“…a lot of people would say that the holidays are the worst time of the year,” says Ken Duckworth, MD, medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “They’re just straight up miserable, and that’s not only for people with clinical depression.”

If Dr. Duckworth’s words ring true for you, consider the following hints to navigate your way through a happier holiday season:

Take care of yourself first. Identify the specific things, people or situations that trigger your holiday blues and avoid them. You are responsible for your own happiness. The only person you can change is yourself.

Focus on what brings you joy. Don’t push yourself to your limit trying to fulfill other people’s expectations. Exhaustion and worry benefit no one.

If past holidays have disappointed, change the pattern. Do something different. Create your own traditions.

Volunteer. Acts of loving kindness make far more impact than purchases.

Make a gratitude list. Literally count your blessings. Write it down, look at it and add to it when an additional joy comes to mind. The amount of goodness in your life may surprise you.

Enlist the help of those around you. Friends and family often enjoy lending a hand, but sometimes need to be asked. So ask them, and be specific. Let people know what you need and they’ll likely help provide it.

Honor the memory of loved ones who aren’t around anymore. Rather than mourn their absence, reflect on the goodness you enjoyed when together and celebrate the relationship that was.

Don’t overbook. Again, exhaustion benefits no one. Commit to parties that you really enjoy and have the time for; and then graciously decline other offers.

Create and stick to a budget. The cost of holiday shopping mounts quickly and can make people feel out of control and anxious. Never spend more than you have.

Exercise. While you may not feel like you have the time to exercise during the holidays, the benefits are

Eat sensibly. Healthful eating keeps you feeling better both physically and emotionally.

Wishing you blessings of the season.

I began this website, blog and advocacy journey because I’m a mom. I’m a mom of three, two of whom developed a serious mental illness. As our family tackled the challenges of that reality, we learned a lot. Sure, we learned facts and data and medical minutiae, but we learned a whole lot more about love and tolerance, acceptance and gratitude and joy. Big stuff. Good stuff. Real stuff. We are blessed.

The video below, created by my Twitterfriends, Jyl at Mommy Gossip and Carissa at Good and Crazy People, warmly portrays all of that and more.

Enjoy. (And thank you Jyl and Carrissa).

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors like handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed to either prevent obsessive thoughts or make them go away. Performing these “rituals,” however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them dramatically increases anxiety.

After years of research, doctors and scientists have developed effective treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder; and research is yielding new, improved therapies that can help most people with OCD and other anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives.

In a continuing series on mental illness,  Globe and Mail writer Siri Agrell introduces us to Alyse Schacter, a young woman learning to live with OCD and teaching those around her to understand and accept mental illness.

An excerpt from that article is included below. To read it in it’s entirety, follow the link at the end.

“She hears a voice in her head that insists she repeat certain movements and words, and has an irrational sense of urgency that causes her to stop in the middle of a sentence to make sure she hasn’t offended anyone.

But two years ago, she was preparing to hear a voice call her name to a roomful of applause. Alyse was honored by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation’s Courage to Come Back Awards.

Alyse, despite her challenges, has made a mark on her community through her efforts to raise awareness about mental illness, and to convey to other kids that “you can still be normal even if you’re being weird.”

Click here to learn more about Alyse and OCD.

Susan and Jay Bigelow delighted in their son, and he in them. Their life was normal and joyful and filled with possibility. And then Jesse changed. Read the excerpt below from and article written by Globe and Mail’s Erinn Andersenn. To hear the Bigelow’s tell the story of Jesse’s decline into the abyss of schizophrenia and eventual return, click here.

“On a September evening almost nine years ago, Susan and Jay Bigelow called 911, then sat down to dinner in their Toronto home, waiting for the police to come and take away the stranger at the dining-room table who was once their son.

For 19 years, they had raised a cheerful, outgoing boy named Jesse Bigelow, who had lots of friends, was chased by girls and sang in a rock band called, in an odd foreshadowing, Mental Distortion. Jay had coached his hockey teams and travelled with him to soccer tournaments. Jesse wasn’t the perfect kid: He threw more tantrums than his older sister, Melissa, had. His marks were mediocre. And his parents knew that he smoked pot with his friends. But he was a typical, loud, athletic boy and, even as a teenager, he welcomed a hug from his mom.

Then, slowly, helplessly, they watched Jesse Bigelow vanish, as surely as if he had been kidnapped. They didn’t recognize the shaggy, bearded intruder who now lay like a zombie in the bedroom upstairs and ranted at them about God.

Want to read the rest?

Click here.

How can I help myself if I have bipolar disorder?

You can help yourself by getting treatment and sticking with it. It takes time, and it’s not easy. But treatment is the best way to start feeling better.

Here are some tips:

• Talk to your doctor about your treatment.
• Stay on your medication.
• Keep a routine for eating and sleeping.
• Make sure you get enough sleep.
• Learn to recognize your mood swings.
• Ask a friend or relative to help you stick with your treatment.
• Be patient about your symptoms. Improvement takes time.

And Remember…wellness is worth it…and so are you!