Parental behaviour and Suicide risk

A national survey carried out in 2012 in the United States found that there's a significant link between parental behaviours and thoughts of suicide among adolescents. 

The Daily Nation recently shared an article that looked into this association. The link to the article can be found here. 

                                                                   

                                              Happy reading!

How to control your social media usage

So you have read through the list of indicators to be wary of when determining whether or not social media has been chipping away at your emotional wellness. You have realized that indeed, your usage is affecting your mental and emotional wellness and you want to cut back on your usage but are not sure about how to go about it. Controlling your social media usage is not nearly as impossible as you may expect; the first (HUGE) step is recognizing that your excessive usage is actually affecting your health and happiness. Now that you’ve committed to making a change, below are a few steps you can follow to see yourself through your new goal:

Reach out, offline: Substitute your social media time with face-to-face activities with family and friends who support and care about you. Put down your phone and other devices when you’re with others. Consider expanding your in-person social circles to include people with similar interests.

Tune up your mind and body: Get moving toward something better when you feel a need to hit social media. Exercise. Meditate. Going outside for some fresh air and activity can fire up your muscles and give your mood a positive boost.

Find a new healthy hobby; learn a new skill or language. Of great importance, get some sleep. Chronic social media use wreaks havoc on the normal sleeping patterns which is crucial for good mental health.

Unplug and erase: Take a break from the Internet as a whole to remove the temptation of logging onto your favourite social media platforms. Take social media off your radar by uninstalling apps, removing shortcuts from your home screens and bookmarks from your browsers. This makes getting to social media platforms longer and requires more effort. Sometimes, out of sight, out of mind really does ring true. Set firm boundaries. If you must engage on social media, lay down clear limits in advance for how many times a day, and for how long you will spend online. Steer clear of content and platforms that bring you down or evoke negative responses. Set a timer to help stay on track and be accountable. You may also want to limit your online social interactions to one device.

Get support: Remember, you’re not alone. Reach out to, friends, family, local and national organizations specializing in addiction and mental health. They’re there to help!

Article courtesy of Homewood Health

Social Media usage and your Mental Health

When was the last time you liked or posted something on Facebook? Instagram? When was the last time you tweeted your opinion? Shared an update on Snapchat? Watched a YouTube video? Communicated with friends/family/colleagues on instant message?  Or better yet, when was the last time you used google to fact-check a certain detail?

Was it a week ago? An hour ago? Five minutes ago? Majority of the internet-connected population will admit to having engaged in at least one of the above mentioned social media platforms very recently and are likely to do so again very soon. Thanks to social media, staying connected 24/7 is no longer just a cliche. We’re a mere click away from our friends, families, colleagues, etc. no matter where in the world you are.

An article recently posted on sokodirectory.com claimed that there is an estimated 37.7 million internet users in Kenya today, translating to an internet penetration level of 87.6%. Likewise, a drastic increase in social media usage has been noted in the country in the recent past. Kenyans have always been quick to exploit new inventions with lots of subscription; social media usage in the country ranges from business and marketing of products to personal benefits. According to the Global Stats Counter, between November 2016 and November 2017, the percentage of Kenyans engaging in the different social media platforms is as follows:

Facebook- 72.96%

Twitter- 11.51%

You tube- 11.51%

Pinterest- 8.95%

Reddit- 1.45%

Instagram- 0.95%

Impact of Social Media on your mental health and well-being

Undoubtedly, there are both upsides and downsides to social media. By virtue of being able to connect with others anywhere at any time, a sense/feeling of community is created. Additionally, we now have access to different opinions and information which provides us with a different perspective and allows us to expand our points of view. Some research even suggests that certain platforms may have a positive impact on mental health by providing opportunities for connections that may otherwise not happen. However, there’s a darker side to how social media can affect us, with researchers claiming that the more time you spend on social media, the more likely you are to suffer from mental health issues, especially in children and teenagers. 

This does not go to say that adults are immune; excessive use of social media leads to negative consequences which have been evident in adults as well. If you suspect social media is slowly eating at your emotional wellness, you’re not alone. Healthcare specialists have seen a drastic uptake in patients who feel they’re being adversely affected by their online social activity. As a result, multiple studies have begun to focus on the association between online social networking and a variety of negative feelings and psychiatric disorders. Some of the noticeable concerns lie in the increase in anxiety and depression/depressive symptoms, feelings of inferiority and decreased self-esteem and concentration levels, just to mention a few.

According to Homewood Health, the Canadian leader in mental health and addiction services, here a list of indicators to be wary of when assessing the impact of your social media usage on your mental and emotional well-being:

• Low or decreased self-esteem during or after using social media
• Negatively comparing yourself to others through their social media content
• Repetitively focusing on your own shortcomings or distress while viewing others’ social media feeds
• Frequently feeling envious of others while engaged with social media
• Using social media as your prime leisure activity
• Feeling disconnected from friends and family or not interacting with them in person as often as you normally would
• Decrease in ability to concentrate
• Increased or unusual social anxiety when interacting with people offline
• Feeling a need to share everything you’re doing offline on social media
• Experiencing the negative emotional experience, “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) during or after viewing others’ online activity
• Consciously, consistently using social media as a distraction to avoid or suppress unpleasant emotions
• Irregular or disordered sleeping patterns
• Increase in fatigue and/or stress during or after using social media

Article courtesy of Global stats counter, The Standard, Homewood Health 

Art Therapy

Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

~Pablo Picasso

What is Art therapy?

Art therapy is a specialized area of mental health that uses the creative process of art to improve a person’s physical, emotional and mental well-being. Art therapy can include a mixture of drawing, colouring, painting, sculpting and pretty much everything else you can think of that is artistic, however, music, art, and dance are the main expressions for this variety of therapy. Music therapy can be a mix of playing instruments, listening to music, and singing while dance therapy utilizes dance and movement.

All the activities involved in art therapy are things people love to do as hobbies, therefore, why not use it to better yourself? Endorphins (natural chemicals in the body that fight pain and can also help bring about feelings of euphoria and general well-being) are released into your body when you do an activity you love/enjoy.  For this reason, doesn’t it make sense that this form of therapy has been proven to be effective? I believe it does!

How does Art therapy work?

Art therapists are trained to pick up on nonverbal symbols and concepts that are usually difficult to express with words. It is through creating art and reflecting on your products and the processes that one really begins to see the effects of art therapy and the discoveries that can be made. There’s therefore more to art therapy than simply “drawing your feelings.” Just as your doctor may prescribe medication to aid your physical healing, art therapists are trained to lead people through the creative process in a therapeutic way. You are the expert on your own artwork and creative process, and the art therapist’s role is to facilitate explorations of your work rather than to analyse or interpret it. Your art therapist will offer art-based therapy interventions that are tailored to your needs, and the choice on the specific types of materials to engage in ultimately lies with you.  

Who can use art therapy?

Younger people are less capable of expressing themselves using words than adults. Art therapy can therefore be especially beneficial to them, however, it can also be very helpful to adults. With that said, anyone can use art therapy. From groups or communities to individuals to families to people in all sorts of relationships can use art as therapy. Other forms of communication involve the use of words or language to communicate one’s feelings or emotions, and often times, humans are incapable of expressing themselves within this limited range. Art therapy thus makes it easier for one to express themselves without the added pressure of verbally communicating your thoughts and feelings and without the fear of being verbally misinterpreted. Some of the common uses of art therapy include but are not limited to:

• One who believes they are problem free and would simply like to explore themselves more deeply
• Children or young adults experiencing problems in school
• Someone with learning difficulties or disabilities
• Someone with mental health problems
• People with autism, brain injuries, eating disorders, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, 
• Kids, teenagers, or adults with personal problems

Benefits of Art therapy

• It can help people improve their social skills
• It can help with reducing pain, anxiety, and tension
• It has been shown to be beneficial to people with mental disorders such as bipolar and autism, those suffering from emotional abuse (light or severe), cancer, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), and a variety of other serious ailments.
• Through art therapy, people can increase self-awareness and that of others, increase self-esteem, resolve psychological conflicts, cope with symptoms, stress and traumatic experiences and enhance their cognitive (psychological) abilities

             All in all,the benefits of art therapy can be quite broad and make it worth exploring!

To read about how art therapy can be beneficial in managing anxiety and stress at work, follow this link .

Happy reading!

xxx