How to move past the “Counting” technique.

As mentioned in a previous post, the counting technique is effective when motivation is the primary goal. One of my sisters suggested, instead of counting and then doing the tasks, it would be better to skip that step altogether. So I tried it. I am working on being kind to myself so taking daily showers is a must. Instead of watching a television show and putting off the shower for another time; I got up and took a shower right then. No counting, no convincing, no real thought process - just got up and took a shower. It was Awesome!

When it came time to eat, I prepared a nice, small meal. Instead of counting while eating, I told myself I would stop eating as soon as the hunger eased. With the solid conviction that I would indeed stop eating when satisfied, I ate with enjoyment and did not overeat. Wouldn’t it be nice if food were not the enemy… Earlier in life, when I was having trouble making myself eat at all, this technique would have made my life much easier. I would not have spent so much time thinking about various aspects of food. I would have decided what I needed to eat healthfully and followed through.

Daily activities such as preparing dinner and exercising have become a lot easier since I became able to make myself “just do it!” I don’t waste all that time counting which allows me to enjoy life more. This also has the benefit of increasing my mental alertness as the technique relaxes other parts of my mind.

Motivation is usually needed to increase physical activity.

A whole book could be written on how to obtain the motivation needed to do certain things in life. A person usually needs motivation to pursue increased physical activity (often referred to as exercise.) Why is physical activity important? The more you move, whether it entails cleaning the kitchen or taking a walk, - the better you’ll feel. Endorphins are released during physical activity (as well as other activities). The endorphins help the body and mind feel good. Endorphins are more powerful than any man-made pain medication and do not have addictive qualities. Motivating oneself to increase physical activity can be of great benefit for one who has a mental or eating disorder.

In case there is a question as how physical activity can manage mental and eating disorders… When physical and mental is improved, often the symptoms of the disorder improve as well. Physical activity helps with many things such as: weight control, reducing risk of heart or metabolic problems, it strengthens bones and muscles, improves mental health and also increases chances of a longer life. Weight control and appearance are a big deal to people with an eating disorder, even more so than the health benefits. Physical activity improves mental health by lessening depression and improving thinking, learning and judgment.

I have found many little ways to increase physical activity in my life. Before I had a pool in my backyard, I took a short 10-15 minute walk before starting my day. Now I take that time for a brisk swim. It doesn’t really matter what the activity is: sweeping and mopping the kitchen, taking a walk with the dog, swimming for a bit, playing a few holes on the golf course or riding a stationary bike. The main objective of doing the preferred activity in the morning is to start the blood pumping. This helps the benefits flow early in the day before things that clog up the day happen. Some people prefer to do most of their activity in the morning but I like to split it up throughout the day. I may do the laundry and dishes for a half an hour in the afternoon and take another dip in the pool at night. Most days I get at least one hour of decent physical activity done.

My technique of motivating myself is to reward myself for the activity I do each day. When I do my required swimming; I hop in the Jacuzzi for 15 minutes. When I have finished the dishes; I make myself a small, low-fat snack to eat in front of the TV. When I take a walk; I take a hot shower or bath to get that “fresh, clean” feeling. When I smoked a few years about; I used cigarettes as my reward and as a small break. Before I became sober; I poured myself a drink at the end of the day. One of my favorite drinks now is hot coffee with a little bit of flavoring. So when I feel like a cigarette or a drink, I drink coffee. I know I have replaced bad habits with good ones so it doesn’t bother me to have the need for a reward when I complete something. It is hard for me to make it through the days sometimes. I make it a point not to beat myself up for needing a push to get something done.

Taking a break from the stressors of life is a good idea.

In this world people are so busy and so pressed for time that many times no leisure or pleasure time is scheduled. However, it is vital to have at least a half an hour to a whole hour of leisure time scheduled in ones’ daily planner for optimal health. Even God took a break on the seventh day of creation which should show how important it is to rest from the rigors of life. This hour of leisure time should be used only for “me” time. It can mean taking a nap when the baby is finally asleep, reading a good magazine, or watching a favorite TV show. The whole point of the leisure time is to allow the mind and body a break from the stressors of life.

It is important for good mental health to allow the body and mind to relax. I find I am able to get more accomplished when I take time out for myself. It feels much better than just rushing around all day. I used to make a whole day each week my “relax” day, however, I have too much energy these days to take the whole day off. I now make sure I spend at least an hr on leisure time each day. Often times I will read a book or magazine, sometimes I go out and grab a special flavored coffee and “people watch” and other times I’ll watch a few episodes of the Simpsons. Other common activities I focus my attention on are: swimming, going in the Jacuzzi, petting, playing with and grooming my cats, driving somewhere special such as the beach and/or watching a good movie. My body and mind feel refreshed and rejuvenated after my leisure time which allows me to be more productive.

I am focusing on productivity because American employers, in particular, seem bent on squeezing every last drop of productivity out of their workers. It is considered “bad” to take a sick day - especially if one has a cold or a mild flu. Instead of resting at home where they belong, workers force themselves to go to work so they won’t be fired for missing a day. I know that some employers DO prefer sick workers to stay home; however, it is not the norm. In other countries it is mandatory to take a month to six weeks off of work every year! I believe this whole “it’s a sin to take a break” attitude stems from the general populations view on people needing to be productive at all costs. As a result, people often feel very guilty taking time for themselves.

A good blog I found shows some of the benefits of taking time to relax. Here is the link: http://theselfimprovementblog.com/self-improvement/self-improvement-tips/benefits-of-leisure-time/  The main benefit described in this blog and on many other health related sites is that leisure time reduces stress. This is very important for mental and physical health as stress can cause all sorts of problems in the brain and body. Some of the problems are: stomach discomfort, headaches, increased blood pressure, reduced circulation of blood to muscles and brain and an increased heart rate. Therefore a decrease in stress is vital to good health. I will discuss exercise and physical activity in my next post.

Counting technique to obtain more motivation.

For many people with a mental or eating disorder, it can be difficult to get through the daily drudgery of life. Even taking a bath or shower can be of little interest and one needs to be “forced” to achieve cleanliness. The desire to eat can range from no interest to an overzealous interest in consuming the food. Waking up and getting out of bed does not hold much of a thrill when there is nothing exciting going on that particular day. For people with a lot of energy, they may have trouble convincing themselves to go to bed in the evening and will suffer the consequences the next day because they did not give their body enough rest. For a lot of people, every day is the same and it gets tedious to deal with daily living.

I have a lot of trouble convincing myself to do things on my lists, (see earlier post – November 25, 2011) when I have no motivation to get through the day. A good technique which my psychologist introduced me is this: Count from one to ten when getting ready to do a task and once the number ten is reached – jump up and just DO it. So when I have trouble taking a shower I will count to ten, very slowly, while lying in bed. I don’t allow myself to debate with myself anymore once I reach the magic number of ten (or whatever number I have chosen as the final number). Instead of thinking of how much I wish to not do that particular task, I convince myself I will be able to do the task once the magic number is reached. This technique works from everything to clipping my cat’s toenails to preparing dinner and has been a big help.

This technique of preparing to start a task also helps me with my eating disorder. My list helps me by giving me a place to write down the food I have eaten that day. Counting to a certain number helps me not eat as much. Often times, I will count to twenty when I have finished most of my meal before eating anymore. This break in eating my meal gives me a chance to determine if I’m really hungry or if I’m just eating to taste the food. After I have counted, I often feel as if I don’t want anything else to eat as I am full from what I have already consumed.  Since I usually leave my carbohydrates for last, I often am able to fill up on protein and vegetables which has the advantage of keeping my blood sugar under more control.

I will say that it is important to not count continually throughout the day. This can cause an almost obsessive quality to the counting and will drive one insane. The counting technique should mainly be used for tasks that are particularly hard to do on certain days or when one is not feeling up to facing another day. One particular advantage of the counting strategy is that it can be done in private in one’s head and no one in one’s personal space knows it is being done. The main disadvantage, as I previously mentioned, is it can become obsessive and controlling. I have found it to be most effective when I am really depressed as it keeps my motivation up.

It is important to have a good support team.

No matter what condition, disorder or disease a person has, it has been proven in many studies that a strong support team is important. A spouse, close friend, sponsor, life coach and, in a lot of cases, a family member is usually the one who closely takes care of the one who is dealing with an illness. The person closest to the one who has the condition is the one who takes care of basic necessities, offers assistance on a variety of tasks and provides emotional support throughout the days.

Many vital people make up the support team for people dealing with mental illness. Often a psychiatrist, psychologist, general practitioner, a support group, family and friends offer a better life through their support. However, there are many cases where one or more of the support team members are not good with helping the person they are supporting. Therefore, it is important to find a way to not seek as much help from that particular person. In my case, I have a friend who used to always need my help. I drove her to hospitals, stores, grocery stores, to her friends’ houses and other various places. I did this because I believed that helping her would inadvertently help me. After many months of doing everything I could for her, after all, I was her friend; I could not handle the stress she was producing in me. So I stood up and asserted myself by telling her we would keep in contact but that I was not driving her all over the place anymore. Our relationship is better these days and I no longer feel resentful toward her.

A psychiatrist is necessary in most cases in case of emergency and to dispense medications. He/she also make sure all the medications work well together in one’s body. By using various styles of therapy techniques, the psychologist makes life a little easier by helping one with their issues as well as helping one find solutions to the symptoms produced by their particular mental illness. A general practitioner takes care of any health issues that may come with a mental illness such as: Obesity, cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions, underactive thyroid issues and conditions that occur with smoking and/or consuming alcohol or drugs. A support group that concentrates on dealing with mental disorders is very helpful and the members can become very good friends. Family and friends are extremely important as they have spent the most time with the one with the disorder. This allows them a firsthand look at what benefits the person such as medication reminders and a lot of emotional support.

Although I have found a lot of outside support for my mental disorder, it has been more difficult to find outside support for my eating disorder. The main support I have found is my diabetic management nurse. She has taught me how to eat correctly in order to keep my blood sugar levels under control as well as being a big supporter in controlling my eating disorder symptoms. Having a professional in my corner cheering me on has been of great help. Most of my binging is under control due to the help of that one person. I have one friend with an eating disorder who I stay in regular contact with. She understands what I am going through and supports me no matter what I am dealing with. I am also fortunate to have a few sisters, a mother and a father who support me for which I am very grateful. Some people dealing with an eating disorder find help in groups but often finding themselves comparing their weight to those who are in the group.  Support for my eating disorder comes from family, friends and one outside professional.

So how does a support team help manage a mental or eating disorder? The answer is - a few different ways. When one is feeling poorly and symptoms are hard to deal with, a friend or family member can lend a sympathetic ear or find ways to distract one. When I am really depressed and my father suggests we go to a coffee house. The trip helps distract me from dwelling on my problems which in turns lifts the depression. My friends also help distract my mind from my problems by talking to me about pleasant things or talking about their life. I can see one of the professionals who treat me such as my psychiatrist who may need to change my medication or my diabetic management nurse who can help steer me in the right direction with my eating habits. A group has the advantage of having people in it who all need support for a specific disorder, illness, or disease. The group shares their experience with their particular symptoms which allows one to not feel so alone and pick up some valuable advice along the way. All in all, a support team can be the deciding factor on the quality of life one has by lending their support to the one with a disorder.

The importance of physical and mental health professionals.

It may seem like common knowledge to have a mental or/and a health professional treat someone with a condition, however, that is not always true. A lot of people don’t want the hassle of finding a specialized professional to treat them and will turn to a general practitioner (GP) for help. The GP may recommend that the patient go see a professional. Unfortunately, recommendations are not always taken seriously. This can be due to a number of reasons. It is embarrassing to many people to have to seek help from a therapist or psychiatrist. Their life may be working just fine for them so the patient does not want interference. One of the more prominent reasons is that the patient who has dealt with the condition for some time may not even realize they need a professional who specializes in their particular condition. For example: My GP was always telling me not to eat sweets or too much fat. Until the special diabetes management nurse sat down with me and told me that carbohydrates were the clue to getting my blood sugar under control; I really had absolutely no had no idea that was the way to control my blood sugar. It is not always easy to see what is right in front of me.

For mental health issues it is wise to work with a psychiatrist and a therapist who specialize in one’s particular disorder. Most psychiatrists and therapists specialize in at least three to five disorders and up to twenty disorders for those who have been around a long time. If one has schizoaffective disorder, for example, one would look for a professional who specializes in not only schizoaffective disorder but also mood disorders and schizophrenia. In a lot of areas there are not a lot of professionals who specialize in what one is looking for. This can mean the patient will have to drive a distance or take what is available. It can work as long as the psychiatrist or therapist has a lot of experience. The reason for going to these professionals is that they are more equipped to help the patient manage their symptoms than a GP, whether it is through psychiatric medications and/or psychotherapy.

For eating disorders there are numerous in/outpatient programs as well as in/outpatient therapists. Much of the treatment for eating disorders revolves around changing the person’s behavior. There are some medications such as Zoloft, Paxil and Xanax which can help a person with their disorder. The medications help somewhat but nutritional counseling and a therapist are strongly recommended by eating disorder specialists. A nutritional counselor or a dietician will sit down with the patient and discuss how, when and what to eat. A psychologist/therapist will use various therapeutic approaches to benefit the patient as much as possible. The psychiatrist will prescribe the psychiatric medications to go along with the other professional’s goals. It is good to work with a team of professionals – if money and/or insurance allow it – as it often is the most beneficial approach for the patient. Inpatient programs automatically have a team working with the patient. The facility’s can be expensive and many do not accept insurance so it can be difficult to find one.

Diabetes management is complex at first; having the right professionals really helps. As I stated earlier – I did not even know how to eat the right foods until my diabetes management nurse told me. She’s actually a registered dietician (RD). My GP takes care of the regular stuff like blood pressure and medication for my various ailments. My RD takes care of everything pertaining to diabetes. There are also special classes in my area which allow me to learn more about the type of carbohydrates to consume, how to give myself the right amount of insulin and various other concepts which are equally important. It is very important to find the right health professional for one’s condition.