ARP 350 When An Attack Sneaks Up on You

There is a spectrum of decisions between I can and I can't. Part of our healing journey is to understand the concept of acceptance. 

A video popped up called "A Panic Attack Ended My Winter Backpacking Trip" from the Miranda Goes Outside!! YouTube channel. 

I absolutely wanted to view that video. Spent a chunk of it nodding in agreement.

Not to mention that I learned a little bit about not sleeping under a tree if there is snow.

I felt validated in that there is actual video proof of the experience in real life. Sometimes you can move past it. Sometimes you can't.

So I wanted to address that aspect of that experience with a few resources to help folks understand some of the concepts about acceptance and self-care. 

I'm not going camping anytime soon. I need plumbing and an assurance of no bear contact.  I like bears.

I respect bears. Don't need to see one in the wild.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

On the Positive Psychology website there is a explainer on What is Self-Acceptance? Please be aware that the site is designed for behavioral health folks, but it is easy for most people to read. There is a lot of text on the page, I'd read it a section at a time.

Psychology Today 2018 blog post on how to practice acceptance 

If you lean toward a stoic point of view, there is The Philosophy of Everything blog page on the philosophy of acceptance.

The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, by Christopher Germer, PhD. The publisher is The Guilford Press and you can find the book at almost any off and on-line book vendor. The link is to the vendor's publisher's web site.

Dr. Germer has his own website where he has a page on meditations on self-compassion. You can download the mp3 file to your device or listen to it on the website.

Mindful.org page on self-compassion and writing a love letter to yourself.  

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.

Show 292 What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

I think when I was starting out, I probably would not have considered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. 

I was really focused on stopping my symptoms and I was not the introspective person. 

More bullheaded and introspective. I was much more focused on making my symptoms stop.

While doing the things that caused them in the first place. 

I can tell you, that's probably not the way to go, but I had to learn from experience as opposed to from intellect. It was a rough road.

In this episode, a look at Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. 

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

The Anatomy of Anxiety, Understanding and Overcoming the Body's Fear Response by Ellen Vora. Link leads to the publisher Harper Collin's page of the book.

Psych Hub video about ACT 

Timothy Gordon aka Zen Social Worker video on What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?

Verywell Mind comprehensive post on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

From the How American Psychological Association there is a therapist locator page as well as a page on How Do I Find a Good Therapist?

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.

 

Show 289 - We Are Here

The verbal poison for profit business that is coursing through the system is killing people. Both passively and in actuality.

 

And I can tell you from experience that the let’s pretend balm of dismissing this as a mental health issue has been put into play.

 

Or a one-off action of a lonely man. 

Sometimes all you can do is state the obvious.

 

We are alive. 

 

And you can take pride that being alive pisses the hell out of a bunch of people. 

 

We have a purpose. To get well, be healthy and chip away to make our spot of the planet a bit easier for the next generation.

 

This is just a message. It is gonna get messy.

Take care of yourself and one other. More, if you are up to it.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resource Mentioned:

Psychology Today post on 10 Anxious Behaviors That May Actually Be Trauma Responses

 

Tabitha Brown video on Your are still here via YouTube.

If you live in the United States, you can get free Covid Home Tests via the page set up by USPS.com.

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.

Show 250 Stand in Your Truth

So many people do not accept that athletes and entertainers are real people with issues. Being an athlete or rich person does not exempt you from being human. You have to deal with like depression, anxiety or being an introvert being in the public realm. Broke or rich, having an anxiety disorder is rough.

Depression is also no joke. But both are treatable. 

And I truly want to do an episode or two about the American Medical Association and their roll or lack of it when it comes to recognizing their part about access to physical and mental health care.

And it isn’t just America. Other folks from other countries have issues with their primary and general care physician. That don’t recognize mental health as part of their health care system. 

Or there isn’t a physical health care system in place. At all.

And one more thing. I have noticed that some people who think they have power call other people that use their power, a snowflake, or some other pejorative term. 

So in this episode I talk about most of the above. Well, I had to cut out the part about the doctors because it seems I have a heck of a lot to say about it. Saving that for another episode.

(Or stand in your truth because I make mistakes and I have to stay and accept it.)

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

In the News:

Post on ADAA.org You Are the Real Badass by Manvi Tiwari. 

App that Attack:

There is a new dental phobia site that just got started called Dental Fear Network. The author of the blog is psychologist Lisa J. Heaton who has extensive experience in the dental field. It is a new blog, but there is plenty of content to get you started. 

Resources Mentioned 

Just in case you didn’t know there is an official He-Man and She-Ra YouTube channel.

From the UK there is the NoPanic page on positive affirmations to help you deal with anxiety.

The Anxiety Guy has a number of videos and a podcast about practical and actionable tips on handling anxiety. His approach might resonate with some of you 

And from the Good Men Project page on Medium there is a post on 55 Positive Affirmations for Anxiety and Depression

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.

For Me and Those that Come After

I'm putting this here because I probably should not mention it in the podcast again. 

And I think it should be viewed by people who are starting to be aware that there is more to treatment or reconstructing your life than a set finite list of rules and where they come from.

Rules are important, especially in health care. You gotta wash you hands in order not to spread germs from one person to another. This has been proven true by science and data. 

But sometimes a healing can happen via a song. An image. Or a cartoon.

I never want to be so old that I can't be open to inspiration, creativity or learning because of the form of the content. 

Not my style. Never has been.

Never will be.

This is a clip from the animated series, called Steven Universe. It explains the concept of what is a negative thought and how to deal with it.

20 million people have watched this clip. It is resonating with all kinds of folks. Maybe it will with you. Maybe it won't. I'm just plunking this here, just in case.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

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.

Mental Health Resources for Black, African American, Melanated and Adjacent People

It is a time of change, a time of death and a time of renewal. If we survive what is going on around us.

Since we come from a long line of survivors this is possible. But we sometimes need a shoulder to lien on. We can come from different traditions but we know that we have to move forward. Even when that means taking a nap.

 So we hold the wall of sanity on many things but sometimes there are cracks that can't be hidden.

These are some, but not all of the on-line resources for mental health resources. I hope to add to the page when possible.

Apps, Functional Tools and Websites

Eat Thrive Yoga by Andrew Sealy is an app that will help you to eat better, learn and update your yoga practice and meditation. There are videos and nutritional guide.

The Association of Black Psychologists - a directory of providers.

Black Emotional and Mental Health (BEAM) directory of telehelp providers.

The Liberate Meditation app has content specifically for Black, Indigenous and People of Color. There is a free version and you also can purchase a subscription.

The Safe Place Jasmin Pierre's app contains information about mental health issues and topics specifically for folks like, How to Cope After Police Brutality, Mental Health In The Black Church, How to talk to black family members who may not want to understand mental illness, Breathing Techniques, Meditation and Exercise. The app is currently on iOS for iPhone and iPad. 

ZenCare How To Find a Black Therapist: Resources and Advice - Able to select therapist in select cities.

Articles, Blogs, Essays and Magazines

Alex Elle post on 3 Ways To Create Emotional Safe Spaces For Your Self-Care - Mater Mea

Depressed While Black by Imade. Much goodness here. Originally a Tumblr site, it has now been moved to a Facebook page.

For Harriet Black Women Mental Health post on How Therapy Gave Me the Grace I Needed to Breathe Easier.

Hot New Hip Hop page on musical performers handling the issue of dealing with mental illness.

Radical Self Care Black Men Healing is an article on Afripop about the invisibility of black men on their healing journeys.

To Be Female, Anxious and Black, ADAA article by Angela Neal Barnett on the impact and social pressures that affect women.

The Strong and Stressed Black Women - an opinion article by Dr. Inger E. Burnett-Zeigler about the unwillingness and at time unrecognized need for mental health support for African American women

Ourselves Black Mental Health Library - A publication and website that puts meaning behind the medical term.

How To's

Celeste The Therapist  Shifting the way you think or helping you to get out of the negative loop.

Inclusive Therapists - a way to find affordable and respectful therapists that are open to a range of clients, including languages, cultural backgrounds and spiritual knowledge.

National Institute of Mental Health (NAMI) a few resources about challenges to accessing mental health care for African Americans.  Sharing Hope - PDF guide from NAMI on awareness of mental health issues.

2024 Update: The website One Mind PsyberGuide is closed. The non-profit could not obtain funding. At this time you can still access the site, but there will be no updates. 

PsyberGuide a resource to help you find and evaluate mental health apps. The project looks at on-line, Android and iOS apps. Some of the mental health apps have an evaluation of their performance.

Therapy for Black Girls  A resource to encourage mental health wellness for girls and women. Has a directory of African American therapists and there is a podcast as well.

Therapy for Black Men is a directory to help men of color in their search for a therapist

Sister Speak Suicide Awareness Inforgraphic on how to be aware of the signs and signals of a person considering suicide.

Two Therapists and a Microphone, Dr. Harrison Davis and Dr. Asha Dickerson drop knowledge and life skills once of month but you can catch up if you are a new listener.

The Reality of Navigating the Mental Health System as a Black Woman, October 13, 2018 article on Allure Magazine

Inspiration & Informational

Mental Health, A Guide for African Americans and their Families. This is a 25-minute video that talks about the kind of conditions, treatment options and the type of providers that can help.

Hey Girl - The Podcast - united women with uplifting messages, wisdom and resources.

Why Does The Mental Health Stigma In The Black Community Persist? An episode of Listen to Black Women. 

Philip J. Roundtree TEDx video about why Black Mental Health Matters.

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah video on Mental Health Stigma in the Black Community

Mindfulness and Meditation

The Liberate Meditation app has content specifically for Black, Indigenous and People of Color. There is a free version and you also can purchase a subscription.

Thriving Mindfully with Ananda Leeke. This is her resource page with links to her social media offerings.

LGBTAQ+

Rest for Resistance for mental health issues for Queer and Transgender people of color.

National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network directory of service providers.

Dr. Thomas Vance Discusses Mental Health in the Black LGBTQ Community

Other Podcasts

Affirm Podcast  Interview style podcast on mental health, wellness, anxiety and self-care.

Black Therapists Podcast Nikita Banks talks about unique issues concerning people of color.

The Friend Zone per their show description "Dustin Ross, HeyFranHey & Assante explore mental health, mental wealth and mental hygiene, because who in the hell wants a musty brain?"

Hats Off is an edutainment podcast focused on changing the stigma around mental health.

Melanin and Mental Health Between Sessions Podcast covers physical, mental and emotional wellness with interviews and discussions with healers.

The  Black Unconscious Podcast is per the website: "Using research, current events, pop-culture and clinical insight, we breakdown the conscious and less-conscious aspects of Black mental health."

Ungentrified interview with Rwenshaun Miller, therapist talking about mental health issues in the African American community.

Show 203 - Emotional Self-Care Tips

I feel like I am between a wall and a hard place. I want to describe options that you have when it comes to treating the diagnosed version of an anxiety condition or disorder. 

I really don’t want to tell folks what to do with two exceptions, don’t give up and don’t kill yourself. 

But this is a bad week in a string of bad weeks. We need some re-enforcement. So here are some emotional self care tips to hold us as we intentionally move forward.

 

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

Jo Burgess from Life Sorted suggest monitoring your internal dialogue in a post called Simple ways to practice emotional self-care and transform your life. 

A Compassionate Guide to Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic Part 1: Understanding Why We Are so Anxious Right Now

School Library Journal has #BreakTheStigma: 14 Nonfiction Mental Health Books for Children, Tweens, and Teens 

There is also a collection of 25 books via A Mighty Girl on helping our younger beings understand what is going on and how to deal with it. 

Marquita Herald, of Emotionally Resilient Living post on Why You Deserve to Make Emotional Self-Care a Priority. One of those tips is to understand that it is ok not to be ok.

Steven Jacob post about how he embraced Self-Care Is Not a Luxury: How I Learned This as a Brown Guy

Jane Taylor's Habits for Well being post on 22 Ways to Practice Emotional Self-Care and Letting Go 

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.

Show 198 Reframing Affirmations

In this episode, a look at affirmations. Not as a linguistic vending machine. Or a means to be financially powerful. I'm viewing affirmations as a tool to support healing.

Not the only tool to be used but as a means of support, nourishment, encouragement and self-care.

We are humans. And are hard wired to seek certain things in order to be functional and stable. We don't have those things and we get a little crazy. And then a lot more crazy.

Affirmation are not for everyone.

There are people who are task or function specific. Speaking words of encouragement to themselves isn't comfortable to them. They view it as a waste of time. Easier to take a pill.

Some people do believe that there is a separation between the mind and body and only want to focus on their symptoms.

Whatever you believe, I hope that you would try to see affirmations as option to be kind to yourself.





If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

In housekeeping news, posting new episode will be more fluid. Spending too much time on the computer makes my eyes unhappy. Probably shifting to the weekends. I do know that I will be posting with a day ending in y.

Resources Mentioned: 

Ronald Alexander, Ph.D has a post on Psychology Today on 5 Steps to Make Affirmations Work for You

Ezz at Through The Phases has a whole list of affirmations specifically for anxiety conditions like OCD, general anxiety and social anxiety.

Verywell Mind Has a post on Positive Affirmations to Relieve Anxiety and Stress.

Louise L. Hay was an author, motivation teacher and became a publisher of affirmation and spiritual books, video and now podcasts.One of her books to consider is You Can Heal Your Life. The link is to an audio study course version of the book.

Her company, Hay House, is still in existences and produces new materials. There is a section of the website that contain free resources like the Affirmations Coloring Book. This is a 96 page PDF, however, due to the file size, it can take a long time to download, even on a decent connection.

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.

Show 165 Catastrophizing as Anxiety Symptom

In this episode, a look at catastrophizing, which is a part of a little pack of demons known as Cognitive Distortions. These SOBs will  have you doing a time warp and not the good one.

I gotta fess up. I am not perfect. Nope. As human as they come. And sometimes that means that I get caught in a time trap of catastrophizing a very small thing into the end of the world. Only thing is, the world doesn't end.

The thing gets handled and I feel like warmed over ice cream. There is a better way. Takes work and practice but we, you and I can learn not to do this. Before we can do better, we have to study the opponent.





If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

From the publication known as High Times, there take on mental health and cannabis for anxiety and depression.

From CNBC, CVS is planning on opening HealthHubs as their transition from retail to a health provider continues.

Jasmin Pierre's app The Safe Place is designed for African-Americans to take the stigma out of talking about and seeking help for mental health conditions. There are tools, tips, and topics that center around taking care of your health and your piece of mind in these challenging times. App is currently found on Android and iOS devices. There is also a video by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) with Jasmin talking about her journey to creating the app.

Healthy Psych's page on Identifying Cognitive Distortions. On that site there is a worksheet that can help you map out how you got lost.

Good Therapy has a listing of 20 Cognitive Distortions and How They Affect Your Life

For those that prefer a visual presentation, there in an infographic that makes some of the concepts more visual. You should also check out the PsychCentral post on 10 Proven Methods for Fixing Cognitive Distortion with a Law and Order-ish inspired worksheet.

David D. Burns, M.D. is a medical doctor and author of the book The Feel Good Workbook which claims to help those folks with anxiety and depression conditions. I'm posting it as an option, not an endorsement. I haven't read the workbook. A lot of the psych folks like it.

Doctor Burns has a the Feel Good website with a lot of resources, like a podcast and Facebook live videos.

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.

Un-Hush Your Mouth Mental Health Month 2016

It is a time of recognition. Personally I think the whole dang country has gone crazy so anything that would help to re-calibrate a nation is jake by me.

This is a big honking poster about having, dealing and communicating to others about having an anxiety disorder. In addition to the resources given I also want to give a shout out to newbies to visit www.adaa.org and www.helpguide.org for viable information.

Life with Anxiety

View post on imgur.com

Episode 002 Your Own Road Map of Treatment

Not everyone gets sick the same way and not everyone will have the exact same treatment when it comes to an anxiety condition or disorder. In this podcast, I talk about some of the things that will be helpful to consider.

For your basic kit, you will need:

1. Accurate Information
2. Coping Skills
3. Support
4. Monitor Your Progress

Use this link to download directly to your computer or device: ARP 002 Road Map

Resources Mentioned:

• Kady Morrison’s on 9 Things I Wish People Would Understand About Anxiety http://www.vox.com/2014/12/4/7262991/anxiety-disorder-help
• Affirmations for Healthy Living http://www.affirmationsforhealthyliving.com

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

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

This 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.