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It has been nearly three weeks since my last of six ECT treatments. And I feel great!
ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) may be the most controversial treatment that exists for mental illness. In my case, it was severe depression that did not respond to antidepressants and talk therapy.
The reason you have not read a blog from me in some time is that I sank into the deepest and darkest depression of my life earlier this spring. Desperate for help, I ended up in the hospital. Keep reading
In the last post, I wrote about my fear that I will damage (or kill) any healthy relationships I now enjoy due to my inability to trust the ones who deserve it. I mentioned that it is much easier for me to trust a stranger than my lover, but that dilemma is, I think, easily explained: strangers on the street do not have intimate knowledge of who I am that they could use as a weapon. Strangers may use a gun, but that type of killing is not the one I fear. Keep reading
“I don’t need help! I don’t need antidepressant medications. I don’t need counseling. I just need more will power.”
It is a myth that people can relieve their depression by just trying harder to “get over it”. Yes, negative thinking can make it worse and positive thinking can help. And yes, it is “normal” to get depressed sometimes. So what is the difference between a normal reaction to something and having depression that needs intervention?
Keep reading
I recently returned from a trip to Chicago. I was at the National Council’s Conference on Addiction and Behavioral Health. I had a great time and met lots of great people (including our own Randye Kaye, author of Mental Illness in the Family here at HealthyPlace).
But the conference was in Chicago, and while a great city, it did mean a day’s worth of travel and two time zone changes to get there. And travel has been known to really take it out of me.
But I have learned tips for navigating travel with less disruption to my bipolar disorder.
Senator Tom Daschle Delivered an Inspiring Keynote - including an encouraging answer to my question about the Value of Personal Stories to Healthcare Reform!
What a week! Had the privilege of speaking with behavioral healthcare providers and more at the 2012 National Council Conference in Chicago. I not only got the chance to share our family story – from chaos to recovery - in a session, but I also got to meet Healthy Places’ Breaking Bipolar Blogger, Natasha Tracy in person, attend her session “To Blog or Not to Blog”, and share some amazing tapas with her at an Iron Chef restaurant! Natasha is a wonderful writer, and amazing person. We had a great time.
The education track for my presentation was called “Personal Stories of Recovery.” But it can’t just stop with the story. We tell our stories of mental illness for a purpose…and, in this case, I asked the group to note, as they listened, which provider actions worked to help my son, Ben, and our family through crisis to recovery, and which did not (or even made things worse).
Here is the “Top Ten List” that was the take-away: Keep reading
Trust eludes victims of abuse during their abusive relationship. As much as I wanted to trust my ex-abuser and told others that I could, it wasn’t so. I thought if I was trustworthy and expected to find it in him, then it would magically appear and our relationship would spring to life. Never happened because you cannot ever trust an abuser with your heart. Keep reading
Hi, my name is Amie Merz and I’m glad to be teaming up with Jack Smith on this blog and sharing my thoughts, knowledge and experience on coping with depression. I am a counselor in private practice (my credentials: MA, LPC, NCC, CASAC, ICAADC, SAP) in a rural area south of St. Louis, MO. in the United States. I have worked in the mental health field since 1991, with all age groups, income levels, issues and dynamics. I have learned that mental illness does not discriminate; so many people have been affected by it. My hope is that the negative stigma of getting help can continue to fade away so we can help more people feel better. Keep reading
That might seem like an oxymoron, and maybe it is, on some level. I’m going to use the example of depression because it is something everyone experiences. Whether you have a mental illness or not, depression is part of the human condition. Keep reading
Much has been made about the relationship between mental illness and artistic creativity. To test this theory, I’ve assembled some of the most famous first lines in fiction. Your challenge is to match them with their book of origin, the author of that book, and – this is the important part – the mental illness that prompted the passage.
For example:
First Sentence: “We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.”
Book: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Author: Hunter S. Thompson
Mental Illness: Chemical dependency & narcissism.
Easy, right? Okay, here we go. Good luck! Keep reading
Have you heard this story? About the 6-year-old kindergartener who, throwing an epic tantrum, was handcuffed by police and escorted to the police station? Who has been suspended from school until August–i.e., the remainder of the school year? Have you heard the comments from the general public agreeing with the actions taken?
I have, and I am outraged. If you’re not, you should be. Keep reading
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