Author: Victoria Sutton, MS Psychology

by

As We Approach Thanksgiving, There Is A Characteristic We Should Have On Display Throughout The Year

Having a sense of gratefulness implies that an individual finds meaning in life and that their life has a purpose.  We’re not simply existing, but making efforts to improve this earth of ours.

Think of all of the things you are grateful for.   For those of us who will miss deceased loved ones during this holiday season, let’s be grateful that God blessed us with them in our lives as a way of honoring and celebrating them. 

Vikki

by

When Psychiatrists And Law Enforcement Have The Same Role

Protecting The Public From Harm, And Preventing Someone Diagnosed With A Mental Condition From Becoming Public Enemy Number 1 – A person has to wonder how many people have been needlessly killed, and severely injured since “A Dangerous Mental Health Condition” was published in days gone by, https://vikkisuttonpsychblog.com/category/a-dangerous-mental-health-condition/, and other articles over the years discussing mental health conditions and violence.

To be sure, psychiatrists and law enforcement have a lot on their plate!

The former has an enormous caseload of patients they have to treat in their practice, while the latter is dealing with any number of Homeland Security issues on a daily basis.

Combining A Mental Health Condition With Guns In The Household – Do people have a right to have guns in their households to protect themselves from the nefarious elements in their immediate environment? Yes, they do. However, a mental health condition and guns in the household are a dangerous combination. No one with a mental health condition should have access to guns because those individuals are not in their correct frame of mind. They will not use guns responsibly!

Kudos to family members, psychiatrists, and police officers who take these conditions seriously by taking actions humanly possible to prevent tragedy from occurring.  Be that as it may, there is a SERIOUS disconnect when someone with a psychotic break ends up harming the public, and there were entities who were aware of the situation and did nothing at all to create a positive outcome.  No one should have to die because they have a mental health problem, nor should members of the public be subjected to violence because of the individual with said issue.

Vikki

by

Organized Public Looting Of Establishments Across The United States:  The Members Have Revealed Enormously About Themselves, Unwittingly

C     Y

It would be remiss NOT to talk about this situation!

Most of us, this blogger suspects, have read articles surrounding the looting of businesses that have occurred in record time.  The guilty are in and out within a blink of an eye.  It’s not about the individual who steals a bar of soap or food to provide for themselves or their family.  That activity is wrong, also.  Maybe sympathetic.  Groups of individuals are partaking in these endeavors, and we need to look at what their behaviors are saying about the members.  

And it speaks volumes:

First:  Coordination.  None of the members can even suggest to law enforcement (when apprehended) that a mental health condition made them participate in these behaviors. 

Second:  Antisocial.  Members of the group were involved in an activity (i.e., stealing) and have demonstrated antisocial behaviors with little (none?!) regard to public safety.

Third:  Worker Safety:  Have they thought about the consequences of worker safety within these establishments while engaging in these activities?

Fourth:  Placing their own lives in danger.  Why have they jeopardized their lives with the possibility of a confrontation with police officers?  Do we need another fatal shooting that tears at the fiber of this country?

Fifth:  Narcissism, maybe not, but definitely self-centeredness.  All of us require a certain amount of selfishness to succeed in life.  However, the looters’ self-centeredness is way out of control and could potentially lead to dangerous outcomes.

Sixth:  Moral Compass.  Where is the moral compass that says to a person, “No.  I will not engage in these behaviors because I have too much respect for myself and, thus, for others.”

Seventh:  Respect For Boundaries.   Where is the respect for boundaries?  When entering a business, it’s about making selections and then purchasing.  That’s it!  It’s not about purposely inserting oneself, disrupting, and causing panic among the companies, customers, and other innocent bystanders.

Finally,  Envy may be the worst trait.  Because of the activity, envy is the crux of the matter:  “I want what you have.”

The fallout:  People who own and run businesses have sacrificed to earn and maintain livelihoods for themselves, workers, customers, and other interested parties.  Neighborhoods lose when impacted leaders make the business decision to leave those areas.

Vikki

by

To The Goal-Oriented: 2024, A Brief Word On Goal Achievement

ONCE YOU ATTAIN YOUR GOALS, CREATE NEW ONES

(Image Source:  Joshua Coleman)

It’s never too early to think about personal goal attainment for the new year and begin the planning stage of the process.  Writing down goals can unravel potential achievements.  A person can look at them and analyze if they are one, several, or one enormous goal with different parts.

A person needs to ask themselves a few questions while this stage commences:

  • (Even though you may already know the answer, ask yourself)  What are my values?
  • Are any of these goals unimportant? 
  • How realistic are these goals? 
  • How long (i.e., a guesstimate) will it take for this particular achievement?
  • Do any of these goals necessitate resources to bring them to fruition?
  • Which ones take priority over the others? 
  • Which ones are short-term or long-term goals?
  • Will any of these goals lead directly to the conclusion of a longer-term one?
  • For those of you with a Project Management background, is there a deadline (i.e., the end date) you would like to achieve any personal goal?

Thinking and planning can reduce the unnecessary emotional discomfort of any new goal season.  Also, a person should understand that having limited goals doesn’t mean they’re limited as a person.  They’re focusing on the most important goals that they can visualize will reach a hard-earned reward.  Visualizing an accomplishment is 90% of the work!

All the best to you as I know you will succeed in bringing your goals to fruition!

Vikki

*As an aside, every day is a new season of the planning stage for goal attainment.  Also, if the terms “goals, goal-attainment, achievements, and accomplishments” are too overwhelming, give them a nickname to make those efforts reach a positive conclusion.

by

9/11 Commemoration

(Image Source: pixabay.com)

What started as a beautiful Tuesday in 2001 became an unbelievably gruesome and tragic day.

THANK YOU to the first responders when you went above and beyond the call of duty because of cruel actions from reprehensible members of society.  We will never stop mourning for those of you who lost loved ones, AND for the survivors who experienced life-changing debilitating health conditions.

Vikki