2018 ~ Anxiety Road Podcast

Show 147 - Apps to Help You Take Care of Yourself

When I talk about self care, I am referring to real life things you can do to help yourself reduce symptoms and feel physically or mentally better. The apps mentioned can help you with breathing practice, sleep monitoring or to help you ground yourself.

I am not talking about the foo-foo stuff. No spa is involved, no special mud or designer robe is required. So I got some apps, a web page and even something for those of you that have a device that you talk to from Amazon.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

FDA Statement from Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. on signing of the Agriculture Improvement Act and the agency's regulation of products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds.

7 Minute Work Out, give the app seven minutes and move your body. for Android and iOS devices.

Sleepzy, Sleep Cycle Tracker to monitor your sleeping habits. This is for iOS users.

Stop, Breath Think guides you through the process. This app is available for Alexa users as well as iOS and Android. Alexa users can go to the specific web page to acquire the app instructions.

Grounding Strategies page on techniques: there is a video and article on the page that will help you to learn how to keep yourself in the present.

Oh, I forgot. The sheep. If you need mindless videos to help you fall asleep don't forget about the sheep from Baa Baa Land. It is a mind wiper, for sure.

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.

Show 146 A CBT Pebble in the Road

Awareness, CBT, Resource

A bare bones episode. My computer is sick and I'm nursing it back to health. Typing on a spare is rough and I'm not in total control of this; blue screens of death do not come with clear instructions.

I don't know what to do and that makes me anxious. Anyway, this is a pebble in the road about cognitive behavioral therapy.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

A quickie on CBT and a few resources:

The app Worry Watch
American Psychological Association page on CBT
Verywell Mind page on CBT

Disclaimer:

In the Meantime TEDx Video How to Trick Your Brain into Falling Asleep

Sleep, Support

Yeah, I know but life happens and I gotta go with the flow. Hope to have medicine and cognitive behavioral therapy resources out by the weekend.

In the meantime, there is a neat video about how to trick your brain into falling asleep. It involves your hands and possibly another body part.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Disclaimer:

Show 145 You Don't Have to Medicate Your Symptoms

CBT, Exercise, Meditation, Support, Therapy, Treatment

You do not have to take medications for anxiety disorders. It is a choice. A choice that is made with information, self-compassion and resources that can help you understand what it means if you decide not to use medication for your condition.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

The Anxiety and Depression Association of American has a short page about some of the alternatives anxiety treatments to medication.

Helpguide.org has a huge page about anxiety disorder information and resources. The founders of the site lost their daughter to prescription drug abuse, so the focus on this site is to present resources that are an options to medication.

There is a page on the Walgreens website that describes the various types of mental health therapy providers that you might find in the marketplace of mental health. Knowing what the titles mean can help you understand what the provider can and can't do.

Disclaimer:

Show 144 - Five Things to Know About Clonazepam and Mental Health at WalMart

Herbal, Medication, Treatment

It has been a while since I've talked about a drug or medication so this is a quick overview of the drug Clonazepam also known as Klonapin.

And there will be a word or two about Walmart's in-store mental health clinic, farmers needing mental health access and comic books and graphic novels about depression.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

AGDaily has a story about some of the stresses that food producers are facing; they need mental health access and resources. The story points to a few of those available including the one from agriculture.com on mental health resources for farmers and ranchers.

Boston Globe article on Mental Health Therapy at Walmart? It is now a thing.

Book Riot list of Comics About Depression that are Too Accurate to Ignore.

Clonazepam Resources include MedLine Plus, Merck Manuals has a dedicated page about mental health disorders. The Mayo Clinic also has a page about Clonazepam.

Kaiser Permanente has an access point the Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database. I’ll provide a link to the Kaiser site; you will need to click the link on the left side of the Kaiser screen to access the database. You can check here for possible herbal interactions with Clonazepam.

Disclaimer:

Life Noggin Video - What Being Bullied Actually Does to You

Bullying

I still maintain that bullying has residual effects (for some of us) in adulthood.

One of those effects can be anxiety symptoms. But getting folks to even connect to the possibility of bullying as a possible contributor to an anxiety condition is and has been a tough road to pave.

Life Noggin steps up to make it visually clear.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Disclaimer:

Show 143 - Tetris Effect and Digital Hatfields and McCoys on Sleep

Anxiety, Sleep, Stress

This episode I mention the Tetris Effect Game and a view about sleep from the perspective of the digital Hatfields and McCoys.

In the last episode I talked about Surf Therapy for vets that have PTSD. Hanging ten isn’t just a great way to connect with nature.

Moving your body has a bio-chemical effect on your brain. If you have an anxiety condition and also have depression as part of your experience, then you might want to add some kind of regular movement.

It doesn’t have to be much, maybe taking a PE class at the local community college in something you wanted to try. I took a pottery class and I have to say it is a good way to have the opportunity to smack something around.

You know what you get to do in a potter class? Pound the hell out of clay. Plus when you start throwing, shaping and spinning that will definitely take you out of the land of the digital.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Dana Smith has an article on the Popular Science site on how the lack of sleep looks the same as severe anxiety in the brain.

Engaget article on the Tetris Effect for Anxious and Distracted Minds

2017 New York Times article about Miwa Sada, who worked 159 hours of overtime in one month.

Business Insider looks at Elon Musk remark and offers their own spin on it. There is another BI article from August 2017 that mentions 30 bad things that can happen when you are sleep deprived.

To learn more about improving the quality of your sleep visit Sleep Education.org

If you want to learn more about how technology affect sleep there is a post on the Sleep.org website.

Disclaimer:

Show 142 Surf Therapy for PSTD

Exercise, PTSD, Treatment

I'm not kidding when I use the term X = the unknown treatment options and resources. On this road, there are new formed paths being created to deal with the problems that having PTSD or anxiety.

This path is the one of using the body and the elements to help heal.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

From the website, Surfer Today comes a story about how surfing is helping vets and others with using surfing as a means of treatment for PTSD.

For those of you on Netflix, there is a documentary about surfing and healing called Resurface, it is about 27 minutes and gives you the basic idea of how this works. For those of you on YouTube there is a trailer that will give you a taste of the documentary.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a dedicated page about military PTSD

Psych Central's article about treating PTSD with surf therapy.

The Warrior Surf Foundation has surf classes, coaching, adaptive classes and other activities for healing. Another resources is the The Jimmy Miller Foundation for Ocean Therapy.

Disclaimer:

Show 141 Self Care, A Pebble in the Road

Meditation, Mindfulness, Relaxation, Resilience

This is a quick pebble in the road about self-care tips. Despite my best efforts the symptom thing happened and I, as the adult and I as the inner child are both having a tantrum. Only the adult part of me is pretending like nothing is wrong as I literally, cleaning up my mess.

This is how I did it this time.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

The you feel like shit interactive guide to self-care.

Ellen Bard article at Tiny Buddha has 45 Simple Self-Care Practices for a health mind, body and soul.

Nikki Andersen post at Highly Sensitive People about 20 self-care ideas, one of which is perhaps use some of that tension to declutter a space in your home, computer or your head.

Disclaimer:

Show 140 Connecting Adult Bullying and Anxiety

anger, Anxiety, Bullying, Mindfulness

This is the second episode about adult bullying. Adult bullying is performed by a person or a group of person using power to harm another person or people.

It is repetitive. It does not have to be only physical. There can be verbal, sexual structural, governmental bullying.

The effects of bullying can last long after the events have passed. It might be a contributing factor to an anxiety, panic or phobic disorder. This episode is focus specifically on adult bullying.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Mindful.org interview with Nana Vistor about how mindfulness helped her heal her pain.

Forbes magazine article about Seniors In The Deep South And Rural Western States Prescribed Most Benzodiazepines And Opioids

US Food and Drug Administration warning about seniors taking benzodiazepines and opiate level drugs.

2013 Greater Good article on How Bullied Children Grow into Wounded Adults

Workplace Bullying Institute FAQ on Workplace and adult bullying questions.

Therapist Debi Levine wrote in a 2018 post Adults who Bully that there are five types of adult bullies.

Disclaimer:

Show 139 Adult Bullying and Anxiety

anger, Anxiety, Bullying, Panic

In this episode, I'm going to talk about the definition of adult bullying. This is an introduction to the topic. Because some of you might not considered the possibility of your anxiety coming from this type of experience.

The American Psychological Association defines bullying as a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person or a group of people injury or discomfort.

This episode will be dealing with adult bullying but there are resources that span generations.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Many bullying resources are targeted to parents, children and sometimes teens but some of the information is applicable (in my opinion) to adults as well.

Stop Bullying.gov is from the U.S. government. It contains information about what is bullying and what is not.

Childhood bullying can have a lasting effect on a person's mental health article via Live Science.com

Psychology Today 2017 article about adult bullying by Preston Ni, 5 Ways that Adults Bully Each Other. Mr. Ni has e-book publications that address bullying and other topics.

Disclaimer:

Show 138 Keen by HabitAware and Valerian Tea

Apps, Food, Supplements, Support

Truth be told, sometimes work and anxiety get in the way of production. If I don't have enough episodes banked I run into trouble. I often find myself in trouble. I know I've done good if I have three episodes in a row published.

Something always happens with the fourth one. Going into acceptance mode. I do what I can.

Google Plus is going away in August 2019 so I mentioned my conundrum of what to do next.

In App that Attach, a wearable app to help you take control of thumb sucking, hair pulling and similar behaviors.

There is more, a look at Valerian Tea and is it something that you can drink? Yes but you might want to blend it with a botanical friend.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Keen by HabitAware is a bracelet that alerts you when you are performing certain types of behaviors like hair pulling or nail biting.

Kaiser Permanente has an access point the Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database. I’ll provide a link to the Kaiser site; you will need to click the link on the left side of the Kaiser screen to access the database.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has a quick guide about botanicals called Herbs at a Glance.

NIH Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet; a source to check if there could be issues about taking the supplement of your choice. Sometimes it has been tested, often it has not. A source to refer to if there is or could be a medial issue about consuming a herb or botanical.

VeryWell Fit has a page about the botanical with information about dosage and use. VeryWell Mind concentrates on using Valerian for Social Anxiety.

Disclaimer:

Two Videos on Shondaland About Mental Wellness Issues

Culture, Resilience, Support, Trauma

There is the right thing and then the thing you want to do that is wrong, you know it is wrong and you want to do it anyway. Damn ethics. There is a video on Shondaland that I wanted to post. But the video is hosted on Shondaland and there is no external link or embed code to the video.

It is a really good video by Yolo Akili Robinson that talks about mental health, mental wellness, and a bunch of other good stuff I think folks should pay attention to.

Now, I really want to share that video. And if I was a low life cretin, there are ways to extract that video from the web page. But just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should. This is what hurts at the moment but it will pass.

I did find another video that Mr. Robinson has on the BEAM Collective YouTube channel.

The stated purpose of the BEAM Collective is, from their website:

We are a collective of advocates, yoga teachers, artists, therapists, lawyers, religious leaders, teachers, psychologists and activists committed to the emotional/mental health and healing of Black communities.

I'm going to plunk this here and get on with the work of the day.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 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.

Show 137 The Space of Agoraphobia

Anxiety, Panic, Phobias, Resource

Agoraphobia is the fear of having an attack in a place of in front of other people or in public. It is a kissing cousin of anxiety and panic disorders.

This is an introduction to this specific phobia and some informational resources. Don't worry, there will be more botanical tea information coming down the road.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

MedlinePlus has a good information page about Agoraphobia with some treatment suggestions.

National Institute of Mental Health page on anxiety and related disorders including phobias, social anxiety and other forms of the condition.

Psychology Today page explores Agoraphobia with specific mentions of medication options.

Disclaimer:

Show 136 St John's Wort Tea

Botanical, Food, Stress, Supplements

Some people call it goatweed, Hypericum perforatum or St. John's Wort. It can be an invasive plant to farmers and ranchers but it has some medicinal properties. It is also a plant that has to be seriously evaluated before you decide to use it.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Physicians Steeped In Culture Of ‘Toughing It Out’ Often Fear Reporting Suicidal Thoughts, Mental Health Illness from the publication, Modern Healthcare.

California Board of Pharmacy booklet on Health Notes Alternative Medicines.

St. John's Wort Herbal Use and Medicinal Properties from AltNature.com

National Institutes of Health Dietary Supplement Label Database. You plunk in the name of the product, or you can search by ingredient or manufacture. This is the link to the St John's Wort list of products.

Verywell Mind has a good write up of St John's Wort and some of the cautions about it's use.

Kaiser Permanente has an access point the Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database. I’ll provide a link to the Kaiser site; you will need to click the link on the left side of the Kaiser screen to access the database.

Disclaimer:

Show 135a Traumatic Stress in Times of Chaos, A Pebble in the Road

anger, Grounding, Trauma

In case you didn’t know or haven’t heard, there is traumatic stress. This is a bonus pebble in the road.

Some of us have been caught between a rock and a hard place. Especially when what we experience is being discounted, disrespected and used for power and glory.

This is not a political statement. It is a fact that base level human beings attack other people and intentionally harm them for personal profit.

But even people who experience trauma have access to power, the power to engage in our healing and restoration.

There are three resources mentioned, well yeah more than three plus some ideas, once you get past the pre-ramble.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Anxiety and Depression Association of America page on post traumatic stress disorder, talks about symptoms and treatment options. There is also a screening quiz to help you figure out if you have PTSD. You don't have to be a veteran to experience PTSD.

Grounding is a way to center yourself in the moment. But if in the moment you want to throw a brick at your television or phone you might need to move something to help you get that anger out.

Helpguide.org has a very good set of pages on PSTD, traumatic stress and more.

In episode 122, I mention a grounding technique with Cha-Cha beat. Along those lines, this is a quick video showing a relaxation technique called progressive muscle relaxation. One of many but this is short and it does teach you how to do it.

Just a bite more about grounding. Dr. Stephanie Cortes has an easy grounding exercises to calm the nervous system. Because sometimes your job is to stay in the present, not the past.

The Love is Respect site is designed for teens but apparently the older generation needs some help about understanding that forcing yourself on another person is not sport or boys at play.

For those in need of specialized help, consider visiting the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, to keep it on the down-low, use your privacy browser window or your smartphone's privacy browser mode for privacy concerns.

Disclaimer:

Show 135 Chamomile Tea for Anxiety Conditions

Botanical, Food, Herbal, Supplements

As I mentioned in the show, you can have a cup of tea and take the time to do a breathing exercise.

Or to meditate. Like I need to do because I just discovered I screwed up the show numbers. I am not perfect. I need some tea.

It is about taking the opportunity to take care of yourself. In this episode, a look at Chamomile Tea.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

From NBCNews on New York state implementing mental health education as part of health and wellenss; the goal is to help them be aware of concepts and health literacy.

Mindful has a page on audio and podcast meditation resources. Works well with a cup of tea.

Kaiser Permanente has an access point to the consumer version of the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. The link will take you to Kaiser and then you will need to click the link to the database.

Case Adams at Heal Naturally has more about the plant and some of the studies that have been performed to confirm the effectiveness of the plant.

VeryWell Mind has more information about how many cups of Chamomile you should drink or ingest in a day, by tea, extract or other means.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has a quick guide to Passion Flower and other botanicals called Herbs at a Glance.

Disclaimer:

Show 134 Passion Flower Tea for Anxiety Symptoms

Food, Herbal, Supplements

For the teas and tisanes to work you might have to make food and lifestyle changes: reduction of sugar, caffeine or other stimulants like energy drinks. Which probably should be a part of your treatment plan anyway.

This week, a look at Passion Flower Tea. Just need to remind you that these are only suggestions.

Please double check with your medical provider; especially if you are pregnant or are taking other medication.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Kaiser Permanente has an access point to the consumer version of the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. The link will take you to Kaiser and then you will need to click the link to the database.

Karen Bergeron's AltNature.com page on Passion Flower. It is a commercial site but provide balanced information about the plant, how much to use for teas/tisanes and other interesting information.

MedLinePlus has a listing of herbs and supplements, sometimes they have detailed info, other times the herb or supplement has not been studies enough.

From the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) there is a section of their website called Herbs at a Glance.

Verywell Mind on How is Passion Flower Use to Treat Anxiety?

Disclaimer:

Show 133 More About Teas and Tisanes for Anxiety and Symptom Control

Food, Herbal, Relaxation

First up, a look at sucker bait headlines and then a brief recap of the last show, then dive in to definitions and what is and is not a tea.

Next a look at where to buy your medicinal tea and resources on how to make teas and tisanes as well as some places to check out for the kind of beverages that might be of products that might be helpful.

I promise and pinky swear next time specific tisanes that are helpful to ease symptoms.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

From Vox, an article on the growing niche marketing of selling products to people with mental health conditions.

2013 study in Gastro Journal on Consumption of Fermented Milk Product With Probiotic Modulates Brain Activity. The study was supported by Danone Research. There is also a press release version with plain English explanations by UCLA.

From KQED a 2017 article about how probiotics might help with depression

How to Find Your Perfect Cup of Tea and How to Make DIY Herbal Teas and Tisanes from Epicurious.

The Spruce Eats gives the basics on what a Tisane is and how to prepare a infusion or decoction.

Mighty Leaf has a health and wellness section that displays some of the botanical offerings and you should also check out Teavana and evaluate their herbal teas.

Disclaimer:

Show 132 Tea Expectations or Can Tea Help with Anxiety?

Food, Resource, Stress

Anxiety is necessary for healthy humans. It alerts you that there is a possibility of trouble or danger.

People with anxiety and panic symptoms have a response that is out of whack. I've seen the ads that are telling me that drinking chamomile lavender sugar blended tea is going to kill my anxiety symptoms.

I know that is a bunch of hooey. But even before you think about sipping tea there are some other things to know about:

1. Do you have a treatment plan?
2. Do you know what ticks you off?
3. Have you created an effective symptom control kit?

Some of these items I've touched on in prior podcasts and others I can't answer for you. I can give you a head's up about where to start to find answers.

This is part one of a mini series about teas for anxiety, panic and phobia conditions. It is introducing the concept of setting expectations for the use of the beverages for treatment.

For some folks, there will be a positive effect. Others might need to have the beverages as a supplement to other treatment options.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Music in this episode by Frank

Resources Mentioned:

Action Planning for Prevention and Recovery - PDF originally designed for substance abuse folks there are some very good ideas for self care and lifestyle changes that .

The Anxiety Resource Page at Helpguide.org for non-medication mental health treatment information and resources.

From the US Department of Veteran Affairs, the Manage Stress Workbook, it ask you to be an active participant in your care and provides ideas and examples of what you can do to reduce your stress. Don't have to be a veteran to use it.

Disclaimer:

TED ED Video on The surprising link between stress and memory - Elizabeth Cox

Breathing, Stress

Yes indeed, too much of the stress stuff can keep you from accessing necessary information.

This video from TED ED does a good job of explaining why you might have trouble remembering stuff that you know but can't seem to access

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Show 131 Possible Causes of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety, Causes, Sleep, Trauma, Worry

Does knowing why we have an anxiety disorder help people with their treatment? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. There are those of us that need to understand how we got to this place so that we can begin to correct it.

Other people don't care about the why, just make it stop. Fix it. In this episode, a look at the possible causes of an anxiety disorder.

I'm still on vacation light as I both rest and generate new episodes. I have a lot of good ideas in the hopper and I hope to start sharing them in a few weeks.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Helpguide.org has a page for those of you with panic attacks and panic disorders.

The Mayo Clinic has a page about symptoms and causes of an anxiety disorder

National Institute of Mental Health page about risk factors such as shyness, family members having a mental illness or financial hardship,

The music selection this week is Lanquidity from PurplePlanet.com

Disclaimer:

Show 130 Anxiety Travel Tips or Things Can Go Wrong

Breathing, Culture, Resilience, Support

Still on the vacation side of the fence for July and August. In this episode, I want to talk about how you can have a back-up plan to the back-up plan and how things can still go wrong.

I also mention about acceptance. Because there will be times that you will do the best that you can do and it will not work.

You will have an attack. Accept that it has happened and transition to taking care of yourself and doing better next time. The music in the episode is by Purple Planet at http://www.purple-planet.com.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Rhiannon Picton-James article in the New York Times Please Stop Merchandising Mental Illness.

Louie Prima and Keely Smith in a spirited rendition of I A'int Go Nobody.

National Alliance on Mental Health page about anxiety disorders, treatment and support.

From 2017 on Anxiety.org post about the Link Between Experiences of Racism and Stress and Anxiety for Black Americans: A Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Coping Approach

Verywell Mind post on Tips for Traveling while Panic Disorder and Anxiety.

Allie Mason of the Health Mason blog on planning for travel called Tips for Anxious Travelers.

Lauren at Never Ending Journey has 2014 write up about how anxiety/panic disorders affected her life and how she transitioned from being home bound to a travel blogger.

Disclaimer:

Show 129 More Resources for Those That Have Depression

Depression

It is summertime and it is a time to get off the treadmill and have some fun. I've heard people say it but I doubt that they do it. Or to be clear, those of with an anxiety disorder tend to take our bug-a-boos with us.

One of those bug-a-boos is depression.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Kaiser Permanente Finding Your Words site on Depression. You can take a self-assessment, learn more about depression symptoms or

John Moe's The Hilarious World of Depression. Comedians, writers, musicians and all kinds of folks talk about being human with this thing called depression. You might also want to skip on over to the Making It Ok site.

Johann Hari Now This opinion video on everything you know about depression is wrong. According to him. He is an author with a book to sell. My understanding is that he feels that it is not biochemical but loneliness. Social isolation. I agree about getting out in nature. I don't agree with other of his opinions but folks should check it out and decide for themselves.

And if you are looking for music to relax to I would like to suggest Purple Planet Music at www.purple-planet.com. I'm testing out new music for the show and this is the track called Shifting Sands. If you need something more guided you can always check out the UCLA Guided Mindful Meditations.

Disclaimer:

Show 128 From Grit to Resilience

Grit, Resilience

Our need for symptom relief and safety sometime overrides our ability to connect to solutions or treatment. Maybe it isn’t necessarily about grit but resilience. For us, our symptoms is that irritation that there is a problem. Symptoms will keep bugging us until we do something.

Grit can be used as a weapon. We might have a stronger one. Resilience.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Angeles Duckworth's book Grit, the Power of Passion and Perseverance. You can take the Grit Scale - how do you measure what you have on her site.

Coursera has a free course on What is Grit, Why Do Gritty People Succeed, and How Can You Develop Your Grit. You can get a better understanding of the psychological/character related meaning of the term.

James Clear has a lengthy post on grit in terms of mental toughness.

Greater Good Magazine - What's Wrong with Grit? It not a cure and maybe if you are hurt bad it can do more harm than good.

Character Lab page on what is (academic/success) grit and how it is a part of the overall human make up of the term character.

American Psychological Association page on The Road to Resilience.

Mayo Clinic on Resilience: Build skills to endure hardship

Psychology Today post by Brad Waters on 10 Traits of Emotionally Resilient People. Number 7 is very important.

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Show 127 When The ER Visit Goes Bad

Anxiety, Doctors, Medication, Treatment

We tell people to go get help when there is a mental problem. But a reality is that doctors, who we hope would know better, don’t always do better. Not only the mental health symptoms but the physical ones as well.

This is a quick pebble in the road on some of the things that could have happened and what you can do to get the care you need.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

KPIX news report on doctor's behavior at El Camino Hospital on YouTube.

SF Gate article and video of El Camino Hospital's doctor handling of an anxiety patient in the emergency room. The hospital has made an official statement.

National Public Radio story Failing Patients': Baltimore Video Highlights Crisis Of Emergency Psychiatric Care from April 2018 talks about the lack to training, resources and funding necessary to handle mental health and psychiatry health conditions.

Dignity Health page on Mental Health Emergency: What to expect in the ER

The Mighty on 11 Things I Want the ER Staff to Know as a Person With a Mental Illness

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Show 126 Mystek Lessons About Grit

Anxiety, Grit, Phobias, Treatment

The point of the episode is to look at your own views and understanding about grit as it relates to your experiences and your treatment path.

Not your priest, your drinking buddies, or even what The Batman would do cuz you know he isn't right in the head.

There are people that say this is a waste of time to put the anti-suicide contact info. There are others that say yeah, you can and then what?

I understand how they feel. If a person is gonna do it there isn't much you can do. But if there is a chance to reach somebody then I'm gonna leave this right here.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources (Not) Mentioned:

DC Wikia page on Seong Barclay aka Mystek.

Angela Duckworth's Grit Scale, a way of looking at how you approach a task or difficulty. If you would like to know about Ms. Duckworth's research about grit you can check out a TED video, Personal Grit as Key to Success.

Leo Ho's post on Lifehack.org The Beauty of Suffering or there can be no joy without pain.

Harvard Health Blog on Anxiety; what it is and what to do. Harvard Health also has a guide on Coping with Anxiety (they call it a report). Cost about $20.

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Show 125 Short Introduction to Grit

Anxiety, Burnout, Grit

It starts with irritation. You try to do something, it doesn't work out. What do you do? For some of us, our anxiety, our phobias and panic attacks are our grit. It forces us to take action.

This is a short introduction to one kind of grit. The kind that makes you uncomfortable.

Please step away from the deep six. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned:

Wil Wheaton's Medium article on having depression and generalized anxiety.
The Sassy Psychologist: Stop being an a**hole to yourself in The Suburban (Quebec,CA)

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith talks about what he knew about Coach Lue's condition in March 2018.

ESPN full interview with Kevin Love, where he talks not only about basketball but also about having panic attacks. The linked version starts at the point where he talks about panic attacks.

The Sassy Psychologist website where there are more articles about mental health and socialization issues.

The Anxy Magazine. Issue #1 was about anger. Issue #2 was about workaholism and #3 is about boundaries.

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Show 124 Tips for Dealing with Anxiety and Burnout - Pebble In the Road

Burnout, Mindfulness, Support

How do you know that you are in burn out mode? And what can you do about it?

This is a quickie episode as I continue to face the pile of salt that I have to remove grain by grain from my life. You get snow blind after a while. Taking a break is important.

Really important.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources (Not) Mentioned:

The States of Burnout - you don't want to get to #3 if you can help it.

Trent Lapinski - How I Overcame Burnout, he uses meditation, exercise and cutting back on energy drinks.

Anxiety at Work - The Road to Burnout- from the honeymoon to full burnout.

Delilah Helton Eliminate Burnout – A Guided Meditation To Avoid Burnout

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Show 123 Emotional and Soothing Grounding Techniques

Apps, Grounding, Support, Therapy

Not everybody wants to walk around or think logical thoughts. Not when the are trying not to gag, ralph or loose control. But you might be able to conjure up a memory. In this short episode, emotional and soothing grounding skills that might be of help.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources (Not) Mentioned:

There is an on-line service called My Noise, a custom noise generator. They have all kinds of stuff but I want to call attention to the Cat Noise Purr Generator. Personally, it creeps me out but if you love the sound of a purring cat and you don't want to live with them then this is the app for you.

A great idea is to build your on self-soothing kit. Carolyn at Creativity in Therapy has some ideas on how to do that.

If you want to know more about self-compassion or would like meditations that focus on self-compassion then check of Kristin Neff's Self-Compassion Guided Meditations and Exercises

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