Quality of Life.

... in the materialistic society, people are entangled in a rat-race for wealth, forgetting about quality of life.

Recently i've got support of a very good psychotherapist, from Beata Januszewska.

She prepares me for work, not only by contacting with a job advisor - but also - for better life.

She helps me to renovate my apartment, which was uncared for years, is in bad shape and has smells.

Smells of my apartment sticks to me and my clothing, making me smelly as well.

... in that state, i have troubles of finding Love and Employment.

... i need a strong female hand to recover from crisis, and she's that beneficial person who strongly supports me and helps.

She's quite efficient and merciless in abolishing my faults, she arranges for paint for my walls, for my new furniture - all without my financial involvement, for free.

This is not a small task at all, it's great support and help.

She also motivates me to clean apartment, to get rid of unneccessary things from my apartment, get dressed nicely, to be well shaved, with a nice haircut, to look and smell nice.

She's part of european union's empowerment program, that i can benefit from again.

With work alone i won't survive, i need far more to succeed in Love.

Thankfully, there are efforts for that as well.

My thanks for everyone involved, i think this program is needed to reactivate people and turn hopelessness into meaningful life.

i hope others will benefit as well - if you are deep in crisis, contact nearby psychologist and ask for POWER European Union's program - or other equvialents in Your nation or country. In nations other than Poland, this program is probably named differently.

... it's worth to try, i think.


See also if You wish: a Prayer for a Nice Look & Fragrance.

Insomnia.

i am unable to sleep again.

i think it's result of improper meditation, of our fellow buddhist 'friends'.

had insight that they wished to sleep earlier, and to have someone finish their chores during nights.

during night, i do not want to wake up a buddhist woman i love, even in mind.

i have almost no support during nights, i am weaker, hence it's time when i am vulnerable to be attacked, to be woken up and forced to work.

i think certain jerks take advantage of that.

i am unemployed, but this is not excuse for having to sleep irregularly - it destroys my sleep health habits, it makes me unable to function during days.

when i sleep irregularly i am unable to find and keep my work, it's feels as endless cycle of being unable to work, because i do not work already.

it's not fair to not let others sleep, prepare, find and keep paid work.

... dear fellow buddhist friends, please meditate better, and do your own chores by yourself.

if i keep waking up, i'll hate parts of my mind as well, and eventually people associated with these parts.

what occurs on mind level, awakens in speech and body later, afterall.

Within Walls.

Introduction.

Recent years i made many aspirations, wishes to improve, to be a better person.

Usually at first i had good results, then i hit obstacles - while my ego consciously wished for better, my unconscious self-complexes / complex is structure in psyche / opposed.

My bad karma surfaced, i was struggling between opposites - of high aspirations, and of these parts of my self that i prefer to reeject.


Ego has to die.

Like Ouroboros, Snake-Dragon eating it's tail to breed, ego has to die to make room for one's improvement.

Why is it so, if one's ego is striving for perfection?

Problem is that this perfection is imperfect still.

One is held between walls of one's own ego & one's self-complexes.

This is a crushing prison that blinds and hinders one's freedom.


'If you remain within arbitrary and artificially created boundaries, you will walk as between two high walls: you do not see the immensity of the world. But if you break down the walls that confine your view, and if the immensity and its endless uncertainty inspire you with fear, then the ancient sleeper awakens in you, whose messenger is the white bird. Then you need the message of the old tamer of chaos. There in the whirl of chaos dwells eternal wonder. Your world begins to become wonderful. Man belongs not only to an ordered world, he also belongs in the wonder-world of his soul. Consequently you must make your ordered world horrible, so that you are put off by being too much outside yourself.'

-- Quoted from 'The Red Book' by C.G. Jung.


See also, if You wish: Self and Ego.

Power of the Teams in a Mental Support.

Every person is different, we have brighter & darker parts of our personality.

Every person should be treated differently, uniquely.

Not every therapist can address every of a person's ill parts.

... it's like a candle that when set-up by a person, it will cast light, but also create a shadow.

... a light from one source won't reach all of dark corners of one's Mind.


But multiple lights from all directions can eliminate shadow much more completely.

... it's best to work in teams, therefore.


i think this thought is related with the Buddhist Vipassana Mind-Calming Meditation.

Teaching Meditation on Breath & Mental Ilness.

On today's 'Ex-In' (experience involved, psychotherapy more or less) course i took responsibility of introducing rest of group into simple meditation on breath, that i composed myself, using my own knowledge & experience.

Most of us are mentally ill, we know a lot about our mental ills, this course prepares us to support / help other mentally ill people professionally, in teams with psychiatrists, psychologists & psychotherapist.

Goal of this meditation is developing mind calmness & enhancing self discovery, mostly.

Meditation is dangerous for mentally ill people, but our group needs it - they requested me to teach them this.

i need support, calm mind, wisdom, compassion, protection & beneficial speech to succeed.

This will occur in 2 weeks (10 November 2017 11:00 AM Warsaw Time), not earlier - but perhaps later, if at all.

Thanks in advance to those who will support or help, if anyone.

Shared Psychotic Disorder, what can help?

Is Psychosis contagious?

Unfortunately it can be - for details: click a link.


What is Psychosis?

Psychosis is a mental disorder, often occuring before schizophrenia. It's symptoms are delusions, sensory hallucinations, sleeping disorders, mood swings & extremes, possibly paranoic fear.

While psychotic episode can be permanently cured, schizophrenia rarely can be. There are of course states of remission, patient can behave sanely for long periods of time - and need for hospitalization might be reduced to minimum.


What can help?

Calmness, relaxation, distance, criticism & delaying rash decision until one has calm moment to think over these.

i also think that one should speak (or write) - especially in media, including in the internet social media - as little as possible, when suffering from illness symptoms.

Speaking should occur in a contained therapic environment, however - as neglecting it might cause stress & problems to accumulate in subconsciousness over time, worsening one's state in the result.


'i have some symptoms, should i visit a doctor?'

Many of healthy people occassionally have symptoms as delusions or sensory hallucinations, or other.

What makes visiting doctor needed is failing at handling real-life's situations because of these.

Even when this occurs, one should not go to psychiatrist at first, one should consult psychologist instead. When neccessary, psychologist will send one to a psychiatrist or administer proper therapy.


What is the difference between psychology & psychiatry?

Psychology is talking, counselling, advice & psychotherapy - using words & exercises. It's finer method, gentler than psychiatry. No medicines are administered.

Psychiatry is administering medicines, often in a mental hospital - so doctors can observe how patients reacts to a certain medicines. Being at a hospital also ensures that risk of harming oneself or others is reduced to a minimum. If medicines are working inefficiently, visit in the hospital is longer, as different ones are tried. Whole process takes time, one cannot just take away pills and next day administer full dose of another pills. Effects of therapy also take time, as does observing these over a certain period.

Psychology can occur without psychotherapy, psychotherapy is best combined with psychology.

Psychiatric medicines are powerful, and often have side-effects on a patient - but well-selected medicines have neglible effects.

i think it's worth to wait until proper medicines are administered, but often it takes too long - as patient's body must get used to these. Usually after a few visits to hospital, best medicines are chosen at last.

'Ex-In' Module 02/10 - 'Empowerment'.

Module 2 - 'Empowerment'.

This module also was about exercises over theory.

How to empower ourselves or someone depends on people involved, we have to develop our own methods for each case. There are plenty of these.

Proper communication is important in that, words have power to heal or destroy.

Understanding oneself is a strength, understanding others as well.

Protecting our secrets & weaknessess, as well as releasing difficult emotions in a safe situations can be empowering as well.

In our lives & therapisits employment we'll face different people - some nice, some rude, some aggressive. Wisely choosing our roles (when possible) & masks might prove protection & an invaluable tools, teaching others to choose these can help them as well.


1. Favourite Role.

In life we are put in different roles.

During exercise everyone chose a group in which he or she finds himself or herself most comfortable - among 'leaders', 'supporters' & 'outsiders'.

We talked within our groups about strong & weak points of our roles.

Then we acted out, theatrically expressing these strong & weak points.

Then we talked about these strong/weak points, scenes, roles & common points.


2. Empowerment by Expression.

We sang uplifting texts, combined with proper gestures that added power to this expression.

Texts included:
- 'With open helmet visor, i go to the battle!',
- 'i know my value, and i am proud of it!'.

We learned that sounds of songs are liberating spirit, gestures strenghten, words we speak create us.

Then we talked about feelings & thoughts about this exercise.

We learned that shouting out feelings allows to get rid of emotional garbage, and during psychotherapy there are other methods for that as well - for example by asking someone to throw a pillow or to kick a chair.

We learned that we have blockades that make these exercises difficult, but there are methods to overcome these.


3. Masks.

In a center of room there were various face masks.

Each of us chose two of the masks, one representing mask we wear everyday, and one representing mask we wear in difficult situations.

Then we explained our choices between whole group.


We learned that talking about masks is emotionally difficult, it's in a way 'demasking ourselves' - revealing our secrets & weaknessess.

We learned that mask can be fitting well or cumbersome, there might be need to replace one's mask with other type of a mask.

We learned that masks obscure what's inside, can make feelings accumulate in psyche. Succesfully removing a mask can be liberating, but difficult endeavour.

We learned that masks can be worn subconsciously or with deliberation. Well fitting mask might protect us, might be a 'dynamic truth' that transforms us - mask becomes part of personality.

In our lives masks might be very useful tool for fitting in our social roles (work, parenthood, ...).


4. Emotions of discovery & revealing.

'Leaders' from exercise 1st were randomly assigned groups in which we talked about feelings & thoughts associated with exercise 3rd.

Group leaders related our written reports to everyone, we had opportunity to talk about our findings as well.


5. Orchestra.

Shy volunteers assumed roles of orchestra's leaders, conductors.

Each of conductors in turns gave tasks to each of course's participants (making sounds as howls, talking, hand clapping, stomping, etc ...), then directed 'concerto' by properly gesturing to make chosen people or groups to increase or decrease volume, change tempo, or to silence everyone.

Then we split into groups randomly, each participant was assigned to a conductor. We talked in groups about this exercise, then conductors related group's opinions in one phrase before whole of course's participants.


6. Drawing by Descriptions.

We were paired randomly with other course's participants, each of us randomly chose one of beautiful images provided by course's staff.

In pairs, one of participants described, spoke about image without showing it to other. The other painted or drew it on a piece of paper - asking questions, getting answers as needed. Then we changed roles.

Then we talked about exercise.


We learned that communication has this property, that we skip 'obvious elements' from our descriptions - but what is obvious to one, doesn't have to be obvious to other.

We learned that during communication it's important to name ideas, to listen, to ask questions.


7. Getting into someone's shoes.

We were paired randomly with other course's participants, then one of us followed other for 10 minutes, mimicking every move. After 10 minutes, roles changed - other followed one who led before.

Then we talked about exercise before whole group.


We learned that when we get in someone's shoes, distance is very useful.

We learned that leading partner should be responsible & take into account follower's limitations & needs - but not everyone does that.

We learned that there's difference between empathy & identification.

We learned that kids learn by mimicking parents; we learned that one who is authority, a model - should be responsible, be careful of what he or she is doing.

We understood that distance is useful for getting whole picture - as in Impressionist Art, where from close distance one can see only colorful dots, but at distance whole image can be seen.


8. Deaf Phone.

Randomly selected course's participant (student) got quietly instructions from course's staff, about message to convey. He whispered to his neighbour (we sat in a circle in our room, chairs were placed that way). Message was passed by whispering into neighbours' ear, from a person to person - until whole circle was completed. Then last person spoke message aloud.

Final message was very different from original, yet it contained one word from original message.


We learned that the shorter message, the easier it is to remember.

We learned that longer messages are easily malformed.

We learned that we perceive, hear and understand through 'prism of ourselves'; when we have something we don't understand, or fail to hear, when there's something missing - we add our own personal content.


9. Empowering Letter.

We were paired randomly with other course's participants, then wrote a letter to our partner - something empowering, something that could let someone be stronger, feel nice, feel reassured.

Then we gave letters to whom they were wrote, and read these before whole group.