Tag: bp_docs_comment_access_anyone
What to do when someone comes out to you…
Coming out can be really scary for the person doing it and takes a lot of courage because you might not know how others will react. You might be wondering what to do if someone comes out to you… I found this awesome quick video that gives 3 tips about what to do when a friend comes out to you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw3shRMFSdw
I also wrote out some tips below:
1. The first things you can say are that you love them, you care about them and your friendship with them, and that’s not going to change!
2. Ask what you can do to help them or show your support.
3. Tell them you’re there to talk if/when they’re ready.
4. Thank them for telling you.
5. Respect their privacy. Remember that coming out requires a lot of courage, and you may be one of the few people they’ve trusted with this information!
6. Call or text them frequently after they came out to you so they know you’re still their friend.
Here are some resources:
https://lgbtq.unc.edu/programs/education/safe-zone-training/guidelines-safe-zone-allies/if-someone-comes-out-you
https://www.themanual.com/culture/what-to-do-when-your-friend-comes-out-to-you/
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/dating-sex/Pages/Gay-Lesbian-and-Bisexual-Teens-Facts-for-Teens-and-Their-Parents.aspx
Tonsils and Adenoids
Getting your tonsils and adenoids removed (tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies) are very common procedures to have done in childhood.
Tonsils are the two lumps of tissue located at the back of your mouth on either side of your throat. Adenoids are a similar lump of tissue located behind the nose, above the soft palate. Both of these help fight infection by trapping germs, but your body is still able to do this without them. As children grow, these can shrink and almost disappear by the time you’re a teenager, but sometimes they can become swollen and infected frequently and need to be removed. I’ve attached a photo below from a guide created by McMaster Children’s Hospital.
Tonsils and adenoids are removed under anaesthesia, meaning you’re given sleep medicine that makes sure you don’t hear, feel, or see anything during the procedure. Your throat can feel very sore once you wake up, but this is normal! So is seeing a bit of blood in your saliva. Thick white patches, or scabs, will form where they were removed and this is also normal (they eventually fall off on their own). Recovery can take 10-14 days in total. It’s very important to drink a lot of fluids during this time, even if you don’t feel like it.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is abnormal curving of the spine. Cases can range from mild, which may not affect daily living, to severe, which can be painful and limit daily activity. It affects about 3% of people, which is a lot on a large scale!
Causes
There are many causes of scoliosis, including congenital spine deformities (those present at birth, either inherited or caused by the environment), genetic conditions, neuromuscular problems, and limb length inequality. Other causes for scoliosis include cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, and tumours. More than 80% of scoliosis cases, however, have no known cause.
Symptoms
Symptoms for scoliosis will vary. Some symptoms may include the following:
- Shoulders at different heights
- Head not centred directly above the pelvis
- Appearance of a raised, prominent hip
- Rib cages at different heights
- Uneven waist
- Changes in look or texture of skin overlying the spine
- Leaning of entire body to one side
- Rib prominence when bent over (also known as a “Rib hump”)
Diagnosis
A doctor may diagnose scoliosis with an exam such as an x-ray, spinal radiograph, CT scan, or MRI of the spine. The curvature of the spine is measured and described in terms of degrees. Generally, a curve is considered significant if it is greater than 25 to 30 degrees. Curves exceeding 45 to 50 degrees are considered more severe.
Treatment
Doctors take into account age, severity of scoliosis, and other factors such as physical condition. If the curve needs correcting, bracing may be used. Bracing keeps the curve in your spine from getting worse as your grow. If it’s more severe, surgery may be required, although many scoliosis curves never progress to this point!
This animated video does a great job of explaining scoliosis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQTyP9WQj_I
Information sourced from: https://www.medtronic.com/ca-en/your-health/conditions/scoliosis.html
CRISIS HOTLINES: You are never alone!
Canadian Mental Health Association:
Call 24/7 1-833-456-4566 toll free (In QC: 1-866-277-3553) or visit www.crisisservicescanada.ca
Kids Help Phone:
Call 24/7 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868
Ontario Online and Text Crisis and Distress Service (ONTX):
Text 258258 from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily
Call 24/7 distress and crisis lines: 416-408-4357
Mental Health Self-Assessment Quizzes
Mental Health Meter
https://cmha.ca/mental-health-meter
What’s Your Stress Index?
https://cmha.ca/whats-your-stress-index
Work/School-Life Balance Quiz
https://cmha.ca/work-life-balance-quiz
Take a mental health quiz of your choice…
https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools
Screen self-test for different mental health concerns…
https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/screening-self-tests
Anxiety Disorders
An anxiety disorder causes unexpected or unhelpful anxiety that seriously impacts our lives, including how we think, feel, and act.
Phobias
A phobia is an intense fear around a specific thing like an object, animal, or situation. Most of us are scared of something, but these feelings don’t disrupt our lives. With phobias, people change the way they live in order to avoid the feared object or situation. For example, agoraphobia is fear of being in a situation where a person can’t escape or find help if they experience a panic attack or other feelings of anxiety. A person with agoraphobia may avoid public places or even avoid leaving their homes.
Panic disorder
Panic disorder involves repeated and unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is a feeling of sudden and intense fear that lasts for a short period of time. It causes a lot of physical feelings like a racing heart, shortness of breath, or nausea. Panic attacks can be a normal reaction to a stressful situation, or a part of other anxiety disorders. With panic disorder, panic attacks seem to happen for no reason.
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder involves intense fear of being embarrassed or judged negatively by others. As a result, people avoid social situations. This is more than shyness. It can have a big impact on work or school performance and relationships.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder is excessive worry around a number of everyday problems for more than six months (i.e. intense anxiety over a minor concern). Many people experience physical symptoms too, including muscle tension and sleep problems.
WHO DO THEY AFFECT?
Anxiety disorders can affect anyone at any age, and they are the most common mental health problem. Sometimes, anxiety disorders are triggered by a specific event or stressful life experience. Anxiety disorders may be more likely to occur when we have certain ways of looking at things (like believing that everything must be perfect) or learn unhelpful coping strategies from others. But sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be a reason.
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THEM?
Anxiety disorders are real illnesses that affect a person’s well-being. It’s important to talk to a doctor about mental health concerns. Normal, expected anxiety is part of being human. Treatment should look at reducing unhelpful coping strategies and building healthy behaviours that help you better manage anxiety.
Each anxiety disorder has its own specific treatments and goals, but most include some combination of the following strategies:
Counselling
An effective form of counselling for anxiety is cognitive-behavioural therapy (or ‘CBT’). CBT teaches you how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours work together. A goal of CBT is to identify and change the unhelpful patterns of thinking that feed anxious thoughts. It’s often the first treatment to try for mild or moderate problems with anxiety.
Medication
Some people also find antianxiety or antidepressant medication helpful. Medication can help with the physical feelings of anxiety. It may also make anxious thoughts less frequent or intense, so it can be easier to learn helpful coping strategies.
Support groups
Support groups—in person or online (like Upopolis) —may be a good place to share your experiences, learn from others, and connect with people who understand.
Self-help strategies
Many different skills can help people manage anxiety, such as stress management, problem-solving, and relaxation. Mindfulness—developing awareness of the present moment without judgement—may also help. Practices that support wellness, such as eating well, exercising, having fun, and connecting with others, are also important.
HOW CAN I HELP A LOVED ONE?
Supporting a loved one who is experiencing an anxiety disorder can be difficult. You may not understand why your loved one feels or acts a certain way. Some people who experience an anxiety disorder feel like they have to do things a certain way or avoid things or situations, and this can create frustration or conflict with others. You may feel pressured to take part in these behaviours or adjust your own behaviours to protect or avoid upsetting a loved one. Support can be a delicate balance.
Here are some general tips.
- Remind yourself that the illness is the problem—anger, frustration, or behaviours related to anxiety are nobody’s fault.
- Be patient—learning and practicing new coping strategies takes time.
- If your loved one is learning new skills, offer to help them practice.
- Listen and offer support, but avoid pushing unwanted advice.
- Set boundaries and seek support for yourself, if needed.
- If other family members are affected by a loved one’s anxiety disorder, consider seeking family counselling.
Sourced from: https://cmha.ca/mental-health/understanding-mental-illness/anxiety-disorders
Mental Illnesses: Different types
Many people fear mental illnesses, but the more people learn about them, the less there is to fear. Just like physical illnesses, mental illnesses can take many forms, like:
Anxiety disorders: Causes unexpected or unhelpful anxiety that seriously impacts our lives, including how we think, feel, and act.
Mood disorders: Cause people to feel intense, prolonged emotions that negatively affect their mental well-being, physical health, relationships and behaviour (i.e. depression and bipolar disorder).
Eating disorders: Eating disorders are not just about food. They are often a way to cope with difficult problems or regain a sense of control. They are complicated illnesses that affect a person’s sense of identity, worth, and self-esteem.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: People may experience obsessions, compulsions, or both, and they cause a lot of distress.
Phobias and panic disorders: Mental illnesses that cause fear which impacts ability to live day to day life.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Often involves exposure to trauma from single events that involve death or the threat of death or serious injury. PTSD may also be linked to ongoing emotional trauma, such as abuse in a relationship. PTSD impacts thoughts and experiences.
Schizophrenia: This complex brain disorder affects a person’s ability to determine what is reality and what is not. People with schizophrenia are affected by delusions, hallucinations (sensory experiences, such as hearing voices talking about them when there is no one there), social withdrawal and disturbed thinking.
Sourced from: https://cmha.ca/mental-health/understanding-mental-illness
Mood Disorders: Depression and Bipolar
Mood disorders are conditions that cause people to feel intense, prolonged emotions that negatively affect their mental well-being, physical health, relationships and behaviour.
DEPRESSION
Depression is a mental illness that affects the way a person feels. Mood impacts the way people think about themselves, relate to others, and interact with the world around them. This is more than a ‘bad day’ or ‘feeling blue.’ Without supports like treatment, depression can last for a long time. People can lose interest in things they used to enjoy and may withdraw from others. Depression can make it hard to focus on tasks and remember information. It can be hard to concentrate, learn new things, or make decisions. Depression can change the way people eat and sleep, and many people experience physical health problems.
Signs of depression include feeling:
BIPOLAR DISORDER
With bipolar disorder, people experience episodes of depression and episodes of mania. An episode of depression in bipolar disorder is the same as other types of depression. Mania is an unusually high mood for the person. People may feel like their thoughts are racing. They may feel unrealistically confident, happy, or very powerful. Many people don’t sleep much when they experience mania. They may act without thinking and do risky things they wouldn’t normally do.
People usually experience periods of wellness between episodes of depression or mania. The length, frequency, and type of episode can vary greatly. For example, some people experience many episodes of depression with only a few episodes of mania. Others experience long periods of wellness with only a few episodes during their lifetime.
WHO DO THEY AFFECT?
Anyone. They are likely caused by many different factors that work together, including family history, biology, the environment, life experiences, personality and physical health problems.
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?
Depression and bipolar disorder are real illnesses that can be very challenging, but people can and do recover.
Counselling and support
A type of counselling called cognitive-behavioural therapy (or ‘CBT’) is common for mood disorders. It teaches you how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours work together. It also teaches important skills like solving problems, managing stress, realistic thinking, and relaxation.
Support groups are also very important. Depression and bipolar disorder can be isolating. Support groups are a safe place to share your experiences, learn from others, and connect with people who understand what you’re going through.
Taking care of your well-being is especially important if you’re working through recovery, but this can be easy to overlook. Regular exercise can boost your mood and help you manage stress. Eating well and learning or maintaining healthy sleep habits are also very helpful. It’s always important to spend time on activities you enjoy, find relaxation strategies that work for you, and spend time with loved ones.
Medication
Antidepressants are the main kind of medication used to treat depression. There are many different classes and types of antidepressants, and they each work a little differently. However, antidepressants may not be the best option for bipolar disorder. Instead, bipolar disorder may be treated with mood stabilizers. Most people use a combination of medication and counselling.
Relapse prevention
A big part of recovery is learning to recognize relapse. A relapse is when symptoms come back. Seeking help as early as possible can do a lot to reduce problems or challenges.
HOW CAN I HELP A LOVED ONE?
You can offer support in different ways: you can offer emotional support or practical support to help make the journey less daunting. You can also help a loved one watch for signs of relapse or other difficulties, which is an important part in maintaining wellness.
People who experience an episode of depression may have thoughts of ending their life. This is a sign that a loved one needs extra support. If you believe that a loved one is in danger, don’t hesitate to call 911 or your local crisis line.
Here are some tips for supporting someone you love: