Blogs

 Depression and the Plot of Your Life

By: Erica Loberg

Sometimes you’re not depressed, you’re just not happy. And given the world we live in with stress, and the realities of the plot of our lives, it’s hard to decipher the difference between chemical depression and self-inflicted depression.

How do you know if you are chemically depressed or simply emotionally upset from the plot of your life?

 Mental Illness and Dementia Link
-- Is there cause for concern?

I have Bipolar Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Panic Disorder, General Anxiety Disorder, PTSD, and a slew of other medical issues not related to psychology. However, I have become concerned about developing Alzheimer’s disease or Dementia as I grow older. I’m already middle age and have had some cognitive issues such as loss of memory.

 I Love You, but I Hate Myself

I used to believe in the saying “you can’t really love someone until you love yourself”. I used to also believe in the idea “coping skills are productive if they help you deal with a life situation”. Well, at age 27, I can definitely say I don’t believe in either exact saying or the idea anymore.

 Remembering my first time…

I have a hard time truly disclosing to anyone how I am doing on the inside. Mood charts were very vague for me and the more I got used to the typical mood rating conversation, the easier it was to not disclose my thoughts and feelings, especially if I wasn’t directly asked. The typical conversation usually went like this:

Doc: Can you rate your mood for me? 1 is the lowest your mood can be and 10 are the highest it can be.

Me: 4

 My name is Kathleen K. I have been diagnosed with Schizo Affective, Bipolar One disorders since I was 33. That's about 22 years. I have lived through just about anything and everything. From being experimented with on all kinds of medication, as the Doctors couldn't decide which disorder to treat, to being in Mental Hospitals every three to four months for 11 years. In 2004 a Doctor at a Hospital where I was staying came in and treated me with a very large dosage of Geodan. He put me on 280 mgs of Geodan. At the time I was hearing Voices and Hallucinating.

 My name is Kathleen K. I have been diagnosed with Schizo Affective, Bipolar One disorders since I was 33. That's about 22 years. I have lived through just about anything and everything. From being experimented with on all kinds of medication, as the Doctors couldn't decide which disorder to treat, to being in Mental Hospitals every three to four months for 11 years. In 2004 a Doctor at a Hospital where I was staying came in and treated me with a very large dosage of Geodan. He put me on 280 mgs of Geodan. At the time I was hearing Voices and Hallucinating.

 Recovery – Is that word allowed?

Bipolar and Recovery. Two words that don’t normally go together in many circles. But, new research has determined that “recovery” is attainable for those with Bipolar and possibly other mental illnesses.

What does it take? Is there a magic pill? Why haven’t we heard of this before?

It’s hard work, dedication, and mental and physical health management.

 “Mental Illness can damage the brain. You can't just wait for it to go away. The longer you wait to get treatment, the worse it will get and the greater chance that prescription drugs won't work.” That is a direct quote from a June 2012 Readers Digest article on “13 Things Your Therapist Won't Tell You.” Okay, my first thought: good thing, I can still try illicit drugs for treatment then.

 DEPRESSION AND CLOTHES
By: Erica Loberg

I went to an all girls catholic high school, which means one thing: uniforms. I loved uniforms. I may have been the only person in my class who actually liked wearing the same shirt and skirt every day.

 The Importance of Strong Toes