Mental Health Archives - Inspired Forward

July 12, 2018 by Colleen Mitchell

25 Truth Bombs to Make You Re-Think Type 1 Diabetes

I’ve had type 1 diabetes since age two. Diabetes education is near and dear to my heart, especially since I volunteer every year at a day camp for young, and often newly-diagnosed type 1’s.

Let’s dive right in.

1. Type 1 Diabetes is not preventable.

You either get it or you don’t. Changing your lifestyle won’t prevent your pancreas from attacking itself.

2. Type 1 Diabetes is not curable at the moment.

It’s only treatable. Insulin is not a cure, it’s a treatment.

The science community has been telling us that a cure is 5 years away for over 50 years. The closest we’ve gotten is cell replacement therapy, but that’s just trading insulin for anti-rejection medication.

Personally, I’m looking forward to artificial pancreases and closed-loop insulin pumps.

3. I’m “allowed” to have sugar. I just choose not to.

There are only two things I can’t have: poison, and cookies made with poison. It’s an old joke intended to get the point across that, as long as we correct appropriately, literally nothing is off limits.

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June 7, 2018 by Colleen Mitchell

How to Stop Worrying About Imposter Syndrome

Have you ever felt like you’re just an imposter at work? Like you didn’t actually do anything to deserve the position you hold, and you wonder why your boss keeps you around. It’s not like you actually know what you’re doing, right? There’s a name for this: imposter syndrome.

I had imposter syndrome big time at my first real job. I never really felt like I knew what I was doing or if I was doing it particularly well. In reality, I must have known that I wouldn’t have been hired if I didn’t actually know what I was doing, but that didn’t help.

Imposter syndrome is a form of self-invalidation.

“There’s someone else who knows more about this than I do. I don’t deserve this position.”
“I can’t believe I thought I could do this – I suck at this.”
“Why did she even hire me? I don’t know how to do anything!”
“I was just lucky – I doubt I could replicate that.”

Honestly, I think all of us have these thoughts at some point in our careers.

When we’re stepping into a new role, a new industry, it’s normal to ask questions, but we tell ourselves we should know it all already, and that we’ll look stupid or fake if we ask any questions.

Let me repeat that: it’s normal to ask questions.

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May 24, 2018 by Colleen Mitchell

5 Reasons Why Pets Can Improve Your Mental Health

If you own a pet, I’m willing to bet that you’re less stressed than your non-pet-owning friends. In fact, there’s quite a bit of research and studies on how owning – or just petting – an animal can significantly decrease your stress levels, as well as all the negative health effects that come from being too stressed out.

I grew up with animals. My family had dogs (one at a time and the longest-lived were boxers), a cat, horses, chickens, fish, birds (at times), guinea pigs, rabbits, and even a hamster. My favorites among these were the dogs and the cat because they were the ones I was around the most.

I remember spending a lot of time with the dog, just petting her, hugging her, and keeping her close. I likely didn’t consciously realize it at the time, but petting those puppers helped with how I felt. The husband and I have a cat now, and I could immediately see the positive impact she’s had on our lives. We’re laughing more, smiling more, and I feel less wound up after having pet her.

Sometimes she acts like a dog and it’s so cute.

I’m feeling less stressed out just writing this!

I mentioned in my post on keeping your sanity in college that if there’s an animal shelter nearby, go volunteer there! The schools that put on those “Pet the Stress Away” events know what’s up. During dead week and finals week, what you really need is fifteen minutes petting a dog.

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May 17, 2018 by Colleen Mitchell

The Stress Associated with Type 1 Diabetes

I’ve mentioned before that I have Type 1 Diabetes. Put simply, that means my pancreas doesn’t produce insulin, and I have to give myself that insulin. I use an insulin pump, but others do injections.

For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to say “diabetes” and mean Type 1. Type 2 is a different disease.

Diabetes is considered an invisible illness. There are no outward, physically visible symptoms that show up. Unless you’re a regular Sherlock, one look at me wouldn’t tell you that I’m a diabetic.

My insulin pump is so slim that it hides neatly under my clothes. My CGM sensor sits on my arm, a little bump that’s usually unnoticeable.

But I see it all. I feel all the highs and the lows.

I feel the stress.

Diabetes isn’t a joke – it can kill people. Being too high or too low can spell disaster. The magic is hitting the sweet spot with my blood sugars – making them look like this:

I believe that my diabetes gave my mom gray hair. She woke up in the middle of the night every night to check my blood sugar when I was a kid. I sometimes wonder if she still wakes up at 2 AM thinking she has to go check me.

That’s what diabetes does to people.

It trains you into a new “normal” that never goes away.

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May 3, 2018 by Colleen Mitchell

How to Recognize Fundamental Attribution Error

Have you ever heard the phrase “Fundamental Attribution Error” before? Put simply, it’s the term for when you attribute someone’s behavior to their character rather than their outside circumstances. Alternatively – holding someone else to a higher standard than you hold yourself.

Why could this be dangerous, and why is it called an error?

Unless you’re a saint on the road, everyone who drives falls victim to Fundamental Attribution Error.

On your drive to work, you get cut off. You honk at the offender, cursing his bad decision-making and decide he (or she) must be the stupidest driver to ever pass the licensing exam.

Of course, you would NEVER cut someone off.

Except…you did. Yesterday.

Perhaps… perhaps the person who just made a poor driving decision is late to a meeting. Maybe he’s rushing to the hospital to see his dying grandmother before she passes away.

Now, I’m not excusing his bad driving. I’m saying that there are other reasons to make poor decisions than innate character.

Unless you're a saint on the road, everyone who drives falls victim to Fundamental Attribution Error. Click To Tweet

When you cut someone off, you grimace and squeal “Sorry!!” even though they can’t hear you. You rationalize your decision based on external factors, like how late you are to work. It makes you feel better about what just happened, but the driver YOU just cut off is now thinking you’re the dumbest driver that ever lived.

We all do it.

And it’s dangerous.

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April 19, 2018 by Colleen Mitchell

What You Need to Know About Gaslighting

You’re not crazy, insane, or overreacting. You’re human.

This is what you should remember when someone gaslights you.

What is gaslighting?

Gaslighting is when someone does or says something, and later tells you it didn’t happen the way you remember it or even happen at all.

It’s also the term for when you move all the living room furniture an inch to the left every day and act like your parents are crazy for stubbing their toes every night on the coffee table.

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Here’s an example:

Your mother-in-law makes a comment that you’re an unfit mother and that your child should live with her instead.

You react: “Excuse me?! WTF did you just say??”

“What? I didn’t say anything. You must have imagined it. You’re clearly overreacting to-” she huffs, “-SOMEthing.”

That’s gaslighting.

You're not crazy, insane, or overreacting. You're human. Click To Tweet

You have every right to feel upset because this person is insisting that you’re remembering wrong – or no, it didn’t even happen.

The definition of “gaslight” as a verb is “to manipulate (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity.”

When you think of it like that, it’s so insidious and dark.

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April 5, 2018 by Colleen Mitchell

How to Break the Cycle of Self-Invalidation

Let me set the scene.

Amanda has forgotten to do something she promised to do. When she realizes this and apologizes, promising again that she’ll do it, she’s met with hostility and anger. There are two other people in the room besides herself and the angry one, and they’re watching the scene impassively.

Amanda’s hurt.

While she knows it’s her fault for forgetting her promise, she’s just been verbally abused and none of the bystanders did anything to stop it.

In fact, when Amanda’s husband later confronted them, they said, “She must just be tired.”

Excuse me?

What just happened?

Amanda’s feelings were invalidated.

As if her feelings didn’t matter. As if her emotions were driven by feeling tired, instead of actual hurt inflicted upon her.

What’s even worse is that a lot of the time, we do this to ourselves.

Well, what does that look like? In fact, it’s pretty easy to spot. Most of the time it starts with “I shouldn’t” or “I should”.

I shouldn’t feel so tired and stressed out. Other people have it worse than me.
I shouldn’t feel excited about this victory – I’ll look so egotistical and arrogant.
It’s okay to take on more things than I can really handle because my boss is counting on me.
My weight loss isn’t as dramatic as a lot of people’s; I shouldn’t show too many people or they’ll think I’m just looking for attention.
Ugh. I need to just get over this.
I don’t deserve to feel bad about my life situation.
I’d mess up that presentation so badly – someone else should give it.

Sound familiar?

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January 25, 2017 by Colleen Mitchell

How To Keep Calm When Job Disaster Strikes

Losing your job can be one of the most stressful things people experience. This isn’t to say that there are more stressful things to go through, but for many folks this is the thing that breaks them. Being prone to anxiety and worry myself, I had to learn how to keep calm when my job disaster struck.

It doesn’t matter how your job disaster comes around. The stress involved with it centers around one thing: you’re going from stable to unstable; income to no income. It can happen to anyone. Don’t assume that your loyalty to your company or all your hard work will protect you. Let me share some strategies that helped me cope and keep calm when my own job disaster hit.

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