Tuesday, February 28, 2012

March 1st is International Self Injury Awareness Day



What do these high profile individuals have in common? Singer, Fiona Apple; Comedian, Russell Brand; Actress, Drew Barrymore; Actor, Johnny Depp; Actor, Colin Farrell; Actress, Megan Fox; Actress, Angelina Jolie; Singer, Demi Lovato and Princess Diana....

Before finding emotional health, they struggled with self-injury.

Self-Injury is a deliberate, non-suicidal behavior that inflicts physical harm on one's body to relieve emotional distress. Self-injury has a paradoxical effect in that the pain self-inflicted actually sets off an endorphin rush, relieving the self-harmer from deep distress. It's important to note that self-injury does not involve a conscious intent to commit suicide - and as such, the clinical term for this behavior is called Non-Suicidal Self Injury (NSSI), NSSI can take many forms from cutting, picking, burning, bruising, puncturing, embedding, scratching or hitting one's self, just to name a few.

In its simplest form, NSSI is a physical solution to an emotional wound. Generally, it is a deliberate, private act that is habitual in occurrence, not attention-seeking behavior, nor meant to be manipulative. Self-injurers are often secretive about their behaviors, rarely letting others know, and often cover up their wounds with clothing, bandages, or jewelry.

Symbolically speaking, deliberately injuring one's self can be viewed as a method to communicate what cannot be spoken. With self-harm, the skin is the canvas and the cut, burn or bruise is the paint that illustrates the picture. Most individuals who self-injure are struggling with emotional expression. This clinical experience is known as Alexithymia - the inability to recognize emotions and their subtleties and to understand or describe thoughts and feelings. Many other self-harmers are struggling with internal conflicts, may have anxiety, depression, may have experienced physical or sexual abuse, or other more serious psychological concerns.

Statistically speaking, approximately 4% of the population in the United States uses NSSI as a way of coping. Individuals who self-injure are represented in all SES brackets in the United States with the behavior usually starting in adolescence. Girls and women tend to self-injure more than boys and men, but this may be represented by the fact that females tend to turn to professional help more than males.

Those Who Self-Injure Are Often Trying To:

* Distract themselves from emotional pain

* End feelings of numbness

* Offset feelings of low self-esteem

* Control helplessness or powerlessness

* Calm overwhelming or unmanageable feelings

* Maintaining control in chaotic situations

* Self-punish, self-shame or self-hate

* Express negative thoughts or feelings that cannot be put into words

* Self-nurture or self-care


10 Tips for Reducing Self-Injury


1) Create an Emergency Kit. Place positive things in your kit like photos of people you love, notes to yourself or from friends or family, a journal for writing, markers or art supplies for artistic expression, an inspirational poem, beloved stuffed animal, upbeat music, favorite scents, things like that.

2) Use positive imagery. Visualize yourself moving through your painful moment without self-harming. Research shows that using positive visualization can keep you in-the-moment which is a key tool for recovery.

3) Hold your ground. Sensory Grounding experiences like holding something soft, listening to soothing music, drawing or writing, for example, can interrupt the trance-like state that often comes with self-harm, shifting you towards more positive behaviors.

4) Reboot your mind. Reframe your thoughts toward helpful statements, also known as Cognitive Grounding Skills, like "Who am I really mad at?""What is setting me off?" or "I am safe and I am in control." These can re-orient you to the here-and-now.

5) Know your triggers. Become aware of what issues bend or break you. Try to dilute your exposure to them, call upon others to help you move through them and remind yourself that you can emerge from them successfully.

6) Take a detour. Reroute self-harm by using less severe forms of sensations. Holding an ice cube, tearing or shredding paper or a sheet, snapping a rubber band against your skin, sucking a lemon peel are ways to dilute the need to experience pain.

7) Move your body. Consider the adrenaline rush of running, dancing, holding a yoga pose, jumping rope to offset urges to self-harm. The rush of adrenaline has been known to produce the similar chemical surge that comes from self-injury.

8) Forgive yourself. As you try to interrupt your self-harming behaviors, know that it may not come as easily some days as others. Should you find that you've lapsed into self-harming, remind yourself that change is a process. Learn to forgive and be kind to yourself as you start anew.

9) Be supportive.
If you know someone who may be self-injuring, offer support and try not to shame or criticize the NSSI behavior. Self-injury behaviors can be successfully treated, so help your friend or family member by encouraging them to seek help.

10) Consider calling a therapist. Remember that having an urge to self harm is not the same as actually self harming. If you can distract yourself from self-injury, you are well on your way to recovery. However, if the urges win out, not allowing you to reduce your self-harm behaviors, consider working with a professional.


References

Froeschle, J. & Moyer, M. (2004). Just cut it out: Legal and ethical challenges in counseling students who self-mutilate. Professional School Counseling. 7(4), 231-235.

Kress White, V.E. (2003). Self-injurious behaviors: Assessment and diagnosis. Journal of Counseling & Development. 81(4), 490-496.

Lee, Y. et al. (2010). Direct and indirect effects of the temperament and character on Alexithymia: A pathway analysis with mood and anxiety. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 51 (2), 201-206.

Levenkron, S. (1999). Cutting: Understanding and overcoming self-mutilation. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.



Friday, February 17, 2012

Random Acts of Kindness Week


Random Acts of Kindness Week is February 13th thru the 19th here in the United States and Canada.

The Random Acts of Kindness™ Foundation is the official organization of the kindness movement , whose aim is to help everyone create a better world by spreading awareness and increasing engagement in kind actions.

The Random Acts of Kindness™ Foundation is international, with kindness days and weeks sponsored around the globe. They provide free educational and community ideas, guidance, and other resources to promote kindness.

Research shows that tiny acts of kindness ripple exponentially across social experiences - essentially sparking a contagiousness of generosity and cooperativeness. Simple stated, a single kind act influences dozens more.

So be kind and pay it forward!


Citation:
Fowler, H. & Christakis, N. (2010). Cooperative behavior cascades in human social networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 107(10): 5334-5338


Sunday, February 12, 2012

Broken Heart Syndrome

Valentine’s Day is not always a candy coated day of love and romance. For many who've lost a loved one, suffered a break up or are on the brink of separation or divorce, this day is anything but sweet. Learning about Broken Heart Syndrome can help you heal from your love trauma and make it through emotional calendar events like this.

Facts about Broken Heart Syndrome

•Profound emotional sadness doesn't just weigh heavy on your mind. It significantly impacts your body.

•The depths of being heart-broken lowers your immune system, increases blood pressure and heart rate and causes significant muscle weakness, just to name a few.

•Stress from heartbreak grief can flood the body with hormones, specifically Cortisol, which causes that heavy-achy-feeling you get in your chest area.

•The heartache that comes from lost love can increase the likelihood of a heart attack. In fact, a recent study showed that a person who has a tendency to be depressed and has recently suffered a love trauma was 5 times more likely to die than a person with depression alone or a heart condition alone.

•The actual medical term for this deeply emotional mind/body experience is called Stress Cardiomyopathy also known as Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. The colloquial term: A broken heart.

•Women are ten times more likely to suffer from Broken Heart Syndrome than men.


Tips for preventing “Broken Heart Syndrome”

•Take control. Prepare yourself for the holiday crush that comes from television, radio, online and in print. Limit your exposure to such things if the overblown seasonal attention becomes too much.

•Take stock in knowing that you’re not alone in feeling lonely, letdown or unhappy during this time. Many are quietly suffering through just like you.

•Don't hold in your emotional pain. Studies show that expressing emotions greatly reduces the body's stress response.

•Don't put a time limit on your grief. And don't let others set one for you either. Your healing time for this love trauma is uniquely yours.

•Make sure you tend to your physical needs. Softness, warmth and touch can be healing. Feed your other senses too – music, scents, beauty - don’t forget to taste the world.

•Don't ignore chronic aches or pains. Check in with your physician to make sure that you’re medically fit.

•Make sure you eat well, choosing healthy foods to keep you nourished during difficult times.

•Keep a routine sleep schedule. If you require medication to help you with sleeping, or to regulate moods or for cardiac management, don't feel ashamed. You're going through a significantly stressful time.

•A broken heart leaves many people feeling stunned and stuck. Move. Get out of bed. Take a shower. Go for a walk. Feel the sun on your face.

•If you feel fragile, limit your exposure to emotionally driven holiday events. That doesn't mean you should avoid people completely. Decide what social connections will give you support, and which ones may be too taxing.

•Don't forget your spiritual side. Prayer, even meditation, has been shown to comfort a broken heart.

•Above all, remember: A broken heart doesn’t make you unlovable. At this moment in time, you are healing. But remind yourself to be open when love presents itself again.


References


Behrens, C.B . et. al. (2010). Major depression as a potential trigger for Takitsubo Cardiomyopathy. International Journal of Cardiology, 15;140(2):e40-2.

Bybee, K.A. & Prasaad, A. (2008). Stress related cardiomyopathy syndromes. Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 118-397-409.


Saturday, February 04, 2012

February is Eating Disorder Awareness Month


Canada, The United Kingdom and The United States use the month of February to bring awareness to Eating Disorders.

Generally, eating disorders involve self-critical, negative thoughts and feelings about body weight and food, and eating habits that disrupts normal body function, and daily life activities.

What causes eating disorders is not entirely clear, though a combination of psychological, genetic, social and family factors are thought to contribute to the disorder.

Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa~ Essentially self-starvation, this disorder involves a refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight. In severe cases, anorexia can be life-threatening

Bulimia Nervosa ~ This involves repeated episodes of binge eating, followed by ways of trying to purge the food from the body or prevent expected weight gain. People can have this condition and be of normal weight.

Binge-eating Disorder~ This is characterized by frequent episodes of overeating without purging.

Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) ~ A range of other disordered eating patterns don’t fit into the other types of eating disorders. These eating patterns are still serious, and intervention and attention are necessary.

Eating disorders can affect functioning in every system of the body, especially the heart and kidneys, and may cause lasting damage and even death. Because of the urgency of the risks associated with eating disorders, getting high-quality eating disorder treatment early on is the best way to combat the mental and physical consequences of these devastating mental illnesses.
Left unattended, eating disorders can lead to serious health problems or even death. For more information, go to the National Eating Disorders Association and to the International Association of Eating Disorders.