Sharing – How To Be A Good Friend To Someone With Mental Illness

Sharing – How To Be A Good Friend To Someone With Mental Illness

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

Not every tip you read will be appropriate for every person. People with anxiety are different than people dealing with depression, are different that people dealing with Bipolar are different than people dealing with a myriad of other issues, and even within all people with anxiety, they are all individuals. There is no one-size-fits-all advice here, other than to open the lines of communication, and ask how you can be a good friend.

In the end, isn’t that what being a good friend to anyone is? Trying to understand how you can be helpful and supportive in their life? It’s no different here.

But, these are a good place to start.

Sharing – Researchers Doubt That Certain Mental Disorders Are Disorders At All

Sharing – Researchers Doubt That Certain Mental Disorders Are Disorders At All

ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

On one hand, I think we could eliminate a lot of the stigma around depression, anxiety, PTSD and ADHD if we understood them to be fairly common, and normal responses to abnormal events.

On the other though, I’m concerned that trying to explain away something that can be as debilitating as depression can be could lead to an increase in people not taking it seriously. Which could lead to people not getting help as needed for it, and being blamed for not just dealing with it, etc.

I also worry that if we define mental health conditions very strictly, we’ll be increasing the stigma of those with other disorders like bipolar, or schizophrenia.

Reviews Elsewhere – The Ups and Downs – A Bipolar Picture Book

Reviews Elsewhere – The Ups and Downs – A Bipolar Picture Book

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

I wouldn’t have thought a book about Bipolar would lend itself to a picture book, but at least in the opinion of Ashley, it works: This book does a great job of simplifying what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder while still staying true to the reality of the illness. The illustrations are well…

Sharing – Stigma Keeps Us From Talking – Even To Each Other

Sharing – Stigma Keeps Us From Talking – Even To Each Other

ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

I agree with what George says here about speaking out – Sometimes, when the others we’re concerned about include employers, spouses and children, it’s OK to exercise your right to just be quiet. At the end of the day, while we wish dealing with a mental health issue would be met with only love and…

Sharing – Facing Suicide: An Interview With My Sister

Sharing – Facing Suicide: An Interview With My Sister

ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

A couple of things I thought of while reading the interview linked below. Julia and her sister grew up in a similar environment, but have had different paths to recovery and healing. It was her sister who spent some time in inpatient care and is sharing her story, not Julia herself. That is normal. There…

Sharing – Toronto man using his own mental health experiences to help other patients

Sharing – Toronto man using his own mental health experiences to help other patients

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

Our stories, and our experiences, matter. They are needed to help improve things for others. Here is yet another example. “One of those patients was his own son, who was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder. When his son went to Sunnybrook for treatment, Reid realized that his own experiences could be invaluable in establishing better…