Happiness

1. You are always free to do something that makes you smile.

“It takes a strong person to say sorry, and an ever stronger person to forgive.” 
― Vanessa Guzman

Parenting Pyramid

The parenting skills and strategies on the base should be used more liberally and the ones at the tip sparingly.

Discussion on Khat (Miraa) on citizen T.V. by Honorable Kajuju and Dr Catherine Syengo Mutisya

http://www.youtube.com/embed/U3p4JE2XfJo?autoplay=1&rel=0

Here are 10 irrational thoughts that rational people often fall victim to at one point or another:

Here are 10 irrational thoughts that rational people often fall victim to at one point or another:

Mistakes are never acceptable. If I make one, it means that I am incompetent.
When somebody disagrees with me, it is a personal attack against me.
To be content in life, I must be liked by all people.
My true value as an individual depends on what others think of me.
If I am not involved in an intimate relationship, I am completely alone.
There is no grey area. Success is black and failure is white.
Nothing ever turns out the way you want it to.
If the outcome was not perfect, it was a complete failure.
I am in absolute control of my life. If something bad happens, it is my fault.
The past always repeats itself. If it was true then, it must be true now.

Your life will be more productive if you learn to avoid this type of negative thinking.

Audrey Mbugua apata fursa ya kuwakilisha kilio chake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kun5_k3zTPM

Risk factors for mental illness

Risk factors that can compromise mental and emotional health:
Poor connection or attachment to your primary caretaker early in life. Feeling lonely, isolated, unsafe, confused, or abused as an infant or young child.
Traumas or serious losses, especially early in life. Death of a parent or other traumatic experiences such as war or hospitalization.
Learned helplessness. Negative experiences that lead to a belief that you’re helpless and that you have little control over the situations in your life.
Illness, especially when it’s chronic, disabling, or isolates you from others.
Side effects of medications, especially in older people who may be taking a variety of medications.
Substance abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse can both cause mental health problems and make preexisting mental or emotional problems worse.

A desire to be in charge

A desire to be in charge of our own lives, a need for control, is born in each of us. It is essential to our mental health, and our success, that we take control.
Compiled by: Dr Catherine Syengo Mutisya

How much stress can you take?

How much stress can you take?

Understanding your personal breaking point is the first line of defense against losing your cool.

Most of us don’t recognize the signs of stress until they’ve become too much to handle.  But registering what each level feels like by building a stress meter   

Warning signs when dealing with teens

Warning signs when dealing with teens
Isolates from the family.
An extreme shift in mood.
He or she starts abusing drugs or alcohol.
Taking risks.

mental health disorders

Mental health disorders affect many people. Family difficulties, career pressures or even a single traumatic event can cause emotional and mental conditions. A person in crisis may experience anxiety, depression, thought disturbances, loss of self-worth or, in extreme situations, contemplation of self-destructive behaviors.

Gender identity disorder

Yesterday we ran the first of a three-part series on lives of Kenya's transgender/transexual community. This is the second part.

“The first thing that people think when they hear that you are a transgender/transsexual person is sex. They assume that you are promiscuous and they just want to know how you have sex and whatyour preferences are. We have some really weird people who call our organisation to ask whether it’s possible to get a date with one of us, like that’s all we are good for. It’s totally sexual objectification,”says Audrey Mbugua.

World Mental Health Day 2012

World Mental Health Day

10 October 2012

World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. The day promotes open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services. This year the theme for the day is “Depression: A Global Crisis”.

Depression affects more than 350 million people of all ages, in all communities, and is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. Although there are known effective treatments for depression, access to treatment is a problem in most countries and in some countries fewer than 10% of those who need it receive such treatment.

Spare some time and think about the mentally ill on this day

Definition of mental health

Doctors on call family T.V. 8th July 2012
Definition of mental health
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpV2JxsPZwQ

What is mental health?

The World Health Organization defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". Research shows that there are 3 main factors which are highly protective against the development of mental problems especially depression. These are: • Having sufficient autonomy to exercise some control in response to severe events. • Access to some material resources that allow the possibility of making choices in the face of severe events. • Psychological support from family, friends, or health providers is powerfully protective.