admin March 8th, 2010
I’ve been trying to take Sydney on some walks lately and/or just getting outside. Granted it’s only been in the last couple days that anyone really feels like soaking up the sun and warmer weather but it’s good to keep in mind just how important it is to move. Check out this article about reducing your anxiety with exercise.
How does exercise reduce anxiety?
Although we don’t know exactly why, it’s believed there are a range of reasons why exercise relieves anxiety and chases away the black clouds of depression:
Distraction - focusing your thoughts on hitting a tennis ball or running around an open manhole prevents you from mulling over your last (probably incorrectly perceived) social calamity. Anxiety is driven by negative thinking. So using your brain more constructively can give your emotions a welcome break.
Biological - exercise safely releases stored up adrenaline, which is what causes you to sweat or feel sick when you’re anxious. This means you’ll feel more relaxed and less on edge after you’ve finished your run.
Read the full article
admin January 23rd, 2010
One of the things I love about writing this blog is the feedback I get from readers. It is especially gratifying when people write me to ask if they can post information that they have gathered in the hopes that others can benefit. Ahh…the beauty of the internet. Well, today please welcome to the blog a wonderful resource for our friends in the United Kingdom. It is a tool that has taken all the guess work of finding help for your disorders be it social anxiety or bipolar disorder just to name a few. When I first saw this website I was amazed at how much is available. The dedication of the people that have put this together should be commended.
Thank you Catriona for sharing this great wealth of knowledge with others. Please take a look at the Counselling Directory and read how it all came to be.
A few years ago, a friend of ours found herself in a very daunting situation. After struggling with a number of issues and problems, she decided that counselling was a good option for her to help get her life back track. Her initial decision to go for counselling was undoubtedly one of the hardest parts of her entire therapy process, and a very brave one.
However, once she’d decided this, a whole new set of questions arose, and it became apparent that choosing the right counsellor, whilst perhaps not the hardest part of counselling, is undoubtedly one of the most important parts.
There are numerous issues to consider – practical and otherwise. What about, for example, location? Despite counsellors’ assured complete confidentiality people may prefer to see a counsellor that is perhaps outside their local area, but still in surroundings they are comfortable in. Our friend certainly didn’t want to run into anyone she knew, but at the same time needed to know where she was going.
As we were students at the time, money was a paramount issue. There are counsellors that offer reduced rates for students, and the unemployed or those seeking benefits, but how do you find them? No one wants to end up bartering with a counsellor over the price of their mental well being.
And what guarantees that the counsellor is the real deal? There are no laws in the UK that govern counselling, so what’s to stop anyone setting up shop to listen to people’s problems? There are qualifications and professional bodies, but these can often be confusing and over-whelming.
Counselling can take many different approaches – from person-based to psychoanalytic, and it’s important to choose a counsellor with an approach the person will be comfortable with and respond to well.
A daunting situation indeed, and it made us think. What if there was a website that collected all this information, so you could search for your where you live and the surrounding area and find a list of counsellors, with all their information, qualifications, and what areas they cover? Of course, a website like this didn’t exist. So we made one.
Counselling Directory was set up to provide a simple, easy, and most importantly un-daunting way of connecting people that need help with the people that provide it. A comprehensive searching tool, the site allows postcode, town and country searches, and produces a list of counsellors registered in this area. Each counsellor has a profile, listing a bit about themselves, their approaches, what areas they deal with, and all their training, qualification and experience and fees.
The site shows which counsellors are registered/accredited with a professional body, and full profiles are only displayed after insurance and qualification documents are checked or membership with a professional body has been verified.
We hope the site can solve the situation like our friend had. It’s hard enough deciding to undertake counselling, and who wants extra hassle of trying to find a counsellor? The site has also become a huge information bank – there are articles written by the counsellors, as well as comprehensive information on all kinds of distress – from depression to eating disorders to abuse, to help people identify their problems and become informed, not scared.
We’ve heard from many people who have found the site invaluable, reducing the amount of stress and worrying that can contribute to an already difficult enough process.
Please see us at the Counselling Directory
admin September 29th, 2009
“All the buildings in the district are full,” Emmendorfer said. “We are filled to capacity.”
To accommodate the additional students, the district is renting the New McKendree United Methodist Church across the street from the elementary school.
The district is leasing the building for $45,916 per year. There are 105 students housed in the church with another 83 in the elementary.
The district brought in tables and cubbies to transform Sunday school classrooms to fit its needs, Emmendorfer said.
“It just works lovely for us,” said Bonnie Knowlan, South Elementary principal.
Students with mild to significant developmental delays, whether cognitive, physical, communicative, adaptive or emotional, receive priority. The district is required by law to provide education for students with disabilities when they turn 3. The preschool program was expanded in 2002 to also include students with mild development issues such as social anxiety or language problems.
Read the full article
admin July 5th, 2009
I always like to tell you about new bloggers because each parents view and experiences are unique and each gives us more inspiration and understanding that we are not alone. If you have a chance take a look at this blog “Where Mom & Dads can go”
Mom and Dad first and foremost
We are parents of two wonderful kids. But boy have we go through hell. 9 trips to the OR with the 7 year old. Major health and mental health issues with the 7 year old and the entire time she bring joy, smiles and laughter to all of us. Her strength gives us strength. Her brothers ability to adapt and his compassion for his sister shows us daily what love really means. But on bad days its all too overwhelming. Bad days bring tears and frustration but good days remain in our memory for ever.
admin June 26th, 2009
I have a fantastic article that was brought to my attention by a reader of the blog. You’ll understand when you read the article that although my daughter is a little too young for facebook I “choose to embrace it”.
Facebook can be especially good for shy kids — any child — to help build their social skills. I’ve seen the opportunity for learning and practicing social skills with my daughter. For her, those skills were first learned on MySpace when Facebook was not yet the mainstream.
Facebook creates a “less scary” scenario than talking on the phone or socializing in person. For example, the chat feature gives your child time to think when talking and expressing. Chatting is similar to a phone call, yet you have the time to pause and think about what you want to say. Phone calls can be awkward, with running out of things to say and dead air, and meeting in person can make you nervous for the same reasons.
Having some successful social interactions on Facebook could increase your child’s confidence when socializing in person. It’s a way to introduce new social skills in a gradual manner.
Today Omamas features a guest post from Marjie Braun Knudsen, a Beaverton writer focused on issues relating to children and teens. She is co-author, with Jenne R. Henderson, of “BRAVE: Be Ready and Victory’s Easy, A Story About Social Anxiety.”
Read more
admin April 28th, 2009
This week the Hamilton Spectator has been running a special series on Child and Youth Mental Health. They are completing their series with a Public Forum on May 6 @ 7 p.m at the Spectator.
The forum includes a panel with guests including Honorable Minister Deb Matthews, Simon Davidson, and parents. It is going to be a very informative and interesting evening.
What is key - Minister Deb Matthews will be there - this is a PERFECT opportunity to unite in numbers to let her know that we are demanding a change for our children.
Please pass this information along to ALL of your networks. We really should try to come out in numbers to support this forum. We need to show that holding public forums like this is needed, worthwhile, and will make a difference to families and their children.
To register call
905-526-3535.
admin March 24th, 2009
I truly believe that what we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in them. Between Syndey still having high levels of arscenic in her body and with Ehren’s body being full of toxic heavy metals it’s very important to me that the soap they use to wash their hands and bodies are pure and contain no unnatural ingredients.
I also am a big advocate for buying products from local retailers such as Ella’s Botanicals
Ella has been making natural, handmade products for over 10 years. She is a trained Herbalist and Aromatherapist, using her creativity and extensive knowledge and passion for botanicals to create products which nourish the body while awakening the senses. Ingredients are carefully chosen and blended, balancing therapeutic value with fun and enjoyment, always keeping in mind the impact we have on our planet.
I recently saw her on a local television show and thought I’d check out her website and more importantly her products. They are fantastic and I must let everyone know about this talented lady that is helping keep my children free from any more chemicals. Tell your friends there is a new soap in town and please check out the great range of products.
admin March 5th, 2009
Can you help? If you are over the age of 18 you may be able to help gather data that will in turn help people who have social anxiety. Here are the details:
Holly Clapton is a research assistant helping with a study that is collecting data to eventually form ways of helping people who have social anxiety. We would really appreciate your input!
The study has been approved by the ethics committee at the University of Southampton. The study involves visualizing various social situations and completing questionnaires about yourself and your relationships with other people. We are hoping that the results could help us understand how people with different degrees of social anxiety cope with different social situations and could potentially lead to possible forms of treatment for social anxiety. If you are interested, please follow this link. Your help and participation is greatly appreciated!
admin March 4th, 2009
As you know I am always searching for great resources for us and I’ve found two interesting books. Take a look and see what these books have to offer. I think both books are wonderful endeavours.
SONGS OF MY SOUL
is the poetry of a Canadian teenager who took her own life, in November 1991, after struggling, for more than ten years, with what began as school phobia (known as school refusal today) and progressed to, social phobia, panic disorder and agoraphobia.
If you have an anxiety disorder and cannot make your friends and family understand the problem, this book will help them to understand that a person who has social phobia is a sensitive, creative and compassionate human being, too.
KIRSTIN’S STORY: no place to stand Author, Jean Jardine Miller
Children were not supposed to have anxiety disorders in the 1980s, when Kirstin’s story took place, and treatment consisted mainly of trying to track down the non-existent trauma that was causing the problem. Today, while we are, fortunately, more enlightened, misconceptions are still major hurdles when a child is referred for professional help. This book was written to help parents of children with anxiety disorders recognize what is happening when a child’s behaviour changes and to let them know that they are not alone.
