David Susman

How do I Know if I’m Drinking Too Much?

by

I’ve worked for many years with people who have concerns about their use of drugs and alcohol. A question that comes up frequently is “How do I know if I’m drinking too much?” Perhaps they have had one hangover too many, or their friends have begun to express concerns about how much they’re drinking. Even worse, they may have been pulled over for driving under the influence or they may have failed to complete important tasks at work or school …

Read more

Don’t Give Up!

by

Stories of Hope: An Interview with Neesa Sunar This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked mental health peer specialist Neesa Sunar about her personal journey with mental health challenges and about some of her current work in peer support. Here’s our interview: DS: Tell us about when you first started becoming aware of concerns related to your mental health. How did these issues continue to affect you and those around you before you sought …

Read more

Let’s Stop Bullying: 10 Things You Need to Know

by

I had the opportunity to participate in an excellent online program called “Bullying Prevention and Response Training” sponsored by stopbullying.gov, a website of the US Department of Health and Human Services. I found it very educational and enlightening, so I thought you might be interested in hearing about a few of the highlights. I’ve summarized them here in a handy list of “10 things” you should know about bullying prevention and response strategies. 1) Definition   According to the US Centers for …

Read more

You Are Not Alone

by

Stories of Hope: An Interview with Katrina Milburn This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked mental health advocate Katrina Milburn about her history of mental health challenges and about some of her current advocacy work. Here’s our interview: DS: How did your mental health concerns develop? KM: My parents noticed behavioral problems, such as it was hard for me to understand and communicate effectively, and my grades started dropping severely in high …

Read more

Take the “What Do You Know About Mental Health Medications?” Quiz

by

Perhaps you or someone you care about takes medication to help manage a mental health condition. There’s a whole alphabet soup of such medications, from Abilify to Zyprexa and everything in between. There’s also a lot of inaccurate information out there about these types of medications. How savvy are you about the basics of mental health medications? Take this quick quiz, saying “True” or “False” for each of the 10 questions. The answers and explanations can be found below each question. …

Read more

The Power of Family

by

Stories of Hope: An Interview with Janet Singer This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked blogger, author and mental health advocate Janet Singer about her son’s mental health challenges and some of the lessons her family has learned over the past several years. Here’s our interview: DS: Tell us about when you first started noticing concerns related to your son’s mental health. How did these issues continue to affect him and your family …

Read more

Benefits of University-Based Mental Health Training Clinics

by

For over 26 years, a significant part of my job was to direct a university-based mental health center at the University of Kentucky (UK). The center’s mission is to provide effective and affordable mental health services to the community and to provide a site to train doctoral students in the Psychology Department’s clinical psychology Ph.D. program. These centers, also known as ‘training clinics,’ are found on many university campuses. They are typically affiliated with graduate programs in clinical or counseling …

Read more

Living in the ‘Middle Ground’ of Recovery

by

Stories of Hope: An Interview with Joanna Kay This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked writer and mental health activist Joanna Kay about the personal challenges she has faced and some of the lessons she has learned through her ongoing journey. Here’s our interview: DS: How did your mental health concerns develop and how did they continue to affect you before you sought treatment? JK: The more I learn about myself …

Read more