April 22 - 26

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

On average more then 10 people die daily of suicide in Canada. 
Suicide is the 9th leading cause of death in Canada.
For every suicide death there are 5 self harm injuries / hospitalizations reported

This week I had the opportunity to take part in a 2 day workshop for suicide prevention.  There were 30 educators from across the Calgary Board of Education that took part. Just as Standard First Aid & CPR are meant to save lives, ASIST is a different kind of first aid but the goal is the same. 

Goals of the course:
- recognize the signs that someone is thinking about suicide or killing themselves
- understand the stigma  & cultural implications around mental health & suicide 
- understand how personal attitudes affect views of suicide & not allowing these to imply judgements
- identity the elements to creating a safety plan & the actions required to support a person's  immediate safety
- learn the importance of self-care & promoting life

Vulnerable Populations:
- teens
- LGBTQ community
- indigenous
- mid-life crisis
- divorcee
- homeless
- incarcerated
- widower
- addicts

Gems I took away:
- talking means HOPE
- anyone is capable of suicide - no age or race or demographic is not effective
- you do the best you can in the space you are in to support others
- ones perception is their reality
- you are NOT there to solve the problem, you are there to hear, listen & create a plan from them to be SAFE RIGHT NOW
- the language has changed: you now say "a person has completed suicide OR has suicided"

KIDS HELP PHONE: 1800-668-6868
Calgary Distress Centre: 403-266-1601

April 15 - 19

Resiliency is the ability to bounce back after setbacks or problems occur in your life.  There are some habits or strategies we can all work on to help us build up our ability to manage adversity & keep pushing forward.

1) When you experience failure, think of them as specific & temporary.  Allowing them to snowball enables them to spill into all aspects of your life or for you to think of it as a flaw within yourself rather then an isolated event.

2) Understand change is inevitable, problems will arise & failure is part of what creates our growth. Rather then letting circumstances overwhelm you, examine why it happened, identify the emotions you are feeling & why it is so important to you.

3) Small rituals of self care allow you to maintain perspective.  When you are eating right, sleeping well, exercising & maintaining a network of personal relationships you are in a better frame of mind to manage when problems occur.

4) Maintain a positive outlook. Self talk goes a long way here.  Watch what words or phrases you say to yourself & replace negative ones with kind, affirming statements. I always image what I would say to my best friend if they were in the situation I was dealing with. Wallowing in self pity will never change the situation or improve it.

5) Don't waste time or energy thinking about what I call " would have, could have, should have" thoughts. You can not fix the past, you can only learn from it. Think forward & take the lessons you have learned to empower you in the future.

How resilient are you? - QUIZ

April 8 - 12

Dream: a series of thoughts or images occurring in a person's mind during sleep

Nightmare: a frightening or unpleasant dream

Night Terror: a form of sleep disorder in which a person partially awakens from sleep in a state of terror

As a child I often had scary dreams.  To this day I can recall a few of them in detail in fact. Though I occasionally still have them, as an adult I am able to calm myself when I wake up & rationalize that they were not real or even plausible.

Dreams happen during the REM (rapid eye movement) part of the sleep cycle. The brain is very active at this time & the images the mind creates can be very vivid, causing strong emotions to go with them. Though nightmares are not 100% preventable certain things can help deter them.

- having a regular bed time & routine

- ensure their bedroom is a comfortable & cozy place to be

- having a stuffed toy to sleep with may help some children

- have a night light if they are wary for the dark

- avoiding scary shows, images or stories 

- reassure your child dreams are your imagination not real events / things

Despite your best efforts, nightmares will still occur.  Having some strategies in place when they do will help you & your child deal with them.

- just your physical presence staying calm will help give your child a sense of security, a hug or cuddle goes a long way

- let the know that you too have had bad dreams & it's feeling scared or worried is normal

- allow them to talk about their dreams if they would like to

- practice calming breathing exercises (4x4 breathing or a belly breath)

- leave a light on in their room & the door open

If nightmares are persistent, extreme or are preventing your child from wanted to go to sleep, talk with your family doctor.

Dream Interpretation

April 1 - 5

Things to let go of...
- worrying about the past
- the need to control everything
- grudges
- unhealthy relationships
- fear of the unknown
- clothes you haven't worn in a year
- comparing yourself to others
- your insecurities
- judgement
- fear of failure
- clutter in your home
- putting off important things
- overspending
- worrying what others think
- excuses
- social media
- gossip
- unrealistic expectations
- the word "should"
- self-doubt
- jealousy
- trying to make everyone happy
- anyone & anything that doesn't make you happy
- unhealthy habits
- over scheduling your life
- negative self-talk