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Real Life Stories

Mental Health Disorders

Do you have mental health disorders?

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The first time that Jenny, my younger sister, watched young gymnasts perform at my elementary school, she was only three years old. According to my parents, it was the only time my sister remained seated for an hour ever since she learned how to walk. She could not take her eyes off the kids who were twirling and tumbling and doing splits on the mat while dancing to the upbeat song on the background.

After that performance, we thought that Jenny would forget about it at once and show her curiosity in other things. However, while the entire family watched the gymnastics competition in the Olympics via satellite, she started trying to copy the gymnasts, from their elegant stance to their basic routines. When Jenny was not rolling and tumbling in our living room, she would be sitting in front of the TV, obviously amazed by the athletes from different countries.

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Since my parents noticed Jenny’s interest in gymnastics, they asked the gymnastics teacher at the local center if they would allow her to sit in the class. I remembered picking her up from class with Mom once and seeing that she was the youngest and smallest student there. To everyone’s surprise, though, Jenny was a natural gymnast. She did everything that she saw the older kids doing; there was no sign of shyness from her at all. After the first recital, we heard Jenny say, “I will be a professional gymnast when I grow up.”

A Rising Gymnast 

One year later, Jenny has officially enrolled in the gymnastics class. Mind you; she was four years old at the time. The teacher typically allowed seven-year-olds to register, but she exempted my sister from the rule because of her evident talent.

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Three times a week, Jenny would go to the gym to walk and jump on beams and learn how to do front and backflips properly. It did not seem like those activities were challenging when she was doing them because she was always smiling. But we had seen other kids fall and struggle to improve their gymnastic skills, so it became apparent that my little sister might genuinely be meant to grow up as a gymnast.

This routine of driving Jenny to gymnastics class a few times a week went on for another year. We thought she would get bored with the activity after a year, but she showed no sign of that. She seemed as healthy as could be. With how things were going, no one would have expected she would be at risk for a mental health disorder.

If anything, my sister became eager to learn more moves and do competitive gymnastics soon. In truth, she already entered the Junior Olympics program and passed the first and second levels immediately. For Level 3, she had to wait until her sixth birthday to pass because that’s the minimum age requirement.

Jenny’s chance to compete finally came when she turned seven years old. There was a tournament in another city, and her gym wanted to send representatives to it. Since everyone was aware of my sister’s skills, she automatically got selected to compete against other Level 5 gymnasts. It became clearer that it was the right choice when she took home the gold after the competition. From then on, gymnastics became part of her daily life.

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The Fall Of The Gymnast

My sister did not stop competing since then. She worked hard to pass all the junior levels until a national coach scouted her and asked my parents if they would allow Jenny to train as a competitive gymnast for the Olympics. Of course, that was the goal, so Jenny left her little gym and began training with other professional athletes for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

Since one had to qualify for the Olympics, Jenny joined various gymnastics competitions throughout 2015. The training was brutal for an 18-year-old’s body, but she never complained. On top of that, she had to do homeschooling so that she would still graduate high school with the rest of her batch. My sister often said, “I don’t care how much I suffer from perfecting my moves. This is what I was meant to do in my life. I want to continue competing for as long as I can.” So, we continued to support her dreams, but little did we know she would be facing mental health problems soon.

Unfortunately, Jenny got into a freaky car accident with her friends. Their vehicle toppled over, and it was lucky that none of them died, but Jenny had to get metal pins to put her broken legs back together. Since a gymnast had to have strong legs and arms to do everything, her professional career came to an end before the Olympics. It was a traumatic event that ended her dreams, and put her at increased risk for having emotional health issues, psychological illness, or mental health disorders.

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How I Almost Lost My Sister To A Mental Health Disorders

Jenny did not seem like the little sister that I used to have for months. After the accident, she became moody and unhappy, and it was a significant impairment for her at home. She even yelled at my parents for the first time when they tried to coax her to eat. We should have realized that it was more than just sadness. She was showing signs of eating disorders and other suspecting mental health disorders. Then, at night, we would hear her crying, most likely grieving over the loss of her dreams. Her depressed mood disorder was another sign of a mental disorder.

Mental Health Disorders

Our fears turned into reality when Mom found my sister passed out in bed with an empty bottle of sleeping pills in her hand. These weren’t recreational drugs. Her degrading mental health had push her to the most extreme form of self harm. We rushed her to the hospital, and the doctors luckily managed to pump the drugs out of her stomach. When Jenny woke up the next day, we were all crying hard, and she was saying sorry for trying to take her life. It turned out that she was so depressed for months, but she wanted to get mental health disorders counseling help and get her life back on track after what happened.

If you suspect that a loved one has mental health disorders, don’t wait for something grave to occur before you confront them about their mental health disorders. Learn to recognize the risk factors of mental health disorders.

Mental Health Disorders FAQs

What To Do If Your Sister Has Mental Health Disorders?

What Is The Impact Of Having A Sibling With Mental Illnesses or Disorders?

How Do People With Mental Health Disorders Cope?

How Do You Handle A Family Member With Mental Health Disorders?

How Do You Deal With A Sister With A Personality Problem?

How do you comfort someone with unstable mental health?

What is the impact of mental health disorders on the person and family?

What is the importance of family for individuals with mental health disorders?

Why is it important to take care of your mental health?

How do you explain mental health disorders to someone who doesn’t understand disorders?

How to deal with a family member who has mental health disorders and won’t get help?

How can you protect your mental health from toxic family members?

How do you interact with someone with a personality disorder?

How do you communicate with a mentally unstable person?

What kind of impact does mental disorders have on a person’s life?



Culinary Art Therapy: Using Culinary For Mental Wellness

What is culinary therapy?

Here’s the quick answer: culinary art therapy is a way to use food to address a person’s mental health conditions. It’s a form of art therapy — no cooking experience required.

culinary as therapy
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Culinary therapy has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I thought of seeing a culinary therapist after a psychologist diagnosed me with mild depression. Taking antidepressants was out of the equation since I refused to even take medicine to treat flu or fever. Allow me to share my positive experience with using cooking therapy to solve familial relationship problems.

Therapy, in general, was new to me, especially using culinary arts as a tool. How is cooking related to mental health treatment? Is culinary therapy an enjoyable practice?

Culinary As Therapy

Therapy – Culinary

This is a story of my journey through therapy using the culinary arts – how culinary therapy helped alleviate my depression that somehow leads to stress eating disorders, what mindfulness programs were offered in the cooking center, and how this type of therapy became one of my favorite pastimes to improve mental health. But first, a quick description of art therapy: art therapy is a therapy technique that uses arts of any kind to help a person with mental health conditions.

For example, when I serve salad or other dishes to my friends, I’m putting my mental health at a better state. I eliminate the risk of a mental breakdown or relapse. I feel good and functional. A high-quality diet plays a big role in your mental health, as well as a good cooking process. After a session, eat a good meal afterward to keep your brain healthy.

The Therapist

Armed only with my faith in my friend’s words, I went to set up a culinary therapy appointment with the recommended licensed mental health counselor. The woman I met looked like she was in her 50s. Being offered the choice to sit on the couch or the chair in front of her desk was already a massive plus for me. I thought, “Hmm, she’s nice.”

We exchanged pleasantries, and then the therapist allowed me to talk about how I felt during that individual session. Then, the first words that came out of her mouth afterward were, “Is there any activity that you hate doing because you find it tedious?” I didn’t know where the conversation was headed, but I replied, “Yes. Cooking.” And that’s where culinary therapy came into the discussion. Cooking somehow encourages me to have that secured self esteem, it focuses to address emotional feelings, and increases my sense of accomplishment.

The cooking therapist said, “Before I help you understand cooking therapy, I would love for you to start learning cooking arts first – particularly cooking first. Sometimes, it helps to make ourselves do things that we’re not used to. It can be a simple form of therapy.”

Then, the first words that came out of her mouth afterward were, “Is there any activity that you hate doing because you find it tedious?” I didn’t know where the conversation was headed, but I replied, “Yes. Cooking.”

Should I Cook Or Not?

I left the culinary therapist’s clinic with that question in mind about the culinary therapy. I still stand by my initial opinion of culinary therapy as a troublesome activity. I love to eat, but I don’t like cooking my food, or anything culinary.  My reason is that I can always buy ready-made stuff or order something from my favorite restaurant so I got doubts about culinary therapy.

Nevertheless, since cooking therapy was a mental health professional’s suggestion, I gave cooking a shot. I found a simple recipe online for pasta that merely asked for a few prep ingredients that I already had at home. It tasted bland, but the therapeutic experience wasn’t too bad. I tried making an omelet for my man the next day, and he praised me for it. I was happy to inform my therapist. I never thought culinary therapy can make such a difference.

I love to eat, but I don’t like cooking my meal, or anything culinary.  My reason is that I can always buy ready-made stuff or order something from my favorite restaurant so I got doubts about cooking therapy.

The more I engaged with the therapy, the more I managed to let go of my issues. When I went back to the therapist, she asked, “How are you?” I smiled and talked about how my life has changed since I started cooking. I gained self esteem. We still went through several cooking therapy session after that, but I knew that it would not have been possible if I didn’t listen to the therapist’s first individual’s personal recommendation, particularly this culinary art therapy.

According to the Chicago School, culinary therapy is a type of professional psychology similar to dance therapy and drama therapy. It uses the power of food and cooking to improve personal cultural and familial relationships with food, help people cope with psychological problems faced, and encourage mindful eating. It is based on the belief that the act of preparing at present moment and eating food can be fun and that the quality of our relationship with food reflects the quality of our lives.

Culinary therapy is a relatively new cultural field that uses the act of cooking mindfully and baking using the principles of gastronomy as a task or act to help persons heal moment-to-moment. The smell of cooked food has been shown to be beneficial for a wide range of issues, from improving moods and managing stress to helping people with chronic illnesses. The research of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology on culinary therapy is still in its early stages, but the potential mental, emotional, and physical benefits are already evident in using arts, cooking, gastronomy, and more to create a therapeutic technique.

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Culinary Arts Therapy

With regards to treatment that is culinary-related, the thing I also find interesting is finding the best cookware for beginners. I have always been aware that there are different pots and pans for every dish, but I had no clue as to what to get for myself when I was starting out. I had no experience whatsoever in the culinary art. Arts? Cooking? Not my wheelhouse. In case you are in the same boat as I was, here are some tips for you as recommended by my therapist.

the culinary experience as therapy
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Commonly Used Culinary Ware In Culinary Therapy

Skillet

Skillets are lifesavers when you wish to fry an omelet or meat without the extra oil. My brand of choice for this is Cuisinart because most of their pans are non-stick and therefore let me eat healthily. The one I currently use is the 12-inch Open Skillet with Helper Handle.

Dutch Oven

The Dutch Oven is a particular favorite in the culinary world. In culinary programs, it is used by seasoned cooks.

Lodge L8DD3 Double Dutch Oven

The Lodge L8DD3 Double Dutch Oven brings a lot of convenience to me every single time that my entire family comes over, and I have to cook for no less than 15 adults. Its size is incredible, as this can hold a large ham or turkey. Since the cast iron allows heat to be distributed evenly, anything I prepare with this over a campfire, a stovetop, or an oven is cooked so well. This has made my culinary journey even more exciting, and I am so grateful for its healing effects.

Since cast iron allows heat to be distributed evenly, anything I prepare with this over a campfire, a stovetop, or an oven is cooked so well. This has made my culinary journey even more exciting…

Final Thoughts On Using Cooking As Treatment For Mental Health Problems

Cooking, in my opinion, is a valid form of treatment that not everyone talks about. Even so, it helps with emotional and psychological problems and can also utilize an individual’s personal, cultural, and social history to create a therapeutic experience. They can even share with their family — a meal is a universal language to people. You should try culinary therapy if you still haven’t. It is an effective method that may not be common but is definitely worth your free time and effort.

Culinary therapy is such an interesting tool for your psychological well-being. It helps with boosting self-esteem, eliminates anxiety, assists mood problems, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is Cooking So Calming?

Why is cooking good for mental health?

Can cooking cure depression?

How is cooking related to psychology?

Is cooking a stress reliever?

How is culinary therapy related to psychology?

What food is a natural antidepressant?

Is cooking a form of mindfulness?

What cognitive skills are needed for cooking?

What is culinary psychology?



Family-Centered And Child-Inclusive Divorce

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Kim Bowen, LPC says “Marriage is risky business. Divorce is a real threat to EVERYONE who says “I do.”

A broken family is one of the primary reasons that could impact a child’s development as they grow older. We can only count on two results, negative and positive but never the neutral. For some, the separation of their parents might be one of the driving factors to become a better person and learn from their mistakes. But on the other side of the fence, the effect is too devastating and unbearable. We can never empathize with these situations unless you are a product of such circumstances; however, there are professionals out there who specialize in these cases (for therapy) and could help both of the parties involved in the divorce process which mainly includes the child. Pat Skinner, LPC says “When a biological parent finds a new partner, the children are often expected to show love and respect for that new partner right away”

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A Quick Guide To Mindfulness 

If there is one essential thing that you must prioritize in this life, it is achieving complete mindfulness. You need to be able to learn how to become mindful of everything in your life. Learn how to live in the present so that you will have a better future. Take note that for every action, there is always a corresponding consequence. According to Brittany Gilchrist, MA, LPC, CEDS, “Learn to utilize your senses to connect with the present moment. Connecting more fully with the senses is a way to become grounded to the present moment.”

Mindfulness includes knowing and identifying your responsibilities in every aspect of your life. Be sure to check and read the rest of the article if you want to find some tips on how you can get started with mindfulness:

 

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