Soft Rain Animated Short on Depression

Depression can be a soul killer. But there is treatment. This is an animated video about one or more people who are trying to cope with it.

The name of the video is called Soft Rain and apparently it has won a number of awards. 

Emergency Resources:

The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

ARP 396 - Deeply Unimportant Sleep Aid Podcast

Does your anxiety or depression symptoms keep you from sleeping? Or maybe you are looking for the drowsy professor type voice that knocks you out.  The Deeply Unimportant podcast might be what you are looking for. Sometimes you need a specific type of voice to put you into the sleep zone.

Once upon a time there was a guy named Terrance McKenna. Very deep into psychoactive plants, mushrooms and alternative waves of being.

I didn't really understand what he was talking about. Not a clue. This was a good thing because within 15 minutes of listening to him I was asleep. Again, I didn't not understand anything. I just knew that if he was on the radio, I was going to be able to go to sleep.

These days, I need something more "boring" than Mr. McKenna. No disrespect to Terrance. For those on his wave length he was the man. Now days, we have a lot of options from ASMR to stories but for me, this cuts through the mind yapping and slides me into sleepy town. 

Resources Mentioned: 

The main website is https://deeplyunimportant.com. You can listen to the ad supported version for free or if you need the full eight-hour version you can subscribe and become a member. You also have the option to listen on your favorite podcasting app.

There is an audiogram introduction trailer on YouTube about the podcast.

There is a McKenna tribute site by Lorenzo called Psychedelic Salon that contains some of the recordings of Terrance McKenna. There is also an official archive site where you can purchase his work.

The Simply Noise app can help you with finding the right sound for your needs, that could be a frequency noise or a sound of nature. Windows users can go to the download section of the website and select the items that will give them an audio balm.

Emergency Resources:

The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact

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Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

ARP 395 Falling and Staying Asleep

There is a bunch of tossing and turning in beds across the land. All in an effort to try to get to sleep.  And sleep is the one thing that affects all of us, whether you have an anxiety condition or not. 

It is a two-fer. Your body needs it for repair and your brain needs it for cleaning and maintenance. So it is really important to make sure you have what you needs to set yourself up for a good night's sleep.

Especially if you have anxiety and depression type symptoms. This is an overview of what you need to get to sleep and keep it there for as long as you need it. 

Resources Mentioned: 

Australian Center of Clinical Inventions, there is a PDF handout on Sleep Hygiene with 15 tips on how to get a good night's sleep.

The U.S. non-profit health organization Kaiser Permanente has a page on why sleep is important and suggest that the only things you should do in bed is sleep and sex. 

The National Sleep Foundation is an advocacy group for sleep health. They do have a section of their website that talks about the relationship between mental health and sleep.

I do need to let you know that there is another website call Sleep Foundation.org. This is a commercial site that reviews mattresses and sleep products. 

However they have a lot of info about sleep but they also are probably doing affiliate deals to support the website. The site does have factual information about sleep and sleep habits.

The Cleveland Clinic has a brief information page on weighted blankets. 

And Harvard Health Publishing also has a page about weighted blankets with the statement that there isn't enough science research to indicate that they are helpful but people are using them for relief.

Emergency Resources

The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

ADAA Explainer Video About Depression

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) is a non-profit organization that helps people deal with a range of anxiety disorders.

One of the things that they do is provide information about anxiety related conditions. This is an explainer informational video about depression.

 

 

Additional ADAA Resources: 

ADAA has a therapists directory where you can search for a therapist by state, zip code or if the therapists has telehealth options in your state.

The ADAA Bookstore has self-help books for the different types of conditions.

The non-profit also has a peer to peer support group where you can talk with others who share your concerns or can provide perspectives to give you encouragement. 

Emergency Resources

The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

ARP 394 Creator Care for Digital Content Creators

Creator Care is a therapy option set up for digital content creators. If you produce gamer videos, TicTok tips or are deep in the YouTube algorithm whiplash then this could be of interest to you.

There have been a few notable YouTubers who have decided to take extended breaks, leave the platform or have made the ultimate deep six six dive. Many others are going through burnout or feel that there anxiety levels are a bit too high.

Per the vendor's website:

Many creators experience anxiety, burnout, depression, and isolation, yet often face barriers to accessing care. 

Currently the service is available only to California digital creators living in CA but they do have plans to expand the service across the U.S.

Resources Mentioned: 

If you are a digital creator that lives in California, you can access the Revive Health Therapy portal for Creator Care. There are virtual visits as well as an option for actual offices visits if you live near Oakland or Walnut Creek.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America website have a directory of providers that focus on these topics. You can search by location, your condition or by your population type, for example, you are a veteran, a senior or a person with disabilities. 

The Open Counseling website allows you to put in your zip code or the name of your state and then find a provider. Some of these providers do have a virtual therapy option.

On the main page of the website, there is information on some of the non-profits that might have free or reduced payment options to access therapy treatment. Please note that Open Counseling has an affiliate relationship with the BetterHelp.com group of companies, such as Regain.us, TeenCounseling.com and TalkSpace.com.

Open Path Collective. This is a non-profit membership site that can help you reduce the cost of your therapy sessions. This is open to all, not just digital creators. You get the opportunity to read the profile of the therapist and hopefully have an appropriate and supportive match for your needs.

Emergency Resources

The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

ARP 393 - A Look at the FL-100 Headset for Depression

The FL-100 headset is a possible a treatment option for people that have moderate to severe depression. Well in Europe, UK and  Australia, that is true. Hopefully it is coming some time soon for folks in the U.S. 

I should mention that it is expensive and it will only be available via prescription from a doctor or medical provider. This is short episode that gives a brief overview of the product.

Resources Mentioned: 

I found the news story about the FL-100 on Reuter.com.

There is a video of a young woman giving her view about the product.  She only has one video on her YouTube page but it might give you a real world perspective about the device. 

If you would like to visit the Flow Neuroscience website, please be aware it is directed to the UK and European marketplace. You can learn about the product but they do not have a U.S. specific website set 

Emergency Resources

The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

ARP 392 - Quick Look at Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics

In the before times, I would have been hostile to meditation and mindfulness. I didn't have time for it, I wanted the quick cure, the fix and no B.S. I had stuff to do and no time for body symptom nonsense. I had to be karmically convinced to change my mind. 

Hard lessons. Embarrassing lessons. But I came to understand the lesson is repeated until you learn.

Meditation might work for you. It might not. But give it a fair chance.  You might not be ready for it now. That is okay. But take a moment to learn about it, understand the potential benefits and then decide. 

Resources Mentioned: 

At the Penguin Random House website you can listen to an audio sample or read the introduction chapter of the book to get a sense of if it is right for you.

Bear with me, this is a little confusing. The Harris newsletter is on Substack. There you can access links to his podcast, meditations from notables in the field and other do-dads that you might be interested in.

Mr. Harris also has a paid app called Happier Meditation. It is a subscription service starting at $99 a year.  For those that can afford the up front that come out to $10 a month or 27 cents per day. 

There may be an option for those that have money issues. You should check out the website for more info.

Co-author Jeff Warren has a page on Substack where you can find his views and teachings about meditation, access audio meditation on a wide variety of topics and meditations that focus on ADHD issues.

Emergency Resources

The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.