Category Archives: Social Impact
Toxic Positivity
I have often railed against those who have tried to encourage me by telling me to “think happy thoughts” or who tried to pump sunshine by telling me how wonderful life is. It was as though they thought I wasn’t … Continue reading
The Canary in the Coal Mine
In the old days, canaries were used in coal mines to warn of poisonous gas. If there were any gas, the birds would stop singing and drop from their perches; they’d be the warning that conditions were harmful.
Think Happy Thoughts
During the years of suffering bipolar disorder, I have had endless people tell me to “think happy thoughts,” or to “snap out of it,” “cheer up, other people have it worse,” and on and on and on. It is as … Continue reading
Responsibility
Learning that I suffered from a mental illness changed how I regarded myself. I had considered that my behavior – the unpleasant stuff – was mostly because, for some reason, I was just an asshole. I didn’t like that idea; … Continue reading
Disaster Areas
Every so often a tornado or other disaster strikes, killing several people, injuring many more. It’s heartbreaking to see images of these people, traumatized, homeless, some having lost loved ones, some having lost everything they had. You can’t see these … Continue reading
Prozac, Starbucks, and Me
Near me is a sheltered care residence for the mentally ill. They don’t need to be confined, but they need help. My wanderings often take me past this melancholy place.
Out of the Closet
There is a stigma attached to mental illness. People who would never ridicule a person with a physical disability, think nothing of making fun of someone suffering from psychiatric illness. The reasons are numerous and complex, but admitting to having … Continue reading
The Lives They Left Behind
That is the title of a book about the inmates of a mental institution – who they were, what became of them, based on the institution’s records and the luggage the patients brought with them and never retrieved.
Love
I have learned a great deal from my cats. Some of these lessons were about love.