Support

How to Help a Sad/Depressed Friend or Loved One

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Depression - Narrative photoIf you have been watching or listening to the news, you may be aware of the recent string of suicides that have happened in Oxford County. Many individuals in the community feel as though there are currently not enough adequate resources to help those suffering from mental health concerns. To take it a step further, there is also not a lot of resources available for those who are living with or care for individuals suffering from a mental illness. It is the hoped that this article would provide you with more information as to how to best support individuals struggling with mental illness as well as support yourself through these times. Though this article is focused on depression and sadness, much of this information can be transferred to support for those suffering from other mental health illnesses such as anxiety.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression

To provide the best possible support, it is important to be able to recognize what depression may look like. That being said, depression can look very different depending on each individual. Provided below are some possibly signs and symptom that you may witness.

  • Sadness
  • Feelings of guilt
  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • Nervousness
  • Restlessness
  • Increased or lack of sleep
  • Increased or lack of appetite
  • Feelings of hopelessness
  • Lack of concentration
  • Irritability
  • Fatigue
  • Decreased happiness or pleasure from things that used to be pleasurable
  • Isolation from others
  • Self – harm

How you can Help a Friend or Loved One

The following list was adapted from the author as well as http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/helping-a-depressed-person.htm. For more information, please contact CMHA or the website provided above.

  1. Listen: One of the best things you can do for someone who may be suffering from a mental illness or mental health concern is to offer a space for them to be heard. Feeling heard can provide a great relief and often the support one needs. You do not have to fix the problem and often times you can’t. However, providing space for someone to vent can be powerful.
  1. Support: Offer your support by letting them know you are there for them and letting them know that you are there to help if they need it. It is important to set boundaries in this area so that your morals are not compromised and so your health is not put into jeopardy. Support can also look like supporting a loved one through treatment and various treatment options. Checking in with them and seeing how their treatment is going can allow them to know you are still there and support their progress. Support can also look like praying with an individual or even going to appointments with them if they wish. Remind the loved one or friend that you love them and show them that you care in the ways that they will be receptive to.
  1. Encourage: Encourage your friend or loved one to seek help. If they are struggling with their mental health, it is important that they get proper care and attention. Encourage them that they are not alone and that resources are available for them to get help. If they do mention consideration over ending their life, do not let this go unnoticed and get help immediately.

How to Help Yourself

While helping others, it is important to understand your own limitations and set necessary boundaries to protect yourself. At the end of the day, you need to be reminded that it is not your responsibility to solve the problem. You are not a trained health care professional, and ultimately leave it to them. The best you can do is provide support within your own limits. It is also important to make sure that you are caring for your own health care needs and managing stress as well as you can. If you need help, do not be afraid to ask for it and seek help.

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

Grieving: How to Cope and Make it Through

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Depression - Narrative photoLoss can be a hard thing for many people. It does not simply mean a death, but can extend itself to a loss in a role that you played, a loss in a job, a loss of a piece of your identity. Regardless of how you identify loss, it can be difficult to cope with, adjust to, and move through. Grieving is the process by which we work through that loss. We are all different and process a loss differently. This is normal and okay. It is okay to be angry, sad, etc. What is important, is that you give yourself the space to feel those emotions, acknowledge them, and sit with them.

Get Support

During this time, it is also important to seek support. Many people find it challenging knowing what to do when someone experiences a loss. Often they may acknowledge the loss and express sympathy. Not knowing what will best suit you, many draw back and wait (of course this is not true for everyone or every situation). Thus it is important to ask for support and help when you need it. This is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of being human.

Take Care of Yourself

Taking care of yourself is vital during this time, though it may be challenging. Important considerations include eating healthy, making sure to eat or not eat too much, getting an adequate amount of sleep, drinking enough water, and exercising. All of these can help not only to boost mood, but can help to protect your body from getting colds or flues, which may be more likely. Attempting to follow regular routines may be beneficial during this time depending on the loss that you incurred. In this case, if regular routines are more harmful, it may be beneficial to get professional advice on strategies that would best help you during this difficult time. Taking care of yourself includes forgiving yourself. It is important to forgive yourself for any last words or actions (whether unspoken/undone or not) that may have happened, or past events that may have happened. Events cannot be changed, but what we can do is appreciate the experience that happened, learn from it, and let go of the negativity that we may carry with it.

Seek Professional Help when Needed

Finally, it is important to see extra help when needed. If you feel that the loss is too much to handle please see counselling or extra help. If you begin to think “life is not worth living” or thoughts similar to this reach out. There is help and there is hope. The Canadian Mental Health Association is available 24 hours to receive any calls! In addition, the following resources may be helpful and provide other things to consider when grieving:

https://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/grieving/

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief-loss/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

Thank You

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Autumn Girl enjoying nature on the field. Beauty Girl Outdoors rThis photo probably sums up more than words the relief that I feel right now. Why might you ask? Well, I passed all of my licensing exams! So, what does that mean? Now I need to be approved for registration with the College of Naturopaths and apply for the appropriate insurance. Once this is complete, I am ready to practice as a Naturopathic Doctor and can then officially call myself a Doctor! This has been a long time coming and has required facing my own demons, overcoming past traumas, and discovering who I am aside from my profession. I have had successes, but also made some mistakes that have helped me in the long run. Ultimately, I am truly thankful for these experiences and for the practitioner they will have helped shaped me into. No “acceptance speech” would be without its “Thank you”, and so, what follows is my condensed list.

To start with, first and foremost is to do what most Grammy – award winning artists do, and that is, thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I do realize that I may receive judgement, criticism, disdain, etc. for this comment; but I truly cannot take the credit for what has transpired. My strength is in Him alone, and I could not have overcome what I have without Him. That being said, I have received so many prayers and support from my family and church family over the past 8 years, and I am truly grateful to have so much love surrounding me. My family has shaped me into the woman that I am, and I cannot thank them enough for pushing me when I needed it and encouraging me along the way, even if my own mother thought I was going to be a witch doctor 🙂 (it’s okay she is now my biggest fan).

Throughout this whole journey, I have had my faithful and loving husband by my side. I cannot say how truly blessed I am to have had him over the past 8 years to comfort me through the tears and walk with me through the pain, but also to rejoice with me in the victories.

Finally, as always, I want to thank all of the beautiful souls that I have met along the way, specifically, the patients that I have had the pleasure of working with. I have learned so much and have been so blessed by you all. Walking with you has helped shaped me into the practitioner I want to be and will be. Also, thank you and much love to you my readers for all of your constant support!

I will keep you all posted in the following weeks as to when I am accepting patients!

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.