How can I give helpful support to my mentally ill daughter, brother, spouse, best friend? In our practice, we frequently hear from family members of patients desperately hoping for some suggestions or guidelines to tell them what to do in cases of self-harm, addiction, lying, running away, or just plain apathy. It can be a heart-wrenching dilemma: to give support without enabling dependency; to prevent harm without stifling initiative; to love when under suspicion. We really wish we could give you some easy tips for solving your problem, but the reality is that mental illnesses are usually chronic conditions that require sufferers to learn management skills for a lifetime. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and, as a supporter and/or ...
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The American Psychiatric Association (APA) conducts regular surveys of a representative sample of American adults, and this month the poll asked people how they feel about their mental health and whether they are resolving to do something to improve it next year. The survey findings show that mental health is on many people’s minds and taking steps to improve their mental health is also a priority for many: “Just over one-third of respondents (37%) said they are anxious about their mental health going into the new year. Among those making resolutions focused on mental health, 53% will meditate, 37% plan to see a therapist, 35% will take a break from social media, 32% will journal, 26% will use a mental ...
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Sleep patterns in pre-industrial communities highlight the importance of temperature changes What is the connection between insomnia and the modern lifestyle? It has been hypothesized that we sleep less well now than our ancestors did, either because of electric lighting, electronic devices, or increased entertainment options. However, a group of scientists studying sleep patterns among members of hunter-gatherer tribes in present-day tropical climates have made some surprising findings. Using wristband monitoring devices, researchers studied sleep and waking patterns among people living in preindustrial societies without electricity or indoor heating or air conditioning. In three widely separated areas, two in sub-Saharan Africa and one in Bolivia, people slept for an average of 5.7 to 7.1 hours per night. They did not ...
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“I don’t know how people do it. I just can’t juggle work and family and everything I have to do and take time for self-care on top of it all.” Sound familiar? A lot of people think self-care, whether taking time for meditation, exercise, or even just lunch, is a kind of reward, that you get when all the other priority items on the to-do list are handled. But self-care is more like the engine that keeps everything moving ahead, it’s not something you have to earn points for. Giving care to yourself is what makes it possible for you to give care to others. If you have fallen into the trap of thinking the to-do list is more important ...
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Four basic attachment styles determine the role you play in romance Do you cling to your partner, and take responsibility for their every happy or sad moment? Do you keep your partner at arm’s length, knowing that they may be gone forever any time now? Do you look at friends’ relationships and feel envious of how confident they are in each other? Do you say “all of the above” and expect more pain than fulfillment from any relationship? Psychologists studying patterns in adult relationships have identified child-rearing practices that help explain how we relate as adults to others in our lives. Children who were raised with adult caregivers who paid attention to their needs and gave them comfort and reassurance ...
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Holiday stress is a reality of life for many people, but for those struggling to manage chronic illnesses like bipolar, the holidays can be a real trial. Each year, MoodSurfing encourages readers to spend some time before the holidays reflecting on how they want to face up to, and hopefully get some fun out of, the winter holidays. Here are some of our best tips: Make a plan. For people with bipolar and depression there are special challenges to the holidays. Planning ahead for possible pitfalls can help you keep in control, instead of letting your moods take control. Take time to consider what could happen that would trigger a manic or depressive mood, and write down what you will ...
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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.
If you like what you see here, be sure to sign up to get updated with new posts.
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.”
DISCLAIMER
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.
IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CALL 911 OR YOUR PHYSICIAN. If you believe you have any other health problem, or if you have any questions regarding your health or a medical condition, you should promptly consult your physician or other healthcare provider. Never disregard medical or professional advice, or delay seeking it, because of something you read on this site or a linked website. Never rely on information on this website in place of seeking professional medical advice. You should also ask your physician or other healthcare provider to assist you in interpreting any information in this site or in the linked websites, or in applying the information to your individual case.
Medical information changes constantly. Therefore the information on this site or on the linked websites should not be considered current, complete or exhaustive, nor should you rely on such information to recommend a course of treatment for you or any other individual. Reliance on any information provided on this site or any linked websites is solely at your own risk.
Moodsurfing does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, products, procedures, opinions or other information that may be provided on the linked websites. The linked websites may contain text, graphics, images or information that you find offensive (e.g., sexually explicit), Moodsurfing has no control over and accepts no responsibility for such materials.
