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What do you do when a situation is the most positive of experiences, but your not equipped to deal with spot light or praise? I’ve mentally beat myself up for so many years now that I don’t know any different. I recently attended an awards ceremony where I was one of three nominees for an award that evening. When I got the call I was happy, but not overly joyed, some friends and family said I should have been ‘overjoyed’ ‘ecstatic’ ‘over the moon’ etc.. but really, itwas just ‘OK’. I put the phone down , told my fiancée who was very pleased and carriedRead More →

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Imagine having the same thoughts in your head or seeing the same visions in your head, over and over again. Now imagine experiencing this when you’re supposed to be sleeping. This happens to many people who live with mental illness and happened to me. I remember always having to sleep with the radio on or I would have nightmares. The radio always “tuned” our my parents’ arguments and I could sleep. Not realizing I may have developed PTSD, I still had to sleep with the radio on even after I moved out of the house or I would have the same dreams over and overRead More →

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Dear Friends, For those of you who aren’t aware, I am VERY PASSIONATE about Mental Health Awareness. This year I am proud to be participating in CAMH’s fundraiser to fight the stigma against mental illness, while on the #sicknotweak Team. This year, for One Brave Night for Mental Health, I’ll be staying awake all night on May 13 to inspire hope for the one in five people who experience mental illness in their lifetime.Read More →

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Written by Anita Levesque The mental health community was in shock yesterday, March 29, 2016.  Patty Duke passed away at 69.  She was a very well known actress but she was best known for her mental health advocacy work since her bipolar diagnoses in 1982. It was in the late 1980’s and I remember my grandmother talking about my father going to psychiatrists and counselors when he was a teenager, because she knew there was something not right, she called it a chemical imbalance. When I was younger, I knew there was something wrong with my father and tried to be patient with him. ThereRead More →

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In: General, Personal Stories, Schizophrenia, Supporting a Loved One
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Us caregiver’s take on the role of care-giving because we have to, because we want to, but most of all because we love someone who needs us to fulfill this role. I’m going to dive right in and state that sometimes I want to bang my head on the keyboard when I see or hear another reference to ‘tough love’ like it is something to be shunned and ashamed of. The idea that by practicing ‘tough love’, one is not practicing ‘unconditional love’. Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection.Read More →

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Last month on the 28th of February I tried to commit suicide for the third time.. I took an overdose and cut both my wrist so deep that I needed stitches.. The Monday I got admitted to a psychiatric hospital for the second time in two years..Read More →

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Sometimes when writing or blogging I will use the term roller coaster… As a parent or caregiver of someone with a mental illness it is a term a lot of us use. A very fitting term if you ask me. There are lots of different roller coasters throughout the world. One of the top ten being the Bizarro (formerly known as Superman: Ride of Steel) in Agawam, Massachusetts USA. My favorite, possible because I have ridden it, is the Ghoster Coaster. It’s a small wooden one in Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, Canada.Read More →

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I don’t like to use my blog for rants, but I am angry. And if I’m being compassionate with myself, then my anger is just as valid as any other feeling. So I’m going to give myself permission to write about my anger. I was telling a friend recently about the presentation I gave at work on self-compassion, and he responded with hostility and disdain. I was not prepared for the attack. I understand that some people prefer the “suck it up” approach to pain and suffering, but why would it make him angry that I teach people how to be kind to themselves instead?Read More →

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Written by Kelly Risbey http://mentalhealthwarrior.com/ I’ve battled anxiety and depression on and off for almost 20 years. My anxiety started getting bad in high school and I started having panic attacks in my second year of university. This led to my panic disorder diagnosis and my first major battle with anxiety. Trying to manage school, maintain a good GPA, cope with panic attacks that happened during class, deal with endless anxiety issues, find support, and learn how to battle my panic disorder was exhausting, frustrating, terrifying. All I wanted was my life back. I wanted to go to class, take notes, listen to the lecture,Read More →

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As I’ve speak about frequently,  my family, in the form of my daughter, has been crucial to my recovery. When it came down to it, and I truly needed her to be there, she was.  When I was in the hospital in Orlando, the first outside call I made was to her.  My life was in crisis, and I knew I had her unconditional love.  Which she freely gave.  And we planned on my making a move to live near her. However it could be accomplished.  Not everybody is as lucky as I was in this regard.  Many of those living with mental illness don’tRead More →