As Integrity Counseling Group approached our 2 year anniversary, I decided that it was time for a “real” website, meaning one that was created by a professional designer and not just my therapist brain. My goal was to communicate our passion and vision more clearly with our potential clients, so that we could build trust with them as they navigate sensitive situations in their lives.
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Kicking Off 2021 with the Breaking Stigma in Stride 5k
My wife and I have really enjoyed working out together during the pandemic, first virtually with our personal trainer and more recently through running. We don’t go very far or very fast, but the simple act of lacing up and jogging around the block a few times a week has become a welcome part of our routine.
Read MoreTherapist Cory Anderson Interviewed by The Naked Marriage
Cory goes on The Naked Marriage podcast to share how sex addiction differs from chemical addictions like alcoholism, how to know when pornography or masturbation crosses into an addiction, and what to do if you think your spouse is struggling with some sort of sexual compulsion.
Read MoreWhat does the Grand Canyon have to do with Internet addiction?
When you visit a website, how long does it take you to decide if it’s worth your time or not? You probably know right away whether you want to read more and click to the next page. In fact, marketing professionals say we spend about two seconds glancing at a webpage before we decide to browse further or click away.
Two seconds! We really have gotten good at quick decision making. Right? Isn’t that what we can learn from this? Or sadly, maybe it speaks more to our attention spans and the “need” we have to be entertained--fast.
It was eye opening to visit the Grand Canyon recently and see people take a picture “with” the Grand Canyon and then just leave. Obviously, my video of this phenomenon is a timelapse, so it’s sped up a bit (10x to be exact), and people are in reality spending a little more time appreciating one of the world’s wonders. Maybe they are even giving it more than the two seconds they might give a website. But it was still surprising.
I presume the tourists were going on to the next lookout to get a different view. I did the same. I wanted to appreciate the Grand Canyon from all the angles I could find. I even got up way too early for my normal therapist hours and watched the sun rise over the rim of the canyon. Sadly, at those other lookouts, people were doing the same thing. Arrive, take photo, leave, repeat.
It hit me hard--this is our world now. Entertain me fast! Scroll click, scroll click. Our Internet lives and habits are bleeding into our daily life. Maybe this is not a new concept to many of you. Perhaps some of you work hard at not letting this happen.
Unfortunately, in my therapy practice, I see too many people use their phones and the Internet as a way to escape life. And when we think we are sharing life with others, through the Internet, we might be missing out on life.
“My challenge to you: go for a hike, sit on the beach, walk in a park, and don’t post about it.”
Want some help? Give me a call or email and check out these Apps (Both are for iPhone or Android):
Offtime http://offtime.co/
Break Free http://www.breakfree-app.com/
Profound Awareness of Mental Health from Stand-up Chris Gethard
It used to be comedians who would entertain and political leaders who would provoke thought. Some would say, now, that comedians are our deep thinkers. Such is definitely the case for Chris Gethard’s comedy show “Career Suicide,” which recently premiered on HBO. (Yes, I will be ignoring the political part of the above observation.)
I’m not here to give you a theater review or entertainment column analysis of the stand-up act. I’m here to point you toward this surprising gem as an extremely well-communicated story of mental illness, especially depression and mood disorders. If you, personally, think you have a mood disorder (depression, anxiety, bipolar, etc.), but aren’t sure, this could help. If you know someone who has a mood disorder, or any mental illness really, watching Chris’ story might answer a lot of questions.
The act--it feels inappropriate to call it that--the reality, rather, is essentially Chris’ lifelong story and struggle with depression, anxiety, and mania. He’s so real and vulnerable in it, that he even shares a suicide attempt from his early 20s. Chris also intimately invites the audience into the crucial moment he told his mom about his struggle with depression and suicidality for the first time. He goes on to share the excuses he told himself to avoid the treatment he needed.
At this point you might be getting the idea that Gethard tells a profound and depressing story of his life. And you may be asking, “Wait, so where is the comedy?” Good question. All I can say is, he interweaves it so beautifully, you will be surprised. Furthermore, when he hits a punch line, you don’t loose the gravity of the message he is sharing with his viewers.
(warning: graphic language & stories)
“People have expressed to me that making comedy about depression is insensitive. I vehemently disagree. We need to start laughing about this stuff, so maybe we can finally be comfortable talking about it afterwards. I just try to make sure my jokes come from an honest place, and unfortunately for me being honest means copping to the fact that I once crashed a car on purpose.”
Click to access the HBO page for Chris Gethard's show