Mental Health, New Approaches

 (I've written an edited version at 'Medium')

A note to providers in mainstream mental health services: As a sufferer and as a behaviour therapist, I have strong views here.
In my view, force of any kind, including sectioning (locking people in a secure psychiatric facility) is often emotionally damaging and traumatising. Removing a persons liberty can cause profound trauma thus adding to the clients' problems which can be generally and acutely counterptoductive, especially where anxiety and/trauma are an issue!
I've noted from groups online, a lot of people in the mental health community seem to want urgent 'rescuing' at times. A better emergency telephone and or internet service could work really well (Zoom is an easy option)
Generous Time spent on helping a client to create healthy habits (probably over extended periods) is
the way of limiting negative behaviours and outcomes. Compassion combined with positive reinforcement works (being careful not to patronise!- mental illness does not usually equate to ignorance!)

Self compassion (as taught by the great Kristin Neff at selfcompassion.org) and teaching 'reparenting' does affect the physical side too; when self respect and self care are practised, physical good health (usually) is a side-effect, as the more people want goodness for themselves, healthy diet and exercise will often become a natural desire for them with creativity and work as a result. (Vitamin and mineral DNA testing may also provide very valuable insight to some physical manifestations and is quite affordable)
Habituating healthy habits despite initial negative mindsets, will automatically lead to more balanced and positive outcomes.
The job of habituating postive behaviours involves heightening self awareness, emotion regulation and identification via therapy, detailed emotion list-making (and extensive journaling especially) is sure to pay off in the long if not short term. Tangible change and healing is a probable with all this practiced.

Join my Facebook group 'mental illness and trauma; self help resources'

Liz Lucy Robillard 


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