Month: December 2017

Worth Living Ambassador Michael Mousseau

My name is Mike and I’m 24.  I have a career in correction services. I have confronted depression and anxiety the majority of my life. I’ve never been truly shy about my struggles, but it’s also hard to find the words to explain the struggles within your head. So let’s take a trip into my world.

Caution : Mike discusses suicide

Progress is Not Always Linear

I’m usually the first person to tell my friends “progress isn’t linear.” “You’ll be alright.” “It’ll get better” But when it comes my own progress, as soon as I feel off track, I’m a mess.

Twice in the last month, I’ve had trouble sleeping. Not just tossing and turning for hours, but being teased by sleeping 2 or 3 hours, then being up for another 2, then falling asleep for an hour or so only to wake up with my mind racing and repeat the cycle until I feel too afraid to close my eyes again. For me, my anxiety spikes when I’m tired. So the vicious cycle is never ending.

This time though, I think I’ve found a new trigger for my anxiety. Death. I knew after Alan died that death made me anxious. Realizing somebody so close to me was struggling before a freak accident, somehow put the idea in my head that because I was struggling, I would soon die too.

This time, a celebrity death. Not a freak accident, or stereotypical OD, But a suicide. And this suicide claimed the life of a musician that I looked up to as an adolescent.

Further research informed me that I related to Chester’s abuse history. Again, the intrusive dark thought process begins.
“Will my past haunt me to the point of suicide?” “Is this my fate as well?”

“Is death the only way these thoughts and feelings will end?”

Being alone with my thoughts isn’t an easy task. I’m stubborn as fuck in the outside world, so being just as stubborn internally makes battling MI so much more difficult. Since a child, I always saw a life for myself. Travel, marriage, kids, adventure. I never once saw myself succumbing to such an ailment. I still don’t.

I know I can be happy. I’ve been before. I still have my days. I’m a much more enjoyable person when I’m confident in my ability to function as a normal human. So struggling and losing all of my self- confidence takes a toll on so many aspects of my everyday life.

I may not feel better tomorrow or next week. That being said, I may very well feel better tomorrow. All I know is that I’m not giving up. Not now. Not ever.

To quote another famous musician with a damning past: “Nothing on this planet is worth ending your life for. Because everything after this is amazing”

Worth Living Ambassador Beth Allen

Worth Living Ambassador Beth Allen is a Mental Health Advocate, and an active video blogger who aims to be informative, fun and truthful whilst showing life with Mental Illness. Having suffered in silence for 10 years with GAD, Emetophobia, Anorexia and Depression, Beth is 100% committed to showing the world that it’s okay to not be okay. In this this video, Beth discusses Living with Emetophobia. Please  subscribe to Beth’s youtube channel. Proud to have her on the WL Team of Advocates!

Beth shares her suggestions for Dealing with Christmas Anxiety . We can all benefit from her video for any holiday or special event. Thanks to Beth for continuing to contribute to this important conversation. We walk this path of mental health awareness together.

Worth Living Ambassador Lorna Morrison

My name is Lorna Morrison and I am a 22 year old Film and Television graduate. I blog about mental health and my recovery from an eating disorder in the hopes that I can aid others to seek the help they deserve. You can follow me on IG @bitingback_blog
and on my personal blog at https://bitingback1995.blogspot.co.uk

Supporting a Loved One through the Christmas Period (Eating Disorders)

The festive period can be hard for those who are dealing with eating disorders. I know for me personally, when I was still in my eating disorder mind set, Christmas was my favourite time of year but also the time when I struggled most mentally. The thought of sitting around a table eating with people, having photos taken, and being surrounded by chocolate tins was something that filled me with massive amounts of anxiety.

I know that if you have to support somebody that you care about who is struggling with an eating disorder, it can also have an impact on you so I thought that I would like to write a post to give you some advice on how to help your loved one to make things easier for them and for yourself.

Let’s get into the advice…

• Don’t sit and watch them whilst they eat. I know this will be hard as you will want to make sure they are eating but trust me this will make things worse as they may become paranoid, people are judging them for how much they are eating and this can subsequently result in eating disorder behaviours.

• Something that is similar to the first point is avoid praising them for how much they have eaten as this can make them think they have over eaten. Just don’t discuss what they are eating/not eating.

• Acknowledge that the loved one will most likely struggle at some point over the festive period, have a discussion with them so that they are aware you are there for them when things may get on top of them. You may have already learnt what triggers them, so if you can see that they are struggling, let them know in private that you are there for them if they need to talk.

• Set a plan of action ahead of time as to what they would find helpful if they do become stressed/anxious.

• You could help them create an eating plan so that they have no shock as to what food will be placed in front of them and they can prepare for this rather than being put under pressure when the time comes for the plate to be put in front of them.

• Plan activities for after meals to help keep their minds distracted from what they may have eaten. This could be getting a board game out that somebody received as a present and having the whole family sit around to play it. I found this extremely helpful when I was struggling with afterthoughts.

• With the new year also approaching at this time, the “diet” talk may come up around the table. Refrain from talking about weight gain, weight loss or things associated with this topic as people struggling with an eating disorder may find this triggering.

• Lastly please be patient! I know this can be hard as it can be difficult to see someone you love feeling this way but try not to get frustrated with them because this can make things worse for them as they start to feel guilt. Just let them know that you’re there for them. Also do not blame yourself for what they are going through! Try to focus on spending time with them and other loved ones and creating an enjoyable, memorable day for all involved.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Lorna

Worth Living Ambassador Haddi Browne

Hello, my name is Haddi. I am a Research professional and a Psychology graduate. During my course, I volunteered within various mental health services, which included working on a helpline for people affected by mental illness, organising activities for inpatients on a psychiatric ward, and working in a therapeutic community for people with severe mental illnesses. For me, the most interesting parts of my degree were learning about different mental illnesses and their causes and treatments.

Good Sleep for Good Mental Health

Having good sleep patterns is important for both physical and mental health.

Poor sleep can cause or worsen mental health issues. Not sleeping well can also slow down recovery from mental illness.

Here are 12 good sleep hygiene practices:

1.Spend the appropriate amount of time asleep in bed – not sleeping too little or too much
2.Limit daytime naps to 30 minutes . Napping does not make up for inadequate nighttime sleep. However, a short nap of 20-30 minutes can help to improve mood, alertness and performance.
3.Avoid stimulants such as  caffeine and nicotine close to bedtime.
4.Drink in moderation. Alcohol is well-known to help you fall asleep faster. However, too much close to bedtime can disrupt sleep in the second half of the night as the body begins to process the alcohol.
5.Exercise to promote good quality sleep, but avoiding strenuous workouts close to bedtime.
6.Close to bedtime, avoid heavy or rich foods, fatty or fried meals, spicy dishes, citrus fruits, and carbonated drinks
7.Get as much exposure to natural light as possible. Exposure to sunlight during the day, as well as darkness at night, helps to maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle .
8.Establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine to help the body realise that it is bedtime. Good bedtime routines may include taking a warm shower or bath, reading a book, or light stretches.
9.Avoid emotionally upsetting conversations and activities before trying to sleep.
10.Make sure that your  sleep environment is pleasant. Your mattress and pillows should be comfortable. Your bedroom should not be too hot or too cold.
11.Adjust or turn off lamps and TV screens as bright lights can make it difficult to fall asleep
12.Consider buying blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, “white noise” machines, humidifiers, fans and other devices that can make the bedroom more relaxing and comfortable

Worth Living Ambassador Beth Allen

Worth Living Ambassador Beth Allen is a Mental Health Advocate, and an active video blogger who aims to be informative, fun and truthful whilst showing life with Mental Illness. Having suffered in silence for 10 years with GAD, Emetophobia, Anorexia and Depression, Beth is 100% committed to showing the world that it’s okay to not be okay. In this this video, Beth discusses Living with Emetophobia. Please  subscribe to Beth’s youtube channel. Proud to have her on the WL Team of Advocates!

What is S.A.D? (Seasonal Affective Disorder)