Tag Archives: crisis

Looking for Support? Don’ t Trust the Web

15 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by in bipolar, heroes, hope, mental illness, schizophrenia, Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

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Trigger Warning: Suicide

There is so much that is helpful and beneficial on the internet, and there is so much that is harmful and negative. Three of the things I love most about the internet is the ability to network with writers, and mental health advocates/agencies/nonprofits, the access to many university-level classes in writing, and the access to information to satisfy my curiosity or for research.

But like I mentioned before, the internet is not all healthy, rewarding, educational. Two of the things that I find harmful on the internet is the comment section under articles I write (I have written about suicide and had people comment that I should kill myself), and the support groups that are unmoderated on social media like Facebook.

There are several groups for people with schizophrenia, and so frequently I see young women posting pictures of themselves in the groups, and it appears they are simply looking for attention. I don’t see how that is at all relevant to schizophrenia or helping or supporting others. There are also posts that frequently say that the person is thinking of harming their self. I think it is awful to post those kinds of alarming situations anonymously in a group of people who are already dealing with mental health issues. Of course, those posts get hundreds of responses asking how to contact the person, how to report the post to Facebook, asking the person to call a crisis line, etc.

I realize that some people are all alone and have nowhere else to post their pain and their struggles, but it isn’t safe to do that sort of thing on social media or anywhere else on the internet. If you are in crisis, there are people just waiting to tell you to go ahead and harm yourself. There are also trolls that use those rooms/groups to play jokes on people (of course I don’t think it is funny, but they do).

I love the internet, and I am addicted to social media but other than using it to network with people (helping me stay less isolated), I don’t use it to better my mental health. I know that resources are few and money is tight for so many people, but if you are using the internet to get support, or get advice, make sure that you are dealing with a group or people who are safe and legitimate.

Please don’t post about a crisis and expect professional help. If you are having a crisis, please go to the nearest hospital or call your local crisis line. The internet is great and provides so many benefits to our lives but it can also be dark and dangerous, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt.  Stay safe friends.

A Crisis And A Cry For Help

30 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by in bipolar, mental illness, schizophrenia, Uncategorized

≈ 31 Comments

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I follow a lot of blogs. I follow some cooking blogs, travel blogs, fashion blogs, comic blogs, sarcastic blogs, and hundreds of mental health blogs.

Because I follow many mental health blogs I often read about people’s suicidal thoughts or ideation, and occasionally I read a post by someone who is clearly in a psychiatric crisis (probably psychotic).

I do not know what to do when I read these types of posts. If someone says they wish they were dead, or they are having a hard time not hurting themselves, what is the best way to respond? If someone clearly needs to get to a doctor (psychosis) what can we do?

These types of posts alarm me. I would hate to be the kind of person who says someone is just looking for attention and then have that person follow through on their feelings.

As fellow bloggers what can we do if someone is in trouble? Is there a way to contact WordPress? Would WordPress be able to do anything?

The anonymity of the Internet is great until there is a crisis and you have no idea who the person is typing out a help signal.

With the rate of suicide in this country, a cry for help isn’t something I want to ignore, and neither is someone who has become actively psychotic and may be at risk to themselves or others.

I feel like there are many cries that go out into the blogosphere unanswered; I wish there were a way to answer those calls in a helpful way.

If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comment section. This situation has me concerned and stumped.

Have you seen these types of posts? What do you do?

Helping Someone In Crisis

16 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by in caregivers, mental illness, relationships, schizophrenia, Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

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A couple of years ago, my husband’s father bought a condo near us, so he could spend half of the year here. He lives the other half of the year in France, where he is a citizen. When he and his wife arrive here every year, we help them with their cable bill, medical, insurance, property taxes, etc. They simply don’t know the ins and outs of getting things done in the United States.

I’ve never really thought about how things work in this country until I have had to try to explain them to someone who has never dealt with our “system.” The way we have things set up is extremely complicated.

I know that most people don’t live on the streets by choice, but some do, and others live in camps or trailers off the grid. Seeing how complicated we have made everything, from hooking up your television, to going to the doctor, it doesn’t surprise me that people don’t want to participate in any of it. Don’t even try to fill out the paper work and make a claim to disability or file your yearly taxes, those two things have become almost too complicated for the average individual to figure out on their own.

I can understand how easy it is for someone in a mental health crisis to go from having an apartment, to being homeless in less than a year. During a mental health crisis like psychosis there is no way I could participate in the “system” we have set up. I would be unable to figure out my insurance. I would be unable to figure out the ins and outs of banking. I would be unable to pay my bills online. I would be unable to be an advocate for myself in terms of bills, medical, pharmacy, etc. (I think some of this applies to the elderly, too, particularly those with memory issues).

It must be terrifying for caregivers of people with mental illnesses, learning disabilities, and the elderly, etc. to imagine what would happen to the people they care for if they were not around to help them find their way through the hoops and mazes we have to work through in order to have shelter, heat, food, and a way to pay for those things. We have not made the necessities of life easy for people to acquire and manage.

I know my husband worries that if something happens to him, and I have a crisis, that my life will quickly spiral out of control as bills go unpaid, insurance is lost, and the complicated system we have set up is too difficult for me to find my way through.

With so many pressing problems like gun violence, mental health treatment, terrorism, the deficit, etc. there is no way anyone is going to campaign to make the details of life simpler for those people who are most vulnerable, it just isn’t going to happen, but there is something people can do. If you see someone who seems to be struggling to pay their bills, do their banking, or buy their groceries, call Health and Human Services (Adult Services). An early intervention can keep someone safely in their home and get them the support they need.

Let’s agree to watch out for each other. You never know when you, or someone you love, will need the concern of a stranger to help you survive.

 

Psych Central

15 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by in mental illness, schizophrenia, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

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Here is a blog post I wrote for Psych Central this morning. It is about the issue of companion dogs – how they aren’t for everyone. If you are considering a dog, or even if you have one, pop over and see what you think.  It is here.

Here is an article I wrote last week about 5 ways to recover your self esteem after a mental health crisis. I think it is helpful. What do you think?  You can find it here.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Look At The Moon It Could Increase Your Joy

11 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by in hope, writing

≈ 21 Comments

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I love life, but life is not easy. Most people are dealing with an illness or the illness of a family member or friend. There are days when the dishwasher breaks, your car won’t start, your boss says something critical. On those days we can lose our perspective. Life can seem more like work and difficulty and less like wonderment, and beauty.

It is also difficult if you are plugged in to social media not to get discouraged and frightened about our future. There is ISIS, there is the crisis in Syria, there is climate change, there is famine, and there is the risk of disease. All of this information can be overwhelming. It can make the strongest optimists among us feel the twinges of fear and hopelessness.

There is so much pain, suffering, greed and pure evil in the world, it is often hard to notice that the leaves on the trees have changed and are falling, the night comes earlier, and the days get shorter, the stars continue to shine, and the moon is high in the sky even if you can’t see it. And that is the secret – the moon says it all. It is there every night, just like the beauty and love in life, even if we can’t always see it.

I don’t wait at the window every night and search for the moon, although I should. I should look for the wonder, for the joy, for the small miracles that surround me every day and are threatened to be covered by clouds of negativity. Most times when I see the moon, it is by accident. I am going to the grocery store and I catch a glimpse of a globe glowing in the sky, or the clouds break and I catch a sliver hanging in the darkness. The same is true of the mysteries and enchantment of life. I catch glimpses of it as I go about my day – someone buys a sandwich or cup of coffee for a homeless person, someone helps me pick up the bag of books I dropped, someone returns my cell phone to the lost and found, someone gives me a discount when I didn’t ask or expect one, the flowers bloom and it’s not spring, I hear a song that reminds me of first love, people  smile at me, people laugh, people hold hands, people lock arms and they kiss.

The amazement is for the young and old. No one has any more access to the beauty than any other. We can be a part of the magic too. We can actually help people glimpse the moon unexpectedly. We can make people feel special. We can make people feel seen and heard. We can do something kind or thoughtful for our coworkers, a stranger, or a friend. We can all smile at the people we see. We can listen to someone’s heartache. We can buy someone a chocolate bar for no reason. We can buy a stranger a cup of coffee. We can offer our seat on the bus. We can let someone go in front of us in line.

We have the power to help people notice that the moon in all of its stages. We can give everyone a view from our window so they can experience the wonder of the daily tides.