David Susman

Anti-Racism Resources

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I, like so many others, am shocked, saddened and outraged by the senseless acts of brutality which have resulted in the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, as well as countless numbers of other Black Americans in months and years past. Black lives matter. Where do we, as allies and advocates, turn for helpful solutions to combat systemic racism in the weeks and months ahead? There is no easy answer to this question. However, as with all …

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A Dozen Ways the Pandemic Has Hurt Our Mental and Physical Health

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While the COVID-19 virus has created massive global health issues through the sickness and deaths it has wrought, the pandemic has also adversely affected our physical and mental health in multiple ways, both short-term and longer-term. Let’s take a quick look at 12 significant impacts from the pandemic on our health. Anxiety Whether you call it anxiety, worry, or fear, these are certainly some of the most common distressing feelings we have all experienced. For many of us, a large …

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COVID Coach: A Helpful Mental Health App

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I happened to run across an app called “COVID Coach,” published by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. It’s designed to help civilians as well as veterans and active service members affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a quick review of this very useful app. The stated goal of COVID Coach is to “help you improve your self-care and overall mental health during these difficult times.” The app provides education about coping with the pandemic, self-care tools, tips to help …

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I Am An Entire Person

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Laura Kaponer This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked mental health advocate Laura Kaponer about her journey 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? LK: Many of those in recovery can recall a “before” and “after” …

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Taking Care of Your Mental Health During the Pandemic: 10 Great Resources

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I’ve run across a lot of great information for coping with mental health concerns during the pandemic, so here’s a quick round-up of 10 of the best online resources. Lots of great information here! 1. APA COVID-19 Information and Resources – American Psychological Association (APA) 2. Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 3. Coronavirus: Resources for Managing Stress – National Center for PTSD 4. COVID-19 Resource Center – National Association of …

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We Might Feel Down But We Can Get Back Up

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Pammila Allen This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked Pammila Allen about her journey 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? PA: I was a victim of abuse; mental, physical and sexual abuse. When …

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Discussing Inpatient Psychiatric Care on “The Psych Central Podcast”

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I recently was invited to be a guest on “The Psych Central Podcast” by host Gabe Howard. Gabe is a terrific mental health advocate, who I’ve featured previously in my “Stories of Hope” series. Gabe asked me to talk about my 25 years of experience working in a public psychiatric hospital from the perspective of a health care provider. I’ll provide the link to the podcast episode below, but I thought I would provide a brief preview here of our …

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How to Cope with Mental Health Concerns Related to the COVID-19 Crisis

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The global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted each of us in ways we never imagined. Although the heart of the crisis is a virus which can sicken or even kill us, perhaps one of the longer-term outcomes of the pandemic will be how it continues to impact our collective mental health. The pandemic has negatively affected our mental health on multiple levels: Social isolation. Anxiety, worry and fear of exposure to an unseen threat. Economic insecurity and loss of jobs and …

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