Before I go to bed, I want to share this:

Knowing that I am able to make a difference in someone's life and knowing that I am able to help someone to see that they are not alone in this battle is the most amazing feeling to me! I find such a sense of accomplishment and truly a warming in my heart by being able to do that for others.  I hope to be able to continue to do that for the rest of my life and hope to one day have my own non-profit dedicated to that.  Interesting thing is, when I was in Sheppard Pratt 7 or so years ago, I spent much of my time trying to help the other patients.  I guess that is just who I am and what I was meant to do, I am really starting to realize that by the feeling it gives me to know that I've made a difference in someone's life.  I am now realizing that I thrive on being able to draw on my past experiences, my strengths, my weaknesses, my story of "life with bipolar" in its entirety and then being able to use them to help other individuals suffering from Bipolar Disorder and/or their loved ones.  Trying to help individuals while working in the field of mental health in its traditional sense never really worked for me and I believe I am starting to see why.

I share this because today I received a private message on the "Kissing Stigma Goodbye" Facebook page.  This individual that messaged me expressed to me a concern of hers and I was able to discuss with her my own personal experiences and was able to share more of my story than I have previously through private message with her. She was so appreciative that I took the time to respond to her message and that I was willing to go into detail with her in regards to my story. I feel so incredibly accomplished today that I was able to help someone else!  

That my friends, is what "Kissing Stigma Goodbye" is all about!

Thanks for reading! Until next time....

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

Facebook and Twitter Time

I feel the need to mention my Facebook and Twitter pages every so often, knowing that I have new readers that may not know about them. I've also been sick and in bed the last few days so I am bored out of my mind but not feeling well enough to actually write a post.  So, here is my PR announcement for the day.

Like Kissing Stigma Goodbye on Facebook- there you will find links to my new blog postings, links to mental health articles and stories, inspirational quotes and so much more! So, what are you waiting for? ;)

Follow Kissing Stigma Goodbye on Twitter- I'm not nearly as active of a "Tweeter" as I am a "Facebooker"- creature of habit I guess- I've been a FB'er for so many years.  Twitter is a new concept to me- I am putting a concerted effort into trying to be an active tweeter.  So while my PR announcement is not nearly as convincing for Twitter just follow Kissing Stigma Goodbye on Twitter anyway and I'll keep making that effort to be a more active tweeter!

Thanks for reading as always! Until next time...

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

Interesting Article...

This is an interesting blog posting.  It is not something I myself can relate to because my Bipolar never takes me to an enjoyable place.  However, I do know that it is something that many individuals with Bipolar Disorder can relate to. Found it interesting and thought I'd share in case anyone else was interested as well.

The Enchantment of a Bipolar Life By: Daniel Bader

"Your challenges in life are just preparing you to be the best and strongest you possible! Do not be defined by your struggles but rather by your triumphs!" -Shari Alyse-

How to improve your self-esteem...

So by now I’ve discussed what low self-esteem is and how mental illness and self-esteem issues feed off of each other.  But, what can we do to improve our self-esteem? Mental illness is not a life sentence to low self-esteem! We as individuals- both individuals with and without mental illness- can take measures to improve our self-esteem.  You owe it to yourself to take those steps! If you struggle with low self-esteem, do yourself a favor and begin that journey down the road towards improved self-esteem, you will thank yourself for it! Just so you know, this comes from personal experience.  I still have room for improvement but my self-esteem is markedly better than it had been and it feels truly AMAZING!

Self-esteem is how you view yourself.  To change your self-esteem from low to high you must change how you view yourself from negative to positive. Sounds simple put like that, huh?  Well, it takes a lot of hard work and self-awareness but it is possible (trust me!).

Take notice of when you are thinking negative thoughts about yourself.  Work really hard to change these negative thoughts into positive ones.  When you catch yourself thinking negatively about yourself, change the flow and direction of your thoughts into something positive.  There are different patterns of negative thinking, start to recognize which patterns you have fallen into.  

These are the 6 patterns of negative thinking:

•  All-or-nothing thinking- Seeing things as either all good or all bad.  For example…”If I do not succeed at this task then I must be a total failure”. 
•   Mental filtering- You distort your view of a person or a situation to only see the negatives. For example, believing that a mistake you made at work or at school will make everyone think that you’re not up for the job or smart enough for school. 
•  Converting positives into negatives- Not accepting your achievements, not giving yourself enough credit for your achievements.  For example, “I only did well on that assignment because it was easy”. (I was the queen of this one- never gave myself credit for anything I had accomplished in life- this is one that I could still use a little work on) 
• Jumping to negative conclusions- You jump to negative conclusions for no reason at all.  Like believing someone is mad at you because they did not respond to your text message within an hour or so. (this was another one of my biggies) 
•  Mistaking feelings for facts- Confusing how you feel or your beliefs on something with what the facts are.  For example, “I feel like a failure so I must be a failure” or “I believe that I am ugly so I must be ugly”. 
•  Self-put-downs- Undervaluing yourself, putting yourself down, using self-critical humor, etc. Example: “I don’t deserve anything better than this” or “I am stupid and will never amount to anything”, etc.

It may be a good idea for a week or two to record your negative thoughts as you notice them so that you can determine which patterns of negative thinking your thoughts fall into. If you already have it figured out then good for you… don't stop there!

So you’ve identified your negative thinking patterns and have made the vow to begin recognizing negative thinking. Now, how do you actually change that thinking? Start making an effort to incorporate the following into your daily life:

• Make a concerted effort to be a “glass half full” individual as opposed to a “glass half empty” individual.  Be positive and be hopeful! 
•  Forgive yourself for the mistakes you make.  Everyone makes mistakes; it doesn’t make you a failure or a bad person. Use mistakes as a learning opportunity.
• Avoid thinking/using words that may lead to unreasonable demands or expectations being placed on yourself, like words such as “should” or “must”.
• Think about the good things in your life, things that have gone well, accomplishments you’ve made, etc. Focus on the positive! If you need help identifying positive aspects of your life go to your friends, family, coworkers, classmates, etc. for some help- they are not nearly as hard on you as you are on yourself.
• Use negative thoughts as cues to develop new, healthy patterns. Don’t react negatively to negative thoughts; instead change them to positive thoughts. 
•  Encourage yourself. Give yourself credit.  Acknowledge when you meet goals. So on and so forth! 
•  Take the time to sit down and write a list of positive things about yourself.  If you’re having trouble thinking of them ask other people in your life to help you.  Use that list to change your thoughts to positive when you are thinking negatively until you are able to change the direction of your thoughts without using the list.  If you need to carry it with you, then do it! Whatever works best for you! Eventually you want to be thinking positively about yourself so that you no longer need to make the effort to change your negative thoughts into positive thoughts!

Some more things to remember that will help you increase your self-esteem:

You are NOT perfect! I am NOT perfect! NOBODY is perfect! Do NOT aim for perfection! Aiming for perfection is only going to result in perceived failure which will bring your self-esteem down. Humans are not made to be perfect. Instead aim to make accomplishments and meet goals. If you are always aiming for perfection you will be holding yourself back and bringing your self-esteem down further.

You can’t change everything; you don’t have control over everything. Know what you can change and what you can’t change. You can work towards changing your weight; you can’t work towards changing your height.  Don’t get stuck on the things you can’t change.  If you are unhappy with something you can change, then what are you waiting for? Change it! If you are unhappy with something you can’t change then begin the process of learning to accept and love yourself, every part of you.  Don’t beat yourself up for something you can’t change! It is part of who you are- learn to love it!

Set goals! Make a plan! Stick to it! Accomplishing goals works wonders for the self-esteem.

Be proud of yourself! Be proud of your opinions! Be proud of your ideas! Force yourself to step outside your comfort zone and express your opinions and ideas. Never feel scared to let your voice be heard!

Do something to make a difference- volunteer, participate in a walkathon for a cause you believe in, any idea you can think of to give back.  For me, my blog fills that void for me!

EXERCISE! EXERCISE! EXERCISE! (I personally suggest early morning workouts- they are the best and keep you going all day, at least in my opinion they are the best, they are my new found love in life. I know not everyone has the desire to get up at 5 a.m. to workout but make sure you work out at some point at least a few days a week)

The major thing is really to become aware of your thoughts and feelings and take the steps needed to change them! Turn those negatives into positives- in due time you won’t have to put any effort into the positive thoughts because you will be viewing yourself in a positive light. 

USE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR SUPPORT! 
They already believe in you, let them help you believe in yourself!

I always welcome e-mails; I have recently been through a good  bit in regards to my own personal self-esteem and relationship issues, please feel free to e-mail me if you have any personal or general questions for me.  I will answer anything asked to the best of my ability and completely honestly.  Of course, I am not an expert but I am speaking from personal experience and am always willing to share more details with my readers. I will always respond to any reader’s e-mails.

Next blog positing… “Psychosis”… Fun stuff, stay tuned!

If you haven’t signed up for e-mail updates of “Kissing Stigma Goodbye”, what are you waiting for? You will find a place to do so in the sidebar. Make sure you confirm it when the confirmation e-mail is sent to you or you will not receive updates.

“Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true” –Unknown

Thanks for reading! Until Next time…

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

I'm going to give a little information about my current life, that's not something I typically practice with this blog. I am set to graduate in 2 months with my MBA! It is so crazy to me that I have accomplished such an amazing milestone in my life and I look forward to all my career has to offer me! With that being said, I am extremely industry specific in regards to the work I want to do. I want a career not a job so I need to love what I'm doing. I want an administrative position in a non-profit, mental health organization. I love the work I'm doing now for my internship, it is exactly the type of work I'd like to continue to do. I had a meeting with the executive director where I am completing my internship this morning. I wanted to discuss with him the possibility of any positions that may be opening there. I did not go into the meeting really expecting anything to be open, it is not that large of an organization so there aren't positions open that often. I was indeed right that they had nothing to offer me. The executive director told me he wishes that he did have something to offer me because he knows I'd do a great job and that if anything were to come available he would let me know. Not entirely surprising to me,basically what I expected to hear. What I did not expect to hear was what he then discussed with me for about 20 minutes. He is a man that knows many many important people in the world of mental health. He has contacts at NAMI, Mental Helth America, Shepard Pratt, so on an so forth. He listed tons of mental health organizations he knows people at. He told me to get my resume to him and he would send it out to all of the organizations that he knows individuals at along with his reccomendtion for me. He told me he'd be happy to help me find a job and he wants to talk with me in much more detail after he returns from his vacation next week. I never expected anything like that. I am so grateful to him that he is offering me that kind of help. My resume will stand out from the rest when it is going straight to an executive and coming from a well known executive director. This was an amazing and gracious offer he made me and I left his office feeling very hopeful that I will find just the right job to begin my career and hopefully one day I will be starting my own non-profit and if not then I sure better be running one down the line! I can't even express how grateful I am to him for this and how lucky I feel to have someone take such an interest in helping me get to where I want to be with my career! I really feel so lucky today and everyday! Life is truly amazing for me, finally! They say good things come to those that wait, well I guess I waited long enough because life is good now!

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-

Mental Health and Self-Esteem

There is a vicious cycle between low self-esteem and mental health concerns.  Having low self-esteem makes individuals vulnerable to developing mental health concerns. In particular it makes individuals more likely to develop depressive disorders, eating disorders and substance abuse problems. Having any psychiatric disorder lowers an individual’s self-esteem even more. When more than one psychiatric disorder is present (say depression and anxiety or bipolar disorder and anxiety for example), the effects on the self-esteem are even worse. So, self-esteem negatively affects mental health and mental health negatively affects self-esteem, it is a double edged sword! Those of us with mental health concerns are already so many steps back from other individuals when it comes to having a healthy self-esteem.

Stigma adds to the picture! Stigma has a strong negative influence on the self-esteem of individuals with mental health concerns. If society is constantly looking down on you for having a mental illness then it makes it pretty hard to change your outlook on yourself and therefore improve your self-esteem. Stigma really has a huge effect on people- I know it did on me!  That is why I find it so important to take every chance I get now to educate people about mental illness and about stigma.  

I was never able to openly discuss my mental illness in the past for 2 reasons…

1) My self-esteem was very low!

2) Stigma made me scared to tell anyone that I suffered from Bipolar Disorder so instead I hid it like a deep dark secret when really there is nothing to hide about it!

  

My self-esteem has drastically improved with a lot of hard work and I don’t care about what others think about me for having a mental illness! If someone doesn’t accept my mental illness then they don’t deserve a place in my life! No exceptions! I will continue to fight stigma for as long as I am alive because nobody deserves to live in fear and shame due to their mental illness. Just as importantly, nobody deserves to have their self-esteem lowered because of the stigma associated with mental illness and the way some individuals in society treat people with a mental illness.

It is so important to realize that what truly matters is how you view yourself! If you don’t believe in yourself- who else is left to believe in you? My next blog post will be about how to improve your self-esteem so stay tuned for that! I think most of us have room to improve there, I know I do! I have made a lot of improvements in the recent months but I’m not perfect!

Thanks for reading! Until next time…

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

You're not alone!

It is so easy to feel alone when you struggle with a mental illness.  I know because I've been there.  Society doesn't accept mental illness so many of us just hide it away in a closet for no one to see.  It is so tiring and discouraging to do so.  Finding comfort in knowing that you are not alone in this struggle is so very important! 

For any of my readers, I am always available by e-mail (KissingStigmaGoodbye@gmail.com).  I am not an expert at all but I am someone who has been there and understands. I am someone who struggles with a mental illness every day of my life so I understand what it is like to feel alone in the battle, to feel like no one understands me or what I'm going through.

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

What is Self-Esteem?

Self-esteem… something I can speak about with experience.  I struggled with my self-esteem for much of my life.  It was not until very recently that I finally realized my self-worth and was able to begin changing my view of myself from negative to positive.  That shift in self-esteem is what gave me the strength and the courage to be able to publicly tell my story and to stop hiding my mental illness like a monster in the closet.

What is self-esteem?

Simply put, self-esteem is how an individual feels about themselves, their overall opinion of themselves.  Self-esteem is how an individual honestly feels about their abilities and their limitations.  Self-esteem is shaped by our thoughts, experiences and relationships and begins to develop in early childhood. Self-esteem can change over a person’s lifetime.  Certain life events can have a temporary negative impact on an individual’s self-esteem such as losing a job, relationship issues/breakups, money concerns, poor grades, etc.

An individual with healthy self-esteem feels good about themselves and views themselves as deserving respect from others.  An individual with low self-esteem puts very little value on their opinions and ideas and constantly worries that they aren’t good enough.

Some factors that influence self-esteem include:

•  An individual’s own thoughts/perceptions
•  An individual’s relationships and interactions with others especially immediate family
•  How other people react to an individual
• Experiences at school, work and in the community
• An illness, disability or injury
•  Culture
• Religion
• Socioeconomic status

Relationships with the individuals closest to you in life (parents, siblings, peer, teachers) are the relationships that play the biggest role on your self-esteem.  If an individual has had strong close relationships throughout their life and in general have received positive feedback they are more likely to have a healthier self-esteem. Individuals who received mostly negative feedback, criticism and a devaluing by individuals in their life are more likely to struggle with poor self-esteem.

Putting relationships aside, let us look at our own thoughts! Our thoughts are within our control and play the largest impact on our self-esteem.  Individuals that always focus on the negative- flaws, weaknesses, etc., have the ability to change this. It is possible to learn to reframe how you’re thinking and focus on positive qualities instead of negative thoughts. (I will further address this in a blog positing within the next week)

Self-esteem affects every facet of our lives, including, but not limited to:

• Job and career choices
•  Relationships with friends and family
•  Relationships with children
• The way in which we give and receive love
• The success we have in reaching our goals
• Job performance
•  School performance

Benefits of healthy self-esteem

• Ability to be assertive in expressing your needs and concerns
• Confidence in your ability to make decisions
• Ability to form secure and honest relationships and to be less likely to stay in unhealthy relationships
• Ability to be realistic in your expectations of yourself
• Less likely to be overcritical of both yourself and of others
•  Possess more resiliency and higher ability to handle stress
•  Lower likelihood to experience feelings of guilt, shame, worthlessness, hopelessness, etc.
• ·Lower likelihood in developing certain mental health conditions (eating disorders, addictions, anxiety, depression)

General characteristics that you may find of individuals with healthy self-esteem

• Eager to express themselves
• Not defeated by mistakes or failures
• Comfortable in a leadership role
• Able to handle and learn from criticism
• Willing and ready to take risks
• Positive about life
• Not afraid of new things
• Trusting and hopeful
• Able to fully experience their feelings 
•  Aware of their own personal strengths and weaknesses
•  Intent with their lives
•  Unlikely to brag to others
• Able to ask for and accept help when necessary

General characteristics that you may find of individuals with low self-esteem

• Convinced that they are worthless
• Feelings of insignificance
• Unsure of their abilities
• Likely to follow the route that is easy and familiar 
•  Uncomfortable with praise
• Fearful/unsure of the future
• Blind to new opportunities
• Negative thinkers
• Unable to handle criticism or rejection
• Overly concerned about others opinions of them
• Defensive
• Easily defeated
• Uncomfortable in social situations
•  Manipulative
• Quick to blame others

My initial plan was to address self-esteem in general, how to improve self-esteem and mental health concerns and their relationship to self-esteem all in this one post.  Then as I started to write this, I realized how much each of them individually has to offer and that I could not condense them into one post.  With that being said, consider this the first of 3 posts about self-esteem.  The other 2 will be done and posted by the end of this upcoming weekend- most likely before then.

I believe the following quote is appropriate to end with.  It is a quote from an article about self-esteem that I found on the Mayo Clinic’s website.  I believe that it is very well worded.

“Self-esteem affects virtually every facet of your life. Maintaining a healthy, realistic view of yourself isn't about blowing your own horn. It's about learning to like and respect yourself — faults and all.”

Thanks for reading! Until next time…

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

(Resources used:  Self Esteem Check: Mayo Clinic,   Mental Health- Self-Esteem)

Always Be YOU!

I came across this today and it really struck home for me and got me thinking about myself and my own issues with self-esteem, etc.

This is something I have struggled with my entire life. It wasn't until over the past several months when I was dealing with some issues that I finally was able to take time to reflect on myself and learn to love myself for who I am. During this time I realized that what other people think about me doesn't really matter but what I think about myself will be the driving force for which direction my life goes.  I accepted that the negative feelings I had about myself needed to change.  I realized how much potential I have and that if I were to continue to get down on myself and worry about what other people thought that I would never break down the walls that I had built over the years with my low self-esteem.

I had no self-confidence or self-worth and it was having an extremely negative affect on me, on my relationships and really on all aspects of my life.  Over the past several months I have taken the opportunity to look at myself, look at what I've accomplished and look at how much I have the ability to accomplish on the road that lies ahead. Finally, after 27 years, I have a positive view of myself and I no longer look at my mental illness as something to throw away in a locked closet for no one to see.  I am now able to see in myself what those in my life that matter have always seen and I no longer worry myself with what anyone else thinks of me. It is not ever necessary to say or to do anything in an effort to please or impress any individual; those that matter will love you for you.  

Be proud of yourself, believe in yourself, love yourself and ALWAYS be YOU! 

I am thankful to my family and friends for always building me back up when I was down and I am so thankful to be able to finally see in myself what those that love me have always seen in me!  Your self-esteem is a key factor in your success.  You can’t do great things when you don’t even believe in yourself.

This is a lesson that took me 27 years to learn- I figured I'd share it! It has made a huge difference in all aspects of my life including my plans for the future and my current day to day life. It has made a difference in how I feel about myself everyday of my life and it truly feels great to finally believe in myself! I wouldn't have the strength or the courage to have started "Kissing Stigma Goodbye" and to share my story if I still cared about what others thought about me and if I didn't finally love and believe in myself.  

Self-esteem and self-worth gave me the courage to finally just be ME without caring about what anyone else thinks.  If someone doesn't like me because I have bipolar or I'm Jewish or just because I'm me, etc... well, that's not my problem, that's their problem! As long as I am ME, it doesn't matter what others think! As long as YOU are YOU, it doesn't matter what others think!

Stay tuned, I will write a blog over the next few days about self-esteem, it’s effect on mental health, the effect of mental health concerns on self-esteem, the effect of stigma on self-esteem and ways to deal with low self-esteem. In the meantime, always remember there is no shame in seeking help, therapists are there for a reason! (that is something else that I was not able to realize and accept until recently)

“Don't you dare, for one more second, surround yourself with people who are not aware of the greatness that you are.” -Jo Blackwell-Preston

 Thanks for reading! Until next time…

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

(The pink.... well it's my favorite color and it's warm and sunny out and I just switched to my pink summery bag, so I guess I am just in a pink mood- next post will be back to boring white- I guess it's easier on the eyes)

Dare to be different!

 "The things that make me different are the things that make me, ME"- A.A.Milne

The world would be so incredibly boring if everyone was the same.

I'd rather someone love me for who I am than love me for who I'm not!

Just some food for thought this morning! Have a fabulous day!

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

Seasonal Affective Disorder

With the start of the warm weather and all the amazing fun in the sun I enjoyed over this Memorial Day weekend, I realized how amazing being outside in the sun makes me feel.  With that realization, I thought that a blog about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) would be appropriate.  

SAD is something that I do suffer from but not to a very large extent, there are others that suffer from it much worse than I do.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

SAD is a depression that occurs in the fall and winter.  SAD is caused by the lack of sunlight found during the winter months due to the shortened days.  This lack of sunlight is believed to increase the body’s production of melatonin.  This increase in melatonin causes some symptoms of depression.  Symptoms of this disorder include: tiredness, fatigue, depression, crying spells, irritability, trouble concentrating, body aches, loss of sex drive, poor sleep, decreased activity level and overeating which is associated with weight gain.  Basically, it includes many of the symptoms of depression.   Symptoms typically begin in the fall and end in the spring.  

This disorder is said to occur in 5% of adults with up to 20% of individuals having some symptoms of the disorder but not enough to meet the diagnostic criteria.  Seasonal Affective Disorder is four times more common in women than in men and the average age of onset is 23.

Light therapy is a popular treatment for individuals experiencing severe Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Light therapy uses artificial indoor lighting- such as a light box- which creates light of far more intensity than say a living room lamp.  Scientists say that it is not the type of light (i.e. artificial vs. natural sunlight).  It is however, the amount and intensity of the light. Researchers have found that bright lights change the chemicals in the brain, how is not yet known. Medication, diet changes, psychotherapy, new coping mechanisms and even a vacation to someplace warm and sunny are other forms of treatment.

How does warm weather affect mood?

On the reverse end of things, how does the warm weather affect mood?  Warm weather is said to boost the mood.  Researchers at the University of Michigan recommend spending at least 30 minutes outside on days that are warm and sunny in order to see an improved mood.  They also found that spending all of your time inside when the weather is sunny and enjoyable outside actually resulted in a decreased mood.  

How does the weather affect me?

The winter months definitely have an effect on me and my symptoms.  I tend to become more depressed in the winter- have trouble getting out of bed, easily cry, irritable, etc.  This winter was a completely different story because I was experiencing symptoms of mania for other reasons and required a medication change. However- typically the winter means I will experience some sort of depression.  I have to push myself a lot harder in the winter.

The warm weather works wonders for me.  It puts me in such a better overall mood.  Being outside in the sun feels so great and so refreshing to me.  I love the spring and I love the summer, I love how great the sunlight makes me feel.

So what am I saying?

It’s warm! It’s sunny!  Get out there and enjoy the warm weather.  Whether you have a psychiatric diagnosis or not- that doesn’t matter! Everyone can benefit from the warm and sunny weather!

However, stay safe!  Don’t stay out in extreme heat for too long! Drink lots of water when you are out in the sun and wear sunscreen!

For those of you on psychotropic medications like myself- especially anti-psychotics, take special notice of your body’s reaction to the heat.  Those medications make our bodies less capable of regulating our body temperature.  Therefore you must pay special attention to the signs your body is giving you and drink plenty of fluids.  Drink twice as many fluids as your friends and family that are not on psychotropic medications. The medications also make our skin more sensitive to the sun which results in an easier sunburn- so wear sunblock, please!

So what are you waiting for?  Get out there and enjoy the warm weather and your improved upon mood!

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those that mind don’t matter, and those that matter don’t mind” –Dr. Seuss 

Thanks for reading! Until next time…

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

Seasonal Affective Disorder 

Warm Weather Boosts Moods, Broadens the Mind 

NAMI Article

Senate Approves Bill to Strike ‘Lunatic’ from Federal Law
By Brendan McLean, NAMI Communications Coordinator

It seems that there’s at least one topic that everyone in the Senate can agree on: the removal of the word “lunatic” from federal law. On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously agreed to strike the word from all pieces of federal legislation a major victory for the mental health community.

“Federal law should reflect the 21st century understanding of mental illness and disease,” said Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) when introducing the 21st Century Language Act with Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) in late April. “The continued use of this pejorative term has no place in the U.S. Code.”

Although the elimination of this word is only a small step in eliminating the stigma associated with mental illness, the Mental Health Liaison Group, a coalition of 38 groups, including NAMI, believe that the legislation will help prevent negative stereotypes from being perpetuated.

“Deleting these terms from usage in the U.S. code is a simple means of demonstrating respect for individuals living with mental health conditions and will have no effect on the underlying federal laws,” they wrote in a letter of support.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives, which must also pass it before it can go to the President to be signed into law.

The word "lunatic" appears in the U.S. Code in Title 1, Chapter 1, which covers rules of construction. Language in the chapter states that when applying the law "the words 'insane' and 'insane person' and 'lunatic' shall include every idiot, lunatic, insane person, and person non compos mentis."

According to the bill, the language also appears in banking laws associated with the authority to take receivership of estates.

My only reaction:  It's 2012, really?  That wording is really still being used in federal legislation? *Sigh*  I have nothing to say.

Thanks for reading! Until next time...

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

I have Bipolar Disorder, but I am not Crazy!

So very true...

So very true! Although, I'll counter that with the idea that those are really the only people who actually deserve to be loved by you! 

 Love doesn't end just because you are going through something or experiencing symptoms of your illness, at least love that's true in any capacity (significant other, sibling, parent, friend, etc.) doesn't end like that or because of that.

Those that really love you and deserve your love will love you through it, support you through it and watch you come out the other end of it a bigger and better person than you were before.

Those that walk away will miss seeing how strong you really are when tested and they will miss seeing your growth as a result of your struggle.  They will miss having you as a part of their life because they were not strong enough to see you through your time of need.

 Even more importantly than what they will miss is that you will be a better person for no longer placing that kind of importance on someone who doesn't truly appreciate you for who you are.

That is merely a philosophy of mine, you need not agree with me.  I've had both kind of people in my life and this is the philosophy I have developed from my own personal experiences.
 I'll get off my soapbox now :)

You'll get a significant posting from me over the weekend, topic TBD!  Anything you'd like me to write about just send me an e-mail! KissingStigmaGoodbye@gmail.com

Thanks for reading! Until next time....

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

This is just amazing!

Don't Forget...

Don't Forget that "Kissing Stigma Goodbye" has a Facebook page and a Twitter page!

"Like" Kissing Stigma Goodbye on Facebook

"Follow" Kissing Stigma Goodbye on Twitter

mailto:KissingStigmaGoodbye@gmail.com

Thank you for all your love and support!  I can only reach so many people without the help of all of my wonderful readers! Thank you for spreading the word about Kissing Stigma Goodbye! Lots of love to all of my faithful readers!

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

One of my main goals behind this blog...

 

I aim to be able to show people that they are not alone in this struggle. It is a lifelong goal of mine. That right there can change someone's life, change their future, change the path they're going down,it can change more than we can even begin to imagine for someone. This is only the start, I promise! :)

Words to Avoid

Labeling words to avoid saying to or about someone with a mental illness:

A recent experience inspired me to post this, all of these I believe are typically out of ignorance and not blatant hate or disrespect, but nonetheless, extremely offensive:

-Crazy
-Deranged
-Disturbed
-Fruitcake
-Head case/nut case
-Insane or that they have lost their sanity- or any variation of that
-Loony
-Loose screw
-Lunatic
-Mad or madness
-Not all there
-Nuts
-Psycho
-Psychotic (unless it is being used in a way to clinically describe psychotic symptoms or behavior)
-Psychopath
-Twisted

When talking about how someone is doing mentally, mental health is the proper terminology- not mental sanity or anything else along those lines.

There is no such thing as a "loony bin" or anything else along those lines.  It is a psychiatric hospital and there is no shame in seeking the help you need there.

You get the point! It hurts, it's offensive and it's untrue.  Consider the feelings of others before using terminology like that even if there are no ill-intentions.

Thanks for reading, until next time...

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

NAMI walk is tomorrow! How about a donation?

Alright, one last time.  The NAMI walk is tomorrow! My team has raised $258 thanks to some awesome people! Every dollar counts.  The field of mental health lacks the necessary funding and relies very much on donations.  So, if you are able, please make a donation to support me, my team and the 75 million Americans living with mental illness. It's a hard fight and can't be done without the support of the mental health agencies that struggle to break even and provide the best services they can. Thank you to everyone who has donated and who plans to! I thank you all so very much! I know I can't live without mental health services and the other 75 million americans with a mental illness are right there with me!

http://www.nami.org/namiwalks12/BAL/kissingstigmagoodbye1

China's Mental Health System- Fascinating Stuff (at least I think so)

Ah, finally, a substantial blog post, this has been a long time coming, I am so glad to be able to post again.

I have recently put some time into researching China’s mental health system.  Being a communist country, I knew it would be nothing to brag about.  It does look as though they are slowly beginning to put the time and effort into an improved system but they still have a long way to go.  I was taught to take any news articles and such on China with a grain of salt though, often times the full truth is not disclosed, so please do keep that in mind as you read my blog post.  The system is probably still at least somewhat if not a good bit worse than what the articles I have read speak to it being. 

China sure is not exempt from mental health issues by any means, no country is.  In fact, China has a good many people suffering from mental health issues.  In 2009, China’s National Center for Mental Health released statistics showing that about 170 million individuals in China were suffering from some sort of mental illness.  The number of individuals with severe mental health issues was in upwards of 16 million people.  I always say this in relation to America and I will say it in relation to China, it is my opinion that these statistics are always lower than what the actual numbers are.  The reason I say this is because there is no way to account for all the individuals suffering from a mental illness that never actually receive treatment.  That issue exists in the U.S. and it is probably tenfold in China.

To sum the issues up:

• China lacks qualified psychiatrists
• There are disparate numbers of psychiatrists in the central and western regions of China compared to the big cities.  Psychiatrists are very unevenly distributed between cities and rural areas.
•  Many new psychiatrists do not last very long working in the field of mental health in China
• Stigma is a huge problem in China, mental health problems are always seen as a source of shame to an individual and their family
•  Treatment is expensive and can be difficult to obtain
• Individuals in need of treatment cannot always receive the treatment they need, however, individuals without a mental illness can be thrown in a mental health hospital by the authorities and medicated when it is not needed just to “shut them up” so to speak.

Lack of qualified Psychiatrists/Uneven distribution of Psychiatrists
According to Psychiatrist Yao Xueyang who works at a mental health center in Yichang, "Because of the high risk of being hurt by patients, low pay and wide social stigma, very few people want to enter the field of psychiatry when they graduate from medical school, let alone work in less-developed areas of China”.  Those that do study psychiatry typically choose to work in areas where the psychiatric resources are concentrated, in the eastern areas.

China has lacked qualified psychiatrists for a long time now.  In 2010, statistics showed that there were only about 20,000 psychiatrists to serve a population of 1.3 billion.  That is about a quarter of the international level.  Most of these psychiatrists work in big cities in the eastern areas, the central regions and western regions are even more sparse in psychiatrists.  Over 80% of the psychiatrists in China work in psychiatric hospitals leaving less than 20% to work in general hospitals and out in the community.
“There are only about 40 psychiatrists in all of Yichang, a city in Central China's Hubei province with a population of about 4 million. That means one psychiatrist for every 100,000 people. In Western countries, such as the United States, Britain and Germany, there are more than 11 psychiatrists serving 100,000 people” (Hongyi, W).

On top of psychiatry not being the area of choice for many medical students in China, many of those who choose that area of study do not last long once they begin to practice.  39 out of 160 new psychiatrists in the Guangxi Zhuang region between the years of 2008-2012 lasted 3 years or less.

Stigma… Oh.So.Bad!
So, we’ve got not enough qualified psychiatrists to serve the number of mentally ill individuals in the country.  Then we’ve got many new psychiatrists not lasting very long in the mental health field in China.  How dare I add more to this mix?  Well I must, the stigma in China leaves very few people actually seeking the help they need and deserve. Mental illness was completely taboo in China up until recently, strides have been made but it is still far worse of a stigmatic issue in China than it is here in the U.S and that is really not saying much since it is nothing to write home about here in the U.S.  Not to downplay the issue of stigma in the U.S. at all, as we all know my lifelong goal is to fight the stigma I and other individuals with mental illness face.
"Even patients that have fully recovered often face the prospect of losing their jobs, housing and marriage. Mental problems are always seen as a source of shame to a person and his or her entire family," said Xie Bin, professor of forensic psychiatry at Shanghai Mental Health Center.  Psychiatry is brushed over and marginalized in medical school in China leaving general doctors ignorant to the symptoms of mental disorders leading them to neglect to provide proper diagnosis and treatment.

Many people who are in need of medical attention for their mental health concerns are unable to receive the necessary help. This is typically due to a couple reasons. One reason, because it is too costly and there are not enough psychiatrists to meet the needs of everyone.  Another reason is because of the huge social stigma that is attached to mental health concerns in China.

There are also individuals who are psychiatrically healthy but are labeled as being "mentally ill".  This is done by authorities who are in search of a reason to detain them in mental health hospitals. The New York Times documented a 54-year old man named Xu Lindong. He was forced to spend six and a half years in Chinese mental hospitals and was given 54 unnecessary electrical shock therapy treatments all as a result of a land dispute.          

So, what are my thoughts?
           
Well of course my thoughts are that this is a huge shame that so many individuals are lacking the care that they need and deserve.  It is also extremely unfortunate that shame is always felt by an individual with a mental health concern and by their family. I find it extremely bothersome that individuals without mental illnesses are given treatments they don’t need while individuals with mental illnesses who need those treatments are unable to obtain them.

What it comes down to is that the system is horrible!  Individuals deserve the treatment that they need for their illness, but, what can be done about it?  Really, what can be done about it?  Unfortunately, I believe the answer to that is not much.  It is a country living under a communist regime.

Before I fully analyze the mental health system in China from my view point, I want to do a write up on the mental health system in the European countries and the mental health system in America and analyze the three of them together.  This is fascinating stuff to me, I hope it is to you as well and that I’m not boring you with too many facts and statistics.

The next posting will come soon this time, I promise.

"Being defeated is often temporary; giving up makes it permanent." ~ Marilyn von Savant

As always, thanks for reading! Until next time…

-Kissing Stigma Goodbye-

(Articles Referenced: The Madness of China's Mental Health System; 

Country's Mental Health System Lacking)