Expressing the experience of mental illness -- and empowering people who suffer

The Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation offers a spectacular program to address the stigma about mental illness with the help of people who have suffered mental illness. The program, known as Photovoice, puts cameras in the hands of individuals and asks them to produce statements of pictures and words that communicate their experience.

This empowering tool enables people at the grassroots level without access to decision-makers to represent and define issues of concern, areas of strength, and targets for change—all of which are routinely defined by health specialists, policy makers, or professionals. Amazing changes result, including education, empowerment, connection and hope.

Take a look at Beyond The Shadows Of Stigma, an eight-minute video that shows the ways that people are benefitting from expressing their experience with these digital projects. And wonder what such a a program might offer to young people, gang members, cancer patients….

A newsletter about the process is available here.

Facebook, change and other little life lessons

Change isn't easy. It especially isn't easy if you're a Facebook devotee and your Facebook page is suddenly showing up with new tabs and links and other strange stuff that clutters up the screen.

Problems with change are not a new concept for me. I'm a psychotherapist meeting with people daily who want to have a different kind of life than the life they have. They come in with stress, pain and problems and lay them down before me. What what they are saying -- in not so many words -- really is: "Take this problem away from me."

Somewhere along the line, it becomes clear that the problem won't magically disappear. There is some sort of change that needs to take place in the person's life to deal with the problem. It may be helpful to make a change in behavior, in perspective, in taking a positive risk or to otherwise address the problem in a new and fresh way.

But change isn't all that easy, even when you're a psychotherapist trained to understand change. I experienced this myself the other day when I logged into Facebook and noticed that lots of things on my page looked odd and unfamiliar.

I wasn't the only one to suffer. MSN even reported on the change and the backlash, and there's nearly one million people surging forth to join Facebook groups like Facebook: SWITCH BACK TO THE OLD NEWS FEED!!!

A Facebook friend sent instructions on how to return to the "old" display and I jumped on this information like a summer fly on a tasty picnic. I tapped in few key strokes and returned my page to the familiar view. Ah, yes. Then, feeling like a heroine and wallowing in my newly regained comfort, I shared my precious bit of knowledge with 200 of my closest Facebook friends. Judging by the number of posts that followed, I knew I wasn't the only subscriber rattled by change and relieved by familiarity.

Another sharp-eyed friend noticed that the return to the old display didn't pick up the new links that were added. So right now, I'm going with the "new" change and remembering that all change is really a challenge for us to discover new resources to meet it.

Sometimes those resources are friends and sometimes those resources are within ourselves. Sometimes they are both. Sometimes the life challenges are teeny and sometimes they are immense. However, all times we have the capacity to meet change and learn about ourselves.

The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun

There's a lot of turmoil and distress in the world. How about a little fun? (Yes!)

I just found The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun and must share. Take a look at it -- and start a conversation about what is fun and how much you pursue fun in your life.

A psychodrama session with Zerka Moreno

Zerka Moreno masterfully conducts an actual psychodrama session with a group of experienced psychodrama practitioners. The protagonist "Frank" has been having great difficulty completing his doctoral thesis on psychodrama. Zerka directs him in several powerful scenes, including role reversals with his unfinished thesis as well as with his grandfather.

Frank’s head is full of what he knows – but “being” the other allows for powerful shifts within the person that is not possible just by thinking about it and talking about it.

Zerka collaborated in the development of psychodrama with her late husband, Dr. J.L. Moreno. I had the great privilege to study with her at Boughton Place in Highland, N.Y., and it was she who encouraged me to become certified as master trainer. Now in her 90s, Zerka still conducts sessions in the living room of her home in Charlottesville, Va. She is an inspiration!

Now is the time to fortify your immune system

Now is the time to build up your immune system.

Seasons are changing and our immune systems are adjusting. I’ve heard more than a few sniffles when several clients are regretfully calling to reschedule appointments while they cough into the phone.

With so much talk about the flu vaccine (should we or shouldn’t we?), it’s good to pay attention to the system in your body that keeps you strong. And there are lots of actions that you can take to make your immune system healthy.

I like to sip herbal teas -- some are already formulated with tea bags, like Traditional Medicinals' Cold Care P.M., and Echinacea Plus-- and you can also find loose teas at various herbal shops and natural health food stores. When I make chicken soup, I also put a slice of astralgus root into the broth while it is simmering to stimulate the immune system.

Remember to wash up properly – after handling pets, before eating, after visiting the bathroom and after contact with someone who’s sick. Also wash your hands while you’re preparing food – especially if you’re working with several kinds of foods – raw meat and vegetables, for instance. Here’s a video that tells you how to really wash your hands -- worth watching

What you eat and drink will also affect the strength of your body to fight germs and other nasties. Here's a good review of 10 tips to keep your immune system strong.

Last year's Lake House blog also has some good tips worth repeating so I'll give you the link again here.

Keep hand sanitizer close by. Use bleach wipes to wipe doorknobs, phones, counters, yoga mats, wrestling mats and other frequently used objects where people may transfer germs from one place to another.

If you don’t want to use harsh chemicals, you can make cleansing wipes with pure essential oils like tea tree oil, a natural antibacterial agent, and eucalyptus. If you wish, add lavender, which will offer a pleasant smell. One recipe that I found online:

To prepare a roll of paper towels to become cleansing wipes, cut the roll in half so you have two short rolls. Remove the cardboard center. Place a short roll in an airtight water-proof container (like an old baby wipe box or tightly lidded plastic container).

Make a solution of:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1 drop lavender pure essential oil
12 drops pure tea tree essential oil
12 drops pure eucalyptus essential oil

Pour the solution over the towels. Put the lid on the box and turn it upside down so the solution is absorbed. The solution could be kept in a jar and cloth towels dipped in it. Make sure that you label the solution clearly according to its use and keep out of the reach of children.