Hi 27/2017,
Thanks for all the comments. Iām ok to support a robust dialogue as part of moving the conversation forward but a lot of what youāve said could be taken as offensive in context of what Iāve been willing to share so I havenāt responded.
In particular, not understanding MIAās mission statement before making these sort of comments is problematic. Specifically the part of the mission about education in context of
āde-emphasizes the use of psychiatric medications, particularly over the long-term.ā which is central to this story.
Not to mention working with psychiatrists who support MIAās mission as being the key to reshaping mental health care – something also highlighted in this story.
I sense a lot of frustration in your comments which I 100% empathize with but I ask you donāt direct that frustration at me or others who have shared in the comments.
Otherwise Iāll ask the MIA moderator to review the discussion which could be counterproductive if certain comments need to be removed since open dialogue is key.
Thanks for sharing! 5 meds is impressive to come out of especially 20 years ago.
Just one was almost enough to beat me even with access to more progressive support and thinking.
High fever as a child is not something Iāve associated with psychosis but itās an interesting question especially in context of the trauma lens.
I guess my follow up question would be if youāve ever done any therapeutic work around the possible trauma of that experience as a child?
Something i didn’t go into above was the possible broader role of childhood trauma (no matter how big or small) in context of ābi-polarā tendencies.
Bottom line, I think we should all be re-parenting through therapy, even if weāve never had a mental health issue in our lives.
Great question. I donāt have all the background on training etc but I explain the exercises as guided meditations that first ground you, get you in touch with your body, and then allow you hunt for where emotions/trauma may be trapped so that those feelings can be processed during the exercise.
Yes! And can we please starting talking, in partnership with patients and care givers, about meds in context of how we understand they actually work; not what we THINK they SHOULD do.
āAnti-psychoticsā being my favorite.
Explaining to patients that they are being given a strong sedative or dopamine āregulatorā, and why, would completely change how patients and their loved ones navigate this scary world of care.
Thank you so much for sharing and for the positive feedback.
Iāve found paranoia, especially the type youāve described, very linked to self acceptance and my inner child creating narratives (exactly as scary as the ones you mentioned) to explain love or acceptance that Iām not ready to understand.
An exercise I was taught was to try and think in a long time horizon about those loved ones you are scared of and if theyāve ever done anything bad to you. This should reengage your adult brain/self and break the narrative.
You can also teach your loved ones how to speak to you when in crisis and ensure they are caring but firm and use logic to engage your adult self; pet names or anything you might say to a child are off limits.
And yes, once I crawl out of the paranoia using this exercise, it’s time to get some high quality sleep.
Thank you for the comment.
There has not been a single person Iāve shared my story with who has not been impacted by mental health and yet itās never a topic of conversation that comes up naturally.
Community and openness is the key to understanding and healing; especially for the amazing people caring for loved ones.
Thank you so much so sharing. Hearing other peopleās stories and knowing our stories can help each other is one of the keys to moving mental health forward.
Thank you for sharing. Murky is a great word to describe what you are feeling. I remember the same feeling so well, including that sense of complete hopelessness.
In my experience the more you talk and share about how youāre feelings the easier the journey becomes – even if that means calling a crisis line or similar.
There were days when I would just call anyone that would listen which on reflection probably helped me keep āmeā front an center during the toughest times.
Hi 27/2017,
Thanks for all the comments. Iām ok to support a robust dialogue as part of moving the conversation forward but a lot of what youāve said could be taken as offensive in context of what Iāve been willing to share so I havenāt responded.
In particular, not understanding MIAās mission statement before making these sort of comments is problematic. Specifically the part of the mission about education in context of
āde-emphasizes the use of psychiatric medications, particularly over the long-term.ā which is central to this story.
Not to mention working with psychiatrists who support MIAās mission as being the key to reshaping mental health care – something also highlighted in this story.
I sense a lot of frustration in your comments which I 100% empathize with but I ask you donāt direct that frustration at me or others who have shared in the comments.
Otherwise Iāll ask the MIA moderator to review the discussion which could be counterproductive if certain comments need to be removed since open dialogue is key.
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Thanks, M!
While publishing this story has been powerfully cathartic, that came with an emotional heavy lift.
Your kind of comment makes it all worthwhile.
Hope you find some relief and direction.
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Thanks for sharing! 5 meds is impressive to come out of especially 20 years ago.
Just one was almost enough to beat me even with access to more progressive support and thinking.
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Here is my therapists website since lots of people have asked for it; http://www.cariewinchell.com/
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Thank you for sharing.
I hope youāve found an alternative either through therapy or otherwise and are doing ok.
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Thanks for sharing and the positive feedback.
High fever as a child is not something Iāve associated with psychosis but itās an interesting question especially in context of the trauma lens.
I guess my follow up question would be if youāve ever done any therapeutic work around the possible trauma of that experience as a child?
Something i didn’t go into above was the possible broader role of childhood trauma (no matter how big or small) in context of ābi-polarā tendencies.
Bottom line, I think we should all be re-parenting through therapy, even if weāve never had a mental health issue in our lives.
Report comment
Great question. I donāt have all the background on training etc but I explain the exercises as guided meditations that first ground you, get you in touch with your body, and then allow you hunt for where emotions/trauma may be trapped so that those feelings can be processed during the exercise.
Report comment
Yes! And can we please starting talking, in partnership with patients and care givers, about meds in context of how we understand they actually work; not what we THINK they SHOULD do.
āAnti-psychoticsā being my favorite.
Explaining to patients that they are being given a strong sedative or dopamine āregulatorā, and why, would completely change how patients and their loved ones navigate this scary world of care.
Report comment
Thank you so much for sharing and for the positive feedback.
Iāve found paranoia, especially the type youāve described, very linked to self acceptance and my inner child creating narratives (exactly as scary as the ones you mentioned) to explain love or acceptance that Iām not ready to understand.
An exercise I was taught was to try and think in a long time horizon about those loved ones you are scared of and if theyāve ever done anything bad to you. This should reengage your adult brain/self and break the narrative.
You can also teach your loved ones how to speak to you when in crisis and ensure they are caring but firm and use logic to engage your adult self; pet names or anything you might say to a child are off limits.
And yes, once I crawl out of the paranoia using this exercise, it’s time to get some high quality sleep.
Report comment
Iām now 100% med free (with an emergency supply of olanzapine if we see early warning signs of mania or psychosis).
Outside of two manic episodes in my life Iāve always been super stable. Not a luxury I know most people diagnosed with ābi-polarā have.
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Thank you for the comment.
There has not been a single person Iāve shared my story with who has not been impacted by mental health and yet itās never a topic of conversation that comes up naturally.
Community and openness is the key to understanding and healing; especially for the amazing people caring for loved ones.
Report comment
Thank you so much for sharing. So glad to hear youāre in a good place.
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Thank you so much so sharing. Hearing other peopleās stories and knowing our stories can help each other is one of the keys to moving mental health forward.
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Let me check with them if ok to share on here and get back to you
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Thank you for sharing.
Finding the right kind of therapy was key for me so Iām glad youāre exploring that avenue.
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Thank you for sharing. Murky is a great word to describe what you are feeling. I remember the same feeling so well, including that sense of complete hopelessness.
In my experience the more you talk and share about how youāre feelings the easier the journey becomes – even if that means calling a crisis line or similar.
There were days when I would just call anyone that would listen which on reflection probably helped me keep āmeā front an center during the toughest times.
Never give up hope
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