'we all go a little mad sometimes'
Misc
Mental Illness Awareness Week 10/7-10/13
4 years ago
in Misc
Building Community, Taking Action
October 7-13, 2007
Since 1990, mental health advocates across the country have joined together during the first week of October to celebrate Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW).
What is Mental Illness Awareness Week?
Established in 1990 by Congress, the first week of October is designated as “Mental Illness Awareness Week” (MIAW) in recognition of NAMI’s efforts to raise mental illness awareness. “Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day” (BDAD) is held each year on the Thursday of MIAW to encourage further understanding and promote early intervention and treatment for this mental illness.
MIAW and BDAD are NAMI’s premiere public awareness and public education campaigns that link the organization nationally to the organization’s over 1100 local affiliates across the country.
Over the past 16 years, MIAW has become a tradition in NAMI. It presents an opportunity for all three levels of NAMI –national, state and local – to work together in communities across the country in meeting the NAMI mission through a variety of outreach, educational, and advocacy efforts.
What is Bipolar Awareness Day?
Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day was created by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and Abbott Laboratories to increase awareness of bipolar disorder, promote early detection and accurate diagnosis, reduce stigma, and minimize the devastating impact on the 2.3 million Americans presently affected by the disorder.
BDAD activities focus on encouraging the community to:
* Learn more about the symptoms of bipolar disorder and mental illness and understand its impact on society.
* Participate in a free mental health screening held in many communities.
* Reach out to individuals suffering from bipolar disorder or mental illness.
* Encourage individuals with bipolar disorder to seek treatment.
A New Kind of Sex Toy?
4 years ago
in Misc
I know this isn’t my normal type of post, but it made me laugh and I wanted to share it.
A US mother-of-three has invented a sex toy that connects to a vacuum cleaner to give an orgasm in just ten seconds.
The gadget, called Vortex Vibrations, works by concentrating the air flow to create a rapid and gentle vibration, reports the Sun.
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Diagnoses
4 years ago
in Misc
In late December 2005 my doctor diagnosed me with Bipolar Disorder type 1 – it was after a suicide attempt that my sister interrupted.
Bipolar disorder type one means that I have full-blown manic and major depressive episodes. Rapid cyclers have at least four episodes a year. Average cyclers have one or two episodes a year. I’m an ultra-rapid cycler, which means I have several episodes and they change frequently. My moods can shift several times a day, but my intense episodes last between a few weeks and several months.
I also have Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Panic Disorder.
Whew! That’s a mouthful!
I refused to admit I had Bipolar Disorder for a long time, partly because the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. I was deeply ashamed that I couldn’t “fix it” on my own. . I had hoped like hell that it would skip me, but both of my parents have BD; there was like a 75%-ish chance I would have it; damn the luck!
Anyway, I’m no longer in denial. I admitted I have some problems that I couldn’t handle alone anymore. While I was getting stitches for some self-inflicted wounds, a psych nurse in the E.R. made me think about what I was doing and where my chosen path was leading. I knew if I didn’t get help I would be dead before the end of this year.
To keep from having a ‘nervous breakdown’ I checked myself into a behavioral health center in January ’07. I had gotten to the point where I was seriously injuring myself physically and engaging in very risky behavior – hoping to die.
I still have depressive episodes, but I haven’t been suicidal (at least with intent to carry it out) since my hospitalization. I’ve been making a lot of progress and each day I become healthier and more stable. There are setbacks now and then, but I’m learning better ways to cope with them instead of cutting or bloodletting.
Living Happily in our World as an INFP
4 years ago
in Misc
Some INFPs have difficulty fitting into our society. Their problems are often a result of an unawareness of appropriate social behavior, an unawareness of how they come across to others, or unrealistic expectations of others. Any one of the above issues stem from using Extraverted iNtuition in a diminished manner.
An INFP who takes in information for the sake of understanding the world around them, rather than one who takes in information only to support their own ideas, will have a clearer, more objective understanding of how society values social behaviors and attitudes. He or she will also be more aware of how they are perceived by others, and will have more realistic expectations for others’ behavior within a relationship. Such well-adjusted INFPs will fit happily into our society.
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I miss mania and hypomania […]
