EBook –Building Personal Resilience: A Guide to Positive Living

“It is my hope that you will use our e-book “Building Personal Resilience: A Guide to Positive Living” to improve the quality of your life, to develop insight into yourself and others and to increase your compassion for people going through some of the problems and challenges described in the following chapters. Some people will use this e-book as a manual, reading relevant chapters as they go through their lives. Others will read this e-book out of curiosity and find that it helps them understand and empathize with people they know who are going through some of these problems. Still others will consider this e-book as a stepping-stone to becoming all that they were meant to be.”

– Dr. Iris Jackson, Gilmour Psychological Services^®, Ottawa, Ontario

Building Personal Resilience: A Guide to Positive Living

Introduction – Building Blocks of Self-Improvement

Dr. Iris Jackson has developed the following list of “adult capabilities” which psychologically mature adults must develop in order to be mentally healthy and happy. As you read them, you can assess yourself and see what areas you might want to work on to more fully be yourself and be happy.

Chapter 1 – Marriage and Couples Counselling

Differences of opinion and points of view are normal and healthy in relationships. However, when couples find themselves struggling for months at a time, and can not seem to find an acceptable resolution that allows both people to feel reasonably content and fulfilled in the relationship, it is a wise decision to seek professional help in couples or marriage counselling.

Chapter 2 – Parenting Advice – Raising Resilient Children 

This chapter takes us through the wondrous journey of life as a parent, from the earliest stage when our children are mere babies to the later stages of when they reach their teens and adolescence. In your reading you will discover for example that the growth and development of a resilient child is intertwined with the growth and development of resilience in ourselves. If family distress cannot be resolved, you may meet with your physician to connect with a psychologist or family counsellor.

Chapter 3 – Parent/Child Conflict – Improving Communication 

Dr. Ages provides insights, examples, and a concrete and positive framework in guiding parents and their children away from conflict and toward a realistic process of strong communication where problems get solved, not fired up. Sometimes the conflict is such that the communication between the parent and child is so strained that the two parties cannot communicate and problem solve together. Seeking professional help from a family counselor can be beneficial to bridge this gap.

Chapter 4 – ADHD Support  

Dr. Smyth’s chapter clarifies the issues, the diagnosis, and also the treatment approaches that are most effective. No longer do individuals with ADHD have to hear that they are lazy, bad, insensitive, incapable, or hopeless.  We now know more about this condition and both children and adults and all those who care deeply about them and want to help can look forward to a future that is far more bright and hopeful.

Chapter 5 – Helping Children Cope with Separation and Divorce 

This chapter will describe the typical reactions to separation by children of various ages, and will offer advice on ways to minimize the negative impact of separation for children of differing age groups. As well, Dr. Smyth describes the types of professional services available to families, and how to access them.

Chapter 6 – Custody and Access Issues When Parents Separate or Divorce

A custody and access assessment can help in developing an understanding of the issues of separation or divorce and recommending a plan as to how decisions are to be made on behalf of a child and when the child ought to stay with one parent or the other.

Chapter 7 – Stress Management 

In today’s ever-changing pace of technology, downsizing in the workplace, and economic instability, individuals can easily feel overwhelmed by life’s challenges. Everyday living involves managing stress at home, at work, even at play. How we deal with stress can make a difference to our mood, our thoughts and our behaviour toward ourselves and others.

Chapter 8 – Overcoming Depression at Work and Home 

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a guide to the signs and symptoms of a major depressive disorder. You can use the information in this chapter to help identify signs of depression which you may be experiencing and to help you take charge of your illness and formulate the best treatment plan.

Chapter 9 – Anger Management 

This chapter discusses what anger is, the continuum of assertiveness through annoyance, anger, aggression and abuse. The article then discusses dealing with anger constructively, how to argue amicably, managing other people’s anger and other things to try when we are angry.

Chapter 10 –  Alcohol Addictions

Many fine people of all ages have become addicted or dependent on alcohol or some other chemical, prescribed or not. The focus of this chapter is on alcohol but the self-destructiveness and damage to oneself and one’s lifestyle are similar.