It Is How You Think
You Feel and Act How You Think
Listen to What I Hear
Where Do You Belong
Do You Know Your Place
We must know where we belong, if not we are lost. There are things a society must have in place for us to thrive and grow. Life would not be the same without them. The means and use of its own tools to function is one of them. One such tool for all groups is the use of symbols and labels. We must use labels that we know by shapes and words to make sense of our world. We will not have a thought of what a thing is if it does not have a label. Without one, you would not know. Nor will we know its purpose.
We use labels to know what we are doing. It all began with life and the world, as we know it. We were born with the instinct. This is so that we could survive in this new world. It is said by some, that they do not have a place. And they refuse to be labeled or “put in their place.” This is a wrong way to think. If you do not have a place, you do not have a place to be. Of course, we are all some place. Although, it may not be the place we want to be. We were born to belong, to fit in, not to be alone. We all have our own place that we only have to find. You will know it when you find it, because you will feel it.
If you think you have no place, that it is somehow an insult, it will only cause you harm. Just take a moment to think what you are saying when you say this. We all have a place starting in our mother’s womb. It comes with a label that tells who we are. It will tell where our place is in the order of our birth, as well. This does not change. There are labels that we have that will change as we change. This is over time as our roles in life change. When we feel that we do not have a place, we will get less from the place we are in now. And when we move on, we take less with us and have less to work with where we are going.
When you are not content with your place, change your label and your place will change. This is done by changing the way you think. Some go back to school. Others make sure to fill out the space they are in. Getting the most from what they have. You change the way you think by being aware of how you think. Everyone has a place and that place is where you want to be. No one can misplace you but you. Each of us defines who we are. The future is in our hands. Even with its ebb and flow of life. Know what it is you see when you look. I am who I have been looking for. Who are you?
The Middle-Class Dream
Is it Real or is it Just an Illusion
Now here is the rest of the story. The middle-class, which is actually the credit class, is an invention to generate wealth for those on top and to serve as a buffer or a kind of protection against those on the bottom rung of the social and economic ladder. It is an artificial class supported by the credit industry. There can be no other logical reason for it to exist. And because there is no foundation in financial reality it is just a tool to be used when the job calls for it. If the lower class is getting restless call out the middle class, when more money is needed at the top, you do the same. The so-called middle class has been led to believe that they can, with hard work and determination, live the American dream. But what happens when the credit runs out? We are now finding out what that means.
You are on your way to the poor house. You have been deceived by the credit monster. It doesn’t whisper, it shouts that you can have it all just make sure you keep a good credit score and some kind of a job. With the strategy fully in place, the money handlers aim was to change the mindset from a save for what you can afford to a spend what you do not have way of thinking. To keep it all going the marketeers keeps the consumer goods* dangling in front of our eyes. With the same old slogan ringing in our ears; you must have, you cannot do without, new and improved. And when the economy falters, as it inevitably will, it all comes tumbling down for those who were really never up. It was all just an illusion, now you see me, now you don’t.
*Consumer goods are products that are purchased for consumption by the average consumer. Alternatively called final goods, they are the end result of production and manufacturing and are what a consumer will see on the store shelf. Clothing, food, automobiles and jewelry are all examples of consumer goods.
1968 the Year Leadership Died
The Fire This Time
“The Negroes of this country may never be able to rise to power, but they are very well placed indeed to precipitate chaos and ring down the curtain on the American dream.” This is a quote taken from the James Baldwin’s book, The Fire Next Time.
And so it was.
Just a short four years later, in the nation’s Capital, I would be standing in the midst of what seem like hell on earth. Some were running stumbling and falling. Others held on to all that they could as they ran in and out of the shops and stores. More than a few made sure there would be nothing left to burn. Even the bricks were ablaze and crumbling. They were all ages, sizes and shapes, but the one thing they had in common, they were all Black. The area was off-limits to us in the military if not a part of the operation, but I figured out a way around the restriction. I would don my government issued fatigues—our green non-dress uniform—to blend in.
Armed soldiers and military personnel were shouting orders but no one seem to be listening. They took no steps to stop the protestors/rioters. Their orders were to stand by, with weapons pointed down. Even as the buildings continued to burn, in places a corridor of flames, they stood by. The heat was intense, only matched by the intensity of the expressions on the faces of the young, and old alike, who were carting off as much as they could carry. It was a free for all. Though there was no doubt in my mind that some of them were there because of their anger. Dr. Martin Luther King had just been assassinated by the system in the form of James Earl Ray. You could expect no less. Oh the irony, when all the smoke cleared and the flames had been doused the guided as well as the misguided were left living among the ashes. The rage had given in to despair. The Black low-income neighborhoods had been reduced to ruin.
Just a few months before his death, Dr. King and leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) held a meeting to plan and organize a Poor People’s Campaign for the coming spring in Washington, D.C. Organizers intended for the campaign to be a peaceful gathering of poor people from communities across the nation. They would march through the capital and visit various federal agencies in hopes of getting Congress to pass substantial anti-poverty legislation. They planned to stay until some action was taken.
The Poor People’s Campaign did not focus on just poor black people but addressed all poor people. As history records, before their plans could be realized, Dr. King was cut down by an assassin’s bullet. Although feeling the sorrow of his death, a decision was made to carry on with the campaign. On May 12, 1968, the first wave of demonstrators arrived in Washington. One week later, Resurrection City was built on the Washington Mall. This was a ramshackle settlement of tents and shacks to house the protesters. And as I learned firsthand, to call it housing is being generous, at best.
This time I decide I want to take a close look at the other side of the protest, though still up close, but more personal. I had to focus my mind to take in what my eyes were seeing. Some wandered about with a sort of dazed look as just waking up to a bad dream, while others seemed to seek solace and refuge in their primitive accommodations. It was clear, to me, that most were taking on the symptoms of defeat. It would not take much—under these conditions—to become demoralized. People were hungry; there was not much food or at least an orderly way of providing it to those who needed it most, the young and the old. And there was mud all over and if you did not have boots, and most did not, you had to secure your shoes some place and do your moving about in bare feet. It was a mess. The mud seemed knee-deep in places. This was the heart of the “Poor Peoples” encampment. I went as I go to many other places. I was just curious, not much more than that. But what I saw caused me to return.
It was, to put it simply, a hopeless situation no matter how well intended. The King has died. There was a leadership vacuum; it could not be overcome. The best that I could do was pick several out of the multitude to take to the base for a hot meal and a break from the drudgery of living in such inhospitable conditions. And in two short weeks, I would be discharged from the Air Force and out in the “real world” myself. How was I to know though, that Chicago would be my next destination where destiny would wave its unseen hand, again. I did not know if I was creating my own destiny or it was being laid out for me. Either way, I would be there to see it all. It was not a plan, it just happened.
This is Chicago the time and place that the SCLC would try to resurrect the Poor People Campaign. It was not to be. The eyes of the nation were focused on the Democratic National Convention, the “other” event. Fate had dealt its hand and the cards had been played. It was inescapable, the end of the civil rights era was drawing to a close. There would be a last gasp and a whimper from the Black Power movement to be replaced years later with the rap and hip-hop culture. The sign of greeting is no longer Soul Brother, it has been replaced by my nigger. As it is plain to see, it was a turn by degrees for the worst. If they could only see us now. Time stands still as life moves on. Now here we are.
August 26 to August 29, 1968
I came here to Chicago to find a job, and see my father for the first time. Both of the things I did do. Even so, my mind would not let me rest. I could not resist the draw of the action on the streets leading up the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The convention was held during a year that would be remembered as a wakeup call and a warning to our nation. How easily it seems for us to forget.
Headline 2012: The Pentagon Is Offering Free Military Hardware to Every Police Department in the US
It was a social revolution with no blueprint. The Viet Nam war was in full force, and American “politics” had become a dangerous game in my lifetime. First, there was Dr. Martin Luther King on April 4 and the civil unrest that followed. Two months after Dr. King’s death on June 5, as if timed by fate, came the murder of Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Was all of this some kind of test? Yes, it was, and the grades are still coming in. For me, it was as if I had been programmed—I did not think of this then—to be an up close witness to the contest of what is and what is not. I had to be there and did not know it, and had no choice. I quit my job not really knowing why.
My 21st birthday marked the beginning and what soon followed is best described as police brutality and all out “war” on the protestors. It was people control, a step to the future that could not be taken back. There were no hot burning flames of the riots in Washington. The soldiers in Washington had been ordered to stand at ease. It appeared that Mayor Daley had issued orders to “attack and destroy.” And they were followed to the letter. Even bystanders were not safe from the swinging batons if they could not run fast enough.
There were indiscriminate beatings it mattered not male or female, young or old they were routinely clubbed bloody. It was as close as you could get to gender equality. No one was exempt. One scene that was hard to put out of my mind was that of a young female protestor—with blood streaming down her ashen face—being dragged by her long blond hair; she was in shock. At this point, she had gone limp the “fight” had been beaten out of her. The only sign of life was a grimace and a moan when her head was allowed to hit the pavement. The cop only let go when he realized the cameras were trained on him. Up to then, it was “caveman.”
It was not the Chicago that I had come to love. I would soon be on my way home to Arkansas, I had seen enough. I now had the space to distance myself from the images in my mind.
The Self—It is Who You Are
The Self is Our Core
To be self-aware, is to know who you are. The Self is our core, the essence of you. It is where we go to be ourselves. A place we would never leave on our own. Our power and strength comes from there. If your mind and the ways of life have kept you away, it is a choice to go back. It is not easy to do. That is, unless it is what you want. And you have to want to above all else.
How we think, feel and act comes after we are born. It is not born with us. It is not the Self. These are things that make up our personality. It is the way we show the world who we think we are. In other words, what we think of ourselves. Though not always true. It is how we act, and may change as we change the way that we think. The Self will not change. It is the you that was created for you. Your Self is your own, given to each one of us. None is the same. Life evolves, but the Self does not change, it does not shrink, it does not grow. It can be smothered. Then, of course, you will not be able to express yourself. The way we think is what smothers the Self. It will not let the real one surface. The self is there for all of us to be. It is not about how one behaves. That has more to do with our personality.
Personality, unlike the Self, is a group of character traits that help to define who we are. It is this grouping that is the most affected by the seeds of doubt. Doubt is the root cause of disordered thinking. Our thoughts, feelings and how we act change, but we do not. Of course, that is if there is no conflict, which would be with the Self. One of the ways that the things we believe in are shown is through our character. It is how we are viewed by others. As well, it is part of us that tells what we think about ourselves. It will vary at times. Though it will only be the real you when it match your Self.
We are born with a map of who we are. It makes up the person that is you. The person we were meant to be. It is the core of the human being and does not change. As with all things, the physical side of us does change with time. Our genes, of course, determine how we will look. We have no say in this. It is part of our creation. We do have a say in the life we create. As does who we create our offspring with. And this would be the other parent, the co-creator of this new life.
There are some who will say that a person has changed, that they do not act the same. They may have changed how they act, though they are not different. Not a thing has changed about who they are. They are still who they have always been. What has changed is how the person thinks, feels and act. The core of their being, which is the soul, has not changed. You cannot sell it and you do not lose it. It is the real you. You cannot be who you are not and will tire out trying. Yet, there are many who do try. Your disordered thinking is what keeps you from being real. It keeps your Self from shining through. This creates an image that is not who you are. I am the one who I have been looking for. Not the one you know.
YarYar’s Quote of The Week
Time for Change—There Is a Better Way
Now is The Time
You first have to know, and then you have to realize you know. When you know, that you know better, you will do better. Good is what you do until then. It is a goal with no end and you should strive to make your good better. You will now know that you can. Good can and does get better. If you fail, you cheat your Self. When you think in a way that takes from who you are, that is what you are doing. It is the worst kind of way to think.
One of the rules of nature is to do no harm to the Self. If you do, you can never be who you are here to be. Life will not be what you deserve. When you do not use your gifts and talents—we all have them—they do not stay at their best. Nature will not let it be. Your assets have to be put to their best use. When this does not happen, life moves on but you will not keep up. To work against what is good for you pokes a finger in the eye of nature. We live and grow by the fundamentals of life. To know this is the core of our existence.
You do not have to do or say a thing, when you do, say and do the right thing. There is not a thing that we can do when we do not have the energy to do it. It comes from will and desire. They are the fuel that propels us toward our goals. You have to be motivated and you are the best one to do that for you. The effort must be up to the goal. Great change needs a great effort. To gain much, you have to put in a major effort. A gain from little effort is not here to stay. It will go as it came. What was needed was not done. Success is that moment when we have given all that we have to give, for now.
The right thing done the wrong way will not succeed, just as the wrong thing cannot be done right. You can be right, though look as if you are wrong by those who are not right. It does not mean that you are wrong, and they are right, they are still wrong. You should let no one turn you away from what you know. There is no “little white lie” no shades or degrees of right and wrong. They are what they are. You do not have to prove you are right, just be right. To make a change to what is right will not make a thing that is right better. It will not be improved on. If it is right, it is not wrong.
You are the one to decide what is right or wrong for you. As we all must do, you have to live with what you decide. When you have done the right things, it does not mean all of the right things are done. Trying to do the right thing is good. To do it is better. You must put forth the effort until all things that can be done right, are. You will have the tools to do this. When you do it right you will feel right. It is then that you will know how much better it is than what it was. You cannot be “caught” doing the right thing. How can you do a thing wrong when you know how to do it right? You cannot, when you know better you will do better. There is no exception.
How you feel and act will change as your thoughts change. There is no better time for change than when it is needed. Change will happen, when you change how you think. This will change how you feel. When you feel better, you will change how you act and your life will change, as well. Our role in life is shaped by how we act. It is how we will be known to those who know us. It is what others will use to judge us. Some may say it is not all about me. Well, I say, it is. When it is about you, it is about us, all of us in some way. We all have the Self as the core of who we are. You get to know your Self by being yourself. How great it is to meet your Self for the first time. You should not let your life pass you by. Be happy to know who you are. This, you have coming to you. When you are not happy, it shows.
There is no time or age limit to do better for you. It is not too early or too late. Even so, it is for you to choose if it is your time to think healthy. The body and the mind can both be fit. Though the mind you must convince. To change your mind is to change your life. This is where the rest of your life begins. If there is no way to know, there is no need to know. Where there is a need there is a way, if there is no way, there is no need. The more you get the less you need. It is called nature it is called life. If there is a thing you need to do, you can do. You only need to let the mind know.
When you do not succeed as you think you should, there is more work to do. Perfection in the things we do is a worthwhile goal for all of us to have. You are not wrong when you do. It is not a bad word. It is a Self, defined state of mind, it is personal. If not to be perfect, what then could be your goal. A thing less is less than your best. We were created to decide the scope and reach of our lives. Observe your world well. And do when you can do. There is much to be gained from each. Though, one should not take from the other. You should listen to learn. And learn to listen to what your world has to tell you. Do not run from what you should be running to, your Self. We can never run out of time, time runs out of us. Time is time we are not.
You can only get there from here. It does not matter the means or the mode. You will not get there from any other place, but from where you are. You can only get there from here and you got here from there. You were there in the past, now you can be there in the future. You can go back there or you can go to there, it is your choice, which there do you choose. You can only get there from here. For sure, your mind cannot stay where it is.
You have to believe it to see it. When you see it, you will know. What do you believe?
Running Out of Time
Do We Really Know What Time It Is
…for us physicists believe the separation between past, present, and future is only an illusion, although a convincing one… — Albert Einstein
Time is like the wind you cannot see, we only see what it does.
What is it that makes time so important? Why do we speak about it like no other. There are times what we say about time does not make sense. It is time, your time, my time, what time is it, now is the time. You will not know when it is time do a thing until it is done. How many times have we said it is time and it was not? If it has become reality then it was the time. One thing for sure, we live for time. Without it, there would be no space for things to go. Time is space. And all things that exist do so in space. There has to be room to exist. Space was here when we arrived. We are the occupiers. We do not touch space, we only move around in it. We live when it is given.
Time, as we know it, is a concept of “man.” And there are many who cut their time short. You would certainly think that is what I have tried to do. I was known for being where the action is. Where it was not, on my own I would get it done, the good and not so good. Was it being at the right place at the right time? Or was it just being there when it happened because that is where my life put me. What about making it happen at the right time. Either way, I was there. From childhood, my life has been on a trajectory. This is so even when at the wrong place at the wrong time. It seems I have just been along for the ride, guiding the vessel when I could.
Time Is What Space Is
No matter what time it is time does not change. What happens in the space of time does. Time is not changing, we are. This is what I believe. For you and me, it is personal. It starts for each of us when we are created by our parents and is not shared. You cannot lend nor can you borrow time. And your time is the only time you will have. More time will not be given when we have no more. Time, though, is just not as important as what we do with it. When we think of the time that we have, the first thing we should think of is what we are going to do with it. What is just as important is how we feel while we are doing it. To get the most from the time we have been given, we must understand what it is and how to use it wisely. The longer it takes to know what to do the less time we have to do it. Because for sure, we will not get it back. Our life moves on even when our mind does not. You can “live” in the past. You can never be there.
There are two kinds of time in my way of thinking. It is the time that was given to each of us—our own time—and universal time/space, which is the greatest of all; it was created. It does not change. What I am saying maybe more clear if it is thought of in terms of the world, as we now know it to be. There are seven world time zones. The United States uses nine standard zones. Therefore, the question is, what time is the right time? With every area of the world having its own time zones, how can you know what time it is. Neither of them is correct when next to the other. Time that can change is invented by man. It is never the same and is not correct. The time that is, which is the time of nature, will always be. If we had the power over the nature of time, what would we do with it, where would we put it? Would we add a little here, take a little there? For sure, it would be the final step to the end.
We should not make our decisions based on time. Time will not accomplish a thing on its own. Decide what you want to do, then make time to do it. This should be the order of how we decide. No matter how much time we have, if we do not know what we are going to do with it, we will not know how much we need. What matters is how you are going to fill the space. If you bake a cake for the required time but use the wrong ingredients, you will not get the cake that you want. What you would have, then, is a cake you cannot eat and time you no longer have. This time was your time. Let us take a look at nature’s time. In a room there are things, they come and go, some are added some are removed. It makes no difference what time these things are moved or changed, the space does not. Time is space. And there is a time for all things.
What clock do you watch to know what time it is?
The segmentation of time was born by us. The clock on the wall has less to do with the outcome than what we do. The concept of our view of time was imposed on us by us. All things live by the time and will of nature. Though we are the ones’ who live by the clock. We do need it to keep things in order. Just to know why we are where we are at all times. It is a means to know the ebb and flow of life. On a whole, it is a way to monitor and control how and when things are done. It is one of the things a society must do.
A system of time for each of us starts when life starts. There is a time to be born, a time to live and a time to move on. Once we are, there is a time for all things. We do not know the future. We do live for the promise. We do not control time. We do have control of how we live our life. Time does not change things happen. It will be the same no matter the clock on the wall. Time is whole, as it is with space. We will not divide it. There is but one time and it is the same all the time. It is life, it is nature, and it is one.
We may ask much of time, but time does not give. The question asked most, is for more. Time will not answer. It gives not to what we have to say. It stands still, though we do not. We cannot stop it, slow it down or speed it up. Nor can we waste it. The thing that we can do with time is live it. When there is no more time, there is no more to live. We do not start it over. Time goes on our time does not. We should live our time. We cannot get it back once it is gone. Time for all things was here before us and shall be when we are gone. It will be for all time. It is the only thing out of all things that we can depend on. If all things are removed, what is left is the space of time. There is never a void in time. It has been full from the start. In the beginning, there was space for all things.
We are the master of the time we have. Each of us has been blessed with a lifetime. All lives are one. No two are the same. Not one breathes the same breath. When we can, we decide what to do with our lives. This tells the type of life we will have and the path we will follow. As straight as this may be, there are many who do not understand this simple truth. They still try—but can never succeed—to live their lives for and through others. The only thing that you do when you do this is live your time away. Live it, do not live it away. Our time is the only time we have. Do not say I cannot do it for me, I will let someone else to it. No one can do for you what only you can do for yourself.
We never know how much time we have to use the time we have. Time should always be put to its best use. When you do not know what to do next, do what you know now. Your next step should never be rushed or forced. We can never breathe the next breath. It is not for us to know it all. It is for us to know what we need to know. The time of man is not precise. When a thing will be can never be known. Just as it can never be known when it will not. All that we can do is plan. The future is not ours to know. It can be over just when we think we do. Not a thing that was created not to be changed can be changed. The existence of life is one of them. If this is not so, who would turn off the lights after we know how and there is no more to see. It is not within our reach. We humans did not create life. We were created by it to create, a life. The nature of life will not be changed by us. It is not for us to do. We are still learning how to think.
We will be learning about how we think and the workings of the brain as long as there is a power of thought. There can be no end. Just as it is with life, there will always be much left to learn. It would be a lofty goal to want to know why there is life. To think we can know this is reveals a great deal, about how we think. And it is a road with no end, as well. We are yet to discover why one would take a life. Just to indicate how far we are from these great feats, researchers who study the brain are still trying to figure out why we sleep. Sleep, a thing that seems so basic to know. We have dreams and no one knows why. Time is what we need and we know we have that. What we do not and will not know, is how much.
Mental Illness Is No Joke
Health vs. Health Care: You Decide
Health is what you do health care is what others do for you
The preservation of health is a duty. Few seem conscious that there is such a thing as physical morality. — Herbert Spencer
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. — The World Health Organization
Mental health is how we think, feel and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
I want us to work toward changing the attitude of the agencies and organizations charged with taking care of our mental health needs. They struggle without much success to address the problems through programs and services that do not provide the patients and clients with what they need most. That is to help them change how they think not tell them what to think. It has not/will not lead to a satisfactory conclusion for recipient or provider. It is a temporary fix, not a solution. Before help can be accepted you have to help your Self. There is no therapy, counseling or medication that will be effective until you do. When I say you, I am talking about the Self, your Self, her Self and him Self, all of us.— James R. Yarbrough
Mental Illness –Mayo Clinic
Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.
Many people have mental health concerns from time to time. But a mental health concern becomes a mental illness when signs and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function. A mental illness can make you miserable and can cause problems in your daily life, such as at work or in relationships. In most cases, mental illness symptoms can be managed with a combination of medications and counseling (psychotherapy).
What Is Normal
Understanding what is considered normal mental health can be tricky. See how feelings, thoughts and behaviors determine mental health and how to recognize if you or a loved one needs help.
What is the difference between mental health and mental illness? Sometimes the answer seems clear. For instance, a person who hears voices in his or her head could have schizophrenia. A person who goes on a frenzied shopping spree or starts an ambitious project — such as remodeling the bathroom — without any plans might be having a manic episode caused by bipolar disorder.
In some cases, however, the distinction between mental health and mental illness is not so obvious. If you are afraid of giving a speech in public, does it mean you have a mental health condition or a run-of-the-mill case of nerves? If you feel sad and discouraged, do you have the blues, or is it full-fledged depression?
Here is help understanding how mental health conditions are identified.
Why is it so tough to tell what is normal?
It is often difficult to distinguish normal mental health from mental illness because there is no easy test to show if something’s wrong. Mental health conditions are diagnosed and treated based on signs and symptoms, as well as on how much the condition affects your daily life. Signs and symptoms can affect your:
Behavior: Obsessive hand washing or drinking too much alcohol might be signs of a mental health condition.
Feelings: Sometimes a mental health condition is characterized by a deep or ongoing sadness, euphoria or anger.
Thinking: Delusions — such as thinking that the television is controlling your mind — or thoughts of suicide might be symptoms of a mental health condition.
Is it Mental Illness Deciding when a symptom might mean you have a mental illness can be difficult. For instance, what is considered an excessive fear — for example a fear of spiders or of public speaking — can vary from person to person. And in some cultures and situations, certain behaviors or thoughts may be considered normal, while in other cultures and situations they may be considered abnormal.
In general, signs and symptoms may indicate a mental illness when they make you miserable and interfere with your ability to function in your daily life. You may have trouble coping with stress, anger or other emotions. Or you may find it difficult to handle family, work or school responsibilities.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of mental illness can vary, depending on the particular disorder and other factors. Mental illness symptoms can affect emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Sometimes symptoms of a mental health disorder appear as physical problems.
Helping a Loved One If you have a loved one who you think may have symptoms of mental illness, have an open and honest discussion with him or her about your concerns. You may not be able to force someone to seek professional care, but you can offer encouragement and support. You can also help your loved one find a qualified doctor or mental health provider and make an appointment. You may even be able to go to an appointment with him or her. If you have a loved one who has harmed himself or herself, or is seriously considering doing so, take him or her to the hospital or call for emergency help.
Causes
There is no specific identifiable cause of mental illness. Mental illnesses, in general, are thought to be caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors:
Inherited traits. Mental illness is more common in people whose biological family members also have a mental illness. You may have a genetic vulnerability to developing a mental illness, and your life situation may trigger the actual mental illness if you are already at risk
Biological factors. In addition to inherited traits, outside forces can sometimes be linked to mental illness — for example, traumatic brain injury or exposure to viruses or toxins while in the womb.
Life experiences. Challenging situations in your life, such as the loss of a loved one, financial problems and high stress, can play a role in triggering mental illness. Life experiences can also be a factor, such as an upbringing leading to poor self-esteem or a history of sexual or physical abuse. Life experiences can lead to unhealthy patterns of thinking linked to mental illness, such as pessimism or distorted ways of thinking
Brain chemistry. Known as biochemical causes, changes occurring in the brain are thought to affect mood and other aspects of mental health. Naturally occurring brain chemicals called neurotransmitters play a role in some mental illnesses. In some cases, hormonal imbalances affect mental health. It is thought that inherited traits, life experiences and biological factors can all affect brain chemistry linked to mental illnesses.
Risk Factors
Although the precise cause of mental illness isn’t known, certain factors may increase your risk of developing mental health problems, including:
- Having a biological relative, such as a parent or sibling, with a mental illness
- Experiences in the womb — for example, having a mother who was exposed to viruses or who had poor nutrition may be linked to schizophrenia
- Undergoing stressful life situations, such as financial problems, a loved one’s death or a divorce
- Having a chronic medical condition, such as cancer
- Undergoing traumatic experiences, such as military combat or being assaulted
- Use of illegal drugs
- Being abused or neglected as a child
- Having few friends or few healthy relationships
Mental illness is common. About 1 in 4 adults has a mental illness in any given year. And nearly half of them have more than one mental illness at the same time. Mental illness can begin at any age, from childhood through later adult years.
Complications
Mental illness is a leading cause of disability. Aside from reducing your overall quality of life, untreated mental illness can cause severe emotional, behavioral and physical health problems. Mental illness can also cause legal and financial problems. Complications linked to mental illness include:
- Unhappiness and decreased enjoyment of life
- Family conflicts
- Relationship difficulties
- Social isolation
- Substance abuse
- Missed work or school, or other problems related to work or school
- Heart disease and other medical conditions
- Poverty
- Homelessness
- Suicide
Classes of Mental Illness The main classes of mental illness are:
Mood disorders. These include disorders that affect how you feel emotionally. Examples include depression and bipolar disorder.
Anxiety disorders. Anxiety is an emotion characterized by the anticipation of future danger or misfortune, accompanied by feeling ill at ease. Examples include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Substance-related disorders. These include problems associated with the misuse of alcohol and illegal or legal drugs.
Disorders of detachment from reality (psychotic disorders). These disorders cause detachment from reality (delusions). The most notable example of this is schizophrenia, although other classes of disorders can be associated with detachment from reality at times.
Disorders of thinking (cognitive disorders). These disorders affect your ability to think and reason. They include delirium, dementia and memory problems. Alzheimer’s disease is an example of a cognitive disorder.
Developmental disorders. This category covers a wide range of problems that usually begin in infancy, childhood or adolescence. They include autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities. But just because they’re all grouped in this category doesn’t necessarily mean they share a common cause or require the same treatment.
Personality disorders. A personality disorder is a characterized by a lasting pattern of emotional instability and unhealthy behavior that causes problems in your life and relationships. Examples include borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder.
Other disorders. These include disorders of impulse control, sleep, sexual functioning and eating. Also included are dissociative disorders, in which your sense of self is disrupted, and somatoform disorders, in which there are physical symptoms with no clear cause.
Serious Psychological Distress and Receipt of Mental Health Services
In 2007, 10.9 percent of adults aged 18 or older (an estimated 24.3 million persons) experienced serious psychological distress (SPD) in the past year, and about two fifths of these(44.6 percent) received mental health services in the past year
Young adults aged 18 to 25 with SPD were less likely than their older counterparts to have received mental health services (29.4 vs. 47.2 percent among those aged 26 to 49 and 53.8 percent among those aged 50 or older)
Of those receiving mental health services, an estimated 6.9 percent received all three types of services (inpatient, outpatient, and prescription medication), 43.3 percent received only outpatient services and prescription medication, and 34.6 percent received only prescription medication
Mental health disorders affect persons in all age, racial, ethnic, educational, and socioeconomic groups, as well as persons of both genders. Monitoring the prevalence of mental health problems and receipt of treatment is vital to ensuring that the health needs of all Americans are met.
Serious psychological distress (SPD) is a nonspecific indicator of past year mental health problems, such as anxiety or mood disorders.
Prevalence of SPD
In 2007, an estimated 24.3 million adults aged 18 or older experienced SPD in the past year, representing 10.9 percent of the adult population. Past year SPD was higher among young adults aged 18 to 25 (17.9 percent) than among those aged 26 to 49 (12.2 percent) and those aged 50 or older (7.0 percent) (Figure 1). Females were more likely than males to have past year SPD (13.4 vs. 8.2 percent). Rates of past year SPD ranged from 14.0 percent among persons of two or more races to 6.4 percent among Asians.
Serious Psychological Distress and Receipt of Mental Health Services
In 2007, 10.9 percent of adults aged 18 or older (an estimated 24.3 million persons) experienced serious psychological distress (SPD) in the past year, and about two fifths of these(44.6 percent) received mental health services in the past year
Young adults aged 18 to 25 with SPD were less likely than their older counterparts to have received mental health services (29.4 vs. 47.2 percent among those aged 26 to 49 and 53.8 percent among those aged 50 or older)
Of those receiving mental health services, an estimated 6.9 percent received all three types of services (inpatient, outpatient, and prescription medication), 43.3 percent received only outpatient services and prescription medication, and 34.6 percent received only prescription medication
Receipt of Mental Health Services
About two fifths (44.6 percent) of adults with past year SPD received mental health services in the past year. Young adults aged 18 to 25 with SPD were less likely than their older counterparts to have received mental health services (29.4 vs. 47.2 percent among those aged 26 to 49 and 53.8 percent among those aged 50 or older) (Figure 3). Among those with SPD, females were more likely to have received services than males (49.2 vs. 36.7 percent), and whites were more likely than Hispanics and blacks to have received mental health services (50.9 vs. 29.6 and 26.0 percent, respectively)
How We Think About Thinking
I suffered what felt like a lifetime of living while trying the best that I could to live the life that I had. Through hurt and pain, I tried with all my might to understand the meaning of it all. My question was, who am I? What is my role and purpose in life. My road had been a long and weary one and the answer came to me when I was not waiting for it nor expected it. I was ready for the first time and I knew it. I had found what I was not aware that I was looking for, my Self. What I once could not see is clear to me now. I understand and must move what I have learned forward.
Though I had taken years of university courses in Psychology and studied the field extensively, that is not what did it for me. It did not hurt, certainly; I learned a great deal. No, it is much deeper than that. It is about letting what you know be known. Letting it come out when it has hurt for too long from keeping it in. It is how I see the world, life as it was given, and nature as its guardian. What I have written came to me as natural as the flowers that grow and the birds that sing. It is a process that flows easily. It was written as it was revealed to me. My whole life is the reason that I am, and what I now know is the foundation of my beliefs. In this life, you and I both have a role to play.
You will need to open your mind to allow what is outside to come in. Only then will you know if what you hear is what you want to keep. Take some time and think along with me here. You will certainly have to think in a way that is different from how you have before. What we have thought to be, may not be that way at all. And what we have been taught to believe does not always look the same when we learn how to think our own thoughts. This, of course, many of us thought we already knew.
When I say to think a thought, what I mean is, thought and thinking are not always the same. Stay with me here, this requires a new way of thinking. Your life will be better off for what you are able to digest from what I have to say. A thought is just a thought until you think about it. You cannot think of a thing until you have a thought. And our thoughts are based on how we perceive what we see, hear and feel. A thought just is until it is not. Think of a thought as being inert, not doing a thing from when we have it, until we think of what we want to do with it. The time between the two is quick. There is no way to measure. We are yet to know when someone has a thought or what they are thinking. And there is good reason we do not.
Thought is not only what we had. It is also, what we have. You thought and you have a thought. It is what we have thought, and what we have to think. A thought cannot be forced. To try to do so is called thinking. Once we have a thought, either we think it or it moves to our memory. It will not be undone. It is the same as it is with life. The life we have lived cannot be changed; it is what it is, forever. Think about this. What exist to us is all we know. And we decide what we are going to do with it.
Say you are walking down a long and winding road and along the way, you meet me. You will have a thought based on your perception of me. This is the first thing that will happen. You will then think about us. If you like what you see, you will continue on your way. If for some reason—that can only be known by you—you do not feel safe, you will go in another direction or proceed with caution. Or you may not have strong feelings either way. No matter how you feel, your feelings will be based on what you think. And you will act according to how you feel. We perceive, have a thought, we think, we feel we act. That is the course of an action process, as I believe it to be.
We are taught how to think and must decide what to think. We should not think in a way that tells us things we do not need to hear. Your thoughts belong to you. No one can think for you, though many will try. All that I say about thought, thinking and how we perceive the world around has just one purpose. I am not in any way trying to tell you what to think, I am merely giving you something to think.
We are all born to think, but have to learn to think better. One of the most difficult things to take when I was child is that I could be told what thoughts to think. I did not want to be hurt, and what I heard did just that. We must decide the thoughts we choose to think. No one can do this for us. When we are taught from the start by someone who cares, we can. Thinking is what feeds the mind and tells it what to do.
“I had a thought but I don’t remember what it was.” Have you said this to yourself? The reason is it was not a full thought. When this happens, it was not a thought that held the mind’s attention. (I did not think it was important then, maybe later.) It is my belief that there are two kinds of thought. Have you been asked by someone what you think about a thought that they have. As in, I had a thought about us going shopping today. What do you think about that?
Their thought is the first thought. You can answer but you should not until you know what they think. You could ask, what do you have in mind, what do you think? Your thought then, is a pending thought. A pending thought is still just a thought. As a reminder, there is no greater thing that we have the sole responsibility for than when, what and how we think. It cannot be talked about enough; it determines how we live, if we live, and what is done with us when we do not. It also determines whether we win or lose, go or stay or just be in the way.
Now back to the question, what do you do with your pending thought. You do not know what you think yet. It is a thought that has to wait for the first thought. Someone is yet to think and act. It is the person with the first thought. When asked what you think about a thing, if you do not have a thought about it, you will think nothing. Therefore, there is nothing you can tell them. On one level, they may want your help to make up their mind. They have to think first. Otherwise, they are asking you to think for them. This you cannot do.
To try to think for someone, is not good thinking. One can, let another decide for them. But it will not be their decision until they decide. To think is a process that must end. The power of thinking is in when you act. Before you do, you can feel happy or sad, good or bad. How you act, how I act, is the best that can be known about how we think. This is true no matter what.
We should not act on what we think someone is going to say. That is, to the extent that you have your say before they do. It is a fault that I had during my early years. I did not see it as a problem. Though I could tell, there was a problem. It was not well received. I was this way because I was always on guard. Trying to protect my feelings the best that I could. This was my stance and my ready mode. Wait until you know all that you should. What we think about may not be what we think it is. That is because what we perceive and think we know may not be what is true. Perception can be reality, or not. What is to us, is not always, what is.
Thinking is a process, there is a start and there is a finish each time we think a thought. Once you start, you cannot stop until you are done. What we expose our Self to will be the source for the thoughts that enters our mind—who and what we are around—it is then up to us, what we do with them. We should not let thoughts that are not wanted stay where they do not belong. These kinds of thoughts we should refuse to have anything to do with. Let them go to your memory and let them stay there. Do not think them. They are of no value; no good can from it.
We rule over the mind. That is, we should. Never let it tell you what to do. You and your mind decide what to do with your thoughts. Do not do a thing that will cause you to act in a way other than how you wish. How we act is all that can be known about who we are. There are things that others do that we prefer they did not. We do not control this. We are in charge of how we act. That is the only affect we can have on what others do.
Thoughts will come. We cannot force them from our head. We can, pretend they are not there. They will remind us that they are. Before we act, we should be sure of what we think. What we do next depends on it. When you have good thoughts, it is more likely that good things will happen. Just to think good thoughts is good. It changes how we feel and is the mainstay of a content mind. Bad thoughts can seep in when there is fertile ground for a bad seed to be planted. Do not let bad thoughts take root.
When we think that good thoughts are bad or bad thoughts are good, it is not a good way to think. This is a sign of disordered thinking. It is usually brought on when we have allowed ourselves to be confused by the life we are living. There is someone there who should not be. It could be you. The mind is doing it and you are letting it happen. It is best to remember, that good comes from good and bad comes from bad. There is no other way. Bad can follow good things. Good can follow bad. But neither thing can come from the other thing. There is a point where one stops and the other starts. We will not change what is, no matter what we do. It has made its mark. It matters not if it is good or bad. What is done next will be the new what is. What has happened is over.
We should not talk or think of the bad when things are good. On a nice sunny day, have you heard someone say, or have you said, but it is supposed to be cloudy tomorrow. How can you ever enjoy what is there when you cannot leave good enough alone. But when we feel bad about ourselves, whether we acknowledge it or not, we will not let the good take root. It may not sound like much. It does show a certain frame of mind.
We should always try to think of the good when things are bad. It is cloudy today, but the sun may be out tomorrow. It is the right thing to do because we feel what we think. Thinking should lift the soul and stir the mind. How we think our thoughts forms the foundation on which our lives are built. There is not a thing to think but a thought.
There will be times when you may wonder what it all means and if you should continue. The new tends to be that way, which is how we learn. Be it works of art, literature or merely understanding the use of a product you recently purchased. We must first understand and follow the instructions for best use.
You do not know how good a thought is until you know how good it was. Thought is language for the mind. It drives both actions and words. And there is no such thing as a bad word. The use of a word decides what it is worth. How we arrange our words say what we mean. We should never say what we do not mean to say. Think.
When we think, we are having a talk with ourselves. You can do this two ways. You think your thoughts to yourself. That is when you talk to yourself and not say a word. The other, which I have done since I was a child, is to think your thoughts out loud. This is a good way to discuss what is on your mind with yourself when no one else is around. We think for a reason. The reason is our thoughts. That is the only way for them to take on a life of their own. Not all thoughts are good for us to think. A thought of things best left alone is one of them. But we have to do something with them once we have one. It has to be processed. You either think it or send it back. What greater know how could you have than how to think good thoughts.
Ask me what I think. Do not tell what to think. Think for you. Let no one think this is what he or she can do. They will think this only if we have given them a reason to think so. It would be a reason that had the look of weakness. Our thoughts should be for our own well-being and those that we serve. No one can think the thought of another. We think our thoughts and think about how others act. We have to be aware of a thing to have thoughts about it. To shrink and expand our world is the best way to gauge the thoughts that we think. What I mean is, the limits we place, or not, on the people and things we allow in our world. There are some things we are better off without. Not all belongs in our head. Because once it is, it will forever be in our memory.
THE MESSENGER
James R. Yarbrough
Thought
What Do They Say To You
Snapshot In Time
I SEE YOU
Community
THE BEAT GOES ON
BLACK MAGIC WOMAN
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