All posts by cmsadmin

Writing can help us minimize the intensity of negative emotions and can also increase our level of positivity and life satisfaction. It can help us find greater meaning and value, increase motivation, and feel more contentment. Uncovering ways to incorporate and focus on positive ideas, whether, through writing, music, or movies will make a major difference in your life.

Write about future life goals. By writing down where we want to be in the future it can help you visualize and move toward this desired state. Writing down goals makes them much more concrete and tangible, and can lead to a greater sense of hope and optimism for the future.

Journal about the positive experiences you had today. Many people keep journals or diaries to process their emotions and make sense of their life. By incorporating positive experiences into these entries we can increase our psychological well-being and satisfaction. The idea of a gratitude journal relates to this notion. Keeping a log of what you appreciate and feel grateful for each day will open your eyes to the blessings that surround you.

Start a blog about things and ideas that inspire you. Learning and sharing information with others is a wonderful source of self-growth and enrichment. When we learn something valuable that provides us a sense of joy, amusement, or inspiration, having a source to share this with others can be very gratifying.

Write a happiness essay about your life experiences. Choose a positive and wonderful memory you have and write about this experience in as much detail as you can. Often peoples’ negative and traumatic memories are what is most easily triggered and focused on. Making an effort to revisit and concentrate on your positive memories can offer a way to bring more positive emotions into your life.

Write a happy and positive song or poem. Often artistic outlets are considered to be a source of catharsis for emotional turmoil and angst, but there are many poems and songs full of positive messages about love, joy, happiness, and resilience. We can use our creativity to be more positive and to instill this in others’ lives.
Instructions: For each day, write down some positive experiences or thoughts. The categories below can help you to think of examples. You don’t have to write something down for every category. It’s okay to just fill in a couple for each day. But try to write down as many as come to mind.

1. Some things that made me smile today are:
2. Some things that I’m grateful for today are:
3. Some things that I accomplished today are:
4. Some kindnesses that I gave or received today are:
5. Some experiences that I savored today are:
6. Some things I feel optimistic about today are:
7. Some ways that I was strong today are:
8. Some ways that I encountered beauty today are:
9. Some good self-care choices that I made today are:
10. Some ways that I connected with others today are:
11. Some things that I like about myself today are:
12. Some other positives today are:

1. Sit in a chair for breath awareness or lie down, making yourself comfortable, lying on your back on a mat or rug on the floor or on your bed. Choose a place where you will be warm and undisturbed. Allow your eyes to close gently.

2. Take a few moments to get in touch with the movement of your breath and the sensations in the body

When you are ready, bring your awareness to the physical sensations in your body, especially to the
sensations of touch or pressure, where your body makes contact with the chair or bed. On each
out-breath, allow yourself to let go, to sink a little deeper into the chair or bed.

3. Remind yourself of the intention of this practice. Its aim is not to feel any different, relaxed, or calm; this may happen or it may not. Instead, the intention of the practice is, as best you can, to bring
awareness to any sensations you detect, as you focus your attention on each part of the body in turn.

4. Now bring your awareness to the physical sensations in the lower abdomen, becoming aware of the changing patterns of sensations in the abdominal wall as you breathe in, and as you breathe out.
Take a few minutes to feel the sensations as you breathe in and as you breathe out.

5. Having connected with the sensations in the abdomen, bring the focus or “spotlight” of your awareness down the left leg, into the left foot, and out to the toes of the left foot. Focus on each of the
toes of the left foot, in turn, bringing a gentle curiosity to investigate the quality of the sensations
you find, perhaps noticing the sense of contact between the toes, a sense of tingling, warmth, or no
particular sensation.

6. When you are ready, on an in-breath, feel or imagine the breath entering the lungs, and then passing down into the abdomen, into the left leg, the left foot, and out to the toes of the left foot. Then, on the out-breath, feel or imagine the breath coming all the way back up, out of the foot, into the leg, up through the abdomen, chest, and out through the nose. As best you can, continue this for a few
breaths, breathing down into the toes, and back out from the toes. It may be difficult to get the hang of this just practice this “breathing into” as best you can, approaching it playfully.

7. Now, when you are ready, on an out-breath, let go of awareness of the toes, and bring your awareness to the sensations on the bottom of your left foot—bringing gentle, investigative awareness to the sole of the foot, the instep, the heel (e.g., noticing the sensations where the heel makes contact with the mat or bed). Experiment with “breathing with” the sensations—being aware of the breath in the
background, as, in the foreground, you explore the sensations of the lower foot.

8. Now allow the awareness to expand into the rest of the foot—to the ankle, the top of the foot, and right into the bones and joints. Then, taking a slightly deeper breath, directing it down into the whole of the left foot, and, as the breath lets go on the out-breath, let go of the left foot completely, allowing the focus of awareness to move into the lower-left leg—the calf, shin, knee, and so on, in turn.

9. Continue to bring awareness, and gentle curiosity, to the physical sensations in each part of the rest of the body in turn – to the upper left leg, the right toes, right foot, right leg, pelvic area, back,
abdomen, chest, fingers, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, head, and face. In each area, as best you can, bring the same detailed level of awareness and gentle curiosity to the bodily sensations present. As you leave each major area, “breathe in” to it on the in-breath and let go of that region on the out-breath.

10. When you become aware of tension, or of other intense sensations in a particular part of the body, you can “breathe in” to them—using the in-breath gently to bring awareness right into the sensations, and, as best you can, have a sense of their letting go, or releasing, on the out-breath.

11. The mind will inevitably wander away from the breath and the body from time to time. That is entirely normal. It is what minds do. When you notice it, gently acknowledge it, noticing where the
mind has gone off to, and then gently return your attention to the part of the body you intended to focus on.

12. After you have “scanned” the whole body in this way, spend a few minutes being aware of a sense of
the body as a whole, and of the breath flowing freely in and out of the body.

13. If you find yourself falling asleep, you might find it helpful to prop your head up with a pillow, open your eyes, or do the practice sitting up rather than lying down.

14. You can adjust the time spent in this practice by using larger chunks of your body to become aware of or spending a shorter or longer time with each part.

BOOKS ABOUT FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

Contemporary books about the relationships between crime and mental illness have been written by psychologists, psychiatrists, attorneys and journalists.  Books have been written for a variety of audiences including a general audience as well as students, scholars and practitioners in psychology, psychiatry, law and criminal justice.  Crime is an important topic in our society and interrelates with social problems like homelessness, prison overcrowding and victims’ rights.   Crime is a popular topic with the public, as evidenced by the prevalence of TV shows and movies about crime and by the sales of some of these books.

Books that are written for a general audience tend to focus on sensational crimes, celebrity criminals or single themes like the use of neuroscience in the courtroom.  Examples include Canter (2010), Davis (2017), Ewing & McCann (2006), Samenow (2014) and Vinocur (2020).

Textbooks written for graduate or undergraduate courses in psychology and criminal justice cover a wide range of topics at an introductory level.  Examples include Bartol & Bartol (2019), Green & Heilbrun (2019), Howott (2018), Huss (2013) and Shipley & Arrigo (2012).

Books written for scholars and practitioners in the field presume that the reader already has an advanced level of sophistication in the law and forensic psychology.  These books to fall into two categories:

(1)  Large tomes with a wide scope.  Examples include Melton, Petrila, Poythress & Slobogin (2017); Cutler & Zapf (2014); and Weiner & Otto (2013a, 2013b).  The latter three books are edited and contain contributions by well-known authors, most of whom have university affiliations.

(2)  Smaller books of narrower scope that are directed toward single topics like the assessment of risk, deception and specific types of crimes like filicide.  Examples include Heilbrun (2009); McKee (2006); Meloy & Hoffmann (2021); Otto & Douglas (2010); Quinsey, Harris, Rice, & Cormier (2015); and Rogers & Bender (2018).

I have selected ten of these books for closer review.
Please click here to download the full text

While for some, Fourth of July celebrations can be a time of excitement, excess, and fun, for others, it’s a trigger for an underlying mental health issue. With eating and drinking being the focus at the majority of these parties, those who are susceptible to addictive behaviors may find it difficult to take part without consequence. If you find that the pressure to eat or drink excessively has left you feeling out of control, consider the following five tips:

1. Open up to Family or Friends: If you feel comfortable doing so, let your friends and family know ahead of time what you’re going through. Opening up about substance use or disordered eating problems can help prevent a lot of awkward and unnecessary interactions, and it can make it easier for you to stay true to your path of recovery.
2. Make a Plan, and a Back-up Plan: Structure is important when you’re recovering from an addiction. The unknown can present unforeseen obstacles so make sure you have enough information about the celebration to know what you’re walking into, or who. If you know that the hotdogs and hamburgers offered will quite possibly be a trigger, stick to your own routine. Eat a meal you’re comfortable with beforehand and bring a cooler with some snacks that will keep you energized throughout the night. If you’re worried about people offering you a drink, have a cup with you filled with water, soda, or another beverage so you can easily deflect and let them know you’re already all set.
3. Focus on Celebrating What Really Matters: Too often we follow a pattern of behavior without much thought. Why do we celebrate the independence of our country by guzzling beer and grilling food? Focus on your sobriety or your recovery. Those things are truly worth celebrating and if you’re not in the mood for a party, have your family take a hike or spend the day swimming at the beach. There’s no one way to celebrate, and creating your own healthy traditions may make this your best 4th of July yet.
4. Have a Set Time that You’ll Leave: Most celebrations get more out of hand the longer they run, so enjoy your time but set a reasonable time for departure. It’ll also help you to avoid traffic and the traffic accidents which are a common occurrence on this holiday weekend.
5. Be Selfish: Sometimes, being selfish is critical. And if it involves your health and your continued recovery, make the choices that you need to support them. If it means not going at all, or just dropping by to say hello, know that you are the most important thing. Your friends and family will still enjoy their night, no matter how bad the guilt trip is that they gave you.

Growth necessarily means change and choice; even passive choice.

Necessary Murder

The day I was born

Everything was possible.

Each decision thereafter

Murdered countless scores of maybes.

How can I take my next step

When I know how many of my selves

I send to the gallows?

But I am damned anyway

For even with inaction

There are untold numbers

Of lives unlived.

But choose I must

If I want to direct

The executioner’s axe,

If I want to make sacred

The sacrifice of all my lost lives.

My truth is I must choose

With purpose and joy and grief

To make manifest the promises

On which all my ghosts depend for meaning.

Several of my poems refer to my inner demons or parts of myself I ignore or hide
as really little children that need my love. This poem is no exception and it
also examines being a man and what growth means to me.

Men’s Weekend

I sit and listen to the masters among alphas and betas.

I am so tired of the anger of the alpha and of beta’s shame.

I’ve caught a glimpse of a different, more powerful life,

Off away from the pack’s need.

I crave to stand in the glory of my blessings,

And to love my life – ALL of my life –

Not needing my wound to find meanings.

My heart bigger, stronger from the wound’s scar.

Loving myself so much,

Having so much room in my heart

For my hurt and frightened children

And the magnificence of my divinity.

Poem

Another fresh New Year is here……

Another year to live!

To banish worry, doubt, and fear

To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me

To live each day with zest…

To daily grow and try to be

My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity

Once more to right some wrongs,

To pray for peace, to plant a tree,

And sing more joyful songs!

by William Arthur Ward

Here is the third and final poem dealing with the death of my father.
As you will see, I had moved into a much different place about my father.

My Father At My Table (Father #3)

I’ve fought so long

So hard to deny

With angry, righteous cries

Your place at my table.

Your pain walled away

But alive and leaking

Through so many cracks

To form the dark parts of me.

All you were, I cannot be.

I’m so much more aware, alive

I do so much more than survive

Easy it would be

To reject all you are.

I could not imagine you

Hurting and alone;

A child holding off the terror.

Carrying your father’s wound.

As I carry yours

When I look closely

At the parts unseen

Your child peeks back.

While your wound is not mine

I can accept your humanness

And your presence that helped

Shape the man I’ve become.

Come, break your fast

At my table.

I have more to learn

More tears to cry.

You are welcome,

My father.

I pray I will be welcome

At my son’s table some day.