Maine Voices: Dog Breeder, Therapist and Liam Created a Chihuahua Miracle

Liam has changed my life, and now my relationships are stronger and healthier than ever before.

SEBAGO — In my mid-20s, I was terrified to reintegrate myself into society after losing my job and ending up on disability. Even though I was taking my medication for my schizoaffective disorder, it doesn’t control all my symptoms. I don’t have delusions anymore, but I am left with visual and auditory hallucinations. I became very lonely, and I was at a loss as to how I would continue to live the rest of my life. I needed a companion; I desperately wanted a Chihuahua.

I didn’t intend for him to be a service dog. Over the Internet, I found a local Chihuahua breeder with a positive reputation. While petting Liam for the first time, I began to open up to the breeder, who told me she had been training Chihuahuas for 33 years.

She was very easy to talk to, so I told her about my journey with mental illness and why I wanted a dog at this point in my life. She asked me what I was still struggling with on a daily basis. I told her that I was annoying my boyfriend. She laughed.

I explained that I was constantly asking him either “Did you hear that?” or “Did you see that?” to get a reality check on the low-level hallucinations that my medicine still doesn’t completely control. As you can imagine, it was creating a lot of stress in our home. I was also paranoid about being home alone and going out alone, and I was self-conscious about my possible behaviors.

The breeder asked if I would consider working with her to train Liam to help me. I immediately thought of hugs, kisses and unconditional love – which are all wonderful – but I didn’t know what else she could train Liam to do for me. She said she had ideas that she had never tried before and asked if I would be willing to work on creating a Chihuahua miracle. She didn’t ask for a penny.

How could I resist? I worked with her for two years twice a week, and during the second year, my therapist even agreed to join us. This was the opportunity of a lifetime.

We trained Liam in basic obedience and then slowly shifted to the individually tailored tasks that could help me with my daily life.

It wasn’t an easy process, but after a lot of work by all of us (Liam most of all), Liam now assists me in ways I never thought possible. I’ll lightly tap his shoulder with two fingers and then ask him either “Did you hear that?” or “Did you see that?” If he did, he will put one paw forward; if he did not, he will lie down.

Super amazing, right? I had no idea a dog could do this. This seemingly basic task changes the way I live my life every day.

He has become my barometer for reality. I don’t have to ask the people closest to me a thousand times a day about a possible hallucination. I don’t have to be scared and wake someone up in the middle of the night. My paranoia has decreased drastically. I’m not scared to be home alone and I’m not scared to go out alone, because he is always there supporting me.

I continue to bring Liam, my Chihuahua, everywhere I go. I am a public speaker for three separate mental health speaker bureaus in Maine. He can be quite the attraction. It is as if we have an invisible leash connection at all times. He just turned 7 years old, so we are in a fantastic rhythm together. He is still happy and healthy.

His little 6-pound frame has changed my life. I am not scared anymore, and my relationships are stronger and healthier than ever before. He has helped me so much to reintegrate into society. He is my best and most loyal friend.

from World of Psychology http://ift.tt/2tbmn9B

How Do You Know if You Are Depressed or Just Sad?

Contrary to what some people may believe, depression and sadness are not the same thing. Sadness can come and go and affects your mood, while depression is a lingering cloud that affects your overall ability to function.

Sometimes it can be tricky to distinguish between what is normal for going through a rough patch of life and actual clinical depression. Read the signs below to determine if your Eeyore mood could be something more.

Feeling sad about everything.

Sadness is generally related to a specific situation. We are down in the dumps because we lost a job, experienced a breakup, are having financial struggles, etc. But feeling sad about everything in life can be a sign of depression. There may not be a single incident that triggers it, in fact it is possible that a depressed person’s life can appear great on paper.

Things are less enjoyable.

When the things you used to enjoy doing no longer bring you joy or energy, then depression could be a factor. Depression denies our excitement, pleasure, and happiness so everything is less enjoyable than it used to be. When sadness is the factor, the things we enjoy doing can usually brighten our mood, but this is not the case with depression.

You can’t simply snap out of it.

If you are experiencing sadness for any amount of time, often you can give yourself a pep talk and engage in an activity that will make you feel better. If you are suffering from depression, simply snapping out of it is not an option. People suffering from depression cannot just choose happiness or change their mindset. They often need a diagnosis and treatment from a professional in order to get help.

You can’t find motivation.

A person who is sad may not want to engage in regular activities, but they are able to do so anyway. For example, a sad person may not want to get out of bed and go to work, but they push through their mood and do it anyway. A depressed person who doesn’t want to get out of bed won’t—even when the consequences are high. They lack the concern if they will get fired for not showing up or care about letting their coworkers or family down.

You notice changes in your appetite or weight.

Most of us go through periods of weight loss or weight gain, and appetite surges and lows. But people with depression may stop eating altogether or use food as a cope with their mood. If you notice significant changes in appetite or weight, it can be a symptom of depression.

Just experiencing one of these symptoms for a short period, doesn’t necessarily mean that you are depressed. People who suffer from depression often experience multiple symptoms over the course of several weeks or months. If how you function day-to-day has changed drastically, that’s a good indicator you could be struggling with more than just sadness.

Depression can have a stigma attached to it, but it shouldn’t. More than 16 million Americans struggle with depression, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Nevertheless, it can still be difficult to recognize depression, especially in men. When you find that your condition is affecting multiple areas of your life — your job, home life, social life — it’s time to seek professional help.

from World of Psychology http://ift.tt/2s9r8SH

Best of Our Blogs: June 16, 2017

There’s one thing you can do right now to improve your relationships with others, cultivate greater peace and be more efficient.

Can you guess what it is?

Slow down.

Slow down your movements. Slow down to listen to how you feel, what he or she said, and what’s going on around you.

We’re always anticipating the next thing. But rushing from one thing to the next isn’t only exhausting it pushes us from the present moment.

Slowing down gives us time to reflect, pause and do things carefully. In this culture of instant gratification and responses, slowing down, not speeding up will give us what we’re really searching for.

Practice the art of slowing down by carefully not speed reading our top posts.

How to Tell You Are in the Presence of a Dangerous Person
(The Exhausted Woman) – To avoid being hurt by a toxic person, the best thing you can do is identify and avoid them. Here’s what you should look out for.

The Narcissist’s Alphabet
(Narcissism Decoded) – To understand the difference between how narcissists see themselves and others see them, read this creative take on the alphabets.

3 Reasons Codependents Struggle with Self-Care
(Happily Imperfect) – How do you know you’ve healed your codependency issue? You start taking care of yourself.

6 Things Not to Say to A Daughter Recovering From Childhood
(Knotted) – You want to support your loved one, but if you’re saying the following you’re probably doing more damage than good.

All You Need to Know in Order to Make a Decision
(Dysfunction Interrupted) – This explains why you’re so indecisive. Here’s how to simplify the decision-making process going forward.

from World of Psychology http://ift.tt/2t9mHp4