At the seminar there were some questions that were posed. Here are the responses provided by the speakers.
Dr. Solomon Liao: Good boundaries and self care is very individual, i.e. it varies from one person to another. What one person would consider to be too burdensome, another person might find quite rewarding, depending on their perspective, attitude, and what’s going on with the rest of their life. The important thing is to be proactive in thinking about and establishing those boundaries and in taking care of yourself in a preventive way. Think about what rejuvenates you and keeps you going, activities like exercise, taking a walk, praying, meditating, spending quiet time, going to church or Bible Study, or talking with friends. Make sure you set aside regular time for these activities and plan for them by making arrangements ahead of time. Like they say on airplanes, put your oxygen mask on first before helping others with theirs. You are no good to anyone else, if you are burnt out and stressed out. Similarly plan ahead for when your boundaries are pushed. Rehearse what you are going to do or say, so that you don’t escalate the situation or are able to get out of a crisis.
Dr. Solomon Liao: When a person is negative about “everything,” they are likely depressed. They either need to be evaluated or have their medications adjusted. Remember that the negativity is coming from the illness and not the fault of the person. Don’t blame or push the person to do what they don’t want. If they are not willing to go, you may have to bring the activity to them. As the old saying goes, “If Mohamed won’t go to the mountain then the mountain will have to go to Mohamed.” For example, if the person won’t leave the house, then invite friends to come over instead.
Dr. Solomon Liao: Yes, most communities now have lots of resources for drug addiction. I suggest starting with alcoholic anonymous or narcotics anonymous. Yes, mental illness frequently occur with substance abuse. People with mental illness frequently self medicate with street drugs. Most counties in California have what are called dual diagnosis programs for people with both a drug problem and a mental illness. You can access these programs through the county’s mental health services. Most private health insurances also cover rehab programs that address both issues.
Dr. Solomon Liao: Depression can be both sudden and gradual depending on the cause. If the cause is a medical illness such as cancer, stroke or heart failure, then it can be rather sudden. Without an underlying medical illness, most “primary” cause of depression is more gradual over months or years.
- Music Therapy
- Dr. Dan Allender Explains How Music Heals Trauma in the Brain (YouTube)
- Alan Harvey: Your Brain on Music | TEDxPerth (YouTube)
- Exercise
- Freedom from Anxiety and Depression/Depression Bootcamp by Dr. Mike Marino
- Wendy Suzuki: The Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise – Ted Talk (YouTube) | 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes (aerobic to get heart rate up)
- Productivity especially with your hands ignites the effort driven rewards circuit in your brain. Very effective way to address various forms of anxiety such as PTSD and depression.
- Lifting Depression by Dr. Kelly Lambert
- Mike Mahler podcast with Dr. Kelly Lambert (episode 17)
- Resourcing:
A form of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) that you can do at home. Tapping In by Dr. Laurel Parnell
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. A good resource would be Tapping in: A Step-by-Step Guide to Activating Your Healing Resources Through Bilateral Stimulation by Dr. Laurel Parnell