Mental illness - xoJane

I’m Moving Across The Country To Escape All My Problems (HA, JK -- But Not Really)

Caitlin Thornton — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

I decided to finally start listening to my own heart or head or whatever. And it's telling me, "California."

Yes, You Can Be A Mentally Ill Parent...If You Want to Be

s.e. smith — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:00:00 -0400

When it comes to handling tantrums, counting to 10, cooling down, and all the other tricks needed to handle kids growing into themselves, some of us crazies are old hands.

It Happened To Me Contest Entry: My Psychiatric Medications Made Me Hallucinate

IHTM CONTESTANT — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:00:00 -0500

About an hour or two after I took my morning medications, which at the time consisted of a cocktail of Wellbutrin, Prozac, Strattera, and Klonopin, there were aliens in my bedroom.

IHTM: My Mom Is Schizophrenic, But I'm Doing Okay Now

GG Renee Hill — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:00:00 -0500

My world with her was a twilight zone. I never knew what to expect from one moment to the next.

Stop Looking For Answers: Suicide Is No One's Fault

s.e. smith — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:00:00 -0500

In the wake of any suicide, but especially a very public and prominent one, there is a rush to attribute reasons, and there is a collective sense of panicked guilt as people struggle to understand what happened and why.

I'm Mentally Ill, And I Carried A Gun Every Day For 5 Years

Aly Mo — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:00:00 -0500

As an armed security police officer, I carried a side arm and a semi-automatic rifle everyday while I was on shift. People with mental illness can be responsible with a firearm, and like me, they can even be kick-ass first responders that are ready to serve their communities.

Stop Blaming Mom: For Nancy Lanza And All Women Who Share A Home With Someone With Mental Illness

Ren Jender — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:00:00 -0500

When a story about family violence makes the news, I’m really not interested in how the victim could have behaved better. Maybe because I used to have a spouse with a mental illness who I feared would kill me.

Psychiatric Meds Helped Me Become A Better Person

Dennis — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:00:00 -0500

Meds don’t change you. They let you become who you’re meant to be.

For the Last Time, Stop Conflating Violence and Mental Illness

s.e. smith — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:01:00 -0500

By all means, let’s improve mental health services in the US. Please. We desperately need it. But if you want to talk about how to prevent rampage violence, I’m afraid you’re going to need to move on to other subjects.

It Happened To Me: I Called The Suicide Hotline And Was Placed On Hold

Spoken Pandora — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:00:00 -0500

My race of women are supposed to be strong. But the truth of the matter is that black folks battle with suicide just as much as the next person. We just don’t talk about it much.

It Happened to Me: I'm Being Held Hostage By My Brother's Suicide Threats

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:00:00 -0500

While normal families call each other because they love one another, my phone calls are to ensure my brother is still alive, to make sure he hasn't taken the pills or put the gun in his mouth.

Keep Crazies Away From Guns! Single Parents Are the Problem! And Other Gems From Last Night's Debate

s.e. smith — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 11:31:00 -0400

The United States has a very complex and tormented relationship with guns, and a debate format is just really not the best place to be exploring gun policy, gun violence and gun ownership. So I braced myself for a wild ride, and I got one.

A Reluctant Defense of Pro-Ana Blogs

Lesley — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:00:00 -0400

A recent survey has found that people with eating disorders may get more positive help from pro-ana communities than anyone realized. I'm arguing why banning these communities outright is a bad idea.

Why Are Acts of Evil Always Attributed to "Crazy People" or "Muslim Terrorists"?

s.e. smith — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:05:25 -0400

A terrible, wrong thing happened in Denver this morning. And in response, people are perpetrating more violence and more harm with their rhetoric about crazed killers.

Imaginary Neighborhoods; On Destigmatizing Mental Illness

Marianne — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 13:00:19 -0400

There are many things that impact mental health. I’d say it goes without saying that racism and oppression are two very large things, but maybe it really does need to be said.

Paint Your Nails the Bipolar Way: Obsessively

Marianne — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:00:27 -0400

I did my nails three times yesterday. And I still don't really like what I wound up with

Mental Health Month: How to Help the Crazy People In Your Life

s.e. smith — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:05:23 -0400

The question is not whether you know mental illness exists, but what you are going to do about it.

It Happened to Me: I Went to The Pediatric Psych Ward

Hallie — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:27 -0500

I’ll never forget the 14-year-old kid who said he had dreams about shooting his aunt every night, or the one who wanted to know why rape was illegal. I was just a teenage girl who had panic attacks.

Living (and Working and Traveling) With Agoraphobia

Sara Benincasa — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:00:10 -0500

I actually go out of the house on purpose to perform in front of crowds, something that seemed impossible a decade ago, when my mom had to extract me from my filthy apartment in Boston and drag me home to New Jersey for psychiatric intervention.

I Hide My Mental Illness

s.e. smith — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:00:10 -0500

Being mentally ill means that I am more likely to be shot by police. I am more likely to be raped or assaulted. I am more likely to be institutionalized, to be condemned as an unfit parent, to be denied employment or fired.