Hey everybody.
Happy Tuesday
And I am in a very bazaar place.
It's not our normal hang out is it.
What is this?
It's my new home office.
And I've got everything situated.
So that I think I will.
I'm gonna try to be able to film.
And then you all, if you send me things
to my PO box.
You can see it up on my wall.
And I will post all of your wonderful
beautiful drawings.
As well as cards and all sorts 
of goodies that I get.
So it will be on my desk.
And you can see it here.
So let me know what you think.
If you like it, let me know.
Okay.
And if its Tuesdays at katimorton.com
I'm on tumblr.
So if you asked your questions 
using the #KatiFAQ
I've already gone through and 
answered a bunch of them.
So I'm trying to get better at doing that.
It just takes a lot of time.
And sometimes it's hard.
But know that I am on and 
I am doing my best.
But I have four today.
So we've got to get rolling.
As well as a journal topic.
Because a lot of you.
I did a Mandala journal topic 
a long time ago.
And everybody loved it.
And liked the art stuff.
And so I have another art journal topic
thing to get you going.
So, without further adieu.
Question number one.
'Hey Kati, I have found that journalling 
really helps me organise my thoughts'
'And feelings. But my mother has been 
caught reading my journal on'
'Multiple occasions. Unapologetically.'
Egh.
'No matter what I do she keeps finding it
and invading my privacy and makes'
'Me want to stop journalling even though
it's really beneficial for me. Help!'
So there are a couple of things.
Obviously you are already trying the
number one thing.
Hide it.
Hide it somewhere real real good.
But if they keep finding it.
The next best thing, and the wonderful
thing about online things.
And the fact that we have 
such great technology.
Is that there are actually sites that
are password protected.
Make your password really weird.
Don't make it anything anybody would know.
Don't make it your dog or your 
old address or something generic.
Make it like, I don't know,
sugar pie 27 holy water
Doesn't make any sense.
No one's ever going to think of that.
So give it a crazy password.
Open it up online.
You could even do it in google docks.
If you create.
If you have a google account, 
a gmail account.
You can go in there and you can create 
a drive, it's called.
It's just like in your google docks.
You can find the little triangle 
under your drop down.
It goes for like your google plus and
all that stuff.
And that's where you can create 
a document.
And that's all password protected too.
Because you have to get into your gmail.
The one thing about all of these is.
Every time you are done 
journalling online.
Make sure you sign out.
Make sure you get rid of, you know, 
cleaning your cookies.
Get rid of that.
So there is no way for anybody to find it.
Because then your privacy is upheld.
And I've heard from a lot of my clients.
That that's really helped.
I have only had actually one client that
had a very similar thing happen like this.
Where their mom would just 
keep going into their journal.
Reading things.
Even though they told her not to.
So they started doing it online.
And I know for some of us,
Writing by hand is much more cathartic.
But typing can do it too.
And at least then you're still getting to
vent what's going on.
You're getting to talk about and have your
own process about your life.
Okay.
I hope that helps.
Question number two.
'Hey Kati, what if it isn't 
your first go around?'
'Like what if you have seen what admitting
things does to your family.'
'And now that you are supposed to be
better, you can't tell them you're not.'
I hear this from a lot of people.
And it can be really difficult, right.
Because we feel the judgement.
We feel ashamed a lot.
Some of my clients have said that they
feel really embarressed.
I've had another long time 
follower of mine.
Having trouble with this.
And the best thing I can think of to do.
Is to have an honest conversation
with them.
About expectations.
And about it being a process and not perfection.
And if there is a video of mine that you
would like to have them watch.
I know I have talked about this a lot.
Even in an old video, I think 
I have something about like,
You know, Why is relapse okay?
Or is relapse okay?
Because dealing with 
mental health issues.
As is, you can even compare it to cancer.
Okay.
Because it's kind of like that.
Like our body, our brain.
Is just, it's wired differently.
We have a different set of, you know,
neurotransmitters.
And the way that our brain 
is firing every day.
And we are working to shift things slowly.
And it takes time.
And just like cancer can do.
It can come back sometimes.
And we can get really stressed out.
And we can get weak.
And we kind of forget our tools.
And so it can get worse.
Or sometimes things get really stressful.
We're going to a new school.
We have, a boyfriend broke up with us.
We have all of these things changing.
And we're so overwhelmed that 
it gets worse and it comes back.
And it's something that we need to talk 
about so that our parents and our family,
are aware of the fact that we are 
working on mental health issues.
We're always a work in progress, right.
If we are actually doing the work.
Personally.
There is always something 
for me to work on.
There is never a time where I am like,
'Oh everything is just hunky dory'.
Because I still say 'should' 
more than need to.
And I still do things I'm 
not supposed to do.
And I try to get better.
Right.
We are all trying to get better.
But I think having this 
conversation with our family.
And letting them know that things may get 
better and they may get worse,
And they may get better 
and they may get a little worse.
And letting them know that overall
we're tracking up.
But it's going to take time.
And it need, they need to understand 
and be patient with the process.
So that you can be open about
where you are.
Now I know it's really hard 
to have that conversation.
But the more open we are,
the more they understand it.
Right.
And if any of you have any tips and 
tricks about how you have managed this.
Can you let us know.
Because I know a lot of us out there are
struggling with this.
Okay, question number three:
'Hey Kati, I was wondering how you try 
and stop suicidal thoughts.'
'Because I have tried distraction and 
talking about it. But it's constantly'
'There, and I can't get rid of it. I 
self harm nearly every day,'
'And I am in a cycle of it now. 
Any ideas. Thank you.'
You don't need to stop suicidal thoughts.
And I know a lot of you are like, 
'What? That doesn't make any sense.'
But we don't have to try and stop our
suicidal thoughts.
It's not about that.
We are not thought stopping.
The thing that I always encourage my
clients to do,
Is let me know what their thoughts are.
Let me know how long they last.
Are they actually making plans?
Are they scared of their 
own suicidal thoughts?
Are they planning to commit suicide?
Those are things to be aware of.
Call your hotlines.
Call your therapist.
Reach out for help.
No one is alone in this.
I know it can feel like we are alone 
and we are hopeless.
But trust me, you're not.
Just be aware.
Now having the thoughts is something that
happens for many of us.
It's something that comes along with our, 
you know, deep bouts of depression.
And things that we go through.
And I find not trying to stop them.
But talking about them more.
Is actually more helpful.
Now I know it doesn't sound 
like the right thing to do.
But when we just try to
stop things, it often,
I even find with my clients.
It makes it worse.
Then they can't stop thinking about it.
And it's like all they 
think about all the time.
And so if we stop trying 
to stop the thoughts.
And we begin speaking about it.
Processing it.
Thinking about where it came from.
Why are they worse today than they were yesterday?
Then.
Sorry, my fax machine is ringing.
It's okay, just let it go.
Just let it go.
But anyway.
So if you stop trying to stop them.
Then it can actually get better.
Because we are actually talking 
about it in a real way.
Am I right?
Okay.
Question number four.
Sorry, I am in the office now.
So I've got to figure out 
all of this stuff.
All of the noises.
Question number four:
'Is it possible to go into therapy even
if you are happy? Do you have to'
'Be going through an illness to have therapy?'
No. Of course you can go into 
therapy if you are happy.
I'm in therapy.
I think therapy is great.
It's a great place to be honest.
To just start talking about 
what's going on.
Venting about your bad days.
Revelling in your good.
It's nice to get some,
For me at least,
I enjoy getting the feedback from someone
who only knows what I tell them.
They are not biased in one way or another.
They don't know, like my therapist , Janna.
She doesn't know anything 
that I don't tell her.
She doesn't know about 
everything with my past.
Unless I decide to tell her about it.
And so I'm learning about myself as I
decide to talk to more.
And share things with her.
And I don't have to be going through 
something right then and there.
And be feeling really shitty and feel like 
I'm at the end of my rope, to get help.
It just helps to talk about it.
It helps for us to feel like we're in it 
with someone else.
And we are getting support 
just for our life.
For being us.
Life can be stressful, am I right?
So there is nothing wrong with feeling 
like everything is fine and you're happy,
But you'd just like to talk to someone.
Because it can just really help.
So yeah, you don't have 
to be down and out.
You don't have to be really 
struggling to get help.
You can be happy and just want 
to work on yourself.
Because we all have, you know,
we are all works in progress.
Right.
Okay. Journal topic.
Now this is kind of a cool idea.
And I found it on pintrest.
So things you can find on pintrest.
Make a cut out of your hand.
In either construction paper or cardboard.
And fill it in with little bits of words.
Or parts of stories that 
your hand could tell.
What it's overcome.
Maybe if it has calluses or scars.
Things that it has done.
Maybe it's built things.
Maybe you've written things.
Maybe you've drawn things.
Maybe you play an instrument.
Tell us a story of where your 
hands have been.
You can do both because I actually find 
that there is too many words and things,
I can't fit it in.
Because I have small Polish hands.
So, anyway.
I thought that will be really really cool.
And really great.
And I'd love to see them.
You can put them on cool coloured paper
or printed paper.
Or anything you want.
So take pictures and show me.
I'll see you all tomorrow on the website.
So ask your questions on katimorton.com
Or on youtube under this, under today's 
video using the #KatiFAQ
And I'll find them.
And I will see you then,
Bye.
