. If a team loses a match, however, it does not necessarily have a negative impact on mental health.

Catharsis

It is thought that watching football may be cathartic. It has been suggested that the atmosphere of a live football match is socially inclusive. Fans step into their team identity by wearing clothes and using language they would not usually use in their everyday lives. They can behave in ways that encourage ‘a cathartic release of tension’ through shouting, screaming, gesturing and chanting. Pent up internafeelings and intense emotion such as frustration annoyance or sadness can be vented in a socially acceptable way. Men can express and release internalised emotion that they don’t feel able express in other ways.

Young men

For young men in particular, the opportunity to externalise tension and emotion is important to maintaining health. Young men are at the highest risk of suicide – it is the most common cause of death for young men under the age of 35. This age group is one of the most dominant in football crowds across the country.

Cutting off reflected failure

Sometimes fans feel a sense of pessimism prior to a match. But this can also have a positive overall impact in that it can unite fans. A refusal to believe that things might go well is thought to protect against disappointment. This has been referred to as ‘CORF’ or cutting off reflected failure. Having a shared moan after a defeat is also another way of bonding.

World Cup

The World Cup in particular may have a positive effect on mental health. One study found there was a reduction in numbers of emergency psychiatric admissions during and after World Cup finals.

Identity

Watching and supporting football provides an opportunity for connection and belonging in an age where technology means there is less and less direct physical interaction.

According to ‘social identity theory’, fans separate groups and teams into social categories and identify with the group/team to which they see themselves belonging. Geography or family tradition usually informs which team someone supports.

Supporting a football club, watching a live game or gathering to watch a match on television are all ways of participating in group activity with people who share the same values and interests. This provides a sense of belonging, identification and inclusion within a larger group. It creates a tangible social identity. Identification with the players as people and the club also promote a sense of belonging.

Hormones

Watching sports such as football have an impact on testosterone levels. Studies have found that fans experience the same hormonal surges and physiological ebbs and flows during a game as they might if they were on the field.

Relationships

Having strong relationships is known to be a key factor in the maintenance of positive mental health. Football plays an important role in the formation and maintenance of social and familial relationships. Over 90% of people who attend matches go with friends, family or colleagues.

Football provides a platform to communicate with others, gossip (known to protect mental well-being), exchange views, and bond through celebration and commiseration. It also helps people maintain relationships by providing a reason to meet up regularly. 

Behavioral Therapy Helps More Than Drugs For Dementia Patients

When we think of Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, we think of the loss of memory or the inability to recognize familiar faces, places, and things. But for caregivers, the bigger challenge often is coping with the other behaviors common in dementia: wandering, sleeplessness and anxiety or aggression.

Using anti-psychotic drugs to try to ameliorate these symptoms has been common. According to a report released Monday from the United States Government Accountability Office, 1 in 3 dementia patients in nursing homes receives anti-psychotics. Outside of nursing homes, 1 in 7 dementia patients are prescribed the drugs. This is despite a warning from the Food and Drug Administration saying that anti-psychotics increase the risk of death for people with dementia.


And anti-psychotics are much less effective than non-drug treatments in controlling the symptoms of dementia, according to a study published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal. Dr. Helen Kales, a psychiatrist who directs the University of Michigan's Program for Positive Aging, examined more than two decades of scientific studies, along with her coauthors, Laura N. Gitlin and Dr. Constantine Lyketsos, both of Johns Hopkins University. They say the treatments that showed the best results were the ones that trained caregivers how to communicate calmly and clearly, and to introduce hobbies or other activities for the patient. The treatments also followed up with caregivers.

"Why I think the caregiver interventions work is because they train caregivers to look for the triggers of the symptoms," says Kales. "And when they see the triggers of the symptoms, they train them to manage them...It's inherently patient- and caregiver-centered." The study showed that anti-psychotic drugs were only about half as effective as the caregiver interventions. While anti-psychotics can be useful in emergency situations, Kales says their risk of deadly side effects increases over time.

"The risk is small if you look over the short term," Kales says. So over the course of 12 weeks, the risk of increased mortality would be 1 to 2 percent. But at six months, the risk of death rises to 4 to 7 percent with commonly used anti-psychotics like haloperidol, risperidone and olanzapine. It continues to rise after that, she says. Health care providers use anti-psychotics, says Kales, partly because they haven't been trained to use non-drug approaches. And even if they did know how to use them, they're rarely reimbursed for doing so

Article Source:npr.org

Selfie-tracker to monitor your mental health!

University of Rochester researchers have developed a software  software program that evaluates your state of mind using the numerous "selfie videos"  taken clandestinely as you engage with your phone. Your selfie-style video could soon be all it takes to turn your computer or smartphone into a mental health-monitoring device, according to the researchers who have developed a software program for just that purpose. Leaders of the research team describe the program as a "quiet observer" of your behavior as you go about your screen time, be it work or surf. Unlike other mental health monitoring methods, you aren't required to pour out your emotions or describe what you're feeling, nor is any supplementary gear required. 

It works by monitoring subtle changes in the skin tone on your forehead, which gives it the information it needs to measure your heart rate. Your heart rate, your blinking frequency, the degree to which your pupils are dilated and your head movements are examples of what the program uses to assess your state of mind. In a study, participants' Twitter behavior was analyzed, taking into account not only what they tweeted and the tweets they chose to read but also their keystroke speed, how fast they scrolled and the frequency at which they clicked the mouse. The content of their tweets, however, is treated with more importance than the other factors, say the researchers, whose paper was presented last week at the American Association for Artificial Intelligence conference in Austin, Texas.

To calibrate the system and generate a measurable reaction, UR computer science professor Jiebo Luo jabbed at the emotions of 27 participants by sending them messages and tweets intended to ignite them one way or the other. Using subjects' reactions to gauge the emotions spurred by positive or negative content in tweets, they ran the data through the program to test whether it could actually analyze emotions. Currently, the program categorizes emotions as being positive, negative or neutral, although Luo says he hopes to refine the program's analytical capabilities to discern the difference between emotions such as sad or angry both of which would currently be classified as "negative" by the program.


Article Source: CTV News

Basic Needs: Empowering Communities!

BasicNeeds implements a community based and people-oriented Model which emphasizes the importance of enabling people with mental illness and/or epilepsy to re-integrate successfully into their families and communities, to re-gain their own self-respect and dignity by being an economic asset to their families. In the Livelihoods model we facilitate opportunities for affected individuals (users and carers) to gain or regain the ability to work, earn and contribute to family and community. The emphasis on the livelihoods is to ensure that when drugs are not available at the health facilities the users and carers can still afford to buy them from the nearest chemist. Such was the opportunity accorded to users and carers in Maili 46 in Kajiado County as illustrated  by photos below; Tie and Dye Training   Participants holing their fabric ready to start tying them in to different patterns


 
 Trainer with the participants helping them to tie their fabrics to desire patterns

Participants dipping the fabric in hot water before dying them

Participants displaying their finished tie and dye articles