Resilience Me is a mental health campaign by the Vasculitis Foundation in collaboration with Dr. Velma Mockett and the Calgary Vasculitis Association to support the mental health and well-being of those living with vasculitis. Living with vasculitis can be difficult for anyone. This condition can place substantial physical and emotional strains on those living with it.
Now, COVID-19 is adding to our present stress, which impacts us on many levels in terms of medical and physical health, and emotional and mental health. An increasingly important aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic is how the pandemic impacts our mental health, overall well-being, and how we cope with the pandemic, especially as it continues on for a longer period than we may have anticipated or hoped. Inspired by Dr. Mockett’s own experiences of working to gain an advantage over vasculitis, Resilience Me will provide the tools to help you work through the mental health challenges, strengthen your resilience capacities, build a management plan with your healthcare provider, and take a more active role in your care.
Receiving the diagnosis of vasculitis is an overwhelming experience for anyone. Vasculitis changes the plot—it throws the body and mind for a loop. There has been an increasing recognition by many patients with vasculitis that their quality of life and mental well-being is also impacted. However, discussion about vasculitis and mental health has been scarce in both the medical and research context. Many individuals with vasculitis report struggling to cope. This workshop series will explore vasculitis and mental well-being. In this five-part series you will learn about loss and grief, emotions, resilience, mindfulness and restorative movement, and over all well-being.
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. CDT
Week 4: Friday, May 21, 2021: Mindfulness, Integrative & Holistic Care
Since vasculitis causes a wide range of symptoms, patients require an integrative and holistic approach that encompasses, for example, functional exercise therapy, psychological therapy, and strategies to improve fatigue and coping. Our ultimate goal in using this rehabilitation approach is to enable individuals with vasculitis to reach and maintain their optimal physical capacity, muscle strength, sensory, psychological and functional abilities, and to help to prevent secondary deconditioning due to reduced activity levels. Current literature indicates that strength exercises combined with stretching and respiratory exercises are a safe and effective strategy to improve a number of clinical outcomes in individuals with auto-immune diseases, such as fatigue, depression, mindfulness capacity, autonomic control, and health-related quality of life.
In this session we will explore:
- Somatic experiences
- Mindfulness and grounding techniques
- Bring a kinesiologist to teach light restorative movements
Notes: We will use diagrams to demonstrate flight-fight-freeze mode and where in our bodies we store emotions.
Registration fee: $35 per session (Canadian).
