The Facebook Files
As I was preparing for my drive from Baltimore to New York last week, my daughter-in-law suggested that I pass the time by listening to the WSJ Facebook Files podcast. It’s worth the listen. 1. The Basics. The Facebook Files is an investigative six-part podcast by the Wall Street Journal.
Mental Gymnastics
I frequently get recommendations for Five on Friday topics from readers, friends, family, and colleagues. So I wasn’t surprised to hear from my brother when Simone Biles, “the greatest gymnast of all time,” withdrew from the individual all-around competition at the Olympics last week “to take care of her mental
ForLikeMinds
“Stigma, Meet Hope.” This is how Katherine Ponte begins her story. Katherine knows a thing or two about stigma. She has lived with bipolar I disorder with psychosis for twenty years. In manic episodes, she thought she was a prophet, bought a house sight unseen, and engaged in all kinds
Diana
Okay. I admit it. I am one of those Americans who is irrationally beguiled by British royalty. So what better way to indulge my fascination than to watch The Crown this past year? I finished Season Four just before last week’s Golden Globes. This Netflix TV drama took home multiple
The Madness of Framing Britney Spears
I didn’t know quite what to expect from the newly released documentary, Framing Britney Spears. It is the story of Princess of Pop, gone mad. But it is not just a story about a little girl from Mississippi whose talents launched her into the stratosphere at a young age only to
Coats of Many Colors
I have a thing for coats, so you can imagine my delight on Inauguration Day. Coats of many colors were on full display. Coats negotiate the space between inside and out. On the exterior, coats shield us from the elements. On the interior, they nestle against our bodies so we
World Mental Health Day 2020
Tomorrow, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. Initiated in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health, World Mental Health Day creates awareness about mental health and mental illness. The theme this year is Mental Health for All: Greater Investment – Greater Access. Of course, mental health matters every
Trouble Sleeping?
I never have trouble sleeping. Well, almost never. During this pandemic, I have actually been able to sleep pretty well, but I have also had some restless nights, some nights that I have been up until the wee hours to get extra COVID-related work completed, and some mornings that I
Not Just Skinny White Girls
This week is 2019 Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Championed by the National Eating Disorders Association, with the theme Come as You Are, programs around the world are hosting awareness raising activities and connecting people who might be struggling with an eating disorders to others who can help. I have worked in this field for
The Happiness Industry Makes Me Sad
I am all for being happy. Who isn’t? But the happiness industry? That’s another thing altogether. The happiness industrial complex promises that bliss will be found when we get our eating, exercise, sleep, journaling, weight, complexion, clothing, and all our Christmas shopping exactly right, including remembering our own reusable grocery sacks.
What’s the Matter with Kids Today?
“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.” So said Socrates more than 2000 years ago about the youth of ancient Greece. And it continues, generation after generation. In my generation it was rock
Decibels Rising
More and more people are finding a way to talk about their experiences with mental illness. It is nothing short of a historic shift, and it’s happening locally and globally. Speaking up also requires listening more carefully; otherwise, as the expression goes, the message will fall on deaf ears. Previously,
