Friend and wonder blogger Therese Borchard gave our software a try and survived the technology to write a post about it. I’ve copied it in full below. I’m also reciprocating with links to a few of her very helpful posts.

From Beyond Blue:
12 Ways to Keep Going

From Huffington Post:
12 Things I Learned from My Therapist

And from Psych Central:
Vitamin D and Mental Health

Therese’s article

Ever since I was discharged from the inpatient psychiatric program at Johns Hopkins, I have kept a mood journal where I daily record the amount of hours I sleep, my mood (rating it a fantastic and serene no. 1 to a frazzled, and I’m-headed-back-to-the-community-room no. 5), any foods that have triggered hyperactivity or irritability (such as a triple espresso and half of a chocolate-mousse pie), my anxiety level, any medication and vitamin/supplement changes, and a list of things I’m obsessing about: weight, job, friends, sisters, yada yada yada.

My journal looks like my house: messy … dangerously messy. I scribble something down and then Katherine gets a hold of the pad and draws a mermaid, or a big X through the object of obsession. In other words: it’s not a good system. Not at all. And it can’t really do the job of picking up patterns in order predict relapses. The information is too unorganized for that.

So ….

I decided to try the Optimism Software that my blogging buddy James Bishop has designed. Keep in mind that I am a technological moron, and had to ask him about 10 times how to download it. (If I can do it, you can definitely do it.) But after it was on my desktop and I could open it and start inputting my dysfunctional habits, I decided he was a genius.

Because it is much more than a software.

It’s a way of making you a more active part of your recovery.

For example, in that last month I’ve been using the software, I have become more disciplined about my sleep hygiene. I go to bed at 9:30 every night, and I get up at 5:30 in the morning. Knowing that I have to track my sleep in Optimism makes me less apt to act on the “This is brilliant! Let’s stay up all night!” thoughts that come in right as I’m about to shut down for the night.

I’m also more aware of the contents that I put into my mouth. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that James’s software makes me eat better. (He would be very wealthy if this was the case.) But knowing that I have to record the items that tease my mood (pancakes with lots of maple syrup, double chocolate-chip cookies, mochas, fruit pops) make me more aware of the connection between the two (cookies and mood). And, I’m thinking that this awareness will eventually translate into more will power. At least that’s the plan.

The act of recording your diet, sleep, exercise, and stressors makes you more accountable. James writes:

Optimism prompts you to keep a detailed record of all things that affect your state of mind. By monitoring patterns in your life you can identify negative influences that you need to avoid, early warning signs that your health is deteriorating, and the inputs and activities that benefit you most. Simple charts highlight cause and effect relationships that you might normally miss, and you can develop a Health Plan to follow and update as you learn more about the things that positively and negatively affect you.

by Kate McLaughlin

This is a very helpful, practical article if you are caring for someone with a mental illness. It really gets to the heart of how you can understand, support and help, while also looking after your own health.

“If you have a family member or friend who’s been diagnosed with a mental illness, you’re probably wondering what you can do to help. Although new forms of therapy and medication make it possible for many individuals to lead full, independent lives, the support of family, friends and peers remains an essential element in the recovery process.”

…read more on supporting a loved one with a mental illness

Mental Health Best of the Web

by Ian Bullock

This article spoke volumes to me. Much joy can be found in giving to others and the snippets of contact we have with strangers.

“The woman sitting opposite me on the #4 Powell bus is wearing a leather bomber jacket and stylized Armani glasses. Her fingers are crossed over the wooden handle of a corduroy shoulder bag. The words “PURL” and “KNIT” are tattooed across her knuckles in the same gothic lettering that Tupac Shakur used to tattoo “OUTLAW” on his forearm. I’m about to talk to someone who is, apparently, a gangster knitter.”

…click to read more

Mental Health Best of the Web

by Atlantic Free Press

“Some people eat when they are not physically hungry. I know; I’m one of them. All the studies in the world about hunger and satiety triggers will not do a thing for me. Where are the studies about the psychological need to eat? We seem to have studies on the psychological need to not eat, or to purge what you’ve eaten. But overeating seems to be a matter of ruthless genetics or lack of self-control to the doctors and scientists dealing with fat people. ”

…click to read more

Mental Health Best of the Web

by I Trust When Dark My Road

“The whole process…has really gotten me thinking about the process of managing information, and what that means for mental health. If you’re like me, there are a thousand things going through your brain at any given time. I run around putting out fires, trying to stay one step ahead of disaster in all of the spheres or realms that I operate. Church, home, school, opera, DOXOLOGY, Higher Things, and who knows what else.”

…click to read more

Mental Health Best of the Web

by The McGill Tribune

From the executive director of USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion: “People tend to use food to maintain a good mood, or to regain a good mood if they’re in a bad mood. They use different foods to do this…Now what we’ve found is if they’re in a positive mood, they’ll tend to eat things that are more meal-related, and there’s generally more nutrient depth…but in negative moods, they tend to be more caloric and convenient snack foods.”

…click to read more

Mental Health Best of the Web

from Psych Central

“We thought we’d acknowledge some examples of outstanding online mental health and psychiatry journalism in 2008. You might argue with our broad interpretation of “journalism,” but we believe that writers or producers who can bring new insight, analysis or understanding about mental health concerns or significant issues in the fields of psychology and psychiatry are worthy of inclusion.”

…click to read more

Mental Health Best of the Web

No sooner did I link to the New Scientist article yesterday than Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, posted his own hypothesis on the benefits of pet ownership. Scott Adams is my favorite “thinker”, even though I rarely agree with his viewpoint. But this article is an interesting, probably valid, partly tongue in cheek, take on the relative benefits of cats and dogs and the relevance of age.

From Scott Adams:
“One of my mental hobbies is concocting hypotheses that I hope someone else will test. Today’s hypothesis involves the health benefits of pet ownership.

It is common wisdom that owning a pet makes you healthier. Interestingly, the group that does NOT get health benefits from pet ownership is older people “in a community”, according to one study.”

…click to read more

Mental Health Best of the Web

by New Scientist

“Who needs children when a puppy can provide a similar emotional experience? After playing with their pets, dog owners experience a burst in a hormone linked to infant care, not to mention romantic love and friendship, new research finds.

Nicknamed the “cuddle chemical” and the “love drug”, oxytocin has been found to dampen stress, combat depression, and breed trust in humans.”

…click to read more

Mental Health Best of the Web

a film by Richard M. Patricia

“It is my feeling that “Strive For Happiness” would be very helpful to individuals who are caring for loved ones to remind them that they are not alone, for individuals entering the mental health field to enable them to see the individual as a person, and to the public to help them better understand mental illness and to eliminate the stigma that attaches to mental illness. The film really demonstrates how the understanding of a loved one goes a long way on the path to wellness. In addition, it helps to show that it is important to continue to love the person suffering from mental illness in their new form.”

Quote from Debra L. Wentz, Ph.D., CEO
New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies

…click to read more

Mental Health Best of the Web