Silken Laumann is a world-class rower and three-time Olympic medalist. But she says that isn’t the hardest and most important work she has done in her life. “The most incredible journey I’ve been on is the internal one – the journey of the soul,” says Laumann, a Canadian author, speaker
Tag: Mental Health
What drives people to violence? Is it nature or nurture? Jeremy Richman suggests the answer to this age-old question should be “yes, of course it is.” Richman, a scientist and the father of a child who died in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut,
Psychotic Rage!: A True Story of Mental Illness, Murder and Reconciliation is the gut-wrenching, yet fascinating, account of the Malone family and their struggle with severe mental illness. The author, Benny Malone, now retired, was a mental health professional in schools and in the community throughout her career. In this
No one – especially professional counselors – would dispute the fact that psychotherapy is an effective way to help people deal with depression. However, a recent study claims that the benefits of traditional “talk therapy” are less effective than once thought. According to the co-authors of a recent peer-reviewed article
Those who live in Alabama, Texas or West Virginia have vastly fewer mental health care providers to turn to for help and support than do Americans who live in Massachusetts, Maine or Washington, D.C. This discrepancy means that residents of the Southeast and other areas of the country often have
In a life of ups and downs, football has been a constant for Chris Harris, a 34-year old limited licensed professional counselor (LLPC). Among the struggles Harris has faced was a battle with severe depression that threatened to derail his life at a young age. Football served as a saving grace
What do we want? Dignity! When do we want it? Now! This chant echoed across the National Mall on Monday, Aug. 24, as a large group of people stepped off for the inaugural Destination Dignity march. The event, organized by a coalition of mental health organizations, agencies and nonprofits, was
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 25 percent of U.S. adults struggle with depression, anxiety or some combination of both. In any given year, approximately 6.9 percent of American adults — about 16 million people — live with depression. Approximately 18.1 percent — about 42 million —
A person’s mind is a mysterious labyrinth of thoughts, feelings, memories, ideas and compulsions; the mind of a young girl is likely even more complex. Disney-Pixar’s latest animated offering, Inside Out , bravely delves into that intricate world in a way that effectively captures the nuances of the way people
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has pledged to work toward “culture change” to lessen the stigma that often surrounds mental illness. Speaking at the opening session of Mental Health America’s annual conference last week just outside of Washington, D.C., Murthy said he plans to make mental health a priority during