Mental Health Archives » Page 50 of 59

Okay, so it only stopped for a very short while, but it felt like forever. Riding the gondola downhill is definitely scarier than going uphill, especially because I had my son and husband as company on the way up. Solo ride down allows for more fear to creep in, especially when the wind picks up…

Gratitude

Jul 15, 2014

in Family, Gratitude, Marriage, Mental Health, Parenting, Writing

Tonight I am grateful for my son whom I love dearly. To celebrate his fourteenth birthday tomorrow, we are mountain biking on ruggedly beautiful Mammoth Mountain an ancient volcano lying beside the granite Eastern Sierras of California. The Sierra Nevada mountain range Ansel Adams photographed and John Muir wrote of and advocated to preserve. As I write, I sit…

Day One – Discovery Trail

Jul 14, 2014

in Anxiety, Fear of Heights – Acrophobia, Hypomania, Photos

Did I mention that I’m afraid of heights? Not a crippling fear. I do not have acrophobia and do not want to diminish a very real anxiety disorder. Instead I have what I consider a reasonable fear — the fear of falling off high places. Since I have a history of fighting the urge to “fly” off bridges…

Road Trip

Jul 13, 2014

in Medication, Photos

We are on our way to Mammoth Mountain, high on the eastern desert side of the Sierras, for a week of downhill mountain biking. I’ve never had great balance and divalproex sodium (Depakote) makes my inherent klutziness even worse. So I’ll be sticking to beginner slopes. My husband and son, though, will be risking life…

Thank You Nonsense and Shenanigans

Jul 12, 2014

in Dual Diagnosis, Gratitude, Mental Health Blogging, Past Awards – No Longer Accept, Writing

Tempest Rose, author of the amazing blog Nonsense & Shenanigans – Trying to make sense out of nonsense and shenanigans …but usually achieving the opposite, today honored me by nominating me for the Liebster Award at http://nonsenseshenanigans.com/2014/07/12/liebster-award/. Please go visit her blog, enjoy her writing, and learn more about her. The blogs she nominated are well worth reading. Although greatly…

Doctor’s Orders

Jul 9, 2014

in Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Parenting, Hypomania, Marriage, Medication, Psychotherapy, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Social Stimulation, Triggers to Mood Cycling

Yesterday afternoon I saw my psychiatrist at group therapy. After confessing that I’ve been spending over ten hours a day (honestly, probably far more) on social media and that I’ve been unable to fall asleep at night, my psychiatrist told me that I am socially overstimulating myself. He pointed out that my online activity is…

Success Over Stigma: Living a Successful Life with Bipolar – black dog pie: a magazine on depression and bipolar

Jul 8, 2014

in Acceptance, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Stigma

Love this quote: “the reason you don’t actually cross the road when you see your BPD neighbour is that….. you have no idea she has it” BY GENE FOR BLACK DOG PIE · JULY 8, 2014

Motherhood While Depressed and Bipolar

Jul 5, 2014

in Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Parenting, Depression, Disability, Hypomania, Medication, Migraine, Motherhood, Stigma

Since I was eighteen-years-old, I suffered from symptoms of moderate to severe chronic depression. Until I was thirty, I coped with chronic depression using psychotherapy. When I suffered a severe breakdown at thirty, I sought medical help for my symptoms and was prescribed antidepressants. Before becoming pregnant in my mid-thirties, I researched antidepressants to determine which was the…

Pledge to Blog for Mental Health 2014 Project

Jul 2, 2014

in Bipolar Disorder, Mental Health

I pledge my commitment to the Blog for Mental Health 2014 Project. 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. In…

Ode to my Sewing Machine

Jul 1, 2014