Holiday Stress

Holidays are approaching and many people are experiencing a slow increase in stress.

Here are a few ways to help yourself feel better and less frazzled during this busy time:

1.  Increase exercise.  Add 5 minutes to your normal work-out.  Take the stairs.  Stretch for 30 seconds. Spend two minutes deep breathing.

2.  Reduce the number of holiday gatherings you attend.  This can be a difficult action to take, but it will yield dividends in greater space in your schedule for relaxation and inner peace. 

3.  Re-consider your expectations.  Literally writing down your expectations for the major upcoming holidays will demonstrate to you just how much pressure you (and other people around you) may be putting on yourself.  And guess what?  That pressure is (mostly) PREVENTABLE.  If you are an adult, then you are in control of your schedule and what you do and do not agree to do.  You can reduce your expectations of yourself and others, and save so much time and stress.  Think "reasonable" expectations.  If you are an introvert, it is not reasonable to host a holiday gathering at your place and invite more than 70 people, especially when you are the parent of three kids ages 12 and under, and two of those said kids are on the autism spectrum and have severe ADHD.  And you make all the food yourself, including dozens of homemade gingerbread cookies. (Ask me how I know.)

4.  Schedule a check-in with your therapist or counselor for extra guidance, support, advice, and tools to help you navigate the holidays with lowered stress and more peace.

Now that's something to celebrate!

Teresa

Teresa Heald LCSW, MSW, ASDCS

Housing Concerns

 In case you haven't heard, there is a lack of affordable housing in the United States.  

And while I completely recognize many of the systemic reasons for this crisis, there are individual things you can to to increase your personal and your community's access to affordable housing.  Here are a few ideas:

1.  Attend city council meetings to make your voice heard about the need for affordable housing.

2.  If you are a homeowner and have an empty bedroom, consider renting it out, or build an accessory dwelling on your property to provide at least one low- (or lower-) income person or family with safe and affordable housing.

3.  If you do not have a medical or mental health reason for living alone, consider living with roommates.  This immediately drops your rent in half (if you have just one roommate) or drops it by two thirds if you have a second roommate.  The American obsession with living alone is a privileged position to be in.  Living with roommates frees up more housing options for those who NEED to live alone for their health.  Plus, you save money, have ready and hopefully pleasant social interactions daily, and always have someone to feed your cat when you leave for a weekend to catch a concert or attend a friend's wedding.

And as a psychotherapist and certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist, if you tell me that autism prevents a person from having roommates, I call baloney on that one.  Autism does NOT NECESSARILY prevent someone from having roommates (but in some cases it can).  I literally know dozens of individuals in my community who are on the autism spectrum who have one or several roommates, and live rich and fulfilling lives that are enhanced by the presence of roommates.  Having roommates can in many cases HELP with some of the challenges faced by autistic individuals.  Living with roommates creates fertile ground for practicing social skills, collaborative problem solving, overcoming social fears, reduction in living expenses (and thus freeing up more money for nutrition, therapies, and hobbies) and fostering a sense of community, inclusion, and belonging.

4.  If you qualify, apply for a Section 8 housing voucher, or get your name on the (oftentimes too long) waitlist.  There are also income-based government subsidized apartment buildings (Section 42 housing) in most communities in the United States where you can apply in person directly at the buildings' rental office on-site. 

4.  Consider relocating to a more affordable neighborhood, even if it means moving out-of-state.  This is a tough decision to make.  But when you look at your income, housing expenses, neighborhood safety, community culture, political climate, the needs of your loved ones, proximity to health care (or to education, cultural opportunities, recreation opportunities, climate, and geography, and work/volunteer options), and other personal factors, it might be the best decision you can make for your long-term well-being to pack up and get the heck outa Dodge.  (That will also free up housing for someone who wants to live in your current dwelling/neighborhood/state).

This is not an exhaustive list of course.  But these few ideas could help you make more informed (and affordable) housing decisions.

All the best,

Teresa

Teresa Heald LCSW, MSW, ASDCS

Weight Loss Resulting from Mental Health Conditions

Did you know that weight loss can have mental health, emotional, and sensory roots?

Individuals on the autism spectrum and/or diagnosed with ADHD, people dealing with depression, and people struggling with eating disorders may need strategies to increase their daily intake of calories at times.  Here is a great way to increase daily calories:

Meal replacement and/or high protein shakes.  

Why?

1.  These drinks are easy to store, easy to open, and super easy to consume.  

2.  These drinks contain essential carbohydrates, fats, and protein that your body needs for survival.

3.  They contain vitamins and minerals for optimum health. 

4.  Having a complete meal available at any time is helpful for people who have difficulties with shopping, meal prep, rumination over calories, recognizing their body's signals for hunger (or experiencing the absence of hunger as in depression), or have aversions to certain food textures or cooking odors.

Additionally, if you or someone you love takes a medication that causes loss of appetite (such as stimulant medications to treat ADHD), then supplementing with shakes can be such a great tool to help you/them maintain a healthy weight or to re-gain lost weight.

I am not a dietician, an occupational therapist, or a medical doctor.  So please see your primary health care provider or other medical provider(s) to rule out other causes of weight loss and to get the go-ahead to supplement your diet in this way.  And once you have received your doctor's approval, consider supplementing your diet with liquid nutrition.

Cheers!

Teresa

Teresa Heald LCSW, MSW, ASDCS

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Memo to myself:  A silent voice is no different than a silenced one.

Stand up. 

Be heard.  

Advocate for social justice at every opportunity.  

Oppose EVERY form of oppression, discrimination, and bigotry that seeks to strip ANY individual or group of their humanity, safety, and rights. 

All are sacred.

You are sacred.

Your voice, your words, your history, your ancestors, your present, your future, your story, your body, mind, soul, spirit, and your being-ness deeply matter.

Teresa

Teresa Heald LCSW, MSW, ASDCS

Help for Seasonal Depression

Has your mood taken a downward turn now that the nights are longer and the daylight hours much shorter?  

If this describes you, you may benefit from increasing your exposure to daylight, especially in the mornings before noon.

However, if you have to spend most mornings indoors due to school, work, or caregiving duties, then you might want to talk to your doctor or therapist about light therapy.

Light therapy is using really bright light to treat seasonal symptoms of low moods and depression.  You can buy light therapy lamps online and at some big box retailers.  Look for lamps that give off 10,000 lux (a measure of intensity or brightness of light).  And be sure to ask your provider about how long and when to use your light therapy lamp.

A brighter mood may be just a light switch away.

Be well!

Teresa

Teresa Heald LCSW, MSW, ASDCS

Autism Certification

This month, I am officially a Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist, certified by Evergreen Certifications!

The training I completed in order to achieve this certificate has well-equipped me to provide even higher quality service and more targeted treatment to individuals on the autism spectrum, as well as their families and other loved ones.

Contact me at teresahealdconsulting"at"gmail.com if you would like to schedule a consultation (nationwide in the USA) or an assessment for yourself or your child/teen (Idaho residents only).

Be well!

Teresa

Teresa Heald LCSW, MSW, ASDCS

How to Help Your Teen Understand and Resist Peer Pressure

One of the best ways to help your teen understand and resist peer pressure is to spend more time around your teen.

And by "time," I don't mean sitting in different parts of the living room while you both are slouching, heads down, glued to your different devices.

All humans crave connection.  When you stay connected to your teen, they are less likely to be overly influenced by peers and the pressure they feel to fit in with their peers (virtual ones, ie their "peers" on social media, and their real-life peers at school and in their neighborhood and community).

Plus, when you schedule activities that both you and your teen enjoy and participate in them together, your teen has less time to doom-scroll, on-line game, SnapChat, and TikTok for hours on end. 

Why not try scheduling an extra few hours per week with your teen?  It's one of the best antidotes to peer pressure out there!  And it's within YOUR control.

Be well!

Teresa

Teresa Heald, LCSW