New Idea!!

If you were in recovery and were asked to create a picture of how it feels to be living a "secret life," aka the life inside your head or life as a person with a mental illness. What would it look like? What kinds of things would be in that picture? I have been an avid reader myself of PostSecret for several years now; PostSecret is a website that hosts a plethora of postcards that contain the deepest secrets of readers. As I was browsing this Sundays postcards I stumbled upon this card:

It says "Today I discovered that happiness is not something that we find, it's something that we create. This is my first step toward recovery." This made me think about our clients in recovery and I was wondering how they would feel if they had a chance to do something similar to this but through Seven Counties. I could create a blog with just their scanned postcards that answer the questions I have previously mentioned. I would love questions/comments/thoughts either on here or through email on this idea.

Courier Journal: Reject stereotypes about mental illness

Many individuals with mental illness have great difficulty being accepted by the larger community because they are being stereotyped, put down and stigmatized for having a mental health condition. The stigma sets in when society develops misconceptions based on misinformation of those with mental illness. Misinformation stems from three areas: the media, informal communication and society seeing those with mental illness.

1. The media play a big role in misguiding society about mental illness. They portray individuals with mental illness in characteristically inaccurate and unfavorable ways. Those with mental illness are depicted as being active, confused, aggressive, dangerous and unpredictable.
2. Informal communication hurts those with mental illness because people feel free to use words such as “loony,” “nuts,” “crazy,” “batty,” “wacko,” “psycho” and “mental case” in normal conversation.
3. Finally, stigma is formed by those in society who witness or interact with those who have a mental illness. Most mental illnesses are not visible to the public, but the mental illnesses that are visible are seen in individuals who are experiencing psychosis or mania. This is how society gets images of those with mental illness.

Those with mental illness have difficulty with employment, housing and receiving a sufficient amount of income to meet daily needs. This leads to loss of social opportunities and a poor quality of life. During this Mental Illness Awareness Week, may we be mindful of our bias and stereotypes and not contribute to the stigma associated with mental illness.

by: DENNIS CORNELL, Licensed Clinical, Social Worker/Psychotherapist, Louisville

Cornell, Dennis. "Reject stereotypes about mental illness." courier-journal.com. 13 Oct. 2009 .

Expect Recovery

Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. In other words recovery is a process of regaining one's life to a usable form; reclaiming one's personal power from one's illness.

For some individuals, recovery is the ability to live a fulfilling and productive life despite a disability. For others, recovery implies the reduction or complete remission of symptoms.

Both Consumers and Providers need to "Expect Recovery!" Meaning that both Providers and Consumers know that the Consumer can and has a right to walk out the door with a better quality of life, they have a right to recovery! To do this the Providers need to work with consumers as partners as they move through "The Stages of Recovery." The Five Stages in the Recovery Process are as follows:

1. Impact of Illness: "The shattering of one's world, hopes, and dreams." In this stage the Provider is to decrease the emotional distress by reducing the symptoms and communicating that there is life after diagnosis.
2. Life is Limited: "We both gave up. Giving up was a solution." In this stage the Provider is to instill hope, a sense of possibility, and to rebuild a positive self-image.
3. Change is Possible: "The fragile flame of hope and courage." In this stage the Provider is to help the Consumer to see that they are not so limited by the illness and in order to move on they will need to take some risks.
4. Commitment to Change: "I began in little ways with small triumphs and simple acts of courage." In this stage the Provider is to help the person take the initial steps by helping them identify their strengths and needs in terms of skills, resources and supports.
5. Actions for Change: "We rebuilt our lives on three corner stones of recovery- hope, willingness and responsible action." In this stage the Provider is to equip the Consumer with the necessary skills, resources and supports so that they can trust in their own decision-making ability and take more responsibility for their life.
   

Peer Support is one of the tools consumers use to "regain their lives to a usable form" (to recover), it is support that is provided by consumers to consumers in order to bring about a desired social or personal change. Peers help because they often have similar experiences; through these they can empathize well, make informed decisions, serve as role models, aid in problem solving, and help others navigate the "system." Recovery can grow in Kentucky! Your help is needed for recovery to thrive!

The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Illness "Achieving the Promise:Transforming Mental Health Care in America" July 2003. Adapted from Webster's II by: Molly Clouse June 2002. Taken from the work of Molly Clouse, Recovery Consultant for Seven Counties, Inc. Appalachian Consulting Group & Empowerment Partners, LLC- 2005.

Clients' Perceptions of a Counseling Relationship

In attempting to describe this relationship, researchers have focused on various qualities of caring, such as warmth, support, attention, understanding, and acceptance. Another important element of the client-counselor relationship is the way that significance is communicated through interpersonal exchange.

The term "mattering" was used by Rosenberg and McCullough (1981) to describe the feeling that people have when they sense that others are interested in them and value their contribution. When people believe that they matter, they feel that they belong and that others appreciate them. Rosenberg and McCullough's research indicated that adolescents who felt that they mattered were less likely to commit delinquent acts.

This research defined a series of dimensions associated with mattering. These four dimensions are summarized as folloes:

1. Attention: The feeling that someone notices or is interested in you. For example, when you enter a room, people acknowledge your presence and make you feel welcome.

2. Importance: The sense that people are interested in what you are thinking, feeling, and doing. This aspect is communicated when people inquire about your well-being and take the time to listen carefully to what you have to say.

3. Dependence: The feeling that your contribution is valued and needed. You may be a member of a team and feel that everyone is counting on your participation for the development of ideas.

4.Ego-Extension: The feeling, whether right or wrong, that others are interested in how you are doing (accomplishments as well as disappointments), even when there is no longer a professional relationship.

In any counseling situation, there is a parallel relationship as clients look to counselors for a sense of mattering and counselors look to their colleagues and supervisors for similar recognition.

Perceptions of the Ways of Mattering by People With Mental Illness Marc Corbière, Norman E Amundson. The Career Development Quarterly. Alexandria:Dec 2007. Vol. 56, Iss. 2, p. 141-149 (9 pp.)

Video

TalentFest 2008 is a test video that I have created using animoto.com. This is a very efficient web site to use when trying to create a short video. Click here to watch it!

Faculty Perceptions of University Students with Psychiatric Disabilities

I have been doing some research on stigmas for the video project that I am curently working on and have found some interesting information, this particular study caught my eye because I am a student at a university and thought it relevant information to possibly use down the road.

• "The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between information sources and university faculty members' perceptions of working with university students who have PDs."
• Faculty were asked a)What are your levels of comfort and feelings of confidence in working with university students who have PDs? and b)What is the relationship between your source of information about PD and their perceptions about working with students with PD's?
• Conclusion: "This study indicated that three experiential information sources were strong positive predictors of faculty perceptions of working with students with PDs: having a friend with a PD, knowing a student with a PD, and currently being treated oneself fora PD. Faculty viewed university students with PDs in a positive light and were comfortable having them on campus. Many faculty felt they did not have adequate knowledge or training to work with these students and would like to have more resources available."

Faculty Perceptions of University Students with Psychiatric Disabilities Karin F Brockelman, Janis G Chadsey, Jane W Loeb. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. Boston:Summer 2006. Vol. 30, Iss. 1, p. 23-30 (8 pp.)