mental health

10/10/2022 Today is Mental Health Day!

Abby H.

Every day should be mental health day, but 10/10/2022 is International Mental Health Day. The past few years have been hard on everyone emotionally for various reasons, and it’s time to check in and make sure everyone is getting the love and support they need to get their mental health in check.

I am by no means a doctor, and I do not play one on the internet, but here are a few of my tips to foster better mental health. Most of these come from being the caregiver to two neurodivergent people, who have distinctly different mental health needs.

Check with your health insurance carrier to access mental health services. Call the phone number on the back of your health insurance id card and talk to someone. Looking online on your insurance company’s website can be too overwhelming.

If you don’t have health insurance, google sliding scale mental health services + your city. There are mental health services everywhere in person, online, and even via text or app.

Take your meds. If you are prescribed medication, please take it as prescribed. Regardless of what it’s for. When your body is healthy and cared for, that goes a long way.

Move Your Body. Exercise is not a substitution for medication or talk therapy, but it dovetails nicely. Go for a walk. Find a fitness video on Youtube (I like Yoga with Adriene). Have a family dance party, whatever you need to do to move your meatsack through space!

Drink some water. I know, I know. It’s hard to get in a bunch of water each day. Hydration helps our bodies (and minds) focus. I am a self-proclaimed beverage girl. I have 2-3 beverages at all times. I have two Yeti cups (they were promo cups, I’m too cheap to actually buy real yeti cups), plus a water bottle like this one, an insulated coffee cup  (the yeti makes my coffee stay too hot to drink for too long). If you like the style of Yeti’s tumblers, but are on a budget, I also have one of these Beast cups, and they work just as well. I also have a stash of water bottles in my car, which I am constantly refilling. I bring hte kids fresh cold water after school too- along with a snack. Which leads me to my next tip…

When is the last time you ate? Being Hangry is real. If you are hungry or thirsty your mind can become dysregulated, and that can lead to impaired cognition (or just being an asshole to people around you). Have a snack! Make snacks and food available to you and your family. Y’all know I love a good snack bin. Schedule snack times and meal times throughout your day.

Make time for yourself. I’m not going to tell you that self-care is all face masks and bubble baths. Sometimes It’s mindlessly browsing Target, texting with a friend, or cleaning out your car. Doing an activity that helps you feel better goes a long way. I wrote a post a few years ago with more self-care tips, you can check it out here.

And finally- Ask for Help.  I know this one is the hardest, at least for me. Ask for help when you need it… Before you need it. It’s as simple as delegating tasks around the house, ordering groceries from Target in-app, and doing curbside pick up. Find ways to make tasks simpler. I have a robot vacuum and it helps immensely. If you don’t have a village or closeby family or friends, rely on automation and apps.  There is no shame in asking for or hiring help (if that is available to you). If you find yourself in need of some care or gentle coaching on how to organize and clean while you are feeling stressed, I recommend KC Davis’ Book, How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing.

I’m here! If you need help finding resources, please feel free to drop me an email or leave a comment on my posts. 

 

 

Getting Ready for Back to School: Health Edition

Abby H.

The Back to school shopping crazies will start in a few weeks with sales and deals, but one thing we’ve done this summer to help with Back to school is getting everyone in tip-top health!

I made sure the kids are seeing all the doctors/specialists over the summer to minimize appointments during the school year.

Here in California vision and dental insurance is included under health insurance plans for kids 18 and under. To learn more, check the back of your kid’s health insurance card for phone numbers.

The kids saw the dentist and had eye exams. New glasses were ordered through the optometrist that are part of the vision insurance (one pair every 2 years from a list of specific frames), and we get the paper prescription for our family binder. 

I order extra pairs of glasses through online discount retailers such as EYEBUYDIRECT. A lot of online discount retailers have inexpensive kid’s glasses that can be less than $20 a pair, which is great to have on hand because we all know, kids tend to break stuff.

EYEBUYDIRECT prices start at $6 for select frames!

I also had the kids see any specialists that they needed to, in our case they needed to go to the podiatrist.

And of course, we took care of behavioral/mental health appointments and medication checks over the summer as well. And all future mental/behavioral health appointments are after school or on weekends.

The next health component that I am working on is getting our family first aid kit up to snuff, and that will be a separate post over the weekend.

Free Webinar: Talking About Anxiety and Depression in Children

Abby H.

Have you noticed that your children has been upset, anxious, depressed, or otherwise stressed? Check out this webinar offered by Sharp Health for free. It takes place on 9/30/2021 at 12pm.

Unprecedented changes in routine due to the pandemic — mixed with constant stress from social media and the news — has made the life of adolescents and teens more complex than ever.

Join Sharp Mesa Vista’s Child and Adolescent Program for a free webinar on how parents, teachers and school counselors can better identify and address signs that a child or teen may be struggling with significant mental distress, including anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts.

During this webinar, you will learn more about:

  • Recent statistics on anxiety and depression in youth
  • Implications of the pandemic on anxiety and depression
  • Typical developmental changes in children and teens and warning signs of significant anxiety and depression
  • Awareness of suicidal thoughts and risks and responding to a crisis
  • How to talk to children and teens about what they are going through
  • General support for a child with anxiety and/or depressive symptoms
  • Knowing when and how to seek support

To learn more, or sign up, click here. 

What to do When You Have a Newly Diagnosed Child on The Autism Spectrum?

Abby H.

I’m in a few Facebook groups for parents of children that are on the Autism spectrum or are otherwise neurodivergent.

One of the things about being a parent of a neurodivergent child is that after you are informed of your kids’ diagnosis is there is nothing. It’s like, “Here is the diagnosis. Thanks for your co-pay… NEXT!!”

Typically, doctors and other clinicians don’t offer you resources, support, or give you any information. Sometimes you have to fight to get a copy of the diagnostic report.

In my Facebook groups, parents of newly diagnosed children come and ask, “What now?” or “How do I get my kid help and services?” After typing the same response literally hundreds of times in the past 5 years trying to help parents and guardians (because I had no help and had to google and claw and find help for my child and family), here are a few resources that have helped my family:

If you suspect your child may be neurodivergent, contact their pediatrician. Ask for an assessment. You may receive a referral to a psychologist. The intake process is lengthy. There are typically 2-3 appointments, plus lots of paperwork to complete. If you receive any pushback, keep pressing forward. If your doctor says no, call your insurance provider directly and ask for help. If you live in San Diego County, you can also contact the San Diego Regional Center directly for help getting an assessment.

Once you receive a diagnosis, request a copy of the paperwork for your files. You will need a copy of the diagnosis paperwork to access services.

Important side notes: Start a file/binder (I use this one) for all of your paperwork. There will be a lot of it. I also have heavy-duty page protectors and folders in the three-ring binder. I keep his IEP (Individual Education Plan), IHSS paperwork, Regional Center paperwork, a list of his doctors (including their phone numbers and addresses), and copies of the medication inserts/directions that come with the prescriptions.

If you are in San Diego County, contact the San Diego Regional Center. Any resident of San Diego or Imperial County believed to have a developmental disability may receive intake services through the San Diego Regional Center. The Regional Center can help you access services such as respite care, Medi-cal Waiver, and access to community services. For most families, Regional Center services are free or very inexpensive. The intake paperwork will go over income requirements for payment for being a Regional Center Client. Our kiddo has been a Regional Center client for 5 years, and they have been a great resource.

Once you get in touch with the Regional Center and your child becomes a client, you want to get your child on Medi-cal. This will allow them to receive the most services and can help your family access IHSS (In Home Support Services- Someone to help provide care for your child, as their special needs may mean that they require extra care or support above and beyond what a neurotypical child their age may require).

If your family makes too much money annually to qualify your child through Medi-Cal, ask for a Medi-cal Development Disability Waiver. Having this waiver for your child is really important, as it will open up so many services and programs.

Some neurodivergent children require services to help better their quality of life. Some of these services include:

  • OT (Occupational Therapy)
  • Speech Therapy
  • Behavioral or Mental Health Therapy
  • Feeding Therapies

The Regional Center Case Worker assigned to your child can help you navigate what services they can help with, and provide resources.

Note about Medi-cal: Just because your kid has it, doesn’t mean that you have to use it as their primary health insurance. For our family, we use Medi-cal to cover the gaps that we’ve found in our primary insurance. Covering co-pays for medication that relates to his diagnosis, and in the past, a few other therapies that we no longer utilize.

There are a lot of support groups online to help parents navigate life with Neurodivergent kiddos. It’s worth a Facebook or Reddit search, using your city, state, or geographic area.

There are also a lot of non-profits that are all about helping Neurodivergent people. I love NFAR (the National Federation for Autism Research), they are local to San Diego, and they have programs for parents, kids, and teens, and adults.

The Autism Tree Project Foundation is another NPO I love. They have all sorts of great playgroups, events, and resources for families of Neurodivergent people.

MOST IMPORTANT: Regardless of your child’s diagnosis, they are still your kid. Nothing changes your love for them and their love for you. If you are uncomfortable or if your child is uncomfortable with any therapies that they take part in, listen to your gut, and listen to your kid. There are some therapies that are commonly accepted that older Autists (people on the autism spectrum) recount as having negative mental or physical impacts on them.

Please seek out support- There are a lot of people who have gone through what you are going through. Lots of parents, friends, allies who can share their resources, and offer you a shoulder to cry on when you are frustrated, and hugs when you need them. I count myself among those supporters. When you need help or support, don’t hesitate to email me or DM/PM me on any of my socials.