This is the post excerpt.
Defining Yourself
Mental Illness & the Stages of Emotional Response
Has anyone heard of the Stages of Emotional Response? Let me explain what they are. The stages are: denial, anger, grief, bargaining, acceptance. These are the stages someone will go through when there is a trauma. NAMI teaches the Stages of Emotional Response in their Family-to-Family and NAMI Basics course. It’s touched on in Peer-to-Peer.... Continue Reading →
Self-Injury: The Scarred, but Whispered, Reality
It’s something not widely spoken of publicly. It’s something even less often understood. Self-injury (aka self-harm or self-mutilation) is not as uncommon as it is acknowledged. Before going further, let’s get some facts and figures out of the way: - An average of 1 in 5 females and 1 in 7 males will self-injure in... Continue Reading →
Being Bold: Advocating while Educating
I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker for a local school district’s Mental Health Summit. The Summit was attended by 100 high school students from the various high schools in the district- all of which were chosen by teachers, counselors, and administrators. These teens attended the Summit in order to become mental health... Continue Reading →
My Grandma. My Rock.
This lady right here turned 95 in October. I am, personally, lucky enough to call her Grandma. I utterly adore her. I didn’t get to call her and wish her “Happy Birthday” until close to 7pm that night, but she picked up and the first thing she said was, “I knew I’d hear from you.”... Continue Reading →
Echoes of Jealousy, Weakness, & Will
I’ve been trying to decide how to approach this post. I’ve been trying to get my thoughts together and emotions worked out. August 2012. I started to feel the slight rise of mania. I contacted my psychiatrist. We adjusted the medication we were using as a mood stabilizer. I continued going up. The cause, we... Continue Reading →
Barn Goals & Confidence
I am a nerd and a creative. I know it. I’m proud of it. I am filled with information that I will likely never use; and information that most people will probably never care about. I can snap a picture or stroke a paintbrush with sure fingers and near perfect hues. The first (knowledge) is... Continue Reading →
My Illness & My Faith V
I know the post I wanted to write. That I still do. I’ve been having a hard time with it, however. The words have just not been coming to me. When I have been able to sit and get some typing done, the experience has been a bit triggering. It just wasn't the time to... Continue Reading →
Mania: A Silent Chaos
Do you hear that? It’s as close to completely silent as I’ve been able to get. I hate (yes, hate) several symptoms of mania, but none for than this. It’s the first to show up; and it quickly wears out its welcome. Noises are everywhere. Yes. Yes, I do know that; and I love... Continue Reading →
A Missed Cup of Coffee: Loneliness in Mental Illness
I have therapy on Tuesday. I had an assignment from her. It hasn’t gotten done. It isn’t getting done. I know she won’t be happy with me. I know that she won’t take “I just couldn’t” and/or “Can we not talk about it?” as answers. You have no idea how much I want to... Continue Reading →
