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Post by Mandip Kang MS3 on Sept 15, 2016 10:48:57 GMT -4
Mind over matter, the key to any successful feat. The common philosophy of American Football is that physical strength and agility is what crowns a winner, when in reality it is like any other task that requires a stable and sound mind over physical attributes. This article touches on this exact concept. The fact that American Football Coach Meyers was reluctant to accept his wife's advice on seeking medical/psychiatric care and superimposing his own "suck it up" mentality seems to be the common household dilemma for majority of Americans. I personally think this has to do with the lack of education about mental health. The stigmata of being a mental health patient conjures up images of a locked down mental asylum and patients being subjected to shock therapies, when in essence mental health is far from this. The lack of education and awareness is what is bringing up the mentalities such that of Coach Meyers in the general public.
MK-MS3
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Post by Khushwant Kaur MS3 on Sept 15, 2016 10:53:41 GMT -4
The article sheds light on many realties of today’s world. In todays world even with all the resources available people tend to neglect their health. Whether it is due to financial issues or due to just being too busy with our everyday lives. The constant pressures of society and household responsibilities limit our time to spend reflecting on our own health. This is universal whether you’re an hourly wage worker, or CEO of a Fortune 500. This article with Coach Meyers depicts how we as a society have put our very own health at the bottom of our priority list, when in fact our health impacts our daily ability to think and perform in our respective jobs.
KK- MS3
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Post by Betsy Joseph MS3 on Sept 15, 2016 13:41:47 GMT -4
I think this article teaches us the importance of taking a step back from our day to day routine to reflect on our lives and our stressors. Many people don't recognize the point in which their jobs take over their life - to the point where they stop taking care of themselves. It is crucial to take a break when one becomes overwhelmed by their work. Mental health is a serious issue in which many people are not aware of. I like that the article put in the equation E+R=O. Although it might be very hard to control your response to certain events, it is something that you must work on so that your mental health is stable. So many people think that success equals the number of hours you put in, so they work endlessly, assuming that the outcome will always be positive, but that is not always the case. Also, if your mental health is not stable, if you're too overworked and stressed, there might come a time when you stop loving what you do - the career you worked so hard for. And then what was it all for? Lastly, I believe that it is crucial to have a good support system to get you through such times, just like Coach Meyers did.
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Post by Gurinder Sidhu- Extern on Sept 15, 2016 15:19:17 GMT -4
The mental illness stigma is one that permeates in almost every facet of our society. Even in todays modern world many people are still looked down upon if they tell someone they are receiving counseling or psychiatric help. This article is a perfect example of how the stigma can affect even those related to someone in the mental health field. Urban Myer’s wife is a psychiatric nurse and even he had problems deciding to seek treatment. Like another article we had earlier it seems like the stigma is even larger in the male gender. It is refreshing to see a lot of mental health articles focusing specifically on men seeking treatment even those who are considered to be involved in “macho” sports. It will spur others who read these articles that it is ok to see mental health treatment.
GS- Extern
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Post by bridgetfrpas on Sept 15, 2016 16:29:18 GMT -4
The mind and body are deeply intertwined and it’s unfortunate that Western medicine and culture fails to teach us tools on how to better control our minds. Urban so easily fell into the trap of ignoring his mental health and using medicine to compensate for his lack of sleep and anxiety. Thankfully he realized his unhealthy habits and was able to change his lifestyle. I really liked the analogy that Urban makes, in regards to his mental health, as certain activities withdrawing from a bank. Certain activities drain our mental health while others “build up our store” It’s so important to be proactive, not reactive when a crisis happens. Little things we do everyday, like eating, exercising and having some time to ourselves, goes a long way with “filling up our banks”. This article is inspiring and Urban is brave being so open and honest about the troubles he’s gone through.
BF PA-S
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Post by Namita Mehta on Sept 15, 2016 17:51:33 GMT -4
The article conveyed a really important topic about mental health issues and how it is looked upon as a weakness. Many people feel as if they are better off not talking about mental. In Urban Meyer case he had his wife who insisted he seek help. There are many society stigmas that are related to mental health that makes it hard for one to open to seek help like that especially for the ones who might come from a strict culture who does not believe in it or someone who is in a profession that many look up to. At the end of day everyone is human, no matter what profession they are in, undiagnosed mental health can have a tremendous impact on ones life.
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Post by Aminah Phelps MS3 on Sept 16, 2016 10:20:26 GMT -4
The pressures and demands on us today are so much, and the demands on men are even higher. A lot of men feel like taking medicine is not for them. Some feel like they can overcome what they are going thru alone. Some feel like asking for help is a sign of weakness. I think asking for help is a sign of strength. The demands that are seen with Urban are typical in our society. Psychiatry is an interesting field of medicine because it deals so much with neurology. The mind is so powerful and with everything going on, at times the mind can have so many ravings thoughts. It can be challenging to organize all the thoughts. I think the field of Psychiatry offers that team of therapy: to be able to help people conquer tasks, organize their thoughts, and just help keep them same. No other field offers that.
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Post by elshaddaitesfaye on Sept 16, 2016 11:17:29 GMT -4
In a country and profession where winning and perfection is everything, Coach Urban Meyer was able to open up about struggling with perfectionism, anxiety, and depression. The recurrent stigma of mental illness as a weakness instead of a disease was shown again through this article. In the western world it is especially difficult for men to express their emotions and even more so for those involved in the sports world. There is a false belief that if you’re a real man you should be strong enough to handle your problems on your own. That type of attitude is detrimental to those with mental illness as they cannot receive the help they need if they cannot come forward with their difficulties. This is exactly what happened to Coach Meyer as he became obsessed with his highly demanding career and did not address his mental health. Not only did he not address his problems he also made jokes about mental illness when his wife, who is a psychiatric nurse, suggested he get some help. It took Coach Urban a hospital visit where he felt like he was dying to start re-evaluating his life. Although it took the coach some time, eventually he was able to come to terms that mental illness is not a weakness but a disease. With acceptance he is now able to live not only a physically healthy life but also a mentally healthy life. I am glad that he was able to receive the help he needed and also that he opened up about his problems which may help open the eyes of other people to feel they are also able to get the help they need.
ET MS3
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Post by Geoffrey MS3 on Sept 16, 2016 19:00:17 GMT -4
This is article is amongst the many that have reported psychological problems in mens in all professions. In this article it deals with athletes, Athletes in general don't want to be as the center of attraction when something bad happens to them especially if its psychiatric problems. Its a huge pain to deal with all the stuff that is being thrown at them by the media. Urban Meyer is an good example because he is a coach and he has to be strong for them team and if he is suffering so will the team. His wife has been so caring and wanted him to get his problems checked before it gets any worse. There is really no thinking when it comes to taking care of your mental illness over career. As the article states HE IS NOT A LONE WOLF everybody needs the help of somebody to live a healthy life and there is no point in withholding anybody's feeling .
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Post by Rachel Austin, MS3 on Sept 16, 2016 21:31:57 GMT -4
I definitely found this article to be an interesting read. Although nothing about this article was surprising, it highlights the tremendous trials one endures in order to achieve a certain level of success. He was a perfectionist. “He wanted to win every game. He wanted to win every championship”. In this article Urban Meyers desperate need for perfection had impacted his life in such a profound way that although he knew he needed help for his mental health issues, to given in to such an ideation he thought would have been perceived as a sign of weakness - which he knew was not the case. I guess some would say this was perhaps his ego that would stop him from accepting the help his wife was offering so many years ago.
Despite the fact that Anxiety and Depression has become Americas number one mental health issue, Urban Meyers looked at it not as an illness, but as a blessing. I think that this was the defining moment for Urban Meyers where he crossed the threshold of denial and into the realm of acceptance. It was only after this occurred that Mr Meyers surrounded himself with things that would keep him grounded, a place which he concerned to be “My get-right place.” Mr Meyers had reached a new sense enlightenment where he now aims to inspire those who are “going through some s--t right now, and struggling” to take care of themselves.
RA (MS3)
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Post by Cynthia Coronel MS3 on Sept 17, 2016 12:26:12 GMT -4
I think this article superb explanation of how someone can easily spiral down into depression and anxiety due to the demands of a stressful career. People with high ambition can sometimes be obsessed with perfectionism and often tough on themselves. Admitting to having depression would be like admitting to yourself and society that you were too weak or not smart enough to undertake pressures of a high demanding career. This is reinforced with society’s views that people in demanding careers are naturally tough and can “tough it out”. These notions of “toughing it out” can be especially true for medical students.I read in time magazine that about a quarter of medical students suffer from depression and are not properly treated. I think that it is extremely important to bring more awareness about mental health in careers that involve a great deal of pressures. By removing the stigma of “weakness” we can recognize and adequately treat ourselves or others.
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Christabel. A. Dike
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Post by Christabel. A. Dike on Sept 18, 2016 2:19:15 GMT -4
I'm Not The Lone Wolf
As Doctors, we always take care of our patients and try our best to make sure they are in good shape. We tell them to eat healthy, sleep a minimum of 8 hours, exercise, take their medications and lots more but unfortunately most Doctors have one of the most unhealthy lifestyle any one can think of. Its so sad that we live in a society where people think being successful is measured by the amount of wealth one has acquired. Doctors and most successful people out there put their lives and the lives of their family on hold just to make sure they satisfy the needs of others. They hardly take a rest or have time to take care of themselves. But one thing everyone should understand is that if you are not there, the work continues as though nobody knew you. Its time to take a break, take care of yourself. Your body is the only place you can function from so treat it right.
Yes there is nothing wrong with been obsessed about your job or what you do for a living. Been obsessed over your job is a positive attitude and that gives you an edge over others but one should know when to draw the line. You should know when your career is beginning to creep into your daily life and when to slow the pace. You only have one life to live while not enjoy it to the fullest while pursing that goal.
CD (MS3)
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Post by Titiksha Sharma on Sept 18, 2016 12:21:23 GMT -4
This reminds of my final year in medical school.The pressure of maintaining good grades had taken a toll on me.I barely slept or ate.I slowly started experiencing physical symptoms like palpitation,epigastric pain,shortness of breath,among others.I was convinced that I had some sort of heart disease.But the investigations never showed up anything.Still I didn't want to acknowledge that my mind could be producing these symptoms. Slowly with the help of friends and family,I realized that I was putting too much pressure on myself and it was not going to help me perform well in exams.I needed to relax and loosen up.I decided to let go of my feelings that were swallowing me up and move on.I overcame and continued overcoming these feelings of anxiety and stress.Eventually I emerged victorious. Almost all of us go through such scenarios at some point in our lives one way or other.The problem is we don't acknowledge it.Where a simple discussion even with our loved ones can help,we toughen ourselves up and don't share our problems making the matter worse. Hence realizing the problem,being strong enough to share it and showing the willingness to seek help are the key things we need to learn and they can take us a long way as far as mental health is concerned.
TS (EXT)
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Post by Andrew Joseph on Sept 18, 2016 21:55:14 GMT -4
"I'm only human, of flesh and blood I'm made..." great song, powerful message. Being mentally ill is so stigmatized in today's society that one almost cannot blame Coach Meyer's reluctance to seek treatment. People will go through their entire lives knowing in the back of their minds that they should seek treatment but will never take the proper steps to do so. Why? For many of these people, once they make they decision to seek treatment, in their minds, they have already admitted to themselves that Something is wrong!! that's a problem not only for the mentally ill but for any individual who may be secretly ailing. Denial is a powerful thing. Keep doing it long enough and the suppression might actually provide "pseudo-relief". However if one has the strength to admit to themselves that they are ailing and come to realization that they are not alone in that aspect. I believe this stigma on mental illness can be removed and more people will rise up and take charge of their health. Well done Coach!!
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Post by arifhussainmd3 on Sept 18, 2016 23:04:51 GMT -4
This article highlights a very good point. When does a gift become a mental problem. Important thing is to realize when one gets consumed by the occupation (a means of earning livelihood) vs. family time, health, and sleep. Family members can play an important part in seeing patterns of neglect of health and sleep. However, unless, the person involved does not recognize and acknowledges he/she has a problem his/herself, it is hard to get help. Unfortunately, until something like complete break down happens like it happened to Urban, the eyes don't open. Unless and until we remove the stigma of mental illness as an "abnormal" illness, a lot of people will continue to not seek help for problems that they probably know they have. I am glad these celebrities are coming out and as role models are saying it is "ok" to seek help for mental illness.
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