1、Life has its joys and sorrows. Once in a while we may be drawn into some emotional conflicts. In the face of rough times, are we going to duly resolve the conflicts and go ahead or are we going to be hopelessly overwhelmed and lose direction thereafter? Having the right attitude is a good answer to
2、rough times. Everyone is the architect of his own future. The articles in this unit help us develop a better understanding of an important side of our life: psychological health. Before you start reading, discuss the following questions in a group.What kind of person do you think you are? Are you ba
3、sically an optimist or a pessimist? How much do you approve of your own behavior?What, in your opinion, is emotional health? What are the basic qualities demonstrated by emotionally healthy people in our culture?How do you cope with anxiety and anger? How well do you accept your vulnerability and co
4、nvince yourself that you can survive and grow in spite of loss?Are there connections between personality and ability to cope with stress? Explain.If you are not able to work, study, or pursue personal activities productively and happily, will you take measures to make changes?Section Two: In-reading
5、Reading OneLets start by reading an article that states the importance of good emotional health and the importance of seeking professional help to foster balanced emotional health in life. How to Achieve Good Mental Health Most Americans believe that good emotional health is just as important as goo
6、d physical health. In fact, in a survey conducted in 1996, the American Psychological Association （APA） found that 84 percent of Americans feel psychological health is important for overall good health. The survey also found some disturbing news 47 percent of Americans dont know when its appropriate
7、 to see a mental health professional and 68 percent dont know how to find a mental health professional to help them. People may need professional help to maintain good psychological health in much the same way that you need a dentist to examine a toothache, a physician to set a broken bone, and a la
8、wyer to answer legal questions. One of the ways to achieve good mental health is to talk to people you trust about whats bothering you, said Dorothy Cantor, Psy. D., former president of the American Psychological Association. Try not to turn a bad day into a major catastrophe we all have bad days on
9、ce in a while. But, if time passes and youre still feeling overwhelmed by problems in your life, even after you have talked to people who you love, admire and trust, then perhaps its time to talk to a mental health professional. When you have a question about your emotional health, psychologists can
10、 be a great resource. Psychologists have the necessary background and education to help you resolve your problems and help you find solutions you may not have known existed. After graduation from college, psychologists spend an average of seven years in graduate education training and research befor
11、e receiving a doctoral degree. As part of their professional training, they must complete a supervised clinical internship in a hospital or organized health setting and at least one year of post-doctoral supervised experience before they can practice independently in any health care arena. According
12、 to Dr. Cantor, learning to talk about your problems and concerns is an important part of taking good care of yourself and maintaining good psychological health. When you have good emotional health, youre able to experience feelings, share them appropriately and not be overwhelmed by them. That does
13、nt mean you can never be angry or sad. It means finding a balance and expressing your feelings appropriately, said Dr. Cantor. Good psychological health means having the mental energy to function well at home, at work and at play. It means being able to eat, sleep and relax without feeling anxious,
14、depressed or worried, she said. How to maintain good mental health In addition to taking care of your loved ones and your career, it is important that you take care of yourself. Find time to do things you enjoy things that youre passionate about. Spend time exercising and eating well, suggested Dr.
15、Cantor. She warns that when you put yourself last on the priority list, youre not going to be able to maintain good psychological health. In some instances, women put themselves low on the priority list and dont take care of themselves. They become more concerned with taking care of everyone else an
16、d they may forget about themselves. Men, on the other hand, have a tendency to ignore signals that something is distressing them and typically wont talk about their problems.”Good psychological health vs. good physical health Psychological health affects physical health. Weve been told for so long t
17、o get physical checkups, but taking care of our emotional well being has been sorely overlooked, she said. We are whole people whole in the sense that our minds and bodies are connected. If we only take care of our physical well-being and not our emotional well-being, it could come back to haunt us.
18、When were doing the things that enable us to have good emotional health, were far more likely to maintain both the level of physical and emotional health we need. We feel energetic and more productive at home and at work,（retrieved from http:/helping.apa.org/daily/goodmh.html）（658 words）Words in Foc
19、usconduct （v.） When you conduct an activity or task, you organize it and carry it out.psychological （adj.） Psychological qualities, effects, etc. concern a persons mind and thoughts rather than, for example, their body or the social or economic aspects of their life.association （n.） An association i
20、s a group of people who have joined together because they have a common occupation, aim, or interest.overall （adj.） Overall is used to describe a situation in general, including everything but not considering the details.catastrophe （n.）A catastrophe is an extremely bad thing that happens to you, wh
21、ich you can do nothing to avoid.overwhelm （v.）If something overwhelms you, it makes you feel completely helpless, astonished, or embarrassed.supervise （v.）If you supervise someone, you ensure that they behave correctly or that they do a task properly.clinical （adj.）Clinical work, teaching, etc. rela
22、tes to the direct medical observation and treatment of patients rather than to theoretical research.internship （n.）An intern is someone who has completed or is about to complete their studies as a medical student and who is being trained as a doctor in a hospital under supervision. One can also be a
23、n intern in certain non-medical fields. An internship is the position held by an intern, or the period of time when some one is an intern.arena （n.）A particular arena is the centre of activity or of attention in a particular situation or context, especially one where a lot of argument takes place.pr
24、iority （n.）Something that is a priority must be done, dealt with, or provided as soon as possible.tendency （n.）A tendency is a part of your character that makes you behave in a particular way. If you have a tendency to be shy, this means that you are usually naturally shy, unless you do something to
25、 change your behavior.haunt （v.）If something unpleasant haunts you, you keep thinking about it over a long period oftime.Check your ComprehensionAnswer the following questions with the information from the text.What training does a psychologist need to receive before she/he can practice independentl
26、y in the health care arena?Why is good psychological health important according to this article?What do most Americans do when they need help to cope with mental conflicts?What does Dr. Cantor suggest people should do to maintain good mental health?What are the connections between psychological heal
27、th and physical health?What are the problems for men and women respectively regarding their psychological health tendencies?Check Your VocabularyThe following sentences contain key words and phrases from the passage. Paraphrase the sentences below with a special focus on the italicized parts to show
28、 that you understand their meaning.When you have a question about your emotional health, psychologists can be a great resource. （p.5）_It means finding a balance and expressing your feelings appropriately. （p.8）_In some instances, women put themselves low on the priority list and dont take care of themselves. （p.11）Weve been told for so long to get physical checkups, but taking care of our emotional well being has been sorely overlooked. （p.12）_
