The Journey: Until the moment I stepped into the Psychiatric Emergency Department at our local hospital, I had no idea the speed of my son’s breakdown. I was totally and completely floored. It wasn’t as though I didn’t know he was depressed; he’d been in counseling for years. I knew he disliked school and I had […]
Caring for the Caregiver
Caring for the needs of a loved one is often incredibly rewarding. Knowing that the best care decisions are being made and that the paperwork, insurance claims and many other day-to-day needs of the loved one are being addressed, should help caregivers sleep better at night. But are they sleeping? One of the most challenging […]
A Caregivers Path
A few months ago, I was asked to share my story with a local Caregivers organization. As I was reading it over the weekend, I realized that many of my readers may not know the story of how I became a Caregiver. If you are a Parent/Caregiver, welcome! I am glad to have you along on […]
You Better Lose Yourself
“You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow This opportunity comes once in a lifetime” – Eminem (more) So here I am quoting Eminem right? Well I can tell you that this song […]
Guest Post: Mental Illness, Parenting and Roller Coasters
That familiar whirling blur of anticipation, worry, hope and fear swirls in my gut. My palms sweat and my heart pounds faster. My mind races through what might happen this time, what might go wrong. I’m nesting again. It feels just like it did twenty-three years ago when I was expecting the birth of my […]
When the Silence is Deafening
I recently read a statistic that said one in four people in the US experience some type of mental health challenge. This got me thinking, who are the other three? Having experienced a mental health crisis with my son just a couple years ago, I can tell you that from my personal experience the other […]
This Week: Mental Illness in the News
Imagine for a minute that you are all settled in for a cross-country flight and suddenly you become aware of some commotion in the back of the plane. You might not think anything of it; maybe you intentionally turn your music or movie up so that it is not disturbing you. However, you then notice […]
Caregivers Guest Post: Crisis in the Rearview
Crisis in the Rearview Guest Post, By Annie Slease “Writers write from what they know.” This has been my mantra for more than twenty years as a middle school English teacher, but I hadn’t ever put it to the test until my older son Jake suffered his first true mental health crisis. As a way of […]
Caregivers Guest Post: Self Care Strategies
I am excited and honored to end this Caregivers in the Spotlight month with a post from Kathleen Nelson Troyer. Kat and I met through a mutual friend not long after I relocated to the Bay Area. I admire her work, her path and her courage. I am grateful and humbled that Kat agreed to share […]
Caregivers Guest Post: Mental Illness has a Name
I am honored and grateful for Deborah’s contribution as today’s Caregivers in the Spotlight guest blogger. Deborah was introduced to me through a mutual friend. Her story and the journey she is on with her son touches me deeply both as a mother and caregiver with similar experiences. **************** Mental Illness Has a Name And […]
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