Getting the Strength to Meet Life's Challenges

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• How We View A Loved One's Mental Illness
• Share Your Mental Health Experiences
• Facebook Integration Into HealthyPlace
• "Getting the Strength to Meet Life's Challenges" On HealthyPlace TV
• The Parent Coach: Answers to Your Parenting Questions

How We View A Loved One's Mental Illness

One of the most frustrating and exasperating experiences a parent or loved one can have is hearing a person with a mental illness say they don't want to get better. How are we supposed to understand that?

In an insightful post this past week, Laura Collins, author of the Eating Disorder Recovery: Power of Parents blog tackles that very subject. The post is titled: My Daughter Does Not Want to Recover From Her Eating Disorder.

And while the article focuses on eating disorders, the same can be said of people dealing with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. Many of those patients don't feel they are sick. Why? Because their brain isn't functioning the way it should. And that, says Laura, is why WE, as parents and loved ones, need to change the way we think about various mental illnesses and how WE react to those kind of statements.

I want to encourage you to read Laura's entire thought-provoking article, then join the conversation. You can share your perspective in the comments area at the end of the post.

Share Your Mental Health Experiences

Share your thoughts on "stigma of mental illness" or any mental health subject, or respond to other people's audio posts, by calling our toll-free number (1-888-883-8045).

You can listen to what other people are saying by clicking on the gray title bars inside the widgets located on the "Sharing Your Mental Health Experiences" homepage, the HealthyPlace homepage, and the HealthyPlace Support Network homepage.

If you have any questions, write us at: info AT healthyplace.com

Facebook Integration Into HealthyPlace

On most pages throughout the HealthyPlace website, you'll see "Like" buttons at the top and bottom of the pages. If you found an article useful, and you're a Facebook member, just click the "Like" button and share it with your friends. The "Like" button also allows you to add your personal comments to your Facebook page right from the HealthyPlace website.

And if you'd like to see what your Facebook friends find interesting on HealthyPlace, in the right column, we have a "Recommend" box. These are HealthyPlace articles that your Facebook friends liked and thought you might find interesting.

Finally, in anticipation of "What if I'm on another social network or site like Twitter, Google, or Stumbleupon? Can I share HealthyPlace articles easily with my friends there?" Yes. We still have share buttons for almost every social site on the internet at the top and bottom of all articles. I want to add here - when you share our content with others who need it, we appreciate it.

"Getting the Strength to Meet Life's Challenges" On HealthyPlace TV

Why are some people more resilient, better copers, when it comes to dealing with life's ups and downs? And how you can be one too. Author of "Burdens Do A Body Good" and lifestyle mentor, Michele Howe, on this week's HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show.

Watch the interview starting Thursday on the HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show website. On-demand after next Tuesday.

• Where Do You Get the Strength to Meet Life's Challenges? (tv show blog, guest info)
• Last week's show on "Alternative Treatments for Mood Disorders" will be featured on the TV Show homepage through Wednesday. On-demand after that. Our guest is Dr. Kathi Kemper, integrated medicine specialist and author of Mental Health, Naturally: The Family Guide to Holistic Care for a Healthy Mind and Body.

Still to Come in May on the HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show

• PTSD: Dealing with Trauma in Your Life

If you would like to be a guest on the show or share your personal story in writing or via video, please write us at: producer AT healthyplace.com

Click here for a list of previous HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Shows.

From HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

• Believing You Can Blossom in a Bipolar World (Bipolar Vida blog)
• Curbing Your ADHD Info Addiction (ADDaboy! adult ADHD blog)
• What Does A "Drive for Thinness" Mean With an Eating Disorder? (Eating Disorder Recovery: The Power of Parents blog)
• Wishing for an Anxiety Cure: Where's My Anti-Stress Calming Collar? (Nitty Gritty of Anxiety blog)
• Maintaining One's Wits with Bipolar
• Stressful Anxious Lives Need Balance
• 4 Ways To Stop ADHD Overeating

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

The Parent Coach: Answers to Your Parenting Questions

Since 2009, we've been featuring parenting articles from Dr. Steven Richfield aka "The Parent Coach." Many of you have written in to say you appreciate the straight-forward and understanding approach Dr. Richfield takes in those articles.

We have some great news! We have opened a Parent Coach site inside of the HealthyPlace Parenting Community with nearly 200 brief articles addressing issues many of our "parent" readers are concerned about - coaching social and emotional skills in children, dealing with school and family issues, helping special needs children, suggestions for handling a child who's a bully and children who are victims of bullying, the pros and cons of various parenting styles, parenting skills that every parent should have, sports issues and more. I invite you to come take a look.

back to: HealthyPlace.com Mental-Health Newsletter Index