David Susman

WHAM! Using Whole Health Action Management to Address Mental Health and Substance Use Concerns

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Over 60 years ago, Dr. Brock Chisholm, a psychiatrist and the first Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) said “Without mental health there can be no true physical health.” It’s now universally accepted that mental health and physical health are related and both must be included in any comprehensive personal recovery plan for mental illness or substance misuse. This combined focus on physical and mental health has been referred to as integrated care, holistic health, and whole health, among …

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The Best Part of My Life is Ahead

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Caroline Turriff This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked writer and blogger Caroline Turriff about the mental health challenges she has faced and some of the lessons she has learned through her journey. Here’s our interview: DS: Tell us about when you first started becoming aware of your mental health concerns. Also, how did they affect you before you sought treatment? CT: My mental health problems started very …

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Let’s Resolve to Save a Life This Year

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As a new year starts, it’s a tradition for many of us to make resolutions about changes we want to make in the coming year. Usually, the top resolutions reflect personal health goals. Be more physically fit, lose weight, be less stressed, stop smoking, or drink less alcohol. Another big category is personal improvement. It seems we all want to get more organized, spend less (or save more) money, read more and learn something new. Then there are the fun …

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That’s a WRAP! How You Can Benefit from a Wellness Recovery Action Plan

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An incredibly useful tool for someone who is coping with a mental illness or other significant health challenges is the WRAP, or Wellness Recovery Action Plan. If you’re not already familiar with WRAP, you’re really missing out on a wonderful resource. Let’s review some of the basics about this very helpful approach. What is WRAP? The Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is an effective, structured intervention created by educator and mental health advocate Mary Ellen Copeland. It was designed as a …

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Getting My Life Back from Psychosis

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Shannon Love This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked author and advocate Shannon Love about the struggles and triumphs of her personal journey. Here’s our interview: DS: When did you first start becoming aware of concerns related to your mental health? How did these issues continue to affect you before you sought treatment? SL: I remember it all vividly. It was 2012, I was living in Beijing, …

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I Am A Voice and I Will Be Heard

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Rudy Caseres This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked mental health advocate Rudy Caseres about his personal journey and his thoughts about advocacy. Here’s our interview: DS: When did you first become aware of concerns related to your mental health? How did these issues affect you before you sought treatment? RC: I first started becoming aware around the time I was in junior high school. I was often …

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10 Priceless Gifts You Can Give to Someone with Mental Illness

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Looking for that perfect holiday, birthday, or any day gift? If someone you care about is facing challenges related to mental health issues or substance misuse, you can give them many wonderful gifts throughout the year that won’t cost you a dime. Consider these. 1)  Give the gift of assistance “Helping others isn’t a chore; it is one of the greatest gifts there is.” – Liya Kebede Lending a helping hand is such a wonderful gift. Offer to give someone a ride, run …

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Even the Darkest Days Have a Brighter Tomorrow

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Nikki DuBose This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked writer and mental health advocate Nikki DuBose about her history of mental health issues and her current advocacy work. Here’s our interview: DS: When did you first start becoming aware of mental health concerns and how did they affect you? ND: My problems began at an early age, so they became ingrained in my …

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