About David Joel Miller

David Miller is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Clinical Counselor, faculty member at a local college, certified trainer and writer.

Delusion or reality?

Posted on February 6, 2018 by David Joel Miller

By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Delusions.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Sometimes delusions get people into trouble.

One problem area for mental health is distinguishing between delusions and reality. If

something is highly unlikely and yet despite mounds of evidence that can’t be true, that someone still firmly believes in its truth, it’s likely to be a delusion. Unfortunately, one person’s belief may be another person’s delusion. Disagreements about the truth often result in violence. After there’s been a violent incident, the question often arises why hadn’t someone spotted that person who was likely to become violent?

Identifying when someone is delusional is the first step. Figuring out when that delusion will lead that person to violence is a much more difficult task.

Defining delusions.

The technical definition of delusions is fixed beliefs which people are unwilling to change even when presented with evidence to the contrary. The harder it is to tell what is truth and what is delusion, the more likely it is to result in violence. Religion and politics are two areas particularly prone to disagreements that lead to violence.

Here’s a list of the recognized themes of delusions.

Someone’s out to get me, technically called persecutory delusions.
Grandiose delusions, the person believes they are special and have exceptional abilities.
Love and sex delusions are technically called erotomanic delusions, during which the delusional person believes someone is in love with them or wants them sexually.
Nihilistic delusions involve the fixed belief that a major disaster will occur.
Delusions regarding health and body functioning are called somatic delusions.

Is that delusion bizarre?

When other people in your culture don’t believe, something could happen, it would not be a normal experience for them. Common examples of beliefs that would be considered bizarre delusions include the idea that someone is beaming thoughts into your head or removing your thoughts. Some people also believe that an outside force is controlling them.

The problem with diagnosing delusions.

Delusions can occur in the course of several mental illnesses. There is also one specific category titled Delusional Disorder (F-22) which is a catchall for several distinct kinds of delusions which occur outside the course of another mental illness.

One type of delusion which results in a lot of problematic behavior is the delusional form of jealousy. Jealousy is a complicated topic; not all jealousy is delusional. But delusional jealousy, sometimes described as morbid or pathological jealousy, can result in stalking and interpersonal violence.

In upcoming blog posts, we will look at delusional disorder and then some of the varieties of jealous behavior, when is jealousy good for relationships, as well as how and when jealousy becomes dangerous.

David Joel Miller MS is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC.) Mr. Miller provides supervision for beginning counselors and therapists and teaches at the local college in the Substance Abuse Counseling program.

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.

For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel

Relationships suffer when you don’t like you.

Posted on February 5, 2018 by David Joel Miller

By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Low Self-esteem.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Low self-esteem poisons your other relationships.

In the aftermath of a failed relationship, many people come to counseling. One common theme is that they have low self-esteem. It’s a human tendency to try to use our relationship to boost our self-esteem and self-confidence.

People with low self-esteem are often like a leaky bucket. No matter how much love and affection their family or partner pours into them, they still feel empty. If you feel that something is lacking in your relationships, start by looking at yourself. People who are emotionally unwell tend to attract sick people into their lives.

Recovering people often find that as they become healthier, they develop more self-esteem. When you feel better about yourself, an unhealthy, dysfunctional relationship, will no longer be acceptable. Healthy people tend to attract other healthy people into their lives. Here are some ways that your low self-esteem may be damaging your relationships.

Low self-esteem makes you needy and dependent.

People who don’t feel good about themselves, don’t like or love themselves, are constantly hungry for approval from others. They seek out strong partners or friends to bolster their egos. That strong in control person you were dating can become that insufferable, controlling person. Extremely needy people drive other people away.

You may become pathologically jealous.

If you don’t feel good about yourself, you may doubt why your partner is staying with you. People who believe their mate has lots of options, while if they lose this partner, they are doomed to be alone, can become pathologically jealous.

When you don’t feel good about your self-worth you may begin to spy on your partner, follow them around, and endlessly question their behavior. If you’re becoming jealous ask yourself is this because you see real signs your partner is cheating on you? Or is this fear because you don’t understand why your partner is staying with you?

You become irritable and fight more.

People who don’t feel well, either physically or emotionally, become irritable and try to push others away. If you don’t like yourself, you may begin to doubt your partner. If you think your partner is likely to cheat on you and then leave you there is a risk you will begin to provoke fights, trying to make, the inevitable happened.

You are lonely even when you’re around others.

Loneliness is a powerful emotional complex. It drives people to associate with other people. If when you are alone, you feel frantic to be around others the problem may be that you don’t like yourself. People with low self-esteem don’t lose that lonely feeling even when they are in a crowd. How can you feel happy and connected when you expect others to dislike you, in the same manner, you just like yourself?

You attract negative people.

People with low self-esteem are hard to be around. They tend to drive away emotionally healthy people. When you’re feeling down, depressed, anxious, and unworthy, you become a magnet for other people with low self-esteem. People who are short on self-love are easy prey for narcissists, psychopaths, and other needy people who are out to use them.

Want healthy relationships?

Begin by improving your relationship with you. You feel better about yourself you will begin to view your relationships with others in a more realistic way. If you like yourself, you will begin to demand that others treat you well. Emotionally healthy people cut the harmful, toxic people out of their lives. As you become mentally healthy, feel better about yourself, you will either find your relationships improving or find it easier to let go of the unhealthy relationships in your life.

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.

For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel

Inspired.

Posted on February 4, 2018 by David Joel Miller

Sunday Inspiration. Post by David Joel Miller.

Inspired.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Inspired.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

― Albert Einstein

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

― George Bernard Shaw

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

Wanted to share some inspirational quotes with you. Today seemed like a good time to do this. If any of these quotes strike a chord with you, please share them.

Is job burnout inevitable?

Posted on January 31, 2018 by David Joel Miller

By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Burnout.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Are you destined for job burnout?

Job burnout is taking a huge toll. Despite not being a recognized mental illness, work-related burnout is a major reason people go out on disability. We tried various approaches to this problem. Sometimes we blame the employer, too much work, too much stress, not enough staff to meet the challenges. Other times we blame the employee. If you have worked anywhere with a significant number of employees, you know there are people who arrive at work already stressed out before the workday begins. Maybe they have relationship problems, sick children, or financial stress, whatever the reason some people arrive at work already stressed out.

At some work sites, everyone is stressed out.

In some occupations, people are burning out faster than new employees can be hired. Some interesting research has been done recently in China. As they moved to modernize their economy burnout has been a significant issue. In the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008, bank workers were under significant work stress. It’s not customary to think of bank employees as likely to burn out, but in 2008 the burnout rate among Chinese bank employees reach seventy percent.

Repeatedly studies of social workers have reported burnout rates of more than fifty percent. One of the consequences of employee burnout is that the social worker becomes emotionally exhausted and tries to protect themselves by withdrawing emotionally from their clients. As the number of burned out employees increase, client satisfaction declines. One consequence of so many burned out human service employees is poor recovery rates among the clients they serve.

Why burnout doesn’t always result in high employee turnover.

Many of the professions with high burnout rates are highly paid but require advanced education. Doctors go through an incredible ordeal and accumulate a large amount of student loan debt. Social workers, counselors, and therapists, often have master’s degrees are Ph.D.’s. The process of continuing in school for six or eight years past high school can result in large student loan debt.

Careers that require long training periods and a large financial investment can trap burned out employees who must work for years to pay off financial debt. They may also be unable to move to a new occupation without taking a huge pay, resulting in additional financial and family stress. Burned-out workers will feel trapped and unable to change their employment become less productive, less cooperative with other staff, and are more likely to become detached from, and cynical about, the clients they work with.

High burnout rates may result in everyone being inexperienced.

In some occupations burnout results in higher than normal turn over. One survey of drug and alcohol counselors revealed more than half of the counselors had been on the job for less than a year. Many public mental health facilities have a high number of recently graduated clinicians compared to the number of senior staff available to oversee their work.

Many clients experience multiple changes in the person providing their service. It’s hard to develop a good relationship between therapist and client when the therapist keeps changing.

Don’t let yourself become a victim of burnout.

High systemic rates of burnout suggest that there is not much an employer can do to prevent burnout among employees. Certainly, anything the employer can do to reduce employee burnout will benefit that employer. Employee assistance programs can be very helpful in letting employees resolve stressful issues. But keeping yourself from burning out is something everyone needs to make a priority for themselves. Don’t make the mistake of pushing so hard in the early stages of your career, that you burn out and don’t have a career.

In future posts let’s explore some ways you can prevent burnout from taking control of your life.

How drugs change your feelings.

Posted on January 30, 2018 by David Joel Miller

By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Brain.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Drugs of abuse alter the chemical balance in your brain.

The human brain is a very complex organ. Everything you think, feel, experience, or do is the result of brain activity. Drugs, especially drugs of abuse, can alter the chemical balance in your brain either temporary or sometimes permanently.

The brain is made up of millions of tiny nerve cells called neurons. These nerve cells connect to each other through billions of tiny nerve endings. In the early days of physiological psychology, this all seemed so simple.

Electricity moves information within a nerve cell.

Early on, we discovered that a nerve cell can develop an electrical charge and when this charge moved down the nerve cell, it transmitted information. Electrically stimulating a rat’s brain might cause him to move the leg.

Electrical stimulation doesn’t explain everything. Between one nerve cell and the next, there are infinitesimal, small gaps. Scientists refer to those gaps as synaptic gaps, or sometimes they speak of the connections between cells as synapses. It turns out that electricity doesn’t flow very well from one brain cell to another through the brain fluid.

Information moves from one nerve cell to another chemically.

The human nervous system manufacturers a large number of chemicals, some of which are called neurotransmitters. When I first studied the subject in the 1960s, we study two neurotransmitters. Today hundreds of neurotransmitters have been identified and studied. The more research I read, the more newly identified neurotransmitters I encounter.

Drugs of abuse alter the way information moves between cells chemically.

For a drug of abuse to affect the way you think, feel, or behave, it needs to do two things. First, it needs to get into your brain. The brain contains a large amount of fluid. Protecting that fluid from contamination is the blood-brain barrier. This membrane is designed to keep undesirable material out of your brain. All drugs of abuse must have molecules that can get through this blood-brain barrier.

Each neurotransmitter has a shape which fits a receptor in the next cell.

You hear a gun go off and your nervous system produces a stimulant chemical that gets your heart pounding and prepares you for action. That stimulant chemical is sometimes called adrenaline. A similar chemical is found in the nervous system. We, here in the US, call that chemical norepinephrine, in some other countries it is called noradrenaline. This chemical fits into receptors on other cells and causes them to act.

One of the explanations for how drugs of abuse affect your nervous system is called the “lock and key theory.” Each naturally occurring neurotransmitter has a shape, and other cells have a receptor designed to accept that shape. So, when your nervous system sends out norepinephrine, it fits into receptors throughout your nervous system to prepare you to take immediate action.

Drugs of abuse mimic the shapes of naturally occurring neurotransmitter.

Stimulant drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, are shaped in a way that is similar to norepinephrine. Because they mimic a natural neurotransmitter’s shape, they can make all the circuits in your nervous system fire.

Drugs of abuse not only activate a few cells, but they can activate many cells in far more emphatic ways than your naturally occurring neurotransmitters do. Because of this, drugs of abuse can feel very pleasurable, but only for brief periods of time. Each time you use a drug, it changes the chemical balance in your brain. Over time it changes the balance so much, you are unable to feel the things you used to feel unless the drug is present in your system.

Of course, the process in the brain is far more complicated than this simple description. Many other things are taking place every time you think a thought or the chemistry in your brain changes. Understanding how drugs of abuse mess with the way your nervous system works helps to explain a large part of how those drugs can lead to abuse, dependence, addiction, and a whole range of disorders we call substance use disorders.

For more on this topic see – Drug Use, Abuse, and Addiction and Recovery

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.

For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel

Could your thinking problems be job burnout?

Posted on January 29, 2018 by David Joel Miller

By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Burnout.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Burnout damages your thinking abilities.

One symptom of burnout is slow thinking.

As job burnout becomes worse, specific thinking problems develop. If you notice that you’re having trouble with thinking, you may be developing job burnout.

People suffering from burnout make a great many more errors.

Burnout can also reduce your ability to make any kind of decision.

Burnout leaves you too tired to pay attention.

In the early stages of job burnout, people become emotionally and physically exhausted. A key element of burnout is this overwhelming emotional exhaustion. As the job burnout progresses people find you’re unable to relax and rest in their time away from work. If you spend your weekends worrying about what waits for you when you return to work, you’re never out from under that work stress.

Burnout destroys your concentration.

One of the first on the job symptoms of job burnout is a reduced ability to concentrate and pay attention. Any time you’re exhausted, it becomes more difficult to pay attention. If you find you are having trouble paying attention at work, forgetting important job duties, arriving home so tired you fall into bed, the cause may be that you are developing job burnout. Many people who were diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome also show the symptoms of job burnout. That does not mean that chronic fatigue syndrome is all in your head, but rather than high levels of stress hormones can cause impairment to your nervous system.

Burnout interferes with making good decisions.

Burnout has been linked to declines in executive function, the part of the brain that decides what to do and when to do it. As burnout progresses, as you become more and more emotionally exhausted, decisions will become harder and harder to make.

People with burnout can’t remember things.

Memory is impaired as the burnout progresses. As you become too tired to function, your brain becomes too tired to store and process memories. Because burnout is a response to stress more and more of your brain’s capacity is used just to get through the day, leaving less and less memory capacity for storing important information. Memories are consolidated, saved for future use, during sleep. If the stress you have been under is keeping you from sleeping, or causing fragmented sleep, your memory systems will be impaired.

Burnout destroys your objectivity.

People suffering from burnout notice only the negative. At the end of the workday, they will have noticed fewer positive events. As burnout becomes worse, you will become more biased towards negative, pessimistic thoughts. The constant focus on what’s wrong will reduce your level of happiness. This loss of the ability to feel pleasure is one of the key overlaps between work burnout and developing a long-term major depressive disorder.

Burnout damages your ability to sleep.

The stress component of burnout leaves you tired but unable to sleep. Any night you are unable to get at least six hours of sleep you will be highly impaired the following day. If you find yourself repeatedly sleeping less than six hours you may be headed for an episode of major depressive disorder or another serious mental illness.

Question and answer feed on mental health.

Posted on January 28, 2018 by David Joel Miller

David Joel Miller Books

David Joel Miller will be hosting an AMA (ask me anything) about mental health issues this coming week. The question-and-answer session is hosted on the AMAfeed.com website. People have been submitting questions and the answers will begin to appear on Tuesday, January 30th.

Hope you will drop by, maybe ask a question and definitely check out all the questions others have submitted and my answers to them.

The link for upcoming health AMA’s is:

https://healthama.com/upcoming

Hope you will join me on Tuesday.

Insecure.

Posted on January 28, 2018 by David Joel Miller

Sunday Inspiration. Post by David Joel Miller.

Insecure.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Insecure.

“I was feeling insecure you might not love me anymore”

― John Lennon

“I’m interested in the fact that the less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice.”

― Clint Eastwood

“It is a sign of great inner insecurity to be hostile to the unfamiliar.”

― Anaïs Nin

“The task we must set for ourselves is not to feel secure, but to be able to tolerate insecurity.”

― Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving

Wanted to share some inspirational quotes with you. Today seemed like a good time to do this. If any of these quotes strike a chord with you, please share them.

Free Kindle book last chance.

Posted on January 28, 2018 by David Joel Miller

By David Joel Miller.

David Joel Miller Books

Casino Robbery, Kindle edition, will be free for the next five days.

Casino Robbery.
David Joel Miller

Today is the last day.

My first novel, Casino Robbery, Kindle edition, will be available for free for five days starting January twenty-fourth and ending January twenty-eighth. I decided to make this available for free for a brief time to celebrate some changes in my life. In the future, I plan to spend a lot more time writing. You can expect to see several more of my books published during 2018. Please tell anyone you know who might be interested in this book about this free promotion. If you downloaded casino robbery, read the book, and enjoy it, please leave a review on Amazon.

If you don’t have the Kindle, there is a free app that will let you read Kindle books on your computer or smartphone available on the Amazon website.

Casino Robbery.

The robbers wanted more than money; they planned to kill Arthur’s fiancé and her boss.

Arthur Mitchell was trying to start his life over with a fiancé and a new job. That all ends when the casino robbers shoot Arthur, kill his fiancée, and her boss. Arthur would like to forget that horrible day, but the traumatic nightmares and constant reminders won’t let him, and someone is still out to get him. When he tries to start over by running a rural thrift store, someone knocks him unconscious, vandalize the store, and finally tries to kill him. His only chance to find peace is to figure out what the killers want from him and why.

Casino Robbery is a novel that explores the world of a man with PTSD who has to cope with his symptoms to solve the mystery and create a new life. Casino Robbery is available now in both Kindle and paperback editions.

My nonfiction book bumps on the road of life is also available from Amazon. The Kindle edition is $4.99 in the US and similarly priced in other markets.

Bumps on the Road of Life.

Bumps on the Road of Life.
David Joel Miller.

Your cruising along the road of life and then wham, something knocks you in the ditch.

Sometimes you get your life going again quickly. Other times you may stay off track and in the ditch for a considerable time. If you have gone through a divorce, break up or lost a job you may have found your life off track. Professionals call those problems caused by life-altering events “Adjustment Disorders.” Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of Adjustment Disorders, how they get people off track, and how to get your life out of the ditch. Bumps on the Road of Life is now available in both Kindle and paperback format.

Other books are due out soon; please visit my Amazon Author Page – David Joel Miller

Free Kindle book day four.

Posted on January 27, 2018 by David Joel Miller

By David Joel Miller.

David Joel Miller Books

Casino Robbery, Kindle edition, will be free for the next five days.

Casino Robbery.
David Joel Miller

If you don’t have the Kindle, there is a free app that will let you read Kindle books on your computer or smartphone available on the Amazon website.

Other books are due out soon; please visit my Amazon Author Page – David Joel Miller

About David Joel Miller

Sometimes delusions get people into trouble.

Defining delusions.

Is that delusion bizarre?

The problem with diagnosing delusions.

Share this:

Low self-esteem poisons your other relationships.

Low self-esteem makes you needy and dependent.

You may become pathologically jealous.

You become irritable and fight more.

You are lonely even when you’re around others.

You attract negative people.

Want healthy relationships?

Share this:

Share this:

Are you destined for job burnout?

At some work sites, everyone is stressed out.

Why burnout doesn’t always result in high employee turnover.

High burnout rates may result in everyone being inexperienced.

Don’t let yourself become a victim of burnout.

Share this:

Drugs of abuse alter the chemical balance in your brain.

Electricity moves information within a nerve cell.

Information moves from one nerve cell to another chemically.

Drugs of abuse alter the way information moves between cells chemically.

Each neurotransmitter has a shape which fits a receptor in the next cell.

Drugs of abuse mimic the shapes of naturally occurring neurotransmitter.

Share this:

Burnout damages your thinking abilities.

Burnout leaves you too tired to pay attention.

Burnout destroys your concentration.

Burnout interferes with making good decisions.

People with burnout can’t remember things.

Burnout destroys your objectivity.

Burnout damages your ability to sleep.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Casino Robbery, Kindle edition, will be free for the next five days.

Casino Robbery.

Bumps on the Road of Life.

Share this:

Casino Robbery, Kindle edition, will be free for the next five days.

Share this: