Writing and Mental Health panel

• Content warnings
• Backstory (IOP)
  • IOP after burnout got too bad
  • Learned a lot of skills that apply all over
  • Opposite of shame is pride, thus opposite action is to talk about it (thus pride, destigmatization, etc)
  • Name emotion to address reaction/expression
  • Started tying to writing re: Toledot
• Disclaimer
  • IANAD
  • A lot of these are my interpretations
  • Only hope I can help by sharing
• Definitions
  • SUDs (esp re engaging w/ skills)
  • Activation vs depression
  • DBT
  • Shotgun approach
  • Fancy names and acronyms are built to let them come to mind more easily
• Vulnerabilities
  • PLEASE skill
    • Physical iLlness
    • Eating
    • Avoid mood-altering substances (but take meds)
    • Sleep
    • Exercise
  • Describing emotions
• Reactive skills (low to high SUDs)
  • Cognitive distortions/negative self-talk
    • perfectionism (not good enough)/editing in place, shame
    • check the facts, opposite action (crappy flash fiction), chain analysis, “1st thought = conditioning, 2nd thought = choice, build habits to modify choices”
  • Executive dysfunction
    • writer’s block
    • IMPROVE/ACCEPTS, cope-ahead, opposite action (flash fiction, no editing)
  • Rumination
    • slow velocity, can’t start, catastrophizing
    • wise-mind, radical acceptance, opposite action (tell yourself you’re doing so)
  • Emotional distress
    • not understanding why can’t write, burnout, catastrophizing
    • STOP, willingness, emotional wheel
• Proactive skills
  • Mindfulness
    • aspirations
    • gratitude
    • one-mindfulness
  • Habit-building/exercises
    • intentionality
    • proactivity
  • Dialectical thinking
    • Importance of ‘and’
    • Accepting growth
  • Self care
    • FAST/self respect
    • Building positives/accepting success
• It’s all kind of about self-worth, because without that, it’s easy to get stuck