David Susman

How to Develop a Successful Personal Recovery Plan

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I’ve been fortunate to be able to help a number of people in recovery develop plans to begin to achieve their personal goals. Careful preparation and planning is a critical step, for as artist Pablo Picasso said, “Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” Not having a plan for recovery is like trying to go on a long …

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How to Set Achievable Personal Recovery Goals

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When I help people who are in recovery from mental illness and addiction, one thing we often discuss is setting goals. Usually, personal goals have gotten off track or have gone by the wayside completely as a result of stress, illness, or other challenges. People often feel adrift and without clear direction in their life. As Robert Heinlein said, “In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.” As recovery takes hold, hope for the …

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10 Steps to Better Health Through Improved ‘Health Literacy’

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Toni Cordell recounts the story of feeling comforted when told by her doctor that her medical concern could be solved with an easy surgery. She agreed to proceed without asking further questions and didn’t understand the medical consent forms because she didn’t read well.  At a follow-up office visit a couple of weeks after the procedure, Cordell was shocked when the nurse asked, “How are you feeling since your hysterectomy?” Cordell thought to herself, “How could I be so stupid …

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6 Great Programs to Learn More About Mental Health Recovery

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Comprehensive recovery training programs available through SAMHSA “Recovery to Practice” project The concept of “recovery” as applied to mental illness and addiction is widely accepted by both mental health professionals and by people who have experienced these issues first-hand. Recovery has been endorsed by both the US Surgeon General (1999) and the President’s New Freedom Commission (2003) as the single most important goal of mental health services. What is recovery? SAMHSA, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, …

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Why You Need a Little “TLC” for Better Mental Health

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Exercise regularly. Relax. Eat healthy foods. Reduce stress. We’ve heard these recommendations over and over again. They are all widely recognized as being good for your physical health. But did you know these and several other simple but important behavior changes can also be vital for maintaining and improving your mental health? Psychologist Roger Walsh (University of California, Irvine) cites over 150 scientific references to make a very convincing case for incorporating eight “therapeutic lifestyle changes” (TLCs) into your regular routine, …

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How to Be a More Effective Mental Health Advocate

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When I first began my career as a psychologist, I certainly didn’t think of myself as an advocate and didn’t participate in advocacy efforts to improve mental health services. But as I began to work in public mental health settings, I became more acutely aware of the important work of mental health advocates and I got interested in learning more about advocacy. Over the past several years, I’ve been fortunate to be able to engage in mental health advocacy initiatives …

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How to Choose EFFECTIVE Self-Help Resources

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It seems that just about everyone has read a self-help book, attended a support group or surfed online for health information at one time or another. Thousands of new self-help books are published each year. About 1 in 5 adults will attend a support group in their lifetime and 80% of Internet users have sought health information online. Americans spend an estimated $10 billion per year on self-improvement products. Health-related websites abound, along with online self-help programs and even smartphone …

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Help Wanted: Good Citizens to Support People with Mental Illness

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In school, we all learned several ways to be a “good citizen”: vote, participate in community service, be a good neighbor, follow the rules, and treat others with respect. All of these are important responsibilities which contribute to a better society. But did you ever stop to think about how you can be a good citizen by supporting people with mental illness? This is not something most of us were ever taught when we were growing up. Consequently, many intelligent, well-intentioned people don’t know …

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