Showing posts with label MentalHealth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MentalHealth. Show all posts

Compassion


In search of Humanity. Contemplation, one line a day all week. 


In the search for Humanity (and our own mental health), let's take a pause for contemplation, one thought at a time. As we navigate the complexities of existence, let compassion be our guide, fostering empathy and connection. In the realm of self-discovery, let confidence be the cornerstone, a quiet strength that speaks volumes.  Amidst the chaos, find solace in the simplicity of now. Unleash the boundless potential within, for creativity knows no boundaries.  Cultivate a thirst for knowledge, for curiosity fuels the engine of growth. 
#MentalHealth #humanity 

COMPASSION
Compassion is the wind that carries us to new heights of understanding.

CONFIDENCE
Confidence is not arrogance, its self-assurance.

CONTENTMENT
Contentment is the simplicity that comes from living in the present moment. 

CREATIVITY
The beauty of creativity is that it has no limits.

CURIOSITY

The thirst for knowledge drives curiosity





Altruism

 Contemplation, one line a day, in the quest for humanity.
#MentalHealth
Altruism is the humility that recognizes our interdependence and interconnectedness


Restless Echoes

Restless Echoes

Find my poetry on my YouTube Channel and on this blog. 


Crimson Friday

If Blue is Monday BLUES, then I assign color CRIMSON for Fridays - Fridays are playing a fiery catch up rush, on all that was due this week, not quite making the cut and knowing you are adding to next week's already big pile. 


Read more of my poetry on YouTube on on this blog.


OMG I have so much, too much work left to do!!! #gradschoollife

Mixtape of Ambivalent Moods

(Verse 1)
In the morning light, I rise with a grin
Feelin' good vibes, let the day begin
But tired eyes weigh heavy, my mood starts to bend
Ambivalence kicks in, it's a battle to comprehend,

(Refrain) 
Life's a mixtape, tunes of joy and sorrow
Embracing the heat, a new track to borrow

(Verse 2) 
Hot day on the horizon, the sun's gonna blaze
Yet my energy wavers in unpredictable ways
Between feeling alive and the need to rest
Ambivalent heartbeats in my chest, a daily test

(Refrain) 
Life's a mixtape, melodies in the sun's glow
Balancing today, uncertain where I'll go,

(Verse 3) 
The heatwaves ripple, my mind's in a haze
Ambivalence lingers in these summer days
Feelin' good, feelin' tired, it's a delicate dance
In this ever-changing moment, I find my balance,

(Refrain) 
Life's a mixtape, rhythms in the summer air
With each rise and fall, I'll meet life's dare.


Suicide Mortality in Autistics

 


No surprise, a Taiwan study found higher rates of suicide in autistics vs non-autistics. #MentalHealth

"autistic individuals had increased risks of all-cause mortality, natural-cause mortality, and suicide mortality compared with non-autistic individuals. Furthermore, autistic males were more likely to die by suicide, and autistic females were more likely to die of accident compared with the non-autistic individuals."



Trait Anxiety vs State Anxiety

Trait anxiety represents a person's general predisposition to experience anxiety, while state anxiety refers to the temporary and situational experience of anxiety in response to specific events or circumstances.

Schwartzman 2023: suicidal behaviors in autistic adolescents

No surprise that suicide ideation and NSSI is higher in autistics!


Key Takeaways

  • Early adolescent autistics (total sample 239, 138 autistic) at higher risk for suicidal ideation and NSSI (non suicidal self-injurious behaviors) compared to non-autistics.
    • 20% autistics reported suicide ideation on self-report questionnaires but not to a study psychiatrist (via the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale)
  • No sex based differences seen. 

Questions that arise after reading. 
  • What are the underlying factors that contribute to the higher risk of suicidal thoughts / behaviors and NSSI in autistic early adolescents? 
  • How can clinicians improve their ability to detect these behaviors given the discrepancies between self-report and clinician-rated measures? 
  • What interventions or treatments are effective in reducing the risk of these behaviors in autistic youth? 
  • How can parents, caregivers, and educators better support autistic youth who may be at risk ? 
  • What are the long-term outcomes for autistic youth with suicidal thoughts/behaviors and NSSI?
References
Schwartzman JM, Muscatello R, Corbett BA. Assessing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Autistic and Non-Autistic Early Adolescents Using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 53.2 (2023): 559-570. doi:10.1177/136236132311621. PMID 30938385

In limbo

Stuck in endless hesitation,
Mind and body trapped in ambivalence's sensation.

Can't move forward, can't step back,
Caught in a loop of indecision, what do I lack?

OCD

My mind is spinning round and round
Compelled to do what can't be found
Repetitive acts, a daily grind
OCD consumes, hard to unwind.

Powerful urge, the need is great
To ease the mind, to alleviate
Thoughts plague, won't go away
OCD controls, no matter what I say

Constant struggle, day by day
To keep those obsessive compulsive behaviors at bay

Can’t give in
….Must break the spin
Embracing HOPE
as a new day begins. 




Monday Blues

It's only Monday morn, already feel worn out.
Week ahead seems like an endless bout

A Highly Sensitive Person

A Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) 

"Sensitivity is a heightened 'ability to .... to one’s environment'"
"I often complain about sounds, smells, or tastes that don’t seem to bother those around me..

Does that sound like Deja vu for the sensory overstimulated autistic?  
Read more in this Greater Good Science Center article.

Constant Overload


Being bombarded by the sensory system
A constant overload, it never ends
Sensory overwhelmed, a feeling of prison
Trapped in my own mind, with no friends.

Poor somatosensory body mapping
A constant confusion, a foggy haze
I struggle to understand my own body
A feeling of being lost, in a daze

Words get stuck, inside my head
Apraxic, struggles to speak
A feeling of frustration, so very unique
As talking eludes me, instead

It can be a struggle, to navigate
This world that's full of sensation

I need to find a way
… with determination

A bundle of irrational worry

I am a bundle of irrational worry
Each day i wake up with dread and hurry
Fears and doubts consume, a constant flurry
Hope still flickers in internal jury

One big vagary


Vagaries ubiquitous in autism.
Nothing standard, fractured light in a prism.
Can we conclude then, so far…..
… no evidence in any evidence really
….no clues. What’s going on in this gallery.
inexplicable me. I continue to be one big vagary.

Comorbidity of ADHD puts you at higher risk for Mental Health

This article on ADHD talks about research from Bath University in the UK. 

Essentially it says

  • Mental health risk higher in ADHD alone > Mental Health risk in Autism alone
  • The risk is higher when there are co-morbidities (ie: Autism+ADHD)
Research confirms what many us have already felt and known about comorbidity of Autism+ADHD. The net effect is not a simple sum, but exponential. 

What makes me sad is for the most part stimulant meds seem to work ADHD like they are supposed to. But when it comes to autism+ADHD, the same meds are still a wild guess and most don't work in autism like they do in the non-autism population with paradoxical effects.