“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” — Nido Qubein The term “psychiatric hospital” conjures up images of that age old insane asylum, a long ago place where people were locked away in damp, dirty cells and forgotten by society. Each of these asylums was overcrowded with thousands of […]
Don’t tell them I’m a shrink
2009 Tucson, Arizona A short story by Dr. Kim The ground is covered with stones. Our host is squatted down, touching each stone passively then rearranging them according to color. He’s engaged mindfully. It’s an impressive coping skill. Even a psychiatrist has to admit that. (The psychiatrist is me, by the way, though I never […]
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10+ things you didn’t know about drugs and alcohol
Many addicts say it’s harder to quit than keep using. To stay sober and clean, they need to face overwhelming challenges: tremendous guilt, low self-esteem, isolation, an irate family, problems finding work, and the demand that they change their lives and attitudes and belief systems… it would seem easier to simply keep using.
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11 ways to overcome all adversity
“It is what it is. Isn’t that how these things always go? They are what they are. We just get to cope.” — Mira Grant, Feed Okay, give me a minute. Today I want to get up on my soap box and say “Yay!” to overcoming all adversity, finding the perfect life, and always knowing […]
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Understanding traumatic brain injury
“This made no sense to me, probably because I speak English and [had] never had a brain injury [before].” — Tiny Fey You’ve just spent the night in the emergency room. Perhaps you’re the patient, or maybe the patient is someone you love, but it doesn’t matter. The night is a whirlwind of memories, and […]
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Problem-busting: just talk to the problem
Problem-solving worksheet This is a 2-page cartoon-ridden worksheet that helps the reader explore a new way to approach a problem, by talking to the darned thing! Grab a pen, start where it says “START HERE,” and follow the arrows. (Word document format) This isn’t madness. For anyone who’s curious, the formal background supporting this […]
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Finding meaning: the creative way
You’re meant to immerse yourself in this “topic” until it surfaces in your dreams, until you subliminally speak its language and bring it up at every conversation, until you understand a world you’ve never understood before…
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When emotions are too scary and thoughts too sharp
It’s deeply personal. Maybe it’s a recent diagnosis, something chronic and unescapable? The doctors say you have a year or less, and that’s that. There’s nothing else they can do. It’s a dead-end situation. No amount of problem-solving will fix this one. Or perhaps you crashed your car and don’t have the money to fix […]
