Kevin Breel: Confessions of a Depressed Comic

This teenager, Kevin Breel, is so incredibly strong and courageous! This is such an inspirational video! It is worthy of watching every second of! Below is one quote that I really liked, there are plenty more where that came from to be found in this video!

"Unfortunately we live in a world where if you break your arm everyone runs over to sign your cast but if you tell people you're depressed, everyone runs the other way. That's the stigma. We are so, so, so accepting of any body part breaking down, other than our brains and that's ignorance. That's pure ignorance and that ignorance has created a world that doesn't understand depression, that doesn't understand mental health. That's ironic to me because depression is one of the best documented problems we have in the world yet it's one of the least discussed. We just push it aside and put it in a corner and pretend it's not there and hope it will fix itself. Well it won't, it hasn't, and it's not going to because that's wishful thinking." -Kevin Breel

Suicide Hotline

I like to repost this from time to time for anyone who may need it. If you are feeling suicidal please, please, please call this hotline, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Suicide is not the answer, I know that it can feel that way at times. Trust me, I know, I've been there and I'm lucky to be alive after a near death suicide attempt. I'll be the first one to admit that I don't always feel like life is worth living but in the end, I'm glad I'm still here.

Find a support Group - Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

If anyone is interested in finding a support group in their area, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) has a number of support groups across the country. I just inquired about the one in my area yesterday and I think I'm going to check it out this coming Sunday. Here is the link to the support group page where you can search by state or by zip code.

Find a support Group - Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

Book Review: “The Pros of Prozac: A Faith-Based Memoir of Overcoming the Stigma” by Beca Mark

Here you will find a book review of the above mentioned book. This review is written by a man named Mack Kreps. He is the administrator of a fabulous mental health related page on Facebook and I offered to share this review for him on both my Facebook page and my blog. So, enjoy!

THIS REVIEW WAS NOT WRITTEN BY ME, SARA BREIDENSTEIN. IT WAS WRITTEN BY MACK KREPS IN ITS ENTIRETY. 

It is amazing that I actually have the opportunity to do my first book review on a mental health related book. When I was first presented the opportunity to review the book I was very excited as mental health is a subject that is very important to me. The book is called the “Pro’s of Prozac: A Faith-Based Memoir of Overcoming the Stigma,” by Beca Mark.

The book is very short, concise and well-written. It is about taking Prozac for mental issues and the stigma associated with this, specifically postpartum depression and anxiety. The author Ms. Beca Mark also uses her Christian faith to help guide her and justify her actions in taking Prozac for her depression and anxiety.

When I first began reading the book I was a little unsure whether I was qualified since I know nothing of postpartum depression and I’ve never taken Prozac. However, the more I thought about it the more I thought this would be the best way to approach it even if I were an expert on either subject. I needed to view the book from the standpoint of someone who knows nothing and determine whether or not this book would be helpful for me or not if I was looking at taking Prozac or another anti-depressant. And while I have plenty of experience with depression and anti-depressants, I took it as a challenge to review the book and give an accurate review. 

I don’t want to say that the book is just about postpartum depression because it is not. It just happens to be what the author of the book suffers from initially until she realizes that she has suffered from depression and anxiety most of her life. The book is made up of 16 concise and succinct chapters. Each chapter has a quote at the top which I personally like because I have an affinity for quotes and the quotes pertain to each corresponding chapter. The book is written, according to Ms. Mark, “So someone dealing with depression or heightened anxiety can easily start, finish, apply and then recommend this book.”

Ms. Mark begins the book with a confession that she takes Prozac. Throughout the book she is very cognizant about the stigma associated with taking anti-depressants. She moves on through her back story and her issues after having her first child. It is during these first chapters that she reveals her issue with postpartum depression as well as how different people react to the thought of taking medication as a “crutch.”

Before she breaks down to go seek help she tries to break down every single issue that she can think of, ranging from exercise and diet to sleep and prayer and many things in between. She seems to have been convinced that she was doing or not doing something to cause her depression. She tries exercise and gets her weight back down to her pre-pregnancy weight. But there were other issues still lingering and she still didn’t feel right.

She moves on through her first experience with Prozac when she gets her first prescription for generic Prozac (fluoxetine) from her midwife. She didn’t have a physician she visited on a regular basis so she went where she was the most comfortable and she wasn’t comfortable at all. The midwife was not very supportive on the medication front but relented and gave her a prescription.

She moves on through the book at a quick pace covering only the basics. While she lists the warnings on the label or warning page that came with her first prescription and discusses the few side effects she experienced; she proceeds to make a strong case for the “pros of Prozac.” It is at this time that she opines that she suffered from “unfounded depression and anxiety from a very young age.” For Ms. Mark, the fog lifts and she provides six pros that she experience from taking Prozac. She also summarizes them in a “before and after” manner.

Ms. Mark discusses her family history which gives insight to her personal struggle and a possible reason for her suffering. This is also substantiated when she discusses three of her four adult sisters who also take Prozac and have found relief in doing so. She speaks very candid and openly about her pregnancies of which there were three. It was during the second that she was switched to Zoloft because her midwife thought it was safer than Prozac. This did not go over well as she went back to suffering. It was at this time that she switched to a gynecologist who not only puts her back on Prozac but at a much higher dosage. However it was at this time she candidly reveals a great tragedy and how she dealt with it and how she recovered. 

The book continues as Ms. Mark briefly runs through some negatives of taking Prozac.  She also provides a chapter on some friends whose names are changed to protect their identities but that suffer from various issues and either take Prozac or don't and discusses needless suffering. She also lists some famous people who suffer from clinical depression or anxiety. She moves on through one of the longer chapters of the book and it is still quite short and that is on stigma. While she talks about God throughout the book, she expounds on more of her Christian faith in the final chapters of the book. She also explains how many people see depression as a weakness and taking medications as a crutch. The final two chapters are about the responsibility of taking Prozac and that understanding Prozac is “not a solve-all.” As previously noted, this is where she reveals most of her Christian based views and reveals four areas in which an individual must make “continual and balanced improvements” in order for an individual to realize her “greatest joy.” She concludes by pointing out that Prozac is not a solve-all but helps makes things and situations easier to dissect and handle.

The final two sections of the book are Appendices A and B. These are very informative as Appendix A is a list of discussion questions for which no answers are provided but are provided to allow the reader to use the information in the book to reach her own conclusions. Appendix B contains “Frequently Asked Questions,” in addition to information on clinical depression, anxiety disorders, medications, therapies, and additional information on Prozac and its safety during pregnancy. The book concludes with some informative statistics on mental health and Prozac.

In conclusion, the book “Pros of Prozac: A Faith-Based Memoir of Overcoming the Stigma” is a well written book that is a good read for someone new to depression or Prozac. It would be especially helpful for women suffering from postpartum depression or anyone who has suffered from depression and is trying or thinking of having a child.

I also found the book very useful in doing exactly what the title says and that is listing the pros of Prozac. Ms. Mark does not focus too much on the potential negatives, but there really aren’t many for her and she does note that there is the potential for negative side effects. It is important to point out that the book is based upon her experiences with the medication. She also mixes in her Christian beliefs and gives a solid overview of potential benefits as she has experienced them. The Appendices in the back of the book make up for any lack of clinical support within the body of the book but she clearly states that she is not a doctor and the book is based upon her experience. As a person familiar with Prozac in name only, I found the book to be very informative and would recommend this book to anyone interested in the potential overall benefits of Prozac.

NAMIWalk; Changing Minds...one step at a time.

I sure have been a slacker (and really busy with work) and have neglected to share some pictures from the NAMIWalk! This walk was such a fabulous experience that took place on May 18, 2013 at the Baltimore Inner Harbor. I walked alongside my grandfather and my best friend. I had such a great time at the walk! I am so incredibly grateful to those that donated to NAMI Maryland in support of my walk team and to those that walked alongside me. It was so incredibly heartwarming to stand at the Inner Harbor looking around at so many amazing individuals in the same place for this incredible cause- Raising awareness and fighting the stigma of mental illness! It was so inspiring to look around me and see that I'm not the only one working towards this cause, there are so many others with the same hopes, wishes and goals as me. This was my 2nd year participating in the walk and it is surely not even close to my last!

Bringing Mental Illness Out of The Shadows- great video!

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President Obama- No Shame in Mental Illness Video

Please take as moment to listen to the words of President Obama. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for these amazing words and hope to see some changes to the mental health system in America in the near future, they are much needed!

My favorite quotes from this video...

 "We know that recovery is possible, we know that help is available, yet as a society we often think about mental health differently than other forms of health"

"The brain's a body part too, we just know less about it. There should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love. We've got to get rid of that embarrassment, we've got to get rid of that stigma! Too many American's who strgle with mental health illnesses are still suffering in silence rather than seeking help."

NAMI Walks- Please Consider Making a Donation

The NAMI walk is less than a week away! I am looking forward to walking to stand up for mental health awareness and fight stigma for the 2nd year in a row. NAMI is such an amazing organization that has a positive effect on each and every one of us living with a mental illness whether we realize it on a daily basis or not.  If you have a few dollars to donate, that would be fabulous! They work so hard to make the lives individuals live with a mental illness better everyday.

Please consider making a donation to support my walk this coming Saturday. I am 66% of the way to my goal of $400, please help me reach and hopefully even surpass my goal! A donation can be made by going to the link below titled "NAMI Walks"

NAMI Walks

NAMIWalks!!

It is that time again... time for the NAMI Walk in Baltimore. It will be held at the inner harbor on Saturday May 18th with check in starting at 10am and the walk starting at 11am. I would love to have anyone from the Baltimore area walk with me on the Kissing Stigma Goodbye Walk Team.  The web address to the team site is http://namiwalks.nami.org/kissingstigmagoodbye. On that page you can sign up to walk with the team or make a donation to NAMI on behalf of the Kissing Stigma Goodbye walk team. I will post more about who NAMI is and what they do over the weekend. They are a fantastic organization.

CBT added to medication may be a better therapy

This is the link to a good article about how the addiction of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in addition to anti depressant medication could improve the outcome of treatment for individuals who are not fully medication responsive.

CBT added to medication may be a better therapy

Don't forget to follow Kissing Stigma Goodbye on Facebook!

www.facebook.com/nodifferentthanyou

Also, don't forget to email me your story for me to share annonymously with my readers!

KissingStigmaGoodbye@gmail.com

Thank you all for your continued support!

-KSG-

What is NAMI?

After posting the NAMI PSA's, I realized that not everyone knows what NAMI is and what they do. For anyone that does not know what NAMI is, they are the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They are a great organization in which I am a member of. This year, I participated in their annual walk to raise money for fighting the stigma of and raising awareness of mental illness. I plan to continue participating in this walk annually. Attached is the NAMI fact sheet for anyone interested in learning more. To those of us living with a mental illness and to the loved ones of those with a mental illness, NAMI is dedicated to fighting our cause day in and day out!

I have copied and pasted the NAMI fact sheet for you to read.  The fact sheet comes from the following link: NAMI Fact Sheet

About NAMI

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raising awareness and building a community of hope for all of those in need.
Thousands of members and supporters are the face and voice of the NAMI movement—families, individuals, friends and businesses—who come together to celebrate mental illness recovery, to honor those who have lost their lives to mental illness and to combat stigma, promote awareness and advocate for others.
Our promise.

NAMI promises to build better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
Our passion.

Because mental illness impacts the lives of at least one in four adults and one in 10 children—or 60 million Americans—NAMI will work every day to save every life.
Our people.

Thousands of members and supporters are the face and voice of the NAMI movement--families, individuals, friends and businesses--who come together to celebrate mental illness recovery, to honor those who have lost their lives to mental illness and to combat stigma, promote awareness and advocate for others.
Our work.

NAMI stays focused on educating America about mental illness. NAMI is the foundation for hundreds of NAMI State Organizations, NAMI Affiliates and volunteer leaders who work in local communities across the country to raise awareness and provide essential and free education,    advocacy and support group programs for people living with mental illness and their loved ones. NAMI creates change and works tirelessly to advocate for an American health care system that ensures access to treatment to those in need. NAMI provides free support, education, research and advocacy to help individuals and families affected by mental illness.

Learn more about awareness and support, NAMI’s education programs and our advocacy efforts by visiting www.nami.org.

Disclosing you have a mental illness at work...

I was supposed to post this a few days ago (as I promised) after posting the article titled "Bipolar Disorder In The Workplace" that I found on Forbes website.  The following comes from Forbes website as well "Seven Tips For Disclosing Bipolar Disorder to Your Employer"

Thinking About Disclosure

If you're weighing the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing your mental condition, think about whom you'll talk to and how much you'll disclose. It might be helpful to have your therapist at the meeting to describe bipolar disorders in detail.
 

Do Your Homework

It shouldn't be hard to determine your employer's attitude toward mental illness. Have others with bipolar disorders been hired? What are their experiences? Is the company open to telecommuting?

If You Keep Quiet

If you decide not to disclose your mental condition to your employer, think about how you'll get the needed support from others. This could include friends and your therapist. If your current employer is not supportive, it might be time to start looking for a more sympathetic and knowledgeable company.

How To Handle Disclosure

If you decide to disclose your mental condition, decide if you, your therapist or another person will do most of the talking. Think about what will be said and when: You may want to disclose your condition before a job interview, at the interview, before a job offer, before accepting a job or after you've started work.

Who To Tell

Who you tell will have a lot to do with when you decide to disclose. You may tell trusted co-workers, your supervisor, the interviewer, a personnel officer or a representative of the company's worker-assistance staff.

What To Say

Think about how specific you want to be when disclosing your mental condition. Do you want to describe it in general terms, such as "a medical condition," or do you want to be more specific and say "neurological problem" or "difficulty handling stress?" You may want to give your diagnosis: bipolar, depression or anxiety disorder.
 

Limitations

Describe any limitations you have in performing your duties. Tell how accommodations can help. Consider telling the employer what symptoms others may observe, what the symptoms indicate and how best to handle them. If you disclose on your own, point your employer to any necessary information from your doctor or the Americans with Disability Act.

-KSG-

How to deal with triggers!

This is good stuff, my friends!

-KSG-

Great article by Forbes...

It is an older article but I would say that unfortunately not much has changed since then so it still remains pretty true and accurate.

Bipolar Disorder In The Workplace
Scott Reeves, 05.03.06, 6:00 AM ET

Those with bipolar disorder face a basic decision: Tell the boss about the condition or remain silent.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a person with a disability is not required to disclose it unless seeking an accommodation at work.

The downside is that you may be passed over for a promotion or demoted. The ADA makes it illegal to discriminate against a person with a disability as long as the person can perform the essential functions of the job. However, defining those functions and demonstrating your ability to perform them despite your disorder can be a long and expensive legal wrangle.

"The stigma is real," says David J. Miklowitz, a professor of psychology at the University of Colorado-Boulder and author of The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need To Know. "It can be as subtle as fellow workers attributing justifiable reactions to situations to your illness, or as blatant as not getting a job or a promotion."


People with bipolar disorder can experience mood swings from overly happy and excited to overly irritable and angry. The highs may last from several days to a month or more, but the lows often last longer and can be harrowingly deep. Some experts say this psychiatric condition affects about one in every 25 Americans.

Miklowitz, who earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of California at Los Angeles, says people with bipolar disorder usually adopt one of four disclosure tactics:

--Tell everyone at work about the condition, including the boss and co-workers.

--Tell one or more trusted co-workers who don't hold positions of authority.

--Don't tell anyone, but admit to having bipolar disorder on work-sponsored health insurance claims, opening the possibility that the employer may find out.

--Don't tell anyone at work, and don't use employer-provided health insurance to cover the costs of treatment for the condition.

"The advantage of telling your boss is that you can ask for reasonable accommodations at the office," Miklowitz says. "If you have a tough time in the morning, you might be able to arrange to start later in the day. Some people don't do well in dark offices and work better in a well-lit room or near a window. Others find it better to take several short breaks rather than one long break. If there is some reasonable accommodation the employer can make, it makes sense to disclose."

If a co-worker struggles with bipolar disorder, be supportive, but don't try to become an amateur therapist; your actions likely will be viewed as intrusive and demeaning.

If you're a boss and one of your workers discloses that he has bipolar disorder, think what can be done to help. A separate office might be appropriate if the employee has trouble with the clatter and chatter of an office. If a good employee becomes depressed during winter, it might be possible to arrange a leave of absence during the dark months if extra lights don't help.

"The worst thing for a boss to say is, 'You can't handle this job because you're mentally ill,'" Miklowitz says. "Some people with bipolar disorder feel they're not allowed to have the same reactions as others because it will be attributed to their illness--not because they're justifiably upset."
Miklowitz stresses that having bipolar disorder doesn't necessarily limit your career. A survey conducted by the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University found that 73% of 500 professionals previously diagnosed with a psychiatric illness were able to maintain full-time employment in their chosen fields, including executives, lawyers, professors, nurses and newspaper reporters.

But bipolar disorder is a chronic condition and requires a watchful eye.

People in the manic stage of the illness often feel they can do things no one else can do. They may sleep less than usual--or not at all--and may have great energy, talk faster and express unrealistic ideas. Some may be easily distracted and act impulsively by spending money unwisely or driving recklessly, Miklowitz says.

In the depressive stage, those with bipolar disorder may feel extremely sad, irritable or anxious. They may lose interest in people or activities, sleep too much or be unable to sleep. Energy levels may be low. Some may feel bad or guilty. A few may talk about committing suicide--and some attempt it.

The illness can be treated with mood stabilizing drugs, such as lithium; Depakote, a product of Abbott Laboratories (nyse: ABT - news - people ); Zyprexa, a product of Eli Lilly (nyse: LLY - news - people ); or Lamictal, a product of GlaxoSmithKline (nyse: GSK - news - people ).
Taking such medication requires the attention of a psychiatrist to be sure that any side effects don't get out of hand. Many patients find that therapy helps them learn how to prevent relapses, manage stress, monitor moods and regulate sleep cycles. If alcohol or drugs are part of the mix, many find that mutual support organizations, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, are helpful.

If bipolar disorder can't be controlled, it may be necessary to apply for disability payments. This should be a last resort, and, with luck, you'll be able to return to work eventually. For many, work helps steady the mood swings.

"Work keeps you on a consistent schedule--when you go to sleep, when you get up," Miklowitz says. "People who work are less likely to use alcohol or drugs that make a bipolar condition worse."

Most employers are good people who want their offices filled with happy, productive workers. Most have no intention of stigmatizing anyone with a mental illness, and missteps rarely are malicious, but stem from thoughtlessness or ignorance.

Disclosing your condition can be risky, but if you believe your boss has your best interests at heart, talking openly about your condition is a shot worth taking.

Following the article comes a link that takes you to tips to disclosing  your illness at work.  I will post that tomorrow!

-KSG-

Link To The Article 

Check it out...

www.nami.org/vote

Driving While Bipolar Article

This is a pretty interesting article, I thought I'd share in case anyone is interested in reading it. It is called "Driving while Bipolar" and discusses learning ways to "drive" and not "crash" when symptoms reappear.  It takes a very different approach than usually seen and I really liked the approach taken! I am going to try to learn a thing or two from it in regards to my illness!

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/bipolar-advantage/201205/driving-while-bipolar

Thanks for reading! Until next time...

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-