MAY 2017

Mental Health Awareness Month

During the month of May, here on the Blog, we will be focusing on Mental Health Awareness.

Now is a good time to pull out your Journal, or get a new one specifically for the purpose of taking a good look at where you stand in terms of your own mental health.  Not only will you learn more about yourself, you'll also open your mind up to those around you.  Writing has a way of clearing out all that you have within and laying it on the table so to speak.

Not everyone is willing to talk about what is going on with them.  Sometimes, people tend to become silent when they are going through problems, or have issues that they feel are painful or too private to share.  Voila!  ~ Here is where your Journal comes into the picture.

This month, Journal your thoughts!

If you have people around you who are sullen, bad-tempered, gloomy, sour, resentful, pouty, foul mannered, surly, moody, unfriendly, unpleasant, short-tempered, grumpy, or just plain hateful, just know that there is much more behind those dispositions.

People who fly off the handle for minor reasons tend to displace what they are really angry about and project it onto the nearest person or thing to them.  Just think about the person who throws things, or in worst cases is violent towards others.  Road Rage is a good example.  To the extreme, there are the cases of domestic violence.

Many people need anger management, and if they are wise they will recognize that they have a problem and seek help through counseling or therapy to work through whatever the problem or issue may be.  Ruining relationships, losing jobs, causing broken marriages, and in some cases ruining the life of the angry one is the end result when the person does not recognize that they have a problem and they don't take the steps needed to get help.

Think for a minute about the two year old that has tantrums and falls out into the floor when they don't get their way.  What is that really all about?  Is it because they are too young to really know how to express their feelings?

A temper tantrum is a sudden, unplanned display of anger or other emotions.  It is not just an act to get attention.  During a temper tantrum, children often cry, yell, and swing their arms and legs.  Temper tantrums usually last 30 seconds to 2 minutes and are most intense at the start.

Temper tantrums are unpleasant and disruptive behaviors or emotional outbursts. They often occur in response to unmet needs or desires. Tantrums are more likely to occur in younger children or others who cannot express their needs or control their emotions when they are frustrated.  Temper tantrums or "acting-out" behaviors are natural during early childhood.  It is normal for children to want to be independent as they learn they are separate people from their parents.  This desire for control often shows up as saying "no" often and having tantrums. Tantrums are worsened by the fact that the child may not have the vocabulary to express his or her feelings.

When it comes to children, tantrums usually begin in children 12 to 18 months old.  They get worse between age 2 to 3, then decrease until age 4.  After age 4, they rarely occur. Being tired, hungry, or sick, can make tantrums worse or more frequent.

But what about ADULTS?  Is it called a temper tantrum or a need for Anger Management when an adult acts in the same way as a two-year old does?

Could it be that the Adult has not grown up mentally?

Adult temper tantrum

Dear Blog Readers:  There are many areas to discuss when Journals come into the picture.  It is worth your time to start now on your Journal Journey.  During the month of May, we will be focusing on Mental Health Awareness, and remember, you will learn more about your "self", and those around you -- trust me.  We'll come back here to the Blog with more fuel for your Journal Fire!

Peace, Love & Light,

 René

©Copyright - René Allen - MAY 2017 - All Rights Reserved