[vsw id=”c8ueviWMN1A” source=”youtube” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”no”]

For more information go to www.reachingthroughresistance.com

The new Pixar film ‘Inside out’ is due for release on June 19th. Check out this trailer https://youtu.be/WIDYqBMFzfg It takes a marvelous look into the emotional life inside our heads and bodies that usually dumbfounds us, scares us, makes us defensive, simply overwhelmed. These same emotions can allow us to come close to others, live satisfying lives and understand the inner life of each other.

Check out this fantastic effort to make our emotional life understandable. I imagine this gem of a film might be enjoyed by the adults as much as the children.

Bernie

Click here to view new Pixar Inside out trailer

Just saw this quote from Dr Martin Luther King Jr

Behaviour is not a disease. It is a way of communicating our inner experience when we interact with the world around us. In dementia care behaviour is often treated as though it is a disease. “She’s got behaviour” as if she has some terrible disease. We pathologise normal behaviour and make it into some form of illness. We also ignore some problem situations that we should take more seriously such as withdrawal, anxiety, repetitive questioning or people intruding into other people’s space.

Wellbeing is the goal and respectful, warm relationship is the means to that end. Treat people as human beings – not as some ill object to be washed, pumped, fed, wiped and kept seated.

People with dementia are no different to you and me. When was the last time your brain let you down?

Bernie

This is a great article that looks into why we give

https://storify.com/TheTHXCo/the-science-of-giving-thx

Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) has been linked to cognitive impairment in people with late life depression. The study conducted by Breno Diniz and team from Federal University, Brazil, and published this month in The Journal of Gerontology Series B, is the first study to link BDNF from cerebrospinal fluid with cognitive impairment (CI) and late life depression (LLD). Other studies have found inconclusive links but this study uses CSF which because of its close relationship with the brain tissue indicates a clear relationship with cognitive impairment. The study used three groups of participants who each had a spinal tap (ouch) to obtain the CSF. One group was a Control and the other two groups were those with Late Life Depression and No Cognitive Impairment and the third group had Late Life Depression and Cognitive Impairment. The Control group had the highest level of BSNF, the LLD No Cognitive Impairment group had next lowest and the LLD Cognitive Impairment group had the lowest levels of BDNF.

The meaning of this is that it indicates that BDNF is not only present in lower quantities in those with cognitive impairment but that late life depression works as an intermediary, causing a vulnerability to cognitive impairment. This is suggested to be due to reducing the number of active neurons, thus creating the vulnerability to diseases such as Alzheimer’s etc..

BDNF is known for its link with exercise and cognitive function, ie it is released following vigorous exercise and memory and other cognitive funcitons improve. It is clearly an important factor in overall functioning.

So if you exercise you will improve your mood and your cognitive function! Simple huh?

We are developing a new instrument to help identify those people who are best suited to caring for people living with dementia.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN

It is a special role and requires particular abilities. Family members do not get a choice about caring for their loved one but people who choose to work in long-term care or home care must be the most suitable people we can have for people who are most vulnerable.

This questionnaire is Step 1 in the process. It is a large questionnaire which we will shorten to about 40-60 statements in the next step.

It is anonymous and all details that identify individuals will be separated from the grouped information.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN

Can you help us by taking about 30 minutes of your time to respond to the questions and statements? There are also some photos of faces with various emotional expressions. See if you can pick which emotion is displayed on each face.

Your participation in this first step will be a significant contribution to ensuring people with dementia are cared for by the most suitable people.

Please pass this request on to as many people as you can think of that might be interested and have 30 minutes to spare.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN

Thank you so much for considering this request. If you have any questions please contact Bernie McCarthy at bernie@mccarthypsychology.com.au

“Almost always, when a person realizes s/he has been deeply heard, their eyes moisten. I think in some real sense s/he is weeping for joy. It is as though s/he were saying, “Thank God, somebody heard me. Someone knows what it’s like to be me.”

Carl Rogers