Health

  • When People Show You Who They Really Are…

    ByMike McBride Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Now, as many of you know, I’m not big on politics, and never really have been. I am pretty accepting of most political views, and don’t really find that many extreme political views, one way or the other, are useful at all. This year though, this one has gotten to me. There are definitely some folks who I’m not really going to go out of my way to stay in touch with, and really it’s not the politics of the pandemic as much as it’s the fact that these views exposed something else that makes it obvious that these may not be great friends.

    It’s because these views are often expressed with so much selfishness.

  • Where Do We Really Spend Money on Mental Health Research?

    ByMike McBride Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Thanks to Professor Miranda Wolpert for sharing some of the details of a recent study looking at the details of mental health research funding. For me these three points underscore some of the issues we have: Despite growing awareness of mental health in recent years, funding for mental health science has not increased: Global investments in…

  • So, How Are You Doing?

    ByMike McBride Reading Time: 2 minutes

    But, that’s not what I want to talk about today, because, frankly, I think we’re all talked out on the subject, or at least I feel like I’m all talked out right now. If you don’t realize that anxiety and other mental health issues are sitting heavy on all of us this year, I don’t know that there’s anything I can say that will convince you of it. I want to talk about some good things, because, why not? I want to appreciate the following:

    No matter what happens with the election, the sun rose today. It will set tonight, and rise again tomorrow. And I am here to see it.

    I am thankful for the many friends and family members we’ve been in touch with in the last few days, even if it’s just to text and say “WTF”?

    Laughter, because sometimes there’s nothing else to do but laugh, and it’s good for you.

    You are here, reading this. You’re Alive!

    Hope, that as long as there is a tomorrow for any of us, there is hope in the fact that things are always changing in the world, and in our lives.

    Love. For each other, and ourselves.

    Nature.

    The technology that lets us all check in with each other, across the world, at any time.

  • Quick Thought #16 – Good For Mark Cuban and Delonte West, but it Shouldn’t Be Like This

    ByMike McBride Reading Time: 1 minute

    The story of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban finding former player Delonte West, and picking him up at a gas station in order to arrange for him to go to rehab, is a great story. I have nothing but respect for Cuban for going out of this way to help a former player, and I…

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    It’s a Good Question – Why Aren’t We Talking More About The Sex Abuse Scandal at Ohio State?

    ByMike McBride Reading Time: 4 minutes

    These men will never get their day in court to read their victim statements, and be cheered on by the public, but given how uncomfortable we are with the subject matter, even if they did, would we welcome it the same way we did during the trial of Larry Nasser? If not, what does that say about us?

  • What We Really Need is Compassion

    ByMike McBride Reading Time: 2 minutes

    I see this a lot in our communities as well. Again, empathy when dealing with an individual child, or supporting a loved one with a mental health struggle is great, but trying to feel the pain of all of the abuse survivors we are likely to come across in the world online, is a sure way to overwhelm yourself and burn out. I’ve seen it over and over again. Much like COVID-19, these issues are global, and huge. Trying to take on that much pain is an impossible task, and isn’t actually going to be helpful. Much better, is to develop compassion. As the guests on the show discuss, compassionate emotions push us to act. That act, helping others, does more good for them, but is also good for us. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, and shutting down, we are taking some small amount of control over the situation, and acting on it in a way to helps. We become the helpers that Mr. Rogers so famously talked about. Being a helper, makes us happier. It sets aside our own anxiety and struggle to do something, which is always a good way to move beyond those things.

    So, the question may be not only what are you doing to take care of yourself during this time of great anxiety, but what are you doing to help others?