Tag Archives: Life

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Posted on by Gertie

It’s Friday and that means it is time for my blogging feature. Today, I choose the topic of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) because it is the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I choose this topic in honor of both who perished in the attacks and those who survived it. The information I am about to give you is found at:  http://www.mayoclinic.org/. Please remember that myself and the Mayo Clinic are just giving you the facts. I am not a professional so if you need help please don’t hesitate to call your local crisis line or the national suicide hotline that will be included. Again I got the following info from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/.

Definition

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Many people who go through traumatic events have difficulty adjusting and coping for a while, but they don’t have PTSD — with time and good self-care, they usually get better. But if the symptoms get worse or last for months or even years and interfere with your functioning, you may have PTSD.

Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function.

Symptoms

Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may start within three months of a traumatic event, but sometimes symptoms may not appear until years after the event. These symptoms cause significant problems in social or work situations and in relationships.

PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, or changes in emotional reactions.

Intrusive memories

Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:

  • Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event
  • Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks)
  • Upsetting dreams about the traumatic event
  • Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds you of the event

Avoidance

Symptoms of avoidance may include:

  • Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event
  • Avoiding places, activities or people that remind you of the traumatic event

Negative changes in thinking and mood

Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood may include:

  • Negative feelings about yourself or other people
  • Inability to experience positive emotions
  • Feeling emotionally numb
  • Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
  • Hopelessness about the future
  • Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event
  • Difficulty maintaining close relationships

Changes in emotional reactions

Symptoms of changes in emotional reactions (also called arousal symptoms) may include:

  • Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior
  • Always being on guard for danger
  • Overwhelming guilt or shame
  • Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Being easily startled or frightened

Intensity of symptoms

PTSD symptoms can vary in intensity over time. You may have more PTSD symptoms when you’re stressed in general, or when you run into reminders of what you went through. For example, you may hear a car backfire and relive combat experiences. Or you may see a report on the news about a sexual assault and feel overcome by memories of your own assault.

When to see a doctor

If you have disturbing thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event for more than a month, if they’re severe, or if you feel you’re having trouble getting your life back under control, talk to your health care professional. Get treatment as soon as possible to help prevent PTSD symptoms from getting worse.

If you have suicidal thoughts

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, get help right away through one or more of these resources:

  • Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
  • Contact a minister, a spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.
  • Call a suicide hotline number — in the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255) to reach a trained counselor. Use that same number and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
  • Make an appointment with your doctor, mental health provider or other health care professional.

When to get emergency help

If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

If you know someone who’s in danger of committing suicide or has made a suicide attempt, make sure someone stays with that person. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Or, if you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Causes

You can develop post-traumatic stress disorder when you go through, see or learn about an event involving actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violation.

Doctors aren’t sure why some people get PTSD. As with most mental health problems, PTSD is probably caused by a complex mix of:

  • Inherited mental health risks, such as an increased risk of anxiety and depression
  • Life experiences, including the amount and severity of trauma you’ve gone through since early childhood
  • Inherited aspects of your personality — often called your temperament
  • The way your brain regulates the chemicals and hormones your body releases in response to stress

Risk factors

People of all ages can have post-traumatic stress disorder. However, some factors may make you more likely to develop PTSD after a traumatic event, such as:

  • Experiencing intense or long-lasting trauma
  • Having experienced other trauma earlier in life, including childhood abuse or neglect
  • Having a job that increases your risk of being exposed to traumatic events, such as military personnel and first responders
  • Having other mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression
  • Lacking a good support system of family and friends
  • Having biological (blood) relatives with mental health problems, including PTSD or depression

Kinds of traumatic events

The most common events leading to the development of PTSD include:

  • Combat exposure
  • Childhood neglect and physical abuse
  • Sexual assault
  • Physical attack
  • Being threatened with a weapon

Many other traumatic events also can lead to PTSD, such as fire, natural disaster, mugging, robbery, car accident, plane crash, torture, kidnapping, life-threatening medical diagnosis, terrorist attack, and other extreme or life-threatening events.

Complications

Post-traumatic stress disorder can disrupt your whole life: your job, your relationships, your health and your enjoyment of everyday activities.

Having PTSD also may increase your risk of other mental health problems, such as:

  • Depression and anxiety
  • Issues with drugs or alcohol use
  • Eating disorders
  • Suicidal thoughts and actions

Preparing for your appointment

If you think you may have post-traumatic stress disorder, make an appointment with your primary care provider or a mental health provider. Here’s some information to help you prepare for your appointment, and what to expect.

What you can do

Before your appointment, make a list of:

  • Any symptoms you’ve been experiencing, and for how long.
  • Key personal information, especially events or experiences — even in your distant past — that have made you feel intense fear, helplessness or horror. It will help your doctor to know if there are memories you can’t directly access without feeling an overwhelming need to push them out of your mind.
  • Your medical information, including other physical or mental health conditions with which you’ve been diagnosed. Also include any medications or supplements you’re taking and the dosages.

Take a trusted family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember all the information provided to you.

Make a list of questions to ask so you can make the most of your appointment. For PTSD, some basic questions include:

  • What do you believe is causing my symptoms?
  • Are there any other possible causes?
  • How will you determine my diagnosis?
  • Is my condition likely temporary or long term?
  • What treatments do you recommend for this disorder?
  • I have other health problems. How best can I manage these together with PTSD?
  • How soon do you expect my symptoms to improve?
  • Does PTSD increase my risk of other mental health problems?
  • Do you recommend any changes at home, work or school to encourage recovery?
  • Would it help my recovery to tell my teachers or work colleagues about my diagnosis?
  • Are there any printed materials on PTSD that I can have? What websites do you recommend?

Don’t hesitate to ask questions anytime you don’t understand something.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Be ready to answer them to reserve time to go over any points you want to focus on. Your doctor may ask:

  • What are your symptoms?
  • When did you or your loved ones first notice your symptoms?
  • Have you ever experienced or witnessed an event that was life-threatening to you or someone else?
  • Have you ever been physically, sexually or emotionally harmed?
  • Do you have disturbing thoughts, memories or nightmares of the trauma you experienced?
  • Do you ever feel as if you’re reliving the traumatic event, through flashbacks or hallucinations?
  • Do you avoid certain people, places or situations that remind you of the traumatic experience?
  • Have you lost interest in things or felt numb?
  • Do you feel jumpy, on guard or easily startled?
  • Do you frequently feel irritable or angry?
  • Are you having trouble sleeping?
  • Is anything happening in your life right now that’s making you feel unsafe?
  • Have you been having any problems at school, work or in your personal relationships?
  • Have you ever thought about harming yourself or others?
  • Do you drink alcohol or use illegal drugs? How often?
  • Have you been treated for other psychiatric symptoms or mental illness in the past? If yes, what type of therapy was most helpful?

Tests and diagnosis

Post-traumatic stress disorder is diagnosed based on signs and symptoms and a thorough psychological evaluation. Your health care provider will likely ask you to describe your signs and symptoms and the event that led up to them. You may also have a physical exam to check for medical problems.

To be diagnosed with PTSD, you must meet criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association. This manual is used by mental health providers to diagnose mental conditions and by insurance companies to reimburse for treatment.

DSM criteria for PTSD

Diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to an event that involved or held the threat of death, violence or serious injury. Your exposure can happen in one or more of these ways:

  • You experienced the traumatic event
  • You witnessed, in person, the traumatic event
  • You learned someone close to you experienced or was threatened by the traumatic event
  • You are repeatedly exposed to graphic details of traumatic events (for example, if you are a first responder to the scene of traumatic events)

You experience one or more of the following signs or symptoms after the traumatic event:

  • You relive experiences of the traumatic event, such as having distressing images and memories.
  • You have upsetting dreams about the traumatic event.
  • You experience flashbacks as if you were experiencing the traumatic event again.
  • You experience ongoing or severe emotional distress or physical symptoms if something reminds you of the traumatic event.

In addition, for more than one month after the traumatic event you may:

  • Try to avoid situations or things that remind you of the traumatic event
  • Not remember important parts of the traumatic event
  • View yourself, others and the world in a negative way
  • Lose interest in activities you used to enjoy and feel detached from family and friends
  • Feel a sense of emotional numbness, feel irritable or have angry or violent outbursts
  • Engage in dangerous or self-destructive behavior
  • Feel as if you’re constantly on guard or alert for signs of danger and startle easily
  • Have trouble sleeping or concentrating

Your symptoms cause significant distress in your life or interfere with your ability to go about your normal daily tasks.

For children younger than 6 years old, signs and symptoms may include:

  • Reenacting the traumatic event or aspects of the traumatic event through play
  • Frightening dreams that may or may not include aspects of the traumatic event

Treatments and drugs

Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment can help you regain a sense of control over your life. The primary treatment is psychotherapy, but often includes medication. Combining these treatments can help improve your symptoms, teach you skills to address your symptoms, help you feel better about yourself and learn ways to cope if any symptoms arise again.

Psychotherapy and medications can also help you if you’ve developed other problems related to your traumatic experience, such as depression, anxiety, or misuse of alcohol or drugs. You don’t have to try to handle the burden of PTSD on your own.

Psychotherapy

Several types of psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, may be used to treat children and adults with PTSD. Some types of psychotherapy used in PTSD treatment include:

  • Cognitive therapy. This type of talk therapy helps you recognize the ways of thinking (cognitive patterns) that are keeping you stuck — for example, negative or inaccurate ways of perceiving normal situations. For PTSD, cognitive therapy often is used along with exposure therapy.
  • Exposure therapy. This behavioral therapy helps you safely face what you find frightening so that you can learn to cope with it effectively. One approach to exposure therapy uses “virtual reality” programs that allow you to re-enter the setting in which you experienced trauma.
  • Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR combines exposure therapy with a series of guided eye movements that help you process traumatic memories and change how you react to traumatic memories.

All these approaches can help you gain control of lasting fear after a traumatic event. You and your health care professional can discuss what type of therapy or combination of therapies may best meet your needs.

You may try individual therapy, group therapy or both. Group therapy can offer a way to connect with others going through similar experiences.

Medications

Several types of medications can help improve symptoms of PTSD:

  • Antidepressants. These medications can help symptoms of depression and anxiety. They can also help improve sleep problems and concentration. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for PTSD treatment.
  • Anti-anxiety medications. These drugs also can improve feelings of anxiety and stress for a short time to relieve severe anxiety and related problems. Because these medications have the potential for abuse, they are not usually taken long term.
  • Prazosin. If symptoms include insomnia or recurrent nightmares, a drug called prazosin (Minipress) may help. Although not specifically FDA-approved for PTSD treatment, prazosin may reduce or suppress nightmares in many people with PTSD.

You and your doctor can work together to figure out the best treatment, with the fewest side effects, for your symptoms and situation. You may see an improvement in your mood and other symptoms within a few weeks.

Tell your health care professional about any side effects or problems with medications. You may need to try more than one or a combination of medications, or your doctor may need to adjust your dosage or medication schedule before finding the right fit for you.

Coping and support

If stress and other problems caused by a traumatic event affect your life, see your health care professional. You also can take these actions as you continue with treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder:

  • Follow your treatment plan. Although it may take a while to feel benefits from therapy or medications, treatment can be effective, and most people do recover. Remind yourself that it takes time. Following your treatment plan will help move you forward.
  • Learn about PTSD. This knowledge can help you understand what you’re feeling, and then you can develop coping strategies to help you respond effectively.
  • Take care of yourself. Get enough rest, eat a healthy diet, exercise and take time to relax. Avoid caffeine and nicotine, which can worsen anxiety.
  • Don’t self-medicate. Turning to alcohol or drugs to numb your feelings isn’t healthy, even though it may be a tempting way to cope. It can lead to more problems down the road and prevent real healing.
  • Break the cycle. When you feel anxious, take a brisk walk or jump into a hobby to re-focus.
  • Talk to someone. Stay connected with supportive and caring people — family, friends, faith leaders or others. You don’t have to talk about what happened if you don’t want to. Just sharing time with loved ones can offer healing and comfort.
  • Consider a support group. Ask your health professional for help finding a support group, or contact veterans’ organizations or your community’s social services system. Or look for local support groups in an online directory or in your phone book.

When someone you love has PTSD

The person you love may seem like a different person than you knew before the trauma — angry and irritable, for example, or withdrawn and depressed. PTSD can significantly strain the emotional and mental health of loved ones and friends.

Hearing about the trauma that led to your loved one’s PTSD may be painful for you and even cause you to relive difficult events. You may find yourself avoiding his or her attempts to talk about the trauma or feeling hopeless that your loved one will get better. At the same time, you may feel guilty that you can’t fix your loved one or hurry up the process of healing.

Remember that you can’t change someone. However, you can:

  • Learn about PTSD. This can help you understand what your loved one is going through.
  • Recognize that withdrawal is part of the disorder. If your loved one resists your help, allow space and let your loved one know that you’re available when he or she is ready to accept your help.
  • Offer to attend medical appointments. If your loved one is willing, attending appointments can help you understand and assist with treatment.
  • Be willing to listen. Let your loved one know you’re willing to listen, but you understand if he or she doesn’t want to talk.
  • Encourage participation. Plan opportunities for activities with family and friends. Celebrate good events.
  • Make your own health a priority. Take care of yourself by eating healthy, being physically active and getting enough rest. Take time alone or with friends, doing activities that help you recharge.
  • Seek help if you need it. If you have difficulty coping, talk with your doctor. He or she may refer you to a therapist who can help you work through your emotions.
  • Stay safe. Plan a safe place for yourself and your children if your loved one becomes violent or abusive

Prevention

After surviving a traumatic event, many people have PTSD-like symptoms at first, such as being unable to stop thinking about what’s happened. Fear, anxiety, anger, depression, guilt — all are common reactions to trauma. However, the majority of people exposed to trauma do not develop long-term post-traumatic stress disorder.

Getting support can help you recover. This may mean turning to family and friends who will listen and offer comfort. It may mean seeking out a mental health provider for a brief course of therapy. Some people may also find it helpful to turn to their faith community.

Getting timely help and support may prevent normal stress reactions from getting worse and developing into PTSD. Support from others may also help prevent you from turning to unhealthy coping methods, such as misuse of alcohol or drugs.

Thank you for reading. I realize that this is an extra long post and apologize for its length. I got the above information at the Mayo Clinic at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/. If you need immediate help please call 911. Have a wonderful day. Please don’t forget to take a moment of silence for those who lost their lives in 9/11 as well as for those who survived it.

Writing 101: Finding Your Inspiration; Day Four: A Story In A Single Image

Posted on by Gertie

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As a self-proclaimed “city girl” I can’t help but think how lucky I am to live in a city that has vast variety of things to do within the city and outside the city. If you happen to be a “city person” who loves nature like me, it is easy to leave the city for a day or a week to go hiking or camping during the summer or skiing or snowboarding in the winter and only an hour drive away. If you happen to not like nature then you can stay in the city and attend a variety of events such as Emerald City Comic-Con, Bumbershoot, sporting event, Broadway shows at the Paramount Theater, concerts and many museums. I love living in Seattle because I am able to do city life stuff and able to take a short drive out of town if I need to get away.

Another benefit to living in any major city is the many opportunities people have in regards to employment, services (i.e. health care, hospitals, homeless shelters, mental health services, food banks) education and volunteer experiences. For me an important part of living in a major city is being able to seek mental health services. Being able get the proper care for my mental illness is key to my recovery. I am not saying living in a rural community is a negative thing it is just not for me especially when it comes to my recovery.

In regards to my recovery, I am beyond grateful that I live in Seattle. As some of my regular readers may know I once had the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Having such a difficult diagnosis like Borderline, living is Seattle is the hub for research on people who live with it or who once lived with it. It is the hub because Marsha Linehan is the creator of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and created it here in Seattle at the University of Washington. If it wasn’t  for being in an intensive two year outpatient DBT program I wouldn’t be in recovery and most likely not working much less blogging. Most importantly I wouldn’t be a Recovered Borderline. Recovered Borderline is something I call myself because I no longer meet the criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

For me the benefits of living in the city out weigh the negatives of living in one. Most importantly living in the city gives me the opportunities that I wouldn’t necessarily get living in the suburbs or rural areas. Opportunities that I am forever grateful for.

Thank you for reading. When I saw the choices of images I had to choose from I chose the one at the beginning of this post because of the opportunities I have had. Again thank for reading. I know it is not very inspirational but am grateful that I was able to share with you why I was inspired by the image. Just like blogging 101 I am enjoying writing 101. Have a great day.

Writing 101: Finding Your Inspiration; Day Three: One-Word Inspiration

Posted on by Gertie

Today’s assignment for Writing 101: Finding Your Inspiration is to get inspired by a word and then write about. We were give a list of six words to choose from which are: Treasure, Regret, Home, Love, Uncertainty and Secret. This list was a tough one to choose from because they all inspired me to write. I am choosing to write about regret.

There is a quote saying, “When I look back on life, I rather regret the things I do than the things I didn’t do.”  When, I first heard this quote, it hit close to home. It hit close to home because there has been a great deal of things, I regret not doing. Unfortunately, most of the things I regret not doing is because my mental illness got in way. I am not blaming my mental health diagnosis; I’m just stating that the symptoms of my mental illness is what played a major role in my decision to not to do something. It saddens me that my mental illness caused me to miss out on a lot of various things that life has to bring.

I do have to say that I have regretted doing some things in my life. Unfortunately, those things I regret doing are related to my struggling with having a mental illness. It is because of my behaviors related to a mental illness that I lost a great deal of friends. Some of those friends were understanding and in my corner till they couldn’t handle my mental health symptoms and behaviors anymore. To a degree I understand but wish mental illness was not so taboo. My mental illness also got in the way from me completing any college degree including an A.A. degree I think not getting a least my A.A degree is one of the things I regret the most. Not getting any type of college degree is one of the things I am learning to accept because I had to come to terms with having a mental illness and needed to work o my recovery. I also know that it is never too late to go back to school to get an education. Yes, my mental illness caused a lot of pain and regret but that is why I have chosen to be in recovery.

Now that I am in recovery I am able to make clearer decisions and a high percentage of the time I am happy with the decisions I have made. When making a decision in regards to doing something, I tend to do it because, I don’t want to miss out on the experience and I know I wont regret not doing it later on in life. I will use my job as an example. It is not my desired position but I know it is a stepping stone to getting my desired position. I would have regretted not applying for the job if I didn’t apply for it so I applied for the job and got it. Now I’ve been in my current position for a year and am happy that I applied for it. I’ve learned from my life experience that participating in life events and taking healthy risk like applying for jobs and other such activities you are not going to regret it or least a good portion of the time.

My life experience is why I try to live by the quote stated in the second paragraph of this post. I just hope I didn’t bore you all with being inspired by the word “regret.” Yes, we will regret things in life but we can learn from those regrets. Have an awesome day. Peace out!!

Mental Illness Basics

Posted on by Gertie

Happy Friday!! I am happy to announce that today is my first blogging feature. It is hope that when I do my blogging feature every Friday, that I not only educate people without a mental illness to lessen the stigma that goes along with having one but hopefully to gain a bigger blog following. My primary goal is to educate people on mental illness. The stigma needs to stop which is why I am doing an “educational” piece every Friday.

Now that I have told you about my blogging feature; lets get going. Today’s blogging feature is about mental illness basics. I got the following information from http://www.webmd.com/. Here is that information:

Mental illness is any disease or condition that abnormally influences the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, or relates to others and to his or her surroundings. Although the symptoms of mental illness can range from mild to severe and are different depending on the type of mental illness, a person with an untreated mental illness often has difficulty coping with life’s daily routines and demands.

What Causes Mental Illness?

The exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known. It is, though, becoming clear through research that many of these conditions are caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors — not personal weakness or a character defect — and recovery from a mental illness is not simply a matter of will and self-discipline.

  • Heredity (genetics): Many mental illnesses run in families, suggesting they may be passed on from parents to children through genes. Genes contain instructions for the function of each cell in the body and are responsible for how we look, act, think, etc. However, just because your mother or father may have or had a mental illness doesn’t mean you will have one. Hereditary just means that you are more likely to get the condition than if you didn’t have an affected family member. Experts believe that many mental conditions are linked to problems in multiple genes — not just one, as with many diseases — which is why a person inherits a susceptibility to a mental disorder but doesn’t always develop the condition. The disorder itself occurs from the interaction of these genes and other factors — such as psychological trauma and environmental stressors — which can influence, or trigger, the illness in a person who has inherited a susceptibility to it.
  • Biology: Some mental illnesses have been linked to an abnormal functioning of brain circuits that connect different brain regions that control thinking, mood, and behavior. Nerve cells within those brain circuits pass information along from one cell to the next through brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Scientists think that by altering the activity of certain neurotransmitters (through medicines, psychotherapy, brain stimulation, or other treatments), those faulty brain circuits may work more efficiently, thereby controlling symptoms. In addition, defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain also have been linked to some mental conditions. Also, recent studies show inflammation may have a role in the development of mental illness.
  • Psychological trauma: Some mental illnesses may be triggered by psychological trauma suffered as a child or teenager, such as
    • Severe emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
    • A significant early loss, such as the loss of a parent
    • Neglect
  • Environmental stressors: Certain stressors — such as a death or divorce, a dysfunctional family life, changing jobs or schools, and substance abuse — can trigger a disorder in a person who may be at risk for developing a mental illness. This effect is not the same as and goes beyond the grief and other normal emotional responses such events cause.

Can Mental Illness Be Prevented?

Unfortunately, most mental illnesses are caused by a combination of factors and cannot be prevented.

How Common Is Mental Illness?

Mental illnesses are very common. In fact, they are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 25% of American adults (those ages 18 and older) and about 13% of American children (those ages 8 to 15) are diagnosed with a mental disorder during a given year.

Major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are among the U.S.’s top 10 leading causes of disability.

Mental illness does not discriminate. It can affect people of any age, income or educational level, and cultural background. Although mental illness affects both males and females, certain conditions — such as eating disorders or depression — tend to occur more often in females, and other disorders — such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — more commonly occur in male children.

How Is Mental Illness Treated?

A mental illness, like many chronic illnesses, requires ongoing treatment to control symptoms. Fortunately, much progress has been made in the last two decades in treating mental illnesses. As a result, many mental conditions can be effectively treated with one or a combination of the following therapies:

  • Medication
  • Psychotherapy, such as individual or group therapy
  • Day treatment or partial hospital treatment
  • Specific therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and behavior modification

Other treatments available include:

  • Alternative therapies, such as water therapy, massage, and biofeedback
  • Creative therapies, such as art therapy, music therapy, or play therapy
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
  • Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

What Is the Outlook for People With Mental Illness?

When diagnosed early and treated properly, many people fully recover from their mental illness or are able to successfully control their symptoms. Although some people become disabled because of a chronic or severe mental illness, many others are able to live full and productive lives. In fact, as many as eight in 10 people suffering from a mental illness can effectively return to their normal activities if they receive appropriate treatment.

I am grateful for the information I used from http://www.webmd.com/. I hope that the information I shared was hopeful. We need to start educating ourselves as well as others about mental illness. Then that way ignorance and naivety can not play a role in the stigmatizing of people with mental illness. For those of us who struggle with a mental illness will no longer tolerate the stigma with having a mental illness.

Now that I have completed my first blogging feature, I am going to end this post. It is an extremely long post and hope that I have “educated” people some. Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!! Peace Out!!!

Weekly Goals

Posted on by Gertie

Good evening, everyone! I hope everyone had a good start to the work week. The start of my work week started off on a hectic note but hey, I work in the mental health field so it is to be expected on occasion. I hope tomorrow is a little less hectic at work but I better knock on wood. I’m not here to talk about how hectic work was today. I’m here to discuss my weekly goals. Before, I going with this weeks goals, I’m going to tell you how I did with last weeks goals.

1)  Read Speaker of the Dead by Orson Scott Card. Yes, I did read some this week but not much. I just didn’t make as much time for it like I hoped that I would.

2)  Work on jigsaw puzzle. Yes, I did work on my puzzle. I got all the end pieces together. I am thrilled about it.

3)  Work on a self-help workbook; The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook by Matthew McKay, PhD., Jeffery C. Wood, PSY.D., and Jeffrey Brantley, MD. I unfortunately didn’t work on it at all. I don’t have any excuses. I just didn’t make time to do it.

4)  See my therapist on Thursday. Yes, I did see my therapist. I saw her for about an hour and half. It was a difficult session.

5)  Go to a youth specific suicide prevention training on Wednesday. Yes, I did go. In fact I blogged about it; https://gertiesjourney.com/2015/08/27/yesterdays-safetalk-training/.

Now that you know  how I did on my weekly goals, you know that I didn’t accomplish all of them. I hope that I will be able to accomplish my goals for this week. My goals for this week as follows:

1)  Read Speaker of the Dead by Orson Scott Card. Like, I have said in other post, this will be a weekly goal till I finally finish the book.

2)  Work on jigsaw puzzle. I love doing jigsaw puzzles. It relaxes me. I hope to work on my puzzle for 15 minutes a day.

3)  Color. As I have said before, coloring relaxes me just like reading and working on jigsaw puzzles do. In fact I got some coloring posters in mail on Friday that I ordered from http://www.stuff2color.com/. I love to color and work on multiple coloring projects at any given time. I do this so I don’t get frustrated with a particular piece.

4)  Clean my apartment. It’s pretty self explanatory. I just need to clean my place.

5)  Work on a self-help workbook; The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook by Matthew McKay, PhD., Jeffery C. Wood, PSY.D., and Jeffrey Brantley, MD. I will make sure I work on this week. I will work on chapter two and hopefully start on chapter three.

6)  See my therapist on Wednesday. Yes, I did see my therapist last week but I have another appointment with her this week. I know I have mentioned it before that I rarely miss an appointment but it is still difficult to do.

As you can tell, I have some of the same goals I have had in previous weeks. When it comes to the leisure activities such as  reading, coloring and jigsaw puzzles, I have to make sure I schedule it because I tend to not do things that bring me leisure. Or at least in the past I have it going into Autumn I need to get into the habit. When it comes to seeing my therapist and working on a self-help book, I make it a continuous goal because it helps me in my recovery just like planning my leisure activities. Just want you all to know that. Once again thank you for reading my weekly goals. I am beyond grateful that I joined this weekly blogging event. I encourage you to all look at it over at: http://greenembe.rs/2015/08/31/building-rome-week-35-for-2015/. Have a great evening. Peace out!!!

Decided To Sleep-In A Lil Bit

Posted on by Gertie

Good morning everyone!!! It is another Tuesday. That means it is time for a daily prompt but it is going to have to wait till when I get off work. I decided to sleep in an extra half an hour. I normally get up at 5:00am but decided to get up at 5:30am. 5:30am is the latest I can get up with out the potential of being late to work. With me sleeping in an extra half an hour, I didn’t have time to choose a daily prompt so that is why I am going to do it when I get home.

I am actually looking forward to getting off work today. It is not because I don’t like my job because I love it. It is because, I’m actually in the mood to clean. Yes that means I’m going to clean or at least clean a little bit. Even though my place is not that messy, I feel like it needs to be cleaned or at least tidied up.

Well, I best be going. I do not want to miss my bus. If I miss my bus then I will end up late to work. Nobody wants that especially me. I will blog again when I get off. Have a good day everyone. Peace out!!!

We Deserve Supportive People Too

Posted on by Gertie

Last night was not an easy night for me in regards to my PTSD symptoms acting up. As you may have read in my previous post, I struggled with a nightmare last night. It was not exactly the worst nightmare I have had but it shook me up enough that it took a few hours for me to get back to be able to try to get back to sleep. Thankfully, I was able to do so.

As you may have read in last night’s post, Junior was a pretty major support to me. Having a supportive partner in my life has been a blessing to me. Junior isn’t the only supportive person I have in my life. I have built a family of supportive people in my life. People who aren’t afraid to tell me how it is with firmness when I am being a stubborn ass mule. These same people also know when it is time to intervene and be compassionate when I am struggling. For me having people like Junior in my life has been quite beneficial to me and my recovery.

What most  people don’t realize is that those who struggle with a mental illness, having a supportive support system is key to a person’s recovery. So many of us who struggle with mental illness loose many friends just for the fact that others don’t understand mental illness and are fearful that they themselves might “catch it” or “get killed” if we go off our meds. This is a dilemma many of us have. Those of us who struggle with mental illness cant keep the friends we have because of our symptoms and/or their fear. It is because of this loss that many people who struggle with mental illness are scared to meet others and start a friendship.

Having a supportive people in our lives such is friends play a major part in our recovery. We deserve supportive people too, just like everyone else. That is why it angers me when I hear stories of “normal” people not wanting be friends with those who struggle with a mental illness when they find out that someone has a mental illness.

Knowing that many others who struggle mental illness don’t have supportive people in their lives makes me that much more grateful for my support system. I worked my ass off to build my support system and consider myself lucky to have the people I have in my life.

Speaking of support systems, I need to go and be a support to those who need it. This evening I have a shift on the Warm Line and need to get something to eat before I go. Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Peace Out!!!!

Nothing But Random Shit

Posted on by Gertie

As I sit here at my laptop, I am straining to blog about something profound but my mind is drawing a blank. A blank I wish I wasn’t having but I am okay with that. I’m okay with it because its not worth getting frustrated, annoyed or upset over. There are more pressing things to be frustrated, annoyed or upset over and none of which I really want to discuss at this moment.

I do know I am looking forward to spending time with a friend and her (adult) son this afternoon. My friends son is visiting from out of town and wants to see the sights so we are going to one major tourist attraction to eat even though I personally think it is overly priced because the food isn’t all that great. You can get better tasting food at Red Robin and for half the price. I guess, ultimately you are paying for an awesome few and it being a “famous landmark.”

I have to do laundry later on and hate doing it. That reminds me that I need to get quarters so I can do laundry. I know that doing laundry is apart of everyday life and am grateful for being able to do my own laundry. I know that there are people out there in the world who are not able to do their own laundry due to a various of reasons. As much as I don’t like doing laundry I am grateful that I am able to do it.

This year summer has been amazing weather wise. I love the weather that has been in my neck of the woods despite officially being in a drought and the massive fires that are happening that have already killed three firefighters. It breaks my heart that three brave heroes lost their lives. They were doing a job many people are not able to do. It also breaks my heart because I know how tight nit the firefighting community is because Junior is a firefighter.

I’m looking at the time and realize I need to get going. I need to go and meet up with my friend and her son. Happy Friday!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend everyone and peace out!!

Daily Prompt: Come Fly with Me

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Come Fly with Me.” Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.

When I saw this particular (past) daily prompt, I automatically thought about my experience when I went to Nashville, Tennessee. This was the first time I had traveled from home when I was not with family or going to see family. In fact it was a much needed travel so I could get much needed help with the eating disorders I was struggling with at the time.

When I was 19, three months before I turned 20, my regular physician at the time told me that if I didn’t seek help for the eating disorders I was struggling with, I would be lucky if I “made it till 21.” Most people cringe and/or tell me that what physician told me was “unprofessional.” I personally don’t think it was “unprofessional” of my doctor at the time because if she didn’t tell me that I personally think I would be dead. That’s why I made the decision I did.

At that age, I considered myself a “Christian” and was a huge fan of “Christian” music. So with that being said, few weeks after my physician told me I needed to seek help for my eating disorders, I went to a Christian concert where the group Point of Grace was performing. Point of Grace is known in the Christian community to support those who may be struggling in some way. At that time (and even present day) Point of Grace was (and is) a big supporter of Mercy Ministries. During their concert they spoke of Mercy Ministries and even had a graduate give her testimony. Listening to the graduates testimony is what got me intrigued. At remission, I talked with graduate and she was able to provide me with more information. In fact she had extra applications to hand out for Mercy Ministries, which I filled out asap.

The thing that appealed to me in regards to Mercy Ministries was that it was Christian and free so of course I sent in the application after I filled it out.  After sending in the application and an intake interview over the phone, I was finally told that, I was accepted into the program. At that time Mercy Ministries had two homes, one in Monroe, Louisiana and the other in Nashville, Tennessee and was happy that I was “assigned” to the Nashville home.

I flew to Nashville and spent eleven months at Mercy Ministries. The average stay was (and think it still is) six months. It may have taken me five extra months to get through the program but it was something I needed. It was needed because, having so much time away from my family is what was best for me. I realized that they were hindering me in getting healthy in regards to my eating disorder. (Side note: I realized a few years later when I was in DBT that my family was also hindering me in my recovery with my mental illness.) I would be lying if I wasn’t scared about being so far from home and family because I was. Being so far from is what ultimately helped me get the help I needed with the eating disorders I was struggling with.

Now that I have told about how far I flew from home, I will end this blog entry for now. I hope that I will be able to continue to do daily prompts every Tuesday like I had discussed in my weekly goals yesterday. Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day and Peace Out!!!

Daily Prompt: Let’s Go Crazy

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Let’s Go Crazy.” Sometimes, we act on impulse: it could be something as small as ordering that special dessert on the menu, maybe asking out that cute boy or girl, or as large quitting your job and selling everything you own to become a shepherd in New Zealand. What’s the most crazy, outrageously impulsive thing you’ve ever done? If you’ve never succumbed to temptation, dream a little. If you gave yourself permission to go a little crazy, what would you do?

This (past) daily prompt angers me. It angers me because the prompt is named “Let”s Go Crazy” and is extremely disheartening and discriminating for those who struggle with mental illness. It adds to the stigma that goes with having a mental illness. I understand what the prompt “is asking” but it’s not funny and maybe I am taking it too seriously but it’s demoralizing to those of us who struggle with a mental illness.

No one really wants to “go crazy.” Life is difficult enough without having a mental health diagnoses. It is not an easy thing to go through day to day living and if you have a mental illness on top of that, it is a constant struggle. A struggle that many people do not over come due to the fact that their symptoms are so unbearable that they choose to die by suicide. Unforantenly, it is the only way that some who struggle with mental illness can get any relief from their symptoms.

Living with a mental illness is a constant struggle and choosing to live in recovery is not easy either. Imagine dealing with a sadness that does not go away or having to relive a traumatic experience everyday even when the trauma ended decades ago or worse yet hearing or seeing things that no one else is able to see or hear. Most people can not and/or will not try to comprehend what people like myself and many others experience everyday and a daily prompt’s title saying “Lets Go Crazy” just dehumanizes what those of us who struggle with mental illness go through on the daily basis. It adds to the stigma of dealing with a mental illness.

Not only does stigma effect those who are diagnosed with a mental illness, it effects their friends and family as well. There are great deal of people out there in the world including here on WordPress trying to eliminate the stigma that goes with having a mental health diagnosis. I know it wasn’t the intention of WordPress to stigmatize or discriminate against any particular population they serve but hope that the fine folks who work for WordPress will think about how certain words and/or phrase can affect certain populations.

Before I end this particular entry, I know I may be taking this “title” too seriously and that WordPress wasn’t trying to discriminate but just wanted to share with you the world on how I felt about it. I started blogging to help end the stigma that goes with having a mental illness. Now that I have been on my soapbox, I am going to end this entry for now. Have a wonderful day and peace out!!!