WORLD
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY BUT CONCERNS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH HAVE BEEN FRONT OF MIND FOR
MONTHS, ESPECIALLY RECENTLY. SO
JOINING US THIS MORNING TO
START THIS CONVERSATION WE HAVE
CHIEF PSYCHOLOGIST AT A MISSION
FOR MICHAEL. DR. MEGAN MARKHAM
ALONG WITH LIFE COACH, AUTHOR
OF BEHAVING BRAVELY HAD A MIND
SHIFT LIFE'S CHALLENGES. ANITA
CONTI, GOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF
YOU. GOOD MORNING. SO LEARNING
DR. MARK, LET'S START WITH YOU.
YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON
THE FRONT LINES OF MENTAL
HEALTH CARE. WHAT ARE YOU
SEEING DURING THIS PANDEMIC?
WHAT ARE PEOPLE GOING THROUGH
THIS YEAR? THAT PANDEMIC HAS
BROUGHT SO MANY CHANGES TO HOW
WE LIVE OUR LIVES. WE'VE SEEN
OUR ROUTINES UPENDED 30 MILLION
AMERICANS HAVE FILED FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT. WITH ALL OF THAT
COMES A LOT OF FINANCIAL STRESS
AND FOR MANY WHO LOST THEIR JOB
THAT ALSO MEANS THE LOSS OF
HEALTH CARE COVERAGE. SO IN
ADDITION, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS
HAVE CLOSED DOWN PARENTS WHO
STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP WITH ONLINE
EDUCATION WHILE TRYING TO DO
THEIR OWN WORK. AND THEN
THERE'S ALSO THAT ONGOING NEED
FOR A WIDESPREAD SOCIAL
DISTANCING WHICH MEANS LESS
INTERACTION WITH THEIR FRIENDS
AND LOVED ONES. SO ALL OF THAT
BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENED VERY
QUICKLY AND REPRESENTS SO MANY
DRASTIC CHANGES THAT REALLY HAS
CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO
INCREASED RATES OF ANXIETY,
DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE,
SUBSTANCE USE OR RELAPSE AND
TRAUMA. YEAH, I CAN DEFINITELY
HEAR YOU. THERE ARE SO MANY
PEOPLE GOING THROUGH STRESSES
AND FEELING LONELY ON TOP OF
THAT. ANITA, LET'S BRING YOU IN
NOW BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ONLY A
LIFE COACH BUT ALSO THE AUTHOR
BEHAVING BRAVELY HAD A MIND
SHIFT TO LIFE TO CHALLENGES
IMPORTANT TITLE HERE. SO VERY
CURIOUS HOW WE SHOULD BE DOING
THIS. HOW DO WE ACTUALLY MINDS
SHIFT? I THINK THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION. AND I GET THAT
QUESTION ALL THE TIME. YOU
KNOW, AS WE NAVIGATE THROUGH
THE CHALLENGING TIMES TOWARDS A
NEW NORMAL OPTIMISM REALLY
NEEDS TO BE OUR FRIEND. IT'S
BENEFICIAL WHEN WE CAN EXPLORE
OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR ATTITUDES
AND OUR BEHAVIORS DEEPER
TOWARDS STRENGTHENING WHAT I
CALL LION LIKE RESILIENCE. AND
I HAVE ABOUT FIVE QUICK TIPS
THAT I THINK THAT CAN HELP MOST
OF US MINDS SHIFT THROUGH
LIFE'S CHALLENGES. YES, PLEASE
GO FOR ALL RIGHT. NUMBER ONE,
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TUNE
IN TO YOURSELF TALK. NOTICE
THE TONE YOU'RE BREATHING. ASK
YOURSELF USEFUL QUESTIONS. STAY
IN THAT MOMENT OF WONDER AND
CLAIM AND STATE YOUR FEELINGS.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. ARE
YOU IN DOUBT? ARE YOU IN FEAR?
ARE YOU AFFECTED BY SOME VISUAL
STIMULI? ONCE HERE KNOW THAT
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE
THE PERSPECTIVE AND PROGRESS
THROUGH IT. THE SECOND STEP IS
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT SOMETIMES
JUST TO DISENGAGE BY REFRAMING
YOUR THEME OF THOUGHTS.
BASICALLY THIS MEANS SHIFTING
YOUR SENSES. THERE IS SOME
EVIDENCE THAT STATES THAT
CHOOSING SMELL YOU PLEASING
SCENT CAN HELP US MOVE INTO A
COMMUNIST AND A STATE OF
RELAXATION. WE'RE WRAPPING UP
SUMMER SO YOU KNOW THOSE
REMINDERS GOING INTO
THE GARDENS, SMELLING
THE FLOWERS AND THE VIBRANCY OF
THE LEMONS AND OUR HOMEMADE
LEMONADE AND THE COCONUT AND
OUR AND OUR SUN LOTIONS WE'RE
ALL FAMILIAR WITH HOW TO DO
THAT. THE THIRD STEP IS I LIKE
TO TELL PEOPLE MANY TIMES
SOMETIMES IT'S OK JUST TO START
YOUR DAY OVER YOUR DAY DOESN'T
HAVE TO BE HIJACKED BY A BAD
EXPERIENCE IN THE MORNING AND
LEADING TO A DOMINO EFFECT.
BETTER BALANCE IS WHEN WE SELF
REGULATE AND WE ENGAGE IN VERY
SIMPLE MIND BOOSTING ACTIVITIES
AND STAY THERE. NUMBER FOUR IS
PROBABLY MY FAVORITE
DISTRESSING WITH THE SIMPLE
JOYS IN THE WAKE OF
THE UNCERTAINTY CONNECTING AND
BRIDGING WITH OUR LOVED ONES
PET JOY MAINTAINING OUR
WELLNESS ACTIVITIES PHYSICAL
AND EMOTIONAL AND FINDING
MEANING AND PURPOSE EVERY
SINGLE DAY AND CAPTURING THOSE
MOMENTS BECAUSE IT'S
THE MEANING THAT'S GOING TO
KEEP US IN OUR TRUTH. AND
FINALLY I THINK IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT TO COMMIT TO
ACCEPTING CHANGE. A GROWTH
MINDSET ACKNOWLEDGES
THE NECESSITY TO GROW AND
INTEGRATING THIS VERY SIMPLE
WISDOM KIND OF KEEPS US IN
THE PRESENT AND HELPS US MANAGE
THROUGH AND LAUNCHED DEEPER
PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT. THAT'S
AMAZING. I HOPE PEOPLE WERE
TAKING NOTES AT HOME BECAUSE
EVERYTHING YOU SAID SO
IMPORTANT TO DO. IT'S FUNNY OUR
LITTLE GIRL SHOWS US WHEN SHE'S
KIND OF UPSET BUT SPIN IN A
CIRCLE AND I'M LIKE WHAT IS SHE
DOING? BUT SHE GOT RESETTING
THE DAY LIKE YOU MENTIONED. I
MEAN REALLY THEY KNOW IT AT 19
MONTHS SO WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM
THAT. DR. MARKHAM, I WANT TO
ASK YOU BECAUSE I KNOW
THE STRESSES THAT PEOPLE ARE
GOING THROUGH CAN CERTAINLY BE
SERIOUS. HOW IS THIS LED TO
DURING THIS PANDEMIC SUBSTANCE
ABUSE, MENTAL ILLNESS, THINGS
LIKE THAT? WHAT ARE YOU SEEING
AS FAR AS WHAT PATIENTS ARE
COMING TO YOU WITH? YEAH, WELL
WE'RE SEEING PATIENTS WHO ARE
REALLY JUST HAVING A DIFFICULT
TIME COPING AND THAT'S NOT
UNEXPECTED. YOU KNOW, AS I
MENTIONED, ALL OF THOSE CHANGES
PEOPLE HAVE A FINITE CAPACITY
FOR HOW MUCH STRESS THEY CAN
HANDLE AND AT SOME POINT
THE STRESS BECOMES OVERWHELMING
AND SO THEY'LL LOOK FOR WAYS TO
COPE AND NOT ALL OF THOSE WAYS
ARE HEALTHY. SO WE'VE SEEN
QUITE A BIT OF SUBSTANCE USE
AND PEOPLE ISOLATING AND THEN
THEIR MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS
WHETHER THEY WERE THERE BEFORE,
WHETHER THEY WERE IN REMISSION
OR MILD ARE REALLY EXACERBATED
BECAUSE OF ALL OF THIS. SO I
THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO
CONSIDER HOW PEOPLE ARE
STRUGGLING AND IF YOU ARE
HAVING TROUBLE FUNCTIONING, YOU
KNOW, MEANING YOUR
RELATIONSHIPS OR YOUR WORK HAVE
BEEN LARGELY IMPACTED, THEN IT
MIGHT BE TIME TO START
CONSIDERING ABOUT TALKING TO A
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL LIKE
A PSYCHOLOGIST OR PSYCHIATRIST
.IT'S A GOOD TIME TO DO THAT
BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT HAS
RELAXED REGULATIONS MAKING
TELEHEALTH MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE
SO YOU CAN HAVE THOSE VISITS
FROM THE COMFORT AND PRIVACY OF
YOUR OWN HOME. IF YOU'RE
STRUGGLING. EXPERTS LIKE YOU
ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP PEOPLE
THROUGH THIS. THEY DON'T HAVE
TO GO THROUGH IT ALONE. TELL US
REAL QUICK IF YOU COULD ABOUT A
MISSION FOR MICHAEL. A MISSION
FOR MICHAEL IS LOCATED IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. IT'S A
RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITY
FOR MENTAL HEALTH. WE HAVE A
WONDERFUL WEB SITE WHERE YOU
CAN FIND MORE RESOURCES ON HOW
TO DEAL WITH ANXIETY AND
DEPRESSION. WE ALSO HAVE A 24
HOUR HOTLINE YOU CAN CALL AND
ASK QUESTIONS IF ANYBODY IS
CURIOUS OR WANTS MORE
INFORMATION, IT'S A GREAT PLACE
TO CHECK IT OUT. ALL RIGHT. DR.
MARKHAM, ANITA KAY, BOTH OF
YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
YOUR EXPERTISE. HOPEFULLY WE