Parent's Health Initiative - Stress

Just A Dad From Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

Health Initiative For Alienated Families.

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Toxic Divorce Workbook Excerpt

Yesterday, I talked about how taking care of our mental health is a part of our general healthcare and how it is connected to our parenting. In the afternoon, I received this wonderful attached letter from Dr. Kathleen about stress and parenting, which I think fits well with our discussion. A big thank you to Dr. Kathleen.

If you do a Google search for images of stress response you will get 40 Million hits. There are almost as many people writing and talking about stress as there are talking about parental alienation. I was one of those writers because I was allowed to do a stress project in college. The graphic below is titled Short Term Stress, which highlights an important point. A crisis by definition only lasts three days but up until now parental alienation has been lasting 30 years and beyond. Many doctors have compared the grinding stress of parental alienation to a death in the family, except without the funeral - there is no closure - parents return to worry and wonder how their estranged adult children are coping for decades.

In my stress project I concluded that the two best treatments for stress where a hot beverage or a hot bath, along with the general healthcare points mentioned yesterday, of physical exams, proper nutrition, keeping physically active, and involved in your community. For fathers, women are a great resource. Women have already worked through many parenting and divorce issues, like which grocery store has the cheapest meat, or groceries. Or the three cleaning products that will let you clean any house. Or how to lease a car, instead of buying it outright. (Parents should remember that a leased car is owned by the manufacturer, not you, and cannot be claimed in divorce). Or how to get your son to quit crawling out of his crib after bedtime.

I think Dr. Kathleen would say that education is a good treatment for stress. In the first paragraph of chapter 15 she says,

...stress is inevitable when you’re being alienated by your former spouse and family. Having the ability to rise above this stress first requires a greater understanding of the nature of stress.

When family matters get really crazy, and stress builds up, some find it hard to eat or sleep. This leads to a downward spiral, of greater and greater stress. Other problems, besides insomnia, may develop. Abbotsford Community Services has amazing programs in many areas including parenting, reconnecting with your kids, anger management, substance abuse services, legal aid for non-matrimonial matters, and are able to direct you to other programs that may help. Dads are starting to form resource groups just like women did long ago. Ask Community Services if AbbyDads has any current programs running. Think about good things, like the many encouraging treatments to help children that doctors, like Dr. Reay, are working on around the world, and have a relaxing Sunday.

Only 93 days left till International Parental Alienation Awareness Day