Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

[snowlee127]

@mindbootcamp This is a great question! And you are right; carer took a lot longer to complete the online course than many consumers. Again, this reflects the busy schedule that carers have, it is more than a full-time job.  The initial results showed at the baseline (before the carer starts the online CBT ), on average, carer showed high distress level, mild depression level, and mild anxiety level. For the carers who successfully completed the online CBT course, we can see a reduction in all of the three areas. The average distress level went from very high to moderate. The average depression level went from moderately severe to mild, and the average anxiety also dropped from moderate to mild. I think this is a lesson that we learned that the design of the online course may need to be more flexible in terms of the timeframe. 

[Tanoozle]

I don't know if others here are aware of or have even used it but there is counselling support available to carers. I found out about it via Northside. It's run by The National Carer Counselling Programming (NCCP) 1800242636
I've just started and that's how I was put onto CBT. So far I'm finding it great as I'm learning ways to cope ( such as with CBT) but also i get to check in with someone, specifically a trained professional, who is external to my life and day to day caring role

[Former-Member]

@snowlee127wrote:  " think personally, that's when mindfulness practice became important, to be able to go 'hmm, thats interesting, I am having this reaction. Maybe I need to train my mind a bit more'. "

exactly.  That is precisely how I experienced it.  it was chipping away and determination to change the thinking and reprogram myself through the navigation process into the calmer waters that did it.  It certainly was not an instant quick fix.

[CherryBomb]

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@Tookyspookims wrote:

@snowlee127  in which context is  "acceptance" spoken of.  Is that deemed of a passive or proactive nature.  ie does it mean understanding to accept or passive acceptance? 

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My thoughts on this is that acceptance also takes some effort in reshaping our thoughts. I don't think it means passively accepting poor behaviour or anything, but acknowledging the things we cannot change, and looking to the things we can change (e.g., our own behviours and beliefs). 

Looking forward to hearing @snowlee127 thoughts on this one. 

[snowlee127]

@Shaz51 It is an interesting concept-balance', isn't it? The Yin and Yang of life and the balance of emotions. Balance used to be considered as a culture concept. It is only till recently; it is picked up by many psychology practices. Finding the right 'balance' for you is more like a journey than it is a practice, balance at the different time may mean different things to us. I found it really beautiful when carer said 'the caring journey is often about discovering themselves'

[mindbootcamp]

Fantastic! I'm finding the same timeframe issue with our online course for carers in Ireland. Would love to chat with you at another time about lessons learned/how to improve our offerings if you'd be open to that? Sounds like such a brilliant initiative!

[Shaz51]

@Tanoozle

you wrote --So far I'm finding it great as I'm learning ways to cope ( such as with CBT) but also i get to check in with someone, specifically a trained professional, who is external to my life and day to day caring role 

with me I have had to find my own way to cope day to day @snowlee127

[soul]

Acknowledging that sometimes there are things we can't change no matter what, is really difficult to do. There is often that feeling of "if I had done this differently ....". 

[snowlee127]

Spot on, Cherry. I think @Former-Member asked a very good question and it is a shared concern by many carers. The idea of "am I being too passive about life, about my loved one, about the treatment and recovery?" is a constant stressor for many carers. Mindfulness is about accepting now. Only that we 'live' now that we can 'live' future. CBT is about accepting the past and then identify what can be done, if nothing can be done, then accepting the situation. It sounds like an easy concept, but I have heard carer telling me, the difference it made by often simply 'accepting' that our loved one has an illness. 

[snowlee127]

@mindbootcamp Sure!! And have more custom designed online course for carers! Love to exchange more knowledge and experience with you!