Blogs
Sometimes alternative medicine can be just as effective, or even more effective, than mainstream medicine.
In a recent article titled "Thoughts on Taking Psychiatric Medication," my fellow HealthyPlace.com blogger, Natalie, posed the question: "Do the benefits of taking psychiatric medication outweigh the risks?" In my opinion, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. In fact, I believe that I would be putting my life at greater risk by not taking psychiatric medication.
In late September, the clouds replace the sunshine and summer becomes fall. The dates differ depending on where you live, but the impact on those who struggle with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), aka seasonal depression, are often felt before the date determines it.
There are times when letting others know how you really feel is inappropriate, even self-defeating. For this reason, it is important to realize when one is inadvertently revealing too much about one's inner life.
This brief video blog provides a useful tutorial in the fine art of not being yourself, convincingly.
Many examples of verbal abuse aren’t easy to pinpoint, especially in the beginning of a relationship. Most verbally abusive statements are camouflaged by tone of voice, choice of words, body language, the abuser insisting "it's for your own good" and other such verbal decoys. Even so, examples of verbal abuse are easy to pick out once you have the ear for them.
If you have mental health problems and you are dating, it can be difficult to be sure when you should tell the person you are dating about your mental health issues. It is a sensitive subject and you generally want to make sure you are with someone you care about and trust before you bring it up. What should you do though when you are in recovery from alcoholism and you are forced to face the issue on a first date?
"Maggie Goes On A Diet" is described by Amazon.com and other retailers as an inspiring tale about a 14-year-old who loses weight and becomes the school soccer star. The premise behind the book is to show how Maggie gains confidence and develops a more positive self-image after losing weight and achieving her goals.
There is just one problem. This diet book's reading level and content makes it more appropriate for girls of elementary and middle school ages. The exact group that is beginning to struggle with body image and weight issues. The exact group that is vulnerable to developing eating disorders.
Maintaining all relationships is difficult. Dating is even harder. But I think it takes a special kind of person to begin a relationship with a person who has a mental illness. This fact hit home for me this weekend when I adopted a cat. You might not immediately see the parallel between getting a pet and, say, dating someone with bipolar. However, I adopted a cat who may have heart disease and it was a gut-wrenching decision.
In spite of what many people think, mental illness isn't just about "being sad" or hallucinating or feeling suicidal - mental illness is about physical pain too. In fact, one of the ways people get diagnosed with illnesses like depression is due to physical complaints (what doctors call somatic pain).
When you have a mental illness, not only your brain hurts, but your body does too.
It would seem like I've fallen into a hole recently. I haven't disappeared entirely, but nothing I've tried to write lately has made much sense, if any. I think I need a vacation. Bob is doing well; however, when your house feels like a demilitarized zone 90% of the time, there are bound to be some casualties. Unfortunately, in our case, it appears the first casualty is our marriage. So please bear with me as I try to hold it together, figure it out, and try to make sense of the chaos. I'll be back next week. Thanks.
Where do we go from here? Most of the family thinks just to let her hit bottom and then if she reaches out to help any we can. Some want to just keep paying her bills and just let her sit in the house with no responsibilities. Never been on medication and impossible to get to her when she refuses to talk to ANYONE.
Help.
On the day we agreed to videochat to make things less awkward IRL she woke up with a migraine so we rescheduled to the day after, I made sure to assure her that it was okay and to take her time. Later that day, in the late evening we had a nice chat but suddenly she stopped replying, even though nothing had happened. The day after I texted her good morning and said I hope she was feeling a little better. she wouldn't open my texts.
A couple days after I sent her a longer text saying that even though I had only known her for a short time I care a lot for her and would like to know how she are doing, telling her I'm there for her, assuring her I'm not going anywhere even though things might not be very easy. She wouldn't open it.
A week later I sent a text saying not to feel bad about not answering and that I will be there when she is able to answer again. It's been two weeks since this and she still hasn't opened my texts. She hasn't been active at all.
I don't know what else I can do. I assumed she might have fallen into a depression. I have tried to just not think about it anymore, and I haven't that much but when I do it sort of kills me inside...