It’s no secret that our economy seems to wax and wane on any given day, often with significant ups and downs, with no predictability. There’s news on the value of the dollar, home construction, education, the national debt, people losing their jobs, and the list could go on and on. I’ve heard it said recently, that in order for someone to be emotionally healthy, you actually have to stop listening to the economic news. There seems to be some truth to this notion that if we continuously fill our minds with negative, anxiety provoking thoughts then our own anxiety and stress levels will increase as well.

I see this pattern on a daily basis with the clients I see. If we focus on the negative, focus on the anxiety, focus on what is going wrong, this only serves to constrain our perspective and we begin to only see what’s going wrong in our part of the world.

Take some time with me today, this week, and this weekend to step back from what is normal and focus on the warm weather, time with friends, laughter with family, and getting outside and enjoying the spring breeze.

Ryan LaRue
9090 S. Rodgers ct.
Caledonia, MI 49316
616-891-8770
ryan.larue@pinerest.org

Financially, times are tight and it is difficult to find money to pay for counseling but here is a completely FREE event.

Pine Rest and Metro Health are having a Spring Speaking Series in Caledonia, just one mile south of 84th street on M-37.

Understanding ADD/ADHD, presented by Dr. Grey Larison, Ph.D. will be presenting on Tuesday, March 24, from 6pm – 7:30pm

No fee and No reservations required.

Location: Metro Health – Caledonia, 8941 N. Rodgers Ct., Caledonia, 49316

For more information or if you have questions call 616-891-9770

Ryan LaRue LMSW, ACSW
Caledonia/Hastings/Lake Odessa Clinic Manager
Outpatient Therapist
9090 S. Rodgers Ct. SE, Suite D
Caledonia, MI  49316
616-891-8770
Fax: 616-891-3504
ryan.larue@pinerest.org

From the article, “Why Money is the leading cause of divorce,” I copied the following few paragraphs. I’m not specifically saying that these viewpoints are exactly correct but they do raise some good questions. (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n1_v91/ai_18930297)

Broussard says, People aren’t discussing finances. Money is such a taboo subject. People associate bad things with money. If you’re in a serious relationship, talk about this. If you don’t, it will cause a huge gap.”

Bonnie Fitch, an attorney from Houston, TX, who is a former associate municipal court judge, says money may be the leading cause of divorce because some couples do not unite and work together when it comes to handling their household finances.

The unequal division of money causes problems because control isn’t equal. One person will have control and more money than the other. If one person is mismanaging funds, the strain comes when it doesn’t benefit the other party. It puts a strain on who will be the person to handle the finances,” asserts Fitch, who is sole practitioner of her own firm.

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There are plenty of reasons to be struggling with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress these days, and frankly, all of us could learn how to take better care of ourselves. Here’s a few reminders of good, healthy things we can do for our body whether we’re struggling with finances, worried about our job, or feeling down.

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Here are few thoughts and comments about the economy and how it relates too our emotional and mental health:

A recent Gallop poll states: as the economy gets worse, so does our mental health, with
levels of anxiety and depression significantly increasing. American moods seem to be extra sensitive to economic news, especially the negative. Dow losses and Job cuts particularly show stress.

We have many cases in our practice at Pine Rest that we deal with daily where people are losing insurance, going into foreclosure, have unpaid bills, and are being or have been laid off.

The challenge is: How do we Respond?

Usually: We eat more, sleep more, spend less time with other people, exercise less, worry more, focus on the negative more, and in general make very poor coping choices.

We put a lot of faith in money for security, when that is taken away, a lot of people are not sure what to do or how to respond. This is a great time to ask those deeper questions about where your life is going and what is really important.

Concrete/Practical Coping Steps:

Talk to someone – rely on those close to you
Don’t suffer alone
Reframe and Redirect your thinking patterns
Stay away from constant negative thinking
Find hope, develop a plan
Focus on the choices you can make, not on what’s out of your control
Seek out a therapist

Ryan LaRue MSW
Pine Rest Caledonia Clinic
616-891-8770
9090 S. Rodgers ct., Caledonia, MI, 49316
On M-37 (Beltline) just one mile south of 84th st. and only about 2.5 miles south of M-6.
www.pinerest.org