I recently read in the news that a television personality named John Brenkus passed away by suicide on May 31st of this year. He was 54 years old. He was a well known figure in the sports world. I have talked about my journey with mental illness many times on here on my blog. One of the hardest but best decisions I’ve ever made was seeking help. I have been suffering from mental illness from the time I was a child. Stigma kept me from reaching out for help for a very long time. As I read through the comments on the article about John Brenkus’s passing, I realized that even though we have come a long way with fighting stigma on mental illness we still have a long way to go.
Many of the comments fit into two groups. The first group are those who downplayed the seriousness depression, such as the examples below:
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The second was those who thought suicide is a cowardly or selfish act, such as those below:
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However, I did find comments that showed understanding and compassion:
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Depression is a serious mental illness, and someone who loses his or her battle with the illness was not weak or a coward. As someone who is dealing with depression myself, I can say it is not an easy condition to live with, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It’s hard to understand unless one is actually dealing with the illness his or herself, but compassion is not hard. I have had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful people online during my time as a blogger, but it is the truth that the internet can also bring out the ugly side side of humanity. The way to fight to fight the stigma of mental illness is through compassion. Compassion leads us to seeing each other as fellow human being worthy of love and understanding. So let’s try to be more loving and compassionate.
For those of you who are struggling with mental illness, please reach out for help if you have not done so already. If you are or someone you know is ever in a crisis, please reach out to your country’s crisis hotline. The hotline in the United States, where I, live is 988.
Thankyou for reading, and I’ll see guys in the next post!
This week has been Teacher Appreciation Week here in the United States! I have discussed my status as a person with a disability and mental illness several times here on my blog. Many educators I have met have been so understanding of my disability and mental illness. I have written two post about wonderful teachers I have had, and you can read them here and here. This is another post celebrating an excellent teacher.
Years ago when I was in kindergarten, I had two great teachers. However, I spent a significant amount time with one of them. It wasn’t until I was older when I got a chance to talk with her about her experience as an educator that I found out she wasn’t a teacher yet during the time she was teaching me. She was a paraprofessional, and was in the process of becoming a teacher. For those who don’t know what a paraprofessional is, a paraprofessional is a person who “supports teachers and students in many ways. For instance, a paraprofessional can tutor students or assist the teacher with managing the classroom and organizing instructional materials”. Paraprofessionals also help with “providing students with one-on-one guidance and handling behavioral or medical issues”.
It was interesting to find out that one of my kindergarten teachers was not exactly a teacher yet. However, then again, I should not have been so surprised. I was a student with special needs who needed extra attention, and giving students the extra attention they need is part of a paraprofessional’s job. My kindergarten teacher did not just give me extra attention though. She was extremely kind, loving, and patient. Even at my very young age of five, I knew she cared deeply for me, and so I cared deeply for her in return. She eventually did become a full fledged teacher, running her own classes and then eventually a department head.
I admire and appreciate her for the time she took to not only nurture my learning, but also my well-being. I definitely felt special with her, but I’m sure I was not her only student who felt this way. It is clear she is a passionate educator. Miss. H, Thankyou for everything, and happy teacher’s appreciation week.
Hi all! Welcome back to my blog! As some of you may know, I deal with mental illness. I have depression and borderline personality disorder. For a long time, I was hesitant to reach out for help with my mental health, but I finally starting going to therapy in 2019. Even though I decided to get help with my mental health, I was still very hesitant to take medication. I’m usually hesitant about taking new medication, but I was even more reluctant to take psychiatric medication. I am now on an antidepressant and an antipsychotic. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16.5 percent of American adults were taking medication for mental illness in 2020. A combination of therapy and medication is the most effective way to manage mental illness.
The different types of psychiatric medications are antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers. Antidepressants are mainly used to treat depression, although they can also be used to treat anxiety, pain, and insomnia as well. Anti-anxiety medications are used to treat anxiety, although antidepressants can also be used for anxiety and are usually prescribed initially before anti-anxiety medication. Stimulants are used to treat Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It can also treat narcolepsy. Stimulants can improve alertness and focus. Antipsychotics are used to treat psychosis. Conditions that involve psychosis are bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and severe psychotic depression. Mood stabilizers are often used to treat bipolar disorder, but can be used to help with mood regulation in other mental illnesses as well. Psychiatric medication can be very helpful, but they have their cons as well. This is why there are those who warn against taking psychiatric medication, including members of the British royal family.
Thomas Kingston, a member of the British royal family through marriage, died by suicide in February last year in 2024. His family was left devastated, and are now advocating for better communication between doctors and patients about the serious side effects of psychiatric medications. The coroner who handled looking into the cause of Mr. Kingston’s death also warned about the side effects of psychiatric medications. Psychiatric medications do have some serious side effects. With antidepressants, some side effects are upset stomach, headache, or sexual dysfunction. In young people under the age of 25, antidepressants can cause suicidal thoughts. Some children on stimulants feel unlike their usual selves. Antipsychotics can cause stroke or death in older adults. Older first generation antipsychotics, often called typical antipsychotics, can lead a condition called Tardive dyskinesia, which is when muscles in the body move uncontrollably. People on newer generation antipsychotics, or atypical antipsychotics, generally need to have their weight, glucose levels, and lipid levels monitored by their doctor. One very commonly used mood stabilizer is lithium. Those who take lithium need to have their lithium levels routinely checked, as overdosing on lithium can cause serious side effects. Also, stopping any psychiatric medication abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms. Hopefully, Mr. Thomas Kingston was informed about the side effects of the particular medication he was prescribed.
One of the medications Kingston was at first prescribed was sertraline. After returning to his doctor and reporting that the medication was not working, he was put on citalopram. At the time of his death, Kingston had stopped taking the antidepressants. As mentioned previously, stopping psychiatric medication can lead to withdrawal symptoms. It is very imperative that mental health professionals are transparent about the side effects of psychiatric drugs, but it is also very important that patients closely follow the instructions of the doctor.
Making the choice of whether or not to take psychiatric medication is a serious decision to make. It is important to know that everyone’s body reacts differently to medication. Some people may suffer bad side effects. However, there are many people who experience minimal side effects or none at all and find psychiatric medications to be life saving. Whether or not a person should take medication or not doesn’t have an easy answer. However, being informed can make the decision to take medication and dealing with medication easier.
Hello everyone! Well guys, we are at the beginning of a new year again! As I was thinking about what I wanted to post next on my blog, I began thinking about how far I have come on my journey with working on my mental health. I started working on my mental health in 2020. I started from being afraid of going to therapy to firmly advocating for it. I went from being against psychiatric medication to believing in their effectiveness.
My journey has not been easy, and I have had a few depressive episodes and break downs. Last year though, I am proud to say that I have not had any depressive episodes or breakdowns. I’ve been feeling more confident than I’ve ever felt before. I’m doing so well with my mental health that I am even having less therapy sessions. At the beginning of my mental health journey, I was going to therapy 3 times a week. That’s how bad my mental health was. Now I’m seeing a therapist once every two weeks. My mental health is not perfect, but I feel so different than I felt before starting my mental health journey. I never thought I would reach to a point where I would be able to say I truly loved myself. I have never felt better. I am very much looking forward to another year of mental stability.
Hello all! Missed me? It’s been a while! I’m really sorry about that! I’ve been a little busy! I’m going to college soon, so I’ve been pretty busy preparing! I haven’t even been on social media in a while, and I particularly enjoy Twitter! I haven’t forgotten about my blog though! I don’t plan on ever giving up on this blog no matter what!
With that update out of the way, let’s move on to another topic: coffee! Did you know that October 1st was National Coffee Day? How many of you out there love coffee? If you didn’t know before, I live in the United States, and we love coffee over here! According to the National Coffee Association, 7 in 10 Americans consume coffee every week, and the average American drinks more than 3 cups of coffee per day.
In honor of this popular drink, I thought I would tell you about my first time drinking coffee! I saw two teenage girls making a drink at a machine while I was waiting in a waiting room at a school. I thought the girls were making hot chocolate, and I wanted some too. The problem was they weren’t making hot chocolate! They were making coffee, and a small child shouldn’t be drinking coffee! One of the teenage girls pointed that out, but the other girl said it was fine and made a cup for me. It was delicious! It was so good that I wanted to a second cup. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to work the machine, and the two teenage girls had already left. I decided to try my luck on my own with the machine, but before before I could figure out what I was doing, I was caught by my very upset mother.
I hope you enjoyed my little story! Do you like coffee? How often do you drink coffee, if at all? When was your first time drinking coffee? Thankyou for visiting and reading! Until next time!
My father recently introduced me to Netflix’s Anne with an E. It’s a show inspired by novel series Anne of Green Gables by Canadian author Lucy Maud “L.M.” Montgomery. For those who are unfamiliar with Anne of Green Gables or Anne with an E, it is a story that follows the life of a very bright and curious red haired young girl named Anne. The story begins with her meeting an elderly brother and sister named Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.
My Dad loves Anne with an E. We watched it together several times recently. He just adores Anne and finds her so endearing. I love Anne too. There is no way you can watch the show and not fall for her charm. When the Cuthberts met Anne, they immediately loved her, especially Matthew. She changed their lives for the better. Matthew is shy and reserved, and is a man of few words. Meeting Anne helps him to come out of his shell a little. For her, he would do anything. It got to the point where Marilla often teased that Matthew spoiled Anne.
Matthew did not expect this change in his life. It reminds me of me of how my father wasn’t expecting his life to take the turn it did. My father was still in school, and expecting to continue school, when he met and fell in love with my mother. They got married and started a family. My father vowed when he had a his first child that he would do anything to make sure he was the best father he could be. Over the years, his children wanted for nothing. He was the ultimate provider. It was a struggle to provide everything his children needed and wanted, but his children never felt the struggle. Their father simply made being a parent look effortless. To my father, life was hard, but to his children, life was perfect.
I really enjoyed spending time watching Anne with an E with my Dad. It was lots of fun. As I mentioned before, Dad really loved Anne. I loved Matthew and his relationship with Anne. He showered her with love in his own special, quiet way, and Anne appreciated him for it, just like I appreciate my Dad for the sacrifices he made for me. I wish my father a very happy Father’s Day. He deserves my appreciation and so much more.
I’ve talked a lot about dealing with mental illness on here. I’ve been dealing with mental illness since early childhood. I was a very happy and talkative child. I can’t fully remember when that started to change, but I do know that I got bullied a lot in school. I’ve always been small for my age, so I stood out like a sore thumb.
This did not change when I reached to high school. When I was in primary school and secondary school I had the same classmates. I had different classmates when I went to high school, but the bullying still continued. My self esteem took a deep dive due to the bullying and only made my depression worsen. By my senior year, my depression took a tool on me and I stayed home from school a lot. I just didn’t like being in school. Then I saw my grades. The moment I took a look at them I went in to a bathroom and started crying. I was failing. If I didn’t shape up, I was in jeopardy of having to repeat my senior year. I started going back to school regularly.
Fortunately, I had very understanding teachers. One teacher in particularly was very helpful. I talked with her about my situation and that I was dealing with a lot. She decided to give me an open book test and to help boost my grade. She gave me a 75 for her class. I was grateful, but I don’t think I showed enough gratitude at the time. Looking back, I don’t remember even saying Thankyou. If I had a chance to see her again, I would give her the gratitude I didn’t at the time. I would tell her Thankyou. Thankyou for giving me a chance to explain myself. Thankyou for being understanding. Thanks to you, I graduated on time.
If I had to pick a word to describe mothers, it would be “strong”. Giving birth is no easy feat. Some woman die giving birth. Still, woman continue to use their bodies to bring life into the world. Some women even give birth several times. This includes my own mother (yes I have siblings, but I won’t say how many). My mother is not just strong physically though. She is strong personality wise as well. She has always been a very confident woman, not letting anyone’s negative opinions bring her down. That confidence shines through whenever I need a pep talk to boost my confidence. When whenever I would feel down about my looks she would say she has no ugly children. It would always make me laugh and I would feel better about myself in that moment. She also uses her strong personality to advocate for me. I am a person with a disability. When I was a small child, my school wanted put me in a special education class. My mother was sure that I could learn with other children, so she fought for me to be in a general class. I just needed a little extra attention to keep up with my peers. My mother never took excuses from me. She knew I had limitations and understood them, but she also understood my strengths and had high expectations of me. I am truly grateful for my mother’s strength. If I am blessed to be a mother myself one day, I hope to be a rock to my child like she has been for me. On Mother’s Day and everyday, I celebrate my wonderful mother.
Here is what a few others hva to say about their mothers:
Hi! It’s been a while since posted! For those who are not familiar with me, my name is Charli! I have a condition called Turner Syndrome. It is when I girl is born with one of her X chromosomes missing. Turner syndrome can lead to a lot of complications. Some of those complications include heart defects, hearing loss, and weak bones. I have been seeing my endocrinologist every six months to make sure that my health is ok. I’ve had to have surgery on my thyroid gland. Recently, however, my doctor told me that I can now see her once every year. My health is looking really good. As long as I continue taking my medication as prescribed, and continue making decent life choices, I will continue to be in good health. I consider myself to be very fortunate, especially since, like I said previously, Turner syndrome can lead to a lot of complications. There is so much I am thankful for. Being alive in the first place is something to be grateful for, because 99 percent of pregnancies involving a fetus with Turner syndrome end in miscarriage. Life sometimes throws us curveballs and challenges, but always remember that you are a fighter.
Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. This post will be a bit different, as i’m reviewing a book. The book is called “Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother”, and the author is an African writer named Segilola Salami. The description of the book is below:
Description:
Follow Yetunde as she narrates her mother’s ode to her grandmother. It is the Yoruba praise poetry for a mother known as Oriki Iya. Yetunde is also thrilled and delighted by the ancient Yoruba tale passed down to her by her mother about Labakẹ, a young maiden who was kidnapped to be forced to marry a warrior king. Will Iya Labakẹ save her child in time? Is Iya Labakẹ just a simple defenceless mother? Or . . . ?
This is a short story dedicated to past, present and future mothers, a perfect Mother’s day present!
The book is mostly in English and all Yoruba words are translated, so everyone can enjoy the book fully.
Review:
As mentioned in the description, “Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother” is a book about an African mother of Yuroba heritage spending time with her daughter, and even telling her daughter a traditional Yuroba story. “Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother” is told through the eyes of the small baby daughter, who is relaying to the readers what she has learned from her mother. I’ve mentioned on my blog many times that I have a genetic disorder. I wasn’t diagnosed with the disorder until I was a teenager, but I always knew something was off. I was always small for my age. Due to my size, I was often bullied. The bullying made me feel low and unattractive, but when I would think those thoughts, I would always think of my mother’s words to me: “I have no ugly children”. Segilola’s book reminded me of own my mother and her words to me, and how much strength I get from them. “Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother” beautifully shows how we are shaped by the words of our parents, as the daughter takes in every word her mother, Yetunde, says. Over all, I really enjoyed “Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother”. I believe it is a beautiful way to learn about Yuroba culture. I highly recommend the book
Life with Charli 