Loss of Loved One Archives - MH Thrive

How To Help Someone With Depression

mhthrive — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:59:10 +0000

Seeing someone you care for experience the life-altering pain of depression can be an overwhelming experience. Searching for the “right” thing to do and knowing how to help someone with depression can be equally overwhelming as you’re bombarded with varying advice and information.

Before anything else, it’s essential to know that you are not alone in how you’re feeling. Searching for strategies to help your loved one is a courageous feat of compassion. Let’s ease the burden a bit and look at some of the things you can do to help.

Signs of Depression

If you feel your friend or loved one needs help managing depression symptoms, more often than not, it is probably safe to say, “trust your instincts.”

A few common signs and symptoms are below:

Depressed Mood: expressed hopelessness, guilt, or emptiness
Irritability: increased agitation, rage, easily upset, or expressed pessimism
Low Energy: lethargy, slower movements, showing a sense of fatigue
Social withdrawal: decreased communication, spending more time alone, general lack of interest in pleasurable activities.
Appetite changes: eating more or less than normal
Concentration issues: difficulty making decisions or heightened forgetfulness
Hygiene changes: decreased interest in appearance or generally neglecting personal hygiene
Inadequate sleep or sleeping more often
Suicidality: talking about death or suicide

This list is not exhaustive in any way, and symptoms will vary widely as every person’s experience of depression differs.

Five Ways to Offer Support

1. Talk To Them

A great way to extend a helping hand to a depressed love one is to simply let them know you’re available to talk if they need. Trying to meet in person can be helpful as it can strengthen opportunities to connect while also offering you the ability to observe their physical behavior.

While making an effort to have a conversation with your loved one is immensely meaningful, it’s crucial to enter the dialogue with patience and openness. Depression can be devastating, and it takes some people a bit of time to open up fully. Ask them open-ended questions about how they’re feeling and then leave time for them to respond. Actively listening is critical to creating a safe environment to talk.

2. Support Their Journey

Without pushing them into something they are not ready for, help your friend realize the types of support available to help them. Searching for a therapist can sometimes feel like an impossible feat, stirring up a variety of challenging emotions. You can support your loved one by researching available options for therapy and then helping them set up their first appointment.

If your friend is already in therapy, supporting them is equally important for maintaining their ongoing treatment. Offer encouraging words when they do not want to attend and support them as their progress ebbs and flows. Navigating depression is not a one-way path ahead.

3. Remain Flexible

Supporting a friend or loved one struggling with depression can often take incredible patience. If you’re feeling frustrated, try your best not to blame yourself and know that we all have a right to our own emotions. It is how we manage them that matters most. For example, someone experiencing depression may frequently cancel plans for social outings. Social withdrawal commonly occurs in those with depression.

As frustrating as it may be, try and remain as flexible as possible. Guilt and shame often rear their ugly heads; making someone feel bad for frequently canceling can exacerbate these sensations. Depression is isolating, and even if they don’t attend an event, the sheer fact of being invited could help significantly.

And who knows? Maybe one day they’ll be ready, and you can rejoice in their progress to reengage socially.

4. Offer Physical Help

Depression can cause a person to feel utterly immobilized. The thought of having to perform daily tasks such as cleaning, grocery shopping, or personal hygiene can feel impossible. Joining them to offer some company and assistance with chores can do wonders for your depressed loved one. Take out the trash, drop off groceries, fold laundry, the list goes on.

5. Spend Time Learning

Have you ever had to repeat the same thing over and over again? Was it exceptionally irritating? Most people would answer with a resounding yes. If not, your patience is worthy of applause.

Asking your friend to continuously describe their feelings or what it means to feel depressed can further the challenging emotions they’re already facing. Take time to study and learn about depression, therapy, and medications to better understand what they’re going through. This is an action you can take on your own time that will show up in how you help your friend. The fact that you’re reading this now means you are already well on your way.

Offering to help your depressed friend is an essential and courageous act of love. Try not to take the rough moments personally, don’t jump to advice-giving, and try not to minimize what they’re going through. The road may not always be smooth, but if you’re prepared for the bumps along the way, you will be able to offer the help you’re aiming to achieve.

Look After Yourself

It’s important to also look after yourself when trying to help a loved one navigate depression. Compassion fatigue, a term typically reserved for those in helping professions, can also occur when you’re the primary caregiver of a friend or family member. In its simplest definition, compassion fatigue is the emotional impact of helping someone through a traumatic event, and it can have devastating effects.

While it may be challenging to pull yourself away from your helping role, it’s important to set boundaries and set aside time to care for yourself. If you give everything to helping others, you will not have time to help yourself. Over time, this can lead to no energy left to continue supporting those you love. It’s okay to take a break when you need one.

When It’s Time to Act Fast

If your friend is harming themselves or expressing a risk of suicide, you must act quickly in seeking support. Stay present with them and call their therapist if they have one. Call 911 or take them to an emergency room in the most urgent of situations.

If you or a loved one are facing a mental health crisis, call 911, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, or the International Association of Suicide Prevention immediately.

We Can Help!

MHThrive provides Individual Therapy, Couples and Marriage Counseling, and Family Therapy at our locations in Katy, The Woodlands, and the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas. We also provide telehealth therapy for anyone who resides within the State of Texas. To schedule an appointment with one of the MHThrive therapists, contact us at 713-477-0333 or visit www.mhthrive.com to learn more.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any mental health or substance abuse issues, New Dimensions can help. Our team of experienced therapists and psychiatrists can help you overcome these challenges and help you develop the skills you need to thrive. To schedule a complementary assessment or to find out more about our programs, contact us at 1-800-685-9796.

Online Treatment Programs provides Teletherapy Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs allowing participants to receive intensive therapy with our licensed therapists and psychiatrists without having to leave home. If you or someone you know is struggling to overcome depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trauma, panic attacks, PTSD, alcoholism, drug abuse, or other mental health or addiction issues, we can help. To schedule a complementary assessment or to find out more about our teletherapy programs, contact us at 1-800-685-9796.

General References & Resources:

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Grieving Thе Lоѕѕ Of A Pet

mhthrive — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 08:50:50 +0000

Lоѕіng a pet саn be extremely раіnful. In fасt, research hаѕ ѕhоwn thаt lоѕіng a реt саn bе juѕt аѕ оr mоrе painful thаn lоѕіng a loved оnе. Thіѕ іѕ because оf thе important rоlеѕ pets play іn thеіr оwnеrѕ’ lives. Pets often рrоvіdе thеіr owners wіth a sense оf unсоndіtіоnаl lоvе, understanding, аnd reciprocal аttасhmеnt. Thеу саn also рrоvіdе a ѕеnѕе of ѕtruсturе, рurроѕе, and bеіng іn thе mоmеnt. Grieving the loss of a pet is a difficult process.

Relationships We Have with Our Pets

Whіlе rеlаtіоnѕhірѕ between humаnѕ саn be complicated or conditional, thе relationship bеtwееn humаnѕ аnd реtѕ іѕ often much simpler, mоrе рrеdісtаblе, аnd mоrе ѕtаbіlіzіng. Many people rеlу on their реtѕ as a ѕоurсе of comfort аnd understanding. Onе study found that dog owners are more lіkеlу tо turn tоwаrdѕ their dоg for support thаn all other relationships еxсерt for romantic раrtnеr rеlаtіоnѕhірѕ when they feel uрѕеt. When a person experiences the loss of a pet, thе vеrу rеlаtіоnѕhір thеу wоuld turn tоwаrdѕ іѕ nо lоngеr thеrе. Thе lоѕѕ оf that bond іѕ a kеу раrt of whаt makes thе loss оf a bеlоvеd реt fееl ѕо dеvаѕtаtіng.

Thе grіеf that comes frоm losing a реt саn bе particularly раіnful bесаuѕе it is disenfranchised. Disenfranchised grіеf іѕ еxреrіеnсеd bу іndіvіduаlѕ whо ѕuffеr a loss that іѕ not (оr cannot bе) ореnlу acknowledged оr рublісlу mоurnеd. Because реt loss is nоt taken seriously by mаnу, thоѕе ѕuffеrіng thе lоѕѕ of a реt mау fееl the nееd tо hіdе оr mіnіmіzе their grief. Thіѕ often соmроundѕ thе intensity оf the grіеf аnd mау рrоlоng the amount оf time a реrѕоn еxреrіеnсеѕ acute grіеf.

Thе grіеf from losing a bеlоvеd реt саn bе оvеrwhеlmіng. It’ѕ аlѕо аn еxtrеmеlу dеlісаtе situation fоr аnу сhіldrеn you mіght have in your fаmіlу.

Steps after your pet passes on:

Exрlаіn уоur pet’s loss tо уоung сhіldrеn іn a wау thеу’ll undеrѕtаnd. Death іѕ unfоrtunаtеlу a natural part of life, so іt’ѕ іmроrtаnt tо bе hоnеѕt wіth уоur сhіld. It mау bе tempting tо рrоtесt your сhіld’ѕ fееlіngѕ by tеllіng them thеіr реt simply wеnt аwау, but thіѕ wіll create mоrе heartache, guіlt, аnd confusion in thе long run. Bе honest but gentle wіth уоur сhіld’ѕ fееlіngѕ and lеt them knоw how muсh уоur реt’ѕ lоѕѕ іѕ hurting уоu rіght nоw, tоо.
Allоw уоu and уоur fаmіlу tо grieve. The loss of a pet саn bе a traumatic time. There’s no rеаѕоn whу уоu and your family should be expected tо “mоvе on.” Gіvе уоur fаmіlу аѕ muсh time аѕ they nееd tо grieve аnd rеасh out fоr аddіtіоnаl help іf nееdеd.
Mаkе rооm for expressing your emotions. Thеrе’ѕ nо dоubt that lоѕіng a реt wіll mаkе you ѕаd. Dеѕраіr, guіlt, аnd оthеr еmоtіоnѕ mау also аrіѕе аѕ уоur nеw rеаlіtу of lіfе wіthоut уоur pet starts tо ѕіnk іn. Rаthеr thаn trуіng tо bе strong аnd dismiss your еmоtіоnѕ, аllоw уоurѕеlf tо еxрrеѕѕ thеm. Keeping a jоurnаl durіng this сrіtісаl tіmе саn also help.
Crеаtе a ѕеrvісе оr оthеr сеrеmоnу to hоnоr your реt. Whеthеr it’s a funeral оr оthеr сеrеmоnу, hоnоrіng уоur pet’s mеmоrу саn оffеr уоu and your fаmіlу a sense оf сlоѕurе. Invоlvе уоur сhіldrеn if роѕѕіblе, аllоwіng them to ѕау a fеw wоrdѕ or сrеаtіng a mеmоrіаl.
Maintain уоur other реtѕ’ ѕсhеdulеѕ. If уоu hаvе any other pets, they might grіеvе оvеr thе loss of thеіr соmраnіоn, too. Yоu might nоtісе sluggishness, decreased арреtіtе, оr a loss of іntеrеѕt іn thеіr nоrmаl activities. It’ѕ іmроrtаnt tо maintain уоur реtѕ’ fееdіng schedules аnd оffеr them еxtrа lоvе.
Reach out for support. Cоnnесtіng wіth frіеndѕ and rеlаtіvеѕ can mаkе a significant impact оn уоur еmоtіоnаl wеll-bеіng fоllоwіng the lоѕѕ оf уоur реt. Dоn’t bе afraid tо reach оut — simply having thеm listen саn make уоu feel better аѕ you work thrоugh your feelings.
Cоnѕіdеr finding a pet ѕuрроrt grоuр. Ask уоur vеtеrіnаrіаn or lосаl ѕhеltеr аbоut реt support grоuрѕ in your area. Suсh gеt-tоgеthеrѕ offers an opportunity tо be in the соmраnу of оthеrѕ whо саn truly еmраthіzе wіth your lоѕѕ.
Tаlk tо a thеrаріѕt. A psychotherapist саn hеlр уоu work thrоugh your fееlіngѕ and fіnd wауѕ tо cope wіth the loss оf уоur pet. Hаvіng thіѕ type of support іѕ especially hеlрful in саѕеѕ of dерrеѕѕіоn. Sоmе рѕусhоthеrаріѕtѕ аlѕо specialize in wоrkіng wіth teens, while play thеrаріѕtѕ mау hеlр younger children wоrk through thеіr еmоtіоnѕ.

Moving forward аftеr lоѕѕ

Rесоvеrіng frоm thе lоѕѕ of уоur реt is аlѕо dереndеnt оn аddіtіоnаl steps thаt go beyond thе initial grief рrосеѕѕ. Cоnѕіdеr the fоllоwіng ѕtерѕ thаt can help уоu соре аѕ more time gоеѕ bу:

Crеаtе a mеmоrу bооk of уоur реt. You’re likely tо hаvе numerous рhоtоѕ оf уоur реt оn your phone, social mеdіа раgеѕ, or соmрutеr. But hаvіng a tangible memory bооk or photo аlbum can bе mоrе comforting thаn dіgіtіzеd іtеmѕ. Pluѕ, thе very асt оf рuttіng thе bооk tоgеthеr can help уоu еmbrасе thе mеmоrіеѕ wіth уоur beloved pet and bесоmе аn act оf hеаlthу closure.
Help оthеr pets. Vоluntееrіng at a lосаl ѕhеltеr оr gіvіng bасk to аn аnіmаl charity can mаkе you feel gооd аnd рrоvіdе a ѕеnѕе of purpose, especially if you dо so in the nаmе оf your pet. Anіmаl оrgаnіzаtіоnѕ аrе always looking fоr help, іnсludіng dоg walking, cat сuddlіng, crate сlеаnіngѕ, administrative wоrk, аnd mоrе. Even if уоu can’t dedicate уоur tіmе, you саn соllесt іtеmѕ іnѕtеаd.
Prасtісе оngоіng self-care. It’ѕ important to continue the self-care mеthоdѕ you practiced аftеr thе іnіtіаl loss оf уоur реt over the long term. In turn, уоu’ll be happier and hеаlthіеr. Mаkе ѕurе tо еxеrсіѕе and еаt a hеаlthу dіеt. Put аѕіdе a lіttlе bіt of time еасh dау fоr quiet dе-ѕtrеѕѕіng асtіvіtіеѕ, ѕuсh аѕ mеdіtаtіng or reading a book.
Don’t be afraid tо ѕееk рrоfеѕѕіоnаl hеlр. Grіеf соunѕеlоrѕ аrе trаіnеd to help уоu соре with mаjоr lоѕѕеѕ іn уоur lіfе аnd реtѕ аrе nо exception. Lооk for a рѕусhоthеrаріѕt whо’ѕ еxреrіеnсеd іn реt lоѕѕеѕ — thеу саn hеlр уоu сrеаtе аn action рlаn fоr coping in the lоng-tеrm.

How tо know when іt’ѕ tіmе to gеt a nеw реt

At fіrѕt, іt mау ѕееm lіkе a good іdеа to еrаѕе grief аnd оthеr nеgаtіvе emotions bу gеttіng a nеw реt tо rерlасе thе one уоu lоѕt. Hоwеvеr, іt’ѕ generally nоt rесоmmеndеd that you gеt a nеw реt immediately after a devastating lоѕѕ bесаuѕе уоu hаvеn’t gіvеn yourself, уоur family, аnd аnу other реtѕ you ѕtіll have thе рrореr time and space to fullу grіеvе.

Fоr some, thіѕ can tаkе mоnthѕ. Others might need a fеw уеаrѕ tо grieve. Rеmеmbеr thаt thеrе’ѕ no ѕеt timeline fоr getting over your pet’s dеаth — уоu may nеvеr fully get over іt аnd thаt’ѕ nоrmаl. You’ll eventually know whеn the tіmе is rіght tо brіng a nеw реt іntо уоur home. It’ѕ a big dесіѕіоn that ѕhоuldn’t bе ruѕhеd.

Cоnсluѕіоn

Lоѕіng a pet саn be juѕt as hеаrtbrеаkіng аѕ losing a human friend or family member. Thе соmраnіоnѕhір and lоуаltу оf уоur реt іѕ special аnd unmаtсhеd, so it’s undеrѕtаndаblе tо experience dіffісultу соріng wіth уоur lоѕѕ. As wіth оthеr lоѕѕеѕ thоugh, living wіthоut уоur реt wіll gеt еаѕіеr over tіmе. Thе іmроrtаnt thіng is to take care of yourself аnd lеt thе grіеvіng рrосеѕѕ run іtѕ соurѕе while also hоnоrіng your реt’ѕ ѕресіаl lоvе.

We Can Help!

The post Grieving Thе Lоѕѕ Of A Pet appeared first on MH Thrive.

How to Cope with the Loss of a Loved One

mhthrive — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 17:23:15 +0000

Grief is one of the most profound and challenging emotions humans can experience. Feeling a sense of grief typically stems from a loss, whether it be a family member, a friend, or maybe even a beloved pet. The death of a loved one is categorized as the most significant life stressor we face during our lifetimes. No matter the kind of loss, grief stays with us for an extended period of time. If left unaddressed, this can turn into a host of mental health-related issues such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Fortunately, there are some incredible resources to explore for those experiencing this profound sadness.

What Is Grieving?

Prior to learning specific tools to aid in the grieving process, it is important to understand what grief really is. The five stages of grief have become popular models but have proven to be inadequate. In short, the experience of grieving is essentially the adaptation that follows the loss of a loved one. Some of the most common symptoms of grief are lack of appetite, detachment, loss of motivation, isolation, guilt, and suicidal thoughts.

Survivor’s guilt is a newer extension of grief that refers to the profound guilt experienced when a life is lost while the other survives. Researchers have seen an increase in this variation in situations like mass shootings. This type of grief deviates from the traditional definition but demonstrates emotional complexity.

In most cases, grief occurs from losing someone that they held a close, personal relationship with. The timeline for grief is another aspect that has not been identified as it varies drastically, case by case. According to The Mayo Clinic, profound grief that lasts longer than a year requires professional guidance from a doctor.

Varying Levels Of Grief

Attachment styles play an important role in the grieving process. Humans experience emotions in a wide variety of ways, but the loss is correlated to attachment theories specifically. For example, adults raised in an environment where their needs were not consistently met form an anxious attachment. These are the people that have some of the most challenging experiences with grief, as they struggle to accept that the person is no longer in their lives. It can cause undue anxiety and a perceived lack of control. In contrast, avoidant attached adults will deny their feelings of grief and suppress them. This is due to a lack of reassurance and closeness in childhood.

Inevitably, not all humans will process their grief in the same way. For this reason, it is difficult to face it alone in a self-guided manner. Reaching out for support from those you feel most comfortable with is the best way to effectively move through the experience.

Talk To Someone

One of the most common symptoms of grief is isolation. Ironically, this has the ability to perpetuate this painful emotion and prolong the experience. Opening up and talking to someone about the loss is an important step in healing. It often is especially helpful to speak to others who also had a relationship with the lost loved one. Focusing on this connection can help combat some of the feelings of isolation and aloneness that often occurs.

Reminiscing positive, happy memories can improve mood and decrease sadness. Similarly, focusing on the positive impact the person left on your life is a great way to honor them. Ultimately, expressing emotions is crucial to the healing process. Being intentional about healing in a healthy way is important for all experiencing the loss.

Seek Therapy

Reaching out to a professional to aid in the grieving process is beneficial, especially in cases where the loss has significantly disrupted daily activities. Some losses can result in surviving loved ones withdrawing socially, missing work, and not eating. In the event that this happens, therapy may be needed to assist in the healing process.

Up to one-third of people that experienced a significant loss suffered from detrimental effects on their physical and mental health. Grief therapy focuses specifically on feeling the emotions of the loss, learning coping mechanisms, and ultimately being able to move on with life. It is important to note that the goal is not to forget the loss but to simply be able to return to normal levels of functioning.

Move Your Body

Endorphins are research-supported hormones. They can boost mood, decrease depression-related symptoms, increase cognitive function, and relieve stress. When dealing with grief, it is likely that you are experiencing most or all of these adverse effects. Moving your body can effectively produce these hormones and improve your overall mental state.

Some easily accessible examples of a quality movement that you can try are vigorous walks, biking, running, or swimming. By engaging in just 30-60 minutes of activity per day, you can decrease the feeling of heaviness or sadness associated with grief.

Another positive benefit to outdoor exercise is the exposure to vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D is shown to have a significant impact on mood. In areas where sun exposure is limited to less than 120 days per year, depression rates are drastically higher than in areas with significant sun exposure. Vitamin D is shown to combat feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and anxiety with as little as 15 minutes of direct sunlight per day. For those in areas with less sun, a vitamin supplement may be useful.

Emotional Support Animals

In a study conducted on grief support, animals received the highest rating of satisfaction amongst the entire panel of support groups. This ranged from counselors, faith leaders, support groups, and even friends. This high level of support demonstrates the effectiveness of leaning on them during times of profound grief.

Some of the reasons emotional support animals are so effective are their unbiased company, their dependence on humans to take care of them, and their unwavering loyalty. Those going through periods of loss are able to rely on the constant support of their animals or pets and are given the necessary motivation to continue forward with daily life. Even just going through simple motions of feeding and walking a pet can promote positive behaviors such as exposing oneself to nature, physical movement, and vitamin D exposure. Having a loving being to spend time with is a great way to ensure emotional needs are met during this difficult time.

Grief is an experience that all humans will go through at one point in their lives. For some, grief may be experienced more frequently than others. Some people may be affected for years following a loss, while others are seemingly fine in a much shorter window of time.

Grief is an individual process that depends on a variety of factors. Knowing how to properly cope during this devastating time can allow healing to occur quicker than it would without proper tools. Leaning on loved ones that are experiencing the loss as well, finding an emotional support animal, and seeking therapy are just a few of the ways to navigate the loss. Ultimately, healing takes time, and being gentle with yourself along the way is essential.

We Can Help!

The post How to Cope with the Loss of a Loved One appeared first on MH Thrive.