Like many people living with mental illness, I get asked a lot of questions. Many of them are well thought out and lead to further education about mental illnesses and a better understanding of those of us who live with them. But a select few of the questions aren’t well thought out. They are, in [...]
There is a lot of talk about why people with mental illness self-sabotage. The other day, while reading online, I saw this quote: “I am afraid of two things equally – success and failure.” I took notice when I read it because it sums up my entire life and the topic of self-sabotage comes up [...]
Society has the backward notion that men aren’t supposed to cry, even when depressed. Sure, men get a pass at their daughter’s wedding or the funeral of a loved one, but even then we are expected to cry in a manly way. We are expected to choke back the tears and fight the emotions instead [...]
Social etiquette is an important thing for society, and that includes such things as asking, “How are you?” when we greet others. As a person with bipolar disorder, I don’t have any special exemption from answering that question in any way other than, “Fine.” There are three main moods that most people with bipolar will [...]
Any discussion about mental illness isn’t complete without discussing the caregivers. There are three primary types of caregivers, and they all play an important role. Medical professionals, mental health advocates (including peer supporters), and family members (which includes close friends) are instrumental in providing care day in and day out for people struggling with mental [...]
There are an estimated 47.5 million people currently living with dementia across the world, and that figure is unfortunately expected to rise to 75.6 million people by 2030. Dementia will more than likely touch the lives of everyone at some stage. Therefore, people living with the debilitating condition need as much help as possible, which [...]
