When you are a woman with a mental illness, you feel misunderstood in so many ways, and struggle to find things that make you feel settled in your wilderness of emotions and forest of a mind. As a woman living with bipolar disorder the one thing that fulfills this part of me is words written for women like us. Here are some of the most beautiful quotes that speak to women with mental illness. Read more
One of the best parts of being a mental health advocate is the connections you make to others with a similar passion for life and mental health. I was thrilled when Julie Kraft, author of the incredible book, The Other Side of Me: Memoir Of a Bipolar Mind, agreed to share part of her story with me. She is both beautiful on the outside and on the inside. In this interview, Julie shares her journey with bipolar disorder and opens up about motherhood, love, stigma and how a move from her home in Canada to Germany gave her clarity in a world that made her feel so clouded. Thank you, Julie, for speaking your truth. Read more
Treatment plans for mental health care differ from situation to situation. In some cases, it calls for therapy and in other cases medication is needed. When depression or severe emotional behavior begins to affect your daily life, work, and relationships, it is time to seek help. We all want to end up at the same place, but some need to take a different route to the intersection of happy and healthy. There is no shame in that. The following are the statements that I hear made continuously about why people fear taking meds for the head.
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I will never forget when my ex would grab the rolls off the table as I would reach for them, and say to the waiter, “She doesn’t need these,” or all the times he asked for a togo box after I took my first three bites of a meal at a restaurant. I am not looking for sympathy by telling you this because I already disposed of that garbage. I am confirming that is type of cruel behavior actually happens, so proceed with caution. Body image issues are heavily present among women. We are surrounded by things that make us question our reflection constantly. The last thing we need is for our guy to do the same. So I am going to help you guys out. Here are 10 rules to follow when it comes to her body that could potentially save your relationship and your life.
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Remember the infamous Julia Stiles’s speech at the end of the movie, 10 Things I Hate About You? When she reveals to Heath Ledger the pain he’s caused her, “I hate the way you talk to me and the way you cut your hair…” While reading this post, think about stigma as if I am revealing my feelings in the same way as Stiles. Ledger was a good guy, but stigma not so much.
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It was six years ago that I had my first major episode with Bipolar 2 while in College. I was living with a group of girls who this story is about. In the last month before I withdrew from school, I kept my struggle hidden from others, especially myself. Two days before I left, my parents were called by 2 of my friends. They told them that I was falling apart. Day by day I was getting worse. They realized they couldn’t help me, and decided not to tell the other girls. I do not like to talk about the pain of the past. However, a few days ago I learned that sometimes it is necessary to walk down memory lane, no matter how dark the road is…
The first man who had his heart broken by me was my father. One day the little girl who danced to the beat of her drum was laying in a hospital bed, withering away. My father has always kept me safe, but there was one person he could not shield me from, and that person was me. Read more
When a violent crime occurs, it is assumed that the perpetrator must have been mentally ill. Has someone with diabetes ever killed someone? Yes, but we do not hear of this in the media. “His blood sugar was low which caused him/her to carry out the mass shooting…” Has a young African-American male shot someone? Yes. Does that mean that all young African-American males are murderers? No! It is natural that we want to blame “others” for negative behaviors, because it refrains us from looking in the mirror and realizing that we are all capable of corruption. Stigma is a barrier that keeps people with a mental illness from progressing in society. Read more
64 Mental Health Quotes that help you understand the struggle, the stigma and the hope for a better future! Never give up!
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You are not alone.
Close friends are the people who we create unforgettable memories with, and who know us better than we know ourselves. So what do you do when your friend suddenly disappears from your life? You reach out but receive no answer. As someone diagnosed with Bipolar II, trying to help my friends understand mental illness has always been a challenge. The behaviors of someone struggling with mental illness are hard to interpret by others, especially by our close friends
9 things your friend with depression wants you to know… Read more
