Mental Health - Kitt O’Malley

Today I received the following email from the NOMORE Project. When I was in my mid-twenties I worked as an administrator for a battered woman’s shelter after volunteering on their crisis line. My exposure to domestic violence left me with a passion to end it. I haven’t worked in the social services field for over…

End the Silence

Feb 5, 2015

in Depression, Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Illness, NAMI, Psychosocial Education, Public Speaking

Yesterday morning I attended a NAMI Ending the Silence presentation at an Orange County high school. I hope to soon train to become an Ending the Silence presenter for my local NAMI Orange County chapter. Since I’m running on empty, here I simply quote verbatim (yes, once again, I just copied and pasted the content) NAMI’s Ending the Silence home page…

Mental Health Ministry

Feb 5, 2015

in Acceptance, Discrimination, Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Health Ministry, Mental Illness, NAMI, Stigma, What About God?

Back in Fall 2005, when I first attended Fuller Theological Seminary – a multi-denominational Christian seminary – I wrote a Mental Health Ministry training manual. I just changed the language to make it more inclusive of all faiths. Feel free to use it as you see fit. NAMI FaithNet, by the way, is expert at helping faith communities support those with…

Blog for Mental Health 2015

Feb 4, 2015

in Bipolar Disorder, Discrimination, Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Illness, Stigma

I pledge my commitment to the Blog for Mental Health 2015 Project (blogformentalhealth.com). I will blog about mental health topics not only for myself, but for others. By displaying this badge, I show my pride, dedication, and acceptance for mental health. I use this to promote mental health education in the struggle to erase stigma. Last…

The Clay Hunt SAV Act Passed! Thank Your Members of Congress!

Feb 3, 2015

in Gratitude, Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Illness, NAMI

The Clay Hunt SAV Act Passed! Thank Your Members of Congress! Thank you for your mental health advocacy! Thank you for contacting your Senators and Congressmen to make your voice heard. Thank you for your support of suicide prevention for our military and veterans community. Your phone calls, emails and tweets helped to pass the Clay…

Blogging 201: My Three Goals

Feb 1, 2015

in Blogging, Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Illness, Writing

Our first assignment in Blogging 201 is to write three concrete goals. Here are mine: Write at least once a week Gain new readers each week Maintain mutually supportive online relationships with my readers Q: Why do you blog? A: Get thoughts out of my head and onto the page. Educate. Advocate. Fight ignorance, stereotypes, and stigma.…

NAMI Provider Education – Class One

Feb 1, 2015

in Mental Health, NAMI

Joyce Burland, PhD developed NAMI‘s Provider Education Program to provide health service providers with insight into the lived experience of mental illness. In the first class, we went over the key principals guiding the course and heard the personal and family mental health crisis stories of our volunteer panelists. Thank you, NAMI-Orange County volunteers! The following content comes from the…

Impulsive Much?

Feb 1, 2015

in Bipolar Disorder, Hypomania, Mental Health, NAMI, Triggers to Mood Cycling

Okay, here’s the thing… I get stimulated in social situations. Too stimulated. Too excited. Too impulsive. I take over. Hog the floor. Talk too much. Not so good at sharing. So… can I really participate in give-and-take social situations? Can I be a member of a presentation panel and wait my turn? Can I give…

Fried – Just Fried

Jan 29, 2015

in Bipolar Disorder, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Overwhelmed, Triggers to Mood Cycling

Today I went to a writers’ meetup, and now I am just wiped out. Social stimulation exhausts me. I had a great time, but I’m just not up for it. Just not up for two hours of conversation. Damn fucking brain disorder. I HATE bipolar disorder. My brain is FRIED.

I, Too, Am Not Okay

Jan 29, 2015

in Bipolar Disorder, Hypomania, Intrusive Thoughts, Mania, Mental Illness

Yesterday I wrote this response to Tempest Rose’s post It’s Okay for Me to Not be Okay on STIGMAMA.COM: I, too, am not okay, and I’m okay with it. Often other people do not understand what they cannot see. For many years I wondered, do other people think like this? Do other people have to…

Category: Mental Health