People with mental illness experience changes in thinking, mood or behaviour (or some combination of them). Mental illness causes a great deal of distress and impaired functioning over an extended period of time. The symptoms of mental illness vary from mild to severe, depending on the type of mental...
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It strikes again. I recognize the signs. I turn off my alarm and continue to lie awake in bed for hours. And take a shower? That's so, so hard to do. Because I have trouble getting out of bed. Normally, a shower is my first treat of the day. It cleanses, fortifies and equips me to handle any challenge...
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A recovery-based model towards mental health care moves away from the medical model with its focus on pathology, illness and symptoms. It concentrates instead on our health, strengths and wellness. It also allows us consumers to build the best and fullest life possible—as we define it—whether or...
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What are cognitive distortions? They’re faulty, irrational thinking patterns, which can cause you to make incorrect conclusions about reality. The concept of cognitive distortion comes from the work of Albert Ellis, David Burns and Aaron Beck. This isn’t an original theory but based on many complex...
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You live in a culture today that's becoming increasingly out of balance. Everyday you’re faced with more to do and what seems like less time to do it in. Many of you struggle to balance time, family, money and work, all while trying to maintain your own needs, health and wellness. Stress attacks...
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Christmas is a time of strong emotions, reflections on lost loved ones and stress from shopping and preparing for seasonal parties. "This is the time of the year when people are vulnerable to depression, anyway," said Dr. Angelos Halaris, a psychiatrist with the Loyola University Health System. "The...
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Have you felt bummed out after binging on doughnuts or hamburgers? That’s because depression and diet may be related. Research suggests that eating a poor diet can make you more vulnerable to depression. Research findings: Eating foods high in trans fats (artificially produced, unnatural fats)...
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In his book, Biologic Ionization as Applied to Human Nutrition, Dr. A.F. Beddoe writes that every child or adult who is not allergic to lemon and has no active ulcers should drink lemon water. There are many benefits of doing so. Edmund Hillary, the first man to set foot on the top of Mt. Everest,...
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Beauty feeds the soul. You need beauty the way you need oxygen. Seek and celebrate beauty when you find it. When you fully experience beauty, you’re experiencing a “moment of pure psychological health.”–What We May Be, Piero Ferrucci. Absorbing beauty allows you to literally imprint positive...
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Taking a walk in a park where you're surrounded by nature can: lower depression ease tension, and increase your self-esteem This message comes from Mind, a leading British mental health charity, which is launching a new "green agenda" for mental health based on the concept of "ecotherapy." The...
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I listened intently. He was tall and handsome—in a rugged sort of way. With his dark moustache and brown cowboy hat, he cut quite a striking figure. “They dried me out from drugs,” Ronson says as he adds some brush strokes to a vibrant landscape painting. Then he pauses and corrects himself....
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What is yoga? This is an ancient Indian discipline which improves health, happiness and mind power through breathing techniques, exercise and meditation. Many people practice yoga as a spiritual path. Others do it for exercise. Either way, practising yoga yields many benefits including the following: Eight...
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At seventeen, Pat Deegan was diagnosed with schizophrenia. But she went on to receive a doctorate in clinical psychology. Dr. Deegan has conducted extensive interviews with people who struggle with psychiatric disabilities. When Deegan asked her research participants to describe their use of psychiatric...
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