David Susman

Lessons Learned from Making a Mistake

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Have you ever made a mistake and then beat yourself up with self-criticism? Did you say negative things to yourself, like “I’m such a loser!” or “I can’t believe I was so stupid!”? Or did you get angry at yourself and end up feeling miserable, depressed or ashamed? Perhaps you even threw things, yelled at the dog or your family, or isolated yourself from others. I’m confident we have all had these experiences and reactions following mistakes we’ve made. They are …

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“Why Don’t People Get Treatment? (& How Can We Help?)” – CXMH Podcast Interview

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I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Robert Vore for the CXMH Podcast. Let me first tell you a little about Robert and the podcast, then we’ll dive into a little preview of what we discussed on the podcast. If you can’t wait and want to jump right over to hear the podcast, the link is at the end of this post. The CXMH Podcast describes itself as “a podcast on faith and mental health.” Robert Vore, who …

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Bipolar is Not Who I Am

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Clare Malcolm  This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked writer and author Clare Malcolm about her history of mental health challenges and her current treatment. 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 before you sought treatment? CM: As far back as my childhood …

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10 Things You May Not Know About Your Therapist

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Like many clinical psychologists, I’ve been fortunate to help a lot of people through psychotherapy. I’ve written before about the significant benefits of therapy, and I do firmly believe that psychotherapy is a highly effective approach to help manage many different types of mental health challenges. I also recognize that there are many different types of competent therapists who treat mental health issues in addition to psychologists. These include social workers, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychiatrists and addiction …

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A 10-Step Plan to Fix Our Mental Health System

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To say we are in a time of great unease and uncertainty is an understatement. We are stressed, oppressed, bullied, harassed, victimized and our mental health is often stretched to the limit. As many as 1 in 4 of us will deal with a mental health challenge at some point in our lives. Record numbers of people with severe mental illness are warehoused in jails and prisons or lie cold and homeless on our streets. The number of suicides increases …

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Be Brave and Have Hope

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Marie McCormack This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked mental health advocate Marie McCormack about her history of mental health challenges and her current activities. 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 before you sought treatment? MM: I was 20 years old when …

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Let’s Stop “Committing Suicide” Once and For All

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It was shocking to learn that Kentucky state representative, Dan Johnson, who was accused of molesting a 17-year-old girl in 2012, killed himself in December 2017. Johnson had denied any wrongdoing in a press conference not long before his death. Stepping aside from the issue of Johnson’s alleged behaviors, his death by suicide is tragic. Johnson’s death was reported on the front page of the December 14th, 2017 print and digital editions of the Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader under the title …

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Life is About Creating Yourself

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Cynthia Dudley Lester This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. I asked peer support program administrator and mental health advocate Cynthia Dudley Lester about her history of mental health challenges and her current activities. 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 before you sought treatment? CL: …

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