{"id":21858,"date":"2014-10-15T16:32:41","date_gmt":"2014-10-15T20:32:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/?p=21858"},"modified":"2014-10-15T16:59:25","modified_gmt":"2014-10-15T20:59:25","slug":"prepping-your-patronus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2014\/10\/15\/prepping-your-patronus\/","title":{"rendered":"Prepping your Patronus"},"content":{"rendered":"For the few, unfortunate souls who are not familiar with Harry Potter, Dementors are creatures which <em>\u201c\u2026 drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them \u2026 get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you \u2026 you'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nIt comes as little surprise to me to learn that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jkrowling.com\/en_GB\/#\/about-jk-rowling\">J.K. Rowling<\/a> created Dementors based upon her <strong>experiences with clinical depression.<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4GIP4qUTf6A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\r\n\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_21868\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21868\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/10\/dementor-sara-de-prado.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21868 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/10\/dementor-sara-de-prado.jpg\" alt=\"dementor\" width=\"500\" height=\"750\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/10\/dementor-sara-de-prado.jpg 500w, http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/10\/dementor-sara-de-prado-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21868\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Dementor as seen at Warner Bros Studios. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/noeslomissmo\/\">Sara de Prado<\/a> (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nLike depression, Dementors can be repelled. It takes a lot of skill, but a defense (called a Patronus) can be conjured. It is <em>\u201ca kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon -\u2014 hope, happiness, the desire to survive \u2014 but\u00a0 it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the\u00a0 Dementors can't hurt it.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nWhat does this mean for mere Muggles (non-magic folk) like us? We have no wands (so unfortunate) and although we may attend classes in buildings that resemble Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we sadly did not get our letters at age 11.\r\n\r\nBut as surely as Dementors were created from the memories of depression, Patronuses have a real \u201cMuggle\u201d element too. After all, we cannot feel hopeless when we arm ourselves with lasting happy memories and joy.\r\n\r\nBut happy memories and joy can be hard to come by sometimes: mid-terms can see to that. And if your mid-term stress and hopelessness makes you feel like you may never pass an exam again, or that you aren\u2019t \u201cenough\u201d in some way and doesn\u2019t leave when mid-term season is over, they can start to appear invisible.\r\n\r\nWhat is a student to do?\r\n\r\nOnly you know what brings you joy, but I can offer you the things that may make these happy memories easier to find; maybe some of my suggestions will allow your mind to clear enough for you to recognize them for what they are.\r\n\r\nAll of the Community Crew will be writing about <a href=\"http:\/\/life.utoronto.ca\/stories\/october-is-mental-wellness-month\/\">Mental Wellness Month<\/a> this week, and we as a collective have many experiences. But we\u2019re not you, and we know that not everything that helps us will help you in every circumstance. However, we hope some of our advice will be of benefit.\r\n\r\nAll of that said, here are the tools I use to \u201cprep my Patronus\u201d, or remind myself of the joy that is present every day for the experiencing.\r\n<h2>Reach out<\/h2>\r\nThis is where I got into the most trouble in my experiences with anxiety and depression. I reached out to <a href=\"http:\/\/caps.utoronto.ca\/main.htm\">Counselling And Psychological Services<\/a> (CAPS), but not to my registrar, family or many friends. I got some therapy and medication, but nothing that was getting to the bottom of my issues. It took four different therapists and a two-year break from U of T to get me to a place where I could return here, medication-free. Opening up to those closest to me is something I continue to work on, but it is not nearly the struggle it once was.\r\n\r\nI can\u2019t encourage this enough: you need to reach out. Whether your family is 15 minutes or 15 hours away, they care about you and want to help. Your friends will want to help you too, and it\u2019s best to keep them in the loop as well. Your College Registrar can direct you to other campus resources, and can help you navigate the system should your health get you into academic trouble. If you feel you need help talking to any of these groups about your challenges, discuss this with any one of the following on-campus options for a support network.\r\n\r\nFor supports, there are several options. CAPS takes students as patients throughout the year: you just need to call them or pay them a visit in the Koffler Student Services Centre and they\u2019ll set up an in-person or over-the-phone screening interview to see where you need help. Then they\u2019ll match you with an appropriate professional: a psychiatrist or psychologist for one-on-one therapy on campus, or they\u2019ll recommend other options. If you can\u2019t get into CAPS, or prefer a virtual experience rather than a face-to-face chat, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.good2talk.ca\/\">Good2Talk<\/a> (for over-the-phone help), or <a href=\"http:\/\/socialwork.utoronto.ca\/about-fifsw\/counseline\/\">Counseline<\/a> (for online or over-the-phone support) are available. For a less formal group discussion facilitated by students, consider <a title=\"The Peers are Here page\" href=\"http:\/\/caps.utoronto.ca\/Services-Offered\/workshops.htm#peers\" target=\"_blank\">Peers are Here<\/a>.\r\n\r\nAs students, we are very lucky in that we have a much easier time accessing support than the general public. Wait times are weeks rather than months. CAPS also has a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.caps.utoronto.ca\/Services-Offered\/WellnessEventsAndWorkshops.htm#copingskills\">coping skills group session<\/a> for students on their waiting list, which is a step in the right direction to get as many students helped as possible. If you are prescribed medication, your UTSU health plan will likely cover its costs. If you\u2019re apprehensive about taking medication, discuss this with the psychiatrist who prescribed it: it\u2019s essential you\u2019re on the same page as often as possible. Note that medication is not a solution unto itself (you will have additional supports to deal with root causes of your problems), but it can be a good stepping stone to allow you to see the rationality and possibility behind those treatment options.\r\n\r\nAs I said earlier, family and friends are essential resources, too. You don\u2019t want the anxiety of keeping things from them adding to your already burdened brain. They don\u2019t have to become therapists themselves though, if you don\u2019t feel comfortable telling them every gory detail of your emotional state. However, having someone there when you need a tea break, a laugh, a hug or encouragement will never go unappreciated.\r\n\r\nWhether you\u2019re facing a major emotional battle or not, maintaining contact with the outside world is good for anyone, as I discovered in <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2014\/10\/06\/the-diners-club-experiment\/\">last week's post<\/a>. It serves as \u201cmaintenance\u201d for mental wellness, as do all of the following suggestions for me.\r\n<h2>Alternative Therapies<\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/tests-procedures\/cognitive-behavioral-therapy\/basics\/definition\/prc-20013594\">Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) <\/a>and <a href=\"http:\/\/eft.mercola.com\/\">Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)<\/a> take explanation beyond the purview of this post, but I\u2019d encourage you to look them up. CBT is a clinically proven method to take extreme thoughts like \u201cI will fail everything\u201d and neutralize them to \u201cI have lots of work to do, but I\u2019ve done well enough so far so will likely pass with C\u2019s at the very least\u201d. It\u2019s a popular tool for psychiatrists. EFT is not so clinically proven (and can appear really wacky if you\u2019ve never seen it before), but works for me. I don\u2019t believe it can cure diseases as it\u2019s alleged, but I do know it works for pain, anxiety, panic, procrastination, and creating motivation. Mantras (a certain phrase one can repeat to oneself for encouragement) are handy. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spiritvoyage.com\/posture\/Four-Part-Breath-Square-Breathing\/POS-000044.aspx\">Four-part breathing<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amsa.org\/healingthehealer\/musclerelaxation.cfm\">progressive muscle relaxation<\/a> can be almost miraculously good at slowing one\u2019s pulse (and anxiety along with it) and relaxing one\u2019s body under high pressure.\r\n\r\n<strong>Get Enough Sleep<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThis is the most over-looked coping mechanism available to students. It\u2019s the one thing we need most but the first thing to go when times get busy. It gives our bodies the rest we need, and helps convert anything we\u2019ve studied into long-term memory. Just ask anyone who has done an all-nighter: it might get material into their brain for a morning mid-term, but I can almost guarantee that knowledge is gone by the afternoon. Getting enough sleep takes planning of one\u2019s day and one\u2019s study schedule: make sure you see someone at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.asc.utoronto.ca\/\">Academic Success Center<\/a> if this is an area you struggle with.\r\n<h2>Get Some Exercise<\/h2>\r\nWhen you feel like crap there is little motivation to do anything. But moving is essential for good health: even jumping jacks or running on the spot in your room (or public study space, no one will judge) will do the trick. Take a walk with a friend. Find a gym buddy. Drop in or sign up for a <a href=\"http:\/\/harthouse.ca\/fitness\/registered-classes\/\">Hart House fitness class<\/a> or a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.athletics.utoronto.ca\/Page27.aspx\">class at the Athletic Centre<\/a> and take something new. Your possibilities are endless.\r\n<h2>Eat Well<\/h2>\r\nWe\u2019ve all heard the various adages and good advice about eating all the right things: fruit and vegetables, protein, fiber, and on and on. But why then must it be so HARD? My head knows that an apple and almonds will fill me up better than a chocolate chip cookie or a muffin, but my taste buds don\u2019t see reason. The reality is though that poor physical health and mental health go hand in hand: you feel good because you eat well; you eat well because you feel good. You eat badly because you feel badly and your brain says that fried foods and refined sugars will make you feel happy. They might for a time, until they don\u2019t and you feel sad and sluggish again. Treats are great, don\u2019t get me wrong, but daily doses of unhealthy foods won\u2019t do you any good.\r\n<h2>Make Music<\/h2>\r\nUsually this means singing, but playing the piano or violin (if available) can help. I can\u2019t explain why this works, but it changes something in me: I can go to a choir rehearsal completely stressed out and doubting the wisdom of taking two hours away from my study time, and can leave feeling ready to tackle my work. In the absence of formal rehearsing, singing with one\u2019s headphones on is a good standby. As is air drumming to Paul Simon\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9HKNAhAxMAk\">The Obvious Child<\/a> or similar, or air-violin\/air-conducting to something like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YuF4oYRktcAhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9HKNAhAxMAk\">Third Movement of the Summer concerto from Vivaldi\u2019s Four Seasons<\/a>.\r\n<h2>Listen to Music<\/h2>\r\nWhether it\u2019s Drake, Alison Hinds, Bedouin Soundclash, Adele, classic U2, or a recording of a Hart House Chorus concert of which I was a part, there is a song or an artist for any given mood. Whether I need inspiration to be more motivated and ambitious, am feeling reflective, or am downright sad, music is where I turn. It allows me to feel something visceral for a while, until I can work it out in my head or reach out to others for help in doing so.\r\n<h2>In conclusion<\/h2>\r\nI use all of these strategies to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the situation in which I find myself. Not all work in all circumstances. I hope at least one of them will help you.\r\n\r\nUntil next time, <strong>EXPECTO PATRONUM!<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tXslqUnzdmE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-summary\">\n<div class=\"entry-summary\">\nFor the few, unfortunate souls who are not familiar with Harry Potter, Dementors are creatures which \u201c\u2026 drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them \u2026 get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy&hellip;\n<\/div><div class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2014\/10\/15\/prepping-your-patronus\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;Prepping your Patronus&rdquo;<\/span>&hellip;<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2014\/10\/15\/prepping-your-patronus\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;Prepping your Patronus&rdquo;<\/span>&hellip;<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"author":248,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1758,7204,62,60,70,58,67],"tags":[86,78,9457,88,9307,85,25506],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21858"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/248"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21858"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21880,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21858\/revisions\/21880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}