Caroline Hoppenheim, MSW, MSc, CFT

https://themighty.com//coronavirus-anxiety-cant-go-to-th/

#Monday Being depressed while everyone around you is happy is challenging. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming. You’re feeling down however the people around you are happy. There might be something in you saying that you should be happy and enjoying the summer just like everyone else. Instead you find yourself pretending to be happy but really hurting on the inside. The spring time is one of the more common times people seek mental health support in addition to during early fall and the winter holiday season. Instead of watching people around you looking happy why not discover how to get the right support to start feeling better #mentalhealth #therapy #summer #happy #sad

#Tuesday #bluesday We’re constantly told to strive for greatness but to be honest that can also set us up to fail. How do we know when we achieved greatness when we’re our hardest critic. Is there a moment where we say oh yes, I’ve made it? Perhaps consider having some flexibility in the person you’re becoming while enjoying who you are as you get there. You’re a masterpiece that keeps getting better. Embrace who you are at this moment and be surprised when you progress to even more. #wellness #health #support

#sunday #soulday Glorious Friday happens and your stress levels come down, and when Sunday night comes, they reappear again. We’ve learned to call it the Sunday scaries. It’s helpful to determine exactly when this feeling of dread arrives and try and figure out why you’re having them. Perhaps your not satisfied at your job? You’re taking on more than you can chew? You’re burnt out and have dropped all self-care? If you’re a list person maybe you could write down what needs t...o get done for the week. Not only work related things on the list but also self-care and other things. You may feel more in control of what needs to get done and how you can accomplish it. Lastly, make you work week fun and stop waiting to only schedule things that you enjoy on the weekend. Make you M-F enjoyable as it is over 70% of your week! #wellness #mentalhealth See more

#thursday For the past two weeks I’ve been on a hiatus from posting. Why you may ask? Well I feel as though I haven’t had anything that I felt inspired to write about related to human behaviour. Of course, I’m constantly learning and engaged in psychology however I just haven’t felt like posting about it. My other reason is that I’ve been quite busy! My reflection for this post came out of the idea of how I was feeling. I was feeling an intense amount of pressure to keep up.... Be in the rat race and write write write. But why write when I’m not inspired? We put so much pressure on ourselves to perform but what if we can’t perform. What if what we’re doing is enough and giving that extra isn’t feasible at this moment in time. So what if you take a break from something for a moment, no ones judging you but yourself. Be kind to yourself because there’s already enough pressure out there beyond your control. #mentalillness #wellness #socialmedia See more

In the spirit of #valentinesday I thought it would be appropriate to discuss our hearts. Cardiac psychology looks at how our emotions may affect our heart function. Recent research looked at a connection between type D person (distressed type: more anxious and depressed) and heart disease. They found that there was a significant correlation for those with mental health and heart disease development. Stress can increase hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, and can impact yo...ur blood pressure and heart rate. On the other hand having heart disease or stroke can cause anxiety or depression. Of course the most significant risk factor of heart disease is family history however this research sheds light onto additional factors that may contribute to heart disease. All this to saytake care of your mental health and be kind to your ticker! Start by being aware of what stresses you out, write it out and become aware of how that impacts your functioning. #mentalillness #heart #wellness See more

#wellness #wednesday Most people learn about mental illness from the media including on tv, the movies and the news. Often those mediums portray people who struggle with mental health fundamentally different than those that don’t. Often people with mental illness are portrayed as crazy, violent, incompetent and of course dysfunctional. Such inaccurate images portray unfavorable stereotypes further complicating people's understanding of mental health. Unfortunately this contr...ibutes to people not seeking help when they feel as though they don’t fit into the sensationalized crazy category. Instead people may question if they’re sick enough to come to therapy. This concept that you need to be extremely sick to seek mental health help only when you’re far gone is faulty. Let’s put an end to stigmatizing what metal health should look like and start looking at mental health on a spectrum. You can get help from a mental health practitioner for no matter where you fall on the spectrum. Stop letting stigma tell you what you can’t and can’t do and get yourself the support you need! #bellletstalk #mentalhealth See more