David Susman

How to Evaluate Online Health Information

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It’s well known that most people go online to find health information. In fact, 80% of Internet users have searched for health information online. However, there’s great variability in the quality and reliability of online health information. While some is from top-notch health care organizations, other information can be misleading and even harmful. How can you know if the health information you find online is current, accurate and helpful? The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers considerable help with …

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10 Healthy Benefits from Your Next Vacation

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Are you ready for a break, a holiday, a sabbatical, or a vacation? Whatever you like to call it, I know I could sometimes use one. It’s interesting to look at the comparison between the amount of vacation typically offered in the US (about two weeks per year) versus the averages in other countries, with several nations having an average of 4 to 6 weeks of “holiday” each year. Also, the US is in the clear minority with no federally mandated …

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Psychotherapy Works!

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Chances are good either you or someone you know has participated in psychotherapy. In psychotherapy, you and a trained mental health professional work together to help you reduce distress, feel better and work toward achieving your personal goals. But how well does psychotherapy work? I still run into folks who question whether psychotherapy is really effective or not. They question how “talk therapy” can help bring about any positive benefits, and many people still have only the classic image of …

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7 Myths About Physical Restraints in Psychiatric Facilities

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We’ve probably all seen television shows or movies such as “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (starring Jack Nicholson), where an individual with a mental illness is placed in a straitjacket in a psychiatric hospital due to being aggressive or out of control. These images are often disturbing and hard to forget. Further, they perpetuate the myth that this is how people with mental illness are treated in psychiatric facilities when they become violent or unpredictable. Having worked in a …

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How to Identify Your Personal Strengths

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Much has been written about the importance of finding and developing personal strengths as a vital part of the overall process of recovery when dealing with mental health or substance use issues. This is in contrast to an illness-based approach which has typically focused first on cataloging symptoms and problems associated with a person’s illness. By understanding and increasing your personal strengths, you can build a reservoir of positive attitudes, behaviors and activities which can increase your self-confidence and self-esteem. …

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How to Help People That Have Challenging Behaviors

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I’ve often been asked to address how to help a person with a mental illness or a substance misuse issue who is very symptomatic and who may be displaying unusual, disruptive or challenging behaviors. This is an important topic to address because the situation can be very uncomfortable and the person’s behavior may be unpredictable and could become potentially harmful to themselves or others. Let’s take a look at this issue and begin to understand some basic strategies to manage …

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Mental Health Awareness Q & A

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I was asked to be interviewed by Melanie Luxenberg, a mental health advocate and writer, who blogs for the International Bipolar Foundation. In recognition of Mental Health Week in Canada and Mental Health Awareness Month in the US, Melanie asked me to respond to several questions about mental health, stigma and support for people with a mental health condition. With Melanie’s permission, I’m reprinting her interview with me below, or you can link to the original blog post on the …

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11 Effective Ways to Recruit New Members for Your Cause

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Are you involved with a great club, group, charity or organization you really feel passionate about? Would you like to recruit additional new members or supporters? This may sound easy on the surface, but it can be quite a challenge. The past decade has seen steady and significant decreases in various types of group membership, from churches to civic clubs to professional organizations. One possible reason is a generational change in how people choose to connect, with younger people preferring …

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