May 3, 2016
Where I live it is Mental Health Awareness week for both youth and adults. Check out some of these sites for more information: Canadian Mental Health Association Children’s Mental Health Ontario Parents for Children’s Mental Health National Alliance on Mental Illness (American) Also my son and I contributed to podcasts at CPRI in London – go to this link to hear our podcasts and some other amazing ones. Mine is the under “families” and Corbin is under “kids” CPRI I have asked all of my work colleagues to wear Green tomorrow (Wednesday) to raise awareness for Mental Health – we’d love to have you join us. I’m not on twitter or snapchat or any of that but you could always […]
April 18, 2016
The first three and a half years of my son’s life was utter turmoil. Then we adopted him and gave him a stable home and the next seven years were spent going from doctor to doctor; professional to professional. Along the way we gathered diagnosis – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Tourette Syndrome (TS); Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD); Intermittent Explosive Disorder; Sensory Integration Disorder (SID); Learning disabilities (LD) and held them tight as we researched them and received varied amounts of treatment for each. However, even after all of these diagnoses, it still felt like we had missed something. I tried to talk myself out of it – telling myself “enough is enough, now you are just trying to make […]
April 15, 2016
In 2010 our son Corbin was in crisis and needed to have a residential placement at the Child and Parent Resource Insititute (CPRI) in London Ontario. While he was there we were able to start the process of having him diagnosed with Bipolar disorder (on top of all his other diagnosis – Tourette’s, ADHD, OCD, Disturbance of Attachment, Autism, Sensory Integration Disorder and probably more I just can’t think of right now). His time at the residential placement ended prior to completing the assessment for Bipolar. Following his time at CPRI we transitioned him (rather poorly) to our local children’s mental health agency for ongoing services while we continued the assessment process and subsequently began trying medication to better manage […]
March 26, 2016
I have always believed in inclusion. Long before I had my own children I worked with children with disabilities and I helped those families to advocate to have their child included. When I would meet a parent or professional that didn’t believe in inclusion I would be aghast. Doesn’t everyone want to be included, to join in, to belong? Even before I had kids I joined a local grassroots not for profit that was all about inclusion. Then came my own kids each with their own challenges. We chose our local Catholic board as they believe in inclusion unlike the public board (their idea of inclusion was to let some kids join their grade for gym or art and spend […]
March 10, 2016
I know I have been absent of late. It’s not because I don’t want to write or even that I have writer’s block. It quite simply is because I put my back out and between trying to find comfortable positions, popping Tylenol 3’s and attending Physiotherapy the writing has taken a back burner. I will be back soon, thanks for checking in.
February 8, 2016
I want you to know . . . . . . I have struggled with anxiety and depression for most of my life . . . As a teenager I was hospitalized 11 times and one of the last notes in my medical file from that time indicates my prognosis was “poor”. . . . that through my 20’s we experienced several life stressors including infertility but I was able to stay healthy . . . when I don’t show up to group events it is because my anxiety has gotten the better of me and I can’t face everyone. . . . I feel anxious making phone calls, even to close friends and family . . . my husband […]
January 28, 2016
The words whipped around in my head. Over and over, multiple conversations occurring within my overcrowded mind. I closed my eyes and tried to will quiet in my brain. It didn’t work. The voices in my head mocked me for even trying. I was so desperate to not feel so hollow, so hopeless, so helpless. My hand in my pocket wrapped tighter around the pill bottle. If only, I thought, I was brave enough to end it all. Then the voices would stop and I would no longer feel like I was in the bottom of a very very deep pit. My heart raced at the thought of taking the pills. I tried to fight my way out of the […]
January 22, 2016
I have another post on The Mighty – check it out here I have realized that in my attempt to get my name out there and to share my writing, I have been neglecting the book I am trying to write. Nose to the grindstone from now on.
January 17, 2016
I originally posted this in 2011 but I updated it a little to send to The Mighty for publication. They turned it down but I still think it’s good to share Mental Illness is nothing to be ashamed of. It is not the fault of the person dealing with it. It is hard for all involved. The individual, family, friends . . . Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of How many times have I said that in real life, on Facebook, on my blog? I tell my son this all the time. I tell him that his Bi-Polar and OCD and other illness/disorders are a pesky part of him but they do not define him and they […]
January 13, 2016
Dear Corbin I want you to know that I am a huge fan of yours and I love you completely. I admire how each day is a brand new day for you, you rarely hold a grudge. You are almost always happy and with a little encouragement you are learning to try new things. Having said all of that there is something I need to do. I need to apologize I’m sorry for all the days I spent on the phone and typing emails to people who in the end neither believed in you nor had anything to offer. I’m sorry I spent so much time seeking out therapy and ways to “fix” you instead of using available therapies to […]