A Gratitude Break

I am so very grateful that I can write. I can express what I am going through and, once it is out there, it allows me to examine my feelings more thoroughly. And I am even more grateful to you for reading what I have written and giving me feedback.

There is still a stupid social stigma associated with mental illness. I hope that by writing about what I go through you may realize that you are not alone. There are others out there who know exactly how you feel. Sometimes the difficulty is in finding those people.

I am grateful that I have access to health care when so many do not. While I don't like the fact that I have to rely on pharmaceuticals to balance my brain chemistry, I am grateful to have them. And the wonderful doctors and other members of my care team are so quick to respond when anything changes.

Much of the time I feel anxious but otherwise okay. For those times when I don't, I am thankful that help is only a phone call away.

Since I write about a myriad of subjects, I am always on the lookout for inspiration. Anything that can draw my attention is fair game. Did you know that today is National Men Make Dinner Day? No? Well, now you do. I found out myself only a couple of days ago.

But what I like to write about the most are the everyday occurrences that many people may pass by without noticing.

1. When the cool autumn breeze lightly brushes your face just right and makes you notice the changing leaves for the first time this year. 
2. When the kitty has just given herself a bath and feels extra fluffy and soft.
3. When that first sip of coffee is just exquisite. 
4. When your hands are warmed by the mug of hot chocolate someone fixed for you when you returned from a walk outdoors in the winter.
5. When you have washed the last dirty dish and you turn and there are not dirty pots and pans on the stove.

What does your writing do for you that makes you grateful for the ability?

Do you want to suggest something that you wish I would write about?

National Depression Screening Day

Today is National Depression Screening Day.

It only takes a minute. You can find screenings online and at various places around the nation. Click here for a good start: help yourself help others..

There is this depression screening test that is just ten questions.

It isn't hard and if you think you may need professional help these are the questions you should be asking yourself.

This test from Mental Health America gives you immediate results.

So, if you have felt down, or sad, for no apparent reason and/or for more than two weeks, please consider taking one of the screening tests. You may just be having a bad time of it lately, or you may be clinically depressed. It could start you on the path to getting so much more out of life.

And, as for me, I think that I will have a talk with my doctors because it seems that I am not doing as well as I could be with the meds I have onboard. This has helped even me, an old hat at being majorly depressed.

Mental Health Month

May is mental health month. I found out through a post on Facebook. Nobody shares anything with those who suffer. Oh well.

I did find a nice website, Mental Health America, that has lots of information and some screening tests if you are interested. Upon further navigation, though, I do believe that it is sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. And I'm not sure how I feel about that.

There are those that find that therapy of one kind or another is all they need to beat the monster but I am not one of those people. My brain has a chemical problem which has to be handled with other chemicals.

Social media like Facebook and this blog are providing me with more interaction than I have had in quite some time. I find that blogging has lifted my mood tremendously. I look forward to writing posts. I enjoy reading posts. I am learning so much. The Google Plus community is fantastic.

If you are having problems and don't know where to start try the website above. Or call your local health department. Or if you are really bad, call 911. The idea is to get you help so you don't have to handle your problems alone. What better time to do it than during Mental Health Month? If you are worried about the money therapy costs then perhaps your county is like mine and offers doctors on a sliding scale. And they provide case workers to help you navigate the system.

Yes, there are times when I still feel isolated because of my mental illness but I have a lot of help to deal with those feelings. Heck, most of the time I don't mind being isolated!

I am in the middle of one of those times. I am having to make myself write this. But I know that the satisfaction of having written the post will be great. And I successfully embedded a link to the website I found - yay me! You see, taking pride in those little things is what helps me climb up out of the morass.

If you need to make a change for yourself, if you need help, why not take that first step during Mental Health Month?