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Mental Health & MH First Aid - Depression and Stress Treatment

Treatments

Section titled “Treatments”

Source: Occupational burnout - Wikipedia

Burnout is a type of psychological stress. Occupational burnout or job burnout is characterized by exhaustion, lack of enthusiasm and motivation, feelings of ineffectiveness, and also may have the dimension of frustration or cynicism, and as a result reduced efficacy within the workplace.

Treatment

Section titled “Treatment”
  • starting the day with a relaxing ritual
  • adopting healthy eating
  • Exercising (meditation, breathing, relaxation techniques, etc.)
  • sleeping habits
  • setting boundaries
  • taking breaks from technology
  • nourishing one’s creative side (music, hobby, etc.)
  • learning how to manage stress: let go of insecurity thoughts, concentrate on positive/motivating ones, approach the world with a “quiet mind”

Different Techniques to Try

Section titled “Different Techniques to Try”

Source: Marta S from work in 2016-10

Emotional Regulation

Section titled “Emotional Regulation”

  1. STOPP - take it slow, give yourself time to process it, think about other perspectives, select the “best” option

  2. Defusing Exercises - meditate on situation (other’s and your thoughts). Use metaphors to observe and process or not process

Use metaphors try to see things differently. For example:

Passengers on the Bus

  • You can be in the driving seat, whilst all the passengers (thoughts) are being critical or shouting directions. You can allow them to shout, whilst focusing on the road ahead.

Playground Bully (our thoughts can be our own internal bully)

  • Victim 1 – believes the bully, distressed, reacts automatically (bully carries on)
  • Victim 2 – challenges the bully (bully eventually gives up)
  • Victim 3 – acknowledges then ignores the bully, changing focus of attention.

The River

  • Items floating down the river – perhaps leaves or bits of mucky debris (thoughts, feelings,
  • images) – instead of struggling to float, we can stand on the bank watching it all go by

The Beach Ball

  • We try to stop thoughts – we hold the ball under water, but it keeps popping up (thoughts). We can allow the ball to float around us, just letting it be.

Thought train

  • We can sit on the train, watching the scenery (thoughts, images, sensations) go by, or stand on the platform watching the thought train pass by – we don’t have to jump on it.

The Tunnel

  • When we get anxious driving through a tunnel, the best option is to keep going
  • rather than try to escape. This feeling will pass – there is an end to this tunnel.

The Mountain

  • Whatever the weather, or whatever happens on the surface of the mountain – the

  • mountain stands firm, strong, grounded, permanent. We can be like that mountain,

  • observing thoughts, feelings, sensations, knowing inner stillness

  • Self Soothing (from DBT Self Help | Self-serve resources for the DBT community) has to do with comforting, nurturing and being kind to yourself. One way to think of this is to think of ways of soothing each of your five senses: Vision, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch

    • VISION: Walk in a pretty part of town. Look at the nature around you. Go to a museum with beautiful art. Buy a flower and put it where you can see it. Sit in a garden. Watch the snowflakes decorate the trees during a snowfall. Light a candle and watch the flame. Look at a book with beautiful scenery or beautiful art. Watch a travel movie or video.
    • HEARING: Listen to beautiful or soothing music, or to tapes of the ocean or other sounds of nature. Listen to a baby gurgling or a small animal. Sit by a waterfall. Listen to someone chopping wood. When you are listening, be mindful, letting the sounds come and go.
    • SMELL: Smell breakfast being cooked at home or in a restaurant. Notice all the different smells around you. Walk in a garden or in the woods, maybe just after a rain, and breathe in the smells of nature. Light a scented candle or incense. Bake some bread or a cake, and take in all the smells.
    • TASTE: Have a special treat, and eat it slowly, savoring each bite. Cook a favorite meal. Drink a soothing drink like herbal tea or hot chocolate. Let the taste run over your tongue and slowly down your throat. Go to a potluck, and eat a little bit of each dish, mindfully tasting each new thing.
    • TOUCH: Take a bubble bath. Pet your dog or cat or cuddle a baby. Put on a silk shirt shirt or blouse, and feel its softness and smoothness. Sink into a really comfortable bed. Float or swim in a pool, and feel the water caress your body.

  • Distress Tolerance | Get.gg - Getselfhelp.co.uk

    1. Radical acceptance - experience situation as it is, no thought as to what it “should be”.
    2. Turn your mind - change mind focus back to the now.

IMPROVE the moment

Section titled “IMPROVE the moment”

*I*  * Imagery* – e.g. safe place visualisation

*M*  find Meaning in the situation

*P*  Prayer – meditation, spirituality, affirmations

*R*   Relaxation

*O*  One thing at a time

*V*  Vacation – take some time out of the situation, ‘me’ time, or imagining yourself on an idyllic beautiful holiday

*E*   Encouragement – positive and calming self talk

Wise Mind ACCEPTS

*A*       Activities (see distraction ideas below)

*C*       Contributing – helping others

*C*       Comparisons – comparing self with (better) self

*E*       Emotions – generate different emotions by watching movie/tv, listening to music etc

*P*       Pushing away – thinking about or putting our attention onto something else

*T*        Thoughts - new thoughts. E.g. counting, playing 10 (10 colours in room, 10 fruits, 10 Bond films etc), or 54321 (5 things I can see, 4 things I can hear, 3 things I can touch, 2 things I can smell or like the smell of, 1 slow deep breath)

*S*        Sensations – use seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching senses

DISTRACTION IDEAS

Distraction helps us feel better by diverting our attention away from the distressing thoughts. It works even better if you choose something that will really grab your attention and keep you absorbed in that activity.

Anxiety

Section titled “Anxiety”
  1. Anxiety Self help strategies (see also Step 2 Learning to Relax)
    1. Learning about anxiety - it’s normal, it’s biological for adaption, a problem when there is no danger
    2. Learning to relax
      1. Breathing
      2. Muscle relaxation
    3. Challenging anxious or worrisome thoughts
      1. CBT - evidence based and balanced thinking
    4. Facing fears
      1. Expose yourself progressively
    5. Rewards
      1. After practice, reward yourself
  2. Super Scanners
    • Notice the scanner (high sensitivity to something): “That’s that (super-sensitive) scanner again!”
    • Adjust the sensitivity dial: “Okay, the scanner is noticing the ………(physical sensations). I’m thinking the worst about that, but it’s probably just a normal body sensation. The other symptoms are due to anxiety.”
    • No need to fight the thoughts, be mindful and let them pass
    • Change your focus of attention: Move on – do or think about something else
  3. http://get.gg/docs/WiseMindWorksheet.pdf

See Also

Section titled “See Also”