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I am more than my _____
Like every other movement working against stigma, pride is a powerful primary tool. Self-acceptance comes first. I am more than my _____ BY LAUREN DIAZ | NOVEMBER 19, 2015, 11:50 AM “How about I hold up a sign that says, ‘I AM MORE THAN MY BPD?’” “How about you don’t?” This is a brief exchange I had with myself at the 2015 photo campaign for Active Minds at Columbia University, entitled “My Mental Health Matters.” The table was littered with an array of paper signs to choose from, but I was drawn to the one with the blank. This could have been my coming out, but the stigma-fearing answer was…
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Ten Percent of Adults Have a Drug-Use Disorder in Their Lifetime
People with drug use disorder were much more likely to have psychiatric illnesses, the researchers reported in JAMA Psychiatry, as they were… 1.8 times as likely to have borderline personality disorder, when compared to people without drug abuse. Ten Percent of Adults Have a Drug-Use Disorder in Their Lifetime A survey of American adults who land a nice job, revealed that drug-use disorder is common, co-occurs with a range of mental health disorders and often goes untreated. The study, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, found that about 4% of Americans met the criteria for drug use disorder…
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The Language of Psychopaths
Considering some of the unique aspects of psychopathic language, it might be possible to detect the psychopath in online environments where information is exclusively text based. The Language of Psychopaths New Findings and Implications for Law Enforcement By Michael Woodworth, Ph.D.; Jeffrey Hancock, Ph.D.; Stephen Porter, Ph.D.; Robert Hare, Ph.D.; Matt Logan, Ph.D.; Mary Ellen O’Toole, Ph.D.; and Sharon Smith, Ph.D. For psychopaths, not only a lack of affect but also inappropriate emotion may reveal the extent of their callousness. Recent research suggested that much can be learned about these individuals by close examination of their language. Their highly persuasive nonverbal behavior often distracts the listener from identifying their psychopathic…
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Borderline personality disorder triggers turmoil and rage
People with BPD often experience instantaneous shifts in their attitude toward people close to them, veering from idealization (love and admiration) to devaluation (anger and dislike). Borderline personality disorder triggers turmoil and rage by Gail Johnson For as long as she can remember, 26-year-old Tannis Jackson has found herself routinely slipping into fits of rage. After one particularly bad day at work, she became so infuriated she made her own head bleed “I remember being so angry I pulled out two fistfuls of hair and smashed my head against the wall,” Jackson tells the Georgia Straight in a phone interview. “There was no other way to express how I felt.”…
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Is Donald Trump Actually a Narcissist? Therapists Weigh In!
As his presidential campaign trundles forward, millions of sane Americans are wondering: What exactly is wrong with this strange individual? Now, we have an answer. Is Donald Trump Actually a Narcissist? Therapists Weigh In! BY HENRY ALFORD For mental-health professionals, Donald Trump is at once easily diagnosed but slightly confounding. “Remarkably narcissistic,” said developmental psychologist Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education. “Textbook narcissistic personality disorder,” echoed clinical psychologist Ben Michaelis. “He’s so classic that I’m archiving video clips of him to use in workshops because there’s no better example of his characteristics,” said clinical psychologist George Simon, who conducts lectures and seminars on manipulative behavior. “Otherwise,…
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“We Didn’t Know How To Help”
We didn’t know how to help. Those six words resonate strongly and seem to be commonplace when discussing mental health, especially in family circles. From personal experience, it’s an emotionally draining and frustrating occurrence. “We Didn’t Know How To Help” Increased awareness critical when supporting a loved one with mental illness BY MIKE STILLON NOVEMBER 10, 2015 Mental illness has historically been a difficult topic for discussion, for such reasons as a lack of knowledge of its effects or the naive belief that it’s a rarity even in today’s society. Unfortunately, due to this rationale, public awareness isn’t as high as it could be. This is especially problematic for families…