How to talk to others about their Mental Health?

Are you concerned about someone's wellbeing and wished that you knew what to do? Here's a snippet of what you could say, or ask: 

Adapted from http://www.mentalhealth.gov/talk/friends-family-members/



Content: Low Yee Min, Master of Counseling, HELP University. 

How to help loved ones with Mental Health Concerns?

Talking to them provides the opportunity to share information, support, and guidance  resulting in:

• Early identification of possible mental health issues

• Early intervention

• Better understanding and compassion for the individual

When a friend or family member is showing signs of a mental health problem or reaching out to you for help, offer support by:

• Finding out if the person is receiving sufficient care—if not, connect him or her with help

• Expressing your concerns and support

• Reminding the person that help is available

• Asking questions, listening, and being responsive when mental health concerns arise

• Reassuring the person that you care about him or her

• Offering to help him or her with daily tasks

• Including friends and family members in your plans

• Educating others to better understand mental health concerns in light of providing more support

• Treating individuals with mental health concerns with respect, compassion, and empathy

Source: http://www.mentalhealth.gov/talk/friends-family-members/

Read more: http://www.namiyolo.org/tipsforfamilies.html


Content: Low Yee Min, Master of Counseling, HELP University. 

Protective Factors for Suicide Prevention

There are many factors which can serve as a protection against a person choosing to engage in a suicidal attempt/ act; and we have highlighted below a few important ones to be aware of:

Who is at Risk?

A quick glance at some risk factors for those who are more vulnerable to attempting suicide:

Understanding Suicide

Wondering what is the difference between an attempt and an act? Here’s a quick guide:

Summary of CPCS' International Youth Day 2015

Well everyone, thank you for joining us on this week-long journey of understanding how social media use impacts us, especially amongst youth. Hope you gained enough awareness and useful knowledge – do practice the tips and techniques we’ve had throughout the week. Keep practicing and before you know it, you’ve started a healthier habit. For those who missed out, here’s a quick summary of what we covered throughout the week:

The 5 Senses

Got a headache from staring at the screen for too long? Take a break! Let’s not overuse our sight sense and neglect our other senses. 

The Five Senses

When we interact with our screens a majority of our time, we are mainly using only our ‘sight sense’ as the navigational and information guide to the world. With the added exception, of course, of our ‘sound sense’ when we watch YouTube videos!

Let’s be honest – our sense of touch is so frequently intertwined with our computer or smartphone keyboards that we probably touch machines more than people. Not to advocate touching random people but let’s become more mindful of incorporating all our senses in daily living. Yes, that means stepping away from our laptops, putting down our phones, and just going for a walk. Interact with others, feel the sun shining, the wind blowing, and grab a bite to eat. Let’s live in reality as much as we can, and incorporate as many senses as we can – it’s all about balance in the end. 

Social Media in Moderation

Today we’re talking about how to best go about using social media in moderation. We’ve come up with a list of Dos and Don’ts to help you get started - check it out:

      How do we navigate this added element technology has introduced into our lives? It seems like nearly every task that we need to do in our daily lives with work, studies and even leisure is intertwined with the Internet, and more specifically, social media. Therefore it does not mean that we should completely say ‘no’ to social media, but can we moderate the amount we deal with daily?

      

       Let’s time ourselves – say 10 minutes in the morning before we start a task, we check into our various accounts to see updates and how others have fared in the last 24 hours or so. Inculcating a sense of ‘controlled’ checking of our social media can lead to a satisfaction; which would then spur us on to our other tasks rooted in reality.

       

      Allowing ourselves to pause and reflect is important too.  A good question to ask is ‘Do I “need” to check my Instagram?’ or “Do I ‘want’ to check my Instagram?’ Basic needs include food, air, water, shelter – these are conditions we need to survive. However, browsing through social media is a desire, which is a ‘want’. Identifying our impulses can instill a sense of control – as we can also choose to say ‘No, I don’t think I ‘want’ to do this now’.

      

      An additional factor to allow moderation is incentives – let’s reward good behavior! If we condition ourselves and say ‘No social media for the next 2 hours’ and accomplish it, let’s reward ourselves. Perhaps with a cup of coffee, or a cookie. Rewarding ourselves with small but meaningful things can strengthen our motivation.

      The next time we are tempted to post something, let’s pause and reflect if we really would like all our friends or followers to see what we’re about to post. Adding in that extra step may cause us to re-consider. Also, are we confusing the role of social media? Some of us may consider posting pictures as the same as ‘keeping’ them safe in a folder; however there is the added angle of many, many others who are privy to the same pictures as well.

      Countless hours of ‘connecting’ with others with a word, smiley face or other emoticons can ironically cause a sense of isolation and disconnect. So don’t forget whilst social media is a convenient tool to stay in touch, it is by no means the only way. So leave that chair, turn off your device, and interact with people in the real world – let’s connect in the real world.

In things a moderation keep; Kings ought to shear, not skin, their sheep.

 -Robert Herrick

Mindful Drinking

While taking your “time-out” from the social media, try this relaxation exercise known as: Mindful Drinking

Relaxation exercises help:

1. To put your mind in a calm state after staring at your computer or phone for too long

2. To reduce unnecessary stress due to information overload

3. To be refreshed and focus better in completing your tasks

If you find this clip useful, feel free to try out other similar clips based on the link below to assist you in your relaxation exercises.  Have fun practicing!

Click on image to access: MINDFUL-Gym

Relaxation in folds

We have an interesting day lined up for you – quick activities that you can do to get away from being bombarded by information when browsing on social media. Try this one below:

Risks of Social Media Overdependency

What happens when we use social media all the time? See the infograph below to understand some of the risks involved:

Social Media Overdependency - Signs

On Day-2 of our week long awareness project, we’re talking about becoming overly dependent on social media – do you know the signs?

Watch our slid-eo (slide show-video) to find out more:

CPCS International Youth Day 2015 - Youth & Social Media

Virtual vs Reality

In conjunction with International Youth Day 2015, we are eager to reach out to all of you in understanding the trend of social media and its usage among youth. As social media has integrated itself so well in our lives, the question is how can we use it appropriately?

Follow us on Facebook throughout this week in order to find out and give our daily challenge a try! Watch out for our daily updates!