Reblogged from the New England Medical Journal; article By Michael S. Weinstein, M.D., M.B.E. • • • One might have predicted my fall. I have had depression and dysthymia since my teen years. When I was a third-year resident with increasing operative independence, a couple of surgical complications threw me into a funk. I convinced myself … More The Doctor and His Quiet Depression
What songs have inspired you in your recovery? ___ So what describes one person’s experience of addiction? It’s personal. I am a fan of U2. Like me, you may appreciate their body of work, or you may not. But I invite you to consider what their lyrics have to say about the fall into addiction. … More U2: Addiction is So Cruel and Recovery is No Fool
“Medications can be essential to clear our minds or to bring our minds out of a very dark and hopeless place. But mental health is more than taking the right kind of pills.” To read more of the article, Mental Illness Cannot Be Treated with Just a Pill,” click on photo. Photo by emma.kate
Paranoia. Do. You. Know. What. It. Feels. Like? ___ No matter our experience, each of us has an issue, a feeling, a situation, a desire for… Something. That. We. Wish. We. Could. Change. And when we are alone, we feel as if that is all that we have left. To understand one man’s paranoia, watch … More Inside One Man’s Paranoia
Bipolar illness is serious and needs medical attention, effecting about 2.6% of our populations in a given year. But having highs and lows are normal, and even feeling deep lows and very high ‘highs’ is normal. Having a range of emotions is normal and healthy. To read more on Bipolar disorder, see “The 8 Myths … More Having “Highs and Lows” Does Not Mean that You Are Bipolar
“You are like a candle. Imagine you are sending light out all around you. All your words, thoughts and actions are going in many directions. If you say something kind, your kind words go in many directions, and you yourself go with them. We are transforming and continuing in a different form at every moment.” … More Your Actions Today Are an Investment for Tomorrow
People who live with a substance use disorder or a mental illness are more like us than we know. And that may be just what we may fear ___ (My apologies if the accompanying photo seems overly dramatic. One of my more public addictions is iPhone photo apps…) Most of you have never met me. I … More Most Days I Do Very Well In Spite of My Mental Illness… And So Do You
The 8 Myths About Bipolar Disorder Myth No. 1: Bipolar disorder is a rare condition In a given year, bipolar disorder affects about 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population 18 and older, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And like many mental health conditions, it is likely under diagnosed. … More The 8 Myths of Bipolar Disorder
What can we do about our stuff? The answer to this question is not easy, nor is it quick. And sometimes there is no answer. There is no prescription for handling all of the stuff that you will face in your recovery or your life. I have found that it is helpful to invest more of my … More Here is What You Can Do If You Feel Bad Because You Are Stuck on Trying to Feel Good
Not everyone needs medication to be well physically, or mentally. Most of your mental health is about things that have little to do with medication. Excerpted from “6 Myths that Can Rob Us of Our Mental Health.” To read the rest of the article, click on the photo. Keep it Real Photo by Andrew Officer
Getting High on Recovery 