Getting Over It

Though it may seem like a slightly odd post for an equine therapy website, this can be great advice that hits close to home with a lot of people going through horse therapy. 

"Relationship breakups are tough. They are emotionally exhausting, and can be incapacitating at times. For some who begin to dwell in regret and sadness, breakups can even spiral into depression. Even the breakups that make the most logical sense are still emotionally painful. And in fact, it is the emotional — not logical — part of ourselves that causes us to dwell in these relationships that we may logically know are not healthy for us.

While a grieving period is expected after a breakup, as breakups are a form of loss, it can be easy to get caught in an emotionally harmful pattern if we don’t actively push ourselves forward in our lives.

So how do we emotionally get through a breakup and also move forward in an emotionally healthy manner?

 

7 Tips for Getting Over a Breakup

1. Make plans.

Social interaction is one of the keys to moving forward after a breakup. Isolation often leads to being consumed by emotions and thoughts that exacerbate our sadness and upset. Schedule plans in advance to see friends or family at least a few times during the week and weekends, especially if you live alone, and be sure to follow through with them. If you feel you don’t want to be around anyone, which can be common after a breakup, this is the time to act opposite of the urge. Push yourself to interact with people and prevent a pattern of loneliness and depression.

2. Be aware of the rebound.

Breakups often are a time of intense emotional vulnerability. We are seeking stability. When we feel we can’t internally create it, it is quite possible to engage in unhealthy new relationships that cover up healthy relationship grieving.

While at first the replacement relationship brings a sense of euphoria, the unresolved emotions from the previous relationship often return, creating a more complicated and confusing emotional environment. If you find yourself falling into a new and exciting relationship too soon, you could be experiencing a rebound.

3. Participate in hobbies.

Hobbies are a positive way to keep from dwelling in sadness and forming negative patterns. Whether it’s doing a puzzle, going to museums, gardening, bowling, reading, or whatever it is you enjoy doing, allow yourself to create time and space for them. Be sure to include social hobbies as well as individual ones.

4. Keep up daily self-care routines.

It is also important to remember to take care of your daily needs when dealing with a breakup. Go to the gym, jog, swim, walk, cook, etc. Some may feel less motivated to grocery shop, prepare meals, eat, or shower after a breakup. These may require some extra effort at times, but push yourself to continue your daily routines as before.

5. Don’t overwork.

Some might say that throwing yourself into work is a great distraction from a breakup. However, overworking often is an emotionally avoidant behavior. Overworking may allow us to avoid sadness or loneliness because we are busy; however, it creates an imbalance in our lives as well as a negative pattern that can be tough to break. (Decreasing the work to regain more personal time later becomes difficult.) Work as you would normally work, and reserve those other hours in the day for self-care, hobbies, and social plans that you’ll hopefully be continuing or increasing into your week.

6. Set a daily time limit for grieving.

Each person grieves a loss differently. There is no actual time limit for grieving. However, there is a difference between healthy grieving and dwelling in regret and sorrow. Some could spend months consumed by guilt and sadness if we allow ourselves to.

As we move forward, it is still important to acknowledge our pain and other emotions we may feel as the result of a significant breakup. Set a time each day that you will allow yourself to reflect, feel, and process your relationship loss. Setting a timer is helpful for this. I would recommend no more than 20-30 minutes a day, and have an activity scheduled to immediately follow this time.

7. Seek professional help.

Some people feel ashamed and embarrassed that a breakup is consuming or impacting them, especially when the ex-partner is considered “not worth it.” But breakups are painful! We put time, effort, hope, emotion, and much more into our relationships.

Seeing a therapist to process the residual emotions and thoughts is a healthy way to deal with a breakup, especially if you’re feeling guilt, regret or starting to dwell in sadness.Breakups are rarely going to be easy; however, with healthy tools and motivation, we can heal."

Source: 

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Fighting Fatigue While Fighting Addiciton

Having intense fatigue while fighting addiction isn't something rare while going through equine therapy. 

"Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that affects every organ in your body. Alcohol is absorbed from your stomach and small intestine and rapidly travels into the bloodstream. From there, your liver metabolizes it.

A large problem for alcoholics is that your liver can only metabolize a small amount of alcohol at one time, so the excess alcohol is left to circulate throughout your body. Once someone becomes dependent on alcohol, the body goes throughwithdrawal symptoms if it does not have a continual supply of alcohol. These withdrawal symptoms can be extremely dangerous, which is why addiction treatment programs are the best plan for people who are ready to give up alcohol.

How Detox Adds to Fatigue

People who enter into treatment for alcohol addiction often feel extreme fatigue when they are in the early stages of the program. While in an addiction treatment center, you will first go through a safe medical detox process. The detox process is simply the elimination of alcohol and the toxins that it produces within your body. You will not focus on anything else other than having a safe medical detox during this phase of treatment for alcohol addiction.

Withdrawal symptoms for alcoholism can begin within five to 10 hours after your last drink, but withdrawal peaks after several days of abstinence. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms also vary depending on your age, how much alcohol you consume on a daily basis, and how long you have been abusing alcohol.

There are many different symptoms experienced as your body adjusts to the idea that the supply of alcohol has stopped. Some of these are:

Mental Symptoms:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Nervousness
• Emotional fatigue

Physical Symptoms:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Insomnia
• Sweating
• Rapid heart rate
• Body tremors
• Loss of appetite

With all of these possible symptoms added to the stress that people usually feel during their first phase of treatment for alcohol addiction, is it any wonder that you feel extremely tired? In fact, fatigue is one of the most common problems that people must adjust to when entering addiction treatment programs.

Tips to Combat Fatigue

Your body and brain have been abused by excess alcohol, which has taken a toll on your physical and mental health. Fatigue is simply a symptom rather than an illness or a disorder. You may feel tired all the time and just seem to lack a healthy energy during the first portion of your addiction treatment.

The following tips will help you to combat that feeling of tiredness while in treatment for alcohol addiction:

• One of the best things that you can do to fight fatigue during this time is to be patient with yourself. Understand that your body has been beaten up by alcohol abuse and it needs time to bounce back. Don’t rush it.
• Follow a healthy nutrition plan. Your counselors will work with you to develop a proper nutrition plan for your body type. You will need to increase your niacin intake along with each of the B vitamins, as alcohol depletes your body of these. Women must also monitor their iron intake, as the body can’t absorb iron without proper levels of vitamins B and C. Proper nutrients and diet can help you feel more energetic.
• Exercise as your treatment plan instructs you to do. Your plan of care will consist of exercising and/or breathing exercises. You will need to participate in these as often as possible. Once your body begins moving and breathing, it begins to repair itself. Endorphins begin to flow through your brain again and your body gets back some of its own natural energy. Exercise does a body good!
• Get needed rest. Your body is going through a lot when you are in the beginning stages of recovery from an alcohol addiction. Be sure to get plenty of sleep each night and rest when your body tells you it needs it.

Understand that it takes time for your body to recover from alcohol abuse. Once you begin to do the work involved in your treatment for alcohol addiction, your fatigue will slowly begin to fade. Day by day, you will feel much better. Everyone experiences different symptoms during recovery, but fatigue is something that you can easily overcome."

Source: http://www.clearviewtreatment.com/fighting-fatigue-while-in-treatment-for-alc...

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Securing Your Farm

Making sure your farm is secured from biological risks is something all horses owners need to know about. Whether you're using horses for equine therapy or just riding, everyone must know a few practical ways to increase the biosecurity of their farm. 

"Reducing potential infectious disease outbreak risks can be challenging, but farm owners can take steps to minimize introducing and spreading these diseases, said Roberta Dwyer, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVPM, a professor in the department of veterinary science at the University of Kentucky. These include traffic control, education, and a clean environment.

Biosecurity
Vaccination is an important (though not 100% effective) safety measure for disease prevention, Dwyer said. Horse owners should work with their veterinarian and staff to create a biosecurity plan and vaccination program for their farm. Veterinarians define biosecurity as a set of control measures designed to break the cycle of and reduce the spread of infectious diseases. A biosecurity plan should include fly, rodent, bird, and pest control and prevention, as well as traffic control on the farm.

Disease Agents of Concern
Causes of equine disease outbreaks include rotavirus, Salmonella, equine herpesvirus, equine influenza, equine arteritis virus, rhinoviruses,Streptococcus equi, and Rhodococcus equi. Of the bacterial and viral pathogens that infect horses, clostridial organisms are some of the most difficult to kill.

"Be careful when you read social media (about disease outbreaks)--always get information confirmed to avoid panic and misinformation," Dwyer said.

Isolating a Sick Horse
According to Dwyer, owners should immediately isolate any horse with a nasal discharge, cough, fever, or diarrhea from other horses and consult the farm veterinarian. Disinfect any stalls or barns that housed sick horses.

"Isolate sick, new, and horses returning from a show or event for approximately two weeks to help reduce the risk of them introducing an infectious disease to the resident horses," Dwyer said.

When performing daily chores, muck sick horses' stalls last and avoid spreading the infected manure or bedding on fields. Also wear protective clothing and disposable gloves to help stop contagious disease spread between horses and people, Dwyer said.

Prevention is Best
Traffic between barns and horses creates potential contamination sources, such as when horses return from racing, showing, veterinary hospitals, etc. Thus, veterinarians highly recommend traffic control as a disease prevention method.

"Separate broodmares from competition horses and youngsters to avoid exposure to high-risk horses," Dwyer said.

As mentioned, quarantine is another central measure to protect resident horses from those that have co-mingled with others at shows, sales, and events off of the farm.

Pest and rodent control are also part of an efficient biosecurity plan. Reducing standing water helps limit the next generation of flies and mosquitoes, Dwyer said. Keep feed rooms, tack rooms, and other stable areas tidy and well-swept; this will help prevent mice and rodent issues.

Human traffic also carries potential for disease spread. Therefore, advise blacksmiths, trainers, veterinarians, and visitors to disinfect boots and wash hands before entering the barn and handling horses. This can be accomplished easily with an alcohol-based hand disinfectant. Provide running water, liquid hand soap, and clean paper towels in every barn to encourage employees to wash their hands. If running water is not available, a liquid hand sanitizer is an effective substitute, Dwyer said.

Sharing equipment such as water buckets and feed tubs also poses a risk of spreading pathogens from one horse to another, said Dwyer. This is especially important to remember while at horse shows and on trail rides. If you do let people borrow equipment, be sure to clean and disinfect that equipment thoroughly prior to using it on your own horses.

Use detergent and water to clean surfaces prior to using a disinfectant, as organic matter such as manure, discharges, and soil can inactivate even the best disinfectant. This cleaning step is critical to an effective disinfection program, and prevention is generally easier than cleanup, Dwyer said.

When choosing disinfectants, consult a veterinarian for guidance as to which is most effective for the surface being treated. Disinfectants available on the market include phenols, quaternary ammonium compounds, and peroxygenase compounds.

"Work out a plan with your staff and veterinarian that includes frequent cleaning routines," Dwyer said. "A clean environment always reduces the risk of spreading disease.""

Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=20179&source=rss&utm_sour...

 

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Facts about Adolescent Suicide

Teen suicide is a much bigger deal than it's often percieved. We see so many teens in equine therapy and horse therapy that struggle with suicide thoughts. 

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Coping with Anxiety

Anxiety is a consistent theme that we see often in horse therapy and almost all of us have it at one point in our lives or another!

"If you struggle with anxiety, you probably have a mean streak. That is, you’re probably very mean toyourself. You probably have no problem being harsh and overly critical of your thoughts and behaviors — particularly when you’re having a tough time with anxiety.

You might blame yourself and see yourself as less-than because anxiety follows you everywhere, from home to work to the grocery store.

You also might think in shoulds: I should have more control over my anxiety. I should be a better public speaker by now. I should never be scared of something so silly. I should be ashamed. I should be different.

And you might think that being harsh toward yourself will curb your anxiety and whip you into calmer and cooler shape. Or maybe you think that being self-critical is simply being realistic. That you’re realistically evaluating your shortcomings or weaknesses. Or maybe being self-critical has simply become your default, your automatic response to anxiety (or anything else in your life).

But guess what? This kind of thinking often backfires and actually can boost your anxiety.

 

At least according to Dennis D. Tirch, Ph.D, psychologist and author of The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Overcoming Anxiety: Using Compassion-Focused Therapy to Calm Worry, Panic and Fear. 

You can’t insult your way to less anxiety (or any positive change). And you know what? You deserve better. Millions of people struggle with anxiety — and there’s no shame in that.

Self-Criticism vs. Compassionate Self-Correction

In his book, Tirch distinguishes between self-criticism and compassionate self-correction. He says that “Compassionate self-correction is grounded in the desire to alleviate suffering and to help us realize our hearts’ deepest desire to be able to behave as we’d wish to.”

He explains that it’s not about denying mistakes or weaknesses. Instead it’s about radically accepting yourself: “accepting your fallibility, your frailty and your suffering, all of which are essential aspects of your common humanity.”

Tirch cites Paul Gilbert’s analogy involving two teachers with different styles: the critical teacher and the encouraging, supportive teacher. The critical teacher focuses on their students’ faults and scolds or teases them. As a result, the students become afraid and resentful, while the teacher becomes angry and anxious. The encouraging and supportive teacher, however, focuses on their student’s strengths, has clear expectations and gives constructive feedback.

Connecting to Your Compassionate Self

Tirch features several valuable activities to help readers tap into their compassionate self. One activity involves using two chairs to mimic your anxious mind and your compassionate mind. It helps you learn how to purposely activate your compassionate mind – and, over time, being empathetic will become automatic.

Take two chairs, and have them face each other. First, sit in one chair and imagine looking at yourself in the other chair. Connect to your self-anxious thoughts, and say them out loud. Talk about your worries, your criticisms, your shame.

Then, when you’re ready, sit in the other chair, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Visualize your compassionate self, and let yourself smile. Connect to your forgiving, kind and warm thoughts. You can also place your hand over your heart and think of being compassionate.

Next, open your eyes and acknowledge that you’re with your anxious self. You might say that you understand your feelings, and acknowledge the difficulty of anxiety; and that it’s OK to feel this way. Then close your eyes, again, and after a natural exhale, let go of the exercise, and give yourself credit for practicing this activity.

In the second exercise Tirch suggests readers compose a compassionate letter to themselves. Before beginning, take a few deep breaths. Then focus on your thoughts. “What conflicts, problems or self-criticisms come to mind? What’s your mind beginning to tell you? What emotions arise within you?”

Then take a few more deep breaths, and focus on being compassionate, nonjudgmental and accepting of yourself. Recognize that your feelings are valid and your struggles are a normal part of life. Find a time to read your letter – and feel free to revise it any time.

Bringing Compassion to the What-Ifs

In the same chapter, Tirch also talks about how readers can bring more compassion to worrisome thoughts (i.e., the usual litany of “what ifs”). It’s these what-ifs that, over time, our brains begin to interpret as cold, hard facts. Then our bodies act in kind, producing anxiety-riddled sensations.

As Tirch writes, “Of course, the anxious mind is very good at generating anxiety-provoking predictions of possible threats. All too often, our emotional brains then respond to these imaginary threats as if they were real, so our physical sensations, feelings, and behavior come to be dominated by our worries.”

He suggests readers explore their thoughts by asking questions such as: “What’s going through my mind when I’m anxious?” “How does my anxious self see the world, and what does it think about the current situation?” “What is my anxious self/mind telling me right now?” Write down your thoughts, and think about how your compassionate mind would respond to them. Think about how you’d talk to a friend who was in a similar situation.

Being kind to ourselves can be hard – really hard for some of us – especially if the critical thoughts are deeply ingrained. But with practice you can learn to be self-compassionate.

And remember that there’s nothing self-indulgent about being kind to yourself. (This is a common misconception.) Tirch cites research that’s actually found the opposite: People who are self-compassionate tend to be less self-indulgent.

As he writes, “To operate from the compassionate mind is to have a deep appreciation of the suffering of both others and ourselves.”"

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/06/12/using-compassion-to-cope-wit...

 

 

Pegasus equine therapy brings counseling to individuals as well as groups! 

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Steps to Positivity

In equine therapy positivity is something we like to encourage in everyone. Here are 7 steps you can take towards a more positive outlook :) 

"1. Use positive self-talk.

Tracy and Stein believe that how we talk to ourselves determines 95 percent of our emotions. If we don’t talk to ourselves positively, then our default is negative or worrisome cognitions. As they write, “…your mind is like a garden. If you do not deliberately plant flowers and tend carefully, weeds will grow without any encouragement at all.” They suggest saying statements that are positive, present and personal, such as “I can do it!” and “I feel terrific.”

2. Use positive visualization.

According to Tracy and Stein, visualization is probably the most powerful ability we have. They suggest readers “Create a clear, exciting picture of your goal and your ideal life, and replay this picture in your mind over and over.”

3. Surround yourself with positive people.

The people we live and interact with play a big role in our emotions and success, Tracy and Stein write. “Decide today to associate with winners, with positive people, with people who are happy and optimistic and who are going somewhere with their lives.”

4. Consume positive mental food.

The authors suggest feeding your mind educational, uplifting and inspirational information. (As they say earlier, “Good in, good out.”) Seek out info that makes you “feel happy and more confident about yourself and your world.” This might come from books, magazines, CDs, audio programs, DVDs, online courses or TV programs.

5. Practice positive training and development.

Dedicate yourself to a lifetime of learning and growing. Tracy and Stein quote entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn: “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”

6. Practice positive health habits.

“Some of the factors that predispose us to negative emotions of all kinds are poor health habits, fatigue, lack of exercise and nonstop work,” write Tracy and Stein. So they suggest taking great care of your physical health by eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly and getting plenty of rest and relaxation.

7. Have positive expectations.

“Your expectations become your own self-fulfilling prophecies.” That’s why Tracy and Stein encourage readers to expect the best. “Expect to be successful. Expect to be popular when you meet new people. Expect to achieve great goals and create a wonderful life for yourself.”"

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/06/11/7-keys-to-becoming-a-positiv...

 

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Live: Ask a Vet

Here is another Live "Ask a Vet" Webinar! If you are a horse owner or involed in equine therapy, this is a must! 

"Stall rest is necessary for treating certain equine injuries and conditions. However, keeping a horse happy and healthy during recovery is often a challenge.

Join TheHorse.com on Thursday, June 21 at 8:00 p.m. EDT (5:00 p.m. PDT) for the FREE Ask the Vet Live audio and chat event, "Stall Rest and Rehab: Keeping Your Horse Healthy, Safe, and Sane During Layup," presented by Sweet PDZ. Our veterinary panelists will answer your questions on topics including managing your horse’s behavior, feeding during recovery, creating a healthy rehab environment, and much more!

Register now and submit your questions to be answered during the live event!

Our on-call panelists for this event will include:

Brad Jackman, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS,is the owner and CEO of Pioneer Equine Hospital in Oakdale, Calif., where he and his team specialize in the care of the equine athlete. The practice includes a full-service equine hospital and is recognized as a leader in equine lameness and surgery. As a surgeon, Jackman helps treat and care for a wide variety of horse health issues and injuries. He is also an active committee member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and enjoys being involved in the recruitment and development of veterinary students.

Mark Revenaugh, DVM, is a lifelong rider who owns The Equine Performance Institute in Mulino, Ore., where he and his colleagues specialize in equine sports medicine. Revenaugh is an accredited Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) veterinarian and has served as official team vet for the U.S. Equestrian Team at numerous competitions. He is also involved with multiple U.S. Equestrian Federation committees, including the Drugs and Medications Committee.

We hope you can join us on June 21 for this event! Reserve your seat now!"

Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=20146&source=rss&utm_sour...

Pegasus is an organization that brings recovery through Horse Therapy and Equine Courses to help people achieve an addiction cure! Visit PegasusEct.com for more information! :) 

 

International Helmet Awareness Day/Webinar

Tomorrow is International Helmet Awareness Day! If you are involed with horse therapy or own a horse let someone else know! 

"The webinar speaker schedule for the 2012 International Helmet Awareness Day has been announced. Riders4Helmets.com teamed up with leading helmet manufacturers around the globe to host this year's International Helmet Awareness Day on June 9.

"In addition to dedicating International Helmet Awareness Day 2012 to Courtney King-Dye, we are proud to also dedicate it to Dr. Craig Ferrell (MD), U.S. Equestrian Team Physician and Chair (of the Fédération Equestre Internationale) Medical Council, who passed away on May 28," said Lyndsey White, founder of Riders4Helmets. "Dr. Ferrell worked with us on the Riders4Helmets campaign for two years and we intend to continue to grow the campaign globally in his honor."

The "Get Educated" webinar live stream will begin June 9 at 9:00 a.m. Speakers and times include:

• Time TBD--Eventing legend Lucinda Green, MBE on "Role Models" (visit riders4helmets.com on Friday for confirmed time)
• 9:00 a.m. EDT--Michael Whitlock, MD, FRCS, FFAEM, consultant in emergency medicine on "The Importance of Helmets"
• 10:00 a.m. EDT--Paul Varnsverry, technical director of PVA Technical File Services Limited on "Point Two - Advances in Body Protector Technology"
• 11:00 a.m. EDT--Roy Burek, Charles Owen representative on "Helmet Fitting and When to Replace a Helmet"
• 2:00 p.m. EDT--Darren Chiacchia, American Olympian and traumatic brain injury survivor on "Accidents Happen To Anybody, Including Olympians"
• 3:00 p.m. EDT--Courtney King Dye, American Olympian and traumatic brain injury survivor on "My Story"
• 4:00 p.m. EDT--Tonya Johnston, mental skills coach on "Getting Equestrians To Wear Helmets"

Sign up for the talks at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/385029170. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up early. For more information on the Riders4Helmets campaign, visit www.riders4helmets.com."

Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=20142&source=rss&utm_sour...

Pegasus is an organization that brings recovery through Horse Therapy and Equine Courses to help people achieve an addiction cure! Visit PegasusEct.com for more information! :) 

 

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