Mental Illness Awareness Week: You Are The Best Kind of F@#KED UP

By October 7, 2011

So this week was Mental Illness Awareness Week, as you might have guessed by our all-out assault on generating awareness for postpartum depression, and attempt at raising funds, with Strong Start Day.

I just got a chance to read a post by the ever-hilarious Jenny the Bloggess, and I wanted to share it with you because it made me smile. Jenny suffers from mental illness.  I suffer from mental illness.  I had postpartum OCD, and I have anxiety and OCD now.  I’ve had it my whole life, though for the longest time I never knew.  Jenny doesn’t care who knows about her mental illness, and neither do I.

It’s not funny, going through depression or anxiety or OCD or PTSD or psychosis, postpartum or not.  And yet, it’s okay to laugh about it some times.  To take it with a grain of salt and recognize that’s not all there is to our lives.  It’s just a part of who we are.

Jenny created a special card for Mental Illness Awareness Week, and I wanted you to see it.  I’m sending it to you virtually by linking to it here.  Love you all.

- Katherine

October 7, 2011 9:19 am Filed Under: Postpartum Depression

Postpartum Depression & Stigma: You Don’t Need to Prove That You’re Worthy

By September 16, 2011

postpartum depression stigmaI got an email from a mom this week who, in her story of frustration over the lack of help for postpartum depression, made sure to let me know how successful she is.

She’s smart. She has a great job. She makes good money, she told me.  Her words struck me.  How many of us, when seeking help for our mental illness, feel we have to make sure people know we are competent individuals?

I know I did.  I felt that I had to prove to people that I was still worthy.

Hey doc, I may have postpartum OCD, but I swear I’m a good person.  I have a great title at work.  I was in the National Honor Society in high school.  I was in Who’s Who Among American Universities & Colleges. I’m intelligent.  I have a lot of achievements. Please don’t throw me in the trash heap …

[Read more...]

September 16, 2011 12:50 pm Filed Under: Postpartum Depression, Stigma

New Book Shares Stories & Images of Recovery from Mental Illness

By January 15, 2010

A new book called "Firewalkers" chronicles the experience of living through a mental health crisis. As itseditors describe:

Firewalkers is the story of people who have experienced extreme mental states and through this experience, have learned things they never expected to learn and become people they never expected to be.

The book was created by the Virginia Organization of Consumers Asserting Leadership (VOCAL), a statewide nonprofit organization of people in mental health recovery.

January 15, 2010 9:52 am Filed Under: Causes

Free Comprehensive Resource on Mental Illness, Spirituality & Recovery for Clergy & Faith Leaders

By January 11, 2010

Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder of Mental Health Ministries has created a 4-session resource and study guide for clergy and communities of faith in response to the questions she gets from people who want to include spirituality as part of their treatment and recovery process for mental illness.

She writes: "Surveys show that over forty percent of Americans seeking help with mental health issues turn first to ministers, priests and rabbis. This is twice as many as those who went first to a psychiatrist, psychologist or family physician. Unfortunately, the response of clergy and congregations falls significantly short of what parishioners expect of their faith leaders. Individuals struggling with mental illness are significantly less likely to recieve the same level of pastoral care as persons in the hospital with physical illnesses, persons who are dying or those who have long-term illnesses. Mental illness has been called the 'no casserole disease.'"

That's hilarious. The 'no casserole' disease. No kidding.

Her resource, which can be used for small group study or seminars among other things,has 4 sections:

  • Understanding Mental Illness
  • The Unique Role of Faith Communities
  • Creating Caring Congregations
  • Help for Faith Leaders

"Mental Illness & Families of Faith: How Congregations Can Respond" is completely FREE and can be downloaded as a PDF from the Mental Health Ministries website. It also has worship resources, bulletin inserts, brochures, handouts, articles. Click here to download it.

Rev. Gregg-Schroder, you are amazing. Thank you for continuing to work to eliminate stigma and create better support within the faith communities.

For more resources related to PPD and religion or spirituality, click here.

January 11, 2010 1:17 pm Filed Under: Religion

Two Sites Seeking Submissions From Artists, Poets, Writers & Musicians with Mental Illness

By December 4, 2009

For my super creative readers, there are two websites devoted to reducing the stigma of mental illness through the arts that I think you should know about.

The first is Little Episodes. Theyproduce anthologies, special events, and online galleries of writing, artwork, music and video that help to raise awareness for people who suffer from depression, addiction or other mental illness. If you'd like to submit material to Little Episodes, click here for the guidelines and process to do so.

The second is Divinest Sense, which is a new journal/blog that also will feature the creative writing and graphic art of people with mental illness. The site will feature poems, short stories and personal essays. Meg LeDuc, its founder, welcomes submissions of personal essays from those who currently have or have had perinatal mood or anxiety disorders. You can email her at divinestsense.media@gmail.com.

December 4, 2009 11:44 am Filed Under: Postpartum Depression

Share Your Story at "Bring Change 2 Mind" Campaign to End Mental Health Stigma

By October 21, 2009

Several national mental health advocacy organizations have joined together tosupport a new campaign to end mental health stigma called "Bring Change 2 Mind."

BringChange2Mind.org was created by actress Glenn Close and Fountain House, where Glenn volunteered in order to learn more about mental illness, from which both her sister and nephew suffer. Their goal is to provide quick and easy access to information that combats stigma to people with misconceptions about mental illness, as well as to provide people with mental illness quick and easy access to information and support.

The campaign has the support of major mental health organizations, including Active Minds, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), International Mental Health Research Organization (IMHRO), the Jed Foundation, Mental Health America (MHA), National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), NARSAD, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

One of the things that you can do at the Bring Change 2 Mind website is to share your story via video. As postpartum depression is often the red-headed stepchild of mental illness (and I can say this because I am a red-headed stepchild), Iwould encourageyou to share your story there. We want the mental health advocacy community to remember that new moms are at risk, that research needs to be devoted to these illnesses and that more resources are needed.

October 21, 2009 2:24 pm Filed Under: Causes

Mental Illness Awareness Week Starts Today

By October 5, 2009

Here's to your mental health!

This is Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 4-10), in case you didn't know. This special annual eventis led by the National Alliance on Mental Illness in the US. It is also held in Canada, coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health.

Part of this weeklong event isNational Depression Screening Day on October 8th. To find a screening location in your area, visit the NDSD site. You can also take an anonymous screening online.

Also, in honor of Mental Illness Awareness Week, Psych Central offers a neat bubble graph on the prevalence of common mental illnesses.

October 5, 2009 4:04 pm Filed Under: Causes

Time Magazine on Preventing Mental Illness

By June 18, 2009

Time's John Cloud hasa piece todayon preventing mental illness.Here's a tidbit:

"Earlier this year, the National Academies — an organization of experts who investigate science for the Federal Government — released a 500-page report, nearly two years in the making, on how to prevent mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. The report concludes that pre-empting such disorders requires two kinds of interventions: first, because genes play so important a role in mental illness, we need to ensure that close relatives (particularly children) of those with mental disorders have access to rigorous screening programs. Second, we must offer treatment to people who have already shown symptoms of illness (say, a tendency to brood and see the world without optimism) but don't meet the diagnostic criteria for a full-scale mental illness (in this case, depression)."

To read the rest of the story, click on the link above. (Thanks Dr. John Grohol for pointing this out.)

June 18, 2009 1:04 am Filed Under: Causes

Could Mental Illness Be A Gift? Just Read This Before You Decide …

By June 1, 2009

I've shared Depressed (But Not Unhappy) Mormon Mommy's posts here before. This one is just so gorgeous I have to share it with you.Laura writes abouta panic attack sheexperiences whilereading the book "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood" as the author describes her father's mania.

She then shares the text of a letterthe book's authorJanisse Ray receives from her father later in life– this isone of the most beautiful things I've EVER READ on the topic of mental illness. It is such a wonderful summation of how I feel about the invaluable gifts I've received since experiencing postpartum OCD.

I know …if you're currently suffering, you will read the letter and think his sentiments are outrageous. They couldn't be further from the truth of how you feel. But you will reach out for professional help, and then one day you will get better, and then one day life will return to your version of normal, and then one day you just might feel the same way. His letter is a lovely bit of hope.

Thank you, Laura, for sharing this with us.

June 1, 2009 9:58 pm Filed Under: Postpartum Depression

News Roundup on Antidepressants, Online Treatment & More

By May 28, 2009

There are lots of interesting articles, tidbitsand posts online by the cast of characters I like to read, and I want to share some of them with you here:

Therese Borchard at Beyond Blue: Do Antidepressants Dull Emotions?

Therese Borchard at Beyond Blue: How Would the Dalai Lama Treat A Mood Disorder?

Lauren Hale at Sharing the Journey: Adrienne Einarson Responds to Vogue's "Pregnant Pause" Article

John Grohol at Psych Central: No Significant Relationship Between Violent Crime & Mental Illness

John Grohol at Psych Central: Online Treatment for Depression

May 28, 2009 10:32 am Filed Under: Postpartum Depression Treatment
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