Blog Archives

Stamp Out Stigma

1/29/2015

I received the following email from the stamp out stigma group for mental illness. I think it is so important to talk about this.

HELP STAMP OUT STIGMA IN

2015!

As the New Year begins, Stamp Out Stigma would like to take a minute to thank you for supporting our campaign and taking the pledge to Stamp Out Stigma surrounding mental illness and addiction. You are helping to change perceptions and reduce stigma by encouraging people to talk openly about mental health and substance use disorders and share their stories. In 2014, we reached over 20 million individuals through social media and other publicity, and we couldn’t have done it without you! We want to start the New Year by sharing our 2015 goals with you:

Our goal is for 15,000 people to have taken the pledge to Stamp Out Stigma. We hope these people join you in sharing stories and encouraging others to talk about mental illness and addiction in 2015.

What you can do: Share this with five of your friends and ask them to join you in taking the pledge.
Our goal is to host more Twitter Chats. #SOSChats were very successful in 2014, and we want to continue the conversations in the coming year.

What you can do: Follow us on Twitter @StampStigma and track the hashtag #SOSChat so you don’t miss out on any future chats!
Our goal is to interact more with our supporters. We want to learn more about our audience!

What you can do: Share your mental health resolutions with us and tell us how you plan to honor your pledge and Stamp Out Stigma in 2015. Post your resolution on our Facebook wall or tweet us, including the handle @StampStigma and/or the hashtag #SOSResolutions.

Most importantly, our goal for all of us remains: TALK ABOUT IT. YOUR STORY COULD CHANGE A LIFE.

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Talk About Mental Health

1/23/2015

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Let's talk about mental health. Why? Because the more we talk about how to help people who are diagnosed with a mental illness, the easier it will be to talk about it, and then the easier it will be to make changes, reduce stigma, and allow everyone to acquire the treatment for their illness that they need.

There was an excellent article in the Providence Journal by G. Wayne Miller about the language we use when talking about mental illness. "'Words matter,' James McNulty, head of the Mental Health Consumer Advocates of Rhode Island and a national authority on mental health says. 'Words make a difference. They help us in how we think about ourselves and about others.'"

"McNulty favors 'people-first' phrases and words — language that acknowledges an individual’s overall humanity, not a label describing one aspect of someone’s identity."

"Susan C. Jacobsen, the Mental Health Association of Rhode Island’s executive director, places the discussion in the context of other movements.

'This is one of the last ground fights for civil rights,' Jacobsen asserts. 'Those living with mental illness have been marginalized, discriminated against, and treated as an ‘other’ or an underclass throughout history. Language is one of the ways that we dehumanize people. It’s the mechanism of oppression and dehumanization.'"

“'Honesty' and 'clarity' are words Dr. Gabor I. Keitner uses to describe his interactions with people with mental illness and their significant others. Associate Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Rhode Island and Miriam hospitals, Keitner cautions against language — however well-intentioned — that obscures the true nature of such conditions as schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder.

'We should be careful not to get caught up in the process so much that we actually end up minimizing the reality of what people may be struggling with,' Keitner says. 'When somebody has an illness, they have an illness. When we try to sugarcoat the notion of mental illness, we’re almost accepting the [idea] that this is something you shouldn’t talk about because it’s a really much worse thing to have than other illness.'"

"Dr. Keitner's patients appreciate honesty and clarity, he says.

'I’m validating that I recognize that this is really a tough thing they’re coping with. And that this is painful, this is disruptive — and it is an illness. They’re not doing it on purpose. It’s not their fault. They haven’t asked for this. But maybe for them to know that somebody accepts, validates and recognizes puts us in a position of ‘All right, what can we do together to help you manage this more effectively?’”

"The American Psychiatric Association is among the groups that have published guidelines of preferred language. 'The general rule,' the Arlington, Va.-based organization states, 'is to use person-first language.'

The APA guide gives several examples of words and phrases that should replace ones with stigmatizing or incorrect connotations. Among them is a recommendation to use 'She has a mental health problem or challenge' instead of 'she is mentally ill/emotionally disturbed/psycho/insane/lunatic.' Instead of 'suffering with, or a victim of, a mental illness' the guide advises 'experiencing, or being treated for, or has a diagnosis of, or a history of, mental illness.'"

“'Why is language important? Because the way that we talk about things frames the way that we think about things,' says Jacobsen."

Why is it so important to talk about mental health now? Because it is so prevalent. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, "One in four adults-approximately 61.5 million Americans-experiences mental illness in a given year. One in 17-about 13.6 million-live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder."

61.5 million Americans a year require treatment for a mental illness and that's only Americans, and Americans are a minority when thinking in global terms. That is a lot of people. This is important, talk about it, talk about it, talk about it. Do your best to use correct language. Don't minimize, instead validate, use "person-first" language, but most of all talk about it. The more you do the easier it will become, trust me, I have been there.

Please follow the link below to read all of G. Wayne Miller's article:
http://www.providencejournal.com/news/health/mental-health/20141122-in-talking-about-mental-illness-people-first-terminology-eases-stigma.ece

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Be The Change

1/19/2015

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"Be the change you wish to see in the world."--Gandhi

I love this quote. It is very inspiring.

I have had wonderful feedback after the release of my book. Have you read it? Let me know what you think? Write a review on Amazon. I'd love to hear from you.

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Parenting Perceptions

1/12/2015

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I am humbled by the kind words of encouragement and praise I have received about Cutting the Soul.

All parents go through difficult times with their children. Some when they are very young, others as teenagers, and many into their child's adulthood. We never stop worrying about our children, even when they are grown. Each stage can be challenging no matter what the issue. What one parent may perceive to be overwhelming, another will handle with ease. This does not make anyone's path more or less difficult, it is just different, and everyone's ability to handle situations they come across varies.

Look for the positive in your situation, I know it is not easy. Don't be quick to judge others who seem to be having an easy time with their children. You never know what is going on behind closed doors. Whether you are dealing with physical illness, mental illness, or disciplinary issues with your children, remember somebody is enduring something worse.

An easy journey is not always a successful one.

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The Why?

1/11/2015

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I was recently asked why I wrote my memoir. "Did you write for fun, fame, or fortune?" was the question. I had to pause a moment to think about it and then said, "None of those things, I wrote it for me, for therapeutic reasons."

I have wanted to write a book for at least twenty years. I have started and stopped several times, but never had the correct topic or the right drive to get it finished. If you asked me four years ago if I would write about the trauma I was going through with my son, I would have given you a resounding, "No!" But as time has gone by and I have come to except the struggles, I realized, with help, that I needed to write about them. I had a deep desire to put it on paper. Believing it would give me comfort is why I wrote. The words came easy, the writing was fluid, and as I relived each painful moment, in the four years of the memoir, it was cathartic and I hoped it would help others too.

It wasn't easy to write, at certain times I had to get up and walk away from my computer, breathe, leave it for a day or so, and come back to it later. My husband asked me why I was doing this if it was so painful? I simply stated that I had to, that it was a benefit to me, even if it was painful, and it has been a benefit. It has opened my eyes to understanding my son better. It has taught me a great deal about mental health and it has given me an opportunity to give advice to others going through similar situations.

I feel lucky to have experienced the things in my life that I have. Would I want to repeat them? No, but can I learn from them and aid others in their journey? Absolutely.

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Lightening in a Jar

1/7/2015

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If you have not seen this link please check it out. It is a wonderful start to a new year, there are beautiful pictures and incredible statements that make you think about the need for acceptance and understanding on this planet.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IDN6GC5umKRIYBkHazM5yOxP15iC2w8FhS9we7zD-j0/embed?hl=en&size=m&slide=id.p4

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January 06th, 2015

1/6/2015

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A New Day, A New Year

1/1/2015

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New Year's Day often brings with it thoughts of resolutions. What can I do this year to make it better? Make your list manageable, not overwhelming. The best resolutions are those that can be achieved.

"A new day presents new challenges. New challenges present opportunity and growth shall result." --Matthew

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Stamp Out Stigma

Talk About Mental Health

Be The Change

Parenting Perceptions

The Why?

Lightening in a Jar

January 06th, 2015

A New Day, A New Year

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