Excrementalizing: we all do it

by Menninger Clinic July 16, 2010

I introduced the technical term “excrementalizing” in our book, Mentalizing in Clinical Practice. We start with the slightly less technical term “mentalizing,” which refers to the natural human ability to interpret behavior in relation to mental states: desires, emotions, beliefs and the like. If you were sitting and talking with a friend, and your friend […]

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The straw that broke the camel’s back: the interplay of resilience, stress and self-stigma

by Menninger Clinic July 12, 2010

We’re all familiar with the expression “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” which Charles Dickens coined in Dombey and Son. Humans are resilient creatures, but we all have limits to our ability to endure under pressure. In the past, we thought resilience was a product of a strong will. However, neuroscience and other areas […]

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Aiding and abetting AA: The New York Times helps fight stigma

by Menninger Clinic July 7, 2010

A colleague sent me a recent David Brooks’ op-ed from the New York Times about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its founder, Bill Wilson. And like a good op-ed does, it got me thinking; specifically, it got me thinking about two things:  1) how challenging it can be to overcome an addiction, bipolar disorder, borderline personality […]

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If this is therapy, sign me up!

by Menninger Clinic July 2, 2010

I think we can all agree that the stigma surrounding psychiatric care would vanish completely if all therapy sessions went like this: Troubled youth? Check. Sweater vest-wearing shrink? Check. Clipboard/notepad for taking notes during the session? Check. Phat beats, strobe lights, a cheering crowd and two guys arguing through dance? One great big magnificent check. […]

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Stigma can’t stop Ron Artest

by Menninger Clinic June 25, 2010

Moments after the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Championship last week, Ron Artest gave a short post-game interview. With purple and gold confetti filling the air around him and Kool & the Gang’s “Celebrate” blaring from the loud speakers, Artest thanked an extensive list of folks. Mixed in with his family, friends, business associates […]

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Think you’re stuck with self-stigma? Think again.

by Menninger Clinic June 18, 2010

In a previous post (Sometimes the problem is…ME?), I suggested that the problem of stigma and mental illness doesn’t reside entirely in society, but that part of the problem – much more subject to our control – is the part that resides within ourselves: self-stigma. An interesting point, in principle perhaps, but does this insight […]

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Taking a stigmatizing step back with Chuck

by Menninger Clinic June 11, 2010

Those of you who’ve read my previous posts have probably picked up on the fact that I’m a fan of the television. I don’t try to hide my love for the medium, and will defend until my dying day the programs I love. For instance, anyone who says a negative word about The West Wing […]

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CBS cares about reducing mental illness stigma

by Menninger Clinic June 3, 2010

In case you missed it, CBS recently ran a public service announcement (PSA) about bipolar disorder as part of the network’s “CBS Cares” series. In it, Mark Harmon, the star of NCIS, gives the audience a short, sweet and incredibly compelling definition of the disease. He goes on to say that most people suffer from […]

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Blame and shame: how’s that working for you?

by Menninger Clinic May 27, 2010

Jon Allen’s recent, illuminating post on sin reminds us of the limits of looking at human problems only through the lens of science: Research-informed theories and treatments can take us only so far in our effort to reduce the stigma of mental illness. Dr. Allen cautions that we must find ways to reduce blaming and […]

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Recovering from depression can be a catch-22

by Menninger Clinic May 21, 2010

I have found two basic ideas to be helpful in understanding depression: stress pileup and catch-22. We know that episodes of major depression are preceded by stressful events, and these events have two main themes: loss and failure. Loss of a key relationship through death, divorce or a break-up is a common precipitant of depression. […]

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