Prayer is not our last resort, it’s our first response. If you have a prayer need during this season our team is here to pray with you. Please fill out a prayer request form and we will send your request to the prayer team.

Check Out the A Sound Mind Sermon Series on YouTube.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.  It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in.

MAXIMIZING THERAPEUTIC EFFECTIVENESS

Dr. Terry L. Correll

Congratulations for seeking help to improve your life.  Most people do not.  BMW = Building Mental Wellness.

We will take a collaborative approach to treating your symptoms (YOU are the expert on YOU).

You are empowered – “in charge” - in the “driver’s seat” – and capable of improving your physical and mental health.

A multi-dimensional, comprehensive, integrative approach will be most effective (i.e., medications are not the “silver bullet” to fix all things).  Healthy lifestyle interventions are equally efficacious (compared to psychotherapy & meds).

Regular mental health care and aerobic exercise promotes new brain cell growth (neurogenesis).  Anxiety, depression, mania, psychosis, and substance use kills vast numbers of brain cells (neurodegeneration).

Psychotherapy is powerful – it promotes lifelong learning, improvement, and success.  It is a permanent fix.

Healthy Lifestyle Interventions are very important: exercise (mind, brain, and body), get outdoors, healthy eating (multivitamin/multimineral), fish oil, meditation, mindfulness, prayer, solitude, sleep, relaxation, deep breathing.

Read educational books (Feeling Good Book/sacred works/Bible), articles, and online information (https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu) about your symptoms and how to improve your life.

Act the way you want to feel. Express yourself with art, music, movement, or dance.  Consider journaling or blogging.

Participate in healthy spiritual practices, social relations, and meaningful/significant pursuits in life.

Decide to create and cultivate positive situations that fulfill your personal needs, encourage growth, and promote self-esteem and self-development.  Become involved with people who have a positive attitude, who share in giving and receiving, and who show their love.  Have “real” and trustworthy friends that you can have healthy discussions with.

Meaningful Activity/Work/Education/Volunteering: Find a form of service that contributes to your sense of purpose and identity.  “Giving your life away” is the proven way to have the most satisfying experience.

Goals and Visions for the Future: Visualize desirable changes in your life and make goals for working toward them. Write your goals down and refer to them often.  Most people plan more for their vacations than the rest of their lives.

Avoid toxins: alcohol, drugs, tobacco, excessive caffeine, food, negative situations and people.

Practice thankfulness, gratitude, and grit (doing hard things).  Aim for a balanced life – all things in moderation.

Schedule humorous and FUN times – PLAYFUL times - they are very therapeutic – I PRESCRIBE them for you.

Please prioritize yourself.  Regularly attend to practices which are therapeutic and healthy for you.  Regularly taking psychiatric medications helps prevent the return of symptoms and keeps you at your natural best functioning state.

USE THESE USEFUL TOOLS WHEN A MOMENT FEELS STRESSFUL AND
YOU NEED TO BRING YOURSELF TO A CALM PLACE.

*It takes 30 – 90 seconds for an emotion to calm down. Concentrate intently as you do one of these.

Gratitude - Pause, think about, and say out loud 3 things you are grateful for.

Describe Your Senses - Pick up an object and describe it with all your senses. IE. This apple is red, this apple tastes sweet etc.

Speak Your Senses - Name 5 things around the room you hear, 5 things you smell, see, taste, and feel.

Diaphragm Breathing - Place your hand on your diaphragm and breathe in slowly and deeply. Think about bypassing your lungs until you expand the diaphragm. Repeat several times.

Grounding Breathing - Look at the bottom left side of a wall. With your eyes trace up the wall as you breathe in 4 counts, trace across the top as you hold your breath for 7 counts, trace down the right side as you breathe out for 8 counts. Repeat.

Body Scan - Begin with your shoulders and tense the muscles, then relax them. Move down your arms and repeat the action. Go through each part of your body until you reach your toes.

Mindfulness - Pause. Breathe. Become aware of this present moment. Describe what is happening right at this moment.

Sensations - Hold an ice cube (or another cold object) in your palm and focus on the sensation.

Hijack Your Thoughts - Close your eyes and picture your happy place. Place yourself in the scene.

Armor - Pause and visualize yourself putting on a suit of armor. First the helmet, then the belt, then the breastplate, and finally the shoes. Picture yourself fully protected from the distress.

Do a 90 second work-out. Brisk walk, stretch, waist twists etc. Even better: go outside to do this.

Write down what you are feeling.

Sing or hum for 90 seconds.

ORGANIZATIONS

NEW CREATION COUNSELING CENTER

7695 South County Rd. 25A

Tipp City, OH 45371

Phone:  937-667-4678

https://www.newcreationcounselingcenter.org/

The mission of New Creation Counseling Center is to provide outpatient mental health counseling and psychiatric medication services to all those in need, regardless of their ability to pay. We serve people of all ages and treat a variety of issues, from anxiety and depression to relationship and parenting struggles.

WRIGHT STATE PHYSICIANS

Phone:  937-775-7792 (PSYC)

https://wrightstatephysicians.org/services/psychiatry/

Our resident physicians are supervised by psychiatry faculty at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in providing treatment for:

• Depression, anxiety and trauma

• Personality Disorder

• Work, school and relationship problems

988 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE

We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

TRUE RELATIONSHIPS

Phone:  937-510-5595

https://truerelationships.org/

Our pastoral counselors specialize in relationship issues and do not have territorial restrictions on their counseling. Using video counseling, pastoral counselors can help English-speaking individuals and couples anywhere in the world.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

https://www.clcdayton.com/celebrate-recovery

Email: Celebrate.Recovery@clcdayton.org

Meets every Monday, 6 - 8:30 pm at Christian Life Center (see website for detailed information)

Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12 step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain or addiction of any kind. It is a safe environment to find community and freedom from the issues that are controlling our life. Through fellowship and ministry our goal is to come along side and support you on your road to recovery.