Caring for Yourself After Depression

We all go through little episodes of depression at times, even those of us involved with horse therapy and equine therapy have times of gloom! Here are 4 ways to help care for yourself after these episodes. 

"1. Continue your treatment.

Coleman stresses the importance of continuing your treatment for at least a few months after your depressive episode is over.

He writes, “The window of six to nine months after a depressive episode is particularly critical, and to be on the safe side I often encourage depressed clients to consider the first year after an episode to be a time of heightened risk for relapse and recurrence.”

(Relapse means having another depressive episode within six months of the first one; recurrence means having another episode after six months.)

Research shows that continuing your treatment can reduce both. He also suggests talking to your treatment providers about how you can prevent relapse.

Interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy may be helpful in reducing relapse, he writes. Psychotherapy after an episode is valuable because it can help you cope effectively with stress and build resilience.

Also, if you’re taking an antidepressant, don’t stop abruptly. Always talk to your doctor first about discontinuing medication because stopping cold turkey, as Coleman explains, can have serious side effects.

2. Seek help sooner rather than later.

If you start experiencing symptoms of depression again, don’t wait to get help until you meet full criteria for the disorder, Coleman writes.

He encourages readers to think about the early signs of your depression, which can clue you in on what to look out for. Pay attention “to the number of symptoms, their severity and duration, and their effect on your life.”

This doesn’t mean that you need to fixate or hyper-focus on how you’re feeling. Everyone has a bad day. As he put it, “Just have a low threshold for resuming treatment.”

3. Don’t isolate yourself.

Maintaining positive relationships is important. Coleman cites one study that found that just being part of a sports team protected some individuals from depression.

4. Practice self-care.

“When you’re recovering from depression, it’s especially important for you to have some routine in your life,” Coleman writes.

He clarifies that this doesn’t mean leading a boring life. It simply means taking good care of yourself, which includes getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods and exercising. (Here’s one study on the importance of moderate exercise for reducing relapse.)

If you’d like to learn more about Coleman’s book, check out our review on Psych Central."

 

Source:http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/07/10/4-tips-for-caring-for-yourself-after-a-depressive-episode/

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Water and Horses

Though this may seem like a trivial article to post, it's actually a very essential thing we all need to know about horses, whether in horse therapy or not! 

"Water is one of the essential nutrients a horse needs to perform a number of life-support functions, including digestion and thermoregulation. Especially with the hot summer weather prevalent in much of the country, it's important to ensure horses have access to water at all times.

As horse owners, we know it's important to provide free-choice water to horses at all times, but it is also imperative that the water is of good quality, clean, and palatable.

A number of circumstances can lead a water deficiency in horses, including unpalatable taste, lack of water offered, or loss of thirst due to exertion. The effects of insufficient water intake include decreased performance, decreased feed intake, dehydration, and eventually, if not remedied, death.

On average, a typical 1,100-pound horse at maintenance consumes four to nine gallons of water per day. The amount of water a horse requires can vary depending upon several factors:

The type, amount, and quality of feed consumed

• Fresh pasture contains between 60-80% moisture and provide a large amount of the horse's water requirements when grazing.
• Hay and grain are very low in moisture, causing horses to drink more water to meet their needs.
• Higher levels of protein and sodium in the diet also increase the horse's water requirement as urinary volume increases.

Temperature and humidity

• Ambient temperatures above 85°F will increase a horse's drinking frequency and volume.
• Colder temperatures (below 45°F) can reduce a horse's water consumption"

Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=20241&source=rss&utm_sour...

 

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Equine Oat Research

I can't wait to see the result on ths research and I'm sure those involved in horse therapy would ne interested to see as well.

"The Equine Oat Research Advisory Board (EORAB) is now accepting pre-proposal applications for the first Prairie Oat Growers Association Equine Oat Research Grant cycle. Research projects that the Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA) funds will aim to discover specific benefits of oats for horses. The EORAB invites researchers to submit pre-proposals that address one or more of the following questions:

• How do oats contribute to the health of the horse?
• How do oats contribute to the performance of the horse?
• How can oats be used to prevent or manage a clinical disorder(s)?

Topics should seek answers to more specific problems related to the broader research areas outlined above. For the 2013 grant cycle, up to $400,000 is available. Preference will be given to research projects designed to produce tangible results within one year from the start of the research.

The EORAB has a two-step selection process to determine which research project(s) are recommended for funding. Pre-proposals must be no more than three pages and are due by July 31. The EORAB will review the pre-proposals and select those it believes will provide the greatest benefit to the horse and oat industries, based upon scientific merit and in alignment with POGA's objectives.

Successful pre-proposal applicants will be invited to submit full proposals for funding consideration, which will be due Nov. 30. The EORAB will then evaluate the research proposals and recommend to POGA which proposal(s) should be awarded grant money. Researchers whose proposals are approved for funding will be notified by April 15, 2013.

"We have been planning the Equine Oat Research Advisory Board for more than a year now, and we are excited that we have reached the point where we can begin accepting research pre-proposals," said Bill Wilton, Prairie Oat Growers Association president and Equine Oat Research Advisory board chair. "It is evident just how much the equine industry stands to gain. The EORAB is looking forward to reviewing the pre-proposals submitted, and we are optimistic we will receive some brilliant project ideas that could benefit the entire equine industry."

The EORAB will review research pre-proposals and proposals, recommend which equine-related research studies should be funded by POGA, and advise POGA on further research or determine next steps based on research findings.

Keep your horse healthy with the information in Understanding Equine Nutrition.

The EORAB executive committee members include:

• Nathaniel White II, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, professor of surgery at Virginia Tech's Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center;
• Lori Warren, PhD, PhD, associate professor of equine nutrition at the University of Florida;
• Mary Beth Gordon, PhD, director of equine research and new product development at Land O'Lakes Purina;
• Emily Lamprecht, PhD, development manager of Cargill Animal Nutrition;
• Brian Rossnagel, PhD, professor emeritus at the University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources; and
• Bill Wilton, Prairie Oat Growers Association president.

"Our vision for the Equine Oat Research Advisory Board is to commission the scientific research necessary to prove the nutritional benefits of feeding oats to horses in order to better educate horse owners so they can make more informed feed purchase decisions," Wilton said. "We believe horse owners deserve to have a better understanding of what they're feeding their horses based upon objective, factual scientific research."

The full version of the pre-proposal application requirements for POGA's Equine Oat Research Grant 2013 are available at www.EquineOats.org."

Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=20243&source=rss&utm_sour...

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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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