Mental Health and Women

       There are many factors that can contribute to the status of our mental health.  Economic status, discrimination, trauma, and physical health are just some of the issues that can contribute to mental health disparities.   Mental illness can affect anyone regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, etc.  While mental illness has no boundaries on reaching people, it is important to recognize that it can present differently.  Due to biological, genetic, and social differences, mental illness symptoms can appear in significantly varying ways.  Awareness of these differences is essential to recognizing mental illness so treatment can be sought.

Differences between men and women are common because we are often socialized in a way that enforces gender role stereotypes and discrimination.  This stereotyping and discrimination can be damaging for both men and women when it comes to developing and treating mental illness.  Women are at higher risk for developing certain mental illnesses, in particular eating disorders and depression.   Women must deal with hormone fluctuations that can directly affect mood and mental health.  Women frequently also face the stress attached to being a homemaker/caretaker often on top of working a part or fulltime job.  Women are socialized to believe they should look and behave a certain way.  It’s no wonder women are at risk given all of the adversity they face just being born a woman.

There are many things outside of our control when it comes to mental illness, however, there are many things we can control that will help ease symptoms.  Taking care of our bodies and minds is so important as they are closely connected.  A healthy body will help maintain a healthy mind and vice versa.  Some things that we can do to improve our health are to build self-esteem, set realistic goals, find meaning and value in life, learn healthy coping skills, and maintaining healthy relationships.  Mental illness is not your fault and seeking help is not a weakness.  Below you’ll find a number of resources should you find yourself needing help.

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern, Loring Therapy LLC

loringtherapy.com

Edited by: Charity Loring, LMSW

Adapted from the 2008 epublication: 

The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for all Ages – Ch. 16, Mental Health 

by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/the-healthy-woman/mental_health.pdf

RESOURCES

Local Support

• Loring Therapy

Affordable Individual, Couples, Family Counseling - Sliding Scale based on income

Garden City, MI

loringtherapy.com

• Emotional Support Collaborative - Facilitated by Loring Therapy

Free Group Therapy

http://www.meetup.com/Emotional-Support-Collaborative/  

Statewide and National Support

• Office on Women’s Health, HHS 

200 Independence Ave SW, Room 712E Washington, DC 20201

Web site: www.womenshealth.gov/mh 

Phone number: (800) 994-9662, (888) 220-5446 TDD 

• National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA 

Web site: www.ncptsd.va.gov 

Phone number: (802) 296-6300

• National Institute of Mental Health, NIH 

6001 Executive Blvd, Room 8184, MSC 9663 Bethesda, MD 20892-9663

Web site: www.nimh.nih.gov 

Phone number: (866) 615-6464, (866) 415-8051 TTY 

• National Mental Health Information Center, SAMHSA 

PO Box 42557 Washington, DC 20015 

Web site: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov 

Phone number: (800) 789-2647, (866) 889-2647 TDD 

• American Psychiatric Association 

1000 Wilson Blvd, Suite 1825 Arlington, VA 22209 

Web site: www.healthyminds.org 

Phone number: (888) 357-7924 

• American Psychological Association 

750 First St NE Washington, DC 20002-4242 

Web site: www.apa.org www.apahelpcenter.org 

• Anxiety Disorders Association of America 

8730 Georgia Ave, Suite 600 Silver Spring, MD 20910 

Web site: www.adaa.org 

• Mental Health America 

2000 N Beauregard St, 6th Floor Alexandria, VA 22311 

Web site: www.mentalhealthamerica.net 

Phone number: (800) 969-6642, (800) 433-5959 TTY 

• National Alliance on Mental Illness 

Colonial Place Three 

2107 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300 Arlington, VA 22201-3042 

Web site: www.nami.org 

Phone number: (800) 950-6264 

• National Center for Girls and Women with AD/HD 

3268 Arcadia Pl NW Washington, DC 20015 

Web site: www.ncgiadd.org 

Phone number: (888) 238-8588 

• National Eating Disorders Association 

603 Stewart St, Suite 803 Seattle, WA 98101

Web site: www.nationaleatingdisorders.org 

Phone number: (800) 931-2237 

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 

Web site: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org 

Phone number: (800) 273-8255, (800) 799-4889 TTY

• Postpartum Support International 

Web site: www.postpartum.net 

Phone number: (800) 944-4773

Don't let your Anger get the best of You

Everyone gets angry, it is a natural emotion and we are entitled to feel that way sometimes. However, anger can get the best of us at times and we don’t end up making the best decisions because of it. Here are some tips to help us manage our anger and express it in a healthy way. 

 

1. Think before you speak- In the heat of the moment we may say things we will eventually regret. To keep this from happening allow yourself time to gather your thoughts then address the situation. 

2. Once you’re calm, express your anger- Express your anger in a non-confrontational and assertive manner. 

3. Identify possible solutions-Don’t just focus on why you’re angry, also put focus on how to solve the issue at hand. 

4. “I” Statements- Use “I” statements to address the person you have an issue with, that way you can avoid criticizing or placing blame on others. 

5. Practice relaxation skills- Practice deep breathing techniques to help you relax. These relaxation skills decrease tension and allow you to approach the situation with a level head. 

6. Don’t hold a grudge- Once the situation is addressed, forgive. Holding onto a grudge isn’t healthy for anyone.

 Written By: Jenai Muhammad, graduate level intern, Loring Therapy, LLC 

Edited by: Charity Loring, LMSW

www.loringtherapy.com Adapted from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/anger-management/art-20045434?pg=2

1 step towards improving your relationship

Step 1 - Put down your smart device, make eye, verbal and physical contact with someone you care about and spend quality time with them.  

That’s it. Do it and you’ll see a change in your relationship.

This comes with a money back guarantee, because this advice was given for free.

Charity Loring, LMSW

Clinical Therapist

Loringtherapy.com

Coming Out in our society

LGBTQI Coming Out in a Hetero-Normative Society

​Living in a hetero-normative society means that the majority of people function under the belief that people are inherently heterosexual.  People don’t have to “come out” as heterosexual.  Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer, or intersexed individuals on the other hand are expected to either hide who they are or to personally and publically announce their status.  As the LGBTQI movement progresses, the process of coming out has become easier for some.  We celebrate national coming out day and encourage people to be honest with themselves and those in their life about who they are.  Despite all of our steps forward, there are still many factors about coming out that can cause mild to severe emotional distress.  

​Most individuals encounter some form of self-judgment, depression, anxiety, or other emotional/mental struggles throughout their lives.  For LGBTQI individuals these issues can be compounded by the social and political climate we live in.  Imagine someone struggling with general beliefs that they are not good enough.  Self-worth issues are difficult to navigate on their own, but if we add exclusionary societal views and denial of civil rights then we have the potential for major mental distress.  These issues can make the decision to “come out” extremely difficult.  Remember that you are in charge of your life, you can make the decision of who you tell and when.  There are many benefits to coming out, however, there are also risks. These benefits and risks vary based on location, age, economic status, race, culture, gender, religion, and many other factors.  ONLY YOU can decide what is right for you in terms of your coming out journey.  

​Despite the discrimination faced by the LGBTQI community, it is important to note that history is being made as more and more states are moving forward in providing rights for LGBTQI individuals.  If you’re struggling or know someone who is struggling, look into local resources and support groups.  Some available resources are listed below.

Affirmations

www.goaffirmations.org

290 W. Nine Mile Rd.
Ferndale, MI 48220

(248) 398-7105

Toll-free Helpline: 
1-800-398-GAYS (4297)

Local LGBT Therapeutic Support Groups

Loring Therapy

2240 Middlebelt Rd.

Garden City, MI

http://www.meetup.com/Emotional-Support-Collaborative/  

Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

www.hrc.org

The Ruth Ellis Center

77 Victor St, Highland Park, MI 48203
(313) 867-6936

www.ruthelliscenter.org

Jim Toy Community Center

319 Braun Court 

Ann Arbor, MI 48104 

734.995.9867

www.jimtoycenter.org

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern, Loring Therapy LLC

Edited by: Charity Loring, LMSW

loringtherapy.com

Adapted from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Resource Guide 

to Coming Out 

URL:  http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/resource-guide-to-coming-out

Dealing with LGBT Stress

​We all know that stress is part of the human condition.  Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender individuals face many of the same stressors that heterosexual individuals face.  In addition to those stressors, the LGBT community faces discrimination, stigma, prejudice, and internalized homophobia.  These additional stressors can come in the form of employment or housing discrimination, hate crimes, bullying, barriers to healthcare, exclusion from community, violence, etc.  All of these things lead to higher rates of stress among the LGBT community.

  Research shows that these high levels of stress contribute to poor health and have been connected to suicidal behavior, self-harm, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.

So, you may ask yourself, what can I do to battle these stressors?  Common solutions to stress are exercising more, getting enough sleep, time management, meditation, diet, and avoiding caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol.  

These are all great tools for stress reduction. To combat the specific stressors related to the LGBT community we need to add to those tools.  Important ways to decrease LGBT related stress are to: know your rights, get involved in the community, utilize support groups, educate yourself and your loved ones, find LGBT friendly healthcare providers, and familiarize yourself with local resources.  The more you know, the better you can navigate any obstacles you may encounter.  If you live in a rural area it may be difficult to connect to an LGBT community, but support can be found in online forums.  HRC.org is a good starting point for education on LGBT rights by state.  Other good online resources are pflag.org and goaffirmations.com.  

Though we can’t always change the amount of stress we’ll be faced with, we can change our response to it.  The above tools are a great way to help handle the many challenges that come with being LGBT.  Don’t give up hope and ask for help should you need it!

Local LGBT Groups and other therapeutic support groups in The Detroit area: http://www.meetup.com/Emotional-Support-Collaborative/ 

 

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern, LoringTherapy LLC

Edited by: Charity Loring, LMSW

loringtherapy.com

Adapted from the 2014 article, “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Stress,” 

by Jay A. Irwin.

http://www.academia.edu/6725226/Lesbian_Gay_Bisexual_and_Transgender_Stress_Wiley_Blackwell_Encyclopedia_of_Health_Illness_Behavior_and_Society_

4 Steps to easing Social Anxiety

For those who suffer from social anxiety, they feel discomfort and fear when interacting with other people. They may worry about being judged negatively or looked down upon by others. Social anxiety can inhibit people from making meaningful relationships in a social setting. Below are some tips to help cope with social anxiety. 

1. Realize anxiety is natural 
1. Everyone experiences anxiety and at times it can be useful. What you are experiencing is natural, just in an unnecessary context. 
2. Remember Anxiety isn’t reality.
1. Tune into your thoughts and become aware of what you’re telling yourself when you’re in a social situation. Keep in mind your initial fear of social judgment may not be real.
3. Breath anxiety away
1. Try breathing techniques to address sudden instances of anxiety. This can be before or during a social situation. 
4. Shift your focus
1. Instead of focusing on the anxiety, change your focus to the task at hand. Pay less attention to your heart racing and more attention to the person your interacting with.  Set a small goal to switch from being in your own head to concentrating on the person in front of you like, finding one common interest with them or finding one interesting thing about them.

Written By: Jenai Muhammad, graduate level intern, Edited by Charity Loring, LMSW Loring Therapy, LLC www.loringtherapy.com Adapted from: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/shyness-is-nice/201305/must-have-coping-strategies-social-anxiety 

4 Steps to ease Test Anxiety

4 Steps to ease Test Anxiety

1.  Relaxation Technique - Relaxing the brain and body a bit before a test gives you more energy to focus on the test material. Before a test, try to escape to a bathroom or other private area and use deep breathing, tensing and relaxing muscle groups, mental affirmation relaxation and many other techniques. Practice these techniques a few minutes each day so your brain and body know what to do when you are using the techniques in stressful situations. If you have difficulty in creating your own technique, contact a Mental Health Therapist that specializes in Anxiety.

2.  Be prepared - Study a little bit each day, even if it’s just for 30 minutes on the subject. Some knowledge in small doses is better than crammed knowledge in large doses. Being Prepared not only makes you more knowledgeable, it raises your confidence level in yourself.

3.  Add something enjoyable to your study experience - If you are dreading studying, add a healthy enjoyment factor like sitting in a comfortable spot or listening to your favorite mellow music or study in front of a window to get some vitamin D into your system. Find what works for you.

4.  Remember the times you passed tests - It’s easy to remember negative things, but train your brain to remember all the times you passed a test.  You may not be giving yourself the credit you deserve.

Created by Charity M. Loring, LMSW

Loring Therapy, Garden City, MI

Loringtherapy.com

Being a Care taker for a loved one is a challenge. Don't forget to care for yourself.

Don’t Forget to Help Yourself:

Coping with Caretaker Stress

Oftentimes we’re faced with the task of caring for our loved ones.  Whether it’s temporary or permanent, the job is daunting and often exhausting.  If caretaking is not your chosen profession, then the responsibilities often are piled upon your existing commitments like work and family.  Caretaking can be a completely rewarding and humbling experience, however, it is not uncommon to suffer from caretaker stress.  Caretaker stress can contribute to depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, addiction, and other health issues.  Signs that you are experiencing caretaker stress are: frustration, anger, weight gain, weight loss, loss of interest in social activities/hobbies, consistent feelings of sadness or worry, sleeping too little or too much, alcohol or drug abuse, and frequent head or body aches.  

It is imperative that you remember to care for yourself while functioning in your role as caretaker.  There are many things that you can do to help alleviate the stress of caretaking.  Some of these things are:  accepting help when offered, saying no to things that will drain you or increase your stress, set aside time for just you each week, maintain doctor’s appointments, be physically active as much as possible, and staying in contact with friends and family.  Be aware that there are resources available on a local, state, and federal level that may be able to help you with your needs.  Join a support group where you can swap ideas with others on how to ease the burden of caretaking.  Finally, remember to laugh when at all possible.   Keeping a sense of humor will go a long way in maintaining your health. 

Written by: Amanda Furca, Graduate Level Intern, Loring Therapy LLC

loringtherapy.com

Adapted from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health e-publication fact sheet, “Caregiver Stress,” content updated May, 2008.  URL:  http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/caregiver-stress.pdf 

 Below are some great resources that you can utilize in your caretaking journey.

Administration on Aging 

Phone number: (800) 677-1116

Internet address: http://www.aoa.gov,

http://www.eldercare.gov

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services

Phone number: (800) 633-4227

Internet address: http://www.cms.hhs.gov

Family Caregiver Alliance

Phone number: (800) 445-8106

Internet address: http://www.caregiver.org

National Alliance for Caregiving

Internet address:

http://www.caregiving.org

National Family Caregivers 

Association 

Phone number: (800) 896-3650

Internet address: http://www.nfcacares.org

The National Respite Locator Service

Phone number: (919) 490-5577

Internet address:

http://www.respitelocator.or

There is no "right" way to Grieve

Grief is the feeling we have as a natural response to losing something or someone we love. The more the significant the loss is the more grief we will feel. Grief is very personal and specific to each person. There is not “right” way to grieve. Because the grieving process is so subjective, we have to remember to be patient with ourselves while going through the process. Here are some common myths to address and steps to take to deal with grief. 

Myth: The pain will go away if you ignore it.

Doing this will actually make the pain worse in the long run. It’s important to face grief and actively work through it. 

Myth: If you don’t cry, you’re not really sad or sorry about the loss.

People deal with loss in many different ways, no way is better than the other. There are other ways to handle loss other than crying. 

Myth: Grief should last about a year.

There is no time frame on grief. For some it may last a few months, for others a few years. The amount it takes differs from person to person. 

Tips for coping with grief:

Get Support

Expressing grief to others allows us to gain support and helps us heal. We can gain support from:

• Family and Friends
• Faith
• A support group
• A therapist or grief counselor 

Take Care of Yourself

Stress of loss can really decrease your energy. Taking care of your physical and emotional needs will help you get the grief process better. 

• Face you feelings
• Express feelings in a healthy way
• Look after physical health
• Don’t allow anyone to tell you how to feel
• Know you grief triggers

Written By: Jenai Muhammad, graduate level intern, Loring Therapy, LLC 

www.loringtherapy.com  

Adapted from: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief-loss/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm 

Sometimes where words will falter, other forms of expression will succeed.

As a mental health therapist I realize that people can sometimes have a hard time expressing themselves just through words.

In my office I have a stereo system for a version of music therapy. Sometimes clients have a hard time verbally expressing their emotions, so they bring in a song that speaks to them or speaks for them so that we can both listen to it. When we're done listening, we then talk about how the client relates to it so they can better find their words. I also have a large table and art supplies in my office not only for play therapy but also for adults. Art is used for children because their abstract thinking and vocabulary is not fully formed. They can better express themselves through art. For adults that encounter extreme trauma, fear or grief, they are sometimes at a loss for words. At times, using different forms of expression like journaling or art they find it safer to express themselves.

I encourage my clients to express themselves in any way they can, through journaling, music, exercise, artistic expression or whatever else works for them. 

Recently I saw a good example of someone who was better able to express themselves through song. When I see things like this performer, I am reminded about how powerful these different forms of expression can be. This woman's voice, her song and her presence commands attention. And she got my full attention.

Take note of her expression through song. Then take note of her introducing herself and verbally communicating at the end. Sometimes where words will falter, other forms of expression will succeed.

http://youtu.be/L-QdjnA2vtI

Author:  Charity Loring, LMSW

Loringtherapy.com

Loring therapy is located in the heart of Garden City, Michigan.

Resentment

Coping With Resentment

“Living with resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other person will get sick”

We all deal with situations that make us uncomfortable, upset, and frustrated with others. Sometimes when our feelings aren’t addressed or we don’t feel satisfied with the situations outcome we may gain resentment towards those involved. When we resent someone we constantly replay the feelings and events that caused those feelings over and over in our heads.  Sometimes our resentment towards others is ignited and fueled by other past experiences that may or may not have to do with the person involved. Although we all experience these feelings at one time or another, it is in no way healthy for anyone. Holding on to feelings of unhappiness, anger, and hurt can really hinder your ability to move forward in life and learn to deal with your problems. Letting go of resentment is essential to not letting your past control your present. Here are some things we can do to move forward and let go or resentment. 

1. View resentment as the addictive state of mind it is.
2. Realize you cannot change the past.
3. Acknowledge that you can’t control others.
4. Acknowledge that your resentment may come from past experiences.
5. Remember that resentment only gives you an illusion of strength and focus on highlighting your real strengths and power. 
6. Work on being forgiving. Remember that forgiveness is for you not for the other person so that you may let go of what hurts you. 

Written By: Jenai Muhammad, graduate level intern, Loring Therapy, LLC www.loringtherapy.com Adapted from: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-therapist-is-in/201103/living-resentment-is-taking-poison-and-hoping-the-other-guy-will-get Clinging to resentments poisons your mind, body and soul. By  Mark Sichel.