Graham Thornicroft, in his book Shunned: Discrimination against people with mental illness said this: “Once a person has been defined as mentally ill, his or her protests are often discredited or, even worse, labelled one more ‘symptom’ of his or her illness.” I have – for a very long time tried to reconcile with […]
Read More...This book by Graham Thornicroft discusses the following: “People with mental illness commonly describe the stigma and discrimination they face as being worse than their main condition. Discrimination can pervade every part of their daily life – their personal life, working life, sense of citizenship, their ability to maintain even a basic standard of […]
Read More...(From my journal October 2013) On October 7, 2013 I was admitted to CRESST where I was to stay for three weeks. It was my first time at a psychiatric treatment facility in fifteen years. The biggest reason I was there was to adjust my strange sleeping patterns. They were thought to be bringing on […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM MEMORIES 186 (September 4, 2008) Someone approached me having difficulty accepting her diagnosis of bipolar disorder. This prompts me to share an excerpt from my first book, Riding the Roller Coaster. Throughout the writing of this book I held in mind the people who were newly diagnosed and how hard it is to […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM MEMORIES 177 (July 4, 2008) It’s hard to believe how my mental health has improved over the years. Amazing how far I have come! The friends from my current church who have known me for four or five years think I’ve made great strides since they got to know me. But they didn’t […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM MEMORIES 37 (December 29, 2006) I’m working on an autobiographical account of my life with bipolar disorder and how God has been working in me over the past 18 years. Today I’m trying to write about the topic of motherhood…trying to figure out whether my illness had any ill effects on my son’s […]
Read More...DIARY: Waking up, flooded with painful memories once more. Having given all she had, yet robbed. Robbed of all she invested, all that had made her feel worthy. When something or someone is stolen from me while I’m rendered helpless because of mental ill health, the pain is excruciating. Being hurt in this way […]
Read More...You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Psalm 139:1-3 Many of us living with mental health issues find it hard to realize […]
Read More...…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 “If you can keep your head when all about you, are losing theirs and blaming it on you…” I read the […]
Read More...Fences make good neighbours? Lord, this photo of a fence with flowers growing on either side is helping me learn some important lessons about boundaries that I didn’t understand before. For a long time, the concept of boundaries didn’t make sense to me. It hurt when I was shut out of various people’s lives. Oh, […]
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