Mental Health Humor and Cartoons

MentalHealthhumor.today.com By: Chato B Stewart

Mental Health Humor:

How to Avoid Getting Laid Off.

Caption 1:

Everyone in my sales
department got a
pink slip but me…
I think my new
wardrobe is helping.

Caption 2:

That’s Nice Honey,
Have a good day
at work!

Title:

Dress For Success - Our Way.

With out a doubt it is hard to read a newspaper or watch the news with out hearing about some new lay offs.  Getting a “pink slip” can be a huge blow to your mental health.  The stress and anxiety can lead to depression and other  problems. Is there something that can be done in dealing with the loss of a job?

With that being said, I found this article “5 tips to reduce the hurt of a lay-off and 10 tips for dealing with unexpected job loss”

Here are five tips:

5 tips to reduce the hurt of a lay-off:

1. Try not to get laid off in the first place. This is not always possible to do (think Enron), but try your best. Work hard, contribute, and impress your bosses. Don’t be the Invisible Guy: he’s the first to feel the axe. Be the superstar whom everyone else is eyeing for their own company.
2. Increase your knowledge. Remember, the best investment is an investment in you. Any way in which you improve your own value will help you down the road. Read a lot; stay updated on your industry, the economy, and the global scenario. Remember that learning never ends. Take advantage of as much company sponsored learning and growth opportunities as you can.
3. Increase your network. Stay in touch with people, and meet new people. This point requires a whole post of its own, but the basics are: take as many opportunities as you can to meet people. Stay in touch, and be nice to them. Try to help anyone you can. Later, if you need a job, you can always ask these people if they know of anything.
4. Have a side business. Diversify your income sources, so that a lay-off will not hurt you too badly. With home businesses and internet businesses a reality, you have few excuses for not having one of your own. Train yourself and invest time and effort in your business.
5. Prepare a budget and stick to it. Prepare a contingency budget, and know how much you have in terms of emergency funds.

Now, if you did get laid off then these 10 tips might be helpful.

10 tips for dealing with unexpected job loss:

1. Deal with your emotional issues first. It’s natural to feel anger at the company, and the top management who still receive all their perks; it’s normal to be scared of the future. You might find yourself dealing with a myriad of emotions. Do whatever you can to deal with them, instead of taking them out on others. If the company offers free counseling, take it; if necessary, pay for a counseling session yourself.
2.  Go through your contingency budget plan. If you don’t have one already, make one and try to stick to it. Allow for occasional indulgences, and reward yourself for any achievements.
3. Think of ways to live frugally. There are so many tips and websites out there, that this should not be too difficult to learn about.
4. Go through all the legal steps you have to. You may need to sign papers, give an exit interview, sign up for unemployment benefits, etc. Do them all calmly. Do not waive any rights without getting something in return.
5. If you already have a side business, devote more time to it. If you don’t have one, start a side business which will earn some income for you.
6. Develop yourself: learn more, take courses, read, pursue a hobby or interest which you haven’t had time for.
7. Look for a new job: this is a d’oh action, but one which some people are reluctant to begin. That’s ok, break it into small steps. Start by looking for a job, then apply by sending your resume and contacting the relevant person. Give the interviews, and hope that you’ll get one that’s better than your previous job. On the other hand, if your side business does very well, you may want to devote all your attention to developing it into a more profitable income source.
8. Remember all those people you networked with? If you’re looking for a job, now’s the time to give those guys a call. Mention clearly that you’re looking for a job, and ask if they know of any openings. Most people are happy to help.
9. Ask for help if you need it. Don’t stretch yourself too thin, people who love you would help you out if you only asked. Be it a place to live for a few days, a small loan, editing your resume or helping you buy “interview clothes”, most people would like to help you out. Make sure you give them that chance, if you’d like them to.
10. Finally, take a break. Now that you don’t have a job to stress about, take a mini-vacation. If you can’t afford to go anywhere, do some meditation and soul-searching. Make the most of the free time that you have.

Dr. Bob Bob, Meds, Suicide, Bipolar, Chato, Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Mixed Bag

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Thanks for dropping by:

Chato B. Stewart
Mental Health Advocate - Cartoonist - and a few other things!
http://www.mentalhealthhumor.com

“Using Humor to Heal and Educate with badly drawn cartoons.”

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People like to celebrate anything. I think it gives them a reason to party!  I personally do not like to celebrate just anything. But, I do often take time to remember some mile stones in my life. Becoming a father 4 times was a great event!  The day I got married and the day I got baptized is important to me as well.  The day I first kissed my wife is there… What, you thought a guy does not remember things like that?  I do.  It was September 10th, 1991… I think? Those are what I like to call my “Happy Days!”

Then there are the days of dark, tumultuous time.  Times when I was at my own end.  Days without hope without life.  Sadly, I have too many of these days in my short life.  A few days stand out more than others.  June 25, 2004, when I was in what was called an “Acute Manic Episode with Psychic Tendency.”  At least that is what the admissions screening said when I was being admitted to the hospital.  Was I suicidal? Yes. Was I homicidal? Well, my wife fled with the kids and had the police come talk to me.  I feel I have to interject that I never hit or beat my wife!! This was not a Rihanna, Chris Brown violence moment!  I would never hit my wife! But I’m not stupid, I know the emotional abuse she endured in many ways was much worse.  My wife took the kids and fled not to get away from me but for me to get help.

We made it thought that! However, any one living with a recurring disorder, will tell you that even if it is under complete control there are always flair ups!  Mental illness is a chemical imbalance and once you get unbalanced it takes time to find that balance again.  One of the other dates I hold as something to remember is this week.

What happened this time last year?  Tune into our next post and find out how we really did this year.

The Therapy of Finding The Right Therapy can in of itself be therapeutic.  When we move and are motivated to find help, we build up our self-esteem.  We are moving from the victim mode to the one having control.

Sigmund Freud   said, “Analysis does not set out to make pathological reactions impossible, but to give the patient’s ego freedom to decide one way or another.”

So, we come to the point of looking for the right type of help — the right type of therapy– we need to help us with this thing called life.

What is the right type of therapy?  This really depends on your own need and some times it comes down to what you can afford.  If you’re lucky, you have insurance that will cover going to a psychologist and or a behavioral health clinic.  Many people, including myself, fall under the what I like to call the “you get what can can afford” program.  When you can’t afford much, well you get the picture.

Some times, I felt like this eight ball therapy cartoon.  (If it’s hard to read just click on it.)

There are so many types of therapy and I found a glossary a while back that I would like to add here.  It is simple and covers them nicely.  Below are the Featured product links in green.

Featured Product Links :
Therapy	self-esteem	Sigmund Freud	eight ball therapy

Adlerian/Individual Psychology

Based on the belief that all human behavior has a purpose and is goal-oriented, that we strive for social connectedness, and that we suffer our emotional difficulties due to feelings of inferiority and not having a sense of community. Founder: Alfred Adler (1870-1937). True change and growth results from identifying, exploring, and changing mistaken goals and beliefs. Therapy is seen as a re-education process leading to greater social participation and fewer feelings of inferiority.

Art Therapy

Use of art and creativity as a way to get at deeper feelings and greater self-knowledge. Based on the belief that accessing the more creative or right-brain part of us is helpful in identifying what is going on emotionally and can be a part of the healing process.

Behavioral

Founded on the belief that true change and movement towards goals is accomplished through action and that disorders are learned ways of behaving that are maladaptive. If we can learn to change our behavior, then our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes will also change. Common behavioral techniques include systematic desensitization (gradual exposure to an anxiety-provoking situation paired with relaxation), using reinforcements for desired behaviors, and aversion therapy to extinguish unwanted behaviors.

Biofeedback

Use of electronic systems to monitor internal processes such as heart rate, brain waves, or perspiration to help an individual become aware of their physiological responses and learn to have more control over them.

Christian/Bible-Based

Counseling is founded on what is written in the Bible. Based on the belief that Scripture is the final authority for what kinds of decisions a person should make or how they should live their life.

Client-Centered

Clients are believed to be in the best position to resolve their issues if the therapist can establish a warm, accepting, and safe environment in which the individual feels free to talk about his/her issues and can gain insight into them. This type of therapy is non-directive because the therapist typically does not give advice or make interpretations. Founder: Carl Rogers (1902-1987) who believed that people are trustworthy and have a great potential for self-awareness and self-directed growth given a nurturing environment. The function of the therapist is to be genuine, accepting, and empathic. Techniques are seen as less important.

Cognitive

Therapy is based on the belief that faulty thinking patterns and belief systems cause psychological problems and that changing our thoughts improves our mental and emotional health and results in changes in behavior. See works by Aaron T. Beck.

Dream Analysis

Process of determining the meanings of dreams through symbols, myths, free association, and memories. There are a variety of philosophies and approaches for analyzing dreams including Adlerian (dreams are projections of a person’s current concerns), Gestalt (every person and object in a dream represents an aspect of the dreamer), and psychoanalytic (dreams are a key to what is happening in a person’s unconscious).

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)

Technique of restructuring thought patterns and associations related to traumatic events and memories and other sources of emotional distress. Method was developed by Francine Shapiro when she discovered that rapid-eye movements combined with focusing on disturbing thoughts and memories produced a calming effect.

Existential

A philosophy of life, rather than a specific therapy, which focuses on free will, responsibility for choices, and search for meaning and purpose through suffering, love, and work. People are seen as constantly changing and becoming their true selves. Searching within and finding one’s own answers is encouraged. Emphasis is on the present and future, not the past. See works by Viktor Frankl (b.1905), Rollo May (b.1909), and Irvin Yalom.

Family Systems

Therapy which looks at the entire family as a complex system having its own language, roles, rules, beliefs, needs, and patterns. Each family member plays a part in the system and family systems therapy helps an individual discover how their family operated, their role in the system, and how it affects them in their current family and in relationships outside the family.

Feminist Therapy

A therapy which focuses on empowering women and helping women discover how to break free from some of the traditional molds that they may feel are blocking their growth and development. Feminist therapy tends to be more focused on strengthening women in areas such as communication, assertiveness, self-esteem, and relationships.

Gestalt

Experiential therapy emphasizing what is happening in the here and now to help individuals become more self-aware and learn responsibility for and integration of thoughts, feelings, and actions. A goal is to develop more internal vs. external support. Techniques include confrontation, role playing, and the empty-chair or dialogue between two parts of a personality. Founder: Frederick S. (Fritz) Perls (1893-1970) who believed that people must find their own way in life and accept responsibility for who they are to reach maturity.

Jungian (Analytical Psychology)

The focus of therapy is to help individuals access more of their inner world (unconscious) and develop greater self-realization and individuation. Carl. G. Jung’s theory is psychoanalytic, but differs from traditional Freudian theory in that Jung added the concepts of individuation (human potential), which includes transcendence and spirituality. People are seen in a positive light and therapy considers the “soul” which seeks to be nurtured by something larger than the self.

Psychoanalytic

Based on the belief that true change and growth comes from an individual becoming more self-aware by bringing unconscious thoughts, motivations, feelings, and experiences into the conscious so that behavior is based more on reality than instinct. Founder: Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). Key concepts are that behavior is determined by unconscious motivations, irrational forces, instinctual drives, and psychosexual events occurring during the first 6 years of life. Classical psychoanalysis is an intensive and long term process with a focus on transference (transferring feelings about and reactions to past significant others onto the therapist) and uncovering unconscious material.

Self Psychology

Based on the Freudian and Jungian depth psychology.  Heinz Kohut, its founder, postulated that narcissism and grandiosity in the infant is healthily managed by selfobject experiences which can be idealizing, mirroring, or twinning experiencs.  He felt that these selfobject experiences continue throughout development and life.  The essence of therapy arises from empathic understanding within the therapeutic frame and that   healing results from temporary disruptions in this empathic stance in the therapist.

RET (Rational Emotive Therapy)

Based on the belief that our emotions result from our beliefs, interpretations, and reactions to life events. A type of cognitive therapy based more on thinking and doing than with the expression of feelings. Founder: Albert Ellis (b.1913) is known as the father of RET and the grandfather of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Solutions-Focused

Solution-focused treatment begins from the observation that most psychological problems are present only intermittently. People with panic disorder obviously do not spend every minute of every day in a panic; even depression fluctuates in severity. Solution-focused therapy tries to help the patient notice when symptoms are diminished or absent and use this knowledge as a foundation for recovery. If a patient insists that the symptoms are constant and unrelieved, the therapist works with him or her to find exceptions and make the exceptions more frequent, predictable, and controllable. In other words, therapy builds on working solutions already available to the patient.

 

TA (Transactional Analysis)

Interactions with others and communication styles are seen as coming from three states: the parent, adult, and child and the different types of ways those three parts of our personality communicate within ourselves and with others. See works by Eric Berne.

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