About
the Author: Jason M. Holland, Ph.D., currently serves as the CEO and
Editor of Lifespark, an online well-being
magazine focused on finding meaning in life difficulties. He is a clinical
psychologist and has worked as a researcher, instructor, and therapist in a
number of academic and medical settings, including Stanford University. Dr. Holland
is also presently the Associate Editor for Death
Studies,
an international peer-reviewed journal focusing on research, theory, and
clinical issues related to death and dying.
1)
How
old were you when you began to experience symptoms of mental illness?
I have had multiple periods of sadness and
hopelessness in my life, which I primarily became aware of in my late teens and
early twenties. During this time, I was very unsure about what I wanted to devote
my life to and believed that I wasn’t measuring up. Unlike many of my college
classmates who seemed to be having the time of their lives, I felt deeply
troubled and alone.
2)
Did
you have support and seek treatment immediately? If not, why?
I initially sought counseling with a
psychologist when I was 19. This first experience was not a very positive one.
My therapist was a strict Freudian analyst who was very cold, rarely talked, and
barely made any facial expressions. I once caught him dozing off in a session.
In his defense, I probably was a raging bore, moaning on and on about the same
tired concerns. But to my teenage ego, it hurt.
He returned the next session, large coffee
in hand, and I confronted him about my concerns that he wasn’t listening to me
and the sessions weren’t helping. Ultimately, we parted ways and I didn’t seek
treatment again for several years.
In my free time I started walking the
aisles of the self-help section at a used book
store, and there I came across the writings of people like M. Scott Peck, Rollo
May, Leo Buscaglia, Karen Horney, and Erich Fromm. The messages of hope
contained in these books inspired me to keep pushing forward and working on
myself.
From
there, I went on to get a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and have spent much of
my career working to improve the way mental health services are delivered and
advocating for an approach that focuses on finding meaning in life difficulties.
At various points in my personal journey, I sought counseling with three other
therapists, all of whom helped me immensely.
3)
What
would you tell your younger self knowing what you know now about mental
illness?
I would tell myself to keep at it.
It’s easy to get discouraged when you put yourself out there, and it doesn’t
work out the way you expected. But if you’re willing to keep your eyes open and
your head up, there’s usually an important lesson buried in there somewhere.
For me, the lesson was that although
the mental health system isn’t perfect, there are a lot of inspiring and useful
ideas out there. And I can make a difference by learning more about
self-improvement and sharing it with others.
4)
What
do you think are the biggest misconceptions those with mental illness have to
face?
The biggest misconception about people with
mental illness is that they are weak. Mental illness derives from an
interaction between the environment and the person. In many ways it is culturally
determined and reflects the conflicts and preoccupations of the larger society
in which it’s situated. Some people seem to be more attuned to these conflicts
than others. Although these individuals may be more distressed, they’re also
uniquely positioned to empathize with others’ suffering and ultimately make the
world a better place.
5)
How
do you feel about the stigma surrounding mental illness? Do you feel we’ve
taken positive steps? In your opinion, what needs to be done in the future?
I believe there is still a lot of work that
needs to be done to break down stigmas surrounding mental illness and improve
the way care is delivered. I prefer models that view human suffering as a
natural and inevitable part of living and that empower people to face difficult
life challenges with dignity and purpose.
6)
What
do you do to get through the bad days?
I use several self-care strategies.
Gratitude is important, and when I notice myself feeling sorry for myself, I
reflect on my many blessings. I like getting out in nature too. There’s
something about being outside that grounds me and makes my problems seem less overwhelming.
I also tend to talk to myself, and when I find that I’m really lost, I’ll try
to talk myself through the problem or seek advice from someone that I
trust.
7)
Do
you have any projects that you’re working on that could benefit the mental
health community?
Yes! In January of this year, I partnered
with Wendy Lee to start Lifespark, a weekly online well-being
magazine focused on finding meaning and purpose in life, even amid hard times.
I believe that online services are the future of mental health and have the
potential to break down many of the barriers people face when seeking
treatment.
We hope to be part of this solution by
offering online self-help exercises, quizzes, videos, advice, and articles in a relatable and
engaging way. By focusing on finding meaning, we hope to unify groups of people
who are struggling with diverse sets of problems. Both personally and
professionally, I have found that issues of meaning and purpose in life
underlie many different psychological problems. So, rather than further divide
and classify people based on their mental disorders, we hope to normalize human
struggles and inspire dialogue about mental health that moves beyond labels and
stigma.
8)
Please
give us some of your social media screen names in case someone wants to get a
hold of you.
If you’re interested in learning more about
Lifespark, please like/follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, and/or Quora. You can also sign up to become a Lifespark Exclusive
member for free
and get full access to the site.
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