GROTTAMMARE - A series of meetings, on anxiety, stress and the effects these have on the psyche and the human body will be hosted on Oct. 14 and 28 and Nov. 4, at the Council Chamber of the Grottammare Town Hall, at 3 p.m.
The series of meetings "Out of the Darkness" promoted by the volunteer association Insieme Onlus, under the patronage of the Municipality of Grottammare, aims to inform, raise awareness and to help and support people suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. During three meetings, topics related to the earthquake, the "inconveniences of our time," and the "ills of the soul," such as stress reactions after catastrophic events and related adjustment difficulties, will be covered. The meetings will illustrate how these discomforts have been amplified in the recent period but, more importantly, what are the strategies to combat them and succeed in achieving those certainties that are lacking at certain times.
The catastrophic events related to the recent earthquake that occurred in Central Italy and the numerous tremors that followed have led psychologists and citizens to cope with the psychological consequences that such natural events have created in the population. Such disasters in fact go beyond the scope of common experience and from a psychological point of view represent real traumas that can generate a state of psycho-physiological distress and malaise that is often associated with anxiety syndrome. This happens because they affect something deep related to both individual and community identity and also affect the certainties we have built in our daily lives, generating concern for the future.
For these and other reasons, the body is exposed to an enormous level of stress and the brain instantly activates to try to restore normal physiological functioning. This natural process may sometimes not happen linearly and go into blockages or impairments. Here, then, is the reason why specialists will try to answer and inform the public with respect to this topic and other questions about protective and risk factors, steps to take and how to deal with daily challenges. All these questions will be discussed at the Oct. 14 meeting.
Instead, the day on October 28 will begin with an in-depth discussion of the concept of stress and a review and analysis of the "false myths" spread on the subject. It will clarify the differences between "negative" and "positive" stress, the links between stress and illness (organic and psychological) and the mechanisms through which certain events become stressful for some individuals, the subjective evaluation of the event and the connection between this and the individual's motivational system, and the cognitive and behavioral strategies implemented by people to cope with difficult situations (coping strategies).
The meeting will continue through an in-depth discussion and analysis of various coping strategies (task-centered, emotion-centered or avoidance-centered) and the circumstances under which certain coping strategies become harmful to the individual.
The last part of the meeting will focus on self-esteem, its correlations with well-being and with personal and work life, vulnerability factors leading to the development of inadequate self-esteem level, and the resulting maladaptive cognitive processes. Finally, guidelines for increasing one's level of self-esteem will be presented.
Concluding on Nov. 4 as the last meeting of the "Out of the Darkness" project will be specialists not only on the front lines of the fight for mental health but also pioneers in the culture of self-help, as also defined by the World Health Organization as "the totality of all measures taken by non-professionals to promote, maintain and recover health, understood as the complete physical, psychological and social well-being of a given community."
The importance of relationships with others and mutual support, quality of life and relational distress will be addressed, with direct testimonies from members and facilitators of Self-Mutual-Help Together Onlus groups.
Speakers at the meetings will be Drs. Clarice Mezzaluna, Lorenzo Flori, Fabiana Bizzoni, Valerio Castellucci, Dr. Tiziana Ciccioli, Marika Ferri, Emanuela Nittoli, Marco Forti, Fiammetta Monte, Rosaria Laura Marzullo, Pino Pini and Gianluigi Innocenti. The event will benefit from the participation of Sipsi, Italian Society of Psychology and Psychiatry, Cognitive Studies of San Benedetto del Tronto and the Emdr Association.
The event is free of charge no need to register. A certificate of attendance will be issued at the end of the meetings. A coffee break will be offered during the meetings.
For information: Tel. 366/3623811- 342/8777135, info@insiemedap.it and on the sitowww. insiemedap.it Association of Together Onlus Anxiety Panic Attacks Agoraphobia.
