“Bills, money, cars,
repairs, house, home, kids, Halloween, Christmas, stop it, leaves, cold, work, second job, hair, getting out, working
out, be quiet, eating, groceries,
tired, not allowed to sleep, keep going, don’t stop, laundry, dishes, homework,
snow, tires, shut up, doctor,
dentist, get moving, too much to do…, I
said stop it, get control, hospital, manic, depressed, mood stabilisers,
anti-depressants, side effects, police, suicide…”
The thoughts were racing through my head, swirling...
Friday, 30 October 2015
Thursday, 22 October 2015
Journey to the Cliff
A couple of months ago I was sitting in a therapy group with
a bunch of people with assorted diagnoses. It was during a break, a few minutes
where we could grab water or use the facilities that somehow the casual
conversation turned serious and one of the group members spoke up, ‘I don’t
understand how anyone could get to the point of suicide, how they can get that
low and depressed that suicide becomes their only option.’ I didn’t speak up.
Nobody did. There was a room full of people who had all...
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
Mind Over Matter
Mind over matter. It’s an excellent mantra for when you need
to get through certain aspects of life, lift your spirits or convince yourself
that something is or isn’t right. But for me, it’s more than that and it’s one
of those phrases that can even be dangerous when taken out of context.
It’s not a secret that I sometimes wish that I was ‘normal’.
That I didn’t suffer with uncontrollable mood swings riddled with extreme highs
and scary lows, or a personality disorder that can make me turn...
Monday, 12 October 2015
Hope and Life and Thanksgiving
This weekend was Thanksgiving weekend up here in Canada; a time when most families will gather together, eat turkey and stuffing and veggies and potatoes, tell each other what they are thankful for, and simply enjoy being in the presence of friends and family. This year though, our family celebrated the holiday a little differently than we usually would. Instead of gathering all together and in one place - we were spread out. There was a high-school football game, a casual dinner, a cozy meal at...
Tuesday, 6 October 2015
Fighting Stigma - Among Professionals
Hospital. Lock Down. Acute Care Facility. Psychiatrist.
Social Worker. DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy). CBT (Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy). Counselor. Peer Support. Groups. WRAP. Community Support. Family
Physician. Medications. Mood Stabilizers. Anti-Depressants. Anti-Psychotics. Mental
Health. Stigma.
It’s difficult to describe how much time someone with a
Mental Health condition spends in a constant battle, trying to remain stable
while at the same time navigating the system and the...
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