On one hand, it’s too bad that companies must have a law to tell them to do this. On the other hand, I am so glad that millions will receive psychiatric and psychological services for the same copy they receive for a trip to the regular MD. My wife made a great comment, she noted that often the mental health of a person is even more important than their physical health. It can cure, heal, depress, and even cause suicide death if not treated in many situations. For these reasons, this law strengthens working America. The article is linked below, check it out.

Parity law requires mental health benefits comparable to physical care benefits – washingtonpost.com.

There can be no other frame of mind, mood, or external circumstances better suited or more beneficial to our progress than our present circumstances, however hopeless or dismal they may seem.

I love the word progress. The city I teach in, Adelanto, is actually named after the Spanish word for that. This is ironic to some because the city is mostly the “beginnings” of neighborhoods and ideas for commerce. Still, it is the city of endless possibilities.

Meditating on a word as a “mantra” throughout the day is an excellent cognitive way to improve your psychology. There are so many to choose from, it can seem a daunting task to choose. But what better word can we meditate on other than “progress.” Through fire and rain and all storms of life, we can and do progress. It may take some time to regroup but we will all look back on out trials and see them for what they are: progress.

Thanks Brad!

Some wireless security systems protect the rich and famous in their homes but the issues of depression in their minds are rarely addressed.

I can’t help but think what people with depression might have done with their lives if they could have gotten the right treatment. If you are depressed or know someone who is, please get help. Don’t wait.

While most medical science agrees that true bipolar and schizophrenia do indeed exist, they also have finally started to agree that disorders like hoarding and other “inbetween” disorders need to be professionally defined. Bipolar and schizophrenia are often “over-prescribed” because there is just no other criteria extant. They are not helped in the way vitamins for hair loss can help fill in your locks. Mental illness diagnosis is far more maze-like.

I read this excellent article on mental health this evening and I recommend you check it out. Changing the DSM manual can do a lot to remove the stigma of a mental health diagnosis and help people get a firmer grip on handling their specific disorder. These are exciting time for psychology and mental health.

I also like how this may encourage people to seek out spiritual fulfillment. It’s not just a pie-in-the-sky pursuit going to church or temple anymore, it could be a brain location craving attention. If you have a couple minutes, read the article linked below:

Links to Spirituality Found in the Brain | LiveScience.

Now as I write in this topic, let me preface that I am not talking about gay relationships. I am not qualified to write about those. On the other hand, I am talking about making and keeping platonic friends from age 25 and up. This is very tricky and tough to do. I have valued friendships since then and have had minimal luck keeping strong ones alive. You get married, you get preoccupied with your job, your hobbies etc. It is very hard to juggle friendships with guys you know. This is a real shame because we really need these friendships. While I value and love my time with my wife, I sometimes want to just chat with a guy friend about guitar, or blogging, or money management. It is invaluable to have a friend you can tell about stuff like this.

I have my suspicions about why it is harder for men to interact as friends than it is for women. What do you think on this topic?

Quite cool. This shows the effect of forward questioning: when you ask kids questions based on material you have not yet taught. How many times would it take feeling helpless before you bought out.

YouTube – Learned Helplessness

There is lots to do there as you can see. The population of the town is in the low thousands. It’s a well kept secret it seems but after the recession I could see family vacation rental homes start going in. Going there you have a sense of getting away from the rat race and into a quieter, simpler frame of mind. We sleep on air mattresses in sleeping bags outdoors and munch on lunchmeat, cheese, and crackers through the day. Once in a while we went into “town” to eat at one of the 4-5 restaurants up there. In the middle of the night there if you find yourself awake as I did one night, the stars bring new meaning to the “milky way.”

One night when I awakened to hearing my youngest daughter crying I found myself pacing the sandy shore trying to calm her down. I heard something like coyotes then a group partying and howling back at them. There was an orange tinge in the sky. It was a strange and wonderful moment I won’t soon forget. I was glad to be human, taking it all in. When I finally got back to sleep, I slept more soundly than I have in a long time. I think experiences like that make the trouble of going oin vacation worth it. I’ll never forget that epiphany. See the entire album here.

View the entire album here.

Jumping in a freezing pool gives your body a shock and your brain a complete shuffle. I highly recommend it, especially when you’re overwhelmed or overheated. I took my 10 year old son to play tennis today and it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on the court. It was his first lesson so we were running all around and after an hour at it, I must admit … this nearly 40 year old out-of-shape dad was ready to go get a cold drink and have some lunch. Believe it or not, as indefatigable as he is, he was ready to stop as well. We had a great time and I really enjoy spending time with my son.

After lunch, we spent some time doing yard-work. I mowed and he did a little weed whacking along the back fence. When we were done, both our shirts were soaked and we were sort of in that ethereal place being overheated and probably over-exercised.

That’s probably why I lost all sense and ran voraciously toward our backyard pool

I had enough presence of mind to remove my wallet with all my credit cards and notes about appointments for the next month. I also pulled my LG VU tv phone (which I really love) out and set it on the counter. But I tried to be fast about removing these things because I wanted to show my son he needs to be crazy sometimes. After all, it isn’t Summer yet and our pool probably is around 60 degrees or less. I just galloped straight in fully clothed to my son’s delightful amazement. Man, it was a full body shock but when I got out and peeled the wet clothes off, the peace was indescribable. It was as if a brand new fill of antifreeze was bringing a high temperature motor down to normal. I felt mentally refreshed.

The day that has followed has been full of letting old, dead ideas that aren’t working go. I’ve made “do-lists” based on healthy projects and cut bait from those thoughts and ideas that have been stealing my energy. My son is not yet brave enough to jump in a freezing pool. He is a bit more timid than I was at 10. But, I know he has seen me do crazy, healthy things like jump in a freezing pool to change my state of mind. I know he may “fall back” on them when he gets overwhelmed or overheated.

There is wisdom in doing crazy things once in a while. Have you done anything crazy to change your mind-frame lately? Id love to hear about it.

Liens on homes and property one leaves behind are real and it doesn’t have to go down that way. Besides, LIFE is much better when you’re working to repair bad credit. I ran across a site where people there clain 15 minutes looking around changed their credit woes forever. Getting help with credit repair should not be a taboo. I guess people feel if they need repair then they are “broken.” Get that out of your head. It’s just like untangling something and getting professional help with the knot. Perhaps this site can help you improve credit