I recently revisited an old post on this blog, and I was struck by how relevant still is and how helpful it might be to post it again (you can read the original here, if you’d like). Surrounded as we are by sales pitches, hysterical rhetoric, and outright propaganda, it’s far too easy for us […]
As a writer, an editor, and an advocate for people affected by mental illness, a few years back, I was deeply encouraged to learn of a new entry in the Associated Press Stylebook, offering guidelines on how to describe and characterize mental illness. As the definitive guide to using language in American journalism, the AP […]
This week, singing star Mariah Carey made an announcement that was a long time in the making: back in 2001, she was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. She has recently made the decision to treat it and to share her story. Carey is not the first celebrity to acknowledge a struggle with mental illness, but […]
Several years ago, my family and I spent a weekend visiting friends in North Central Indiana. Although this part of the country is home to lots of regular Indiana folks, it’s one of the places known as “Amish country,” a handful of regions in the United States that are home to large Old Order Mennonite […]
In the history of this world, no one has told more lies than the father of lies himself. But mental illness plays a close second. Earlier this week, Irish singer Sinead O’Connor posted a video on Facebook, claiming she was alone in a hotel room in New Jersey, she was without support, and everyone she […]
A few years ago, a study revealed the youngest generations of adults in America are also the most stressed. In one sense, this is no big surprise, given the economic and social factors influencing quality of life and near-future prospects for Millennials—adults ages 13 to 35—and for Gen Xers, whose scores are virtually tied with […]
A few years ago, we learned the people of Sweden were the “best” in the world at using the Internet. At least, that was the claim of a five-year study conducted by the World Wide Web Foundation. What does it mean to be “best” at using the Internet? It’s an interesting question in light of […]
So do you ever wonder if our fast-paced, hyper-connected, screen-loving, image-flooded society is taking a toll on us? It sure is, and not just in the most obvious ways like increasing stress, sleeplessness, and injuries like “gamer’s thumb.” The digital age is requiring our brains to make new and rapid adaptations, and some of these […]
I recently wrote an article for the blog at Evangelicals for Social Action, and while I typically don’t post partial articles here, I wanted to do it this time because the topic is timely and the mental health connection is relevant to many of you. You can start reading the article here, then click on […]
Last Thursday, two days after Election Day, I made a visit to my doctor’s office. In the elevator I said hi to a woman who had joined me for the ride. She was pushing a stroller, and inside was a sleeping newborn baby dressed in pink. I asked about the baby’s name, and she told […]
© 2016 Amy Simpson.