By Dr. Nancy Irwin, Guest Contributor I was recently devastated at the news that Kate Spade, and then Anthony Bourdain, died by suicide. These two tremendously creative, sensitive people, had made an impact not only on my life but on the lives of millions of others. Their deaths are truly tragic. But the one silver … More Fame & Suicide: The Dark Side to “Having It All”
Stigma lives within all of us Whether it is over use of alcohol or drugs, or mental illness, stigma will impact a person’s well being, quality of life and can lengthen their recovery time. Addiction is one of the most stigmatized health conditions that a person can experience. Whether it is over use of alcohol … More Addiction Stigma is Like Cancer to Our Recovery
“If you mistake someone’s solution for a problem to be eliminated, not only are they likely to fail treatment, as often happens in addiction programs, but other problems may emerge.” Bessel Van Der Kolk, “The Body Keeps the Score” p. 147 Often, a mental illness is not the problem. It is a symptom of something … More Mental Illness is Solution, Not a Problem
Where we reject those who suffer, we also reject a part of ourselves and our humanity recedes one more step. Where we honor those in need, we use the power that we have to help ourselves and humanity to move towards a better way. If you (or your son or daughter or parent) were living … More When We Fear Others Because of Their Mental Illness, We Fear a Part of Ourselves
Why do we still think of mental illness as a brain disorder? ___ Many mental illnesses are not simply “mental” nor is a person just… “ill.” Many mental illnesses are not simply “mental” nor is a person just… “ill.” Some studies report that people who live with addiction experienced some form of trauma in their … More “Mental Illness” is a Brain Disorder?
“It’s not age that makes you wise.” Imagine Dragons • • • Wisdom… I used to think that being wise would make you well. After living for half a century, I think I’ve learned a few things. But most of what I’ve learned has come through facing hard things, learning from my failures and from … More You Can’t Age Your Way into Good Mental Health
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
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
Getting High on Recovery 