On the heels of a landmark Second Amendment decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Associated Press has reported that gun owners commit suicide more often than non-gun owners: “Public-health researchers have concluded that in homes where guns are present, the likelihood that someone in the home will die from suicide or homicide is much greater.” The AP seems to be concluding that gun ownership leads to suicide. I disagree. Let’s look at some facts.

In this first entry of User’s Guide for a Human Mind, I examine – using real science! – why lima beans are the most vile of nature’s offerings. If ever there were an argument for atheism, it exists in the putrid spawn of the horned mung worm, or whatever contemptible creature excretes those green bits of rubbish.

Does that seem overstated? The emotion in that paragraph is a vestige of the power that lima beans once held over me. Not any more. I have mastered the bean. I still don’t like them, but I am no longer afraid. It’s their turn to be afraid. I can now eat them whenever I want! In life, it is better to have choices than mandates.

New feature this week! This website has been getting awfully academic lately, so I’m adding a new section: Iron Shrink’s User’s Guide for a Human Mind! It will house practical information about living with these wonderful, insolent, overprotective minds that we seem to be saddled with. (It even gets a special link a the top of the page. If that’s not commitment, I don’t know what is.)

Perhaps you have noticed that there seem to be two aspects to every mind. On one side, there is that bit of consciousness that we can control (like deciding what to think about, or when to pay attention). On the other, there are the involuntary thoughts that all of us seem to experience. The thoughts, memories, and feelings that our minds toss about without permission are like an endless running commentary that can sometimes get in the way of life.

The user’s guide is about responding to that involuntary side of the mind, and the logo on the left is your assurance of quality! Look for it in upcoming entries about minds that have a mind of their own.

Q: While we’re bumping up awareness for borderline personality disorder (BPD), perhaps you could help us understand dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). I’ve heard that it's the only effective therapy for BPD, but I don’t know much about it. I'm often skeptical of magic bullets, and I’m wondering what your take is on this. Thanks! -Ariel P.

P.S. I always enjoy your posts. Thanks for talking about these difficult issues with clarity and honesty.

A: Lordy, how healthy skepticism warms my heart, Ariel. Too often in this world, emotion passes as evidence. If you feel that the polar bear population is declining, that the wealthy don’t pay their share of taxes, or that The Beatles are better then Elvis, then it must be true. (Fact: The Beatles are not better than Elvis.)

That kind of irrational obedience to emotion happens to be characteristic (though not indicative) of borderline personality disorder, which brings us back to the topic at hand. Dialectical behavior therapy is certainly no magic bullet – it is not that easy. It can involve years of hard work but dedicated patients have reported improved lives, and DBT has demonstrated measurable reductions in problems such as anger, self-mutilation, and psychiatric inpatient visits.

Q: What's your take on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?  I ask because the newly committed H.R. 1005 would create a “BPD Awareness Month” (May, I believe) during which, apparently, the public would be educated about BPD by the federal government in a manner deemed fitting by Congress. As an acute propagandophobic, I'm already starting to break out in hives. Some straight talk from the IS could be just what the doctor ordered. - Fuzzy

A: Given the timing with which this story presented itself, I suspected an April Fool’s Day joke. But by all appearances, BPD Awareness Month appears to be legit.

Here’s the problem, as I see it. According to the Federal Government, May is the month during which we are to become aware of better sleep, clean air, vision, lupus, mental health, physical fitness, teen pregnancy, food allergies, stuttering, recreational water illness, and 24 other health topics.

Do we really have room for one more awareness? Just how aware do these bureaucrats think we can be? We’re only human, for God’s sake! In the interest of simplicity, I am declaring the month of May to be Awareness Awareness Month here at Ironshrink.com. That’s the kind of cut-to-the-chase thinking that we should be demanding from government.

Let us begin our Celebration of Awareness with a heaping helping of Borderline Personality Disorder. To answer your question Fuzzy, I believe BPD is a legitimate diagnosis. It is a miserable condition for those who suffer from it, and it can be just as miserable for those who must live with them. Chances are, you know somebody who fits the description. Happy BPD Awareness Month.

Q: What do you think about antidepressants? Should I take them? - MK

A: Last week, I noticed two mainstream articles about antidepressants. One told of veterinarians who use them, with some success, to treat self-harming animals. The other summarized a major study suggesting that antidepressants are no more effective than placebos. [Note to self: buy stock in placebos.]

The two studies seem to contradict each other. Animals are unsusceptible to placebo effects, so what gives? The answer lies in proper use. As long as our prescribing physicians are as diligent as the aforementioned veterinarians, antidepressants might help.

In Part One, we looked at what RFT is not, and we discussed one of the cognitive shortcuts that separates us from non-verbal critters. This time, we will look at one of the ways in which humans make sense of the world, according to RFT.

But that's not all! We’ll examine family relations and anxiety – not that there is any connection. Short version of this entry: language is a two-edged sword.

Next time, what say we return to lighter topics?

It took some planning, but I managed to visit China during the worst weather in decades. Amazingly, we avoided the travel riots, though I did see an airport scuffle. Angry cursing sounds the same in any language.

Nothing psychology related this week, just some eye candy from an awesome country. I learned that the universal language is not love, mathematics, or rock and roll. It’s funky snacks.

Next time, we’ll finish up relational frame theory. It will be painless, or I will refund your money. (I won’t refund time. That’s my policy.)