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Importance of Mental Health
Thu, 02/11/2010 - 12:17pm
Hi All! 
I hope everyone is having a great day and for all of those who are on the east coast (Me included!) and got slammed with snow - I hope you all are taking it easy! Especially at this time of year it is extremely important to remember to take care of ourselves physically, but it is also crucial to remember that we need to keep our mental health in check as well.
As a counseling student, I am learning the importance of taking care of ourselves mentally. Studies have shown that a person's mental health directly impacts a person's physical health. For example, a person with the classic symptoms of depression will generally have fatigue and muscle pain. This happens because when a person feels down, it brings your whole body system down as well.
Have you ever noticed that positive people generally are happier and seem healthier?
At times, it is difficult to keep positive when we are indeed suffering, however, I personally try to follow the motto: "mind over matter." By doing so, it allows me to keep going. I have a full-time job and am a full time student as well. There times when I am hurting and don't have the energy to get things done. I need to remind myself that I can do this and I will not let my FMS define who I am. Most days, it ends up working out for the best and I can get done what needs to be. Of course there are days when the world catches up to me and I need to take it easy. BUT by keeping my mental health in check and by trying to keep positive, I am better off!
A good way to keep mentally healthy it to keep a positive attitude. Another, yet simple way, it to simply talk about what's going on and how you feel. Just by venting, takes a lot off a person's chest! These are just a few examples of how a person can try to address their needs and to try to feel better.
If you have any questions or comments please put them below, or if you have facebook, join the fan page "Lumigrate: Fibromyalgia Health Education Counseling" where there are many great people to discuss these matters with as well!
Feel well!
-Candace
__________________
Faith Young is the pseudonym used by one of Lumigrate's longest content providers, as she began writing at the age of 24 in Lumigrate's FIRST year on the Internet! In real life, this young woman who has been living with FMS for many years received her Bachelors degree in Health Education from Montclair State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude. To further her career, she is currently working on two Masters degrees, one in Counseling from Seton Hall University. Since she is a 6th grade health teacher working to educate students on the importance of being physically and emotionally healthy, we found it best to provider her with a pseudonym of her choice and "Faith Young" is what resonated. In the long run, this very real young woman has faith and hopes be able to use health education in counseling and provide up to date information at Lumigrate which will appeal to the younger people 'out there' and bring them 'in here' to Lumigrate in addition to our more mature adults. In addition, she is a LumiLiaison for Lumigrate.com and helps facilitate Lumigrate FMS fan pages on facebook. Search on Lumigrate and Lumigrate: Fibromyalgia and join us related to general and/or FMS specific information; Like us and those #s count with our advertisers and supporters and also allow YOU to keep up with what we're up to!
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e-mailThis forum is provided to allow members of Lumigrate to share information and ideas. Any recommendations made by forum members regarding medical treatments, medications, or procedures are not endorsed by Lumigrate or practitioners who serve as Lumigrate's medical experts.
I really like this piece, Candace. Thanks! (as always). One of the 'wise women' that I was asking to come write at Lumigrate.com said the same thing you did about people with illnesses defining themsleves witih their illnesses, so THAT is going to be what I take out of this and put on the facebook page right now and ask people to find where it was written (as there were SEVERAL contributions today). I like that you bring up the positivity AND venting and want to remind people there are separate 'topics' in the Forum / Fibromyalgia for venting, crying, and cracking up about things we do. The reason I did that months ago is that if people continue to see the venting about pain that others write -- as many do on facebook and in 'support groups', then 'you reap what you sow'. You'll become what you see, talk, think. So then it also drives the people away who are looking for information OR one woman yesterday told me that she feels guilty that she no longer has pain as she is recovering from fibromyalgia (or it is 'managed', whichever way people might want to look at it). But to underscore, it is very important for people to know that the feelings they have are real and valid and there is a place for them to express that, just segregated out so that people can go there and read and 'be in that space' when it's needed but now 'in general'.
Again, thank you very much for taking the time to have a leadership place with Lumigrate, as busy as you are!
Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
I really like this piece, Candace. Thanks! (as always). One of the 'wise women' that I was asking to come write at Lumigrate.com said the same thing you did about people with illnesses defining themsleves witih their illnesses, so THAT is going to be what I take out of this and put on the facebook page right now and ask people to find where it was written (as there were SEVERAL contributions today). I like that you bring up the positivity AND venting and want to remind people there are separate 'topics' in the Forum / Fibromyalgia for venting, crying, and cracking up about things we do. The reason I did that months ago is that if people continue to see the venting about pain that others write -- as many do on facebook and in 'support groups', then 'you reap what you sow'. You'll become what you see, talk, think. So then it also drives the people away who are looking for information OR one woman yesterday told me that she feels guilty that she no longer has pain as she is recovering from fibromyalgia (or it is 'managed', whichever way people might want to look at it). But to underscore, it is very important for people to know that the feelings they have are real and valid and there is a place for them to express that, just segregated out so that people can go there and read and 'be in that space' when it's needed but now 'in general'.
Again, thank you very much for taking the time to have a leadership place with Lumigrate, as busy as you are!
Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!