Have you heard the statement, “you create your own reality?” I certainly have. It’s new-age-y and pop psychology-y and something that drives me crazy. Like with many things, there is a kernel of truth to it, but the blanket statement is untrue and people use “you create your own reality” in harmful and toxic ways. If you’ve ever bristled at the idea that you create your own reality, read on.
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There is a weight to a chronic illness diagnosis. The name of the illness being written down on your medical file forms a lead blanket that lies atop you for the rest of your life. Because that’s what chronic illness is: it’s a burden you carry until you die. I know that sounds a little on the depressing side, but it’s also on the realistic side and it’s important to stay realistic when talking about a chronic illness diagnosis – it’s an awfully weighty thing.
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Today, Bipolar Burble welcomes guest author Kate Haldeman. Kate is a licensed professional counselor, mental health advocate, and is a person with mental health issues. See more about Kate at the end.
Learning how to respond to mental health jokes is something I’ve had to do and it’s something I know we almost all have had to do. These types of jokes can happen at home, work or out and about and can definitely hurt a person’s feelings. Allow me to share what I’ve learned about these situations, microaggressions and handling mental health jokes.
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You may have heard the term “ableism,” but you may not know exactly what it is, so what is ableism? This word has a simple meaning but complex implications for a person with a disability. Personally, I hate the term, but unfortunately, it’s necessary, and I have to respect its uses. Here’s what ableism is and how ableism feels to the disabled (one of which being me).
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Recently, someone irately said to me, “You shouldn’t make money off people with mental illness who need help.”
Okay, I understand the sentiment. The person who said it, we’ll call her MG, went on to say that I made her want to puke because I charged for my masterclasses. (My masterclasses are $35 for an early bird registration and $45 for late registration, by the way.) MG then called me a shyster, a creep and a douche and threatened to have me banned from Facebook. (So far, I’m still on Facebook.)
To say the least, MG was quite upset. And in case you were wondering, she’s not the only one who has yelled obscenities at me for daring to charge for my work.
In short, the idea is you shouldn’t make money off of people suffering from a mental illness. Okay, let’s unpack that for a moment, shall we?
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New mental health masterclasses announced! Today I want to tell you about three new mental health masterclasses I’m offering: one masterclass on handling anger, aggression and rage in bipolar disorder, one on hard mental health conversations and one on how to treat treatment-resistant depression in bipolar disorder. These masterclasses are being offered over the next three weeks, starting this Wednesday!
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I experience massive fatigue with bipolar disorder. True, there are likely other components to my fatigue, but I know bipolar disorder is a driving factor. The fatigue is so bad that I think it’s one of the worst parts of bipolar disorder or any chronic illness. Fatigue affects my life on a daily basis like no other symptom of bipolar disorder and worse yet, there are pretty much no cognitive tools I can use to cope with it. Read on to learn about bipolar disorder and fatigue, why it’s so hard to best and the treatments for fatigue in bipolar.
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When some people think of bipolar disorder, they think of anger, aggression and rage; and while this isn’t true for everyone, it is true that anger, aggression and rage are related to bipolar disorder in some ways. This isn’t a diagnostic fact, but rather, an experiential one. People with bipolar disorder, themselves, speak of the anger, aggression and rage they sometimes feel. This online masterclass explores the link between bipolar and anger and how to manage these feelings.
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I firmly believe that suicide prevention starts with a conversation. A conversation that can stop suicide can be initiated by the person feeling suicidal or someone around them; regardless, a conversation is the starting point. But it can be very intimidating to talk about suicide. There are all kinds of “rules” when you talk about suicide and political correctness affects the language you are “allowed” to use. I say forget all that. Suicide prevention starts with a conversation that makes sense to you, not the PC police.
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