A client writes to say the hot new trend in breathing exercises has proven “effective” in controlling his panic attacks. So what is a breathing necklace? In simple terms, it’s a small tube, about 2 inches long. The inner diameter can vary from about one-tenth to one-third of an inch. When you feel an anxiety or panic attack coming on, you take a deeper breath and exhale through the tube. The smaller dimension will require a longer exhale, but the usual recommendation for anxiety is a 5-second inhale followed by a 10-second exhale. Users will need to experiment with different sized tubes to find the best size for their needs. The tube is hung on a chain around the neck ...
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Some people actually do have a pleasant, comfortable relationship with their extended family members, and enjoy getting together with them on special days. But I think most people have some reservations, some dread, some reluctance to plunge into another holiday family get-together. Old feuds, old secrets, ongoing expectations, and new in-laws, new plans, new politics… it can all add up to a tense and conflict-laden holiday visit. In listening to patients describe their family dynamics over the years, we have found a few pointers that seem to be helpful to a lot of us. Keep these recommendations in mind over the next few weeks: Nobody will get persuaded. When the holidays are over, you will still have your opinions and ...
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Tips for managing holiday stress How’s your holiday spirit? Dreading that time of year again, with all its mental health challenges? Have you already started planning how you will handle possible mood swings, holiday anxiety, or seasonal affective depression? For many, if not most people, the holidays can be bittersweet. My own parents died many years ago, but it’s at Christmas that my most vivid memories come back and I miss having the family together (as it was then…) all over again. We often hear reminders that “for some people” the holidays can be a difficult time, but I think some level of sadness is built in to annual rituals for everyone. We are all mourning our lost childhood and ...
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Wearable devices are becoming more and more popular, and people are using them in a range of ways that may or may not follow the instructions for use given by the manufacturers. Even more concerning, the companies that market these devices do not publish data about how they have been shown to work, or about the algorithms used to analyse if the wearer has had “good sleep” or not. External research has shown little, if any correspondence between the results from a wearable, wristwatch type device and those from the more accurate polysomnography tests, which measure brain waves through direct contact of electrodes with the skin. In contrast, the wristwatch device measures movement throughout the night. It may mistake lying ...
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Hug a friendly tree, plant the flowers you love, play with your pets (they love that), go for a walk, watch the sunset, increase your connection with nature. Research consistently confirms a basic intuition people have: being closer to natural, unbuilt environments is good for us. Even if you live in a dense, built-up area, going outside means feeling the wind in your hair, seeing the blue or cloudy sky, and getting the benefit of more light to lift your mood and strengthen your physical health. An increasing number of therapists of all persuasions are incorporating “nature” or green spaces into their therapeutic practice. This may be as simple as having a conversation while walking outside instead of sitting in ...
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Here comes the end of Daylight Savings again, the signal of darker mornings and longer nights to come. Even in “sunny California” the winter months are darker and people can struggle. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real phenomenon, and it shouldn’t be brushed off. Increased hours of darkness can lead to episodes of depression, sleeplessness, and even thoughts of suicide. Take your concerns seriously! Some of these symptoms are also exacerbated by the time change, which is coming up next Sunday. If you have experienced problems around daylight savings time changes before, we encourage you to plan ahead. Some people find it helpful to start two or three days in advance and change their daily routines by 15 minutes each ...
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Welcome to MoodSurfing.com, the site that highlights strategies for living creatively with moods and coping with depression. This site is for people with bipolar, depression, cyclothymia, and others who experience powerful moods and want to figure out how to integrate these experiences into successful lives.
Although most of us are mental health clinicians of one kind or another, this site is not about providing people with medical or clinical advice (see below). We hope that we can help you cope with depression, maybe even allow you to live well with moods.
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We have done a series of interviews with people who have interesting things to say about different aspects of living creatively with moods. You can find those under the heading “Conversations.”
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This site is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and linkages to other sites, Moodsurfing provides general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider. Moodsurfing is not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or product you obtain through this site.
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