Image: First Copy of unJoy by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: 2022 was the third year of The Psychiatry Resource. This article summarizes the milestones, surprises, and metrics over the past year, and includes goals and ideas for 2023 at PsychiatryResource.com.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD, author of unJoy / 12.30.22; No. 64 / 4 min read
Disclaimer: Yes, I am a physician, but I’m not your doctor and this article does not create a doctor-patient relationship. This article is for educational purposes and should not be seen as medical advice. You should consult with your physician before you rely on this information. This post also contains affiliate links. Please click this LINK for the full disclaimer.
Juggling many priorities
This year, I was determined to publish a few more articles than last year. Ahh…good intentions… This year has been one of the busiest I can ever remember, so while I wish I posted more than 9 articles this year, I am pleased that it wasn’t less than last year.
This year was filled with many changes personally and professionally at my clinical practice, so let me just say that I’m happy that I survived 2022 intact. I feel blessed that I can say that. I’ll talk a little more about my goals for 2023 below but one of my goals for next year is to go through fewer changes.
In 2022, I pulled back further from social media postings. I stopped routinely posting a link to my articles on LinkedIn and Facebook. I’m now only sharing things that really matter to me – not just announcing a newly published article.
unJoy
My biggest project in 2022 was bringing my book on depression to publication. The book is titled unJoy: hope and help for 7 million Christians with depression and was published under Wipf and Stock Publisher’s Resource Publications imprint on 4.29.2022. While the book is not a bestseller, I’m very glad that I went to the work of writing it and getting it published. unJoy has been well received and I’ve been working to spread the word so that people can benefit from reading it.
Shortly after its publication, I had my office staff contact every one of the 400+ Christian churches across Montana to offer a free copy of unJoy to their lead pastor. If you are interested in learning more about the book, you can visit my author’s website or find it in your local bookstore or online. I’m grateful to bookstores like Montana Book Company for having my book on their shelves, and I’ve been honored to talk about the book at churches like Life Church of Helena. I’m also thankful to the many people who supported me in writing and promoting the book. If you are interested in following my progress in sharing my book with the world, you can check out the unJoy Facebook page.
The biggest surprise of the year
This year’s biggest surprise was how my article “A Note to the Suicidal Christian” lit up across the internet. Many people have contacted me to thank me personally for how much the article helped them. I really haven’t figured out what makes one article stand out from others to gain traction in internet searches, but this article soared to page 1 on Google Search within a couple of days of my publishing the article.
Metrics from 2022
The summary from 2022 is that I published more book reviews but the same number of articles compared to last year. A milestone that I achieved this year is that I have completed over 100 book reviews since launching the website. Email newsletter subscribers continue to grow slowly but the number of followers on Google News inexplicably quadrupled since last year.
Here are all the numbers:
9 new articles were published
3 of my parenting articles were republished with edits in the Youth Connections Magazine in March, June, and December
41 new book reviews were completed
450+ people are signed up to receive our monthly email newsletter
1,900+ people on Google News follow The Psychiatry Resource
380+ people on LinkedIn follow The Psychiatry Resource
Based on Google Search over the past 12 months
Our 5 most popular articles in rank order were:
Our 5 most popular book reviews in rank order were:
Weight Lifting Is a Waste of Time by John Jaquish and Henry Alkire
The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
Feeling Great by David Burns
I'm OK-You're OK by Thomas Harris
The Explosive Child by Ross Greene
Goals and ideas for 2023
One of the things I love most about The Psychiatry Resource is that I get to write about topics I’m passionate about, things I’m discovering in my clinical practice, and areas where I feel called to advocate for others. In 2023, I hope to write more articles on the topics of anxiety and parenting. Another immediate goal (one I’m already working on) is recording the audiobook version of unJoy.
I want to thank you for reading this article and other articles at The Psychiatry Resource. If you have ever left a comment on one of my articles, I offer you a big thank you. If you haven’t read my new book, please get a copy, read it, and share it with others.
I hope that your 2023 is meaningful and purposeful and that you live life to the fullest in the new year.
Happy New Year!
For further reading, check out:
Len’s Article, “A Note to the Suicidal Christian”
Len’s Book, unJoy: hope and help for 7 million Christians with depression
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