Expelling the Stigma Against Mental Illness
Let’s talk about stigma, specifically the stigma against people living with mental health conditions and seeing a mental health professional. We may have come a long way from lobotomies and belief that women are unstable due to a “wandering womb” (i.e., the original meaning behind the word “hysteria”), but these unnecessary barriers to greater health and wellness are still with us today. Consider physical health: when a person is sick with a sore throat, it’s typically accept
Scary but Necessary: Why we MUST talk about suicide
In the wake of the most recent celebrity suicides (ie, Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain), I find I have the idea of suicide on my mind. As a psychologist, I talk about suicide all the time, nearly every day. After 15 years of asking The Question, it has become as normal to me as discussing someone's marriage, career goals, or fears. But as I have previously discussed, this hasn't always been true. My comfort with discussing suicide took years of practice, but I am grateful. When
