Holiday music is ubiquitous this time of year. It seems that every speaker within earshot of the public plays it all non-stop from mid-November through New Year’s Day. One song played frequently asks the musical question, “Do you hear what I hear?” Please permit me to stretch the meaning of the question a bit. Everyone has an internal dialogue, a private mental conversation with ourselves. The … [Read more...]
World Mental Health Day, October 10th. How Are You?
This year’s theme is Mental Health Care for All: Let’s make it a Reality. Due to COVID-19 and other challenges, our mental health has been affected in ways we never would have imagined. At the same time, our profession and others are finding ways to prioritize mental health as we make personal and professional decisions for our future. There is no question that everyone is impacted so we no longer … [Read more...]
Cloudy with a chance of sadness
I often find myself trying to help someone understand what it is like to live with a major depressive disorder. My go-to metaphor is to compare depression with the weather. Typically, people modify their behavior based on what the weather is each day, often without stopping to think about it at all. For example, at least in Minnesota, people tend to wear heavier coats during wintertime. The net … [Read more...]