Yesterday I
shared the Yerkes-Dodson Law that I learnt about at a Mental Health Awareness
session at work. Today I share about various mental health strategies used by
psychologists, counsellors, etc.
Please don’t be
shy about learning about these strategies as they can be utilised without
visiting a psychologist or counsellor, although it is advised that you see
your doctor if you are suffering from anxiety
and/or depression that you feel has reach critical level. Your doctor will be able to
refer you onto the appropriate specialist for treatment.
The strategies the
presenter discussed include:
Alice
Morgan from the Dulwich Centre describes Narrative Therapy as seeking “to
be a respectful, non-blaming approach to counselling and community work, which
centres [on] people as the experts in their own lives. It views problems as
separate from people and assumes people have many skills, competencies,
beliefs, values, commitments and abilities that will assist them to reduce the
influence of problems in their lives.”
Ms Morgan goes onto write that there “are various
principles which inform narrative ways of working, but in my opinion, two are
particularly significant: always maintaining a stance of curiosity, and always
asking questions to which you genuinely do not know the answers.”
Peggy Gold, MS from
Good Therapy.org writes that, “At the core of
Narrative Therapy is the belief that the problem is separate and distinctly
apart from the person. A problem does not define a person. A problem is
something that a person has, not something that a person is.”
“An example of narrative therapy would be when a therapist
allows a client to verbalize their problems and then re-phrases the narrative
in a disconnected way. For instance, if a client believes suffers with
depression and feels like a failure, a narrative therapist may offer the
suggestion that rather than being a failure, the client had succeeded in living
with depression.”
Awesome Therapy –
Melanie
Rudd from Stanford University led a group of scientists to explore the Therapy
of Awe, aka Awesome
Therapy. The Australian newspaper published an
article on the topic in 2012, which explains the therapy to readers.
“A jaw-dropping moment really can make time appear to stand still - or at least slow down, new research suggests. Regular ``awesome'' experiences may also improve our mental health and make us nicer people, claim psychologists. The findings raise the prospect of ``awe therapy'' to overcome the stressful effects of fast-paced modern life. Awe is the emotion felt when encountering something so vast and overwhelming i t alters one's mental perspective. Examples might include experiencing a breathtaking view of the Grand Canyon, taking in the ethereal beauty of the Northern Lights, or becoming lost in a dazzling display of stars on a clear, dark night.”
Kendra
Cherry from About.com writes how “Positive
psychology is one of the newest branches
of psychology to emerge. This particular area of psychology focuses on
human prospering. While many other branches of psychology tend to focus on
dysfunction and abnormal behavior, positive psychology is centered on helping
people become happier.”
The Black
Dog Institute describes how “Positive
psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology that shifts the focus from what
is clinically wrong, to the promotion of wellbeing and the creation of a
satisfying life filled with meaning, pleasure, engagement, positive
relationships and accomplishment. Gable and Haidt (2005) defined positive
psychology as “the study of the conditions and processes that contribute to the
flourishing or optimal functioning of people, groups, and institutions”.
Positive psychology is not about putting on
a happy face all the time. Life can be hard and disappointments and challenges
are inevitable. However, scientific research has shown that there are some
strategies and skills that allow people to navigate the challenges of life more
effectively and enjoy life despite the upsets.”
Kendra
Cherry at About.com writes that “Emotional intelligence (EI)
refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Some
researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and
strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic.”
It is defined as,
"the subset of social intelligence that involves the
ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate
among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions"
(1990).
Emotional Intelligence involves Perceiving
Emotions, Reasoning with Emotions, Understanding Emotions and Managing
Emotions. It basically is about not only being able to express and control our
own emotions, but also to understand, interpret and respond to the emotions of
others.
The
best defense for mental health is knowledge. Arm yourself with as much
knowledge as you can about YOU and your condition. And, as I mentioned above, it is advised that you see your doctor if you are suffering from anxiety and/or depression that you feel has reach critical level. Your doctor will be able to refer you onto the appropriate specialist for treatment.
Your life is precious. Love it, nurture it, and live it to the fullest.
