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Indigenous Peoples and Trauma

Colonial trauma has been part of Indigenous peoples’ lives since the first Europeans arrived and established permanent settlements in Turtle Island, the area now known as Canada. Unfortunately, Indigenous Peoples experience discrimination such as microaggressions that surface in any number of daily routine interactions, including with coworkers. In many cases, empathy and understanding are overshadowed by stereotyping, myths, misinformation, cultural appropriation, and insensitivity.

This article will briefly touch on some of the effects that many of us aren’t aware of regarding Indigenous Peoples, such as how the lasting effects of intergenerational trauma affect mental health. We must note that we are using the term Indigenous, which includes First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. We know that there is a rich diversity within each group, especially concerning identities, traditional lands, history, language, and culture. While we can’t address everything within a single article, we can touch on what we believe are some important catalysts tied to the colonization experiences that all these groups share that have affected their overall health and well-being. We aim to help individuals begin to develop an understanding of the issues and start to navigate through the complexities. We believe that workplaces need to demonstrate sincerity and provide supportive tools that meet the needs of Indigenous Peoples. It’s a way to start walking together on a path towards reconciliation and healing.

A brief history

Indigenous Peoples are the original inhabitants of the lands within a geographic region. Before the arrival of European settlers, their distinct cultures, traditions, languages, spirituality, economies, and politics had flourished for tens of thousands of years. (1)

Arrival of Europeans

Norse explorers landed in the 11^th century, though they did not stay more than a few years. (2) European settlers arrived in the 15^th and 16^th centuries and began early trade and commerce with Indigenous Peoples. (3) The European explorers travelled under the Doctrine of Discovery; an international law issued by Roman Popes in 1455 that effectively authorized them to lay claim to what they perceived to be vacant land in the name of their sovereign. Upon arrival, the lands certainly weren’t vacant. But one other article within the Doctrine permitted explorers to determine lands used “properly,” meaning running under Euro-centric laws. If they decided that wasn’t the case, they believed that God had brought them to the land to make a claim for the Crown based on their obligation to “civilize” the people. It was the beginning of colonialization where explorers took ownership of the lands and followed through on their perceived obligation to provide all non-Christians with education and religion. The Doctrine of Discovery has never been renounced. Instead, it served as the foundation for the Indian Act. (4)

The Indian Act

The Indian Act (1876) established governmental control over nearly all aspects of First Nations people’s lives to force them to assimilate into the Dominion of Canada as quickly as possible. (5) The Indian Act consolidated many pre-Confederation laws and created reserved land (reserves) and the promise to deliver food, supplies and medicines to these communities. Indian Agents maintained enforcement. The Act was intentionally restrictive and destructive to Indigenous culture and people. While there have been some amendments to the Act, overwhelmingly, the legislation is still highly paternalistic and continues to affect people today. (6)

This legislation has created many hardships because of its restrictiveness. Two significant aspects are rooted in much of the trauma Indigenous Peoples have experienced in the 21^st century. (6)

Determining an Indigenous Person’s “status” or “non-status” dictates the government’s obligation to care for them. The Indian Act includes information for First Nations people who are registered under the Act. Inuit or Métis people are not included under the Indian Act. Amendments to The Act have been attempting to rectify unjust practices. For example, Bill S-3, enacted on August 15, 2019, has attempted to eliminate “all known sex-based inequities.” (7) For example, in The Act, women who had married non-Indigenous men were denied status. (8)
School-age children were forced to attend residential schools under the pretense of obtaining their “proper” education. The schools were designed to intentionally sever ties between Indigenous children and their families, language, identity, and culture. (9)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Alarming and frightening experiences can result in someone developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The response to memories or associations with harmful events such as images, sounds, smells and emotions, causes them to react with a debilitating stress response. For Indigenous Peoples, “repeated exposure to trauma, family instability, and childhood adversities such as separation from parents, poverty and family dysfunction” presents an increased risk of developing PTSD. (10) Extreme stress can result in behavioural and, in some cases, even genetic changes as our bodies and minds try to cope with what has happened. We may not even be aware of the effect of the trauma until years later. (11)

The reality is that Indigenous communities are “dealing with higher rates of mental and social distress (trauma)” that can be “traced back to abuses experienced by…children who were forced to attend residential schools.” (12) There are generations of people who were disconnected from their families, communities, and culture for generations, to no fault of their own.

Understanding intergenerational trauma

Colonization events (the process of colonization), have led to “losses of culture, traditional values, and family stability…[because] in many cases, [opportunities] for parents and Elders to pass along vital cultural knowledge and resilience to children” were taken away. (13) It has created trauma that has been passed from one generation to the next. One researcher indicated that children and grandchildren of residential school survivors show an increased risk of anxiety and depression because they have experienced threats to their psychological health early on in their lives. (14)

It is helpful to have a fundamental understanding of Indigenous culture to realize how being disconnected from their communities’ left generations of Indigenous Peoples unsupported. Indigenous culture teaches how everything in our world is interconnected. In life, you are part of a community that cares for and shows respect to everyone and everything. In addition, there is recognition and appreciation for all relationships that exist: past, present, and future. Your family and Elders in the community would show you the importance of understanding, acknowledging, appreciating, and protecting humans; animals; plants (especially sacred medicines); air and wind; water; the sky; and the earth. (15) You would learn about the care of bundles that “can include sacred items such as feathers, drums, pipes, medicines, talking sticks and many other sacred items” that hold knowledge of their culture as “all that we are, all that we can be, and all that helps us to be holistic helpers.” (16)

When children were taken from their communities and sent to residential schools, they lost their families, communities, language, culture, and traditions. They experienced violence, starvation, abuse, and neglect. If they survived the experiences, they could not quickly re-integrate into their communities when they returned home and they had difficulty fitting in. They were unable to recognize their families including their parents and extended families. Instead, they showed signs of isolation and trauma as well as a loss of identity and belonging. They were fearful to disclose their experiences to anyone, because they were concerned about retribution from administrators. Further, if they were courageous enough to share what they had experienced or witnessed, their family members were doubtful because the truth contradicted what they had been told. (17)

Residential school survivors experienced a great deal of trauma which impacted their relationships. The trauma lead to a tremendous amount of pain and they were not provided with any support to learn how to deal with the pain they had endured. This led to utilizing unhealthy coping strategies such as substance use, self-harm including suicidal ideation and this also made them more prone to mental illness.

One of the many impacts of colonization on the Indigenous communities is intergenerational trauma. This continues to affect the Indigenous Peoples today. This is perpetuated in their parenting style which is often influenced by their experiences with the residential school system. Sometimes they resorted to what they had learned in residential schools, resulting in a new generation experiencing abuse, neglect, and violence. (18) Other times, they found themselves in the predicament of sending their own children to attend residential schools.

Then, the government stepped in again to try and fix these problems through social services. The Scoop (sometimes referred to as the 60s Scoop) was a practice of removing Indigenous children from their families to have them placed in foster care with non-Indigenous families, this happened to children between 1960 and 1990. There were more children removed from their culture, traditions, and families. (19) At the same time, residential schools continued. The last residential school closed in 1996. (20)

The Seven Generations Principle

Indigenous culture traditionally looked at the effects of a decision for the next seven generations. This principle is sometimes applied to how much work is ahead for Indigenous People’s to heal from the atrocities they have experienced. The first steps were sharing stories during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Hearings and the government’s formal apology for creating and maintaining the residential school system. However, there is a long road ahead because Indigenous Peoples still experience injustices and racism daily. International events where the world comes together to support people experiencing conflict or for a common cause can be triggering and painful to observe because the same attention and dedication have not ever been displayed for Indigenous Peoples.

Healing from trauma

Indigenous Peoples may begin the healing process by:

1. Expressing a desire to heal and move forward.

2. Sharing truths and experiences with professionals and loved ones who want to help.

3. Accepting support, reconnecting, and reclaiming culture, language, traditions, spirituality, and values.

4. Using traditional medicines, sweat lodges and healing circles.

5. Embracing traditional ways of dealing with criminal acts and changing the experience of incarceration.

6. Learning from knowledge keepers.

What can non-indigenous people do to help?

The best things that non-indigenous people can do include:

1. Taking time to learn about Canada’s hidden colonial history.

2. Reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations.

3. Learning about Indigenous customs, culture, history with a view of appreciation, not appropriation.

a. Attend pow wows and other educational events.

b. Read books and view films by indigenous authors about indigenous experiences.

c. Visit archeological sites.

4. Recognize your own biases and investigate myths and misinformation about taxes, housing, and education. Correct information when it is inaccurate.

5. Learn about and develop an awareness of discrimination such as microaggressions in language that perpetuate stereotypes and racialized beliefs.

The path forward

Indigenous and non-Indigenous people have a shared responsibility to listen, learn, and heal to promote decolonization. Together, we need to understand how traumatic events can bring up unintended feelings, frustration, and anger. At the same time, we need to work towards appreciation, respect, and understanding. Perhaps most importantly, non-Indigenous Peoples should not transfer the accountability for learning and sharing to an indigenous person. Remember that it’s not an Indigenous Persons role to educate you.

References:

1. Rutherford, A. (2017 October 3). A New History of the First Peoples in the Americas. The Atlantic, Science. Retrieved on March 15, 2022 from
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/10/a-brief-history-of-everyone-who-ever-lived/537942/

2. Hansen, V. (2020 September 22). Vikings in America. Aeon. Retrieved on March 15, 2022 from
https://aeon.co/essays/did-indigenous-americans-and-vikings-trade-in-the-year-1000

3. Government of Canada. (n.d.). Highlights from the Report of the Royal commission on Aboriginal Peoples: People to People, Nation to Nation (1991). Government of Canada. [Section: Looking Forward, Looking Back.] Retrieved on March 15, 2022 from
https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100014597/1572547985018

4. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015 June). What We Have Learned: Principles of Truth and Reconciliation. Government of Canada.pp. 15-21. Retrieved on March 15, 2022 from
https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2015/trc/IR4-6-2015-eng.pdf

5. BCCampus Open Education (n.d.) Pulling Together: Foundations Guide, Section 2: Colonization. BCCampus Open Education. Retrieved March 15, 2022 from
https://opentextbc.ca/indigenizationfoundations/chapter/the-indian-act/

6. Hanson, E. (2009) The Indian Act. First Nations & Indigenous Studies Program – The University of British Columbia. Retrieved March 15, 2022 from
https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/the_indian_act/

7. Government of Canada. (n.d.). About Indian Status. Indigenous Services Canada. Retrieved on March 15, 2022 from
https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1100100032463/1572459644986

8. Crey K. & Hanson E. (2009) Indian Status. First Nations & Indigenous Studies Program. – The University of British Columbia. Retrieved March 15, 2022 from
https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/indian_status/

9. CBC News (2021 June 4) Your questions answered about Canada’s residential school system. CBC Explains. Retrieved March 15, 2022 from
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-residential-schools-kamloops-faq-1.6051632

10. Bellamy, S. and Hardy, C. (2015). Post-traumatic Stress Disorder In Aboriginal People In Canada. National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health, Emerging Priorities. P. 12, para. 2. Retrieved on March 5, 2022 from
https://www.ccnsa-nccah.ca/docs/emerging/RPT-Post-TraumaticStressDisorder-Bellamy-Hardy-EN.pdf

11. van der Kolk, B. M.D. (n.d.) The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body In The Healing Of Trauma. Retrieved on March 5, 2022 from https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score

12. Kirmayer et al. (2009), and Bopp, Bopp & Lane (2003), as cited in Bellamy, S. and Hardy, C. (2015). Post-traumatic Stress Disorder In Aboriginal People In Canada. National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health, Emerging Priorities. P. 12, para. 5. Retrieved on March 5, 2022 from
https://www.ccnsa-nccah.ca/docs/emerging/RPT-Post-TraumaticStressDisorder-Bellamy-Hardy-EN.pdf

13. Elias (2012) as cited in Centre for Suicide Prevention (n.d), reviewed by Connors, Ed. PhD., Indigenous people, trauma, and suicide prevention. Centre for Suicide Prevention. Retrieved March 5, 2022 from
https://www.suicideinfo.ca/resource/trauma-and-suicide-in-indigenous-people/

14. Bombay, A., Matheson, K., & Anisman, H. (2014). The intergenerational effects of Indian Residential Schools: Implications for the concept of historical trauma. Transcultural Psychiatry. Retrieved March 15, 2022 from
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1363461513503380

15. Partridge, C. (2010 November).Residential Schools: The Intergeneration impacts on Aboriginal Peoples. The Native Social Work Journal, Volume 7. Laurentian University Press. Retrieved March 15, 2022 from https://zone.biblio.laurentian.ca/bitstream/10219/382/1/NSWJ-V7-art2-p33-62.PDF

16. Health Standards Organization (2016). Bundles as Culturally Safe Practices. Fort Frances Tribal Area Health Services Sector. Retrieved March 5, 2022 from
https://healthstandards.org/leading-practice/bundles-as-culturally-safe-practices/

17. Partridge, C. (2010 November).Residential Schools: The Intergeneration impacts on Aboriginal Peoples. The Native Social Work Journal, Volume 7. pp. 48-54. Laurentian University Press. Retrieved March 15, 2022 from
https://zone.biblio.laurentian.ca/bitstream/10219/382/1/NSWJ-V7-art2-p33-62.PDF

18. CBC News: The National (2015 June 2). Stolen Children | Residential School survivors speak out. Retrieved March 15, 2022 from
https://youtu.be/vdR9HcmiXLA

19. Hanson, E. (n.d.) Sixties Scoop: The Sixties Scoop & Aboriginal child welfare. First Nations & Indigenous Studies, The University of British Columbia. Retrieved March 15, 2022 from
https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/sixties_scoop/

20. Jeganathan J & Lucchetta C. (2021 June 21). Felt through generations;: A timeline of residential schools in Canada. TVO. Retrieved March 15, 2022 from
https://www.tvo.org/article/felt-throughout-generations-a-timeline-of-residential-schools-in-canada

by admin

Children’s Mental Health: Technology and Cyberbullying

Today, digital technologies are everywhere. Technology has created some beautiful things, like communications assistive technology for children who don’t use speech as their primary communication method. At the same time, there are also some problematic aspects to navigate, like cyberbullying.

Living in today’s digital age

Every generation experiences technological advances that have a significant effect on their era as they become popular. The first computers were large enough to fill entire rooms. But processing technology advanced exponentially, doubling and compacting the size of circuits roughly every two years.[1] Today, devices and their seamless integration with the Internet are awe-inspiring. However, if you think about how we have become acclimatized to today’s technology, we haven’t necessarily followed our past experiences. There is a pattern, though:

Innovators are the first to figure out different ways to use the technology.

Early adopters are fast followers who crave to be at the front of the line.

Early and late majority is where most people tend to operate.

Laggards tend to join in after much observation and consideration. They are almost conceding that there could be a small application of the technology in their lives that would be useful to them, maybe.

We’ve also seen a tendency to apply expectations about competencies relating to ability and seamless usage stereotypically between different levels of adaptation. These theories originated within the education and business sectors and have always incited debate as to whether younger people naturally adopt the technology more readily when compared to older people. It might partly show a bit of bias from older people to assume that all young people know exactly how to accomplish tasks using technology.

How is technology affecting children?

Babies and toddlers

Early on, parents and caregivers can see the possibilities that introducing their children to technology at a young age can have. On one side, there’s the aspect of wanting your child to learn and grow. On the other hand, there are times when you may be looking for a chance to have their kids use technology as a distraction, perhaps to amuse themselves. Regardless, children tend to develop skills from a very young age, and are very good at observing and mimicking.

Babies and toddlers are also entertaining and appealing, so parents may try and share funny situations involving their children through their own social media accounts. Consider the longer-term repercussions of doing so. What’s cute now may become a source of embarrassment for them as they are older. It may be best to respect their privacy and choice as to when or if they enter digital social spaces in the future. It can be challenging for extended family members to understand why parents want to protect their children’s privacy, especially when geography keeps them apart. There are always options to share these photos directly to family members via email or messaging. Remind them that your child’s privacy should be protected.

School-aged children

We see that children respond well to digitized educational games and activities that help them learn language arts, mathematics, and science. Children this age begin to explore online gaming through popular sites like Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnight and Pokémon. Parents should show interest and observe their habits, friends, and interactions online to ensure they understand how to play safely. It is also necessary with this age group to have conversations to help develop an awareness of abnormal or concerning behaviours kids could encounter while online. Tech familiarity will help school-age children get together with friends who share similar interests in school and different physical and virtual social settings. Establishing screen-time limits is very important for school-aged children. Parents and caregivers can establish loving limits on when and how technology is used (e.g. what time of day and for how long). It can be an excellent way to introduce the concept of balance and boundaries.

Older children

Teens and young adults tend to be quite comfortable with the technology in their lives. Still, parents may be concerned about how connected they are to devices such as smartphones. Engaging with older children who seem wholly absorbed in digital spaces can be pretty challenging. It can be quite difficult to reinforce screen-time boundaries and limits. Some educators observe that teens and young adults struggle with critical thinking and problem-solving. It may be because they have ready access to all the information they could ever need. Problems can show up in basic written and interpersonal communications skills too. Secondary and post-secondary students struggle with diminished confidence in spelling, vocabulary, and grammar. They may also be uncomfortable with certain conversation techniques, such as maintaining eye contact and interpreting body language. Many prefer using instant messaging and visually based social media and are reluctant to engage with parents in these spaces. A more significant issue perhaps is the amount of screen time this group engages in. Some teens and young adults will even proudly declare that they are addicted to their devices. It’s a problem that parents need to tread cautiously.

Mental health concerns

School-age children, teens, and young adults are particularly vulnerable to stressors. The Internet can offer exposure to inappropriate and upsetting content that could contribute to mental health concerns like mood disorders, depression, and anxiety. For example, exposure to the Internet may contribute to:

Body image issues – caused by comparing oneself to others.
Eating disorders – influenced by misinformation in advertising and observing celebrity endorsements of diet and weight loss products.
Dissatisfaction and disillusion with current lifestyles – arising when observing social media influencers and expressing a desire to find fame.
Shortened attention spans – from consuming tremendous volumes of content through constant scrolling.

To help, parents and caregivers should first examine their habits and consider modelling appropriate levels of interaction and engagement as they interact online and through their devices.

How has COVID-19 influenced online behaviour around education?

Students experienced shifts to online learning at different times during the pandemic. Their experiences have been strained from a lack of social interaction and the difficulty of replicating physical classrooms through virtual formats. School-aged children required a lot of parental involvement to manage virtual learning and the complex schedules between times of independent work and convening in video classrooms. Some teens and young adults expressed worries about this learning format and missed important milestones and socializing opportunities. However, some students have determined that they prefer online learning. It has been an excellent way for students with anxiety to engage without feeling the pressures they have felt in the past at school. Young adults pursuing post-secondary studies have been able to find a better balance between school and work. It’s allowed them to save money on transportation and other living expenses.

Problematic aspects of technology

Non-traditional sources of income (work)

It can be difficult for parents and caregivers to understand how their older children can be drawn to technology. Like the Metaverse, the interactions and ideas can be a bit abstract. Consider the number of teens and young adults seeking online ways to generate income. A decade ago, monetizing your online presence as a career wasn’t mainstream. Now, there are many examples of people who have taken interests and hobbies online with the hope of making it big and having something they load go viral on the Internet. As a result, parents and caregivers may find that older children are chasing the dream of becoming Internet famous, or at least getting the subscriber and engagement volumes needed to be paid by companies to post. They hope it will attract coveted attention to help them reach an “influencer” level of fame.

Cyberbullying

Any form of harassment that occurs while using technology to connect with people in online spaces is considered cyberbullying. It has disastrous effects on people’s mental health and, in some cases, can contribute to people coping with self-harm, develop depression, and experience anxiety. There have been cases of cyberbullying that have affected some so severely that they have taken their own life. Cyberbullying isn’t limited to older children and teens, but school-age kids can experience it too. Parents and caregivers need to recognize and investigate changes in their children’s behaviours. Some signs of online harassment could include:

Suddenly losing interest in online activities they once enjoyed
Being easily distracted
Not wanting to attend school
Being very sad, withdrawn or emotional

Cyberbullying can take many forms but here are just a few examples:

Making prank calls on a mobile phone
Sending mean messages through texts, instant messaging, or social media applications
Editing photos to create memes and publishing them to intentionally harm or embarrass someone
Posting someone’s private photos online or sending them to other people
Spreading misinformation and rumours about someone in an online space
Relentlessly attacking someone in an online game
Stealing or hacking into another person’s online account to impersonate them
Initiating or participating in a ranking or rating of someone’s appearance or popularity
Creating fake social media accounts for the purpose of sharing malicious information
Tricking someone into providing personal information and then threatening to release the details

Parents and caregivers should know that there are legal consequences to cyberbullying. The person who is bullying can be charged and held liable for their actions, resulting in a payment for damages or prison. Some cases of harassment can receive charges under the Criminal Code.[2]

LGBTQ2+ youth often experience a disproportionate amount of online harassment and cyberbullying that’s often quite severe and can be present in addition to physical bullying. Victims of cyberbullying are also less likely to report it. They fear reprisal and rejection from their families or peers because it could “out” them and create additional complications within their day-to-day relationships. Maintaining connections to online spaces can be a way to build self-esteem, allow for self-expression, and provide a sense of community when they are feeling isolated. It’s a lifeline that offers support, understanding, and compassion. When it comes to setting limits on technology use, parents and caregivers should take into consideration the beneficial role that technology can offer LGBTQ2+ youth to have connection and a safe space.

Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is a persistent form of predatory online behaviour that can involve threats of violence, sexual harassment, extortion, and even physical stalking. Cyberstalking is often more unrelenting, more deliberate, systematic, and escalating in its threat levels to incite fear and have their target comply with their demands. Cyberstalkers are also usually quite technically savvy and use this to their advantage to avoid detection. They will start initially by exploring their target’s on and offline behaviours. A few examples include:

Following their target person online, performing similar activities and suggesting common interests and activities to join.
Messaging and tagging their target person excessively.
Asking their target person to send photos and/or videos.
Asking their target person to share valuable information, such as their full name and address and ID cards (driver’s licenses, health cards, financial information, and online account passwords). Such details are valuable and can be sold to help people assume someone’s identity or hack into accounts.
Sending unwanted gifts.
Hacking into the target person’s laptop camera or phone to watch them.
Suggesting that they meet in person.
Tracking their target person’s movement.

Like cyberbullying, this kind of harassment is illegal. If you believe that a cyberstalker may have targeted your child, contact the authorities, and let other family members and friends know so they can offer support. While it may seem disturbing, never delete any of the evidence of the harassment, as you may need to show police proof.

How can I find out what my kids are doing online?

The ethics of monitoring Internet use are tricky. Many parents and caregivers fear what their children encounter while using online technology and demand to review their actions and accounts. Suppose parents or caregivers are the ones who have funded the purchase of devices and cover ongoing costs. In that case, they may feel entitled to regular usage reviews. But they need to weigh their oversight with trust and privacy and help educate children to become responsible online digital citizens. For younger children using a shared device in the household, talking about what they are looking at online and who they are speaking with (if they engage in any online communities or gaming) can be an excellent first step to encouraging dialogue. The goals of these conversations are to educate and instill self-discipline, so modelling good online behaviour is essential. Work on establishing boundaries and demonstrating trustworthiness to have kids feel more comfortable sharing information when they are unsure or possibly in trouble. This approach can help respect their child’s privacy.

Teens often have a reputation for being rebellious and more whimsical when taking high-risk actions. Parents or caregivers may become more worried and insistent on finding out what their teenager is up to. Some resort to desperate measures, demanding passwords be shared on devices and accounts and even going so far as to install tracking applications to locate their whereabouts. Most teens are aware of these attempts to raid their personal space and deactivate or mask them. Remember that while it may be uncomfortable, teens and young adults are entitled to privacy. Their independence should be to be met with the support and connection of their parents or caregivers. It’s important to make an effort to connect with your teen and work on nurturing the relationship.

What about parental controls? Do they work?

Some parents or caregivers may choose to invoke parental controls on devices or Internet access. It can make sense for younger children to keep them from accidentally stumbling upon inappropriate content. Still, it can also incentivize older children to enforce boundaries and screen time limits or restrict Internet access. You might want to consider:

Setting timed access to household Wi-Fi through settings in their modem by device IP addresses.
Using family management apps to associate completing household chores with earned screen time.
Setting screen time monitoring in devices and reviewing activity with your child weekly.

Most experts agree that school-age children need to know how to be responsible for their online actions. Of course, this also extends to teens and young adults, especially for social media accounts. For parents and caregivers to provide guidance, they should become aware of:

The additional data, including device IP addresses and geotags in photos posted online.
How to activate privacy settings on accounts and devices to restrict access.
Spam/alias accounts that teens and young adults create and keep secret to have unfettered privacy on social media, away from parental views on their main named accounts.

A new form of relationship trust where people trade devices and divulge their passcodes and passwords so that they can each review the other’s text and social media messages as “proof” that there is no cheating happening.

There’s a lot of value in keeping information private

Unfortunately, friendships end and relationships sour. It may not be until something happens that children realize the value of keeping information private. It could help if you encourage great discretion in providing contact information such as phone numbers or email addresses. One parent spoke about a breakup where their child was harassed every two minutes by their ex because they opted to stop replying to messages. This “O-bombing” (opening a message without responding immediately) and “ghosting” encouraged the ex to continue the behaviour. In these kinds of incidents, parents and caregivers need to encourage their children to:

Take screenshots of conversations because attempts to contact them or through friends may need to be collected as evidence.
Provide instructions to friends to discontinue contact and keep all personal information about their friend confidential.
Block the ex on apps and devices.
In extreme cases, you may need to contact a service provider and change phone numbers.

Raising healthy and fully aware digital citizens

One of the best things you can do is speak openly to your children about technology and online safety and share your concerns. As a parent or caregiver, staying informed and showing your children that you are interested and aware of the challenges and experiences they face may be one of the best things you can do. This may help them view you as an ally rather than a threat. Talk openly, using age-appropriate language about interactions with friends that you may not have heard them mention before. Explain how you are looking out for them and helping them learn how to be safe, kind, and respectful online. Talk about how things uploaded to the Internet are there forever, even if they decide to delete them. While you don’t want to make them fearful, talking about normal and appropriate behaviours for adults and kids is important. It’s a way to broach the topic of cyberstalking, cyberbullying and other predatory behaviours they may encounter online.

It’s also incredibly healthy to have designated “no-tech” times. It could be when everyone gathers to eat dinner, play a game, watch a movie or program, or visit family members without devices in their hands. To get used to this, it may help to have a basket that devices go into for the duration of the activity. Finally, there is one more realization that parents and caregivers can embrace. They are preparing their babies, toddlers, school-aged children, teens and young adults for roles that may not exist yet in an ever-evolving world.

References

[1]PrevNet. (n.d.) Legal Consequences of Cyberbullying: It’s not just bullying – it’s criminal. Prevnet.ca. Retrieved on February 4, 2022 from https://www.prevnet.ca/bullying/cyber-bullying/leg…

[2]Dorrier, J. (2016, March 8). Will the End of Moore’s Law Halt Computer’s Exponential Rise? SingularityHub. Retrieved February 4, 2022 from https://singularityhub.com/2016/03/08/will-the-end…

by admin

Stress – Finding Your Balance

Think for a moment how many times you encounter the word “stress” in a day. It could be part of your inner dialogue directly resulting from something you’re experiencing. It could be overheard in conversations around you or on TV. Let’s face it, stress (at least the kind that we’re referring to, with negative associations) is pervasive. It has such a familiar presence in our vernacular that perhaps the meaning has been diluted. Consider, though, that our body’s response to stress is instinctive. We can’t avoid it, but we can learn more about the “mechanics” of stress. With that knowledge, we can develop strategies to manage our responses.

What is stress?

Stress is a normal biological reaction to anything that requires your attention or action. Our bodies can respond to the stressor physically, emotionally, behaviourally or psychologically. It’s the response to it that can have either positive or negative effects on your health. We need stress because it helps us stay attentive and decide how best to deal with threats when they arrive. But it becomes problematic when short-term stress is prolonged.¹ The conundrum is that modern life puts a lot of pressure on us. It can become difficult to remove yourself from the everyday situations that create a stressful response. The good news is that you can learn some of the common symptoms that show your body is reacting to stress. You can also learn proven techniques that will help you alleviate the pressure and offer relief.

Different types of stress

In the 1940s, Hans Selye, an Endocrinologist at McGill University, began in-depth studies of how people reacted to stressful situations and made the connection between stress and health. His theory of General Adaptation Syndrome pinpointed three main physiological stages in what would become more commonly known as the stress response:

1. Alarm – The body diverts energy to enable the “fight or flight” response. Selye observed that this initial reaction left people more vulnerable to illness because bodily systems were “offline” during this event.

2. Resistance – The body adapts to the stressor because the alarm hasn’t subsided. Energy continues to be diverted to produce stress reactions and becomes normalized.

3. Exhaustion – After prolonged stress through alarm and resistance, our immune systems become ineffective and collapse. Selye indicated that those “who experienced long-term stress could succumb to heart attacks or severe infection due to their reduced resistance to illness.”²

As these studies continued, they organized stress into four primary types: sacute, chronic, episodic acute and eustress.³

Acute

Short term
Positive or negative
Encountered most frequently (day-to-day)

Episodic acute

Acute stressors that become part of life
Stressful episodes string together and are almost normalized

Chronic

Always present and may seem inescapable
For example, relationship stress or work stress
May be caused by traumatic experiences as a child or adult

Eustress

Positive stress that is fun and exciting
Can keep you energized
Provides you with surges of adrenaline

Why do you react to stress the way you do?

Have you ever wondered why some people can keep their cool during stressful situations while others fall apart or don’t notice anything at all? Differences in the stress gene can result in someone having either an overactive or underactive stress response. So, reactions can be influenced, in part, by a combination of your genetic makeup and life experiences. Learning about good or bad stress reactions can help you understand and manage stressful situations. Stress that inspires you, motivates you, or helps you enhance your performance is generally viewed as good. On the other hand, being anxious or confused, having difficulty concentrating, or having a hard time maintaining consistent performance are categorically associated with bad stress.

What about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Traumatic life experiences can also trigger an extreme and often debilitating stress response known commonly as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While we tend to think of adults as the ones who have stress invade their lives, it’s essential to consider that children are equally affected by stress. People living with PTSD may have lived experiences that cause them to react with crippling fear because of their associations with frightening or disturbing situations. Adults may find that they need to remove themselves from specific situations to avoid harmful memories and associations. Children could show sleep disturbances, fear of being alone or in certain places, or even re-enactment through play. Sometimes, we may not even be aware that a traumatic event occurred in our history. Research into trauma shows that our bodies and brains can retain the images, sounds, smells, and emotions present at the time of the event. We can be instantly transported back, resulting in a stress response. Trauma can have far-reaching effects. Studies show that childhood trauma events can manifest as chronic stress in adulthood.⁴

What happens in your body when you experience stress?

Stress affects your body, your mood, and your behaviour. During a stress response, the following may occur:

1. The hypothalamus at the base of your brain senses danger.

2. Your nerves send signals to your adrenal glands (on top of your kidneys).

3. Those messages quickly release a flood of chemicals and hormones such as adrenaline (also known as epinephrine)

and the primary stress hormone cortisol.

4. Your heart rate increases, sending a rush of blood to your muscles and other organs, preparing your fight/flight

(or freeze) response.

5. Your breathing increases, and you start to sweat.

6. Your body stops all insulin production to allow your muscles to be ready to use glucose fast (to flee).

The intensity and duration of stress reactions can increase your risk of developing mental and physical health problems. Frequent stress can be a contributing factor to a host of health conditions, including, but not limited to:

Diabetes – insulin resistance
Hypertension – damaged blood vessels
Heart attack or stroke – stress increases the risk of occurrence

Stress has also been linked to:

Headaches
Substance use problems
Anxiety, depression
Insomnia
Weight gain
Changes in mood, energy, and libido
Hair loss
Muscle tension, especially in the neck and shoulders
Grinding teeth, gum disease
Ulcers and digestive system issues such as diverticulosis/diverticulitis

What are some of the best things to do to reduce stress quickly?

Remember that our stress response floods our bodies with chemicals and hormones. We need to flush them from our systems to counteract the effects of the fight/flight/freeze response to regain control. There are three actions that may provide almost immediate relief.

The first is to move. Exercise releases endorphins into your bloodstream even after only one minute of activity.
The second is to become aware of the connection between your mind, body and breathing. Meditation and other mindfulness practices such as yoga and tai chi teach you to introduce calm voluntarily by becoming more aware of your senses and body movements.
The third is to listen to calm music to lower blood pressure and reduce cortisol.

What are some ways to manage long-term stress?

You can take a proactive approach to manage stress by setting boundaries in your work, personal life, and community. These tend to be sources of acute or chronic stress. Taking stock of how you feel, then adjusting your behaviours can eliminate or alleviate self-imposed pressure. One clinical psychologist observed that “we don’t help anyone by getting burnt out and needing care ourselves. It is what makes these boundaries so important. We have to decide how much we can give to our friends, family and communities before we stop to recharge our own batteries with time away.”⁵

Consider planning your tasks and finishing your workday
at a specific time. You can also commit to eating well and exercising by scheduling time for them in your calendar and tracking how frequently you complete them.
On the personal front, be aware of friends that drain you. When you find that you are always the one who is listening, let them express themselves but tell them that they need to reciprocate. You may also feel better by reducing the amount of time you spend viewing screens and aimlessly scrolling through social media posts. Instead, get in touch with your creative side. You’ll feel more productive and reward yourself with personal growth.
Many times, we’re stretched too thin. Allow yourself to skip community events guilt-free. Take up a new hobby or permit yourself to do something you love in the time that you would have spent doing something else. You don’t need a full social calendar. If something makes you feel uneasy, listen to your instincts. It’s okay to disconnect or change the format.

What about the often-elusive notion of balance? Is it achievable?

We’re told that it’s crucial to find a balance between our work and personal lives, two competing priorities. There are times when one will demand more time and attention than the other. It may not be entirely realistic to imagine that you can devote equal attention to both. Instead, consider that finding balance may not be the ideal approach. Focusing on finding harmony so that everything in your life can co-exist can be a less stressful approach. The notion of harmony “invokes the idea that you should enjoy work and life at the rhythm that makes the most sense for you and what’s taking place in your life at any given time.”⁶ A happy product of shifting the focus from balance to harmony is a revival of creative thinking, problem-solving, and planning, reducing procrastination and learning to be better at asking for help.

Harmony also gives you room to find your passion. For example, you can envision your dream job, but also consider doing something that you always wanted to try but talked yourself out of doing. You can also revisit some of your favourite things. Think about what you enjoyed when you were young. Consider trying something related but different from something you already know how to do. These visioning exercises allow you to flex your brain to find some inspiration.

Good wellness practices and habits can help

When you strive to incorporate better wellness in your life, you become more self-aware and better able to control responses and reactions. It’s developing a habit of being kind to yourself, otherwise known as self-care. Start by reviewing how much you are taking on. Could you do things differently? Perhaps more leisurely? Consider whether you need to be the one doing a particular task. You can start by building good habits systematically to help you reduce stress, such as:

Get good sleep. Good sleep hygiene includes having a calm space and a dark, cool room. Set yourself a respective bed time and remove electronics to reduce blue-light emissions and radio frequencies that can affect your brain and your ability to get to and stay asleep.
Nutrition. Avoid caffeine, especially before bedtime. Instead, try drinking green tea, which releases theanine to calm your nervous system.
Exercise. Working out doesn’t need to be done in a big session at all. Just move! Even 10 minutes at a time can add up over a day. If you can’t find 10 minutes, go for a two-minute walk.
Try some
balanced breathing techniques to relax. Start by inhaling through your nose for a count of four, then holding that breath for another four-count. Then release that breath through your mouth for a count of eight. Repeat the process several times for the greatest benefit. It is an excellent way to reduce your heart rate and blood pressure.
Find something to
laugh about. It helps reduce stress by bringing air into your body and reducing tension in your circulatory system and muscles.
Singing has been proven to reduce cortisol and help you feel more relaxed. It can also boost your mood, increase your brain activity, and control your breathing.
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of a good conversation. Talking to friends about what’s causing you stress can be helpful as you can hear different perspectives and recommendations that you may not have considered. There’s also merit in “talking” to yourself through journaling. Over time, you can reflect on earlier journal entries.

References:

1. Scott, Elizabeth, PhD. (2020 August 3). What Is Stress? Part of How Stress Impacts Your Health Guide. verywellmind. Retrieved on January 12, 2022 from
https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-health-314…

2. Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS). (n.d.). History of Stress: Close-up on…The General Adaptation Syndrome. Retrieved on January 12, 2022 from
https://humanstress.ca/stress/what-is-stress/histo…

3. Scott, Elizabeth, PhD. (2020 August 3). What Is Stress? Part of How Stress Impacts Your Health Guide. verywellmind. Retrieved on January 12, 2022 from
https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-health-314…

4. van der Kolk, B. M.D. (n.d.) The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body In The Healing Of Trauma. Retrieved on January 14, 2022 from
https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-bod…

5. Ali, S. (2021, March 12). Establishing These 4 Types of Boundaries Can Help Alleviate Stress, Says a Psychologist. Self-care Tips from Well + Good. Retrieved on January 14, 2022 from
https://www.wellandgood.com/stress-boundaries/

6. Vetter, A. (2017, October 24). If Work-Life Balance Isn’t Realistic, Try This Instead. Entrepreneur. Retrieved on January 14, 2022 from
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/300060

by admin

Kickstart Your Wellness

Wellness, it seems, is the next big thing that everyone must conquer. The past two years of pandemic upheaval have given people a chance to assess and reflect on their overall health and well-being, prompting a wellness renaissance. However, jumping on board with trends may lead to the actual value and understanding of wellness to become diluted by social chatter and marketing buzz.

For wellness to be purposeful, it must be personal. In this article, we’re going to look at wellness from the standpoint of how one-size-fits-all solutions aren’t the answer. We’ll go back to basics examining wellness as a multi-dimensional concept and explore what it means to be well overall. We’ll look at some of the foundations of physical and mental wellness by addressing how some of our choices complicate our ability to find the right balance, including nutrition’s effect on your brain. Finally, we’ll discuss determining your path to wellness, sharing some tips and strategies that will help you kick start your journey.

Wellness, defined

Wellness has always been linked to good health, preventative care, and positive lifestyle choices. It’s a concept that’s been present for thousands of years but has gotten a lot of attention, especially over the past decade. More people are paying attention to wellness, which is reflected in the general interest and messaging we regularly see from governments, businesses, medical experts, and the media. Because health and wellness are intrinsically linked, where sometimes the terms are used interchangeably, it helps to look at each individually and their relationship. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (illness)” and wellness as “the optimal state of health of individuals and groups… expressed as a ‘positive approach to living.”¹

Multi-dimensional wellness

Wellness encompasses many different things and is often contextualized using these eight dimensions²:

Physical

How you fuel your body
How much you move your body
How you rest to restore your body

Intellectual

Things you do to learn, be creative and grow
How you view the world
Finding enjoyment in trying something new

Emotional

How you use positive thinking
How resilient you are
How you recognize and use your strengths

Social

How you interact with family, friends, coworkers and communities
Practicing gratitude and kindness
Communicating and building relationships to decrease feelings of loneliness

Spiritual

Connecting with something “greater than ourselves,” be it religious beliefs, the planet, other people, or with something more profound
How you live according to what you value
How you are mindful of the effect you have on your surroundings

Occupational

How purposeful you feel about contributing to the world through work, school, or volunteering
Appreciating and joining efforts to improve or help something you believe in
How you can gain meaning from helping others

Financial

Learning about money so you can use it strategically
How you budget
How you can be happier making financial decisions that improve other people’s lives and your own

Environmental

How aware you are of your surroundings
Choosing “calm, safe, non-toxic” environments
Finding balance by spending time in nature

What does it mean to be well overall?

Wellness is fluid and adaptive depending on evaluations of circumstances and situations. There is no singular correct approach because each of us has a different view of the world. Determining your view of wellness comes from being self-aware and self-regulating to make choices that help you form habits. However, living fully aware of what makes you feel fulfilled and recognizing and realizing your potential gets you only part of the way. Whether they are beneficial to us or not, our habits are determining factors in our wellness. Knowing what is good for us is one thing, but ultimately, we determine the amount of effort we are willing to invest in ourselves. When you make conscious choices to integrate good things into your life, you increase the degree of wellness that you will feel. For example, caring for yourself, by extension, is an act of caring for others: both the people we care about and those who care about us. Remember that highly personalized wellness is based on your choices, actions, and attention to maintaining it.

What we tend to focus on: Physical and mental wellness

We often focus on physical and mental wellness and take actions to care for our bodies and minds to maintain or improve current health and protect our future health. However, some other wellness dimensions heavily influence our physical and mental well-being. For example, if you worry about your job security, money, paying the bills, or think that saving for the future is only a dream, you can undoubtedly feel stress building that will affect your physical and mental wellness. Similarly, if you feel lonely or disconnected socially, this stress will also show up physically and mentally. As humans, we need to connect actively, that is, through speaking, laughing, interacting in shared spaces for our brains to process the benefits. Research has shown us that “social connection can lower anxiety and depression, help us regulate our emotions, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and actually improve our immune systems. By neglecting our need to connect, we put our health at risk.”³

While many would argue that social media does an excellent job of helping us stay connected, it and even other technologies such as video chatting do little to reduce loneliness. Social media can contribute counterproductively to overall wellness because of its addictive and passive nature. Many people find themselves scrolling through posts from others’ lives and draw comparisons between what they view in these highlight reels versus what they are experiencing. It’s important to remember that what is being shared is highly curated and may be inaccurate. Drawing comparisons and aspiring to lifestyles depicted on social media can intensify feelings of inadequacy and lead to being disappointed in life. Instead of looking for solutions there, engage with people outside of social media. These may be professionals such as your doctor, psychologists, counsellors, social workers, coaches, family members and friends. It’s worth your time and investment to connect through conversations and interactions to listen to the natural cadence and pauses of conversations and to observe expressions and body language in a way that technology simply cannot duplicate.

What are some easy ways you can support physical and mental wellness?

Everything is connected. Building healthy habits that support your entire body is key. Movement completed during a walk or other type of exercise benefits not only your muscles, bones, lungs, and heart but also your brain. But the length of time, effort and duration of exercise needed is not as intense as you may think, and that could act as an incentive to invest more in developing a positive habit. While moderate exercise helps, “too much exercise, particularly over time, pushes metabolic demands to the point where your brain’s innate protective systems are overwhelmed…[leading] to cellular injury and accelerated ageing.”⁴ Exercise decreases negative emotions, thoughts, depression, feelings of anxiety, and helplessness. So, it’s essential to think of it as an addition and not a solution to wellness. Instead, it would be best if you continued with the exercise plus everything else your doctor has recommended, including taking medication and participating in any other forms of therapy suggested.

Eating nutritious food and drinking water regularly are other simple ways to support overall wellness. It starts by understanding how the nutrients you consume are absorbed and feed all your cells. People are often surprised to find out that being malnourished and dehydrated affects their mental health. By consuming the proper nutrient-dense foods that work with your body, and increasing your daily water intake, your diet can help you improve your overall wellness. Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Chef and Nutritional Psychiatrist, has researched how different foods can trigger psychological responses such as depression, anxiety and negative emotional responses that are “not great for our long-term brain health.”⁵ Cravings, comfort food, and the crash we feel after consuming the wrong foods, especially sugary ones “made to be hyper-palatable,” is something to avoid because it’s very hard on our bodies.⁶ Understanding that there is a connection between food, gut health and the brain can help you form new habits. Eating nutritious foods allows us to feed the gut with microbes that maintain balanced transmission between the brain and the gut through the Vagus nerve and reduce inflammation, a catalyst for poor mental health.⁷ Psychological stress and trauma are also heightened when people are anxious and worried about food allergies. Knowledge of dietary choices and alternatives can reduce this type of anxiety.

Boundaries = balance

When considering other aspects of your overall wellness, it’s important to evaluate whether you need to establish boundaries that offer support and eliminate stressors. Often, relationships fall into patterns that can cause some discomfort. There’s also sometimes a danger of someone losing their sense of individuality in a relationship. Work pressures and challenges, including the difficulties posed by working from home, can hover over relationships like a fog. Addressing these situations calmly will often bring about better awareness of the behaviours that are straining your relationships. From there, you can introduce boundaries and consequences to going beyond them to help you find a better balance to your overall wellness and sense of fulfillment. It’s essential to be clear, respectful and show that you care as you articulate them.

Tips to kick start your wellness

Get up and move

Set realistic goals to boost your physical activity. They need to be achievable, not monumental.
Be sure that you’re focused on becoming stronger, and not on losing weight.
Avoid focusing on your appearance. Be kind to your body. It works hard for you every day.

Get creative

Sing, dance, paint, play with clay, knit, crochet or something else.
Neuroscience shows that these are “simple, playful ways to help adults unwind and relieve stress.”⁸

Get in touch with your senses

Immerse yourself in the sensory experiences within your environment. Explore tactile objects and think about the sensations you feel. Pay attention to the sounds, aromas, and visuals. Slow down when you eat so you can take time to taste the flavours of your food.

Get positive

Try boosting your mental wellness with a moment of daily positivity to help bring about self-acceptance. It’s as easy as writing these three things in a small notebook or on a calendar:
Something you’re grateful for
Something you’ve been thinking about for a while
Something you are choosing not to do today

Get comfortable with your finances

Start with something short-range like making a simple budget to get you through a day, a week, or a month. Look at your spending and saving decisions. Ask yourself if you have room to choose a different path on any of them.
Once you’re comfortable with the short-range items, move on to long-range considerations. It doesn’t have to be about lump sums or investing. Start with something basic such as saving $2 a day. Set up an automatic transfer to a savings account or go with coins in a jar. It doesn’t matter which method you choose, more that you’re training yourself to see the value in it. You can build onto more long-range goals once the habit is formed.

Get social

Reach out to a friend once a week, by phone or video chat to have a short conversation. It doesn’t mean texting; it’s about talking.
Join a group with like interests. Perhaps you want to learn an instrument or a language. Your brain will benefit from these new skills. You’ll also develop the habit of lifelong learning.
Reduce screen time and take a social media break. You may be able to see just how many times a day you touch your device and begin to break that habit. Many mobile devices have tools and apps built-in to help regulate usage.
Live your experiences. Being present and watching things happen live creates memories in our brains. When you are focused on recording something to watch later, you’ll find that the memory isn’t as easy to recall because you didn’t form it in the same way as being immersed at the moment.
Ensure that your recreational use of alcohol and tobacco is both in control and in moderation. It’s easy to get caught up in social and cultural marketing that promotes these as acceptable ways to medicate and detach from the stress and pressure of daily life. There’s an inherent danger in this as it encourages people to rationalize and deflect from stressors, normalizing substance abuse.

References:

WHO, n.d., as cited in Rashakrishnan, R., (2021 January 27). What Is Health and Wellness? MedicineNet. https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_health_and_wel…
Davis, T., MA, PhD. (n.d.). Definition of Wellness: Meaning, Dimensions, and Examples. Berkely Well-Being Institute. https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/wellness-definit…
Canadian Mental Health Association (2019 Oct 17). The importance of human connection. CMHA. https://cmha.ca/the-importance-of-human-connection…
Wenk, G. Ph.D. (2021 April 20). This Is Your Brain on Exercise. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/your-brain…
Brooker, H. (2021 May 12). This is Your Brain on Food. Fare [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/CfEim43NDas
Ibid.
Ibid.
Dancing. Atlanta Jewish Times https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/finding-the-hea…

by admin

The Impact of Social Media on Body Image & Mental Health

Believe it or not, modern social media is still relatively young. We can trace its ancestry to the early blogging and bulletin board systems in the late 90s. Recognizable forms similar to today’s platforms first emerged in the 2000s, with the now-defunct Six Degrees and Friendster. Undoubtedly, social media is a part of humankind, with billions of people using it daily. But as with any form of transformative technology, it has both positives and negatives. After a couple of decades of weaving social media into our social and cultural fabric, we’ve come to recognize the alarming effect it has on people’s mental health. We see harmful effects such as individuals developing negative body images because they compare themselves to what they are observing and experiencing through social media.

In this article, we’ll take some time to unpack some of the complicated issues around social media use and the connections to body image and mental health. We’ll discuss some of the unrealistic expectations social media serves and examine some of the most problematic behaviours observed. Then, we’ll look at how social media affects how kids, youth, and adults view themselves. Finally, we’ll focus on what you can do to help guide someone struggling with social media use. We’ll end with some tips and strategies you may adopt to turn social media activities into more positively focused experiences.

What do we mean by body image?

We all have a body image. It’s personal, but can be heavily influenced by other people, ideas, and surroundings. Essentially, it’s how someone views their body physically,
plus the positive or negative thoughts and feelings they experience as they look
at themselves. (1)

Body image has four aspects to consider:

Perceptual – The way you see yourself “is not always a correct representation of what you actually look like.” (2)
Affective – What you like or dislike about the way your body looks. It’s a focus on “appearance, weight, shape and body parts.” (3)
Cognitive – The way you think about yourself which ties to what you believe about yourself. (4)
Behavioural – Actions that you take or things you do that are directly related to your appearance. (5)

How are body image and mental health related?

A person’s body image can be positive or negative and can fluctuate based on environmental factors. Body image also influences self-esteem, self-acceptance, and someone’s general outlook on life: three important mental health indicators, which can also impact positive or negative viewpoints.

Positivity supports healthy self-esteem levels. It generally means that you feel good and enjoy being social. You may describe yourself as feeling happy and fulfilled with your life. With a positive body image, you are also more likely to be comfortable in your own skin.

You also aren’t as vulnerable to conforming to influences that suggest how you should look to feel accepted. For example,

you likely choose what to eat and when/how to move your body because these activities make you feel good. You’re not trying to fit into an unrealistic mould of someone else’s idealized body image.

When someone’s body image takes on more negative perceptions, they are more likely to be influenced by their environment. They may base their self-esteem on comments or judgements made by friends, family, and social media. It can also begin to affect their mental health. Diminished self-acceptance could find them conflicted, looking for constant validation to counteract how they are feeling about their:

Age
Body type or size
Appearance
Gender identity
Sexual orientation

What are some warning signs that someone may be relying too heavily on social media for emotional fulfillment?

When someone is using social media so frequently that they begin to experience negative outcomes that are affecting their mental health, they may:

Have trouble sleeping, which could be tied to screen exposure. In a 2018 survey, a group of people aged 15-64 were asked about their Internet usage. Nearly 1/5, or 19% of respondents said that they had lost sleep in the previous year due to social media use. This data was collected before a global pandemic and coincidently with the worldwide launch of the social media platform TikTok near the end of 2018. Today, TikTok has 1 million users. (6),(7) Consider that electronics emit blue light wavelengths that “are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times and mood.” (8) Using devices that expose our eyes to blue light in the dark can affect our body’s “biological clock – the circadian rhythm…[so that] sleep suffers.” (9) Researchers are also concerned that this disruption can lead to cancer and conditions like “diabetes and heart disease […].” (10)

Have difficulty concentrating and focusing. That same survey showed 18% of respondents struggled with concentrating and focusing on tasks. (11)
Reduce how physically active they are. Almost a quarter said that they had “done less physical activity than normal.” (12)
Have developed feelings of anxiousness, depression, being envious of other’s lives, and or felt angry or frustrated. 12-14% of respondents reported negative emotional experiences. (13)
Become more isolated from in-person socialization with friends and family and lose track of time. While experts haven’t yet agreed that social media addiction is an official diagnosis, “overuse is increasingly commonplace” and creates problems. (14) Social media affects the brain by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmission chemical that ties to our sense of motivation and rewards. We keep going back to our favourite social media platforms. We can get lost in the scrolling because when dopamine is released, it makes us feel great. Other forms of addiction leverage dopamine similarly, whether related to drugs, gambling, or even shopping. Interestingly, over time, people may need to consume more of what causes the dopamine release because the smaller amounts they once triggered are no longer enough to provide the reward.

What has social media done to affect body image and mental health?

Unfortunately, social media is yet another form of harmful messaging that continues patterns within our society that convey unrealistic expectations around body image standards. Tabloids, advertising campaigns, magazines, and other forms of media have always tried to influence what the ideal or preferred body looks like. It’s a deadly form of stereotyping that people aspire to that seriously affects someone’s mental health.

With repeated exposure, our thinking can perceive “exaggerated or imagined flaws” in how we look, resulting in Body Dysmorphic Disorder. (15) Social media often objectifies bodies and can shape people’s relationships with food, fashion, and fitness under the guise of inspiration. Hashtags such as #fitsperation are filled with images that people use to compare themselves, not even realizing the amount of retouching and photo-editing that happens before these pictures are ever posted to social media accounts. (16) Even seemingly well-intended “movements” that appear periodically, such as people posting images of their “healthy” meals, have an undercurrent of toxicity and diet culture as they lack context and people are too ready to copy this kind of consumption without considering whether or not these foods being presented are part of fad diets, or have a basis in proper nutrition and eating habits. (17)

These posts can be damaging to body image, self-esteem, and self-worth so severely that it could potentially increase their vulnerability for the development of eating disorders. Orthorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder often tied to social media’s ‘healthy eating’ movement based on extremism. With it, people become obsessed with eating what the images reveal as ‘healthy’ foods to the point of expelling any ‘bad’ foods. It’s a dangerous cycle that can see people develop malnutrition because there is not enough diversity within someone’s diet. (18)

Other troubling behaviours observed in people who use social media extensively

Neuroscientists continue to study social media’s influence on people’s behaviours. We’ve compiled a shortlist of things to examine, develop an awareness of, and potentially address.

Being obsessed with the number of likes, views, and followers someone has on their social media accounts can be a warning sign. Suppose a person is constantly checking social media during the day and seems always to be scrolling. In that case, it may be an indication that they are having difficulty disconnecting. They can develop a Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) mindset that compels them to stay connected constantly.

Consuming vast amounts of micro-content in the form of reels (short videos or posts) can overload our brains. It can even lead to something called phantom vibration syndrome “that can make you feel like your phone is buzzing even if it’s not.” (19) The constant barrage of content produces immediate rewards in the form of dopamine.
Drawing comparisons to influencers and creating a highly curated account of your life is another red flag. One UK-based study revealed that close to 90% of women compare themselves to other social media content producers. More than ½ of the comparisons result in a negative self-image. The same study indicated that 65% of men draw comparisons with close to 40% of these being negative perceptions of themselves. (20) People develop insecurities with how they live their lives compared to influencers and content creators who boast about making vast incomes and receiving sponsorships and product endorsement opportunities regularly. Highly curated content intended to make someone seem exceptionally successful is another toxic behaviour. It glamorizes inauthentic lifestyles.
Obsession or voyeuristic tendencies for looking at other people’s lives can influence behaviour. People can become fixated on finding out about private topics that would seldom be discussed in public. Paparazzi are culpable in this by producing images that contribute to malicious and harmful content about celebrities which leads to some people relishing in their apparent misfortune. A tableau that exposes people’s mental health struggles publicly questions our ability to operate with compassion and empathy and respect privacy. It’s vastly different than an awareness-based campaign to reduce stigma. These things can quickly lead down the path of cyberbullying and cyberstalking, where comments on posts are laden with cruel intentions and exhibit potential danger to someone’s safety. Laws are not yet well defined in this area, and people may be surprised to find out that limited action can be taken in these kinds of situations.
Portraying oneself in social media using photo modifications and filters creates a distorted sense of self. This does more harm than good to a person’s body image. Again, people believe that they must maintain expectations of how they look, dress, and behave with their social media personas. There are inherent dangers to this beyond the psychological aspects. Hackers improve their deepfakes using content that social media users generate to overlay and create something completely artificial. Revealing too much personal information through social media channels is also dangerous. It can be collected and sold on the dark web to create false identities to impersonate someone, gain access to their finances, or steal their identity. Finally, many people don’t understand that releasing images via social media platforms means that the picture’s data is forever on the Internet. People can experience significant distress and trauma knowing that there may be private photos circulating that they cannot remove or control.

How does social media affect a person’s body image over time?

Information about children’s use of social media is hard to come by. There is a phenomenon where parents post content with their children, hoping it could go viral and make them famous. These children don’t choose whether they wish to have their images or likenesses shared online. It’s an early start down a path that normalizes social media usage and creates the associate that a person’s value can be defined by how much engagement a post generates.

By far, teens and young adults are the most avid users of social media. Between ages 15 and 34, an average of 93% regularly use social media platforms. From 35-49, that drops to 83% and from 50-64, to 68%. Only ½ of people over the age of 65 regularly engage on social media. (21)

While there is hope that someone’s use of social media might diminish over time, as new platforms and technologies are released, that remains to be seen. Whistleblowers from inside these organizations are starting to reveal alarming details that expose how these companies go to great lengths to increase engagement. Instead, they should evaluate their influence and strive to become part of the solution to reducing harm.

Is social media all bad?

We should note that social media platforms can deliver mixed results for LGBT2Q+, BIPOC and people with both visible and invisible disabilities. They are generally viewed as unsafe because of the prevalence of hateful messages and harassment. Still, youth express how social media can be liberating to find people who are positive influences.

Parents need to thoughtfully address this topic with their kids and teens to understand how to recognize and exit from the harmful and toxic situations that social media serves instead of escalating them. Having an appreciation that for some people, social media does provide opportunities to develop other aspects of self-worth and find affinity in people who they can relate to.

A checklist of tips that can help

If you are trying to guide someone towards responsible social media use to develop and maintain positive mental health, you may want to think about these tips:

Establish boundaries that include conscious decisions about what to read and look at online.
Investigate how to leverage built-in controls within technology such as phone settings, parental controls, and activating usage statistics that reveal how much time is spent online by application.
Find inclusive and body-positive social media presences to follow and share this content with people you are trying to help. It will appear in their feeds and may help them think twice about engaging and recognize more valuable and realistic sources of productive and positive content.
Be open to discussing different aspects of social media to share your thoughts and develop listening skills that help inspire positive critical thinking and challenge convention.
Set goals to be more focused on overall physical and mental health rather than appearance.
Model daily self-acceptance and positivity.
Most importantly, institute social media breaks. Moderation is vital, and self-imposed retreats can help if there are particularly strong reactions to upsetting situations or content.
Consider how much content is shared daily and whether you need to contribute. For example, there are 500 hours of YouTube content uploaded each minute worldwide. Instagram has 95 million photos and videos shared daily. Is it necessary? What could go wrong?

References:

Confident Body – National Eating Disorders Collaboration (n.d.) Fact Sheet: Body Image. Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://www.confidentbody.net/uploads/1/7/0/2/1702…
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Schimmele, C., Fonberg, J., Schellenberg, G. (2021 March 24). Economic and Social Reports: Canadians’ assessments of social media in their lives. Statistics Canada. Retrieved November 10, 2021 from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/202…
Dean, Brian (2021 October 11). TikTok User Statistics 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021 from https://backlinko.com/tiktok-users
Harvard Medical School (2020 July 7). Staying Healthy: Blue light has a dark side. Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved on November 22, 2021 from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blu…
Ibid.
Ibid.
Schimmele, C., Fonberg, J., Schellenberg, G. (2021 March 24). Economic and Social Reports: Canadians’ assessments of social media in their lives. Statistics Canada. Retrieved November 10, 2021 from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/202…
Ibid.
Ibid.
Cherney, K. (2020 August 6). What Is Social Media Addiction? Healthline. Retrieved November 22, 2021 from https://www.healthline.com/health/social-media-add…
Emotion Matters. (n.d.). How Does Social Media Influence Body Image? emotionmatters. Retrieved on November 15, 2021 from https://emotionmatters.co.uk/2018/10/04/how-does-s…
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
McSweeney, K. (2019, March 17). This is Your Brain on Instagram: Effects of Social Media on the Brain. Now. Powered by Northrop Grumman. Retrieved on November 15, 2021 from https://now.northropgrumman.com/this-is-your-brain…
Emotion Matters. (n.d.). How Does Social Media Influence Body Image? emotionmatters. Retrieved on November 15, 2021 from https://emotionmatters.co.uk/2018/10/04/how-does-s…
Schimmele, C., Fonberg, J., Schellenberg, G. (2021 March 24). Economic and Social Reports: Canadians’ assessments of social media in their lives. Statistics Canada. Retrieved November 10, 2021 from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/202…

by admin

Teaching Inclusivity and Inclusive Language

Think of a time when someone conveyed a message to you that you didn’t belong. The rejection may have been deliberate or incidental. The experience might have happened a long time ago or been only moments old. Suppose you were asked to recall how you felt. In that case, your description might include emotional references to hurt feelings, being crushed, or even feeling heartbroken. These expressions tend to use language that focuses on physical pain to talk about social rejection and with good reason. Researchers have found that being excluded activates our pain system. Neurologically we’re hardwired to use the same neural pathways for physical and social pain.¹

To feel terrific, we must connect with others through social interactions that are welcoming. We all have the need to feel wholly accepted as individuals. We also need to know that we have equal footing with others, despite our differences. These are some of the broad fundamentals of inclusivity. It’s a way of interacting with people who have typically been marginalized to be supportive. It’s also what we’re focusing on this month.

What does it mean to belong?

We respond to the people and situations around us with a complex combination of emotions, intellect, instincts, and intuitiveness, but that’s not all. We build on this information with learned social behaviours and cultural influences.
It’s how we learn to live our lives both independently and interdependently. Studies show that our social environment profoundly shapes us. We tend to suffer when our social bonds are threatened or severed.²

Nearly everyone has experienced feelings of wanting to be included, of wanting to belong. If you don’t think it’s true,
what you can do is reflect on when you were younger and in school, specifically your gym class. Can you feel the nervousness that crept over you while you stood in a line across from people who were assigned the task of picking a team? Even if you were the athletic type, you can probably think of at least one time in your life when you worried that you wouldn’t be selected by the team you were hoping to join. For many, it was far worse. Some were afraid that they weren’t going to be picked at all. To be the last person meant that you were joining a team that had to take you by default rather than by choice. This nightmarish scenario has played out time and again for many people growing up. It was like a very public affirmation of whether you belonged or you were to be excluded. It hurt if it was the latter, and that pain likely extended into how invested you were in playing and enjoying the game. But if you were fortunate enough to be picked early on, you felt relief and were glad that someone had chosen you.

Inclusivity is essential in all our lives: without it, people are vulnerable to having poor mental health and experiencing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Often, healthy self-worth and self-esteem are tied to feeling included. When you feel like you don’t belong anywhere, it can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression.

At work, diversity, equity and inclusion programs are in part meant to recognize the links between inclusivity and health.
It can mean the difference between having a successful approach or whether ignorance, disregard, and fear of
losing power devolve into tokenism. When a workplace is trapped in a harmonious, conformist way of operating,
it’s not courageous enough to do the difficult work of assessing what barriers exist for people. While merely
going through the motions, companies will miss opportunities. When inclusivity exists, organizations
can experience game-changing insights, super-charged creativity and attract the most talented people to join
a group of happy and satisfied employees.

How do you create inclusive environments?

It helps to start with all the little everyday things, like the words you choose to use and how you interact in social settings. People can tell whether you are sincere, trying to be inclusive, and creating a sense of belonging for everyone. Simply tolerating someone who feels like they are on the fringe is inauthentic and certainly not being inclusive. The importance of getting inclusion right does not mean that you should be on a mission to be “indiscriminately inclusive” though.³ You need to recognize that equity, equality, and privilege are distinct.

Equity is giving people the individualized tools and support they need to succeed.
Equality is giving everyone the same thing.
Privilege is when someone cannot realize that their experiences have given them an advantage over another person. Empathy is sacrificed for judgement and comparisons that push aside opportunities for self-reflection.

Often, in pursuit of demonstrating just how inclusive we are, we can become mired in political correctness. That, too, creates discomfort and stalls real progress towards building inclusive environments. We can believe that we are
well-equipped when we’ve learned a little bit about a subject and feel empowered to stand up for those who are being,
in our judgement, persecuted. There are fine lines between appropriation, appreciation, and allyship.

Appropriation takes culturally significant elements from minority or marginalized group. It converts them into something that is devoid of meaning and diminished from the original intentions. It could involve clothing, icons, rituals, or behaviours and is often focused on power or profit by making them seem trendy, exotic, or desirable. Usually, the people appropriating feel entitled to do so and don’t realize that they are being insensitive.
Appreciation is learning about culture to understand it and gain perspective and knowledge. There isn’t any intention to misuse something or claim expertise. Quite often, permission is sought before using any part of a culture to demonstrate respect.
Allyship is a conscious choice to respectfully advocate, be supportive and accountable for helping people who feel like they don’t belong. The ally doesn’t benefit from their involvement in any way. They collaborate to achieve common goals.

Language is essential

Developing awareness of how we communicate and the language we use is key to helping create inclusivity. We use language to make connections with other people and establish belonging. It’s a fundamental of human interaction that we are constantly learning. Choosing to use inclusive language means that you are less likely to make someone
feel like they don’t belong. It frees people from using harmful words. Becoming conscious of phrases and euphemisms
you use that could make someone feel diminished will help you eliminate them. Don’t be afraid to point out problematic language when you hear it. Words and expressions that may have been popular at one time will only fade away when we hold each other accountable for the language we use. Choosing to use disrespectful language is aggressive.
It is important to remember that words can hurt deeply and may not easily be forgotten.

Much of our language is male-centric, which perpetuates detrimental stereotypes of both a speaker and their audience. Inclusive language is conscious and aware of this and avoids discrimination. For example, The United Nations has published a style guide for gender-inclusive language. It offers guidelines for using “non-discriminatory language” and “makes gender visible when it is relevant for communication.” It also advocates for not making gender visible when it is not relevant for communication.⁴ They provide examples using a scale of less inclusive versus more inclusive:

Less inclusive

Mankind
Manpower
Man-made
Guests should attend with their wives.
Fathers babysit their children.

More inclusive

Humanity
Staffing
Artificial
Guests should attend with their partners.
Fathers care for their children.

The best way to begin to evolve your language choices and speech patterns is to operate from a position of being respectful. It is not easy and will take conscious effort and practice and you will make mistakes. If you can find empathy, listen, and learn about how language constantly evolves, you may have an easier time. Becoming stuck in arguments about words being used to express collective and individual identities or freedom of speech/freedom of expression is counterproductive. Making language more specific and accurate improves communication, connection, and meaning. In the end, choosing to use hateful speech and defamatory language can have legal consequences.

Principles for using inclusive language every day

Toronto-based YouTuber, Kelly Kitagawa has shared some insightful observations about inclusive language that focuses on four main principles.⁵

1. Put the person first. Everyone is a person.

2. Respect self-identification. Use language consistent with someone’s identity. Pronouns are not preferred; they are just pronouns. Give the power to the people over their own stories and how they are described.

3. Proper nouns (names) help avoid stereotyping. They are also more specific.

4. Focus on the situation by using an active voice. It sets up your sentence to describe who is doing the action rather than what is being done to them. It’s a good way to identify and eliminate biases.

Making it easy for kids to learn inclusive language

Teaching children inclusive language at home helps them feel safe to develop their own unique identities, allows them to relate to their peers, and supports the development of that sense of belonging that is so fundamental to their health and happiness. Focus on modelling understanding and respect by making some simple language swaps.⁶

Instead of husband/wife, say partner/spouse.
Instead of girls/boys, say kids/everyone.
Instead of ladies’/men’s room, say bathroom or washroom.
Instead of brothers/sisters, say siblings.
If you don’t know someone’s gender or pronouns, instead of saying his/her, say their.

Children, by nature, are inclusive and accepting. They are constantly learning about their world and environment that and almost nothing seems unimaginable or strange to them. You can read books that support diversity in family structures to help support their learning. Here are a few that you may want to explore with your children.

The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman
A Family is a Family is a Family by Sara O’Leary
From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea by Kai Cheng Thom

Finally, modelling inclusive language at home can help teenagers who struggle with creating and developing their own identities. Focus on creating a supportive and safe environment to incite further discussion about gender, sex, or sexual orientation. Take time to appreciate their interest in social causes, awareness, and activism by listening to them and encouraging respectful discussions.

Choosing inclusivity and belonging through language

You can demonstrate your commitment to fostering inclusivity and belonging by using inclusive language.
Here are seven tips to consider as you try:

Don’t complain about it or express that you are struggling.
Be respectful of the person and their situation.
For example:
• If you are speaking with someone who lives with a disability, “speak directly to them rather than through a companion, support person [or] interpreter.”
• Consider any extra time it might take for the person to speak.
• Avoid references that cause discomfort or are insulting.⁷
Don’t over-apologize if you make a mistake. It will happen. Your apology forces the other person to discount their feelings to make you feel better.
When someone corrects you, acknowledge them with thanks.
Reinforce your learning when you need to make a correction by practicing the correct approach three times.
If you observe a mistake, offer a quick correction. It helps the person become more aware, demonstrates respect and commitment, and shows empathy and understanding.
Consider meeting up with someone else who is working on using inclusive language to practice.

References:

Eisenberger N. I. (2012 January 27). The neural bases of social pain: evidence for shared representations with physical pain. Psychosomatic medicine, 74(2), 126–135. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e3182464dd1
Cook, Gareth. (2013 October 22). Why We Are Wired to Connect. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-we-…
Rinderle, Susana. (2018, March 28). Inclusion Doesn’t Mean Including Everything and Everyone. Workforce. https://workforce.com/news/inclusion-doesnt-mean-i…
United Nations. (n.d.). Guidelines for gender-inclusive language in English. Gender-inclusive language. https://www.un.org/en/gender-inclusive-language/gu…
Kitagawa, Kelly. (2021 March 25). Why inclusive language is so important! CBC Personal Politics. [YouTube} https://youtu.be/X3RRXoUnV3c
Eng, Joanna. (2020 October 23). Simple Language Swaps To Make Your Family Vocab More LGBTQ-Inclusive. Parents Together. https://parents-together.org/simple-language-swaps…
Humber College (2017). Inclusive Language in Media: A Canadian Style Guide. http://www.humber.ca/makingaccessiblemedia/modules…

by admin

Mental Health Checkup: Preparing for the year ahead

A new year is nearly upon us. Traditionally, this is a time when many of us reflect on the previous year and make “resolutions,” or plans for the coming year. The stresses associated with the pandemic, including job losses; economic uncertainty; deaths of family members, friends or colleagues; burnout; restricted social interactions and the instability, uncertainty and fear have impacted the mental health of many. (1)

With vaccination efforts and continued vigilance, we have largely brought case numbers under control. With the pandemic having shaped our lives for the past two years, psychologists are concerned about the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on mental health, and rightly so. Past traumatic events such as natural disasters, the global economic downturn and other public health crises, such as SARS, led to lasting detrimental impacts on mental health (2) and were associated with increased rates of substance abuse, PTSD and depression. (3)

Burnout and reflection on the past year

Think about your daily routines of the past two years. You may have started your day scrolling social media and news apps, followed by working from home (video calls, sitting in front of a screen or two), helping children with online school, troubleshooting tech issues, texting, DMs, Skype or Facetime with family and ending the day with more “doomscrolling” before falling into a fitful sleep. And those days all seemed to blur together—how many times have you said “What day is it today?”

While burnout, a state of emotional, physical and mental health exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress, (4) has always been around, it’s increased during the pandemic. Our work-life balance was suddenly tipped when we started “living at work” with our kitchen tables acting as our makeshift offices.

In a recent survey, 85% of respondents said their well-being had declined, 62% were struggling to meet their workload and balance work with other responsibilities, and exhaustion and cynicism were on the rise. (5)

While digital devices were a lifesaver during the pandemic—time spent on digital devices increased from 17% on gaming consoles to 45% on laptops and 76% on smartphones—they contributed to digital fatigue or digital burnout: the state of mental exhaustion from using multiple digital tools leading to lack of energy, mind fragmentation and burnout. (6)

In addition to living through a pandemic for the past two years, and all the challenges that came with it, we’ve been inundated with negative news. As events unfolded in the United States after the high-profile killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others, (7) protests and political tensions escalated, including the insurrection at the US Capitol building in January 2021. In the spring, many non-Indigenous Canadians were shocked by the discovery of unmarked and mass graves of children at former Residential School sites, with Indigenous communities retraumatized by the news.

Climate change—largely forgotten during the pandemic—became front and center again in early summer as record-breaking heat in Western Canada was followed by wildfires that ravaged towns and communities leaving many without homes or jobs. (8)

Even though some of us may not be aware of it, these events, digital burnout, struggles with work-life balance, as well as the pandemic itself, have impacted our mental health and may have caused us to abandon our healthy coping strategies.

With that in mind, and as we start to come out the other side of the pandemic, the new year is an excellent time to check-in and prioritize your mental health and make realistic goals for the coming year.

What does “checking in” with your mental health mean?

First of all, what does mental health mean? As the World Health Organization defines it, “mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to society”. (9) It doesn’t mean that you’re happy all the time—good mental health means experiencing a full range of emotions. Our mental health affects how we think, feel, act, relate to others and our decision-making. It includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. Poor mental health affects our physical health too; depression increases the risk for stroke, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. (10)

It’s important to recognize that there’s a difference between mental health and mental illness. Mental illness refers to a number of medical conditions; much like heart disease or diabetes are medical conditions. Mental illnesses involve changes in emotion, thinking and behaviour and are associated with distress and or problems functioning in social, work or family activities. They include depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. (11)

Mental health problems, when left unchecked, can become a mental illness

Checking in with your mental health is a way to determine and acknowledge how you’re actually doing. To start your mental health check-in, take some time to reflect on the following. If you notice a shift away from what is typical for you, it’s a warning to make changes to improve your mental health.

How are your sleep patterns? Are you sleeping more often than usual or less?
What is your appetite like? Are you eating more or less causing changes in weight?
How is your energy level? Is it high or low? Do you find yourself watching another show on Netflix rather than getting up and exercising, going for a walk or even cleaning the house?
Are you able to concentrate, or do you find yourself distracted?
Are you feeling optimistic about the coming year? Or pessimistic?
Are you participating in and enjoying activities and people? Many of your usual activities may not be available, but there are alternatives. Are you making efforts to shift to things you can do, such as walking, hiking, biking, virtual book club meetings, small outdoor gatherings, outdoor dining, etc.?
Is your mood low or high? Are you having difficulty getting out of bed because of your mood?
Are you irritable or feeling angry? Do you find yourself getting into arguments or yelling?

While we may all have an “off day,” if you find that you’re experiencing negative changes in your daily life for two weeks or more, it may be time to seek help.

Strategies to prepare for the year ahead

Reflecting on the emotions and experiences you’ve had during the past two years can help you build awareness and develop skills to improve your mental health. Identify the highest stress triggers, especially those during the pandemic. Some of these may have been resolved already; your children may be back at school and the pandemic news isn’t as gloomy every day. Look at the results of your mental health check in and consider how you can make improvements. Look at the start of the new year as a clean slate and a new beginning with new goals.

Build on what you found most important during the pandemic or what you missed the most. One upside to the pandemic is that for some people, the pandemic created space to slow down, spend time with family, refocus on what’s important, and connect with one another in new ways. Itai Danovitch, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai points out that events like the pandemic can lead to growth. “People develop resilience. They learn how to deal with mental health challenges, and they find resources, internal and external, that they didn’t know existed.” (12)

The following can help you create an achievable action plan for the coming year that can help improve your mental health:

Digital hygiene

Delete apps from your phone. Do you need to have all those news and social media apps at your fingertips? If these have been a source of distraction and doomscrolling, delete them! You can reinstall them later when you feel back on track. If you want to keep your apps, set time limits and ensure that you stick to them.
If you’re working from home and feel you haven’t created a good work-life balance, set boundaries between your personal life and work life. When your workday is done, power off your laptop, close it up and put it and your files away. You’ll be less tempted to “just check your email” if you have to power on your computer.
Take frequent breaks from screen use and structure time in your workday for offline work.

Set realistic, achievable and specific goals

Creating goals is an excellent way to improve your sleep, eating habits, and exercise and activity regime. If your goals are too vague (such as, “get better sleep” or “eat better”), it’s difficult to achieve them. What defines better sleep for you? A more specific and achievable goal would be: “Lights out by 10 and leave my phone/laptop/tablet downstairs at night.”
Write down your goals to hold yourself accountable and keep track of your progress.

Get active

One of the most effective ways to improve your mental health is regular activity and exercise. Again, set realistic, achievable and specific goals to jump start your activity.
Recruit family members to join you or plan regular socially distanced activities with friends. Walking, biking, jogging/running, skiing and yoga are activities that you can gradually increase the intensity of as your fitness level increases.
Set reminders in your phone to take short breaks to stretch or walk around your home/office throughout your workday.
Have a back-up plan for activities you can do inside during inclement weather (reading, baking, cooking, and even cleaning).

Improve your concentration

Use to-do lists and prioritize your top tasks for each day. Adjust your list as the week goes on and your priorities change.
Focus on one task at a time; avoid jumping from task to task or multi-tasking.
Set scheduled breaks to stretch or go for a short walk to clear your mind.
Organize your desk to remove distracting clutter. Put your phone away so you’re not tempted to check messages.

Make plans for the coming year

As venues and travel begin to open up, make plans. Even if you’re hesitant about international travel or large indoor events, you can choose smaller events and gatherings with small group of friends. It’s okay to feel hesitant about going to a party at a friend’s house or attending a concert or play, even if others in your circle are taking the leap. Take small steps by grabbing a quick coffee with friends or having a friend over for a movie.
Make travel plans closer to home; there are likely lots of unexplored places close to home and you can take advantage of this time to check out places you’ve heard of, but never visited.
Prioritize safe visits with people important to you; whether that’s family or friends.

You may find that as parts of your life slowly return to normal, you begin to feel the impacts of everything we’ve collectively experienced. You need to determine what you need to recover and heal from what’s been a very difficult time. Everyone’s different and what works for your family or friends, may not work for you. That’s okay. Self-compassion and self-care are essential, as well as time to adjust to post-pandemic life.

If you find that you or someone you care about is consistently in a low mood, lashing out or doesn’t know how to start making changes, speak to your primary care giver, or contact your Employee Family Assistance Program for options available to you. You are not alone.

References:

Abbott, A. (2021, February 3) COVID’s mental-health toll: how scientists are tracking a surge in depression. Retrieved on June 22, 2021 from
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00175-z
Savage, M. (2020, October 28) Coronavirus: the possible long-term mental health impacts. Retrieved on June 23, 2021 from https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201021-coronavirus-the-possible-long-term-mental-health-impacts
Cedars Sinai. (2020, November 24) Long-term impacts of COVID-19: your mental health. Retrieved on July 7, 2021 from https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/long-term-impacts-of-covid-19-your-mental-health/
Queen, D. and K. Harding. (2020, July 6) Societal pandemic burnout: a COVID legacy. Retrieved on June 23, 2021 from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/iwj.13441
Beheshti, N. (2021, March 11) Is pandemic burnout draining your motivation and energy? Here’s how we can all promote recovery. Retrieved on June 23, 2021 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/nazbeheshti/2021/03/11/is-pandemic-burnout-draining-your-motivation-and-energy-heres-how-we-can-all-promote-recovery/?sh=5b3e41b91c02
Sharma, M.K., et al. Digital burnout: COVID-19 lockdown mediates excessive technology use stress. WorldSoc Psychiatry. 2020: 2:171-2. Retrieved on June 24, 2021 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343724873_Digital_Burnout_COVID-19_Lockdown_Mediates_Excessive_Technology_Use_Stress
Dungca, N., J. Abelson, M. Berman, J. Sullivan. (2020, June 8) A dozen high-profile fatal encounters that have galvanized protests nationwide. Retrieved on July 6, 2021 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/a-dozen-high-profile-fatal-encounters-that-have-galvanized-protests-nationwide/2020/06/08/4fdbfc9c-a72f-11ea-b473-04905b1af82b_story.html
Baum, K.B., I. Semeniuk, M. McClearn. (2021, July 1) B.C.s heat wave and fires were driven by climate change, and they won’t be the last. What must we do next? Globe and Mail. Retrieved on July 7, 2021 from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-western-canadas-deadly-heat-wave-is-driven-by-climate-change-will-it/
WHO. (2018, March 30) Mental health: strengthening our response. Retrieved on June 22, 2021 from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
CDC. (n.d.) Learn about mental health. Retrieved on June 22, 2021 from https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
Mayo Clinic. Mental illness. Retrieved on July 6, 2021 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968
Cedars-Sinai. (2020, November 24) Long-term impacts of COVID-19: your mental health. Retrieved on July 7, 2021 from https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/long-term-impacts-of-covid-19-your-mental-health/

by admin

Intimate Partner Violence

The breakdown of any relationship into one where violence and abuse become the norm can terrify the victim and damage the family members.

This month, we’re talking about something that’s often kept silent: intimate partner violence. We’ll look at what intimate partner violence is, the alarming statistics, examine the implications of COVID-19, and identify some warning signs. We will also focus on tools to help someone you believe is experiencing domestic violence and taking action to leave an abusive relationship.

Intimate partner violence can occur in any relationship where there is an imbalance of power. Most often, abusers use a combination of physical force, emotional intimidation, and psychological terror to either threaten or abuse the victim. The victim lives in constant fear for themselves or others that the abuser has targeted. As a result, victims often live with chronic stress and stay silent as they try to protect themselves and/or others. They may hope that the abusive situation can be explained away as a reaction to someone having a bad day. They often try and convince themselves that it won’t be repeated because it’s not bad all the time or that people around them will notice something. There’s a tremendous amount of social stigma around intimate partner violence. Victims may think that it will be easier to stay in a toxic relationship and project an image that everything is wonderful. They believe that if they revealed anything to the contrary, it could be catastrophic. They may become stuck in a cycle and endure repeated abuse for an extended period, perhaps years. Victims often fear judgment from society, friends, and family for living in an abusive relationship. Exposing the abuse would mean that they need to share details about situations that may be embarrassing and painful to reveal. If children are involved, the victim may fear airing this information because they are worried that they will be considered a “bad parent” for letting it continue. As a result, intimate partner violence is grossly under-reported. Ultimately, its fear and a lack of confidence that keep victims quiet. One researcher found that victims have tended to “return to the relationship seven times before they leave for good.” (1)

Quick facts

79% of police reports show that women the most frequent victims of intimate partner violence. That’s 4x the rate for men. (2)
Women are “twice as likely to report being sexually assaulted, beaten, choked or threatened with a gun or knife” and have “higher rates of injury compared to male victims (40% of female victims to 24% of male victims).” (3)
Women are more affected by long-term PTSD than men. (4)
In same-sex relationships, women who identified as lesbian or bisexual reported significantly higher rates of violence by an intimate partner. (5)
It’s estimated that 1/3 of victims are male. Men often experience verbal and emotional abuse rather than physical violence.⁶ Still, they are reluctant to report because of embarrassment, stigma, fear of not being believed, religious beliefs, lack of resources, denial and revenge. (7)
Women between the ages of 15-24 present the highest rates of violence while dating. (8)

“She sent text-message after text-message demanding to know where I was and why I wasn’t responding instantly.”

~ a 27-year-old man who lived with his abuser for four years

*Names have been removed to protect identities.

Violence against Indigenous women

For years, reports have shown that Indigenous women have been experiencing disproportionate incidents of violence. Though we could locate some statistics to illustrate the situation, it’s anticipated that these numbers are significantly under-reported.

In Canada, data collected by Statistics Canada in 2018 showed that “59% of First Nations women, 64% of Metis women and 44% of Inuit women suffered from psychological, physical or sexual intimate partner violence. Overall, the data represented 61% of Indigenous women.” (9)

In the U.S., the Department of Justice found that “American Indian and Alaska Natives are two and a half times more likely to experience violent crimes” when compared to the national average for all ethnicities.” (10)

In both countries, grassroots efforts to identify the plight of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women continue in their attempts to bring awareness to the complexities of the situation.

There are many contributing factors, such as but not limited to:

The isolation of Indigenous communities; food, water, and housing insecurity; and the lack of access to comprehensive healthcare and victim services organizations
Victimization that has been perpetuated and cycled. It relates to the colonization process that intentionally destroyed Indigenous communities, families, and culture. It has introduced layers of intergenerational trauma that has manifested today in the destructive legacies of substance abuse, suicide, addiction, incarceration, serious illness, and unemployment.

What are the main types of intimate partner violence?

Intimate partner violence can be grouped into three main types: physical, emotional, and psychological.

Victims of physical abuse may be hit, slapped, kicked, pushed, punched, and spat upon. They could face sexual violence or be assaulted with a weapon.

With emotional abuse, victims can face verbal assaults of abusive language or yelling. They can also experience violent acts or threats against their property, pets, or even children. Often, the abuser tries to isolate the victim so that they no longer interact with family or friends.

Psychological abuse can include neglect, preventing a victim to leave home and earning an income, and withholding money to create economic or financial hardships purposefully. The abuser may also levee severe criticism of the victim’s abilities to manage money, maintain relationships, and critically damage their self-esteem and self-worth.

Victims often feel vulnerable because of the social inequalities they face, such as food, labour, or housing insecurities and their strained ability to access healthcare. One study by Western University’s Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children found immigrants and BIPOC are “more exposed and less protected.” (11)

“ He was careful to never hit my face, only areas that would be covered by clothing. It never occurred to me that what had started as teasing would escalate to harassment and then violence like this. It can happen to you.”

~ a 34-year-old woman who endured escalating abuse in her marriage *

Names have been removed to protect identities.

How does intimate partner violence affect a victim’s health?

Intimate partner violence certainly takes its toll on a victim’s health. Physical violence can result in sprains, broken bones, wounds, scars, and severe hearing and vision problems. There can be injuries to voices, teeth, and hair loss. Victims can also be affected with chronic pain and headaches, or even experience Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Sexual health can also be affected where victims experience STDs, ongoing pain, infections, unplanned pregnancies, or infertility.

Equally alarming is the prevalence of psychological issues affecting victims of domestic abuse. Someone might present initially with low self-esteem, but over time the abuse escalates psychological responses. Victims may begin to harm themselves, experience acute anxiety and develop extreme reactions to their situation such as uncontrollable fear, crying, or anger. They may also experience insomnia or have nightmares. All these events could even result in memory loss. Serious conditions such as depression, thoughts of suicide, PTSD, eating disorders or even conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder may manifest in victims over time.

How has COVID-19 made intimate partner violence a bigger problem?

Worldwide, COVID-19 has created a situation where people are living in constant stress and having trouble coping. Lockdowns have kept people in close quarters, and the United Nations has sounded the alarm regarding the need to “combat the worldwide surge in domestic violence,” referring to it as a “shadow pandemic.” (12)

Social and physical distancing measures instituted by Public Health and Governmental responses have reduced access to victim supports and services but increased exposure to abusers. It also seems that abusers are taking advantage of the COVID-19 situation and using it as part of their measures undertaken to control or frighten their victims.

They may:

Share misinformation (closed shelters, or false reports of outbreaks).
Restrict movement inside or outside the home or withhold cleaning products or PPE.
Lie about the scarcity of items the victim needs saying that basics such as medication or essential items are unavailable (i.e., birth control or hearing aid batteries).
Isolate and manipulate someone by restricting Internet access.
Threaten a victim’s health by inviting people over or threatening to infect them deliberately.
Imply that someone with COVID-19 could face repercussions such as losing custody of children or face deportation.
Remove or harm pets and animal companions, saying that they are a risk of transmitting COVID-19.

“ A small sign with the word HELP printed in capital letters appeared in the corner of the neighbour’s second-floor window. It had never been there before. You never see them outside, so we called the police to report it.”

~ a 50-year-old woman who noticed a silent plea for help from a neighbour

*Names have been removed to protect identities.

What are some warning signs of intimate partner violence?

Apart from the more obvious physical harm that victims may present, it may be possible to identify trouble from behaviour patterns that abusers tend to display. Controlling, monitoring, manipulating, and creating isolation, plus imposing financial restrictions, deserve careful observation because they may be warning signs. Similarly, you should never ignore incidents of harassment and verbal ridicule, intimidation or threats, or any signs of verbal abuse and gaslighting. Abusers may try to gain control over a victim through technological means and use apps to track communication, online activities, mobile phone usage (including text messaging).

Children exposed to intimate partner violence can exhibit misinformation or express beliefs that can act as a red flag to dangerous situations at home. They may normalize violence as part of a loving relationship and develop the idea that you can be the aggressor or the victim in a relationship, that they are unequal, and that it’s not necessary to treat others respectfully. (13) Keep in mind that children can also be neglected or victims of physical abuse themselves.

If you notice that someone has:

Frequent absences or illnesses at work or they are constantly late
Abrupt changes in clothing/dress (trying to hide bruises or physical violence)
Behavioural changes (depression, fear, suicidal thoughts, lack of interest in daily activities, changes in sleep habits, last-minute cancellations, excessively private and distant)
To obtain permission before going anywhere, has little money or no access to transportation, and refers to their partner as “jealous” or “possessive,” (14)

…then, there may be cause for alarm that they could be experiencing domestic abuse.

How to help someone experiencing intimate partner violence

Don’t be surprised if they deny it. There are several things you can do to try and help.

Keep in contact with them, despite any attempts by the abuser to isolate them.
Encourage the victim to call 911 if it is an emergency. If you know they are in immediate danger, call yourself.
Be observant of signs or signals (constant calling or texting to know where the victim is, who they are with, what they are doing)
Come up with a code word.
Help them store emergency cash, clothing, documents, phone numbers, etc. safely, outside of their home.

A hand signal for help

Learn the “Violence at home hand signal for help” developed by the Canadian Women’s Foundation in response to increasing rates of domestic violence during COVID-19. It indicates that someone wants you to “reach out to them safely” and is now “being shared by partner organizations around the world.” (15)

Things to remember if you are preparing to leave a relationship with intimate partner violence

Remember that you are not to blame. You did not cause the abuse. You and any children involved deserve to be safe, happy and treated respectfully. It’s not likely that your abuser will change. They may make promises to stop, but eventually, the abuse will return. If you stay or believe you need to help them sort things out, you may enable the abuse to continue rather than fix it. Leaving the relationship must be based on who the abuser is now rather than who they could be. You should go if it’s at all possible. Don’t retaliate or try to get revenge. It could be disastrous.

Be technologically smart and protect your privacy

Make calls from a public phone or a friend’s or neighbours. You may want to consider getting a second prepaid mobile phone.
Numbers called from a home phone, or mobile phone can be accessed on monthly bills, so your abuser could track you down.
When using a shared computer or tablet, change usernames and passwords frequently and be aware of spyware that could be installed. If the abuser has access to these devices, be cautious about deleting your web browsing history. Abusers can be worried you are trying to hide information.
Beware of GPS tracking devices that can be attached to a car, placed on a phone or tucked into a purse. You should also be aware that your abuser could have hidden cameras or baby monitors to watch your activities. There are also smartphone apps that will allow an abuser to track movements, record conversations, or monitor device usage. If you discover any of these, don’t turn them off as it could alert your abuser that you know about them.

Collect evidence and report incidents

Keep an incident journal and evidence of tracking or tampering with your mobile phone.
Memorize emergency contacts.
Move any important documents to a safe place (possibly outside of your home).
Connect with the police to report abuse. This can help kickstart support services, including restraining orders or peace bonds.

Seek advice and assistance from an intimate partner violence program, shelter, or crisis hotline.

When you get out, keep your new location a secret and change your routine.
Take steps to build new, healthy relationships and move forward from the trauma.

References:

by admin

Supporting Those with Addiction

One of the often-overlooked challenges with addiction is that the addicted individual is not the only person impacted by the disease. Family and friends may encounter difficulty with the individual’s pattern of behaviour, potentially escalating financial and legal problems, and even just the daily struggle of providing positive reinforcement and support.

It is complicated and typically overwhelming for those impacted when the disease takes hold. Often, family members are unable to observe or note the signs and behaviours that signal addiction. This article offers advice on supporting someone you care about who is struggling with an addiction, no matter where they are in their recovery journey.

What are some indicators to watch for that might reveal addictions?

Often, when the condition is revealed, those close to the person wonder how they could have missed the signs. The fact is, addiction is not clear cut, especially if the addicted person intends to keep it secret or is genuinely unaware that they have a problem. While you should pay attention to all behavioural changes, here are three indicators that you may be able to observe that could help to reveal addictions:

Absenteeism or avoidance. Have you noticed a decline in attendance or withdrawal from social engagements and/or family events? Within a work setting, you may notice an increased use of sick leave, or variations in arrival and departure times. Additionally, you may notice prolonged breaks or extended absences.
Excuses. Have you noticed overly elaborate explanations being offered when you check in or reach out to see how the individual is doing or if they missed an event they were expected to attend? This may be particularly difficult to notice given the increased amount of virtual or online engagements due to COVID-19.
Irresponsibility and recklessness. Has the individual stopped performing specific roles and accountabilities? Are they making careless mistakes or missing key tasks or responsibilities that have significant repercussions?

What is addiction and what are the different types of addictions?

Addiction is a chronic disease distinguished by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences.¹ Research estimates that genetics account for 40 to 60 percent of a person’s likelihood of developing a substance use problem or a compulsive habit.² An addiction heavily impacts the way a person thinks, feels and acts. When an addictive disorder has formed, people will pursue debilitating habits despite putting themselves or potentially others in harm’s way. They may be aware of their problem but have difficulty stopping on their own despite consequences that could include job loss, injury, divorce, financial hardship or worse.

While dependence on drugs and alcohol are some of the most commonly experienced types of addictions,³ the disease can include compulsive engagement in behaviours like binging and purging food (eating disorders), sex, gambling and excess screen time or social media engagement.⁴

Five ways to support those with addiction, beyond talk therapy

Supporting someone through their addiction and subsequent treatment may not come as second nature, but there are ways you can help. Be sure to start by setting boundaries to ensure you protect yourself. It’s important to remember that you can’t support a person in need if you’re not feeling stable yourself.⁵

1. Set boundaries

The boundaries you set should depend on your situation and the nature and intensity of the other person’s addiction. Here are some examples to consider:

Disallow drug or alcohol use when they are in your home.
Refuse to bail them out of jail if the circumstance arises.
Walk away from and report their physical abuse if applicable.
Refuse to give them money or to provide any means that support the addiction.
Refuse to cover for them, at work or in front of friends and family.

2. Education about addiction, relapse, co-dependence

If you are concerned about someone’s addiction, it is best to have them assessed by an addiction medicine specialist or someone with a similar professional designation. As a starting point, you should obtain some resources for reliable information that can educate you on what your friend or family member is experiencing. While you may not be qualified to help someone with a severe disorder, you may be able to help them find the qualified and quality of addiction care needed.⁶

3. Build a support system

The support system could include friends, family, and members of a support group focused on addiction recovery.

These groups often socialize and meet regularly. You can help by joining the visits, offering to drive them to scheduled meeting, and even just sitting and talking on the phone when in-person socializing isn’t possible.

4. Build resilience

Exercising, building/maintaining financial health, self-care practices, working on emotional intelligence, and focusing on good interpersonal relationships are all great ways to build resilience so that the actions of the addicted person do not affect your emotional, financial, and social well-being.

5. Create a relapse plan

A relapse plan includes everything from relapse prevention tactics, like contacting someone from the support system or practicing disrupting dysfunctional thinking as it occurs,⁷ to more robust measures like in-patient treatment or overdose prevention.

How to help someone with addiction get the help they need

It may be helpful to get some individual counselling to assist both you and the person with the addiction. Counselling isn’t just for the person with an addiction. The more you can manage, the better you will be able to help another person. There are a variety of resources to find counsellors.

If the person is employed, investigate whether the company offers an Employee Assistance Program or a health insurance program for easier access to counselling services.
Ask someone who has been through addiction treatment which local and/or regional programs worked for them.
Investigate national programs and the various resources available.⁸
For assistance with financial concerns or legal troubles, it may be helpful to talk to an attorney.
Some organizations provide addiction and mental health services on a sliding scale fee.
Local churches may also offer some low or no-cost counselling and/or support groups.

Four ways to support a person during addiction treatment

There are many ways to stand by someone’s side during their addiction treatment without compromising your own well-being. Here are four of the main underpinnings for supportive actions when dealing with someone else’s addiction recovery.

1. Get information about addictions

Knowledge is power and may help you understand more about yourself and how you fit into another person’s addiction. Start by learning about the disease process of addiction and how it affects the life of the person you wish to support. You can also search for information about how addiction impacts family and friends and how they can set and maintain healthy boundaries.⁹

2. Understand the signs and symptoms of a relapse

Understanding addiction’s chronic and cyclical nature will help deal with the signs of relapse and how to deal with a crisis. Only trained professionals should handle emergencies, but there are tools like Naloxone kits and emergency contacts that will help keep a relapse from turning into a fatal event.

3. Stand your ground, with compassion

It’s not always easy to maintain healthy boundaries when your compassionate side wants you to do all you can to help someone recover from their addiction. Remember that their recovery isn’t your responsibility, but your health and well-being are. Take care of yourself first so that you can be both strong and supportive.

4. Don’t try to rescue the addict

Many addicted people cannot change until circumstances indicate they must. This often occurs when they experience the consequences of their disease. You can create several boundaries that will help, like committing to not financially supporting the addict or their addiction. Paying for things like groceries and rent may help, but it may also prolong the disease.

How to support someone during addiction recovery—building resilience and moving forward

Once a person is ready to move past addiction and into sobriety and a return to previous norms and rebuilding, they will need support in new ways. Here are a few ways to continue supporting an addict once they exhibit behaviours and patterns of recovery progress:

Continue to maintain boundaries and hold them accountable for the expectations they made for their life and sobriety while in recovery.
Engage in healthy, sober activities with them.
If it is permitted, offer to attend a support group with them.
Offer to drive them to appointments, meetings, job interviews, or social events.
Don’t expect addicts to keep every promise they make (they may not be able to do so) and don’t respond with pity or anger when mistakes are made.
Expect, but do not fear, that their recovery may come with relapse.
Never lose hope for their recovery. Even if they have to return to treatment multiple times and sustain repeated relapses, if the person is willing to return to recovery they are worth your support.

Most importantly, focus on your own life and make sure that you are taken care of first. If you experience stress due to another’s issues on top of your own, it creates resentment and strain. Think about joining a support group for family members of people with addiction. In such support groups, you should be able to find and connect with other people going through similar situations. As you start to share what you’re going through, the group members should help you see that you are not alone in this and that taking care of your mental health is the best thing for building resiliency around a person with an addiction.¹⁰ By making sure you get exercise, plenty of sleep, and time to socialize and support, you are setting yourself up to help the person you care about as they progress in their recovery. Secondarily, you will serve as a role model for the person who is recovering and looking for self-care skills to implement in their own life.

References:

https://www.asam.org/Quality-Science/definition-of-addiction
http://headsup.scholastic.com/students/the-role-of-genes-in-drug-addiction
https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_213861_EN_TDXD13014ENN.pdf
https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-addiction#behavioral
https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/infosheet/supporting-a-friend-or-family-member-with-a-mental-illness
https://www.ccsa.ca/sites/default/files/2019-04/CCSA-Addiction-Care-in-Canada-Treatment-Guide-2017-en.pdf
https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/fourteen-dysfunctional-thoughts-that-can-keep-people-sick/
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/get-help/get-help-problematic-substance-use.html
https://psychcentral.com/blog/imperfect/2017/08/how-to-set-boundaries-with-an-alcoholic-or-addict#1
https://www.trihealth.com/dailyhealthwire/wellness-and-fitness/7-tips-for-helping-someone-with-an-addiction

by admin

Surviving Another September

September always ushers a whirlwind of change into our lives that make it notoriously one of the most stressful months of the year. As long summer light fades earlier and temperature shifts signal to foliage that the end of the growing season is near, people start to ramp up their activities. September tends to be frantic. We shrug off those relaxed summertime vibes and focus on getting back to routines and structured activities. This year, you may notice that with the arrival of sweater weather and back-to-school backpacks, there isn’t the same hint of exuberance as in years past. There’s a good reason for that.

In Canada, it is our second September living with the wide-reaching effects of COVID-19. While we continue making strides towards turning a more confident corner against the pandemic through vaccination programs and diligent adherence to safety practices, the path to get to this point has not been easy. There have been confusing and changing pandemic regulations that vary from province to province. Information about various vaccines has also been confusing and problematic from a supply standpoint, not to mention concerns about side effects, and mixing vaccination formulas for second doses. There’s been so much loss: people we care about, life’s moments and milestones, and for many economic and food insecurities. Our summers are short. Spending time outside seemed to be a way to regain some semblance of everyday activities and normalcy. We’re all exhausted from living this pandemic-altered reality. Unpredictability and uncertainty pile on in a month already full of change. Frankly, we think it’s important to acknowledge that we’re a bit off our collective game, and that’s okay.

Instead of letting overwhelming feelings hold us in their grip, we can name those stressors and look at supports that will help us move beyond them with confidence. Perhaps it starts by anchoring ourselves to what we do know about September. It can engage our senses with a beautiful display of autumn-coloured leaves, nostalgic smells and sounds that jump out at us in the cooler air. When we pause to ground ourselves, it can help us feel like we’re on more familiar ground so that we can move forward again.

Recognizing and managing stress

Stress is a normal part of our lives. It’s a holdover from prehistoric times when humans needed to respond to threats to stay alive. Today’s stressors may not have the same kinds of life-or-death moments encountered by our neanderthal cousins. However, they can still induce the same types of physical and mental responses.

Think about how you might respond to these situations:

Your boss just called to ask you to have a report ready today at noon instead of two days from now.
Your kids wouldn’t cooperate with getting dressed or eating breakfast today, and you need to be somewhere by the top of the hour.
You don’t want to do the dishes alone again this week while your partner has gone to watch a program.
You’ve been unable to work because you’ve been so sick.
You argued with a friend.

These are stressful situations that are all related to external stimuli. They will cause you to feel pressure at the moment, but once the problems have been resolved, the stress subsides. You are experiencing normal stress. It’s not life-or-death.

But what about when the stress doesn’t go away, and you develop “persistent feeling[s] of apprehension or dread in situations that are not actually threatening?” ¹ In this case, you are moving into chronic stress territory. The responses being triggered are something you’ve created through internal dialogue and your reactions may trigger anxiety.

What are some signs of stress and anxiety?

Stress

Caused by situations you experience.
Can be traced back to an external cause.
You use coping tools.
After they are resolved, the stress diminishes or disappears.

Anxiety

Caused without an external stressor and linked to your internal dialogue.
Typically prolonged and chronic.
Left unmanaged can build from being mild, short-term, and manageable to severe disorders that can last for months and “negatively affect mood and functioning.”(2)

Both stress and anxiety

Panic attacks
Insomnia
Trouble focusing
Anger
Irritability
Fatigue
Muscle pain
Difficulty with digestion.

We must remember that stress is not always bad. Stress is an important reaction that protects you from danger. When experiencing stress, your body releases hormones, adrenaline and cortisol increasing your blood pressure and heart rate providing the energy needed to fight or flee from crisis scenarios. Without adequate stress in your life, you are likely to feel less motivated, and unenthused. You may lack the necessary reasoning to pursue personal goals and may find difficulty enjoying simple pleasures and the enthusiasm to start living life to its fullest. In contrast, having too much stress will manifest in physical, mental, and emotional ailments with feelings of anxiousness and pressure.

How has COVID-19 been stressful?

With the pandemic, we’ve all been dealing with isolation and being apart from friends and family. Simultaneously, we’ve been fearful of contracting the virus. Researchers are tracking how the pandemic’s mental stress is translating to increased and prolonged anxiety and depression. We’ve been grieving our losses. In some cases, people we know have lost their lives directly because of the virus. Others may have indirectly because of delays in treatment or therapy caused by shifts in healthcare resource priorities. It’s been stressful working virtually using video and tele-conference technology which is not the same as being together in the same room. For those who haven’t been able to work from home, remembering to social distance and remain physically distant makes everyone more cautious and less natural. Similarly, after a year of pandemic-related stay-at-home orders, you might find that your patience and tolerance have diminished with the people with whom you live.

What kinds of long-term changes could we begin to experience because of COVID-19?

The pandemic has shifted how we interact with each other and the types and locations of employment. For example, “the internet and social media have allowed us to reach into each other’s homes” but also learn new skills and develop new hobbies.(3) Cooking, gardening, and improvising because of supply shortages have become commonplace as more people discover their creative side. Similarly, for those who can work from home, this is a switch that may remain in place. New and additional safety protocols may be implemented for those who work in public settings in order to limit and reduce further community spread of infection. Additionally, with socially distanced and reduced ridership on mass transit, people may be more apt to walk or cycle to work. As a result, the hours where people need to be at work may shift, resulting in “the disappearance of the 9-5 altogether.”(4) Finally, with stay-at-home orders and a shift in commuting, the climate is getting some greatly needed relief. There have been drops in greenhouse gasses and harmful air contaminants. Similarly, traffic reductions have eliminated pollutants. Wildlife has returned. All of these events point to the prospect of how with a little more conscious decision-making, we can achieve a greener future.

COVID-19 also exposed social inequity identifying vulnerable institutions and populations within our society. There has been much debate around how to protect essential workers. Every essential worker, from doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, to retail and restaurant workers, put themselves at risk and in harm’s way in order to maintain their livelihoods. While recognition was strong early in the pandemic, collective fatigue has waned the recognition and declarations of gratefulness that people enthusiastically participated in. We have also seen that there must be a priority given to policy changes and funding discussions for healthcare in general. Too many systemic vulnerabilities have been exposed in rural, urban centres and Indigenous and immigrant communities.

Vaccinations are key

As vaccination programs continue, the hope is that all eligible and able citizens will become fully vaccinated.
As we’ve been seeing, there is a direct correlation between the number of vaccinations administered and the shift
in community transmission. It’s only with the public’s involvement in all countries that immunizations will help reduce the threat level of the virus.

Traditional September events

For back to school, be it elementary, secondary, or post-secondary, we’re going to see a mix of teaching
and learning styles in place as part of a new reality. While many students and teachers have been learning through remote, online sessions for some time, it’s expected that pockets of the population will continue using these methods. For some, online learning has been a struggle; whereas others have thrived. With each term, teachers and instructors learn new techniques to help deliver classes most safely and effectively. Some programs may see an evolution where some students are present in the classroom, while others are remote.

With the end of summer, it’s also often a time to refocus efforts at work with added attention to our professions. Again, there may be some workplaces that are eager to welcome employees back to their physical spaces. Still, others will take more time to develop return-to-work plans and modify their environments for safety. Other employees who have become accustomed to alternate work arrangements must be ready to follow their employer’s expectations and instructions for when and how they will return. In some cases, employees may be permitted to continue their work from home arrangements.

Mental health: A shadow pandemic that workplaces can help address

People’s mental health was of concern before the pandemic, however through COVID-19, it has “accelerated…mental health and emotional distress” crises.(5) Workplaces can help by targeting “financial, physical and mental well-being” when working with employees.(6) Investments in training managers in mental health first-aid, assisting employees in making connections to resources and services that can offer help, and shifting the culture to be supportive are all initiatives that will help employees re-adjust over time.

Coping, building resiliency and moving ahead

In the early days of the pandemic, people were optimistic that life would return to normal, but it may not be the normal we knew. You may have heard the term “new normal” used in conversations where people pondered and tried to imagine the effects of all the changes we have experienced to date. We can see now that many uncertainties are starting to recede. It will take time and patience to develop new practices and protocols that will be supportive and make good sense. Instead of focusing on a “new normal,” perhaps it would be easier, for now, to consider what we’re experiencing as a “next normal”. A shift in our thinking here will help alleviate stress and be kinder to managing expectations without being overburdened. There will inevitably be changes, so learning how to cope can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Some easier ways to support this include:

• Take a self-imposed media break

– Sometimes you can be surprised and overcome by unproductive or negative thoughts and viewpoints expressed by social media connections. Recognize when social media and news media are elevating your stress levels and tune out. You may set daily limits or “mute” distressing content to give yourself a break.

• Get outside and keep moving

– Exercise is one of the best things you can do to stay healthy and find good well-being.

• Get enough rest

– Never underestimate the power of a regular sleep cycle. Sleep hygiene plays an integral part in “cleaning the brain,” which can help alleviate brain fog symptoms and may help protect against neurocognitive decline.(7)

• Get help

– Seek professional supports through various resources and services, including your Employee and Family Assistance Plan (EFAP).

– Don’t forget about free resources and collaborations such as Wellness Together Canada at wellnesstogether.ca. It provides people with counselling, coaching, and courses as part of a toolkit to improve their overall mental health and wellness in response to the stressors of the pandemic.

References:

1. Ross, F. (2018, June 8). Stress vs. Anxiety – Knowing the Difference is Critical to Your Health. Mental Health First Aid. https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/external/2018…
2. American Psychological Association. (2020, September 21). What’s the difference between stress and anxiety? APA. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/anxiety-differen…
3. Dartness, L. (2020, June 29). The Covid-19 changes that could last long-term. BBC Future. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200629-which-…
4. Ibid.
5. Grzadkowska, A. (2021 March 17). Organizations must stop ‘second pandemic’ of mental health. Insurance Business Magazine (Canada). https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/ca/news/broke…
6. Ibid.
7. Liverpool, L.. (2019, October 31). A type of brainwave may help clean your brain while you sleep. New Scientist Journal. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2222016-a-typ…

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