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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10 Essential Leadership Qualities in Times of Crisis

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When I first wrote this, we were fully in the grip of the 2020 global pandemic. This experience was unlike anything we had encountered before and it greatly impacted all of us in nations, communities, and neighborhoods around the globe. During that time, we saw the responses of our leaders at the national, state, and local levels as we attempted to cope and weather this storm. It was clearly evident that some leaders were much more effective than others. The …

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I Found a Purpose to Keep Going

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Marie Shanley (Mxiety) This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked mental health advocate Marie Shanley, also known as Mxiety, 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? MS: I was …

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“Therapy 101” Podcast Interview with Brittney Moses

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I was very excited when I was recently asked to be on “The Faith and Mental Wellness Podcast” with Brittney Moses. I had connected with Brittney via social media some time ago and I’ve been an admirer of her work. Brittney studies Psychology at UCLA and wants to pursue graduate work in clinical psychology. She is active in mental health advocacy through social media and blogs about mental health on her website. Brittney also hosts “The Faith and Mental Wellness …

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Spark a Conversation About Mental Health

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Stories of Hope: An Interview with Michelle Hammer This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked mental health advocate Michelle Hammer 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 and was there a turning point that led …

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12 Great Mental Health Advocates You Should Know

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I’ve been fortunate to have connected with a lot of terrific mental health advocates from all around the world over the last several years. I’ve been blown away by their courage, determination, and compassion, as they fight to reduce stigma and discrimination and raise awareness around mental health issues. Despite the great work done by these advocates, they are sometimes not well known to the public. Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to periodically highlight some of these advocates …

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Mental and Physical Health Benefits of Volunteering

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It’s probably a safe bet that most of us have volunteered our time, talents, sweat, or ideas at least a few times to support a person, group, or cause. Volunteerism seems ingrained in our culture. We frequently help out with school or church activities, or with various community groups to support their many worthwhile efforts. Although volunteering can require a lot of time and energy, I’ve usually found it enjoyable because I’ve had the satisfaction of working with others toward …

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