I am 36 years old and have been diagnosed with a mental illness at the age of 31, 7 months after the birth of my youngest son. Since then, I have lost custody of my children, regain custody of my youngest son, and currently in the midst of a custody battle for my oldest son. I believed that I was railroaded by the courts. I am looking for an advocate because I feel that I am loosing my son to the streets of NYC. However, the courts feel I am unable to care for two children, because of my mental illness. I disagree. I believe that people live with their mental illness everyday and function well. I own and operate an accounting business, take care of my youngest son, and take care of myself just fine. Please help me or refer me to someone who can help. I need an mental health advocate to assist me with my custody case. It is an extreme emergency. My son has been suspended from school twice and just recently been in trouble for trying to fight the Dean. This aggressive behavi

Mental health problems can affect people at any time of life and in different ways. They can include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, self-harm and dementia. Mental health affects every part of our daily lives. How well we feel plays a major role in our health and how we get along with others or react to events. Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. Even though many of us don’t suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder, it is clear that some of us are mentally healthier than others. The study of the characteristics that make up mental health has been called “positive psychology.”

Positive mental health is about:

• feeling in control

• being able to make rational decisions

• being in touch with our feelings

• being able to form positive relationships

• feeling good about ourselves

• knowing how to look after ourselves

We all have our ups and downs, but if the downs start to take over it is a sign that we need to take some action.

Steps To Read Mind:

1. Get acquainted with the person whose mind you will later claim to be reading (the subject). Look for a wedding ring or infant toys sticking out of a purse. Ask questions about jobs and pets. Later, when you repeat this information, the person may have forgotten your earlier encounter.

2. Tell the subject that you are going to try to read his or her mind and ask him or her to help you. Claim that at times the thoughts you receive are hard to distinguish from background noise, and that you may need clarification. In this way, you can make a vague guess and the subject will provide specific information yet will still be amazed at your mind-reading ability.

3. Use props. While you’re trying to think of what to say, pretend to be concentrating on a thought-focusing crystal in your hand or hold a photo of a dead relative to your head, claiming that the person assists you from “the other side.” Take your time and be dramatic.

4. Perform a cold reading. Make a general statement and study how your subject reacts. If the subject does nothing, make another statement. Repeat this process, acting as if you’re zeroing in on a specific thought until you get a reaction. If you are able to do this smoothly, your subject will forget your incorrect guesses. It helps if you are familiar with current events so you can make accurate guesses.

5. Say something obvious, such as “You’re concerned that I might learn some secret about you.” If the subject protests that the statement is obvious, insist that it is nevertheless what the subject was thinking at that moment.

6. Try shot gunning. If you’re demonstrating your mind-reading ability in front of a group of people, make a statement and look around to see who reacts. Address that person directly, claiming to have heard his or her thoughts.

7. Listen. once your subject is convinced that you’ve heard his or her thoughts, he or she will often talk extensively about things related to those thoughts. You can later repeat these things, and the subject will think you learned them through mind reading.