Words of Wisdom

"You are not responsible for anyone else's happiness".

The Exact opposite of above.

"It's true... it's always darkest before the dawn".

Things are always at their worst, right before they start to get better, so hang in there.

"You can choose to be angry... or not"

Only you can make you angry, it's what you choose to do with the anger that matters. Choose a healthy effective way to disipate your anger.

"Negative thoughts drive depression... block them now"

"What if".. thinking will overwhelm you, such as; What if I lose my job? What if I can't pay my mortgage? What if my spouse leaves me because I'm sick? Try positive thinking, such as; I can't work right now but I will soon! I will sit down with my bank manager and see if I can pay just the interest on my mortgage until I'm back to work. There is no evidence that my spouse is going to leave me because I'm sick.

"Use relaxation therapy... it works".

Get a relaxation therapy tape, the good one's really work. You will learn how to progressively relax all your muscles & be able to control panic attacks before the onset. Contact us for our Letting Go tape.

"It's not what happens... it's how we cope with it that matters".

No matter what happens it's happened. We can't make it unhappen, its a waste of time & energy trying. We need to channel all our energy into finding healthy, effective ways to deal with it & move on positively.

"Add this structure to your life".

The statements on the Rights & Responsibilities page are a healthy, effective set of credos to add to your life.

"It's okay to feel good".

You do not have to justify your illness to anyone, no one is judging you or condemning you no matter how much you think they are. Just be you.

"When a bad thing happens, remember, everything else is still the same".

No matter what bad thing happens, everything else carries on as it always has. The sun still rises, people still go about their business, kids go to school, babies are born & eating & drinking still goes on. Try not to catastrophise, it's destructive & puts everything out of perspective, including thought patterns.

"Only you can make you feel guilty".

"My mother makes me feel so guilty...." The look she gives you, or the words she speaks are just that, looks or words. They cannot make you feel guilty, it's what you do with them that makes you feel guilty, for instance; You get the look & you think, I must have done something wrong to make her give me that look. You have just given your brain the green light to generate feelings of guilt. Instead, you could have asked if there is something wrong & if so is there anything you can do to help.

"It's the thoughts that generate the feelings".

Simple... think negative thoughts & you will feel negative. Think posotive thoughts & you will feel positive. Example; If you constantly worry about your job, chances are your negativity will prevent you from working to your full potential thereby making you worry even more. Take it one step, one day at a time & give yourself the opportunity to admire your own work & pat yourself on the back to feel positive.

"Meds are only the beginning of your treatment".

A broken leg is placed in a cast to help the bone heal correctly. When the cast comes off there can be weeks or months of physiotherapy to help the muscles, cartlidge & ligaments get back into proper shape. In mental health the meds are the first step to the whole healing or coping process. There is psychotherapy, maybe self esteem and anger management courses & in some cases occupational therapy. There is far more to being well than just taking meds.

"You have the right to know everything about your treatment... before you undertake it".

It's that simple... Ask questions & make informed, effective decisions.

"It's okay to ask for help when you need it".

The longer you put it off, the more difficult it will seem. You won't be judged or blamed or condemned for asking for help. Just the opposite, people will admire & respect you for being brave enough to ask for help when you need it.

"Why let other people dictate the way you feel?"

When someone cuts you off when you're in the car & you get angry & shout & gesture at that person, you have allowed that person to dictate how you feel. You're reaction of physical & verbal anger is a direct result of what that person did, therefore he/she has control of the situation not you.

"Chat about it, Talk about it... don't keep it inside"

If you have issues or problems that are bothering you you need to resolve them as soon as possible. Keeping things buried inside & not dealing with them is very unhealthy for you.

"Look in the mirror & love who you see."

We want others to love us, like family & friends. We want others to like & respect us, like collegues & neighbours. Then why do some of us hate ourselves so badly we can't even look in our own eyes in the mirror. Love yourself above all others.

"Avoidance is easy... but not the best thing to do."

A friend sets you up with a date, you don't show up. You sign up to play Racket Ball one night. You don't show up. You receive a memo from your boss informing you of a budget meeting, You don't show up, you call in sick. You get a voice message from someone you have issues with. You don't call back. It appears to be easier to avoid these things that may put you on the spot or under pressure because you are afraid of being rejected. So what happens? You reject them before they can reject you which makes you miss out on all the fun & important things in life.

"Sometimes, the best decision to make, is to not make a decision right now".

When you are depressed or manic or psychotic, your ability to make effective decisions is diminished. To combat the possibility of bad decisions being made, keep a daily chart of where you are in your illness. (See WSF Chart 2) Mark on there the point at which you will stop making any significant decisions until you are more stable. Self help visual aids can be a great help if you use them.