Not Feeling Thankful this Season? Explore These Three Things
Not feeling thankful this holiday season? That’s okay. Here’s how to accept those feelings in a way that is helpful rather than harmful.
Blog Archives
Are You or Someone You Know Struggling with Thoughts of Suicide? Here are Some Resources That You Should Know About.
Amelia Elkins, LCSW, CAS While it is completely normal to have thoughts of hopelessness from time to time, suicidal thoughts should be taken seriously and deserve attention. Today, suicide is still more prevalent among males, however, females are more likely to attempt suicide. For folks under the age of 24 years old, suicide is the third leading cause of death, and second leading cause for the specific age group of 10-14 years old. American Indian and Alaska Native individuals are at the greatest risk for suicide, with non-Hispanic white folks coming in as the second most at risk group. There are so many pressures for today’s younger generations including appearance, grades, friendships, social media, and constant screen time. Constant comparison and accessibility leads to extra stress for teenagers, which could lead to suicidal ideation if one is already not feeling mentally stable. If you or someone you know seems to be struggling, connect with them and don’t ignore the signs. Here is a list of resources for support: Colorado: Colorado Crisis Services is a 24/7 hotline for support. They also offer walk in centers around Denver to be seen day of: https://coloradocrisisservices.org. Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention in Colorado Springs offers individual therapy, group therapy and other resources: https://www.pikespeaksuicideprevention.org. Denver Indian Family Resource Center offers support for American Indian and Alaska Native Families: https://difrc.org. The Asian Pacific Development Center offers a wide range of mental health services for Asian American Pacific Islanders: https://www.apdc.org/about-us. El Centro de las Familias is a multicultural clinic providing mental health services in both Spanish and English: https://www.wellpower.org/el-centro-de-las-familias-english/. National: 988 Suicide Line offers resources and a hotline: https://988lifeline.org Crisis Text Line offers a 24/7 text hotline: https://www.crisistextline.org The Trevor Project offers a variety of resources for LGBTQ folks: https://www.thetrevorproject.org Starting therapy and having regular support may be beneficial in reducing suicidal ideation. Reach out today to get support.
Worried about Seasonal Affective Disorder? Embrace Winter with These Four Tools
Amelia Elkins, LCSW, CAS Winter is coming! ‘Tis the season for colder temperatures, post-holiday blues, and gray skies. For some, this may mean stress or anxiety about the potential onset of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). The seasons simply changing may start to trigger symptoms of depression, such as: low energy, exhaustion, and lack of motivation. Risk factors for developing SAD include living in an area with less daylight during the winter, having a Bipolar diagnosis, or a family history of SAD. If you’re concerned about developing SAD, are in a current phase of SAD, or know someone struggling, check out these tools for support: >Let there be light: Purchasing a light box and sitting in front of one for a set amount of time each day has been proven to be an effective treatment. Also, making daylight a daily priority by going for a walk may be helpful. If traveling is an option, making a point of traveling somewhere sunny and warm in the middle of winter is also a great tool for mixing up a challenging season. >Self-Care Routine: Making healthy eating, daily exercise, consistent sleep patterns, and water intake a priority cannot be underestimated. Self-care may also include getting rid of negative influences, taking space from people who aren’t making you feel like your best self, and focusing on activities that create joy. >Consult your Doctor: Having a doctor check in on your Vitamin D intake, run a physical, and check your thyroid may also be helpful in addressing and reducing symptoms. >Reset your Space: If you must be inside due to the weather, how do you feel about your space? Taking time to clean, organize, and get rid of items which aren’t contributing to feelings of wellbeing may be helpful. The Dutch art of Hygge can be practiced year round, but may be especially helpful during the winter months. This includes creating lots of indoor light, comforting music, comforting food, and yummy smells.
Is Working from Home Making You Feel Depressed? Here’s How to Cope.
Amelia Elkins, LCSW, CAS “We are not working from home. We are working with home” -Esther Perel Why is Working From Home Taking a Toll? With all the changes over the past two years, working remotely has become much more popular. There are so many advantages to working from home including the flexibility to travel, attend appointments, and take care of household items. Even the stress of a daily commute is eliminated. However, with these benefits comes unexpected setbacks. Just to name a few: not being able to separate from work, working more than you would in an office, and feeling isolated. And we know what feeling isolated from others can lead to–depression. I recently had a client disclose that she feels she gets the most support and connection out of her day from going to a workout class. Not from her work colleagues, with whom she spends most of her day. Just as we value relationships with the people in our life, our work relationship should be given the same attention. How to Cope if Working From Home is Negatively Impacting Your Mental Health If you feel that working from home these last few years has been taking a toll on you, here are some tips to improve your relationship with work: Create Separation. This seems to be one of the most helpful tools for folks working from home. Having a separate space. Even if it’s a tiny desk in front of a window where you’re able to work daily; this can help the ritual of easing in and out of work to feel more manageable. Easing into your day by having a warm beverage and closing the day by shutting down your laptop or even cleaning your space can feel like a “mini commute.” While it can be tempting to work in pajamas from the couch, getting somewhat ready or cleaned up in the mornings followed by working at the same space can help reduce stress and create distance between home and work. More on this here: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/5-remote-work-practices-for-better-work-life-balance.html. Take Breaks. Research states taking breaks every 60-90 minutes is beneficial for productivity (https://medium.com/mind-cafe/the-science-of-taking-breaks-at-work-to-help-boost-your-productivity-ec3e1f47c818). Scheduling in a ten-minute break to walk around the block, 30 minutes for lunch outside, or even five minutes for stretching is important and necessary. Previously, a lot of folks would engage in small talk or go find a snack in the office but working from home can make it easy to work more because there aren’t other coworkers around. Being intentional about breaks is necessary for reduced stress, higher energy levels, and level of focus. Increase Communication. What is and isn’t working for you while working remotely? Depending on if you work for a large company or just have one other co-worker, check in with each other. Here are some important questions to ask: How can we support each other working remotely? Can we create in person meetups to increase connection? What incentives were provided in office that could be switched remotely? Interested in learning more tools for communication at work? Check out these tips: https://zenkit.com/en/blog/workplace-communication-tips-and-tools-for-good-communication/.
Postpartum Depression: How to Spot It
Postpartum Depression As if going through a long pregnancy and overwhelming labor and delivery were not enough, once the baby is here there are multiple factors that can contribute to lasting mental health issues. Postpartum depression (PPD) is the experience of mild to severe symptoms of depression, which is considered a medical complication after the birth of your baby. If you believe that you might be suffering from PPD, continue reading to learn about the signs and symptoms, the contributing factors, and how to work on moving through this difficult time. Signs and symptoms of PPD While it is difficult to fit one’s symptoms of depression into a ‘box,’ these are the most common signs of Postpartum Depression. If you notice that you are experiencing some of these symptoms, is it possible that what you are experiencing is in fact PPD. Experiencing frequent mood swings, feeling extremely sad or angry at times Crying often Not feeling attached or bonded to your baby Isolating yourself from others Changes in appetite (eating more or less than you typically eat) Sleep changes (not getting enough or getting too much sleep) Feeling fatigued or like you have no energy Struggling to focus and/or feeling “brain fogged” Negative thoughts such as “I’m not a good mother.” Feeling hopeless about things getting better in the future Feeling worthless Having thoughts of hurting yourself or others How PPD is Different From the “Baby Blues” It is very typical for women to experiencing mood shifts from what feels normal to them in the weeks following the birth of their baby. The main difference between the “baby blues” and PPD is that the symptoms associated to baby blues typically reduce significantly in frequency and intensity about two weeks postpartum. If symptoms of depression increase in frequency and intensity or continue past that two week mark, this might be a sign of postpartum depression. Contributing Factors Family history of mental health issues. If any of your family members have struggled with mental health issues, you are more likely to experience symptoms of depression or anxiety following the birth of your baby. Traumatic experience during labor and delivery. When labor and delivery don’t look the way we planned, or worse—something traumatic happens, this might impact your mood and functioning even after you leave the hospital. Traumatic labor and delivery experiences are more common than you might realize. This is because we often feel pressure to focus on how happy we are about the birth of our child, rather than the not-so-great aspects of the experience. Our body’s most basic needs are not prioritized . It is no secret that our body needs sleep, water, food, and movement to function. After the birth of a child, the quality and quantity of parents’ sleep are taking a hit for obvious reasons, but there is also less attention paid to food and water intake. Isolation. There are studies that show that new mothers who feel isolated in caring for their new baby are more likely to struggle with symptoms of postpartum depression or anxiety. Adjustment to a new way of life. With a new baby in your life, things look different. You might be struggling to feel connected to your partner or other children. Maybe you miss what your life looked like before baby. There is a grieving process that goes on for some new parents and this can contribute to the likelihood of symptoms of PPD popping up. What to do If You Are Struggling with Symptoms of PPD Open up—don’t struggle in silence. Struggling with symptoms of depression does not mean you are weak or failing as a parent. When we struggle in silence, our symptoms tend to only get worse. Open up to trusted friends and family about what you are going through. Don’t compare your experience to what you see on social media. Just remember that what we put on the internet for others to see is often curated. This means that when you see other moms with perfect-looking homes and a house full of smiling faces, this is only one moment of their day. Comparing your experience to that is setting yourself up for failure. Seek support from other moms. Being a mom with a new baby can feel so isolating. You partner and/or other support people want to be there for you, but it is difficult for them to understanding exactly what you are going through. Reach out to friends that are moms or find new supports through resources such as the Peanut app. Implement structure into your day. Any parent knows that in those early days with a newborn, your schedule is largely dictated by your baby’s feeding schedule. This can make us feel as though we have accomplished nothing else by the end of the day. To help with this, set one small to medium sized goal that you can accomplish that day. This can look like texting a friend or putting the laundry away. Find ways to prioritize your self-care. Yes, right after giving birth your baby needs to be your primary focus. But to care for your baby to the best of your ability, you also need to care for yourself. All too often parents put their own needs on the backburner for too long. Ask a support person to watch the baby for an hour so that you can take a nap or a long stress-free shower. Do the things that make you feel good about yourself: style your hair, exercise or put a face mask on. Talk to your doctor about medications. Medications are most helpful in conjunction with talk therapy, as they will alleviate any chemical imbalance so that you feel able to engage in self-care and coping skills. Talk to a therapist. Getting engaged with a counselor is helpful as you will have a place to ‘vent,’ as needed, as well as develop skills for coping with your symptoms of depression so that you can live the life you
Why You Might Be Feeling More Depressed in January
The January blues are real. There are lots of reasons depression rises in January. Here’s come coping tools and things to look out for.
The Surprising Ways Therapy Helps with Depression
We see a lot of clients at Thrive Counseling that experience depression. Here are the surprising ways therapy can help with depression.
A Letter to My (Someday) Non-Depressed Self
What does it look like to come out on the other side of depression?
16 Crucial Questions to Ask Yourself before Giving Up
When everything is awful and you are not okay, you probably feel like giving up. That’s normal, that’s human, and we’ve all been there. But before you give up (whatever that means for you) here are 16 questions to ask yourself: Are you hydrated? If not, have a glass of water. Have you eaten in the past three hours? If not, get some food — something with protein, not just simple carbs. Perhaps some nuts or hummus? Have you showered in the past day? If not, take a shower right now. If daytime: are you dressed? If not, put on clean clothes that aren’t pajamas. Give yourself permission to wear something special, whether it’s a funny t-shirt or a pretty dress. If nighttime: are you sleepy and fatigued but resisting going to sleep? Put on pajamas, make yourself cozy in bed with a teddy bear and the sound of falling rain, and close your eyes for fifteen minutes — no electronic screens allowed. If you’re still awake after that, you can get up again; no pressure. Have you stretched your legs in the past day? If not, do so right now. If you don’t have the spoons for a run or trip to the gym, just walk around the block, then keep walking as long as you please. If the weather’s crap, drive to a big box store (e.g. Target) and go on a brisk walk through the aisles you normally skip. Have you said something nice to someone in the past day? Do so, whether online or in person. Make it genuine; wait until you see something really wonderful about someone, and tell them about it. Have you moved your body to music in the past day? If not, do so — jog for the length of an EDM song at your favorite BPM, or just dance around the room for the length of an upbeat song. Have you cuddled a living being in the past two days? If not, do so. Don’t be afraid to ask for hugs from friends or friends’ pets. Most of them will enjoy the cuddles too; you’re not imposing on them. Do you feel ineffective? Pause right now and get something small completed, whether it’s responding to an e-mail, loading up the dishwasher, or packing your gym bag for your next trip. Good job! Do you feel unattractive? Take a goddamn selfie. Your friends will remind you how great you look, and you’ll fight society’s restrictions on what beauty can look like. Do you feel paralyzed by indecision? Give yourself ten minutes to sit back and figure out a game plan for the day. If a particular decision or problem is still being a roadblock, simply set it aside for now, and pick something else that seems doable. Right now, the important part is to break through that stasis, even if it means doing something trivial. Have you seen a therapist in the past few days? If not, hang on until your next therapy visit and talk through things then. Have you been over-exerting yourself lately — physically, emotionally, socially, or intellectually? That can take a toll that lingers for days. Give yourself a break in that area, whether it’s physical rest, taking time alone, or relaxing with some silly entertainment. Have you changed any of your medications in the past couple of weeks, including skipped doses or a change in generic prescription brand? That may be screwing with your head. Give things a few days, then talk to your doctor if it doesn’t settle down. Have you waited a week? Sometimes our perception of life is skewed, and we can’t even tell that we’re not thinking clearly, and there’s no obvious external cause. It happens. Keep yourself going for a full week, whatever it takes, and see if you still feel the same way then. You’ve made it this far, and you will make it through. You are stronger than you think. This post is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License: alteration and redistribution are welcome