ARP 352 - Breathing Necklaces or Buyer Beware

In this episode a look at breathing necklaces, which are supposed to help you control your breathing. These things irk me. It isn't that they don't have a purpose. But you don't need them.

It is ok to want one or have it around your neck as a touchpoint or you really do understand how to use them. That is what I wanted to communicate in the recording.

I had to cut a lot of stuff out of the episode. I was going on and on about anxiety gizmo advertorials in traditional and on-line magazines.  

Somebody told them about affiliate links and the blurring of editorial and advertising content. 
Some of them did not get the memo on the correct way to do this.

A lot of blurring and smudging going on.


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: 

National Health Service has a page on breathing exercises for stress.

From Harvard Health Publishing, Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response.

From Mindful Magazine and their website, an audio recording of a 12-minute 4--7-8 breathing practice. 

Every Mind Matters - NHS 2 minute-ish Breathing Practice

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 351 Anxiety and Imposter Syndrome

 For some of us, imposter syndrome is an anxiety generator. 

It goes to the heart of feeling worthy, being competent or having the right to be in a particular space.

Doing this episode made me feel like an imposter. I can hear slurred words, tangents and howlers of editing. 

But here is the thing.  I don't allow it to keep me from trying and doing. Sure, I could not do the show. Or hire and editor. Or let a freaking non-human try to emulate my speech patterns. 

I need to do this in order to get better. And it might take another eight years for that to happen. I have the time. 

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: 

There is a short TED-X explainer video called What is imposter syndrome and how can you combat it?

National Public Radio has a 2021 Life Kit piece on 5 Steps to Shake Imposter Syndrome.

Helpguide.org article on Imposter Syndrome, causes, types and coping tips.

A Guide to Impostor Syndrome—and Overcoming It from McLean Hospital Essentials page

Kim Menninger has a podcast called The Impostor Syndrome Files. You can find it on Apple podcast or almost any other podcast directory.

Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy or any book vendor.

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 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.

ARP 349 Quick Look at Xaia Mental Health Companion VR App

Treatment options are evolving and this one is a pip. An expensive one, but it might be just what is needed in the middle of  a cold dark night of the soul.

Xaia aka eXtended reality Artificially Intelligent Ally is designed to work with the Apple Vision Pro.VR device.

You can talk with it. Share your concerns and get feedback about your issues. That is the topic for a quick look at the mental health support VR app.

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: 

Marques Brownlee review of the Apple Vision Pro and his take about some of the pros and cons about this product. He brings up really good points. 

Xaia from VRx Health. You can read about the device and learn about the creators and the FAQ.

Wired article about Apple and digital privacy concerns. 

And from the Mozilla Foundation, are mental health apps better at privacy in 2023?

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 348 - Bear Grylls App and Men's Mental Health Resources

In 2024, of the things we have to change is the active cultural block against men seeking mental health treatment. We don't have time for it. 

All hands on deck or at least pull the ropes trying to point the ship in the right direction. 

This episode is a little different because it is resource focus. Go to Helpguide.org to learn about therapy or to Heads Up Guys to learn about stress. Or use the Mettle app from Bear Grylls.

What I don't want you to do is suffer, grit your teeth and take it. Because that is causing some good people to reconsider their time on the planet. 

If the assholes won't go, why should you?

Just saying.

In this episode, a look at a few men's mental health resources.

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: 

U.S. National Institute of Mental Health page on Men and Mental Health and their page on What is Anxiety?

Infographic from Mental Health America about Mental Health for Men

The Canadian website called Heads Up Guys have self-guided courses on anxiety, mindfulness and depression topics. It is a project of the University of British Columbia. The site has a lot of information dealing with depression, with roadmaps, stress management tips and more.

The Anxiety and Depression Association has a dedicated page on anxiety that includes statistics, symptoms and links to other pages about treatment options.

Adventure Bear Grylls is the co-founder of a new mental health app for men. It is called Mettle. You can find more information at the app website https://bemettle.com/

Australian Beyond Blue gateway page about men and mental health topics.

UK Mental Health Foundation page on Why Men Don't Talk About Mental Health

ARP Episode 161 Finding a Therapist, contains a list of therapists directories. 

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.

Resting Anxiety Face Video by Tales of Mere Existence

I don't remember when or how I found Lev's videos or his YouTube channel, Tales of Mere Existence.

I like the simplicity of them, the storytelling and the humor in the dark spaces of life.  It was many years later that I learned about the anxiety and social anxiety component of the videos.

I loved them even more.

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.

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 347 - Ottawa Personal Decision Guide

There are a lot of decisions that you have to make when you are seeking treatment.

Hopefully you find a good doctor or a mental health professional to guide you though the process. Those are aspirational goals by the way. You might run into a doc that just wants to give you medication and then report back in four weeks. 

Or you can't find or afford a provider in your area. I would suggest that you take some time and work on a decision guide as to what you want and don't want concerning your treatment. 

This can mean getting a physical and diagnostic test to rule out another cause for your symptoms.

Or reviewing therapists to figure out the behavioral treatment options. Do you want short term or an extended treatment process? In person or virtual care?

A decision guide can help you plan out what you want and need to navigate the process.

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.

Resource Mentioned: 

The Ottawa Personal Decision Guide can help you organize your thoughts about a decision you need to make about your treatment options.

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.