5 Ways Orange is the New Black Contributes to Stigma

One of the most binge-worthy shows of the last few summers is Orange is the New Black. It’s a show I’ve grown to enjoy, even though I’ve had trouble with some of the scenes from the start. If you aren’t familiar with the show, it’s based is a women’s medium security prison.

The show follows the main character, Piper Chapman, and all the colorful personalities found at Litchfield Correctional Facility. The story is derived from a memoir of the same name. It’s a strong rated R and at times borders on an X rating.

Now that I’ve watched the whole series several times, I’m not as uncomfortable about the sexual scenes, but it did take some getting used to. While the writers of the show feed into many negative stereotypes of a women’s prison, you’ve got to give them credit for putting it all out there.

While watching the newest season, I started realizing how the show could have a negative impact on some of its viewers in a different way. There’s no trigger warning at the beginning of each episode, and perhaps there should be. After watching season 6 once again, I started to compile a list of ways Orange is the New Black contributed to stigma.

1)  Graphic depictions and discussions of self-harm. Three different episodes feature either talking about how self-harm could be done or characters shown practicing self-harm behavior.

2)  Graphic depictions of suicide. Two characters attempt suicide and one character, after being found dead from a drug overdose, is made to look as if she died by suicide.

3)  Frequent use of the word “commit” when referring to suicide. We in the mental health movement are struggling to get this term removed from the suicide discussion.

4)  The use of the expression “suicide is for cowards.” Unfortunately, there are still people that believe this and will jump on that bandwagon. As a suicide attempt survivor, I can guarantee making that decision has nothing to do with being cowardly.

5)  Using the word “freak” when referring to a transgender character as well as the frequent and blatant use of the word “retard.” I am certain that these terms would bother those standing up for equality.

I can understand where some may find me too nit picky, and maybe that’s true. But, when you’ve been through as much as I have, as many other people have, you start to become more aware of the consequences of your actions.

It’s true that Orange is the New Black is a drama based on real experiences, but there were times when I had to pause the TV, look at my husband, and say, “That just irresponsible!”

Do writers have a responsibility to the audience? Should they factor in how these negative stereotypes will impact the viewers? Or is this too much to expect? I realize that if they had to pick apart everything that was said for fear of insulting someone, there wouldn’t be much of a show. At the same time, I feel like some of us are fighting a war out here, trying to tackle stigma of all kinds. We could use a little help from the people who can spread the message to the biggest audience.

Control Enthusiast

There are times in my life when I lose track of who I am and what I want to do with my life. It happens more than I would like to admit. I wouldn’t call myself a control freak, but I can be very controlling. I have to be.  I take charge of everything I possibly can; even where the pens are positioned on my desk. I can’t stand the feeling of losing control.

I think that’s why self-harm became such a big part of my life. I couldn’t control my emotions or how I was feeling, but I could control how and when I cut myself. Until I couldn’t anymore, and it became an obsession.

I read that one of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder is going from one extreme to the other end of the spectrum, with no gray area; it’s all black and white.

I will admit that in the 17 years I’ve been married, I had to let go of the reins a little bit. My husband isn’t a slob, but he doesn’t do a lot of things the way I want them to be done.

That’s the hard things for the spouse of a “control enthusiast.” They feel like they can’t live up to our expectations, so they just don’t try. The hardest part for me is that my house used to be spotless. Everything had an exact place, and that much control over my environment kept me happy.

Now, as I’m struggling with depression, there are things that I can’t drag myself out of bed to do. I just keep going over and over in my mind that my kitchen cabinets are dirty. So, what is it like to feel totally out of control in every aspect of your life?

Overwhelming. Like a constant panic attack. So you do what you can to find some semblance of peace. You make sure your notebook is in the exactly same place. You keep moving random things around until they appear to be exactly where you want them. Just enough to settle the anxiety.

One of the most frustrating parts of this situation is my inability to complete many tasks due to physical ailments. I’m in pain a lot of the time, so I’ve quite frankly lost control of everything I should have a hold on.

I know I’m perpetually a work in progress and it’s hard to find balance. I do little things like vacuum my room every day, I make sure the soap is in the right spot in the bathroom, and I keep my mind off of self-harm as best as I can.

I guess it’s a double-edged sword. It’s better to give up a little control if it brings you a little peace. On the other hand, losing that control can cause intense anxiety. Somehow, you just have to find a happy medium.

Bipolar Weight Gain

This won’t be the first time I’ve written about my extensive body issues. It’s something I have dealt with since I was a child. My parents had to take me to the “Husky” department at SEARS for my clothes. I was completely traumatized, and it never got any better from there.

It started with starving myself. Eventually, I would both starve myself and abuse laxatives. It served my purpose at the time. I lost a bunch of weight, but I was doing irreparable damage to my body. I just didn’t know it yet.

There were times when I could have considered myself to be thin. My weight dropped pretty low a couple of times. The irony was, it didn’t matter because, at any weight, I looked in the mirror with self-loathing and called myself fat. Upon doing some research for this article, I stumbled onto this information. I thought it was very enlightening.

·         Weight gain is clearly caused by medications used to treat bipolar disorder, some more than others.

·         This weight gain can be so large as to have its own serious health consequences, so we need to take it very seriously.

·         Physical activity and diet can help prevent this weight gain, and sometimes reverse it but simply telling patients to eat right and get exercise as a means of coping with the weight gain medications can induce is pretty close to an insult and generally simply attempts to shift the responsibility for the problem to the patient. It takes more than this simple advice.

·         Weight gain may be, just may be, associated with causing mood problems that look like bipolar disorder. If this was true people could “look” bipolar from weight gain, and weight gain caused by medications for bipolar disorder could make mood problems even worse! This obviously bears some examination.

In my early, to mid 20’s I was still not eating on a regular basis, and I added obsessively exercising to the game plan. I would watch TV, and every time a commercial came on, I jumped up and started doing sit-ups or using my weights.

The whole thing was getting out of hand.

I kept up with the starvation and laxatives off and on throughout my 30’s. I knew it wasn’t working anymore, but old habits die hard.

I’ve never gotten back down to high school weight. I just can’t seem to focus on a routine of 3 meals a day. Nearly every day, it’s between 3:00 and 4:00 before I realize that once again, I forgot to eat all day. I like to wait to have dinner when my husband gets home, and that can be as late as 9:00 PM. I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life, and I am so ashamed. I hate being in public and around people I know.

I wish I could go back to age 12 or 13 and start all over. I love my parents, but they never really did much to educate me or help me set healthy goals for myself. I’ve gone around and around with different diets or lifestyle changes, and occasionally I would find one that would work for a brief period. Due to my depression, I expect to see numbers change on that scale by the hour. I have to keep myself from obsessively weighing myself, so I keep the scale where I can’t readily see it. No matter what, when the depression hits, the first thing that falls by the wayside is my diet and exercise program. At this stage in life, I’m depressed much more often than I’m not, so these are not great odds.

You would think at my age; I could get it through my head that everything I’ve tried in the past didn’t work. Usually, I’m so deep into a depression that it doesn’t matter what I tell myself. I’ve already been set up to fail.

This is something that I want young people, especially young girls to know. Spending all of your time finding ways to keep from eating is so bad for you in more ways than one. I’d give anything to go back and tell young me what happens to us due to our terrible habits. I cry at least once a week for the me I used to be. Even at a young age when I weighed about 140 pounds, I thought I was huge. What I wouldn’t do to be that size again.

I’m trying to hold myself together and figure out what I can do to make things better. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not trying to shift blame here. I’m the one that messed myself up so badly. I even tried to resort back to starvation in my 40’s, and it only made things worse. I need to accept it doesn’t work and move forward.

So, the next step is surgery. It’s not something that I’m looking forward to, but I’m starting to believe it’s the only answer. How much does bipolar disorder relate to what essentially boils down to body dysmorphic disorder? In my case, the two go hand in hand.

I would love to look in the mirror and have some semblance of self-esteem. Maybe one day, I’ll get there. For now, I’ll keep trying to move forward and find some answers.

Source – PsychEducation.org

Updated - Migraines and Bipolar Disorder

Since the age of twelve, I have been experiencing painful migraine headaches. I’m pretty sure that at the time, my parents just chalked it up to the braces on my teeth. It seems completely valid to me now. I just knew that I took a lot of Excedrin.

The older I got, the worse the headaches were. At the age of nineteen, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I spent a lot of time wondering if there could be a connection. Now, at the age of forty-five, I’m certain there’s a connection. Upon my research for this article, I stumbled on some interesting articles. The connection between migraines and bipolar is so strong that over one-third of people living with bipolar suffer from migraines.

I think my migraines are typical. Everything is either too bright or too loud. Not to mention the various smells that can trigger it. I can’t take scents like burning wood, cigarettes, bonfires, burning leaves, along with many perfume scents make me instantly feel like I want to vomit. That explains why I’ve been using the same body spray for more than twenty years. It’s the only one that doesn’t cause a negative reaction.

Migraines affect about 1 in 7 (14%) persons diagnosed with bipolar disorder, who are 3 times more likely to experience migraines compared to the general population. The risk of developing migraines is not the same among all types of bipolar disorders. A study by Low et al found that in the subgroup of patients with bipolar-II disorder, the lifetime prevalence of migraine was 65%.   (I’ll just note here, I’m bipolar-II.)

In the same study, the overall lifetime prevalence of migraine among all patients with bipolar disorder was 39.8% (43.8% among women and 31.4% among men).

I’ve missed out on some very important events in my life due to migraines. I harbor a lot of guilt because of that fact. As far as treatment, I’ve tried many. None of them seem to work out for more than a few months, if at all. I vomit nearly every time now, and the pain will travel from one side of my head to the other. I have thrown up more in the last ten years of my life than in the entire rest of my life.

Individuals who suffer from pain and are diagnosed with a mental disorder, such as bipolar disorder, have been found to experience a worsening of psychiatric symptoms. In addition, health care professionals may at times fail to give complaints about physical health problems serious consideration among patients with serious mental illness. (A point that I touch on in my book, which several people told me was a lie) These patients are also less likely to recognize or monitor their comorbid medical conditions compared to the general population. In addition, they have an increased likelihood of experiencing conditions that cause pain, and a lower probability of receiving adequate care.

For example, people diagnosed with bipolar disorder have an increased prevalence of depression, which has been linked to greater pain sensitivity. Chronic pain in persons diagnosed with bipolar disorder is associated with impaired recovery, greater functional incapacitation, lower quality of life, and increased risk for suicide compared to individuals without pain.

Thanks to migraines, many people no longer like me, or they’re pissed off because I missed an important event. I wish I could make people understand how a migraine feels, just once.

Over the last couple of years, we’ve been exploring food allergies. I

have a gluten allergy, and I was doing so great with it, but I’ve never been very good at taking care of myself. Gluten only knocks me on my butt when it feels like it. It’s not a 100% of the time situation, and when it doesn’t, I guess I start getting delusions of grandeur and keep eating it until I’m officially sick.

I’m writing this blog because I want people to gain some understanding of what I go through on a regular basis. I’m not faking, and I’m tired of being told that it’s all in my head. YES! It is…that’s the whole point! I live in constant fear that something is going to set me off. Of course, I have superhero scent abilities. I can smell anything, and most of the times, it’s not good. That leads immediately to a headache.

For now, I think I’ll go back to eating right and exercising because this headache every single day thing just isn’t working out for me.

*Source – Treatment Center of America

**Source – PracticalPainManagement.com

Routine or Rut?

For months now, I’ve been doing the same thing nearly every day. I’m forever hoping that today will be the day, and my energy will return and I won’t feel depressed. Maybe even I’ll accomplish everything on my to do list that’s been building for months on end. It would be nice to feel really good about myself again.

Yet, every morning I wake up, judge how exhausted I feel, maybe get a couple small things done, and spend the rest of the day watching the same movie and trying to get back to sleep. It’s incredibly embarrassing to be admitting that, but it’s the truth.

It’s not much of a way to live, but it has made sense to me. You often hear that it’s OK if all you did today was breathe. But, at what point does that become an excuse for being lazy? Or does it? I’m really beginning to wonder if that is going to take up the rest of my life.

I’m grateful for the sporadic days where I can get some writing done, and maybe do some cleaning, but I know it’s not enough. I know for certain that some day I’m going to look back on all of this and be furious that I wasted so much time.

So, it’s clear, what begin as a routine has turned into a rut that I can’t seem to break free of.

I’ve been attempting to brainstorm ways to get out of this situation, and everything I come up with seems so draining and anxiety inducing. Much more than I can handle.

I’m not really living anymore, I’m just existing, and that’s the whole problem. I have so many wonderful things I could be doing with my time, right at my finger tips. So, why am I not doing any of them? When will it feel like the weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  I don’t know how many more times I can watch Titanic!!!

The hardest part of this situation is feeling comfortable in the rut. It’s very easy to just be. It’s very comforting to not have to think about anything, or do anything too hard. But, I’m always beating myself up at night when I go to bed. I think of all the things that I didn’t accomplish. Some days I don’t even make it down to the lower level of my house. Which means I forget to eat again. I feel like I’m chained to my bed.

So, what do I do now? The first step is usually realizing you have a problem. At least that’s what people say. Perhaps if I could make my to do lists much smaller and just accomplish one or two things on the list every day. It will be a battle fighting the urge to stay in bed. If I could accomplish two things a day, that would start to add up, right? It could be a step in the right direction.

I hope so. I don’t see any other way out of it. I can’t go on like this anymore. I’ve already wasted too much time.

When Bipolar Disorder Becomes Your Best Friend

We have very few chances to make long-lasting friendships in our lives. Life always seems to get in the way. Work, kids, money; it all prevents us from quality time with friends or family. In my case, I’ve been burned a few times, and bipolar disorder also prevents me from making strong connections.

Bipolar is a very lonely and isolating disease. Even if you’re lucky enough to have a positive support system, you still feel alone and afraid. At my lowest points, I don’t even reach out to friends or family. Historically that has not gone well for me. Most people just choose avoidance or the good old “What does she have to be depressed about?”.

I’m incredibly grateful for the mental health community on Twitter. They’ve shown me some other ways to cope with what I’m feeling, and someone is always there to listen. The downside is, they are only online; they don’t live next door, so I can expect to see anyone pop up on my front porch to kick my butt into gear. I have made some good friends.

The one constant thing in my life and something I can always count on is bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is very misunderstood. People are afraid of what they don’t understand. After my suicide attempt in 2013, “friends” started dropping like flies. This disease isn’t contagious. They simply left because “only a coward attempts suicide.”

So, once you break everything down and you consider all of the variables, what do you have left? In my case, I have an amazing husband that I am grateful for every single day. He can’t be with my 24 hours a day to make sure I’m OK. It would be wonderful, but not very practical.

What I do have is a disease called Bipolar Disorder, and I can always rely on that.

Whenever I feel totally alone, I can find bipolar resting comfortably on my shoulder, reminding me that it’s always there.

The constant black shadow hanging over me drains all of my energy and leaves me feeling useless and lost. But, what is always, always here? Yep, you guessed it. I can always count on it. It’s ironic; the one constant in my life is the one thing I want to get away from so badly.

Welcome Back!

I found it. I found it in that last place I thought to look. It should have been the first place. But, none of that matters now because I’m over the moon with gratitude. You’re asking yourself, “what the hell is she talking about” I’m sure. Simply put, I’m talking about my voice. My ability to put pen to paper and come up with something resembling a blog post. For months I’ve been mired down by negative thoughts, fears, and grief. Writer’s block is a bitch, my friends.

So, please allow me to take a moment to welcome myself back to the land of the living. I don’t know how long I’ve got in this particular universe, so I’ve got to use my time wisely. I wish I could talk about a sign or some kind of miracle that brought me back to writing again. It was quite simple, and for that, I am very lucky. For the first time in months, I thought of a topic, and the ideas started flowing. Sentences ran through my head, and I jumped up, grabbed my notebook, and here I am!

I’ve been through a lot since I last wrote. Some good things, some bad things. My physical health hasn’t been great, and my Agoraphobia symptoms appear to be at an all-time high. I’m still grieving the loss of my father, and I’m still dealing with horrible nightmares.

Thankfully, I now have a doctor that truly seems to care and listens to me. Of course, the constant support of my husband helps tremendously. There are days where none of my coping skills help me…cope.

I can tell you one thing that I am incredibly proud of. At the end of June, I celebrated FIVE years of being self-injury free. Five years ago was also my last suicide attempt, and it feels good to be able to get some of that negativity behind me. I have a lot of work to do; I know this. I’ve signed up for online courses, one of which is pretty difficult, but I’m making my way through.

I’m working with International Bipolar Foundation as a volunteer three days a week. I’m helping with their social media. I also became a Listener for 7 Cups of Tea. That has it’s own challenges as well, but I’m working on it!

I’m still struggling with getting out of bed and being productive. I know self-care is important, but sometimes it feels like that’s all I ever do. I’m started to feel ashamed and embarrassed. There are days when I don’t even go down the stairs to the main level of our house. It’s something I need to work on. But, here I am taking quite a few steps in the right direction, ad hoping for continued days free of severe brain fog.

How many of you out there have struggled with writer’s block? I would love to have you comment on this article some of the tactics you use to break free from it.

In the meantime, I’m back. Let’s hope it stays that way. There’s a big lump in my throat because I had given hope up of ever being here again. Today I can say that I am genuinely grateful.

Guest Post - Blog Interview - Erika Reva Memering

1)How old were you when you began to experience symptoms of mental illness?

Years into therapy at this point I now know I’ve experienced mental illness the entirety of my life. I am mentally and physically unwell... My first full memory of mental illness in myself is at age 5 when I first decided to attempt suicide.

At that age I would not have explained to you that I was suicidal, even now at age 31 I can’t fully define it that way. For me it was a decision. Unsettling things and discomforts were continuous in my life at that time (and for years after) but the decision to climb on the wooden toy box in my closet and use one of my fathers neck ties fit well within the chaos of my mind. The idea that his neck tie would easily be used to tie around my neck fit in my brain. I read about it. It was simple math to me. My neck wouldn’t break as I ascertained I likely did not weigh enough but strangulation didn’t seem so bad... I had experienced it before. The thought of that finality soothed my scattered brain and the chaos of being one thing in a moment and then something entirely different the next. Not having any recollection of those moments. I wasn’t hopeless. I wasn’t frightened. I was not in crisis. It was a simple, logical choice to me. I understood the decision I came to. There wasn’t this life and death debate in my head. I would no longer exist on the planet. The only problem I had with this was I would have been buried. I don’t much care for confined spaces. The decision was perfect. It was perfect to me and I struggle with my diagnosis of DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) because many of my choices were altered or completely taken from me in every way. I am not suicidal, I was not suicidal. I chose not to live my life any more, but I was unaware I had DID so, like many others in my life, that decision was taken from me and despite the steps I followed to complete this task... Climbing the giant wooden toy box that held a creepy caged circus tiger with yellow eyes painted on the side, pulling the tie down from the back of the closet that had once held various textures that tickled my face when I hid back there. The tie was chosen and I made a knot and loop. Pulled it over my head and tied the other end of the bar that I knew would hold my weight because I had “come back” (from what I know now to be a dissociative episode) many times sitting and swinging from it. I tossed that tie over the bar tied a knot and stepped off my toy box. I remember the sensation being pleasant but... my parts were able to pull themselves up and unhook the tie that I chose to strangle myself with. Having DID had again saved (sort of) my life.

That is of course until I “woke up” years later and wasn’t entirely certain I was still among the living. An experience I have had so many times in life I can’t even put a count to it at this point.

2) Did you have support and seek treatment immediately? If not, why?

Of course not. I had no idea I had DID & wouldn’t know until my late 20’s. Help was never had. Bandaids of sorts were applied to problems I had. Endless prayers were given, but no actual help. Just some words cast into the atmosphere of the house, church or hospital we may have been at the time. But help? No, no help. No family member or relative of mine even knows that suicide attempt occurred. I would have been in trouble. My parts were very good at being “normal,” that is, of course, until they decided not to be or couldn’t be. 

I did not seek help for my problems until my late teens or early twenties. 

3) What would you tell your younger self knowing what you know now about mental illness?

Hmm... I would probably tell myself that you aren’t a sociopath. You will not kill people and you will choose correctly. Life will be difficult, you’ll hear and feel things but this does not make you insane, quite the opposite in fact.

4) What do you think are the biggest misconceptions those with mental illness have to face?

Well for those living with a dissociative Disorder, specifically DID, the misconception of villainy is a big one. My parts and myself did what we had to and could in order to survive and for the sake of others survival. It is immensely tricky to explain what that sort of thing does to a person long term but I am working on shedding light on these deeply troubling experiences and the fears people with DID have regarding speaking out.

5) How do you feel about the stigma surrounding mental illness?

Regarding mental illness in general, yes. There have been major strides in combatting stigma, but like many things in life people feel they deserve so much... With DID there seems to be two steps forward and eight steps back. We’re working on it though. One issue I take and the reason I do the advocacy work I stumbled into is if people with DID aren’t willing to cross that line of fear hatred doubts or whatever it may be that keeps them hidden people who don’t know any better will always assume movies like “Split” are representative of the entire DID community. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

If you complain create a solution or I’ve no desire to hear it. I am very capable of understanding the validity and fears of others in there complaining. I simply don’t have time for it. Which I am aware sounds harsh but my parts help with my empathy and humanity I myself seek solutions to problems. 

6) What do you do to get through the bad days?

It varies greatly. Bad days can be anything from not sleeping (which is our norm) to someone harming us. Night terrors, self harm, or being in a comatose state-of sorts. In short for bad days I work on identifying the problem whether it be a night terror, a triggering time of year etc and working through the problem. Therapy has helped but it’s up to us to do the work and up to me to take ownership and control when I’m able. It’s a tricky balance to find within oneself.

7) Do you have any projects that you’re working on that could benefit the mental health community?

Endless. On our blog we have a Living DID series ongoing. We interview people living with Dissociative Identity Disorder to get a better understanding of their individual life/lives. DID is a very individual disorder. While some never leave their residences others travel more than you could ever imagine. There are various reasons for this.

We’ve got our course, Living with Dissociative Identity Disorder & the LIVINGDID Talks. Both we go to clinicians, community leaders and most recently the Chicago Police Dept discussing what trauma looks like in different ages and development. As well as what DID will specifically look like. My goal for writing the course (7 weeks the far more in depth version of the talks which typically are 2hrs) is so the unfortunate generations of children who are currently developing the disorder will be able to get early intervention and real world help far faster than others of my generation.

I want there to be no need for someone like me. I want clinicians to understand they are far more likely to see a dissociative disorder than even schizophrenia and be able to work with it and help the person(s) through recovery. It is possible, at least it would be for everyone seeking help if psychologists & hospitals were more aware of it.

8. You can get ahold of us a few ways...

theweinmeblog@gmail.com

@TheWeinMe < Via Twitter

Theweinme.com < our blog 

Blog Interview - Caprice Montepara

1)How old were you when you began to experience symptoms of mental illness?

My earliest memory as a child of what I could term as mental illness symptoms now as an adult (because I understand them now), begun when my 22 year old brother, Massimo, passed away in a car accident in 1998. It was on the day of my Grade 2 Graduation. I was at my celebratory lunch with Mom and Gran, when we received the phone call from my Papa (he was at work). I was 8 years old. Massimo passed away 2 weeks before his birthday, and was finally moving to South Africa in 1999 to be with his family, and be partners with his friend in the restaurant industry here with us (Massimo resided in Spain). 

I remember a lot of talk about suicide. At that age, I did not even know what suicide meant, let alone depression or even anxiety. Although, I have always suffered from anxiety from a very young age. I think it may have been brought to the surface and amplified after losing my brother because I began to change.

2) Did you have support and seek treatment immediately? If not, why?

Once my parents noticed the behavioural changes, they took immediate action.

My parents are the most wonderful loving parents anyone could ever ask for. I saw a psychologist for a few years, maybe 5 or 6 years, just before I turned 14 and started high school. I remember mentioning the word suicide to my Mom after Massimo passed and she said why would you want to do that? My response was always the same, I wanted to be with my brother again. This is something that really frightened my parents. Hence, the psychologist, who was amazing too.

3) What would you tell your younger self knowing what you know now about mental illness?
It is strange because in some ways, I knew I was not accepted, I did not fit in, I was beyond shy and an introvert. It became worse when my Mom was diagnosed with Lupus in 1997 when I was 7 years old. I almost lost her. My Mom is my world. Then a year later I lost Massimo.

I would have to really sit with my younger self, as if I was in a therapy session, and explain the ways in which these traumas play a role in your early stages of development, what they mean, how they change the functionality and neuroplasticity of your brain, and obviously how harmful it can be if you are not around the right people and internalize all your feelings.

Furthermore, I would have warned myself about the dangers that lie ahead which assisssted in my self-destructive phase for years. I would have loved to have said to my younger self, "Change schools immediately and keep the lines of communication open between you, your parents and your psychologist."

4) What do you think are the biggest misconceptions those with mental
illness have to face?

Ignorance, shame and guilt. To me, it is all of these wrapped up into 1 word, ignorance. It reminds me of believing in a higher power. Let's say for instance, for the purpose of this discussion, God. You have to have faith in order to believe in something you cannot see. The same applies to mental illness. 

Firstly, let me just say, I have my parents. They are my best friends as well. I do not actually have friends, except for 1 friend who lives in Portugal. But when people heard that I had broken my ribs 4 weeks ago, it was a totally different ball game. I received messages of concern and interest and the usual, “can we do anything to help you?” They showed a "genuine" interest. 

The more I spoke about my first visit to rehab in February 2017, the more I realised that my "friends" began to shy away from me; for want of a better word. I relapsed 23 November 2017, 3 days before Massimo's anniversary, and my best friend of 13 years cut me out of her life because I could not make it to her farewell lunch. I was so ill, going through withdrawals by myself without medical assistance, which is not easy. I would far rather have a broken bone. I was by my best friend's side throughout her Mom's battle with cancer, which she unfortunately lost. But when my best friend derailed after her Mom's death, I was there to support her for months until she immigrated.

This is my point; ignorance. People cannot believe in something they cannot see. If there's no cast on your arm, there is nothing wrong with you. If you are not hooked up to machines and central lines, people do not “see” you. So when we have our manic depressive days, weeks or even months, people drop you without giving you a second thought. And that's the end of you in their lives. You just become a figment of their imagination. If you are even that lucky.

5) How do you feel about the stigma surrounding mental illness?

Ashamed, dirty, disgusted, angry, heartbroken, depressed. Rehabilitation brought me to my knees, literally and figuratively. I just did not realise what was waiting for me on the other side. That is something the counsellors do not prepare you for. Well, that was my experience.

The whispers, blocking you from social media, not responding to your texts, no visits, phone calls becoming less and less. The hardest blows I took were from my half brother, his wife, daughter, and another family member. My half brother and his family have not spoken to me since my admission into rehab. I use to babysit my niece on weekends and treat her like a little princess. They have totally cut me off.

Another stigma is job applications. A family member told me that this will follow me around for the rest of my life and tarnish my reputation in the corporate world of business. Also, I have struggled to complete my Masters qualification in Strategic Communication over the last 3 years because of concentration, fatigue, and a host of other issues. Now, people consider me as lazy and disinterested in my studies. Yet, being an academic is who I am. It is the only thing I am good at.

June 2017 I got engaged to someone who I was dating before I went into rehab. He did not know I had a problem until I obviously told him. I was so serious about the relationship that I made it my mission to become sober to be with him. Then he proposed in June 2017, and his family thought it was a joke. His Mom actually laughed in my face and still said to him quietly on the side, "What do we do with her if she relapses again?"  So I called the engagement off. No one was willing to stand up for me, support me, not even my fiancé.

6) What do you do to get through the bad days?

Honestly, I cry. A LOT. I completely disassociate myself from the world. I will not go out for weeks. Sometimes I take medication that I should not be taking just to get by. I isolate myself in my room and binge watch series or movies. Sometimes I will not eat for weeks, other times I will binge on junk food. I am at war within the 4 walls of my own mind all day, everyday. 

Sometimes I listen to very sad music, or rock music to release the anger and frustration.

Sleep plays a vital role because of my insomnia, it can cause unbearable days. Sometimes I can go for 2 weeks without even so much as an hour of sleep. Once I feel stronger and ready to talk about my feelings and mindset, I talk to my Mom and Papa and contact my psychologist as well. 

 I do watch good videos on YouTube as well, such as Dr Caroline Leaf. I am currently reading her book, The Perfect You. I am also slowly finding more podcasts I can listen to and blogs to read from the Twitter community. It is a slow process because there is a lot to get through.

7) Do you have any projects that you’re working on that could benefit the mental health community?

No, not at all. I have only recently been labelled as an addict; I guess a year for me is recent because the label was an introduction into a whole new world and lifestyle. I am now trying to recover, heal and become clean. As well as dealing with the stigmas attached. It is like starting life all over again in some strange way.

I have recently discovered the mental health community on Twitter who have been so supportive, besides my parents obviously. 

8) Please give us some of your social media screen names in case
someone wants to get a hold of you.

I only have Twitter and LinkedIn:

Twitter: @6_caprice_9 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caprice-m-20b1b840 

Guest Post #14 - Mental Health Awareness Month - Dr. Jason Holland of Lifespark

About the Author: Jason M. Holland, Ph.D., currently serves as the CEO and Editor of Lifespark, an online well-being magazine focused on finding meaning in life difficulties. He is a clinical psychologist and has worked as a researcher, instructor, and therapist in a number of academic and medical settings, including Stanford University. Dr. Holland is also presently the Associate Editor for Death Studies, an international peer-reviewed journal focusing on research, theory, and clinical issues related to death and dying.

1)   How old were you when you began to experience symptoms of mental illness?

I have had multiple periods of sadness and hopelessness in my life, which I primarily became aware of in my late teens and early twenties. During this time, I was very unsure about what I wanted to devote my life to and believed that I wasn’t measuring up. Unlike many of my college classmates who seemed to be having the time of their lives, I felt deeply troubled and alone.  

2)   Did you have support and seek treatment immediately? If not, why?

I initially sought counseling with a psychologist when I was 19. This first experience was not a very positive one. My therapist was a strict Freudian analyst who was very cold, rarely talked, and barely made any facial expressions. I once caught him dozing off in a session. In his defense, I probably was a raging bore, moaning on and on about the same tired concerns. But to my teenage ego, it hurt.

He returned the next session, large coffee in hand, and I confronted him about my concerns that he wasn’t listening to me and the sessions weren’t helping. Ultimately, we parted ways and I didn’t seek treatment again for several years.

In my free time I started walking the aisles of the self-help section at a used book store, and there I came across the writings of people like M. Scott Peck, Rollo May, Leo Buscaglia, Karen Horney, and Erich Fromm. The messages of hope contained in these books inspired me to keep pushing forward and working on myself.

From there, I went on to get a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and have spent much of my career working to improve the way mental health services are delivered and advocating for an approach that focuses on finding meaning in life difficulties. At various points in my personal journey, I sought counseling with three other therapists, all of whom helped me immensely. 

3)   What would you tell your younger self knowing what you know now about mental illness?

I would tell myself to keep at it. It’s easy to get discouraged when you put yourself out there, and it doesn’t work out the way you expected. But if you’re willing to keep your eyes open and your head up, there’s usually an important lesson buried in there somewhere.

For me, the lesson was that although the mental health system isn’t perfect, there are a lot of inspiring and useful ideas out there. And I can make a difference by learning more about self-improvement and sharing it with others.   

4)   What do you think are the biggest misconceptions those with mental illness have to face?

The biggest misconception about people with mental illness is that they are weak. Mental illness derives from an interaction between the environment and the person. In many ways it is culturally determined and reflects the conflicts and preoccupations of the larger society in which it’s situated. Some people seem to be more attuned to these conflicts than others. Although these individuals may be more distressed, they’re also uniquely positioned to empathize with others’ suffering and ultimately make the world a better place.      

5)   How do you feel about the stigma surrounding mental illness? Do you feel we’ve taken positive steps? In your opinion, what needs to be done in the future?

I believe there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to break down stigmas surrounding mental illness and improve the way care is delivered. I prefer models that view human suffering as a natural and inevitable part of living and that empower people to face difficult life challenges with dignity and purpose. 

6)   What do you do to get through the bad days?

I use several self-care strategies. Gratitude is important, and when I notice myself feeling sorry for myself, I reflect on my many blessings. I like getting out in nature too. There’s something about being outside that grounds me and makes my problems seem less overwhelming. I also tend to talk to myself, and when I find that I’m really lost, I’ll try to talk myself through the problem or seek advice from someone that I trust.       

7)   Do you have any projects that you’re working on that could benefit the mental health community?

Yes! In January of this year, I partnered with Wendy Lee to start Lifespark, a weekly online well-being magazine focused on finding meaning and purpose in life, even amid hard times. I believe that online services are the future of mental health and have the potential to break down many of the barriers people face when seeking treatment.

We hope to be part of this solution by offering online self-help exercises, quizzes, videos, advice, and articles in a relatable and engaging way. By focusing on finding meaning, we hope to unify groups of people who are struggling with diverse sets of problems. Both personally and professionally, I have found that issues of meaning and purpose in life underlie many different psychological problems. So, rather than further divide and classify people based on their mental disorders, we hope to normalize human struggles and inspire dialogue about mental health that moves beyond labels and stigma.  

8)   Please give us some of your social media screen names in case someone wants to get a hold of you.

If you’re interested in learning more about Lifespark, please like/follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, and/or Quora. You can also sign up to become a Lifespark Exclusive member for free and get full access to the site.   

Guest Post #13 - Mental Health Awareness Month - by Nicola Ann @NicolaAnne84

1) How old were you when you began to experience symptoms of mental illness?

I guess I was in my mid to late teens, though I didn’t realise I was experiencing mental health issues. There wasn’t a lot of information about mental health. I’d heard of depression but never understood much outside of the basics of that. 

2) Did you have support and seek treatment immediately? If not, why?

No, and even when I did seek medical help I was in denial. I refused to believe that I could be that pathetic and weak. Again, I didn’t understand what mental health is. I thought it was a sign of weakness. 

3) What would you tell your younger self knowing what you know now about mental illness?

Listen to the Doctors. Take the steps to help yourself. This won’t get better by itself. You aren’t weak at all, you’ve just been strong for too long and you deserve this help. You deserve to feel good. 

4) What do you think are the biggest misconceptions those with mental illness have to face?

That we’re weak, pathetic, damaged people who deserve pity and to be handled with care. Or we should be completely ignored and told to “get over it.”

5) How do you feel about the stigma surrounding mental illness? Do you feel we’ve taken positive steps? In your opinion, what needs to be done in the future?

I feel that with every step and development we’ve made through history the progression has been slow but we ultimately get there. With people speaking openly about their experiences with mental health and the realities of what it can mean others are becoming more educated. There are a lifetime of stereotypes and misconceptions to change. That change is happening. We see it all over social media. The days of the Asylum are over and mental health is not a thing to be locked away, to shun and fear that it is contagious. It is a modern day reality that we are all learning to be aware of in our own individual lives. Awareness through education is the best way to dissolve ignorance. 

6) What do you do to get through the bad days?

I remind myself, as best I can, that this is just one moment out of millions of  better moments. Depending on what I’m struggling with that day, in regards to my mental health, very much depends on how I try to deal with it. When you suffer with two different mental health disorders that feed each other, but require different treatments, it can be very difficult to implement the coping strategies needed to placate them. For example; Anxiety and Depression. These guys feed each other until you are in a cycle you can’t get out of. 

Things to help treat anxiety:

• relax
• Mindfulness/meditation 
• Being kind to yourself
• Sit and chill out

Things that can exacerbate anxiety:

• being busy
• Socialising
• Getting out and about

Things to help treat depression:

• getting out and about
• Socialising
• Being busy

Things that can exacerbate depression:

• Chilling out
• Relaxing
• Sitting down and not doing much. 

It’s a fine balance. Everyday is a struggle. 

7) Do you have any projects that you’re working on that could benefit the mental health community?

I joined the Maternal Mental Health Change Agents. They support, educate and bring awareness around maternal mental health issues. Things like Perinatal mood disorders, Post-Natal Depression and Post-Natal Psychoisis. They work throughout Scotland.  They are a very positive, motivated group of women who will change the world. 

I have not been as active as I would like to be. With three young children and my own mental health struggles to deal with at the moment I am hoping to have a more active role in the future. 

8) Please give us some of your social media screen names in case someone wants to get a hold of you.

I am on Twitter @NicolaAnne84. I also write a Mummy blog about my life and my struggles being a Mum. The realities and hardships of being a Mum. It’s called ‘Onwards, Upwards and Slightly to the Left’ at ironmoondefendor.tumblr.com