Category Archives: general mental health

Trauma in positive change

My decision to leave the job I’ve been at for the past ten years began last May. But in July I found a company that truly excited me. When I realized that THAT was where I wanted to work, I decided to keep an eye on job postings there only. Make connections. Be persistent. ThatContinue reading “Trauma in positive change”

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Please take note. As of a few days ago, 988 has become the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. A person can either call or send a text message using just these three numbers. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones,Continue reading “988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline”

Celebrity voices

We are surrounded by public figures acting (or being pushed into the role) as role-models for their fans. Actors, singers, athletes… celebrities have a platform that we don’t. And when they use their platforms to bring things into the open, it helps everyone see “we aren’t alone.” Here are some of the celebrities I couldContinue reading “Celebrity voices”

A mental health disorder is not the end

When I got my bipolar diagnosis at 21 years old I thought, “that’s it.” The only people I knew back then who had bipolar struggled through life. Most of them couldn’t keep a job. They had to be on disability benefits. They couldn’t live independently. They struggled with relationships. I had three friends who hadContinue reading “A mental health disorder is not the end”

Suicide Prevention

September is recognized annually as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Suicidal ideation refers to thinking about, considering, or planning suicide. A suicide attempt is a non-fatal, self-directed, potentially injurious behavior with intent to die as a result of the behavior. A suicide attempt might not result in injury. Suicide is defined as death caused byContinue reading “Suicide Prevention”

National Suicide Prevention Week

September 5-11, 2021https://afsp.org/national-suicide-prevention-week I will have a lot more to talk about on this topic later this week. But I want to say this today. Suicide is hard to talk about, but I do want to always make people aware that it is not and should not be a taboo subject. We are currently withinContinue reading “National Suicide Prevention Week”

With a little help from my friends…

“What can I do to help?” “Have you tried doing x/y/z?” My friends are coming from a place of love and concern and genuine care for how I am doing. But those question are huge triggers for me. How can I tell people who are only trying to help that what they’re doing is onlyContinue reading “With a little help from my friends…”

“What meds are you on?”

“What meds are you on?” I am pretty sure that every person with a mental illness has had THIS CONVERSATION at least once when they sit down with another person with a mental illness. By the time that conversation comes about we’ve all learned that there is no one magic pill to cure mental illness.Continue reading ““What meds are you on?””

Keys to a strong support network

None of us are perfect. Even when we know what we ought to do, we don’t always follow the rules. It’s when we know the rules, but consistently ignore them, that things start to fall apart. This is most important when it comes to the people in our lives. When a person has a mentalContinue reading “Keys to a strong support network”

Lies we tell ourselves

Weak. A burden. Selfish. Irresponsible. A failure. Alone. Worthless. Crazy. My brain tells me I am these things nearly every day. This is just one of the manifestations of my anxiety and my depression. Whenever I express them out loud, my friends will try to help by responding, “your brain is stupid.” I am generallyContinue reading “Lies we tell ourselves”