About HealOnCapHill

Ask me about counseling or mindfulness meditation!

Recent posts

• Follow Following 1

  Do you think the DSM-5 will be significantly better in any way?

  1 0 I've only heard about the change from Mental Retardation to Intellectual Disability. A step in the right direction, but no big difference as far as I know. It's still just western medicine's best guess at some of the categories we fall into when majorly stressed and traumatized. HealOnCapHill answered in Mental Health/Addiction about 1 month ago Answer and comment »

• Follow Following 1

  I'm looking for a support group for women with non-violent psychosis. My support system is in shambles; it would be nice to know I'm not alone.

  2 0 I could see that that would be shocking. As usual, I recommend getting help from a team, because often one persons view is a bit limited. I haven't heard of anything about groups, but I will keep an eye out. You might check the NAMI website as well. Forming a group sounds like a great idea, if you can talk about what's going on for you and share some of the stuff that works for you it will be great for you and others who might be feeling isolated. The creative angle you are thinking of is probably something that would be awesome as well. I imagine most of us would be surprised to know how many of us experience symptoms of mental illness. Glad to hear your experience is nudging you in a creative direction. HealOnCapHill answered in Mental Health/Addiction 3 months ago Answer and comment »

• Follow Following 1

  How can I learn better self control?

  2 0 Well, can't help you with crying at movies, as I practice tai chi and qi gong daily and am still a sucker for those cheesy moments. But, when I was in your shoes I did a lot of experimenting with different practices such as yoga, meditation, etc. There are all sorts of great free classes and groups around Seattle such as Shambala on Thursday's and Insight society on tuesdays. Try a couple practices and see which one feels like a fit. Then, pick a time each day to practice for 10 minutes and dedicate yourself to doing your best to stick with it for two weeks. I also highly recommend The Mindful Way Through Depression as a great resource for effective introductory practices as well as awesome writing about how low emotions effect our body/mind. HealOnCapHill answered in Mental Health/Addiction 3 months ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

• Comment on Kristin Bell's answer…

  0 0 I agree, its really hard to get through to acceptance of the medical definition for a lot of people I work with. It takes a lot of life experience and luck before folks end up accepting help too. I am fascinated that in some cultures people with psychosis are considered great candidates for healers. Any chance you can affirm that she is experiencing hallucinations but also help her find a sense of purpose in what is happening? I also agree that many people have to try a few meds before they find what helps them. Similar to therapy, once you find a good one, you've got to give it a while to help. HealOnCapHill commented 3 months ago

• Comment on HealOnCapHill's answer…

  0 0 In the sense of not reacting to negativity yes, but there is the conscious choice about which stories to believe and build on. HealOnCapHill commented 3 months ago

• Follow Following 1

  Should I force myself to wake up at a reasonable time?

  0 0 I'm a big fan of winter hibernation. If it's not causing a problem and you are feeling rested, don't worry about it. If you want some help with the overthinking, mindfulness practices have a lot of other benefits as well. I like to practice tai chi and chi kung before bed, I find it helps me shift down into relaxation mode. Lot's of people have similar benefits with yoga as well. HealOnCapHill answered in Mental Health/Addiction 4 months ago Answer, comment & read 9 more answers »

• Follow Following 2

  Does "positive thinking" really work?

  0 0 I think it works when part of a holistic approach. From the perspective that mindfulness brings to therapy, a great way to approach habitual negative thinking is to notice it happening. When you are thinking negatively, is it familiar? I know, for myself at least, that lots of negativity is from the past, and that thinking "the same thing is happening again" often makes me feel resigned to let things go that route again. I think some good points have been made here about honoring negative feelings when they are authentic, and we do have the choice about where we want to encourage our mind and energy to go in the present. It is hard work, but at a certain point, what else are we going to do? HealOnCapHill answered in Mental Health/Addiction 4 months ago Answer, comment & read 7 more answers »

• Follow Following 1

  What is the meaning of being "tiered" in the King County mental health system?

  3 0 In my outpatient mental health job it means the level of services that the county is paying the agency for. There are 3 tiers that we use: 3B, 3A, and 2X and it just means how many hours of mental health counseling and case management you get per month from around 20 down to 4 or so. Tiers are determined based on need. I'm not really sure how it related to inpatient hospitalization... HealOnCapHill answered in Mental Health/Addiction 7 months ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

• Follow Following 1

  I'm doing well so far in my math classes, but how can I let go of the math anxiety?

  2 0 Hi Kristin, Looks like you've got some good stuff to work with already. My first thought is that with such heady subjects, its easy to get a little stuck in our heads. What happens if you shift your attention to your body for a minute, noticing the sensations of your feet on the floor and body in the chair? Breath awareness can also help reconnect with the body, noticing how the breath expands and contracts your belly and chest. With practice, relaxing in this way can help you ground and let anxiety and stressful thoughts sink out of your system. HealOnCapHill answered in Mental Health/Addiction 7 months ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

• Follow Following 1

  Why aren't my psychiatric medications working for me?

  1 0 In working with a lot of psych med prescribers, it has seemed to me that a lot of it is trial and error. Sounds like you've got really clear data that your current med regime isn't working for you. When that happens the best thing to do is let your prescriber know and try something new. HealOnCapHill answered in Mental Health/Addiction 11 months ago Answer, comment & read 9 more answers »

• See all of my 0 Questions , 16 Answers and 2 Comments