#AasraHelpTalk #HopeHealingAndResilience #JohnsonThomas

#AasraHelpTalk #HopeHealingAndResilience #JohnsonThomas #aasraSuicidePrevention24x7Helpline912227546669 #WorldSuicidePreventionDay10thSept #BefriendersWorldwide #SamaritansUK #IASP #UN #WHO #AFSP #INFOTES #LifelineInternational #Google #Facebook #WorldMentalHealthAndWellnessAwarenessWeek #WorldMentalHealthAndWellnessAwarenessMonth #aasradotinfo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHfOREmdYqY

23% rise in suicides in India during 2000-2015

#aasraSuicidePrevention24x7Helpline912227546669 #BefriendersWorldwide #SamaritansUK #IASP #UN #WHO #AFSP #INFOTES #LifelineInternational #Google #Facebook #WorldSuicidePreventionDay10thSept #WorldMentalHealthAndWellnessAwarenessWeek #WorldMentalHealthAndWellnessAwarenessMonth #aasradotinfo #BefriendersWorldwide #SamaritansUK #IASP #UN #WHO #AFSP #INFOTES #LifelineInternational #Google #Facebook #WorldMentalHealthAndWellnessAwarenessWeek #WorldMentalHealthAndWellnessAwarenessMonth #aasradotinfo https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/23-rise-in-suicides-in-india-during-2000-2015/articleshow/64672911.cms 23% rise in suicides in India during 2000-2015 Sushm Dey | TNN | Jun 21, 2018, 02:44 IST NEW DELHI: Suicides in the country increased by 23% from 2000 to 2015 with the maximum number of such deaths being reported in the 30-45 age group, followed closely by young adults between 18 and 30 years, according to data released by the National Health Profile, 2018. Of the total 1,33,623 suicide deaths in India in 2015, as compared to 1,08,593 in 2000, over 33% (44,593 deaths) were in the age group of 30-45, while the 18-30 age group accounted for 32.81% (43,852) deaths. The two age groups together (18-45 years) accounted for more than 66% of suicides in 2015. Children below 14 and those in the 14-18 age group accounted for nearly 1% and 6%, respectively, of the total suicides in 2015. Around 19% of the total suicides were by people in the age group of 45-60 years and those above 60 years accounted for 7.77% deaths. In 2005 and 2010, suicides increased to 1,13,914 and 1,34,599, respectively. Data shows suicide deaths were higher among men. As many as 91,528 committed suicide in 2015, as against 66,032 in 2005 and 87,180 in 2010. Among women, the number of suicides increased marginally during 2000-2015. The average life expectancy in India is 68.35 years. Experts say socio-cultural issues, discrimination, and competition for highly paid jobs are the most common reasons for suicide among youth. Compounding the problem is a system that barely recognises mental health issues, they say. Right Spiritual Knowledge could''ve saved many of taking such extreme step. praveen kumar According to the WHO's Mental Health Atlas 2017, very few countries have suicide prevention strategies despite an estimated 8,00,000 such cases being reported every year. The report highlighted a global shortage of personnel trained in mental health issues and lack of investment in community-based mental health facilities. Beside deaths, a large number of people suffered non-fatal injuries, including disability, the NHP report prepared by Central Bureau of Health Intelligence said. Get latest news & live updates on the go on your pc with News App. Download The Times of India news app for your device. Read more India news in English and other languages.

Preparing for #WorldSuicidePreventionDay2018 #IASP #Aasra

Suicide prevention remains a universal challenge. Every year, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for people of all ages. It is responsible for over 800,000 deaths, which equates to one suicide every 40 seconds. Every life lost represents someone’s partner, child, parent, friend or colleague. For each suicide approximately 135 people suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected. This amounts to 108 million people per year who are profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviour. Suicidal behaviour includes suicide, and also encompases suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. For every suicide, 25 people make a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide. Suicide is the result of a convergence of genetic, psychological, social and cultural and other risk factors, sometimes combined with experiences of trauma and loss. People who take their own lives represent a heterogeneous group, with unique, complex and multifaceted causal influences preceding their final act. Such heterogeneity presents challenges for suicide prevention experts. These challenges can be overcome by adopting a multilevel and cohesive approach to suicide prevention. Follow the link to read the full Brochure: https://iasp.info/wspd2018/wspd-brochure/ https://iasp.info/wspd2018/ For all of your 2018 WSPD Resources including the full brochure: https://iasp.info/wspd2018/wspd-resources/ Cycle Around the Globe participation information including JustGiving fundraising details: https://iasp.info/wspd2018/cycle-around-the-globe/ WSPD Banners: https://iasp.info/wspd2018/wspd-banners/ We are looking for translations in the following languages: Afrikaans Akan Arabic Armenian Bahasa Malaysia Bangla Basque Catalan Chinese (Simple) Chinese (Taiwan) Chinese (Traditional) Croatian Dutch Estonian Farsi Filipino Finnish Gaelic German Greek Greenlandic Hebrew Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian IsiXhosa Italian Japanese Kannada Kazach Khmer Korean Latvian Lithuanian Liganda Malay Malayalam Maltese Marathi Nepali Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Scottish Gaelic Serbian Cyrillic (Bosnia Herzegovina) Serbian Latinic (Bosnia Herzegovina) Serbian Cyrillic (Serbia) Serbian Latinic (Serbia) Sindhi Slovenian Spanish Swahili Swedish Tamil Telugu Thai Turkish Ukrainian Urdu Vietnamese Welsh Light A Candle Postcards: https://iasp.info/wspd2018/light-a-candle/ we are looking for translations in the following languages: Akan (Ghana) Albanian Hindi Inuktitut (Roman) Serbian Cyrillic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Serbian Latinic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Turkish Urdu Vietnamese Shop WSPD Lapel Pins, Wristbands and Cycle Buttons: https://iasp.info/wspd2018/store/ Suggested activities: https://iasp.info/wspd2018/suggested-activities/ Facts and Figures: https://www.iasp.info/wspd/pdf/2018/2018_wspd_facts_and_figures.pdf

SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION

SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION AND SUICIDE PREVENTION TEAM Up’s social media guidelines provide tips for organizations and individuals communicating about mental health and suicide on social media to reduce stigma, increase help seeking behavior and help prevent suicide. Additional recommendations for news and entertainment professionals can be found in TEAM Up’s Mental Health Reporting Style Guide and other resources at eiconline.org/teamup. SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY • Know your goal. Why do you want to use social media? To counter stigma and discrimination? To increase use of mental health services? To encourage people to reach out to a friend who needs help? The outcome you’re seeking should drive your strategy and should fit into your larger program goals. • Identify your audience and where to reach them. Whom do you want to reach with your online communications—people experiencing mental health challenges, friends or family members of people in crisis, potential supporters and allies of your organization’s work, mental health providers? Where do they spend their time online? What content will appeal to them? • Assess your available resources. Consider your capacity to carry out a social media program in terms of staff, time and expertise, and be realistic in your expectations. • Be in it for the long haul. Because the issue of mental health is such a personal one, recognize that trust is built up over time, through ongoing participation with the online community. Know that you need to think long-term to be most effective, and that success will likely not come overnig CONTENT CONSIDERATIONS – MENTAL HEALTH • When linking to mental health information, use a reliable source. Misinformation is rampant online, so make sure you’re not spreading inaccurate information from sites that may be unreliable. Accurate sources generally include government agencies (e.g., MentalHealth.gov), professional associations, wellknown nonprofits and academic journals. • If retweeting or sharing a link, look at the entire content before passing it along. Assess whether it contains any inaccurate, stigmatizing, or unsafe content. • Be transparent. If you work for an organization that has a commercial interest in the issue, make that clear in your profile. Whether you’re a mental health advocate or provider, people like to know with whom they’re talking. • Social interactions with people living with mental illness are the most effective way to reduce public stigma. Using social media to matter-of-factly talk about your own experience can help online friends and followers gain a better understanding of mental illness. • Consider sharing positive stories about recovery, rather than only posting mental health-related content when there is a negative incident. For examples, see the veteran-focused stories at MakeTheConnection.net, messages of hope at OK2TALK.org and “Real Stories” from youth at ReachOutHere.com. • Avoid sharing stories that imply that mental illness often causes violence. The vast majority of people who are living with mental illness are never violent, and are in fact more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence. Refer to our Mental Health Reporting Style Guide (eiconline.org/teamup/for-journalists/) for guidance on when mental illness is relevant to a story about a violent incident. • When you see someone else posting stigmatizing or disparaging content, say something! You have the power to influence how someone thinks about people living with mental illness. If it is a celebrity or corporate account, you have the opportunity to make an even bigger difference. Rather than attacking them, explain why what they posted is hurtful. • Consider adding the phrase “[Trigger Warning]” when linking to graphic stories or images. Though what might cause some people to experience a painful psychological response varies, a trigger warning may be appropriate for your audience. Materials meriting this kind of warning may include accounts of sexual assault, violent incidents, self harm, or disaster/battlefield situations. If on a blog, use a “cut” so that users must click a link to “Read more…” before seeing the potentially triggering content. CONTENT CONSIDERATIONS - SUICIDE PREVENTION • Avoid focusing your communications solely on the extent and consequences of suicide. Prevention efforts are more successful when sharing positive stories of hope and recovery, as well as examples of support and assistance. Calling it an “epidemic” or emphasizing dire statistics can make suicide seem more common than it is or as an acceptable way to cope with adversity. • Follow recommendations for safely communicating to the public about suicide. These recommendations were designed for journalists covering stories about suicide based on research that certain types of media reporting increase the risk of suicide contagion among vulnerable individuals. (See reportingonsuicide.org for details.) Some of the recommendations include: o Don’t overdramatize the event or place “suicide” in the headline/title. (In headlines, “dies” is appropriate.) o Avoid exact details on locations and methods. o Avoid photos or videos of the location or method of death, and of grieving family and friends or memorial services. o Avoid sharing information from suicide notes about motives. o Don’t oversimplify. Suicide is complex and often has many factors. It is almost certainly inaccurate to cite a single cause as, for example, “recent money woes” or “a fight with a spouse.” • Share links to suicide prevention resources periodically and when someone in the news or an online community member has died by suicide. Appropriate hotlines and websites include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for the U.S. (suicidepreventionlifeline.org), Samaritans for the UK (samaritans.org), or Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org). • Be sensitive to the fact that family members may see your posts about their loved one’s suicide. Don’t write something you would not say directly to them. LANGUAGE AND IMAGES • Write conversationally. Don’t sound like a textbook or a press release. People are more receptive when they feel like they are connecting with a real person behind the account. • Avoid stigmatizing or derogatory language. This includes words like “crazy,” “psycho,” “nuts,” “lunatic,” “deranged,” etc. Also avoid “committed suicide” (associated with crimes) and “successful/failed suicide” Instead, use “suicide attempt,” “suicide death,” or “attempted/died by suicide.” • Use people-first language rather than labels. This means describing, for example, someone as “living with schizophrenia” rather than “a schizophrenic.” • Avoid posting stereotypical imagery of people looking disheveled or threatening, or clutching their head. Most people living with mental illness show no outward signs of distress. • Avoid descriptions and images of suicide acts or methods, such as images of guns, pills, or nooses, pictures or descriptions of the location of a suicide, or details about a suicide attempt or death. BUILDING ONLINE ENGAGEMENT • Offer different ways for people to participate with you online. If you want to cultivate an engaged group of people around your issue, realize that people will vary in how they want to interact. Some will simply read your posts, others will converse, and still others will be motivated to create a video or share your campaign with their friends. Creating opportunities for different levels of participation will lead to a vibrant online community. • Use appropriate hashtags to make your posts easy to find. Hashtags are keywords that are used to tag and aggregate posts across sites like Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus and others. Some relevant and frequently used hashtags include #mentalhealth, #suicide, #mhsm (mental health social media), #CYMH (child and youth mental health), #PTSD, #mentalhealthmatters, #EndStigma, #OK2TALK, and more. See www.symplur.com/healthcare-hashtags for more relevant hashtags. You can also coin your own hashtag to spread your campaign. • Join in on Twitter chats and interact with people livetweeting from conferences on relevant topics. Some popular chats include #MHChat, #MHSM (mental health social media), #SPSM (suicide prevention social media), #MHNurseChat, #PPTalk (postpartum psychosis), and more. PRIVACY AND SAFETY CONCERNS • Give careful consideration to your own privacy online. Share your story, but share it in a smart way—do not give out identifiable personal and health information. Remember that what goes online may be there forever. • Never share other people’s information without permission. Be mindful of others’ privacy in addition to your own. Even if someone is already public about their mental health status or experience with suicide online, be thoughtful about whether and where you share it. Private information about someone else should never be posted. If you are a mental health provider, it is illegal to discuss your clients. • Develop policies and procedures for safe comments and posts on your Facebook page/group or any websites or blogs you publish. Monitor for hurtful messages or comments from posters who may be in crisis and take action when needed as quickly as possible. • If you or someone you know are being harassed or bullied online… There are several things you can do to keep yourself or others in your community safe. Clearly tell the harasser to stop, then refrain from any further communications. If the behavior continues, save the communications and contact the appropriate service (e.g., social network site, internet service provider) to take action. If threats of violence have been made, consider involving law enforcement. ADDRESSING SUICIDE-RELATED POSTS BY OTHERS • If someone posts potentially suicidal content online, take action. They may or may not intend to follow through, but don’t take a chance. Reach out to the person online and find out how you can help or provide and encourage them to access resources. Many social networks have a system in place to report suicidal content and get online help to that person. (See suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/online.aspx.) • Keep an eye out for trending topics on Twitter and Facebook that may be related to the suicide of a celebrity or other well-known person. Post resources for people who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts as a result of the news. Use the same hashtags or keywords that appear in the trending topics so your posts will be seen by those following the news. • Do not repost stories or links about suicide attempts or death. Imitative suicides are more likely with more frequent and prominent coverage. In addition, posting links to stories can drive up online traffic, which encourages media organizations to continue posting these stories. Instead, share resources and stories of hope and recovery. • Be vigilant for suicide hoaxes that may spread quickly online. Do not retweet or repost information that has not been confirmed by a reliable source, and discourage others from doing so as well. • Work with influencers in online fan communities who can help to quell rumors and spread accurate information to counter suicide hoaxes. FURTHER SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES Know the Signs - How to Use Social Media for Suicide Prevention: User Guide http://bit.ly/SuicidePrevSocialMediaGuide Responding to a Cry for Help: Best Practices for Online Technologies http://www.preventtheattempt.com CDC Social Media Tools, Guidelines & Best Practices http://www.cdc.gov/socialmedia/tools/guidelines/ In the Know: Social Media for Public Health http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/features/feature_itk.asp Social Media in Mental Health Practice: A Practical Guide for Health and Social Care Practitioners Working in Mental Health Services http://www.leedsandyorkpft.nhs.uk/_documentbank/2418_DMH_e_book_2_1.pdf PARTNER RESOURCES TEAM Up (Tools for Entertainment And Media) http://eiconline.org/teamup ReachOutHere http://reachouthere.com Walk in Our Shoes http://walkinourshoes.org Each Mind Matters http://eachmindmatters.org Know the Signs - Suicide is Preventable http://suicideispreventable.org MentalHealth.gov http://mentalhealth.gov TEAM UP (TOOLS FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA) a project of the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. 866.284.9767 TEAMup@eiconline.org www.eiconline.org/teamup This publication is developed through a project administered by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA). CalMHSA is an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. Prevention and Early Intervention programs implemented by CalMHSA are funded by counties through the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop. 63). Proposition 63 provides the funding and framework needed to expand mental health services to previously underserved populations and all of California’s diverse communiti

Can Young Children Be Suicidal?

#aasraSuicidePrevention24x7Helpline912227546669 #BefriendersWorldwide #SamaritansUK #IASP #UN #WHO #AFSP #INFOTES #LifelineInternational #Google #Facebook #WorldMentalHealthAndWellnessAwarenessWeek #WorldMentalHealthAndWellnessAwarenessMonth #aasradotinfo Can Young Children Be Suicidal? POSTED ON MAY 31, 2018 BY HEIDI POSTED IN INFORMATION Over the years I’ve heard people, often professionals, say that young children can’t really be suicidal because they don’t understand the concept of death. Brian Mishara interviewed 65 elementary children and found out most first graders knew that dead people can’t come back to life and all the second graders understood the everyone dies eventually. However, many first graders and even a few fifth graders thought dead people could see and hear so their beliefs about death are a bit fluid. in the same study, Mishara discovered that children in first grade understood what “killing oneself “meant and one even knew the word suicide. By third grade all but one understood the word suicide. Suicide between the ages of 5-11 is rare, but it does occur; about 33 children under the age of 12 will die each year by suicide. Professionals who have worked with and studied young suicidal children believe the desire to kill oneself isn’t about wanting to die specifically but rather it’s the only way they know of to cope with their problems, mostly family relationships. There is also a correlation between attention-deficit disorder (with or without hyperactivity) and suicide, suggesting impulsivity is a factor as well. I know that as a young child, from the age of five or six, I wanted to die. It’s true, I didn’t know how to handle what was going on in my life, I didn’t talk about it with anyone, and it was the only solution that came to mind. I also remember hearing about heaven and thinking that sounded pretty good to me. No pain, only joy and happiness – who wouldn’t want that? And there was only one way to get there, and that way was death. As I grew older, I tried to think of other solutions. We lived in the country, the nearest town was five miles away, and the closest city was 25 miles away so running away wasn’t going to work. Besides, where would I go and what would I do once I got there? So that didn’t seem like a viable option. But death did and my suicidal ideation began to take shape and I started to think of ways to die. By the time I was in high school, I was definitely suicidal. I came to the conclusion that the only way out of my surroundings and situation was to get good grades and then go to college but that was a long-term plan. I didn’t really think much about my future anyway, so maybe I’d get there, maybe I wouldn’t. I started hoarding pills and thinking about death more and more. So why didn’t I attempt or die? There were several things. One, I didn’t know where my dad and brothers kept their guns or if I did, I couldn’t reach them or the bullets/shotgun shells so that restricted my access to means. And for whatever reason, no other methods occurred to me. I also loved the outdoors. As I said, we lived in the country and half of our property was wooded so I spent a lot of times among the trees and with the chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits. To this day, if I am out of sorts, a walk in the woods will ground me. I love the smell of pine trees so I keep pine infused essential oil on hand. My first spiritual experience was lying on a bed of pine needles, looking up at the sky through the branches of the trees. Finally, my dog Buttercup. When I was eight we rescued her as a puppy – she was a mutt – and she and I grew up together. Buttercup was my pal, my confidante, let me hold her and hug her, cry into her fur when I needed it, and could make me laugh in an instant. She was my best friend and I believe she also helped keep me alive. She even tried to sneak into my car when I was leaving for college my senior year. Oh, how I loved that dog! I didn’t need studies to tell me young children do want to die and do think of suicide but it’s good it’s being studied and finally taken seriously. Pay attention if moods change or weight is gained or lost, sleeping habits change – these things are often indicators something is going on in a child’s life. Also, talk about it. Given that by age eight most children know what suicide is, when it’s shown in a show or movie, use it as an opportunity to talk about it. If nothing else, that sends the message to your child that you’re open and available to talk about things. That is a big deal. It may not seem so to you, but I know I would have loved having an adult I could talk to when I was growing up. Seemingly little things can have a big impact so please don’t be afraid to talk about suicide. Luckily it’s rare in children, but by learning more and being open, we can make it even more of a rare occurrence. References: Kennedy-Moore, Ellen. Suicide in Children – What Every Parent Must Know, Psychology Today, September 24, 2016. Bridge JA, Asti L, Horowitz LM, et al. Suicide trends among elementary school-aged children in the United States from 1993 to 2012. JAMA Pediatr. 2015;169(7):673–677 Mishara, B. L. (1999). Conceptions of death and suicide in children ages 6–12 and their implications for suicide prevention. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 29, 105–118. Sheftall, A.H., Asti L, Horowitz LM, Felts, A., Fontanella, C. A., Campo, J. V., & Bridge, J. A. (2016). Suicide in Elementary School-Aged Children and Early Adolescents. Pediatrics. , 138, http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2016/09/15/peds.2016-0436.full.pdf FacebookTwitterGoogle+Share 2 thoughts on “Can Young Children Be Suicidal?” JUNE 2, 2018 AT 8:27 AM REPLY Angela says: I, too, wished to go to heaven to leave life. In kindergarten, I stepped off the top of a slide. The problem was my home life, abuse by my parents. Those work or interact with children on a regular basis need to also be watching, as parents may be the cause of a child’s desire to die. JUNE 2, 2018 AT 8:33 AM REPLY Heidi says: Thank you for sharing and I agree with you completely. Too many times it’s the home life that is the source of the trauma and suicidality. Teachers, aunts, uncles, coaches, clergy, custodians, can all play an important role in a child’s life.

Recipe for Dealing with Trouble -Martin Terwel

Recipe for Dealing with Trouble 1. Trouble is an everyday part of life, phenomenon of existence. Many of us are brought up with the concept that everything should be rosy. That's why many people think they themselves have done something wrong when trouble happens to them. It is possible of course that this is true (such as when driving drunk, living unhealthily, etc.) but most often you just can't be blamed for this personally. It is a waste to hurt yourself in this way; trouble is often already bad enough by itself. 2. Trouble can also have positive effects. What I mean by that is the following: When trouble brings you down, the good times of the past can become more precious to you. Moreover, it is possible that, if things get better for you in the future, you will appreciate the experience of them more intensely. 3. You can learn from trouble, so that you will be able to meet them better armed in the future. Moreover you can strengthen in facing trouble, through which process you will get a tougher covering on your soul so that the next trouble will hit you less fiercely. 4. Trouble can be a kind of doorstep. It takes you force and energy to get over it, but by doing this you raise yourself a bit so that you may get more insight. 5.It could be that everything in your life will balance itself out. You measure your trouble against your windfalls and serendipities. The two of them together will make up how you feel. The worse your pain or sadness was, the more intense your pleasure or joy can be. Of course it can be the other way around too. By accepting them, you can give them a place. Also, that acceptance can help make sure that everything in your life will balance itself out according to your experience. 6. Another way to look at trouble is to see it as a short cut. You learn and strengthen fast on such occasions. You don't need to think of them as a loss of time. 7. The intensity in which trouble hits you is often related to your own expectations. In fact, this is quite a simple truth: someone who has no expectations (of life) at all and takes every possibility into account, will be able to accept everything. Seen from that perspective, the next observation might be of some worth too: How could you possibly be disappointed in your life if there is absolutely no way to know what you ought to expect? That's why the combination of humility and resignation is a good one in life. 8. It often happens trouble turns out to be an unexpected good in the long run. A good example would be if you get fired but then find a much more enjoyable job that is a lot better too. Of course this does not mean that if you are in the middle of some kind of trouble, you will always see the next steps coming. However, the knowledge that trouble can turn into an unexpected good can elevate the experience of going over it. 9. Through several experiences in my life (n.b., this is a personal belief) I have gotten a very strong idea that life has a purpose for everyone, although we don't know it ourselves. Reasoned from this view, you can never really find out whether you're doing fine or doing poorly. It could be part of this purpose to be confronted with certain problems. That, of course, does not render them enjoyable. But maybe, knowing this, it can get easier to cope with them. From this perspective it is also interesting to know that it's not about what you want to do with your life, but what life wants with you. The person who is in agreement with this shall see that it is impossible for someone else to find out whether you're doing fine or doing poorly and if you're doing well or poorly with respect to your purpose. Let this knowledge protect you against other people's judgments and blamings. 10. I see trouble as something that could be useful in this life – not simply for an individual personally, but possibly also for all of humanity. It would not surprise me if it turns out that we all make contributions to the development and growth of humanity. From that perspective your fight with trouble might serve the whole of humanity. This outlook can make the experience of trouble a lighter one. 11. Trouble can benefit you by helping you get to know yourself better. Hence, you will make better decisions in the future, because those are based on the (lived-through) knowledge of yourself that you have lived (through). This is better than simply evaluating yourself based on someone else's judgments, expectations and knowledge. 12. Besides a better knowledge of yourself, trouble can give you a better understanding of the people around you. Often you will learn who is truly your friend in bad circumstances. Moreover, you can then discover who is only interested in you if you are doing fine. It is often a sobering experience, but everything taken together, you can come out of it as a richer person. 13. We humans can't understand life. It obeys laws of a higher logic, something higher beyond us. Since we don't know these laws, we can't really find out whether something is good or not. It is therefore entirely possible that certain developments can only be set into motion through trouble. This outlook, too, can change your perception of trouble. 14.Many people who are confronted with trouble feel like that they are losing their way. However, since no one truly knows their way, this is completely impossible, and it is an illusion that you could get lost in life. I see this as a rich thought. 15. Trouble can also presage self-critique and self-conciousness. If you are suffering, you will probably try your utmost to get out of this situation. The more and longer you suffer, the bigger will be the change – and, if you keep responding to tegenslagen in a positive way, - you will develop yourself. As the Dutch saying goes: “The more shit there is, the more beautiful the roses will be that grow on them.” 16. No matter how bad the circumstances you encounter will be, there is always something to look forward to. This could even be death, in the worst case scenario. 17. Suppose you had to pay a lot of money to live on this earth. Wouldn't you try to get the most out of it? Think of a theme park: you pay your entrance fee, and when you're inside, you won't sit down on a bench, thinking of all your sorrows, but you will try to get as much value for your money. By viewing existence like this, you get a richer life. 18. Trouble can keep you humble: an elevated position in life. 19. Every trouble you experience as a problem has to do with a lack of acceptance: a person who can accept everything can't even know what problems are. 20. If you're doing well, that is good for you. If you're not doing well, that state is good for your development. I personally don't really see any difference between you and your development. 21. If you are temporarily disabled by trouble, the time you spent living with it does not have to be lost time, because you will develop some kind of hunger, through which your life will ' taste' richer afterwards. 22. People who encounter trouble often look for their cause, but the causes can always be found. For example: “If so-and-so had not done such-and-such, then this result would not have happened to me.” But you do not always look back far enough. If your parents had not been there, then you wouldn't have been there either, and of course it would not have happened. If you apply this search for reasons consistently, you go even further back: to your grandparents, or even the Creation or Big Bang. Is it necessary to hold God or Nature accountable for what happens to you? 23. Try to make sure that you don't need anything in life or the world to feel good yourself. Seek peace and confirmation in yourself itself and try to avoid making yourself dependent on factors you simply can't influence. 24. Don't get angry at or disappointed by a wrong decision. Wrong decisions simply do not exist. At the very moment you made your decision it was good. The only thing that could happen is that a decision turns out badly, but that does not render your decision wrong, especially since you couldn't have done any better in that very moment, because otherwise you would have done so. 25. You usually learn to spend your money wisely when you lack it. The same goes for life. Someone who has encountered trouble can have a better grip on life, so that the burden of future trouble can be smaller. 26. Everything in life is a matter of time. As time does not truly exist, I do not understand why people make such a fuss about it. 27. Life is made up, materially, in a perfect way. Indubitably this is also the case for the immaterial part of it. The tipping point is in our capabilities of understanding and insight, so try to trust life. 28. Nothing ever goes wrong in nature. As humans we have chosen to denote certain developments as wrong. You could regard this practice as wrong. 29. If something seems to go wrong in one way, it only goes right in another. The trick is to find the other angle. My way of doing this is: By assuming that we are here to learn and strengthen, I can give every trouble a place without losing my peace of mind. “When things seem to fall apart, they only fall together in another way”. 30. I have learned from my experiences (as spiritual counselor and as a human) that there is a certain degree of providence in this life. However, we don't know what the – so-called – plan is. Therefore it is hubristic to be disappointed with this life, because how can you be disappointed if you don't know what the end purpose is? 31. Do not base your conceptions of your happiness or misfortune on comparisons: you compare with your head, but feel with your heart. Moreover, it is the case that a comparison only tells you something about the differences between things, and is not really obliged to tell you anything about the person or situation itself. You can, for example, say that one apartment building is higher than another, but that does not say anything about how high they actually are. 32. Life on earth has all kinds of sides, both upsides and downsides. For whoever does not really want to experience all these different facets of life, the only real option is suicide (n.b. I am not advising anyone to do this). For everyone else, there is no reason to complain every time something unpleasant happens, because that is simply a risk of being human. 33. Life is not all about your experiences. Most of these are simply things that befall you. It is often more about how you respond to these experiences. Even these responses are also things that befall you in some way, being determined by your genes, character, and upbringing. Hence, you are not fully responsible for what befalls you. How you respond to that and the knowledge of that is very interesting. It could be liberating. My name is Martin Terwel and I live in the Netherlands. I am 60 years old and have been suffering from depression for the past 25 years and used to get regular bouts of psychoses too. It was hard for many, many years without a glimpse of improvement. Things started to change when gradually I developed insights that helped me deal with my condition. It was as if every new insight was a step in the right direction: upwards. I've collated my insights in a kind of recipe which helped to deal with trouble. The recipe has been published in several magazines and online too. It appears that being ill is not necessary to be able to benefit from these insights.

3 ways to Quieten your Mind- Cope with Anxiety and Worry-Kevin & Matt - MindBodyTraining.com

Are you aware of a dominant feeling that runs like an undercurrent through your life? Or maybe it's more of a subtle background state that seems to color everything that you say, do, and feel? Maybe it's a persistent feeling that you have when you wake up in the morning? ... (For example, you might feel a constant pressure to be busy and get things done. You might feel anxious about what the day might bring. You might feel confused or depressed about your prospects and possibilities.) What if you could feel peaceful, positive, and clear? Let me show you three simple ways you can bring that soothing power into your life. How you feel in your life has a lot to do with what's going on in your head. If you constantly hear thoughts telling you that "Life is a struggle," "The economy is bad," and "You aren't enough," these have a powerful impact on how you feel. These thoughts are like a proverbial "dark cloud hanging over you." One of the defining moments of awakening is when you discover that you "are not" the thoughts you are "having." You witness the incessant chatter that drives you, distracts you, and seems like your constant companion and you realize that you don't have to be defined by that. At that moment, you realize that those words in your head really have little to do with you. They also don't reflect what is actually happening in the world. You come to recognize that a majority of those words are just recorded messages from the past, the limiting thoughts of others, and random sounds from your environment. Nevertheless, they are broadcasting through your head. At that moment, you may get a strong urge to turn off that chatter, or at least turn down the volume, so it is less distracting. The truth is--you can learn to do just that. And it doesn't have to take years of practice, just a little guiding of your attention. Here are a few simple ways to turn down the mental volume and quiet your mind. I encourage you to try them out as you read them. Instead of just reading the words, pause at each one, and actually give it a try. You may be surprised at how effective they are. The great thing is, they take just a few moments. 3 Ways to Quiet Your Mind 1. See if you can listen to the chatter as an outside observer. See if you can separate "who you are" from those words in your head. Listen to them with an attitude of amused curiosity. Smiling while you do this can help. Allow the words to come and go through your mind without hanging onto any of them. Just watch them come and go. You could say, "Hey, they're just thoughts; they don't define me or what I can do." As you give your thoughts less importance, they lose their grip on your attention. Take a minute to observe your mental chatter with a smile. Here's a guided meditation audio that can help you 2. Focus on something else. If you become completely immersed in paying attention to something besides your thoughts, you'll notice that your mind quiets down. For example, place your hands on your abdomen and become aware of your breathing. See if it's possible to notice the moment when your inhale begins; follow your in-breath all the way through to a natural pause; notice the moment your exhale begins; follow that all the way through to a natural pause--and repeat. Become absolutely interested in following your breathing as if nothing else matters at this moment. Within a few breathing cycles, your mind quiets. Try it for yourself. 3. Ask yourself the question: "Who is thinking?" Then sit and be content that you really have no answer for that. Don't try to make up an answer.... Just notice how your mind becomes quiet in the face of that question. Try it for yourself and see what happens. Those are three great ways to get a taste of a quieter mind-- a mind that isn't consumed by incessant thinking, and, therefore, comes to rest in a natural peace