March 2nd, 2010
by Samuel L. Brown, MSW
First, I would like to express my condolence to every family that lost a loved one to suicide. Professionally and personally, I know how painful it is to lose a loved one, no matter what the cause or reason.
After several years of research, training, and professional experience on the topic of depression and suicide, I am still appalled by the high number of teenagers, young adults, and senior citizens struggling with depression who go unnoticed before committing suicide.
According to a fact sheet on “national statistics” compiled by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, “More than 33,000 people in the United States die by suicide every year.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Mental Health, mental illness, Suicide
Posted in Mental Health | No Comments »
February 15th, 2010
by Samuel L. Brown, MSW
As a young boy growing up in the forties and fifties, storytelling was a common way for older folks to teach younger children different lessons about life and morals. One of the most popular storytelling or fables that adults and school teachers often referred to was Aesop.
While growing up, I didn’t know very much about Aesop except the fact that most stories were frequently prefaced by Aesop’s Fables. As a young boy not knowing that a fable was the same as storytelling, I thought his name was Aesop Fable. Before grade school, I recalled Daddy telling me several stories as his way of teaching me how to examine both sides of an issue.
Once when I was feeling unsure about my athletic ability to compete with a playmate, Daddy told me the story about the “Rabbit and the Turtle.” He described in his own vernacular how the turtle won a race against the over confident rabbit. The rabbit was so sure he could out run the turtle, he took a nap before finishing the race, and when he awakens, the turtle had won the race, because he refused to give up. At least, that was the way Daddy told me the story. According to the recorded version, it was one of Aesop’s Fables, The Tortoise and the Hare, told slightly differently, but just as effective. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Aesop's Fable, fables, storytelling
Posted in Black History | 1 Comment »
February 11th, 2010
by Samuel L. Brown, MSW
What does your sex life reveal about your relationship and personality? Are you a lover or a player? Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love, but what does it mean for people who confuse love and love making or having sex.
Amid the flowers, candy, perfume, poems, and love songs, there also exists the sad reality of many struggling through the anxiety of romance and heartbreak. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: love, lover, player, sex, valentine's day
Posted in Relationship | No Comments »
February 2nd, 2010
by Deborah Brown
We are one month into a New Year and numerous people have already experimented with their New Year’s resolution. One word comes to mind and that’s pruning. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines pruning as “To cut off or remove dead or living parts or branches of (a plant, shrub, or tree) to improve shape or growth.”
I love gardening and have an hibiscus plant. Each winter after it has been hit by frost, its lush green leaves and branches would wither away and turn brown. Each spring, I would prune away the dead branches to allow for new growth. It would grow taller, stronger, and produce more vibrant red blooms than the previous year. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: personal growth, pruning
Posted in Self Improvement | 3 Comments »
January 20th, 2010
by Samuel L. Brown, MSW
Is the current economic crisis destroying the structure of the American family?
Throughout the history of America, the family as a social system has served as a primary unit for meeting the basic needs for love, acceptance, approval, warmth, security, protection, and spiritual guidance. As one of the most basic institutions of a democracy, the family must continue to function as:
- A social environment for the loving and nurturing bond of family relationships, where children first learn how to love and be loved.
- An environment where children learn the difference between right and wrong, and how to get along with others
- An environment where children develop a sense of personal identity-emotionally, psychologically, socially, physically and spiritually.
It is within the family structure that most individuals develop a sense of a self-identity. The family is the foundation of true democracy and continues to be one of the best institutions for producing responsible and productive citizens. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: husband and wives, marriage and income, women and family, working women
Posted in Family | 6 Comments »
January 9th, 2010
by Samuel L. Brown, MSW
After several years of marriage you decide that it is no longer necessary to continue being charming, exciting, entertaining, or maintain a level of humor and fun in your relationship. You feel unappreciated, frustrated, and angry. Your relationship begin to lose its flavor and turns sour. You and your spouse are bored with your relationship and start taking each other for granted.
Your marital relationship becomes just another routine of sharing a house for economic, social, and legal reasons. Like infidelity, money problems, lack of effective communication, and boredom in some relationships ranks high among the major conflicts leading to divorce. You stop trying to improve your relationship and believe that you married the wrong person. You wonder if you have fallen out of love and that illusive “one perfect person” is out there somewhere, who can make you feel whole and complete. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: affection, commitment, love, marriage, sharing and caring
Posted in Relationship | No Comments »
November 7th, 2009
by Samuel L. Brown, MSW
Parents are children’s first and best teachers. At an early age children should be taught that there are consequences for their actions. An effective way to begin teaching a child acceptable behavior in a society of rules and standards would be to establish and define age appropriate rules, boundaries, and expectations within the home.
You should never view your toddler’s temper tantrums, kicking or knocking over furniture, hitting, spitting, or biting as “cute” or “child’s play”. It could be an early sign of developing behavioral problems. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: acceptable behavior, children's behavior, social behavior, violence
Posted in Parenting | No Comments »
October 24th, 2009
by Deborah Brown
As I sat with my eyes glued to the television, watching the funeral services and the many documentaries regarding Senator Ted Kennedy’s life. I could not stop thinking that through all the Kennedy family’s tragedies, disappointments, and struggles they were still connected. The Kennedy family appeared to be a strong, supportive, and loving family. I wondered,”What held them together? Was it their love and devotion of family? Was it their faith?” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: family relationships, family reunion
Posted in Family | 1 Comment »
October 21st, 2009
by Samuel L. Brown, MSW
In a recent news article, it was reported that couples married for more than twenty years filing for divorce in Malaysia were offered up to $440.00 each to take a free honeymoon on the government as an effort to help save their marriage. This made me ponder the feasibility of similar actions in such a great country as the United States of America, which rank number one among divorce statistics. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: marriage and family counseling, premarital counseling, strengthening family life
Posted in Relationship | No Comments »
October 5th, 2009
by Samuel L. Brown, MSW
Have you ever been so deeply in love you felt intoxicated?
You meet someone for the first time and immediately feel mesmerized. Even after your first date, you stutter while talking. Your breathing is deeper. Your heart beats faster and you stumble while walking together. You never grow tired of being with this person whom you admire, respect, and make you feel special. You think about this person even when you are not together. You had experienced physical attraction and intense sexual energy before, but never to this extent or intensity. When the two of you touch or kiss, an adrenaline rush makes you feel a total body sensation of pleasure. Many refer to your feelings as “lust,” others call it “the chemistry of love.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: honesty, love, lust, physical attraction, trust
Posted in Relationship | 7 Comments »
