Manon Dulude Counseling Services

Psychologists worry about mental health in first full COVID-19 winter Psychologists have worried about the mental health toll of rising COVID-19 cases and tightened restrictions for months add in the shorter days and colder weather of the approaching season, and we could be in for what one expert called a "long, dark winter." Steve Joordens, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto, said anxiety has been the dominant mental health issue of the pandemic so far, wi...th countless people worried about their health and job security and the uncertainty of when life will return to normal. But there's danger, he said, if COVID anxiety turns into COVID depression over the winter especially with case numbers rising after a period of relative control over the summer. "When we saw that everything we were doing was having an effect and the numbers were dropping, that empowered us. It made us feel like we're beating this thing," Joordens said. Continue reading at www.cbc.ca//winter-canada-covid-depression-mental-health-1

How Some People Stay Sharp Even After Turning 95 Neuroscientists in Australia recently investigated the brain characteristics of dementia-free centenarians (95103 years old) using resting-state fMRI neuroimaging. Their research question: "Is there something special about [centenarians'] brain functional connectivity that helps them preserve cognitive function into the eleventh decade of life?" Continue reading at www.psychologytoday.com//how-some-people-stay-sharp-even-a

Tensions between work and family roles have escalated in the absence of clear physical demarcation between work and home. Couples can't ignore the friction.

Tips on managing stress and anxiety during transitional times in the pandemic Risk can take many different forms. There’s typically not one single factor that causes or explains mental health problems or mental illness for any one person. Dobson reviewed biological, psychological, and social risk factors that can contribute to risk. Particular risks mentioned as it pertains to the COVID-19 context include: sleep dysregulation, reactions to stress, worry and rumination, esca...pe or avoidant behaviour, relationship tension, and lack of social support, among others. With this in mind, Dobson advocates for balancing or even reducing these risk factors through protective factors that build resilience, or if need be, seeking professional help. Learn more at https://news.ucalgary.ca//how-manage-stress-and-anxiety-du

Winter Break Activities for Mental Health With limited activities and social visits available for kids across the province right now, it’s no wonder we are hearing from a lot of parents concerned about keeping the kids busy over the school winter break. This was a question that came up several times in our recent live chat with child and youth mental health workers. As if this time of year isn’t hard enough already!... To help you prepare for a winter break that supports your family’s mental wellness, Children’s Mental Health Ontario is sharing five tips for your family, children, and youth. Learn more at https://cmho.org/winter-break-activities-for-mental-health/

Why the Silent Treatment Is a Tactic of Abuse and Control by Lisa Aronson Fontes Ph.D. Refusing to listen, talk or respond to a partner is sometimes called the silent treatment. Many people cut off their partners emotionally to hurt, punish, or manipulate them. Some people even refuse to acknowledge their partners’ existence for hours, days, or weeks on end, making the partners feel as if they are somehow less than human, like a ghost:... Nina could never tell what would set off her husband, Ray, and make him refuse to speak with her. Nina first experienced Ray's silence when they were dating. Ray felt that Nina had looked too happy while dancing with a male friend, so he walked out of the club without saying good-bye, and refused to speak with her or even acknowledge her for weeks. Over the years, Nina learned to cope with Ray's cruel silences, continuing to prepare his meals and wash and fold his clothes even as he ignored her for long periods. The silent treatment usually ended with Ray grabbing at Nina brusquely for sex at night. The next morning, he acted as if the break in their relationship had never happened and refused to discuss it. Continue reading at www.psychologytoday.com//why-the-silent-treatment-is-tacti

I have more drawings on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/emmnotemma [Drawing of a blue coffee cup next to three opened notebooks on a table. Written on the note...books, it says "I don't know how I fit in this world. But I refuse to believe it's bad that I'm here. It might feel bad sometimes, but it doesn't mean I'm bad. I'm not bad. I'm just different. We all are. Maybe I'm a bit more different, but that's fine. I don't need to feel, think, or do as someone else would. Who I am is just fine."] See more

What If Some Mental Disorders Aren't Really Disorders? by Alison Escalante M.D. What if mental disorders like anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder aren’t mental disorders at all? In a compelling new paper, biological anthropologists call on the scientific community to rethink mental illness. With a thorough review of the evidence, they show good reasons to think of depression or PTSD as responses to adversity rather than chemical imbalances. And ADHD could b...e a way of functioning that evolved in an ancestral environment but doesn’t match the way we live today. Continue reading at www.psychologytoday.com//what-if-some-mental-disorders-are

Why should I talk to a therapist? One simple reason to go to therapy is that it helps to be listened to. Talking to a therapist or psychotherapist will often provide treatment that is more long-term than counselling, and address issues on a deeper level. This may include looking at long-standing patterns of behaviour, talking about childhood causes of current problems, or an intensive attempt to understand and alter thinking, feeling or behaviour patterns.... People who might benefit from seeing a therapist include: - someone dealing with a mental illness that is interfering with their life - someone who has experienced something traumatic - someone who wants to improve and gain a deeper understanding of relationships in their lives Learn more at https://mindyourmind.ca/help/talk-therapist