Links

  • Sharing – Don’t Touch Me: Unwanted Affection Causes Stress

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Turns out, we’re all a lot more complicated. If you read the rest of the article, what you’ll see is that none of this is simple, not only is there the line between wanted and unwanted affection, there’s also a point where we’ve simply had enough and don’t want more, and that line is not going to be the same for everyone.

    All of this leads me to believe that the best way to navigate this in romantic relationships, or just with family and friends, is to communicate openly about what we want and don’t want.

    Believe it or not, abuse survivors, you can do that. You can create your own boundaries, and ask for what you want in any relationship. It just takes some time to learn how.

  • Sharing – Self-help resources can encourage victim-blaming of individuals with depression, study finds

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    There’s no language in this belief system for “some other person decided to hurt you for no reason at all and it had nothing to do with you”. There can’t be any language for that, because the entire system is self-centered.

    The world isn’t. So please stop telling people who have suffered real harm that it’s all just lessons to learn, that simply excuses away harmful behavior, provides overly simple “fixes” for mental health issues, and places the blame for it square on the victim. That’s no way to support anyone.

  • Sharing – How To Tell If Your Parent is Suffering from Depression

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    As pointed out later in the article below, the second-highest rate of suicide belongs to elderly white men. We have created a stereotype of the “grumpy old man” in our society. We’ve even made movies out of it. But don’t let that fool you, that grumpiness or the other moods we assume are just part of getting older, might not be that at all.

  • Sharing – When Childhood Trauma Leads to Anxiety

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    When you grow up constantly on the lookout for the “next” danger that was coming your way, or constantly worried about your own safety as a result of other people’s moods and actions, that doesn’t just stop when you become an adult. And, when you cannot turn it off, that can easily roll right into an anxiety issue.

    And, I can also tell you firsthand that even when you do the therapy and some of the other suggestions from the article below, it can come back during especially stressful times.

    Like now.

    So, if this describes you, you’re not alone.

  • Sharing – Talking Openly About Anxiety

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    I recently had a conversation with someone dealing with anxiety and trying to learn more about it. She desperately needs to know that what she’s experiencing is something that many other people are going through and have gone through. So, I’ve told her about my anxiety. I’ve told her about the times my brain just won’t turn off, and my heart beats faster for no apparent reason at all. I’ve told her about the days when I struggle to remember things because my mind is racing so fast it doesn’t process things I just heard.

    My wife has been there for those conversations. She’s heard me talk about things I’ve not really told her because I don’t want her to worry. Does she worry now? Maybe. Does it really matter to me?

    Yes, it does. I don’t want her to worry, but I’ll trade that for letting someone we both care about know that they are not alone. This is why we need to talk about it. No one should feel alone and ashamed about any mental health issues they may be having. There are just too many others having the same ones for there to be room for judgment instead of support.

  • Sharing – Shower Meditation: Wash Away Your Stress and Anxiety

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    So, maybe Steven’s suggestion to start with a shower meditation might work for some of you who struggle like me. I’m going to try it, assuming I remember to actually do it instead of rushing to get finished and on to the next thing!

    How do you incorporate mindfulness or meditation into your daily activities? Does it help you?