Search Results for: mental health dealing with stressful situations

When Your Church Lets You Down (2)

In our last article on this subject (see link below) we looked at how Susan could not find a nun in her diocese to pray with her for a period of two weeks while another nun went on holidays. Susan was going through a deeply distressing time and she found the comfort of praying with her nun friend very comforting. But it wasn’t so comforting when not a single nun would volunteer to step in for the fortnight and help this distraught woman out. But this sadly is not restricted to the Roman Catholic Church. Lyn had just divorced her … Continue reading →

When Your Church Lets You Down (1)

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This is not an article about the place of religion in the treatment of mental health, it is merely a collection of anecdotal tales that are rather surprising given that churches are renowned for being in the business of helping people through difficult times. Of course, churches are run by fallible humans and we must expect problems from time to time. But it is a shame when a minister or senior church representative fails to offer even the most basic human care to a person suffering from an emotional problem. Let’s have a look at the case of Susan. Susan … Continue reading →

Effects of House Break-ins on Young Children

Have you had your house broken into? If the statistics are to be believed then there is a pretty good chance that you either have been or you will be. Although a robbery is a traumatic event for anyone to go through, the effect on young children is often longer term than that for adults. When your home is broken into there are several effects that the incident has on the homeowner. The most obvious one is when treasured or valuable objects are taken. Then there is the sheer inconvenience of having to deal with insurance companies (if you are … Continue reading →

The Increase in “Brat-Camp” Style Documentaries

Even a decade ago, there were few signs of reality TV shows dealing with out-of-control teenagers giving the finger plus a mouthful of verbal abuse to anyone who came near them, but in particular, their parents. Now they are popping up on our screens regularly, under a variety of names but all with the same goal – to tame these overgrown two-year olds. So, what is happening to our children to turn them into such unpleasant creatures? First we have to consider the ratings that these types of shows pull. Television executives are well aware of the increasing number of … Continue reading →

Increase Your Tolerance for Stress

I do believe that our capacity to cope with and handle stress can be expanded with time and practice. I know that parenthood and life experiences have influenced my own capacity—I have much more resiliency and flexibility than I ever had when I was younger. The more we go through, the more we endure and survive, the more we realize just what is worth fussing over and what is not. In the early days of operating your home business, you may feel as though the stress of trying to coordinate all the facets of your life and organize your business … Continue reading →

Christmas Cheerio

Well, it’s one year since I began blogging on Mental Health here at Families. Where has the year gone? 2006 has certainly been a speedy, fast-paced year with its share of happiness and heartache alike. I have certainly enjoyed my stint here writing on what is one of my passions in life: mental health. We’ve covered many areas in the blog to date: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and the raft of anxiety disorders, including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Phobia to name a few. We’ve also looked at developmental disorders such as Autism and Asperger’s Disorder. But … Continue reading →

Coping with Christmas & Family Gatherings (2)

Popular magazines abound with tips on how to survive Christmas. You’ll notice that they mainly deal with the practicalities of food preparation and gift selection, even so far as to give you an “Advent-style” countdown from December 1 onwards telling you what task should be achieved on each particular day. Naturally, they stay well clear of the BIG issues — in short, the difficult issues. Today we’ll look at these very problems. How best to cope with a difficult parent, an impossible in-law, anger, rage, guilt (a biggie), and loneliness. And still have a Happy Christmas. 1. Take a leaf … Continue reading →