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by moonblue

white background with a yellow umbrella over text with rain in the background. The text reads Take Care of Yourself.

What is self-care?

January 30, 2018 in Educate Yourself

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You may have heard the term “self-care” being used on social media or in interactions with other people. It’s an idea that has only recently become popular.

I have seen arguments both for and against self-care. Some people believe it’s a selfish fad that emphasizes narcissistic behaviors and attitudes, because of the focus on “self.” But if you think about it, a lot of people our age, especially girls, have been trained to take care of other people before we take care of ourselves.

One primary purpose of self-care is to set boundaries, recharge yourself, and establish disciplines that help you be happier, more relaxed, and better able to function in your relationships with other people.

I have anxiety that is present pretty much all the time. In order to be the best person I can be, I have adopted self-care practices to help me let go of some of that anxiety at the end of each day.

So, what exactly is self-care?

Self-care is dedicating time in your busy schedule to do things that make you better able to live up to your responsibilities and also to enjoy your life. If you Google “self-care,” most of the examples that you’ll find online include relaxation techniques, like doing facial masks and listening to meditation music. They include buying lots of stuff for yourself—scented candles, bath bombs, makeup … basically indulging in consumerist self-gratification.

However, many other articles and people in their comments sections list examples of self-care routines that are behaviors and choices—such as not just driving, but driving with the windows down so you can feel and smell the air. Or taking a long and peaceful hike through nature, without your earbuds in, or maybe without your phone at all. Self-care doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Depending on your energy level, and if you really dedicate yourself to the process over time, self-care can actually be quite an active process.

My self-care routine is pretty simple. When I get home after classes, I like to give myself some alone-time before going out with my friends or boyfriend. I enjoy spending time by myself. Choosing to be by myself helps reduce my anxiety level. I relax on my bed and watch YouTube videos of beauty bloggers or comedians while I send out some texts and play around with the apps on my phone.

Other days, I go to my bookshelf and read some books that I haven’t gotten to yet. It may seem incredibly simple or boring to some, but these choices help me release my anxiety, and they make me feel a lot better. I frequently feel refreshed afterwards and ready to go out, or to stay in and study some more.

Here is a link to a cool website called Tiny Buddha that has a list of things you can do for self-care for body, mind, and spirit.

What has been your idea of self-care? Is it easy or hard for you to do things to take care of yourself and your mental health? What are some of your self-care routines that you’d recommend to others? Leave your comments below!

 

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by moonblue

How to Help Get Rid of Holiday Anxiety

December 26, 2017 in Educate Yourself, LINKS

It can be hard to expect ourselves to act super-happy at the holidays.

It can be hard to expect ourselves to act super-happy at the holidays.

The holidays are a great time to kick back, reunite with family, and hang out with friends. However, along with all the fun, the holidays can be an anxious time for many people. Because of the social nature of the holidays, if you have depression it can often feel tiring to act happy all the time around family. If you have anxiety, it can be difficult to be in long social situations day after day and find alone time to recharge.

We’re bound to feel some of that holiday nervousness, but there are resources and support available to those of us who would like to alleviate at least some of our holiday anxiety. Here are three situations that you may relate to in feeling nervousness towards the season.

Are you nervous about meeting your significant other’s family over the holiday break?

Check out this article I found on a website called The Date Report, which gives great advice on meeting your partner’s parents. Two tips: bring a small gift along, and help with cleanup.

Are you working a majority of your holiday break?

Lots of us need to earn money during the holidays, so we may feel like we don’t totally get to unwind. Believe it or not, there are actually benefits to working during the holidays, like opportunities for getting paid more and having something productive to delve into during break. Forbes has an interesting article about the benefits of working during the holidays.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by depression or anxiety during this season, and do not know why?

This article on MedicineNet offers diverse scientific explanations for holiday/winter blues, including less exposure to sunlight and financial struggles. If you can’t pinpoint what has you feeling blue, check out the article—it has a long list of possible reasons and provides some solutions.

I know for me, reading articles really helps in times of stress. It is therapeutic to read accounts of other people going through the same thing and reminds me that I am not alone. I hope that some of these articles and situations can help you feel the same!

Do you have any articles you have read this holiday season that you have found particularly helpful in negotiating your anxiety or depression? Please share below!

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by moonblue

OCD Tendencies Found in Depression

November 29, 2017 in Educate Yourself

Does your depression ever make you feel overly motivated instead of unmotivated? If so, then you are not alone. When many people hear the word “depression,” an image comes to mind of a person by themselves—typically staying in bed and being inactive. The reality is, depression is multifaceted. If you are currently talking to a therapist and have not discussed the different ways in which your depression manifests, I highly encourage it because you may learn things about your depression that you did not know previously.

In my experience, I have had the types of days when I was not motivated to leave my room and felt depression actually weighing me down. However, I also would have other days that my therapist told me were fueled by “OCD-like tendencies”—my therapist said this also was an effect of my depression.

This came as a surprise to me. I was not diagnosed with OCD, but my therapist explained that she thought I did enter that mindset sometimes. During these days, I would spend hours cleaning my room, throwing out things I needed, making sure nothing was on the floor of the house, and feeling like I had unlimited energy. When I was in those moments, I would feel productive, but it was only after the spells ended that I realized it was an unhealthy compulsion.

If you can relate to this experience, your depression may also manifest itself as an OCD-tendency state. My therapist explained to me this was my mind’s way of distracting myself from my thoughts and sadness. Instead of lying down and letting the depression hit me, I was fighting it off obsessively through my actions. But it didn’t work: the more I fervently cleaned and threw away, the more depressed I was becoming.

How can you manage this compulsive behavior?

Let your therapist know that you would like some advice. My therapist was extremely helpful in giving me strategies to approach this problem. Now, I am able to catch myself when I begin to fall into those compulsions. It is a mechanism that hasn’t gone away completely, but it has reduced significantly since I asked my therapist for help.

Communication is key! Do not struggle in silence. If you are dealing with a similar situation, let someone else in your life know. You will soon be able to come up with a way of combatting this, and your mind will be at ease.

If you are unsure whether you have depression with OCD tendencies or even diagnosable OCD, there are resources available to you online to get an idea of your symptoms. Here is an article to introduce you to common traits of OCD.

Depression does not always present as “sadness.” Sometimes you have other symptoms, such as the ones mentioned above, or you’re irritable or angry or you feel guilty. What are some of your experiences or symptoms of depression or anxiety? Do you feel some symptoms are stigmatized (such as sadness and depression)? Please share with us in the comments section!

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by moonblue

A background on starting/stopping antidepressants

October 18, 2017 in Educate Yourself

I was on Zoloft for three years and with the encouragement from my friends and family, I recently stopped taking it. However, choosing to stop my antidepressants was quite a difficult obstacle for me.  And I would like to share my personal experience for anyone else who might be considering stopping or starting medication.

Antidepressants

Should I take antidepressants? 

If you think antidepressants might help relieve some depression symptoms for you, make an appointment with a psychiatrist as soon as possible. Make sure you do not schedule it with a psychologist because they are not authorized to prescribe you medication. Psychiatrists can assess and diagnose you, and you will be able to decide together whether antidepressants are a good choice for you. Find out more about the differences between mental health professionals.

What antidepressant should I take if my psychiatrist decides it is right for me? 

I have only had experience with Zoloft, but I have had friends and family members who have switched different medications up to five times to find the best antidepressant that works for them. It is helpful to know that this process will be a change to your mind and body, and it is important to account for that. You might experience some side effects and you may also need to increase or decrease your dosage, which your doctor can help you manage.

Like most medications, there is a long list of possible side effects, but here are the most common ones to look out for when beginning antidepressants:

  1. Nausea (something I did experience for a short time)
  2. Trouble sleeping
  3. Weight gain/loss (more commonly weight gain- for me, it was 20 pounds)

I am on antidepressants and I would like to stop taking them. How should I go about it?

First, consult your doctor. It is important to get an unbiased opinion on your mental health from a professional. If they agree you are okay to begin tapering off your medication, they will help you through it. It is important to slowly decrease your dose over time rather than quit right away. Quitting cold turkey will make the side effects of coming off medication worse and in many cases, cause the depression to bounce back.

What will it feel like tapering off my medication?

My experience, along with one of my friends, was more severe than starting the medication. First, it is a huge choice to make and I felt my emotions increase as I lessened my dosage. Many people online report that they are more likely to cry or feel depressed again when tapering off. The important thing to note is that this is completely normal! The chemicals in your brain are adjusting to the change, and you will feel differently through the process.

It is not guaranteed, but for me, I had a few days of severe sickness, including one day of vomiting and a few with extreme day-long nausea. It is difficult, but I felt much better once my tapering was over.

Remember, it is important to take an active role in your mental health by sharing any changes with your doctor, as well as any thoughts, questions and symptoms. Be honest with your team of doctors, nurses or other mental health care providers so together you can make the best decisions about your health. To find out more about talking with your doctor visit National Institute of Health: Clear Communication.

Lastly, please take some time to think about how far you have come with your journey with depression. You are entering a new chapter of your life, and it is very important to be easy on yourself through this challenging shift. Make time for you and remember it will get easier.

If you have any questions or comments about the subject of today’s blog post, please let us know!  We’d love to hear from you!

 

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