Let the families in.There is no doubt that the mental health system in North America is broken. Every day I read about some sort of tragedy that could have been prevented if someone would have just listened to concerned individuals, mainly parents.
I know firsthand that people who do well dealing with mental illness have the support of family members. When I was very ill in 1987, my parents were always there to help in my recovery. Continue reading
Don’t let life stop you from dreaming
I’m sure all of you have seen the commercials on television for World Vision and other organizations showing children with leprosy and other diseases. These advertisements appeal to viewers and tell them that for just pennies a day, these children can have access to the medication needed to cure their ailment. I often wonder: If that’s true, why doesn’t the government in that country just spend the money to wipe out the disease once and for all? Once a cure for polio was found, the disease was pretty much eliminated. And how often do we hear about people getting scurvy anymore?
How about schizophrenia and other mental illnesses? Do we see a cure in the near future?
Drink lots of water to stay hydrated in the heat of the summer.
We’ve been seeing record-breaking scorching temperatures across North America this year. It’s been so hot and dry with very little rain and so I want to give you a heads up about the effect heat may have on your antipsychotic medication.
If you are on an antipsychotic and the temperatures are soaring where you are, it could affect you in a bad way. I’ll refrain from giving specifics, since I am not a doctor and the effects of heat on antipsychotics are numerous and depend on the type of medication you’re on and your own body chemistry. But I would like to suggest that you try to keep cool and approach your pharmacist and ask him or her specifically about the medications that you are taking and what effect the heat can have on them. Continue reading
Schizophrenia Digest was renamed to SZ Magazine
I had lunch the other day with Magpie Media’s group publisher and the chief executive officer of a schizophrenia organization, and as we were all chatting the subject of the name of schizophrenia came up. I was telling my colleagues a little about SZ, our schizophrenia magazine, and that it was formerly named Schizophrenia Digest for many years. In fact, that name was so well branded that many people still refer to the magazine as Schizophrenia Digest. We got to talking about the term ‘schizophrenia’ and the stigma surrounding it. Not surprisingly, the question of whether we should change the name of schizophrenia to something else came up. A movement to change the name to one that includes the word ‘psychosis’ is nothing new. Continue reading
Those of you who follow my blog know that I love to read…a lot. I mostly read non-fiction such as biographies or self-help or business books. I have read a number of books on metal illness as well. It is very rare that I don’t finish a book. As far as I’m concerned, if I only get one useful piece of information out of a book, it was worth the read. I also discover new things about myself when I read, and I like to try and implement what I learn or ask myself how can I apply the new information I’ve collected into my life.
The more I read, the more I realize I am an entrepreneur—not a manager or a technician. As an entrepreneur I have vision, passion, and I am always optimistic; I see the glass as being half full and not half empty. I also know that I am not a detail-oriented person, and recently I learned that I lack focus. Continue reading
I have been living with mental illness for half of my life and I am very thankful for all that I have learned and the great people that I have met; I have developed relationships and friendships with so many people over the years. I have also spent half my life advocating and trying to make the world a better place for people with mental illness and yes, I have heard a lot about stigma and how people are affected by it. I have participated in events that were intended to break the stigma that darkens mental illness.
I happened to come across an interview with Jane Pauley recently who has been living with bipolar disorder for about 11 years. Jane was a broadcaster with NBC and was one of the hosts for the Today Show. In the interview, Jane talked about the word ‘stigma’ and said she thinks the word should be cut from our vocabulary. Continue reading
