The threat is coming from inside the house
Having lived experience of mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, and may even be an asset for some mental health professionals. I wrote about how shaming of mental illness can take place not just on social media, but also among some in my own profession.
https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/threat-coming-inside-house
Field notes on my personal coping strategies during the early weeks of CV-19.
I have jotted down a few of my 'field notes' on what I’ve found to be helpful over the past few weeks. I’m not recommending them but just sharing in case you may find a few of these ideas helpful. I am writing this not as a psychologist, but as a person finding the disruption of this whole experience very trying.
Read more: Field Notes. My personal coping strategies during the early weeks of CV-19
Need to rewrite your family script this Christmas? Here’s how to do it | Christmas | The Guardian
Christmas is a time when families tend to get together, and this time can feel joyful but often stifling, depending on the families dynamics. Sometimes we can feel a struggle between our adult, autonomous selves and the role that we had while we were growing up. I wrote this article to highlight how we can change our ‘family script’ so that we can balance our role in the family without getting pulled back into the past...
https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/23/how-to-survive-christmas-with-family
'Are you okay?'
As a highly qualified mental health professional, I have gathered years of experience in recognising and treating mental health problems. But one day I realised that our own daughter was struggling with depression and anxiety, and urgently needed help. Figuring out what my role was as a mother, but also as a clinical psychologist, required careful and sensitive consideration, and I often found myself walking a fine line between the two roles. Ultimately, I realised how fortunate I was to be able to recognise our daughter's symptoms, and also how to find high quality help.
Read on...
https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/are-you-okay
Published 5th November 2019 - https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk
Overcoming Negativity in Longterm Health Conditions
Having a chronic condition may, at times, make you feel less optimistic about the future, and divert your attention away from enjoyment of the moment. It can be difficult to see others who have short term illnesses getting treatment, improving, and eventually returning to what seems to be normal life. Having a longterm health condition can feel like being stuck in the slow lane. A combination of pervasive fatigue, relapses that seem to make time stand still, and medical appointments that seem to be stretched out, months apart, can easily lead to a sense of being stuck in a time warp. But it is vital for your mood, your general well being, and your family, not to let brief spells of pessimism become prolonged dark spells. Here are a few ways you can get the wheels turning forward again...
Improve your wellbeing with a Gratitude Journal
Most of us find that we can start the day feeling bright, but some small event can snag our emotions and cause them to unravel. It could be something like an unexpected bill, a worrying letter from the hospital, a growing fatigue that you weren’t experiencing yesterday, or someone else’s irritability that triggers off our own negative feelings. These events can easily upset our equilibrium for the rest of the day, or even longer, as we brood over the negative event, and compound it with a sense of indignation and righteous anger.
5 ways to boost your mood during the dark days of winter
Many of us, as adults, feel a sense of dread sneaking in as we notice the days become shorter and the mornings darker. While children seem to bounce around happily in anticipation of Halloween and Christmas, their parents may feel like pulling the duvet over their heads and hibernating until March. That seems like a good idea, right?
People with longterm health conditions can find the autumn and winter particularly oppressive as the prospect of wet, icy pavements, and shorter days can feel like extra barriers to navigate. The idea of shopping can feel like a chore, but the comfort zone of the house soon begins to feel confining and claustrophobic.
Here are a few ways in which you can lift the gloom and boost your winter mood.
Read more: 5 ways to boost your mood during the dark days of winter
Do you ever get the feeling that you and your relatives are actors trapped in the same old parts? Don't worry - there are ways to break out of your roles.
Emotional Perfectionism – A Hidden Trigger of Anxiety
When we feel anxious, panicky or constantly worried, we are responding to a sense of fear that something awful is about to happen. Once you begin to feel anxious, your negative thoughts and feelings snowball and lead to a vicious circle. Negative thoughts fuel anxiety, and the anxiety makes us feel worse, triggering more negative thoughts. We end up feeling tense, tired, and even a bit hopeless that we may never get off this frightening treadmill.
