The World Health Organization says that your "health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being (emphasis mine) and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
As a health psychologist, I provide monthly updates of resources for
ndividuals and families that support well-being.
Cheers, Marilyn Wilts Click on Read More below.
Note:
I am not responsible for the content, claims or representations of the
listed sites and post these links for informational purposes only
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to
overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our
suffering."
--Ben Okri, Nigerian Poet & Novelist
October 4 - 10, 2015 is Mental Health Awareness Week: The following is
from the Veterans' Health Administration regarding Caregiver Support:
When a Veteran has a mental illness, the whole family is affected.
Family caregivers have many worries with caring for a Veteran with
mental illness. Some of the reported worries are job loss, financial
problems, emotional volatility in the home, fear of abuse or violence
and things will never get back to normal. As a result of these
caregiving worries, caregivers may have burnout. Caregiver burnout
left untreated can lead to a more chronic mental illness. The National
Institute of Mental Health (NAMI) has some resources for
Family Members and Caregivers
.
VA's Caregiver Support Line: 1-855-260-3274 is just a quick phone call
away. Whether you're in need of immediate assistance or have questions
about what services you may be eligible for, the caring licensed
professionals who answer the support line can:
•Tell you about the assistance available from VA.
•Help you access services.
•Connect you with the Caregiver Support Coordinator at a VA
Medical Center near you.
•Just listen, if that's what you need right now.
I will emphasize that the VA's online Caregiver Toolbox has resources
useful to MANY caregivers. The Toolbox includes
Diagnosis Care Sheets
,
Everyday Tips and Checklists
, and
Staying Organized
.
October 11-17, 2015, is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Awareness Week.
What is OCD? The National Institute of Mental Health describes it as
follows:
"Everyone double checks things sometimes. For example, you might
double check to make sure the stove or iron is turned off before
leaving the house. But people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
feel the need to check things repeatedly, or have certain thoughts or
perform routines and rituals over and over. The thoughts and rituals
associated with OCD cause distress and get in the way of daily life.
The frequent upsetting thoughts are called obsessions. To try to
control them, a person will feel an overwhelming urge to repeat
certain rituals or behaviors called compulsions. People with OCD can't
control these obsessions and compulsions. Most of the time, the
rituals end up controlling them
."
For more, go t o
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
at health topics, NIMH.
I invite you to visit the
International OCD Foundation
web site for more information about this often-debilitating disorder
that affects up to 4 million people in the United States. A variety of
OCD resources, can be found there, including OCD at School:
For Kids
For Parents
Hoarding: the Basics
is an excellent July 2015 online update written by Fugen Neziroglu, PhD,
ABBP, ABPP, Director of the Bio-Behavioral Institute, in Great Neck, New
York, available through the Anxiety and Depression Association of
America. In an excerpt, she distinguishes between collecting and
hoarding.
"Hoarding is not the same as collecting. In general, collectors have a
sense of pride about their possessions and they experience joy in
displaying and talking about them. They usually keep their collection
organized, feel satisfaction when adding to it, and budget their time
and money.
Those who hoard usually experience embarrassment about their
possessions and feel uncomfortable when others see them. They have
clutter, often at the expense of livable space, feel sad or ashamed
after acquiring additional items, and they are often in debt."
I will add that the International OCD foundation is working on a new
Hoarding
link.
"This link will provide up-to-date research,
resources for individuals and families affected by hoarding disorder,
and resources for the entire community, including first responders,
public safety officials, elder services, and housing authorities."
NEW RESOURCE: This month, the National Center for Aging, part of NIMH,
put up a webpage urging folks to do four kinds of exercises:
Endurance
,
Strength
,
Balance
, and
Flexibility
. Each link shows exercise instructions, and/or recommends activities for that kind of exercise.