Shame, the side-effect of Mental Illness's Stigma

     Shamed. Shunned. Oppressed. Impoverished. Over-medicated. Misunderstood. Frustrated. Isolated. Browbeaten. Embarrassment.
Belittled.

     All of these and more are associated with a diagnosis of mental illness. Who is responsible for some if not all of these? Family and friends, then when in public, people teach their children to insult the mentally ill. We have to act like we don't notice, because we are just "hearing voices". You would be surprised how fast the public picks up on things that family and friends start.

     I say mental illness is a side-effect of insomnia. Where the dream melds with reality to the point of truth & vision mixed in with dream drama that never happens. In other words, some dreams are really happening and some dream expectations never come true.

     This is what I dub pre-cog vision. This is where dreams turn into reality by becoming true. I have mentioned this phenomenon in a previous article, but in a subtle way. My dreams have been coming true since I was nine years old. The older I get, the longer it takes for the dreams to come true. Well, some of them come true, some are just part of the dream and keep me waiting forever for things to happen. I also call this true Empathy. My doctor calls this kapgrass, a side-effect of Epilepsy.

     Remember the Vocabulary ABC's in Mental Health Circles
     If you need affordable housing see here: www.sdhcd.org or
     here- Low income housing guide for 2016
     Resources for the young adult

     If you have found this blog helpful, please recommend it to someone else. Thank you, auntie steph


    

    

How I Overcame Fatigue from Medicine

     As the mentally ill know too well, is that psychiatric medicine can be sedating. It gives you a different look in the morning, and many feel a "drugging effect", which can be disturbing by those who are clean and sober. Looking dopey is just one of the side-effects, others are having high amounts of rest.

     Rest is a good way to combat fatigue, but too much sleep and you have other problems. Maybe you are awake during the night after having a 16hour sleep. Maybe, your family thinks you sleep too much so they interrupt your sleep trying to wake you. So even though you slept 16 hours, you are still fatigued because it wasn't an uninterrupted sleep.

     What is a normal sleep pattern for those on psychiatric medicine is different for each individual. But, having a sleep diary might help you when speaking with your doctors. I try to be in bed about the same every night. It helps that my roommates also go to bed at the same time. I try to get a nap in every now and then.

     On average, for me, I need at least 9 hours of sleep in order to fully function for the day. I try to keep the same routine. Take my medicines at the same time every day. Eat at the same time every day. Shower at the same time every day. This gives my brain the 'illusion' that there is a regular time of day for every daily function. 

     If I am still too tired during the day, then it is time to talk to my doctor. I might have to take my morning medicine at night and vice versa take my night medicine in the morning. It is critical that any medicine adjustment be discussed with your doctor prior to the change because there might be withdrawals and that is dangerous.

     So, I got on a daily living schedule, I get as much rest as possible, I exercise (daily walks), I consult my doctor, I take my medicine. As long as I can still do this, I have more freedom. I am proactive in my treatment and know how to explain symptom flare-ups with my psychiatrist. Knowing symptoms is one thing, working through them proactively with your doctor is bringing treatment to another level.

     Vocabulary ABC's

    
 

Social Abuse

     As being mentally ill, I face Social Abuse sometimes on a daily
basis. It is close to peer-pressure, but those doing the abuse are not
my peers.

     It rears it's ugly head most when with others who disclose publicly that I am mentally ill. Like when someone asks, "Did you take your meds today?" Sometimes, the person asking is well aware that it could be heard by strangers. These strangers take up the clue and join in peripherally.

     Most of the Social Abuse is passive-aggressive. I actually learned from college courses that passive-aggressive behavior is associated with (as the textbook says) "crazymaking".

     My mother, before she passed away five years ago, was very passive-aggressive with me and encouraged others to treat me the same way, especially other family members. I have long held the opinion that my family raised me to be mentally ill and according to the textbook, it's true. I was right. I was raised to be in the mental health system.

     I realize that the term Social Abuse was not defined here. That is because it has many forms and intensities. It differs from person to person and at first is difficult to recognize, especially if you are blind to passive-aggressive behaviors.

     Remember the Vocabulary ABC's in mental health

     It is important to educate yourself in the comings and goings of memory, thinking, and behaviors. I hope that this is helpful, and if it is, please share with someone who might benefit too. Thank you.