Is this the best way to fight stigma?

by Menninger Clinic November 2, 2010

This is the cover of the current issue of Psychology Today. This magazine is sold in grocery stores and drug stores and on newsstands across the country, and therefore represents the mental health field to an untold number of casual readers. And its editors chose to put a woman in a bikini and boxing gloves […]

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The work begins when worrying becomes unrealistic

by Menninger Clinic October 29, 2010

Everyone worries. Doing so can be useful, such as by motivating you to finish a project. It can also help you anticipate and prepare for an upcoming event. But fretting constantly over unlikely problems is not healthy. Severe worry is a severe problem. Called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the illness is characterized by six months […]

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Healing with an open mind

by Menninger Clinic October 21, 2010

When I entered the Wellness Expo, my feet dragged. My sixth sense hinted my talk wasn’t right for the people gathered. A couple practiced yoga on the green grass. Each member of a trio swung a large swath of white fabric with a ball at its end – oversized slingshots without targets. Signs offered psychic […]

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“Crazy” good: 7 uses of the word “crazy” I don’t hate

by Menninger Clinic October 15, 2010

Nuts. Bonkers. Loony. Batty. Insane. We’ve all used these words to describe a person or situation that doesn’t quite conform to what we think of as “normal.” It’s words like these that contribute to the stigmatization of mental illness, but none are used quite as much as the ubiquitous “crazy.” We hear that word so […]

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Psychiatry trumps the Force?

by Menninger Clinic October 8, 2010

Now this is the kind of science I can get behind: French psychiatrists and psychologists, who are clearly using their time well and are probably not at all putting off more pressing work, have written a letter to the editor of the journal Psychiatry Research titled “Is Anakin Skywalker suffering from borderline personality disorder?” This, […]

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Reframe stigmatizing situations to generate grace

by Menninger Clinic September 30, 2010

I was having a conversation with some colleagues the other day when someone asked a very intriguing question: If we considered ourselves as protagonists in a book – our own life story – what would be the title? This got me to thinking … at first I thought I would title the book “Trying to […]

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Behaving badly: not all bad behavior is rooted in mental illness

by Menninger Clinic September 21, 2010

I see a lot of poor behavior that I can explain, yet I am less and less tolerant of it. This is a real change. For many years, I would spend days upon days wondering why it was that so-and-so treated people around them with such contempt or hatred, or why someone expected their obvious […]

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Paradox and irony converge: a story of stigma

by Menninger Clinic September 17, 2010

We have been writing for some time now trying to get out the message that it is time to say “no” to stigma. Since stigma carries personal pain and suffering, which is particularly true of persons who suffer with severe and persistent mental illness, I thought it might be useful to reflect on at least […]

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Psychiatric hospitals: perception does not equal reality

by Menninger Clinic September 10, 2010

In this space I’ve made fun of Burger King. I’ve torn down Chuck. And I’ve taken aim at fictional universes. I’ve spent a lot of time telling you what the entertainment industry gets wrong when it comes to psychiatric clinics, but I’ve yet to show you how easy it would be to get these settings […]

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Stories told and lessons learned: the power of patient reunions

by Menninger Clinic September 1, 2010

In just a few weeks, Menninger will host its second annual Patient Alumni Weekend, which is kind of like a class reunion, only without the alcohol. Promoting this event got me thinking about last year’s inaugural event. Although I’m not a reunion going kind of girl (I’ve never been to my high school or college […]

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