Mental Health News Radio Network

Mental Health Perspectives: Why Are Some People Jealous of The Wealthy?

Mental Health Perspectives with Dr. John Huber & Kristin Sunata Walker

Poor envy. It has such a bad reputation.

Who among us enjoys looking miserable, mediocre, hostile — and petty, just because we see someone who has something that we desire?

Lately, envy is in the air, as our country struggles with how to react to the increasing concentration of wealth in a smaller percentage of the population.

In a recent opinion piece, Arthur Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute, offers a provocative take on envy’s role in our reactions.

His main points are that:

1. envy makes us unhappy and unhealthy;

2. it arises from believing that another’s advantage is unfair and beyond our control to change;

3. sadly for us, it is an increasingly prevalent reaction.

Cultural traditions and some empirical work support Brooks’ first point about the ill effects of envy on well being. But research by Dutch psychologists Niels van de Ven and others confirm a very important distinction between two types of envy: benign and malicious. They show that benign envy is not fun but it leads to a healthy, “moving-up motivation” while malicious envy is hostile and leads to an unhealthy“pulling-down motivation.” It is only the latter type that Brooks likely has in mind.

Mental Health Perspectives: How To Manage Seasonal Affective Disorder This Winter

Mental Health Perspectives with Dr. John Huber & Kristin Sunata Walker

Brutal Arctic Blast Overtakes Eastern US With Wind Chill Falling To -30 Degrees In Some Areas – How To Manage Seasonal Affective Disorder This Winter

Lack of sunlight and bitter cold temperatures over a prolonged period of time can cause Seasonal Affective Disorder. When our bodies are discomfort, it impacts our mental state of well beading. This disorder can be challenging for some especially those who already have depression tendencies.

There are a number of ways to treat the symptoms of SAD and one of them to find ways to appreciate the good things about winter. If cast off winter, that’s 25% of the year that you’re pledging to be less than happy.

If winter is forcing you to be indoors more often – you can utilize that time to organize & do administrative work on your home. You can also use this time to catch up on your favorite TV series. Because of what you’re doing with your time now, you’ll be able to experience more outdoor activities in the Spring & Summer.

Mental Health Perspectives: ‘Seinfeld’ Is The Latest TV Classic To Offend Millennials Over Jokes About ‘Soup Nazi,’ Same-Sex Relationships

Mental Health Perspectives with Dr. John Huber & Kristin Sunata Walker

‘Seinfeld’ Is The Latest TV Classic To Offend Millennials Over Jokes About ‘Soup Nazi,’ Same-Sex Relationships

Critics are slamming the popular sitcom Seinfeld as offensive, calling many of its jokes tone-deaf and distasteful. Some points of controversy include using offensive slurs like Nazi and Indian Giver or racist jokes against people who can’t speak English and poking fun at homosexuals. The controversy follows attacks on other long-running shows like Friends and All In The Family.

STORY LINK: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6555895/Seinfeld-latest-TV-classic-offend-millennials-racist-jokes.html

What we are experiencing is the raw and unstoppable force of mass communication via social media and the internet. If I watched a rerun of All In The Family with Archie Bunker today, I’d be appalled. But when I watched this show as a child it was considered funny and edgy. What I didn’t have at my fingertips was a smartphone.

Every generation has an evolution, thankfully, of some kind but none prior to the Millennial generation had a place where their voices could be heard en masse. Is some of what was considered okay on Seinfeld appropriate for today’s awareness and culture? Absolutely not. In the past these kinds of discussions would be held in ethics class on popular television shows at a university. It would be studied like history – our past has always been studied. Just as Seinfeld is not appropriate for today’s day and age – neither are the old ways of expressing our outrage. Everyone can be heard today that has a smartphone in hand and available internet. This is a whole new era for all of us.

Is this wrong? Has the pendulum swung too far? Are we getting too politically correct? Obviously not. The people are speaking. But is a show like Seinfeld currently in production today with new shows? No – it wouldn’t be relevant. Should it be available to be watched today on Netflix or anywhere else with content that was a reflection of our evolution at the time it was on the air? Let’s ask ourselves if censorship is a good idea for any person or country.

It’s okay to be offended at what was considered appropriate in the past. This is part of how we learn and grow as human beings. Should we punish the actors, creators, generation that liked Seinfeld and feel it is a beloved part of their experience? I don’t think so. Be compassionate about what people of a generation before you had to tolerate because it was culturally appropriate and didn’t have the benefit of a platform to complain like social media. And then – create new and positive content that is a reflection of today.”

Mental Health Perspectives: The Psychology of Championship Teams

Mental Health Perspectives with Dr. John Huber & Kristin Sunata Walker

Patriots Win Super Bowl: What Is The Psychology Behind A Championship Team?

The Super Bowl win over the Rams makes the Patriots the greatest franchise in league history, pushing them well ahead of the Steelers, whose last Super Bowl victory came 10 years ago, and who won the majority of their Super Bowls way back in the 1970s. The Patriots have won all of their Super Bowls in the last 18 years, with Brady being the face of the franchise ever since 2001. Since then they’ve gone to an astounding nine Super Bowls, all during a time when free agency and salary caps were supposed to make this type of run impossible.

What are some of the mental qualities that championship teams often have?

Who would you consider to be some of the all-time greatest leaders in professional sports?

Do you think that individuals and teams that dare to achieve greatness could be considered slightly mentally unbalanced because logically speaking, attaining greatness often means defying the odds at every conceivable measure?

Hypothetically speaking, what would you consider to be a mentally tougher team: one that always finds a way to win games or one that manages to remain competitive despite taking humiliating losses?

What some of the advantages that playing competitive sports can give an individual in the workplace?

Mental Heath Perspectives

Featuring Dr. John Huber and Kristin Walker

Can Black Friday & The Holiday Season Be Harmful To Your Mental Health?

If you listen to the media, the holidays are a set-up for stress, depression and even suicide. But is it true? Could the “most wonderful time of the year” be damaging to your mental health?

A recent study found that the chaos of major sales events may cause anxiety, loss of reality and other mental health issues among shoppers. Retailers bank on these heightened emotions to make the sale. Unsurprisingly, many shoppers feel “spending guilt” after loading up on holiday gifts they can’t afford, which in turn can lead to financial and relationship problems.

STORY LINK REFERENCE:

https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/mental-health/holiday-stress/

Sample Questions

What is the psychology behind the crowds who get out of control during Black Friday?

What are some of the ways that the holiday season can be harmful and helpful to your mental health?

Mental Health Perspectives: The Decline of Critical Thinking Skills

Unfortunately, the reported decline in thinking ability is occurring at a time when there are increasing shortages of qualified candidates for jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Indeed, a young adult whose brain has been “wired” to be innovative, think critically, and problem solve is at a tremendous competitive advantage in today’s increasingly complex and competitive world. Because of this, parents should consciously seek to foster independence, problem solving, critical thinking, and reasoning in their young children. This can be done by implementing an intuitive developmental “dance” between parents and their developing children; which provides everything needed to foster and nurture proper brain development and automatically yields hundreds of thousands of learning opportunities during critical learning periods.

It is vital to bear in mind that the acquisition of problem-solving skills is the direct result of children’s immature, incomplete, and often incorrect attempts to engage with the world that trigger authentic feedback and consequences. Rather than being psychologically damaging events, a child’s unsuccessful attempts are actually opportunities for them to learn persistence and resilience—as well as how to think when things don’t work out quite as they hoped. Indeed, “failure” and overcoming failure are essential events that trigger that neurological development that underpins thinking ability: Opportunities for a child to try—and to fail and then try again—are a crucial part of learning and brain development and should be sought out rather than avoided.

Mental Health Perspectives

Featuring Dr. John Huber & Kristin Sunata Walker – http://www.mainstreammentalhealth.org/

What You Halloween Costume Reveals About You

Halloween costumes are a great way to peer into your friend or loved one’s mind, personality or mood for the day! They are also good reflections of one’s inner, hidden desires that they may be afraid to express. And it allows teens to explore alter egos or their identity and for adults to be kids again.

For example, individuals who choose political figures may reflect party affiliations, who they consider to be polarizing news figures or preferred candidates.

Guys who opt for a pirate costume may reflect their inner rebellious spirit, fearlessness, or secret desire for criminality and decadent behavior.

A sex kitten may reflect a woman who wants to exhibit sex appeal but is not allowed to express that side for fear of judgment while a nurse may want to exhibit warmth and care during the day and sexuality at night.

And finally men who fantasize about being a super hero such as Batman, Spiderman or Superman, may be tapping into their inner savior who wished they could rescue the world while being adored and remaining private.

Mental Health Perspectives: Retraumatization in the Wake of Kavanaugh Allegation

In the hallowed halls of Washington, DC, a drama is being played out for the entire world to witness; the confirmation hearing to the Supreme Court for Brett Kavanaugh. In the minds and hearts and bodies of sexual assault survivors, something even more powerful is rampaging through.

In increasing numbers, people are coming forward to share their #metoo stories following the allegations from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and now two other women who say that he perpetrated sexual assault in one form or another in his teens and early adulthood. He adamantly denies any wrongdoing, stating that he was a virgin “many years” into college even though none of his alleged victims have made claims of rape or sexual penetration.

As a result of being bombarded with this information on the news and via social media there is a heightened sense of anxiety and PTSD symptoms among those who report one or more assaults throughout their lifetimes. These triggers re-traumatize. The invasive encounters range from unwanted or coercive touch to violent penetration, from one perpetrator to gang rape, from stranger attack to date rape, from incest to on the job aggression. The gender of the perpetrators and survivors are across the spectrum, but the majority coming forth are female identified.

Clarifying Statistics

Less than one-quarter of sexual assaults are committed by strangers, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). Rather, 43 percent of sexual assaults are committed by friends or acquaintances, and 27 percent are committed by a current or former significant other, according to RAINN.

Mental Health Perspectives: ‘Lawnmower Parents’ Take Over From Helicopter Moms

‘Lawnmower Parents’ Take Over From ‘Helicopter Moms’ As The New Generation Aim To Shield Their Children From Adversity

A new generation of parents are leaving their children unequipped to deal with adversity, teachers and psychologists say. The ‘lawnmower parent’ is one who rushes to push down any hurdle that could get in their child’s way, relieving them from any inconvenience or hardship.

In an anonymous article for We Are Teachers, one educator revealed their own brush with a ‘lawnmower parent’ when they were called to the office to pick something up from a student’s father. Thinking it would be something important, like medication or lunch, the teacher was outraged to see the man standing there, holding an insulated water bottle.

STORY LINK: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6182905/Lawnmower-parents-helicopter-moms.html

Mental Health Perspectives: Eyewitness to the Paranormal

Eyewitness to the Paranormal: The Experimental Psychology of the ‘Unexplained’

Research in experimental psychology has shown that many paranormal sightings fall directly within the realm of eyewitness memory. Experiments reveal that such “sightings” derive from the psychology of the observers rather than from supernatural sources. Experiments show these proclivities.

If many sources on cable TV and the Internet are to be believed, the world is currently under attack by a variety of supernatural forces, apparently acting in concert.

Such reports are ubiquitous. Aliens appear at night on deserted country roads. The ghosts of hoary and defunct Scottish peers turn up on castle battlements, demanding retribution for ancient defeats at the hands of the Sassenach. Bigfoot, all eight or nine feet of him, runs past a given cabin on his way to some cryptozoological tryst—and all of it winds up on television.

What, exactly, is going on?

There is a difficulty in explaining many of these paranormal “sightings.” At first, one might expect that the witnesses to these phenomena would be residents of the wilder shores of psychological instability; however, many of the people who report these things are sober, educated, reasonable individuals. Many are actively adverse to publicity, and an appreciable fraction of them passes polygraph tests. In short, many of these witnesses—in fact, probably the majority of them—are neither lying nor mentally ill. They have normal nervous systems, and they are convinced that they have experienced something extraordinary.

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