Shopping Cart

0

Life Lived with Love

Care-FULLY

TM

A Mental Health Caregiver Community

A Product of: 
  1. Mental Health Caregiving
  2. Men Care Too
  3. Hurricane Harvey - What Did He Leave Behind?
Search
HOMAGI
Sep 4, 2017

Hurricane Harvey - What Did He Leave Behind?

0 comments

 

 

 

 

It's Labor Day, September fourth, twenty-seventeen and we are just over a week post Harvey. It was exactly one week and theee days ago that we were all bracing ourselves for "landfall".

 

Looking back we did everything we could do to be prepared for the storm...physically but mentally there was just no way we cod orepare dor what came.

 

Our family transported here to LaPorte, Texas six years ago, and although we were "christened" in hurricane awareness in 2006 while living in Orange Park, Florida this was a real life changer.

 

We sustained no storm damage or loss of power but watched in horror and anticipation as the days grew longer, and more water fell.

 

My anxiety levels surprisingly were very low until the last two days when more rain fell and it seemed more posts were coming through about people, thier children, and animals were stranded.

 

Family members begged for anyone to help loved ones whose phones were dying. More posts came in about the missing and pleas foe babies who were separated from moms. I started thinking of caregivers with loved ones who may be non verbal and thats when I saw the post about a special needs adult man who was missing.

 

My heart raced thinking of what the family must have been feeling. I prayed for them and for the many loved ones and caregivers who were caught in the storm.

 

My son was in a "flood zone" on the second floor with the water rising and another son who's incarcerated in Humble which was also flooding. Both were confirmed well and dry but the ever "impending doom" kept me climbing the anxiety wall.

 

In hindsight I can appreciate how God kept our family from losing our "ish" when everything was going to "hell in a handbasket" around us. We saw it at the time but the full appreciation was after visiting shelters and volunteering. Hearing the peoples stories who lived through everything and seeing portions of the city still under water was very difficult.

 

What struck me most was the thought if how our mental health professionals were going to be able to serve from cracked and damaged vessels themselves? How will an already burdened system handle an influx of existing clients and new clients that will be coming in?

 

How will the "recovery" or delay of recovery affect so many families and profress of loved ones who may now have a new trigger or triggers like rain and storms.

 

How is or has the hurricane affected you and your loved one(s), and family?

0
New Posts
  • HOMAGI
    Sep 12

    September is Suicide Prevention Month

    September is Suicide Prevention Month and it’s a great time to talk about an issue that can impact the Mental Health Family Caregiver Community. Suicide is a real issue and for many people a very private one. No one want to speak openly about thoughts of suicide, but at some point may have struggled with the issue. As Caregivers we may at some time face the challenge of a Loved One who is suicidal or has attempted suicide, what’s also a possibility is that we at one time or another may have ourselves felt suicidal. The reality is it’s not uncommon, especially amongst Caregivers of Loved Ones with severe Mental Illness and other degenerative Long Term illnesses. An article “A Physicians View of Caregiver Health-Archive” on Caregiver.org explains the impact on us caregivers. I identified with all of it. Here is some of what the Doctor shared(there is also a link below if you would like to read the whole of it): The Effects of Caregiving on Caregiver Health There is now a large and growing body of evidence that confirms that caring for a physically or mentally chronically sick person can have dire consequences for the caregiver. Caregiver health is becoming a public health issue, as the numbers of caregivers grow and the average duration of caregiving is four years. In many cases, even longer. Health effects can be physical, mental, emotional, or a combination of all three: Physical Effects Compared with noncaregivers, caregivers suffer from: Diminished immune responses, which means more frequent infection and increased risk of cancers Slower wound healing Higher incidence of hospitalization Higher mortality rate Poorer general health Higher incidence of headaches, gastro-intestinal problems and insomnia An increased risk of heart disease. Mental Effects Compared with noncaregivers, the following occur more often in caregivers: Depression and anxiety disorders, and these can persist, even after the death of the patient or placement in a nursing home—guilt often adding to this sad picture. Whenever we say “depression” the next thought must be “is suicide far behind?” and yes, there is a higher incidence of suicide among caregivers. Alcohol and other substance use—this has serious implications for driving and operating machinery as well as damage to health. Emotional Effects Emotional exhaustion and caregiver stress is real and debilitating. Among signs of caregiver stress are anger at self and the patient; social withdrawal from friends and activities previously enjoyed; irritability leading to moodiness; negative thoughts and reactions; inability to concentrate; and errors at work—the wage-earning caregiver cannot afford this. There is evidence now that emotional stress adversely affects longevity—this goes with the higher risk of mortality I have mentioned above. Physical, mental and emotional damage, or a combination of all three? What a gloomy picture! But is it always like this? Does it need to be like this? I am happy to say the answer is “No!” it needn’t be like this. We can change it, ladies and gentlemen. Sick caregivers cannot effectively look after chronically sick patients so we must find ways to keep caregivers healthy. How might we do this? As well as the studies supporting the adverse effects on health I have described above, there are other studies that make it abundantly clear that access to a good social support network—family and friends, community resources, religious groups, volunteers—and respite care have a strongly positive effect on the mental, physical and emotional health of the caregiver. https://www.caregiver.org/physicians-view-caregiver-health-archive
    0 comments
    0
  • HOMAGI
    Apr 18, 2018

    Mental illness in seniors under-diagnosed

    Mental illness in seniors under-diagnosed Facts about mental illness in the elderly You might not be surprised to read that the most common mental health issue among the elderly is severe cognitive impairment or dementia. Depression and mood disorders are also fairly widespread among older adults, and disturbingly, they often go undiagnosed and untreated. In a 2006 survey, 5% of seniors 65 and older reported having current depression, and about 10.5% reported a diagnosis of depression at some point in their lives (CDC). Often going along with depression in many individuals, anxiety is also one of the more prevalent mental health problems among the elderly.  Anxiety disorders encompass a range of issues, from obsessive-compulsive disorder (including hoarding syndrome) to phobias to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). About 7.6% of those over 65 have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, reports the CDC. Causes and Risk Factors for Senior Mental Illness One of the ongoing problem with diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in seniors is the fact that older adults are more likely to report physical symptoms than psychiatric complaints (CDC).The Geriatric Mental Health Foundation lists a number of potential triggers for mental illness in the elderly: Physical disability Long-term illness (e.g., heart disease or cancer) Dementia-causing illness (e.g. Alzheimer's disease) Physical illnesses that can affect thought, memory, and emotion (e.g. thyroid or adrenal disease) Change of environment, like moving into assisted living Illness or loss of a loved one Medication interactions Alcohol or substance abuse Poor diet or malnutrition http://www.kristv.com/story/37806684/mental-illness-in-seniors-under-diagnosed https://youtu.be/mUBPJOim8zM
    0 comments
    0
  • HOMAGI
    Apr 18, 2018

    Schizophrenia, Caregivers And Mental Health Education

    "...Families coping with severe cerebral palsy or dementia don't have to deal with professionals and academics who aren't sure that the disorders exist. Funded organizations designed to help with these disorders can focus on increasing access to the best treatments. Schizophrenia and many mental illnesses, however, are highly politicized conditions. Academics in Mad Studies , for example, argue that mental illnesses aren't real and that people "labelled" with these disorders are just experiencing intense forms of normal human distress. Key figures in this field advocate for the abolition of psychiatry . The families I know have relied on contemporary psychiatry to help their family members escape the agony of the psychotic part of their illness..." https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/susan-inman/schizophrenia-caregivers-education_a_23402045/
    0 comments
    0
  • w-facebook
  • Instagram Classic
  • Twitter Clean
  • w-googleplus