Driving alone

Members,

Do you struggle with anxiety? Today we will be looking at sample exposure plans to help you overcome your fears.

If you fear driving…

• Sit outside and look at the car for 1 hour
• Sit in a car outside alone with the engine off for 1 hour
• Sit in a car outside alone with the engine on for ½ hours. (Do not do this in an enclosed space due to carbon monoxide poisoning.)
• Sit in a car outside alone with the engine on for 1 hour. (Do not do this in an enclosed space due to carbon monoxide poisoning.)
• At a quiet time drive around one block for one hour
• Drive in a quiet residential neighborhood for 1 hour
• Drive in the same residential area at a busier time of day
• Drive on a wider street during a quiet time of day for an hour
• Repeat as above but make turns, change lanes & stop.
• Drive on a wider street during a busier time of day for an hour.
• Repeat as above but make turns, change lanes & stop.
• Increase the amount of time and frequency of your driving gradually.

Back to School depression

Jason, Health Educator

Medications that can worsen anxiety symptoms

Members,

Many medicines can cause anxiety or make anxiety worse. Discuss your medicines with your doctor if you think that a medicine may be adding to your anxiety.

Prescription medicines that may cause anxiety include:

•    Medications that contain amphetamines, such as Benzedrine, Dexedrine, and Ritalin.
•    Hormones, such as oral contraceptives and thyroid medications.
•    Steroids, such as cortisone, Hexadrol, and prednisone.
•    Respiratory medications, such as albuterol, salmeterol, and theophylline.
•    Other medications, such as phenytoin, levodopa, quinidine, and some antidepressants.

Nonprescription medications that may cause anxiety include:

•    Medications that contain caffeine, such as Anacin, Empirin, Excedrin, No-Doz, and cough medicines.
•    Decongestants, such as phenylephrine, including Sudafed PE.
Jason - Health Educator

Decluttering

Need some organization?

Are you cluttered, inside and out?

Make sense of it all, without having to feel overloaded and closed in.

Take it room by room, and start purging.  Get rid of anything you haven’t used for more than a year.  Clothes, toys, knick knacks, books, shoes, etc and free yourself of clutter.

This can be very therapeutic!

It keeps you busy and occupied
It frees you of clutter
It can relax you
You may actually find something you lost.

Jason - Health Educator

been there, done that, still wailing

Jason, Bilingual Health Educator

Hi

Jason, Bilingual Health Educator

Discouraged

Jason, Bilingual Health Educator

What went right today!

Members,

Alternative Therapies

Members,

 

In addition to the support you’re receiving online, from outside therapy and medication; many other alternative therapies exist to help alleviate the symptoms of anxiety. They include but are not limited to:

• Yoga, Meditation, Reiki, Tai Chi, Ayurveda, Massage
• Aromatherapy
• Magnet Therapy, Light therapy, ESR
• Herbal supplements, nutritional therapy and Chinese medicine
• Educational materials

 

At this time we would like to remind all our members that although taking herbal supplements, Chinese medicine or making changes in your diet has been beneficial to some, it is not always safe. For this reason, it is always highly recommended to consult your doctor or pharmacist before pursuing any naturopathic regiment as it may conflict with other current health conditions and/or medications you are taking.

 

Talking with Friends and Family

Members,

 

It is often difficult to share the difficulties you are currently experiencing with friends and family. Many often debate as to whether or not informing family and close friends would be beneficial.

 

Remember, what you tell your friends and family is up to you. What you can say probably depends on what your friends and family are like. Some people may try to understand your problems and respond to you with support. Others may not understand and have trouble supporting your efforts to get better. Seek support from those who are most likely to give it.

 

If you decide to tell a good friend or a supportive family member about your depression, just tell them the facts. Tell them that you believe that you're struggling with depression and that you're trying to do something about it. If you've been trying to hide your depression from someone, sharing this information may help them understand your behavior.

 

If you tell them that you have a problem and that you're working on it, good friends and supportive family members usually want to know how they can help.  Tell your good friends and family that just knowing that they're trying to understand your depression and support you is important to you. You can tell your supporters that they can help by learning more about depression. The more they understand it, the better they can help. If you're having trouble explaining how you're feeling, you may decide to point them in the direction of this web site.

 

Below are a number of general suggestions for what you might say to friends and family members who want to help you cope with a depressive disorder:

 

• Only offer to help me if I ask you
• Try to let me be in control of my treatment and recovery even if it seems that I want you to take charge
• Try to stay positive, and be patient with me
• Be prepared for my successes and setbacks