Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Judgment and Low Expectations


Certainly, the people closest to you want what’s best for you.  They want you to be safe, secure, and, if possible, happy.  Sometimes they want these things for us even more than we want them for ourselves.  This is loving, caring, and compassionate.  And it can be a burden that holds us back from our true potential.

Friday, January 17, 2014

When It Seems Like Work Isn't Working

I've always been an advocate of, if at all possible, staying off of disability insurance and working.  In fact, I believe that true wellness is not possible without the productivity and relative independence that come from work.  I've written about the benefits and the challenges of those of us with mental illness finding and keeping a job.  But one thing confronts many who have a gap in their resume due to a prolonged illness.

Underemployment.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Drop-in Meditation Groups

On select Thursdays in January and February I'll be presenting mindfulness meditation workshops in Center City Philadelphia.  They are sponsored by The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and its Community Wellness Partners in support of a Community Wellness mural being painted later this year.  The events are free and details are on the Philly Wellness page here.

Every Wednesday evening I lead a meditation group in Old City Philadelphia.  Beginner and experienced meditators are welcome, donations are accepted.  All of the information is at www.meetup.com/quietthenoise/.  People from the meet up group and others from the community attend, and we usually have a pretty good group.  Join us if you're in the area.

Friday, January 10, 2014

A Downside to Mindfulness


I write so much about the benefits of mindfulness that I have to fess up when I come across a study that reveals negative effects.  This hasn’t been too taxing because there are so few resources painting mindfulness as having any deleterious effects at all.  But recent research out of Georgetown University does just that.

It turns out that mindfulness can inhibit implicit learning and implicit memory.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Just Breathe


Mindfulness is either on the cusp of something great, or risks becoming the latest self-help fad to perish from oversimplification.  It has, without a doubt, improved my functioning with bipolar disorder.  In working with others, I have seen similar results.  And while research specific to meditation and bipolar disorder is scarce, the effect of mindfulness on other mental illnesses is well documented, and positive.

But it’s not so easy.