Tag Archives: Mental Health

Yesterday’s safeTALK Training

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying there week. I realize that I told you all that I would blog about the training yesterday after I finished but I ended up volunteering at the Warm Line last night for two and half hours because the lack of volunteers on. I would have stayed the entire four hours but I needed to go and take care of myself by needing to eat. Now that I have time I will tell you about the training.

The training was “youth specific suicide prevention” but ultimately it can be used for anyone at any age. I felt like it was more of a review than a training due to all the various trainings I have been through due to my job and volunteer jobs. The following are key points from my notes:

  • Suicide is everyone’s business.
  • Suicide is rarely an impulsive act.
  • 5% of the population  in any given two week period think about suicide.
  • Notice the settle stuff when “evaluating the situation.”
  • Ask directly, “Are you suicidal” or “Are you thinking about suicide”
  • People who are suicidal just want someone to listen to them about how they are feeling.
  • The person with thoughts of suicide ultimately have to be a participant in helping themselves.

The above points are just a sliver of the notes I took in the training. I just feel like the above are key points that everyone can comprehend and basic enough that a “normal” person who does don’t work in the mental health field could understand.

Thank you for reading and I hope that the above points are helpful. I am looking forward in sharing with you the notes I take in another suicide prevention training that I will be taking in mid-September. I hope to be able to share with you some key points from that training once I take it and organize the points. I need to get going now. Have a good rest of your evening. Peace out!!

Trainings, Work, Volunteering & Other Related Stuff

Posted on by Gertie

Good morning everyone!! Yes, It is still morning in my neck of the woods. I am looking forward to this afternoon. I am going to a training about youth specific suicide prevention. The best part of this training is that it is being offered by the Crisis Clinic and I am able to attend for free because I am a Warm Line volunteer. (Side Note: The Warm Line is under the umbrella of the Crisis Clinic.) Being able to attend training for free at the Crisis Clinic is one of the many awesome benefits I have for being a Warm Line Volunteer. I love being able to attend the various trainings because it helps me learn new skills that I not only need for my volunteer jobs but my career. It also looks good on the résumé.

Speaking of careers and résumés, I am going to be working on my résumé tomorrow. I have to update it with a couple of things including my volunteer job at the young adult shelter and the training I am going to today. I am updating my résumé  because once my one year anniversary is up at work, I am going to apply to peer specialist positions. Like I have said in previous post, I applied and accepted my current position as a Consumer Aide to get my foot in the door. Yes, I will be applying within the agency I work for but there is only one position posted at this point in time and it is not a guarantee that it wont be already filled when my year is up. I am hoping it will still be up so I can apply for it. I will also be applying at other mental health agencies. No need to be picky on where I apply at this particular time in my career because I am just starting out in the whole grand scheme of things.

I am looking at the time and realize I need to cut this post short. I need to cut it short because of the training I am attending this afternoon. I have to take the bus and am planning on eating lunch near by the training before it starts. I hope to blog about the training later on today. Have a wonderful day everyone. Peace out!!!

Daily Prompt: No, Thank You

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “No, Thank You.” If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

The word I would permanently ban would be crazy. Crazy is extremely derogatory for those of who have a mental health diagnosis. It is not only derogatory but very stigmatizing. The word crazy to a person with a mental illness is like the word retard (which should be permanently banned as well) to someone with Down Syndrome and other such disabilities. I know developmental disabilities are different from mental illness however words can me just as harmful to those of us with a mental health diagnosis.

It makes my skin crawl when I hear someone say the word crazy or even cray cray. When I try to educate others on it, I get everything from, “Thank you, I didn’t realize it was offensive. I will make an effort to not use it.” to “It is socially acceptable and you need to not be so sensitive.” In response to the latter comment, I ask the if the “n” word or retard are acceptable and the response to both are a resounding “no.” I then say then you shouldn’t use the crazy or cray cray for the same reason. The word crazy SHOULD NOT be socially acceptable.

As you can tell I get on my soap box and can go on and on about the word crazy or slang word cray cray. That is why I am ending this post at the moment. Plus, I think you all get the point or at least I hope you all doing. Have a wonderful 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!!!

Weekly Goals

Posted on by Gertie

Good morning!!! It is Monday and the start of yet another work week or at least it is for millions of people around this world including myself. I may not know what this week will bring, I am looking forward to what it has to offer. Now it is time to share with you how I did with last weeks goals:

1)  Read Speaker of the Dead by Orson Scott Card. Yes, I did read this week. I only read about ten pages due to being so busy. I am enjoying the book thus far.

2)  Work on jigsaw puzzle. I worked on it some. Not as much as I would have liked to have worked on it. I was hoping that I would at least get all the end pieces together but unfortunately time would not allow me to do so.

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. Yes, I did work on in the workbook. I did manage to do the entire first chapter.

4)  Hang out with friends. Yes, I did hang out with friends. I had a blast hanging out with awesome people.

5)  Research the topic for my blogging feature. Yes, I did work on my blogging feature. I did manage to pretty much finish up the research for my first ever blogging feature. I did start researching for other features as well.

6)  Do a daily prompt every Tuesday. Yes, I did start doing a daily prompt every Tuesday, last Tuesday. I do plan on doing one tomorrow as well.

I did manage to accomplish my goals this past week despite the lack of time I had. Like I mentioned earlier, I am looking forward to what this next week has to bring. My weekly goals are as follows:

1)  Read Speaker of the Dead by Orson Scott Card. I am really enjoying the book.

2)  Work on jigsaw puzzle. The major part I want to accomplish this week is to finish putting the end pieces together.

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. For this particular goal this week, I would like to work on chapter 2 and complete it before next Monday

4)  See my therapist on Thursday. I rarely miss an appointment with my therapist. The reason why I put this as goal is because it is not an easy thing to accomplish even though it is a rare occurrence I miss a session. Seeing my therapist is a major part of my recovery.

5)  Go to a youth specific suicide prevention training on Wednesday. This is one of the many trainings that is offered to me at one of the places I volunteer at. Since I am wanting to work with youth and young adults, I thought this would be helpful to me. This is one of the things I am looking forward to this week.

Thank you for reading my weekly goals, yet again. Just like last week this weeks goals were quite winded. It seems like this weeks goals are geared toward things that I find relaxing, my recovery, and career related stuff. Like always I am appreciative of being part of the blogging event over at: http://greenembe.rs/2015/08/24/building-rome-week-34-for-2015/ Have an awesome week and peace out everyone.

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!!!!

The Day My Career Changed

Posted on by Gertie

Today marks one year since I found out I got my current job as a consumer aide. I was ecstatic that I got my current job. It took all my might to not stick it on Facebook till I had put in my two weeks notice at my previous employer. I thought I owed it to my previous employer to not announce it to the world before they found out I was leaving. They did help me with the job experience I needed as well as giving me some life long friends.  I realized that no matter where I work I’m still going to be part of my previous employers “family” and am beyond grateful for that.

As I look back over the last year, I have realized a great deal about myself not just personally but professionally as well. I learned on how tight nit the mental health community is and how much we really need to rely on each other. The mental health community is also quite small. That is why we need to take care of each other. There is always something to learn in my current career. I think the learning new things is one of the many reasons why I enjoy my career in the mental health field. I have always enjoyed learning and am looking forward to the learning opportunities I will be able to access. Learning opportunities I might not have been able to receive due to the lack of funds. Most importantly, I am able to be an example of what recovery looks like.

As I look forward to what my future looks like in my career, I hope that this time next year I will be a peer specialist. It is the most logical step in my career path. It is what I have been wanting the last two or so years. Now that I have experience, I think it would be a good idea to apply to be a peer specialist. If I get a peer job outside of the agency I currently work at, I will be a little sad. My current agency gave me the break I needed, career wise. I started with them as a volunteer and now I am employed with them and hope that I will be able to get a peer position within the agency. Even if I get employed elsewhere as a peer my current employer will have a soft spot in my heart. The did give me my start in the field.

Now that I told you how today was the day my career changed, I’m going to call it an evening and relax. I hope that everyone has a wonderful and relaxed weekend. Peace out everyone!!!

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!!

Discussing Politics

Posted on by Gertie

I am sitting here watching The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC with Junior. I like how she backs up what she has to says while other shows similar to hers do not. Junior and I enjoy watching various cable news stations despite how some can be quite infuriating most of the time (not going to name the station: FOXNESWS). In fact we like to watch the various cable news stations because we like to hear what all of them (the stations) have to say about what is going on in the world but mostly what is going on politically especially the 2016 Presidential race.

I realize that discussing politics can be an extremely touchy subject to talk about. Yes, it may be a touchy subject but we all have a particular issue that matters to us more deeply than other issues. For instance one of the many issues that is close to my heart is that of mental health and how nobody pays attention to it until a tragedy of some sort happens such of a mass shooting or the suicide of Robin Williams. We all know why I am so passionate about mental health and that is one of the many reasons why I am paying more attention to this election than previous elections.

I love getting involved with politics and am planning on getting involved as soon as I figure out on who I am going to back for the 2016 elections. I am researching the various candidates in both major political parties to see who will best represent on what I am looking for in a President or any other political office for that matter.

Well, I best be going because I want to finish watching The Rachel Maddow Show. Have a wonderful evening and enjoy what this world has to bring you. Peace Out!!!

Thinking About My Career

Posted on by Gertie

It is hard to believe that this time last year, I was waiting to hear back from my current employer if I got my current job. I am more than thrilled that I got it. It is giving me the paid experience some other mental health agencies desire in a peer specialist candidate. I not only love my job as a consumer aide, I also love the agency I work for.

Loving my job and the employer I work for is why I am finding it difficult to do be looking for a job as a peer specialist. Yes, I am looking for peer specialist jobs in the agency I work for but that doesn’t always mean I will get the job. Once, I hit my one year anniversary in my current position, I plan on applying for peer specialist jobs. The reason why I am waiting for my one year anniversary is because it looks better on the résumé when I apply for jobs outside the agency I currently work at.

One thing I find amazing when comes to the entire job search process, including the interview process is on how much experience future employers desire. I’m bringing up this particular issue is because how are you suppose to get experience when nobody will hire you due to the lack of experience. I chuckle at this because I had one mental health agency turn me down for a peer specialist position early last year because I didn’t have enough “paid experience” while other agencies told me the reason I got an interview was because, I have “great deal of experience, whether it is paid or volunteer.”  I don’t think it should matter about the type of experience you have if you have the experience. I realize that some career paths don’t necessarily have ways to volunteer in which leads me to, how in the hell does one gain experience.

I am just grateful that my volunteer experience is one of the many reasons I got my current job as a consumer aide. It goes to show you that what you have in your résumé does count. I just hope that my current position at work as well as my current and former volunteer jobs help me get a peer a support position especially one that would be fit my personality as well the personalities of the future clients that I would be helping.

Another thing that I worry about in regards to looking for a job as a peer specialist are the clients I currently help in the consumer aide position I am in at the moment. I worry about how it will affect them when I leave to a peer specialist position especially since its only been just under a year when I started. I just don’t want it to do more harm than good especially since we have had an extremely high turnover in staff the last three to four months for the particular program I work in. It has been quite difficult for the clients. I know realistically on how resilient my clients are, it’s just a concern of mine that having another staff member leave so soon after so many other staff left around the same time. I know I will have to leave and move on eventually and there is never a good time to leave when it comes to dealing with people who struggle with a mental illness. It is something to think about as I update my résumé and cover letters.

I do know as I update my résumé and cover letters that I will have to do a salary history letter as well. I am not sure if I am comfortable doing a salary history if I’m not 100% sure I am going to at least get an interview. I don’t even know how to do a salary history letter despite my efforts in looking for examples online. I will be asking my therapist the next time I see as well as asking one of the peer specialist that I talk to on occasion when I go to my appointments at the mental health agency I seek my services at. I do know that before I apply anywhere I have to first update everything as well as ask people to be references. Asking for references will not be the difficult part. The difficult part will be the salary letter and I am okay with that.

I think I have bored you all enough with my career and how I am wanting to move up in the world. I best be going because I have an overnight shift at the young adult shelter I volunteer at. In fact it is my first overnight shift. I usually do evenings but think it would be a good experience for me. I hope to do one overnight shift a month and three evening shifts a month. Any way before I get more off topic I will end this entry for now. I hope to blog again tomorrow and tell you how my first overnight shift went. Have a good night all. Peace Out!!