Mental Health

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  Are you a caregiver or know someone who is one?
  • Mai Tatoy  

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  @swatiparekhji You are a good child to your mother. Thanks so much for sharing. I hope you also get the help you need to take care of yourself. Your own health and well-being is as important as your mum's. Take care and feel free to share here in our community forum, ok?
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  Is there enough support for caregivers in our society?
  • Mai Tatoy  

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  Hi There! The 1st step towards addressing mental health issues with the fellow human, be it the one who's suffering or Caregiver, is to break the stigma. Talk about the issues openly and let people know it's only a mental condition, just like any other physical ailment. More than words, we need action around this aspect. Arrange webinars, platforms to participate, share our stories and support each other. Let not anyone feel unheard or suffer in silence. Let's help people with their acceptance issues. We must encourage everyone in this journey to lead a normal life..and never be insensitive to one's being. It doesn't money. It needs efforts - willingness, courage and support. Just be there.
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  How do we avoid caregiver burnout? How can we help manage caregiver stress?
  • lynnchan1  

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  @rasaldevashri very right
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  How can I support my friend who is a caregiver?
  • Mai Tatoy  

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  @Mai-Tatoy If your friend is caregiver see that he/she spend sometime for self care. Like - exercise , hobby , relax outing . You can take your friend for a cup of coffee which makes a lot of difference for caregivers stress relief. Sometime if you can spend some time with the patient which will also be a relief to him/her. Support group is another option which gives lots of insight to dealing with the situation. Suggest to join , if any Rehabilitation program around for their loved one (patient) will be definitely benefits by that .
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  How difficult is it to become a caregiver in an environment that considers mental illness taboos and belittles caregiver?
  • lynnchan1  

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  @lynnchan1 Less or more but Mental illness has taboo world over , people are bound to talk but we have to see what is good for our loved one ( sick person ) Exceptance is a major key—-Once you (caregivers ) except then you become stronger to face others . People talks due to lack of awareness but now you are aware & strengthen your self . Your confidence- of dealing makes you bold then you will be able to answer or avoid if you don’t want to answer it’s ok —but don’t let it get effected by anyone’s Say . Believe me only first time requires a guts but then it start becoming easier & easier.
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  How do caregivers overcome their anxieties when the person they are caring for get a relapse from their recovery?
  • lynnchan1  

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  @lynnchan1 Generally relapse creates a frustrating situation . It also gives a feeling of never ending problem. Hopelessness, negative thoughts, too much of anxiety,low feelings creates depression also . But at that time it requires to understand & except the situation that—it’s bound to be there , we have to think how & what can be done. Also except that 100 % solution is not possible. Try your best & rest live to destiny because everything is not possible in one person’s limits. Let go things sometimes. Don’t try to make it perfect or micro manage things . Give task ( Pt.) which will give — the time involvement, Scene of responsibility, self respect , physical activity along with mental occupancy in a concrete and constructive manner. These Will diffidently takes towards the growth path .
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  Have you ever felt guilty over a sense of duty to others?
  • Mai Tatoy  

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  i have been struggling successfully w/mental issues (schizophrenia & bipolar disorder)for 40 years.it runs in the family & is inherited from generation to generation. what actually healed me, though i still have to take my medications (because of chemical imbalance in the brain that is causing it), was in the POWER of the LIVING WORD & PRAYERS (mine & others). the LIVING WORD (JESUS)& the ROSARY as my family's routine PRAYER everyday as catholics has PROTECTED mine & another's life (whom i had to protect) during those DARK & DANGEROUS YEARS of MARTIAL LAW in the philippine(1972-1986). i got sick in 1980 because at age 24, i was bearing all the responsibilities as a student in my mind ( my dad lost his job & has to be operated on his heart through a bypass open heart surgery, the power behind financial deb t & death threats as a social activist for radical change, stress from dental school to do good or even excel in it-it was 1 of the 2 most prestigious dental schools in the philippines & had to be cautious in going home late at night due to rampant criminality in our neighborhood- i have solved this by learniing martial arts
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  Any good present ideas for a caregiver?
  • suemeilee  

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  How about a coupon kind-of thing! A coupon for caregivers to get a pass from their caregiver duties for a day, or an afternoon. Or maybe a voucher to spa therapy or a massage!
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  How to cope
  • annamartinez  

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  From my personal experience as a caregiver, the number one factor that helped in coping with the daily hardships encountered in the task is love.
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  What should I do if someone came up to me to say that they are at the brink of committing suicide?
  • suemeilee  

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  @emiedecastro For me, I would really consider the faith and the belief system of the person before saying anything God-related. I totally agree with what you said about encouraging medical/professional advice though! And I'd add, we need to listen - really listen - to our friend and try to look at things from our friend's perspective and not our own.
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  What does it mean to support our community?
  • Mai Tatoy  

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  @lynnchan I love what you shared, Lynn. There is a marked difference between listening to understand and listening to reply. It is good for all of us to learn to listen more and accompany our loved one in what they go through as a way of showing our care and support.
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  How do we better manage mental health at workplaces?
  • Mai Tatoy  

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  I wish a MC wasn't always necessary to 'prove' or 'justify' a person taking sick leave. While I'm sure this differs from company to company, country to country, such is the norm here in Singapore! Sometimes, a person might be going through a mental block and might need a stress relief day. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, so why shouldn't coping our mental state without a MC be okay?
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  What books and movies would you recommend when it comes to understanding more about mental health?
  • thetapestryproject.sg  

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  The first book that came to my mind was The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. *******DISCLAIMER: This book does NOT talk about recovery, and might be distressing for some readers.******** The Yellow Wallpaper is a short narrative about a lady who tries to make sense of her deteriorating mental health during the 19th Century. It is also known for in part as a feminist novel. Although this book is not about recovery, it was the first book that made me empathize with how someone with a mental health condition might feel when support & help is not given. As someone who never had any contact with mental health as a topic before, this book opened my eyes and made me so angry! It shed light on how society judged others so easily and how society can so comfortably enforce methods to cope with their own inability to understand the person - it is uncaring and unjust.
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  What does coping look like to you?
  • Mai Tatoy  

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  Coping is being involved in an activity that steals you away for the moment and lets you forget about any worries or stress that has been weighing you down. For me, that activity has always been art & dance - painting, drawing, dancing, pottery, sewing etc. I love love love how immersive art & dance is, as well as how accessible it is. I've heard from several friends they're hesitant to start because there's a high barrier - "I don't have any experience. I don't know how to do it!" but fact is everyone has a pen & paper at home, and everyone has a space for them to move. If you're willing to replace the idea of 'I'm creating a piece for approval from others' with 'I'm creating a piece to find peace with myself' - the experience becomes very different and therapeutic.
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  Has COVID-19 affected your mental health?
  • Mai Tatoy  

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  @Zah I salute you for being appreciative. God loves us all. TC and be safe always. Don't worry too much. Rain do pour out to give life to plants and sunshine to help them produce their food, thus, there is no reason for you to worry for everything is in accordance to His will. Sending our love and hugs ...