Sunday, March 11, 2018

Canine advice

10 Things We Can Learn From Our Dogs That Will Make Us Happier and Healthier Humans-By Lisa Zawistowski

1. Live in the moment
2. Forgive
3. Reward yourself with treats once in a while
4. Take good care of yourself
5. Attitude is everything
6. Walk in nature
7. Hugs matter
8. Know your real needs
9. Take time for the simple things
10. Love is the only thing that really matters

"Express gratitude for the good things in your life, savor life's joys, learn to forgive and avoid overthinking things."

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Normal grief?

Grieving or depressed?

It's a good question, especially when in the midst of trying to regain your footing in the world.

The medical community often considers anyone who grieves beyond two weeks as being depressed.

Allen Frances MD has noted "medicalizing normal grief stigmatizes and reduces the normalcy and dignity of the pain, short circuits the expected existential processing of the loss, reduces reliance on the many well established cultural rituals for consoling grief, and would subject many people to unnecessary and potentially harmful medication."

Grief is an inescapable part of the human experience.

Grief will effect all of us in our lifetime and there is really no one right way to grieve.

The symptoms of grief and depression do overlap.

Allan Schwartz, PhD notes:

"It has been said that an important difference between grief and major depression is that in grief the feelings of loss of the loved one is compensated for by the warm memories that are carried with the one who suffered the loss. One the other hand, major depression is characterized by feelings of loss resulting in internal feelings of emptiness. Nothing, not memories or anything, compensates for or balances the feelings of loss."

Good memories can compensate somewhat for a loss. It also encourages you to want to create more good memories. Working through grief takes time.

"Ultimately, mourning runs its own course and resolves it's self."-Allan Schwartz PhD

"People don't get over grief. Reconciliation is a more appropriate term-when the mourner moves forward in life without the physical presence of the person who died. The person who died will never be forgotten but you can and you will move forward in your life."Alan Wolfelt PhD