Similar Posts
Link – Uplifting letters from those who have battled depression to fellow sufferers tell them ‘that it can and does get better’
This is a pretty cool idea, because as I’ve said many times, someone with depression needs to know that they are not the only one who has ever been in this struggle, and that there is hope. “Their letters and the others in the book, are so powerful because they’re all from people who have…
Link – The Power of One: A Supportive Adult Has Huge Impact in the Life of an Abused Child
Agreed: “Both in my work as a child psychotherapist and personally as a survivor of childhood abuse, I’ve seen what a difference these “ones” can make to a child who is living with domestic violence. Children are resilient. They can survive and even thrive after unthinkable trauma. But that resilience generally comes from having a…
Sharing – How to Respond When Mental Health Advice Feels Like Judgment
Look, I get it, you tried something and it helped you, or you’ve seen it help someone else. Clearly, you are excited about the possibility of helping others, but you’re forgetting something. You’re forgetting that the person you are sharing this advice with, isn’t you.
When you come walking into a conversation with friends, or especially into online communities with statements like the ones above, the message you are actually sending is “Gee, fixing this is easy, you’re just doing it wrong”.
Imagine using those actual words towards someone you barely know. You wouldn’t, would you? At least if you’re a decent human being, you wouldn’t. But you are totally willing to take your beliefs, your own experience, and completely railroad another person’s current reality with it, you are doing something awfully similar. In a moment of emotional vulnerability, you have come in, guns blazing, with the suggestion that all of this pain they are in, and all of this struggling they are going through, should have been easy to avoid.
Sharing – You’re Probably Not As Useless As You Think
This article has a lot to say about supporting someone who is dealing with a serious illness, and not being able to “fix” things for them, but this last section really hit home for me in so many situations: Choosing inaction is an action. And it can be hard and brave because inaction will not…
Link – Teen Angst Stereotype Prevented Me From Recognizing My Mental Illness
I find Erin’s story interesting because I think it is easy to look at a teenager, especially one who’s not exhibiting the signs we saw on the TV news story about teenagers and drugs/depression, and assume “it’s just a phase”. It might not be: “I clung to the idea that mental illness came for other…
Sharing – A Crisis Text Line Volunteer Tells Us What Life Is Like Right Now
This was seriously eye-opening, and as much as you should go read the whole thing, this was the one question and answer I wanted to make sure you read, because it’s a message we should take to heart. “SELF: Are there any positive trends you’ve noticed amid the anxiety? S.S.: Some texters realize they have…
