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Whether you are a newspaper reporter, educator,
professional, legislator or an interested member of the public,
we hope that this quarterly newsletter will help you stay current
on mental health issues in Pennsylvania and the entire country.
| Prisons and
the Mentally Ill - Stephen A. Ragusea, Psy.D. |
Know anybody in jail?
Our state and our nation continue to participate in a quiet crisis
that is devouring our youth, our mentally ill, and our tax dollars.
As has been true for more than two decades, the United States
puts a higher percentage of its population behind bars -- in jails
and prisons -- than any other nation in the world. Think about
that. Once again, America is number one, but not in a good way.
By the way, most prisoners are under the age of 30. Approximately
15% of the total are people who meet the generally accepted criteria
for a mental illness and about half of them are considered seriously
mentally ill.
Look, there are violent people, real criminals, who need to be
locked up behind bars for life, in order to protect those of us
who aren’t violent and aren’t criminals. I do a lot
of work in prisons and I’ve evaluated prisoners who I don’t
ever want to see walking down my street!
But the number of dangerously violent offenders is actually very
small. More than half the people in prison are there for non-violent
offenses. In fact, really violent prisoners are often released
prematurely because our jails are so over-crowded.
According to a recent 215-page report from the national organization,
Human Rights Watch, “One in six U.S. prisoners is mentally
ill. Many of them suffer from serious illnesses such as schizophrenia,
bipolar disorder, and major depression. There are three times
as many men and women with mental illness in U.S. prisons as in
mental health hospitals.”
How did we get into this mess? The national "tough on crime"
movement resulted in mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent,
drug related offenses, taking discretion away from judges. Instead
of voting for funding to pay for alcohol and drug treatment, legislators
decided to spend our hard-earned tax dollars on building more
prisons.
As a result, more than 2.5 million Americans now live behind
bars. That’s the equivalent of every man, woman and child
in the cities of Philadelphia, Columbus, and Seattle.
It currently costs about $28,000 to incarcerate each prison inmate
per year, which amounts to over $7 billion of YOUR tax money just
to feed and house prisoners.
What can be done about this? There are pressures building which
will undoubtedly force some changes. According to a recent article
in the New York Times, “State legislatures, facing budget
crises, are rethinking tough sentencing laws passed in the last
two decades; in the past year, 25 states have passed laws eliminating
some of the lengthy mandatory minimum sentences, restored early
release for parole and offered treatment instead of incarceration
for some drug offenders.”
| Can
You Handle the Truth? - Ari Tuckman, Psy.D., MBA |
No one likes to hear bad news, but these days success in business
is all about information. Avoiding upsetting news may give you
temporary peace of mind, but if you're not kept in the loop
of what's going on, the consequences can be devastating for
your company.
Do You Deserve the Truth?
It's common wisdom that one should always tell the truth and
expect the truth. After all, it's the right thing to do. But
in the workplace people often avoid being forthright, because
they have learned from past experience that speaking their mind
is often met with criticism or retaliation. Are you apt to get
upset or angry when someone tells you the truth?
Earn It
If you want people to tell you the truth, make it easy for
them to do so by being approachable. Here are some tips:
- Keep your cool. Refrain from reacting with
anger or defensiveness, even if that’s what you’re
feeling.
- Listen. Pay attention and really try to hear
what the person is saying.
- Thank them. The bearer of bad news is doing
you a favor. Acknowledge their candor and thank them for it.
This can be incredibly powerful and makes it more likely they
will tell you the truth again.
- Respond respectfully. It’s not necessary
to agree with the other person, nor to accept everything they
say. However, do explain your point of view in light of the
facts that they are bringing and how these facts are shaping
your own thinking about the issue.
- Follow up. If you ultimately decide to go
with your initial opinion, let the other person know and thank
them. You will both leave the conversation in a mindset of honesty
and trust—and they will be more likely to be honest the
next time.
- Manage your stress. If it’s too hard
to respond well to bad news, then maybe you need to look at
your overall stress load and take some steps to restore some
balance in your life.
- Apologize. If you do lose your temper, turn
it around by making a genuine apology to the people involved.
Of course, if you are constantly blowing up, the apologies don’t
count anymore—you may need to work on finding ways to
manage your sensitivity to criticism.
If you can show your employees and coworkers that you can handle
the truth, you may not always be happy with what you hear, but
you will be kept in the loop. There are times when no news is
NOT necessarily good news.
| Managing
Traumatic Stress: After the Hurricanes - APA |
The effects of the hurricanes can be long-lasting and the resulting
trauma may reverberate even with those not directly affected by
the disaster. It is common for people who have experienced traumatic
situations to have very strong emotional reactions. Understanding
normal responses to these abnormal events can aid you in coping
effectively with your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, and help
you along the path to recovery.
How should I help myself and my family?
Many people already possess the skills of resilience and will
bounce back on their own, given time. There also are a number
of steps you can take to help restore emotional well being and
a sense of control following a natural disaster, including the
following:
- Give yourself time to heal. Anticipate that
this will be a difficult time in your life. Allow yourself to
mourn the losses you have experienced. Try to be patient with
changes in your emotional state.
- Ask for support from people who care about
you and who will listen and empathize with your situation. But
keep in mind that your typical support system may be weakened
if those who are close to you also have experienced or witnessed
the trauma.
- Communicate your experience in whatever ways
feel comfortable to you - such as by talking with family or
close friends, or keeping a diary.
- Find out about local support groups that
often are available such as for those who have suffered from
natural disasters. These can be especially helpful for people
with limited personal support systems.
- Try to find groups led by appropriately
trained and experienced professionals such as psychologists.
Group discussion can help people realize that other individuals
in the same circumstances often have similar reactions and emotions.
- Engage in healthy behaviors to enhance your
ability to cope with excessive stress. Eat well-balanced meals
and get plenty of rest. If you experience ongoing difficulties
with sleep, you may be able to find some relief through relaxation
techniques. Avoid alcohol and drugs.
- Establish or reestablish routines such as
eating meals at regular times and following an exercise program.
This can be especially important when the normal routines of
daily life are disrupted. Even if you are in a shelter and unable
to return home, establish routines that can bring comfort. Take
some time off from the demands of daily life by pursuing hobbies
or other enjoyable activities.
- Help those you can. Helping others, even
during your own time of distress, can give you a sense of control
and can make you feel better about yourself.
- Avoid major life decisions such as switching
careers or jobs if possible because these activities tend to
be highly stressful.
When should I seek professional help?
Many people are able to cope effectively with the emotional and
physical demands brought about by a natural disaster by using
their own support systems. It is not unusual, however, to find
that serious problems persist and continue to interfere with daily
living. For example, some may feel overwhelming nervousness or
lingering sadness that adversely affects job performance and interpersonal
relationships.
Individuals with prolonged reactions that disrupt their daily
functioning should consult with a trained and experienced mental
health professional. Psychologists and other appropriate mental
health providers help educate people about common responses to
extreme stress. These professionals work with individuals affected
by trauma to help them find constructive ways of dealing with
the emotional impact.
With children, continual and aggressive emotional outbursts,
serious problems at school, preoccupation with the traumatic event,
continued and extreme withdrawal, and other signs of intense anxiety
or emotional difficulties all point to the need for professional
assistance. A qualified mental health professional such as a psychologist
can help such children and their parents understand and deal with
thoughts, feelings and behaviors that result from trauma.
| Using
Five Minutes Before a Performance - Jonathan Metzler, ABD |
In an effort to enhance the viewing of an athletic
competition and to help promote positive viewing interaction between
parents and children, AAASP has developed a series of topics and
questions that adults can discuss with their children. We hope
that these guides will help promote a healthy dialogue between
parents and their children about various issues that athletes
face during sporting events, as well as in preparation for competition.
Your child doesn’t necessarily need to be an athlete to
benefit from these discussions, since children experience most
of these issues in daily life, such as in school. We hope that
this information is helpful to you in promoting healthy ideas
about sport, exercise, and human performance in general.
Discussion questions for parents and children
While you watch a sports event:
- Observe athletes immediately prior to performing their events.
- What do these athletes do immediately before competition?
- Do some athletes appear to have a routine (structured sequence
of behaviors and thoughts) that they go through?
- What do you think the athlete is thinking about right now
before he or she performs?
- Are there any differences between the athletes that use routines
and the athletes who do not? For example, does either athlete
look more relaxed, confident, happy or panicked, rushed, confused,
or worried?
- What do you do immediately before performing a skill?
- How might playing an important game change your thoughts
and behaviors immediately before performing a skill? Might this
change affect your performance? How can you remain steady and
focused before a big game?
- How might using a routine help you to stay focused, relaxed,
and confident going into your performance?
Lesson conclusion
Successful athletes are appropriately energized, confident, and
focused immediately prior to performing. Rather than allowing
their surroundings to affect how they prepare, successful athletes
go through the same behaviors and think the same thoughts during
the five minutes before every performance. Athletes may physically
walk through their performances or some aspect of their performance.
For example, they may visualize executing their performances flawlessly
(especially watch freestyle aerial ski jumpers who move their
arms and body as they would in the air). Some athletes will talk
to themselves, saying things to stay confident or say cue words
(explode, smooth and strong) that guide them through specific
movements. The last five minutes prior to performing a skill can
be critical for athletes in focusing their emotions and energy.
Some athletes use this time to make sure they are psyched up and
ready to explode while others use this time to calm themselves
down. Importantly, successful athletes use this time productively
to put themselves in a mindset that helps their performance.
AAASP encourages parents to do their part in creating a supportive
youth sport environment so their child will develop a life long
interest in physical activity and playing sports. By teaching
the fundamentals, you can help your child develop a winning attitude,
not only in sports but also throughout his or her life.
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