Learning to Love the mind you LIV in.

 I can't believe it is the final week of my blog :( I hope I have taught you all somethings that you can keep with you throughout the rest of your college experience... TODAYS post is all about resources for help. If any of these disorders that I have talked about seem like something you feel in yourself, or even if they don't, it is always helpful to talk to a therapist, psychiatrist, school counselor, family member, and friends. These people could be your saviors and life lines and you do not even know it yet! and remember, if you are ever in a crisis and need an opinion, message me always! 

  Electroconvulsive therapy is something that is not very known, but I think that it could be useful to know about!!! ECT is a type of medical treatment used for people with mental health disorders like severe depression, bipolar disorder, etc. This is not the first thing that doctors would recommend of course, but it is something to try especially when other treatments don't work. How this works it that the patient will go under general anesthesia, and they do this so they are completely relaxed. When the person is under, the doctors will put electrodes on the head and these give the electrical vibrations to the brain. These cause seizures, but it is normal. It is not known why this exactly works for some patients, but people find it improves their symptoms!  I think it is super interesting, what about you?

  This weeks showcased disorder is another one that I think is extremely important to be aware of, it is bipolar disorder.  Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder in which somebody goes through EXTREME mood swings (not just the mood swings girls get from there time of the month...)  These people experience moments of extreme mania, and lows in which they feel depressed. Extreme mania can cause them to be in a good mood, energetic, etc. And a low mood makes them feel very blue. These episodes do not happen everyday and they can actually feel completely normal in between!! Something everybody should be aware of is that bipolar disorder is not the same for everybody!

  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a systematic technique that therapists, psychiatrists, social workers, etc use to help people with disorders, like depression or anxiety.  CBT is like training. It is like the art of noticing once you are feeling dark, acknowledging it, and turning those thoughts around. It is not easy, but for a lot of people it helps clear their head.  Here are the easy steps: 1. Notice what is going on: you have to realize you are having bad thoughts, anxious thoughts, etc. 2. Challenge yourself : ask yourself simple questions like "does this seem reasonable?" "is there a more positive way I can be thinking right now." "even if this happened, I would be okay right."  3. Change!: you eventually learn to turn these thoughts around, and start doing things that you are missing out on. For example, if you are not doing things you used to love because it is making you anxious, think of a different approach that makes you feel in contr

  Depression is also one of the disorders that is talked about a lot within a college community, and is something that can be easily hidden, not in a good way. The meaning of depression in simple terms is overwhelming sadness. It is like having a dark cloud over your head all the time, and people struggle to feel any sensation of happiness. Ways to look out for a friend if you think they may be depressed is if they stop doing activities they used to enjoy, seem tired, don't involve themselves in daily activities, and are negative. These are major signs that they can be stuck in this feeling and do not know how to call for help.  It is important to know that there are different tiers of depression. Some people feel this way constantly, and some go on and off. Luckily, there are therapists, and psychiatrists who can give you the help and medication you need to feel yourself again.  NEVER. be afraid to reach out!!  NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE - 1-800-273-TALK.

  Anxiety is something that is directly related to a fear. Facing a fear can be a huge cause of why you are feeling so uneasy. Systematic desensitization is a type of exposure therapy. During this, you start from the bottom and make your way up to facing a fear slowly. You can build confidence! This involves 3 parts : Learning relaxation skills, step by step lists, and working through it.  Let's work through a scenario in which a person has a fear of planes, and never wants to fly, but has a flight coming up. 1: Watch videos of planes. TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube have great videos of planes taking off and landing you can watch. 2: Book a flight 3: Pack/ drive to airport 4: check in and wait to board 5: on the plane, take flight This might seem so simple to you, but to somebody with a deep routed fear, this is a horrifying experience!!!!