Please welcome Dr. Thomas Mraz, PhD back to our practice and Dr. Jane Gardner, PhD, LPCC-S to our team! You may learn more about them under the "Meet our team" page of our website. They are both wonderful providers with a great deal of experience! So glad to have you on board!

As the reality of a world pandemic sets in, people naturally feel increasingly anxious. It is normal to feel this way. Being in denial is not helpful. If people go about their day the way they did before COVID-19, they may become infected or infect others. So we want to work on acceptance of this strange reality, without a sense of panic—and without denial of facts.

Life feels uncertain and our world as we know it has changed, replaced by a confusing and surreal situation. We want to be compassionate toward ourselves, validate our own emotions, as well as be compassionate with others who may be struggling emotionally. It is a stressful time for our world, and we need to be patient with ourselves, as well as others.

Experiencing stress may result in a wide variety of symptoms of anxiety and depression:

• Sadness, feeling tearful
• irritability, anger
• feeling agitated, feeling slowed down
• decreased concentration, confusion
• Increased heart rate
• difficulty controlling worry
• Feeling lonely due to social isolation
• Body aches and pains (e.g., headaches, jaw pain, stomach aches, muscle tension)
• Appetite loss or overeating
• Panic, sense of impending doom
• Fatigue
• Insomnia, nightmares, restless sleep
• loss of interest in pleasurable or fun activities
• Suicidal thoughts--always take these thoughts very seriously. Please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 if you are having these thoughts. If you feel like you are a danger to yourself or anyone else, please go to the nearest emergency room or hospital or call 911.

 
For people who have a history of trauma, current events may feel retraumatizing. They may be experiencing an increase in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For nurses, doctors, or other health providers fighting to save people’s lives, symptoms of acute stress disorder (ASD) may emerge. These symptoms of PTSD/ASD include:

• Experiencing intrusive thoughts or memories of trauma; distressing dreams; or flashbacks of trauma event.
• Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event; this may include avoidance may include people, places, activities, objects and situations that trigger distressing memories.
• Engaging in persistent negative evaluations about oneself, others, or the world (for example, "I am unsafe," or "The world is a scary place”; experiencing feelings of fear, horror, anger, guilt or shame; decreased interest in pleasurable activities; or feeling detached or estranged from others.
• Experiencing irritability, angry outbursts; increased impulsive or self-destructive behavior; being easily startled; poor concentration or sleep problems.

If you are feeling depressed, anxious or traumatized, talk with someone, seek psychological help, but don’t suppress how you feel. It is tempting to tune out and avoid emotions which feel scary and threatening. Nobody likes to feel distressing emotions. However, ignoring or dismissing our emotions can cause us more psychological harm. The numbness that may set in will eventually feel even more distressing. The more we push our emotions down, the more they tend to bubble up to the surface in other unhealthy ways (e.g. feel irritable, engage in unhealthy habits, abuse substances, etc.).

Understanding and listening to emotions can be effective in decreasing distress. Many people have the impression that listening to distressing emotions is the same as being ruled by these emotions. This is not accurate. Having an awareness of the emotional pain we are experiencing, is not the same as being helpless in the face of this suffering. It means that we can allow important information to come to the surface, which can then be processed. This can help us understand the way we are perceiving ourselves, our world, and others, and can help guide us in making wise decisions. We want to allow our emotions to tell us a story--to inform us about what our needs are right now. This narrative can suggest a healthy action tendency.

What are my emotions telling me I need in order to feel less distressed? Here are some examples of emotions and action tendencies:
 
I feel lonely. This tells me that I would like to be around others. I can’t do it in person due to current restrictions, but I can call or facetime a friend.
I feel unsafe. This tells me that I understand there are some health risks. What are reasonable things I can do to help myself be safe? I can wash my hands, socially distance, and keep myself safe.
I am overwhelmed. I feel paralyzed. This tells me that I am exhausted, that I am carrying a huge emotional load. How can I set some of this burden down? Is it necessary to carry it with me all the time? I can turn off the news. I can remind myself that I am doing my best. I can try to do something small that feels productive (e.g. put dishes away) or do something that is self-caring (e.g. listen to my favorite music) and see if this helps.
 
There are various mental health strategies that may help decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Here are some ideas for coping with distressing emotions:

• First, don’t panic (yes, that’s a Hitchhiker’s Guide reference): Protect yourself from emotional contagion (a phenomenon involving adopting the emotional state of another person, sort of like empathy).  Yes, people are buying all the toilet paper. Just because some people are panicking, it doesn't mean we all should. And perhaps see the humor in this situation. Who needs so much toilet paper?
• Be proactive: If you think you have COVID-19, talk to your doctor or advice nurse at a hospital, rather than ruminating, worrying, googling symptoms or asking a friend. Go to the experts!
• Don't obsess: Take a break from constantly watching the news, reading articles or researching every detail about COVID-19. This behavior won’t be productive, and it will lead to increased feeling of anxiety.
• Don't jump to conclusions: If you are sneezing, and certain this means you have COVID-19, could you be jumping to conclusions based on little evidence? What else could be going on? Do you normally sneeze this time of the year? Could it be allergies?
• Decrease unnecessary worry thoughts:  Many of us engage in anticipatory anxiety, or predicting that something bad will happen in the future, which makes us feel unnecessary suffering. By holding on to our thoughts lightly, we can learn to tolerate uncertainty, and go with the flow a little more. We can let go of rigid beliefs about what might happen. As our mind runs away creating a scary future scenario, we can bring ourselves back to the present moment, and allow ourselves to experience our emotions from a place of curiosity.
• Decatastrophize: Imagine the worst-case scenario, and how you might cope with it if it were to occur.  Bringing worries that you may be suppressing to the surface, and make them overt, can help us feel increased sense of calm and agency. This will help us come up with solutions that feel proactive.
• Be solution focused:   Forgive yourself for perceived mistakes (e.g. You are the only person in the world who forgot to stock up on toilet paper, and now it’s sold out everywhere). Try to find a solution instead of beating yourself up (e.g. Do you have tissues in the house?)
• Stay emotionally connected: Call or email a friend, co-worker or family member. Social isolation does not have to mean emotional isolation.
• Give yourself a sense of structure: None of us do well without a sense of structure, which our work or school previously provided. Come up with a routine/schedule for yourself or your child and follow it.
• Decrease arousal: Engage in diaphragmatic breathing, or deep abdominal breathing. Breathe out more slowly than you breathe in.
• Do something soothing: take a shower/bath, smell something nice, have a cup of tea, pet your dog/cat, play with your kids, or talk with a friend or partner
• Stay busy: Take up an old hobby or activity or try a new activity: bake cookies, try a new recipe, learn a language, paint a picture
• Increase endorphins:
  1. Do something that is physically active: go for a walk, yoga, stretch, run on a treadmill, dance.
  2. Or do something that makes you feel good: watch a TV show, Tic Toc or YouTube video to make you laugh out loud.

 

• Be present-focused and mindful:  Anxiety can result in disconnecting from thoughts, feelings, and the present moment. To disrupt this process, use a mindfulness technique, such as paying attention to your five senses. This can help to ground you in the here and now, rather than ruminate about current events or what the future might bring. Keep gently bringing yourself back to the present moment.
• Practice good sleep hygiene. Make sure you go to bed at the same time, wake up at the same time, and turn off electronic devices one hour before bed. Dim the lights an hour before bed, don’t work out two hours before bed, and don’t have your biggest meal before bed.
• Be gentle with your self and others. If you are working from home, perhaps you don't have as much time as you would like to help kids with their online learning. Perhaps you can't produce the same quality work at your job due to distractions, and are not as productive as you would like. Understand that the stress you feel may affect your mood. For instance, it is normal for people to experience increased irritability. Forgive yourself for losing your temper, and forgive others as well. Apologize and make amends, as needed. We are all doing the best we can during this scary and difficult time.

 
I hope some of these suggestions help. Please take care of yourselves during this uncertain and difficult time. And remember that we are all in this together, and that we will get through this together. Our humanity binds us. Throughout this storm that has taken over our world, it is inspiring to see acts of courage, altruism and compassion. It is amazing to see people jump into action to help others, or jump into song in Italy as an act of solidarity. It is encouraging to know that there are research scientists working around the clock to come up with a solution. So when life feels at its scariest, remember Fred Roger’s words, and “look for the helpers.”  Look for the good. Because it’s all around us—and because that’s how we bring back hope.
 
References:
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC:  Author.
 

The world is dealing with a threat that is impacting our physical, economic and emotional security. We have never been through this kind of situation before.  It is difficult to grapple with the uncertainty this pandemic brings. As I write this, and as you read it, we are physically isolated from our normal routines and many, if not most, or all of our friends and family.

Under these circumstances it is normal to have various emotional responses. It is normal to feel afraid, isolated, shocked or confused. These feelings are valid. We are all feeling this way. But we are not alone. We are all in the same boat. Remember that it is healthy and normal to acknowledge our emotions.

As people, we are inherently social animals. None of us can avoid the feelings of isolation that come with physical separation.  While it may be necessary to go through physical separation, we shouldn’t deceive ourselves that this is normal, or healthy. Connections, especially deep emotional connections, are what give our lives meaning.

Although we need to socially isolate, this does not have to mean true "aloneness." Most of us are privileged to be able to use technology to reach out and maintain strong emotional connections. It is most important that we check in, support, and receive support from our loved ones, friends, acquaintances and colleagues. At times of stress, emotional support and intimacy that come out of an honest exchange are essential. We all cope with stress differently, and it's important to show understanding and empathy for the variety of responses that people may have.

Finally, continue to utilize mental health resources if stress/anxiety escalate. We are here to help. Our practice will continue to see patients throughout this time. If you are concerned about financial resources, Dr. Faur has taken on several additional spots of psychotherapy pro-bono. This will be provided to people who have lost their jobs as a result of COVID19 and fall below the poverty line, and thus cannot pay for sessions at this time. Dr. Faur is currently only seeing patients via telemental health, utilizing a HIPAA compliant video platform. Please contact us for more information.

Please take care of yourselves, and each other. We will get through this together.

Wishing good health to all,

IPH

Integrative Psychosocial Health is dedicated to the health and safety of our patients and staff. IPH is aware and responsive to the growing concern of Coronavirus in our community. Management of IPH has been following the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Joint Commission for best practices.

We will continue to follow the CDC's recommended guidelines for COVID-19 and are actively implementing new procedures into our daily routine. This includes increased disinfecting and hygiene practices to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. It also includes the use of telemental health technology in lieu of coming into the office for appointments.

Telemental health sessions can be conducted via a HIPAA compliant, encrypted video platform, and can be done on your smart phone or computer. It is easy to set up, and free. If you are interested in this option, please call or email us at iph@ipsyhealth.com. Some of our providers are using the telehealth platform called VSee: https://vsee.com/

For those who do not own a computer or smart phone, we can have sessions via regular phone.

Utilizing telebehavioral technology to have sessions isn't ideal, but appears to be necessary for the time being, in order to decrease the spread of COVID-19. We hope we can partner together to keep those who are at risk of serious illness safe.

Please call or email us with any concerns. We are available at 216-801-4656 or 440-915-6515.

Warm wishes for good health,

IPH

How do we heal following  a life-changing event, such as the death of a loved one, loss of a job, relationship break up or any other stressor? 

Healing starts with the truth. We do this when we practice compassion with ourselves as well as others. We can start by observing our inner experience, as well as observing others without judgement, with genuine curiosity. Our curiosity can help us become aware of our own filters, which may be altering our perception. Coming to a less tainted understanding can help us accept reality and experience increased compassion.  

Compassion doesn’t have to mean that we let others who have wronged us off the hook. It can mean quite the opposite. Our genuine curiosity can lead us to holding others responsible for the pain created, and letting ourselves heal, knowing we did our best to survive. Or it can mean understanding why we responded the way we did. We can come to realize that perhaps we did something wrong. This can help us figure out what we need in order to heal, such as make amends, and work towards self-forgiveness.  Or it can lead to understanding a situation or someone’s perspective on a deeper level. We may understand the pattern of inter-generational trauma, and realize the chain of suffering that was handed down.   Non-judgmental curiosity can help our perspective broaden. It can make it easier to grieve and lead us on a path to healing. 

​As human beings we are always in an emotional state. Thank your limbic system, or emotion center of the brain, for that. Most of us have been led to believe since we were kids that emotions are bad, and not to be trusted. Many of us have been punished since childhood when experiencing "bad emotions." "I'll give you something to cry about!" was a common refrain of the past by exasperated parents. We learned to suppress "negative emotions" and put on a happy face.

In our society, we are repeatedly given the message that emotions are good or bad. We are told that it is virtuous to feel happy or grateful or in love all the time. We are told that these are "positive emotions."  In fact, we now know that emotions are neither good nor bad in of themselves. Emotions are simply information meant to guide us. We should not be criticizing or qualifying them as positive or negative. We should however try to understand, from a curious, non-judgmental perspective, how our emotions are informing us. This does not mean wallowing in our emotions but coming to a deeper understanding. If we reflect on our emotions with curiosity, we can understand ways to improve our lives or to avoid bad situations. We can gain wisdom, and make choices that are more authentic, beneficial and meaningful to us.

The last thing we should do is ignore or dismiss some of our emotions, even those like sadness, anger, jealousy, etc. Imagine that you value spending time with friends but work so many hours that you don't have time to see them. Your sadness can inform you of the importance of your support system, which can allow you to create change in your life. 

But shouldn't I just be "rational?" Shouldn't I trust my thoughts? In fact, our thoughts may be less trustworthy than our emotions. Research shows that humans can be quite counterintuitive when it comes to making decisions based on their thoughts. Thoughts may be irrational, self-critical, critical of others, or maladaptive. The emotions behind them may be real, but the thoughts themselves may be unhelpful. For example, you may feel very sad because your best friend hasn't answered your text message in days. The sadness is real. Your belief regarding the unanswered text may or may not be true, helpful or adaptive. You may come up with a theory, such as "my friend is angry with me" which may be false. Perhaps your friend is not angry, but busy, lost their phone, or too depressed to answer the message. We don't know which theory is true. But your emotion is still real. And you can use it to propel an action tendency that is healthy. So, then how do I move forward when I feel sad that my friend did not text me back? Well, first honor the sadness. Of course it's sad. You value this friendship. Allow yourself to feel this sadness. And what would be a healthy action tendency? What would help soothe this emotion? You can text your friend to make sure everything is ok, you can hold on to your beliefs (theories) lightly in regard to why she is not texting back, and you can be compassionate with yourself. You can remind yourself that just because you think it, it doesn't mean that it's a fact. Our thoughts are just theories, which may or may not be correct.

But shouldn't I just dismiss my sadness? Shouldn't I just distract myself? Put it out of my mind? Well, by doing this, you risk holding on to this emotion longer. And it may transform into other emotions. After all, if you believe your friend is angry with you, perhaps you may also believe she doesn't value your friendship, and you may start to feel deeply hurt and angry. And this may translate into unhealthy behaviors. Instead of checking in with your friend, you may irrationally decide she was never your friend and ignore her when you see her at school or work. Or you may be terse with her when she finally texts back. She may then react to this negatively and stop talking with you as well. One simple misunderstanding can cause a downward spiral, which can hurt your relationship. And you may never learn the real reason your friend didn't return your message. 

So don't dismiss your emotions! They are just messengers meant to be understood--and honored.  And instead, learn to be gentle with your thoughts and not judge your own emotions. Be curious and open to understanding why you are experiencing an emotion. Make peace with the ambiguity of not knowing why people do the things they do. Heck...it's even hard for us to understand our own emotions. 

And finally, let me answer the title of article, "When is it ok to be angry?" The answer is: anytime. Anger is just information. It's what we do with it that matters. There is such a thing as good anger. Think Rosa Parks' anger. She was not tired when she sat down in the front of the bus and refused to get up. She was rightly angry and used this anger to inspire change. She inspired change not by beating people up, but by resisting laws that were unjust. Her anger was appropriate and adaptive. And her behavior was brave and inspirational. 

But shouldn't we just strive for being happy all the time? Well, not if it means suppressing how we feel. If we did that, we would live some pretty unhealthy lives. It would mean constantly dismissing information that was necessary for our happiness. We would stay in that terrible job too long, we would never strive for more; we wouldn't get the information we need to help ourselves or understand our situations. "Happy" is not always the right emotion. If you saw someone acting happy at a family member's funeral, would that be adaptive? You may rightly wonder what this meant. 

So, if it's called for: be angry. But learn to do what's right with it. Be sad: and find the beauty or the wisdom in it. And by allowing yourself to authentically feel, you will live a more meaningful, and ultimately happier life.

Check out our new therapists under the MEET OUR STAFF tab! Pictures coming soon! Please welcome social workers Ms. Klare Heston, LISW-S and Mr. Mike Joyce, LISW and psychologist, Dr. Katherine Kratz, PsyD! 

We are excited to announce more news for our practice. As many know, we have expanded and moved our practice from Fairview Park to Westlake! We have three wonderful new therapists who will be joining our practice! Their bios will be soon available on our website: www.ipsyhealth.com

Furthermore, we are starting several groups for teenagers and adults, including dialectical behavioral therapy for adolescents, resiliency groups for teen girls and boys, and anger management for adults and adolescents. Stay tuned for updates on meeting times!
We are grateful to continue being of service to our community and continue to decrease stigma associated with mental illness!

Warmly,

IPH
​
#sparkchange #yourstorymatters #theresnousversusthem#justpartofbeinghuman

Here is a short article about telepsychology.  Telebehavioral health means using a HIPAA certified video platform in order to virtually meet with people who would otherwise not be able to access mental health treatment. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/two-takes-depression/201708/depression-and-telepsychology

October is national domestic violence awareness month. If you are in need of help, you may speak with a domestic violence trained peer advocate by calling 1-866-331-9474. Check out the "Break the Cycle" website below to learn more! 

https://www.breakthecycle.org/blog/it%E2%80%99s-national-domestic-violence-awareness-month

With the holidays upon us, this can be a peaceful and joyous time of the year. However, this can also be  a lonely, difficult time for many who have struggled with loss or isolation. 

At IPH, we are offering a support group to help those struggling with loneliness and loss.  We plan on providing this weekly support group over the next 4 months. The first meeting will take place this week Thursday 12/15/16 at 4:00 pm.  Please call us at 216-801-4656 to learn more, or email us at iph@ipsyhealth.com
​
From the staff at IPH, we would like to extend our warmest wishes for a healthy and peaceful holiday season for all!

Just a reminder that we will be hosting our first support group for parents/caregivers/grandparents of children/adults with autism. Please see the flier under the "mental health services" tab! This group meets from 9-10 on Saturdays. Please call us at 216-801-4656 to register, or you may register through our website under the "Scheduling" tab. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday at our Fairview Park location:
20800 Westgate Plaza, suite 103, Fairview Park, OH 44126

​https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/anger-in-the-age-entitlement/201206/emotional-abuse-intimate-partners

Various group therapies are being offered at IPH, starting late August (parenting, anger management, social anxiety and more). In case you have any questions, here is an article about group therapy from APA. The most basic tenet to remember is that whatever is said in group, stays in group. Also, it wouldn't be a group without people in it, so attendance is important! Here is a bit more about what to expect.

​http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/group-therapy.aspx

Father's Day is difficult for some. For those who lost their father, had an unhealthy relationship with their father, or never knew their father, this can be a particularly challenging day. May this day land gently for you. Here is a blog on how to survive father's day from Psychology Today. 

www.psychologytoday.com/blog/social-lights/201606/how-survive-fathers-day-without-father

Here is a good article from the APA on the changing role of fathers. 
http://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/changing-father.aspx

"10 ways you can tell good therapy from bad" from Psychology Today
​ www.psychologytoday.com/blog/insight-therapy/201603/10-ways-you-can-tell-good-therapy-bad 

Spectacular job Cavs...feeling proud! :)

Let’s face it, we all feel angry, sad, fearful, or other unpleasant emotions sometime. Our buttons get pushed--by the person who cuts us off on the road, the partner who doesn’t seem to hear us, or the screaming child who really wants us to buy a toy! Our friend doesn’t call us back, and we feel sad. We have to give an important speech in front of lots of people, and we feel terrified. What is clear from research is that chronic anger, sadness, fearfulness can have detrimental effects on our health, on our relationships with others, and our own sense of well-being. Thankfully, there are ways to ensure that our emotions are adaptive. Process experiential/emotion focused therapy (PE-EFT) is an empirically supported therapy approach developed by Dr. Leslie Greenberg and Dr. Robert Elliott, which focuses on deeply understanding our emotions.  In individual therapy, the therapist works closely with the client through the use of empathy to help the client understand their own personal emotions. According to Elliott and Greenberg (2007): “In general, PE-EFT is an approach that seeks to help clients transform contradictions and impasses into wellsprings for growth.” In short, it can help us have more adaptive emotional experiences.
 
So what does adaptive mean for emotions?
 
You may have been taught that anger, sadness, fear, resentment, contempt, hatred, jealousy, pride….just to mention a few…are negative emotions!

The truth is that emotions are neither negative, nor positive. Emotions are neutral.

I know you must be thinking: ok, but who wants to feel sad, angry, hurt? Shouldn’t we just strive to be HAPPY all the time? Shouldn’t we just experience “positive” emotions?

Short answer: No. (And let me explain.)
 
Imagine if your child just died, and you are experiencing joy, or if a bear attacks you and you feel calm. Would these emotions be helpful or adaptive? Likely not. You would not be grieving your child’s death, which would cause lots of emotional problems later on, or you might well get eaten by a bear if you don’t get into fight or flight mode. Emotions are there for a reason. And without ALL emotions, we would be deprived of the necessary information needed to help guide us in our lives. Just as if we did not have any pain receptors in our body, we would not be getting the necessary information about our bodies’ health, and would probably endure more health problems as a result. If we break our foot, we need that message sent to our brain to tell us we are in pain, to get to the doctor, and get the necessary help. It is the same with emotions. They tell us what needs we have, and if we dig deeper, how to get those needs met.
 
Emotions are wise, and by understanding them, they can help guide our behavior, so we can become more proactive in caring for ourselves. So, next time you experience that pesky negative emotion, ask yourself: what is this emotion trying to tell me? What can I learn about what I need in order to feel less of this unpleasant emotion? And what does healing look like? This process is necessary, in order for healing to begin.

Reference:
 
Elliott, R. and Greenberg, L. (2007) The essence of process-experiential: emotion-focused
therapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 61 (3). pp. 241-254. ISSN 0002-9564
 

Dr. Adriana Faur

​As Memorial Day approaches, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. As Americans, we owe a great debt to the brave men and women who selflessly protected our country. While we can never come close to their sacrifice, we can honor and celebrate their memory and courage!

Why is there stigma toward people with mental illness? And who are the "mentally ill"?
 
Dr. Adriana Faur

A century ago, people suffering from mental health conditions were thought to be witches, possessed by evil spirits, or just “crazy.” And they were treated by dangerous procedures, robbed of freedoms, and any sense of dignity. How have we changed? We have learned a great deal about mental illness, but the stigma remains.  

We contribute to it every time we hear people use the word “crazy” to mean something bad, we see TV shows depicting people with mental illness in funny or embarrassing ways, and falsely believe that people with mental illness are violent/aggressive. In fact, people with mental illness are much more likely to be victims than perpetrators of crime. And they are no more likely to engage in violent behavior than people with no mental illness.

But still, the stigma remains, despite advances in scientific research which clearly show that people suffer from mental illnesses in similar ways as from physical illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, or arthritis. Some people with mental illness may be experiencing a chemical imbalance, which in turn may cause depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other disorders. On the other hand, mental illnesses (i.e. depression, anxiety, personality disorders, PTSD) may be caused by environmental factors (i.e. trauma, learned patterns of thinking, and life stressors). For instance, we know that people can learn depressive and anxious ways of thinking and behaving.  And for many, mental illness results from a combination of having a genetic predisposition toward mental illness coupled with environmental factors (i.e. divorce, trauma, etc).

Regardless of the unique reasons for each individual suffering from mental illness, this is never a choice. So why judge people experiencing these conditions?  I have seen untreated mental illness in people I am closest to steal their sense of joy, meaning, and purpose. It’s what has inspired me to embark on this lifelong journey to understand and treat mental illness. If people did not get this message from society or themselves that mental illness is shameful, they would reach out for help. Perhaps they would lead happier, more productive, and more meaningful lives. What if having cancer or diabetes were equally stigmatizing and people did not reach out for help for these debilitating conditions? We can't even fathom that. In general we tend to greatly empathize with people who experience cancer or diabetes. There is an implicit belief that experiencing a physical condition is less of a choice than experiencing a psychological one. This belief is that people with mental illness can "snap out of it" or "just be happy" without any intervention. Or that if people had enough willpower, they could combat mental illness on their own. These beliefs are harmful and oppressive- and false. And keeping the stigma alive.

So who are the "mentally ill"? And even better stated, without the use of labels...who are the people who have mental illness? People who have mental illness truly are…us all. There is no us vs. them. Most of us will experience some type of mental illness in our lifetime. Depression and anxiety are known as the “common cold of mental illness” by mental health providers, because they are likely to affect most of us at some point in our lives. That’s the bad news. The good news? There are psychological treatments- time limited, research based techniques- that successfully treat mental illness. So although people can learn to become depressed or anxious, there are techniques to help people unlearn these states. Even when the depression/anxiety is biological in nature, these same techniques can reshape the way we think and behave, and ultimately, the way our brains function.  Our sense of joy, meaning and purpose can be restored, no matter our life circumstances.

Unfortunately, people will never get the opportunity to ease their suffering as long as they believe this suffering is a reason to feel shame or is a sign of weakness. This is why awareness and de-stigmatization are so important. There is no shame in being ill. And seeking help is not a sign of weakness- but ultimately a sign of strength. Although making that first step is hard, we all must choose to break down the walls that are holding us captive. And by doing this, we are choosing hope!