I think it’s fitting that my 100th post falls on the last day of mental health awareness week. I am hoping to use this as an opportunity to spread the word and demythtify mental illness.
I started my blog in part to create awareness of what it is like to have a mental illness. Also to show others that they are not alone and reduce the stigma. It also offers insight into the world of parenting in general.
I would love your help in trying to reach 100 new people, to close of mental health awareness week and to generate 100 comments to celebrate my 100th post (I promise that over time I will answer each one of them).
If you’d like to help, you can do it by:
a) check out my site and leave a comment
b) create a post within your site today linking to mine, asking people to stop by. You can then email me (myblogs@shaw.ca) or leave it in your comment to let me know and I will thank you in a post tomorrow, with a link.
c) do both a and b
I truly appreciate all of this. I have discovered what a great support system exists virtually. I love reading other people’s blogs and I enjoy the comments that I get on mine.
In Honour of Demthytifying Mental Illness, here are some common myths:
- People who have a mental illness are just "crazy
- Depression and other illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, do not affect children or adolescents.
- People with a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, are usually dangerous and violent.
- Addiction is a lifestyle choice and shows a lack of willpower. People with a substance abuse problem are morally weak or "bad".
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), formerly known as "shock treatment," is painful and barbaric.
- People with mental illness are poor and/or less intelligent.
- Mental illness is caused by a personal weakness.
- Mental illness is a single, rare disorder.
- Mental illness only happens to people with a family history.
- Mental illness is the same as mental retardation.
- People with a mental illness are unable to function well.
- Depression and anxiety disorders are part of growing up.
- Mentally ill employees tend to be second-rate workers.
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) happens only after you fight in a war. That's why it's called shell shock.
- Depression is all in your head.
- Mental illness is the result of bad parenting.
- Schizophrenia means "split personality," and there is no way to control it.
- Mental illness does not strike the "average person."
- Mental illness is not a serious health problem today.
- Most people with a mental illness are receiving treatment.
- Mental illness is not like other "Physical" diseases.
- Most people who are mentally ill live in mental hospitals or on the streets.
Fact: Don’t be too quick to judge. Someone you knows suffers from a mental illness.
Posts
96 comments:
I linked to ya! Good luck spreading the word, and congrats on your 100th post!
:-)
Education, spreading the word -- excellent!!
I didn't know it was mental health awareness week. Ah, well! I have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thanks for listing these myths. Educating people on the truth is very key in deconstructing the myths. Thanks for posting this!
Sharing is the key to empowerment. Way to go!
Hugs,
Holly
Holly's Corner
Great Post! and what an awesome list of misconceptions about mental illness...a few of those points I did not know myself and it will go leaps and bounds towards educating others....
Have a great weekend!
Brony...this was a beautiful, well articulated post!;) Thanks for visiting my little place on the web. I'll pop in here often!
Here's to 100 more post.
Mike
http://somethingaboutparenting.typepad.com/
Brony,
I am getting ready to link to you. Coming from a person with a mental illness, I have to say that we need to spread awarness far and wide that we are NORMAL people. I think in the next week, I will do a post about my particular illness, so hopefully it will educate others about what it really is, and isn't.
hi from michelle
Found you through all blog stars - you have a great idea with the online support group! I'll be making a note of your site on my mental health website as well.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.I have suffered from depression on and off for yrs.I have never had any medication because I always say to the docs that its situational and not clinical.My husband is dying of cancer and the docs still want me to take something but how can you medicate sadness! I know I will get through it and I want to *feel*..I dont want numbness.I have friends with mental illnesses that have been diagnosed and I watch their pain and suffering.I am a psychologist and have also held a lot of support groups.
I will be back to read you:)
Great post about making people aware of the myths and I like how you wrote your fact too. Thanks for sharing your blog as well, I think it really helps to educate people on what it's really like to live with a mental illness.
As a sufferer of depression, I went ahead and created a post because I think what you're doing is a great idea. Plus, I added you to my daily reading because I'd like to keep in touch. :)
Good luck!
100 posts. Well done. And good on you for spreading the word. Even though I have only been a visitor for the past few weeks I have already learnt so much from you. Keep up the great work.
I have always tried to talk about my depression and the medications I take to control it. I have worked with people with mental retardation, mental illness, autism . . . and I share what I know when I see a blog post about some person or some parent wondering about themself or their kin.
Some people do not realize or will not admit they are depressed, or OCD, or MPD. Most parents will not entertain the idea that their child could have a learning difference or a disability.
Its better than it used to be, but it takes dedicated bloggers like you to make a difference.
God bless.
What a great way to spread the word!Way to go on 100 posts!
Thank you for sharing. I certainly struggle with demons, and know it's very brave of you to be so honest like this. You're right; lots of people don't have a clue what it's like. . . the time and energy that goes into trying to treat mental illness. Michele didn't send me, but I saw your name on her site, so I came anyway!
Congrats on your 100th post and good luck getting 100 comments. Michele sent me and once I finish doing the Michele tour, I'll try to remember to make a post linking here. But don't hate me if I forget. You can, however, send me a note on my blog that I said I would do it if you notice I've forgotten.
Congratulations on your 100th post and thanks for sharing those myths about mental illness. I grew up with a mom that is schizophrenic and a lot of people just don't understand what that really means.
EMDR worked for me.
Hola! michele sent me.
Great post!
My mother, sister, grandmother, cousins and son: all bipolar. My brother and I have chronic depression. Coming from a family where mental illness is a fact of life and actually 'normal', I don't really hear as many of those silly facts that you listed. We're all nuts and it's cool!
Michele...
Here from Michele.
Congratulations on your 100th post.
You are so right about the myths of mental illness. Chronic physical ailments can lead to depression and that depression can produce real, true physical pain.... a cycle that continues unless broken with medication.
They are learning so much now about how the brain chemistry works.... there is hope.
Hi there and thanks for today's post! I blog about my experiences with mental illness - in particular, Borderline. (And I hope to become a "mental mommy" in the near future too!) I wanted to post something about Mental Health Awareness Week and now I have a great reason to mention it... and link to you. Thanks!
One of my best friends doesn't believe in the "psychobabble" of bipolar disorder or my daughter's ADD. It's VERY frustrating and so we just don't talk about it.
Done. I just put a link in my link list. I think I will have to ask you personnal (personnal for me)questions about this post someday :-)
Fantastic post I've created one for you and have linked you to my daily reads as well. I have battled depression for over 8 years now and am on meds and think your idea is a fantastic one!!!
RR
I'm asking permission to copy your list of myth on my blog... My whole blog being about Borderline Personality Disorder, many posts could be part of your request... ;-)
Great blog and fabulous information!! Keep up the good work.
This a great thing. When I get back home I will put a post in!
Great idea! I wrote a post on my blog.
This is awesome. Thank you for spreading the word. What you have done is so brave and so important!
I have dealt with, lived with, battled and struggled with depression for years. I am so glad that society is talking about it now.
Thanks for bringing more of this topic into the mainstream thought process.
That's a great list, Brony. I think having mental illness has made me a more understanding and compassionate person, though I often am not compassionate towards myself, which I know I must work on.
I'll put you on my blogroll.
What a great thing you're doing with your blog, spreading the word, educating, demystifying. Wonderful. :)
Thanks for visiting my blog today.
Hope you reach 100!
~S :)
Great blog, Never stop. This blog helps so many, Thank-you.
Hello great job hun
Thanks for visiting my site!
What a great post!
it's so hard to even read about it.
ugh.
but I'm glad you're putting it out there. so glad.
thank you.
hi. i popped over from ramblin rose's blog and i will come back often, as i, too, am a patent who suffers from a 'mood disorder' (that term always cracks me up)
Haven't been here that mouch, but I'll think I'll come back more times to read.
Great done of you to spread the word about mental illnessess.
I can't understand why there seem to be so much shame and other not fitting feelings around this subject.
It's a desease or condition like any other desease/condition.
I have seen it close up. My father (no longer alive) was threated with electric chocks among other things. And another person I know got a deep psychosis.
I may write something about it one day.
There is a lot to do around these illnessess, sadly enough. It even has gone worse here in Sweden with the health care of mental illnesses.
I do hope it will change, because there is so much suffering involved.
Keep up the good work!
Knowledge is power! I came here via Ramblin Rose. I am living better through medication and therapy. I don't talk much about my illness (physical and mental) on my blog, but I'm glad that you have a blog where I can go to know that I am not alone.
Congratulations on your 100th post :)
Great post Brony, very well written :)
Hugs,
Sandra
Congrats on your 100th post -
and I have a question for you. I have a family member who fits "Borderline Personality Disorder" to a T - she needs to see a doctor and get help. (she is almost 30 and has been suffering for years).
How would you recommend that we approach her about seeking professional help?
Thank you for visiting my blog and your nice comments. Congrats on your 100th post - that is such a great and exciting milestone to reach as a blogger. :-)
Good job on making 100 posts mom.
Good job for how long you have done it and for how hard it is.
I added a link to your blog very soon after I came across it :) I visit often and enjoy the insight. You are making a difference, thank you!
Excellent post, Brony. Here's to a 1,000 more. I gave you a shoutout today.
Kelly
Congratulations on 100 posts! It's a fantastic milestone!
100th post! You go girl :)
It's a wonderful thing you are doing here!
What a great idea to post these common myths about mental illness on your blog this week. I hope it helps even one person to gain more understanding! Keep up the good work.
Count on my link. Here's a couple of other facts that I have found interesting:
- Schizophrenia has been found to affect 1% of every society studied. Economy, education, whatever.
- Here in Arizona (Maricopa County), the county jail is the largest mental health provider. I'm not saying that I like Sheriff Arpaio or not...but having a jail as a treatment facility is scary.
Thanks for the post!
Bubba
Congrats on 100 posts!
Congratulations on your 100th post! And what a nice way to celebrate it.
Congratulations on your 100th post. :)
Great job spreading the word about mental illness. It is too bad there is such a stigma about mental illness, when mental illnesses are real diseases, just like diabetes or cancer.
This is just to help on the way to 100.
I pasted your list into my blog. Congrats on #100!
Hi there,
I've been reading your blog ever since your interview in the Journal, and I thought I'd finally leave a comment and help you reach your 100th entry goal! My husband has bipolar disorder, and we're thinking of having a child, so I'm really interested to read about your experiences as a parent with a mental illness. Thanks for sharing!
-Elyssa
Congrats on reaching your 100th post and what a great way to celebrate!
Now do me a favor, will you? Go link your 100th post on my Hooray for 100 link exchange. :)
Take care and keep up the good work on educating the masses!
Congrats on your 100th post! Also that you for stopping by to see me and thank you for adding me to your prayers. It really means a lot to me.
Here's to reaching 100!
Congratulations in advance :)
Well it may be a bit late but I arrived here for the first time and found this post, so I just wanted to let you know that you are one person closer to filling your goal.
I'm a mother living with Schizophrenia and Anxiety Disorders and you know what? I'm still a damned-good mommy! I'm so glad that we live in an era where having mental illnesses is not something that one always needs to sweep under the rug. We are out and proud!!
(((HUGS)))
Congrats on your 100th post, here is to many, many more.
Great information. We tend to judge too quickly...
Good Luck on your mission. I've linked you and created a post.
Great blog! (I mean it!)
Mel
http://unretouchedphoto.com
Oooooohhh, that's scary!
Happy 100 to you!
Happy 100th! Good luck on reaching your goal.
The post was informative. Thanks for the information..
Good luck with reaching 100. I didn't know it was mental awareness week and I think it's great that you're sharing info regarding these myths.
I am happy to leave a comment to help. I have had a little of this...but am fine but can understand just some...take care...Sandy
Thanks for sharing and spreading the word. If I have time this weekend I will try to link to your post even though Mental Health week is over, maybe you can still reach your 100 comments. It's great that you've already reached so many.
Brony,
Great post! May I put your list on my blog?
It is true, someone I know suffers from mental illness. Ok, more than one. Thanks for speaking up, hope you make 100!
I will be #74 for you! Great list! I do the same to keep from going insane too.
Hurrah, for you and for so many reasons!
I think this topic is very different and should be more pages like this,Your
comment says a lot of truth, and I'd like to invited you
to visit my page:10/325-
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Looks like you're almost to 100! Getting closer every day.
Love your post today (WW). BTW...If you want to get some good advice for templates, I like to use a couple of places: One is http://www.mandarindesign.com/ ; or http://www.bloggeruniversity.blogspot.com/
My WW is up too at http://beckie-photoblog.blogspot.com/
R.W Says.
Good luck with your goal of reaching 100th post.
Holy cow. You hit on just about every stereotype I used to have and fear most people DO have now.
I appreciate so much that you are looking to spread awareness and reduce stigma.
We're in this together. Great blog! http://www.jenniferforbes.blogspot.com/
I'm still behind on my blog reading, but wanted to add to your comments on this post!
Glad you are speaking out!!! The closer it is to the holidays, the more searches I get for depression, anxiety, insanity... etc.
Got here through Babs' site... This is an important topic which I feel strongly about, people with mental health problems do not usually get the support they need. Anyways, I will try and send people your way!
I am a little late in the game, but I found your link on Sebastians blog and had to check it out. I studied psychology and recieved a bachelors degree, I am also planning on going back to school for psychiatric nursing...I have family members and friends that suffer from mental disorders and it upsets me when people don't take the time to understand what's really going on, they just brush the problem aside and state..."oh it's all in your head". Well yeah, but its more involved than that. So thank you for spreading awareness and I hope you eventually get to your goal of 100 comments for this post.
You are addressing an issue that is dear to me. Thank you. I shall do both a) & b).
Here you go, 83... Keep going.
I support your objectives. You have a wonderful blog. Thank you.
I found you through a link on Sometimes Saintly Nick's page. I'll link up right after I post.
I overcame a year of being housebound as an agoraphobic and depression has run in the family. Mental illness affects us all in some form or another.
Thanks for raising awareness and good luck on the 100!
What a wonderful challenge!
And thank you for raising awareness about mental illness. I overcame being housebound with agoraphobia at 23 and depression runs in my family. Mental illness touches us all in one way or another. I'm very happy you are helping to make that touch a loving and tender one of acceptance.
Keep going - you're nearly there! I'm going to link to you now.
pink
I haven't linked to you yet, but I just stumbled across this post and hope to link to you eventually... sometime this week, hopefully. :)
I second Saint Nick up there ;-). Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Best of luck to you. I'm there ,too and have been for many years. I'll make a post for you.
Good job! I love the world of blogging and blogs like yours are the cream of the crop for me. It is nice to know that we aren't alone when dealing with depression - and I have found when I go through my depressions the best thing in my life is my kids, and the hardest is my kids.
I found your blog via Skittles blog and I am looking forward to continuing to drop by.
My story:
In the summer of '93, I was unhappy, quite unhappy. Though I had friends, I was depressed. I just couldn't get my mojo back, so I talked to my mom who suggested seeing a counselor. I set up an appointment and saw someone at the local mental health center. I talked about my problems, about my feelings. I was also put on some "mood enhancers". The therapist said it would take several weeks for them to take effect. In the meantime, she suggested I work on my self-talk (the things I think to myself). She encouraged me to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. I found a book that was extremely helpful in this regard. It was called, "Feeling Good" by David Burns. The following is an excerpt from the book:
"The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your "cognitions," or thoughts. A cognition refers to the way you look at things--your perceptions, mental attitudes, and beliefs. It includes the way you interpret things--what you say. about something or someone to yourself. You feel the way you do right now because of the thoughts you are thinking at this moment.
Let me illustrate this. How have you been feeling as you read this? You might have been thinking, "Cognitive therapy sounds too good to be true. It would never work for me." If your thoughts run along these lines, you are feeling skeptical or even discouraged. What causes you to feel that way? Your thoughts. You create those feelings by the dialogue you are having with yourself about this book!
Conversely, you may have felt a sudden uplift in mood because you thought, "Hey, this sounds like something which might finally help me." Your emotional reaction is generated not by the sentences you are reading but by the way you are thinking. The moment you have a certain thought and believe it, you will experience an immediate emotional response. Your thought actually creates the emotion."
One of the most memorable passages of the book involves how to proceed when you don't "feel" like doing something. It suggests that instead of waiting until you feel like doing something, to just go do it. Usually after a few minutes of doing it, the motivation (which you didn't feel before) will magically appear.
i linked. i commented.
but please, please don't feel that you have to answer.
keep up the good work, spreading the word about mental illness.
no way can we stop at 94!
Now we are 95 and only 5 more to go.
Right now, with the holiday season, more than ever we need to spread awareness of mental illness and its many faces.
Pink
I have been working extra hard lately at this de-mythifying process, so glad to see there are so many others doing the same. I will link to you. Thanks!
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