Sunday, March 18, 2012

Do I Laugh or Do I Cry?

How's my mental health today?

It's Sunday - I'm trying to relax and prepare for the coming week.

Yesterday evening I was searching through my binders of CDs looking for music discs that I had misfiled. I came across a stack of CD ROMs that I had used to back up my files years ago. Some of the disks files were more than 10 years old. I even found a few of the cartoons I used to use to make a point in the mental health workshops I presented. One workshop stands out in my memory - I had been asked to share a bit of my story, and I used a number of these cartoons in a PowerPoint show during my talk. One participant told me afterwards that she didn't know whether she should laugh or cry.

Since I ranted about things mental health several days ago, I thought now would be a good time to share a few of these "borrowed" gems.

When you live with a mental illness, you never know what you're going to encounter:



  • Sometimes, it feels like others dismiss or severely minimize your experience and your pain.
















        

  • Or you get the feeling you've been written off.











  

  • One of the worst feelings is when you feel you've been stripped of your dignity.








  • Accessing the right service can be a challenge!















  • Some of the directions you get are hard to follow.





  • Some treatment programs and approaches can strike you as being somewhat odd.










  • Program cuts and cost-cutting measures often exact a high price on the patient.











  • Some treatment decisions weren't necessarily thought thru enough. (Some unexpected consequences).







  • I once ( almost 10 years ago) had my medication side-effects concerns dismissed by my Doc. So I stopped taking them and four weeks later I was in hospital.










  • Some things weren't as helpful as they appeared at first glance.















  • Patients could be a little resistant at times.








  • The "poor me" card was played far too often.














  • "Helpers" face many challenges.













  • A lot of Docs I know thought this was funny. One in particular felt insulted. I think it's hilarious!


  • Recovery is hard work.
  • Clarity can be evasive.








  • The tough stuff never seems to take a holiday.




  • Was that a shot?







Recovery Does Happen!






  • I suggested to Heidi that we should use this cartoon on our wedding invitations. She wouldn't go for it. : (












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