This Friday marks two years of Five on Friday! Some weeks the post comes easily. Some weeks I am scratching my head for inspiration. Every week, I am challenged and gratified by the opportunity share my musings on mental health with a community of readers that continues to grow. With a distribution in the thousands, not a week goes by that I don’t hear from someone who has something to share in response. I love hearing from you. Thank you for your feedback, your ideas about topics I should address, your candid sharing of your own experiences, and reflections related to mental health and illness.
In celebration of the second anniversary of Five on Friday, here are five favorites from the past two years. Enjoy!
Passover: An Allegory for Psychotherapy. Originally posted on April 22, 2016, it happens that this evening is the first Passover Seder for this year. In that spirit…
As the sun sets this evening, millions of Jewish people around the world will open the Passover Haggadah and recount the story of the exodus from Egypt – one of the most ancient, quintessential stories of the journey to freedom. It is a story filled with drama, contradictions, symbolic images, and profound teachings. I love this narrative because there is something in it for everyone; a veritable mental health jewel box. Read more
#NotOK: Sobering Stats on Sexual Violence. Originally posted October 21, 2016, the magnitude of sexual violence and its impact on mental health is becoming a more public issue everyday…
In the days after The Washington Post released audio of a United States presidential candidate boasting about behavior that most agree went far beyond “locker room talk,” millions of sexual assault survivors have been sharing their stories – 27 million in the first three days. Their message? #NotOkay. Read more
Molly, My Alma Mater and Ending the War on Drugs. Originally posted on May 26, 2017, we still miss Molly and we still have a long way to go to improve our understanding and treatment of drug addiction…
My sister-in-law, Molly, would have turned 50 this month were it not for the fact that she died of an accidental drug overdose 20 years ago. Long before people were talking about the “opioid epidemic,” Molly got addicted to pain medication and ultimately the drugs she took to kill her pain killed her. Read more
Hundred Acre Wood. Originally posted January 5, 2018, I heard from many readers about how Pooh and Company figured into many favorite childhood memories…
Lots of people flew to sandy Caribbean beaches or snowy alpine resorts for the holidays. Those in the southern hemisphere didn’t have to travel far for warm, sunny and leisurely days. I stayed home and enjoyed the quiet of the holidays with family, friends, snow, and cold. One afternoon, I curled up on the couch and visited A.A. Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood for a few hours. What a magical, imaginary place of warmth, understanding and friendship. Read more
#ArmMeWith. Originally posted February 23, 2018, gun violence and mental health promise to figure prominently on the public agenda thanks to the courage and conviction of the Millennials…
This week, the President of the United States met with survivors of another deadly school shooting, this time at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida where 17 people were killed on the 14th of February. Let me say it again, the President of the United States invited survivors to the White House. Yes, this particularly American version of mass murder has percolated to the attention of the most senior office in the country. Read more
