Category - mental health

The Most Underused Medication for Mental Health

2 days ago

brett ullman, Canadian content, mental health, parenting

Today I want to talk about the most underused medication for mental health struggles: Exercise.

Now, please listen clearly I am not saying to stop seeing your doctors, psychologists psychiatrist, and other specialists who are helping you on this journey. In the blog Everyday Health they say:

“Exercise won’t cure anxiety or depression, but the physical and psychological benefits can improve the symptoms,” explains Sally R. Connolly, LCSW, a therapist at the Couples Clinic of Louisville in Kentucky. “Research shows that at least 30 minutes of exercise three to five days a week can significantly make a difference.” Some studies have suggested that regular exercise can help alleviate anxiety as much as anxiety medications, and the anxiety-relieving effects of exercise may last longer than those of drugs.”

Love to hear your thoughts on mental health and exercise.

Cannabis: What Parents/Guardians and Caregivers Need to Know

2 months ago

brett ullman

brett ullman, Canadian content, Drugs & Alcohol, Health, mental health, parenting

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Parents here is a 6 sheet PDF from The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) with information to help you on the conversation of legalized Marijuana.

This fact sheet on recreational cannabis is for parents/guardians and caregivers of youth in grades 6 to 12. It provides information about cannabis, cannabis legalization, risks, signs of a problem, how to help your child, and where to get more information and support.

Please click this link for the PDF

How to help your child/teen during a panic/anxiety attack

September 10, 2018

brett ullman

brett ullman, Canadian content, mental health, parenting

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I often get emails from parents asking me about how they can help their child when they are having a panic/anxiety attack. In this video, we will look at some definitions, some signs your child might be having a panic/anxiety attack, and some things to do to help during that time.

Love to hear your thoughts on this. What has worked for you? What did not work?

The Church and Mental Health: What Do the Numbers Tell Us?

July 20, 2018

brett ullman

church, mental health

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Really great article here from Ed Stetzer. We are getting better at this in the church world but we still have a long way to go.

A Gap in Awareness. There was a significant gap in what pastors said their churches provided and what family members said was available. In six of the nine typical types of care referenced in the survey, fewer family members than pastors believed their churches offered such help.

This was particularly true for churches maintaining a list of experts to which people could be referred. Almost seven in 10 (68%) pastors said their churches had such a list. Less than three in 10 (28%) family members had the same perception.

The Views of Those with Mental Illness. Much like their family members, those personally suffering from mental illness and who also regularly attend church believe more could be done to help them.

Here are the ways a majority said the Church could assist them:

74%: help families find local resources for support and dealing with the illness

63%: talk about it openly so the topic is not so taboo

61%: improve people’s understanding of what mental illness is and what to expect

58%: provide training for the Church to understand mental illness

57%: increase awareness of how prevalent mental illness is today

For many suffering from a mental illness, they simply want to be treated as people and not outcasts. Overall, 70% of Protestants with a mental illness wanted fellow church members to merely get to know them as a friend. For consistent church attenders, that number climbed to 78%. They just want to be treated like a person, which sometimes even those in ministry can forget to do.

click here for the entire article.

Suicides Have Increased. Is This an Existential Crisis?

June 25, 2018

brett ullman

Loneliness, mental health

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Really good read from the NY Times.

As a behavioral scientist who studies basic psychological needs, including the need for meaning, I am convinced that our nation’s suicide crisis is in part a crisis of meaninglessness. Fully addressing it will require an understanding of how recent changes in American society — changes in the direction of greater detachment and a weaker sense of belonging — are increasing the risk of existential despair.

All of which brings us to the changing social landscape of America. To bemoan the decline of neighborliness, the shrinking of the family and the diminishing role of religion may sound like the complaining of a crotchety old man. Yet from the standpoint of psychological science, these changes, regardless of what you otherwise think about them, pose serious threats to a life of meaning.

We are less and less connected with each other. This is such a big topic with so many different factors contributing to why people might take their life. I found this article has some good points. What are your thoughts?

click here for the entire article.