Work & health needs | Supporting a parent | Mind & Body linked? | Dealing with Irritation

1. I just got a new position within my company (Yay!) but I was wondering what you would suggest the best way to explain my current reasonable accommodation and intermittent leave of absence to my new supervisor. Supposedly my previous supervisor was going to let my new one know whats been going on, but I'm not really sure he has since he's now on an LOA himself. I know they don't really have any right to know details, but I feel like since I have these things in place already it would be a good idea to fill him in because a few of my RA's could have an impact on how he perceives I'm following the rules that are set for all employees in the building. An example of that is that we're not allowed to have anything plugged in at our desks, but I have an RA for an electric heating pad. I know it sounds silly, but I'm just fearful that one of my coworkers will bring it to his attention, and if he didn't know ahead of time he could view it as not complying with policies and then I'd feel I would have to explain more. Any thoughts?

2. Hi Kati! My mum suffers from fairly severe depression and anxiety. She's asked her doctor if she can see someone and he's referred her to a therapist (we're in the UK and I'm not sure what type of therapist it is). She's had bad and unhelpful therapy sessions before, so is understandably nervous. What are the best ways I can support her as she goes through this?

3. I aspire to become a psychiatrist and I'm interested in how mental health can affect our physical condition (and vice versa). How can we scientifically explain the physical symptoms of a mental disorder? (E.g. it's common for patients with anxiety disorders to start shaking or sweat and to have trouble breathing. Some people with depression have symptoms like headaches and fatigue etc.) I know you have talked about about the effects of chronic pain before and I'm looking for a more general answer. Thank you Kati!

4. Do you know of anything that helps make irritating situations more bearable? I’m in a situation where I have to be around people who are constantly watching News, and it drives me up the wall. Just the sound of the people talking on that channel grates my nerves, let alone the content of what’s being said. My guess is you’d suggest mindfulness, but for me, it’s super hard. I can’t focus when that crap is on. It’s becoming a problem because I have to interact with these people on a daily basis, and I just want to be an asshole when I’m around them these days. I just don’t know what to do. Is there an opposite of exposure therapy? Thanks!