Tag Archives: mental illness

ACA Will Increase Access to Mental Health Care

Since the tragedy that happened at an elementary school in Connecticut, there has been much call for a national discussion about access to mental health care. In 2014, the Affordable Care Act will provide for that. It requires health insurance plans to cover mental health care. Right now, it feels like a very long time until 2014 arrives. What happened in Connecticut, at Sandy Hook Elementary School, was a tragedy. No one wants to see this happen again. I’m sure everyone has heard the details by now, and I have no need to reiterate them here. After the tragedy, many … Continue reading →

Mother’s Blog About Mentally Ill Son Goes Viral

A mother has written a blog that has been passed around the internet via Facebook and in links in several other blogs and news articles. In it, she discusses her fear that her son will someday do something similar to what Adam Lanza did in Connecticut. It is an eye-opening piece of writing. Yesterday, I wrote a blog that clarified that not all people who have Asperger’s Syndrome are violent. Some can, and do, express loud, verbal, outbursts or may push someone away from them. Typically, the violence that people with Asperger’s Syndrome express is not premeditated or planned out. … Continue reading →

Talking to a Suicidal Person

Dealing with a person who is having suicidal thoughts is thankfully not something we have to deal with every day. Consequently few of us are prepared should such a situation arise. In How to Help a Suicidal Person (1) and (2), we looked at ways to address the immediate situation of dealing with an at-risk person. Today we look at further themes in helping a distressed person. Listen non-judgmentally In dealing with a potentially suicidal person, respect is paramount. To reach a point of thinking about ending one’s own life, the person has lost respect for themselves, so they most … Continue reading →

Does Your Doctor Not Understand Mental Illness?

I am often frustrated when one of my clients goes to see their doctor for a physical ailment and is basically dismissed, or at best, condescended to, simply because they have a record of mental illness, either past or present. It seems that once you have suffered from depression or anxiety, or worse still, one of the major mental illnesses, every little twinge, whether it be in your stomach or your big toe, is often put down to a symptom of mental illness. Yes, they will tell you that “It’s all in your mind, dear.” I once had a patient … Continue reading →

Talking About Tough Issues: Criminal Activity/Birthparents in Prison and Incest

This is one of a series on talking about tough issues with your adopted children. For general principles of talking about tough topics, see the first blog in the series. Talking about criminal activity or a birthparent in prison: For young children: “When adults break an important law (rule) and it might be dangerous to others, they go to a big time-out place. Your birthmother will be there for many years. You couldn’t wait that long for parents to raise you, so you will be with us until you grow up—and we will love you even after that.” For an … Continue reading →

Radio (2003)

Cuba Gooding Jr. turns in one of his best performances ever in the award-winning film “Radio.” Ed Harris plays Coach Jones, the athletic director at a southern high school. While holding football practice every afternoon, he notices a young man go wandering past, pushing a shopping cart. He sometimes stops to watch the practice, but then goes on his way. Coach Jones can tell he’s disabled, but doesn’t know anything about him. One day Jones arrives on the field to find some of his players banging on the storage shed that houses the equipment. When he opens the door, he … Continue reading →

The Wizard (1989)

“The Wizard” is the story of a dysfunctional family, trying, unsuccessfully, to set things straight. Fred Savage stars as Corey Woods, the thirteen-year-old son of Sam Woods (Beau Bridges). Sam has been married twice, and had sons Nick (Christian Slater) and Corey with his first wife. When he remarried, to Christine (Wendy Phillips) they had twins, a boy and a girl. Jennifer, the female twin, drowned, and the male twin, Jimmy, was the witness. Ever since then, Jimmy has suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome, and acts as though he has a mental disability. Sam and Christine divorced, and Christine took … Continue reading →

Benny and Joon (1993)

Benny (Aidan Quinn) is under a lot of pressure. He runs a mechanic shop and spends all day fixing cars, but he’s also the guardian of his sister Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson) who has been diagnosed as mentally ill. Although extremely intelligent, she sometimes has outbursts that result in things getting broken, and in some cases, in trouble with the police. Benny feels that he has no time for a social life and certainly no chance of ever having a girl friend or getting married. His life is taking care of Joon. One night he takes Joon to a poker … Continue reading →

Mental Illness is REAL

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My job as a psychologist is to assist people suffering from emotional problems to lead happier, more productive lives via a variety of treatments and techniques. My aim when I started blogging on Families was to provide articles of interest on a wide range of subjects that are part of the human condition. I also sought to provide accurate information about what constitutes a mental disorder and to that end, I usually provide a list of DSM-IV criteria for each disorder so that the reader is made fully aware of both the number and types of criteria that must be … Continue reading →

How Ann dealt with Julie (or How to Stop Being a Doormat)

Remember Ann? She got dumped by Julie just days before Julie had agreed to accompany Ann to the doctors. Ann had given her six weeks notice of the impending appointment yet Julie phoned to cancel three days before the Big Day. And it was a big day for Ann, as she suffered from clinical anxiety plus she was about to do something that would cause anxiety in itself, that is, visit her therapist. As we read in Still Talking but Not Walking, Ann successfully made it to her session. But Ann has taken an even bigger step. She has told … Continue reading →